News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
- Iran's Supreme Leader Bans Further Talks with U.S.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday banned any further negotiations between Iran and the U.S. His statements directly contradict those of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. "Negotiations with the United States open gates to their economic, cultural, political and security influence," Khamenei said, adding that talks with the U.S. brought only disadvantages to Iran. "We are in a critical situation now as the enemies are trying to change the mentality of our officials and our people on the revolution and our national interests." (Reuters)
- Russia Fires Cruise Missiles into Syria - Andrew Roth and Erin Cunningham
Russia's Caspian Sea fleet on Wednesday launched 26 cruise missiles against Syrian rebels from nearly 1,000 miles away as it backed a Syrian government offensive, while Russian planes continued to carry out airstrikes.
(Washington Post)
See also U.S. Rules Out Military Cooperation with Russia in Syria - Lolita C. Baldor
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday the U.S.-led coalition has not agreed to cooperate with Russia in the fight against the Islamic State and no collaboration is possible as long as Moscow continues to strike other targets. "They continue to hit targets that are not ISIL," Carter said. (AP-Washington Times)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
- Palestinian Stabs Israeli Outside Central Israel Mall - Yaniv Kubovich and Nir Hasson
An Israeli man was stabbed in the chest by a Palestinian outside a shopping mall in Petah Tikva in central Israel on Wednesday. The attacker, Tamer Yunis Ahmed Vareidat, 25, from the West Bank, arrived at the mall by bus and immediately started attacking passers-by.
(Ha'aretz)
- Palestinian Man Stabs Soldier in Southern Israel - Nir Hasson
Amjad Algandi, 24, a Palestinian from the West Bank, stabbed an IDF soldier and stole his weapon
in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat on Wednesday, before being shot dead by police.
(Ha'aretz)
See also Arab Attacks Israeli Woman in Her Home - Ben Hartman
A Palestinian terrorist with a stolen rifle burst into the apartment of Liat Ohana in Kiryat Gat on Wednesday and tried to stab her with a knife stolen from her kitchen. Ohana and her mother rushed out of the apartment with the attacker in close pursuit. "We just kept running. I looked death in the eye and thought I'm not going to make it out alive," Ohana told Channel 2.
(Jerusalem Post)
- Palestinian Woman Stabs Jewish Man in Jerusalem - Nir Hasson and Yaniv Kubovich
A Jewish man was stabbed in the back by a Palestinian woman in Jerusalem's Old City on Wednesday near the site where two Jewish men were stabbed to death by a Palestinian on Saturday.
The wounded man then shot his assailant.
(Ha'aretz)
See also Palestinian Attacker Writes on Facebook: "I'm Going to Become a Martyr"
"I'm going to become a shahid [martyr]," Shorouq Dwayyat, 18, wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday before stabbing an Israeli man in a terror attack. (Times of Israel)
- Palestinian Stabs Israeli in Jerusalem
An Israeli man was seriously wounded by a Palestinian in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem on Thursday at a light rail stop near the Israel Police's national headquarters. The victim was evacuated to the hospital with the knife still lodged in his neck. The attacker was caught by police.
(Times of Israel)
- Israeli Woman Escapes Lynching by Palestinian Mob - Roi Yanovsky
Rivi Lev Ohayon, 38, was injured south of Jerusalem after Palestinian attackers
smashed her windows with rocks and attempted to physically remove her from the vehicle. "I managed to miraculously escape a lynching attempt," she said.
"I noticed a line of about 10 people forming a human barrier. They were all holding rocks, and there were another 10 20-something-year-olds behind them....Ten of them jumped on my car and broke my windshield, while one of them opened my door. I saw my death. He started kicking me, but I managed to lock the door and drive away." Seven Israeli cars were damaged in the attack.
(Ynet News)
- IDF Thwarts Terror Attack near Ma'ale Adumim
A Palestinian vehicle tried to break through the A-Zaim security checkpoint near Ma'ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, in an attempt to run over security forces on Wednesday.
IDF soldiers at the scene apprehended the driver.
(Jerusalem Post)
- Fatah Leaders "Salute" Palestinians for Rising to Defend Al-Aqsa Mosque - Khaled Abu Toameh
At a meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday, the Fatah Central Council, including PA President Mahmoud Abbas, "saluted" the Palestinians for "rising to defend their al-Aqsa Mosque." (Jerusalem Post)
- PA Waging Unprecedented Campaign of Incitement Against Israel - Khaled Abu Toameh
Although Abbas has repeatedly stated during the past few years that he does not want another intifada against Israel, his statements and actions show that he is doing his utmost to spark another wave of violence in order to draw the world's attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and invite international pressure on Israel. (Gatestone Institute)
See also A Rising Tide of Terror - David Horovitz
When Palestinian political leaders, spiritual leaders, mainstream media and social media constantly warn that the emotive Al-Aqsa holy site is in danger, as they have done relentlessly, violence is an almost inevitable consequence. (Times of Israel)
- Israeli Team Advances in Lunar Spacecraft Competition
The Israeli nonprofit group SpaceIL has signed a contract with American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX to launch an unmanned spacecraft into lunar orbit - the first step in an international competition sponsored by Google to send a privately funded spacecraft to the moon. The Israeli group is the first of 16 teams to finalize a contract with a launch provider. (AP-Ha'aretz)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis (Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):
- U.S. Jewish Leaders Call to Hold PA Accountable for Terror Attacks
After a series of terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations demanded Wednesday that the PA and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, be "held to account."
