Category: Frontlines

Posted on

Israel Behind the News [Dec 28, 2015]

Saudi Grand Mufti says ISIS are ‘Israeli soldiers’

The grand Arab infantalism continues. The idea that ISIS is are Israeli soldiers is about as preposterous as the idea that Turkey is not buying ISIS oil. The Arab world has to come to grips with the fact that Whabiism, which is Saudi in origin has produced some of the leading extreme Islamic Jihadism the World is witnessing.

Major Defeat for ISIS: Iraqi army reclaims key city of Ramadi

ISIS can lose after all. Then again the defeat only happened after the USA, Russia, and Iran decided to work together alongside the Iraqi military.  If it continues, it may be a strategy to use across the wider conflict.

Duma Suspects Continue to be Tortured While Known Arab Murderer Walks Free

If there was ever a proof that something just is not right in the Duma investigation, it is the fact that Asher Hasno murderer walks freely in Hevron, while young Jews are imprisoned by the Shabak for suspected terrorist attacks. It is no wonder that many residents of Judea and Samaria feel like they have no one to turn to in the security establishment.

 

 

Related articles across the web

Posted on

Israel Behind the News [Dec 27, 2015]

Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in Syria

The deconfliction mechanism seems to be in effect as Israel continues to be aloud to attack Hezbollah with impunity. As we have noted before, this serves Russia’s interests by keeping Iran and its client groups in check. The question remains though, at what juncture does this sort of thing get in the way of Putin’s Syria strategy or what happens if the deconfliction mechanism fails?

ISIS Leader directly threatens Israel

Although Russia is destroying ISIS throughout Syria, the leader of the Caliphate El-Baghdadi saw the need to reassert himself into the geopolitical situation by threatening Israel.  Don’t expect direct attacks yet, but using Israel to rally Jihadists from around the world is a clever strategy.  It also means that those who oppose El-Baghdadi are in support of Israel.

Yehuda Glick Next in Line for Likud in Knesset

Yehuda Glick, one of the leading Temple Mount activists is surprisingly set yo enter the Knesset if one more Likud member leaves or is forced to resign.  This will put Jewish prayer rights on the mount center stage in the Knesset, something the Prime Minister fears, but can do very little about.

 

Posted on

Israel Behind the Headlines [Dec 24,2015]

ISIS in Israel, Nabbed

Unfortunately, this will only get worse.  ISIS is an ideology as much as it is a terror organization/caliphate. The ideology spreads like an infection. The Muslim Arabs within the Land of Israel, even those that are citizens have been radicalized by their leaders. If the government must make it clear to those leaders that supporting ISIS is a red line.

Aliyah to Israel on the Rise, especially from France

The Jews of France are fleeing.  Many of the Jews in France are from Middle Eastern background and they understand that the Arabs moving in are not like the native Moroccan and Tunisian neighbors they have in France. The mass exodus will only continue as Europe ruptures and collapses under the migrant crisis.

Knife Attack Summary

Posted on

[podcast] Duma: The War From Within

Shai and I discuss the current investigation concerning the Duma arson in the Northern Shomron and why this is a landmark civil rights case involving torture and human rights violations in connection with the alleged suspects. We also touch on the tension between statism and individual liberties in Israel and the need to put an emphasis on individual liberties despite the security situation and the desire for the system to preserve itself.

Sources:

Posted on

Israel Behind the News [Dec 23, 2015]

Breaking News: Israel Uncovers Hamas Suicide Cell in Jerusalem

Hamas was planning large scale suicide bombing attacks in Jerusalem.  At least 25 Arabs were arrested planning these attacks. Where?  In Abu Dis University.  It is good to know that the University is teaching live training.

Facebook Photo Makes Waves in the Arab World

Arabs from around the Middle East agree: Israel is not our enemy.  Over 100 thousand likes support an image showing the difference between the suffering of an Arab prisoner of a Syrian jail and Samir Kuntar in an Israeli prison. The difference is clear, the Syrian prisoner looks starved and frail, while Kuntar is plump.  Arabs are finally waking up to the realization that Israel is not their enemy. Let’s see if the trend continues.

Turkey is Playing Games with Rapprochement

Well the fabled rapprochement seems to be stuck in neutral.  Turkey is wiggling for room, but cannot have it both ways.  More likely than not this won’t go anywhere, especially since Russia and Israel are collaborating on far deeper level than originally thought.

