Wednesday’s “News in Review” Round-Up

Attacks in Africa: Drybones, Apr. 7, 2015

Obama’s Dog Whistle and the Anti-SemiZionist Monsters’ Ball: Gil Troy, Jerusalem Post, Apr. 7, 2015

Obama vs Netanyahu: Jerusalem Post, Apr. 7, 2015

Decoding the Obama Doctrine: Daniel Pipes, Washington Times, Apr. 6, 2015

WEEKLY QUOTES

“Israel demands that any final agreement with Iran will include a clear and unambiguous Iranian commitment of Israel’s right to exist,” —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after meeting with his security cabinet, which he said was “united in opposition to the proposed deal” between Iran and the P5+1 announced on Thursday. “A deal based on this framework would threaten the survival of Israel,” Netanyahu said.. According to Netanyahu, “This deal would legitimize Iran’s nuclear program, bolsters Iran’s economy, and increase Iran’s aggression. Such a deal would not block Iran’s path to the bomb. It would pave it… (and) increase the risks of nuclear proliferation in the region and the risks of a horrific war…The alternative is standing firm and increasing the pressure on Iran until a better deal is achieved,” he said. (Ynet, Apr. 3, 2015)

“The notion that we would condition Iran not getting nuclear weapons in a verifiable deal on Iran recognizing Israel, is really akin to saying that we won’t sign a deal unless the nature of the Iranian regime completely transforms,” — U.S. President Barack Obama. Obama said it would be a “fundamental misjudgment” to demand Iran recognize Israel as part of a nascent nuclear deal, but also sought to assuage allies’ concerns by saying he would deal with Iran’s “destabilizing activities.” In a drive to sell the deal to a hostile Congress, Obama said that demands for Iran to recognize Israel go beyond the scope of the agreement. Obama has said that Iran should stop threatening Israel and cease engaging in proxy wars around the Middle East, but has tried to separate concerns about Iran’s regional role from the tentative deal finalized Thursday. “We want Iran not to have nuclear weapons precisely because we can’t bank on the nature of the regime changing. That’s exactly why we don’t want to have nuclear weapons. If suddenly Iran transformed itself to Germany or Sweden or France, then there would be a different set of conversations about their nuclear infrastructure.” (Times of Israel, Apr. 7, 2015)

“The world’s most radical Islamic terror regime received today an official kosher stamp for its illicit nuclear program. This is a regime that cannot be trusted and which has already violated consecutive UN resolutions. Today’s deal paves the way for Iran to eventually obtain a nuclear weapon, to further destabilize the Middle East and to continue spreading terror across the globe. Today, it is important to stress: Deal or no deal, Israel will do what is needed to protect itself and its citizens,” —Israeli Minister of Economy Naftali Bennett. (Arutz Sheva, Apr. 2, 2015)

“Nothing in the deal described by the administration this afternoon would justify lifting U.S. and international sanctions, which were the product of many years of bipartisan effort…I cannot stand behind such a flawed agreement,” —Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, one of the leading contenders for the Republican U.S. Presidential nomination. The backlash from likely Republican presidential contenders to the potential nuclear deal with Iran trumpeted by Obama came swift and hard. Bush said the deal — aimed at reining in Iran’s nuclear capabilities — “will only legitimize those activities.” (CNN, Apr. 2, 2015)

“Among other issues, allowing Iran to retain thousands of centrifuges, keeping facilities such as Fordow open and not limiting Iran’s ballistic missile program indicate to me that this deal is a colossal mistake,” —Sen. Marco Rubio, a likely Republican Presidential candidate. Rubio said that while he looked forward to see what specific terms Iran has agreed to “the initial details appear to be very troubling,” adding that the deal was an “attempt to spin diplomatic failure as a success.” Rubio said that he would work “to continue to ensure that any final agreement, if reached, is reviewed by Congress and that additional sanctions continue to be imposed on Iran until it completely gives up its nuclear ambitions and the regime changes its destructive behavior.” (Newsmax, Apr. 2, 2015)

“Suspension is obviously the first step…In terms of U.S. sanctions, it’s suspension and then later termination to ensure that Iran has abided by its commitment,” —acting State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf. Harf said the U.S. interpretation, calling for a more cautious rollback of sanctions, was the correct one. (Wall Street Journal, Apr. 3, 2015) 

“The E.U. will TERMINATE the implementation of ALL nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions.’ How about this?” —Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, in a Twitter message. Differences in the interpretation of what was achieved in Lausanne last week began emerging as the week ended. In Tehran, Iranian negotiators challenged U.S. statements that the agreement merely provided for the “suspension” of international economic sanctions against Iran once inspectors certify the country’s compliance with terms of the agreement. (CNS, Apr. 2, 2015)

