Report: 2 Iranians Killed and 6 Wounded while Preparing to Fire at Israeli Golan Heights - Daniel Siryoti (Israel Hayom)

The Houthi War Machine - Michael Knights (Combating Terrorism Center at West Point) After 2010, the Houthi rebels metamorphosed into the most powerful military entity in Yemen. As they fielded advanced weapons of Iranian origin, they captured the country's three largest cities. Their story provides a case study of how an ambitious militant group can benefit from Iran's support.

In Much of Iraq, ISIS Still Rules the Night - Kimberly Dozier (Pulitzer Center)

U.S.-Libya forces raid al-Qaeda site in Ubari (Reuters)

U.S. military denies taking part in raid on al Qaeda site in Libya (Reuters)

Striking similarities between stabbings of 2 young Israeli women - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)   In both cases, the PA did not condemn the terror. And more than that, in response to both terror attacks, the PA this week chose to present Palestinians as the victims. 

Mississippi House Approves Bill Targeting Israel Boycotts (AP) The Mississippi House of Representatives on Thursday voted 88-10 for a bill which would have the state join others in refusing to do business with companies boycotting Israel.

U.S. House of Representatives Approves Motion Condemning Anti-Semitism - Juliegrace Brufke (The Hill) in a 424-0 vote. " the United States House of Representatives must emphasize the importance of combating anti-Semitism and reject all movements that deny Israel's right to exist."  

Ilhan Omar and the Power of Clarity - Michael Koplow (Israel Policy Forum)

Hizbullah Is in Venezuela to Stay - Colin P. Clarke  (Foreign Policy)

These Marines Were Falsely Accused of War Crimes. Twelve Years Later, They Have Vindication - Andrew deGrandpre (Washington Post)  In 2007, a group of elite Marines were removed from Afghanistan when unproven allegations of war crimes surfaced. The allegations, a fabrication by local Taliban members, claimed that the Marines had massacred innocent bystanders during an ambush. Though they were cleared one year later, the soldiers have spent years fighting the lies.

Egypt to Keep Gaza Border Crossing Open (Middle East Monitor-UK)

ISIS Smuggler: Sleeper Cells and ‘Undead’ Suicide Bombers Have Infiltrated Europe - Anne Speckhard,  Ardian Shajkovci (Daily Beast) Jailed jihadis are being released, others are returning to Europe to face prison time, and still others have never been known to police and wait to be mobilized.  

France Demands Sovereignty over the Tombs of the Kings in Jerusalem - Ariel Kahana (Israel Hayom)

France Launches Airstrikes at Armed Libyan Group in Chad (US News and World Report)

European Council Statement on Iran (European Council) The EU said on Monday it was gravely concerned by Iran's ballistic missile launches and tests

Iran Has Teamed Up with the Taliban - Jackson Richman (JNS)
 

Lebanon Forms Government with Three Hizbullah Ministers - Joseph Haboush (Telegraph-UK)

World Ignores Plight of Palestinians in Lebanon - Bassam Tawil (Gatestone Institute) A Palestinian who tries to bring a bag of cement or other construction materials into a refugee camp to build a house is subjected to arrest, interrogation, trial by military court and a fine. Is this happening in the West Bank? No. In Lebanon. Palestinians in Lebanon are also banned by law from working in professions including medicine, engineering, nursing, accounting, pharmaceuticals and teaching. Palestinians are also barred from owning, selling or bequeathing property. 

Fatah's official Facebook page in 2018: A platform for glorifying murder and promoting terror - Itamar Marcus, Nan Jacques Zilberdik, and Yona Silverman (PMW)

In Yemen, Jihadists and Iran Are Getting U.S. Weapons - Nima Elbagir (CNN)  Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners have transferred American-made weapons to al-Qaeda-linked fighters and Salafi militias in Yemen, in violation of their agreements with the U.S., a CNN investigation has found.  The weapons have also made their way into the hands of Iranian-backed rebels, exposing sensitive American military technology to Tehran. The revelations raise fresh questions about whether Saudi Arabia is responsible enough to be allowed to continue buying sophisticated U.S. hardware.

Report: Russia Attacks Targets Held by Iranian Militia in Syria (Jerusalem Post)

Report - Terrorists in Suites: The Ties between NGOs Promoting BDS and Terrorist Organizations (Israel Ministry of Strategic Affairs)

I've included this quote from President Trump's State of the Union address because it seems everything else except this part of his speech was discussed in the press.

