Arab Jornalists Tour Israel

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

A group of Arab Journalist toured Israel last week as guests of the Foreign Ministry. The journalists came from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Egypt. They spent five days in Israel.

This was the second trip of its type in six months. Unlike the last trip, none of the journalists in this group wanted to go public and make people aware that they were visiting Israel.

If you remember, in the last group a famous Saudi blogger went public and was subsequently assaulted on the Temple Mount went he went to pray at the Mosque of al Aqsa.

Ironically, this visit coincided with the London Conference, a meeting of forward thinking Arab leaders that endorsed a call for Arabs to stop boycotting Israel.

Two steps forward, one step backward - change is slow but it seems to be on the way.

MIcah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Pompeo Tell Arabs to Recognize Israel

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on Monday that the Arab world should stop boycotting Israel. He said that if they would just talk to Israel, the Arab world would gain so much.

Pompeo tweeted: “It’s time for Arab countries to abandon boycotts and engage #Israel,”

Pompeo tweeted. “#MiddleEast divisions = instability.”

Pompeo tweeted: “Arab thinkers who risk their lives to bravely advocate a regional vision of peace and coexistence shouldn’t face retribution. We need dialogue.”

Secretary of State Pompeo was referencing the Conference of Arab Thinkers in London that called on the Arab world to accept Israel. Leading, forward thinking, unafraid Arab thinkers from fifteen countries bravely gathered to assert that the time has come for Arabs and Muslims to embrace Israel.

Kudos to those who attended the conference. Kudos to Mike Pompeo.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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US Chiefs of Staff Visits Israel

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, visited Israel on Sunday. He met with his Israeli counterpart, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi.

The IDF released a statement about the meeting. The official statement read that Milley’s visit was a sign of “the depth of the partnership between the forces and its importance in promoting regional stability.”

This is no small event. Tensions in the region are high. Iran is flexing its muscles all over. Their support for Islamic Jihad in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon and in Syria is two examples of Iran’s involvement very lose to Israel’s borders.

Iran has forces and advisers on the ground in Syria. That is way too close for Israel’s and the United States’ comfort.

Add to that Iran’s nuclear expansion activities and their moves against the US drone and against Saudi oil sites. Iran is feeling very secure.

Israel and the United States need to be on the same page to be able to check Iran when necessary.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Arabs Against BDS

By Micah Halpern

 

I've Been Thinking:

The New York Times ran a piece recently about the Arab Council for Regional Integration, a conference that took place in London.

The conference consisted of a group of Arabs who came to the conclusion that rejection of Israel has failed and actually hurt the Arab cause. They determined that the time has come to not just recognize Israel, but to cooperate with Israel.

The conference was sponsored by the Center for Peace Communications, a US group and it featured Arabs from business, academia, the media and even from political families.

It is essential to realize that there are Arab leaders who understand that dealing with Israel can be mutually beneficial. That, even when the parties disagree, there are still benefits to meeting and creating deals that will help grow the region.

This is a major step forward.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Russian Tourists to Syria

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
Two Russian tour agencies are offering excursions to Syria.

The itineraries include Damascus, Aleppo and Roman remains of Palmyra, also known as the “Bride of the Desert.”

The cost of the 8-day trip is $1950, US dollars. This does not include flights, visa fees and insurance. Pricey -- but people are signing up.

According to the website of the Russian foreign ministry, they strongly advise against traveling to Syria.

So far in 2019, 334 Russian tourists visited Syria. That was three times the number of Russian visitors in 2018. It looks like Syria will host even more Russian tourists in 2020.

It is hard to imagine why any Russian, or anyone at all, would want to visit Syria. Then again, there are people who are actually excited going into war zones. There is a niche market for tourist who want to be the first or for those who want to explore dangerous areas.

These Russian tour agencies have tapped into that culture.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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Iran Shuts Internet

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:

Iranians have been protesting over huge hikes in the price of gasoline.

There was a real chance that these protests were going to grow and expand and maybe even topple the Iranian regime. So Iranian leadership jumped in and reacted.

They sent in brutal police to intimidate the protestors. And the Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced that if the protests do not stop, they will step in. The threat was well understood.

I addition, on Saturday Iranian leadership shut off the internet. It was off for four days and when turned back on – only 4% of the internet actually resumed.

When the internet is turned off in Iran real communication is effectively squashed.
Iranian leadership had never before choked the internet to this extent. They liked what they saw. They saw how effective this method was.

Micah@MicahHalpern.com 

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US Carrier thru Hormuz

By Micah Halpern

I've Been Thinking:
The USS Abraham Lincoln, a US aircraft carrier, passed through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday along with accompanying ships.

The carrier group went through the Strait very slowly. The entire passage was tense.

On one side of the Strait is Iran.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have been very high.

The United States blames Iran for hijacking oil tankers and for shooting down a US drone. The United States is also claiming that Iran attacked oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. Iran has threatened to attack a US military ship in the region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln and the carrier group are in the region to try to protect oil, shipping and other interests of the United States in the region.

Iran is monitoring every move.





Micah@MicahHalpern.com
 
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