Reformist clerics imply Iran should back two-state solution
The Guardian by Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor 05 November 2024

Extracts:

• Reformist clerics imply Iran should back two-state solution, for Israel and Palestine

In shift that would mean recognising existence of Israel, assembly calls for ‘formation of an independent Palestinian state’

Reformists in Iran have ignited a debate about whether Tehran should be willing to shift from its deeply held opposition to a two-state solution in the Palestinian territories which would require it to recognise the existence of an Israeli state

• “Death to Zionism”

“Death to Zionism” has been a staple of Iranian revolutionary thinking since 1979 and was the position effectively of the Palestine Liberation Organisation until the Oslo accords in the 1990s

• one-state solution

Under the former president Mohammad Khatami and his foreign minister Kamal Kharazi, Iran proposed a referendum on a one-state solution, with only descendants of those who lived there “before the Zionist invasion” and Palestinian refugees being permitted to vote – a process that would leave Israeli Jews largely outnumbered in the vote

Iran has always seen Israel as a colonial enterprise of settlers and some of its leaders have championed outright Holocaust denial

• two-state solution

Last week Iran did not attend a two-day meeting of an international coalition for a two-state solution held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

However on 21 October 2024 the assembly of lecturers and scholars at Qom Seminary, a reformist-leaning body of clerics, issued a statement calling for the,
This implied support for a two-state solution led to protests outside the assembly’s offices, in Qom, after Friday prayers

• “propaganda machine”

The Tehran-based hardline daily Kayhan labelled the assembly a “propaganda machine for the enemy” and characterised its “recognition of the fabricated regime of Israel” as “despicable and shameful”

The head of the judiciary also criticised the statement, saying corrective action was required, implying closure may be necessary but reformist newspapers reported the statement sympathetically

• independent Palestinian state

In response to the criticism, the seminary relented only to the extent that it clarified that it understood,but believed an independent Palestinian state would bring the bloodshed to an end

Reformist clerics imply Iran should back two-state solution
The Guardian by Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor 05 November 2024

Extracts:

• Iran's diplomatic alliances in the region

Iran’s opposition to a two-state solution has made it harder for it to build diplomatic alliances in the region – its absence from last week’s conference is a case in point

The historian and author Arash Azizi denied that the backdrop of possible imminent military conflict between Israel and Iran made it a totally inappropriate moment for such a debate to be held

Azizi said,

• “moment of truth”

The supreme leader is 85 and Khomenei’s strategy of “no war no peace” has not worked

Power is being passed on to a new generation. Iran cannot go on, in these full-out crises
It should not be Iran’s business to want to destroy Israel and then say it does not want war “This is a moment of truth”

Azizi added,
Azizi noted, the former Iranian foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif recently said,
The possible flexibility in the Iranian position started under the last president, Ebrahim Raisi

In December, for instance, Iran backed a Jordanian-tabled resolution at the UN general assembly – albeit with a heavy reservation – that declared a two-state solution was the only way to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

Hezbollah faces fire from its own supporters
The Christian Science Monitor by Scott Peterson 04 November 2024

Extracts:

• Amid costly war with Israel, Hezbollah faces fire from its own supporters

With Hezbollah and Israel locked in another punishing war, disappointment and anger echo increasingly across Lebanon’s Shiite community which has borne the brunt of thousands of Israeli airstrikes in songly across Lebanon’s Shiite community which has borne the brunt of thousands of Israeli airstrikes in south and east Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut

Weeks of an intensely destructive Israeli military campaign which has included,
1. the killing of Hezbollah’s revered leader, Hassan Nasrallah
2. and much of the Iran-backed Shiite militia’s senior leadership
3. has displaced 1.3 million Lebanese
4. Across the south, near the border with Israel, entire villages have been destroyed


One such longtime supporter, a 30-something businessman in Beirut who gives the name Hussein, had his loyalty tested before in the last all-out Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006

Then, an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed 16 members of his family, including five children

• 2006 destructive Hezbollah-Israel conflict

This conflict was widely seen to have been triggered by Hezbollah’s own miscalculation back then: that a cross-border kidnapping and killing of Israeli soldiers would yield only a limited Israeli response