“As I say, there is no deal, but looking at the framework — that is, what’s on the table — if a deal were to emerge from these negotiations, Iran may take longer to become a nuclear power than it would ideally like to, but it would become one with greater certainty and at much less cost to its leadership than it would as a rogue state outside the community of nations, battling a sanctions regime. America has, in effect, invited Iran to join the nuclear club in exchange for a half-promise to do it on Washington’s schedule and with no bellicose intent. In plain English, the framework offers Iran a chance to build a bomb in exchange for a declaration that it’s not intending to build one. The framework seems to envisage ending sanctions while details are being worked out. At least, that’s how Iran sees it. If so, the U.S. would advance payment, as it were, on goods not only before Iran delivers them, but before it’s determined what they might be,”—George Jonas (National Post, Apr. 7, 2015)

“For the Westerners, Iran’s nuclear activities have been limited to some extent, and the Islamic republic proved its righteousness and continues its activities…Of course, we expected much more, but it’s still satisfactory,” —Hamid Reza Taraghi, head of international affairs at the conservative Islamic Coalition Party. Taraghi said Iran also would be able to flex its political muscles more openly. Iran “wasn’t able to be active internationally and regionally before this…Now, definitely its power will increase regionally and internationally.” (Wall Street Journal, Apr. 2, 2015)

“There’s a nuclear Iran being dealt with by this deal, but what’s much more worrying is the sectarian Iran and expansionist Iran. That’s 10 times more dangerous,” —Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a retired political-science professor in the UAE. Saudi Arabia had publicly backed the nuclear talks in 2013 on condition that they would not lead to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. But privately Riyadh also fears that a deal with Tehran would give Iran greater powers to support its perceived proxies across the region. This view is shared by most other Arab Gulf states. (Wall Street Journal, Apr. 2, 2015)

“The Yemen issue is very central for the Saudis. They fear that if there is a government in line with Iranian foreign policy there, it may give a strong voice for the Shiites inside Saudi Arabia…The Houthis have military capabilities, weapons, and represent a serious threat. The Muslim Brotherhood is much weaker, and the Saudis now are in a much better position to control the brothers wherever they are,” —Khalid Almezaini, coordinator of the Gulf studies program at Qatar University. (Wall Street Journal, Apr. 2, 2015)

“Those who bear within them God’s power, his love and his justice, do not need to employ violence,” —Pope Francis. In his traditional Easter message, the Pope appealed for an end to “absurd violence” in hotspots around the world and said the international community must not stand by in the face of the “immense humanitarian tragedy” in Syria and Iraq. He also prayed for the victims of Thursday’s attack in Kenya that left 148 people dead, with survivors saying the Islamists spared Muslim students but taunted Christian and Jewish students before killing them. “I think in particular of the young people who were killed last Thursday at Garissa University College in Kenya,” he said. (Newsmax, Apr. 5, 2015)

SHORT TAKES

KENYAN JETS BOMB AL-SHABAAB IN SOMALIA AFTER COLLEGE ATTACK (Nairobi) —Kenyan jets bombed al-Shabaab camps in neighboring Somalia, four days after the Islamists killed at least 147 people in an attack on a university in northeastern Kenya. Kenyan forces deployed in Somalia in 2011 in an operation known as Linda Nchi, or ‘protect the country’ in the Swahili language, to fight an insurgency by al-Shabaab. The al-Qaeda-linked group says it has carried out a series of reprisal attacks in Kenya since the incursion began, including last week’s attack in Garissa. The militants have warned of more violence. (Bloomberg, Apr. 6, 2015)

NETANYAHU AND OBAMA AGREE: IRAN COULD MAKE ATOMIC BOMB BY DEAL’S END (Jerusalem) — After a decade, Iran’s break out time to produce an atomic bomb will be zero, under the terms of a framework agreement to curb its nuclear program, Netanyahu said today. The Prime Minister spoke just one day after Obama made a similar statement in an interview about the deal which was reached last week between Iran and the P5+1. Obama told NPR on Tuesday that he believed the break out time could drop down to zero after 13 to 15 years, due to the easing of some restrictions in the agreement at that point. State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf almost immediately tried to walk that comment back. She told reporters that the words were “a little mixed up” and that Obama was in a hypothetical way “referring to a scenario in which there was no deal.” (Jerusalem Post, Apr. 8, 2015)

