Hamas Lashes Out at Abbas

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Hamas has taken aim at PA leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Mousa Marzook, the deputy head of Hamas, posted a diatribe against Abbas on his Facebook page. The final words of the letter shout "you have abandoned the West Bank."

The reason for the letter is to tell the Palestinian people that, from Hamas' point of view, Abbas has totally given in to Israel. To tell them that there has been no substantive PA response to Israel. That as a leader Abbas is a weakling. And, most importantly, that Palestinians cannot expect anything more from Abbas.

Marzook wrote: "You gave respect to your enemy when three settlers were kidnapped. Haven't you noticed that more than 566 Palestinians have been taken from you and five have been killed since then? You've abandoned the West Bank."

According to Marzook, the obvious counter to Abbas' non-response, would be the response of Hamas which is to shoot rockets and deliver consistent blows to Israel. So while Israel attacks Palestinians in the West Bank and roots out the infrastructure of Hamas in the West Bank, Hamas from Gaza hammers away at Israel on a daily basis.

Marzook need not even ask the obvious question, the Palestinians know where he is taking this diatribe --- decide now, who is the better leader, which is the better party?

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Israel Pleads w US on Iran

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Today a high level delegation of Israeli security, intelligence and nuclear experts arrived in DC for an emergency meeting that they themselves called. The group includes Israel's Intelligence Minister, Minister of Security Affairs, Director Strategic Affairs and Deputy Director of Strategic Affairs in the Foreign Ministry, a high ranking Mossad agent and a member of the military directorate.

They came to the United States to demand -- or rather, to plead, that the US and the West not capitulate to Iran. Israel is worried that the United States wants a deal so badly that they will give in on several essential issues.

One of the main issues on Israel's agenda is uranium enrichment. Israel wants to make certain that Iran cannot enrich their uranium and if they do, to keep it below 3.5%.

The other major issue is that the agreement itself should be centered on disarmament - not on observations and monitoring. The point Israel is making is that Iran has proven very effective at getting around the observers and monitoring.

It was a good sign that DC agreed to meet with the Israelis for this last minute meeting. The deadline for an agreement with Iran is July 20.

But it is unlikely that the United States will alter its POV. As Israel fears, the United States wants an agreement and they are willing to give in on and to give up on almost everything to accomplish that goal.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Jews Expelled from African Summit

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The Jewish delegation was thrown out of the 23rd African Union Summit taking place in Equatorial Guinea.

The Summit was supposed to open with a moment dedicated to the three teenaged Israeli boys kidnapped by Hamas. But that never happened.

As the Summit was supposed to kick off, the Arab League refused to enter the hall. The Jewish delegation was already seated. In the end, the Jewish delegation, referred to as the Israeli delegation by the Arab League, was ejected. Only then did the Arab League enter the hall.

The Jewish group was composed of 14 members of the President's Conference of Major American Jewish Organizations. It also included a sitting US congresswoman.

The Jewish group was invited to the African Union Summit by its host, the president of Equatorial Guinea, who was deeply offended by the Arab League snub of his guests. He called the group to apologize and to invite them to dinner but they had already departed the country.

And as this was all happening Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, was sitting in the hall.
He did nothing to help or to stop the Jewish delegation from being evicted. He did not even intervene.
Neither did the Prime Minister of Spain.

These powerful men could have, at the least, accompanied the Jewish delegation as they walked out of the Summit hall.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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FM Lieberman in Paris

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has been in Paris.

In Paris Lieberman met with US Secretary of State John Kerry and with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

Talks went well. But, and this is no secret, Lieberman has a reputation. He is very direct and not very diplomatic - especially when it comes to compromise and settlements. Considering that he is the chief diplomat of Israel, those are not traits one would ideally want to flaunt.

In his talks with Kerry, Lieberman said that there is no need for a Palestinian peace deal right now. A regional peace plan, he explained, would be much more effective.

In his talks with Fabius of France, Lieberman said that there is a warped and incorrect comparison floating around and it needs correcting. He said that one cannot compare the action of the kidnappers to the actions of the IDF.

Lieberman explained: There is no parallel and no commonalities upon which to compare.

The terrorists kidnapped children.

The IDF is trying to find them. One is accountable to a democratically elected state pursuing justice and peace and trying to defend a nation in a very ugly neighbor from armies and terrorists.

