Iranian nuclear facility damaged by fire and explosion

 (June 6) The New York Times reported that an anonymous Middle Eastern intelligence official claimed that Israel was behing the fire at Iran's nuclear facility. The source said that a powerful bomb was used that caused a fire severely damaging the facility.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) member confirms attack

The Times also spoke with an anonymous IRCG member who also claimed that an explosive was used against the Natanz facility but the official did not assign blame. However, the official ruled out a cyber attack as the cause. Israel has used such attacks in the past. In 2010 the US and Israel damaged Iran's nuclear facilities using a virus named Stuxnet. The IRGC member said it was likely someone took a bomb into the facility rather the explosion being caused by a cruise missile or drone strike.

Israel's response

Israel did not accept responsibility for the incidence but often it will not comment on attacks. Israeli officials were rather vague in their replies when questioned about their responsibility for the attack on Sunday. However, they stressed the danger that a nuclear-armed Iran would create. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a radio interveiw “Everyone can suspect us in everything and all the time, but I don’t think that’s correct." He added that not every incident that happens in Iran has something to do with Israel.

There have been other strange incidents in Iran with several fires breaking out at power stations. However, the Middle East intelligence official claimed that these incidents were not related to the Natanz fire.

Another group has claimed responsibility for the attack

Iran has not yet officially blamed any country or group for the attack. Before the Natanz incident even became prominent in the news another group calling itself the Homeland Cheetahs wrote to the BBC claiming it carried out the attack. No doubt Iran feels it is best to carry out further investigations before it assigns blame to anyone. The damage will set back the Iranian nuclear program.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Palestine Authority says it will declare state of Palestine if Israel goes ahead with annexation

(June 10) Palestinian Authority officials claim that Palestinians will declare the Israel-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip as an independent state if the Israeli's forge ahead with their planned annexation of the West Bank.

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Israeli government planned annexation supported by the US

The Netanyahu government intends to annex portions of the West Bank a move that is part of US President Trump's peace plan. Although the plan offered some minor concessions to the Palestinians to compensate for the annexation the entire plan was rejected by the Palestinians The plan was drafted under the stewardship of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Palestinian authorities were not involved in negotiations or even consulted. A BBC article reported: "Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Trump administration had simply "copied and pasted" the steps that Mr Netanyahu wanted to see implemented."It's about annexation, it's about apartheid," he said. "Moving to the de jure annexation of settlements is something that was given the green light yesterday.""

Despite the Palestinian rejection of the US peace plan, the US has encouraged Israel to go ahead with annexation with the Palestinians to receive nothing in return.

The Palestinian counter-proposal

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has been suggesting alternative plans that have been sent both to the US and the Mideast Quartet of the UK, EU, France, and the US.

The Palestinian plan would create a demilitarized by sovereign state as part of the agreement. There has been no reaction so far from Israel. Israel generally oppose Palestinian statehood and the US generally goes along with Israel's positions.

A demilitarized state adjacent to Israel is probably not best for any Palestinian state given the size of the Israeli military and its propensity to invade Palestinian areas. However, the Palestinians would be unlikely to have sufficient forces to defend their state against Israel in any event. It is no doubt seen as preferable to permanent annexation and perhaps as less threatening to the Israelis.

Statement of the Palestinian Prime Minister

Mohammad Shtayyeh the Palestinian Prime Minister said: “We’re waiting and pushing for Israel not to annex. If Israel is going to annex after July 1st, we are going to go from the interim period of the Palestinian Authority into the manifestation of a state on the ground. What does a manifestation of the state on the ground mean? It means that there will be a foundational council. There will be a constitutional declaration. And Palestine will be on the borders of [19]67, with Jerusalem as its capital. And we will call on the international community to recognise this land. That is where we are.” It seems unlikely that many countries will recognize the Palestinian state and certainly Israel will not. The declaration will be mostly symbolic.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

BDS movement growing on US college campuses by a third over three years

(November 9, 2019) Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns have increased by almost one third during the last three years on US college campuses according to the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC)

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement

Wikipedia describes the BDS movement: "The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (also known as BDS) is a Palestinian-led[1][2][3] campaign promoting various forms of boycott against Israel until it meets what the campaign describes as Israel's obligations under international law,[4] defined as withdrawal from the occupied territories, removal of the separation barrier in the West Bank, full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and "respecting, protecting, and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties".[4] The campaign is organized and coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee.[5]Protests and conferences in support of the campaign have been held in a number of countries. BDS supporters compare the movement to the 20th-century anti-apartheid movement and view their actions similar to the boycotts of South Africa during its apartheid era, comparing the situation in Israel to apartheid.[6][7][8] "

Critics of the movement reject the BDS claim that Israel is an apartheid state arguing that outside of the West Bank Jews and Arabs mix freely, and even live in the same neighborhoods. There is no imposed segregation as in an apartheid state. Critics also accuse the BDS of being antisemitic and compare its tactics to the Nazi boycott of Jewish businesses. Critics also accuse BDS of delegitimization of Israel.

The Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC)

A Wikipedia entry describes the group: "The Israel on Campus Coalition is a pro-Israel umbrella organization founded in 2002 under the auspices of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life.[1]... ICC describes its mission as "to inspire American college students to see Israel as a source of pride and empower them to stand up for Israel on campus."[1] ICC coordinates groups and students to respond to anti-Israel activism by providing pro-active, pro-Israel information and programs.[2]"

The ICC report

The report claims that interruptions of pro-Israel events increased from 13 in 2013 to 35 the highest figure since the 2011-2012 academic year. The report states: “As the BDS movement has become more established over time, anti-Israel tactics have become increasingly hostile as Israel’s detractors double down on efforts to make campuses inhospitable to Jews and Zionists...

Protracted anti-Israel initiatives created new obstacles for the pro-Israel campus movement. In the months ahead, pro-Israel students and campus professionals face a complex reality on U.S. campuses.”

BDS defends itself

In response the BDS movement claims it is inspired by the campaign that targeted the apartheid regime in South Africa and is seeking to force an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Accusations of BDS being antisemitic the movement regards as an attempt to discredit them.

The BDS says it advocates peaceful resistance and that its aim is to pressure Israel to follow international law and human rights. BDS lobbies states, institutions, and persons to understand the manner in which Israel oppresses Palestinians urging them to take action to alter Israel's behavior and break ties with Israel until it ceases oppressing Palestinians.. Supporter of BDS have tried to take action to promote Palestinian statehood

The BDS committee is made up of more than 170 Palestinian civil society organizations, unions, plus cultural and rights groups. BDS issued it official call for a boycott in 2005.

Formerly published in the Digital Journal

US officials confirm that Israel responsible for mysterious explosions in Iraq

August 22) US officials have finally confirmed that a series of mysterious explosions in Iraq were actually caused by Israeli airstrikes although some had already suspected this to be the case

JAP reports confirmation

The Associated Press (AP) account: "Israel was responsible for the bombing of an Iranian weapons depot in Iraq last month, U.S. officials have confirmed, an attack that would mark a significant escalation in Israel’s years-long campaign against Iranian military entrenchment across the region. The confirmation comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is strongly hinting that his country is behind recent airstrikes that have hit bases and munitions depot belonging to Iran-backed paramilitary forces operating in Iraq."

Iran promises strong retaliation

The deputy head of Iraqi militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces had earlier in the week openly accused Israeli drones of carrying out the attacks, but he ultimately blamed Washington. He threatened strong retaliation for any future attack.

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also warned of a strong response should it be proven that Israel was responsible for the recent airstrikes.

Israel appears to be able to do whatever it likes even though its actions may often violate international law. Israel has often hit with airstrikes what it claims are Iranian or Hezbollah targets in Syria. Now it has attacked a sovereign country without provocation. Meanwhile the US is no doubt quite happy the attacks are happening. The US has nothing to say in condemnation. The Israelis claim the Iraqi Shiite militia are just Iranian proxies. No doubt the US feels the same way and appreciates the Israeli attacking them as proxies for US attacks!

Iraq has demanded that the US not make unauthorized flights

A recent article notes that the US would comply with the demand of the Iraqi PM: "The U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq says it will comply with new orders issued by the country's prime minister regarding unauthorized flights in Iraqi airspace. In a statement Friday, it says that as guests of the Iraqi government, the coalition complies with all Iraqi laws and direction from the government." Since then the US has said that many of their missions would not apply.

Iraq may find it difficult to make a strong response

Iraq only has a marginal air defense system so they have little chance of shooting down an attacking plane or drone. Israeli planes are similar to US planes and so it would be dangerous to shoot at a plane whose identity is not known. It would seem that the US will still fly planes without authorization or knowledge of the Iraqi government.

Iraqi militias have taken a few shots at spy aircraft without result so far.

The Iraqi parliament in late December last year was to hold a vote on expelling the US: "Iraqi lawmakers have demanded US forces leave the country in the wake of a surprise visit by Donald Trump, which politicians denounced as arrogant and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Politicians from both blocs of Iraq’s divided parliament called for a vote to expel US troops and promised to schedule an extraordinary session to debate the matter." I can find no follow up reports that indicate whether the vote was even held or what the results are.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Only 5.7 percent of Americans think Israel is top meddler in US actions according to a poll

Mainstream news coverage of foreign government influence on US elections has been extensive since information first came to light about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race.

Poll on the top meddler in US elections

Not surprisingly given all the media coverage of Russian intervention a recent poll shows a 60 percent majority of Americans think Russia is the top meddler in US elections. Russia is followed by China at 16.4 percent and the UK at 7.1 percent. 5.7 percent think Israel is the biggest meddler in US politics.