And yet, until now, Hussein’s personal loss so many years ago, did not detract from his support for Hezbollah In fact, Hussein says,
But fast-forward 18 years and Hussein, along with many traditional Hezbollah supporters, today expresses doubts about Hezbollah and its decisions

This time the Israeli onslaught was sparked by more than a year of Hezbollah rocket attacks against northern Israel, in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, its Palestinian ally in the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance”

Hussein says,
Instead, entire apartment blocks have been flattened by Israel in Dahiyeh as it targets Hezbollah leadership and infrastructure
Hussein’s shop remains intact, despite airstrikes two streets away

Hezbollah faces fire from its own supporters
The Christian Science Monitor by Scott Peterson 04 November 2024

Extracts:

• Years of Hezbollah promises

longtime supporter of Hezbollah, a businessman in Beirut who gives the name Hussein had his loyalty tested before in the last all-out Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006

Hussein explaining that Hezbollah’s standing nearly alone in solidarity with Hamas was an insufficient argument for war[
Hussein says, he is angry that Israel has managed to deliver multiple body blows to Hezbollah – including an exploding pager attack that wounded thousands of fighters and the assassination of Mr. Nasrallah – while Hezbollah so far has failed to deliver on years of promises that it would always inflict far greater pain on the Jewish state

• Hezbollah's most potent weapons

Indeed, Hezbollah has yet to use many of its most potent weapons – precision-guided missiles – against Israel

Hezbollah which is also a well-funded political party that provides services to the Shiite community, still has some popular support but patience is wearing thin because of intense civilian suffering

Hussein adds,

• Hezbollah’s Golani Brigade stike

That said, recent more effective Hezbollah strikes have won praise and include a mid-October drone strike on the dining hall of Israel’s Golani Brigade which killed 4 soldiers and wounded 67

Hussein says,

• Hezbollah’s “Axis” reputation

Indeed, Hezbollah’s carefully burnished reputation as the most powerful arm of Iran’s “Axis” has been damaged

For decades it has acted as a state with in a state, the self-declared defender of Lebanese territorial sovereignty – in place of Lebanese state forces too weak to do the job.

Hezbollah faces fire from its own supporters
The Christian Science Monitor by Scott Peterson 04 November 2024

Extracts:

• “On the path of war”

The organization’s newly named leader, Naim Qassem, vowed in a recorded speech Wednesday that Hezbollah was open to a cease-fire but otherwise “will remain on the path of war”

• Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu's attempted assassination

Referring to Hezbollah’s drone attack on Netanyahu’s coastal home two weeks ago, Qassem said,

• Hezbollah new leader Qassem's sanctuary in Iran

But with the other top 20 or more Hezbollah chiefs and commanders killed in recent weeks, rumors swirled that Mr. Qassem had sought sanctuary in Iran

• Hezbollah’s pledges

So far, Hezbollah’s pledges are not enough for some former supporters

one Shiite resident of Dahiyeh, describing the prevalent mood, complains,

Hezbollah faces fire from its own supporters
The Christian Science Monitor by Scott Peterson 04 November 2024

Extracts:

• Hezbollah’s mid-October drone strike on the dining hall of Israel’s Golani Brigade

After the strike which killed 4 soldiers and wounded 67
a Shiite resident of Dahiyeh, recounting the scene: says,
They asked Another man:
My brother jumped up and said,

• “People are tired”

Israel says it has destroyed half of Hezbollah’s missile arsenal and has uncovered elaborate fortified tunnel networks along the border

Hezbollah announces daily rocket attacks against Israeli military formations and communities in northern Israel – and says it is slowing Israel’s ground incursion – but those efforts inflict few casualties


another Shiite from southern Lebanon who asks not to use his name because of the sensitivity of criticizing Hezbollah, says,
the Shiite resident adds,

Squadron of US F-15E fighter jets said en route to Israel ahead of expected Iran attack

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-november-07-2024/

From: Al Jazeera November 7, 2024
Hamas and Hezbollah still fighting -- ‘defeat’ for Israel

Iran’s Khamenei: Hamas and Hezbollah resistance means ‘defeat’ for Israel
Khamenei said groups backed by Tehran have managed to increasingly repel Israel over nearly four decades in Gaza and Lebanon.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said the fact that Hamas and Hezbollah are still fighting in Gaza and Lebanon signifies a defeat for Israel.

