RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2021/04/us-israeli-honeymoon-over-joseph-puder/

It seems that the Trump era ‘honeymoon’ in US – Israeli relations is over under the new administration of Joe Biden. The US is now prepared to go back to previous policies of so-called ‘evenhandedness’ between Israel and the Palestinians. Furthermore, the Biden administration appears to return to the Obama administration policy of appeasing the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefed Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi about the Biden administration’s plan for the indirect talks with the Iranians in Vienna. He said that he did not believe the meeting would bear fruit. The New York Times reported (April 6, 2021) that, “The United States and Iran agreed through intermediaries on Tuesday to establish two working groups to try to get both countries back into compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.” At the moment there is a battle of wills. The Iranian officials claim that they can return to compliance fairly quickly, but demand that the US must first lift the sanctions. The US wants the Iranians to move first to return to compliance before sanctions are eased. The Iranians, it should be said, refused to deal directly with the Americans.

The Iranian economy is in shambles as the result of the Trump administration sanctions, and it would seem that the Iranians are in a weak position in the upcoming bargaining. In the meantime, however, US officials estimated that Iran’s ‘breakout time’ to a nuclear bomb is down to a few months. That might be the ostensible reason why the Biden administration is so eager to engage with Iran’s radical regime. The Iranian’s, on their part, know how eager Biden is to reverse Trump’s actions vis-à-vis Iran. The operative question is simply this: are US officials wrong about the ‘breakout time,’ and are the Iranians, in order to strengthen their bargaining position, are exaggerating their progress. Conversely, the Iranians may already have the bomb, and have most certainly the ‘know how’ to assemble a bomb. In whatever the case may be, it is unlikely that Iran would be flexible enough to agree to the US requests for modifications to the 2015 nuclear deal, such as extending the expiration time. The Ayatollahs have already announced that they are opposed to any change. That means that the US and the western powers would have to relent on Iran’s development of long-range missiles that could carry nuclear payloads. Tehran would certainly oppose the US demand that it ends its nefarious terrorist behavior in the Middle East region and beyond.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/17259/palestinian-elections-biden-administration

Hamas and the PFLP have rejected all the agreements signed between Israel and the PLO, including the Oslo Accords. Yet, these terrorist groups have no problem running in an election held under the umbrella of the Oslo Accords.

[I]t is already evident that some of them have no intention of complying with the wishes of the State Department about “renouncing violence and terrorism” or accepting the “two-state solution.”

Representatives of some of the lists running in the election, in fact, are promising the exact opposite. They are saying that they are committed to continuing the fight against Israel and have absolutely no intention of recognizing Israel’s right to exist.

These Palestinians oppose any recognition of Israel’s right to exist; they oppose any form of normalization with Israel; they oppose any peace talks with Israel and have repeatedly denounced any peace process with Israel as an act of treason.

Abu Zuhri and the Hamas leadership are sending the following message to the State Department spokesman: If you think Hamas will renounce violence and terrorism or accept the so-called two-state solution, you are sadly deluding yourself.

This dangerous exploitation of the Oslo Accords, however, does not seem to bother the US administration or the European Union when they talk about the need for the Palestinians to have free and democratic elections.

Like Hamas, the PFLP also vowed to pursue the fight against Israel “until the liberation of all of Palestine” — in other words, all of Israel.

Under the current circumstances, it seems that Palestinians who support terrorism and do not accept the “two-state solution” are headed toward dominating the next Palestinian parliament and government.

Now that the Hamas and the PFLP candidates have been approved by the Central Elections Commission, the US or the rest of the international community can prevent this plot from materializing by making it clear that they will not recognize any future Palestinian government with terrorists. This demand should be made before, not after the elections.

During a press briefing on April 1, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price talked about the upcoming Palestinian elections and the “two-state solution.” On the elections, the first in 15 years, Price said:

“The exercise of democratic elections is a matter for the Palestinian people to determine. We note that the US and other key partners in the international community have long been clear about the importance of participants in that democratic process, renouncing violence and renouncing terrorism, recognizing Israel’s right to exist.”

On recognizing Israel’s right to exist, Price said:

“The two-state solution is precisely what will allow Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in dignity and security, securing the interests – in the interests of Israelis, in the interests of Palestinians together. That’s precisely why are we are supporting this two-state solution, just as previous administrations of both political stripes have.”

Two days later, the Palestinian Central Elections Commission announced that 36 lists have submitted electoral slates for the parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 22.

