Author: AFSI Staff

The United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) for the first time will hone in on the actions of the Palestinian Authority. Members of the Geneva-based body, which is a subsidiary of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), is currently meeting.

The committee will determine whether the P.A. is in compliance with the U.N. Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and investigate instances of forced disappearances, violent interrogations, the holding of the remains of Israeli soldiers, and other issues. The review will also address actions by Hamas, the terror group that rules the Gaza Strip and is routinely accused of torture by international watchdogs.

Numerous groups have submitted detailed reports documenting evidence of human rights abuses. Will everything be blamed on Israel again? Is there any chance we’ll see a turnaround and hold the PA accountable for its abuses? We’re not holding our breath but will wait for the report from the committee.

Source:
UN Committee Against Torture reviews Palestinian Authority’s record, by Mike Wagenheim/JNS, July 18, 2022

Was Biden’s trip to Israel this week destined to be a failure before it even began? Daniel Greenfield thinks so. in his article this week he sums it up this way: “A failed president will meet with failed Israeli leftists and failed terrorists.”

The timing of Biden’s trip was questionable and with no direction given that Israel’s government is barely functioning and in transition. Since Biden’s own leadership is failing miserably in the polls at home, his catering to the PA will not boost his image with them and of course, not with the citizens of Israel. Maybe he received a few seconds of praise from the enemies of Israel but that’s only a fleeting ego boost for a failed politician.

In a Channel 12 interview when asked about the “Squad” in Congress, Biden said, “I think they’re wrong. I think they’re making a mistake.” (This admission may come in response to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s failure to commit to backing him in a 2024 run.) We can’t recall when Biden has spoken in the US calling them out or taken any action to stop their vile and anti-Israel rhetoric. Just yesterday, Andrew Kerr wrote in the Washington Examiner that “Squad” members, Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, are two of at least eight Democrats tied to a group with alleged links to the 1996 Hamas slaying of American teenager David Boim. On July 13, he posted to Twitter after his visit to Yad Vashem and meeting with two Holocaust Survivors, “I vow to continue our shared, unending work to fight the poison of antisemitism wherever we find it in the world.” Nice words but he fails to back them up with action.

Today, Biden and Prime Minister Yair Lapid adopted the historic Joint Declaration on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership, known as the Jerusalem Declaration. It will “reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two countries and the enduring commitment of the United States to Israel’s security.” The countries “further reaffirm that the strategic U.S.-Israel partnership is based on a bedrock of shared values, shared interests, and true friendship.” It also states Biden’s ongoing push for the destined to fail two-state solution

Without action, this declaration is set for failure. Biden continues to defend his fantasy goal of reviving the Iran nuclear deal as if it will be his crowning achievement. While Biden agrees with Israel that Iran should never obtain nuclear weapons, he continues his push to resume negotiations with the #1 state sponsor of terror. (We can believe that he’s forgotten that even the IAEA has declared Iran an unreliable peace partner.) Iran has been enriching their nuclear capability despite expecting to do otherwise and no signed agreement will stop them. While Biden states the US continues a strong friendship with Israel along with a commitment to her security, he has never acknowledged the truth about the PA’s and Iran’s goal to wipe Israel off the map. Not acknowledging that truth won’t bring about anything positive for Israel or the PA – or for his legacy – if there will even be anything there to be had.

The truths are: Israel has a legal right to exist without interference; Israel has legal rights to her land; Israel is a sovereign nation and should not be expected to yield to international political pressure. Biden’s words of support and friendship for Israel are just empty gestures. They are not filled with a realistic plan of action nor a projection of strength. Without facing the truth about Israel he is destined to fail every time.

Sources:
The Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration, by White House Statements and Releases, July 14, 2022

‘The Squad is wrong on Israel, Iron Dome’, by Israel National News, July 14, 2022

Biden’s Israel Trip is a Failure Before He Even Arrives, by Daniel Greenfield/ FrontPage Mag, July 13, 2022

Reps. Omar and Tlaib among Democrats tied to group with alleged links to Hamas slaying, by Andrew Kerr/Washington Examiner, July 13, 2022

‘True friendship’: US, Israel sign joint strategic partnership declaration, by Aryeh Savir/TPS, July 14, 2022

As part of a package of “good will gestures” Israel planned to make to the Palestinian Authority in advance of Biden’s visit, the Israeli government announced that it will approve six masterplans for Palestinian Arab settlements in Area C of Judea and Samaria. These plans will cut off Jewish communities says the Regavim movement.

The package will include approval of hundreds of existing illegal structures, alongside territorial expansion of Arab settlements consisting of thousands of dunams. One plan will effectively cut off Gush Etzion from Jerusalem and severely compromise the security of the Gush Etzion-Jerusalem Tunnel Road. Approval of Municipal Masterplans (Tab”a) are also planned in Binyamin and Shomron, including a plan that jeopardizes the very heart of Samaria, near Highway 5 between Ariel and Revava.

