IMRA Middle East News Updates

Weekly Commentary: Truth over Lies - Implement Supreme Court Ruling Against Arab Trespassers in South Hebron Hills

Sun, 15 May 2022 03:30:34 -0400

Weekly Commentary: Truth over Lies - Implement Supreme Court Ruling Against
Arab Trespassers in South Hebron Hills
Dr. Aaron Lerner 15 May 2022

First the facts:

#1. In 1980 the IDF designated an UNOCCUPIED area in the South Hebron Hills
as "Fire Zone 918" for the use of the IDF for training purposes.

#2. The fact that this area was UNOCCUPIED was documented with, among other
things, aerial photographs.

#3. The only "evidence" that this is not the case is a report prepared by
social anthropologist Prof. Shuli Hartman based on the CONVERSATIONS
Hartman had with the trespassers who, surprise surprise, claimed that they
had resided in Fire Zone 918 for many generations.

#4. Even if one were to accept the narrative that the Geneva Convention
applies to Judea and Samaria (that is to say, Israel "occupied" Judea and
Samaria in 1967 even though at the time there was a "sovereignty void" in
the area as no sovereign enjoyed international recognition of their having
sovereignty over this territory before Israel took control of it in 1967),
International law does NOT prohibit Israel from designating an UNOCCUPIED
area in Judea and Samaria as a "fire zone" for the IDF.

#5. The status of Fire Zone 918 was not legally challenged for close to 20
years.

#6. When the status of Fire Zone 918 was ultimately challenged, in order to
prevent the evacuation of people who trespassed Fire Zone 918, the Supreme
Court issued a series of orders freezing the situation pending a final
decision of the Court.

#7. This series of freezes applied BOTH to the IDF and the trespassers.

#8. The trespassers violated the freeze and built many homes in Fire Zone
918 over the course of the DECADES of court deliberations.

#9. The Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision last week that the
trespassers can be evacuated from Fire Zone 918.

#10. The number of trespassers in Fire Zone 918 is now over a thousand.
This because the trespassers KNOWINGLY violated the freeze orders.

So these are the facts.

International law has absolutely nothing to do with the evacuation of the
trespassers from Fire Zone 918.

And the hardship which these trespassers may now face is SELF IMPOSED as
they knowingly violated the court imposed freeze over the years.

So now the question is if the Government of Israel will act on this very
important precedent setting ruling.

For those who want to kick the can down the road there will ALWAYS be an
excuse to postpone action for centuries to come.

On the other hand, this unanimous decision based on facts which anyone can
follow if they stop shouting and think for a few minutes, is an ideal case
for Israel to choose to stand its ground.

And its implementation, by a coalition government which includes radical
Left Meretz and Arab Raam, would send an important message to all concerned
that the sovereign State of Israel will pursue its legal national interests
regardless of the noise.
________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

Former PA minister Ziad Ali Khalil AbuZayyad calls for forensic autopsy of journalist Shireen Abu-Aqla

Wed, 11 May 2022 05:44:04 -0400

Former PA minister Ziad Ali Khalil AbuZayyad calls for forensic autopsy of
journalist Shireen Abu-Aqla
Dr. Aaron Lerner 11 May 2022

In a live interview on the noon news broadcast of Israel Radio Reshet Bet
Ziad Ali Khalil AbuZayyad called for a forensic autopsy of journalist
Shireen Abu-Aqla.

While Arabs claim that Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu-Aqla was killed by
Israeli forces who suddenly broke the silence in Jenin by shooting at her, a
Palestinian video today shows Palestinian gunman boasting that they shot an
Israeli soldier who they see wounded on the ground. No IDF soldiers were
hit our wounded today. Shireen Abu-Aqla was wearing a helmet and flack
jacket so the Palestinian gunmen apparently thought they shot an Israeli.

https://youtu.be/YjWNrSwFM_I for the video

Abuzayyad is the co-editor and publisher of the quarterly Palestine-Israel
Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture, PIJ.ORG, and also a former
member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (1996-2006), former Minister
of State in the Palestinian Authority (1998-2002), and former Deputy
Chairman of the Political Committee of the Euro-Med Parliament (2004-2005).

