WEDNESDAY’S “NEWS OF THE WEEK IN REVIEW”

          WEEKLY QUOTES

“This year, more than ever, on the Memorial Day for the brave of our nation, we will remember that we are brothers: Jews, Druze, Muslims, Bedouin, Christians and Circassians.  Brothers in service, brothers in arms, brothers in blood. This is the true spirit of our people. Together, we will stand as brothers and guarantee our independence from generation to generation. Together we will stand as brothers, and we will bow our heads in endless tribute to the heroism of the fallen.” – Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at Memorial Hall atop Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.  (WIN, Apr. 25, 2023)“The siren that pierced the silence right now, making its way from one end of the land to the next, rattles our souls and makes way for remembrance, which overwhelms us with silence. I ask myself, I ask us: What other country in the world has such a special sound? It is the sound of pain and of hope, of grief and of pride. It is the sound of the State of Israel. A sound that calls on us to pause for a moment, to lock in the sanctity, to remember and to connect—together.” – Israeli President Isaac Herzog in his speech at the Western Wall memorial ceremony. (WIN, Apr. 25, 2023)

“Since the early 2000s, Israel—in close cooperation with the U.S.—has developed what is perhaps the most impressive counter-missile defense system in the world: Iron Dome. That system is capable of instantly tracking the trajectory of missiles launched against Israel, determining if they threaten lives or property, and if so, intercept them. The success of this system has led many observers to assume Israelis live worry-free under this protective dome. That’s a myth. Iron Dome, like any defensive system, has its limits. Those limits are constantly being tested by Israel’s enemies, and because both Hamas and Hezbollah act as proxies for Iran, every time the system is employed Israel’s enemies are paying close attention and seeking to identify vulnerabilities.” – Retired army officer Geoffrey S. Corn.  (Newsweek, Apr. 18, 2023)

“War is much closer than peace, and Iran is more self-confident after forging [detente] agreements with Arab countries. The world is changing, and the probability of circumstances deteriorating is greater than ever. We must prepare for war, and it is possible that Israel will arrive at a juncture whereby it will have to attack Iran without America’s help.” — the former head of Israel’s National Security Council Yaakov Amidror in an interview with Radio 103 FM. (JNS, Apr.13, 2023)

“Iraqi Ababil [drones] are on the way. Occupied Jerusalem attack on worshippers at the Al-Qibli Mosque. Narrator: “Our lives are deeply connected to Jerusalem, and our souls yearn for it, while our hands are still on our weapons.” Subtitles: “Al-Nujaba movement war room – zero hour to drone attack.” Man 1: “Is everything going well?” Man 2: “Yes, we are making the last arrangements.” Man 1: “Prepare the ‘birds’ for flight.” Subtitles: “This is the sound of the curse in [Israel’s] eighth decade.” News Broadcast: “The drones of the Iraqi Al-Nujaba attacked several targets in Israel. The aircraft of the Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement targeted several points in occupied Palestine.” — On April 13, 2023, the Iran-backed Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement militia in a video to its Telegram channel threatening to strike Israel with Ababil drones, which are Iranian. (MEMRI, Apr. 13, 2023)

“Israel was always a deeply divided society, but somehow it held together. The difference now is that we are really discussing the basic values of this society.” — Israeli author, journalist, and historian Tom Segev.  (Ynet News, Apr. 23, 2023)

“The [World] Zionist Congress, which is supposedly the parliament of the Jewish people, has become a stage for extreme minorities from all sides to knowingly and willingly politicize debates that should have united us. Right-wing and left-wing factions intentionally polarized the debate to the extreme, denying us even the opportunity to vote. As a concerned member of the Jewish community, I call on our institutions and our people to wake up. We cannot afford to be divided. We do not have the luxury of division. Unity is not an empty word uttered when we decide the debate is futile. Unity is a commitment we must strive to implement, especially when disagreements seem to drive us apart.” — Hillel Portugais de Almeida (Ynet News, Apr.24, 2023)

“Even these ex-Soviet Union countries do not have effective status, as we say, under international law because there’s no international accord to concretize their status as a sovereign country.”  — Chinese Ambassador Lu Shaye on French television, responding to a question about whether he considered Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, as part of Ukraine under international law.  France and East European countries condemned the remarks, which seemed to dismiss the sovereignty of countries that formally recognized each other after the dissolution of the Soviet Union (including Russia.)  (WSJ, Apr. 22, 2023)

“Nothing about the collapse should come as a surprise. Judging from the success rate of American democratic efforts in the Middle East and North Africa in the past 15 years, a blind hamster has a better chance of building a nuclear submarine than the State Department had of orchestrating a democratic transition in Khartoum.” — Walter Russell Mead on the outbreak of civil war between rival army factions in Sudan, where the U.S. has sought to encourage restoration of democratic rule after a recent military coup. (WSJ, Apr. 24, 2023)

“I Am Stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network.” – CNN anchor Don Lemon on Twitter after learning that he had been fired. CNN claims that management invited Lemon to discuss his future before firing him, which he refused to do. (National Review, Apr. 24, 2023)

NO COMMENT!

