India to Buy 131 Surface to Air Missiles from Israel Ahead of Netanyahu’s Visit

India’s Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has given the go ahead for the procurement of 131 Surface to Air Barak missiles.  This is separate from the deal India scrapped with Israel’s Rafael Advance Defence in November of 2017.  The Ministry of Defense had decided to cancel the $500 million with Rafael systems for  acquiring of  the Spike Anti Tank Guided Missile because India wanted to develop their own version.

The deal for the Barak missiles was announced today to be timed before Prime Minister Netanyahu’s first state visit to India.

The two rising powers have been coming closer for years, but under Narendra Modi, India’s Hindu nationalist leader, the relationship between India and Israel has reached new heights.

Despite the very warm relations between India and Israel, the Modi government voted for Turkey’s resolution at the UN condemning President Trump’s declaration that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. Most experts believe that India will take time to shift their voting at the UN in Israel’s favor since the Hindu majority country has a large minority of Muslims equally around 100 million.

Russian Foreign Minister: US Military Must Leave All Of Syria

In a statement sure to raise tensions between Russia and the USA, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Thursday that US forces must leave all of Syria.

“Speaking to Interfax news agency on Thursday, Lavrov stated that the UN Security Council has not approved the work of the United States and its coalition in Syria, nor has been invited by the Syrian legitimate government.”

Of course, pulling out of Syria is not an option for the US.  With major operations against ISIS underway by the Kurdish majority SDF in the North and the US forces at Al-Tanf crossing there to protect Jordan from militants, the idea that the US will just up and leave is a non-starter.

Is Assad Legitimate?

Russia has for a while insisted that any long term presence of foreign troops must be in accordance with the legitimate government of Syria.  For Russia this means Assad.  The problem with this line of reasoning is that large areas of Syria are clearly not under his control.  This is does not refer to pockets of ISIS or Jihadists, but rather indigenous people such as the Kurds of Rojava or Arab Sunnis in the North. These groups along with ethnic Turkmen had been kept down by the minority Allawite regime for decades.

It would seem that any decisions on who gets to stay in Syria should be decided by the most democratic elements in the country.  That is, if you consider Syria an actual country at this point.  Syria, like many of its Arab counterparts across the Middle East are artificial creations that sprang into being after World War One.  given the fact, that Syria has been ruled by dictators for a good part of the last 100 years, it make sense why Russia would view this as trait to determine who is legitimate.  Afterall, Russia is currently ruled by an ex KGB chief who snuffs out opposition.  This point of commonality between Russia’s Putin and Syria’s Assad would be reason enough for the two to work together, but the truth is Russia doesn’t care about legitimacy just control over Syria in order to press against the West and drain energy from it while Russia pushes against Eastern Europe.

How Does this Affect Israel?

With the US not leaving Syria anytime soon and Russia digging in its heels throughout the country, the stage is set for a serious confrontation between the two super powers’ proxies.  Iran-Syria-Hezbollah forces will be used by Russia to push against the US proxies of Israel and the SDF.  This will be done under the Russian protective umbrella and threatens to spill out into a far greater war.

In the weeks ahead Israel and the Syrian regime will move beyond tit for tats and go directly against one another while the big powers push from behind.

BDS ATTACKS: Over 200 Israeli Academics Call to Boycott Ariel University

Over 200 Israeli academics signed a petition calling on the Council for Higher Education in Israel to reject the government’s plan to apply Israeli law on academic institutions of higher learning in Judea and Samaria.

Currently, academic institutions beyond the Green Line fall under the jurisdiction of the Council for Higher Education in Judea and Samaria, but earlier this month the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill that would apply Israeli law on Ariel University and other academic institutions of higher learning in Judea and Samaria, thus incorporating them into the Council for Higher Education in Israel (CHE).

“Ariel University is situated in an area that has a sharp separation between Palestinian residents and the settler community,” read the letter addressed to the members of the CHE that was published yesterday in Haaretz newspaper.

“Annexing Ariel University to Israel turns the entire Israeli academia into an active partner in the occupation, as it is defined in Europe and in other places in the world.”

The letter continued: “Therefore, we are calling on you not to be a partner in the decision of the Ministerial Committee, and to prevent this move that has grave implications to the distinguished Israeli academia and academics in universities and colleges that are within the borders of the State of Israel.”

The letter was signed by academics from 15 different Israeli universities and colleges, with the majority coming from Hebrew University, Tel-Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University.

