It's Monday morning and I just don't get these headlines. I'm sure you've heard something along the lines of New York magazine's Former Iranian President Rafsanjani Has Died, a Blow to Iran’s Reformists or Iran Loses a Moderate Voice on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. Yet on page A15 in the WSJ there's another headline: Rafsanjani Was Iran's Mythical 'Moderate' by Sohrab Ahmari. As the WSJ is sometimes difficult to access without a password, try this instead: The Myth of Rafsanji in The Weekly Standard.
French Ambassadors Declare War on Israel - Yves Mamou (Gatestone Institute) These men are retired French ambassadors often writing or written about in Le Monde.
French Follies - Editorial (New York Jewish Week) With 500,000 Syrians killed in a civil war that rages on, the EU in turmoil after the Brexit vote, and terrorism markedly on the rise in Europe, diplomats from 70 countries are expected in Paris on Sunday to focus their attention on creating a Palestinian state - five days before a new administration takes over in Washington.
When you read about "besieged Gaza" or flotillas, think of this:
Booming Business at the Israel-Gaza Border - Danielle Berrin (Los Angeles Jewish Journal) Since 2006, Israel has consistently and judiciously provided for Gaza's needs, facing the unique predicament of providing for an enemy that launches rockets into Israel. Israel provides Gaza's civilians with water, gas, electricity, medical supplies, building materials, even butter, with tons of goods passing through the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
Israel Foils Smuggling of Illicit Materials to Gaza - Anna Ahronheim (Jerusalem Post) The smuggled goods, including cameras, drones and communications cables, were hidden inside televisions, washing machines and refrigerators.
PA-Hamas Dispute Leads to Electricity Shortage in Gaza - Avi Issacharoff (Times of Israel)
Interesting Tweet:
Israel Protects the Palestinian Authority from the Islamist Wave - Reuel Marc Gerecht (Weekly Standard)
PA to Pay Monthly Stipend to Wife of "Martyr" Who Killed 4 Israelis on Sunday - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (Palestinian Media Watch) According to its policy of supporting all Palestinian terror, the PA will reward the wife of this murderer with a lifetime monthly allowance of 2,900 shekels ($760), in addition to a one-time grant of 6,000 shekels ($1,580). PA President Mahmoud Abbas did not condemn the terror attack.
US adds 2 senior Hezbollah members to terrorism list - David Daoud (Long War Journal)
14 U.S. Troops Wounded in Iraq and Syria since October - Andrew deGrandpre (Military Times) More than 5,500 U.S. troops are now deployed in both theaters.
Venezuela's New Vice President Has Ties to Iran, Hizbullah - Linette Lopez (Business Insider) El Aissami participated in a clandestine program to provide Venezuelan passports to terrorists in Damascus. Joseph Humire, coauthor of Iran's Strategic Penetration in Latin America, testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs last year: "El Aissami developed a sophisticated, multi-layered financial network that functions as a criminal-terrorist pipeline bringing militant Islamists into Venezuela and surrounding countries, and sending illicit funds and drugs from Latin America to the Middle East."
