It appears few in Europe understand–or care–that Iran’s intercontinental missiles will be capable of striking European capitals

Posted on December 15, 2018 by ArchitectGuy

BLOOMBERG
As Europe Dithers, Iran’s Arsenal Gets More Deadly
by Behnam Ben Taleblu
December 13, 2018

This week Iran confirmed that it recently test-fired a missile, which the U.S. categorized as a medium-range ballistic missile “capable of carrying multiple warheads,” a transgression of a 2015 United Nations Security Council resolution. Unfortunately, this was hardly news: Iran has made a habit out of testing, using and even transferring ballistic missiles across the Middle East. The U.S. has reacted strongly with sanctions both before and after it pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. And while European officials have condemned such behavior – even at the UN – they have yet to take any serious action to dissuade Iran from continued missile tests. READ MORE

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Australian rock musician Nick Cave “flatly rejected appeals from Eno and other musicians to cancel appearances in Israel, accusing the BDS movement of trying to “silence artists”

Posted on December 14, 2018 by ArchitectGuy

ALGEMEINER
Australian Rock Legend Nick Cave Blasts His ‘Hero’ Brian Eno for Supporting Israel Boycott
by Ben Cohen
December 12, 2018

In a personal email made public on Wednesday, acclaimed Australian rock musician Nick Cave condemned Brian Eno — the legendary British musical artist he lauded as “my hero” — over the latter’s continuing support for a cultural boycott of Israel…Wrote Cave: “[C]ertain questions need to be asked. How far must we have strayed from the transformative nature of music to feel justified in weaponizing music and using it to punish ordinary Israeli citizens for the actions of their government?” READ MORE

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“The belief that the new “populists” are all “far-right,” and therefore racist and anti-Semitic, doesn’t necessarily follow”

Posted on December 14, 2018 by ArchitectGuy

JNS
Is the State of Israel supping with the devil?
by Melanie Phillips
December 13, 2018

…Indeed, he [Netanyahu] has gone out of his way to embrace leaders who, although some insist they are just conservative nationalists, are described by others as neo-fascists. Among such politicians are Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán, who has introduced what he calls an “illiberal democracy”; the Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, who heads a coalition including a party whose first two leaders were former SS officers; the Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who supports extra-judicial killing for drug-users and other criminals; and the new president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, who opposes just about everything on the progressive agenda. READ MORE

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United Nations the “obstacle on the road to peace”

Posted on December 13, 2018 by ArchitectGuy

COMMENTARY
UNIFIL Deters EU from Banning Hezbollah
by Evelyn Gordon
December 13, 2018

It’s no secret that UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, has never done the job it’s supposedly there to do. But this week, we learned that UNIFIL isn’t merely useless; it’s counterproductive. By the very fact of its existence, the organization deters the European Union from listing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization—something which, unlike UNIFIL, would genuinely impede Hezbollah’s operations. This dirty little secret came out after Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini called Hezbollah “Islamic terrorists” during a visit to Israel on Tuesday. READ MORE

JERUSALEM POST Italy’s minister: ‘Hezbollah’s tunnels not meant for shopping sprees’ Salvini arrived on Wednesday, and immediately helicoptered to the north to view the work the IDF was doing to uncover the tunnels. “There is a clear threat from the north,” he said. “I repeat my condition, those who want peace, need to support and defend Israel.”

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UK Media Watch: Christmas is NOT under siege in Bethlehem

Posted on December 13, 2018 by ArchitectGuy

UK MEDIA WATCH
Telegraph’s ‘occupation ruining Christmas in Bethlehem’ narrative hits a snag
by Adam Levick
December 13, 2018

Most years around this time, the British media resurrects some variation of the desired Palestinian narrative on the Israeli occupation’s putative role ruining Christmas in Bethlehem, and this year is no different, with the opening salvo coming from Raf Sanchez at the Telegraph. His latest piece begins:

The Christmas lights are going up all over Bethlehem. The tree is lit in Manger Square, opposite the Church of the Nativity, which reportedly marks the site of Jesus’ birth. The New Testament tells us that two thousand years ago, Bethlehem was a sleepy town under Roman rule. Today it is a city of 200,000 controlled by the Palestinian Authority but cut off from Jerusalem by Israel’s wall.

