The Israel-UAE Deal: What’s Next?

Video Of The Week - Israel-UAE Peace Deal https://tinyurl.com/y29zubzo

For other correspondents reactions go to: BESA  -  https://tinyurl.com/yx9dnljr

Respondents: Lahav Harkov, Hillel Frisch, Asaf Romirowsky, Edy Cohen, Alex Joffe, Spyridon Plakoudas, James Dorsey

  Q:  On August 13, 2020, in what President Donald Trump called a “truly historic moment,” Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to a peace agreement called the Abraham Accord. The UAE is thus the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, to formally normalize relations with Israel. Security cooperation, business relations, tourism, direct flights, scientific collaboration, and many other things are expected to flourish under the deal—but the implications for the wider region are open questions.

Lahav Harkov, Diplomatic Correspondent, The Jerusalem Post

Two days after the big announcement of the peace deal, the UAE lifted its ban on phone calls from Israel, with Israeli FM Gabi Ashkenazi and his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed inaugurating the newly opened line of communication. And that is not the only case of an immediate application of the terms of the deal. A team from the Israeli foreign ministry is now in Abu Dhabi looking for a site for the future Israeli embassy; there is a new flow of Emirati investment in Israeli companies working on innovative ways to treat and test for the coronavirus; business deals are being drawn up between Israeli start-ups and companies in the UAE; and Israir is working on setting up direct flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

There is also the possibility that this deal will have a domino effect and inspire other states in the region to bring their behind-the-scenes ties with Israel out into the open. Bahrain is widely considered most likely to be the next Gulf State to make this move. Oman’s FM Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah spoke with Ashkenazi soon after the UAE deal was signed. Earlier this year, PM Benjamin Netanyahu met with Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah Burhan, which could signal a coming breakthrough on that front as well. Though Khartoum did fire a Sudanese FM spokesman for speaking on the subject—he expressed hope that peace could be achieved based on comments made by Israeli intelligence minister Eli Cohen—it has not denied that the two governments are in contact.

There is a lot of talk about the UAE trying to buy F-35s from the US. This makes Israel uncomfortable, as Netanyahu has told Washington on multiple occasions that he opposes such deals as they would compromise Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME). While this story did rain on the Israeli peace parade somewhat, it is unlikely to threaten peace or normalization with the UAE. An arms deal of that magnitude would take years to be completed, and in the meantime, open ties between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi will have time to flourish. Plus, there are many steps along the way, in the White House and at Congress, at which such a sale could be abandoned. It remains to be seen how the F-35 story will end, and Israel is right to be wary of any threats to its QME. But that should not put a damper on the historic magnitude of this occasion

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Divided by Faith, United by War

Video Of The Week- Rare Griffon Vulture Saved by Drone - https://tinyurl.com/y3jbwztw

   

For full article go to - https://tinyurl.com/y6pm8zan

It is Nazi-occupied Sarajevo, 1941. A Muslim woman holds the hand of her Jewish friend. She positions her veil to hide the Star of David on her Jewish friend's sleeve. A Nazi patrol was approaching. It is a simple, brave act of kindness among friends. But the story goes much deeper.

The Muslim woman is named Zejneba Hardaga. Zejneba wasn’t just protecting her friend Rifka Kabilio on the street - she gave refuge to Rifka, her husband Josef, and their children in her home.

When the Jewish family arrived, Zejneba said, “Whatever is ours will be yours. We’ll share everything like family – feel as if you are in your own home."

Across the street from the Hardaga house was the Gestapo headquarters and notices were posted everywhere warning that anyone harboring Jews in their home would be killed. But this Muslim family risked their lives to protect their Jewish friends.

The Kabilio family found their way to Italy, but Josef was caught and imprisoned. He escaped and ran to Zejneba’s home again, where he was given refuge once again. Josef survived the war, and the entire Kabilio family immigrated to Israel.

Decades later, the Jewish people would attempt to pay back this remarkable Muslim family. It was during the Siege of Sarajevo. The city was under attack. Zejneba, her daughter Aida, and her 10-year old grand-daughter were at great risk. An artillery shell had landed in Aida’s home. They had to get out.

Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Museum, knew of the family’s bravery during the War. Now, they did everything they could to rescue the family. They even appealed to the President of Bosnia. And it worked! A convoy arranged by Jewish aid agencies made it through the lines, and took the family to safety.

