RUTHFULLY YOURS

What is it about dictatorships that make Americans swoon?Juxtaposing two recent articles published within 24 hours of each other on Cuba is instructive.

First, a Wall Street Journal article titled “Amid Thaw, First Authorized U.S. Yacht Sails to Cuba on Hopes of Travel Surge” reads:

The 78-foot Still Water docked in the marina late Wednesday after a four-hour jaunt. Aboard the sleek yacht were three crew and 12 passengers eager to see Cuba before the sharp economic and social change that many Americans expect to sweep the country as a long-frozen U.S.-Cuba relationship thaws. Some also hoped to sniff out business opportunities that such a transformation might spawn.

“Being born in the 50s and being indoctrinated the way we were, it’s interesting to be able to see this,” said 57-year-old passenger Jack McClurg, who manages his personal investments from Colorado and sails the Caribbean in his own 115-foot Italian-made yacht. “I’m just wanting to see this change happening.”

“For all their talk about Middle East peace, Obama and his advisors are not at all interested in achieving it.”The US has striven to achieve peaceable relations between the states of the Middle East for nearly 70 years. Yet today, US government is disparaging the burgeoning strategic ties between the Sunni Arab states and Israel.

In a briefing to a delegation of visiting Israeli diplomatic correspondents in Washington last week, a senior Obama administration official sneered that the only noticeable shift in Israel-Arab relations in recent years is that the current Egyptian government has been coordinating security issues “more closely” with Jerusalem than the previous one did.

“But we have yet to see that change materialize in the Gulf.”

The FBI has taken possession of thumb drives containing Hillary Clinton’s emails, some of which have been deemed to contain highly sensitive classified information, according to a U.S. official briefed on the matter.

The official was not authorized to be quoted publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Clinton’s lawyer, David Kendall, turned over the emails after the FBI determined that he could not remain in possession of the classified information, the official said.

Over 700 students from all over Europe participated in the debating competition where the Israeli team was declared the ESL champions.

Stav Singer and Iddan Golomb, a pair of debaters from Tel Aviv University, brought home a gold trophy from the European Universities Debating Championship that took place in Vienna over the past week.

More than 700 students from all over Europe participated in the debating competition, vying for prizes in two language categories – English as a first language (EFL) and English as a second language (ESL). Singer and Golomb were declared champions in the latter category.

Six Israeli teams made it into the knockout rounds of the ESL tournament: Three teams from Tel Aviv University, a team from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, a team from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and a team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Dan Lahav and Ayal Hayut- Man from Tel Aviv University also made their way to the grand finals of the EFL category, a rare achievement for non-native English-speaking teams.

“Jewish supporters of the Iran deal can’t possibly think that the agreement itself makes America or Israel safer. They are driven by something else – by a desire to find favor with the current occupant of the White House, the news media, and the academic and intellectual elites whom they admire. It’s disturbing, and in some ways hard to understand. Jews Against Themselves sheds much-needed light on the subject and deserves to be on everyone’s “must reading” list.”

Isn’t it remarkable how much of the fight over the Iran deal is a battle between different factions in the Jewish world?

First off, one would think it would be an argument primarily over whether the agreement endangers America, not Israel. After all – as Prime Minister Netanyahu reminded us in his webcast this week – Iran still regards America as “the Great Satan.” Israel is just “the little Satan.” Sure, Iranian protesters add an occasional “Death to Israel” to their chants, but it is “Death to America” that is heard loudest and longest.

Yet on Capitol Hill, the question that seems to be occupying everyone’s mind is: how will Jewish Congressmembers vote? And on the op-ed pages and the radio talk shows, we hear mostly about AIPAC vs. J Street, and pundits speculate as to whether other Jewish organizations will support or oppose the Iran deal.

Aptly named Senator Dick Durbin is Schumer’s closest rival to succeed Senator Harry Reid who is retiring. Dick Durbin is a favorite of CAIR and gets very high marks from the Arab American Institute for his anti Israel stance…..rsk
Democratic senators say Sen. Charles Schumer’s opposition to President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran won’t prevent him from becoming their next leader.

Even a potential rival to Schumer said Democratic senators who back the Iran deal will not turn on Schumer over the divisive vote.

“I don’t think the choice of the next Senate leader is going to be based on any single vote. Members of the caucus respect Chuck and know he’s gone through a thoughtful reflection. I don’t think it has any impact on the leadership race,” Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), the No. 2 Senate Democrat, told The Hill in an interview.

An Israeli delegation headed by Yitzhak Molcho headed to Cairo for secret talks with senior Egyptian officials. PHOTO: Michal Fattal/Flash90.

An high-level Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday afternoon for private meetings with senior Egyptian officials, Israel’s Channel 2 reported, citing Turkish news agency Anadolu.

According to the report, the group was headed by attorney Yitzhak Molcho, a close associate of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former chief peace negotiator with the Palestinians.

Due to the secret nature of the meetings, no details save Molcho’s presence in Cairo were released to the press.

The development comes amid reports of strengthening Egyptian-Israeli security and diplomatic relations. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in June assigned senior diplomat Hazem Khairat to serve as the country’s first ambassador to Israel in three years. Khairat is expected to arrive in Tel Aviv this fall after Israel confirmed the appointment and welcomed Egypt’s decision.

Khairat belongs to a well-known family of diplomats, and has served as Egypt’s representative to the Arab League, as well as Egypt’s ambassador to Syria and Chile.

Why Iran’s Anti-Semitism Matters A close read of Obama and Kerry’s comments on whether Iranian leaders seek Israel’s destruction •

A few days ago, I spoke with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry about the politics of the Iran deal (you can find the full interview here), and at one point in our conversation I put to Kerry what I thought was—to be honest—something of a gimme question: “Do you believe that Iranian leaders sincerely seek the elimination of the Jewish state?”

Kerry responded provocatively—provocatively, that is, if you understand Iranian leaders, and in particular the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the way I understand them: as people theologically committed to the destruction of Israel. Quotes such as this one from Khamenei help lead me to this conclusion: “This barbaric, wolflike, and infanticidal regime of Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated.” The supreme leader does not specialize in nuance. (Here is a long list of statements made by Iranian leaders concerning their desire to bring about an end to Jewish sovereignty in any part of the ancestral Jewish homeland.)[available at website link above]

Kerry’s stated understanding of the regime’s anti-Semitism is somewhat different from mine. He told me, “I think they have a fundamental ideological confrontation with Israel at this particular moment. Whether or not that translates into active steps, to quote, ‘Wipe it,’ you know …”