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Annexation Not Happening on July 1

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Annexation: Although Israel’s governing coalition agreement allows for annexation measures to be taken as early as July 1, Israel and the US are still not on the same page and plans will not be ready by then. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz, and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi are said to have differing views on the scope and timing of annexation.

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  FEATURE  
The Jordan Valley: What You Need to Know

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Green Without Borders claims it's just a Lebanese environmental organization. Israel says it's a front for Hezbollah whose trees and watchtowers are a cover for other nefarious activities.

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  FEATURE  
Hezbollah and the UN's Toothless Resolution 1701

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Antisemitism Watch: Black Lives Matter's UK twitter account sparked outrage with a 'Free Palestine' message. Jewish activists said BLM's language of politicians being "gagged" over their criticism of Zionism was an antisemitic trope.

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VIDEO: Terror Attack Or Car Accident? CNN Chooses Sides Against Israel

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Recommended Reading

The battle over BDS – Trends, lessons, and future trajectories (Asher Fredman)
BDS: Myths and facts (Daniel Pomerantz)
The PA is pushing the Palestinian public into Israeli arms (Michael Milstein)
I’m an ardent Zionist. But Israel’s annexation makes no sense. (Robert Satloff)
Israeli annexation bid contradicts its past positions, without legal explanation (Raphael Ahren)
Antisemitism gets you fired at Labour, but hired by the NY Times (Jonathan Tobin)
Op-ed Bias: Are all opinions created equal? (Pesach Benson)
In calling out the antisemitic elements of a mass movement, I invited spitting derision (Zoe Strimpel)

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Israel Braces for International Criminal Court Probe

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Israeli officials are bracing for the International Criminal Court to formally open an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes against the Palestinians “in the coming days.” Jerusalem widely expects the judges to rule that the ICC has jurisdiction to launch such an investigation.

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  FEATURE  
Legally Blind: The International Criminal Court and Israel

2
An airstrike widely attributed to Israel killed at least six members of a pro-Iranian militia on Saturday night. The base, known as Abu Kamel, is along the Syria-Iraq border and a is a key position in Iran's effort to create a strategic land bridge to the Mediterranean.

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  FEATURE  
How Iran's Land Bridge Threatens the Middle East

3
Annexation: BDS groups are planning a "Day of Rage" across the US on Wednesday in opposition to annexation.

In a welcome sign of cooperation, a number of private companies in Israel and the United Arab Emirates are working together on medical projects, including some to combat COVID-19. Israel and the UAE don't have diplomatic ties, but the Emirati government made clear that the ties are between businesses and not at the governmental level.


South Africa's ruling party wants to censure Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng over comments he made in support of Israel. And while Hamas promises to resist annexation, analysts say the terror group's options are extremely limited.

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Gaza terrorists fired two rockets at Israel on Friday, prompting retaliatory IDF fire. No injuries were reported on either side.

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5
Antisemitism Watch: UK Labour chief Keir Starmer sacked shadow education minister Rebecca Long Bailey after she retweeted an antisemitic conspiracy theory and described the author as "an absolute diamond."

 

Activists in St. Louis want to remove a statue of the city's antisemitic namesake. Florida State University student government official apologized for retweeting a diatribe against the campus ‘Zionist Community.’

Read more  ➞
Recommended Reading

Israeli strikes in Syria are message to Assad and Tehran (Ron Ben-Yishai)
Historic Palestine - A misleading anachronism (Salo Aizenberg)
'Annexation' is a misnomer: Israel wants a safe way to hand land to Palestinians in return for peace (Gregory Rose)
Israel must decide on annexation, not US (Nahum Barnea)
Annexation’s irony: Bringing Israeli politics closer to Palestinian statehood (Haviv Rettig Gur)
Why Israel’s warming Gulf ties will survive annexation (Jonathan Ferziger)
Palestinians: Is it really about 'annexation'? (Khaled Abu Toameh)
Jesus was a Jew, not a Palestinian (Emanuel Miller)
Israel not to blame for the tragic killing of George Floyd (Steerpike)
The Left’s obsession with Israel grows more bizarre by the day (Michael Deacon)

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What's Behind Qatari Threat to End Gaza Aid?
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Qatar has threatened to stop sending millions of dollars in economic assistance to Gaza if Israel pushes forward with annexation, per Israeli media reports.

"Qatari payments to the impoverished, Hamas-controlled Strip have been key to maintaining quiet there, as well as an unofficial truce between Israel and terror group, and Qatar is reluctant to be seen as enabling any West Bank annexation..."
Also, senior White House officials are still deciding whether to give a green light to Israeli plans to apply sovereignty to West Bank settlements.
Read more  ➞
2
As cases of COVID-19 surge, the Israeli cabinet is considering renewing contentious Shin Bet tracking of virus carriers. The procedures, normally only used for counterterror operations, involve tracking cellular phone and credit card data, raising questions about fighting the pandemic while respecting civil rights.
"Since the beginning of the week, Israel has seen 1,013 new cases - almost as many as in the entire month of May."
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  FEATURE  
Israel Wrestles With Civil Rights During COVID Outbreak
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At least seven people were killed in Tuesday night airstrikes in Syria that were attributed to Israel. 
Read more  ➞
4
Antisemitism Watch: A Tel Aviv U. study found a new wave of antisemitism sweeping the world suggesting that Jews created or are profiting from the COVID pandemic. And why do depictions of Jews suckling from pigs still appear on around 40 church exteriors in Germany?

Read more  ➞
  FEATURE  
The Six Challenges of Covering the Mideast Conflict

Recommended Reading
The great myth of Israeli annexation (Alex Traiman)
Are Israel and Turkey on a collision course in the Eastern Med? (Pesach Benson)
With Turkey vs Egypt, Israel should brace for Erdogan unhinged (Herb Keinon)
The axis of evil is in free fall (Prof. Eyal Zisser)
Iran and the threat of its proxies explained (Griffin Judd)

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Trump To Decide On Annexation Today

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Annexation: US President Donald Trump is set to make a final decision today about how Israel should apply sovereignty to parts of the West Bank.

 

Washington is considering a staged process in which Israel would start by declaring sovereignty only over several settlements in the Jerusalem area.

 

EU and UN officials attended a Fatah-sponsored anti-annexation rally in Jericho.

 

Ahead of annexation, clashes were reported as 2,500 Israelis prayed at Joseph’s Tomb, located in the West Bank.

 

A majority of Republican members of the US House of Representatives signed a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsing annexation.

Read full story  ➞
  FEATURE  
What Are Israel's Settlement Blocs?

