Contents: | Weekly Quotes | Short Takes | On Topic Links
Plotting NATO’s Future: Andrew Hammond, Globe & Mail, July 6, 2016
Hillary Clinton’s Two-Tiered Justice: Matthew P. Harrington, National Post, July 7, 2016
The Palestinians And Jordan Declare Religious War Against The Jews — It Is Dangerous: Dr. Josef Olmert, Huffington Post, July 12, 2016
What's in a Name?: Reuel Marc Gerecht, Weekly Standard, July 4, 2016
WEEKLY QUOTES
“UNESCO is considering the adoption of a completely one-sided draft resolution on the Old City of Jerusalem that deliberately ignores the historical connection between the Jewish people and their ancient capital. The resolution also fails to acknowledge Christianity’s ties to Jerusalem. It refers to the area of the Temple Mount only as a ‘Muslim holy site of worship.’…Today, it is Israel that defends religious freedom for all of the great faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—against the tide of intolerance sweeping the Middle East region….We urge you to oppose this effort to distort history, which will offend the members of the Jewish and Christian faiths, and undermine the credibility of UNESCO in the future.” — Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dore Gold. Gold sharply rebuked UNESCO ahead of a controversial vote in which the historical Jewish ties to Temple Mount will be challenged. The resolution was submitted to UNESCO through a joint effort by the PA and Jordan. The text calls for a return to the “historic status quo” — the pre-1967 lines — of the Temple Mount and al-Aqsa Mosque, and fails to acknowledge that the highly contested site is considered Judaism’s most hallowed ground. (Algemeiner, July 11, 2016)
“Please stop saying I was lying or I had some dishonest or underhand motive…I had to decide. I thought of Saddam and his record, the character of his regime. I thought of our alliance with America and its importance to us in the post-9/11 world and I weighed it carefully with the heaviest of hearts.” — Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. A recently released 12-volume report examined whether it was necessary to invade Iraq in 2003 to remove Saddam Hussein and whether Britain and its allies should have been better prepared for the aftermath. Blair added that he had no regrets about backing up then U.S. president George W. Bush, saying Britain has to work in coalitions and the U.S. is the country’s most important ally. “The inquiry claims that military action was not a last resort, but it also says that it might have been necessary later. With respect, I didn’t have the option of that delay,” Mr. Blair said. “I took this decision because I believed it was the right thing to do based upon the information I had and the threats I perceived.” (Globe & Mail, July 6, 2016)
“Merkel’s remarks are not helpful…We will continue with the missile program according to our country’s defense programs and our national security calculations.” — An Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson. The statement was a response to the criticism recently voiced against Iran by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Two days ago, Merkel claimed that ballistic missile launches conducted by Iran contradicted the UN decision on the matter – which states that Iran must avoid developing missiles that can carry warheads for the next eight years. Ban Ki-moon also stated that the launches contradicted the agreement it signed with the world powers. Iran rejected the claims, stating that the data presented was “unrealistic.” (Jerusalem Online, July 9, 2016)
“Obama says Iran is honoring the nuclear deal, but German intelligence tells us Tehran is violating it more aggressively than ever. He promised “snapback” sanctions in the event of such violations, but the U.S. is operating as Iran’s trade-promotion agent. He promised “unprecedented” inspections, but we’re not permitted to inspect sites where uranium was found. He promised an eight-year ban on Iran’s testing of ballistic missiles, but Tehran violated that ban immediately and repeatedly with only mild pushback from the West. He promised that the nuclear deal was not about “normalizing” relations with a rogue regime. But he wants it in the WTO. Is Mr. Obama rationalizing a failed agreement or did he mean to mislead the American public? Either way, truth is catching up with the Iran deal.” — Bret Stephens. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—also known as the Iran Deal—was agreed in Vienna a year ago this week. (Wall Street Journal, July 11, 2016)
“Do you think, America, that defeat is by the loss of towns or territory? Were we defeated when we lost the cities in Iraq and retreated to the desert without a city or a land?…No, true defeat is losing the will and desire to fight.” — Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the I.S. spokesman. Before Fayad Tayih abandoned I.S. earlier this month, he detected a striking trend: More people inside the self-declared caliphate were signing up to become suicide bombers. Statistics released by I.S. confirm his observations. According to monthly updates from Amaq, the group’s official news outlet, the Islamic State was carrying out 50 to 60 suicide attacks per month in Iraq and Syria last November. Today the number of such attacks is 80 to 100 per month, an average of two to three operations a day. The trend peaked in March, with 112 members blowing themselves up in Syria and Iraq.