Israel meddling in US elections

This February, the New Yorker reported on how the Israeli private intelligence company Psy-Group pitched clandestine services to boost the 2016 Trump campaign plus other campaigns. Business Insider discussed the report in a an article from earlier this year: "Psy-Group, a defunct private intelligence agency staffed with former Israeli spies, attempted to influence at least one local US election and other domestic affairs, according to a report from The New Yorker's Adam Entous and Ronan Farrow. The company even courted President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign..."

Noam Chomsky Russia versus Israeli meddling

Well known activist Noam Chomsky said that media fascination with Russian interference was a joke compared to the influence Israel has on US politics. In a recent interview with Democracy Now, Chomsky said: "First of all, if you're interested in foreign interference in our elections, whatever the Russians may have done barely weighs in the balance as compared with what another state does, openly, brazenly, and with enormous support. Israeli intervention in U.S. elections vastly overwhelms anything the Russians may have done.

"Netanyahu goes directly to Congress without even informing the president, and speaks to Congress with overwhelming applause, to try to undermine the president's policies. Did Putin come to give an address to the joint sessions of Congress, trying to call on them to reverse U.S. policy, without even informing the president? And that's just a tiny bit of this overwhelming interest."

Israeli lobbying is part of what Chomsky has termed earlier in his activism as "manufacturing consent". The mainstream media is mostly positive about Israel and it is always emphasized that Israel is a firm ally of the US. Most US politicians are pro-Israel as is President Trump.

Why some Americans may see Israel as meddling

Given the lack of hardly any critical coverage of Israeli influence in US elections, why are even 5.7 percent of Americans of the opinion that Israel is the biggest meddler in US elections? It may be that more Americans are becoming aware of the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). AIPAC does not register as a foreign lobby group because it claims that it is only trying to strengthen US-Israel relations but is not lobbying directly for the government of Israel

AIPAC has never welcomed public attention. A recent article from the blog Antiwar.com points out: "AIPAC has many reasons to want to stay out of the limelight. Among them are its founder’s longstanding ties to and employment by the Israeli government and his startup funding from Israel... the 1962 Kennedy administration umbrella order that AIPAC register as the foreign agent of Israel under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and three separate espionage-related inquiries into the group. AIPAC never complied with the 1962 order."

A Google poll by the Institute for Research Middle Eastern Policy shows that almost half of respondents see no difference between the kind of lobbying AIPAC does in the name of promoting Israel's relationship with the US and direct lobbying on behalf of the Israeli government. There is considerable interest in AIPAC according to search charts.

State legislation against BDS supporters

Another reminder of Israeli influence in US politics is the number of US states that have attempted to ban contracts with those supporting the BDS movement. The BDS movement is described as follows: "The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (also known as BDS) is a Palestinian-led campaign promoting various forms of boycott against Israel until it meets what the campaign describes as Israel's obligations under international law, defined as withdrawal from the occupied territories, removal of the separation barrier in the West Bank, full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and "respecting, protecting, and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties". The campaign is organized and coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee."

Texas is one state that has passed anti-BDS laws that prohibits government contractors from supporting BDS. Federal District Judge Robert Pitman declared the bill unconstitutional saying, “At the heart of the First Amendment lies the principle that each person should decide for him or herself the ideas and beliefs deserving of expression, consideration and adherence. Our political system and cultural life rest upon this ideal."

Pitman added that the purpose behind the US Bill of Rights and the First Amendment was to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation, and their ideas from being suppressed by an intolerant society.

It is astonishing that so many states can pass such repressive legislation at the behest of another country. Imagine the outcry if there were such legislation against boycotts of Russia or China! Yet there is no visible public outcry and the issue is virtually off the radar of mainstream media.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

While US recognizes Israeli sovereignty of the Golan Heights it is strongly rejected by other countries

The US is the only country in the world so far to recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights. The US recognition may not have much effect on international recognition but could be of some help in electing Netanyahu.

Trump's statement

Trump on Thursday said the US should recognize Israeli control of the Golan Heights territory. This could be seen as a diplomatic win for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu as he faces a difficult re-election race. Trump said: “After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights.” Trump claimed the territory located between Israel and Syria was of critical strategic and security importance to Israel and regional stability.

French reaction

France reacted to Trump's announcement saying that it does not recognize the Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights and its recognition called for by US president Trump. The French Foreign Ministry said on Friday that such recognition was contrary to international law.

In a daily briefing the ministry said: “The Golan is a territory occupied by Israel since 1967. France does not recognize the Israeli annexation of 1981.The recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, occupied territory, would be contrary to international law, in particular the obligation for states not to recognize an illegal situation."

The ministry added that UN Security Council resolutions ruled that the Israeli annexation was null and void.

European Council reaction.

Donald Tusk President of the European Council said on Friday that the EU position on the Golan Heights was well known and that was that it did not recognize the sovereignty of Israel over the territory which had been seized in war. When asked to comment on Trump's announcement Tusk said: “The EU’s position is well know and has not changed.”