The other is a terrorist group that kills indiscriminately. Its objective is to target civilians and cause as much fear as possible.

The fact that the terrorists claim to be justified by righting an injustice does not make it any less terror. Terrorism is defined by the methods not the reasons and rationale.

Lieberman was on point. No gaffes. No inflammatory rhetoric. This time, he spoke plainly and clearly and made his points rather eloquently. Agree with him or not, he spoke like a true diplomat and statesman.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Abbas: Incentivize Terror

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

We have known about the practice for years, but we never knew the figures.

Everyone knew that the Palestinian Authority paid prisoners who were convicted and sitting in Israeli cells. But until the other day when

 Naftali Bennett gave the figures, we never knew how much. They are mind boggling.

The PA spends NIS 44 million per month paying prisoners. The message that sends is deeply problematic --- and contrary to the public message Abbas is articulating.

Abbas condemns acts of terror but rewards the terrorists monetarily.

A prisoner convicted and sentenced to 0-10 years in an Israeli jail will receive NIS 4,000/ month. 10-15 years gets NIS 6,000/month. 25-30 years gets NIS 10,000/month and a prisoner sentenced to over 30 years gets NIS 12,000/ month. In addition, each prisoner receives NIS 400 twice a year for incidentals.

Compare that to the average Palestinian police salary of NIS 2,700/ month.

It seems clear that there is a monetary incentive for Palestinians to commit acts of terror - and the greater the terror the greater the reward.

The money paid to the terrorist comes from aid donated to the Palestinian Authority as does almost all the money in the PA budget. So, in the end, it is US money that is paying Palestinian terrorists
Worse yet, US aid is stimulating terror.

That needs to change. Congress needs to be made aware of this. Naftali Bennett has the right idea.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Hamas Killed 3 Yr Old

By Micah Halpern

I'm Predicting:

When a three year old baby girl dies it can only be called a tragedy.

Yesterday Hamas launched four rockets at Israel from Gaza. One of the rockets never made it out of Gaza. It landed on a Palestinians house killing the three year old baby and wounding four other member of her family.

The family lived in Beit Lahia which is in the Northern part of Gaza.
Israel responded to the four rockets by striking at the launching source. They hit an arms factory and five rocket launchers.

There will be no justice for the dead three year old Palestinian girl. There will be no cries to arrest those Palestinians who shot the rocket. There will be no investigation in Gaza. No one will be held accountable for her death.

Actually, it would not surprise me if, over the next few days, we hear Hamas blaming Israel for the death, claiming that Israel was responsible for the girl's death. I will not be surprised if Hamas claims that, because the rockets were being launched to defend against Israel, the real culprit is Israel.

If Hamas can claim that Israel murdered this little girl, and if they make that claim stick, they will be absolved of any responsibility and the child will have died a martyr for the cause.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Search for Boys Ends 1st Stage

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

According to an Israeli army report, the IDF will "exhaust" its search for the three kidnapped teens in the Hebron area over the next few days.

That begs the essential question. What happens next?

The hope is that the boys will be found… but what happens if they are still not found.

Several options emerge.

The first is to "expand in." Change the search parameters and intensify the search in certain specific areas within Hebron if you are certain that that is where they are being held.

The second is to "expand out." Focus on where else the kidnappers could be hiding their hostage. That means searching every Arab village to the north, south, east and west of Hebron. All of them.

And then expand the search toward Gaza.

"Exhaust"-ing the search does not mean that the search is concluded.

It means that the first stage of the search is concluded. The search will go on.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Israel Hits Syria

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
The rocket that was shot from Syria into Israel is a violation of the cease fire between the countries, and the death of a thirteen year old Israeli is tragic - but the incident must be viewed as an isolated event.

Never the less, Israel responded by launching nine sets of Spike ground to ground missiles into Syria. The Spike missiles are extremely accurate weapons and all the missiles hit their targets in the Syrian Golan. The targets were Syrian army positions, including the command post of the 90th Division headquartered in the Golan.

Israel needed to respond. Syria launched the rocket on purpose. It was not an errant missile gone astray from a battle with al Qaeda. And it killed a 13 year old boy. Israel decided that it was worth the risk of escalating tensions in an area that has been quiet and under control and shot back.

