Iran played possible role in murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan

Posted on November 24, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

FDD
‘Abhorrent Antisemitic Terrorist Attack’: Rabbi Kidnapped and Murdered in UAE
November 24, 2024

The body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, deputy director of the Chabad House in Abu Dhabi, was located on November 24 by Emirati authorities after he went missing the previous Thursday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident “an abhorrent antisemitic terrorist attack.” Kogan, 28, was an Israeli-Moldovan dual national and was married to a niece of a rabbi who was murdered in the 2008 Islamist attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai. Kogan doubled as supervisor of a kosher supermarket in Dubai. The Islamic Republic has a history of launching intelligence operations in the UAE, where its operatives are suspected of monitoring Iranian nationals in the country. Iran is also likely to have kidnapped both British-Iranian Abbas Yazdi in 2013 and German-Iranian Jamshid Sharmah in 2020; Sharmah was recently executed in Iran. READ MORE

CHABAD.ORG We Called Him “Rabbi Steve” Anyone who attended the Kogans’ Shabbat table will never forget the experience. Zvi taught me how to host and truly appreciate guests. Even with a full table, he ensured that everyone felt comfortable and had their moment to shine. He set the tone for the most energetic and memorable Shabbat meals. Just last week, I moved back to the UAE—this time with my wife. The first person to greet us was Zvi. The person who offered to help with our suitcases was Zvi. The person who helped us arrange a car was Zvi. The person who guided us through our first kosher run was Zvi. He introduced us to all the right people for all the right things.

JEWISH PHILANTHROPY Kushner brothers and their families pledge $2 million to Chabad of UAE as Jewish community reels after Rabbi Zvi Kogan killed The families of Jared and Joshua Kushner pledged a total of $2 million to Chabad of the United Arab Emirates on Monday in memory of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the 28-year-old Israeli-Moldovan Chabad emissary who was killed last week after being abducted in Dubai. The donations from Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, followed by Joshua Kushner and his wife, Karlie Kloss, come as the Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates — and in the Arab world in general — reels from the aftermath of the killing.

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Anti-Israel resolutions supported by 17 Democrat Senators including Illinois foreign policy savant Dick Durbin

Posted on November 22, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

NEW YORK POST
Remember the names of the 19 senators who voted to block arms for Israel
Editorial Board
November 22, 2024

On Wednesday, the Senate held a vote on three resolutions aimed at isolating Israel and kneecapping its defense — and 17 Democrats and two Independents voted for them. Now we know who the snakes in the grass are. The bills, filed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, aimed to blocked $20 billion in US arms (military tank and mortar rounds and joint-direct-attack munitions) for the Jewish state. READ MORE

Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-Minn.) Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), George Helmy (D-NJ) as well as Angus King (I-Maine) and Sanders each voted in favor of at least one of the three bills, while Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) voted “present.”

TIMES OF ISRAEL J Street and Bernie Sanders are playing a dangerous game with Jewish lives They are signaling that a vulnerable Israel is the only Israel they will support. Meanwhile, Israel’s enemies sharpen their swords. As Israel fights a war of survival on seven fronts, J Street and Bernie Sanders are working to handicap Israel and jeopardize its ability to protect its citizens.

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Badran: “Rising up from his political grave, the ex-president cements a U.S. partnership with Iran in Lebanon while Israel meekly gives up its gains”

Posted on November 22, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

TABLET MAG
Obama Plays a Dead Man’s Hand in Lebanon, and Wins
Tony Badran
November 27, 2024

Barely three weeks ago, Barack Obama’s legacy was in tatters. His party was roundly defeated in the election, after he personally engineered the defenestration of his doddering former vice president from the Oval Office… And yet, two months before the end of his lengthy shadow presidency, and faced with the final undoing of his signature legacy project in the Middle East, Obama went all in—and won big. By forcing Israel to accept a deal with Hezbollah that will formalize America’s role as the terror group’s protector, Obama will have locked in a key piece of his decade-old policy of leveraging American power to secure both Iran’s continuing regional influence and its direct control over Israel’s borders. READ MORE

JNS TV Caroline Glick: Bibi Between Biden and a Hard Place Most Israelis were outraged to hear of what seemed to be capitulation in the form of a ceasefire in the war with Hezbollah. What happened behind the scenes, however, draws a much more complicated picture that forced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to choose between bad and worse options.