Trump: "We Must Never Ignore the Vile Poison of Anti-Semitism"  (White House) In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Trump said: "One of the most complex set of challenges we face is in the Middle East. Our approach is based on principled realism - not discredited theories that have failed for decades to yield progress. For this reason, my Administration recognized the true capital of Israel - and proudly opened the American Embassy in Jerusalem."

    "My administration has acted decisively to confront the world's leading state sponsor of terror: the radical regime in Iran. To ensure this corrupt dictatorship never acquires nuclear weapons, I withdrew the United States from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. And last fall, we put in place the toughest sanctions ever imposed on a country."
    "We will not avert our eyes from a regime that chants death to America and threatens genocide against the Jewish people. We must never ignore the vile poison of anti-Semitism, or those who spread its venomous creed. With one voice, we must confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs." 

Iran "Angry" at Russia's Failure to Activate S-300 Air Defense System in Syria (Asharq Al-Awsat-UK)

Jordan Protests New Israeli Airport near Its Border - Laith al-Junaidin (Anadolu-Turkey) Jordan has protested the opening of a new Israeli airport a few kilometers away from its border, (in Eilat) Jordan's state-run Al-Mamlaka television reported. Amman says the location of the airport violates the kingdom's air sovereignty. 

UN Envoy: No Access for UN Peacekeepers to Hizbullah Attack Tunnel in Lebanon - Edith M. Lederer (AP-Washington Post)  "the Lebanese army has taken no action in response, allowing Hizbullah to continue building these tunnels undisturbed."  

Jihadists in Mali kill 10 peacekeepers ‘in reaction’ to Netanyahu visit to Chad (I24 News) Chad has had endemic problems with violent jihadist groups, especially at its northern border with Libya. It is also one of several West African states engaged in Western-backed operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State jihadists....Ten peacekeepers from Chad were killed and at least 25 injured

Palestinian TV Says Shopping at New Jerusalem Mall Is Treason - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (Palestinian Media Watch)  Israel encourages joint economic projects between Israelis and Palestinians. Businessman Rami Levy has built a chain of supermarkets in which Palestinians and Israelis work and shop side-by-side.

Riots at Israel-Gaza Border Continue Friday - Yoav Zitun  (Ynet News) Some 14,000 Palestinians rioted in several locations along the Israel-Gaza border on Friday, hurling stones, burning tires and throwing grenades and explosives at IDF troops.

Republican Rep. trying to stop West Bank trip led by Democrat Tlaib - JTA (Times of Israel)

The Guardian Delegitimizes Israel in Lying  -Simon Plosker (Honest Reporting)

Finally, catching up on my email. Glad to be on my way home.

Trudeau: "I Will Continue to Condemn the BDS Movement" - Ryan Maloney (Huffington Post-Canada)

Muslim Brotherhood in Germany: Greater Danger than ISIS, al-Qaeda - Raghida Bahnam (Asharq al-Awsat-UK)

Iran Enters Deep Recession after U.S. Sanctions Restored - Ahmad Alavi (Radio Farda)

New Threat from Gaza: Landfills and Sewage Build Up along Israeli Border - Matan Tzuri (Ynet News)
The Many Ways Palestinians Violate International Law: Environmental Pollution, Ecological, and Humanitarian Crimes - Amb. Alan Baker (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

Abbas Celebrates 14th Anniversary of His Four-Year Term - Elliott Abrams  (Council on Foreign Relations)

Haaretz, NY Post Turn Anti-Israel Slogan Into Journalistic Shorthand - Gilead Ini (CAMERA) It's a road and a border wall! Israel’s opening of Route 4370, a strange road that’s half highway and half territorial boundary, was used as an occasion to yet again unholster the apartheid slur. New "Divided" Road near Jerusalem Will Considerably Shorten Travel Time for Palestinians - Shaul Arieli (Ha'aretz)

Rahaf's Saudi family will never, ever stop coming after her (Israel National News); Young Saudis Risk Their Lives in Pursuit of Freedom (Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia) - Phyllis Chesler  While Prof. Chesler (you can see her in a Netflix documentary on feminism) is working on her 5th book, she  reminds us about others who weren't so lucky to escape: Saudi princess Mishaal bint Fahd al Saud (1977), Hamza Kashgari (2012) Dina Ali Lasloom, (2017) , and Eman Al-Nafjian (now)

BDS-backer Ilhan Omar given seat on powerful House Foreign Affairs panel - Eric Cortellessa (Times of Israel) The assignment, chosen by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will give a vehement critic of the Jewish state a voice — and a vote — on the powerful panel that oversees US foreign policy and foreign aid.

More Twisted Facts at Newsweek - Simon Plosker (Honest Reporting)

World Council of Churches Trained 1,800 Anti-Israel Activists, Funded by UNICEF (NGO Monitor)

Updates will resume in late January. Wishing you all a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!

