WEST BANK TERRORISTS POSE A SERIOUS THREAT TO ISRAEL

Draw a red line: Jenin at risk of 'Gazafication'

The West Bank is currently defined as a secondary arena in Israel's multi-arena campaign. Successfully addressing its challenges will help maintain this definition and prevent the area from deteriorating into a situation that Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas would like to see.

 

By Meir Ben Shabbat 

 

Israel Hayom

Hun 30, 2024

  

 

Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank, June 13, 2024

While tensions rise on the northern front and Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continue operations in Rafah and eastern Gaza City, the Jenin area serves as a stark reminder of the deteriorating security situation in northern Samaria and the challenges it poses to Israel.

The escalation in the preparation and use of explosive devices against IDF forces on access roads to Palestinian settlements and refugee camps in Samaria demonstrates the increasing capabilities and learning curve of terrorist elements in this region. Their threats against Israeli communities along the border area indicate their intentions.

The "Gazafication" process in this area began well before Oct. 7, but inspired by the war in Gaza and after adapting to IDF operational patterns, it could accelerate and amplify the challenges of multi-arena warfare if not swiftly addressed.

 

Palestinian gunmen take up positions during a confrontation with the Israeli army in the West Bank city of Jenin on July 3, 2023

 

Jenin has a long history of violence. It is geographically, politically, socially, and economically peripheral. Central government control has always been weak there. This was true even in the 1930s during the British Mandate, when its forces eliminated Izz ad-Din al-Qassam in the nearby village of Yabad, whose name later became an inspiration and symbol for Hamas terror cells.

During the Second Intifada, this area was seen as a stronghold of Palestinian resistance. The battle in the Jenin refugee camp is considered one of the most difficult events in Operation Defensive Shield. Even then, the collaboration between different groups in this camp was notable, as was the use of explosive devices and booby traps, and the reliance on civilians and civilian facilities for hiding and storing weapons. Jenin's resistance ethos became a symbol for terrorist organizations and inspired Palestinian attackers from all areas.

In the decade following "Defensive Shield," this area re-established itself as a terrorist stronghold in Samaria and a hub for exporting attackers and attacks throughout the West Bank and Israel. Exactly a year ago, the IDF launched a major operation in this sector aimed at curbing the growth of terrorism and reducing its capabilities. The goal was to create conditions allowing Israeli forces to carry out routine prevention operations without requiring large troop deployments and special efforts. The operation achieved its goals, but as is often the case in such conflicts, its conclusion merely set the stage for a new cycle of escalation and preparation for future confrontations.

 

IDF tank in Jenin, West Bank, during operation "Defensive Shield" to eliminate Palestinian terrorism, April 9, 2002.  

 

Majority support for Hamas attack

Since the outbreak of the war, IDF forces have arrested more than 4,200 terrorist operatives from the West Bank, averaging about 16 operatives per day. Of those arrested, 1,750 are Hamas operatives. These figures not only demonstrate the scale of the security forces' preventive efforts but also reveal the terrorist potential in the West Bank that's reaching a boiling point.

The findings of the quarterly survey by the PSR Institute (Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research), headed by Khalil Shikaki and published in early June, indicated strengthening support for Hamas in the West Bank. The survey found that 73% of residents in this area expressed support for Hamas's Oct. 7 attack, while 79% believed Hamas would win the war in Gaza. Overall support for Hamas among West Bank residents increased compared to the previous survey.

Potential Gaza-like scenario

This situation requires the security forces to adopt a firm and uncompromising approach towards terrorism in the West Bank. The "Gazafication" process should also be applied by Israel towards terrorist centers, increasing pressure on them. If Jenin chooses to behave like Gaza, it will face consequences similar to Gaza.

It is advisable to increase efforts to thwart bomb-making laboratories and destroy buildings suspected of being used for the preparation or storage of explosive devices. Combining this with airstrikes is recommended, in part to reduce risks to Israeli forces. Activities to prevent the smuggling of explosives should continue, including stopping the entry of dual-use materials used for this purpose.

Consideration should be given to implementing enhanced security measures in the border area, including specific instructions for opening fire. This is to prevent ideas for carrying out attacks on communities inspired by Oct. 7.

The West Bank is currently defined as a secondary arena in Israel's multi-arena campaign. Successfully addressing these challenges will help maintain this definition and prevent the area from deteriorating into a situation that Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas would like to see.

 

  IDF soldiers in Jenin, West Bank. 

 

Drawing red lines

In a gradual process, akin to the "boiling frog" metaphor, Israel may find itself returning to the pre-Oct. 7 reality in Gaza if clear red lines are not drawn for Israeli policy on Gaza-related issues and the many dilemmas they present.

As long as the war goals have not been achieved and a deal for the release of hostages has not been formulated within the parameters defined by political leadership, there is no reason to reduce pressure on Hamas or adopt a more moderate security approach in areas that may affect the achievement of these goals. In fact, the opposite is true.

Examples include special security measures in the security perimeter (including the size of the buffer zone), policy on using force against Hamas's governance efforts, policy towards participants in the Oct. 7 attack who are not officially affiliated with terrorist organizations, removing potential threats from Gaza to targets in Israel (instead of fortifying the southern railway infrastructure or worrying about the tall buildings in the city of Sderot), humanitarian aid entry policy (quantity, sources, coordination, and inspection methods), policy on introducing dual-use items into Gaza (including for humanitarian facilities), and approach to infrastructure work in Gaza (such as connecting the desalination plant to electricity).

While these issues may seem minor in the context of the larger war, their cumulative effect on Hamas governance, its recovery chances, and changes to the regional security situation require political leadership to thoroughly examine these matters.

WHY IRAN IS ON THE BRINK OF ACQUIRING NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Obama and Biden paved the way to a nuclear-armed Iran

The Biden administration, sadly, seems to have been the enabling factor in Iran's continued regional aggression and nuclear advancement. 

