WarSclerotic

TV report says Cairo, when fixing ceasefire late Friday, emphasized to terror group that Israeli strikes were the direct result of IDF soldier’s killing by Gaza sniper

An unofficial ceasefire reached overnight Friday-Saturday between Israel and Hamas came after Egypt warned the Palestinian terror group that Israel would launch a war “in two hours” if Hamas responded to IDF retaliatory strikes in Gaza following the killing of an IDF soldier by Palestinian sniper fire, Israeli television reported Saturday.

Channel 10 news also reported that Egypt threatened to impose sanctions on Hamas if it does not end the launch of incendiary airborne devices toward Israeli territory.

In return for honoring these conditions, Hamas demanded Israel ease restrictions on the flow of goods into Gaza, the report said. Hamas also called for Egypt to keep open the Rafah border crossing and to press Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to pay the salaries of PA employees in Gaza.

Abbas has been withholding the salaries as part of the split between Abbas’s Fatah party and Hamas, which seized Gaza from Fatah in 2007. A number of reconciliation agreements have failed to bridge the divide between the sides, including an Egyptian-mediated deal reached in October.

The ceasefire announced by Hamas, which Israel has not confirmed, came into effect around midnight Friday as the escalation in violence along the border raised fears of a wider military conflict.

A picture taken on July 20, 2018 shows an Israeli Merkava battle tank patrolling along the border with the Gaza Strip near Kibbutz Nahal Oz in southern Israel. (AFP Photo/Jack Guez)

The Israel Defense Forces said it struck more than 60 Hamas targets Friday in response to sniper fire from the Strip that killed IDF infantryman Aviv Levi, 21, from Petah Tikva. Staff Sgt. Levi was the first Israeli fatality in fighting along the border since the 2014 war.

A photo released on July 21, 2018, shows Staff Sgt. Aviv Levi of the IDF’s Givati Brigade, who was killed by sniper fire from Gaza on July 20. (Israel Defense Forces)

According to Channel 10, Egypt noted to Hamas that the Israeli strikes were a response to Levi’s killing, and warned that any Hamas response to the strikes would prompt Israel to go to war in two hours.

The Hamas-run health ministry said four Palestinians were killed in Friday’s violence, three of whom were acknowledged as members of the terror group.

While Israel holds Hamas responsible for all violence emanating from Gaza, Hebrew media reported Saturday that defense officials believe the sniper attack that killed Levi was carried out at the initiative of local Hamas operatives and not approved by the terror group’s leadership.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh gestures as he makes a stop on April 9, 2018, at the site of violent “March of Return” protests on the Israel-Gaza border east of Gaza City. (AFP Photo/Mahmud Hams)

Channel 10 reported that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was touring the border at the time of the attack, exposing him to a potential Israeli response.

The ceasefire largely held Saturday, though Israeli tanks twice carried out reprisal strikes at Hamas observation posts.

The army said the first strike was in response to an attempted infiltration of the border fence in northern Gaza, while the second strike came after a flaming balloon launched from the Strip sparked a fire in nearby Kibbutz Nahal Oz.

Firefighters and security teams fight a fire at a cowshed, caused by a kite loaded with an incendiary device from Gaza, at Kibbutz Nahal-Oz on July 21, 2018. (Gili Yaari/FLASH90)

A senior Israeli diplomatic official told Hebrew-language media that Hamas had vowed to halt airborne arson attacks against Israel going forward. But Hamas sources quoted by Israel Radio on Saturday afternoon denied this.

Nonetheless, Saturday saw the fewest launches of arson kites and balloons in weeks.

20 Jul 2018

https://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2018/07/20/idf-soldier-killed-by-gaza-terror-snipers/

Soldier wounded by sniper fire on Friday dies of his wounds; IDF says three Hamas battalion headquarters destroyed in reprisal raids; 3 projectiles fired at Israel, 2 intercepted

The IDF announced the death of the soldier late Friday night, revealing details on the deadly incident hours after it happened.

