WarSclerotic

January 4, 2018

Analysis: Trump’s give-and-take plan for Arab-Israeli peace

President Donald Trump and PA leader Mahmoud Abbas. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Any final deal, financial or political, requires two sides giving and taking. Netanyahu and Trump certainly understand this reality.

By: Daniel Krygier

President Donald Trump’s recent tweet regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict has raised speculations regarding his vision for settling the conflict between Arabs and Jews.

“As an example, we pay the Palestinians hundred of millions of dollars a year and get no appreciation or respect. They don’t even want to negotiate a long overdue peace treaty with Israel. We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more…,” the President tweeted.

The tweet consists of two main parts. It criticizes Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas and his regime for receiving hundreds of millions of dollars each year from Washington without showing any appreciation or respect towards America. Second, in cryptic language, Trump says that Israel would have to pay more for having Jerusalem taken off the table.

Some Middle East commentators have referred to Trump’s business background and concluded that there will be no more free lunches in the Arab-Israeli peace talks. However, that is only partially true. As far as Israel is concerned, there were never any free lunches. Since its rebirth 70 years ago, Israel never got anything for free and frequently had to pay a heavy price for issues that most other countries take for granted, such as having its de facto capital recognized by the international community.

As long as Trump’s Arab-Israeli peace plan has not yet been unveiled, speculations will continue in rapid succession. However, the contours of Trump’s Middle East’s vision are gradually becoming visible. Israel will likely be asked to make extensive concessions for Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Since the demands will come from the first American president to officially recognize Israel’s capital, it will be exceedingly difficult for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his conservative coalition partners to reject Washington’s requests. However, it is unlikely that Trump will demand more from Israel than did his predecessors.

Message to Ramallah is clear

Trump’s statement that Jerusalem has been taken off the table seems to contradict his earlier statement that Jerusalem’s final boundaries are subject to negotiations between the two parties. It could mean that Arab towns and villages in “East Jerusalem” will eventually be transferred to Ramallah’s jurisdiction, but the PA will not have a capital in any part of Jerusalem.

The message towards Ramallah is much clearer and indeed signals an end to the free lunches that Abbas and his regime have become accustomed to under previous US administrations. This was particularly true under former President Barack Obama, who frequently acted more like a spokesperson for Abbas than an impartial mediator. This created an untenable situation where Obama encouraged Abbas to reject negotiations with Israel and was constantly presenting unrealistic demands to Jerusalem. Trump’s infusion of harsh reality and reciprocity is a hard adjustment for Ramallah.

Any final deal, financial or political, requires two sides giving and taking. Netanyahu and Trump certainly understand this reality. The time has come for Abbas and his regime to return to planet Earth after decades of wasted Orwellian fantasies encouraged by irresponsible Western and Middle Eastern mediators.

Hamas leader proposes to preempt Israel and US by announcing end of peace process and cessation of all normalization with Israel.

Mordechai Sones, 02/01/18 21:22

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/240161

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya called today for the formulation of a new overall strategy aimed at thwarting US and Israeli decisions on Jerusalem and re-positioning the Palestinian issue as a national liberation struggle centered on “popular intifada”.

Speaking at a press conference Haniya stressed the importance of formulating “a united Arab-Islamic plan in coordination with international bodies that support Palestinian rights” and feel wronged by US policy in the region.

In order to preempt the “American blockade”, Haniya suggested working on two political levels: One – declaring the end of the peace process, and the other – a demand to cease all aspects of normalization with Israel.

He accused Israel of seeking to ignite religious wars in the region in order to exhaust the Arab states and involve them in their internal problems. Haniyeh said that the “war for Al Quds” would be decided “in the streets, hills, and houses of Jerusalem and the rest of the Palestinian areas through struggle and determination”.

Hamas continues to incite the Arab public into confrontations with Israel, in addition to attempting numerous terror attacks from Judea and Samaria and persuading the Palestinian Authority to renounce the Oslo Accords, stop security coordination, and return to confrontation with Israel as a policy instrument.