Israel wished to uproot Hamas but “massacred people, showed its ugly face to the whole world, proved its malice, condemned and isolated itself”, he told a gathering of the top clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, on Thursday.

The Iranian leader said Israel believed it could silence the Palestinian resistance by assassinating its top leaders, but “Hamas keeps fighting and this means defeat for the Zionist regime”.

Hezbollah not weakened
Khamenei said for nearly 40 years, Hezbollah has driven Israel back from Lebanese territory in many incidents, including from Beirut, Sidon, Tyre, and ultimately from most of southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has transformed from “a small group” of fighters to a “massive organisation” that has such power to turn back an opponent that is comprehensively backed by the “likes of America’s presidents”, he added.

Khamenei said people, including some inside Lebanon, are undermining Hezbollah, thinking it has been weakened after the killing of many of its top political and military leadership.

“They are wrong, they are delusional, Hezbollah is strong and is fighting,” he said. “The organisation, with its men, its spiritual power and its will, is present. The enemy has not been able to overcome it.”

Operation True Promise 3
The comments come days after the Iranian leader promised a “tooth-crushing response” to Israel and the United States for the Israeli air raids against multiple Iranian provinces on October 26

US boost
Washington has warned against what would become a third major Iranian attack on Israel, transferring advanced missile defence batteries and soldiers operating them to Israel.

The US Army has also significantly added to its military capabilities in the region, bringing in strategic bomber aircraft and fighter jets, missile batteries and warships.

Israeli soccer fans attacked in Amsterdam, in what Dutch authorities call antisemitic incidents

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/07/europe/israel-soccer-fans-attacked-amsterdam-intl-hnk/index.html

'You are not welcome here,' Qatar tells Hamas - report

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-828197

Jew hunt' by scooter youths and taxi drivers announced well in advance on Telegram

"We have seen very intense anti-Semitic violence", stated the Amsterdam chief public prosecutor René de Beukelaer after a night in which Israelis in the capital were hunted down by hordes of 'scooter youths and taxi drivers', as the perpetrators are described at the Amsterdam city hall.

Videos of the abuse are going around the world. Israelis have been cursed, kicked and beaten. "Where are you from?", rioters asked their victims. Anyone who was not Israeli had to prove it with a passport. 'Why?', shouts one of the victims while he is being attacked.

'Jew hunt' announced well in advance in Telegram groups
The 'Jew hunt' had been announced well in advance on the messaging service Telegram. Rioters reportedly came from far outside Amsterdam to the capital to join the fight against 'Zionists'. The previous night, the city centre had already been the scene of similar incidents. However, the police were unable to prevent a repeat.

Far-right Dutch pol demands deportation of ‘multicultural scum’ who attacked Israeli soccer fans: ‘Looks like a Jew hunt’

https://nypost.com/2024/11/08/world...l-scum-who-attacked-israeli-soccer-fans/

"Patriots for Europe" are new nationalists and populist, but the real far-right is something else.

hardline backer of settlements - new Israeli envoy to US
The Guardian by Andrew Roth in Washington 09 November 2024

Extracts:

• rightwinger Yechiel Leiter - new Israeli envoy to US

Benjamin Netanyahu appoints hardline backer of settlements as Israeli envoy to US

Yechiel Leiter, American-born rightwinger, has called for,
Netanyahu has appointed Leiter, as his ambassador to the US as Israel prepares for the incoming administration of Donald Trump

Leiter is,
1. a hardline supporter of the war in Gaza
2. and longtime backer of settlements in the West Bank

Yechiel Leiter, an American-born rightwing publicist and former government aide who immigrated to Israel four decades ago, was announced as Israel’s next ambassador to Washington on Friday

Netanyahu said in a statement announcing the appointment
Leiter will replace the current ambassador, Michael Herzog, whose term will end on 20 January 2025

hardline backer of settlements - new Israeli envoy to US
The Guardian by Andrew Roth in Washington 09 November 2024