When Zejneba and her daughter were asked where they wanted to relocate, they both knew where. Israel, they said.

In 1994, Zejneba, her daughter Aida, Aida's husband, and their child were welcomed to Israel. The Kabilios -- the family they saved -- embraced them. The State of Israel had paid back its debt — and helped the Hardagas in their own time of need.

Zejneba Hardaga died within a year of arriving in Israel. but just before she passed Aida told her mother that she wanted to become a Jew. "That turned out to be one of the happiest days of my life. She just turned to me, smiled and said: "If you want to do something, don't talk about it, do it." It was her way of giving me her blessing."

Aida became Jewish and changed her name to Sara. She now works at Yad Vashem, where she honors all those who weren’t fortunate enough to have a friend like Zejneba.

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Facts About the Beirut Explosion

Video Of The Week-UNRWA; Incitement at its Best - https://tinyurl.com/y26eqtq9

Report from - Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center

As the Lebanese people struggle to recover from the catastrophic deaths and destruction wrought by the Beirut explosion, more questions than answers continue to arise. The official story, that in 2013, Lebanese port officials impounded a Moldovan flagged ship bound for Mozambique, laden with explosive chemicals, does not address other facts which have emerged and must be investigated:

1.         Sections of the Beirut port are under the control of the Hezbollah terrorist organization. Israeli officials have long complained that the Beirut port, “the Hezbollah Port” was being utilized by the terrorists to smuggle contraband and weapons into Lebanon. As UN Ambassador Danny Danon recently stated: “Israel discovered that Iran and its Quds Force have been exploiting civilian maritime channels, and specifically the Port of Beirut.”

2.         Hezbollah has a long history of illegally acquiring and stockpiling ammonium nitrate in civilian areas. In 2015, Britain’s M15 and Metro Police carried out a raid on a secret Hezbollah warehouse in London that contained 3 tons of ammonium nitrate. The British government shamefully covered-up the raid in order not to damage relations with Iran shortly after signing the dangerous Nuclear Deal. It is believed Hezbollah was planning on using the chemicals for an attack in the UK. Click here

3.         The same year, police in Cyprus discovered a Hezbollah warehouse storing 8.3 tons of ammonium nitrate. A Hezbollah operative was arrested and charged with planning a terror attack. “A state prosecutor said Lebanese-Canadian Hussein Bassam Abdallah admitted that Hezbollah aimed to mount terrorist attacks against Israeli interests in Cyprus using the ammonium nitrate that he had been ordered to guard at the Larnaca home of another official of the Iranian-backed group.” Click here

4.         Israeli intelligence gave German police information, earlier this year, of the location of a Hezbollah stockpile of ammonium nitrate in southern Germany. The fact that the Iranian terror group was warehousing the explosives on German soil helped to push Berlin to outlaw all wings of the Hezbollah organization.  “Mossad reportedly gave Germany information about warehouses in the south of the country where Hezbollah stashed hundreds of kilograms of ammonium nitrate, a material used to make explosives.” Click here

5.         Hezbollah has a long history and deliberate strategy of stockpiling rockets, weapons and explosives in civilian areas. Hezbollah intentionally utilizes civilian neighborhoods including the basements of schools, mosques, residential buildings and hospitals as missile depots. The terrorists understand that the Israeli air force would be hindered in responding to rockets launched from civilian centers during the next war with Lebanon. And if Israel does attack the launchers and kills civilians, Hezbollah is counting on the UN, the Europeans and the ICC to immediately accuse Israel of war crimes. Hezbollah calls it this “Human Shield” program. Click here

6.         In 2016, Hezbollah’s chief terrorist Hassan Nasrallah had threatened to fire rockets at an ammonia storage facility in Haifa. He vowed that the explosion would be like a nuclear bomb striking Israel. He repeated this threat on several occasions causing Israeli officials to remove the storage tanks. “Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened in the past to destroy Israel by causing a massive explosion in the port of Haifa using ammonia tanks that he said would be like a “nuclear” explosion. In addition Hezbollah allegedly sought to acquire ammonium nitrate via Syria since 2009 and tried to infiltrate the agriculture ministry in Lebanon to do so, according to leaked diplomatic cables.” Click here