Statement from PM Bennett - Video shows Palestinians apparently killed journalist Shireen Abu-Aqla

Wed, 11 May 2022 04:24:26 -0400

Statement from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett following the Sad Death of
Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu-Aqla
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Foreign Media Adviser)
https://youtu.be/YjWNrSwFM_I for the video

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, this morning (Wednesday, 11 May 2022):

"According to the information we have gathered, it appears likely that armed
Palestinians - who were firing indiscriminately at the time - were
responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist.

Palestinians in Jenin were even filmed boasting "We hit a soldier; he's
lying on the ground"( https://youtu.be/YjWNrSwFM_I ) However, no IDF
soldier was injured, which increases the possibility that Palestinian
terrorists were the ones who shot the journalist.

Israel has called on the Palestinians to conduct a joint pathological
analysis and investigation, which would be based on all of the existing
documentation and findings, in order to get to the truth. So far, the
Palestinians have refused this offer.

IDF forces will continue their counterterrorism operations, in order to end
the deadly wave of terror and restore security to the citizens of Israel."

________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

Observation: Will Mansour Abbas and Raam allow lies to dictate their destiny?

Wed, 11 May 2022 03:04:39 -0400

Observation: Will Mansour Abbas and Raam allow lies to dictate their
destiny?
Dr. Aaron Lerner 11 May 2022

Mansour Abbas knows that "al Aqsa is in danger" is a lie.

He knows that a group of thugs who have absolutely no respect for the
sanctity of the al Aqsa mosque have been responsible for violence in al Aqsa
and have left Israeli security forces with no choice but to act.

After all, Mansour Abbas saw the photos and videos of these thugs playing
soccer and dancing a debka - and this with their shoes on - INSIDE the al
Aqsa mosque!

Mansour Abbas knows that these thugs have been attacking - from inside the
al Aqsa mosque - Jews praying at the Western Wall.

Mansour Abbas ALSO knows that no Jew has any intention whatsoever to pray
inside the al Aqsa mosque. At the absolute very extreme - and this is most
certainly not the program of any Israeli authority - there are Jews who wish
to pray in the courtyard area which historically did not bear the name of
the al Aqsa mosque since it is OUTSIDE of the mosque!

The truth is that EVERYONE knows it' a lie that "al Aqsa is in danger".

Hamas, Jordan, you name it. Even President Biden knows!

Mansour Abbas and his Raam party now have to decide if this lie will dictate
their destiny.

Today it appears that there may be another lie.

It appears that Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by
Palestinians this morning in Jenin.

There may be a trillion "witnesses" that, out of the blue, Israeli forces
operating inside Jenin suddenly decided to break the pastoral silence in
Jenin by opening fire to assassinate her. But we live in a world that it is
ok to lie - even for reporters to lie - in the service of the Palestinian
cause.

And it defies all logic to think that the IDF would take the initiative to
open fire (that is open fire -not return fire).

The Palestinians rushed away Shireen Abu Akleh's body and - surprise
surprise - it appears that the apparently Palestinian bullets that killed
her will never be recovered since they would attest to the lie that the IDF
"assassinated" her.

Mansour Abbas also knows that what transpired in Jenin was most certainly
not an intentional Israeli attack against Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu
Akleh and that most likely Palestinians are responsible for her death.

But he cancelled cancelled his press conference nonetheless in response to
the incident and issued a press release condemning her death.

So it all comes down to this:

Will Mansour Abbas allow himself to have his destiny dictated by lies?

________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

Weekly Commentary: Can Startup Nation Make An App That Ends Illegal Palestinian Workers?

Sat, 07 May 2022 17:28:28 -0400

Weekly Commentary: Can Startup Nation Make An App That Ends Illegal
Palestinian Workers?
Dr. Aaron Lerner 7 May 2022

With few exceptions, the huge number of illegal Palestinians now working in
Israel (within the "Green Line") are doing just that.