“Today, an IDF combat soldier was killed during operational activity near the southern Gaza Strip. During the incident, a terrorist squad shot at IDF troops and the IDF soldier was severely injured. He later succumbed to his wounds,” the army said.

Details of the death were withheld for several hours until the soldier’s family were notified. His name was not immediately published.

The death was the first of an Israeli soldier on the Gaza front since 2014’s Operation Protective Edge.

Earlier the IDF said Gaza snipers had opened fire on troops, calling it the “most serious incident since the 2014 Gaza war.

In response the Israel Air Force launched a major wave of strikes at Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip on Friday evening.

“At this time our aircraft are carrying out widespread attacks against terror targets belonging to Hamas in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said, adding that this came after the “serious shooting incident against our forces,” referring to sniper fire at IDF troops during a riot on the border earlier in the day.

A picture taken on July 20, 2018 shows a fireball exploding in Gaza City during Israeli strikes (AFP PHOTO / BASHAR TALEB)

The army said around 60 targets were hit, including three Hamas brigade headquarters in Zeitoun, Khan Younis and al-Bureij. The army said the headquarters were completely destroyed along with “weapons and ammunition stores, training grounds, observation posts, control centers and the offices of the brigade commander.”

The IDF said it also destroyed factories and machinery for the manufacture of weapons, a drone storage facility, an entry shaft to tunnels and “elements for constructing underground infrastructure.”

There were no reports from Gaza of injuries in the strikes.

“The strikes are continuing,” the IDF said, releasing video of the strikes.

Following the strikes, rocket warning sirens wailed in communities around Gaza. At least two projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome system and another fell in an open field, the army said. There were no reports of projectiles falling in Israeli communities or injuries.

The air raids came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the IDF headwaters in Tel Aviv to join Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and the top IDF generals for a security assessment.

The IDF Spokesman Ronen Manelis did not rule out a major ground offensive, but said the IDF was not looking to enter a full-scale conflict. Nonetheless, the fire on the troops at the border was “the most serious incident” since the 2014 conflict, Manelis said, and the IDF’s Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot had spent the years since then ensuring that the army was ready for “whatever response is necessary.”

A picture taken on July 20, 2018 shows smoke plumes rising after an Israeli bombardment in Gaza City.
Israeli aircraft and tanks hit targets throughout the Gaza Strip on July 20 after shots were fired at troops along the border, the army said, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting three Palestinians killed. (AFP/Mahmud Hams)

Cabinet minister Tzachi Hanegbi told Hadashot news that Israel was preparing for a massive response on Gaza.

“Last week the air force carried out strikes that were described as the largest since Operation Protective Edge in 2014, we will look back at it after our response now and say it was a joke,” Hanegbi said. “The gloves are coming off.”

“The situation is that Hamas has repeatedly ignored our warnings, both private and public,” Hanegbi said.

Hadashot news analysts said that while Israel’s response would be widespread, it was unlikely to include the entrance of ground forces.

Israelis living close to the Gaza border were told to stay close to bomb shelters, and not to attend synagogues for Friday evening prayers in larger numbers than could be accommodated in protected rooms if Gaza terror groups were to launch rocket attacks.

Reports said that Israeli special forces had been stationed near border communities to prevent possible Hamas attacks through attack tunnels into Israel.

Manelis said that Hamas had spent the past three and a half months carrying out acts of terrorism during mass demonstrations at the border, firing rockets and mortar shells into Israel, and launching arson kites and balloons. Israel had tried to convey to the terror chiefs that it “means business” in demanding that the terrorism stop, but Hamas evidently had not got the message, he told Hadashot TV news.

Manelis noted that the IDF carried out a major drill this week, including simulating a ground incursion to retake control of Gaza, from where Israel withdrew in 2005. Asked whether that was a likely scenario, Manelis said it would be more sensible to wait for the completion of the current military action “over the next few hours.”

