Contents: | Weekly Quotes | Short Takes | On Topic Links
Pining for Fig Leaves: Caroline B. Glick, Jerusalem Post, November 13, 2017
Trump's Middle East Peace Initiative Still on Hold: Ben Caspit, Al-Monitor, Nov. 13, 2017
The New Saudi Crown Prince, the Iranian Threat – and the Drumbeats of War: Eric Reguly, Globe & Mail, Nov. 10, 2017
Iran Sent Them to Syria. Now Afghan Fighters Are a Worry at Home: Mujib Mashal & Fatima Faizi, New York Times, Nov. 11, 2017
WEEKLY QUOTES
“I have clarified to our friends in Washington and our friends in Moscow that we will operate in Syria, including southern Syria, in accordance with our understanding and in accordance with our security needs.”— Prime Minister Netanyahu, in his response to a reported ceasefire deal clinched between the U.S., Russia, and Jordan to distance foreign fighters from Israel’s northern border. The agreement affirms a call for “the reduction, and ultimate elimination” of foreign fighters from southern Syria. According to reports, the deal applies to Iranian proxies fighting on behalf of Assad’s regime, which would be required to leave the border area and eventually Syria. (Times of Israel, Nov. 13, 2017)
“The region has enough instability and challenges as it is. We don’t need any new complications involving Iran or Hezbollah so we don’t add new challenges to the region…I am against war, we can resolve crises with dialogue…Gulf security is a red line and others must stop meddling in our affairs and not work to escalate tensions. We in Egypt believe that Arab and Gulf security and any threat to Gulf nations is a threat to our own national security.” — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Sisi’s comments came after Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s sudden resignation over fear of an Iranian-led assassination plot, and amid turbulence in Saudi Arabia. A missile was fired from Yemen toward the capital of Riyadh last weekend in what Saudi Arabia described as “an Iranian missile launched by Hezbollah” and a potential “act of war.” “Conditions in Saudi Arabia are totally stable and I have confidence in the government’s handling of the situation,” Sisi said. (Algemeiner, Nov. 9, 2017)
“The Iranians are on the march, there’s no doubt about it. The Saudis, the others on the Gulf are very worried and they should be.” — Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. Bolton said the U.S. should have a contingency plan for a “Shah of Iran scenario” in the Middle East, following growing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Bolton said instability in the region is also alarming, and could affect more than just the two countries. “I don’t think this is over in Saudi Arabia, I don’t think the conflict among the Gulf States—Qatar being isolated at the moment—I don’t think that’s over either. I think there’s a lot of play here for terrorism within the Arab world, not to mention Iranian meddling,” Bolton said, adding that as the situation unravels, oil prices could be impacted. (Fox News, Nov. 7, 2017)
“With King Salman and his son, we are moving toward a different kind of kingdom, one that sees a centralization of power and the elimination of other power centers…The message is that you can’t challenge the rule of King Salman or his son.” — Madawi al-Rasheed, a Saudi analyst. With the tacit backing of his father, Saudi Arabia’s 32-year-old crown prince has established himself as the most powerful figure in the Arab world. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the arrest of 11 princes in his royal family and nearly 200 members of the Saudi business elite, and has begun to take power from the kingdom’s conservative clerics. He has blockaded neighboring Qatar, accused Iran of acts of war and encouraged the resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister. (New York Times, Nov. 14, 217)
“We have spent a lot of time listening to and engaging with the Israelis, Palestinians and key regional leaders over the past few months to help reach an enduring peace deal…We are not going to put an artificial timeline on the development or presentation of any specific ideas and will also never impose a deal. Our goal is to facilitate, not dictate, a lasting peace agreement to improve the lives of Israelis and Palestinians and security across the region.” — Jason D. Greenblatt, President Trump’s chief negotiator on Israel. Trump and his advisers have begun developing their own concrete blueprint to end the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, a plan intended to go beyond previous frameworks offered by the American government in pursuit of what the president calls “the ultimate deal.” (New York Times, Nov. 11, 2017)
