In this mailing: - Khaled Abu Toameh: How President Biden Emboldened Hamas, Islamic Jihad
- Burak Bekdil: The "We-Must-Hate-Israel" Season Re-Opens in Turkey
by Khaled Abu Toameh • May 19, 2021 at 5:00 am Second, was the Biden administration's offer to resume negotiations with Iran to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, enabling Iran, in a few years, to have unlimited nuclear weapons -- while ignoring Iran's continual breaches of the deal. The administration also apparently ignored Iran's harassment of American naval vessels. In fact, as if the US is about to reward Iran for all that. Earlier this year, the Gulf Cooperation Council expressed deep concern over the Houthi terrorist attacks on Saudi Arabia and called on Iran to stop its efforts to destabilize the security and stability of the Arab countries by supporting terrorist groups. This appeal, however, appears to have been ignored by the US and other Western powers. "The Houthis and their Iranian backers think that the American move was the result of their military perseverance and a reflection of their superiority in the field. Moreover, the two sides (the Houthis and Iran) understood the measure as an indication of the new American administration's soft position towards them and bias against Saudi Arabia... Such messages enhance Houthis conviction that force is the key factor.... Revoking the Houthi designation without receiving anything in return raises the question about the efficiency of decision-making in this administration. In addition, revoking the designation of Houthis sends a message that Biden might return to Obama's hesitant and weak policy." — Emirates Policy Center (EPC) report, March 13, 2021. Buoyed by the decision to resume the financial aid with no conditions attached, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas are now convinced that the Biden administration's next move will be to rescind Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. That is why the Palestinians have chosen to call the current wave of attacks on Israel as the "Jerusalem Uprising."
 A number of decisions taken by the Biden administration have apparently emboldened Iran and a number of its terrorist proxies. First was the decision to revoke the designation of the Iranian-backed Houthi group in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization. Pictured: Houthi forces in Yemen's capital Sanaa on April 8, 2021. (Photo by Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images) A number of decisions taken by the Biden administration -- who were handed peace in the Middle East, US energy independence, secure borders, the blueprint for a booming economy, and American adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran on the defensive -- have managed, in four short months, to blow most of that up. Some of these decisions have apparently emboldened Iran and a number of its terrorist proxies. First was the decision to revoke the designation of the Iranian-backed Houthi group in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization. Second, was the Biden administration's offer to resume negotiations with Iran to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, enabling Iran, in a few years, to have unlimited nuclear weapons -- while ignoring Iran's continual breaches of the deal. The administration also apparently ignored Iran's harassment of American naval vessels. In fact, as if the US is about to reward Iran for all that. Continue Reading Article by Burak Bekdil • May 19, 2021 at 4:00 am There is, however, a significant difference between Turkey in May 2018 and May 2021. In May 2018, Turkey was heading for presidential and parliamentary elections -- which Erdoğan won with 51.5% of the national vote. Erdoğan was confident of "making Turkey great again" and systematically fueled hostility against Israel, Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In May 2021, Turkey is not heading for elections but for economic collapse and political isolation, Erdoğan has grossly profited, in domestic politics, from every form and period of violence in the Arab-Israeli dispute in the past two decades. But he will not get anything from this year's clashes between terrorists and a legitimate state. There are no elections in sight. And the Turks, despite their usual manifest anti-Israeli behavior, are in fact too busy with their everyday struggles to bring bread to their homes and milk to their babies. Some grocery stores in big cities like Istanbul have recently started to sell "stale bread" for the first time. A stale loaf sells at five US cents cheaper than standard bread and has thousands of customers.
 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has grossly profited, in domestic politics, from every form and period of violence in the Arab-Israeli dispute in the past two decades. But he will not get anything from this year's clashes between terrorists and a legitimate state. There are no elections in sight. (Photo by Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images) Each time the Arab-Israel dispute turns violent on Israeli soil, Turks immediately return to their post-truth mode. One newspaper headline proudly says that Palestinian fighters shot 137 rockets into Israel within five minutes. The next headline says Israel is a state of terror because it reciprocated to attacks against its citizens. "This is how al-Qassam Brigade hit a lifeline oil plant in Ashkelon-Eilat," one headline said. "Hamas hits, Zionists are burning," was another. "Rockets shock Zionists." "Tel Aviv turns into hell: Get worse, bastards!" "Zionists are fleeing Hamas rockets." And, according to Hamas' leader Ismail Haniyeh, Gaza militants "have defended Jerusalem." There are more. Continue Reading Article |
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