US plans to start 2nd phase of Gaza deal before Hamas disarmed, last hostage’s body returned

https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-plans-to-start-2nd-phase-of-gaza-deal-before-hamas-disarmed-last-hostages-body-returned/ 

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Will the protesters in Iran defeat the Islamic Republic? At least 3 cities have fallen. There are protests in all 31 provinces. Will Iranian oil will make up for China's loss of Venezuelan supply ? While most reports repeat that the protests are driven by the economy (definitely a spark), please recall that "No Gaza No Lebanon My Life for Iran" chant first began during 2009 protests. Day 13 and the protests are growing.

https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protest-soleimani-trump/33643152.html The headline from Denmark's public broadcaster: "Iran expert: It looks like the point of no return for the Mullahs' regime" https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/udland/iran-kender-det-ligner-et-point-no-return-praestestyret

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Antizionism is a hate movement targeting Jews worldwide. Yehuda Setton, CEO and director general of the Jewish Agency for Israel, “The greatest risk facing world Jewry today is not antisemitism alone. It is complacency."   https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/from-bondi-beach-to-the-next-crisis-why-the-first-hour-matters/ 

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How Maduro’s Arrest Became Another Anti-Israel Campaign  https://honestreporting.com/how-maduros-arrest-became-another-anti-israel-campaign/ See Also: Venezuela’s acting leader says ‘Zionist undertones’ marked US capture of Maduro https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/06/nicolas-maduro-guerra-son-donald-trump-venezuela-narcotics/ 

In related news, El Pais, widely considered The New York Times of Spain, reports that Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who will preside over the Maduro trial, is a highly regarded jurist "𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲."  The mainstreaming of antisemitism in Spain should trouble us all. Here's a simple exercise for everyone who’s now having trouble seeing it- replace the word Jewish or Zionist with any other marginalized group and you’ll see immediately that a statement sounds bigoted. Because of online outrage, the bigoted comment was removed. https://www.camera.org/article/impartial-despite-being-jewish-el-pais-quietly-removes-antisemitic-slur/

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This week, we had the pleasure of meeting Pastor Dumisani Washington, the Founder and CEO of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel (IBSI). The only Black led pro-Israel organization. He expressed his concern that the free-Palestine movement exploits Black Americans, that the Trans-Saharan slave trade hasn't ended [see https://www.charlesjacobs.org/], that Christian communities in the Middle East and Africa are under threat, and that the United States is funding the terrorists that threaten us [from money going to the Taliban and support of Qatar]. He pointed out that what happened in Israel on October 7th, happens every week to Christians in Africa, and Muslims call it "Ghazwa."

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Members Of The Qatar-Funded International Union Of Muslim Scholars Call For Action Against The UAE Over Its Stance Toward The Muslim Brotherhood https://www.memri.org/reports/members-qatar-funded-international-union-muslim-scholars-call-action-against-uae-over-its

The UAE announces it will cuts funds for citizens who want to study in the UK out of fear of Emirati students being radicalized by Muslim Brotherhood Islamists on British campuses. 

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/uae-limiting-students-coming-to-uk-over-muslim-brotherhood-concerns-zvpdd6fqn

The UAE's engagement with Somaliland dates back to the mid-2010s, https://www.middle-east-online.com/en/somalilands-emerging-alliances-deepening-ties-israel-and-uae

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>US launches large scale attacks on ISIS/ISIL targets in Syria

> Syrian government forces have taken near-complete control of Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh areas; SOHR  reports govt. forces abusing civilians/human rights violations. AJ and SOHR seem to be the only outlets covering fighting. 

>Syria-Israel talks in Paris positive https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-882884

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FYI We've known this at least 2023, but it's worth repeating: Founder of Students for Justice in Palestine Is the Jewish Voice For Peace https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/hatem-bazian-is-the-jewish-voice-for-peace In November 2025 the two Instagram accounts (SJP.UR and JVP.UR) posted identical messages.

