Vocabulary word of the week, thanks to Rachel Maddow: vi·tu·per·a·tive

adjective

·         1.bitter and abusive:"the criticism soon turned into a vituperative attack"

Hamas Member Convicted in Austria for Planning Attacks in Jerusalem - Benjamin Weinthal (Jerusalem Post) Sentenced to life in prison.

Chechnya’s Jewish community is angry at Israel… but doesn’t seem to exist - Cnaan Liphshiz (Times of Israel)  'Any statements from the Chechen Jewish community are made up'

Israeli Security Guard in Jordan Was Stabbed Three Times before Shooting Attacker - Itamar Eichner and Tova Zimuki  (Ynet News)

Abbas Decides to Escalate Tensions over Jerusalem - Yoni Ben Menachem (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs-Hebrew) See also: Israel Removes Metal Detectors - PA Leaders Still Encourage Riots (CAMERA)

PA TV presents murderer who slaughtered 3 as compassionate Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)

With husband and in-laws being stabbed below, Michal Salomon rushed kids to safety - Jacob Magid (Times of Israel) 

Hours before murderous attack, Fatah encouraged Palestinians to "rage," called for "escalation" and glorified death - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)

Saudis Make Mecca Pilgrims Wear Electronic Bracelets - Ben-Dror Yemini (Ynet News)   In Mecca, Saudi Arabia, there are 5,000 closed-circuit television cameras overseen by a British company, G4S.   As a security measure, an electronic bracelet is attached to each of the millions of pilgrims throughout their entire stay in the kingdom, allowing the authorities to monitor them.

Russia and Iran Have Different Visions of Syria's Future  (Sputnik-Russia)  Russia wants Syria to be a secular state in which minorities and religious groups have equal rights. Iran wants a government in Damascus that would expand Tehran's influence in the region and maintain a logistics corridor for pro-Iran forces including Hizbullah.

Russian Police in Golan to Keep Hizbullah Away - Taha Abdul Wahed (Asharq Al-Awsat-UK)

Haley: Time to Get Serious about Disarming Hizbullah  (U.S. Mission to the UN)       

Houthi Leader: Yemeni Forces Will Take Part in Any Future Conflict with Israel - Caleb Weiss (Long War Journal)

Thank you Honest Reporting for pointing out hypocrites of the week: 

*In a Facebook Live chat Saturday with the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, (Roger) Waters said he would play his shows in Nassau, saying an artist’s rights should not be attacked over his stand on an issue

*And while there is rioting (Fatah called for a "Day of Rage") over the new security proposals at the Temple Mount, let's not forget this old news: Explosives detectors to be installed at gates of Mecca's Holy Mosque 

*Australian Jewish activists blasted the University of Sydney, whose Dept. of Peace and Conflict Studies is holding a controversial BDS conference at the end of July. Details at The Australian

Afghanistan's Summer of Violence Illustrates Difficulties Trump Administration Will Face - Michael Kugelman (Wilson Center) 

European Human Rights Court: Islamist Hate Speech Is Not Protected Free Speech  (VOA News)

Iran's Terrorism Goliath - R. James Woolsey and Peter Vincent Pry (Washington Times) The world's biggest terror threat, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), dwarfs ISIS by any measure. The IRGC's purpose is to advance the Islamic Revolution in the Middle East and the world.

The Myth of CIA Responsibility for the Iranian Coup in 1953 - Ray Takeyh (Weekly Standard)

Iran Leases Air, Land and Sea Bases in Syria - Alex Fishman (Ynet News)

Not enough being doing to halt persecution of Christians- Dow Marmur (The Star)

Israel Aiding 200,000 Syrians Living near Border - Anna Ahronheim (Jerusalem Post)

Failing to Mention Attack, Arab League Scolds Israel for Temple Mount Closure (Times of Israel)

Anger and Mistrust in Gaza as Hamas Hunts for Israel "Collaborators" - Phoebe Greenwood (Guardian-UK) recently two were sentenced to death, one to hard labor in perpetuity, over 45 rounded up…

Analysis: Saudi Arabia’s troubling educational curriculum - David Andrew Weinberg (FDD’s Long War Journal) 

If you have HBO, watch Cries from Syria – it’s a great reminder of the type of leader we have in Assad.

