Category: Articles

The pretrial chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday determined that The Hague has jurisdiction to open criminal investigations against Israel and the Hamas terrorist group for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip, the “West Bank,” and east Jerusalem.

The 2-1 decision has cleared the way for Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to open a war crimes probe into IDF actions.

Back in 2019, Bensouda argued that there was a “reasonable basis” to open a war crimes probe into Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip as well as Israeli “settlement” activity in Judea and Samaria. Since Israel is not a signatory of the Rome Statute from which The Hague draws its power, Bensouda asked the court to determine whether she has territorial jurisdiction before proceeding with the case.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the ruling as grossly biased. “The ICC has again proved that it is a political body – not a judicial institution. The ICC ignores the real war crimes and instead pursues the State of Israel, a state with a strong democratic government that sanctifies the rule of law and is not a member of the ICC.

The IDF was not surprised by the ICC’s decision and has been preparing for such a scenario for a few months. The military has even appointed an “ICC czar” to coordinate all aspects of the legal battle. Maj. Gen. Itai Veruv is serving as head of a team that includes an expert in international law.

What a disgrace the ICC is. The action it has taken against Israel is destructive to its own mandate. The ICC was established to be a court of last resort for prosecuting serious international crimes. The ICC needs to be instructed on Sovereignty 101. Israel is a Sovereign nation that has been protecting itself 24/7 from terrorism – and for decades. Now you’re charging her with “war crimes”? Politicization and misuse are on full display here, not to mention blatant anti-Semitism.

Sources:
ICC asserts jurisdiction to investigate Israel, Hamas for war crimes, by News Agencies and ILH Staff. Israel Hayom, February 5, 2021

Operation Hague: IDF appoints commander to oversee battle against ICC, by Lilach Shoval and Yair Altman. Israel Hayom, February 8, 2021

Israel rejects the ICC’s decision regarding the scope of its territorial jurisdiction on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Official Statement. February 7, 2021

The B’Tselem rights organization received funds from foreign governments to engage the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. For what, you might ask. In the probe against what they define as Israel’s “occupation” in Judea and Samaria, Member of Knesset (MK) Ariel Kallner charged.

Kallner, head of the Knesset’s Lobby for the Fight Against Delegitimization and Anti-Semitism, revealed Saturday that B’Tselem received 290,000 euros from foreign governments. This enabled B’Tselem to ‘prove’ that the Israeli legal system is enlisted to support Israel’s “occupation policy,” pushing the ICC to intervene.

He published the data following the ICC’s ruling on Friday.

The ICC’s ruling is “a direct result of the subversive activity of delegitimization and legal warfare organizations operating with foreign funding in Israel,” he charged.

“The activity of these subversive organizations is destructive,” he stated, noting that he submitted in the previous Knesset a bill for heavy taxation of foreign-state funding, which was shot down, and which he hopes to introduce again in the next Knesset.

“The time has come to put an end to this despicable and subversive phenomenon,” Kallner declared.

Based on financial information submitted to the Israeli Registrar of Non-Profits, in accordance with the Israeli NGO Transparency Law, B’Tselem received NIS 46,258,659 (approx. $14,027,000) from foreign governmental bodies in 2012-2020.

AFSI hosted a Zoom meeting in August 2020 with MK Ariel Kallner who spoke to us on The Politics of Sovereignty.

Source:
Israeli Lawmaker: B’Tselem Received Foreign Funding to Aid ICC Against Israel, by Aryeh Savir/TPS. Tazpit Press Service, February 7, 2021

UNRWA spokesman Sami Masha’a announced that the UAE has slashed its annual payments to UNRWA from $51.8 million in 2019 to only $1 million in 2020. That’s a reduction of over 98%.

Palestinian media is claiming that this came as a result of pressure from the Trump administration. Perhaps, but the Abraham Accords were announced in August and the UAE didn’t pay anything beyond the token amount all year.

It isn’t only the UAE, though. The entire Arab world pledges very little to UNRWA – and pays even less. According to an expert in UNRWA, Essam Adwan, the Arab world pledges to pay only 7.8% of UNRWA’s budget yet pays less than 5%.

How is it the Arab world isn’t funding UNRWA the way other countries are? Maybe they know UNRWA needs a house cleaning and numbers audit.

Source:
Arab states pay less than 5% of UNWRA’s budget, by Elder of Ziyon. Elder of Ziyon Blogspot, February 8, 2021

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman yesterday criticized Biden’s decision to improve U.S. ties with the Palestinians. He listed a host of reasons opposing the move, including corruption and incitement against Jews.

A day earlier, acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills told the Security Council that Biden plans on reopening the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington. Biden also plans to reinstate some aid to the Palestinians in a bid to restore “credible engagement” with them and work towards resurrecting the long-dead two-state solution.

Former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman tweeted, “Not so fast guys! PLO mission in DC is against Federal law, Pals still paying terrorists and UNRWA is corrupt and incites hatred of Jews. Please don’t go there!”

Needless to say, AFSI does not applaud the Biden administration’s decision to restore ties with terrorists whose only goal is to wipe Israel off of the map. May Biden’s dream of resurrecting the delusional two-state solution remain dead and buried forever.

Separately, but certainly related, a senior US State Department official announced earlier this week that the Biden administration “embraces and champions” the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism. If Biden is to “embrace” this definition then he needs to have a better understanding of the PLO/PA goals to destroy Israel. Israel is a Jewish State where Jews live. Biden’s support of the PLO/PA cancels out any acceptance of the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism.

Sources:
Fmr. Ambassador David Friedman Slams Biden Decision to Renew Palestinian Ties, by Deborah Brand. Breitbart, January 27, 2021

Biden admin ’embraces’ IHRA anti-Semitism definition shunned by progressives, by Jacob Magid. Times of Israel, February 2, 2021

At the largest illegal dump in Judea and Samaria, untreated waste continues to pollute the entire ecosystem. Worst of all is that no indictments against the perpetrators have been issued.