”The border is secure”—Homeland Security head Alejandro Mayorkas.
“. . .the behavior of [rioting] young people [is] a political act and statement. . .
    against poverty and segregation”—Chicago State Sen. Robert Peters.
“[They] just wanted to enjoy [the] weather”—former Chicago mayor
    Lori Lightfoot.
“MAGA Republicans are destroying our public schools. Teachers and
    parents must fight back”—American Federation of Teachers head
    Randi Weingarten.
“It’s insulting to black people. It’s insulting to me as an
     African American”—recently-fired CNN anchor Don Lemon, on
   hearing Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy note that black and
    White people have equality before the law. (New York Post, Apr.20, 2023)

               SHORT TAKES

UN INSTRUCTS PA TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ISRAELI PRISONERS HELD BY HAMAS IN GAZA (Brussels) — The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities told the Palestinian Authority to investigate the disappearance and incarceration of Israeli prisoners Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, even though the two are being held in the Gaza Strip, which is under Hamas rule. (Haaretz, Apr. 17, 2023) 

POWERFUL NEW ISRAELI EYE IN SPACE WILL KEEP TABS ON IRAN (Jerusalem) — On April 10, the country’s Defense Ministry revealed that the “Ofek 13” spy satellite, launched on March 28, had successfully transmitted its first images. The development was a milestone on the way to the satellite becoming a fully operational Israeli intelligence asset. The “Ofek 13’s” key feature is its synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) on-board sensor. The SAR payload grants the craft advanced observation capability, which is not limited by many of the constraints that apply to space-based cameras, being able to capture highly detailed images even through cloud cover, or at night. (JNS, Apr. 13, 2023)
 
ISRAEL ARRESTS PRO-TERROR JORDANIAN LAWMAKER CAUGHT SMUGGLING MASSIVE AMOUNT OF WEAPONS, VALUABLES (Jerusalem) – A Jordanian lawmaker, identified as Imad Al-Adwan, was arrested crossing the Allenby Bridge border crossing, located approximately five kilometers east of the Palestinian Authority-administered city of Jericho. Diplomats do not normally undergo inspection, but in this case, customs officials reportedly were given an intelligence warning. According to the Jordanian ministry’s spokesman, officials are following the case “to find out the merits of the situation and address it as soon as possible.” (WIN, Apr. 23, 2023)
 
EGYPTIAN EDUCATION REFORMS ELIMINATING ANTISEMITISM FROM CURRICULUM, ACCORDING TO NEW REPORT (Cairo) — A nationwide reform of Egyptian curricula has made progress towards eliminating antisemitism from state-issued textbooks, according to a new report by Israeli education watchdog Impact-se. In 2018, the Egyptian Ministry of Education, which serves over 25 million children, launched “Education 2.0,” a twelve-year plan included in the government’s 2030 Strategic Vision for promoting modernization and economic and social change. Education 2.0, according to a 2022 paper on the subject, aims to upgrade K-12 curriculum to meet international standards. (Algemeiner, Apr. 24, 2023)
 
SAUDI ARABIA INVESTING MILLIONS IN ISRAELI STARTUPS (Riyadh) — Last week Sanabil, the private investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds with estimated assets of $620 billion, disclosed its allocations to some 60 venture, growth, buyout and other funds globally. These investments include Insight Partners, Coatue, General Atlantic, Collaborative, Stripes and KKR, which have invested extensively in Israeli startups and in some cases have representatives that sit on the board of directors of these Israeli tech companies. (Globes, Apr. 14, 2023)
 
CREDIT SUISSE FAILED TO PROBE NAZI PAST, SENATE COMMITTEE SAYS (Bern) — Crédit Suisse Groupe AG has been accused of failing to carry out an investigation of allegations that it supplied bank accounts to Nazi Party members before and after World War II. The bank–which with other banks paid $1.25 billion two decades ago to settle Holocaust claims—flouted a Senate investigating committee acting on information supplied by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. (Charges include the possibility that the bank might also have financed “rat-lines”, or systems of escape for high Nazi officials.) (WSJ, Apr. 18, 2023)
 
