Friday,
January 24, 2014

News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:

• Iran Seen Needing Big Steps for Final Deal - Jay Solomon and Laurence Norman
  Iran would have to reduce to 4,000 the total number of centrifuges it is operating from a current capacity of nearly 20,000 and take other drastic measures to forge a comprehensive nuclear agreement with the West, according to a report by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) in Washington that drew from conversations with senior U.S. officials. In addition, Iran would have to shut down an underground uranium-enrichment site, convert a heavy water reactor and agree to a 20-year inspections regime.
      While the UN nuclear watchdog confirmed Monday that Tehran had begun scaling back major nuclear activities, the steps are a long way from what a final agreement will require, based on the ISIS report. David Albright, who heads the think tank, is a former UN weapons inspector. He said the report is based on a formula that would ensure Iran would need six months to a year to build a nuclear weapon if it decided to break off its cooperation with the West.
      Senior U.S. officials have said in recent weeks that rolling back the Arak heavy water reactor and the scope of Iran's uranium-enrichment capabilities are critical to reaching a final deal. (Wall Street Journal)
• U.S. Warns Against Business with Iran - Rick Gladstone
  The Obama administration intensified efforts on Thursday to counter what officials called a misimpression that the six-month nuclear agreement with Iran had opened the door to new economic opportunities with the country, emphasizing that nearly all sanctions remained in force and warning businesses not to engage in any deals still pending after the accord's July 20 expiration.
      As if to punctuate the administration's assertion that little had changed, the Treasury Department announced a $152 million settlement with Clearstream Banking, a Luxembourg-based subsidiary of Germany's Deutsche Borse securities exchange, for having allowed Iran to bypass sanctions through the use of the company's access to the American banking system.
      Administration officials have emphasized that the broad array of sanctions on Iran remain fully in force, most notably the European embargo on Iran's oil and the exclusion of Iranian banks from a global communications network that is critical to international finance. (New York Times)
• Iran: Surge in Executions Worries Rights Experts - Nick Cumming-Bruce
  UN human rights experts called on Wednesday for an urgent halt to a surge in executions in Iran in recent weeks, observing that the more moderate tone adopted since President Rouhani's election has yet to yield any moderation in the country's punitive practices. Iran reportedly hanged 40 people in the first two weeks of January, 33 of them in the last week, Ahmed Shaheed, the UN expert monitoring human rights in Iran, and Christof Heyns, the organization's expert dealing with summary executions, said in Geneva. Iran executed 625 people, including 28 women, and a number of political detainees in 2013, an increase of more than 100 over the number of recorded executions in 2012. (New York Times)
• War Looms in Gaza - Daniel Nisman
  Palestinian extremists are preparing to return Gaza to the limelight of conflict. Just three weeks into 2014, Palestinian militants have fired more than 20 rockets into Israel, compared with roughly 40 total during 2013. On Jan. 16, six rockets were fired at the city of Ashkelon. An Iron Dome anti-missile battery downed five and prevented what would undoubtedly have been a major escalation.
      Under the watchful eye of Israeli and Egyptian intelligence, Hamas has made preparations for the next confrontation with Israel. It has test-fired numerous long-range, Gaza-made M-75 rockets, which can reach Tel Aviv's high-tech centers and Jerusalem's holy sites. (Wall Street Journal Europe)
• "Annihilate Israel," Hamas Leaders Tell Gaza Youth
  A graduation ceremony for a Hamas youth camp in Gaza aired on Al-Aqsa TV [Gaza] on January 16, 2014:
      Announcer: We are the vanguard to be joined by Arab and Islamic armies - from Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, and Egypt, and from every country that turns toward Jerusalem to liberate it.
      Camp Graduate: Our message to the Zionist enemy, everywhere and at any time, is this: You shall never enjoy a pleasant life on our beloved homeland. We, the sons of the "Futuwwa" youth camps, will confront you on every hill, in every valley, and on every road. Nothing awaits you here but to be killed.
      Hamas Interior Minister Fathi Hammad: This generation, Allah willing, will vanquish Israel....Let me congratulate you on your future victory, and on the annihilation of Israel....You will harvest the enemies of Allah in the battle to come.
      Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya: We shall walk in [the Prophet's] footsteps in educating the future generation to love death for the sake of Allah as much as our enemies love life. This is the generation that will be qualified for liberation, victory, return, and independence. Woe betide you, oh sons of Zion....This is the generation of stone, the generation of the missile, the generation of tunnels, and the generation of martyrdom operations. (MEMRI)
• Syrian Opposition Chief: Russia Not Sticking to Assad
  Syrian opposition chief Ahmed Jarba said on Thursday he had been assured by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Moscow was not holding on to President Bashar al-Assad, but that Syrians should negotiate his exit through a political process. "We met Lavrov in Paris last week and he confirmed to me that Russia is not holding on to Assad," Jarba said in Geneva. (Reuters)
• Explosion Hits Cairo Police Headquarters, Killing at least 4 - Jethro Mullen and Saad Abedine
  A powerful explosion hit Cairo's police headquarters early Friday, killing at least four people and wounding more than 50 others at a key symbol of authority. The blast appeared to have been caused by a suicide attacker who tried to drive a vehicle laden with explosives into the police headquarters, said Maj. Gen. Hany Abdel Latif, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry. The blast destroyed the front of the first and second floors of the eight-story building. It was followed by two smaller explosions near police stations in other areas of Cairo. (CNN)