As always, Israel has to weigh response and retaliation against defense and deterrence. Overreacting might incite war. Inaction might stimulate more rockets and more bombs lobbing into Israel.

It is a gamble that Israel is willing to take. For Israel, every life is valuable and valued. And Israel has determined, militarily and politically, that a precision strike at the force which launched the rocket was the right decision.

We will soon know if their calculation was correct.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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World Cup - A Protest Against Iran

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

World Cup fever is electrifying. All over the world fans are watching the games. National allegiances and national pride are always primary reasons to cheer for you team.

Yesterday Iran lost to Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup competition.

Before the match, outside the stadium, a group of people came to demonstrate, demanding that Iran be held accountable for the 1994 terrorist bombing in Buenos Aries at the AMIA Jewish Community Center, killing 85 people. It was the worst terror attack in the history of Argentina. The names of the victims were recited and there was a minute of silence.

An investigation concluded that Iran was responsible for the attack, but it went no further than that.
Interestingly, Israel's Channel 2 News interviewed several Iranians as they entered the stadium and they gave very positive responses to Israel and the news. One Iranian even said, "we love Israel." Another said, "Israel is good."

These Iranians might be arrested when they return home. Iran leadership does not take kindly to public disagreements, especially in the media. Remember the six Iranian dancers who were arrested for singing about happiness and posting it on Youtube? They have been released but they had to make a public apology.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Saudi King Visits Egypt

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The 89 year old King of Saudi Arabia flew to Cairo on Friday night to visit Egypt's new president.

While it is only a short, quick flight across the Red Sea given his advanced age, the Saudi head does not often fly. The trip is a show of support for al Sisi. And since the ousting of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood from leadership in July of last summer, the Saudis have been extremely supportive of al Sisi and the new Egypt.

The Saudis see the Muslim Brotherhood as a threat to the entire region. The Brotherhood is a form of radical Islam. They are the progenitors of Hamas. Both Egypt and Saudi Arabia have experience with these groups and their understanding of Islam and they want to root out the threats they impose.

In addition, both Egypt and Saudi Arabia are hoping to re-establish an Arabic leadership which will direct the Middle East that lures people away from Iran and the other influences that have filled the gap since the fall of Mubarak.

This is a very important trip.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Hamas Says "Will Rain Hell on Israel"

Hamas Will "Rain Hell on Israel"

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Hamas has pledged "to rain down hell on Israel," according to their spokesman Sami Abu Zurhi.
Hamas is responding to Israel's response to the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers a week ago yesterday.

Now, seven days after the kidnapping, Israel is searching for the boys and they are using that search to destroy Hamas in the West Bank.

The Palestinian Authority / Hamas unity government has been in place for only a few weeks and Hamas has already set its machinery in motion to topple the PA and conquer the hearts and minds of the youth of the West Bank.

But now Israel is getting at the organizational structure of Hamas - and not just in Hebron but in Bethlehem and Ramallah, as well.

Israel has seized hundreds of computers from Hamas. They are rooting out Hamas from all those areas.
For everyday that Hamas holds the boys, their own vision of one day usurping control of the West Bank form Fatah and the PA slips further and further away.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Israel Clamps Down on Hamas Prisoners

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Israel has decided to apply pressure on Hamas prisoners in Israeli prisons.

The Israeli Prison Authority has announced a policy that will curtail privileges for all Hamas prisoners who are security prisoners.

Security prisoners are those prisoners convicted of terror activities and they are held in separate sections of the prisons. Security prisoners do not interact with the rest of the prison population.

These Hamas prisoners will not be permitted visitors. They will lose their television privileges. They will not be permitted to purchase additional items from the prison cafeteria.

To those who believe that Israel cannot limit these privileges, that
Israel is not permitted to put a halt to the privileges Hamas prisoners receive - you are wrong. Watching television in prison is a privilege, not a right. And not to have the privilege of watching television during the World Cup is, for Hamas prisoners, a greater punishment than one can imagine.

Israel is squeezing Hamas from all angles by shutting down Hebron, isolating Hamas internationally, applying diplomatic pressure and curtailing activities for Hamas security prisoners.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Israel is Now Attacking Hamas

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

As devastating as it is, the kidnapping of three Israeli teens has allowed Israel a great advantage in the battle with Hamas - Israel can now take actions, almost without limitations, against Hamas.