Dermer Gives Obama Some Unexpected Holiday Gifts

Ron Dermer, the Israelis Ambassador to the USA, gave the White House presents for the holidays.  There is only one thing, they were all gifts produced in Judea, Samaria, and the Golan.

Posted on

Putin Has the Israel Weapon

The question isn’t whether Putin helped Israel kill Samir Kuntar, it is why Russia aided Israel in attacking one of the leaders of Iran’s terror squads against Israel. Putin had to be in on the operation since the deconfliction mechanism between Israel and Russia force compliance on both parties in air sorties over either Northern Israel or Southern Syria.

Analysts and pundits across geopolitical divide have wondered the extent of Russian and Israeli partnership. Some passed it off as a necessary evil on the part of Israel and others hailed the change in strategic trajectory for Israel.  It has not been clear.  The Kuntar assassination clears most of the guessing up.  If there was a doubt that Israel and Russia were not developing a robust partnership that is now gone. Once more the rapprochement between Israel and Turkey has not had any effect on this growing partnership between Russia and Israel.

Putin Does Not Trust Iran

Putin has never ascribed to Iran’s goal of establishing a Persian controlled Middle East. Russia would like to be in control of the region in as far as the oil and its military bases are concerned. A strong Iran provides Putin with a serious challenge down the road.  The problem is that Putin needs Iranian troops and ground support in Syria so he does not repeat the Russian mistakes of Afghanistan in the 1980s.  Right now because he has placed very little Russian soldiers into the fray, he is receiving huge support from the Russian citizenry.

While Russia needs Iranian troops, it does not need Iran exploiting the partnership in hopes it gets an edge up on Israel.  Putin knows a cornered Israel could create a far bigger problem.  Russia is also receiving advanced intelligence from Israel on ISIS positions.

Israel is Checking Iran for Putin

Putin, always the master chess player allows Israel to check Iran’s positions so he himself will not have to do it. The trade is that Israel allows Putin use of its airspace from time to time and offers intelligence for Russia’s campaign. Essentially, Israel is acting as Putin’s short leash on Iran. Iran has no choice but to follow along.  After all it is piggy backing on Russia’s involvement in saving Assad and pushing back on Turkey.

In an odd way Israel and Iran serve as both tactical spokes in Putin’s regional strategy as well as balancers between them.  Putin may not be interested in any grand peace deal the way Foggy Bottom has always been, but Putin does want regional order as he brings the Russians back into a global leadership position. If reports are to be believed Iran has significantly scaled down their ground involvement in Syria from it once was. Iran may have been helpful and still may be, but only as a tool to Putin’s grand strategy and nothing more. Checking Iran by way of Israel seems the best way to assuring that.

 

Posted on

Israel Behind the News [Dec 21, 2015]

Rockets Hit Northern Israel

Here we go again, so the theory would go, but more likely than not the retaliation we will surely see for Kuntar’s demise will be in another form, most likely an attempt to infiltrate the North as was Kuntar’s plan. The rocket attack is more or less a way for the Arabs in Hezbollah to let some steam off.

Mahmoud Abbas in Greece, Waiting for PA Recognition as New Nation

This must be the Greeks’ way of trying to stay relevant.  Remember there is a gas deal with Israel and their own Prime Minister referred to Jerusalem as Israel’s historic capital. Whatever the reason, it is sad that the world cannot move on beyond supporting independence of a non-entity, never mind the fact that Palestine was not a Nation.

Benjamin Netanyahu ‘threatens to strip Jerusalem residency from 230,000 Palestinians’

Well the above link just shows you how out of touch the liberal media is to sovereignty issues. No one is stripping the “Palestinians” in Jerusalem of residency (which as a sovereign nation they are allowed to do), but rather those Arabs who are aiding and abetting terror.  The same debate is going on across the globe.

 

Posted on

A World Without Samir Kuntar

It has been 7 years since Samir Kuntar was released in one of the most despicable prisoner swaps in Israeli history. Then Prime Minister Olmert saw the need to exchange something akin to the devil for two Israeli soldiers’ bodies and a civilian.