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>Please see the difference between The Australian and BBC headlines, 

UK police ‘covered up’ Islamist threat to Jewish fans bit.ly/4jrpmUJ 

vs  No conspiracy over Israeli football fans ban, West Midlands Police say

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2wqke8nl9o

The Birmingham, UK football ban of Jews is getting more attention as more evidence comes to light about police lies, including that the police concealed evidence that they knew of Muslim men planning to attack Jews. 

>BBC once again being forced to apologize. Britain’s national broadcaster issued a clarification this week after the outlet faced criticism for airing a Christmas special on the Holocaust-era evacuation of Jewish children from Europe that removed all references to Jews.

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People's Forum and links to China here https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTLIIfUDd8d/ 

 Watch the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s global program, in partnership with The King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, featuring leaders and peacemakers from the Gulf, Indonesia, Israel, and the United States, commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27. In a related story... Have you ever found an old box of photos... see this story from the Miami Herald

Tens of Thousands of Afghans Who Fled The Taliban Are Now Marooned in America's Broken Immigration Bureaucracy - Jasmine Aguilira (Time)

US Bank Freezes Accounts of Afghanistan's US Embassy  - Akmal Dawi (VOA) U.S. approach has led to confusion among Afghans who are trying to sort out visa and logistical issues, leaving them in legal limbo.

Plot Twist in the Sordid Mass Murder Scandal Rocking Argentina - Noga Tarnopolsky (Daily Beast) 

Meta removes Iran-based fake accounts targeting Instagram users in Scotland - Elizabeth Culliford (Reuters) ... with content supporting Scottish independence

Iran Rejects Russian Proposal for Interim Nuclear Deal - . Carol E. Lee (NBC News)

‘Apartheid’ Myth: The Improper Use of False and Misleading Claims Regarding Israel - Gidon Ben-Zvi (Honest Reporting) the apartheid claim is demonstrably false and misleading

Getting Away with Murder: The Campaign to End Kuwait's Honor Crimes Law - Abigail R. Esman (IPT News)

Hizbullah Facing Calls to End Iran's "Occupation" of Lebanon - Dalal Saoud (UPI) Some 200 political figures, including former ministers and parliamentarians, have established the National Council to Lift the Iranian Occupation of Lebanon.

Media, Diplomats Still Silent Over Hamas’ Violent Evictions of Dozens in Gaza - Akiva Van Koningsveld (Honest Reporting)

PA accuses PMW of incitement for exposing truth about its education! - Itamar Marcus (PMW)

Gulf Arabs Slam Palestinian Terror Groups for "Supporting" Houthi Attacks - Khaled Abu Toameh (Jerusalem Post)

Russian Expert On Turkey Starobudtsev: Russia Outflanked Turkey With Its Intervention In Kazakhstan, But The Competition Between The Two Claimants To The Turkic Parts Of The Post-Soviet Space Will Continue (MEMRI)

South Korea Pays Iran's UN Dues with $18 Million in Frozen Funds (Reuters)

U.S.-Backed Forces in Syria Battle to Regain Control of ISIS Prison - Louisa Loveluck (Washington Post) See also Kurdish-Led Forces End Prison Siege, Defeating ISIS Fighters - Ben Hubbard (New York Times)

U.S. THAAD Missile Defense System Intercepts Houthi Missile Attacking UAE for First Time - Jen Judson (Defense News)

Report: UAE textbooks encourage coexistence, yet Israel still not on school maps (JNS) The books also “offer a realistic approach to peace and security, teach patriotism, anti-radicalism, commitment to defending the homeland and cooperating with allies.”

The UN Descent to Its Deepest Depths of Hostility to Israel - Alan Baker (The Algemeiner) the recent unprecedented decision to establish and finance an “ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry” to function as a permanent “inquisition” or “kangaroo court” aimed solely at one state — Israel — to the exception of all other countries in the world raises the fearful specter, reminiscent of times gone by, of unjustifiable persecution and discrimination.

see also Stand with Us petition to the UN  https://www.standwithus.com/unhrc-campaign

The lie of the “Gaza blockade” - Maurice Hirsch (PMW) In a literally unending list of publications, the United Nations insists on referring to the ostensible Israeli “blockade on Gaza.”... statistics published by none other than the UN itself disprove their own claim.