He noted that Israel had deployed Iron Dome missile defense batteries in the south and center of the country, and said the IDF was prepared “for all scenarios.”

During meeting with Gaza border residents, defense minister insists Israel has shown restraint and has conducted itself responsibly in face of ongoing fire terrorism, but cautions that without an intensified response, Israel’s deterrence capabilities hangs in the balance; ‘The situation is intolerable. We cannot accept it.’

Israel Birth of a Nation Documentary

July 18, 2018

By Dushan Wegner

https://www.journalistenwatch.com/2018/07/18/ich-will-frieden-was-wollt-ihr/

Photo: Imago

The White House announced some time ago: The US president congratulates Putin on his recent victory in the Russian presidential election. The two state leaders spoke on the phone. The US president stressed the improvement of US-Russia relations, including military cooperation. The US president and Putin agreed that the successful relationship in the years ahead should be strengthened. The US president told Putin that he was pleased to meet him soon.

Then they met too! They were in good spirits and schäkerten. The video you see  here at YouTube , the report read  here at Foreign Policy .

If you have clicked the two links? If so, then you know: My lines refer to a report from 2012. The aforementioned US President is the ” Messiah ” Barack Obama. (This congratulation is displaced so intense today that  snopes.com Extra has a page to which it confirms .) It is the same Obama who promised Medvedev once, after the election, he would have “more flexibility” to negotiate with Russia , (Yes, this is also  documented by video  and  confirmed by Snopes .) Later, the US relationship with Russia deteriorated then something.

Yesterday Trump and Putin held a joint press conference in Helsinki. Trump was friendly, though not as chummy as Obama or W. ( of went fishing with Putin ), unlike the Clinton clan to Melania Trump has taken unpaid in the context of lecture tours in Moscow with Putin, while Trump was still in office (see  newsweek.com, 20/10/2017 ) – and he did not have any “flexibility” promised. And yet the press was angry – very, very angry. If it were up to many opinion makers, Trump would have on the spot to explain the Third World War. Good thing there is not (always) goes to the press.

The bad sleeper

After the war, the Allies banned first the previous press to back in 1945 gradually permits to ” license newspapers to approve” such as Süddeutsche, time or the Frankfurter Rundschau. Only in 1949, the press was again completely released, after about the FAZ (1949) or IMAGE (1952) were founded.

The first generation of journalists not know the war. The chief editor of the world about,  Rudolf Meier sexton , had been resistance fighters and prisoners in the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen. Arno Rudert , co-founder of the Frankfurter Rundschau and later Director of the dpa precursor  DENA , had been arrested several times and sentenced to forced labor. Not all journalists had been so clearly to be found on that side, as should turn out right later, but all they had experienced the war. (Did I say too careful?)

The second generation, the children of the war generation quasi had parents who may not like telling them about the war, but highly frightened at night and cried, or had hidden these memories of which they did not want to talk back in the living room closet.

Today, nearly 75 years after the Second World War, we are dealing with an entirely new, entirely different generation of journalists. Oh yes, they talk about the war, and how! But: The intellectuals talk today about the war as one who curses in a foreign language; they say the word, they know its meaning, but they do not feel the pain. One who speaks of the war, but does not feel the pain, does not understand the word truth. A man is indeed never really understand what a birth, and if he ever so often pronounce the word. I see journalists who yearn for the war in the name of a higher “morality”, and I will be physically sick. These poor, stupid, scruffy children do not know what they are talking.

look yourself

Donald Trump is rare press conferences, but when he gives what it degenerates ever made in a scandal. Yesterday, on July 16, 2018 Donald Trump gave a press conference at the side of Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Previously, she had talked privately. The video of the press conference there  on YouTube  and the  transcript at npr.org . (Both are in English.)