Meir Deutsch, Director General of Regavim lashed out, “Saar, Shaked, Kahana, Elkin, Hendel, Orbach – you were elected on right-wing votes because you promised to protect the Jewish settlement enterprise. It is your responsibility to block this insane plan to whitewash thousands of illegal structures that will cut off Jewish settlement blocs from Jerusalem and give permanence to the criminal Palestinian takeover of Area C.” These moves are especially damaging since the Knesset does not need to approve these giveaways as they are not in “sovereign” Israel.

No “gestures” of this nature should ever be made, especially while Yair Lapid is interim prime minister, and no functioning government can be counted on. We pray these plans will be discarded immediately.

Source:
Gift to Biden: Cutting off Gush Etzion from Jerusalem, by Israel National News, July 14, 2022

The Nachala Movement moves forward with the launch of its unprecedented effort to establish several new communities. At the same time it has enlisted its followers to participate in the operation set to take place next week.

New communities in Judea and Samaria can only be legally established via a cabinet resolution, and with the authorization of the defense minister. Unauthorized communities established outside of this framework are illegal, hence, what Nachala is doing is considered illegal. While the work of the Nachala Movement is already being attacked, Area C is practically being made permanent for PA Arabs (see previous article).

In comments earlier this week, Nachala director Tzvi Elimelech Sharbaf laid out the goal of the project in simple terms. “We are making a clear demand. Say ‘no’ to Arabs taking control of open spaces [in Area C] and say, ‘yes’ to Jews taking control of all these open spaces.”

THE ONLY THING THAT WILL PROTECT AREA C IS THE APPLICATION OF SOVEREIGNTY THROUGHOUT JUDEA AND SAMARIA.

Source:
Settler group openly planning establishment of 3 illegal outposts next week, by Jeremy Sharon/Times of Israel, July 14, 2022

The announcement by President Isaac Herzog that Joe Biden is going to be awarded Israel’s Presidential Medal of Honor during his visit to the country this week has raised a few eyebrows.

As Ruthie Blum points out in her JNS article, the award makes a mockery of the Taylor Force legislation to stop American economic aid to the P.A. until it stops encouraging terrorism by funding surviving perpetrators.

According to Herzog, the purpose of the award is “to thank [Biden] for being a true friend of Israel” and for his “decades-long support for Israel’s security, deepening our alliance and fighting anti-Semitism” and anti-Israel bias.

Let’s take a look at how that statement matches with Biden’s “accomplishments”:
1) Overturned then-President Donald Trump’s successful policies on both the JCPOA Iran “nuclear deal” and the freeze on aid to the P.A. The latter was done, despite Abbas’s vow that if he had only a single penny left, it would be paid to families of the martyrs and prisoners. The former is a threat to the entire world, not just Israel.
2) Continues to advocate for a two-state solution, which is an existential threat to Israel and ignores her legal rights to the land.
3) Resumed U.S. funding to UNRWA, which enables it to continue teaching children to hate and murder Jews.
4) Maintained silence, acquiescing to instead of condemning or taking any action against the anti-Semitic Democratic “Squad” in Congress which is moving the democratic party further left than ever. Their platform of “intersectionality’ attempts to normalize virulent
anti-Semitic and anti-Israel sentiment. Their growing group of sycophants constantly post hostility towards Jews and Israel on social media. They continue to encourage the growth of Jew Hatred in the United States.
5) Undermines Israel’s safety and sovereignty with his failed leadership.

This constitutes a record of achievements for Israel? This award to be bestowed upon Biden is not only unearned, its errant nonsense. If Lapid and Herzog think photo-ops with Biden are worth compromising Israel’s dignity, we hope they will soon recognize the error in judgment. It is sad to see the disintegration of integrity and value of this award.

Source:
Honoring Joe Biden, dishonoring Taylor Force, by Ruthie Blum/JNS, July 10, 2022

Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the left-wing Peace Now organization, which hung a huge sign on a building in central Tel Aviv with Israeli and PLO flags ahead of Joe Biden’s visit to Israel on Wednesday.

Netanyahu said that “the hoisting of the Palestinian Authority flag in the heart of Tel Aviv is another expression of the loss of sovereignty and the violation of our national dignity under the Lapid government.

Matan Peleg, chairman of Im Tirtzu, responded: “Peace Now is another organization that makes a living from the conflict and exists thanks to the money of subversive foreign governments that want to undermine the existence of the State of Israel.”

Make no mistake about it. We are not against a peaceful arrangement between the PA Arabs and Israel. (Of course any such arrangement would only stay peaceful so long as Israel remains the much stronger power.*) The PA is not interested in peace. They want Israel in pieces and they want to claim them all. The suicidal left-wing organizations that erected this billboard are a danger to all of Israel. Until they come to accept the truth about the “conflict,” we trust the right thing will be done and that Israel will take down the billboard immediately.