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2021/04/abbas-parliamentary-list-includes-terrorists-and-hugh-fitzgerald/

So much has been happening with the Palestinians and their new friends in Washington. First, there was the announcement by Linda Thomas-Greenwood, our ambassador to the U.N., that the U.S. would be giving $15 million to the PA, presumably as a token of American affection and esteem. No one mentioned that this violated the Taylor Force Act, which prohibits American aid to the Palestinians as long as the “Pay-For-Slay” program continues. And it is continuing. But the Biden Administration is so eager to lavish money on the Palestinians that it is willing to take a chance that Congress won’t raise a fuss about Taylor Force. And so far it hasn’t. To make matters still worse, now the Biden Administration says it will send another $80 million to the Palestinians. That constitutes another, even bigger, violation of the Taylor Force Act. And yet that news was met with the same inexplicable silence from Congress. And while we are at it, we have a question for Biden, Blinken et al. What exactly have the Palestinians done to deserve having the spigot of American aid turned back on? They did nothing. Absolutely nothing.

But it gets worse. Mahmoud Abbas has announced his list of candidates for the Palestinian parliamentary elections that are to be held on May 22. A report on that list is here: “Report: Abbas’ Party List for Upcoming Elections Includes Terrorists and Their Relatives,” by Benjamin Kerstein, Algemeiner, April 1, 2021:

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party has placed convicted terrorists and relatives of terrorists in high positions on its list for the upcoming PA elections, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported Thursday.

Second on Abbas’ party list is the widow of one of those responsible for the notorious 2001 attack that killed Israeli 10-month-old Shalhevet Pass, during the second intifada.

Putting this woman second on the party list for the Palestinian parliamentary elections is a sign of the respect in which she is held by Mahmoud Abbas. After all, she is the widow of Mahmoud Amru, who took deliberate aim at a Jewish baby sitting in her stroller, and killed her, thus becoming a true Palestinian hero. By honoring his widow as a way of paying tribute to Amru himelf, Abbas is deliberately flaunting his willingness to reward terrorists, even beyond what Pay-For-Slay provides.

Decolonization from Great Britain accelerated greatly in the aftermath of World War 2. Jordan, India Pakistan, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Israel and Sudan all gained independence from British rule in one decade. Taken in proportion to their respective populations Israel’s development of state-of-the-art technology, medicine, and science is outsize and benefits the entire globe. Israel’s music, art, theater, dance, cuisine and cinema bring creativity and entertainment to the world. Its admirable social and help institutions bring succor to the victims of disaster, famine and illness whenever needed. And it is a vibrant democracy protected by government and a proud military on land and sea. All the foregoing and Michael Ordman’s weekly blog gives the lie to the slanderous and biased Israel bashers. rsk

www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com

ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
 
Bacteria can help anti-cancer immune response.  There is a complex relationship between bacteria and cancer (reported here previously). Now, scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute have discovered that bacteria inside cancer cells can provoke an immune reaction against the tumor, which chemotherapy can further exploit.
https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/life-sciences/bacteria-may-aid-anti-cancer-immune-response
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03368-8
 
Jumpstarting the brain to treat “Covid depression”. Israel’s BrainsWay (reported here previously) is now using its transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technology to treat patients suffering with depression due to Covid. It is focusing on those struggling with recovery, who have lost loved ones, in financial difficulties etc.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3901032,00.html
 
Background radiation and cancer. (TY UWI) Ben Gurion University scientists studying naturally occurring ionizing radiation in the US, discovered that, contrary to expectations, higher levels of radiation lead to lower levels of many solid cancers. Levels of other cancers were not influenced by background radiation levels.
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/news/background-radiation.aspx
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10522-020-09909-4
 
 
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
 
Partnering NASA to benefit global food security. Israel’s CropX (reported here previously) has partnered NASA Harvest (NASA’s Food Security and Agriculture Program) to provide NASA with soil insights for its global agricultural monitoring efforts. NASA is testing CropX across Arizona farms to fine-tune its algorithms.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-harvest-and-cropx-partner-to-support-sustainable-agriculture
 
US teens return to study in Israel. As Covid-19 infection rates fall, JNF-USA has launched Operation Zion to bring global students to Israel. They will study at JNF-USA’s Alexander Muss High School in Hod Hasharon, and travel around Israel. 240 teens, mainly from the US have just arrived and more are on their way.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jewish-national-fund-usa-first-to-bring-american-teens-back-to-israel-301264042.html   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYdUHghrIPU
 
 
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
 
Back on campus. Israeli students at Israeli institutes of higher education have returned to study physically at their colleges following the end of the Passover holiday. Those not fully vaccinated continue to study virtually.
https://www.technion.ac.il/en/2021/03/technion-city-opens-for-spring-semester/
https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/Pages/coronavirus-updates.aspx  https://international.huji.ac.il/  
https://english.tau.ac.il/covid19center  https://www.biu.ac.il/en/news/8947
 