The response of some journalists and fellow politicians at this press conference was of the kind that might make one think one is that they are disposed to Mr. Trump not only neutral to friendly. There were words like “ignorant,” “treacherous,” “naive” and “useful idiot”. (see, for example  spiegel.de, 07.17.2018 )

I have also seen the conference. Yes, it is true that Trump was friendly with Putin, though not quite as playfully as then Obama. Yes, it’s true that it was contrary to the narrative in the context of Mueller-examination, after which Putin has thrown the choice for Trump. But it still ran on a few more things as it can be established on the basis of the video and the transcript.

Let us enter into the matter, but first we want to warm up virtually to train some logic.

syllogisms

In logic there is the art of syllogistic reasoning. From two premises gives a conclusion.

Let’s practice the syllogism!

Like this:

• Premise 1: All humans are mortal.
• Premise 2: Socrates is a man.
• Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.

Or so:

• Premise 1: Who takes politicians such as Trump and Putin literally in Empörungs age, is an idiot.
• Premise 2: Many opinion leaders take Trump and Putin literally.
• Conclusion: Many opinion leaders are idiots.

(Enough practiced logic, further in the text!)

At this point, I suppose, have you looked into the press conference itself and have read headlines such as “It’s a sad day for the world” ( faz.net, 07.17.2018 ). If you believe the media consensus, then delivered to the Russian President in this news conference the US president and the country.

However, read the transcript and the reports themselves! Read the review, even the geiferndste, and search for the answer to the question, what concessions because Trump has actually done in practice? He has taken what commitments? He has taken what action?

No.

Not a single.

What is Trump  then  criticized?

journalism today

In about 38 minutes the video, the AP journalist Jonathan Lemire stands up to the last question, and attempts finally in aggressive journalistic activism, as he became famous among others “by CNN’s Jim Acosta.” Lemire calls on Trump: “Would you now say with the whole world as a spectator, President Putin, that you condemn what happened in 2016, and that you do not want him to do it ever again?”

We need not discuss whether the journalism is. It is not even “journalism with attitude”. It’s simple political activism (in this case non-elected political actors), populist and reserved for extra-smart.

Most citizens do not look at the entire conference. They trust people who act as journalists and report on the policy. A large number of citizens will receive their world view pre-filtered by activists who believe themselves to be the better politicians.

Functioning democracy requires informed citizens. If those who are to inform, but even openly appear as political actors, is “the press” not a guarantee but a threat to democracy.

The server

Trump and Putin are both presidents, have understood the communication in the age of social media. This means that they know that a large part of their audience has understood social media.

But those journalists who are still holding on ‘elite’,  hate  social media, because they take away their important role in society. Formerly, journalists “gatekeeper.” You decide which information is published and which are not.

Trump tweets past journalists. Journalists will never forgive Trump that he does not accept its claimed sovereignty over what the “common people” experiences.

Trump and Putin have introduced a practice in this conference, which could be described as “Drunter comment” in the Twitter-style. If a journalist posts a one-sided information or question, now is anyone willing illuminates the context and the statement takes the lead.

When that activists from the Associated Press gave his political plea, Trump replied, among other things: “There are groups who are wondering why the FBI has never taken the server. Why do they have never taken the server? Why has told the FBI that it should leave the offices of the Democrats? “

You could call it “whataboutism” – by the way, according to legend, a classic Russian tactics (which Putin also applied in the following interview with Fox News). I think it’s more than distraction. But too many journalists are so busy, Trump obliterate one that she did not hear what the politicians really want to tell.

Trump and Putin have – and this is  my  interpretation – especially one central message conveyed: At any given time pass 10,000 things between all major states, each of which could scandalize individual. Activist journalists like to always pick out only those aspects that can look bad political opponents of their editors. But: Thanks to social media, it is quite easy to make the counter-arguments in the room. “I know how dossiers are done,” said Putin in reference to a likely all or fake in much of Anti-Trump dossier, was involved in the dissemination of the Republican Trump hater John McCain (see eg theguardian.com, 01/11/2017 ,  foxnews.com, 05.10.2018 ).