“Mainstream Muslims in Canada and the United States join their fellow citizens in saluting The Lawfare Project’s sterling effort to defend constitutional free expression and advance the cause of justice…The successful Harris defense marks yet another victory for The Lawfare Project, and should be a source of pride and reassurance to all who are committed to moderation, liberty, and equality.” — Raheel Raza, President of the Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow. A hallmark Islamist libel lawsuit has collapsed following a year of legal action supported by The Lawfare Project. Dr. Ingrid Mattson, of the Islamic Society of North America, launched her proceeding – judged meritless by The Lawfare Project – against David B. Harris, one of Canada’s leading terrorism experts. But Harris, a recent witness before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee, never relented in his refusal to withdraw a characterization of Mattson as “radical.” This forced Mattson to give up all her demands. Mattson agreed to have the Superior Court of Ontario dismiss her own suit. (The Lawfare Project, July 7, 2016)
“Israel is coming back to Africa. Africa is coming back to Israel…I had a remarkable meeting in Uganda hosted by the President of Uganda, six other African leaders…Seven leaders from seven African countries talking about how to expand Israel's relationship with their countries but with all the countries of Africa…But at the heart of it, the connection with the people is a very sound idea, it's the right idea and that's why I am expecting you in Jerusalem." — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Last week, Netanyahu met with Christian supporters of Israel in Nairobi, Kenya. After inviting his listeners to visit Israel and see for themselves the places “which speak to you and speak to us,” he said that Israel wants to be part for the success story that Africa can be. The Prime Minister cited various examples of where Israel has flourished, including agriculture, milk production and the country’s ability to solve its water problem. (Ynet, July 6, 2016)
"Tolerance is never sufficient…Humanity must learn to love our differences. Today we bear witness to humanity's capacity for deliberate cruelty and evil. May we ever remember this painful truth about ourselves, and may it strengthen our commitment to never allow such darkness to prevail. We shall never forget." — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau arrived in Ukraine after an emotional visit Sunday to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Trudeau didn't speak much during the nearly three hours he spent walking through the camp. But he did leave a message in a guest book kept by the camp. Trudeau is the third Prime Minister to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, after Jean Chretien and Stephen Harper. The stop came after the NATO summit in nearby Warsaw. (Toronto Sun, July 10, 2016)
SHORT TAKES
EGYPT OFFERS TO HELP REVIVE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE TALKS (Jerusalem) — Egypt’s foreign minister called on Israelis and Palestinians to resolve their decades-old conflict, saying that Cairo would support efforts to bring peace. In the first such visit in nearly a decade, Sameh Shoukry arrived in Israel for talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu amid a push by Israeli and Palestinian officials for Cairo to resume its past role as a mediator. Israeli officials have recently talked with Egyptian President Sisi about reviving an Arab-led initiative to resolve the conflict. At the same time, PA President Abbas has tried to persuade Sisi to take part in a French initiative. (Wall Street Journal, July 10, 2016)
WITH EGYPT’S BLESSING, ISRAEL CONDUCTING DRONE STRIKES IN SINAI (Cairo) — Israel has carried out drone strikes against terrorists operating in the Sinai in recent years, according to Bloomberg. The airstrikes were conducted with Egypt’s knowledge. While it has become well-known that Jerusalem and Cairo cooperate closely on security measures in the Sinai and Gaza, the details of that relationship have been kept a secret. This report, published during the Egyptian Foreign Minister’s visit to Jerusalem, sheds light on covert security cooperation. Islamists in the restive Sinai who have since pledged allegiance to I.S. have waged an insurgency against Egyptian forces since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. (Times of Israel, July 11, 2016)
GAZA TERROR TUNNEL COLLAPSES, KILLS ONE (Jerusalem) — A terrorist with the Islamic Jihad terror organization in Gaza died after his terror tunnel collapsed on him. Seven other Islamic Jihad members in the tunnel were saved in a rescue operation that took three hours. According to Israeli radio, the terror tunnel was located near the Erez border crossing, which is at the northern end of Gaza. This is the first time that it’s been publicized that an Islamic Jihad tunnel collapsed. (Jewish Press, July 10, 2016)