Powering the Israeli nanosatellites. The high-functioning LEON processors of Israel’s Ramon.Space (reported here previously) powered the three Technion nanosatellites launched into orbit in March. Having powered missions from many countries, CEO Avi Shabtai was proud to be a key part of an Israeli one.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3900826,00.html
 
Helping the US re-open after Covid. Felicity Kay, from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), speaks at Atlantic City Airport about IAI’s Tamar COVID detection technology designed to keep airline passengers safe. She also describes IAI’s Grenada Covid-19 disinfecting UV flashlight (see here). See other IAI Covid innovations here.
https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/videos/news/2021/04/01/watch-new-covid-19-detection-technology-demonstration-atlantic-city-airport-iai-grenada-tamar/4828932001/
 
All-seeing. Israel-based Nanomotion has developed precision motion technology that could revolutionize vision technology. It has potential benefits from complex surgery to emergency rescue drones. Miniature motors use ultrasonic standing wave piezoelectric technology, to form the basis of tiny, powerful high-resolution cameras.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3900535,00.html   https://www.nanomotion.com/
 
Cyber security for ships. Maritime vessels, e.g. tankers, have no IT experts on board, slow Internet access, and spend weeks at sea. Israel’s Cydome Security provides a niche cyber solution to safeguard ships, including command and control, communications, guidance, sensors, and links to coastal infrastructures.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3900451,00.html
 
Teaching English to Israeli techies. Israeli online business school Jolt (reported here previously) is partnering  TALMA, the Israel Program for Excellence in English (reported here previously), to help raise the standard of English speaking, writing, and reading, required for employment in the high-tech industry.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3902031,00.html
 

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/israel-stands-in-silence-with-holocaust-remembrance-day-siren-664490

The State of Israel went quiet apart for a single, constant tone on Thursday morning as the two-minute siren rang through the streets, marking Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The siren is heard from every corner of the country. The public rises on its feet and stands in silence in a two-minute break meant to allow the country to keep those who were murdered during the Holocaust in their minds.

Israelis stop to stand for Holocaust Remembrance Day, from offices to schools to highways and city streets.

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2021/04/israels-claim-under-international-law-occupied-hugh-fitzgerald/

The Biden Administration seems to think that the way to bring peace between Israelis and Palestinians is to push Israel back within what it describes as the “1967 lines,” which is a more acceptable way of saying “the 1949 armistice lines.” Those lines were not recognized borders; they merely reflected where the respective armies, of Israel and its Arab enemies, when the shooting stopped n 1949.

Let’s give the misinformed Biden Administration the necessary Short Course it clearly needs about Israel’s claim under international law to the West Bank, about the misnomer “occupied territories, ” and about the Palestinian Arabs and a “two-state solution.”

There are two sources for Israel’s claim to the West Bank. The first, and the most important, is the Mandate for Palestine, set up by the League of Nations in 1922, for the sole purpose of creating the Jewish National Home that in time, sympathetically nurtured by the holder of the Mandate, Great Britain, would become the Jewish state. The Arabs were well-provided for, too, by the League of Nations. They were given several mandates – for Iraq, for Syria, and Lebanon. Furthermore, all of Palestine east of the Jordan River “out to the desert,” which had originally been intended for inclusion in the Palestine Mandate, was closed to Jewish immigration by the British, and given to the Hashemite Emir Abdullah to rule over, as the Emirate of Transjordan. And as we know, the Arabs now have twenty-two independent states, far more than any other people, while the Jews have exactly one, a tiny sliver so small that it can scarcely be discerned on a world map.

The Mandate for Palestine – see the Preamble and Articles 4 and 6 — was meant to create “the national home for the Jewish people” by “encouraging Jewish immigration” and “close settlement by Jews on the land.” That was its only purpose: not “two states” but one. The Arabs were already well provided for, by the mandates, and would be even more provided for outside the mandates system. At present, the Arabs have twenty-two independent states, far more than any other people, while the Jews have exactly one, a tiny sliver so small that it can scarcely be discerned on a world map.

The Mandates system of the League of Nations was never thought to “flagrantly violate international law.” It became part and parcel of international law. It did not cease to be relevant, either, when the League dissolved, to be replaced by the United Nations. Article 80 of the U.N. Charter – known as “the Jewish people’s article” – committed the U.N. to bring to a successful conclusion any mandates that still remained.

The Mandate for Palestine is the indispensable document for comprehending the history of modern Israel, yet is too rarely discussed, even by many of Israel’s well-wishers, who may not comprehend its significance. Joe Biden, Tony Blinken, Jake Sullivan et al must take it upon themselves to study that document. And then they should look at the Mandate maps, that clearly show the territory included in the Mandate.