“If the Palestinians are going to be trustworthy partners in any kind of peace discussion, they have to show that they’re not inciting terrorism…And when you pay people — and, in fact, if you pay them more, the more Jews they kill — that’s pure incitement to terrorism.” — Representative Doug Lamborn, a Republican from Colorado. The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday will consider a bill to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority unless it ends payments to families of Palestinian attackers. Palestinian leaders say the payments are meant to help destitute families, not promote terrorism, and they accuse Israel of subsidizing violence by encouraging settlers in the West Bank. One compromise floated recently would have the Palestinian Authority help those families through a general welfare program that does not prioritize relatives of prisoners. (New York Times, Nov. 11, 2017)
“The biggest impediment to the peace process is the two leaders…Ultimately, both Netanyahu and Abbas just have this long, long history and they’ve played this game really well. And they don’t trust each other and I don’t think they will ever get to the point where they will trust each other.” — Grant Rumley, Foundation for Defense of Democracies. (New York Times, Nov. 11, 2017)
“The United States government treats Israel the way it deserves to be treated: as a critical strategic and trusted ally in one of the world’s toughest neighborhoods. Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and I agree that we have turned a page on the relationship between Israel and the United States. It is a change for the better.” — US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. Friedman on Sunday night confirmed a report that a team from the Trump administration is drafting an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. “We’re working very hard on it,” Friedman said of the Mideast peace proposal. “It’s hard to comment on it while we’re in the middle, because it’s delicate.” He added that more information about the plan will be publicized in “a few months.” (Algemeiner, Nov. 9, 2017)
“Red, white and blue must stand beside blue and white.” — Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), referencing the colors of the American and Israeli flags. “We are in this fight together, all the way until the end. Remember the ayatollah’s chant, ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America’…Our two nations have never ducked a challenge.” The senator added that if forced to act, the US can “totally destroy” Iran’s nuclear arsenal, and if the Iranians “choose to rebuild it, we can destroy it again until they get the picture.” Amb. Friedman and Sen. Cotton spoke at the Zionist Organization of America’s (ZOA) annual awards dinner in New York City. (Algemeiner, Nov. 9, 2017)
SHORT TAKES
FUEL CRISIS HITS YEMEN'S CAPITAL AS SAUDIS TIGHTEN BLOCKADE (Sanaa) — Hundreds of cars lined the main roads of Yemen's capital after the rebels who control the city ordered fuel stations to close last week, accusing merchants of taking advantage of a Saudi blockade to hike prices. A Saudi-led military coalition tightened its blockade in Yemen after a ballistic missile fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels was intercepted near the Saudi capital. Aid groups say the measures will exacerbate an already severe humanitarian crisis in the impoverished, war-torn country. Fuel prices have spiked by 50 percent. Hassan al-Zaydi, a spokesman for the Houthi-run Oil Ministry, said merchants had refused orders to keep prices fixed, prompting authorities to shut the fuel stations down. (Globe & Mail, Nov. 8, 2017)
IRAN DENIES PIPELINE ATTACK (Tehran) — Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter, will raise security at its oil facilities after Bahrain blamed Iran for a fire at a pipeline that connects the two Arab allies. Iran denied that it was involved. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said recent terrorist activities in Bahrain were directed by Iran, and security forces determined that the fire was intentional. Tensions have been rising in the region after Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for the attempted missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport. (Bloomberg, Nov. 12, 2017)