I.S. SEIZES PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMP IN SYRIA (Damascus) — Islamic State terrorists have seized most of a sprawling Palestinian refugee district in the southern part of Damascus, an area that has been under siege and bombardment for nearly two years. Reports of killings were beginning to circulate on Saturday, worsening what is already a longstanding humanitarian nightmare for the 18,000 residents of the Yarmouk refugee camp. By seizing much of the camp, the Islamic State made its greatest inroads yet into Damascus, a significant step for a group that rose largely in the northern and eastern provinces of Syria, far from the capital. (New York Times, Apr. 4, 2015)

I.S. POSTS PHOTOS OF ARABS BEHEADED AT UNRWA REFUGEE CAMP (Damascus) — The Islamic State has posted sickening pictures of a reported 21 victims its murderers have beheaded in the UNRWA-run Yarmouk refugee camp near downtown Damascus. An imam was said to have been one of the victims, and it is possible UNRWA personnel also were among those butchered. Scores of others were  killed or wounded by barrel bombs dropped by the Assad regime’s planes in an  effort to force the ISIS to retreat. (Jewish Press, Apr. 6, 2015)

IRAQ EMPTIES MASS GRAVES IN SEARCH FOR CADETS KILLED BY I.S. (Baghdad) —The graves, believed to contain some of the remains of hundreds of air force cadets massacred by I.S. in June, were discovered amid the complex of palaces built for Saddam Hussein outside Tikrit. State-run television showed images of the graves being unearthed and of skeletons, many with their hands tied behind their backs. Eleven mass graves had been found, with the remains of 57 bodies identified, a fraction of the 1,686 air force cadets who were registered as missing from Camp Speicher, a former U.S. base near Tikrit. Many of the victims’ bodies were thrown into the Tigris River, and the remains of 35 cadets washed up at the nearest dam downstream, in Samarra, in June. (New York Times, Apr. 7, 2015)

IRAN DISPATCHES DESTROYER NEAR YEMEN (Sanaa) —  Iran sent a naval destroyer and another vessel Wednesday to waters near Yemen as the U.S. quickened weapons supply to the Saudi-led coalition striking rebels there, underlining how foreign powers are deepening their involvement in the conflict. The maneuver comes amid an intense Saudi-led Gulf Arab air campaign targeting the rebels, known as Houthis, who come from a Shiite sect. Critics say Iran backs the Houthis, though both the Islamic Republic and the rebels deny any direct military assistance. The Gulf Arab-backed air campaign supporting Yemen’s President Hadi, who fled his country amid rebel advances, has so far failed to stop the Houthis’ advance on Aden. (National Post, Apr. 8, 2015)

ERDOGAN VISITS IRAN DESPITE TENSIONS OVER YEMEN (Teheran) —  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Iran Tuesday amid deep differences between the two nations over the conflicts in Yemen and Syria. Erdogan has publicly backed the Saudi-led airstrike campaign targeting Shiite rebels who have overrun the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and forced the Western-backed president to flee the country. Iran, which backs the rebels but denies any military support, has repeatedly called for an end to the coalition campaign. Officials from both countries signed eight new agreements for economic, commercial and industrial cooperation. (Ynet, Apr. 7, 2015)

TSARNAEV IS GUILTY IN BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING TRIAL (Boston) — After 11 hours of deliberations, a federal jury on Wednesday found Dzhokhar Tsarnaev guilty of the 2013 bombings at the Boston Marathon, the worst act of terrorism on U.S. soil since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The bombings transformed one of the world’s most prestigious road races into a scene of carnage, giving the nation a horrifying glimpse into the consequences of home-grown terrorism. The bombs, planted in retaliation for U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, killed three spectators, blew the limbs off 17 others and wounded 240 more. Tsarnaev was found guilty of all 30 charges against him. The verdict sets the stage for a second, more contentious phase of the trial in which the same jury will decide whether to sentence him to life in prison or death. (New York Times, Apr. 8, 2015)

US REMOVES IRAN, HEZBOLLAH FROM GLOBAL TERROR THREAT LIST (Washington) —  A recently declassified US intelligence report dated from February has downgraded the US’s threat assessment of Iran and Hezbollah. The annual report was delivered to the US Senate by James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, and did not include the Islamic Republic or its Lebanese terror proxy as global terror threats, despite their having appeared as such in previous years. It details the current state of global threats such as cyber-terrorism and weapon proliferation, as well as regional threats around the world. The document also focuses on the danger posed by Sunni extremists such as the Islamic State and its followers. (Breaking Israel News, Mar. 20, 2015)

