The death of Bernard Lewis just short of his 102nd birthday is a great blow to Middle East scholarship. Speaking and reading twelve languages including Arabic, Turkish and Hebrew, he had a remarkable grasp of Muslim history and politics, and was uniquely insightful in his writings. 

New reports from Afghanistan give false hopes for peace - Bill Roggio (Long War Journal)

The Middle East's New Battle Lines (European Council on Foreign Affairs) There's a lot of information here, including a great map of the Pro-Iran Front and Anti-Iran Front.

Hamas Gaza Leader Yahya Sinwar: We Are Coordinating with Hizbullah, Iran (MEMRI)

Iran is Funding Hamas’s Violent ‘Protests’ at the Border, Media M.I.A.(CAMERA)

The Iraqi Elections: A Slap in the Face to Iran - Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) The results of the Iraqi legislative elections have taken both Iran and the U.S. by surprise. The party of Muqtada al-Sadr, the anti-American and anti-Iranian Shiite cleric, succeeded in winning 54 out of the 329 seats to become the biggest parliamentary faction. 

Iraqi Jets Carry Out Airstrikes Against Islamic State in Syria- Nehal Mostafa (Iraqi News)

Paris Attack "Mastermind" Killed in Airstrike in Syria - Henry Samuel (Telegraph-UK) 

I Agree with Hamas, Says Israel's UK Ambassador - Mark Regev  (Daily Mail-UK) I agree with Hamas that its strategy of labeling events in Gaza as "peaceful protests" was a deliberate "deception." 

Citing Israeli Intelligence, Panama Says 1994 Plane Crash Was Terror Attack - Elida Moreno (Reuters)

Video - Col. Kemp to UN Human Rights Council: Hamas Seeks Destruction of Israel and Murder of Jews Everywhere  (UN Watch) Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, told the UN Human Rights Council on Friday: "Hamas, a terrorist organization that seeks the destruction of Israel and murder of Jews everywhere, deliberately caused over 60 of its own people to get killed. They sent thousands of civilians to the front line - as human shields for terrorists trying to break through the border."
    "I ask every country in this Council: You have all been telling us that Israel should have reacted differently. But how would you respond if a Jihadist terror group sent thousands to flood your borders, and gunmen to massacre your communities? Your failure to admit that Hamas is responsible for every drop of blood spilt on the Gaza border encourages their violence." 

Inconvenient Truths About Gaza, Hamas and Israel's Border May 16, 2018 • Why is there a border fence between Israel and Gaza?  Israel captured Gaza from the Egyptians during the 1967 Six-Day War. For decades, there were no border fences. Many Israelis shopped in Gaza and many Arabs worked in Israel proper. In 2005, then Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, unilaterally removed all military posts, as well as the thousands of Jews who had settled in the Gaza Strip, and gave Palestinians full control of the territory. In 2006, Palestinians in Gaza elected Hamas, a terrorist organization whose Charter calls for the total destruction of the Jewish State. Soon, suicide bombers and thousands of missiles targeted Israel leading to military confrontations.  In recent years, Hamas built a network of underground terror tunnels to circumvent the border fences.  Israel, like any other nation in the world, cannot be expected to tolerate an attempted invasion of its land. • Why are the conditions in Gaza so bad?  Hamas diverted building materials and other aid intended for civilians, and instead chose to build massive underground tunnels to launch attacks against Israel. Rather than turning Gaza into an international tourist destination on the Mediterranean and dramatically improving the economy and the life of the people, Hamas’ only interest is its radical terrorist ideology, which chooses to create severe shortages of goods and services vital to the pursuit of a normal future. Rather than admit their culpability in allowing this unbearable situation to fester, the international community, including the United Nations, and the European Union, continue to cynically blame Israel and Israel alone.  But the simple fact is that none of those nations, faced with a similar crisis would act any differently than the Israelis. • Don’t Palestinians have the right to peaceful protest without fearing they would be killed?  Of course, everyone has the right to protest both individually and collectively, but what if the Million Man or Women’s March decided to violently storm the White House or Congress?  What would our police and soldiers do?  How much more critical is the situation at the Gaza border, which has a long history of terrorists blowing up restaurants, buses, and schools.   Hamas admits now that 50 out of the 60 deaths on Monday, May 14, 2018, widely condemned by leaders and the media as an Israeli "massacre" or "slaughter", were in fact, members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist groups. Meanwhile, the Israeli government continues to send leaflets warning Palestinian protesters to stay a safe distance from the border. • Don’t Palestinians just want to live in peace? Without question, many Palestinians want peace. But under Hamas rule, their children are taught otherwise in United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools. Textbooks never mention the word Israel, maps show only Arab names for cities and sites in Israel proper. The new Hamas Charter says, “There is no solution to the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. The initiatives, proposals and International Conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility.” Even UNRWA, the single largest employer in Gaza, has been co-opted by a Hamas-driven agenda. In fact, UNRWA closed schools on May 14-15, knowing full well many of the children would be put in harm’s way. • Are women and children targeted at the border?  There has been video evidence showing that women and youngsters are being brought into the fray to act as human shields and cannon fodder. Hamas’ hope is that the most vulnerable amongst them will be shot by the Israelis, which would lead to headlines denouncing Israel as carrying out massacres against innocents.  It is the worst form of child abuse to deliberately place children in danger, just to score a few paragraphs in the international media and social media. • Would these events have occurred if President Trump hadn’t moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem?  Hamas needs little excuse to engage in their most profitable enterprise — terror — especially when they know anything involving President Trump would garner international headlines. Proof of this is that these marches actually began on March 30th, six weeks prior to the US Embassy move. Hamas selected May 14th, Israel’s 70th anniversary and the inauguration of the new US Embassy to gain maximum coverage. And it worked – rioters rushed the border, Israeli soldiers defended their nation, and the media, continues to give a moral pass to Hamas while denouncing Israel,again and again.