Samir Kuntar was in prison for his 1979 murder of a Danny Haran and his 4 year old daughter Einat Haran whose little head he smashed in with his rifle butt against a rock.  Einat’s little sister died in her mother’s arms by being mistakenly smothered to keep quiet. A policeman was also killed by the terror squad Kuntar led from Lebanon.  

Kuntar became a symbol for “the resistance” in both his vileness and when released his victory.  His release put Israelis of all backgrounds into a whirlpool of confusion and a belief that Israel became a rudderless ship.

As news reports began to surface this morning that Samir Kuntar who had returned to lead terror squads on behalf of Iran was finally wiped out by Israeli strikes near Damascus, a quiet relief settled into Israel. Some sort of pride and sense of justice returned to Israelis that had vanished since Samir’s original release.

Build Jerusalem Fund Banner

 

The question is what do we do with a world that seems filled up with Samir Kuntar?  Evil abounds, attacks are on the rise, and the “siege of Jerusalem and Israel” continues. Our leadership acts impotent and seemingly can only react to these attackers once they are caught and released.  The deeper issue is not why Samir Kuntar was released, but rather why was he in jail in the first place.  In jail he earned his degree and was able to use his situation as a symbol for the resistance. Kuntar’s prison time spawned millions of other Kuntars. There should be no more  tolerance a sovereign nation for our enemies continual expansion in our midst and around our borders

For Israel, it can no longer live in a world in which Samir Kuntar and the millions like him exist and through boundless evil prepare to destroy Jews, young and old. It is either us or them. For the Zionist Revolution to be truly successful we must free ourselves from the confines of exilic responses that payback justice far too late. A redemptive and free people would not tolerate even one Samir Kuntar and kill him before he killed anyone.

Posted on

Israel Behind the Headlines [Dec 20, 2015]

Nothing Changes – Erdogan Meets Mashaal

That didn’t take long. Erdogan wants to get his last meeting in with Hamas before the Israeli gas lifeline he is signing onto prohibits him from meeting with Hamas officials. He can always break that, but then he would be finished as there would be no one else to supply energy to his country.  One has to wonder if he still thinks he will one day become the Sultan.  As things stand he seems more like a street beggar.

Israeli-Chinese Innovation Relationship Takes a Whole new Level

Look for the cross cultural and technology based relationship to continue to grow between China and Israel.  China has noted the inspiration they get from Israel as well as profound respect for a fellow ancient culture. Does this mean Israel can rely on China to change their voting pattern in the UN?  Not yet, but the future may bring lots of changes as the relationship grows.

Synagogues demand government provide them security guards

Will the government provide security guards to Synagogues?  If this happens the impression that Jews are not safe to go to pray even in a Jewish State will not be lost on the Muslim Jihadist terror squads and their millions of supporters.  Security guards are great, but they still do not change the equation.

Build Jerusalem Fund Banner

 

Posted on

Israel Behind the News [Dec 17, 2015]

Bibi Using Special Clause to Push Through Gas Deal AKA Eastern Mediterranean Alliance

Clause 54 in the gas deal allows for the Prime Minister or the Government to get around Israel’s anti-monopoly laws when security or foreign relations can be harmed in regards to the gas fields.  Bibi invoking this is no sleight of hand. This gas consortium has the power to revolutionize the Eastern Mediterranean and change strategic alliances for many decades to come. Although we all want to see the common Israeli get more in his pocket, the gas deal will build far more than just money and that will be felt over the next 2 generations, cementing Israel as a regional leader and the strategic gateway between Europe and Asia.

Israel ranked 18th best country in the world to live

What more can one say.  With all of the threats inside and out, Israel is still one of the best places to live. What is more surprising is that the report was issued by the UN.  This means that despite their anti-Israel rhetoric, the UN admits that Israel is a darn good place.  Compare that to the ranking Arab countries got and one has to wonder why the UN is so biased against the Jewish state.

Israel and China Continue to Build Long Term Partnership

With former President Shimon Peres and the President of Technion attending the cornerstone laying ceremony of the first Israeli University in China, one has to wonder why those that insist that trade does not lead to other things are missing this. The university is being funded by Chinese Billionaire Li Ka-shing out of Hing Kong and reflects a serious development in the academic partnership between Israel and China. The world is swinging East and Israel is fast becoming a major player.

Build Jerusalem Fund Banner