Iran Brought Israel and the Arabs Closer by Marc Champion For more than half a century, conflict between Israel and the Arab nations that surround it has been a defining feature of the Middle East, producing periodic wars, lost opportunities for trade and uncountable hours of fruitless diplomacy. The rift is far from resolved. Yet there’s been a shift. Israel made peace deals with four Arab countries in 2020, underscoring that these days it’s Iran - rather than Israel - that’s the common enemy uniting many Arab rulers. Saudi officials have downplayed the chances of full normalization anytime soon. However, as part of Israel’s accords with the other states, the Saudis allowed some flights (hopefully IAF will be able to flight over) between the countries to use their airspace. Iran’s influence in the Middle East has grown significantly since 2003, when the US-led invasion of Iraq removed its primary foe, the Sunni-dominated regime of President Saddam Hussein. In Yemen, Iran backed Shiite rebels in their fight against forces supported by Saudi Arabia and the UAE in a war that broke out in 2015. Iran’s influence in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen became “a new normal.” The US facilitated the Israeli-Arab peace deals, rewarding the UAE with advanced arm sales and Morocco and Sudan with diplomatic favors. Starting in 2016, the US, under President Donald Trump, adopted a more aggressive approach to Iran, withdrawing from the nuclear deal that the world powers had struck with Iran in 2015. Under Trump, the US also dropped its stance of neutrality in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem - claimed as a capital by both sides but controlled by Israel - and downplaying the goal of a two-state solution, under which Israel and the Palestinians were to end their conflict by delineating a new Palestinian state. Biden’s administration says it’s committed to a two-state solution, but hasn’t committed diplomatic resources to achieving one. Food for Thought. by Steven Shamrak Iran is determined to build an atomic bomb, and has declared on many occasions its intention to destroy Israel. The IDF has a plan and the ability to demolish Iran’s nuclear program (hopefully, at the same time, it will ‘cut off the head of the snake’, and will help the people of Iran to get rid of the tyrannic regime of mullahs). Does the current political leadership of Israel have the will and guts to stop Iran’s genocidal intentions? Bibi did not have it! Non-Patriotic High Court of Israel The High Court of Justice ruled that the law permitting the revocation of the citizenship of terrorists is constitutional, although it also cancelled decisions by former interior ministers to revoke the citizenship of convicted terrorists Alaa Ziad and Mahmoud Mafarja. (The judicial system of Israel requires serious changes. More Zionist-minded Jewish patriots need to be appointed as judges.) IAEA has Limited Visibility on Iran's Nuclear Program International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi warned that Iran's nuclear program is "galloping ahead" and his agency has very limited visibility on what is happening. In June, Iran began removing essentially all the agencies’ monitoring equipment. The IAEA issued a report in which it said Iran is escalating its uranium enrichment further by preparing to use advanced IR-6 centrifuges at its underground Fordow facility. (Israel must not wait. Nuclear Iran is a threat to the Jewish state and whole world. No country will join Israel to stop Iran.) Why would ‘Gazans’ Work for Zionist Enemies? MK Mansour Abbas, from the Ra’am party, is proud of his party's influence on the government that brought in tens of thousands of workers from the Gaza Strip into Israel. "The Islamic Movement through its institutions serves the Palestinian people, Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. (It transfers) 25,000 allowances to Palestinian orphans in the West Bank and Jerusalem,” he said. (He has actually admitted that his party is supporting the enemies of Israel. Why do so-called Palestinians/Gazans, supporters of Hamas, want to work for 'Zionist enemies' they want to destroy?) Is Likud Democratic or One Man Dictatorship Party? The Likud party's Elections Committee decided that since only former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had submitted candidacy for Likud leadership, primaries for the party's top spot will not be held. (After four ‘inconclusive’ elections Likud still has no ‘leadership material’ to challenge Bibi. Any self-respectful politician would have stepped down a long time ago.) What is Israel Waiting for - Nuclear Armed Iran? Tehran is technically capable of making a nuclear bomb but has yet to decide whether to build it. "In a few days we were able to enrich uranium up to 60% and we can easily produce 90% enriched uranium... Iran has the technical means to produce a nuclear bomb but there has been no decision by Iran to build one," said Kamal Kharrazi, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Quote of the Week: "I do not believe the policy of the Biden administration is to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. It's having the infrastructure, the nuclear infrastructure, which is why the deal was so bad. I don't see that the United States is going to take care of this situation in Iran for us, so it comes down to really one of two choices: Either we're going to have to take action, or the people of Iran are going to rise up and throw out this regime that they despise. And we should be preparing for both scenarios." - Ron Dermer, former Israeli Ambassador to the US – Israel is on its own to deal with nuclear threat from Iran. The US and Europeans have been helping, by conducting useless negotiations, while Iran advances its nuclear program. At best, Israel might get co-operation from the UAE and Saudis, when the time comes to strike Iran. Hopefully, Iranian opposition will be ready to remove the regime of the Ayatollahs then. The Cause of Self-imposed Limitation by Steven Shamrak The UN, USA, EU and even Arab states are not to be blamed for Israel's problems. They have always been disparaging of Jews. We will never be able to please them or change their nature. Disunity, self-hate and lack of direction are the main problems of the Jewish people. The International pressure on Israel and the despair of Jewish people have been steadily increasing since the creation of Israel. The present level of disunity and even hate among Jews is appalling in Israel and in the Diaspora! These are direct results of the continuation of gutless, self-disrespectful and divisive policies that have been conducted by most Israeli governments and many community leaders. Many Jewish communities have been hiding behind nice and politically correct activities that have not resulted in any true accomplishment! There are thousands of Jewish organisations, publications, websites and active individuals. Most of them are acting with a good intention for the common good. Many of them are even getting positive results in their niche. But there is a lack of the common vision, leadership and direction. For centuries, our enemies have been exploiting Jewish disunity with considerable success. After living in an anti-Semitic atmosphere for so long, the Jewish people misplaced their national pride: the pride that made us unique among the nations! This was the pride that compelled Jews to fight both the Greek and Roman occupations. The pride that made us succeed against all odds in business, science, medicine, music, art etc. Unfortunately, Jews started to believe the slander of our 'inadequate' enemies. Even in our own country, we are living under the imaginary 'Glass lid' - self-imposed limitations - and are unwilling to leave our self-imprisonment and realise our destiny. We need Jewish leaders, bankers, educators and influencers to be united by one Jewish national goal now! Where are they? There is no time for useless debates anymore. Political affiliations must not interfere with the right of the Jewish people to live on all Jewish land as a sovereign nation. The time for action has arrived! We must remember the words of Hillel: "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?”
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