SAUDI ARABIA AND KUWAIT URGE CITIZENS TO LEAVE LEBANON (Beirut) — Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on Thursday urged its citizens to leave Lebanon “immediately” and to avoid traveling to the country. Bahrain, an ally of Saudi in the Gulf, also issued a travel warning. The calls for citizens to leave the Land of the Cedars comes amid a war of words between Saudi Arabia and Iran and its proxy Hezbollah, and in the wake of the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri last Saturday. The recent conflict between Riyadh and Beirut concerns the role of Hezbollah in Lebanese politics. Hezbollah has grown in strength in Lebanon to become the main power broker. (Jerusalem Post, Nov. 9, 2017)
GLAMOUR NAMED SARSOUR AMONG ITS WOMEN OF THE YEAR (New York) — The women’s magazine Glamour is mainly devoted to clothing, makeup, feminist topics, and health issues. This year, however, Glamour veered into unhealthy territory with its 2017 Women of the Year list. Alongside actress Nicole Kidman and astronaut Peggy Whitson, Glamour will be honoring the organizers of January’s Women’s March. Included among those organizers is anti-Israel activist Linda Sarsour. Sarsour openly supports BDS, has said that “nothing is creepier than Zionism,” said that Zionists can’t be feminists, and is also a supporter of Rasmea Odeh, who was convicted in Israel for the killings of Edward Joffe and Leon Kanner in 1969. (Algemeiner, Nov. 10, 2017)
ANGER OVER SARSOUR ROLE IN ANTISEMITISM PANEL (New York) — A leading research university plans to host a panel on antisemitism featuring Linda Sarsour. The event, entitled “Antisemitism and the Struggle for Justice”, will take place at the New School in New York. Other participants include Rebecca Vilkomerson, head of Jewish Voice for Peace. Liel Leibovitz criticised the school for not inviting any scholars of antisemitism: “In supporting this pathetic farce, then, the New School betrays its mission and its heritage twice: First by inviting some of the leading purveyors of anti-Jewish prejudice to discuss anti-Semitism, and second by failing to invite to the panel anyone who might disrupt the torrent of invective with dispassionate facts and real expertise.” (Jewish Chronicle, Nov. 14, 2017)
EXTREME RIGHT LEADER TO BE INDICTED FOR INCITING VIOLENCE (Jerusalem) — The District Prosecutor’s Office in Jerusalem summoned extreme right-wing activist Bentzi Gopstein to court hearing where he faces charges of incitement to terrorism, violence, and racism. The prosecution collected remarks made by Gopstein in the media and on social networks in which he called for violence, incited racism and “expressed his support for the terrorist acts committed by Baruch Goldstein,” who killed 29 Palestinians in the Cave of the Patriarchs in 1994. Gopstein was arrested, along with 14 other activists from his group, for allegedly threatening Palestinians who were dating or in contact with Jewish women. They were questioned by police and released that same day. (Jerusalem Post, Nov. 13, 2017)
HOME OF TERRORIST WHO KILLED 3 ISRAELIS IN HAR ADAR DEMOLISHED (Jerusalem) — Israeli security forces on Wednesday demolished the home of Jamal Nimer, who killed three Israelis in a terror attack seven weeks ago in the settlement of Har Adar. Nimer, 37, shot and killed Yossef Otman, Or Arish and Border Police officer St. Sgt. Solomon Gabaria. A preliminary investigation found that he had had a number of personal problems, including domestic violence. A few weeks before the attack, his wife fled to Jordan, leaving him with their four children. Two other suspects were arrested following the attack, including the terrorist's brother. (Jerusalem Online, Nov. 15, 2017)
POLISH TOLERANCE OF FAR-RIGHT EXTREMISTS ‘DEEPLY TROUBLING’ (Warsaw) —The “apparent tolerance” of some senior Polish government ministers for the growing brazenness of the country’s nationalist far-right is “deeply troubling,” a Jewish official in Warsaw said. Following a far-right march in the Polish capital to mark the 99th year of Poland’s independence, The director of the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Warsaw-based office — said that the event had been “seriously marred” by the far-right march. Supporters of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party also joined the march, which attracted 60,000 supporters. Participants chanted openly racist and antisemitic slogans, including, “Jews out of Poland,” and, “Pray for an Islamic Holocaust.” (Algemeiner, Nov. 13, 2017)