Extracts:

• Israeli “sovereignty” over the West Bank territories

Yechiel Leiter, who was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, has been a prominent rightwing thinker in Israel who was chief of staff to Netanyahu when he was finance minister and an aide to the late prime minister Ariel Sharon when he was a member of the Knesset

According to Israeli media, Leiter has been affiliated with conservative policy centres including the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and the Kohelet Forum

Haaretz also reported that Leiter was previously,
1. a member of the Jewish Defense League which was founded by the far-right Rabbi Meir Kahane
2. and was designated a terrorist organisation by the US for a series of attacks and assassinations
3. It was removed from that list due to inactivity

Leiter is reported to live in a West Bank settlement north of Ramallah and is a founder of the One Israel Fund which fundraises for settlers

Leiter's appointment was lauded by Israel Ganz, a rightwing settler leader who called,the biblical term used by Israeli settler communities to refer to the West Bank

Leiter has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s Abraham accords, meant to normalize Israel’s relations with several large Arab states, saying that they have split support in the Muslim world for the Palestinian cause

Leiter has also called for,a topic that will revive concerns about a potential annexation of the West Bank by the Netanyahu government

Trump during his first term reversed the US position that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank were illegal under international law and a number of settler leaders have said that Israel should formally annex the West Bank following Trump’s re-election to a second term

hardline backer of settlements - new Israeli envoy to US
The Guardian by Andrew Roth in Washington 09 November 2024

Extracts:

• Leiter's speech at soldier son’s funeral - November 2023

Yechiel Leiter's son Moshe, a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces IDF was killed in fighting in northern Gaza last year

Leiter was Netanyahu’s guest when the prime minister visited Washington this summer during a contentious speech before a joint session of Congress

At Leiter's son’s funeral at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem last November, Leiter addressed Joe Biden and the,
Leiter continued,
Leiter added,

LIVE Middle East | Israel denies danger of famine in northern Gaza, Qatar no longer mediates between Israel and Hamas
Middle East

Qatar is no longer prepared to play a role in the peace negotiations between Hamas and Israel. The country will only mediate a ceasefire in Gaza again if both countries "show a genuine willingness to return to the negotiating table." The decision follows an earlier request from Qatar on Saturday to Hamas to close its diplomatic office in the country.

The United States has made it clear to Qatar that Hamas ' presence in the country is no longer wanted. This was reported by officials of the administration of President Joe Biden to several American media.

Move over...

From: The Times of Israel November 10, 2024
Israel and the terror groups

US special envoy Amos Hochstein,
1. planning visit to Lebanon
2. confident agreement can be reached

Citing anonymous US officials, the report added that Hochstein is confident that the two sides will be able to reach an agreement and bring an end to more than a year of cross-border fighting and Israel’s ground operation in southern Lebanon.

On Friday the Lebanese MTV outlet cited unnamed US sources as saying that Trump told Hochstein to continue his work and “make a deal with Lebanon.”

US officials have said they will make a final push to reach deals on the conflicts between Israel and the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups, although it is unclear how much leverage they have over Israel and other actors in the region, now focused on the incoming Trump administration.

From: The Times of Israel November 10, 2024
Israel and Russia

Top Netanyahu confidant, visited Russia last week amid Lebanon ceasefire efforts — report

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer secretly visited Russia last week, Army Radio reported Sunday, in what appeared to be part of Israel’s efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon where it is battling the terror group Hezbollah.

Dermer’s office said that it had no comment on the report.

Russian delegation visited Israel on October 24

Russia is a major player in Syria, and its cooperation in a diplomatic arrangement to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah could be an important piece of a deal that keeps the Iran-backed group from rearming.

1. Didn't Israeli someone claim Hamas was defeated way back
2. Global War on Terror until terrorism eradicated

From: The Times of Israel November 10, 2024
A barrage of 10 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the northern Golan Heights

Sirens had been triggered in a number of towns, including a small community named in honor of US President-elect Donald Trump, marking the fourth time Ramat Trump has been targeted since Trump was elected last week.