Kidnapping civilians is way beyond the pale. It is a violation that can be viewed only as an act of terror by the Western World. Europe and most Western counties in the United Nations do not question
Israel's activities against Hamas in their crusade to find the boys.

Israel is taking advantage of the situation and is slowly rooting out the infrastructure of Hamas.

It will take time to find the three kidnapped boys. Israel is working tirelessly to find the kidnappers and they will, eventually, find them. Hopefully, when Israel does find the terrorists they will be able to return three missing sons to their families.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Iran is in Iraq Fighting

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

At least 2000 elite Iranian soldiers, member of the al Quds Brigade, are fighting in Iraq. The soldiers are there along with their commanders and other senior advisers.

Interestingly, the al Quds Brigade arrived in Iraq on Thursday and the European press began their covering on Friday and Saturday. The Wall Street Journal reported the story today.

Now that the Iranians are inside Iraq, the United States is saying that there may be some potential synergy because them and the Iranians since they both want to oust the al Qaeda Islamic Army of Levant from Iraq.

So now, as the nuclear talks between the United States and Iran break down, the situation in Iraq might just be the bridge that connects the US and Iran and forges a cooperative effort.

But understand, this kind of cooperation is not without very big risks. Very big risks, indeed.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Kidnapping is a Trauma Felt Around the World

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The kidnapping of three Israeli teenage students has resulted in traumatic and emotional pain. Trauma felt around the Jewish world.

The search for the boys has become the most essential national political issue in Israel. The cabinet, the parliament, the army, police, intelligence and diplomatic branches are all working, almost exclusively, on getting the boys back.

Those coordinating the search believe that the boys are still in the Hebron area. They are interrogating more and more people and gaining more and more information.

The fragments of the story of the abductions are slowly coming together. Soon the entire puzzle will be pieced together. It is clear that Hamas is responsible. Israel's prime minister said so.
The United States secretary of state said so.

When all the pieces are in place, a plan will be put into place. And questions will arise. Should Israel negotiate and trade for the boys or should they try to free them through military means. The risks are very costly in both circumstances. In one case it means releasing terrorists who might murder again and an incentive for more kidnappings. In the other case it means the possible sacrifice of soldiers and the kidnapped boys in a rescue attempt.

These are difficult questions. There are no simple answers. There are no easy answers.
Prayers can only help.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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3 Boys Kidnapped by Terrorists

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The Thursday night kidnapping by terrorists of three Israeli teenage boys has stunned Israel and Jews around the world.

Synagogues throughout the world recited prayers for the three boys, hoping that they are still alive and that they will be returned safely to their families.

There are only several possible scenarios. The worst is that they are already dead. The best scenario is that the terrorists are interested in exchanging the boys for prisoners in Israeli jails. Other scenarios are variations on these two.

Now the intelligence teams have to piece together the story. How it happened, the timeline and who did it. With this information will also come the motivation of the terrorists. After this information is pieced together it will be easier for Israel to determine what to do.

Right now Israel needs to focus on what happened. That is the best way to find the boys.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Iraqi Rebels Behead

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Things are getting even worse in Iraq.

To get some sense of how bad it is, look at these figures reported by The London Telegraph.

The Telegraph reported that 800 rebels from the Islamic Front of Iraq and Levant (or Syria, known by its initials ISIL or ISIS) chased out 25,000 police and 30,000 soldiers from Mosul in Northern Iraq. (I did not add an extra zero.)

That is remarkable. The rebels are al Qaeda affiliates in Iraq and Syria. They are even more brutal than you could imagine. They behead people regularly in public and institute Shariyah (Islamic) law. The fear of beheading was enough to make 55,000 people - trained soldiers and police, run away.

And when the Iraqi police and soldiers ran away, they left their (American made) tanks and weapons right where they were for the rebels to simply swoop up.

Talk about re-gifting!

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Oil Prices Go Up B/C of Conflict

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Oil is one of those commodities that fluctuates in price based on world events. Stability and security in the
Middle East play a central role in the price of crude oil.