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Lebanese activist Kinda El-Khatib has been accused by a Lebanese military court of “collaboration with the Israeli enemy” and entering Israeli territory.

Read full story  ➞
3
Antisemitism Watch: Top European rabbi: Jews in Belgium may no longer be able to consume kosher meat because of pending legislation.

 

The senior class president at California's Pomona College has been accused of antisemitism after social media posts surfaced.

 

A new report reveals how the popular TikTok video-sharing service is being used by antisemites.

Read more ➞
  FEATURE  
What is E1 and How Crucial is it to the Security of Israel?

Recommended Reading

Jerusalem, Jordan, and the Jews (Daniel Pipes)
The law of annexation: what's right and what's wrong? (Daniel Pomerantz)
Palestinians and Israelis will both gain from Israeli sovereignty over West Bank (Avi Bell)
Why Black Lives Matter protests are a catalyst for antisemitism (Zoe Strimpel)
Israel will annex nothing (Dr. Norman Bailey)
What is Israel’s next move as Turks and Saudis duel over Jerusalem? (Ariel Ben Solomon)
How strong is the Jewish claim to the West Bank? (Dov Lipman)

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Iran Warns Arab States: Don't Talk To Israel

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Iran lashed out against warming ties between Israel and the Sunni Arab states in the Gulf, advising key regional players to resist a rapprochement with Israel and comparing it to "playing with fire."

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Annexation: The evacuation of settlements in the West Bank would pose an “immediate existential threat” to Israel, according to a memo sent by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Knesset members from his Likud party. 

Palestinian Authority officials intend to step up their fight against Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank with a protest rally on Monday at the entrance to Jericho.

But while PA officials are urging peaceful resistance, their "fingers are on the triggers." Senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub said that even though "We do not believe in a transition to the ‘bloody square'...those conditions might change in the event of annexation."

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Nearly two years after Israel's national women’s water polo team was left without a venue for a game against the Spanish team due to a municipal BDS ordinance, an administrative court in the Spanish region of Catalonia has ruled that the boycott motion was illegal.

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Antisemitism Watch: In her farewell address, Israel's Ambassador to the UN Aviva Raz Shecter accused the United Nations Human Rights Council of unfairly targeting Israel and attempting to foster "institutionalized antisemitism" through the notorious Agenda Item 7.

The Austrian government may move a rock outside the house where Adolf Hitler was born that is inscribed with an anti-fascist message. This has upset Jewish groups who say the country must face its own role in the Holocaust.

A man has been sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of €800 for carrying out an antisemitic death-threat campaign against a Jewish Belgian member of parliament.

A prominent media ethics watchdog in Poland has accused a state broadcaster of inciting anti-Semitic sentiment. The claim follows a TVP report warning that a leading presidential candidate would offer compensation for property lost to Jews during or after the Holocaust. 

“Experts are certain. The stream of money that is flowing from the state budget into the pockets of Polish families will dry up if Trzaskowski, after a potential victory in the presidential election, seeks to satisfy Jewish claims,” TVP reported Monday.

Recommended Reading

America, Israel, and original sin (Ben Cohen)
We must stop pursuing a two state illusion and commit to a realistic two state solution (Ron Dermer)
The destructive "Palestinian narrative" of Zehava Galon (Ben-Dror Yemini)
‘Hate fuel’ firing up online antisemites is too incendiary to publish (Mark Gardner)

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UN Security Council To Discuss Annexation

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Annexation: The United Nations Security Council will meet on Wednesday to discuss the ramifications of possible Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority will have a chance to present their position about Israel’s sovereignty during the discussion, as will members of the UNSC.

On a rare visit to the West Bank, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned that Israeli annexation plans pose an "unprecedented danger."

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In Gaza, disappointment with Hamas's inability to orchestrate a prisoner swap is growing. The terror group, inspired by the 2001 Shalit deal, is seeking a similar exchange now. However, Hamas’s rigid stance has brought indirect negotiations with Israel to a halt, which could lead to another round of escalation.

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The European Union for the first time has canceled a grant to a Palestinian nonprofit for refusing to sign a clause that would obligate it to ensure no terrorist organizations benefit from the funded programs.

Brussels’ decision comes on the heels of a bitter controversy over its support for Palestinian NGOs, which resulted in Israel rebuking the EU ambassador in Tel Aviv over the bloc’s ostensible “funding of terrorist organizations.”

4
Antisemitism Watch: “Massacre the Jews, God, hit them with your sword, for they have left God, they have left the nations,” Pastor Tupirani da Hora Lores shouted at dozens of congregants earlier this month at his Geracao Jesus Cristo church in Rio de Janeiro, during a recording of his sermon. 


Anti-Defamation League claims in a new report that textbooks used in schools affiliated with Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist group display a disturbing pattern of anti-Semitic tropes, including Jews being described as 'enemies of humanity in the past, present, and future
 

St. Louis residents began a petition to change the city's name as its namesake, King Louis IX, was a known antisemite and Islamophobe. They additionally called to have his statue taken down.

Newly-published police data showed that Jews were the most targeted group for hate crimes in the greater Toronto area last year.

Recommended Reading

No such thing as a 'lone-wolf' terrorist (Nitsana Darshan-Leitner)
As Israel debates West Bank annexation, here's what two former peace envoys think (Saphora Smith)
Four signs Israel could be facing another election (Tal Schneider)
Trump plan offers chance to change the Hamas equation (Col. (res.) Ronen Itsik)
As annexation looms, Israeli experts warn of security risks (David M. Halbfinger and Adam Rasgon)
Could Iran wage a cyberwar? (Peter Suciu) 
Ice Cube, Louis Farrakhan, and Antisemitism (Eunice G. Pollack)

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Jordanian King: Annexation Threatens Regional Stability

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Annexation: Jordan’s King Abdullah II warned US lawmakers that Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank was “unacceptable” and would undermine regional stability. Abdullah spoke with US senators and emphasized the kingdom’s commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. 

Almost 50 UN human rights experts have condemned Israel's plan to annex parts of the West Bank. Such a move would violate international law and leave what would amount to "a Palestinian Bantustan", they warned.


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UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, addressing a major US-Jewish online conference, reiterated his view that the decades-long Arab boycott of Israel has not yielded the desired results. The minister advocated for “open lines of communications” and increased liaison with Jerusalem in various areas, such as technology and health. 

3
Palestinian security services have been destroying secret documents, fearing possible Israeli raids on their offices as the Jewish State weighs annexing parts of the West Bank. During the Second Intifada Israeli security forces repeatedly stormed offices of the Palestinian security services and removed confidential documents.