So far the US is the only country outside of Israel to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area.

Netanyahu not surprised by the announcement

The Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had been putting pressure on Trump over several weeks in order to bolster his re-election campaign. It is not clear what Trump hopes to get out of the announcement. He insists that he was not trying to bolster Netanyahu's election campaign. However, Trump is known to not always tell the truth.

Facebook cooperating with Israel to censor posts that incite violence

Facebook has often been in hot water for allowing certain posts and disallowing others. In a number of countries Facebook is banned entirely.

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Facebook has recently added 'fake news' sites to those barred from using the service. Some countries such as China, North Korea and Iran ban Facebook entirely. A number of other countries have banned it for certain periods.

Facebook's own censorship moves have sometimes come under fire. A famous example is the iconic photo of the young Vietnamese "Napalm Girl" removed because it violated the Facebook ban on child nudity. Facebook even deleted the photo when it was posted by the PM of Norway as a protest. Eventually Facebook relented citing the history and global importance of the image. The example shows what can happen however.

Now there are reports that Facebook and the Israeli government are working on ways to tackle incitement to violence on the site. Israel is taking legislative steps intended to force social networks to control content that the Israeli government sees as inciting violence. Facebook appears to be heading off such a threat by working with the Israeli government to decide what Facebook content should be censored. Israel has argued that violence by Palestinians has been fueled by incitement through content posted on social media.

Alex Kane already reported last June that Israel was actively surveilling Palestinians' postings and had even arrested some on the basis of their posts. The Israeli government is concerned about the manner in which Facebook has been used by Palestinians in organizing. Kane notes: “A demonstration against the Israeli occupation can be organized in a matter of hours, while the monitoring of Palestinians is made easier by the large digital footprint they leave on their laptops and mobile phones.”

Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked met with Facebook representatives. She has proposed legislation that would force social media networks to remove content that Israel considers incitement to violence. She boasted that Facebook has already been quite compliant with Israeli demands: “Over the past four months Israel submitted 158 requests to Facebook to remove inciting content,” she said, and Facebook has accepted those requests in 95 percent of the cases."

Palestinians have also complained that social media are used by Israeli anti-Palestinian activists to incite violence against them. Settlers often post calls for vengeance against Palestinians when an Israeli is attacked. Justice Minister Shaked has herself in the past posted extremist and violence-creating rhetoric on Facebook in 2014.

As the Intercept notes the violence created made its way back online:YouTube and Facebook videos show hundreds of angry Israeli mobs running around chanting, “Death to Arabs,” and looking for Palestinians to attack. A video of an Israeli Jew attacking a Palestinian on a public bus shouting, “Filthy Arabs, filthy Arab murderers of children,” emerged from Tel Aviv. And more video footage showing Israeli security forces using excessive force on a handcuffed Palestinian-American boy further called into question who was really inciting this chaos.

No doubt Facebook will follow the wishes of those who have the most power and could have most negative effects on their profits. Facebook is quite unlikely to censor the posts of prominent Israelis that call for increased violence or repression of Palestinians. Censorship will be designed to increase the power of the powerful and reduce the power of the Palestinians using social media as one of the few weapons available to them.

US to offer Israel largest military aid package ever

The White House told members of U.S. Congress that it has offered to substantially sweeten a military aid package to Israel after months of negotiations.

Under the deal, the U.S. would insist that the tens of billions of dollars be spent on goods and services made in the US. This is a substantial change as a sizable portion of money spent now can be spent on Israeli-made goods as well as from other countries. The details of the new deal were laid out in a lengthy letter to Senators.

During the debate over Iran last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not negotiate a new aid package with Obama but once the deal lifting sanctions on Iran went into effect negotiations on a new package began again. The present deal expires in 2018.

Obama's national security adviser Susan Rrice and director of the Office of Management and Budget said that the Obama administration was ready to increase the present military aid package to Israel of almost $30 billion, and replace it with a new one that would be "the largest pledge of military assitance to any country in US history."

The new deal includes a 10-year pledge to fund Israeli missile defense systems doing away with unpredictable yearly installments that were contingent on the annual US procurement process. Rice and Donovan maintained that the agreement would build on the unparalleled support the US has provided Israel under Obama and that through word and deed the Obama administration has done more for Israel's security than any other in history. The Israeli PM has often been critical of Obama and objected to the US agreement with Iran.

Obama said he was anxious to complete the deal with Israel before he left office. Netanyahu too said he was anxious to complete the new military aid package. Some analysts think that Netanyahu may be waiting for a better deal with a new president but Israel denies this. Other analysts claim that Obama wants to finish the deal to show that he has not been too hard on Israel. The negotiations have been secret, although people close to the talks say that total aid could be as high as $40 billion. Ilan Goldberg, director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security said: “The chances seem to be better now than they were a couple months ago” that the two sides will reach a deal. Clearly, they’re getting to the end one way or the other.”