 

By Majid Rafizadeh

 

JNS

Jun 30, 2024

 

 

 

Iran is on the brink of acquiring nuclear weapons. Responsibility for this development lies squarely on the shoulders of the Obama and Biden administrations. Through a series of misinformed and misguided policies, they have paved the way for Iran to realize its nuclear ambitions.

Instead of putting a stop to Iran’s nuclear program, America’s “diplomatic efforts” have resulted in a series of concessions that have only empowered the Iranian regime. The lack of stringent enforcement and verification measures, and especially the lifting of secondary sanctions—by which any country that does business with Iran is prohibited from doing business with America—have allowed Iran to accelerate its nuclear activities “under the radar.” The leniency and strategic missteps of both the Obama and Biden administrations have thus critically undermined global non-proliferation efforts, bringing the world to a situation in which Iran stands about to become a nuclear-armed state.

The concept of granting concessions to Iran, which originated with the Obama administration, culminated in what would become known as the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), often referred to as the “Iran nuclear deal.” The deal marked a significant shift in international relations with Iran. On the very first day of its implementation, the international community saw the removal of crippling U.N. Security Council sanctions on Tehran. These sanctions, which had taken decades to establish, represented a robust international effort to contain Iran’s nuclear plans.

Iran’s continued development of ballistic missile technology and its persistent test firings of missiles, both in clear violation of U.N. resolutions, were largely overlooked. In addition, the growing bellicosity of Iran’s huge militia, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as the nuclear program itself, were apparently never addressed with the seriousness they warranted—thereby allowing Iran to expand its military capabilities and regional aggression unchecked.

Meanwhile, reports have surfaced, disclosed by whistleblowers to senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson, that the Obama-Biden State Department went so far as to “actively interfere” with the efforts of the FBI to arrest certain individuals who were in the United States illegally and suspected of supporting Iran’s nuclear-related financial endeavors. The decision to intervene and prevent these arrests raises serious questions about the administration’s priorities and commitment to national security. This revelation adds another layer of complexity to the narrative surrounding the administration’s approach to Iran, suggesting an eagerness to overlook potential threats.

The newfound legitimacy Obama granted to Iran, coupled with his lifting of sanctions, generated a flood of billions of dollars for the IRGC, as well as for various other militias and terrorist groups supported by the regime. The windfall enabled Tehran to significantly bolster its military and paramilitary operations and extend its influence across the Middle East. The Iranian regime strategically allocated these funds to support and expand its own proxy presence throughout the region, including, among other spots, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Mali, Burkina Faso and the Gaza Strip.

In Syria, Iran’s backing has been pivotal in bolstering the Assad regime by providing military and logistical support, which helped turn the civil war in Assad’s favor. Similarly, in Yemen, Iran’s financial and military aid to the Houthi rebels fueled an ongoing conflict that has had devastating humanitarian consequences and has further destabilized the region. In Lebanon, Iran’s support for Hezbollah strengthened the group’s military capabilities and political clout and made Lebanon into a solid Iranian proxy. Iran’s expansion campaign, underpinned by the substantial revenue boost from sanctions lifted by the Biden administration, proved to be immensely successful, significantly intensifying Iran’s grip across the Middle East.

When the Trump administration came to office, the fortunes of Iran shifted dramatically. The Trump administration implemented a “maximum pressure” policy aimed at curtailing Iran’s economic capabilities by particularly focusing on reducing the country’s oil exports, and, most importantly, establishing “secondary sanctions” that banned any country doing business with Iran from doing business with the United States. This highly effective policy significantly slashed Iran’s oil revenues, a major source of funding for the regime. The Trump administration’s re-imposition and expansion of sanctions exerted immense economic pressure on the Iranian government and forced Iranian leaders to make difficult financial decisions, such as cutting back on funding to their regional allies, as well as to Iran’s militias and terror groups.

As the Islamic regime’s proxies and aligned groups found themselves with fewer resources to sustain their activities, the reduction in financial support effectively hobbled Iran’s operational capabilities. The “maximum pressure” campaign, therefore, not only weakened Iran’s domestic economy but also curtailed its ability to project power and influence through its network of regional proxies.

When President Joe Biden assumed office, Iran experienced a renewed sense of optimism and relief. The Biden administration swiftly took steps that were seen as favorable to Tehran. One of the new administration’s first actions was to remove Yemen’s Houthi rebels from the U.S. List of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, a move that was perceived as a significant concession. The Houthis reciprocated the goodwill gesture by launching missiles and attack drones on its neighbors in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Biden administration also tried to revive the JCPOA, which had guaranteed Iran nuclear weapons in just a few years and was therefore abandoned by the Trump administration.

 

As these financial and diplomatic overtures took shape, Iran’s oil exports began to climb, reaching new heights estimated at $100 billion. This resurgence in oil revenue once again empowered Iran to finance its hegemonic regional ambitions and support its network of militias, proxies and allied groups.

Worse, reports indicate that the Biden administration has not only overlooked Iran’s advances with regard to its nuclear program, but is also actively discouraging the European Union from rebuking Iran for its defiance and progress in nuclear development. The Biden administration’s passive approach of trying to use what might look like “protection money” to try to bribe Iran into compliance has simply backfired. Iran took the billions and, unsurprisingly, appears to have fungibly used them to finance several wars in the region—Hamas’s and Hezbollah’s war against Israel, the Houthis’ war against Israel and the United States—as well as Iran’s nuclear program and April 13 attack on Israel.

The Biden administration, sadly, seems to have been the enabling factor in Iran’s continued regional aggression and nuclear advancement. The administration’s series of policies favorable to Iran significantly strengthened the regime, to the point where Iran and its proxies are now actively engaged in a comprehensive war against Israel and the Sunni Arab Gulf States. Moreover, since October, Iran has lauched more than 150 attacks on U.S. troops in the region.

Drawing from historical precedent, it is easy to understand the efficacy of measures such as imposing stringent sanctions, and especially secondary sanctions, targeting Iran’s oil revenues, and putting on the table the military option to address Iran’s nuclear program. These strategic actions are now more crucial than ever in ensuring regional stability, curbing Iran’s ambitions and safeguarding global security interests.