So when there is crisis and rampant conflict in areas close to major oil fields, the market responds. And that response is felt at gas pumps and in the wallets of people wherever they may live.
Iraq right now is a case in point.

Over the past few days the West has been taken by surprise as al Qaeda affiliated rebels have taken over cities in Iraq, some of them located in major oil region. Areas like Mosul and Kirkut have fallen to al Qaeda.
Capitalizing on the confusion of the moment, Kurds in Tikrit, Iraq have seized the opportunity to kidnap and grab Turks.

The only response available for the market is to increase the price of oil.
There is more to the story. If Western forces enter Iraq in an effort to bring stability or if Iraqi forces attempt to take back the cities - it will happen again. The price of oil and hence gasoline will increase again.

Either way, we the people lose. And just in time for summer vacations.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Israel Retaliates in Gaza

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Israel retaliated for rocket fire from Gaza by launching an air strike. The strike killed Mohamed Ahmed Alarur.

Alarur was the head of a network that launched rockets into Israel.

He was responsible for the attacks perpetrated on Passover night.

His objective was to terrorize Israelis as they all sat around the Passover seder table.
Since January, 140 rockets have been shot into Israel from Gaza. This week's renewal of rocket attacks forced Israel to act.

United States State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki responded to the situation by saying that "Abbas' ability to prevent attacks from the Gaza Strip is limited at this stage."

Abbas condemned the rocket attack into Israel and called on Hamas to respect the ceasefire. But the State Department spokesperson is correct - there is only so much Abbas can do.

That is why Israel launched their airstrike. Scrambling fighter jets to kill one person seems like overkill.
Actually, that is the reason only one person died. Israel launched a surgical strike targeting a single person - the leader responsible for the rocket fire, namely, Mohamed Ahmed Alarur.

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Afghan Drugs Threaten Reconstruction

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Afghanistan increased its poppy, opium, heroin and morphine production this year. It is now a $3 billion industry that increased by a billion dollars since last year.

This illicit market is placing the entire reconstruction of Afghanistan in serious crisis.
The United States has given about $7 billion towards Afghani reconstruction. The money was given under the condition that the poppy trade would shut down.

John Sopko, the United States SpecialInspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, told a US House subcommittee that the drugs are helping the Taliban and creating corruption.

If drugs become their central export it will be clear that Afghanistan will move further down the road and become a narco state, a state that is funded through and revolves around drugs.

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Australia Changes Attitude Toward Israel

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

In an extremely rare move, a move which can only be described as bold and trailblazing, Australia announced that it will no longer refer to annexed East Jerusalem as "occupied."

While this decision was hardly covered at all in the Western press, the Palestinian and Jordanian press focused on it heavily. The Palestinians called the Australian diplomatic representative and asked for an explanation. The Jordanians called the Australian embassy and "expressed their concern."

This decision was officially made by the attorney general of Australia who told the senate of the new terminology.

Australia took the Palestinians by surprise. But it was a bigger surprise than it should have been. The Australians have, of late, been more and more aware of the issues confronting Palestinians and Israelis and more understanding of Israeli claims.

And in January, when Australia's foreign minister Julie Bishop visited Israel, she paid her respects at the grave of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. At the time Bishop made it clear that Australia no longer calls settlements illegal and they do not refer to the West Bank as occupied. All this is, by the way, in stark contrast to current United States policy.

The changes have come about as a result of the change of government in Australia - the ousting of the Labour party and the emergence of the Liberal National coalition.

Kudos to Australia, I hope they can take the heat.

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Sisi Says No To Islamists

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
Abdel Fattah al Sisi was sworn in as the new president of Egypt yesterday. Al Sisi was elected in an election that was witnessed by international observers and he is Egypt's new democratic leader.

Soon after being sworn in the new president of Egypt made it very clear that there will be no reconciliation with Islamists. Al Sisi announced that anyone who adopted violence, anyone who committed crimes will be punished and that there is no place for that behavior in Egypt.

Al Sisi has a long road ahead. One of his important jobs is to reinstitute law and order. Egyptians need to feel safe and that safety will bring the return of tourists to their country.

On another front, al Sisi will work behind closed doors with Israel to help secure the region. This cannot be made too obvious, but part of al Sisi's plan for Egypt is to reestablish it as a leader and mediator among the Arab world. That cannot happen if the relationship between Egypt and Israel is too obvious.