Sources:
Netanyahu: PLO flags in Tel Aviv show Lapid’s giving up our sovereignty, by Israel National News, July 12, 2022

*Asserting Israel’s legitimacy then and now, by Douglas Altabef/JNS, July 11, 2022

The Nachala movement is planning to set up at least 28 new communities in Judea and Samaria, three of which it plans to erect days after US President Joe Biden’s visit to region this week, Israel Hayom has learned.

Nachala has been preparing to establish new outposts, with a target date of July 20, for some time. Ahead of the new outpost launch, the group carried out visits to various strategic points in Judea and Samaria and put together logistics teams and a special situation room that will be staffed around the clock.

According to Nachala chairwoman Daniella Weiss, “The Jewish people are a healthy people. Since we started this move some weeks ago, we’ve encountered warmth from the public like we’ve never seen before. The public understands the importance of new settlements, and how much the pioneering, Zionist progress will lift the people’s spirits as we continue the Zionist path up the mountain. With Gd’s help, and with a lot of work, we’re poised to break a years-long freeze, and see settlement flourish throughout Judea and Samaria.”

When the AFSI Chizuk Mission Trip met with Daniella during our mission in May (photo above) we learned of this upcoming strategic move. Of course, we were enthusiastic supporters of the plan!

Source:
Settler group plans to erect 28 new outposts after Biden visit, by Hanan Greenwood/Israel Hayom, July 11, 2022

Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated last Friday morning by a lone assassin as he was giving a speech at a campaign stop for a political colleague at the city of Nara.

Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister and was a firm supporter of Israel. During his time in office Abe visited Yad Vashem in Israel, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the former home of Sugihara Chiune, “the Japanese Schindler,” in Kaunas, Lithuania.

During his visit to Yad Vashem, Abe said, “Today I find myself [fully] determined. Ha-sho’a le’olam lo od. The Holocaust, never again … I felt great solemnity in the face of your forefathers, who overcame profound grief to found the nation of Israel.”

Abe also visited the Anne Frank House Museum, making him one of the most prominent world leaders to have ever done so. Abe shared that he had read the diary of Anne Frank as a child and said he wished to “reiterate lasting and profound friendship between Japan and the Jewish people around the world.”

AFSI remembers Abe’s warm friendship to Israel and the Jewish people. May the family of former Prime Minister Abe and the people of Japan know no more sorrow.

Source:
Japan’s Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Assassinated, Was Friend of Israel, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, July 8, 2022

Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Thursday said drones launched by the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group at an Israeli offshore gas field last week were Iranian.

On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces intercepted three Hezbollah drones heading for the Karish gas field. Hezbollah confirmed it launched the drones after previously threatening the field, which sits in a maritime area that both Lebanon and Israel claim as their own. In another incident last Wednesday, a drone launched by the terror group was downed over Lebanon’s waters

“It should be said that Hezbollah is acting on behalf of Iran and its weapons are weapons made in Iran, whether they are manufactured there or the knowledge was acquired by [Hezbollah],” Gantz stated.

Gantz recently spoke about Israel building a regional air defense alliance against Iran, and spoke last week of a possible “breakthrough” during Biden’s upcoming visit to the region. This initiative is being built with other countries in the region to ensure a secure, stable and prosperous Middle East and includes aerial defense.

Israel’s interest in preventing Iranian aggression is of the highest order and we are glad to see Israel not caving in to those who are delirious for a deal with Iran to be secured.

Source:
Gantz says Hezbollah drones launched at offshore gas field were ‘products of Iran’, by Emanuel Fabia/Times of Israel, July 7, 2022

Shehadeh Abu al-Qiyan, 25, a resident of the Bedouin community of Hura in the Negev, was instructed by the Gaza Strip-based terrorist organization Kitab ul-Mujahideen to enlist in the IDF and promote terrorist activity, the Shin Bet revealed on Thursday. Abu al-Qiyan was arrested on May 30. He is a relative of the terrorist who killed four civilians in a terrorist attack in Be’er Sheva in March.

The Regavim Movement responded to today’s announcement. “We have been following the failed attempts at regulation and resettlement by Israeli governments for over two decades – attempts that have resulted in the development of a state within a state: The State of Bedouistan.

There are many Bedouin who are proud to serve in the IDF and do so without terrorist motives. They enlist out of concerns regarding the threats facing their home country and do Israel proud. The joint operation by Shabak (Israel Security Agency), Israel Police, and the military police successfully exposed and caught a Bedouin with bad intentions. Despite the pros that Israel benefits from and the cons nipped in the bud, the problem of regulating the Bedouin community still exists. Regavim stated today as they have many times in the past that, “…as long as the State of Israel refrains from enforcing the law, the security threat will continue to grow deeper and more serious.”

Sources:
Regavim reacts to Bedouin spy: ‘State of Bedouistan’, by Israel National News, July 7, 2022

Bedouin IDF Recruit Caught Spying for Gaza Terrorists, by David Israel/Jewish Press, July 7, 2022