4
US President Donald Trump's peace plan will lead to a large number of archaeological sites in the West Bank, including many that are part of Jewish history and tradition, being placed or remaining under Palestinian control. This was the conclusion reached by an organization that represents a network of entities devoted to "protecting antiquities in Israel and Judea and Samaria.”

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Antisemitism Watch: At Florida State University, the new Student Senate president, Ahmad Daraldik, was found to have made racist and antisemitic statements online in multiple social media posts. A petition calling for Daraldik's removal states that he compared the Israeli government to Nazi Germany’s genocide of the Jews.

Orthodox Jewish politicians serving Haredi neighborhoods in Brooklyn are calling New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio out once again for what they say is a double standard. While gates to parks and playgrounds in their districts are locked as a coronavirus precaution, residents in other parts of the city are seemingly allowed in. 

Recommended Reading

Why are there more wars in the Middle East than anywhere else? (Seth J.Frantzman)
When it comes to annexation, 'compromise' is not a dirty word (Mordechai Shklar)
The ICC has nothing to do with justice (James Sinkinson)
The story of Germany's capitulation to Palestinian terrorism (Eldad Beck) 
Twitter must apply its own rules and take action against Khamenei (Asher Fredman)
Why can’t you get canceled for anti-Semitism? (Jonathan Tobin)
How worried should Israel be about the Arab response to its extended sovereignty bid? (Israel Kasnett)

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What's the Cost of PA's High-Risk Strategy Against Annexation?

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The Palestinian Authority's end of coordination with Israel is already proving to be a high-risk strategy to oppose annexation.

 

Per National Public Radio, the lack of coordination is already leading to breakdowns of policing and taxing, while Palestinians are no longer able to get treatment in Israeli hospitals. What will be the ultimate cost of the PA's game plan?

2
MediaCentral, an initiative of HonestReporting, has been notified of an award from The Genesis Project. The award is part of the Project’s “Speak Out for Israel” program granted on behalf of its 2019 Genesis Prize Laureate, Robert Kraft.

 

The award recognizes MediaCentral’s trailblazing work relating to highlighting Israel’s tolerance towards minorities, and scientific and technological achievements. MediaCentral assists hundreds of foreign journalists stationed in Israel to ensure accurate, comprehensive and unbiased coverage about Israel and the Middle East to the tens of millions in their audiences. For more about Media Central, click here.

3
The Jerusalem municipality is proceeding with a bypass road linking the capital's southern Har Homa neighborhood with Maale Adumim in the north. Officials told Reuters the road will relieve traffic for Israelis and Palestinians in eastern Jerusalem.

 

Though Palestinians claim the road will only benefit settlers, the charge of so-called "apartheid roads" doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

4
The US is considering withholding aid to Jordan to force Amman to extradite a woman convicted in Israel of a 2001 bombing. Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimi, who has been living in Jordan after being freed in an Israeli prisoner swap, is on the FBI's most wanted list because two of the 15 people killed in the attack were American citizens.

 

Jordan's King Abdullah is visiting Washington this week.

5
Palestinians in Gaza fired a rocket at Israel last night, which landed in an open field. The IDF retaliated with strikes on an unspecified "underground structure" and Hamas observation posts. Earlier that day, a senior Hamas official called on Palestinians to oppose annexation with "resistance in all forms."

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Antisemitism Watch: While Confederate statues are being toppled, a German church reinstated an antisemitic ‘Jew-sow’ sculpture. White supremacists vandalized Nashville's Holocaust memorial with vulgar antisemitic messages. The Jerusalem Post picked up on a report exposing a network of right-wing antisemitic hatred on social media.

 

An Argentine journalist is under fire for equating the "great propaganda apparatuses" of the previous century, "such as those of Nazism, Zionism, Stalinism or Peronism." In more positive news, Spain's Balearic Islands adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism.

VIDEO: Does Annexation Violate International Law?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQqyeLrNuG8&feature=youtu.be

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HonestReporting's CEO Speaks on ILTV on Israel's Annexation.
Recommended Reading

Rivlin uses it, many pro-Israel advocates hate it: Is ‘annexation’ a dirty word? (Raphael Ahren)
Applying Israeli law in West Bank is not illegal (Jason Greenblatt)
Annexation would be a mistake—and a tragedy (Yossi Klein Halevi, click via Twitter)
Will Israel’s West Bank move torpedo normalization with the Arab world? (Jonathan Tobin)
Arab-Israeli relations have a glass ceiling (Prof. Eyal Zisser)
EU hypocrisy in opposing Israeli sovereignty over its heartland (Bradley Martin)
Antisemitism and the intellectuals (Cynthia Ozick, click via Twitter)
Palestinians pursue war on their media (Khaled Abu Toameh)

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Hamas In Uproar Over Iranian Spy in Terror Group's Midst

1
Hamas ties with Iran and Hezbollah took a hit after the Gaza terror group discovered one of its own was spying for Iran.

 

The unidentified spy -- who worked closely with senior Hamas figure Yousef Abu Marzouk -- was reportedly recruited by Hezbollah and is said to have fled to Sudan when his cover was blown.

2
Annexation Issues: A United Arab Emirates diplomat penned an op-ed for Ynet, the first time an Arab from the Gulf state has openly and directly engaged Israelis. In the op-ed, Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the US warned against annexation. Background at the Times of Israel.

 

Israel plans to conduct a census in West Bank areas slated for sovereignty. According to Israeli reports picked up by United Press International, "The aim is to prevent Palestinians from moving into the areas just before they are annexed as a way to gain Israeli residency or even citizenship."

 

The PA is now working with Fatah armed groups after ending coordination with Israel. Until recently, groups like the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and the Tanzim helped the PA enforce COVID restrictions; however, Ramallah is now turning a blind eye to the armed factions raising their profile in the West Bank.

3
IDF soldiers rescued a Palestinian man being beaten by a Jewish mob in Hebron.

4
The European Court of Human Rights ruled against France's criminal conviction of BDS activists, saying the state violated their freedom of expression. (European Jewish Press)

5
Erik Ullenhag as Sweden's next ambassador to Israel: What was Stockholm thinking?

6
Worth reading: National Public Radio visited Jerusalem's "Hotel Corona," where Jews and Arabs, religious and secular, all get along.

7
Antisemitism Watch: British authorities arrested a man who stabbed a rabbi in London. French protesters shouted antisemitic slogans at an anti-racism demonstration in Paris. A Holocaust documentary aired on Belgian state-owned TV claimed Jews repeatedly “massacred” and “systematically” displaced Palestinians.