There is a lot riding on al Sisi. But there is no doubt that given the current situation, he is the only chance Egypt has of reemerging as a productive entity in the region.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Abbas Says No and the World Applauds

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
It is a clash of leadership and Abbas is winning. Actually, winning is an understatement. Abbas is trouncing Bibi Netanyahu and the State of Israel.

In analyzing the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, one might think that Abbas would never stand a chance against Israel's great communicator. And yet, over the past few years, Abbas has played the pr game so successfully that at almost every opportunity he has garnered resounding world support for the Palestinian Authority.

Abbas has accomplished his goal by saying "no". He said "no" to every single peace talk related issue - and Israel has said "yes" every time. And with all his "no"s, Israel has failed and Abbas has emerged victorious.
The unity government is the last - and best, example.

The entire Western world leadership warned Abbas not to go ahead and form a unity government with Hamas. Abbas defied the United States and the entire Western world. And what happened? Abbas and Hamas were embraced by US Secretary of State Kerry and the rest of the Western world. And now Israel is the only power adhering to the plan and maintaining that Hamas is a terror group.

What happened? How did this happen? Abbas not only has no charisma, he has no power to deliver. He is out of sync with the masses of Palestinians and yet he has managed to wrap Western world leadership around his little finger.

Abbas says "no" and the Western world applauds.

Political correctness has gone too far.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Elections in Syria Cement Assad's Place

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

This week there were presidential elections in Syria. The results are in.
Syrian Parliament Speaker Jihad Lahan announced the final results.

He along with the Supreme Constitutional Court of Syria said that the turnout was 73.42%. That was pretty good considering that there is a civil war waging in Syria and that many people were threatened and told to stay home and boycott the elections.

Assad received 88.7% of the vote. The other two candidates combined garnered 5.5% of the vote and the rest were disqualified ballots.

There are important issues that emerge from this vote. Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah put it best. He said that there is no doubt that Assad is the popular candidate by all standards and this election cements his position.

It is very hard to think otherwise with the kind of turnout and the kind of victory Assad received. There were only sporadic areas of the country where polls were closed down by the rebels. If you looked at international media coverage, however, you would have assumed that half the country could not or would not come out to vote.

Through this election Bashar Assad has fortified his position and made it undeniably clear to all that he is there to stay --- at least for the near future.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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US Misled Israel About Unity Government

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
Israel and the United States saw eye to eye on the question of Hamas involvement in a Palestinian unity government. There can be no doubt about that. And it was obvious that Israel would not respect or deal with a Palestinian government that included Hamas.

But while the United States agreed with Israel, that agreement is not an issue principle.

The decision by the United States to recognize a government in which Hamas plays an integral role is a major turnabout of US policy and it breaks a longstanding agreement between the US and Israel. The agreement was twofold. The US would not recognize the Hamas government and the US would not pressure Israel to, in any way, deal with the Hamas.

The United States and Israel even spoke about and confirmed for each other that the technocratic government was simply a ruse.

All that is now gone.

And the worst part is that the United States does not even realize that it did anything wrong or dangerous.
The United States does not even realize that it has put in jeopardy an issue that is vital to its own security. And the United States does not realize that it is now perceived as not being there to protect Israel's security interests.

It is only a matter of time before other nations and communities take advantage of what is a very public and very large diplomatic and security gap between the United States and Israel.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Muslims Burn Christian Shops in Egypt

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Mobs burned Christian shops just outside of Luxor in Egypt the other day.

They threw gasoline on the shops and lit them aflame. It all happened just as a young Christian man, Kerolos Ghattas, was about to go on trial. Ghattas is charged with blaspheming Allah and Islam.

There are about 9 million Coptic Christians in Egypt, they make up about 10% of the population. They live in fear. Their institutions are being burnt and plundered.

Ghattas has a popular blog and he has said some very critical things about Islam.

Despite the new elections and al Sisi winning nearly 97% of the vote, very little will change vis a vis the Christians of Egypt. They will continue on as they have been, an unprotected minority in a very hostile environment.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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The Rolling Stones in Israel

Wednesday June 4, 2014
I've Been Thinking:

The Rolling Stones arrived in Israel on Monday night and tonight, Wednesday night, they are performing in Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv.