COLUMBIA FACULTY OPPOSE PLANNED ISRAEL CENTER BECAUSE OF ‘HUMAN RIGHTS.’ THE SCHOOL’S CHIND CENTER GETS A PASS (NYC) — Faculty at Columbia University are protesting the school’s proposed Global Center in Tel Aviv over human rights concerns in Israel, despite remaining silent on human rights abuses in China, home to the university’s Beijing Center.  (Washington Free Beacon, Apr. 5, 2023) 
 
‘ANTISEMITIC’ ROGER WATERS CONCERT IN FRANKFURT MAY NOW GO AHEAD, GERMAN COURT RULES (Frankfurt) -A previously-canceled concert in the German city of Frankfurt by the former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters may now go ahead, after a court ruled that the decision by local authorities to ban his performance on the grounds of his alleged antisemitism violated his artistic freedom. (Algemeiner, Apr. 24, 2023)
 
BIDEN, HARRIS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE THEIR 2024 RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN (Washington) — President Biden officially announced his bid for re-election Tuesday, asking voters to give him another four years as America’s oldest president to help him “finish the job” despite plunging support. “Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours,” the 80-year-old president tweeted early Tuesday. “That’s why I’m running for reelection as President of the United States. Join us. Let’s finish the job.” Biden — who would be 86 at the end of a second term — launched his official 2024 run on the four-year anniversary of when he declared for the White House in 2019. He tweeted a more than three-minute video claiming his run was again part of a “battle for the soul of America” against “MAGA extremists. (Fox News, Apr. 25, 2023)
 
HUNTER BIDEN PROBE IS BEING MISHANDLED, IRS SUPERVISOR SAYS (Washington) —The Biden administration has improperly handled the criminal investigation into President Joe Biden’s son Hunter, according to a senior IRS supervisor writing as a whistleblower to Congressional investigation committees. He (or she) claims to have documentary evidence that includes allegations about a high Justice Department official who has impeded the Investigation (news sources are claiming this is Merrick Garland, the Attorney General). (WSJ, Apr. 19, 2023)
 
TUCKER CARLSON’S EXIT FROM FOX NEWS SHAKES UP POLITICAL, MEDIA TERRAIN (NYC) — Fox News Media shook the U.S. broadcasting and political landscape by announcing that it had parted ways with top-rated prime-time host Tucker Carlson, a stunning move with implications for the network’s audience primacy, litigation battles and the 2024 presidential election. Fox News Media said the two “agreed to part ways” and thanked Mr. Carlson “for his service as a host and prior to that as a contributor.” “Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st,” the network’s statement said. “Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named.” (Washington Times, Apr. 24, 2023)
 
UKRAINE PLANNED ATTACKS ON RUSSIAN FORCES IN SYRIA, LEAKED DOCUMENT SHOWS (Kyiv) — Ukraine’s military intelligence agency developed plans to conduct covert attacks on Russian forces in Syria using secret Kurdish help, according to a leaked top-secret U.S. intelligence document. The introduction of a new battlefield — thousands of miles from the war in Ukraine — appeared designed to impose costs and casualties on Russia and its Wagner paramilitary group, which is active in Syria, and possibly force Moscow to redeploy resources from Ukraine. (Washington Post, Apr. 20, 2023)

MASTERMIND OF KABUL AIRPORT BOMBING KILLED BY THE TALIBAN, U.S. OFFICIALS SAY (Kabul) — The suspected mastermind of the attack on Kabul Airport’s Abbey Gate, which left 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghans dead, has been killed by the Taliban in recent weeks.  Biden administration officials identified the suspect as a leader within the Islamic State’s Afghanistan chapter, known as Islamic State-Khorasan or ISIS-K. The U.S. was not involved in the operation.  (National Review, Apr. 25, 2023)
 
NATO CHIEF: UKRAINE’S ‘RIGHTFUL PLACE’ IS IN THE ALLIANCE (Brussels) – “NATO stands with you today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, making his first visit to Kyiv since the war began, told Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky.  Russian media predictably denounced Stoltenberg’s clear approval of ultimate Ukrainian admission to the Western military alliance. (Washington Post, Apr. 20, 2023)
 
SWIFT EVACUATION OF U.S. STAFF FROM SUDAN PROMPTS QUESTIONS (Khartoum) –– As Sudan’s civil war, between its military chief Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deepened (at least 427 have so far died, and ca.729 reported wounded), U.S. forces successfully extricated under 100 Embassy personnel by helicopter (an estimated 20,000 U.S. citizens, many dual citizens, remain).  Fears of internationalization of the conflict reflected reports of Egyptian military support for Gen. al-Burhan, and Libyan aid to Lt. Gen. Dagalo.  (WSJ, Apr. 23, 2023)

          FOR FURTHER REFERENCE