Afghanistan

A Near Press Blackout in Afghanistan - Megan K. Stack (The NewYorker)

Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Quarterly Report to United States Congress (SIGAR) Pentagon watchdog warns of ‘existential crisis’ and criticizes U.S. ‘hubris’ in Afghanistan

Afghan Feminist: 'The Taliban and My Own Family Will Come for Me' - Phyllis Chesler (4W)

Olympics

After 49 Years, Israelis Killed at 1972 Munich Olympics Remembered in Opening Ceremony - Karolos Grohmann(Reuters)

Saudi Judoka Faces Israeli and Shakes Hands at Olympics (Al-Monitor) see also Israeli Judoka Lauds "Brave" Saudi Opponent - Rebecca Anne Proctor (Arab News-Saudi Arabia)

True Sportsmanship: Iranian Refugee Dedicates Olympic Medal to ‘Friends’ in Israel (VIDEO) - Akiva Van Koningsveld (Honest Reporting)

Algerian judoka quits Olympics to avoid Israeli opponent (JTA)

2nd judoka pulls out of Olympics in apparent move to avoid facing Israeli (Times of Israel)

Iran

Secret Iran Hacking Plans Against West Revealed - Deborah Haynes (Sky News-UK)

Islamic State

UN chief: Threat to global peace from Islamic State rising - Edith Lederer (Washington Post)

Impunity for Repatriated Islamic State Members (in Uzbekistan)  - Vera Mironova (Lawfare) 

Israel

How Bennett Found Himself Trying to Save the Palestinian Economy - Amos Harel (Haaretz)

Israel Shifts to Standoff Weapons in Syria as Russia Restricts Its Freedom of Action - Arie Egozi(Breaking Defense)

Nigeria

Nigeria’s Lawless Secret Police Abduct Film Director, Priye Amachree Over Alleged Links With IPOB, Recently Detained Israeli Filmmakers (Sahara Reporters)

Palestinians

New Interactive Database: How NGOs Turn Terrorists into “Civilians” (NGO Monitor)

PA criticizes Hamas for using civilians as human shields - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)

Tunisia

Arab Dailies Praise Tunisian President Kais Saied: A 'Second Revolution' Has 'Saved Tunisia' From The Muslim Brotherhood (MEMRI)

UN

UN-Paid Teachers Celebrate Deaths of Israelis (UN Watch) see also: UNRWA STATEMENT ON UN WATCH ALLEGATIONS

USA

Brooklyn Rally In Honor Of Palestinian 'Martyrs': 'If We Don't Get No Justice, They Don't Get No Peace'; 'NYC Is Full Of Palestine-Related Targets, The Options To Strike Back Are Endless'; 'New York To Gaza, Globalize The Intifada' (MEMRI)

Ben and Jerry's Rejected Pro-Peace Alternatives to Israel Boycott - Shiryn Ghermezian (Algemeiner) Aternate plans rejected by company executive included supporting a grassroots organization that promotes peace and coexistence, or backing Israeli and Palestinian educational organizations fighting hatred and incitement, or opening a partner shop in Ramallah and Jewish West Bank areas for both Palestinians and Israelis.

Five States Move to Freeze Out Ben and Jerry's over Israeli Boycott - Valerie Richardson (Washington Times)

Be safe over the holiday, and wear a mask!

Report: Egypt Signs Contract for 500 Russian T-90MS Tanks (Israel Defense)

Behind the Scenes: EU Clamps Down on Terror Funding (Human Rights & Hot Coffee Podcast) EU Backtracks on €1.7 Million to Radical Palestinian NGO. The terror group claimed it was enhancing the resilience of Palestinians.

Persecution of Baha'is in Iran Escalates as 77 Imprisoned over Religious Beliefs - Abbie Cheeseman (Telegraph-UK)

Is annexation just accepting the truth on the ground? What will the rights of Palestinians be in this area? Is Israel's plan to annex or declare sovereignty over Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley any different than the other 123 territorial disputes in the world today?  Is it like Russia and Ukraine? As Honest Reporting reported last week, is it legal and is it right are two different questions. After all these years with the PA promoting terror and declaring that anyone who supports "normalization" with Israel should be shot and that the entire area from the "river to the sea" is Palestinian, they've demonstrated that Israel has no one to negotiate their borders with. Note that although President Carter took the position that settlements are illegal, this was quickly reversed by the Reagan administration, which held that settlements are “not illegal.” Subsequent U.S. administrations either reiterated Reagan’s view or refrained from taking a position on legality. The Trump administration is stirring up the pot as annexation is part of their peace plan. 