How Trump Made It a Little Easier For Assad to Stay in Power - KRISHNADEV CALAMUR (The Atlantic)

Why are Russians indifferent to the Syrian conflict? (Syria Untold and Opendemocracy Russia)

Without apparent controversy....Turkish Aid Distributed in Gaza - Nour Abu Aisha (Anadolu-Turkey)

Pence: Peace Requires Palestinian Willingness to Recognize the Jewish State of Israel (White House)

Country Reports on Terrorism 2016 (State Department) Iran, Sudan and Syria

U.S. Calls for Action Against Hizbullah Weapons Buildup (AFP-Daily Mail-UK)

House Appropriations Committee Approves Restrictions on U.S. Funding for UN and Palestinian Authority - Ben Cohen (Algemeiner)

"UNESCO is a full partner to the false incitement by Palestinians and radical Islam who claim that Al-Aksa [mosque] is in danger," Israel's ambassador to UNESCO in Paris, Carmel Shama HaCohen, said Thursday. 

Canadian Food Inspection Agency Backtracks after Saying Wine from the West Bank Isn't from Israel - Marie-Danielle Smith (National Post-Canada)

 

Report: Iran Building Long-Range Ballistic Missiles in Syria (MEMRI)

Iran Still on the Hunt for Nuclear Weapons Technology Across Germany - Benjamin Weinthal (Weekly Standard)

Referendum on Independent Kurdistan Puts Iran at Crossroads - Fazel Hawramy  (Al-Monitor) Ahead of a referendum by Iraqi Kurds on independence in September, Turkey, Iraq and Iran have all announced their opposition.     There are over 13 million Kurds on both sides of the Iran-Iraq border. Whether under the shah or the Islamic Republic, Iran has been the only country that has had an overall cordial relationship with Iraqi Kurds. Ironically, Iran's continuous support for the Kurdish peshmerga in past decades has ensured that the desire for independence continued burning among Kurdish fighters.

This Friday in Israel, terrorists murdered  Haiel Sitawe, 30, and Kamil Shnaan, 22, officers outside the Temple Mount compound near the Old City’s Lions Gate. Killers aimed to set region ablaze.

Israel detains grand mufti of Jerusalem in wake of Temple Mount attack (Times of Israel)

Waqf official (Jordanian custodian group) may have aided Israeli-Arab terrorists in Temple Mount attack (Times of Israel)

Israel Boosts Power Supply to Palestinian Cities in West Bank - Hezi Sternlicht (Israel Hayom)

11 Years Since the Start of the Second Lebanon War (InFocus) This week marks 11 years since the start of the Second Lebanon War. The war took a large toll on northern Israel and its population, and still lives strong in the memories of many Israelis.

 

The North Korean Challenge: Insights for the Middle East - Amos Yadlin and Avner Golov  (Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University)  Israel is assessing the implications of the crisis, particularly with respect to the Iranian nuclear program. 

 

Palestinian Authority Crackdown on Media Raises Alarm - Jacob Burns and Lubna Masarwa (Middle East Eye-UK)

Report: "Gaza - 10 Years On" (UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process)  "Upon seizing control of Gaza, Hamas has increasingly tightened its grip on power, including by executing, maiming and jailing opponents and suppressing dissent....Hamas has committed human rights violations, including restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly as well as a campaign of arbitrary arrests, harassment, torture that even lead to death in custody. Certain associated armed groups, such as members of the Qassam Brigades, were also responsible for extrajudicial kidnappings, beatings and murders of political opponents." (page 5)

 

Biased Textbooks Turning Young Americans Against Israel - Rafael Medoff (JNS.org)

The Terrorist Diaspora: After the Fall of the Caliphate - Thomas Joscelyn  (Long War Journal) It should be noted that would-be jihadists who are already citizens of European countries could have an easier route into the U.S. than migrants fleeing the battlefields.