This is a huge event for Israel. It is the first time the Stones have performed there.

The legendary group opened their tour in Oslo and from there went on to Lisbon, then Zurich and now Tel Aviv. It is all part of their On Fire 14 European tour. The Band arrived on their own Rolling Stones airplane adorned with a huge set of lips and a tongue that sticks out.

The event will start at 9:15pm even though it was scheduled for 8:45. This will give people time after the Holiday of Shavuot, Pentecost, to attend the once in a lifetime event.

The Rolling Stones concert will last for two hours. Under normal circumstances the park closes at 11pm, but for this extraordinary event, an exception will be made.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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DC Accepts Hamas

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The PA/Hamas unity government was sworn in yesterday. And almost immediately afterward, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki recognized the new government.
I am told that the Israeli cabinet and diplomats were caught off guard.

The United States might have rushed to embrace the new Palestinian government, but there will be serious blowback in DC - especially from powers on the hill.

Why was Israel surprised?

Months ago I predicted that if the agreement went through, the United States would accept it. And by Saturday it was clear that the new Palestinian prime minister was already officially invited to Washington to meet with Obama in the White House.

Israel has always had a misapprehension of the White House's desires and priorities. To think that the administration would not back a unity government was a big misjudgment. And to think that embracing a Palestinian unity government is an attack against Israel is even a bigger mistake.

The White House is wrong. It is illegal in the United States to recognize Hamas. But to think that they would not have done so was sheer folly.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Elections in Syria

By Micah Halpern 
I've Been Thinking:

It sounds outrageous, but on Tuesday Syria will go to the polls to elect a president. That's right - the Syrians have been embroiled in a civil war since March 2011 and now is the time they have chosen to vote for a president?

It is part of the deal that all sides, including the United States and other Western nations and the warring parties in Syria, agreed upon. They wanted the people to have a say, they wanted them to vote. Of course, at the time, the brilliant minds that compose the international community could never have foreseen that Assad would be a sure bet for a landslide victory.

When Syrians go to the polls there will be three candidates to choose from. When the process started, there were twenty-four viable candidates including two women and a Christian. Now Assad is the main candidate and the other two other names on the ballot, Hassan Abdullah al Nouri and Maher Abdul Hafiz Hajjar, are simply tokens or symbolic candidates.

This is the first time that a presidential election in Syria will not be simply a referendum. In the past there were no other options.

Then, in the early part of 2014, the Syrian parliament passed a law to create a real, multi-candidate election program. Even though all three names are on the ballot, there is little to no doubt about who the winner will be, despite the fact that the police and the army are prohibited from voting.

Western leaders thought this election would pressure Assad. In the end, it empowers Assad.

The entire idea of having elections to solve a problem in the Middle East in the middle of a civil war is irresponsible thinking on the part of those trying to build stability. Did they really hope to oust Assad? Really now, how could they even in their wildest, most hopeful, imagination expect that outcome?

Micah@MicahHalpern.com
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PA/Hamas Unity Causes Conflict with Israel

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Abbas has announced that the PA will declare their unity with Hamas on Monday. In response, Israel has said that they will boycott the new government. The boycott will include withholding import taxes that Israel collects for the PA at Israeli ports.

The Palestinians are now threatening Israel. Look at Abbas comments from Sunday when he met with French pro-Palestinian leaders:

"The announcement of the government will be on Monday."

"The Israelis informed us today that they are going to boycott us immediately after we form the government."

"They are going to withhold our money."

"This is our money, not aid from Israel, and we will not stay silent. They want to punish us because we have an agreement with Hamas, which is part of our people."

"We say (the government) is going to recognize Israel, denounce violence and recognize the international agreements."

"This is a technocrat government. It has nothing to do with Fatah, Hamas or any factions."
Abbas also said that "we are going to react to any Israeli action."

This scenario has been played out before. In the end, after a few weeks, Israel will free the Palestinians taxes and transfer the money just as they have always done. Israel is showing its displeasure and is using the withholding of taxes as a strangle move. It is a gesture of strength.

After their recent successes with the Pope and UN agencies, Abbas and Hamas feel emboldened enough to make their next move. Israel's move is only temporary. The Palestinian move will probably be more long term.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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