 

Originally published by the Gatestone Institute.

HEZBOLLAH WILL BE JOINED BY IRAN'S PROXIES IN IRAQ, SYRIA AND YEMEN IF IT IS ATTACKED BY ISRAEL, SO THREATENS IRAN

Iran threatens ‘obliterating war’ if IDF attacks Hezbollah

"All options are on the table," warned Iran's mission to the United Nations. 

 

JNS

Jun 20, 2024

 

 

Yemen's Houthis display their military might

 

Iran threatened on Saturday that an Israeli military operation against Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon could lead to an “obliterating war” with all of Tehran’s proxies, adding that “all options are on the table.”

The threat, posted to the account of Iran’s mission to the United Nations, added that the Islamic Republic regards the Israel Defense Forces’ declaration that it has approved the military operation against Hezbollah as “psychological warfare.”

Hezbollah has attacked Israel nearly every day since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, firing thousands of rockets, anti-tank missiles and suicide drones at Israeli towns, killing more than 20 people and causing widespread damage. Tens of thousands of Israeli civilians remain internally displaced due to the ongoing violence.

On Thursday night, Hezbollah launched 40 rockets towards northern Israel, setting off air-raid sirens in the Upper Galilee city of Safed. The Upper Galilee Regional Council said a home in one of its communities sustained damage in the barrage, and power outages were reported.

Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service said it worked to extinguish fires sparked by the projectiles, half of which were downed by air-defense systems. One woman was reportedly injured while running for shelter.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported on Sunday that American and European diplomats continue to press Hezbollah to cease its attacks.

Mediators reportedly warned the terror organization it should not rely on the United States or other countries being able to hold off Israel if Jerusalem decides to move forward with the operation in Lebanon, and that Hezbollah should not assume it has the ability to take on the Israel Defense Forces.

During meetings in Washington last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stressed that while Israel prefers a diplomatic solution, it will take whatever action is required to restore security to the north.

“We do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario,” Gallant stated following the meetings. Jerusalem has emphasized that any deal “will not be an agreement on paper” but must include “the physical removal of Hezbollah from the border, and we will have to enforce it.”

In a video statement published last week, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed to fight the Jewish state “without restraints, without rules, without limits” should war be “imposed” on Lebanon. He has also threatened that an “invasion of the Galilee remains on the table.”

In related news, the Arab League announced over the weekend that it will no longer refer to Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, reversing a 2016 decision and enabling the renewal of contacts with the Iran proxy.

“The Arab League does not maintain official terrorist lists, and our efforts do not include labeling entities as terrorist organizations,” Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told Cairo’s Al Qahera TV.

On Friday, Lebanese press reported that Zaki held a meeting with Hezbollah MP Muhammad Raad, in what was described as the terror group’s first tête-à-tête with an Arab League official in over a decade.

THE PARTY APPARATUS IS CIRCLING THE WAGONS FOR JOE

By Bob Walsh

 

 

The party apparatus is circling the wagons to protect the continued power of Joe Biden.

Yesterday afternoon Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the head of the Biden campaign, and Jamie Harrison, the head of the DNC, held a conference call with a buttload of people from the Democrat party apparatus around the country.  It was, however, odd in that it was a one-way call, feedback and comments were NOT permitted.  Both Harrison and Rodriguez offered an absolutely rosy picture of Joe Biden and essentially gave a rah-rah-rah pitch.  GET OUT THERE AND SUPPORT OUR GUY.  No consideration whatsoever was given to his crash-and-burn on Thursday night other than to assert that it has had zero effect on his electability.  Some of those on the call stated outright after the call that they were being gaslighted.

More than a few on the receiving end of the call said that it did NOTHING to ease their worries about the situation and if anything made their concerns greater.  

In an interview on MSNBC afterwards Harrison asserted that the call was a routine, regularly scheduled conference call.

The talking head contingent is now openly speculating that Joe will be removed from power by Kamala Harris and the cabinet via the 25th amendment.  AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.  For one thing, even if they did it, it would NOT remove Joe from the ballot for next term.  The 25th Amendment has zero effect on the election process.  

Personally I hope Joe stays in.  It will pretty much guarantee the election of Donald Trump.  I grant you the process of throwing Joe out would be amusing to watch.  That being said forcing him out is not doable at this stage.  They can try to convince him, they can try to coerce him.  They can't FORCE him out because they have no power to do so.  He loves the power.  His wife, who is possibly actually running the show, loves it more than he does.  I find it hard to understand how they could successfully compel him to go away.  I'm not sure a major mutiny by the power structure could do it.  He WANTS to keep the power and he believes his own bullshit.

LET THE INSANITY COMMENCE. 

MAYBE A GAME CHANGER FOR EV BATTERIES...MAYBE

By Bob Walsh

 

An outfit called Nyobolt in the UK has been working about a year on what is alleged to be a game changing battery for the EV market.  The battery is significantly lighter than existing batteries, can charge 2,000 cycles before any noticeable loss of life and can charge in SIX MINUTES.  (Remember in the UK they run their normal electrical stuff on 230 volts.)

The little blurb I heard on the news yesterday indicated that the batteries were ready to go into production.

Of course I seem to remember a news piece from Toyota saying pretty much the same thing last year.  

In any event IF TRUE this could be the boost the EV market needs.  But I am not going to hold my breath.  I am not even going to buy any stock...yet.

YET ANOTHER GREAT ONE PASSES

By Bob Walsh

Orlando Cepeda, another great from the hay-day of the San Francisco Giants, shuffled off this mortal coil yesterday at home in Concord in the Bay Area.  He was 88 and was one of the first big-time baseball players from Puerto Rico.  Dude was good. 

CAN THE MONEY MEN FORCE SENILE JOE OUT ?

By Bob Walsh

Assuming the talking heads have it right there is a significant revolt amongst the big money donors to the DNC.  They are refusing to open their wallets to bet on a three-legged horse.  