7.         On Valentine’s Day in 2005, a team of Hezbollah terrorists murdered then Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri with a powerful bomb in Beirut. 21 people were killed in the massive explosion. Hariri was a strong opponent of the Hezbollah group and the regime of  Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad that was attempting to control Lebanon. Four Hezbollah assassins are being tried in absentia by a UN court for the murder. Ironically, after 15 years of stalling, the UN’s Special Tribunal for Lebanon, hearing the Hariri case will deliver its decision on Friday. It’s believed the Special Tribunal will declare Hezbollah as responsible for the bombing attack. Click here

Hezbollah’s long involvement in attempting to procure and stockpile ammonium nitrate perpetuates the growing suspicions that the Iranian terrorist organization, which rules Lebanon, was directly involved in the warehousing of the chemicals at the Beirut port. When the Lebanese population will finish dealing with the devastation and mourning its dead and wounded the finger-pointing at Hezbollah’s role in the tragedy will begin in earnest. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon whose verdict in the Hariri assassination trial will further emphasize Hezbollah’s guilt. Hezbollah and its Iranian masters, the key source of Middle East instability, must be driven out of Lebanon.

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BBC NEWS COVERAGE OF TERRORISM IN ISRAEL

Video Of The Week - Two Friends, Saving Lives Together in Israel - https://tinyurl.com/yybeeqex

 From “Camera UK”, by Hadar Sela

 The Israel Security Agency’s report on terror attacks (Hebrew) during July 2020 shows that throughout the month a total of 94 incidents took place: 70 in Judea & Samaria, 22 in Jerusalem and inside the ‘green line’ and two in the Gaza Strip sector.

 In Judea & Samaria and Jerusalem the agency recorded 61 attacks with petrol bombs, fourteen attacks using pipe bombs, two shooting attacks and fifteen arson attacks. In the Gaza Strip sector two rocket attacks were recorded.

No injuries or fatalities were sustained during July.

The BBC News website did not report any of the attacks which took place in July, including two rocket attacks involving three missiles on July 5^th which were known to at least one of the BBC’s Jerusalem-based correspondents.

 Since the beginning of the year visitors to the BBC News website have seen coverage of 5.6% of the terror attacks against Israelis which actually took place and no reporting of the one fatality. BBC coverage of rocket attacks launched from the Gaza Strip in 2020 stands at 13.6% as of the end of July. Six of the first seven months of 2020 saw no BBC reporting on Palestinian terrorism at all.

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Military Liaison Between Israel & USA

Video Of The Week -Car Ramming, Terrorist Attack - https://tinyurl.com/y3fsc2tn

                 

From Task&Purpose by Jared Keller 21-7-2020 https://tinyurl.com/y23zzlg2

Army tanks deployed to Europe as part of the service's largest exercise in years are rocking a new piece of sophisticated military tech: an active protection system designed to protect against anti-tank missiles.

Photos released on July 10 ahead of the second phase of the Army's Defense Europe exercise show an M1 Abrams main battle tank rocking an Israeli-made Trophy Active Protection System (APS) as the vehicle is loaded onto a heavy equipment transport at the Bergen-Hohne Training Area in Germany.

According to a U.S. Army Europe spokesman, the 18th Military Police Brigade drew, installed and fielded the Trophy system from the Army Prepositioned Stock onto 8 M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks at the training area earlier this month.

An M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank is loaded on an M1300 Heavy Equipment Transport System at Bergen-Hohne Training Area, Germany, July 10, 2020 prior to phase two of DEFENDER-Europe 20.

(U.S. Army/Sgt. Evan Ruchotzke)

The Trophy APS is designed to intercept and destroy incoming anti-armor missiles and other guided rockets "with a shotgun-like blast," as Army Recognition, which first reported the fielding of the system, put it.

In 2018, the Army awarded Leonardo DRS a $193 million contract to equip the service’s M1A2 SEP v2 main battle tanks with the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems-developed Trophy APS to provide "a high level of performance, safety, and life-cycle affordability.”

The Trophy system "works by using radar to provide continuous 360-degree protection of the vehicle," according to The National Interest. "Once a threat is detected, the system launches a 'tight pattern of explosively formed penetrators' that destroys the incoming round before impact."