From: skynews.com.au November 11, 2024
Hezbollah
Israel’s Defence Minister claims Hezbollah has been defeated

1. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz declares the country has defeated Hezbollah.
2. He says eliminating its leader Hassan Nasrallah was a crowning accomplishment.
3. Mr Katz believes the next job is to continue applying pressure to bring the "fruits of that victory".

From: The Times May 11, 2024
Hamas
Israel has failed to destroy Hamas -- 6 months later appears no different that the Islamist terror group is far from defeat.
They may be scattered, outnumbered and outgunned by Israel, the Islamist group is far from defeated

Hamas has proved a formidable foe since October 7 last year when a relatively small and well-trained number of its forces broke through Israel’s heavily fortified border.

Though Israel’s military is superior in number, training and equipment, Hamas troops quickly overwhelmed their,
1. military observation posts,
2. bases
3. and even a regional headquarters.

Much of the rest of the world regards the killing that day of about 1,200 Israelis as a terrorist atrocity.
Hamas and its supporters see it as an unprecedented, God-given victory which has now passed into legend.

Israel funding Hamas
From: Netanyahu's Time Magazine August 8, 2024 interview:
Netanyahu appeared to dismiss claims that his policy of sending cash to Hamas with the help of Qatar had helped set the stage for October 7, explaining that Israel’s motivation had been humanitarian.

I had no idea they were funding terrorists Hamas and had the opportunity to totally destroy them during the 2014 war

Hamas declared war on the Jews on October 7 you can't blame Israel they now killl all the enemies, unless they go to negogiating table Israel wil destroy them.

Israel At War - Day 403
It seems, Israel has not destroyed any of the Iran-backed proxies and now in direct conflict with Iran itself

1. Hamas still fighting and still has the Israeli hostages -- How many are alive
2. Hezbollah still firing drones, missiles, rockets etc. causing death and destruction
3. Houthis still attacking the ships
4. Iran and the terrorists exposed Israel's defensive vulnerabilities
5. Israel still fighting on 7 fronts -- no wins
6. terrorists fighting capabilities may have been reduced but... still “undefeated” “unconquered” ongoing terror
7. and spy rings inside Israel that were working on behalf of Iranian intelligence

• Israel's fateful blunders let 7 October 2023 happen -- among others,
  1. fatal complacency that Israel was invulnerable being guarded by their Fort Knox deterrence
  2. intelligence failure
  3. asleep at the wheel
  4. underestimating the terrorists and overestimating themselves
• terrorists Hamas inflicted the worst single-day loss of life for Jews since the Nazi Holocaust

Israel rejects Lebanon ceasefire
Firstpost with input from agencies 12 November 2024

Extracts:

• Israel rejects Lebanon ceasefire for now

Israel’s newly appointed Defence Minister Israel Katz rejects Lebanon ceasefire for now, vows continued strikes on Hezbollah

Katz said, while addressing the first meeting with the IDF General Staff Forum

• Hostages

On the Gaza Strip, Katz said the most important goal is returning the hostages

• Israel, Russia, Syria

Earlier in the day, Israel had said,
1. there was progress in talks about a Lebanon ceasefire
2. and indicated Russia could play a part by stopping Hezbollah rearming via Syria

the Iran-backed group said it had not received any new truce proposals

Missiles Are Pouring Into Israel From All Sides Everyday
The Israel Guys 12 November 2024

Extracts:
Terrorists from all sides are [still] continuing to fire Rockets, Drones, Missiles and other projectiles [around 90 or so over the weekend] into Israel on a daily basis -- 3 Arab Israelis injured in Western Galilee and a dining hall destroyed

according to The Israel Guys:
Qatar is getting scared now that Trump is elected and are kicking out all of the Hamas leaders from the country -- Maybe so.... but so many other 'Qatars' waiting with open arms, to take these terrorists in

US Central Command forces CENTCOM said,

From: BBC November 12, 2024
Trump appoints UN ambassador Elise Stefanik

New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, 40 has been made ambassador to the United Nations, the BBC's US partner CBS News has confirmed.

A senior source close to Trump's transition told CBS News that Trump had picked Stefanik for ambassador to the UN, and Stefanik accepted the role.