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“An unprecedented number of Dutch Jews are contemplating leaving their homes for the Jewish homeland”

Posted on November 22, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

TIMES OF ISRAEL
Last straw: Amsterdam ‘Jew hunt’ triggers push for Dutch Jewish migration to Israel
Bart Schut
November 28, 2024

Maaike Smole, a 48-year-old college policy worker from the central Dutch city of Amersfoort, no longer has any hope that there is a future for Jews in her country. “It’s too late. The Netherlands are schluss,” she said, using a Yiddish term for “closed,” or “over.” “Education has failed, integration [of Muslim minorities] has failed. Respect for us Jews has disappeared and will never come back. There are simply too few of us, the other side is so much larger and more aggressive. All that’s left to do is to count down to our aliyah,” Smole said, using the Hebrew term for immigration to Israel. Smole’s feelings appear to reflect those of a growing number of Jews in the Netherlands — a community that has been in the country, once known for its religious and ethnic tolerance, for centuries. READ MORE

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Former Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) expressed high praise for Bondi, saying “she’s super qualified, will be the nicest, kindest attorney general ever” and cares deeply about the Jewish community.

Posted on November 22, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

JEWISH INSIDER
Trump’s new AG nominee Pam Bondi called for crackdowns on pro-Hamas protesters
Marc Rod
November 22, 2024

In an October 2023 appearance on Newsmax, Pam Bondi expressed concern about antisemitism, particularly on college campuses, and delivered comments that suggest she’ll take an aggressive approach to anti-Israel protests on campuses. “The thing that’s really the most troubling to me [are] these students in universities in our country, whether they’re here as Americans or if they’re here on student visas, and they’re out there saying ‘I support Hamas.’” Bondi said. “Frankly they need to be taken out of our country or the FBI needs to be interviewing them right away.”She also called for revoking student visas from non-citizens involved in such activity and reimposing the Trump travel ban targeting several Muslim majority countries. READ MORE

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“And because Jew-hate is written into the DNA of the ICC, as it is written into the DNA of the United Nations, the haters will continue to lie and smear as long as Jews anywhere dare to defend themselves”

Posted on November 21, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

WALL STREET JOURNAL
The ICC’s Assault on Israel—and the U.S.
Editorial Board
November 21, 2024

…The White House came out against the ICC’s decision, but it might have been able to prevent it. The Republican House passed a bipartisan bill in June to sanction the ICC. Chuck Schumer, on directions from the President, has held up sanctions in the Senate for nearly six months. This is the same Sen. Schumer who loves to tell Jewish audiences that he’s their shomer, or guardian, in Congress. On Israel, the ICC has twisted the law and the facts. It has ignored the cloud over the court’s prosecutor, who is under investigation for possible sexual harassment, and who changed the course of his Israel investigation days after learning about the allegations threatening his career. No problem, said the court. READ MORE

TIMES OF ISRAEL US ‘fundamentally rejects’ ICC warrants, says it’s working with Israel on next steps The White House on Thursday said it “fundamentally rejects” the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Some lawmakers, including US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for national security adviser, urged sanctions against The Hague-based ICC over the decision, and Israel was said to be working with the incoming administration on punitive measures against the court. One Republican senator hinted the US should invade The Hague in retaliation for the warrants.

NEW YORK POST Editorial Board: ICC fake charges against Netanyahu and Gallant prove US must never recognize the court The latest outrage from the International Criminal Court: arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. International Kangaroo Court is more like it, and one more reminder why the United States should never recognize the ICC. The warrants come over utterly false charges of “crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024.” That’s antisemite for “waging a humane and justified counterattack against genocidal butchers” — note the start date and that poisonous “at least.”

YOUTUBE Sen. Thune calls ICC arrest warrant ‘outrageous, unlawful, and dangerous’

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When Israel prepared its retaliation for Iran’s massive Oct. 1 missile attack, the Taleghan 2 facility was chosen as a target

Posted on November 21, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

AXIOS
Israel destroyed active nuclear weapons research facility in Iran, officials say
Barak Ravid
November 15, 2024

The Israeli attack on Iran in late October destroyed an active top secret nuclear weapons research facility in Parchin, according to three U.S. officials, one current Israeli official and one former Israeli official. The strike — which targeted a site previously reported to be inactive — significantly damaged Iran’s effort over the past year to resume nuclear weapons research, Israeli and U.S. officials said. One former Israeli official briefed on the strike said it destroyed sophisticated equipment used to design the plastic explosives that surround uranium in a nuclear device and are needed to detonate it. READ MORE

JEWISH INSIDER Netanyahu confirms Israel struck Iranian nuclear facility Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Monday that Israel struck an Iranian nuclear weapons facility in October, causing damage to important equipment that experts said may be hard for the Islamic Republic to recoup. “There is a certain component in [Iran’s] nuclear program that was harmed in the strike” on Oct. 26, Netanyahu told the Knesset. Still, Netanyahu emphasized that the Iranian nuclear threat remains.