IRAQ: SUICIDE BOMBING IN BAGHDAD KILLS 12 (Baghdad) — A suicide car bomb ripped through a market in a Shiite district of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people. The developments came on the heels of two large-scale attacks claimed by I.S. that killed more than 300 people last week. On Monday, Washington said it will send 560 more troops to Iraq to help battle I.S. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but they bore the hallmarks of I.S. Last week, a massive truck bombing struck a commercial area in a Baghdad’s predominantly Shiite neighbourhood of Karada, killing 292 people — one of the deadliest attacks since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. And last Thursday, an attack at a Shiite shrine north of Baghdad killed 37 people. (Globe & Mail, July 12, 2016)
FORMER IRAQI OFFICIAL ORDERED DEPORTED FROM CANADA (Ottawa)—A former “senior official” in the dictatorship that ruled Iraq until 2003 has been ordered deported from Canada. Hani Tawfiq Shaki Al-Naib entered Canada in 2015, but immigration officials found him ineligible for refugee status because of his past as an Iraqi diplomat in Kenya and Germany. Under Canada’s war crimes program, senior officials of regimes deemed to have engaged in gross human rights violations or crimes against humanity violations are inadmissible to Canada. In 2004, Ottawa designated the Iraqi regime of General Al-Bakr and President Saddam Hussein, which controlled the country from 1968 until 2003, as having engaged in international crimes. Al-Naib had served in Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1955 to 1978, and then in the Ministry of Trade. (National Post, July 11, 2016)
US FUNDS AIDED 2015 CAMPAIGN TO OUST NETANYAHU, SENATE PROBE FINDS (Washington)— The US government supported a group that tried to unseat Prime Minister Netanyahu last year to the tune of nearly $350,000, a Senate inquiry published Tuesday found, though it cleared the State Department of any wrongdoing. The bipartisan probe found no illegal activity in funding the OneVoice group, which became the V15 campaign to oust Netanyahu, though its report chided the State Department for having failed to prevent state funds being used, albeit legally and indirectly, to influence an allied country’s internal political process. V15 spent considerable efforts trying to convince Israeli voters that Netanyahu had to be replaced by a candidate for the center-left. Netanyahu’s Likud party derided the group at the time for using “foreign funding” to try to unseat him. (Times of Israel, July 12, 2016)
GOP DRAFT PLATFORM SIDESTEPS TWO-STATE SOLUTION (Washington) — The Republican Party platform committee held its first meeting Monday in advance of the party’s nominating convention, reviewing a draft platform that doubled down on the party’s support for Israel, while avoiding explicit support for a two-state solution. The draft platform restores language recognizing Jerusalem “as the eternal and indivisible capital of the Jewish state,” as well as explicitly calling for the U.S. embassy “to be moved there in fulfillment of US law.” The change marked a dramatic departure from the wording of the 2012 platform, which did not discuss the indivisibility of Jerusalem or any move to enforce the embassy legislation – which has been in place for over a decade. (Times of Israel, July 12, 2016)
OBAMA SAYS HE WILL KEEP MORE TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN THAN PLANNED (Washington) — President Obama said that he planned to leave 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan until the end of his term, further slowing the drawdown in a 14-year war that Obama pledged to end on his watch but now seems likely to grind on indefinitely. Acknowledging that the Taliban had retaken territory and were terrorizing the population, Obama said he was again adjusting his plan to withdraw U.S. forces. The announcement will leave his successor with a substantial military commitment in the country, though far less than the nearly 40,000 troops deployed there when he took office. The U.S. has close to 10,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, where they train and equip Afghan forces, and carry out counterterrorism operations. (New York Times, July 6, 2016)