Will that be enough to convince (or coerce) Joe and Jill out.  Personally I doubt it.  My opinion, for what my opinion is worth, is that Jill LOVES the power and Joe believes the bullshit everybody is feeding him.  Plus their is the undeniable fact that he beat Trump once.  Of course the dynamics back then during the plague were totally different than they are now, but I am unsure his cognitive function is up to appreciating that difference. 

Personally I hope the senile old fart stays in the race.  It will be fun to watch him crash and burn and if he drops it is barely possible the Democrat-Socialists might find a good candidate if they flip over enough rocks.  

Damn, the next 18 weeks will be a lot of fun to watch.

WHO WILL SUCCEED THE BUTCHER OF TEHRAN? ..... NEVERMIND, AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI WILL CONTINUE TO RULE SUPREME

Hardliner, moderate to face off in 2nd-ever Iranian runoff, after record low turnout

Neither presidential candidate secures majority, with 40% voter turnout amid opposition boycott; reformist Pezeshkian wants ‘friendly relations with all countries except Israel’

 

By Ramin Khanizadeh and Payam Doost Mohamadi   

 

The Times of Israel

Jun 29, 2024

 

This combination of pictures created on June 29, 2024 shows (L) Iranian presidential candidate and ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili as he attends his election campaign rally at Sharif University in Tehran, June 22, 2024, and (R) lawmaker and former health minister Massoud Pezeshkian, a reformist candidate for Iranian president, at a campaign rally at Afrasiabi Stadium in Tehran, June 23, 2024.

 

 

TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran’s sole reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative Saeed Jalili have qualified for a runoff presidential election after leading in the first round, an official said on Saturday.

Pezeshkian received over 10,400,000 votes and Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, has more than 9,400,000, said Mohsen Eslami, spokesman of Iran’s election authority.

“None of the candidates could garner the absolute majority of the votes; therefore, the first and second contenders who got the most votes will be referred” for the second round, scheduled for next Friday, Eslami told a press conference.

Out of around 61 million eligible voters, some 24,500,000 voters headed to the polls, he added, with a turnout of around 40 percent — the lowest yet in the history of the Islamic Republic.

Out of Iran’s 13 previous presidential elections since the Islamic revolution in 1979, only one, in 2005, has led to a runoff.

Conservative parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf received about 3,383,340 votes and Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a conservative cleric, had 206,397 votes. The election authority counted a total of 1,056,159 spoiled ballots.

 

Iranian presidential candidate and conservative Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (C-R, crouching in blue suit) prays before casting his vote in the election, looking at a picture of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (portrait right, in turban) and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, both of whom were killed in a helicopter crash in May, at the shrine of Shah Abd al-Azim in Tehran province’s city of Rey, June 28, 2024.

 

The elections were originally scheduled for 2025 but were brought forward by the death of ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month.

The Guardian Council, which vets electoral candidates in the Islamic Republic, had originally approved six contenders.

But a day ahead of the election, two candidates — the ultraconservative mayor of Tehran, Alireza Zakani, and Raisi’s vice president, Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh-Hashemi — dropped out of the race.

In the 2021 elections that brought Raisi to power, the Council disqualified many reformists and moderates, prompting voters to shun the polls en masse.

The turnout then was just under 49%, which at the time was the lowest of any presidential election since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979.

 

Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a conservative cleric and candidate in the Iranian presidential election, casts his ballot at a polling station in Tehran, June 28, 2024. 

 

Different camps

Friday’s vote took place amid heightened regional tensions over the Gaza war, a dispute with the West over Iran’s nuclear program and domestic discontent over the state of the country’s sanctions-hit economy.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had called on people to participate in the vote. But opposition groups, especially in the Iranian diaspora, called for a boycott of the vote, questioning the elections’ credibility.

Pezeshkian, 69, is a heart surgeon who has represented the northern city of Tabriz in parliament since 2008.

 

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei casts his ballot during the presidential election, in Tehran, Iran, June 28, 2024.  

 

He served as health minister under reformist president Mohammad Khatami, who held office from 1997 to 2005 and has endorsed Pezeshkian’s bid in the current elections.

Pezeshkian criticized Raisi’s government for a lack of transparency during nationwide protests triggered by the September 2022 death in police custody of Mahsa Amini.

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, had been arrested for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women.

In recent campaigning, Pezeshkian called for “constructive relations” with Washington and European countries in order to “get Iran out of its isolation.”

 

In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, Iranians protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, in Tehran, October 27, 2022.  

 

However, Pezeshkian has been less welcoming of ties with Israel.

“God willing, we will try to have friendly relations with all countries except Israel,” the reformist candidate told reporters in Tehran after casting his ballot at a local hospital.

Ultraconservative Jalili, Iran’s former nuclear negotiator, has maintained his uncompromising anti-West stance.

The 58-year-old has held several senior positions in the Islamic Republic, including in Khamenei’s office in the early 2000s. He is currently one of Khamenei’s representatives in the Supreme National Security Council, Iran’s highest security body.

 

In this photo provided by Iranian Students’ News Agency, ISNA, hardline former Iranian senior nuclear negotiator and candidate for the presidential election Saeed Jalili casts his ballot at a polling station in Tehran, Iran, June 28, 2024.

 

On Saturday, Iranian reformist daily Sazandegi posted “Long live hope” on its front page, while the state-run daily Iran hailed the “strong” turnout.

Regardless of the result, Iran’s next president will be in charge of applying state policy outlined by the supreme leader, who wields ultimate authority in the country.

Earlier, the local Tasnim news agency said militants in southeast Iran attacked a vehicle carrying ballot boxes in Sistan-Baluchistan province.

Two policemen were killed and others were injured in the attack, the agency added.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF BIDEN'S INCOHERENT PERFORMANCE DURING THE DEBATE

Biden's decline gives Middle East's axis of evil a golden opportunity against America – and Israel

Global implications mount as questions swirl around the presumptive Democratic nominee's fitness for office. In a world rife with aggressive forces, the unflattering image of an American president – the leader of the free world – appearing weak and incoherent encourages evil-doers.

