by Dr. Aaron Lerner
If Smotrich and Ben-Gvir don't blink there is good reason to believe that Binyamin Netanyahu will form a coalition government, with no time left to spare on the clock.
There is a triple bonus for Israel if Smotrich is Defense Minister:
#1. The appointment of anyone other than Smotrich will be interpreted by the world as Netanyahu's acquiescing to pressure. When Israel gives into pressure this only invites more pressure.
Smotrich took the transportation portfolio with no formally relevant training or experience. Yet despite this It wasn't long before he was asking a lot of questions no one in the room ever thought of even entertaining and the answers led to a dramatic leap forward in transportation infrastructure construction. That is exactly why it would be counterproductive to have a minister of defense from the ranks, who would be tempted to find solace in embracing old approaches.
#2. Israel faces a dynamic unprecedented environment - locally, regionally and worldwide - that requires a minister of defense who can think out of the box. Israeli ministers of defense with civilian backgrounds have a track record of making critically better choices not only regarding weapons systems but also in guiding the hammering out of operational decisions.
#3. The minister of defense calls the shots on Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria and action against illegal Palestinian construction in Area C. The Jewish State is expected to reach a population of 15 million by 2049, and 20 million at the end of 2065. We simply cannot afford to lose Area C through inaction. (Smotrich as Defence Minister and Ben Gvir as Internal Security Minister would be interesting team to watch.)
Otzma Yehudit Stopped Talks with the Likud
The Otzma Yehudit party announced that coalition negotiations have been stopped after Likud refused to give it the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee. The Religious Zionist Party is conditioning its support for a future government led by Benjamin Netanyahu in part on the Likud’s willingness to include a clause in the coalition agreement obligating the new government to take steps to apply Israeli sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria. Negotiations significantly stalled due to Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich's demand of the Defense Ministry, a demand Netanyahu is reportedly reluctant to give in to. Netanyahu has decided not to give Smotrich the Defense Ministry no matter what, even if it means heading to another election. (Netanyahu must leave politics and step down from the Likud leadership. Otherwise, it will be the 6th 'inconclusive' election.)
Food for Thought. by Steven Shamrak
Israel is the only country that can claim its statehood and ownership of the Jewish ancestral land – Eretz-Israel. Jewish people have almost 3,300 years of spiritual and historical connection with the land. Israel is the only country in the world which, under international pressure, withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula 3 times. It is never enough! Jew-haters still want Israel to surrender Jewish land to the enemies, a recently forged people – so-called Palestinians, whose only goal is to destroy the Jewish state.
Benjamin Netanyahu backed off from presenting a government this week. Netanyahu had hoped to present his new government on Tuesday, when the 25th Knesset is sworn in. The six parties or factions recommending that Netanyahu receive the mandate were Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism (UTJ), the Religious Zionist Party (RZP), Otzma Yehudit and Noam. However, during their meetings with the Likud’s coalition representatives, demands have emerged that will likely drag out the negotiations.
Israel and Azerbaijan - Marage of Necessity
Azerbaijan becomes the first Shi'ite-majority country to open embassy in Israel. Mort Klein, National President of the Zionist Organization of America, remarked, "ZOA welcomes the new Azerbaijan embassy in Israel, though it should be in Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal capital where the U.S. and other embassies are located." The two countries have had relations for decades, including an Israeli embassy in Baku. Israel and Azerbaijan are both targets of Iran, which has been spreading violence and instability throughout the Middle East.
Iran Behind Attack on Israeli Owned Tanker
US Army General Michael Kurilla, commander of US Central Command, said that Iran had carried out the pre-dawn strike on an Israeli-owned oil tanker, using a bomb-carrying drone. Eastern Pacific Shipping said the Pacific Zircon had been "hit by a projectile" approximately some 150 miles off the coast of Oman. The company added: "We are in communication with the vessel and there is no reports of injuries or pollution. All crew are safe and accounted for. There is some minor damage to the vessel’s hull but no spillage of cargo or water ingress." (This is an act of war. Israel has a right to retaliate, and destroy Iranian nuclear infrastructure.)
The head of UNRWA, the UN agency for “Palestinian refugees”, said that the agency is in a "danger zone" that could result in it no longer being able to fulfil its mandate. UNRWA relies on donations from countries around the world. Multiple crises that had hit the region have been worsened by the impact of the war in Ukraine, meaning the plight of “Palestinian refugees” was "de-prioritized" by many donors. Created in 1949, UNRWA supplies aid to more than three million of the 5.7 million registered “Palestinian refugees” in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and territories assigned to the Palestinian Authority. (UNRWA was created to maintain existence just one group of refugees - fake Palestinians. All genuine refugees are responsibility of the UNCHR. They are resettled in other countries or returned home when a conflicts are resolved.)