News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:

• Netanyahu: Rouhani Continues Trying to Fool the World - Herb Keinon
  The world must not be duped by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's soft words and pleasant smiles, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, soon after Rouhani spoke at the World Economics Forum. "Rouhani can say something, but it doesn't make it real," said Netanyahu. His conciliatory words "have no connection to what is going on on the ground....There is a change of words without a change in deeds."
      Tehran "remains aggressive, supports terror, participates in the slaughter in Syria, and is pursuing the development of ballistic missiles and plutonium for nuclear weapons....We all wish there was a real change in Iran; we don't see that. We have to look at their deeds, not the soft words they utter."  (Jerusalem Post)
• Former PLO Negotiator Calls on PA to Endorse "Resistance" Against Israel - Khaled Abu Toameh
  The peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel are headed toward failure, Mohamed Shtayyeh, who recently resigned from the Palestinian negotiating team, said Wednesday. He called on the PA to endorse "resistance" against Israel.
      Shtayyeh said that the PA leadership was planning to seek membership in the UN after the failure of the talks so as to prosecute Israel for "war crimes." The Palestinian goal is to internationalize the Palestinian issue, he added. (Jerusalem Post)
• Heckling Harper Helps Arab MK Tibi Become Media Sensation in Canada - Gil Hoffman
  MK Ahmed Tibi became an overnight celebrity in Canada this week after he heckled Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper during his address to the Knesset on Monday. Since heckling Harper, Tibi has given 15 interviews to Canadian media outlets and has been invited to speak at universities in multiple provinces. "I wanted to hurt Harper in Canada because of his pro-Israel policies, and I think I succeeded," Tibi said. (Jerusalem Post)
• The IDF Officer Who Intercepts Rockets
  Lt. Aviel Perry, who serves as the commander of an IDF Iron Dome battery, intercepted five Gaza rockets headed straight for the Israeli city of Ashkelon last week. Lt. Perry was on duty at 1:00 a.m. Although the battery's last interception was two months ago, "We must always remain vigilant and alert, even when we think that an upcoming shift will be normal and uneventful," he says. When five rockets from Gaza came soaring toward Israel, soldiers in the Iron Dome battery had only seconds to react. Their swift actions resulted in the interception of all five rockets.
      "You cannot describe the feeling of stopping a rocket that could hurt, injure or kill civilians. This is what we prepare for all the time - to be there at the right time and do the right thing." (Israel Defense Forces Blog)
• UK Parliament Launches Inquiry into Funding for UNRWA, Palestinians - Yuval Pais
  The British parliament has formed a committee of inquiry to probe the flow of funds used by the refugee agency UNRWA to support the Palestinians. "UNRWA is perpetuating the notion that the descendants of refugees are themselves refugees, and it is based on this principle that the Palestinians are demanding the right of return, something that will not happen in any future agreement," former Israeli Labor MK Einat Wilf explained.
      "UNRWA is entirely supported by Western countries whose official policy is to aim for a two-state solution....This is completely in contradiction to the idea of a right of return for 5 million refugees and their descendants to Israel." (Jerusalem Post)
• Liverpool Council Rejects Anti-Israel Motion - Rosa Doherty
  The Liverpool council has voted 74 to two against a motion that condemned Israel for "human rights violations." (Jewish Chronicle-UK)
• Israel Leads Global Photo Apps Market
  Out of the top 10 photo apps on iTunes and Google Play, almost all originated in Israel. (jn1.tv)

Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):

Iran


• Zakaria: Iran Deal Is a Train Wreck
  In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani forcefully asserted that Iran would not destroy its nuclear centrifuges "under any circumstances." Reacting to Rouhani's position, Zakaria told CNN: "This strikes me as a train wreck. This strikes me as potentially a huge obstacle because the conception of what the deal is going to look like and the American conception now look like they are miles apart."
      "The American position is that they have to very substantially scale back the enrichment of uranium and the production of centrifuges. For the first time you have the president of Iran unequivocally saying there will be no destruction of centrifuges."  (Washington Free Beacon)


