by World Israel News staff
“My identity is very clear: I am Arab-Palestinian. There is no doubt. My identity is very clear: I am Arab-Palestinian.” Mansour Abbas, head of the Islamist Ra’am party, said - distancing himself from any identification with the State of Israel.
Mansour Abbas said he was pained by the recent conflict with Gaza, which saw Israel eliminate targets affiliated with the Islamic Jihad terror group.
Abbas’ declaration of his Arab Palestinian identity is significant, as he has traditionally portrayed himself as a citizen of Israel interested in building a better future for the Jewish State. He has made a number of comments in the past aimed at easing the Israeli public’s fears around his reportedly Hamas-linked party becoming part of a governing coalition.
He also said that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had courted the Ra’am party, a claim he has made before as well.
Abbas met with Netanyahu at his Balfour residence while the May 2021 Israel-Gaza clash Operation Guardian of the Walls raged. “The negotiations were aimed at preventing the establishment of the new government,” Abbas said. “During Operation Guardian of the Walls, I maintained direct contact with Netanyahu. I participated in three meetings in Balfour during the operation.”
Food for Thought. by Steven Shamrak
Instead of dealing with the enemies by delivering a decisive military and psychological victory, Israeli political and military elite has been conducting policy of the "never-ending story", dealing with the PA, Hamas and Islamic Jihad! When will they begin removing enemies from Jewish land, and end the existential threat to the Jewish state? Several surveys consistently have been indicating that there will be again no clear winners after the next election. This will be the fifth inconclusive election in Israel in 2 years. Why? Because one political leader puts his own interest and ambitions first, and does not want to leave politics even for the sake of the country. Many Israeli political leaders do not trust him, and will not join government while he is still leader of Likud party.
Biden Administration Meddling in Israel's Election
A Biden administration official said the White House would be “troubled by the possibility” that Member of Knesset Itamar Ben Gvir, a hardline conservative and the head of the right-wing (Zionist) party Otzma Yehudit, might become a minister in the future Israeli government. The warning brought to mind accusations that the Obama administration, with Biden as the No. 2, meddled in Israeli elections in a bid to oust Netanyahu.
Another Useless Election Coming
The Likud party slides as the right-wing bloc falls below 60 seats in latest poll. If new elections were held today, the pro-Netanyahu bloc would win a total of 59 seats, two short of a majority. (In order for Likud to win an election and create a stable Zionist government, Netanyahu must step down from the leadership of Likud and politics!)
Israeli Athletes Denied Entry to Jordan
Six members of Israel's triathlon team were supposed to take part in the Asian Cup competition in Jordan this weekend, but were denied entry to the country. Jordan signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994 but its parliament, which is made up mostly of Islamists. (So much for peace and friendship!)
Political Stupidity - Lapid Revived Two-State Solution
In a speech at the United Nations, Israel’s caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid, revived an idea that many Israelis and Palestinians have long abandoned. It is to set up a Palestinian state alongside Israel, or what he called “two states for two peoples.” (Judea, Samaria and Gaza belong to the Jewish people. What is not clear about it?)
Quote of the Week:
"By officially calling for “an agreement with the Palestinians, based on two states for two peoples,” Prime Minister Yair Lapid has changed the election paradigm from “anybody but Netanyahu” back to the issue that has divided Israel’s left and right since Yitzhak Rabin signed the infamous Oslo Accords in 1993." – Alex Traiman - For quite a while, Israel does not have truly a Zionist political leadership. Personal ego, corruption and appeasement of Jew-haters have become a major motivation of the Israeli political elite.
Israel Used as Scapegoat by Islamists
(FaceBook post)
Israel is the one topic that a Muslim can criticize without getting into trouble. If a Muslim criticizes his government's corruption, he'll get thrown in jail. If he criticizes the “honour killing” of women, he'll get thrown in jail or worse. In the repressive, undemocratic Muslim countries, one risks life and limb (not only one’s own, but of one’s entire extended family) by criticizing the government or Islam.
Israel is there to solve this dilemma, in its historical, traditional role as scapegoat. There is simply no problem or issue that cannot be blamed on Israel, and all attention diverted to it.
One can make a video about Muhammed Al-Dura, even though the incident has been widely disproven (by French investigators, among others). One can make a Broadway musical, called “Leon Klinghoffer” or a play about Rachel Corrie. One can retell the Munich massacre or Entebbe, with sympathy for the terrorists. The possibilities are endless! You won't get thrown into jail or lashed or hung. Au contraire, you'll gain popularity, acceptance and monetary reward. You have a safe space to direct your energies!
The one huge downside of course is that all the issues and problems of your countries won't be addressed. Lebanon's economy is tanked, however a huge conference in Beirut is planned soon on the Sabra and Shatilla massacre (carried out by Christian militias but blamed on Israel.) Meanwhile the terrorist groups, Al Shabab, Hizballah, Al-Nusra, Taliban, Ansar Dine, Boko Haram, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah, Muslim Brotherhood and off-shoots of Al Qaeda and ISIS, etc. will continue to wreak violence and havoc.
The women in Muslim countries cannot demonstrate or speak about women's rights. They cannot protest against female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, polygamy or wife beating (allowed by the Quran). But they can speak against Israel. The Pali women who are screaming and harassing Jews on the way to the Western Wall and at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem are paid and allowed to do this in public. If they were protesting against “honour killings” of women, their fate would be drastically different.
The Squad and Linda Sarsour have been uncomfortable and squirming since the protests in Iran began. They have mumbled some lip service, but mostly they are keeping quiet, under the radar, or diverting to the topic of Israel. They cannot really criticize anything in Islam or an Islamic country.
Somalia is one of the poorest nations in the world. Ilhan Omar comes from there. She never speaks about the problems and issues there, only about Israel and the Jews.
The Squad, “social justice warriors” and women's rights activists are not addressing problems in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Somalia, northern Nigeria, Pakistan, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Iran, so on and so forth. That is too dangerous. Nor would they ever criticize anything in Islam - also highly dangerous. Ask Salman Rushdie. You can't ask the French teacher, Samuel Paty, who was beheaded, or Pim Fortuyn, or Theo Van Gogh, or the staff at Chedbo Charlie, and countless others.
So, sadly, many of the 57 Muslim majority countries are just going to continue failing, being undemocratic, repressive, and highly corrupt. While all their attention, money, and energy is directed at criticizing and attacking Israel, the only Jewish state in the world.
Anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, unifies Muslims all over the world, all 1.8 BILLION of them. It is not controversial. It does not get you in trouble with your government or Imams.