Turkey Launched Airstrikes against Syria and Iraq
Turkish war planes carried out air strikes on Kurdish militant bases in northern Syria and northern Iraq on Sunday, destroying 89 targets, citing Turkey’s right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter in launching the attacks. The strikes targeted bases of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, in retaliation for a bomb attack in Istanbul that killed six people one week ago. (How many Jews have been killed by terrorists in Israel. Demolishing their homes is not enough - Remove the 'cancer' from the Jewish land.)
What is the Legal Opinion on Israeli 'Occupation'?
The UN’s Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) voted to approve a motion promoted by the Palestinian Authority to take the legality of Israel's "occupation" to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The proposal was approved with a majority of 98 countries that voted in favour, including Ukraine. (It would be interesting to see how the ICJ will be able to dismiss the facts that all land of the Palestine mandate, including trans-Jordan, was designated to creation a Jewish state, and that Judea, Samaria and Gaza were recovered by Israel during defensive war with the enemies, who occupied those them and did nothing to create a state for non-existing people. Anti-Semitic ‘Ugly Nazi’ is still at its best!)
The Arab League and Israel Dilemma
The Arab League completely rejects any attempt by "normalisers" to form any kind of pro-Israel lobby within the organisation itself. However, such a lobby is now an established fact and it will force future summits to steer away from any condemnation of normalisation, in direct contravention of the Arab League's founding charter. The only way that the Palestinian cause was promoted in this latest Arab League summit was with Algeria's pledge to lead efforts to have the State of Palestine admitted as a full member of the UN. (A non-existing country of the fake people?)
The US embassy compound will include the embassy building, offices, faculty residences, parking lots, long-term parking, and security structures. This complex will be established in the former Allenby Camp, established by General Edmund Allenby who defeated the Ottomans and captured Jerusalem on the first day of Chanukah, December 9, 1917.
Iran Stockpiling Highly Enriched Uranium
An IAEA report says Tehran now has 62.3 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60% fissile purity, which is a short step away from weapons-grade levels. That amounts to an increase of 6.7 kilograms since the IAEA’s last report in September. Iran now has enough 60%-enriched uranium to reprocess into fuel, weapons-grade levels of 90%, for at least one nuclear bomb.
Israel Must not Help the PA to Survive
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr conveyed the message to senior security and army officials. The Biden administration urged Jerusalem to take steps to strengthen the security relationship with the Palestinian Authority as well as its economy, amid concerns that the PA is in danger of imminent collapse. (They occupy Jewish land, kill Jews and want to destroy Israel. Why should Israel help them?)
Quote of the Week:
“Israel has the ability to act in Iran. We have the readiness, development capabilities, and long-term plans we are managing. We need to prepare for this possibility, and we will also need to consider this issue very carefully before carrying it out." - Benny Gantz, outgoing Defense Minister - This has been stated too many times for too many years, but there has been no action. Meanwhile, Iran has hidden its nuclear program underground and is making progress in development, with the help of the Western ‘friends’ of Israel – who have been deliberately conducting procrastinational ‘negotiations’ with Iran, regarding its nuclear capability. Although, Israel has taken covert actions against Iranian nuclear program, it is not enough!
The Biden Administration Against Israel
Immediately after Abu Akleh was killed, the Biden administration began demanding that the IDF investigate her death and accept the blame for it. The State Department demanded that Israel make changes in the IDF’s rules of engagement. Now, Biden wants the FBI probe into Shireen Abu Akleh’s death because he wants a crisis with Israel. Journalists are killed in all war zones. The US would never investigate their own soldiers for actions leading to the death of reporters embedded with terrorists during a firefight. There is no way any US ally other than Israel would ever be treated this badly. In directing the FBI to open this probe, the Biden administration, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, is engaging in a political campaign to delegitimize Israel. (Washington's double standard. Israel and Jews are always used as a distraction by the enemies and anti-Semites during political or economic calamities, like mid-term elections in the US!)
Investigation into Anti-Israel Bias of the US Justice Department
The Biden administration’s decision to launch an unprecedented investigation into Israel’s accidental shooting of a Palestinian-American reporter has landed the administration in hot water with Congress. The DOJ’s investigation comes after Israel, in coordination with the U.S. State Department conducted its own investigation into the matter. Israel determined Abu Akleh was killed by a stray bullet fired by an Israeli soldier and deemed the death accidental. The State Department said it was satisfied with the investigation, but Biden’s DOJ overrode this assessment. Attorney General Merrick Garland and "everyone involved in this disgraceful stunt should be investigated and then either fired or impeached," said Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas). "Using the FBI to attack and undermine one of our closest allies at the behest of the anti-Semitic Squad," Cruz said. (It is not a secret that the US State Department has always been pushing an anti-Israel agenda, but the Biden administration has now weaponised DJO against Israel!)