Author: Gavriel Dan

Gavriel Dan spent a number of years covering social movements in Israel, the wider middle east and Europe. He is considered an expert in embedding himself with various groups and causes in order to get accurate and rich information.
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10 More Palestinians Arrested For Aiding in Murder of Rabbi Michael Mark

After last week’s killing of terrorist Mohammed Jabarah al-Faqih responsible for the murder of Rabbi Michael Mark in early June, the IDF arrested another ten Palestinians who are part of the same Hamas terror cell that aided al-Faqih.

Muhmad Amira, the driver of the terrorists’ car during the horrific murder of Rabbi Mark in front of his children, was arrested shortly after the attack and then revealed information to Israeli security forces during interrogations. His revelations led the IDF and security forces to the village of Dura where they located the terror cell, mostly made up of close family relatives.

The cell’s weapons supplier was also caught and three weapons factories were found in the town of Kalkilya.

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Germans Rise Up: Angela Merkel Must Go

Angela Merkel

“Despite the great unease these events inspire, fear can’t be the guide for political decisions,” Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany said on Friday, in reference to the growing outcry  from German citizens regarding her immigration policy.  She has stuck to her belief that Germany should work to keep an open immigration policy and integrate the migrants streaming into her country.

stubbornness can be an asset in politics, but in Merkel’s case it very well may be her undoing. The chorus of voices have grown stronger over the weekend.  The first Merkel “Must Go” rally attracted 5,000 protestors with 1000’s more across the country. More important for Merkel is that a key ally the governor of Bavaria who defended her Willkommenskultur – welcoming culture – towards refugees has now come our against it.

With her citizenry turning against her, she sees her rule slipping away. The question remains, are Germans ready to throw Angela Merkel out and what will be next?

A new survey found that 83 percent of Germans now see immigration as Germany’s biggest challenge.  This is twice as many as a year ago.

Recent attacks have lent strength to the right-wing movement, which has long called for stricter immigration methods, specifically in Bavaria.  This is where Merkel has faced the heaviest criticism from high-profile politicians.

With Merkel’s deal with Turkey looking increasingly likely to fall apart, the last visages of support for an open immigration policy will fade as the Erdogan agreement was the only thing lending fuel to the idea that the immigration situation could be manageable.

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WAR DRUMS: Is a Golan Clash Imminent?

What seemed highly improbable just a few months ago, appears very real today.  In the topsy-turvy middle east anything is possibly these days.  A large amount of politicians have counted Bashar Assad out since the beginning of Syria’s brutal civil war. These naysayers include former Primer Minister Ehud Barak and President Obama. Yet, in power Assad stands and now with a very invigorated Putin behind him, Assad’s moves on the Golan border are forcing Israel into a very tough position.

Israel can no longer afford to pretend to be neutral as the last vestiges of resistance to the Assad regime it helped create is destroyed.  Beyond that, remaining neutral allows Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah to build up right on Israel’s border.

Can’t Israel Trust Russia to Reign in Assad?

Trusting Putin depends how much one really believes he is a trustworthy individual.  Putin’s goal is to what’s best for Russia and it is far easier for him to force Israel into a weakened bargaining position. Make no mistake, Putin has no interest in destroying the Jewish state, but he wants to make the quiet he is supposed to enforce worthwhile. A cornered Israel dependent on the good graces of Russia, is exactly what Putin wants. Yet if te middle east has proved one thing over the past few years, it is unpredictability.

Already Out of Putin’s Hands

There is a false notion often bandied about across a wide spectrum of geopolitical thinkers that says Russia is in direct control of Iranian actions as well as Syrian.  Russia has always viewed Syria as his puppet, but when it comes to the Iranians it is often an uneasy partnership that only works because of shared short-term interests. Assad’s regime owes its existence to both Russia and Iran and therefore as long as its two benefactors have a mutual interest in not fighting Israel, Assad can be held back.

Iran has a short window of time to take action against the Jewish State. Russian intervention in Syria has allowed Assad and the Iranian forces there to be able to strengthen and position themselves with little problem in forward attack position on the Golan border.  Hezbollah still has 100’s of thousands of rockets aims at Israel. Russia does not want a war with Israel, but if one occurs the Arab and Iranian assumption is that it is Israel who will refrain from attacking out of fear of Russian intervention.  As far as Russian reigning them in, Putin wouldn’t be able to, even if he wanted.  Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah are all needed by Russia in their fight against American and Turkey proxy forces in the region.

In the coming days, the tension already in full display on the Golan border is bound to increase due to a failed Israeli assassination attempt on Syrian General Majid Heymoud reported by the Iranian Fars News Agency. Will Israel risk upsetting its delicate relationship with Russia in order to preempt an Iranian-Syrian play for the Golan?

 

 

 

 

 

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WAR DRUMS: China and Russia Play War Games in the South China Sea

New joint military drills are planned between China and Russia for September to take place in the South China Sea. The involvement of Russia and location are seen as a message to America in the waning months of the Obama administration. The South China Sea is an area of serious dispute between China and its neighbors.  The Obama administration has pledged to stand against Chinese aggression. With Putin on the move in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the Russian involvement is a worrying development.

The tension in the area stems from a recent international court ruling that China has no historic claim to the region. The Russians have backed Beijing up on their stance in opposition tot he ruling.

“This is a routine exercise between the two armed forces, aimed at strengthening the developing China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership,” China’s defense ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said.

Although the West views such exercises as a provocation and preparation for war, especially under heightened tensions, the two emerging super powers have held similar drills last year in the Mediterranean and Sea of Japan.

From China’s perspective it is the USA that is beating the drums of war by infringing on their historic rights in the South China Sea.  With China rising and Russia close behind, the USA has far less leverage than it had in the past.

Where Does Israel Stand?

Israel has taken a neutral approach on everything to do with the tug of war between the USA and China.  With Israel’s bilateral relationship growing at an exponential rate with China, any shred of non neutrality on the South China Sea and other issues between the Chinese and Americans, could endanger Israel’s new and positive relationship with Beijing.

 

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IDF Kills Hamas Terrorist and Arrest 3 Who Murdered Rabbi Michael Mark

IDF soldiers raided a Hamas terror cell in the West Bank village of Surif, near Hebron, and killed Mohammed Jabarah al-Faqih and captured three others.

Al-Faqih was responsible for the drive-by murder of Rabbi Michael Mark in front of his children on July 1 in Otniel. With the help of intelligence from the Shin Bet security forces, the IDF raided his home overnight, exchanged gunfire with the terrorists and shot Mohammed dead. Weapons were also found and confiscated. The other terrorists were taken in for questioning.

Yisrael Levinson, the Director of Har Hebron’s International Desk, told us: “We are happy to hear that the killer of Michael Mark z’l was killed this morning by the IDF and the Shabak. This is a good message to anyone who wants to destroy and uproot the Jewish nation from Israel, that no matter who they are and where they are, we will always win!”