DIRECTOR FIGHTS TO AIR TERRORISM DOCUMENTARY ON TV (Stockholm) — Swedish filmmaker Bo Persson is in a battle with Sweden’s national public TV broadcaster after it refused to screen his latest documentary, Watching the Moon at Night, about antisemitism and terrorism. The documentary began as a co-production with regional Swedish film fund Kino Koszyk HB, Film i Väst and Swedish Television (SVT), but the latter pulled out of the agreement and has refused to purchase and broadcast the film. Persson has no doubt that the decision was made because four Israeli citizens feature in the documentary. Persson has launched a petition against the SVT’s decision, in the form of an open letter. More than 1,400 people have signed the letter. (Jerusalem Post, Nov. 10, 2017)
EXHIBIT OF HITLER USED FOR SELFIES REMOVED FROM INDONESIAN MUSEUM (Jakarta) — The De Arca Statue Museum in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, caused outrage after it enabled visitors to pose for photographs with a wax model of Adolf Hitler. The waxwork was removed following complaints made to the management. The wax replica was placed in front of a background image of the gates of Auschwitz and visitors were seen taking selfies with the Nazi. The museum explained that the waxwork was intended for educational purposes. It was displayed as part of a historical exhibition about Nazism but quickly became an attraction. In some cases, visitors were seen posing while performing the Nazi salute. This is not the first case of Nazi controversy in Indonesia. In January, a Nazi-themed café was shut down after years of business due to international condemnation. (Jerusalem Online, Nov. 11, 2017)
JORDAN PETERSON SAYS CONTROVERSIAL WEBSITE 'ON HIATUS' (Toronto) — University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson says he's halted plans to launch a website to expose certain university classes as "indoctrination cults," saying it "might add excessively to current polarization." Peterson, whose profile rose in right-wing circles after his outspoken refusal to use gender-neutral pronouns, announced the decision on Sunday. In August, Peterson said he was working with developers to design artificial intelligence software that would scour university curriculums for what he considers "post-modern neo-Marxist course content." Several of his U of T colleagues spoke out against the site, saying it would foster a climate of harassment. (CBC, Nov. 13, 2017)
GRAD STUDENT IS CHASTISED FOR SHOWING PETERSON VIDEO (Toronto) — A Wilfrid Laurier University teaching assistant has been identified as “transphobic” and sanctioned for last week showing her class an excerpt of a video debate involving Jordan Peterson. In fact, her supervising professor told her that by showing the video to her “Canadian Communication in Context” class, “it basically was like … neutrally playing a speech by Hitler …” Lindsay Shepherd, a 22-year-old graduate student at the school in Waterloo, Ont., was informed that merely by showing the clip, taken from a televised debate between Peterson and Nicholas Matte, a lecturer at the U of T’s Sexual Diversity Studies program, she was “legitimizing” Peterson’s views about genderless pronouns. She has been told that she must now submit her lesson plans to her supervisor in advance, that he may sit in on her next few classes and she must “not show any more controversial videos of this kind.” (National Post, Nov. 10, 2017)
U. OF MICHIGAN ACTIVISTS LAUNCH ANOTHER BDS CAMPAIGN AGAINST ISRAEL (Detroit) — Anti-Israel activists at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor recently launched a campaign to convince the school to divest from Israel — a proposal the student body has rejected 10 times since 2002. Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) announced last week that it was beginning “the 2017 #UMDivest campaign,” which calls for the university’s Central Student Government (CSG) “to divest from companies that profit from Israel’s violations of Palestinian human rights.” The companies include Boeing, HP, United Technologies, G4S, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Co, Exxon Mobil, BAE Systems, Dexia, and Toyota. (Algemeiner, Nov. 9, 2017)