Numb with rage

Many journalists have become so walled in their anti-Trump-activism that they have not realized how Putin said some things in a roundabout way that could be interpreted as an admission of influence opinion. With respect to the company “Concorde Management” (which influence acquisitions are accused in the 2016 election campaign, see eg  cnn.com, 14/05/2018 ) denies Putin effect that the Russian government has to do with this – and mentions just as George Soros example of a political player with no connection to the government. ( “But does that make him, his position the posture of the United States? No it does not.”  Npr.org )

Now it is so that the George Soros Foundation “Open Society” seems well on friendly terms with some politicians and side-by-side with governments against a common political enemy fights (see, eg  tichyseinblick.de, 05/03/2017 ) while in countries whose policy is less “suicidal” oriented than the Merkel government, is rather suspicious observed, as in his native Hungary to (see eg  welt.de, 05.15.2018 ) or Israel (see eg  jpost.com, 4.2. 2018 ). If Putin says that Russia is so far removed from the company like Soros governments is far, then it is at least interesting.

Paid “quality journalists” are literally numb with rage. Perhaps the new generation of journalists covering who-knows-what relations took office just do not, only the inner span to look behind the curtain of irrelevancies. The two gentlemen  want  so that you understand what they are really saying – but they have to say it so that they can deny it any time.

He who has ears to hear, “let him hear!” It says  in the Bible , and that seems to be good advice here.

Blessed are the peacemakers

No, not all journalists are outraged emotional fools. They still exist, the breath deeply and think about what happens as the quiet thinker – and not lose their colleagues from view!

Timo Lokoschat of the BILD newspaper writes about the press conference:

“There’s certainly a lot of reprehensible on #TrumpPutinSummit, with some commentators have been, however, a feeling they would not be satisfied until the two yelled at in front of cameras or better yet organize a wrestling match.” ( @Lokoschat, 07/17/2018 )

What would Trump because to do? Bill Clinton was kind to Putin. George W. Bush was friendly with Putin. Obama was friendly with Putin. At Trump but it is made the accusation that he does not strike Putin on camera in the nose.

What Trump because  really  done in Europe in terms of Putin? He has put pressure on Germany, the Russian-German pipeline project “to lay Nord Stream 2” on ice (some say with self-interest, see eg  handelsblatt.com, 07.11.2018 ). He insisted that Germany is upgrading its own power (see, eg  cnn.com, 07.11.2018 ). In German: He acts for the benefit of America, it strengthens the energy independence of the West  , and  he wants to force Central Europe de facto to finally take responsibility for themselves – and because he wants to make Central Europe stronger and more independent of Russia, he is a Putin- Servant?! It is journalists logic, it’s not my logic.

A cynical wag might say that Trump is a poor man, in fact, doing as if he were a billionaire – and Putin a poor man who acts as if he were a poor man (see eg  welt.de, 12.11.2007 ) , But no, I believe that by now both have to include all grandchildren and great grandchildren no longer worry about how they will pay the children’s braces. Both Trump like Putin, are businessmen, and as far as I survey that they are not of the kind that earn more than the peace in the war. Trumps skyscrapers and Russian energy companies alike deserve better, with people traveling merrily, golf and afford overpriced apartments.

There are strange times. You get the feeling that the powerful want peace, but the journalists intending to write at the mercy of the Third World War.

Yes, truly strange times! Those who want peace, who is soon as “right”. One should not be taken literally Trump, that’s true, but you should listen exactly what campaign promises he made. It was during the election campaign clear to many observers – and Trump has said it explicitly (see eg  guardian.com, 25/10/2018 ) – that the risk of war with Hillary Clinton would be higher than under Trump (see eg  independent.co.uk, 25/10/2016 ) .

I could be wrong, but I think, in Helsinki, something happened in our European perspective, which  still  is more problematic than the hackneyed Trump collusion narrative suggests.

In Helsinki Trump told Putin: “Vlad, old house, what we do with Europe? This “Merkel, Seriously?