Syria


• The "Geneva 2" Negotiations on the Syrian Civil War - Benedetta Berti
  While the humanitarian situation in Syria has gotten worse, none of the warring parties is substantially closer today to a military victory than at the time of the Geneva 1 talks in June 2012, despite a number of tactical victories by the regime. Geneva 2 was convened by the international community to discuss the actualization of the Geneva 1 plan, aimed at implementing a ceasefire and moving toward the establishment of a "transitional governing body" selected on the basis of "mutual consent" between the regime and the opposition.
      However, the chances that these ambitious objectives will be fulfilled in the coming days are exceptionally grim, first and foremost because the parties lack any reciprocal trust, and second, because their respective demands reflect entirely opposite positions. Moreover, the internationally recognized "representative of the Syrian people," the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, has continued to lose clout within Syria.
      Given this discouraging outlook, the Geneva 2 talks should be focused on providing some measure of relief to the Syrian population by focusing on ensuring full humanitarian access. Negotiating a ceasefire starting with the besieged city of Aleppo, along with a prisoner exchange, as recently proposed by the regime, should also be discussed. The writer is a research fellow at INSS. (Institute for National Security Studies)
• Foreign Jihadists Fighting in Syria: An Overview of the Danger - Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah
  During the initial stages of the rebellion against Assad, the American, British, French, and Turkish intelligence services all thought that the Assad regime would not last long. Thus, they deeply misunderstood the power structure in Syria.
      In the beginning of the rebellion in 2011, the Free Syrian Army and other small militias were the spearhead of the armed opposition to the Assad regime. At that time, jihadist fighters were still a marginal phenomenon. During the last year, however, jihadist fighters have become omnipresent on the battlefield at the expense of the FSA.
      The foreign volunteers stay for some time in Syria, long enough to be trained in weapons, explosives, and guerilla warfare, then return to their countries where they recruit new fighters for the battle in Syria. The exceptions are mercenaries from the Balkans or Chechnya, who fight for money and stay in Syria for as long as they are being paid.
      Western intelligence services now warn of the threat of jihad-inspired terrorism in Europe by volunteers who received weapons and explosives training in Syria. The writer was formerly Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Deputy Head for Assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence. (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)


Other Issues


• The Future of the Arab Awakening - Marwan Muasher
  Since the beginning of the Arab Awakening in 2010, one transition after another has struggled or failed to produce governments that can respond to citizens' longing for freedom and opportunity. The Arab world has long been dominated by two forces: an entrenched, unaccountable elite and Islamists. However, neither of these groups has ever demonstrated a genuine commitment to pluralism. Arab publics are now beginning to judge Islamists and secular forces alike based on performance, not ideology.
      The Arab Awakening needs to be an assertion of universal values: democracy, pluralism, human rights - but these are not ideals that can be imposed from outside. Only when societies and their elected leaders truly embrace tolerance, diversity, the peaceful rotation of power, and inclusive economic growth will the promise of a new Arab world be realized. The writer, a former foreign minister and deputy prime minister of Jordan, is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. (Foreign Policy)
• Countering Illegal Boycotts of Israel - Richard D. Heideman
  Previously, Congress enacted two pieces of legislation to discourage U.S. entities from participating in illegal boycotts against Israel or other countries. A 1977 amendment to the Export Administration Act of 1969 instituted criminal and civil penalties for such participation, and an amendment to the Tax Reform Act of 1976 instituted tax penalties for participation in illegal boycotts.
      Outrageously, the federal government essentially subsidizes the recent academic boycotts of Israel by granting tax-exempt status to organizations endorsing and encouraging the boycotts. It's time to put a stop to taxpayer subsidization of boycott advocates. (Washington Times)
• After 28 Years, Pollard Deserves Facts, Not Fiction - Eliot Lauer and Jacques Semmelman
  As pro bono attorneys for Jonathan Pollard since 2000, we never cease to be amazed at how those who are hostile to Pollard feel compelled to make up facts. In an opinion piece in the New York Times titled "Don't trust this spy," M.E. Bowman makes a series of false and inflammatory allegations that are contradicted by the public court record.
      Bowman now claims that Pollard supposedly "sold the daily report from the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet Ocean Surveillance Facility in Rota, Spain." That allegation is nowhere to be found in the public court record. Moreover, it is contradicted by the 1987 CIA report which concluded that Israel never even requested information from Pollard concerning "U.S. military activities, plans, capabilities or equipment."
      Bowman claims that Pollard pleaded guilty to a charge that could have resulted in the death penalty. That is categorically false. He never pleaded guilty to any such charge, nor was he accused of a capital offense. Pollard was not charged with treason because his espionage was for an ally, not an enemy. Moreover, the public record contains an undisputed statement that no U.S. agents lost their lives as a result of anything Pollard did. (Jerusalem Post)
• Who Will Protest the Occupation of Balochistan? - Nia Bugti
  In Balochistan, thousands of indigenous people have been tortured, brutalized, slaughtered, ethnically cleansed and exploited for over 60 years by Pakistan, that occupies the eastern part of the region, and Iran, that occupies the Western half. The Baloch never willingly accepted being a part of Pakistan or Iran. Their culture, customs, language, and traditions are totally different. The Baloch form 55-60% of Iran's crane-hanging victims.
      Balochistan was an independent nation for over two thousand years, until the British invasion in 1839. In Iran, the dissemination of Baloch culture and language is a declared act of treason, and Baloch are not allowed to give their children Balochi names. There are no magazines, newspapers or any other media in Balochi. Similar legislation exists in Pakistan.
      Is there a reason why all Muslim and Arab nations have a strange obsession with Israel and the Jews, but are totally apathetic about their fellow Muslims being butchered in Balochistan? (Times of Israel)