 
President Donald Trump plugged a Georgia congressional candidate who has peddled antisemitic conspiracy theories and posed with a neo-Nazi. A Phoenix-area principal was removed from his position after antisemitic and racist texts surfaced. Ontario police arrested the publisher of a Polish-language newspaper that featured antisemitic content.

Recommended Reading

Five reasons the UAE annexation warning matters (Seth Frantzman)
With US in turmoil, Netanyahu's annexation dream is fading (Itamar Eichner)
Israel has a lot to lose by annexing West Bank territory (Robert Satloff)
Hatred of Israel is stronger than COVID -- and will seek to exploit George Floyd protests (Mitchell Bard)
Warning a rogue court (Wall St. Journal staff-ed, click via Twitter)
The Gaza they don't want you to see (Bassam Tawil)

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Could Annexation Lead to Sanctions Against Israel?

1
Annexation: Palestinian and European officials hint that some countries could retaliate by recognizing a Palestinian state and sanctioning Israel.


The Islamic Jihad terror organization is boosting its presence in the West Bank. Meanwhile, according to Israeli media reports, some Palestinians are enthusiastic about Israel's potential West Bank annexation.


In the US, AIPAC told lawmakers that they are free to criticize Israel’s looming annexation plans — just as long as the criticism stops there. What makes this message unusual is that the leading pro-Israel lobby in the US has long made it a policy to discourage public criticism of Israel.

2
Israeli police: "There is no procedure that allows an officer of the Israel Police to carry out an arrest by placing a knee on the neck of a suspect."  

3
The Palestinian Authority refused a planeload of medical supplies from the United Arab Emirates. This supplies were turned away because their delievery was coordinated with Israel rather than the PA.

4
The IDF thwarted an Iranian cyberattack on the military's supply chain. The supply chain connects the IDF to the civilian services from which it receives gas, food, and other crucial supplies. 

5
Antisemitism Watch: A synagogue in Walla Walla, Washington, is calling on the town’s police department to apologize for defending an officer who sports a tattoo resembling the insignia of the SS, the Nazi paramilitary force. 

 

The National Gallery has withdrawn a YouTube video that portrays the Biblical Samson as an Israeli terrorist.

Recommended Reading

Annexation now: What is Netanyahu up to? (David Horovitz)
Co-opting Black Lives matter to target Israel (Sean Savage)
High Court nixing of settlement law keeps Israel out of ICC (Gilead Sher)
BDS is about bigotry (Paul Miller)

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Is the PA Laying Groundwork For a New Intifada?

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Two developments in the West Bank raise questions whether the Palestinian Authority is gearing up for a third intifada.

 

First, Palestinian intelligence offices in at least two West Bank cities have been ordered to hide sensitive documents ahead of possible anti-annexation violence. Israeli media reports say the last time the PA issued such an order was in 2000, before the outbreak of the Second Intifada.

 

Second, the PA has started cooperating with the Fatah-funded Tanzim militia to maintain order in Palestinian communities that are under Israeli security control. Ynet writes:

 

"The officials also said that this unusual cooperation between the Palestinian government and Tanzim could embolden the militant group's members to point their weapons at Israeli security forces in case tensions escalate . . . ."

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Times of Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to apply Israeli sovereignty to three main settlement blocs of Gush Etzyon, Maale Adumim and Ariel, but not immediately to the Jordan Valley or other settlement areas.

 

Netanyahu reportedly feels that there is greater domestic consensus support to apply sovereignty to those blocs, and that this would create less friction with Jordan.

3
PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said he made a counter-proposal to the US peace plan and presented it to the Quartet of Mideast mediators, namely the US, UN, European Union and Russia.

 

Shtayyeh was scant on details, only saying the proposal calls for a de-militarized Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and eastern Jerusalem based on the 1949 Green Line with possible minor land swaps.

4
Israel's High Court of Justice struck down the controversial Settlements Regulation law. Passed in 2017, The law would have retroactively recognized more than 4,000 illegal housing units built on privately owned Palestinian land.

 

The ruling paves the way for Palestinian landowners to take legal action to evict the people living in the unauthorized homes. It also sends a tacit message to the International Criminal Court that Israel respects international law.

5
The United Arab Emirates' national airline, Etihad, flew directly to Israel's Ben Gurion Airport with another shipment of medical aid for the Palestinians. Last month, the PA refused to accept a similar delivery, insisting it wasn't coordinated and that the PA didn't want to help Arab countries normalize ties with Israel. Israel and the UAE do not have diplomatic ties.

 

PA officials said yesterday's delivery wasn't coordinated with Ramallah.

Recommended Reading


If the PA doesn’t want to disband after West Bank move, what options does it have? (Pinhas Inbari)
For Netanyahu, despite mounting opposition, annexation is already paying off (Haviv Rettig Gur)
Annexation is Netanyahu's legacy (Sever Plocker)
West Bank annexation is negligent, dangerous and redundant (Amos Gilad)

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Ruling Paves Way for War Crimes Probe Against Israel

1
In a blow to Israel, the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor said that a probe of alleged Israeli war crimes against the Palestinians can move forward despite the Oslo accords continuing to be in effect.

Per the Jerusalem Post, "Israel has until June 24 to reply, but may also choose not to so as not to give recognition to the ICC’s investigation."

2
"Israel has confiscated some 2.5 million shekels ($724,000) of the tax money it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority to be paid to three Palestinians who were subjected to torture after the PA accused them of working with Israel."

3
The PA's ending of cooperation with Israel has left hundreds of Palestinian medical patients in the West Bank and Gaza unable to get treatment in Israel. Haaretz reports that the PA Health Ministry is no longer coordinating with Israel on matters such as medical permits, hospital appointments or vouchers covering treatment costs.

4
Israeli police detained 25 Fatah-affiliated activists accused of "carrying out activities on behalf of the PA and its security forces" in Jerusalem. Israeli-Palestinian agreements prohibit the Palestinians from political activity in the state of Israel or eastern Jerusalem.

5
Prominent Arab Israeli singer Mira Awad slammed rock star Rogers Waters over his BDS support.

6
Antisemitism Watch: A number of Texas Republican officials are taking heat for suggesting George Soros is behind the George Floyd protests. Rapper Ice Cube is under fire for tweeting an antisemitic image. British left-wing activist Tariq Ali linked Israel to the death of George Floyd.

The Australian Financial News is facing a storm of criticism for publishing an ‘antisemitic’ cartoon of the country’s Jewish treasurer. And on a more positive note, Argentina adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism.