Then Putin: “Oh stop it, I know, from before. And  fear of dogs has also . No, Europe is irresponsible. “

Trump: “Unzu-what?”

Putin: “Stupid.”

Trump: “Yeah, incredibly stupid. OK. We need to bring order to Syria. And North Korea. And Iran. And Israel! Without Europe, because they have just invited Africa and are busy on the next 100 years. “

Putin: “Karashow. Israel has asked us where  to help with Syria . “

Trump: “One more thing: Have you hacked us?”

Putin: “We, you? No way. Your us about? “

Trump: “We chop you? Never ever!”

(Both laugh.)

I know that some journalists see it differently, that left suddenly feel bloodlust and suddenly “require journalists who were themselves overwhelmed by the battle with plastic spoons hardness’. They talk about the war and do not know what their words mean. We once spoke of the “just war” – some journalists seem to think that there is a “unjust peace.”

I still know the generation that woke up at night because they nacherlebte the fight again and again. I still know the generation that knew to report how the comrade at night out of the ditch went to shit, and then the shells struck, and then here you had to pick the childhood friend in pieces, tibia, skull half there.

Trump is now “called traitors” and “wet noodle” (eg see  bild.de, 07.17.2018 ). He gets “advice” of George W. Bush ( Afghanistan –  and  Iraq war ) and Obama ( 10 times as many drone strikes as Bush ,  20,000 bombs ).

Who “never again,” says the need to ask for any politician: Is a new war with him more or less likely?

It is addressed for evil today ( “agitators” or “Right” there is the mildest), but I think simply that  nothing is more important than human life  , and nothing worse than war.

My motto is ” Arrange your circles! “But if you state Mannn, it must always be: Arrange your circles so that peace reigns.

I will speak out more for the politicians and politics that make peace more likely, as I understand. If you insulted me that I find peace well, then I take that as honor.

BY: Hunter Lovell
July 18, 2018 11:42 am

Republicans Press Urgent Need for Israeli Sovereignty Over Golan Heights Due to Iranian Regional Influence

Getty Images

House Republicans said Tuesday that the need for the United States to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights has become more urgent now that Iran has solidified its foothold in Syria.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R., Colo.) said that since the 1967 United Nations Resolution 242, which does not recognize the Golan Heights as official Israeli territory but allows Israel to maintain a military presence there, the situation in the Golan Heights has changed drastically due to the ongoing conflict in Syria.

“With Iran’s involvement in the Syrian civil war and Iran’s stated intentions to find ways to annihilate Israel, their ability to harm Israel, at least, has changed due to their proximity now to the Golan Heights and their involvement in Syria,” Rep. Lamborn said.

Michael Doran, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said the decline of U.S. involvement in the Middle East, Iran’s rise to power in the region, and the deterioration of Syria are all indications of a changing situation in the Golan Heights.

“The entity that was in Syria when UN Resolution 242 was issued is no longer there,” Doran said. “When we’re negotiating with the Assad regime now, behind it is Iran [and Russia.] This is not an entity like Egypt that can make a guarantee about the borders of Syria that we can rely on in any serious respect.”

National Security Subcommittee chairman Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.) cited Iranian influence throughout the Syrian civil war and fortification of U.S.-Israeli relations as the chief reasons why the U.S. should recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territory.

“Just think how crazy it would be to say that Israel should give the Golan to Assad or to some of these proxies,” DeSantis said. “It would be absolute madness.”

DeSantis and other Republicans pushed for a resolution to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in May, but House leadership shot down the proposal.

Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer said he does not believe declaring Israeli sovereignty in the Golan would boost Israel’s interests in the region.

“Most of these [Arab] countries would be unwilling to come out from behind that curtain in support of a claim of sovereignty,” Kurtzer said. “They have their own domestic audiences. I do not suggest that a recognition of sovereignty would bring people into the streets, but it would force Arab states to take positions against Israel at a time when they’re working with Israel on Israel’s important security interests as well as their own.”