A longtime Trump ally, Stefanik is a staunch supporter of Israel and has also been critical of the UN for what she argues is a lack of sufficient backing for its war against Hamas.

Since Hamas's 7 October attack, she has become one of the most outspoken supporters of Israel in Congress, garnering national attention as she led congressional hearings about university presidents' handling of protests on college campuses.

Last month, she argued there should be a “complete reassessment of US funding of the United Nations” after the Palestinian Authority tried to expel Israel from the UN over human rights abuses in Gaza.

In a statement on Monday, Israel's international spokesperson to the UN, Jonathan Harounoff, said the country's ambassador, Danny Danon, "looks forward to working closely with Elise Stefanik on tackling malicious lies at the UN advanced by hostile nations while staying unswervingly committed to truth and justice".

From: Newsweek November 12, 2024
Elise Stefanik Is Trump's UN Enforcer, and a Gift to Netanyahu

Stefanik has emerged as one of Trump's most vocal supporters and a staunch advocate for Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Stefanik has been particularly vocal on foreign policy concerning Israel.

Since the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, she has openly criticized the United Nations, accusing it of "entrenched antisemitic bias" over its criticisms of Israel's actions in Gaza.

Stefanik has traveled to Israel multiple times, meeting with Israeli officials and publicly supporting Israel's stance in regional conflicts. During her visits, she praised Trump's policies in the Middle East, such as the Abraham Accords, and criticized the Biden administration's approach as lacking strength in securing Israel's interests.

"Israel is America's most critical ally in the Middle East," she said during a recent visit, pledging unwavering support for Israeli security and condemning Iran's influence in the region.

Her ambassadorship aims to strengthen the United States-Israel alliance and address perceived biases against Israel at the U.N.

In her October visit, she called for a "complete reassessment of U.S. funding of the United Nations." She advocated blocking U.S. support for the U.N. agency providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

Trump, who generally favors a less interventionist foreign policy, did not focus heavily on the U.N. during his campaign.
However, U.S. support for Israel is expected to remain strong, with Trump urging Israel to "finish the job" soon.

Uncertainty surrounds Trump's approach to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but Israel's U.N. Ambassador, Danny Danon, welcomed Stefanik's appointment.

"At a time when hate and lies fill the halls of the U.N., your unwavering moral clarity is needed more than ever.
Wishing you success in standing firm for truth and justice," Danon posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Under Biden, the U.S. has sometimes criticized Israel's conduct in Gaza and slowed certain weapons deliveries.
Netanyahu likely hopes Trump's return will remove any such restraints, enabling Israel to pursue its war goals more freely.

The American administration could also work to counter a potential international war crimes arrest warrant for Netanyahu, which could bolster Netanyahu's support domestically.

Though Trump has not fully outlined his foreign policy approach for the coming term, his stance is framed as "peace through strength."
While he has indicated a focus on domestic issues, the Middle East—particularly Israel and Netanyahu—could be a notable exception in his plans.

From: The Washington Post November 12, 2024
Mike Huckabee is Trump's U.S. ambassador to Israel

Far-right Israeli minister welcomes Mike Huckabee as Trump pick for ambassador
President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would nominate former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as U.S. ambassador to Israel was welcomed by a far-right Israeli government minister on Tuesday.

Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, offered an endorsement of Trump’s pick, posting emoji of a U.S. flag, a heart and an Israeli flag next to Huckabee’s name on the social network X shortly after the announcement was made.

Ben Gvir, who lives in the militant West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, has been a lawyer in some of Israel’s most notorious far-right terrorism cases. He is an acolyte of Meir Kahane, the Brooklyn-born rabbi who founded the vigilante Jewish Defense League.

Huckabee has been a vocal supporter of Israel for decades and has strongly criticized the Biden administration’s push for Israel to make a deal with Hamas.

Over the years, he has made numerous statements that showed support for Israel’s settler community in the occupied West Bank and rejected calls for a Palestinian state.

Trump, announcing the move on Tuesday, said in a statement that Huckabee “loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”

During a visit to Israel in 2015 Huckabee told journalists that Israel’s connection to “Judea and Samaria,” a biblical term for the West Bank used by some Israelis, was stronger than America’s relationship with Manhattan.