Recommended Reading

The Palestinian appropriation of black pain (Joshua Washington)
As America burns, Israel liable to be singed (Dr. Norman Bailey)
Annexing West Bank territory was once a taboo for Israel. No longer. (David Makovsky)
Netanyahu's annexation folly (Nahum Barnea)
Annexation vs. sovereignty: Words matter (Arsen Ostrovsky, Richard Kemp)
The real Palestinian tragedy remains their policy of all or nothing (Prof. Eyal Zisser)
Palestinians: The problem with 'peace' (Khaled Abu Toameh)

HonestReporting CEO Daniel Pomerantz Discusses George Floyd and BDS
BY ZINA RAKHAMILOVA  JUNE 8, 2020
https://honestreporting.com/honestreporting-ceo-daniel-pomerantz-discusses-george-floyd-and-bds/

Yesterday on ILTV, HonestReporting CEO Daniel Pomerantz discusses the current racial tensions in the United States, and how BDS activists are hijacking the murder of George Floyd to attack Israel.
HonestReporting's Daniel Pomerantz Exposes BDS…
HonestReporting CEO Daniel Pomerantz Discusses George Floyd and BDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=jbpgBrpCt_4&feature=emb_logo

Video: HR's Daniel Pomerantz on i24 News Spin Room…
Daniel Pomerantz on i24 News: "The UN is a political…
HR CEO's Week With the Jewish National Fund
BDS Hijacks the Murder of George Floyd
Hope, Healing and Media in the Shadow of George Floyd

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UN Document Confirms Iran Violating Nuclear Deal

1
Iran's uranium stockpile violates "all the main restrictions" of the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement, according to a UN document seen by the Associated Press. Tehran's nuclear program makes it a global threat.

2
Drone air strikes widely presumed to have been carried out by Israel killed 12 members of a pro-Iranian militia in northwestern Syria.

3
Palestinians told the International Criminal Court that Israeli annexation nullifies the Oslo accords. The court is considering whether it has jurisdiction to investigate alleged Israeli war crimes in the West Bank.

4
Palestinian forces thwarted an attack against IDF troops near the Palestinian town of Jenin.

5
Norway announced it will withhold funding to the PA over textbooks it says promote hate and violence.

6
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney insists that a ban on settlement products will not be part of his government's program.

7
An Israeli BDS activist Gilad seeking asylum in Canada will be deported back to Israel.
8
Antisemitism Watch: An Israeli in Los Angeles accused Palestinians of exploiting racial unrest to wreck local synagogues.

The overwhelming majority of Jewish heritage sites in Iraq and Syria are in ruins, or on the verge. The Times of Israel picked up on research by the Jewish Cultural Heritage Initiative.

A right-wing Polish journalist has called Jews ‘ruthless’ and the Holocaust ‘a myth’ in new book. The UK Labour party suspended an official who shared online posts from a conspiracy theorist about the Rothschilds and Zionism -- and openly defended a council candidate who compared Israel to the Nazis.

Recommended Reading

- What Bibi wants to do in the West Bank is not annexation  (Stephen Daisley)

- Israel should seize the opportunities Trump's peace plan offers (Danny Ayalon)

- The consequence of annexation (Amos Yadlin)

- Netanyahu badly timed his annexation schedule (Shimrit Meir)

- Why Western media is biased against Israel (Bassam Tawil)

- Out of office, Jeremy Corbyn is creating an antisemitic myth to explain his defeat (Mark Gardner)

https://honestreporting.com/honestreporting-legal-action-against-twitter-ayatollah-khamenei/
HonestReporting Takes Legal Action Against Twitter and Ayatollah Khamenei
BY DANIEL POMERANTZ  MAY 31, 2020
khameni
Ali Hosseini Khamenei, the current Supreme Leader of Iran, is spreading hate and calls for violence against Israel and Jews.  That’s nothing new.  Except now the Iranian dictator is becoming increasingly active on Twitter.  These days “media” is not just print and television, but social media too; and that’s where HonestReporting comes in.

Khamenei is abusing his Twitter account to broadly distribute antisemitic conspiracy theories, threats of violence and incitement for others to commit violence, including a link to his web site which contains calls for a Final Solution: a thinly veiled reference to Hitler’s notorious plan to murder all Jewish people in the world, which formed the centerpiece of the Holocaust.


Other specific examples include: calling the Jewish state a “cancerous tumor,” and calling for Palestinians to defeat the “Zionist enemy” through greater “access to weapons.” Like many modern antisemites, Khamenei declares he is not actually a Jew-hater, before going on to portray himself as a mere anti-Zionist whose aim is to “eliminate” the worlds only Jewish state, and the country with the world’s biggest concentration of Jews. 


Khamenei TV
@Khamenei_tv
The enemies misinterpret the Islamic Republic’s idea of “eliminating Israel”. Eliminating Israel does not mean eliminating Jewish people. We are not #Antisemitic; Jews live in peace in Iran. Eliminating Israel represents elimination of the imposed Zionist regime.

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Incitement to violence is not only not free speech, it’s also illegal under U.S. law. So is aiding and abetting incitement to violence, which is exactly what Twitter is doing in this case. 

Incitement to violence violates Twitter’s terms and conditions, terms which the company often enforces aggressively even against only marginal violations. So why does one of the world’s most brutal dictators receive different treatment?



Last year, when Airbnb adopted a discriminatory policy against Israeli communities in the disputed territories, HonestReporting took action  with the United States Office of Antiboycott Compliance. This time, we have filed a complaint with the Hate Crimes Division of the US Department of Justice. We also sent a copy of the complaint to Elan Carr, the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, as well as to Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey, demanding the immediate suspension of the @khamenei_ir Twitter account. Click here to see a copy of our complaint.

This is no mere technical legal game: hate speech on Twitter and other social media platforms has been the indirect, direct or proximate cause of numerous hate crimes, including deaths and injuries to American Jews. Recent examples include: five people stabbed during a Hanukkah celebration in Monsey, New York, four killed in a shooting at a Jersey City grocery store, and a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue that left 11 dead. Each event was either directly preceded or immediately followed by hate speech on social media platforms, in form and substance similar to that of Khamenei’s communications on Twitter.

By giving Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a platform, Twitter shoulders responsibility for the violence he incites against millions of Israelis and against Jews throughout the world. Last week, in response to social pressure, Twitter started putting warnings on posts from U.S. President Donald J. Trump, based on the possibility the posts may contain false or misleading information, in Twitter’s opinion. Surely one of the world’s most brutal dictators requires at least the same degree of scrutiny.

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Did Palestinians Pressure AP to Fire a Veteran Video Journalist?