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Netanyahu revealed that President Joe Biden’s approach consistently misaligned with Israel’s priorities

Posted on November 20, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

TIMES OF ISRAEL
Netanyahu’s speech exposes the Biden-Israel Divide
November 19, 2024

In a highly charged address to the Knesset plenum on November 18, 2024, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid bare the internal struggles between Israel and the Biden Administration over the ongoing Israeli war on terror. Speaking on the cusp of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Netanyahu’s remarks highlighted key moments where US pressure directly clashed with Israel’s strategic objectives, exposing a rift that shaped the conflict’s trajectory. In Gaza, Washington had urged restraint, prioritizing ceasefires and humanitarian corridors while emphasizing de-escalation to avoid broader regional fallout. This was at odds with Israel’s goal of dismantling Hamas entirely—a stance Netanyahu insisted was non-negotiable for Israel’s long-term security. READ MORE

JPOST Netanyahu aide Eli Feldstein indicted for endangering national security Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aide Eliezer Feldstein, the main suspect in the PMO leak scandal, was indicted Thursday for disclosing confidential information for the purpose of obstructing national security. A reserves IDF intelligence officer whose identity has not been released for publication was also indicted Thursday on charges of theft, disclosure of confidential information, and obstruction of justice. Feldstein is accused of leaking classified documents that harmed the war effort and reduced the chances of a successful hostage deal.

JNS TV Caroline Glick: Hear the Latest Insane Moves Made Against Bibi This is what a “color revolution” looks like! Israel’s judicial, political and media mafia have thrown off the gloves in their quest to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. They’ll stop at nothing—even violence, apparently—to stop Netanyahu and the Jewish state from achieving total victory over its enemies. 

TIMES OF ISRAEL Touring Gaza, PM vows Hamas won’t return to power, offers $5 million for hostages Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday that Hamas would not rule in Gaza after the war, seemingly rejecting efforts to reach a ceasefire with the terror group still partially intact as he visited an Israeli military position in the enclave. The premier also reiterated an offer to lavishly pay Gazans who turn over Israeli hostages, upping the reward to $5 million for each captive, after previously suggesting Israel would pay “several million” for their recovery.

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Sanders unsuccessfully leads effort to cut off Israel

Posted on November 20, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

THE HILL
Senate rejects Sanders-backed proposals to block arms sales to Israel
Andrew Bolton
November 20, 2024

The Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to reject three resolutions sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to block the sale of certain offensive weapons to Israel in protest of its ongoing military operations in Gaza. The Senate voted 18 to 79 to defeat S.J. Res. 111, which would have blocked the sale of 120-millimeter tank rounds. It also voted 18 to 79 against a resolution to block the sale of 120 mm high-explosive mortar rounds and again by the same split to defeat a proposal to block the sale of kits to transform “dumb” bombs into precision-guided weapons…Sanders has claimed that the destruction in Gaza is worse than what was inflicted on Dresden, Germany, a city that was firebombed, during World War II. J-Street, a center-left pro-Israel organization, supported Sanders’s proposals, breaking with many other Jewish and Israel-supporting groups. READ MORE

ALGEMEINER US Sen. Chris Van Hollen Accuses Israel of ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ in Northern Gaza US Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has slammed the Biden administration for continuing to support Israel and accused the Jewish state of committing “ethnic cleansing” in northern Gaza. During a recent interview with anti-Israel journalist Mehdi Hasan, Van Hollen argued that Biden undermined “American values” by continuing to send arms to the Jewish state. He bemoaned Biden’s “deeply frustrating” refusal to break with Jerusalem and his support of the “super right-wing racist government” of Israel.

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Tobin: “It’s time to abandon the smears about Donald Trump and his voters being fascists and prioritize the clear-and-present danger to Jews from woke and Islamist antisemites”

Posted on November 20, 2024 by ArchitectGuy

JNS
Jewish liberals should follow ‘Morning Joe’ and drop the ‘resistance’
Jonathan Tobin
November 19, 2024

…Just as important, they are ignoring the fact that the real peril to American Jews is not from Trump. Love him or hate him, efforts to tie him to antisemitism or to claim that he is a fascist are false. They are a distraction from the ongoing threat to American Jewry coming from an increasingly aggressive leftist wing of the Democrats that has used the post-Oct. 7 war to advance blood libels against Israel and Jews as “white” oppressors and guilty of genocide. By doubling down on lies about Trump and his voters (a group that includes the not insignificant number of Jews who voted for him in states like New York and Florida in greater numbers than before because, among other reasons, of his sterling record as a friend of Israel) as fascists and allies of Nazis, liberal Jewish groups will be undermining attempts to do something about an unprecedented surge of antisemitism in this country and beyond. The reality of the post-Oct. 7 era is that American Jews need to stop prioritizing partisan politics over their obligation to fight back against the scourge of Jew-hatred on the left as well as on the far-right. READ MORE

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