The new deal will help US companies as during the current deal Israel has spent about $7.9 billion outside the US. Israel was allowed to spend about a quarter of its aid outside the US under the present package. No other recipient of US military aid has been allowed such leeway. The original idea was to help spur Israel's defense industry which is now booming.

The aid package is being offered even as criticism of Israel continues. A report by the Quartet :The report warned Israel needs to immediately stop expanding its settlements, and also stop its ongoing efforts to hinder the development of Palestinian territories. The report also called on the Palestinians to unite under a single, democratically-elected government.Israeli officials expressed outrage at the report claiming that the report "perpetuated the myth" that the settlements were a problem. Israel has recently budgeted an extra $18 million for West Bank settlements.

In response to Palestinian violence against Israelis, the Israeli military cordoned off the entire West Bank city of Hebron, putting about 700,000 people under a military blockade. In addition Israel has announced that it is intending to confiscate some of the tax money that it collects for Palestinians. Other measures are planned. Several ministers have gone on record that there should be more demolitions of Palestinian buildings and seizure of land to build settlements. None of these actions, some of which represent collective punishment, appear to have any influence on the Obama administrations' intent to send Israel even more military aid.

Israel approves extra $18 million in funding for West Bank settlements

A statement from Prime Minister Netanyahu's office approved $18 million in extra funding for Jewish West Bank settlements. The move angered opposition lawmakers and Palestinians.

The statement claimed that the additional funding is aimed at assisting small businesses, encouraging tourism and strengthening security. There have been months of attacks by Palestinians on civilian and soldiers. There are about 600,000 Jews living in the settlements in the West Bank and in east Jerusalem, on lands captured from Jordan in a 1967 war. East Jerusalem is regarded by Israel as part of Israel but this is not recognized internationally. The West Bank is occupied territory. Most nations regard the settlements as illegal and Palestinians claim the territory as part of a future Palestinian state. Some opposition members insist it would make more sense to use the $18 million to boost the Israeli economy.instead of spending it on the settlements.

Opposition members of the Knesset or parliament said that the government was spending additional money on an enterprise that actually undermined Israeli security and damaged its international standing. US State Department spokesperson, John Kirby, simply reaffirmed US opposition to building the settlements in response to the Israeli action, saying:"Our position on settlement activity remains clear and consistent. We strongly oppose all settlement activity, which is corrosive to the cause of peace. We continue to look to both sides to demonstrate with actions and policies a genuine commitment to a two-state solution. Actions such as these do just the opposite."

Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition has shown a dedication to the settler's movement which has become a hot topic of conversation in Israeli politics. Former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Knesset member for the Zionist Union, has claimed that the settlers' councils are in effect dictating the government policy agenda even though they represent a small minority of the Israeli population. As the government swings further to right more members of the coalition see the settlers as their primary constituency. As Livni recently put it: “Israeli government does whatever the Yesha Council [the umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and formerly in Gaza] wants; it is a minority that imposes its national agenda on the government.” Later she said:“Israel must make a decision right now that it has avoided making for 50 years. The real question is what are we doing with the territories. Without a decision on annexation or partition, we’re bumbling about without a direction, without choosing our future, while the conflict seeps in and undermines Israel’s values. I want a referendum so we know where we are headed — two states or one between the [Jordan] river and the [Mediterranean] Sea? A Jewish and democratic Israel or a Jewish and not democratic Israel?”Livni welcomed remarks by former defense ministers Moshe Ya'alon and Ehud Barak.who called for PM Netanyahu to be replaced and his government toppled. Barak recently said that the countdown to Netanyahu's ouster has already begun and his government is anti-Zionist and a threat to the future of Israel. Ya'alon intends to run for leadership of Israel.

Israel demolishes 41 Palestinian buildings in West Bank village

Israel demolished 41 structures in Khirbet Tana on the outskirts of Nablus city in the West Bank. Structures destroyed include an elementary school.

The current demolition is one of the largest on record since 2009. Ten families were displaced with a total of 36 members including 11 children, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for occupied Palestinian Territory. Khirbet Tana is a community of about 250 people most of whom rely on herding and agriculture for their livelihood. Much of the infrastructure of the community is now demolished. As well as an elementary school, 11 homes were destroyed, five common bathrooms, one kitchen and 18 farming structures. A solar system and two communal ovens were also demolished. Twelve of the structures destroyed belonged to the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Red Crescent. The buildings were demolished because they all lacked an Israeli-issued building permit. Khirbet Tana is located in a closed military zone. Palestinians are repeatedly denied building permits since Khirbet Tana is close to an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) firing zone.

The UN claims around 18 percent of the West Bank is considered to be "firing zones." In such areas structures continue to be built and regularly taken down again. OCHA said: “Since the beginning of 2016, the Israeli forces have destroyed or dismantled 323 homes and other structures across the West Bank... displacing almost 440 Palestinians.” Of those structures, 108 were provided as humanitarian assistance to families in need.

