ISIS: An Eye For An Eye

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
ISIS is known for decapitations..

They have decapitated countless numbers of people. In Syria, one of the most prominent ISIS leaders responsible for those beheading was known as the Deputy Emir of the Hesbah Force.

He is now dead - decapitated. What poetic justice that was.

Imagine the surprise - or perhaps even relief, when the discovery was made and then reported to the public. The body was found near a power plant. There were signs of torture.

This was a message to ISIS, there should be no doubt about that. Victims of ISIS cruelty were saying that they, too, are capable of great brutality. They were saying that they will seek revenge against ISIS torture and beheadings using the same methods that ISIS uses against them and their families and communities.

It is the Koranic equivalent of Exodus 21:24 "an eye for an eye."

The Koran says in Surat al Maidah 5:45 "And we ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution. But whoever gives [up his right as] charity, it is an expiation for him. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the wrongdoers."

The message was heard but it is not convincing. Why? --- Because ISIS knows that they are far more brutal than their victims will ever be.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Israel Slows Electricity to Gaza

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Israel Electric Company (IEC) is slowing the flow of electricity to Gaza. They are not shutting off the electricity - just slowing it down. Israel says that Gaza owes them 1.7 billion NIS, which is just about $400 million.

Gaza may get electricity from Israel, but the agreement and the bill go to the Palestinian Authority.

Israel is also with holding $120 million per month of tax money that it owes the Palestinian Authority.

According to a treaty between Israel and the Palestinians, all Palestinian imports that come into Israel are taxed by Israel and at the end of the month Israel is supposed to hand over the tax money to the PA.

Once the Palestinians decided to join the international criminal court -- Israel decided that as of January 1, 2015 they would not be handing over the tax money.

Several times a year, as a form of punishment for various transgressions, Israel decides to withhold the taxes for a few weeks, and then, a few weeks later, they deliver the money.

In this case as in others, after a few days or weeks Israel will hand over the tax money. But Israel will probably keep some of the money back to defray the 1.7 billion shekels that is owed to the Israel Electric Company.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Revote at UN on Palestinian State

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The Palestinians confirmed several items over this past weekend.

First, Palestinians President Mahmoud Abbas made a public statement confirming that the Palestinian will ask Jordan to resubmit a resolution to the United Nations Security Council to vote on Palestinian statehood.

Second, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said that they will be submitting two cases to the ICC in The Hague.

"The two main files will be the aggression against Gaza and the settlement file, since this is a continuous crime."

It is not clear that these cases will be heard by the ICC court - and not just because of the political aspects. The Court tends to steer clear of certain unresolved issues and, in this case, the Court can also easily side with Israel.

The Court has, in the past, made clear distinctions between civilians killed in acts of self defense and the targeting of civilians when there is evidence that they were defending themselves.

Now we wait.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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PA Puts noose next to Bibi

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Today on the Fatah - Palestinian Authority facebook page, on their main page, a picture of the Israeli prime Minister was posted. In the picture Benjamin Netanyahu was shown wearing the red uniform of a condemned prisoner, dangling next to his head was a hangman's noose.
The accompanying Arabic text read: in the near future.

Creating and posting this picture unveils for us exactly what the PA and Abbas are telling their people. The Palestinian Authority is gunning for Netanyahu and for Israel.

The objective of Palestinian leadership in going to the International Criminal Court in The Hague is to bolster Palestinian pride by bringing Israel before the ICC.

The problem Palestinian leadership may face is that the ICC may not take the case - and then the PA will be open to prosecution in its own right.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Harper Collins Wipes Israel Off The Map

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
The Arab world has found another way to wipe Israel off the map. And Harper Collins helped them do it. Literally.

In the Harper Collins atlas for English speaking schools in the Middle East, Israel is missing from the map. Yes, Harper Collins they did not put Israel on the map. According to their representative it was because of "local preferences."

Since the story became public, however, Harper Collins has issued a statement and destroyed all remaining maps.

"HarperCollins regrets the omission of the name Israel from their Collins Middle East Atlas. This product has now been removed from sale in all territories and all remaining stock will be pulped. HarperCollins sincerely apologizes for this omission and for any offense caused."

See the map here: CLICK

What kind of world do we live in where the reason given for Israel being removed from the map was that it would offend the locals - with no concern for distorting the truth or eliminating facts. Facts and truth tend to fall by the wayside, at least in the world occupied by Harper Collins.
In the end Harper Collins realized their error and corrected it. In the end they realized that they had published a blatant untruth.

So much for fact checkers and editors.




Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Palestinians and the UN

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

The Palestinians have really climbed up a very high tree. In order to get down, they will need assistance.

We know that most countries in the world support the Palestinians and their push for a state. But they really mucked up the support they have been gathering around the world with the ill thought out and poorly planned proposal they had the Jordanians present on their behalf to the UN Security Council.

Plain and simple the Palestinians want a state. And they want that state without going through the trauma and drama of negotiating with Israel. Now, at the same time the Israelis want negotiations, but negotiations that will not in the end create a state.

The Palestinians were not thinking clearly. It is not good enough to have the support of most of the world. There are still procedures and diplomatic rules to adhere to in order to achieve the ultimate goal of statehood. One cannot trounce up the rules and still hope to get the support of those who created the rules.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 
 
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Iran Has More Men Fighting ISIS

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Deputy head of the Iranian elite unit called the Revolutionary Guards announced yesterday that Iran has more forces fighting ISIS than does Hezbollah.

General Hossein Salami said that the number of their Guard soldiers in Iraq and Syria far outnumbers the soldieries that Hezbollah has sent over. His point was to say that Iran is actively fighting ISIS on the ground. And he was explaining why a Guards Brigadier General was killed earlier in the week in Iraq while confronting ISIS.

To get some perspective, the best estimates we have are that when Hezbollah was actively fighting ISIS in Syria they had 15,000 fighters there. And those fighters made a difference.

Hezbollah swayed the tide of the conflict and successfully brought the momentum over to the Assad side.

Iran wants everyone to know that the United States created a coalition for air strikes against ISIS. But everyone knows that real transformation can only happen with forces on the ground.

And indeed, that is what happened. Iran put boots on the ground to try to root out ISIS.
I would bet - and it is certainly not beyond the realm of possible, that we will see US aircraft laying down cover for Iranian Revolutionary Guardsmen as they battle ISIS.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

Read my latest book THUGS. It's easy. Just click. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=halpern%2C+micah
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