Weekend Features


• Jewish Doctor Makes House Calls to Ailing Palestinians - Anav Silverman
  To the villagers of Wadi Nis and six other Palestinian villages in the Gush Etzion region of the West Bank, Dr. Yitzchak Glick, a U.S.-born Jewish doctor from Efrat, is a familiar and welcome face. The doctor, who made aliyah with his parents in 1974, makes personal house calls every week, providing medical treatment to ailing Palestinians free of charge.
      "The people here don't forget what I and other doctors from Efrat have done - from treating expectant mothers and providing free medicine to saving lives, you become part of their families," he says. The connection runs so deep that the Arab villagers have alerted Efrat authorities on several occasions against terror cells on their way to the community. (Huffington Post)
• Top Israeli Agri-Tech Companies Changing the World's Farms - Karin Kloosterman
  The Evogene seed company uses biotechnology to create plants that can resist stress or pests. AfiMilk's real-time monitors help farmers maintain quality and output, while considering the basic needs of the cow. Kaiima boosts crop yields by 10-50% by doubling the chromosomes of plants. Agro-Shelef uses natural repellents to reduce the use of pesticides. Rosetta Green is a plant trait developer that identifies unique genes and develops them into improved plants for food and biofuels. Algatech cultivates and grows algae for human consumption. (Israel21c)
• How Israeli Snowmakers Are Saving Alpine Skiing - McKenzie Funk
  Europe's Alps have lost half their ice over the last century, one-fifth of it since the 1980s. Some 80 million tourists come to the Alps each ski season. Some 1.2 million Tyroleans depend on glacier skiing for their livelihoods. No wonder then that snowmaking has become a billion-dollar industry.
      At Pitztal, 30 miles west of Innsbruck in Austria, the IDE All Weather Snowmaker is a $2 million device capable of shooting out 35,000 cubic feet of snow in 24 hours, made by Israel Desalination Enterprises. (Business Week)

Observations:

Why Israel Is Innovation Nation - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Prime Minister's Office)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday:

• The concentration of exceptionally gifted hi-tech start-up companies in Israel is a function of five things:
  1. A curse has been turned into a blessing: our defense needs. We have had to have a very robust defense, so we take the best and the brightest of our young people in the military, and we put them in our various operations. This produces knowledge workers and knowledge entrepreneurs who are very gifted.
  2. Research. We have excellent research institutions and universities that produce an inordinate share of Nobel Prize winners for Israel. We also spend 5% of our GDP on R&D, the highest number of any country.
  3. A special culture. The Jewish people have always treasured education and knowledge. In ancient times we were effectively the only literate people and that brought us through the Middle Ages and into modern time with literacy. In addition, the Jewish people were always asking questions, truth was never finite. That questioning mind is something that is in our culture and adds very much to our capacities.
  4. Size: we're very small, the size of New Jersey or Wales. So everything is close by and everyone is close to everyone else. Everybody competes with each other and collaborates with each other. There is an ongoing, vibrant cross-fertilization.
  5. We have no choice, we had to innovate. We didn't have abundant natural resources. We were outnumbered; we were facing constant threats. Our neighbors even imposed upon us an economic boycott. Some world powers imposed upon us a weapons boycott. We had to innovate to survive.
• The birth of modern Israel was an innovation. The rebirth of the Hebrew language was an innovation. The rebirth of agriculture in our land was an innovation.
• These five factors have created a unique situation where we produce more conceptual products per-capita than any other country on Earth.
  

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