SO…how much money would American taxpayers save if Trump made good on his threat to cut aid to any country that voted against us on the Jerusalem move?

December 30, 2017 by BareNakedIslam

http://barenakedislam.com/2017/12/30/so-how-much-money-would-american-taxpayers-save-if-trump-made-good-on-his-threat-to-cut-aid-to-any-country-that-voted-against-us-on-the-jerusalem-move/

There was a global outcry after President Trump announced his intention to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. However, that might actually turn out to be good for America’s economy if the White House stopped giving billions of dollars every year to countries that take it for granted.

Daily Caller

(h/t Marvin W) What if Trump actually gutted funding for those 128 countries? Well, The Daily Caller did the math.

According to USAid.gov, which catalogs all country-by-country financial obligations the U.S. holds with the rest of the world, Trump’s threat would save the United States more than $24 billion — in just one year.

Here are the countries that voted against the U.S., listed alphabetically, along with America’s 2016 financial obligation to each country:

Afghanistan — $5,060,306,050

Albania — $27,479,989

Algeria — $17,807,222

Andorra — $0

Angola — $64,489,547

Armenia — $22,239,896

Austria — $310,536

Azerbaijan — $15,312,389

Bahrain — $6,573,352

Bangladesh — $263,396,621

Barbados — $5,442,370

Belarus — $11,166,107

Belgium — $3,101,636

Belize — $8,613,838

Bolivia — $1,378,654

Botswana — $57,252,922

Brazil — $14,899,949

Brunei — $354,829

Bulgaria — $20,066,715

Burkina Faso — $74,469,144

Burundi — $70,507,528

Cabo Verde — $5,044,716

Cambodia — $103,194,295

Chad — $117,425,683

Chile — $2,266,071

China — $42,263,025

Comoros — $1,057,063

Congo — $8,439,457

Costa Rica — $14,650,552

Cote d’Ivoire — $161,860,737

Cuba — $15,776,924

Cyprus — $0

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) — $2,142,161

Denmark — $3,455

Djibouti — $24,299,878

Dominica — $616,000

Ecuador — $26,014,579

Egypt — $1,239,291,240

Eritrea — $119,364

Estonia — $15,937,295

Ethiopia — $1,111,152,703

Finland — $33,492

France — $4,660,356

Gabon — $31,442,404

Gambia — $3,197,858

Germany — $5,484,317

Ghana — $724,133,065

Greece — $8,508,639

Grenada — $690,300

Guinea — $87,630,410

Guyana — $9,691,030

Iceland — $0

India — $179,688,851

Indonesia — $222,431,738

Iran — $3,350,327

Iraq — $5,280,379,380

Ireland — $0

Italy — $454,613

Japan — $20,804,795

Jordan — $1,214,093,785

Kazakhstan — $80,418,203

Kuwait — $112,000

Kyrgyzstan — $41,262,984

Laos — $57,174,076

Lebanon — $416,553,311

Liberia — $473,677,614

Libya — $26,612,087

Liechtenstein — $0

Lithuania — $15,709,304

Luxembourg — $0

Madagascar — $102,823,791

Malaysia — $10,439,368

Maldives — $1,511,931

Mali — $257,152,020

Malta — $137,945

Mauritania — $12,743,363

Mauritius — $791,133

Monaco — $0

Montenegro — $2,118,108

Morocco — $82,023,514

Mozambique — $514,007,619

Namibia — $53,691,093

Nepal — $194,286,218

Netherlands — $0

New Zealand — $0

Nicaragua — $31,318,397

Niger — $144,122,239

Nigeria — $718,236,917

Norway — $100,000

Oman — $5,753,829

Pakistan — $777,504,870

Papua New Guinea — $14,836,598

Peru — $95,803,112

Portugal — $207,600

Qatar — $95,097

Republic of Korea (South Korea) — $3,032,086

Russia — $17,195,004

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — $612,000

Saudi Arabia — $732,875

Senegal — $99,599,642

Serbia — $33,062,589

Seychelles — $223,002

Singapore — $468,118

Slovakia — $2,585,685

Slovenia — $715,716

Somalia — $274,784,535

South Africa — $597,218,298

Spain — $81,231

Sri Lanka — $27,192,841

Sudan — $137,878,835

Suriname — $232,672

Sweden — $1,269

Switzerland — $1,168,960

Syria — $916,426,147

Tajikistan — $47,789,686

Thailand — $68,182,970

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia — $31,755,240

Tunisia — $117,490,639

Turkey — $154,594,512

United Arab Emirates — $1,140,659

United Kingdom — $3,877,820

