podesta_email_00806.txt

podesta-emails 3,116 words email

P17 V11 D6 P22 D4

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http://www.centerpeace.org ** Israel and the Middle East News Update ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Thursday, December 3 ------------------------------------------------------------ Click here for a printer-friendly version. (http://centerpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/December-3.pdf) Headlines: * Donald Trump: I’m Going to Israel * Hizme Terrorist Was Palestinian Authority Intelligence Officer * IDF Moves to Raze Terrorists’ Homes Immediately After Attacks * Israel Arrests ‘Jewish Terror Group’ Over Arson Attack in West Bank * Ya’alon in Washington: Israel ‘Very Worried’ About Iran in Syria * PM: We Could Destroy Al Aqsa If We Wanted to, But We Don’t * Israel Snubs Meeting Belgium FM Over EU Settlement Policy * IAEA Report: Iran Worked on Nuclear Weapons Development Commentary: * The Telegraph: “We Are All Fighting ISIL – The Outlaws of Islam” - By His Majesty, King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan * Foreign Policy: “A Vision for a Moderate, Modern Muslim World” - By His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the US ** CNN ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Donald Trump: I'm Going to Israel (http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/02/politics/donald-trump-israel-trip/index.html) ------------------------------------------------------------ Donald Trump revealed on Wednesday that he's going to take a trip to Israel soon, one day ahead of a conference in Washington where he will address the top Jewish Republicans in the country. Trump was speaking Wednesday night in Manassas, Virginia, where he was asked about his stance on supporting Israel. "Very soon I'm going to Israel…I'm going to be meeting with Bibi Netanyahu." The GOP front-runner said he "love(s)" Israel and will support it whole-heartedly -- and attacked President Barack Obama for not doing enough to support the U.S. ally. See also, “Donald Trump: I Will Visit Israel Soon, Bibi Is a Great Guy” (Ha'aretz) (http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.689766) See also, “Head of Republicans in Israel: Trump Can’t, Won’t Be President” (Times of Israel) (http://www.timesofisrael.com/head-of-republicans-in-israel-trump-cant-wont-be-president/) ** Arutz Sheva ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Hizme Terrorist Was Palestinian Authority Intelligence Officer (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/204364#.VmBO1N-rTfY) ------------------------------------------------------------ The Arab terrorist who shot and wounded two Israelis (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/204353) at Hizme checkpoint north of Jerusalem earlier Thursday has been identified as an officer in the Palestinian Authority preventative security service. He was named as Mazen Hassan Aribah from Abu Dis neighborhood in Jerusalem. Aribah was killed by IDF return fire, after opening fire at the checkpoint from the direction of the Arab village of Hizme. Hizme checkpoint is the major artery into Jerusalem from Samaria. One of the victims was hospitalized in serious condition, while a second was lightly wounded. PA officials confirmed the attacker was a member of the PA's security forces, although they did not specify his rank. See also, “Report: Terrorist was a Member of PA Security Forces (Jerusalem Post) (http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Report-Terrorist-from-shooting-attack-outside-Jerusalem-was-a-member-of-PA-security-forces-436197) ** Ha'aretz ------------------------------------------------------------ ** IDF Moves to Raze Terrorists’ Homes Immediately After Attacks (http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.689818) ------------------------------------------------------------ The Israel Defense Forces has started mapping the houses of Palestinian terrorists within 24 hours of an attack, in a bid to speed up its controversial home-demolition policy. A senior defense official says that quickly implemented demolitions are the most effective, although he admits the process is “draconian.” The IDF’s latest home demolition took place in the early hours of Thursday morning, when it razed the Nablus home of Ragheb Ahmad Muhammad Aliwi, the Hamas cell commander behind the October 1 murder of Israelis Eitam and Na’ama Henkin. ** The Guardian ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Israel Arrests ‘Jewish Terror Group' Over Arson Attack in WB (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/03/israel-arrests-members-of-jewish-terror-group-over-west-bank-arson-attack?CMP=twt_gu) ------------------------------------------------------------ Israel’s police and domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet, has arrested “several Israelis” in connection with an arson attack in July (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/31/death-18-month-old-in-arson-attack-heightens-tensions-west-bank-israel) that killed three members of a Palestinian family, including a toddler. An announcement of arrests had been widely expected after media outlets this week reported a breakthrough in a case involving Jewish extremism. Investigators confirmed in a statement that members of a “Jewish terror group” had been arrested in connection with the attack. The statement did not disclose how many suspects were in custody and said a court order banning disclosure of their names and other details of the case remained in effect. ** Jerusalem Post ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Ya’alon in Washington: Israel ‘Very Worried’ About Iran in Syria (http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Yaalon-in-Washington-Israel-very-worried-about-Iranian-presence-in-Syria-436157) ------------------------------------------------------------ Speaking at the U.S. Congress Wednesday, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon urged the US to stay wary of Iranian actions in Syria and across the region. "We are very worried about Iran's presence in Syria," Ya'alon said. "Iran's Quds Force is currently the only source actively working in Syria to attack us, trying to smuggle weapons and run messengers," he continued. In the past, a number of attacks across the Syrian border have been attributed to Hezbollah. Hezbollah remains firmly on Israel's radar, however. Ya'alon in particular highlighted chemical and "advanced" weapons transfers to groups such as Hezbollah as key threats to Israel's security. ** Times of Israel ------------------------------------------------------------ ** PM: We Could Destroy Al Aqsa If We Wanted to, But We Don't (http://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/pm-israel-could-destroy-al-aqsa-if-it-wanted-to/) ------------------------------------------------------------ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told his Likud faction that Israel could easily destroy the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, but chooses not to as it contradicts Israeli values. “If we wanted to destroy Al-Aqsa, it would not require a great effort… but it goes against everything we stand for,” the prime minister tells his party’s MKs, in a recording played by Army Radio. ** International Business Times ------------------------------------------------------------ ** Israel Snubs Meeting Belgium FM Over EU Settlement Policy (http://www.ibtimes.com/israel-snubs-meeting-belgium-foreign-minister-over-eu-settlement-goods-policy-2207838) ------------------------------------------------------------ Relations between Belgium and Israel are on ice following a decision by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refuse a meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, the Middle East Monitor reported (https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/22601-tel-aviv-refuses-to-welcome-belgian-foreign-minister) Wednesday. Reynders was scheduled to arrive in Tel Aviv within the next week to engage in peace process talks. But Netanyahu said the decision to cancel the meeting was prompted by Brussels’ plan to label all goods exported from Israeli settlements. The Belgian foreign ministry has decided to postpone Reynders’ visit indefinitely, the Monitor reported. See also, “Belgian FM Postpones Israel Trip After Netanyahu Cold Shoulder” (Ynet News) (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4734007,00.html) ** BICOM ------------------------------------------------------------ ** IAEA Report: Iran Worked on Nuclear Weapons Development (http://www.bicom.org.uk/news-article/27740/) ------------------------------------------------------------ The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) yesterday published its long-awaited report into the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear development concluding a weapons program did exist until 2003, continuing sporadically until 2009. Iran always claimed its nuclear work was purely for peaceful purposes. The detailed report concluded “a range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device were conducted in Iran prior to the end of 2003 as a coordinated effort, and some activities took place after 2003.” The IAEA assessed that this work comprised mainly the acquisition of technical capability. However, it raised concerns over Iranian experiments with exploding bridgewire detonators that generate critical fissile mass for a nuclear weapon. See also, “Israel: IAEA Report Proves Iran Nuke Program Had Military Dimension” (Times of Israel) (http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-iaea-report-proves-iran-nuke-program-had-military-dimension/) ** The Telegraph – December 2, 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------ ** We Are All Fighting ISIL - The Outlaws of Islam (http://www.jordanembassyus.org/news/we-are-all-fighting-isil-outlaws-islam-his-majesty-king-abdullah-ii-telegraph) ------------------------------------------------------------ Jordan has taken on a huge burden in the war against ISIL, which targets innocent people everywhere. By His Majesty, King Abdullah II Events taking place in the Middle East today will shape the security and stability of Europe and the world for decades to come. This is why I call the war on terrorism a Third World War, by other means. It is also why it is imperative for all of us to be united in this existential war. This is not a war that should divide us, but a war that should unite us in shared interests, common principles and fundamental human values. I have said before that we are fighting a war within Islam against the outlaws of Islam, the Khawarej. Yet, as we have painfully seen, these terrorists and outlaws threaten the entire world. They target all of us, innocent men and women regardless of race or faith. It is a war we all have to fight, and win, as a united global community. It is a war that knows no boundaries, no geography or demography. One that is not limited to Syria and Iraq, but extends to Africa, Asia, with its flames reaching Europe and the rest of the world. Jordan considers the United Kingdom a close and historic