Jerusalem is not “cut off” from Bethlehem. READ MORE

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Celebrated historian Natalie Portman opines on Israel’s Nation State Law

Posted on December 13, 2018 by ArchitectGuy

AL JAZEERA
Natalie Portman slams Israel’s ‘racist’ nation-state law
December 14, 2018

Actress Natalie Portman has labelled Israel’s Nation-state law as “racist” in an interview she gave to Arabic newspaper Al Quds Al- Arabi. “The Nation-State law is racist,” the Israeli-American actress said in an interview published on Wednesday. “It is a mistake and I don’t agree with it … [people’s] lives are [being] affected on a personal level by decisions made by politicians.”  “I only hope that we will be able to truly love our neighbours and that we can work together,” she added. Portman referred to a law passed earlier this year that declares Israel as a Jewish state, with “united Jerusalem” as its capital. READ MORE

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Seven Israelis, including a recently married couple, attacked by Palestinian terrorist as they waited at bus stop on last night of Hanukah

Posted on December 12, 2018 by ArchitectGuy

JERUSALEM POST
IDF kills Ofra terrorist suspect, son of West Bank Hamas leader
by Khaled Abu Toameh, Anna Ahronheim and Tovah Lazaroff
December 13, 2018

The IDF killed the son of a West Bank Hamas leader and arrested suspected of links to the terrorist cell that wounded seven Israeli civilians at a bus stop outside of the Ofra settlement earlier this week. The Shin Bet late Wednesday night confirmed it had shot Barghouti, 29, a resident of Kobar, located near Ramallah. Saleh Omar Barghouti is the son of a West Bank Hamas leader, Omar Barghouti. He is not the same Omar Barghouti who leads the Palestinian BDS movement…Earlier in the evening, the four-day-old baby boy born prematurely after his mother Shira Ish-ran was wounded in the Ofra attack, died. READ MORE

JERUSALEM POST Italy’s minister: ‘Hezbollah’s tunnels not meant for shopping sprees’ “There is a clear threat from the north,” he said. “I repeat my condition, those who want peace, need to support and defend Israel.”

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“ISIS-inspired Ohio man arrested for allegedly planning synagogue attack”

Posted on December 11, 2018 by ArchitectGuy

WASHINGTON POST
‘I can see myself carrying out this operation.’ Feds say man was planning synagogue attack for ISIS.
by Eli Rosenberg
December 10, 2018

An Ohio man was arrested on charges that he attempted to support the Islamic State by planning an attack on a synagogue in Toledo after the Pittsburgh massacre, federal officials announced Monday. Damon M. Joseph, 21, of Holland, Ohio, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State. The case began after Joseph posted photographs of weapons and messages in support of the Islamic State on his social media accounts…READ MORE

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Bibi: “When I meet with Arab leaders they tell me ‘We will no longer mortgage our normalization with the State of Israel to the Palestinians’ caprices”

Posted on December 10, 2018 by ArchitectGuy

TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israeli planes can use Omani, Sudanese airspace, Netanyahu says
by Raphael Ahren
December 10, 2018

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said Israeli planes can fly over Sudan and Oman, adding that he is working on getting Saudi Arabia’s permission for this as well. “When I was in Oman, Sultan Qaboos [bin Said] confirmed to me right away that El Al can fly over Oman,” the prime minister told Israeli diplomats in Jerusalem. “Therefore, only one small thing remains for us to do,” he added, pointing to Saudi Arabia on a map. “We need to get that El Al can fly over this, and that’s it — we open new markets.” READ MORE

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“‘It’s time to wander again,’ Mark Lewis tells fellow Jews facing rising antisemitism in Britain and across Europe”

Posted on December 10, 2018 by ArchitectGuy

THE HILL
Poll: More than one-third of European Jews have considered emigrating due to anti-Semitism
by Megan Keller
December 10, 2018

More than one in three European Jews have thought about leaving their home in the past five years due to what they call a surge of anti-Semitism causing safety concerns, according to a European Union study published Monday.  Thirty-eight percent of the respondents told pollsters working for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights said they had considered emigrating because they do not feel safe as Jews in the country where they reside. Twenty-eight percent said they experienced anti-Semitic harassment at least once in the last 12 months and 20 percent said they knew family members or other people who were harassed. READ MORE

TIMES OF ISRAEL ‘Europe is finished,’ leading lawyer says as he leaves UK for Israel A top British lawyer and his partner immigrated to Israel this week, citing rising anti-Semitism in Europe. “Europe in my view is finished. Every day you see people being attacked in one way or another across Europe,” Mark Lewis told Israel’s Channel 10 news, which accompanied his arrival, together with partner Mandy Blumenthal, at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

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