United Republic of Tanzania — $628,785,614

Uruguay — $836,850

Uzbekistan — $20,067,933

Venezuela — $9,178,148

Vietnam — $157,611,276

Yemen — $305,054,784

Zimbabwe — $261,181,770

TOTAL — $24,485,383,599

AVERAGE PER COUNTRY — $205,795,526

Arab states were reportedly irate at Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas over his response to Trump’s Jerusalem recognition move.

By: Benjamin Kerstein/The Algemeiner

Dec 26, 2017

https://unitedwithisrael.org

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) meets with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. (Omar Rashidi/Flash90)

Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt are incensed at Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas over his reaction to US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, according to Israeli media reports.

Israel Hayom quoted a Jordanian official as saying, “The Palestinians’ efforts to sway public opinion have been a complete failure, and as a result, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has created a rift between us [the Arab world] and Trump. We are once again left with the demagogic, hollow and inflammatory rhetoric of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”

Officials also expressed dismay at Abbas’ attempts to punish the US on the international stage. Referring to the recent UN General Assembly attempt to annul the recognition move and declare it illegal, the Jordanian source stated, “Washington has made its views clear and said it would take action against those nations that voted against it at the UN General Assembly last week. Now, when it is clear Trump is indeed going to punish those that voted against the US, most countries are trying to cut their losses.”

“We are very worried about the Palestinians’ actions over Jerusalem,” he said. “Their efforts to shun the US from the peace process and their insistence on international intervention are a double-edged sword that could hurt first and foremost Jordan’s status in Jerusalem and could bring about the exact opposite of the intended result. Many more countries could do what the US has done after seeing that the region has not been destabilized and only a few thousand protesters have taken to the streets.”

In response, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt are reportedly freezing out the Palestinians and forming their own committee to deal with the issue. “The decision to establish this committee was, in effect, imposed on the Palestinian Authority by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan in a move that was backed by the Arab League,” the source noted. “This is a super committee that is headed by the secretary general of the Arab League, and it effectively puts the Arab League in charge of the policy on Jerusalem, taking it away from the Palestinians.”

For his part, however, Abbas appears to be doubling down on his current strategy. The Times of Israel reported that Abbas has decided to cut off all diplomatic contacts with the US, including with the American Consulate in Jerusalem, which has served as an unofficial embassy to the PA.

According to the report, this amounts to “throwing away the key” to any relationship with the US.

PM said to agree to participate in meeting, which also includes US envoy Jared Kushner, if the Americans give the go-ahead

By Gavin Rabinowitz

Today, 2:31 pm

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-december-26-2017/

The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events as they unfold.

Japanese FM invited Netanyahu to Tokyo meet with Abbas

Visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a four-way meeting in Tokyo with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and US envoy Jared Kushner, Channel 10 reports.

Quoting a senior official, the channel’s diplomatic correspondent Barak Ravid says that Netanyahu responded positively, but conditioned it on US agreement.

The Walla news site also reported the offer.