“If I came and said, we need to end our occupation of Manhattan, I’m pretty sure that most Americans would find that laughable,” he said, according to the Times of Israel.

On Monday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told supporters he welcomed Trump’s victory and said it meant “the time has come” to exert full Israeli sovereignty over parts of the occupied West Bank.

Smotrich wrote on X that Huckabee is a “steadfast and loyal friend of the state of Israel and a supporter of the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria.” He said that Israel, alongside Huckabee, will “strengthen Israel’s security and power and reinforce our hold over all its territories.”

Huckabee was Arkansas governor from 1996 to 2007
He is an ordained Southern Baptist pastor, which would make him the first non-Jewish ambassador to Israel in 14 years if appointed in 2025

From: The Washington Post November 12, 2024
U.S aid to Israel

U.S. won’t withhold aid to Israel, walking back threat over conditions in Gaza as deadline for Gaza aid surge passes

The United States will not withhold military aid from Israel, the State Department said Tuesday, after top Biden administration officials warned a month ago that they would consider doing so if the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza did not improve.

State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said there would be no change to U.S. policy at the end of the 30-day deadline the U.S. set for Israel to improve conditions in Gaza.

Aid groups and U.N. officials say Israel has largely failed to comply with U.S. demands, a Washington Post analysis found.

Patel said “some steps” have been taken by Israel to improve the situation, adding that the U.S. believed those improvements would not have come if it weren’t for the Biden administration.

Still, he added that “additional steps” were necessary. “Nobody in this administration saying that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is pristine,” Patel said. “It continues to be a crisis.”

Herzog and Biden meeting
Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with President Joe Biden at the White House.
In a social media post, Herzog thanked Biden on behalf of Israel.

Dermer and Trump meeting
Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close political adviser of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, met with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, an Israeli official told The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media.

CENTCOM strikes in Syria
U.S. forces carried out strikes in Syria on Monday against nine targets in two locations, targeting “Iranian backed groups” in response to attacks on U.S. personnel, Central Command said.

From: Jewish News Syndicate November 12, 2024
France and Israel soccer match heavy security

France bolsters security ahead of soccer match against Israel, Greece follows suit

The event is classified under an "increased security risk" with thousands of officers and stadium staff to be deployed.

Israel’s soccer match with host France this Thursday will be played under heavy security in the aftermath of the attacks against Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in Amsterdam on November 7

Authorities said on Tuesday that the upcoming UEFA Nations League game, set to kick off at 8:45 p.m. local time, Thursday is classified as an “increased security risk.”

Earlier in the week, it was announced that 4,000 officers and 1,600 stadium staff will be deployed in and around the Stade de France, the national stadium just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis, and on public transportation.

While the stadium capacity is 80,000 the number of fans allowed in will be limited to just 20,000

Macron attendance
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the game “to show his full support for the French national team, but also to send a message of fraternity and solidarity after the unbearable antisemitic attacks following the football game in Amsterdam this week.”

Israeli alert warning
Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) on Sunday issued an alert warning Israeli travelers to avoid sporting and cultural events in Europe, with an emphasis on the upcoming Israeli national team game in Paris.

Israeli stance
Despite the NSC warning, thousands of French Jews are planning to attend the match.

“I don’t want to gift an empty stadium to haters and antisemites,” Yonathan Arfi, president of France’s Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF) told Ynet. “The worst thing we can do is abandon the field and leave it to antisemites,” he added.

“We understand the NSC’s position, but this game has important symbolic significance:
The stands must be full, including with French people who reject antisemitism.”

Arfi stressed however that attendees must “be cautious and pay attention to what’s happening. We aren’t diminishing the threat at all but we need to be there.”

Knesset member Yosef Taieb from the Shas Party told the Knesset’s Education, Culture and Sports Committee on Monday, as quoted by Channel 12 that “the entire Jewish community in France is currently rallying by the thousands to buy tickets and come to the Stade de France with Israeli and French flags together on Thursday.

We don’t need to hide from anyone, and we should support our team.”