Amb. Oren: ‘Israel-US Economic Ties Growing at Dizzying Pace’
Israel has become an American economic interest, “beyond the basis of cooperation of common values and democracy”, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren told Globes news.
After keeping a low media profile for months, in order to keep out of the U.S. presidential elections campaign, Oren affirmed that the close strategic relations between the two countries was one of the few issues on which Democrats and Republicans agreed in both Houses of Congress.
“The US-Israeli alliance has always been based on values, democracy, and common strategic interests,” Oren told Globes. “But now there is another foundation: the economic and commercial ties between the two countries, which are growing at a dizzying pace. In the past 20 years, bilateral trade has increased 350%. Almost every large US high-tech company has activity in Israel.”
(Read more…)
(Read more…)
America and the Middle East: The next four years 
For six decades, under administrations from both parties, American power acted as the pole that kept the tent up. Over the past four years, Obama has pulled that pole away, allowing the tent to sag and, in parts, fold.
American abdication has led to transition from a problematic status quo to an uncertain future. It has created a vacuum that various opportunist powers are trying to fill.
Under Obama, Russia has gained a veto over aspects of American foreign policy, ranging from the building of a missile shield in Central Europe to halting Iran’s nuclear program, to intervention in Syria. After two-decades of virtual absence from the Middle East, Russia is trying to revive the influence that the Soviet Empire once enjoyed.
(Read more…)
(Read more…)
Analysis: From assassinations to ground offensives
By YAAKOV LAPPIN
In any IDF response, Israel would have to take into account the threat of long-range rocket attacks on greater Tel Aviv from Gaza.
The IDF probably has a broad range of options to choose from if it wishes to escalate its response to ongoing Palestinian rocket fire on southern Israel.
As of now, the military has limited its response to air strikes on rocket-launching cells after they have been identified on the ground and are preparing to fire projectiles, or after they have fired the rockets and given their positions away.
Air strikes could target figures higher up in the chain of command within Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and other terror groups. Rather than wait for rockets to be fired, targeted assassinations of these commanders could be employed. This would place the commanders of the terror factions under pressure, and would result in them investing energy in seeking cover for themselves, leaving them little or no time to fire rockets at Israel.
Additionally, the air force could strike figures even higher up, such as Hamas’s military commander, Ahmed Jabari, and his counterpart in Islamic Jihad.
(Read more…)
(Read more…)
1,000 African migrants leave Israel willingly
Officials say more Sudanese, Eritrean infiltrators leaving Israel due to fear of incarceration, trouble finding work
Itamar Eichner, YNET
More than 1,000 Sudanese and Eritrean migrants have voluntarily left Israel over the past two months, according to data released by the Population, Immigration and Borders Authority.
A source who is familiar with the issue told the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that the trend is likely to grow.
Some 36,000 Eritreans and about 15,000 north Sudanese migrants have infiltrated Israel over the past few years. International treaties forbid Israel to deport them because their lives would be at risk in their home countries. They do not fall under the definition of refugees, so they have been living in Israel under the “collective protection” that has been afforded them.
(Read more…)
(Read more…)
MKs Eldad, Ben Ari Announce New Faction
MKs Michael Ben-Ari and Aryeh Eldad of the National Union announced Tuesday that they are splitting off from the NU and forming a new faction, “Power to Israel.”
Eldad wrote on his Facebook page, “Today we announced, MK Michael Ben-Ari and I, the forming of a common faction, ‘Power to Israel’, because that is what Israel needs today.
“When rockets are fired at a million residents of the South, and the state of Israel continues to supply water, power and food to Gaza; when millions of residents of the large cities in Israel live in fear of 100,000 African immigrants; if a million Arab citizens live like there are no duties and only rights – taxes, building permits, speed limits are unfamiliar terms for them – then Israel needs power.”
(Read more…)
(Read more…)
Salafists keep up missile fire after most Palestinian Gaza groups buy a truce
DEBKAfile Special Report November 12, 2012, 10:41 PM (GMT+02:00) Tags:
Most Palestinians organizations led by Hamas convened in Gaza City Monday night, Nov. 12, to approve the cessation of their three-day rocket offensive against Israel brokered by Egypt. The meeting was shunned by the Salafists, who instead signaled their repudiation of a truce by firing 5 heavy Grad rockets against the Israeli towns of Netivot, Beersheba and Ofakim.
DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources report that the Salafist extremists, some affiliated with al Qaeda, were behind most of the missile attacks during Monday, topping up the 300 assorted rockets fired against the southern Israeli population from Saturday.
Yet Israel, Egypt and even Hamas continued to delude themselves that an effective ceasefire was feasible.
(Read more…)
(Read more…)
Why Did Al-Qaeda Target Ambassador Stevens?
by Stephen Bryen and Shoshana Bryen, PJMedia
Most of the questions related to the Benghazi debacle are about the mechanics, both offensive and defensive. What did the White House know and when? What assets were available to the military? Did someone order a stand down, and if so, who? Why was “the video” blamed long after the administration knew the truth — and didn’t the administration know the truth from the beginning? If it didn’t, why didn’t it?
All reasonable questions, but a generally unasked one deserves attention: “Why did al-Qaeda want to kill Ambassador Chris Stevens?”
The ambassador had good relations with some of the most extreme Libyan militias, including those with al-Qaeda ties. Did he upset them with something he did, or didn’t do? Was the White House fully apprised of his connections and dealings with the militias? Was he killed because of something the administration told him to start doing or to stop doing? (Read more…)
U.S. to Legitimize U.N. Human Rights Council for Three More Years
This article by Anne Bayefsky appears on National Review Online.
The Obama administration was reelected today for a second three-year term to the U.N.’s top human-rights body, the Human Rights Council, with substantially fewer votes than human-rights heavyweights United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Côte d’Ivoire, Venezuela, and Pakistan. Moreover, fewer than half of Council members now poised to begin applying democratic standards to the rest of the world, are themselves “fully free,” according to Freedom House rankings.
Also coming out a big winner today was the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which retained the balance of power on the Council. Council membership is divided among five regional groups, and the African and Asian regional groups comprise the majority of members. OIC states will continue to make up the majority on each of the African and Asian regional groups.
(Read more…)
(Read more…)
Ted Belman
Jerusalem, Israel
Posts