The Palestinians have refused to deal with the Americans since US President Donald Trump  recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

As Central American nation pledges to relocate embassy, Netanyahu says it’s ‘just the beginning,’ other countries will follow

By Marissa Newman

Today, 4:18 pm

https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-god-bless-guatemala-over-jerusalem-move/

This file picture taken on November 28, 2016, shows Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales (L) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) shaking hands during a joint press conference after signing bilateral agreements at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. (AFP Photo/Pool/Abir Sultan)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday hailed Guatemala’s decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem, saying other countries will soon follow suit.

“God bless you, my friend, President Jimmy Morales. God bless both our countries, Israel and Guatemala,” said Netanyahu at the weekly Likud faction meeting in the Knesset.

Guatemala became the first nation to pledge to move its mission to Jerusalem since US President Donald Trump’s December 6 recognition of the city as Israel’s capital and instructions to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv.

The Czech Republic has also since recognized West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

An aerial view of the Dome of the Rock, left, in the compound known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s old city, and the Western Wall, center, the holiest site for Jews, October 02, 2007. (AFP/JACK GUEZ)

“I told you recently there would be other countries that will recognize Jerusalem and move their embassies,” Netanyahu said, after reading out Morales’s official announcement to Likud MKs and reporters. “I repeat: There will be more, this is just the beginning.”

Guatemalan President Morales said on his official Facebook account on Sunday that after talks with Netanyahu, he had decided to instruct his foreign ministry to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“We spoke about the excellent relations that we have had as nations since Guatemala supported the creation of the state of Israel,” he wrote. “One of the most important topics [of the conversation] was the return of the embassy of Guatemala to Jerusalem. So I inform you that I have instructed the chancellor to initiate the respective coordination so that it may happen.”

Earlier on Monday, President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, and Deputy Minister for Diplomacy Michael Oren applauded Guatemala’s announcement.

“Viva Guatemala! It takes courage for a superpower to stand up for justice and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital. But it takes even more — immense guts — for a small nation to do that,” Oren wrote on Twitter. “People of Guatemala, the people of Israel will never forget your support and bravery.”

“Guatemala have shown they know very well that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel! I welcome their decision to bring their embassy to Jerusalem and thank them for their deep friendship,” said Rivlin. “We look forward to welcoming you to Jerusalem!”

Edelstein, who met with Morales during his visit to Israel in November 2016, also praised his “brave” move.

“I want to congratulate my friend, the President of Guatemala Jimmy Morales, on his brave decision to move his country’s embassy to the capital city Jerusalem,” said Edelstein. “In your decision, you proved that you and your country are true friends of Israel and that the ties that exists between us will become stronger and increase for the benefit of both sides.”

During the 2016 visit to Israel, Morales also met with Netanyahu and Rivlin.

“Latin America has always been friendly to Israel, but I think we’re at a position where these relationships can be far, far, far advanced,” Netanyahu told Morales during a public meeting at the Prime Minsiter’s Office in Jerusalem.

In July, Morales decorated the outgoing Israeli ambassador, Moshe Bachar, with the Order of Quetzal on the Grand Cross degree, the country’s highest honor, in recognition of his cooperation in strengthening the political dialogue between the Central American nation and the Jewish state.

Guatemala is home to about 1,000 Jews among a population of 15 million.

Guatemala was one of nine nations that voted last week with the United States when the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a non-binding resolution denouncing Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The resolution passed at the UN declared the US action on Jerusalem “null and void.” The 128-9 vote was a victory for Palestinians, but fell short of the total they had predicted. Thirty-five nations abstained and 21 stayed away from the vote.

Guatemala and Israel were joined by Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo in voting with the United States and opposing the measure. There were also 35 abstentions and 21 countries were absent or did not vote at all.

In a December 6 address from the White House, Trump defied worldwide warnings and insisted that after repeated failures to achieve peace, a new approach was long overdue. He described his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the seat of Israel’s government as merely based on reality.

The move was hailed by Netanyahu and by leaders across much of the Israeli political spectrum, and condemned by much of the rest of the world. Trump stressed that he was not specifying the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city, and called for no change in the status quo at the city’s holy sites.