Stephen Greenberg, chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman/CEO, called on the Obama administration, "which provides hundreds of millions of dollars of funding each year to the Palestinian Authority, to demand that Palestinian officials act decisively to curb the violence."
"No society would or should have to tolerate such acts against woman, children, and men attacked while driving, visiting malls, attending religious services, or going about their daily lives."
Abbas and the PA "must be held to account for their direct and indirect roles in inciting the populace, especially the frequent references to Al-Aqsa being 'under siege' when they know that not to be the case....In fact, Israel restricts Jewish worshipers while allowing far greater freedom to Palestinians to pray at this holy site....Urging Palestinians to rise up to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque leads to the inevitable consequence of confrontation and violence." (Times of Israel)
- Palestinian Responsibility for the Failure to Achieve Peace with Israel - Aaron Sagui
The Palestinians remain in material breach of their core Oslo commitment to renounce terrorism. Half of the Palestinian body politic remains controlled by Hamas, which has set up a terror statelet in Gaza, from which it has fired more than 15,000 rockets at Israel.
Rather than promote a culture of peace and reconciliation, the Palestinians continue to use their controlled media to preach hatred for Israel. This culture of hate is being inculcated not only by Hamas but also by PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who has recently spread the lie that Israel intends to harm Al-Aqsa Mosque.
President Abbas has spent the last six years coming up with precondition after precondition to avoid peace negotiations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains committed to a vision of peace of two states for two peoples, but he needs a willing Palestinian partner to succeed in realizing that vision. The writer is spokesman for the Embassy of Israel in Washington.
(New York Times)
- Bon Jovi Stands Up for Israel - and Against the Boycotters - Editorial
Bon Jovi played Tel Aviv on Saturday - the latest band to flip off Roger Waters and the rest of the odious Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement. For years now, Pink Floyd co-founder Waters has hectored other artists to stop performing in Israel. Asked about Waters' whines, Jon Bon Jovi said simply, "It doesn't interest me. I told my managers to give one simple answer: that I'm coming to Israel, and I'm excited to come." (New York Post)
- Inside Syria's Death Machine - Garance le Caisne
Caesar, the former Syrian military photographer who smuggled thousands of photographs of detainees who were tortured to death in Bashar al-Assad's jails, is interviewed: I am Caesar. I used to work for the Syrian regime, as a photographer with the military police in Damascus. I am going to tell you about my work before the uprising and during its first two years. I can't reveal everything because I am afraid the regime might recognize me. I am a refugee in Europe. I'm afraid they will find me and eliminate me, or take revenge on my family. (Guardian-UK)
Observations:
Abbas' UN Speech and the Unrest in Jerusalem - Lt. Col. (ret.) Jonathan D. Halevi (Institute for Contemporary Affairs-Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)
- On Sept. 30, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech to the UN General Assembly in which he outlined the unilateral steps he intends to take to achieve Palestinian sovereignty in the territories and east Jerusalem without reaching a peace agreement with Israel.
- Abbas' speech revealed his basic stance, which includes unequivocal support for terror, a racist attitude toward the Jewish people, an entrenched hatred for Israel, and a will to destroy it.
- "Palestine is the land of holiness and peace, the birthplace of Jesus the emissary of love and the place of Muhammad's ascent to heaven," Abbas said. He pointedly refrained from mentioning that the land is also holy to the Jewish people whose history has been entwined with it for millennia.
- Abbas stated that "Israeli governments have passed...orders to fire live bullets and to arrest and abuse peaceful Palestinian demonstrators."
"Peaceful" is how he portrays hurling rocks at passing Israeli vehicles, throwing firebombs at Jews' houses, stabbing Jewish civilians, or running them over with vehicles.
- Abbas did not express sorrow or regret over the mounting Palestinian terror against Jews. He did not protest the repressive rule and terror of Hamas in Palestinian Gaza, nor Hamas' aim of violently overthrowing his regime in the West Bank. Nor did he mention that it is only Israel's presence in the main parts of the West Bank that keeps his government in existence.
The writer is a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center.
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