1
The Associated Press fired a veteran Palestinian cameraman following "complaints" from the Palestinian Authority.

Eyad Hamad, who has worked for the AP for 20 years, had launched a campaign calling on the PA security forces to release another Palestinian journalist who was arrested and reportedly beaten while in custody.

2
After a brief lull in attacks, Iranian militias in the eastern Syrian town of Raqqa were hit by an airstrike. Early reports didn't indicate the nature of the location, the number of casualties, or whether Israel might have been involved.

3
A US-based BDS group sparked outrage by trying to associate Israel with the death of George Floyd. Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in an incident that was filmed and triggered riots in a number of US cities..
4
The International Criminal Court asked the PA to clarify whether the Oslo Accords still stand. The status of the agreement, which Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to declare nullified, will impact the court's decision on whether it has jurisdiction to investigate alleged Israeli "war crimes" in the West Bank.

According to Haaretz, "The request could prove problematic for the PA, as it would have to break down exactly which clauses remain in effect and what it considers to be no longer valid."

5
Antisemitism Watch: Outraged Jews have accused the German magazine Spiegel of antisemitism against a reporter. Antisemitic crimes in Germany and Austria have risen to worrisome levels.

It turns out an antisemitic cartoon tweeted by the Chinese embassy in Paris originated with websites linked to Holocaust deniers and white supremacists.

Recommended Reading

- If Abbas can revoke solemn obligations over a Knesset speech, of what value are any Palestinian commitments? (Amb. Alan Baker)

- How Israel and the Arab world are making peace without a peace deal (Aaron David Miller)

- After Twitter flags Trump’s tweets, will it stand up to Iran? (Seth Frantzman)

- Questioning the legitimacy of Israel's existence is antisemitic (Zohar Levy)

- Is there a campus antisemitism pandemic? (Mitchell Bard)

Twitter: Kick Out Khamenei
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=Qb7g22XYt8k&feature=emb_logo

https://honestreporting.com/214853-2/
Defending Israel From Media Bias
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VIDEO: Twitter, Kick Out Khamenei
Twitter shoulders responsibility for the violence Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei incites against millions of Israelis. HonestReporting has filed a legal complaint with the US Justice Department, but we need your help to get him kicked off Twitter.
+ Watch the video
Why are media giants helping brutal dictators, people who are responsible for some of the worst crimes against humanity?


The media has fundamentally changed over the last decade. More than ever, people are getting their news via social media. And social media giants like Twitter are directly responsible for the spread of poisonous hate, conspiracy theories, and calls to violence. By giving Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a platform, Twitter shoulders responsibility for the violence he incites against millions of Israelis.


HonestReporting has filed a legal complaint with the US Department of Justice and sent a copy to Elan Carr, the US Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism, as well as to Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey, demanding the immediate suspension of Khamenei’s account. Read the letter. And watch the end of the video for instructions on how to report Khamenei’s account to Twitter to be removed.


 How to Distinguish Between Fair and Unfair Criticism of Israel
Know someone who frequently criticizes Israel? Send them this guide - it might just help them understand where the line with antisemitism lies.
+ Read more 
https://honestreporting.com/how-criticize-israel-without-being-antisemitic/
How to Criticize Israel Without Being Antisemitic
BY GUESTPOST  FEBRUARY 14, 2019


by Emanuel Miller and Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll


In recent years, Jews have increasingly found themselves at the center of political debates in America and Britain, often in relation to Israel and Jews’ connections to Israel.


While criticism of Israel and advocacy for Israel is not inherently antisemitic, much of it departs from the realm of fair comment and crosses the boundary into antisemitism. But, when this is pointed out, Jews are often accused of ‘playing the antisemitism card’. This makes light of bigotry, and undermines the ability to separate between legitimate criticism and illegitimate smears. In the absence of a single universally accepted definition of antisemitism, perhaps this list of things to remember will help people who want to fairly criticize Israel without falling into antisemitic canards or tropes.


1. Israel, and Israelis, exist
Israel is not a theoretical model; there are real people involved. Many of us desperately want peace and security. Whatever we say or believe, our human rights are not conditional. We aren’t an abstract idea, don’t suggest putting thousands or millions of real lives at risk.


2. Jews are not the same as Israel
Jews have a wide range of opinions, and many Jews around the world aren’t really aware of what’s going on in Israel. If individual or Catholics in general shouldn’t be attacked for the actions or positions of the Vatican, and if most people agree that Muslims should not held responsible for terrorism, then Jews should not be conflated with Israel. Don’t blame “Jews” for Israeli policies you don’t like.


3. Criticize specific policies
Vague assertions of Israeli control or evildoing echo centuries of vague assertions of Jewish control and mendaciousness. Both are smears, putting Jews and Israelis on the defensive against pernicious claims that are hard to pin down. If you want to honestly criticize Israel, do so by addressing specific issues and acts.
 


4. Make a fair attempt to understand Israeli policies
If you have an issue with Israeli policy, take the time to understand it and why it was implemented. For example, Israel’s security barrier. Where is it? Why was it placed there? What legal processes did it go through? What were the results on both sides?


5. Speak from a place of knowledge, accuracy and context
Whether Israel or another topic, you should never debate when unfamiliar with the basics. Take a moment to look up what’s going on, read a wide variety of sources, understand different perspectives, and make sure you get your facts right. Check out the history – it’s rarely one-sided. When you speak from ignorance you make grave errors and things seem overly simple.


6. Work towards solutions, not Israel’s destruction
If you seek to avoid claims of being antisemitic, avoid advocating for the destruction of the state home to the world’s largest population of Jews. (Refer to tip #1.) Determine whether your words feed into the incessant blaming of Israel or unreasonable demands that Israelis put themselves at risk, or whether they help advance the cause of peace by suggesting just solutions and realistic changes.


7. Recognize the conflict is not one-sided
Nothing is black and white. Imagining one party to be uniformly evil and the other as helpless victims is simplistic and unhelpful. Both Israelis and Palestinians have experienced pain. Both desire self determination. Wanting peace and security for Palestinians shouldn’t negate wanting it for Israelis Even if you truly believe that Israel is responsible for the situation, acting as if Israelis have no legitimate concerns and fears denies reality and characterizes Israelis as unreasonable, uniformly warmongering, and feeds into concerted attempts to destroy Israel.


8. Avoid known racist tropes when speaking of Israel or Jews
Words such as hypnotized, cabal, Jewish money, globalists, and many more have long been used to discredit Jews. Avoid them. If, for example, you wish to talk about Jewish influence on politics through organisations like AIPAC, carefully appraise your use of language and consider how much influence AIPAC really has compared to other organisations. (Hint: AIPAC’s “Jewish money” is only the second-biggest pro-Israel lobby in America. The biggest is actually CUFI, a Christian organization.)