friend, and a key ally. The United Kingdom certainly appreciates that these criminals are as much a threat to its own population as they are to us and the rest of the world. We have witnessed with shock and sadness the brutal murder of British hostages. We have seen many failed plots against the UK, and the campaign to lure youngsters from Britain and across Europe to commit the most atrocious crimes, everywhere. And you have seen how they have also brutally murdered Muslims in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. The horrific images of the burning of our brave young pilot, Moaz al-Kasasbeh, remain forever in the collective conscience of the civilised world today. Both our countries are working side by side in fighting the Khawarej in Iraq, and we see the capabilities of your Royal Air Force and its determined pilots. But again, while we respect borders, terrorists do not recognise them. Therefore, we need to look at the bigger picture. It is not enough to focus just on Iraq because they also control large areas in Syria and are establishing footholds in other areas in Asia and Africa. I do not believe our countries, or our world, can afford to wait much longer. While we pursue the political solution in Syria, we must work together on fighting them in that country, and everywhere. And this is what we have been doing. We need to work with Syrian opposition forces, who are on the ground in Syria, to defeat the Khawarej, while working with equal determination on advancing the political process. The Syrian opposition, especially in the south, is both capable and willing to fight and they deserve our support. Of course, military action is only part of the answer in delivering a secure future for all of us. We need to coordinate our efforts on a strategy that includes humanitarian support, as well as diplomatic and political progress. Your Prime Minister, David Cameron, visited Jordan in September and saw the huge burden we are bearing, with a fifth of our population now Syrian refugees. We remain grateful for British aid in helping those refugees and the Jordanian communities that host them. I draw hope from the ongoing talks in Vienna. A real opportunity now presents itself to bring together the global coalition that is required today on both the political and military levels. It is up to all of us to face this moment of truth with determination. All of us in the fight against Daesh [known in Britain as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or Isil] need to decide where we stand. On behalf of the international community Jordan has made its decision and taken on a burden far beyond its size. We believe this is the right thing to do, to stand up for our values and do everything we can to protect our religion, our people, and our nation. As you go through your internal debate on this major global threat, it is important to understand that your country’s contribution to this undertaking, by carrying out air strikes against Daesh in Syria, can be crucial. We ask you, our friends in the United Kingdom, Europe and the World, to stand together with us in meeting the challenge and eliminating this global threat. His Majesty, King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, is the 41st-generation direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad. King Abdullah assumed his constitutional powers as monarch on 7 February 1999. Following the leadership legacy of his father, the late King Hussein, King Abdullah has made the welfare of Jordan’s people the cornerstone of his policies for national development, regional peace and global coexistence. ** Foreign Policy – December 2, 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------ ** A Vision for a Moderate, Modern Muslim World (https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/12/02/a-vision-for-a-moderate-modern-muslim-world-uae-abu-dhabi-isis/?utm_content=buffer3ce1f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer) ------------------------------------------------------------ Creating an ideology of openness, optimism, and opportunity in the Gulf is a key component to defeating extremism. By Yousef Al Otaiba In St. Petersburg and Sinai, Bamako and Beirut, Mosul and Paris, the world has been shocked by a murderous month of Islamic extremist violence. With a more sophisticated enemy and the return of radicalized fighters, the Middle East’s terrorism challenge has become a global challenge in a way not seen since the 9/11 attacks. The Islamic State must be defeated on the field of battle but also in the war of conflicting ideologies. As Muslims, we have the most at stake and must be leaders on both fronts. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), we are joined with the international community to bring new energy to the fight against the most destabilizing and dangerous force since fascism. For more than 12 years, from the air and on the ground, the UAE has been combating extremists in Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. We continue to aggressively attack extremist support networks — blocking the flow of funds and foreign fighters, contesting extremists online, and devising new counterradicalization strategies. But success on the battlefield may be the easy part. We know that to win, we must not only defeat what we are against, but we must also define what we as Muslims and Arabs are for. True victory can only come when the more powerful forces of tolerance and progress prevail over the twisted ideology of the Islamic State and its kind. Is this even possible in the Middle East? One hundred