The United Nations treats Palestinians differently from any other group, counting unlimited generations and even resettled people as “refugees.” This includes some 5 million people, who would otherwise not be defined as such according to the standard definition for a refugee.
The real number is thought to be around 30,000. The massive discrepancy makes it significantly harder to reach a just peace in the Middle East.
Fortunately, in 2012 the US State Department commissioned a study based on accepted international standards for refugee status. But the findings have been classified to this day.
Please sign our petition encouraging the White House to release the State Department report, which could breathe new life into progress toward a Middle East peace, based on principles of transparency, truth and real justice: for Palestinians and Israelis alike.
In response to Iran’s announcement that it would begin enriching uranium up to 20 percent purity at an underground facility, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a blunt warning to Tehran.
“Iran’s decision to continue violating its commitments… and advance its industrial capacities for underground uranium enrichment can not be explained in any way other than the further realization of its plans to develop a military nuclear program,” Netanyahu asserted.
Enrichment to 20 percent is a short step away from being able to reach weapons-grade levels of 90 percent.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz similarly said Jerusalem would prevent the Islamic Republic from obtaining a nuclear bomb.
“Iran is a challenge to the world, to the region and to the State of Israel. The defense establishment and all its organizations must continue tracking this matter… [and] cannot allow Iran to go nuclear and to be allowed to advance its other ambitions,” Gantz said.
When asked in an interview with local media if the situation with Iran could “erupt,” Gantz responded that he thinks that “there is a chance we will see events.”
The current IDF assessment is that there is a possibility of Iran launching an attack through its proxies in Yemen and Iraq.
Ratcheting up tensions between Tehran and the West, Iran on Monday seized a South Korean-flagged oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
First photos of the Fujairah-bound South Korean chemical tanker HANKUK CHEMI, which was seized today by IRGC Navy because of “chemical pollution” in Iran’s waters pic.twitter.com/1P8t1vxV8w
— Reza Khaasteh (@Khaaasteh) January 4, 2021
Israel’s Foreign Ministry is seeing positive trends in the Jewish state’s relations with Europe and has even won over some of the Abraham Accords skeptics.
During 2020, 13 foreign ministers and two prime ministers from Europe visited Israel. Moreover, top Israeli diplomat Gabi Ashkenazi took part in a meeting with his EU counterparts in Berlin this summer, a first in Israel’s history.
Foreign Ministry Deputy Director-General for Europe Anna Azari said that, “catastrophic forecasts of tensions across the board” went largely unrealized after Israel signed US-mediated normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Sudan and Morocco have since followed suit by forging official ties with Jerusalem.
“The picture is better than what we would expect,” Azari continued. “For many, dialogue with the Palestinians is still the most important thing, but they’re realizing that the reason there is no dialogue is the Palestinians themselves. We’re in a better place than we were a year ago in that respect.”
In one of its most significant operations ever, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has announced the bust of a smuggling ring suspected of illegally trafficking large quantities of ancient and rare artifacts from all over the world.
The IAA said it discovered thousands of “spectacular” items at three warehouses around Tel Aviv, in a joint operation with the police and the Israel Tax Authority.
Among the items seized in the raids were ancient coins, jewelry, parts of statues, painted pottery, and figures of deities from the Roman era, dating around 2,000 years back. The antiquities were supposedly stolen from graves in the Mediterranean Basin, Africa and South America.
Several suspects were arrested for questioning. Israeli authorities are working to determine the exact origin of the stolen items in cooperation with Interpol and other international law enforcement bodies.
The wait is over for Tesla fans in Israel! The electric car maker has obtained a commercial license to export its cars to the Jewish State. According to Globes, Tesla will start taking orders from Israeli customers within the next few days.
Until now, the company was only licensed to bring in twenty cars, mainly for testing purposes. The electric vehicle is expected to hit Israel’s roads at full speed within months, depending on the lockdown situation.
Tesla is currently working on rolling out its network of special charging stations across the country.
Initially, Israeli customers will be offered the Tesla Model 3. Although prices have not yet been published, the car is expected to sell for NIS 250,000-350,000 ($78,000-109,000), depending on the version.
Sunday, January 17
Live Webinar and Q&A – ‘Palestinians Exposed: Hate in the Classroom’
Join us for an eye-opening webinar in which Itamar Marcus, Founder and Director of Palestinian Media Watch, analyzes “The World of the Palestinian Child” including, sports, culture, music and education, and how it all contributes to anti-Israel hate and terror.
- At Max Speed, New Iran Enrichment Could Cut Nuke Breakout to 6 Weeks (Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post)
- UN Adopts $3.2 Billion Budget Over US and Israel Objections (Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press)
- Austrian Government Launches Action Plan to Counter Rising Antisemitism (Algemeiner)
- IDF Deploys New Female Combat Intelligence Unit to the Northern Front (Hanan Greenwood, Jewish News Syndicate)
- Israeli Firm in Gaza Extracts Drinking Water From Air (Guillaume Lavallee, AFP)