Taliban commander admits thousands of foreign fighters are embedded within group - Bill Roggio (Long War Journal) FDD’s Long War Journal has maintained for the last eight years that US military and intelligence estimates of between 50 to 100 al Qaeda in Afghanistan (later modified to 200) have been woefully low.

Iraqi Fighters Pledge Support for Hizbullah in War with Israel (Press TV-Iran)

500,000 Palestinians Gather in Gaza for Hamas Anniversary Rally  (i24News)

Video: Mahmoud Abbas Contradicts the Palestinian Narrative on Refugees - Dore Gold (Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

The world is shocked by Trump's announcement on December 19th that the US is pulling out of Syria immediately (after talking with Erdogen). Many fear the departure of US troops will clear the field for Iranian entrenchment and destruction of Kurdish territories. This article appeared on December 14th!

America's Hidden War in Syria - Liz Sly (Washington Post)  U.S. troops will now stay in Syria indefinitely, controlling a third of the country and facing peril on many fronts

Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Reuters, Associated Press, The Hill, Axios  On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to President Trump asking him to reconsider his decision to begin withdrawing troops from Syria. In the letter, both democratic and republican senators  expressed concern that withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria would "renew and embolden" Islamic State’s efforts in the region. The senators also said they believed removing American presence from Syria would give a boost to "two other adversaries," Iran and Russia. 

Hizbullah Evades Israeli Bombs in Syria by Flying Russian Flag - Alex Fishman (Ynet News)

UN to condemn Israel 9 times, rest of the world 0 (UN Watch) “The UN’s planned assault on Israel with a torrent of one-sided resolutions is surreal,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, a Geneva-based non-governmental watchdog organization. “Days after the Hamas terrorist group assaulted Israeli civilians with a barage of 460 rockets — while the UN’s General Assembly and Human Rights Council stayed silent — the world body now adds insult to injury by adopting nine lopsided condemnations, whose only purpose is to demonize the Jewish state.” “While EU states are expected to support 15 out of a total of 20 resolutions to be adopted against Israel by December, the same EU states have failed to introduce a single UNGA resolution on the human rights situation in China, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Cuba, Turkey, Pakistan, Vietnam, Algeria, or on 175 other countries,” said Neuer.

Not sure why, but having trouble with fonts. Sorry for any difficulty you have reading this.

Iran Hackers Hunt Nuclear Workers, U.S. Targets - Raphael Satter (AP)  Iranian hackers sought to break into personal emails of more than a dozen U.S. Treasury officials tasked with enforcing economic sanctions on Iran, APhas found.   Also on the hackers' hit list: Arab atomic scientists, Iranian civil society figures, and D.C. think tank employees.

Missing Context in AP Piece Masks IDF’s Humanity - Emanuel Miller (Honest Reporting) 

Fatah tells Palestinians to reject calls for new armed uprising in West Bank - Adam Rasgon (Times of Israel) 

Tunisian Gender Equality Reforms Condemned by Egypt's Al Azhar -Hany Ghoraba  (IPT)

Why is BDS Bad Anyway? Lessons From Ohio State - Sarah Disselkamp (CAMERA on Campus)   "BDS places all responsibility for peace in the Middle East on Israel, rather than encouraging a solution created by both parties. 

Iran-Backed Cyber Attackers Taking Aim at Australia - Jane Norman (ABC News-Australia)

Iran's Cyber Offensive Targets the West - Oved Lobel (Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council)   

FBI Announces $3 Million Reward for Iranian Who Procured U.S. Technology for IEDs  - Stephen Montemayor  (Minneapolis Star Tribune) 

France Gave Sensitive Intelligence to Palestinians during Second Intifada (i24News)

How Morocco is trying to address rampant sexual harassment - Khalid Bencherif (WMC FBomb)

Is Fatah trying to spark a new round of terror? - Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik (PMW)

U.S. Demands Palestinians Release American Citizen Held for Selling Land to Jews - Barak Ravid  (Axios)

Syria talks on fragile Idlib truce begin in Kazakhstan - AFP (Al-Monitor) Negotiators from Iran, Russia and Turkey met in Kazakhstan's capital Astana on Wednesday

Syria Granting Citizenship To Millions Of Iranians, Hizbullah Operatives  (MEMRI)

10,000 Iran-Trained Syrian Soldiers Posted on Israel Border  (i24News) 

U.S. Troops to Set Up Observation Posts in Northern Syria - Richard Sisk (Military.com)

Reuters' Picture Falsehood of the e Year - Tamar Sternthal (CAMERA)