Meanwhile in Afghanistan:

*The “orderly” withdrawal President Biden had promised did not happen, and the world has watched agonizing scenes of Afghans trying to escape. 

*Amazingly, over 100,000 people have been evacuated since 8/14!

*Last remaining area not controlled by the Taliban is the Panjshir Valley, where remnants of government forces and other militia groups have gathered to resist the Taliban. Al Jazeera, Reuters However, it doesn't appear that there is any international support for the Northern Alliance. CNN NYT

*The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) pledged on Sunday to help achieve peace in Afghanistan and said its future leaders must guard against allowing the country to be used as a backyard for international Islamist militancy.

*Turkey Reinforces Border to Block any Afghan Migrant Wave. Reuters

*Airbnb offers free accommodation for 20,000 Afghan refugees (BBC News)

*Crisis in Afghanistan: How You Can Help (HIAS)

Report: Iran Has Doubled Forces on Israeli Border since 2018 - Neta Bar (Israel Hayom) The fighters are from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Lebanon, while the command echelon is mostly comprised of Iranian Revolutionary Guards disguised as militia members or Syrian army officers.

Food for thought before the Biden-Bennet meeting - Maurice Hirsch, Adv. (PMW)

Lebanese Doctor Sentenced for Helping Palestinians Get Treatment in Israel - Phil Mercer (VOA News) Dr. Jamal Rifi, a prominent physician in Australia's Lebanese Muslim community, says he has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in absentia in Lebanon for working with members of Sydney's Jewish community to organize treatment for Palestinians in Israeli hospitals.

Nasrallah Is Turning Lebanon into Afghanistan - Baria Alamuddin (Arab News-Saudi Arabia)

Hamas-backed Palestinians in Gaza launched a new wave of incendiary balloons into Israel.  Fire balloons have ignited multiple fires across Israeli communities in recent weeks. but the AP headline reads: Gazans launch incendiary balloons into Israel after strikes

Hamas: Thrown Out of Saudi Arabia into the Arms of Iran and the Taliban - Nadav Shragai (Israel Hayom)

Progressive Democrats Blast Palestinians over Crackdown on Critics - Jacob Magid (Times of Israel)   Members of the "Squad" of progressive Democrats in the U.S., more commonly known for their criticism of Israel, have shifted their censure to the Palestinian Authority amid Ramallah's latest crackdown on rights activists and critics.

Washington Post Doesn’t Find Harassment of Its Own Journalists by Palestinian Authority Newsworthy -Emanuel Miller (Honest Reporting) The situation has become so severe that Palestinian journalists have resorted to asking the UN for protection.

What is ISIS-K? USA Today explains ISIS-Khorasan

Last night, my discussion group topic was “The Syrian Refugee Crisis.” Reportedly, half the population of Syria has been displaced by the civil war. We discussed the impressive measures that Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey have taken to help these refugees. As Israel is also a neighbor of Syria, someone asked what Israel is doing to help the Syrians, even suggesting they take in refugees. As the Syrians and most of Israel's neighbors are committed to its destruction, this seemed like a stupid question to me. I knew Israel was discretely providing medical aide, which came as a surprise to some, but I didn't think they could do much more. Israel is a very small country and it has very real security concerns that are quite different from its neighbors. Thank goodness for stupid questions.

Why Did Israel Decide to Support Syrian Rebels? - Jacky Hugi (Al Monitor)

Israeli Doctors Try to Save Christian Baby that Fled Islamic State – Lazar Berman (The Times of Israel)

From October 2014

Israelis are Feeding Syrian Refugees in Jordan, but in Secret (The Jerusalem Post)

From April 2013 

Israel may be operating in Syria- Noga Tarnoplosky (The Jerusalem Post) While the Israeli forces may be operating in a non-military capacity, it would be the first time they have been known to set foot in Syria since the 1970s.