CANADA RANKS 23 OUT OF 28 NATO COUNTRIES ON DEFENCE SPENDING (Ottawa) — New figures released by NATO show Canada inhabits the lower third of NATO membership in defence spending, with the government planning to spend an additional .01 per cent of the country's gross domestic product on defence. The increase will see Canada's defence spending rise to .99 per cent of GDP from .98 per cent. To put that in perspective, NATO has established two per cent of GDP as its annual investment benchmark. Canada is ranked 23rd out of 28 member countries. It has been a source of frustration for the U.S., something that manifested itself last week in Obama's speech to Parliament, where he called on the Trudeau government to meet the NATO measure because "the world needs more Canada." (Huffington Post, July 5, 2016)
GERMAN MILITARY SAID TO TAKE MORE ASSERTIVE ROLE IN SHIFT (Berlin) — Germany will take on greater military leadership in global conflicts, requiring a sustained increase in defense spending and troop strength, according to plans for the nation’s first overhaul of security policy in a decade. Germany is ready to take on responsibilities and leadership, reflecting “our increased role in international security policy,” according to the document, which also backs further consolidation of Europe’s defense industry. Germany spends about 1.2 percent of gross domestic product on defense and Merkel said last week that “much remains to be done” to reach NATO’s goal of 2 percent. The U.S., which ensured Western Europe’s security for decades during the Cold War, spent an estimated 3.6 percent last year, according to NATO. (Bloomberg, July 10, 2016)
FEDERAL CABINET MUST DECIDE WHETHER TO DEPORT SUSPECTED NAZI WAR CRIMINAL (Ottawa) — The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected a government challenge in the case of Helmut Oberlander, a 92-year-old Canadian fighting for two decades to retain his citizenship since being exposed as a former member of a Nazi death squad. The decision means a ruling by the Federal Court of Appeal stands, sending the case back to the federal cabinet for reconsideration for the fourth time in 15 years. Oberlander, an ethnic German, was born in Ukraine, and obtained Canadian citizenship in 1960. In 1995, the federal government learned Oberlander was conscripted by the German military at 17 to work as an interpreter for the Einsatzkommando 10a, a unit involved in war crimes. Oberlander maintains he was told he would be shot if he tried to escape. (National Post, July 7, 2016)
SAUDI ARABIA THREATENED TO BREAK RELATIONS WITH U.N. OVER CRITICISM (Nairobi) — Saudi Arabia threatened last month to break relations with the UN and cut hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to strong-arm the U.N. into removing Riyadh and its allies from a blacklist of groups that are accused of harming children in armed conflict. The threat worked, and the U.N. subsequently dropped the Saudis from the world’s worst violators of children’s rights in conflict zones. Riyadh was enraged after U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon included the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen on a list of countries, rebel movements, and terrorist organizations that killed, maimed, or otherwise abused children in conflict. The report claimed the coalition was responsible for about 60 percent of 1,953 child deaths and injuries in Yemen since last year. (Foreign Policy, June 7, 2016)
ISRAEL TO HELP KENYA BUILD 440-MILE BORDER WALL (Nairobi) — Israel will lend its counter-terrorism expertise to Kenya by helping the African country build a security wall along its border with Somalia. Nairobi is seeking assistance from the Jewish state to construct a 440-mile barricade to prevent Somali terrorists from infiltrating the country. Israel itself is in the process of building a security fence along its southern border with Jordan — expanding the fence located alongside the Sinai peninsula — and has plans to build a massive concrete wall that extends underground, to prevent terrorists from the Gaza Strip from infiltrating the country through tunnels. The news comes amid Netanyahu’s diplomatic flurry in Africa last week, which included a stop in Kenya. (Algemeiner, July 7, 2016)
TWO RUSSIAN HELICOPTER PILOTS SHOT DOWN, KILLED IN SYRIA BY I.S. (Moscow) — Military helicopter was shot down by I.S. near Palmyra in Syria, killing two Russian pilots on board. The two men had been attacking a detachment of I.S. fighters in the Homs region on Friday, when the Syrian Mi-25 helicopter they were in ran out of ammunition. Video footage published on Saturday by I.S.'s affiliated news agency Amaq showed a helicopter being shot and crashing to the ground against cries of "It's fallen, God is greatest". Russian forces entered the conflict at the end of last year, backing the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (Telegraph, July 10, 2016)