years after the Sykes-Picot agreement, can the region overcome its history of sectarian and ethnic division? Is there a new model of and for the Middle East built on hope rather than hate? In the UAE, we are trying to find out. We are testing a new vision for the region — an alternative, future-oriented ideology. It is a path guided by the true tenets of Islam: respect, inclusion, and peace. It empowers women, embraces diversity, encourages innovation, and welcomes global engagement. With the world’s attention focused on the aftermath of the Paris attacks, it went largely unnoticed that Amal Al Qubaisi was appointed president of the UAE’s Federal National Council, making her the first woman in the region (http://www.thenational.ae/uae/dr-amal-al-qubaisi-becomes-regions-first-female-leader-of-a-national-assembly) to lead a national assembly. An architect by profession, she was also the first woman to be a member of the council. Just weeks earlier, a group of Emirati and expatriate religious, political, and diplomatic leaders celebrated the reopening of the restored St. Andrew’s Church (http://standrewauh.org/) in Abu Dhabi. The Anglican church’s chaplain, the Rev. Canon Andrew Thompson, has said (http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/general/it-s-easier-being-christian-in-abu-dhabi-than-in-uk-1.1330220) , “In many ways it’s easier being a Christian here than it is back in the United Kingdom.” Father Bishoy Salib of Abu Dhabi’s Coptic Orthodox Church recently expressed (http://www.thenational.ae/uae/religious-leaders-uae-an-exemplary-model-of-multi-faith-cooperation) a similar sentiment. “The UAE is an exemplary worldwide model of multi-religion gathering and cooperation. This is the peaceful environment where all regions can grow and meet each other.” In the same spirit of openness, the Emirati government announced this summer (http://www.thenational.ae/uae/heritage/hindus-in-uae-hail-decision-to-allot-land-for-temple) that it is donating the land for the country’s third Hindu temple. These churches and temples — along with many other centers of worship — serve the nearly 8 million expatriates of virtually all faiths and nationalities who live and work together peacefully in the UAE. Also little noticed was the Nov. 21 meeting in Cairo (http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/170343/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-Sisi-reiterates-importance-of-fighting-radi.aspx) of the Muslim Council of Elders, which strongly condemned (http://af.reuters.com/article/maliNews/idAFL8N13G06R20151121) the Paris and Mali massacres. The council is an international body of forward-thinking scholars and experts that is giving greater voice to moderate Islam. Established and supported by Emirati leaders, the council is modernizing the way Islam is taught in schools, developing new training programs for imams, and updating Quranic commentaries. Beyond encouraging religious diversity and tolerance, we are also seeding an ideology of optimism and opportunity. In Washington this week, the UAE will join with NASA in recognizing the UAE Space Agency and its ambitious plans to put a probe on Mars in 2021 — our country’s 50th anniversary. For the UAE, this is the Arab world’s version of President John F. Kennedy’s moon shot — a galvanizing vision for the future that can engage and excite a new generation (http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/government/national-day/uae-mars-mission-a-source-of-inspiration-1.1628890) of Emirati and Arab youth. Putting a probe on Mars is a vision for the future, but putting people to work is the challenge of today. In the UAE, we are building an economic engine for the entire region, a place where the free flow of goods, services, people, investment, and ideas lifts the entire Middle East and links it to Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. It is a sustainable post-hydrocarbon economy (http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/environment/uae-may-show-the-world-how-to-transition-to-a-green-economy-expert-1.1521480) — driven by innovation, human capital, rule of law, and open trade. In the UAE, we believe it is possible to be Muslim, moderate, and modern at the same time. We are committed to promoting this ideology of openness, optimism, and opportunity across the region. Arab parents can and should believe that their children’s future can be better than their own. We know it is a vision, but also a realistic and attainable one — no less difficult or less inspiring than launching a man to the moon or a mission to Mars. His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States of America, took up his Washington-based post in July 2008. In this role, Ambassador Al Otaiba enhanced UAE-US relations and improved bilateral security and economic cooperation. In addition to leading efforts that increased military, intelligence and counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries, he also played a critical role to facilitate the landmark US-UAE Agreement for Peaceful Civilian Nuclear Energy Cooperation (123 Agreement), which came into force in 2009. ============================================================ S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace 633 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20004 For comments, please contact us at ** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . ** www.centerpeace.org (http://www.centerpeace.org) 2015 S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, All rights reserved. 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