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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The Anti-Defamation League, Israel Policy Forum, and the Republican Party’s Platform…Is it that Bad?

The Republican party’s platform has been hailed as the most pro-Israel platform ever.  If this is the case then why does the ADL and Israel Policy Forum have such a problem with it?

David Halperin, the executive director of the Israel Policy Forum is quoted as saying the following: “It’s unfortunate because president George W. Bush was the president who really famously articulated the idea of two states living side by side in peace and security, which is the kind of baseline goal of US policy ever since.”

According to the Jerusalem Post, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League seemed to agree. “We are disappointed that the platform draft departs from longstanding support of a two-state solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict – and the shared vision of successive American presidents and prime ministers of Israel, including the current leadership in both countries, who believed it was the only viable way to secure Israel as both a Jewish and democratic state. We hope the delegates will reconsider and reaffirm this pillar of U.S. policy toward Israel in the final platform,” Greenblatt said in a statement.

These two statements reflect what many mainstream Jewish leaders feel about America’s policy towards Israel. They have locked the two-state solution in as the only solution.  In an expression of pure Orwellian logic, anyone, breaking the two-state paradigm is deemed anti-Israel.  If this logic was true then the majority of Israelis that have decided to remove support for a two state solution are also anti-Israel.

What the Republican party platform actually does, is recognize that the facts on the ground have changed and the Israeli populace no longer supports the failed two-states for two peoples paradigm as a solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict. If anything the RNC should be praised for acknowledging the truth, not derided.

American Jewish leadership is at a cross-roads.  With Israel rising to a stature of global leadership, it no longer is as reliant on America, especially American Jews for help.  This puts self proclaimed American Jewish leaders in a tight spot. The faster they realize that a strong independent Israel means disposing of the two-state solution, there will be more of chance that these moribund organizations will remain relevant, but that kind of thinking would take a miracle.

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Regavim is Battling the European Union…Again

Fresh of its successful campaign to encourage British citizens to vote for Brexit, Regavim has filed a Supreme Court appeal against Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and the Civil Administration.  The claim is that they have not fulfilled their duty in enforcing the law. This claim tackles an outpost near the village of Hizme just North of Jerusalem.  The site is funded and built by the EU in contravention of the Oslo Accords.

regavim-banner

Regavim has been successful in the past in forcing the government to take EU backed illegal building seriously. The EU is actively attempting to change the status quo in Area C, which is under full Israeli control.

“This non-enforcement policy strengthens the stated plan of the head of the Palestinian Authority to destroy the Bedouin outposts that are in the Maale Adumim area,” notes Regavim. “The purpose of this is to strengthen the Palestinian authority territories that are under full Israeli control and to capture the territories of strategic significance which are adjacent to major transportation arteries, and in this way to tie the hands of the State of Israel within the framework of future negotiations.”

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Shabak Chief Nadav Argaman Explains the Current Terror Trend in Israel to Knesset Committee

In his first presentation before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday, the new chief of Israel’s Shabak Agency (also knows as the Shin Bet), Nadav Argaman, explained that while it seems the number of terror attacks have decreased in the last few weeks, there are still growing threats in Judea and Samaria.

Since the beginning of the terror wave which began in October 2015, there have been more than 300 “serious” terror attacks and attempts. These include approximately 180 stabbings, 90 shootings, and 30 car-ramming attacks. During this same period, security forces successfully thwarted approximately 240 serious attacks including 11 suicide bombings, 10 kidnappings and over 60 shooting attacks. Most of these attacks, explains Argaman, were carried out by Hamas.

Data provided by the Shin Bet shows that the number of attacks have been decreasing. October 2015 constituted 620 attacks (11 killed and 80 injured) while June 2016 constituted 103 attacks (5 killed and 21 injured.)

The decline in the number of attacks has been explained, in part, by the high number of attacks prevented, improvement in early warning capabilities of the security forces, and targeting suspected terrorists and their immediate family members. All this created a feeling among Palestinians in the West Bank of hopelessness in further escalation, which is also backed by public opinion polls conducted by the Palestinians.

Argaman warned that despite the decline in actual attacks, the number of threats from the West Bank is now higher than before the escalation. “This trend indicates that the situation in the West Bank today is still very volatile and adverse events (such as tensions on the Temple Mount, significant attacks, etc.) may lead to a renewed outbreak.

Regarding the Gaza Strip, Argaman said that the current calm is deceiving. Hamas is currently under political and strategic distress, so it is just a matter of time before Hamas starts shooting rockets into Israel again. While the overwhelming majority of the Gaza population is unhappy with Hamas, they are unlikely to overthrow the Hamas government due to fear of Hamas, financial dependency of Hamas, and fear of not having a better alternative. They do not want a situation where ISIS would replace Hamas.

 

Argaman also pointed out that over 40 women were involved in the recent terror wave. These women would take up arms in what can be called a suicide attack, knowing they will probably get killed as a result. Almost each of these women had internal family conflict over their sexual misconduct. They would carry out these attacks as a way to redeem themselves and as a way for their families to receive a monthly stipend from the Palestinian Authority.

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The Elor Azaria Trial: A Test for Israel’s Soldiers

There is a sharp divide growing in testimony within the now widely publicized military trial of a young army soldier accused of needlessly killing a neutralized Arab terrorist in Hebron.  On one side stands his commanders who accuse him acting violently and radically in his actions.  On the other side are many supporters who believe Elor Azaria is being unjustly vilified in order to cover up for mistakes found higher up in the chain of command.

Help came today by way of surprise testimony of the army paramedic, a prosecution witness.

“Elor told me that there was a neutralized live terrorist who had a knife next to him. He said that when the terrorist moved his head and hand toward the knife, he felt threatened and shot him. I told Elor that lots of people will want to ask him about the incident. I was under the impression that he was disoriented, so I advised him to think a bit more about what to say.”

This directly contradicts the claims by Elor’s commanders and confirms initial reports that Elor Azaria was justified even while breaking orders.

The trial will have ramifications on the way soldiers deal with fluid situations in the battlefield.  One hopeful sign is that the newly appointed Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman has come out in support of Azaria and Lieberman’s son has donated to his defense fund. The question for the nation at the end of the day is whether soldiers will be backed up when putting their lives on the line to protect the Jewish Nation and its hold over the Land of Israel.

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Headlines July 12: Temple Mount Visit in Memory of Ariel, Israel Attacks Sinai Terrorists

13-year-old terror victim’s parents, accompanied by many friends and supporters, go up to Temple Mount.
[Arutz Sheva]

 

Israeli Drones Attack Sinai Terrorists with Egypt’s Approval
[The Jewish Press]

 

PM Netanyahu meets with former British PM Tony Blair and discuss the future of peace and security in the region.
[Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

 

Terrorist sentenced to life for deadly Jerusalem bus attack
[Arutz Sheva]

 

Israel to UNESCO: ‘We’re not ISIS, don’t sever our ties to the Temple Mount’
[The Jerusalem Post]

 

Liberman bans group ‘set up by Hezbollah and Iran to attack Israelis’
[The Jerusalem Post]