BILL WOULD PREVENT US FUNDING FOR ISRAEL’S DETENTION OF PALESTINIAN CHILDREN (Minneapolis) — A Minnesota congresswoman has introduced a bill that seeks to prevent the U.S. from funding Israel’s military detention of Palestinian children. The legislation introduced by Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat, has at least nine co-sponsors. It would require the secretary of state to certify annually that U.S. assistance to Israel has not been used in the previous year to militarily detain, interrogate or abuse Palestinian children. A number of progressive organizations have endorsed the legislation, including Churches for Middle East Peace and Jewish Voices for Peace. The latter and some of the other supporting groups back the BDS movement against Israel. (JTA, Nov. 14, 2017)
FBI REPORTS RISE IN ANTISEMITIC CRIMES (Washington) — The number of antisemitic hate crimes in the U.S. rose in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to FBI statistics. The data show that there were 684 antisemitic hate crime incidents last year, a 3 percent increase from the 664 recorded by the FBI in 2015. Overall, there were more than 6,100 hate crimes last year, up about 5 percent from the previous year. In both years, antisemitic incidents accounted for just over half of religious hate crimes and about 11 percent of hate crimes of all types. Muslims were the second-most common targets of religious hate crimes in 2016 with 307 incidents, according to the statistics. (Arutz Sheva, Nov. 14, 2017)
AFGHAN GOVERNMENT RESTORES ANCIENT JEWISH SYNAGOGUE (Kabul) — The Yu Aw Synagogue, one of the four Jewish houses of worship in the old quarter of Herat, Afghanistan, is currently being restored by the Afghan government. The synagogue, which dates back to the 14th century, was abandoned and neglected for decades. Abandoned when the Jewish community left Herat, the Yu Aw synagogue in the Momandha quarter of the Old City soon fell into disrepair, and was subsequently damaged during the long conflict in the area. (Jerusalem Online, Nov. 6, 2017)
ENSEMBLE PERFORMS GERMAN-JEWISH MUSIC FROM LOST 1930S RECORD LABEL (Montreal) — Germany’s Semer Ensemble brings back to life the Jewish music captured on recordings made in Berlin between 1933-1938 on Semer Records. The Berlin group will perform in Montreal on November 15. The label served as a “musical Noah’s Ark” at a time when Jewish artists were banned by the Nazis from participation in the music industry. The label recorded a vast array of artists and styles, including Yiddish folk and theatre songs, klezmer, Berlin Cabaret, and cantorial music. This precious musical time capsule of a world facing annihilation was forgotten and thought lost for decades following the destruction of the Semer store and all its master recordings by the Nazis. The concert takes place Wednesday, November 15 at 8 pm at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim. (The Suburban, Nov. 13, 2017)
Trump's Middle East Peace Initiative Still on Hold: Ben Caspit, Al-Monitor, Nov. 13, 2017 —More than a year after US President Donald Trump’s electoral victory, the fog covering his Middle East peace initiative is far from dissipating. According to diplomatic sources, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said not long ago that he is busy “wrapping up” last-minute details of the initiative before its launched. It would be a matter of a few weeks, he said. Meanwhile, several weeks have passed and the initiative is still under wraps.
Pining for Fig Leaves: Caroline B. Glick, Jerusalem Post, November 13, 2017—Friday, long-time US diplomats and Middle East experts Aaron David Miller and Richard Sokolsky published an article in Foreign Policy expressing “buyers’ remorse” over Saudi Arabia’s newfound willingness to take the lead in regional affairs. Titled, “Donald Trump has unleashed the Saudi Arabia we always wanted – and feared,” Miller and Sokolsky note that for generations, US policymakers wanted the Saudis to take a lead in determining the future of the region.
The New Saudi Crown Prince, the Iranian Threat – and the Drumbeats of War: Eric Reguly, Globe & Mail, Nov. 10, 2017—Inside Saudi Arabia, the agenda set out by Mohammed bin Salman, the young Crown Prince, is in motion. After last weekend's sensational purge of princes and government officials, his power seems unchallenged, bolstering his credentials as the man who would modernize a patriarchal society and a sclerotic economy overly dependent on oil.
Iran Sent Them to Syria. Now Afghan Fighters Are a Worry at Home: Mujib Mashal & Fatima Faizi, New York Times, Nov. 11, 2017—Iran has trained and deployed thousands of Shiite Afghans as shock troops in Syria’s sectarian war. Members of the Afghan unit, the Fatemiyoun Division, wear a shoulder patch recounting words of praise from Iran’s supreme leader as a badge of honor.