Creating a False Image of Israeli and Republican Insensitivity

Taking "moral equivalence" to a new extreme; multiple news channels use the split screen to show the staged and often real violence perpetrated by Hamas against the celebration in Israel of a new embassy.

Israel has legitimate security concerns and needs to protect its population. Showing the split screen/split images of the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem with the violent protests at the Gaza border is a victory for Hamas's propaganda campaign. One has nothing to do with the other. The US moved the embassy to an undisputed portion of Jerusalem. Hamas (a terrorist organization) is rushing the border with the hope of eliminating Israel and murdering civilians. Hamas’s cynical eagerness to exploit its own people should not be fodder for the news. All that smoke you see in the photos... that was created by Hamas to hide terroristic actions.

Where is the investigative journalism or the outrage at Hamas's use of human shields in the headlines? 

Hamas and the PA/Fatah share the position that all of Israel is occupied and only the elimination of Israel will satisfy them. Where the US embassy is in Israel is irrelevant to their interests.


See also: Hamas official: 50 of the 62 Gazans killed in border violence were our members  - Judah Ari Gross and TOI Staff (Times of Israel) Additionally, the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad had said on Tuesday that three members of its Saraya al-Quds military wing were killed by Israeli forces in Khan Younis.

As you had some questions about US Embassy move to Jerusalem, here's some info:

Monday: While U.S.is officially moving its embassy to Jerusalem today and there are reports of "Palestinians killed by Israelis" at the border with Gaza, let's not forget: Army shoot men planting bomb, strike Hamas post after gunmen fire at troops; protesters hurl rocks, burn tires ahead of US embassy inauguration; IDF vows to prevent border breach (Times of Israel) The TV news keeps showing Jerusalem celebration and Gaza border, not mentioning activities at the border are being sponsored by a terrorist group, Hamas, and seeming to forget about the PA. Additionally, the reports infrequently mention that the Gaza region is also bordered by a wall with Egypt. Amanpour, in a seemingly contradictory statement, just reminded viewers that Hamas doesn't believe in a diplomatic solution while scolding the US for moving embassy to Jerusalem and thus removing a possible diplomatic lever. I did hear at least one person on CNN mention that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem does not prevent the Palestinians from also having a capital in Jerusalem. One has to wonder why the US Administration is apparently sabotaging their message by putting pastors like Hagee and Jeffress in keynote postions.

Dozens of Countries Participate in Israel's Celebrations of U.S. Embassy Move - Noa Landau (Ha'aretz) 

Hoping to Break Through Border Fence, Hamas Posts Maps to Show Gazans Shortest Routes to Israeli Communities (i24News) On Sunday, Hamas posted pictures and maps on social media showing the shortest routes from the border fence to nearby Israeli communities in case Palestinian rioters manage to breach the security fence. 

Israel Drops Leaflets Warning Palestinians to Avoid Gaza Border (Jerusalem Post) Israeli planes dropped leaflets in Gaza on Monday ahead of expected protests along the border with Israel, warning Palestinians not to approach the security fence. "You are taking part in violent riots which jeopardize your lives. Hamas is taking advantage of you in order to hide its failures," they read. With the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Monday followed by Nakba Day and the beginning of Ramadan on Tuesday, the IDF is gearing up for several days of violence. 

Video: Hamas Plans to Carry Out a Massacre in Israel (IDF Spokesperson) On Monday, May 14, Hamas plans to send armed terrorists among 250,000 violent rioters to swarm and breach Israel's border with Gaza and enter Israeli communities. Hamas plans to carry out a massacre in Israel. The Israel Defense Forces will not let them. 