The Trophy system can also trace the origin of hostile fire to locate a potential adversary, allowing a tank crew to almost immediately return fire.

Leonardo and Rafael (lol) delivered their first Trophy APS to the Army in October 2019, the companies announced at the time, with plans to ultimately outfit four brigades of Abrams tanks with the anti-armor system.

First deployed on Israel's Merkava tanks in 2011, Rafael says that the Trophy APS is the only combat-proven system of its kind currently in service around the world, although Star and Stripes reports that multiple countries — including China, Ukraine, and South Korea — are developing similar systems.

The Army had previously planned on testing the system for the first time during the Defense Europe exercises, as Stars and Stripes reported at the time, although the global novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forced the U.S. and its allies to drastically scale back what was once billed as the largest European military exercise in decades.

It's unclear how many Abrams tanks deployed to Europe are currently outfitted with the Trophy APS. According to U.S. Army Europe, the installed systems were removed shortly after their installation.

Related: The Army's souped-up new M1 Abrams tank is officially ready for a fight

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EU Awakes Then Goes Back To Sleep

Video Of The Week -US State Department's Bias against Israel https://tinyurl.com/y6hlyvco

Gerald Steinberg, founder and president of NGO Monitor, a policy analysis think tank focusing on non-governmental organizations, spoke to participants in a June 8 Middle East Forum webinar (Click on video) about the European Union's funding of Palestinian NGOs affiliated to terrorist organizations.

                                  

The EU grants around two to three billion Euros a year to hundreds of NGOs around the world, of which at least 150 million Euros is allocated for humanitarian aid. NGO Monitor's investigations reveal that over the last seven years at least 25 million Euros have gone to Palestinian groups affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), an organization designated as a terrorist group by the European Union.

Steinberg highlighted three examples of NGOs funded by both the EU and EU member governments that have ties to the PFLP:

Al-Haq, an NGO ostensibly dedicated to documenting human rights violations, is led by Shawan Jabarin, who was convicted by Israel's High Court in the 1980s of being a member of the PFLP and subsequently was prohibited from traveling abroad based on evidence he was recruiting for the PFLP.

Defense for Children International Palestine (DCI-P), a local branch of the Geneva-based Defense for Children International, is closely associated with the PFLP. At least three figures with alleged ties to PFLP have been employed or appointed as board members by DCI-P.

The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) was identified in a USAID report as the "agricultural arm of the PFLP." UAWC personnel with ties to the PFLP include an accountant who negotiated funding from the European Union and an administrative manager, both of whom are currently under indictment for the August 2019 murder of 17-year-old Israeli Rina Shnerb.

Last year, the EU introduced a provision into its grant agreements designed to ensure that entities on the EU's terrorism blacklist, known as a "restrictive list," don't benefit from EU funds. This caused an uproar among Palestinians. The Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), which represents the above groups and many others with dubious affiliations, "went to the European Union office that's in charge of relations with the Palestinians and said, 'We have totally opposed this. We won't let you. We refuse to allow you to apply this regulation to the funding that we're getting'."

EU officials soon backed down. In March 2020, the EU's representative to the Palestinians, Sven Kȕhn von Burgsdorff, issued a clarification letter saying, "it is understood that a natural person affiliated to, sympathizing with, or supporting any of the groups or entities mentioned in the EU restrictive lists is not excluded from benefiting from EU-funded activities, unless his/her exact name and surname (confirming his/her identity) corresponds to any of the natural persons on the EU restrictive lists."

In plainer English, said Steinberg, this means Shawan Jabarin and other PFLP members who pose as "human rights defenders" are allowed to benefit from EU funding so long as their individual names are not on the EU blacklist, which it so happens does not list any individuals (i.e. "natural persons"). Von Burgsdorff's letter assures Palestinian NGOs that affiliates connected to EU-designated terrorist groups like the PFLP not only can continue to receive EU funding but are now afforded "legitimacy" by Brussels.

The Israeli government contested this dodge and continues to insist that the Europeans end funding "that can be readily siphoned off to the terrorist organizations like the PFLP," explained Steinberg. "The European commissioner in charge of relations with Israel ... said, 'We're going to investigate this.' Now we're going to see if there's going to be an investigation or not. There may. That's why I leave the question, did the European Union go to sleep or not?"

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