AP and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Carmel Shama-Hacohen, Israeli envoy to UNESCO. (YouTube/Screenshot)

Dec 24, 2017

https://unitedwithisrael.org

Following up on its warning earlier this year, Israel is leaving UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias.

Israel has announced it is leaving UNESCO, citing the UN cultural agency’s “systematic attacks” on the Jewish state.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said Friday that the decision was based on the organization’s “attempts to disconnect Jewish history from the land of Israel.” He said the official letter of departure will be submitted before the year’s end and that Israel will leave the organization by the end of 2018.

Earlier this year the US said it will withdraw from UNESCO, also at that time citing similar reasons.

Israel has long complained of perceived anti-Israel bias within the UN, where Israel and its allies are far outnumbered by Arab countries and their supporters.

Recent resolutions by the organization outraged many Israelis who viewed them as diminishing the deep Jewish ties to Jerusalem and the biblical city of Hebron.

By: AP

7 Tevet 5778 – December 24, 2017

Congress Probes Obama Admin Whitewash of Hezbollah Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering

Computerized Telescopes Found in Hezbollah post,Photo Credit: IDF

There is growing evidence that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization was laundering at least $200 million per month in the United States during the years of the Obama administration — and that efforts to investigation these activities were deliberately squelched by the White House.

The U.S. Congress last Thursday ordered the Department of Justice to surrender all relevant documents and communications regarding efforts by the Obama administration to interfere with investigations by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) into illegal drug activities by the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

Investigative journalist Adam Kredo included in the detailed expose published by the Washington Free Beacon on December 21 a copy of the letter sent by Congress to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, politely demanding that he turn over “all documents and communications referring or relating to: Project Cassandra, Operation Titan, Operation Perseus and the Iran-Hezbollah Super Facilitator Initiative.”

The letter – sent by U.S. Reps. Ron DeSantis (FL) and Jim Jordan (OH) – also demanded all documents and communications “referring or relating to” Hezbollah’s Business Affairs Component, Lebanese Canadian Bank, and a number of related individuals, in addition to those relating to interference with DEA’s law enforcement efforts against Hezbollah.

Also requested were any documents referring or relating to the potential designation of Hezbollah as a transnational criminal organization, and communications referring or relating to efforts to prosecute targets related to Hezbollah through the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization Act (RICO).

Congress requested in the letter a briefing on the above issues “no later than January 12, 2018.”

Project Cassandra, according to a report by Politico, was part of an operation to investigate drug smuggling and activities by Hezbollah across Latin America.

“I’ve long believed that the Obama administration could not have done any more to bend over backwards to appease the Iranian regime, yet news that the Obama administration killed the investigation into a billion dollar drug ring that lined the terrorist group Hezbollah’s pockets in order to save its coveted Iran deal may very well take the cake,” Rep. Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.) said, according to the Beacon. “Hezbollah is a brutal terrorist group with American blood on its hands and it would be unconscionable for American policy to deliberately empower such a nefarious group.”

Obama administration officials have been accused of helping Iran skirt international sanctions as well as providing Tehran with multiple cash infusions to keep the Iranians engaged in talks.

Politico quoted U.S. DEA agents who accused the Obama administration of deliberately squelching a probe into drug trafficking and money laundering by Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed operatives in the illegal drug network that was the focus of U.S. wiretaps and undercover operations.

Israeli politicians meanwhile called on former President Barack Obama to return the Nobel Peace Prize he received at the start of his first term in office. The calls followed the Dec. 17 Politico expose that revealed the Obama administration had directly blocked law enforcement efforts against Hezbollah.

According to Kredo’s report, the Hezbollah terrorist organization is believed to have been processing – laundering – at least $200 million per month in the United States alone.

The request for information by Congress is the first serious probe into the matter since an expose by Politico brought the issue to light, making public the possibility the Obama administration may have blocked DEA probes into Hezbollah to preserve diplomatic relations with Iran and pave the way to a nuclear deal.