Working.

Our tight labor market simply cannot replace these illegal Palestinian
workers.

And it does not serve our national interests to bring in foreign workers to
fill the gap.

The challenge we face is balancing our security needs with our interest in
legalizing the Palestinians now working inside Israel without work permits.

As background it is important to note that under the current system,
Palestinian workers typically pay considerable sums of money to middlemen
for work permits. These permits are for employment by a specific employer.

We also have other Palestinians permitted to enter Israel for a variety of
reasons.

Our win-win goal should be to maximize Palestinian access to Israel without
compromising on security.

Nowadays literally every Palestinian who wants to come into Israel has a
smartphone and an app could go a long way towards meeting this goal..

Such an app would provide for a biometric id along with a photo id which
security forces, employers and others could readily check and verify.

The app would also continuously report the phone’s location.

The security forces running the app could set restrictions on each
individual in the system (areas, timeframe, etc.) on a dynamic basis.

At the same time, artificial intelligence analyzing the data generated by
the system could pick up suspicious activity which requires intervention on
a real-time basis.

Palestinians would be able to look for work, register as working for a
particular Israeli etc. all through the app.

Israeli employers would also use the app to verify the status of potential
Palestinian employees and confirm their employment.

And since the restrictions applying to an individual in the system would be
dynamic, they provide the security forces with the maximum latitude in
applying a "carrot and stick" approach regarding the parameters of their
access to Israel.

We have the smarts to be able to design such an app and the Palestinians
have the phones to run it.

It's a win-win.

________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

Only Israeli version of Bennett Putin Conversation has Putin apologize for Lavrov

Thu, 05 May 2022 16:08:24 -0400

Only Israeli version of Bennett Putin Conversation has Putin apologize for
Lavrov
Dr. Aaron Lerner 5 May 2022

#1. Official Israeli Version

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett Speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Foreign Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin,
today (Thursday, 5 May 2022).

The Prime Minister presented the President with a humanitarian request to
examine various options for evacuation from Azovstal in Mariupol. The
request came as a result of Prime Minister Bennett's conversation yesterday
with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

President Putin promised to allow the evacuation of civilians, including
wounded civilians, through a UN and Red Cross humanitarian corridor.

In addition, the two discussed Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's remarks.
The Prime Minister accepted President Putin's apology for Lavrov's remarks
and thanked him for clarifying his attitude towards the Jewish people and
the memory of the Holocaust.

Prime Minister Bennett thanked President Putin for his wishes on the
occasion of the 74th Independence Day of the State of Israel.

#2 Official Russian Version

Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett
Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Israel
Naftali Bennett.

May 5, 2022 18:10
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/68356

The President of Russia extended warm wishes to Naftali Bennett and the
people of Israel on today's national holiday - Independence Day. Vladimir
Putin and Naftali Bennett expressed mutual interest in further developing
friendly Russia-Israel relations and maintaining beneficial contacts between
the leaders of the two countries.

The leaders continued their detailed exchange of views on the situation in
Ukraine. They paid special attention to humanitarian issues, including the
evacuation of civilians held by militants of nationalist battalions from the
Azovstal steel plant, in cooperation with representatives of the UN and the
International Committee of the Red Cross. As before, the Russian military is
ready to ensure the safe exit of civilians. As for the remaining militants
at the Azovstal plant, the Kiev authorities should order them to lay down
arms.

On the eve of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, which Russia and
Israel celebrate on 9 May, Vladimir Putin and Naftali Bennett emphasised the
special importance of this date for the people of both countries, who
carefully preserve the historical truth about the events of those years and
honour the memory of all the fallen, including the victims of the Holocaust.
The President of Russia recalled that of the six million Jews tortured in
ghettoes and death camps and killed by the Nazis during punitive operations,
40 percent were Soviet citizens, and asked Naftali Bennett to convey wishes
of good health and wellbeing to the war veterans in Israel. In turn, Naftali
Bennett highlighted the Red Army's decisive contribution to the Victory over
Nazism.
________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il