Dore Gold, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, said the threat to Israel’s national security interests has become too great in recent months because of Iran’s growing military presence.

“The Iranians are planning on building a very large army,” Gold said. “If there is a massive Iranian force in the next five to six years that develops in Syria, Israel’s dependence on the Golan Heights and the initial terrain conditions that the Golan presents to Israel will become more vital.”

18 Jul 2018

https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/07/18/first-win-for-trump-putin-summit-agreement-to-restrain-iran-in-syria/

President Donald Trump has been criticized by the media and by Beltway politicians of both parties for his meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday. But the summit has already produced a very significant win: namely, agreement to avoid a war in the Middle East by restraining Iran in Syria.

As Breitbart News columnist Caroline Glick noted last month, it was crucial that Trump confront Putin over Syria, because Russia  was about to allow Iranian and Hezbollah soldiers, dressed in Syrian uniforms, to move into southwestern Syria along the border with Israel and Jordan.

That was not a situation that the U.S. or Israel could accept.

As Glick explained:

The U.S. has a major interest as well in preventing Iran’s Hezbollah forces from deploying in Syria and in Yemen. The U.S. has an interest in preventing Russia from taking over Syria. … [T]he physical deployment of Iranian-controlled forces along the Syrian-Israeli border and the Syrian-Jordanian border all but ensures a major war between Israel and these forces — including Syrian military forces, which are also controlled by Iran. It raises the likelihood of a Jordanian war with these same forces to an unprecedented level.

The Iranian-Israeli war will spread to Lebanon, which is controlled by Iran through Hezbollah. It can easily spread to Gaza as well, given Iran’s sponsorship of the Hamas terror regime that rules the area.

North Korea, Glick added, would also interpret Iranian deployment along the Syrian border as a sign of American weakness, and U.S. allies around the world would once again lose confidence in America’s protection, as they did under President Barack Obama.

But in the days leading up to Helsinki, the Trump administration maneuvered to constrain Russia’s options. The U.S. and Israel, exerting both military force in Syria and diplomatic pressure on Moscow, made clear that Putin would not have a free hand there.

National Security Advisor John Bolton, Glick noted, announced that Trump was scrapping Obama’s policy of allowing Iran free reign within most of Syria, and would seek a new agreement with Russia that would move Iranian troops out of Syria altogether.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly insisted on compliance with the Israel-Syria Separation of Forces Agreement of 1974, which was brokered by the United Nations, and which was credited with keeping the border quiet for decades.

Fast-forward to the press conference on Monday. Putin, who spoke first, said that the U.S. and Russia had agreed on a new course of action in Syria: “The south of Syria should be brought to the full compliance with the treaty of 1974, about the separation of forces — about separation of forces of Israel and Syria. This will bring peace to Golan Heights, and bring [a] more peaceful relationship between Syria and Israel, and also to provide security of the state of Israel.” Trump also referred to the agreement in his remarks at the press conference, and suggested that both the U.S. and Russia had agreed with the Israeli position on the issue.

Most of the Beltway journalists at the press conference were too busy asking about the 2016 election to ask about either Iran or Syria. But the Israeli media noticed — and so, too, did Yaroslav Trofimov,  the Wall Street Journal‘s Middle East columnist, who reported that Putin had granted Israel’s request. While it was not clear whether the two leaders had agreed to push Iranian troops out of Syria, it is clear, as Glick observes, that Iranian troops cannot operate within Syria without the help of Russian air cover.

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters at the White House that Putin was “very much involved now with us” on guaranteeing Israeli security in Syria. Whether Putin follows through remains to be seen, but it is certainly a step in the right direction — of peace.

And so while Trump’s critics compete to show how outraged they are that he even shared a stage with Putin, and the opposition accuses him of treason, the president appears to have scored a victory for American interests in the Middle East.

Perhaps eight years of failure under Obama, and years of frustration under George W. Bush, made Washington forget what success looks like.