“This is BDS from within, and nothing less,” said Im Tirtzu Chairman Matan Peleg. “These so-called enlightened academics have joined the ranks of the most vile anti-Israel advocates in the world who use boycotts as a means to destroy the Jewish state.”

“This is further proof of the urgent need to implement the proposed academic code of ethics, which will restore sanity to Israeli academia.”

 

JERUSALEM FALLOUT: Nikki Haley Cuts $285 Million from the UN’s Budget

UN Ambassador Nikki Haley announced Sunday that the United States negotiated a $285 million cut in the United Nations’ “bloated” budget for next year.

“The inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known,” Haley said in a statement from the US Mission. “We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked.”

Haley added that the “historic reduction” in spending is a step in the right direction and that the US would make many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable UN.

“In addition to these significant cost savings, we reduced the UN’s bloated management and support functions, bolstered support for key US priorities throughout the world and instilled more discipline and accountability throughout the UN system,” the statement said.

The new UN budget deal for the 2018-2019 fiscal year totals $285 million less than the United Nations outrageous $5.4 billion budget for the current year .

Haley continued on to say that she hopes to continue making more reductions in the UN’s budget in the years ahead.

JERUSALEM FALLOUT: Haley Scolds United Nations over Attempted Repeal of Trump’s Jerusalem Recognition




Nikki Haley said the following at the United Nations in relation to both the one year anniversary of the passage of UN Resolution 2334 and the UN attempt at repealing the United States’ decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

“The United States refuses to accept the double standard that says we are not impartial when we stand by the will of the American people by moving our US embassy, but somehow the United Nations is a neutral party when it consistently singles out Israel for condemnation.

For decades, Israel has withstood wave after wave of bias in the UN and its agencies. The United States has often stood beside Israel. We did not on December 23, 2016. We will not make that mistake again.”

JERUSALEM FALLOUT: Arab Students at Tel-Aviv University Call for “Intifada”

Arab students at Tel-Aviv University called for”Intifada” against Israel during a protest held last week at the university’s campus in response to President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

“With spirit and blood we will redeem you, Al-Aqsa; We will fight and teach them a lesson via the sword and force; We will school them through the ways of Intifada; Israel is a terror state; Resist, resist,” were among the slogans chanted by some 50 Arab students who gathered at the university’s Entin Square to protest.

A counter demonstration was held by activists from the Zionist organization Im Tirtzu, who waved Israeli flags and sang Israeli songs including “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem, and “Jerusalem of Gold.”

Last week, Arab students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem held a protest where they issued calls including “Zionists leave, our land is Arab and free” and “Palestine is Arab from the river to the sea.” The protest was joined by Joint List MK Yousef Jabareen who told the protesters to be “proud of our struggle.”




Similar protests were also held last week by Arab students at Ben-Gurion University and Haifa University.

“What we have seen take place on Israeli campuses over the past week is disgraceful,” said Im Tirtzu Chairman Matan Peleg. “On campus grounds, students are openly inciting violence and are calling for the destruction of the State of Israel with impunity. This is a dangerous precedent that will result in violence if not stopped immediately by the heads of the universities.”

“The writing is on the wall and we cannot ignore it,” Peleg added.

President of Turkey: “Israel is a state of occupation”

In an unhinged reaction to President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday described Israel as a “state of occupation” which used “terror” against the Palestinians.

“Israel is a state of occupation,” Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul. “And now they are making use of terror and are bombing young people and children,” he continued. 

Erdogan was referring to Israel’s response to the firing of rockets into civilian areas from the Gaza strip.  He conveniently left out the fact that one of the rockets destroyed a kindegarden in the Israeli city of Sderot.

Interestingly enough, while Erdogan labels Israel an “occupier” it is Turkey that far outweighs most countries in the world in that category.

Turkey currently occupies half of Cyprus, Northern Kurdistan with its 20 million Kurds, and West Armenia. Turkey was also responsible for the Armenian Genocide that saw more than 1.5 million Armenians killed at the hands of the Turks from 1915 to 1917.

Under Erdogan’s watch, Turkey has grown into an Islamic centric country that eschews minority rights and champions Jihadism.  It was afterall Erdogan’s Turkey that was a key backer of ISIS in its early days by allowing thousands of foreign fighter to traverse the border between Turkey and Syria.  Erdogan’s children were behind medical supplies specifically destined for ISIS. It was Turkey’s backing that lent a hand to Obama’s decision to help prop up ISIS in its early days.