RUSSIAN HACKERS BREAK INTO WHITE HOUSE COMPUTERS (Washington) —  Russian hackers broke into the White House computer system and obtained sensitive information, including details of US President Barack Obama’s timetable, CNN reported on Wednesday.. In an initial response the White House admitted the breach, but noted that the information the hackers were able to access was all unclassified, albeit not for public consumption. Russian hackers have made repeated attacks on the State Department computer system for the past few months, the report said. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a Senate hearing in February that the “Russian cyber-threat is more severe than we have previously assessed.” (Times of Israel, Apr. 8, 2015)

UK JEWISH LEADERS APPLAUD CANCELLATION OF ANTI-ISRAEL CONFERENCE (London) — Jewish leaders and pro-Israel supporters here have welcomed the news that Southampton University decided to cancel a conference questioning Israel’s legitimacy. The university cited safety concerns as prompting its decision to abandon support for the conference, which was to have been held on the campus April 17-19. Critics maintained that the gathering would effectively be a blatant attack on Israel’s legitimacy and give legitimacy to antisemitism. The conference was organized by Southampton University’s Law Department, headed by Israeli-born Prof. Oren Ben-Dor, a ferocious critic of the Jewish state. It was marketed as a “ground-breaking historical event… as it questioned the legitimacy in international law of the Jewish State of Israel.” (Jerusalem Post, Apr. 5, 2015)  

GREECE DEMANDS €279BN FROM GERMANY IN NAZI WAR REPARATIONS (Athens) —  Greece has demanded nearly €279bn in reparations from Germany, more than the value of its current bail-out, as the cash-strapped country continues to pursue compensation for crimes carried out by the Third Reich. A parliamentary committee established by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras put an official number on the claim, which includes the cost of a forced Nazi loan made by the Bank of Greece and the return of archaeological treasures. Greece suffered a brutal occupation at the hands of the Third Reich in 1941, with over 40,000 people starving to death in Athens alone. Previous Greek calculations for the cost of the country’s occupation have stood at around €160bn. (Telegraph, Apr. 7, 2015)

DUTCH ROYALS TO RETURN NAZI-CONFISCATED ART (Amsterdam) —The Dutch royal family will return a painting in its collection after discovering that the Nazis confiscated it from Jewish owners. A Jewish collector was forced in 1942 to hand over the painting ‘Haagse Bos with view over Huis Ten Bosch Palace’ by Joris van der Haagen to the (Nazi) bank Lippmann, Rosenthal & Co in Amsterdam. After the war and the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands the painting ended up with a Dutch art dealer where Queen Juliana bought it in 1960 without knowing about its history. Earlier in March, an El Greco painting looted by the Nazis, the “Portrait of a Gentleman,” was returned to the heirs of its rightful owner. (Times of Israel, Mar. 31, 2015)

JEWISH GROUP WITHDRAWS FROM ITALIAN LIBERATION DAY PARADE (Rome) —A group representing Jewish fighters in Italy’s resistance against Nazism during World War II announced they will not attend a major annual parade celebrating Nazi liberation after they were attacked by anti-Israel groups at the 2014 event. The National Association of Former Deportees in Nazi camps (ANED) said they made the decision after negotiations failed with the other groups that participate in the event. The parade is scheduled to take place on April 25, Italy’s annual Liberation Day. It marks the 70th anniversary of Italy’s liberation from Nazism and Fascism. (Algemeiner, Apr. 6, 2015)

ISRAEL UNVEILS ‘SEA KNIGHT’ TO COMBAT MARINE SMUGGLERS (Haifa) —Israel has introduced the “Sea Knight,” an unmanned seaborne craft that it intends to use to prevent dangerous weapon smuggling into Gaza by sea. Eight months after Operation Protective Edge, Palestinian terror groups are escalating attempts to smuggle weapons into the Strip by sea. In response, Israel’s navy has stepped up its patrols of the coastal enclave, and introduced the Sea Knight to combat the problem. The Sea Knight is controlled by an operator on the beach, or on another vessel, and has even been used to search for divers trying to infiltrate Israel. (Algemeiner, Mar. 30, 2015)

MUSLIMS TO NEARLY CATCH UP WITH CHRISTIANS BY 2050 (New York) —Islam is expected to nearly catch up with Christianity as the world’s largest faith by the year 2050, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. The report predicts that the number of Muslims will rise from 1.6 billion to 2.76 billion by 2050, while Christianity will grow from 2.17 to 2.92 billion by the same year. At the same time, Judaism will no longer be the second largest non-Christian faith in the U.S., with Muslims eclipsing Judaism by 2050. Judaism is expected to grow globally by 16 percent, increasing the Jewish population from 13.86 million to 16 million. (Breaking Israel News, Apr. 6, 2015)