Former MK Dov Lipman gives an update about "annexation" on i24 News (YouTube)

The legal basis for applying Israeli law to Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley - Maurice Hirsch, Adv. (PMW)

Annexation is already here - Jessica Montell (Times of Israel) The Seam Zone - the area beyond the Separation Barrier in the West Bank - is a testing ground for the treatment of Palestinians under annexation, and it's a lousy model

Annexation' is a misnomer: Israel wants a safe way to hand land to Palestinians in return for peace - Gregory Rose (The Sunday Morning Herald)

Abbas’s Fatah party, terror group Hamas unite to ‘topple’ Trump deal, annexation - Aaron Boxerman (Times of Israel)

Israeli Group Concerned over Fate of Jewish Archaeological Sites in West Bank under U.S. Peace Plan - Rinat Harash (Reuters)

Lebanese Judge Bans Media from Interviewing U.S. Ambassador after Anti-Hizbullah Comments - Sarah Dadouch (Washington Post)

Palestinians 'Execute' Unarmed Civilian, Condemn Israel For Killing Terrorist - Bassam Tawil (Gatestone Institute)

VIDEO: Terror Attack Or Car Accident? CNN Chooses Sides Against Israel - Gidon Ben-Zvi (Honest Reporting) When a Palestinian driver rammed his car into Israeli border police officers, it was the latest in a long string of deliberate attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.  But that's not how CNN presented the story...

PA promises terror, claims it's allowed under international law - Nan Jacques Zilberdik and Itamar Marcus (PMW)

PA Offers Direct Peace Talks With Israel (Honest Reporting) The two sides haven’t held direct peace talks since 2014. 

The Assad Regime Is Cracking under Pressure - Jonathan Spyer (Foreign Policy)  Despite talk of the war winding down, Assad and his allies still only control 60% of Syria. The Turks and their Sunni Islamist allies control 15%, while 25% is controlled by the U.S.-aligned, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. 

Generation Jihad Ep. 16 – Al Qaeda’s Never-ending Problems in Syria - Thomas Joscelyn & Bill Roggio (Long War Journal) 

Leave Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng and His Views on Israel Alone - Klaas Mokgomole and Mmamalema Molepo (Eyewitness News-South Africa) Somehow, when it comes to Israel and Palestine, we are suddenly told to have a moral high ground and pick sides. There has been no sanctioning or boycotting of Libya for the sale of human beings in the 21st century, or France's colonial tax on West and Central African countries. The strong campaigns for the freedom of the people of the Western Sahara and West Papua New Guinea are eerily silent and one can only wonder why.

Two videos of interest from The Center on National Security: 

Putting the Middle East in Historical and Geopolitical Context

The Caravan: Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad

Totally unrelated: Scotland voted 52-0 to stop exporting rubber bullets, tear gas, and riot shields to the US, and over 150 MPs are calling on the UK to do the same.

Canada

Islamist Wounds Two Canadian Soldiers in Quebec Terror Attack- Maxime Deland (Toronto Sun-National Post- Canada)

China

Anti-China Pakistan-Based Uyghur Jihadi Group East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) Issues Numerous Videos Online, Increases Attacks in Xinjiang And Other Chinese Regions - Tufail Ahmad (MEMRI)

Germany

Germany: Holy War Erupts in Hamburg - Soeren Kern (Gatestone Institute)

Iran

Islamic Jihad Chief Hails Iran Role in Gaza War (AFP)

Iraq

 ISIS Jihadists Boast of Enslaving Yazidi Women (AFP-Al-Arabiya) 

Partners for Peace?
Israelis and Palestinians join forces to combat Ebola (AFP)
Netanyahu: The Root Cause of the Gaza War? Hamas' Commitment to Kill Every Jew (Prime Minister's Office)
Ya'alon: Palestinians Want to Destroy the Jewish State - Shlomo Cesana (Israel Hayom) 

"I assert that victory is bringing the other side to agree to a cease-fire on your terms....And indeed, we brought Hamas to agree to a cease-fire in a way that ran contrary to their wishes. That is undoubtedly an achievement. There is victory on the ground because of the heavy price that Gaza had to pay. I expect that they will think twice before escalating violence again in the future."
    "Ever since the clashes began in 1936, Dr. Moshe Beilinson, who served as the deputy editor of the [now defunct] Davar newspaper, was asked 'when will it end?' and he would reply 'when the last of our enemies understands that we are here forever.' There are no shortcuts. Our efforts to create shortcuts over the last two decades - from Oslo until the present day - have all failed."

How the Donors Saved Hamas - Khaled Abu Toameh (Gatestone Institute) The promised funds absolve Hamas of any responsibility for the catastrophe it brought upon the Palestinians during the confrontation with Israel. Now the Palestinians in Gaza will no longer ask Hamas to compensate them for the loss of their houses and family members. They will now be referred to the PA. Hopes that the catastrophic results of the confrontation would increase pressure on Hamas or perhaps trigger a revolt against it have now faded.