Robert Piper, Coordinator for Humanitarian and UN Development Activities for the occupied territories said:

“International law is clear – Palestinians in the West Bank have the right to adequate housing and the right to receive humanitarian assistance. As the occupying power, Israel is obliged to respect these rights.”

Another Palestinian home was razed recently in East Jerusalem as is described in Haaretz. The report notes this is the first time in eight months there has been such a demolition and it ended an unofficial freeze of these demolitions that are internationally condemned. However, there have been demolitions in area E1 of the West Bank as reported in Al Jazeera in January. The home was in the Beit Hanina neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Standing outside her demolished dwelling Linda al-Rajabi shared with her husband and five children said: "They can build hundreds of settlements but I'm not entitled to live in a shack?" Israel's Jerusalem municipality said the home was built without a city permit.

Washington has publicly urged Israel not to demolish homes built without permits. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of Palestine but the Israelis regard it as part of Israel. Palestinians maintain that it is impossible to obtain construction approval from Israeli authorities. In response to the demolition a US official said:"The United States has made clear that it disagrees with some Government of Israel actions in Jerusalem that affect Palestinians in areas such as housing, including home demolitions, and has urged all parties to avoid actions that could undermine trust. "This underscores the need for a permanent status agreement that resolves all outstanding issues between the parties, including Jerusalem, and which results in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."As well as the inhabited house, the Israelis demolished two unfinished Palestinian homes and part of a factory also in East Jerusalem.

Israeli herbicide spraying damages and destroys Gaza crops

Israel is spraying herbicide along the border with the Gaza strip for what Israeli army officials claim is for "security reasons."

On January 7, the spraying by a low-flying agricultural aircraft eradicated or damaged up to 162 hectares of crops along the fence area on the Israeli border. Anwar Assi, manager of the chemical laboratory at the Ministry of Agriculture, said :

"Herbicides are sprayed in high concentrations. Thus, they remain embedded in the soil, and then find their way to the water basin. This constitutes a real hazard for the population,"

The spraying is along a buffer or "no-go" zone unilaterally imposed by Israel. The zone represents an estimated 17 percent of the territory of the tiny Gaza Strip and a third of the agricultural area, passing through some of Gaza's most fertile soils. Last week, Yousef Shahin, who was having trouble as it was sustaining his farmland, had his water tank targeted by an Israeli raid. The tank supplied not only his own farm but others in an area east of Khan Younis. The tank and collection system cost he and his neighbours some $15,000. With no government support to rebuild Shahin said: "Without support, we can never reconstruct the system again. We don't have running water for irrigation; I think we lost this season..We had to jeopardize our lives daily growing these crops; now all our efforts are in vain,"Within the last few months at least 16 Palestinians who entered the buffer zone have been killed. Most have been protesters shot by Israeli snipers.

Wind has taken the herbicide spray beyond the buffer zone. There is a safety period that needs to be observed before planting again in an area that has been sprayed. The 2014 war caused over $500 million in damage to the Gazan agricultural sector; 14,000 hectares of crops were destroyed and many thousands more lost because farmers could not tend to the crops because of the fighting. The Israeli army has admitted that it carried out the recent spraying.

Just a few days ago, Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza's main agricultural experimental station causing an estimated $300,000 in damages as it destroyed the building, laboratories, vehicles and a large power generator.It was also bombed and completely destroyed during the 2014 Gaza war.

Israel places restrictions on the import of tractors and agricultural machinery. Adel Alallah, general director of the Agricultural Ministry said: "Domestic farmers face problems trying to replenish anything that goes out of service. What isn't banned is stalled at the crossings by Israel." When the irrigation system does work it is plagued by power outages.

Some argue that Israel has a deliberate policy of targeting Palestinian infrastructure to make Palestinian communities unsustainable. The targeting of water infrastructure is prohibited under Protocol I of the Geneva Convention of 1977.

Attacker in Israel said to be "Arab terrorist" until he was found to be Jewish

Two Israel Defence Force(IDF) soldiers shot and killed a man who they claim was acting erratically and attempted to grab one of their guns. They shot and killed the man because they believed he was an Arab terrorist.

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Yehuda Zahav of the ZAKA rescue team told the Jerusalem Post:“When I arrived with the ZAKA team at the site of the supposed terrorist attack, it seemed to be a ‘standard’ current terrorist attack, a stabbing attempt, and the terrorist was apprehended..I wanted to cover the body in a black bag [reserved for terrorists]. After I was asked to take care of the body I saw that he was a Jew, and that it was mistake to speak of a terrorist. I immediately notified the police and we switched to a white ZAKA body bag.”