I.S.-LINKED SUSPECTS SOUGHT TO BOMB JEWISH INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA (Johannesburg) — Two brothers allegedly linked to I.S. were indicted in South Africa on Monday for allegedly planning to bomb Jewish institutions in the country, as well as the US Embassy, according to local media reports. The two men, Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee Thulsie, were indicted for terrorism-related charges at Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court. Two additional men were arrested along with the brothers, but were yet to be indicted. The two men were also indicted for attempting to join I.S. in Syria in April 2015. (Jerusalem Post, July 11, 2016)
SJP LINKS US POLICE SHOOTING OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO ISRAEL (New York) — In a recent Facebook post, left-wing student activist group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) shifted the blame to Israel after the recent police shooting of Alton Sterling, an African-American man killed on July 6. In its post, the group suggested that “the same forces behind the genocide of black people in America are behind the genocide of Palestinians.” According to the group, Israel is complicit in police brutality against African-Americans due to the fact that U.S. police officers reportedly spend time training in Israel. During protests in Missouri last year after the killing of African-American teenager Michael Brown, activists chanted “From Ferguson to Palestine, Occupation is a Crime.” (Jpupdates, July 10, 2016)
LARGEST-EVER ISRAELI TEAM HOPES FOR OLYMPICS REBOUND (Rio de Janeiro) —Israel will field its largest-ever Olympic delegation at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro when the games kick off next month. The 48 qualifiers will compete in 16 sports, including Israel’s first Olympic entries in golf, triathlon and mountain biking. Four years ago in London, Israel’s 37 competitors failed to bring home any medals. Windsurfer Shahar Zubari won Israel’s last medal when he took a bronze in Beijing in 2008. Zubari is considered to have a good chance of placing in Rio, along with wrestler Ilana Kratysh, and the rhythmic gymnastics team, which won the European championship in June. The country has won seven medals in 16 appearances at the games. Windsurfer Gal Fridman won Israel’s only gold medal ever in Athens in 2004. (Times of Israel, July 12, 2016)
STORY OF PHILISTINES COULD BE RESHAPED BY ANCIENT CEMETERY (Jerusalem) — After more than 30 years of excavating the remains of a Philistine city, a team of archaeologists says it believes it has found a cemetery belonging to the ancient people on the outskirts of Ashkelon in Israel. The team has unearthed skeletons and artifacts that it suspects had rested for more than 3,000 years in the cemetery, perhaps providing some answers to the mysteries of where the Philistines came from. Ashkelon, which archaeologists think the Philistines entered around 1150 B.C., is one of the five Philistine capitals along with Ashdod, Ekron, Gath and Gaza. The cities and their people are mentioned in the ancient texts of the Babylonians, Egyptians and Assyrians. In the Hebrew Bible, they were the nemeses of the Israelites and sent Goliath to fight David. (New York Times, July 10, 2016)
Plotting NATO’s Future: Andrew Hammond, National Post, July 6, 2016 —Leaders from 28 countries, with a collective population of about one billion, are preparing for a landmark NATO summit being held Friday and Saturday in Warsaw, in which they will will map the way forward for the military alliance. Coming hot on the heels of Britain’s Brexit vote, they will seek to underline the unity of the Western alliance, in the face of an emboldened Russia and a wider suite of security challenges.
Hillary Clinton’s Two-Tiered Justice: Matthew P. Harrington, National Post, July 7, 2016 —It was an odd day in a very odd year for politics when Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey announced that his agency would not be recommending that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton be prosecuted for mishandling classified information on her private email server. Unfortunately, Comey’s decision will only increase skepticism among the general public that there is one law for the well-connected and another for the great unwashed.
The Palestinians And Jordan Declare Religious War Against The Jews — It Is Dangerous: Dr. Josef Olmert, Huffington Post, July 12, 2016 —The Unesco World Heritage Committee is about to do what even in the annals of the UN is unprecedented. It is going to vote on a Palestinian-Jordanian resolution bluntly stating that the Old City of Jerusalem and Temple mount have no historic ties to the Jews, and calling for a return to the old ‘’historic status quo’’ in the holy site.
What's in a Name?: Reuel Marc Gerecht, Weekly Standard, July 4, 2016 —Barack Obama’s habit of avoiding Islamic nomenclature and highlighting American gun violence whenever Muslim terrorists strike is surely, in part, a product of his fear of anti-Muslim xenophobia in the United States.