9. Recognize Jewish indigeneity to the land.
Jews come from Judea. They lived in Israel for thousands of years. Denying the connection between Jews and Israel is antisemitism.


10. Don’t blame Israel for the world’s ills
If you’re tempted to blame the world’s ills on Israel, you’re exhibiting not only a lack of knowledge of world affairs, but demonstrable antisemitism. Portraying Israel as the cause of all that’s wrong in the world doesn’t lend itself to open, constructive debate.


In conclusion, it’s easy to criticize Israel without being antisemitic.  Focus on policy. Commit to accuracy. Include context. Eschew superficial chants. If you find that too hard, well, you may just be an antisemite.

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Are Gaza Terror Balloons Returning?

1
Palestinians in Gaza launched terror balloons yesterday, ending a months-long respite. Terror groups warned that Israel has 72 hours to send medical supplies to Gaza or they would make life "hell" for Israeli communities near the border.

It's not clear that the terror groups are prepared to risk an escalation while keeping COVID-19 under control. Gaza recorded its first coronavirus fatality on Saturday while the number of cases stands at 55.

The incendiary and explosive balloons and kites have caused all kinds of environmental, agricultural and financial damage, but tapered off in February when Israel and Hamas reached an understanding.

2
Amid US pressure, a Chinese firm lost a contract to build the world's largest desalination plant in Israel.

The Sorek-2 facility, to be built in a sensitive location near the Palmachim Air Base and the Soreq Nuclear Research Center, is due to be completed in 2023.

3
A Palestinian soccer player who has represented the Palestinian national team in dozens of international games has been told that he is no longer in the squad after joining an Israeli team ahead of next season.

4
Norway's parliament rejected a bill requiring special labels on products from West Bank settlements.

5
Israel is trying to get Ayatollah Khamenei kicked off Twitter over the supreme leader's raft of antisemitic and genocidal tweets. The Iranians have a history of hair-raising incitement.

6
Iranian lawmaker: Tehran has spent $20-30 billion propping up Bashar Assad. (Bloomberg News)

Recommended Reading

- Palestinians may have bitten off more than they can chew (Elior Levy)

- Ayatollah Khamenei and the 'final solution' in the Middle East (Kersten Knipp)

- The Palestinian virus of jihad (Bassam Tawil)

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Netanyahu Corruption Trial Underway

1
Criminal case 67104, the State of Israel vs. Benjamin Netanyahu was underway in Jerusalem DIstrict Court as this roundup was completed. The Times of Israel and Jerusalem Post are posting live updates.

 

Indicted on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust (see background on the charges from three separate cases), Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli PM to ever stand trial. Netanyahu maintains his innocence.

2
Israeli officials confirmed that Mahmoud Abbas is scaling back security cooperation. Per the Times of Israel and Haaretz, PA forces that were working in Area B of the West Bank in coordination with Israel returned to Area A, where the PA has exclusive security responsibility.

 

However, PA officials said some degree of cooperation will continue, and Israeli officials expect it will be clandestine.

 

Under the terms of the Oslo agreements, the PA is responsible for security the West Bank's Area A, while Israel maintains security in Areas B and C.

3
Hezbollah was recently defeated by Turkish forces in Syria's Idlib province. Having closely monitored Hezbollah's losses, what has the IDF learned?

4
Say it ain't so: UN coronavirus aid going to Palestinian terror-linked groups.

5
In Gaza, Palestinians announced the Strip's first coronavirus fatality, a 77 year-old woman. They also report 39 active cases of COVID-19.

6
Antisemitism Watch: A top Ukrainian police official who demanded a list of all the Jews in the city of Kolomyia was fired. Faced with budget and manpower issues stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak, Belgium plans to end army protection of Antwerp synagogues. Australian police are investigating after a Melbourne golf club founded by the Jewish community was vandalized with antisemitic, homophobic and obscene graffiti.

Recommended Reading

 

- Benjamin Netanyahu is the Michael Jordan of Israeli politics (Ze'ev Chafets)

- As a serving PM in the dock, Netanyahu takes Israel into Berlusconi territory (David Horovitz)

- Cutting security ties, Abbas shows he’s serious — even if it risks everything (Avi Issacharoff)

- Abbas is playing poker without any cards (Shimrit Meir)

- Ending security cooperation: Abbas's precious gift to Iran (Khaled Abu Toameh)

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PA Rejects UAE's Corona Aid Delivered Via Israel

1
The Palestinian Authority refused to accept COVID-19 medical aid from the United Arab Emirates because it had been delivered directly via Israel.

 

According to Palestinian reports cited by Bloomberg News, the PA "doesn’t want to serve as a bridge for the normalization of ties between the UAE and Israel."

2
Hackers vandalized dozens of Israeli web sites today with the words of "The countdown to Israel's destruction has begun" along with images of Israeli cities in ruins.

 

According to the National Cyber Directorate, the attacks were carried out by Iran or Hamas, who have made similar attacks on Quds Day.

3
In the face of European pressure against incitement in Palestinian school books, the PA announced it would amend curriculum.

4
Clarification of the day: Ayatollah Khamenei says "Final solution" refers to Israel, not Jews.

5
Antisemitism Watch: An Irish EU lawmaker is facing a backlash for "explaining" antisemitism to Jews while promoting BDS. The US Justice Dept. filed a lawsuit against New Jersey's Jackson Township over "antisemitic conduct" towards Orthodox Jews.

VIDEO: Iran's Cyberattack Against Israel
https://honestreporting.com/irans-cyberattack-against-israel/

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Israel Braces For Iranian Cyberattack

1
Israel is bolstering cybersecurity in anticipation of an Iranian hack attack. Israeli officials hinted  of responsibility for a cyberattack that shut down a new Iranian port terminal in retaliation for an Iranian attack last month on Israeli water infrastructure.

2
Palestinians are highly skeptical of Mahmoud Abbas' latest threats to cancel security cooperation with Israel.

3
For the first time known, a commercial plane flying direct from the United Arab Emirates landed at Ben Gurion Airport yesterday. The UAE-based Etihad Airways was carrying medical aid for the Palestinians. Israel and the UAE do not have formal diplomatic ties.

4
A Trump administration official told the Jerusalem Post that the US expects Israel to take firmer action to lower its ties with China in areas of security risk, particularly technology.

 

“I don’t think polite deflection will cut it anymore,” he stated. “This is a high priority for the US.”