Remi Brulin, from the New York University, has often written on the "discourse of terrorism." He tweeted that the incident proves what he has long argued that the term "terrorism" is basically meaningless except for its propagandistic function. When the attacker was thought to be a Palestinian Arab he was a "terrorist" and was to be put in a black bag. When he turned out to be a Jew the label vanished along with the black bag. The action was exactly the same whether he was an Arab terrorist or a Jew. Brulin compared the use of "terrorism" to that of "torture" as a description of water-boarding. In 2007 the New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani when asked whether water-boarding was torture said that it depended upon who does it.

Micky Rosenfeld, spokesperson for the Israeli police, claimed the victim of the killing refused to provide the soldiers with his identity card. He then started to punch them and attempted to seize one of their weapons. In response, the soldiers shot him dead.

This attack and death occurs just a week after an Eritrean refugee was mistaken for a Palestinian attacker and murdered. Not long ago as well a Jewish man was stabbed in a parking lot in a Haifa suburb by another Jewish man who took him to be an Arab. Fortunately, the stab wounds were not fatal. He wanted to revenge a series of Arab stabbings of Jews. Recent violence has resulted in at least 52 Palestinians being killed by Israeli security forces and 8 Israelis have died in Palestinian attacks.

Two state solution may be dead as solution to Israeli Palestinian conflict

Award-winning UK journalist, author, and commentator, Mehdi Hasan, argues in an Al Jazeera article that the peace process attempting to reach a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is dead.

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Hasan has been claiming that this was the case ever since 2009. He notes however that the U.S. still clings to the possibility of an agreement to a two-state solution. He said at a recent dinner he attended National Security Adviser Susan Rice said a peace agreement was still possible and she looked to the next Israeli government "to demonstrate...a genuine commitment to a two-state solution." President Obama also clings to the idea that there can be a two-state solution saying in response to a question recently: I'll just reiterate what I've said previously. I continue to believe that a two-state solution is absolutely vital for not only peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but for the long-term security of Israel as a democratic and Jewish state.Obama does note the new government does contain some "folks" who do not support the two-state solution.

Hasan shows "some folks" includes the vast majority of cabinet ministers in Netanyahu's new government. Hasan provides a list of 16 ministers in the government who explicitly have rejected the two-state solution. Netanyahu in a single speech in 2009 accepted the idea of a demilitarised Palestinian state. A statement recently released by the Likud party said: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that any evacuated territory would fall into the hands of Islamic extremism and terror organizations supported by Iran. Therefore, there will be no concessions and no withdrawals. It is simply irrelevant.”This hardly fits in with trading land for peace and a two-state solution. To placate the U.S., Netanyahu often draws back from remarks such as this. Member of parliament (Knesset), Tzipi Hotovely said during a panel discussion that the two-state solution is not part of the Likud Party platform and Netanyahu's speech in 2009 supporting that position was simply a tactical maneuver to placate world opinion. Hotovely is now deputy foreign minister. In her inaugural address to Israeli diplomats she said:"This land is ours. All of it is ours. We did not come here to apologise for that… We expect as a matter of principle of the international community to recognise Israel's right to build homes for Jews in their homeland, everywhere."

The Israeli Interior Minister, Silvan Shalom, told Likud Party activists in 2012: "We are all against a Palestinian State there is no doubt about it." Netanyahu appointed Shalom as the chief negotiator with the Palestinians. This appointment hardly bodes well for a two-state solution.

The Education Minister, Naftali Bennett, formerly head of the council that represents Israeli illegal settlements. plans to annex most of the West Bank. He claimed that international opposition is the "result of ignorance" and rejected the idea that there would be a Palestinian state:"There is not going to be a Palestinian state within the tiny land of Israel. It's just not going to happen. A Palestinian state would be a disaster for the next 200 years."

Danny Danon, the new Minister of Technology also explicitly rejected the two-state solution: "Enough with the two-state-solution. Land-for-peace is over. We don't want a Palestinian State. We need to apply Israeli sovereignty over all Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. It's been about 20 years since the Oslo Accords. That's finished and now we're ready for new ideas."Several ministers claimed any separate Palestinian state would become a "terror state" right next to Israel, which was already surrounded by hostile Arab states. Many ministers also stressed the land belonged to Israel. Many defended the expansion of Israeli settlements including, Tourism Minister, Yariv Levin, who said that the two state solution was no solution and said a year ago: "We will try, slowly but surely, to expand the circle of settlements, and to afterwards extend the roads… At the end of this process, the facts on the ground will be that whatever remains [of the occupied West Bank] will be merely marginal appendage."This seems a reasonably accurate description of Israeli policy.While talking about a two-state solution and going through the motions of negotiation under pressure from the US, Israel has been occupying more and more territory in the West Bank. How the Gaza strip would fit into this plan is not clear. For now it remains a quasi-prison subject to Israeli control and a blockade. The government and inhabitants function at a minimal level as international welfare recipients remaining in a state of continual dependency.

Three beheaded by Islamic State in Libya earlier deported from Israel

Three of those beheaded in Libya by IS had earlier lived in Israel where they sought refugee status before being deported.