 

By Amnon Lord  

 

Israel Hayon

Jun 29, 2024

 

 

The frequent calls from former President Barack Obama to the White House have fueled the perception that Biden's tenure is effectively Obama's third term

Throughout Joe Biden's presidency, there have been persistent claims that he is being "managed" by a group of advisors and Democratic leaders who not only support him but potentially steer his policies. The frequent calls from former President Barack Obama to the White House have fueled this perception, suggesting that Biden's tenure is effectively Obama's third term – albeit a far more radical one.

Now, in light of the incumbent president's recent on-air stumble, it seems the proverbial smoking gun has been found. The president is functioning at a subpar level, while an extreme progressive group, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, is driving US foreign policy. None of the issues concerning American citizens and those of other nations, such as Israel and Ukraine, are being adequately addressed or resolved.

In a world rife with aggressive forces, the unflattering image of an American president – the leader of the free world – appearing weak and incoherent encourages them to exploit opportunities. Biden's decline mirrors the collapse of his Middle East policy vis-à-vis Iran and its proxies, as well as the incomprehensible crisis at the southern border with Mexico. This porous region is drawing millions of migrants of all types into the United States, including criminal and terrorist elements.

Donald Trump didn't gain supporters following the televised confrontation early Friday morning. But Biden lost a great deal, according to the veteran Fox News commentator Bret Baier's simple summary. For many months, the question of whether Biden will actually be the Democratic presidential nominee has loomed large. Nikki Haley repeatedly stated that he won't be. Speculation abounds – if not him, then who? The situation has deteriorated to the point where New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman is pleading with Biden to step aside. A sad sight to use a word Trump is so fond of.

Serious reporters with extensive Biden coverage have repeatedly claimed that Biden is self-confident and doesn't entertain the thought of withdrawing from the race. Too arrogant, too stubborn. Even now, he justified his failure with the excuse that it's difficult to contend with a liar. Leaders are expected to deal with other leaders who are far worse than "liars" – mass murderers, for instance.

There was a point when it seemed that former President Obama and his allies in the foreign relations establishment and the party were comfortable having a president who was weak in many respects in the White House. This situation invites evasion of responsibility. Every mishap is filed away as an event that Biden can't be expected to handle. Conversely, those responsible for strategic blunders are not called to account.

The case of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stands out, where contact with him was lost until it was discovered he was hospitalized, and President Biden was completely unaware. The Defense Secretary! A person supposed to be responsible for world peace takes his hands off the wheel. Perhaps this is what Trump alluded to when he spoke about Biden not firing any generals.

The Democrats' problem now is that they have no candidate who can motivate their voters to turn out en masse at the polls or make an effort to fill out early voting ballots. Not even Biden himself. Kamala Harris intimidates people; California Governor Gavin Newsom hasn't logged enough miles on the national stage. And Michelle Obama? It seems too late for her to suddenly jump into the boiling political cauldron.

CONGRESSMAN CALLS LISTING BY THE UN OF IDF AS CHILD ABUSERS A TOTAL JOKE

‘Stunt, total joke’ for UN to list IDF as child abusers, congressman says

Tennessee congressman Tim Burchett introduced a bipartisan bill that rejects the global body's decision. 

 

JNS

Jun 28, 2024

 

 

 

 Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) 

 

Washington’s greatest ally in the Middle East and its leadership try to protect life, while Hamas hides behind human shields “like a bunch of cowards,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) stated on Thursday.

The congressman sponsored a bipartisan resolution, H.Res. 1323, criticizing António Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, for including the Israel Defense Forces this month in the global body’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict “on a list of parties to conflict that have not put in place adequate measures to protect children.”

The resolution, in part, “condemns the United Nations’ longstanding bias against Israel across multiple United Nations bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Council and United Nations Security Council.”

“This latest stunt by the United Nations is a total joke,” Burchett stated of listing the IDF in the report. “We need to make it clear to the United Nations that the United States completely supports Israel’s efforts to wipe these terrorists off the map.”

Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) co-sponsored the resolution.

“This U.N. move is just the latest example of the ridiculous, antisemitic double standard that Israel has to deal with,” Moskowitz stated. “The United Nations will use kid gloves with Hamas after it murders over 1,000 innocent Israelis, but when Israel exercises its right to defend itself, the IDF gets put on the same list as the Taliban and Hezbollah.”

“If it wanted to make itself useful, the U.N. would be urging Hamas every day to accept a ceasefire and return the hostages,” Moskowitz added.

Lawler stated that the United Nations was once again “revealing itself for the cesspool of antisemitism it really is.”

“Again and again, they slander Israel for defending itself while giving the real human rights abusers a free pass and a free platform to spew their hateful propaganda under the guise of international legitimacy,” the congressman said. “Contrary to the lies of the Hamas apologists, IDF soldiers are not ‘child rights abusers.’ They are brave men and women defending their homeland and fighting to rescue their citizens.”

“The real ‘child rights abusers’ are the murderers who went door to door on Oct. 7 murdering innocent men, women and children in Israel,” Lawler said. “The IDF goes out of its way to avoid innocent casualties, dropping leaflets to warn civilians. Hamas, on the other hand, cowardly uses civilians as human shields, firing rockets from schools and hospitals.”

“They are the real oppressors of the Palestinian people,” he added. “This war won’t end until they surrender and release every remaining hostage.”

TRUMP REFERRED TO THE SURGING ANTI-SEMITISM AS 1,000 CHARLOTTESVILLES

Why are we failing to respond to ‘1,000 Charlottesvilles?’

The surge in antisemitism received only a fleeting mention in the Biden-Trump debate. But lost amid the fallout over its outcome is a serious question about fighting hate. 

 

By Jonathan S. Tobin

 

JNS

Jun 28, 2024

 

U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the presumed Republican presidential candidate, participate in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections at CNN's studios in Atlanta on June 27, 2024.