By allowing Turkey to take the mantle of leadership of the Muslim world and thus the “Palestinian Cause” proves the very point that Israel supporters have been careful to make over the past decades and that is the existance of a “Palestinian Nation” is nothing but a hypocritical trojan horse designed to destroy the Jewish State from the inside.

It would be best for the Arab and Islamic world to clean up their act before chastising the only country that may be able to save them from their moral and ethical morass and yes the coming crisis with Iran.

Arab Students at Hebrew U Call to Expel the “Zionists” from Israel

Arab students at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University called to expel the “Zionists” from Israel during a protest held yesterday at the university’s Mount Scopus campus.

“Palestine is Arab from the river to the sea; Zionists leave, our land is Arab and free; We will not give up, Israel is a terrorist; Raise up your hand and scream, death is better than humiliation,” were among the slogans chanted by the Arab students affiliated with the Joint List.

The protestors were joined by Joint List member of Knesset, Yousef Jabareen, who told the protestors to “keep on fighting for coexistence. We should be proud of our struggle.”




On the other side of the barricade stood students from the Zionist organization Im Tirtzu, who organized a counter demonstration. The students waved Israeli flags and sang Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem.

The protest was called in response to a clash yesterday between Arab and Jewish students over a memorial erected by students from Im Tirtzu for Sgt. Ron Kukia, who was murdered last week in Arad.

Arab students responded to the memorial by approaching it while waving a Palestinian flag in protest, prompting an altercation.

“What we have seen in Hebrew University over the past few days is disgraceful,” said Tom Nisani, national branch coordinator for Im Tirtzu who was present at the protest. “Under the guise of free speech, Arab students are calling for the destruction of Israel and are inciting violence. The university must take this incitement seriously and immediately discipline those students responsible.”

Last month Arab students held a similar protest over the Israeli presence in the Golan Heights, during which they chanted slogans including “Zionists, out” and “There is no solution, but to get rid of the occupier.”

In May, Arab students staged a protest in solidarity with Palestinian security prisoners where they waved photos of convicted terrorists and called for “Intifada.”

Is Bibi Losing His Grip on His Government

Whether or not Health Minister Yaakov Litzman’s resignation and subsequent reinstatement after a last-minute agreement with Prime Minister Netanyahu solves the current coalition crisis, one thing is clear, Bibi is beginning to lose his grip on his coalition.

The Prime Minister has always done an excellent job in balancing various interests of sectoral parties within his coalition by explaining to the factions that all would lose with new elections.  While there is still some truth to this, Likud’s falling poll numbers suggest a different story altogether.  Couple this with Avi Gabbai’s rise as Labor leader and the paradigm which saw Likud as the right wing and traditional anchor for those religious parties has fallen away.

This doesn’t mean that Bibi will be dethroned if elections were to be held, but he is no shoe in anymore and what is increasingly becoming apparent is that self-interested ministers within his party are beginning to sense he is weak.

MK Eichler from UTJ claims that it was in fact Transportation Minister Katz who created this crisis.

“There is no explanation that the Likud government will expand the work done on Shabbat except for the attempt by the Transportation Minister and Welfare Minister to topple the government. The traditional Likud voters will not forgive them if Netanyahu’s government falls apart,” Eichler was quoted as saying.

This may be in the realm of rumor, but the facts are in.  The construction took place with the approval of Minister Yisrael Katz who had to know that this would create a crisis.

None of this is important other than to point out that Bibi is finally being seen as weak and this perception is from within the Likud itself.

With a rising Jewish Home and UTJ on the religious right and a revamped Labor under Avi Gabbai who is religiously traditional as well as a centrist when it comes to security and “settlements,” Likud is finally beginning to worry that Bibi has lost his touch and thus his grip.

Once again, none of this means that the Prime Minister’s days are numbered, especially since he has been counted out plenty of times before only to surprise. However, the younger generation in Israel, which has grown up and matured after the Second Intifada, Gaza Withdrawal, and Second Lebanon War has discarded the mistakes of breaking Israeli politics into a polarized relationship revolving around the Two-State Solution and Religious-Secular relationships.  The younger generation has come of age and appears to see things far differently than the elder statesmen of Bibi’s generation.

Time will tell if the current flare up with the Chareidi UTJ is the beginning of the end for Bibi or a tremor of a far bigger earthquake to come.