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A recent video posted on line by the Islamic State shows the shooting and beheading of what were thought to be 30 Ethiopian Christians. However, three of the victims have been identified as Eritrean refugees who had earlier been seeking refugee status in Israel. Mesi Fashiya, who is a translator for The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, an Israel-based NGO that advocates for the approximately 46,000 refugees in Israel, identified three of the victims. Fashiya told the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz that one of the victims was her cousin, whom she recognized by photos posted by IS on Facebook before the victims were killed.

Her cousin had been deported from Israel to Uganda or Rwanda but was not accepted and went on to Sudan and from there to Libya. The Israeli government will help refugees to leave voluntarily, by providing airline tickets and a grant that can be up to $3,500 per person. While this may seem a good deal it is meant to ensure that less people go through the process of seeking asylum. Hagar Shechter, who is head of public relations for Assaf an Israeli organization that provides legal assistance to refugees said: “During the past few years we see that government policy is becoming worse towards asylum seekers.” Refugees fear arbitrary detention as a means of pressuring the refugees to leave. She noted that the Israeli government has granted only 0.17 percent of refugee status requests. Assaf reports:47,000 refugees and asylum seekers live in Israel as of October 2014, of which 92 percent are from Eritrea or Sudan. They were forced to leave their homes and their countries to seek asylum in Israel due to persecution, civil wars, genocide and other horrors

Last year, Hagar notes the situation worsened when the Israeli government built Camp Holot located in the middle of the Negev government to house refugees: “Last year, the Israeli government built a detention camp to lock them up.About 2,000 people are imprisoned in this camp, placed in the middle of the desert, far from any public transport,” Fashiya noted that her cousin had been in the camp. The experience convinced him he should forget about seeking refugee status and he signed papers to leave without telling his relative. Fashiya said her cousin was hoping to reach Europe by boat. That too has become a very risky endeavor, with hundreds of migrants drowning before they reach Italy or the eastern islands of Greece. Many countries can always find funds to fight wars and terrorism but when it comes to humanitarian disasters such as this funds are limited and the will to at least help alleviate the problem is lacking. The situation is not helped by the backlash against immigrants in much of Europe.

Israel attack in Syria kills several Hezbollah fighters includng important leader.

Damascus - Several fighters from the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah were killed in an attack by an Israeli helicopter in the Syrian province of Quneitra. Different casualty figures are given but a Hezbollah statement said that six fighters had been killed.

One of the dead was Jihad Mughniyeh , the son of Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed in Damascus in 2008 in a suspected attack by Israel. The attack took place on Sunday near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as the Israeli helicopter fired missiles at Imad's car. This attack came just a few days after Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Hezbollah, threatened to retaliate against any Israeli attack either in Lebanon or Syria. He added that the group had missiles that could strike anywhere in Israel. Muhamad Issa, chief of Hezbollah operations in Syria was also reported as among those killed in the attack. Nicole Johnston of Al Jazeera also confirmed Issa was killed: "Mohamad Issa, the chief of Hezbollah operations in Syria, who died in the air strike, is also a big name, making this a major strike on Hezbollah. The group says there will be retaliation for the attack." 

 The Iranian news site Tabnak claims that several Iranian troops were also killed in the assault. Hezbollah and some Iranian fighters are aiding Assad's forces to fight against Syrian rebel groups. Israeli Channel 10 TV quoted an Israeli official source as confirming that Israel was responsible for the attack. An Al Jazeera correspondent in Jordan claims that this is the 7th Israeli attack on Syria close to the Israeli border since the civil war began. 

A columnist at an-Nahar in Lebanon said that the Israeli attack may have been in response to Nasrallah's earlier speech. He thought that Hezbollah would retaliate in some way. Al Manar TV, run by Hezbollah said Israel was "playing with fire that puts the security of the whole Middle East on edge." A Hezbollah statement said of the attack: "While a group of Hezbollah fighters were on a field inspection of the town, Mazrat al-Amal, ... they faced rocket shelling from helicopters of the Israeli enemy, leading to the martyrdom of a number of holy warrior brothers, whose names will be announced once their honorable families have been informed." There has been no official comment from the Israeli military as yet. Imad Salmey, a Lebanese political analyst, thought that Hezbollah would not want to fight on another front by attacking from Lebanon, and if it attacked from Syria it risked more attacks on its Syrian operations. 

 If only to save face, Hezbollah may feel that it must retaliate against continued Israeli attacks that are happening with complete impunity in spite of the fact that Israel knows that Hezbollah has formidable resources to attack Israel. Former Israeli national security adviser Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror estimates Hezbollah has an arsenal of more that 150,000 missiles and rockets, including surface-to-sea missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, modern anti-tank missiles and even drones. Pentagon officials claim that Hezbollah has 50,000 missiles including some capable of hitting Tel Aviv. Israel's actions could result in a dangerous escalation that could engulf the Middle East in a new war.