5
A Jordanian trying to smuggle weapons into Israel was shot and wounded by IDF forces. The man was found carrying several rifles and other unspecified arms. (Ynet)

6
Antisemitism Watch: In Spain, government officials cancelled a tolerance training seminar run by a group accused of antisemitism. And at Stanford University, the ‘hateful’ anti-Israel tweets of a student senator are stirring controversy.

Commentary I'm reading

 

- Cyberattack on port suggests Israeli tit-for-tat strategy, shows Iran vulnerable (Judah Ari Gross)

- Israel and U.S. are sending a clear warning to Iran (Ron Ben-Yishai)

- With cyberattack on Iranian port, Tehran gets a warning: Civilian installations are a red line (Amos Harel)

- Israel's daunting decision on drawing permanent borders (Clifford May)

- Applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is legal (Michael Calvo)

- Can Jordan revoke its peace treaty with Israel? (Amb. Alan Baker)

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Was Israel Behind Major Cyberattack on Iranian Port Facility?

1
There's a lot of buzz over a Washington Post scoop that Israel was apparently responsible for a highly accurate and disruptive cyberattack on Iran's newest port terminal.

 

I say "apparently" because the report is based on anonymous sources and no evidence is offered. The attributed motive is certainly plausible: Retaliation for a recent Iranian cyberattack on Israeli water infrastructure.

 

More background on the Mideast's escalating cyberbattle at the Jerusalem Post.

2
The European Parliament passed three resolutions condemning the Palestinian Authority's failure to stop teaching hatred in school textbooks.

3
The Israel-China-US triangle is getting more complicated. Per Bloomberg News, Washington's scrutiny of Israel-China ties has now expanded to universities.

4
Worth reading: The Daily Telegraph takes a closer look at what prompted Germany to ban Hezbollah as a terror organization. Reporter James Rothwell even visited a terror tunnel dug under the Israel-Lebanon border.

5
Antisemitism Watch: A Brazilian CNN commentator is under fire after claiming on air that Jews helped choose the South American country's health minister. What's behind the disturbing popularity of a TikTok video mocking Holocaust tattoos on Jews? Police are investigating after a man was caught on surveillance video deliberately knocking down a menorah outside a North Carolina Chabad house.

Commentary I'm reading


- Does the term 'annexation' even apply? (Dore Gold)

- Israel stuck between Washington and Brussels (Prof. Eyal Zisser)

- No need for American peacekeepers in the Sinai (Jonathan Tobin)

- The Palestinans need to make bold moves (Walter Russell Mead, click via Twitter)

- Lebanon's interwoven fanatasy worlds all lead to war with Israel (Tony Badran)

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Israeli Court Convicts Jewish Terrorist for Duma Murders

1
Jewish terrorist Amiram Ben-Uliel was convicted of three counts of murder for the 2015 firebombing of a home in the Palestinian village of Duma that shocked Israel. Saad and Riham Dawabshe, and their 18-month-old son, Ali were killed. Another son who survived is now nine. The ruling labeled the attack as terror.

 

Ben-Uliel's sentence will be handed down on June 9.

2
Iranian lawmakers removed a ban on sports with Israeli athletes from an anti-Israel bill.

3
Antisemitism Watch: An Alaska lawmaker apologized ‘for any offense taken’ after likening the state's pandemic regulations to Nazi rules.

https://honestreporting.com/germany-criminalizes-burning-flags/
VIDEO: Burning Israeli Flags Now Criminalized in Germany
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=P3EpwJN6agA&feature=emb_logo
Germany Criminalizes Burning Flags

Commentary I'm reading


- Arab world delusions fuel BDS campaign's coronavirus conspiracies (Samantha Mandeles)

- 20 years after Lebanon pullout, Hezbollah is itching for another battle (Anna Ahronheim)

- Democrats’ stand on annexation poses a dilemma for Israel (Daniel Shapiro, Rotem Oreg)

- Coalition flaw isn’t all the new ministries, but the ones that were ripped apart (Haviv Rettig Gur)

- Exploiting, not serving, the people: Israel’s shamefully inflated new government (David Horovitz)

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Israel's Largest Gov't Sworn In After Weekend Delay

1
With festivities muted by health restrictions and delayed over the weekend by disgruntled Likud MKs, Israel's new government was sworn in this afternoon. It features 34 cabinet ministers and will later expand to 36. Throw in 16 deputy ministers and this is easily Israel's largest government ever.

 

In 18 months, certain cabinet roles will be reshuffled when Benny Gantz rotates into the position of prime minister. But for now, Benjamin Netanyahu will continue as PM, while Gantz will serve as Defense Minister and assume the newly-created title of Alternate Prime Minister.

 

Other names to expect to see more of in the news are Gabi Ashkenazi (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Orit Farkash-Hacohen (Minister of Strategic Affairs) and Gilad Erdan (Ambassador to both the US and the UN).

2
The tomb of Mordechai and Esther in Iran was set ablaze according to a number of reports cited by the Daily Mail. The extent of damage to the shrine, located in the northwestern city of Hamadan is not known.

 

Earlier this year, members of the Basij paramilitary militia threatened to raze the holy site and establish a Palestinian consulate in its place. 

 

3
China's ambassador to Israel was found dead in his Herzliya home today. Police investigators believe 57-year-old Du Wei died of a heart attack. The death comes at an especially senstive moment for Israeli-Chinese relations:

 

"Wei's death comes one week after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Israel in what seemed to be an attempt to convince the government to limit Chinese investments."

4
The IDF thwarted a terror attack in Jerusalem after ambushing three Palestinian suspects.

5
Germany criminalized the burning of foreign flags. Per the New York Times, this "was in response to a 2017 anti-Israel rally held on the streets of Berlin, the German capital, where the police watched as protesters burned Israeli flags."

6
Antisemitism Watch: State lawmakers passed legislation barring Missouri from doing business with companies that boycott Israel. The bill heads over to Gov. Mike Parson. (Related reading: Boycotting Israel: Is it Protected Free Speech?)

 

George Washington University stands by the appointment of an interim dean who backs the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign (BDS).

 

"A regional government in Spain hired an organization that is widely regarded as anti-Semitic to train teachers on how to combat racism."

Commentary I'm reading

 

- Netanyahu lays first down payment for West Bank annexation (Alex Fishman)

- The unlearned ‘nakba’ lesson about compromise (Jonathan Tobin)

- Why Hamas loves Human Rights Watch (Bassam Tawil)

The Chinese challenge to the US-Israel relationship (Douglas Feith, click cia Twitter)

- A portrait of viral antisemitism (Ruthie Blum)