Under the cover of the first corona shutdown, the Ramallah Municipality dumped thousands of truckloads of untreated refuse into an abandoned quarry at the headwaters of Nahal Makoch. The Civil Administration admits: Only three trucks were impounded, and no indictments were filed against the criminals. Regavim stated: “The mountain of waste remains, despite the Civil Administration’s claims to the contrary.”

“Almost a year has passed, and not one of the authorities responsible for dealing with hazards of this nature has taken responsibility,” said Eitan Melet, Regavim’s Field Coordinator for Judea and Samaria. “The criminals got off virtually scot-free, without any criminal indictments, no clean-up costs, no punitive fines – while the entire ecosystem is paying a heavy price.”

Why is this matter allowed to persist? Time is wasting away – no pun intended. An answer is needed now along with swift action to clean up this illegal dumping ground on Jewish owned land.

Source:
Arab ‘Mount Trashmore’ Dump Fast Becoming a Permanent Fixture in Jewish Samaria, by Jewish Press News Desk. Jewish Press, February 2, 2021

The Psagot Winery sits on the peaks of the Binyamin region mountains in Judea and Samaria, north of Jerusalem and just east of Ramallah. Yaakov Berg and his wife are owners of Psagot Winery. Recently, Yaakov expressed his hope that “peace with the Emirates will change our relationship with Palestinians.”

Israel – UAE relations are slowly changing thanks to the Trump administration having brokered the Abraham Accords. Could we be starting to see less politics and more of what mutually benefits both sides?

Miri Ovadia, Binyamin regional council spokesperson said, “we are now having conversations about business, technology, tourism and culture—not just political conversations. In Judea and Samaria, we have been saying for years that it is possible to live side by side with Arabs.” The normalization agreements have “contributed a lot to people’s feelings that this is how the world should be.

There is so much work to be done before a real and lasting peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors is achieved. Nevertheless, stories like this one give us a cautious glimmer of hope for the future.

Source:
UAE embraces trade with Israeli-owned businesses in Judea and Samaria, by Eliana Rudee. Jewish News Syndicate, February 3, 2021

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that Israel is still keeping open the possibility of taking action against Tehran’s nuclear project if necessary.

“Israel has a clear objective: that Iran not be nuclear. It is not just an Israeli interest. It is first and foremost a global and regional interest,” Gantz said in an interview with an Egyptian television outlet broadcast on Sunday.

“The IDF and Israel’s defense establishment are holding onto the option of taking action against Iran’s nuclear project if that is what has to be done,” he said, according to quotes from the interview provided by his office. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Gantz’s position is in keeping with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi’s assessment, which was reported in our newsletter last Thursday.

Source:
Gantz: Israel will take military action against nuclear Iran if needed, by TOI Staff and Judah Ari Gross. Times of Israel, February 1, 2021

Herb Zweibon left an indelible imprint on pro-Israel activism. Our own and future generations were immeasurably enriched by the gift of his long and creative life.

A true giant of pro-Israel activism in America passed away ten years ago this past Tu B’Shvat. Herb Zweibon, the chairman of Americans For A Safe Israel / AFSI, died on Tu B’Shvat, January 19, 2011. He is still sorely missed.

Source:
A giant of pro-Israel activism remembered, by Moshe Phillips. World Israel News, January 31, 2021

About 10 MKs from the right-wing factions call on the prime minister and the defense minister to do everything in their power to prevent the destruction of the Maoz Esther outpost.

The call was issued two weeks after it was announced that the security establishment was planning to destroy the home where Ahuvya Sandak lived as well as several others following the end of the 30-day mourning period for his death.

The letter was signed by Likud MKs May Golan, Amit Halevi, Shevach Stern, Ariel Kallner, Shlomo Karai, Miki Zohar and Etty Atia, MK Yitzhak Pindros of United Torah Judaism and MK Matan Kahana of Yamina.  Where is the rest of the Knesset in calling for a stop to this imposition of a double standard on Jews by their state’s own security establishment?

The head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, and the head of the Kiryat Arba Council, Eliyahu Libman, also joined the call.

They also criticized the defense establishment’s policy on hilltop communities. “Preventing the settlement of the people of Israel in their land is a terrible injustice,” they wrote. “This is doubly serious, because we do not touch the outposts of the Palestinian Authority, which is taking over the territories of our country.”

“We appeal to the Israeli government, after the tragic death of Ahuvya Sandak, to make an effort and bring together the young people who are working to bring to life the desolate areas of our country, and call for positive action,” the rabbis added.

Source:
Rabbis, MKs: Destroying settlements a terrible injustice ~Arutz Sheva Staff. Arutz Sheva, February 1, 2021

The Security Cabinet will convene later in the week to discuss the defense budget for 2021, including an IDF request to add NIS 4 billion to its budget.

In addition, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi requested an additional NIS 3 billion in order to finance a possible attack on Iran to thwart its nuclear aspirations. In the passing year, the IDF already received an additional NIS 2.5 billion to field its budgetary requirements.

The new addition the army is now seeking is the bare minimum required by an Air Force estimate to prepare for the Iranian threat.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz are expected to support Kochavi’s demands as it remains unclear which stance the incoming Joe Biden regime in the United States would take on the Iranian issue.

Kochavi has already begun preparing blueprints for a possible attack in Iran, which may also entail skirmishes in the country’s north and south with Iranian-backed militias.

Source:
IDF requests billions in funds for potential Iran attack, by Ron Ben-Yishai. Ynetnews.com, January 26, 2021

WATCH: Address by the IDF Chief of the General Staff
The 14th INSS Annual Conference