 

The full implications of the outcome debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have yet to be seen. The encounter was a unique event in political history in that the president’s faltering and sometimes confused performance was such that not even his most rabid supporters could deny that it confirmed doubts about his age and infirmity. While that didn’t stop the partisan vitriol from continuing to flow between Democrats and Republicans, it did set off speculation about the Democrats replacing Biden as their candidate.

But though that topic overshadowed the substance that was discussed, one point of contention amid the word salads of insults, hyperbole and untruths uttered by both men was noteworthy, even if it only was raised in passing. At a time when the nation is wracked by an unprecedented surge in antisemitism, what little mention that topic received deserves further analysis.

Though it didn’t figure prominently in the debate, Israel’s post-Oct. 7 war on Hamas in Gaza and the subsequent surge in antisemitism in the United States did come up.

Arguing about Israel and Hamas

When asked about the Middle East, Biden boasted of his support for Israel and denied that he was failing to give them the weapons they need. He said that “Hamas cannot be allowed to be continued [sic],” which is in line with his initial pledge of support for Israel’s goal of destroying the terrorist group that governed the Gaza Strip before and during the Oct. 7 atrocities. But then, he also boasted of his ceasefire plan that whether he wants to admit it or not, if accepted by Hamas (which it has not been) would ensure their survival.

Trump’s reply was mostly devoted to revisiting earlier arguments about Ukraine and Russia, though he did say that Israel should be allowed to “finish the job” of defeating Hamas, a clear difference between the two. He followed that with a characteristic insult flung at his opponent saying, “He’s become like a Palestinian. But they don’t like him because he is a very bad Palestinian. He is a weak one.” It’s not clear exactly what that means but suffice it to say that it probably offended both Palestinians and Democrats.

Trump was then asked by CNN moderator Dana Bash if he supported an independent Palestinian state, which is an unrealistic suggestion that Biden and the American left continue to cling to. He could have said that he had offered them a path to one in the Mideast peace plan that he put forward in 2020, which Palestinians rejected, as they have every other chance to gain independence and end their century-old war on Zionism. Instead, he simply said that he would think about it and then launched into a digression about trade, NATO and Russia.

But an equally important Jewish issue arose later.

Relitigating Charlottesville

In the course of his attack on Trump as an alleged threat to democracy, Biden revisited his claim that he entered the 2020 presidential race because of the “Unite the Right” neo-Nazi rally held in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017 and that Trump had called the neo-Nazis “very fine people.”

The truth is that Trump did not say that. He actually condemned the neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members who took part in that event but did defend those who opposed the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. Indeed, just last week, the Snopes.com fact-checker site finally got around to labeling that charge “false.”

It was especially wrong of Biden to bring it up again. The myth about Trump endorsing Nazis is significant not just because it has been fodder for Democratic rhetoric for the past seven years, long after it was initially debunked. It was also the foundation of a fundamentally mistaken assumption about antisemitism in the United States promoted by liberal Jewish groups like the Anti-Defamation League.

Right-wing hatemongers—like the few hundred extremists who showed up in Charlottesville with tiki torches, as well as lone gunmen like those who attacked synagogues in Pittsburg, Pa., and Poway, Calif.—are a real threat. But they are a marginal phenomenon with no political influence, let alone a link to the Trump White House, as many on the left falsely asserted.

It also served to distract from the growing threat of antisemitism on the left, which, unlike the neo-Nazis, has genuine political influence.

A surge in antisemitism

Since Oct. 7, Americans have witnessed mobs of protesters in the streets of their cities and especially on college campuses not merely chanting slogans in support of the Hamas terrorists and their genocidal goals of destroying Israel (“from the river to the sea”) and killing Jews (“globalize the intifada”). They also engaged in hundreds, if not thousands, of acts of antisemitic violence and intimidation against Jewish students and ordinary Jews at work or at their houses of worship.

In April, Biden was asked if he condemned these actions, and he responded with exactly the sort of reaction that he continues to insist that Trump uttered about Charlottesville. “I condemn the antisemitic protests. That’s why I have set up a program to deal with that,” he told a press gaggle. “I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”

This was deeply wrong since it equated those engaging in open antisemitism with people who might not accept the exaggerated and largely false claims of Palestinian casualties or a non-existent famine in Gaza that the Biden administration has itself promoted.

He also spent much of the year doing his best to appease elements of his party, like the mayor of Dearborn, Mich., who is an avid supporter of Hamas, to get them to support his re-election campaign. The man who says he ran for president to oppose right-wing antisemites has, to his shame, been currying favor with Jew-haters, albeit those who identify with the political left or the Muslim-American community, even praising rather than condemning Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who is vocally open about her desire for Israel’s destruction and support for Palestinian terrorists. While Biden can chide Trump for his association with antisemites like Kanye West, he can’t do so without exposing himself to criticism for his ties to the intersectional, Israel-hating wing of his own political party, including its representatives in Congress.

 

  

Los Angeles police officers clash with anti-Israel protesters outside Adas Torah, an Orthodox synagogue, preventing access to an event on June 23, 2024.

 

Just last week, a pro-Hamas mob attacked a Los Angeles synagogue and then went on a rampage throughout the Jewish neighborhood where it was located. To his credit, Biden condemned that assault. But in contrast to the way that he has weaponized the U.S. Department of Justice to go after what he considers to be right-wing extremists or opponents of abortion, his administration has taken a pass when it comes to doing anything about antisemitic violence, other than a meaningless plan issued last year that involved legitimizing an antisemitic organization like the Council of American Islamic Relations and equating Jew-hatred to the fictional threat of Islamophobia.

In his closing remarks, Trump returned to Charlottesville and issued what might stand as the one statement uttered by either candidate during the 90-minute debate that could not be legitimately challenged. Referencing the anti-Israel protests in which “Palestinians and we have everybody else rioting all over the place,” he added the following: “You talk about Charlottesville. This is 100 times Charlottesville. 1,000 times.”

The Charlottesville march scared American Jewry to death because the torches evoked Nazi rallies of the 1930s and those who uttered the threats to Jews were familiar villains, the same right-wing hatemongers who had plagued Jewish communities, here and elsewhere, throughout the last century.