Which Palestine Do Europeans Recognize? - Jonathan S. Tobin (Commentary)
Hamas lambastes UN chief for criticizing tunnels - Marissa Newman (Times of Israel)

Palestinian kids are taught to expect Israel's destruction - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)

Syria

The Broader Nature of the Conflict in Iraq and Syria - Jonathan Spyer(Fathom-BICOM)
The heartland of the Islamic State is in Raqqa city in Syria. If you want to destroy the Islamic State, you - or someone on your behalf - will have to go into Raqqa city and take on and defeat them. It is not clear who that candidate could possibly be.

Turkey

Turkey's Border War (Vice News)

Turkish MPs Criticize Turkish President Erdogan's Pro-ISIS Policy (MEMRI)

Opposition MP says ISIS is selling oil in Turkey (Al-Monitor)

United States

New York Artists' Niqab Hashtag Campaign Ignores Garment's Long History of Oppression – Phyllis Chesler (Breitbart) These artists and all who agree with them are treating what is mainly a forced choice in the Muslim world (and in Muslim communities in the West), as a potentially free choice. They are, in essence, donning the equivalent of “black face,” or slave chains, and saying that this feels good—in New York City, where they are only play-acting, and can remove their face veils without any negative consequence.

Yemen

Yemen Changes Hands. Will an Iranian Stronghold Emerge Near the Entrance to the Red Sea? - Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah (ICA-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) 
March of the Houthis - Editorial (Daily Star-Lebanon) Yemen's Houthis, a Shiite rebel group from the north of the country, took control of the capital Sanaa in late September, and is now marching south, having taken the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. Once they take the Bab al-Mandeb port, the Houthis - and by extension the Iranians - will control a port through which passes 40% of the world's oil each day, as it controls the Strait of Hormuz. With such power at its disposal, Iran will have control over the global oil market.

    And yet the international community has been virtually silent on the apparently unstoppable approach of the Houthis, and American drones continue to focus on al-Qaeda elements elsewhere in the country. Events in Yemen could prove far more damaging to the region and the world than what is happening elsewhere.

FYI Glossary of Extremists in Mideast and Africa - Matthew Lee (AP)

Australia

Terrorist Shot Dead in Australia "Planned to Behead Police Officers" (Western Australian)

Iran

Thank goodness: Iranians receive suspended sentence of jail and lashes for being happy.

Iran Prepares for a Leadership Transition (Stratfor)

Dermer: Nuclear Iran Is a "Thousand Times" More Dangerous than ISIS - (JTA)

Iranians Caught in Kenya with Fake Israeli Passports - Itamar Eichner(Ynet News)

Chinese Warships Dock in Iran (Press TV-Iran)

Iraq

Britain's Female Jihadists - Soeren Kern (Gatestone Institute) British female jihadists are now in charge of guarding as many as 3,000 non-Muslim Iraqi women and girls held captive as sex slaves.

Muslim Scholars Make the Theological Case Against the Islamic State - Samuel Oakford (Vice)

Muslim Leaders Insist Islamic State Not Islamic - John Rossomando (IPT News)

For more information, read about the “Verse of the Sword”, visit Loonwatch.com, read about Islam in The Great Heresies by Hilaire Belloc, see the documentary “Islam: What the West Needs to Know” – seems not much has changed since 9/11 -12/1683,

Israel

Growing Unrest Among Palestinians in Jerusalem - Nadav Shragai (Israel Hayom)

Lebanon

Report: Hizbullah Drones Attack Al-Nusra Front at Syrian-Lebanese Border (Fars-Iran)

Israel Studies Iran's Claim of Armed Hizbullah Drones - Arie Egozi (Flightglobal)

Palestinians

PA daily lauds Israel's treatment of Palestinian workers- Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)

Fatah producing new rockets to replenish supplies for coming wars with the "the Zionist enemy" - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)

Qatar

How Qatar Is Funding the Rise of Islamist Extremists - David Blair and Richard Spencer (Telegraph-UK)

Video: UN Watch calls out false praise for Qatar’s rights record by China, Iran, Turkey (UNWatch)

Turkey

Explaining Turkey's Long Game Against ISIS (Stratfor)

United States

Steven Salaita: Free Speech or Anti Israel Hate? (Honest Reporting) Was Steven Salaita fired because of his views on Israel? Or did the University of Illinois draw the line at hate and intimidation?

California protesters block Israeli-owned ship (Times of Israel)

The Right to Protest the Metropolitan Opera Decision to Put on "The Death of Klinghoffer"  - Alan M. Dershowitz (Gatestone Institute)