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From Honest Reporting: For the second consecutive week, Palestinian rioters at the Kerem Shalom border crossing destroyed gas lines and other infrastructure — on the Gaza side of the crossing. The IDF estimated the rioters caused around $9 million in damage forcing Israel to close it until further notice. The destruction sounds senseless until you see what Gaza sources told Ynet about how Hamas benefits from Kerem Shalom’s closure:

A Palestinian source in Gaza, meanwhile, told Ynet that Hamas has been profiteering considerably as a result of the crossing’s destruction. The Kerem Shalom crossing is operated by the Palestinian Crossings Authority, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA) rather than Hamas, he noted.

The source then explained that Hamas was encouraging rioters to damage crossings, thereby causing the PA to lose revenue from customs and other taxes levied on incoming goods.

Bringing the goods in through the Rafah border crossing, the source added, will allow Hamas to pocket such tax levies.

The past week or so Israelis were wearing pink in honor of the Giro d'Italia Cycling event that started in Jerusalem and ends in Rome. See this link for more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/04/sport/giro-ditalia-preview-jerusalem-cycling-spt/index.html

Netanyahu Answers Critics Who Say There's Nothing New in Iran Nuclear Archive - Noa Landau  (Ha'aretz) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday answered criticism on the Iranian nuclear documents seized by Israeli intelligence, saying that "anyone who says there's nothing new in the material we showed has not seen the material....To those who say that this proves why you need the deal, I say that a deal that enables Iran to keep and hide all its nuclear weapons know-how is a horrible deal. And the last thing you can say about it is that it blocks all of Iran's paths to the bomb."

Iran's Regional Adventurism and Proliferation of Missile Technology Is Off the Charts - Norman Roule (Cipher Brief) Iran seems to have met its JCPOA obligations. There are aspects of this deal which go on in perpetuity. Iran has destroyed the guts, the center, of its plutonium reactor. That cannot be undone. Iran has also agreed it will never undertake activity that could allow it to develop a nuclear weapon. Should we discover it is doing so, we would be able to snap back on sanctions. Regarding every other area of malign activity, Iran is off the charts. Iran is transforming the DNA of the region with its export of advanced missile technology and its creation of surrogate groups.

Gaza border protests Video from Honest Reporting (PLEASE WATCH)

IDF's Defense at the Gaza Border: What's the Truth?

Hamas Telegram Channel Celebrates Bin Laden on the Anniversary of His Death(MEMRI)

Israel Attacks 50 Iranian Targets in Syria after Iran Targets Israeli Bases - Yoav Zitun (Ynet News) After Iranian forces in Syria launched a rocket attack on Israeli army bases in the Golan Heights early Thursday, the IDF attacked more than 50 Iranian targets in Syria

The West Betrays the Kurds - Giulio Meotti (Gatestone Institute)

Hizbullah Allies Gain in Lebanon Vote - Tom Perry (Reuters) Western-backed Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri lost over a third of his seats with 21 MPs, down from 33.

Jordan's Economy Is Under Siege (Economist-UK) Jordan gives shelter to 656,000 Syrians who have fled the war and has spent $10 billion to cope with the influx. Meanwhile, aid from Gulf states has dried up.

Hizbullah Chief Pledges Loyalty to Iran's Supreme Leader - Amir Toumaj (Long War Journal) Nasrallah's speech confirms that Hizbullah is an arm of the Iranian government and the Lebanese branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Tweet from Gatestone Institute "The #Gaza Strip could be a livable environment if the #Egyptians opened the #Rafah terminal to allow the world to come and help the #Palestinians living there." - @KhaledAbuToameh https://buff.ly/2FCSnZ8 

Israel Signs Deal with PA to Transfer Control of Electrical Infrastructure - Max Schindler (Jerusalem Post)
Business Insider: Israel ‘Stomping on Iran’ - Daniel Pomerantz  (Honest Reporting) This at a time when the Syrian civil war has already killed over half a million people…with Iranian support.
Why Netanyahu's Revelations Are Significant - Matthew Kroenig (Atlantic Council)

Arab League Backs Morocco for Cutting Off Ties with Iran (AP)

Morocco Cuts Ties with Iran for Sending Weapons to Polisario- Amira El Masaiti (AP-Washington Post)

Video - Behind the Smoke Screen: Hamas Unrest in Gaza - Pierre Rehov (Vimeo) An 11-minute video about the reality of the "peaceful protests" in Gaza

AP Exposes Hamas Definition of ‘Non-Violence’ - Simon Plosker (Honest Reporting)

Palestinian charged with asking IDF to shoot him to get Hamas stipend - Ilana Curiel  (Ynet News)

Missile Attack in Syria Kills 26, Mostly Iranians - Bassem Mroue (AP)

Saudi Crown Prince: Palestinians Should Take What the U.S. Offers - Barak Ravid (Axios)

Turks, Saudis, UAE Pouring Funds into East Jerusalem - Sue Surkes (Times of Israel)