Mainstreaming antisemitism

Since then, Americans have, in fact, witnessed hundreds and even thousands of Charlottesville-style events in which Jews are slandered, intimidated, threatened and even subjected to violence, including at their houses of worship. Yet rather than these incidents uniting the nation in revulsion, as was the case after Charlottesville, much of the corporate mainstream media and a significant segment of Biden’s own party have rationalized or excused these outrages.

The pervasive influence of toxic woke ideologies like intersectionality and critical race theory that have become the new orthodoxy in the American education system, media and culture has promoted the lie that Jews and Israel are “white oppressors,” and therefore deserving of opprobrium, if not terrorism. In this way, a form of antisemitism has become acceptable in mainstream discourse in a manner that right-wing hate is not.

We don’t know who will be elected president in November. But one of the most important tasks facing whoever it is that proclaims the oath of office next January will be to take up the cause of challenging this newly respectable variant of antisemitism. And it will require more than just talk. It will mean rolling back the woke ideological tide and cracking down on violent Hamas supporters on our campuses and in our streets. Fighting this battle against a wave of hate that threatens Jews today, but ultimately aims at toppling the foundation of Western civilization and American liberty, shouldn’t be a Democratic or Republican issue. We should all pray that it doesn’t remain one.

THE DEBATE WAS A CATASTROPHE FOR AN ENTIRE CLASS OF EXPERTS, JOURNALISTS AND PUNDITS WHO HAVE, SINCE 2020, INSISTED THAT BIDEN WAS SHARP AS A TACK

Bari Weiss: They Knew

Biden is no longer fit to be president. Last night’s debate exposed the lies we’ve been told.

 

By Bari Weiss

 

The Free Press

Jun 28, 2024

 

“What happened last night was heartbreaking,” writes Bari Weiss. “It debased Biden as a man.” (Stills from the presidential debate via cnn.com)

 

Rarely are so many lies dispelled in a single moment. Rarely are so many people exposed as liars and sycophants. Last night’s debate was a watershed on both counts.

The debate was not just a catastrophe for President Biden. And boy—oy—was it ever.

But it was more than that. It was a catastrophe for an entire class of experts, journalists, and pundits, who have, since 2020, insisted that Biden was sharp as a tack, on top of his game, basically doing handstands while peppering his staff with tough questions about care for migrant children and aid to Ukraine.

Anyone who committed the sin of using their own eyes on the 46th president was accused, variously, of being Trumpers; MAGA cult members who don’t want American democracy to survive; ageists; or just dummies easily duped by “disinformation,” “misinformation,” “fake news,” and, most recently, “cheapfakes.”

Cast your mind back to February, when Robert Hur, the special counsel appointed by the Department of Justice to look into Biden’s handling of classified documents, came out with his report that included details about Biden’s health, which explained why he would not prosecute the president.

“We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” Hur wrote. “It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him—by then a former president well into his eighties—of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.”

Can anyone doubt that characterization after watching Biden’s debate performance? 

Yet Eric Holder told us that Hur’s remarks were “gratuitous.” The former attorney general tweeted: “Had this report been subject to a normal DOJ review these remarks would undoubtedly have been excised.” Dan Pfeiffer, a former Obama adviser, said Hur’s report was a “partisan hit job.” Vice President Kamala Harris argued: “The way that the president’s demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts, and clearly politically motivated, gratuitous.” The report does not “live in reality,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, stressing that the president was “sharp” and “on top of things.” 

Shall I go on? Okay.

Here was The New York Times last week in an extensive piece headlined: “How Misleading Videos Are Trailing Biden as He Battles Age Doubts.” The story went on to attempt to convince readers that “there is the distorted, online version” of Biden, which is merely “a product of often misleading videos that play into and reinforce voters’ longstanding concerns about his age and abilities.” 

With forensic detail, three Times reporters compared these videos from various angles. “Some of the videos of Mr. Biden circulating during this year’s campaign are clearly manipulated to make him look old and confused,” they wrote, pulling clips that were meant to debunk the idea that he was either. Watch them. See for yourself.

When The Wall Street Journal earlier this month came out with a story for which reporters had interviewed 45 people, soberly laying out concerns about Biden’s age, it was trashed as an “egregious hit job.” Some people called for it to be retracted. 

“Congressional Republicans, foreign leaders, and nonpartisan national-security experts have made clear in their own words that President Biden is a savvy and effective leader who has a deep record of legislative accomplishment,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates told the WSJ. “Now, in 2024, House Republicans are making false claims as a political tactic that flatly contradict previous statements made by themselves and their colleagues.” 

And even in the midst of last night’s dumpster fire, some stalwarts, like the Japanese soldiers who hadn’t realized they’d already lost the war, tried to spin it. 

“Biden has a cold,” a source close to the president told Axios during the debate. Right, that was the trouble. A lack of Tylenol. 

On MSNBC, Joy-Ann Reid suggested that the issue was that he was on the right-hand side of the screen. Yes. That was definitely the problem.

I never understood these reactions. For me, it always seemed easy enough to say: Biden’s 81. He’s fading. Most 81-year-olds do. But it seemed fair to still argue that a faded Biden is better than an all-there Trump. 

As Bill Maher has put it: “I’d vote for Biden’s head in a jar of blue liquid versus Trump.” Or as Sam Harris has said: “Hunter Biden could literally have had the corpses of children in his basement, and I would not have cared.” 

You may disagree with the conclusion, but it’s a coherent argument. It’s not an argument that relies on the denial of reality.

“Telling people they didn't see what they saw is not the way to respond to this.” That was Democratic operative Ben Rhodes’ reaction last night to the debate. The trouble is that’s precisely what the strategy has been for many, many months. 

There were notable exceptions. Ezra Klein published a huge piece in The New York Times in February making the case that Biden should step down for the good of the country. James Carville’s been telling the truth, too. 