Why I'm Opposed to Ilhan Omar's Bill Against Islamophobia - Masih Alinejad (Washington Post)   

US approves $2.2 billion sale of C-130J aircraft to Egypt -Stephen Losey (Defense News)

Jewish groups slam top Presbyterian official for equating Israeli occupation with ‘slavery’ days after Texas attack - Ron Kampeas (JTA) 

 Good news: 

*Full diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE were announced on Thursday. 

*A scientist we know said there's 6 good candidates for a vaccine and likely we'll see one available before year end! Note: Dr. Fauci confirmed this on Instagram with Matthew McConaughey.

Belgian NGOs "Mitigate Pro-Israel Voices" with Government Support (NGO Monitor)

EU Study Examines Wrong Textbooks, Concludes Palestinian Authority Promotes Peace with Israel - Ariel Kahana (Israel Hayom)  An EU-sponsored study to examine whether textbooks used by schools in the Palestinian Authority incite against Israel actually examined textbooks in Arabic used in the Israeli school system. 

Iranian Known and Unknowns - Karen Greenberg interview with Steve Simon (Center for National Security/Vital Interests)

Incendiary and Explosive Balloons from Gaza Spark 68 Fires in Israel on Tuesday - Tzvi Joffre (Jerusalem Post)

Beirut Blast: Just the Beginning? - Daniel Pomerantz (Honest Reporting) There’s something the media isn’t showing you: Hezbollah has over 150,000 rockets and missiles hidden all over the country, mostly in civilian areas. Watch the Video

Sources Shine Light on Hizbullah Link to Beirut Explosion - Mona Alami (Al Arabiya) 

Hizbullah Worldwide Activities Interactive Map and Timeline - Matthew Levitt (Washington Institute for Near East Policy)

The Turkish Threat in the Eastern Mediterranean - Abdel Moneim Said  (Al-Ahram-Egypt)

Joint Statement of the United States, the State of Israel, and the United Arab Emirates (Whitehouse.gov)

COVID-19 Risks Robbing Dubai of Its Economic and Political Autonomy - Ryan Bohl (Stratfor) 

BBC's Longstanding Hezbollah Whitewashing Continues in Beirut Blast Coverage (CAMERA UK) "Ruling elite" - did you notice that phrase used throughout the reporting on Lebanon? I found it odd that the news never mentioned Hezbollah.  “Hizballah is today the dominant force in Lebanese public life" and "it is a franchise of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps."

Kamala Harris: Where does Biden's running mate stand on Middle East issues? - Ali Harb (Middle East Eye)

Taliban again promotes its Badakhshan training camp - Bill Roggio (FDD's Long War Journal)

Iran's Deepening Isolation On The World Stage - Ahmad Ra'fat (WorldCrunch/Kayhan)

Third Israeli Water Generator Donated to Gaza - Celia Jean (Jerusalem Post)

Hamas head: We refused $15 billion in aid conditioned on disarming - Aaron Boxerman (Times of Israel)

Unique intel trove from Hamas operative caught swimming to Israel (DebkaFile)

Reuters and the Case of the Missing Hezbollah ‘Terrorist’ - Gidon Ben-Zvi (Honest Reporting) 

Report: Russian-Backed Militia Gaining Control in Syrian Golan Heights (i24News) The militia, with Muslim officers from the Caucasus, is hostile to both Iran and the Syrian regime.

Turkey on the Warpath - Uzay Bulut (Gatestone) The Erdogan regime has been militarily targeting Syria and Iraq, sending its Syrian mercenaries to Libya to seize Libya's oil, and continuing to bully Greece. It is now provoking ongoing violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Abu Dhabi Presses Allies to Normalize with Israel (Middle East Monitor-UK)

British SAS Troops Fight Secret War to Prevent ISIS Revival - Dave Burke (Mirror-UK) 

Congress Pushes for Sanctions on Turkey, Russia Over Libyan War - Jack Detsch, Amy Mackinnon (Foreign Policy)

Foreign Policy's Faux Pas on Boycotts, Israel, and 'Annexation' - Sean Durns (CAMERA)