Friday, June 29, 2018

Delayed and overlong Update because we've been in London and Paris. In London we saw evidence of the impact of the EU on the UK - it appeared everyone working in the service industry was from the EU and not local. In Paris, we were only in the most tony or touristic neighborhoods. Shockingly, scattered around the Tuileries Garden and Place de la Concorde we saw at least 3 families (with both parents and small children), apparently Middle Eastern, getting ready to sleep on the street. There were also some new Banksys. 


Human Rights: Other Views - Part III Refugees and the Arab States - Denis MacEoin (Gatestone Institute) "The six Gulf countries - Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain - have offered zero resettlement places to Syrian refugees".

Unless you're a fan, you might have missed the story that Israel won Eurovision. This is apparently a big deal and should mean the next context moves to Jerusalem. Turkey and other anti-Israel entities are upset. 
Should Ireland Boycott Next Year's Eurovision in Israel? - Editorial (Irish Examiner) There is in this campaign, endorsed in Ireland by notable gay and feminist activists, the refrain of hypocrisy. The boycott brigade, marching for human rights and social justice, sees Israel's defense of itself as a primarily Jewish state as a war crime. We look forward to reporting its demands for an international boycott of, say, Saudi Arabia or Iran where, when we last looked, gay and feminist activists would not be tolerated.

Indonesia Lifts Ban on Israeli Tourists - Michael Bachner (Times of Israel)

Iran Has Cultivated Militias in Southern Syria to Act Against Israel - Abdulrahman Al-Masri (Cairo Review of Global Affairs-American University in Cairo)
Iran Reopens Uranium Feedstock Plant in Preparation to Boost Enrichment (Reuters) The move is symbolic and permissible under the nuclear deal, which allows Iran to enrich uranium to 3.67%.

Priest Stabbed in Bethlehem  - Joey Millar (Daily Express-UK)  Father Fadi Shalufa was knifed on June 1 as he tried to stop a group of men abusing Christians visiting the birthplace of Jesus at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Note: Hamas is still sending incendiary devises into Israel.




The Significance of Prince William's Visit to Israel Cannot Be Overestimated  – Editorial (Telegraph-UK)  international pariah.
What Prince William Did Not See in Ramallah - Bassam Tawil (Gatestone Institute)
Prince William's Visit to Israel - Elliott Abrams (Council on Foreign Relations) 

Israel and U.S. Collaborate on Tunnel Detection - Seth J. Frantzman (Defense News)
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Friday, June 15, 2018

Note: For those that are new to this Update, "Green" print usually includes my comments.

Attention French speakers, Honest Reporting has a new news site: http://honestreporting.com/france/?e=1Paris Puts Final Touches to Eiffel Tower Anti-Terror Walls (AFP) Does everyone want a wall?

IPT Exclusive: U.S. and Turkish Ties to Malaysia's Hamas Lobby - Abha Shankar (IPT) 

Where’s the Coverage? Hezbollah Helps Hamas Build Terror Camps, Israel Calls for U.N. Help (CAMERA) Hezbollah, the Lebanese-based, Iranian-backed terrorist group is helping Hamas build rocket factories and terror training camps in southern Lebanon, according to a Jerusalem Post report. Hezbollah’s assistance violates several United Nations Security Council Resolutions. But it does not, apparently, merit news coverage.
Report: Hizbullah Training Hamas Operatives in Lebanon - Daniel Siryoti (Israel Hayom)

Gaza Incendiary Kites Cause 45 Fires in Israel on Friday, 10 on Saturday - Matan Tzuri and Liad Osmo (Ynet News) Kites,balloons, and explosive laden condoms continue to be launched through today!

UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Agree on $2.5 Billion Aid Package for Jordan - Suha Maayeh  (The National-Abu Dhabi)

The US Congress has not declared war in decades, yet the Long War Journal has compiled a list of US strikes in Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, and Libya from 2002 through 2018.




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Friday, June 8, 2018

An especially harsh opinion from Mr. Joscelyn at the Long War Journal...

Analysis: A misbegotten ‘ceasefire’ in Afghanistan - Thomas Joscelyn & Bill Roggio (The Long War Journal) 

Historic reconciliation in Libya ends seven years’ vendetta between Misurata and Tawergha (Libyan Express) In a separate development over the weekend, the Foreign Ministry in the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) signed an agreement with its southern neighbors Chad, Sudan and Niger to monitor the borders.

Doubt Rattles Tehran over Putin's Intentions in Syria - Adil Al-Sahni (Asharq Al-Awsat-UK)
Iran Wants to Stay in Syria Forever - Borzou Daragahi (Foreign Policy)


News from Gaza/Israel border (Honest Reporting):
– 600: burning kites launched by Palestinians
– 300: fires on the Israeli side started by burning kites
– 1,235: acres of crops destroyed
– $1.4 million: value of crops destroyed
– 518: acres of Jewish National Fund forests in flames
– 988: acres destroyed in Besor Forest Nature Reserve
– thousands: acres of other woodland and brushland destroyed

Moscow Links Southern Syria Battle to Iran's Withdrawal- Saeed Abdelrazek and Atef Abdul Latif (Asharq Al-Awsat-UK)


A Week of Infamy at the United Nations - David Gerstman (The Algemeiner) 

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Friday, June 1, 2018
Israel destroys ‘unique’ Hamas tunnel extending into Israel via Egypt (Times of Israel) -- that reached 900 meters into Israel

Palestinian Authority Threatens to Cut Security Ties with Israel if Gaza Blockade Lifted (Middle East Monitor)
-Note: In a typical week like one week in March 2018, 2,728 trucks entered Gaza from Israel carrying 74,202 tons of supplies. In addition, Israel supplies electricity to Gaza via ten power lines. And Israel supplies water to Gaza via two pipelines. Some "blockade."




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