When Rep. Dean Phillips entered the Democratic presidential primary last year, his entire campaign was based on the observation that Biden was too old for the job. I reached Phillips via text and asked him if he wanted to comment, in light of the debate, on how the Democratic establishment had treated him given that he had the guts to say the quiet part out loud. “Gandhi said to speak only when it improves upon the silence,” he texted back.

                                                               ***

But last night, many of the very people who say they are shocked—shocked!—by Biden’s showing were exactly the people who were covering for him. 

Here was Ed Krassenstein reacting to a video of Joe Biden tripping up the stairs in October of 2023: “Once again, people are pretending to be frightened over the fact that Joe Biden stumbled going up stairs at age 80. I literally stumble going up the stairs at least twice a week. I even fell down my spiral staircase a couple weeks ago. I’m 41 years old, workout daily, and actually use the stair-stepper at the gym 5 days a week. Should I be concerned?”

Here was Krassenstein last night: “Joe Biden has trouble speaking.”

Here was MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow in early February saying Biden is fit for the presidency because he can ride a bike. 

Here was Maddow last night, admitting Biden had a “weak” voice and “halting delivery.”

Here was The View co-host Ana Navarro-Cárdenas in September of last year: “Joe Biden is old, but he ain’t dying any time soon. I don’t know if you guys saw him this weekend. He was at the G20. One moment I turned on the TV, he was in India, and then I turned on the TV, he was in Vietnam. Then I turned on the TV, he was giving a press conference, and then at the end of being up for, like, 24 hours working in a completely different part of the world, he said, ‘You know what? I got to go to bedʼ while Republicans were all pouncing on the fact that the man who had been up for 38 hours had to—I had to go to bed just watching him on TV.”

Here was Navarro-Cárdenas’s reaction to Biden’s post-debate speech, where he appeared to be slightly more coherent: “Where the hell was this Joe Biden?”

                                                               ***

Those around the president—Jill Biden, certainly, but also all those savvy staffers—should have encouraged Biden to bow out gracefully after his first term. Because what happened last night was heartbreaking. It debased Biden as a man. It was also alarming—the person we saw onstage is our commander in chief. He holds the nuclear football. It wasn’t just Americans who watched his performance last night.

The Democrats talk a lot about “saving democracy.” But if you truly believe democracy is on the line in a race against Trump, the solution is as straightforward as it was before the debate clock started last night on CNN: Replace Biden. The Democratic Convention doesn’t begin until August 19. Biden still has time to pull an LBJ. 

As for the rest of us? Tonight was like a flash going off. So much—and so many—revealed. 

NY COPS ARREST RAPIST AFTER HE WAS BEATEN UP AND TIED TO A LAMP POST BY A GROUP OF VIGILANTES

Illegal immigrant 'rapist' is pictured tied to post and beaten up 'after sexually assaulting girl aged 13 in NYC park'

 

By Bethan Sexton 

Daily Mail

Jun 18, 2024

Illegal immigrant Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi was arrested over the rape of a 13-year-old girl in a New York City park after he was tied to a lamp post by angry mob who beat him up and detained him until cops arrived 

 

A suspected illegal immigrant arrested over the rape of a 13-year-old girl in a New York City park was tied to a post and beaten by angry mob who detained him until cops arrived.

Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi, 25, was apprehended by a group of vigilantes who spotted a resemblance between him and a wanted poster.

 

 
Inga-Landi was recognized by a group of vigilantes due to this police sketch

 

Video shows him cowering behind his hands and attempting to hide under a car as furious locals surround him.

A woman filming screams that she 'beat the s**t out of him' as police arrive on the scene and take him away.

Inga-Landi, 25, approached the girl and a 13-year-old boy she was with brandishing a machete and forced them into a remote area of Kissena Corridor Park, cops said. 

He allegedly tied the teens' wrists together with shoelaces before carrying out the sick assault.

Fox News reports the suspect is an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who entered the US through the southern border three years ago quoting police sources.

He allegedly has several prior low level offenses, including drinking in public and hopping subway turnstiles. 

An image taken after the tussle showed the shirtless suspect being led away by police wearing just one shoe.

The group of locals was led by resident Jeffrey Flores, who told the New York Post he had spotted him hanging around the bodega recently.

The mob apprehended him as he was coming out of the store at around 1am. 

He attempted to escape and hide under a car, but Flores was able to tie him up with a friend's belt.

 

Police said Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi approached the girl and a 13-year-old boy at Kissena Corridor Park while brandishing a machete

An image showed the shirtless suspect being led away by police wearing just one shoe after the tussle with a group of locals

Inga is seen today being led out of police custody to be taken to court 

The suspect was shackled and handcuffed as he was brought out of the 112th precinct 

The attack took place on Thursday around three miles from the Citi Field stadium, in the neighborhood of the victim's school

 

'It scares me because that could have been my two little sisters, that could have been my daughter,' Flores said. 'I'm not allowing that.' 

'The community was holding our perp,' NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said. 

The attack took place on Thursday around three miles from the Citi Field stadium, in the neighborhood of the victim's school.

The children were approached by a man with a blade and forced into a wooded area, police said.

Following the attack, he made of with their phones but left behind the laces and a water bottle which are being forensically analyzed, CBS reports. 

Inga-Landi told police that he had a drug problem and had never done anything like this before the attack, ABC7 reports.

 

Witnesses said that Inga-Landi attempted to flee before police arrived but was tied to the lamppost with a belt

The attack took place on Thursday around three miles from the Citi Field stadium, in the neighborhood of the victim's school

 

'Between the courageous work of those children, who are scarred for life, and the community this person is off the street,' Chief of Patrol John Chell said.

Inga-Landi now faces multiple charges of rape, kidnap and sex abuse. 

On Monday, community leaders gathered to demand cameras be installed at the park as they handed out wanted fliers advertising a $10,000 reward for information on the culprit. 

The incident has shaken locals and seen the park all but deserted in recent days. 

'It's shocking. This park is usually packed. Parents use this as a holding ground for kids to be picked up,' resident Bernard Chow told CBS.