Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog - Let’s be clear: Vladimir Putin will be happy to welcome Saudi Arabia into Moscow’s orbit if the U.S. cuts Riyadh loose.

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Let’s be clear: Vladimir Putin will be happy to welcome Saudi Arabia into Moscow’s orbit if the U.S. cuts Riyadh loose. (Here are four must-read articles on the importance of maintaining our alliance with the Saudis, including the statement by President Trump.) by joelcrosenberg (Denver, Colorado) -- Whither the U.S.-Saudi alliance? A ferocious debate over this question is raging in Washington at this very moment, and the stakes are high.  On on side of the debate are many in the media, along with numerous former advisors to President Barack Obama. They have never liked how close Washington has been with Riyadh and they are freshly determined to smash the Saudis in the mouth because of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist. Most of these voices had no problem with President Obama cutting a nuclear deal with Iran -- one of America's most dangerous enemies and certainly the worst terrorist state on the planet. Despite Iran's history of murdering thousands of their own people and others throughout the Middle East (now especially in Syria and Yemen), these voices saw no problem with providing the ayatollahs with $150 billion in cash, removing economic sanctions from Iran, or legitimizing Tehran's previously illegal enrichment of uranium. They never once during the process seriously tried to require Iran to stop funding terrorism, building longer range missiles, or sowing seeds of revolution and destruction throughout the Middle East. But the Saudis, oh the Saudis, these folks claim, these are the blood-thirsty despots who really need to be punished. What's more, a growing number of Republicans on Capitol Hill are also ready to impose severe punishments on the entire Saudi government over the Khashoggi affair. Some are calling into question the nature of the alliance itself. On the other side of the debate are those who fully agree that the Khashoggi murder was despicable and must be punished, but are calling for cooler heads to prevail when it comes to upending American policy in the Gulf region. They make the case that we need the Saudis to help us counter Iran and Russia in the Middle East, to help us fight the Radicals like al Qaeda, ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood, to keep oil flowing, and hopefully to advance Arab-Israeli peace. They make the case that the 33 year-old Saudi Crown Prince is making bold, serious, and important reforms at home, and wants to work more closely with the U.S. and the West. Yes, he has made mistakes, even serious ones. But he should be helped, coached, encouraged, not cut loose. What's more, these voices caution that punishing the entire Saudi government -- rather than targeting the operatives responsible for the crime -- would be a serious mistake, one that could rupture the alliance. Some worry that if Washington hits the Saudis too hard, this could drive Riyadh into the waiting (eager) arms of Vladimir Putin and the Russians. Putin is headed to the G20 summit in Argentina and plans to meet with the Saudi delegation. He would absolutely love to flip Riyadh from the American camp into the Russian orbit. I don't believe Saudi King Salman or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) are inclined at the moment to switch sides to the Kremlin. But I fully expect Putin to make a very tempting offer. And who knows where the king and his son might wind up if most of Washington loses focus on U.S. national security interests in the region, in addition to our enormously important human rights concerns. At the moment, the anti-MBS/anti-Saudi faction is the loudest. Their articles, interviews and speeches are everywhere. It's tougher for the average reader or viewer to find articles and statements by those who want to punish those responsible for the murder of Khashoggi but who also want to maintain or even strengthen the U.S.-Saudi alliance. Here are a few worth reading, including the statement by President Trump just before Thanksgiving. I found particularly insightful the columns by Elliott Abrams and William McGurn. Both urge President Trump to send a retired senior American statesman who is liked and trusted by the Saudis -- perhaps former Secretary of State James Baker, or former V.P. Dick Cheney -- to meet with MBS in Riyadh. They recommend such a statesman quietly recommend big, specific, immediate reforms MBS should make that would signal to the world just how serious he is about taking the kingdom in a different, better, more positive direction. Interestingly, both cite the example of former President Nixon discreetly and very effectively communicating with the Chinese leadership in Beijing after the Tiananmen Square, warning them -- as a long-time trusted friend -- that the massacre was a huge deal and they simply could not proceed with their "business as usual" approach. First, Nixon personally traveled to Beijing to have off-the-record talks with the most senior leaders. Second, Nixon sent a follow up letter that was respectful, frank and specific -- a letter that was kept secret for decades. Abrams and McGurn argue Nixon's approach worked, helping both President George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton reengage with China on more positive terms for both countries, while not ignoring the atrocities that had been committed. I commend both articles to your attention. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: "The U.S.-Saudi partnership is vital -- We don’t condone Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. But the kingdom is a powerful force for Mideast stability." (op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal) Elliott Abrams: "More Realpolitik, Please -- Trump is right: We should not break with Saudi Arabia. But we should demand a higher price for our support."(column published by National Review Online) William McGurn: "Nixon, Now More Than Ever -- Trump could use an elder statesman to tell the Saudis what they need to hear." (op-ed in yesterday's Wall Street Journal) Statement from President Donald J. Trump on Standing with Saudi Arabia. (The White House) —————————– PRE-ORDER — To pre-order a copy of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE on Amazon, please click here. (Note: Right now, Amazon is the only place I can find online that is pre-selling the novel. I will post links to others sales options when they become available.) To order a copy of The Kremlin Conspiracy — the New York Timesbest-selling political thriller, now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats — please click here, or order from any of your favorite general market or Christian bookstores. To order copies of the new mass market paperbacks of the J.B. Collins novels — my most recent trilogy of novels about ISIS plotting attacks on the U.S., Israel, Jordan and Egypt — please click here. —————————- Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.com)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much! This post is ad-supported ​ joelcrosenberg | November 28, 2018 at 11:38 pm | Categories: Epicenter | URL: https://wp.me/piWZ7-8JA

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog - What every Evangelical needs to know about Iran, Saudi Arabia, the Sunni Arab world & the future of the Middle East.

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

What every Evangelical needs to know about Iran, Saudi Arabia, the Sunni Arab world & the future of the Middle East. (Video of my address to the Values Voter Summit as broadcast on C-SPAN.) by joelcrosenberg (Washington, D.C.) -- This weekend I had the honor to address the Values Voter Summit here in the nation's capital, attended by thousands of Evangelical Christian leaders and grassroots activists. C-SPAN broadcast the Summit live. You can watch my address by clicking here. It was a joy to meet with and spend time discussing the trend lines in the Middle East with many dear friends, including Vice President Mike Pence, Family Research Council Chairman Tony Perkins, U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback whom I've known for a quarter of a century, and former Congressman Frank Wolf. Rep. Wolf is a genuine hero of mine and  he was honored at a special gala dinner for his three decades of work fighting for religious liberty and against the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo kicked off the Friday afternoon session, giving an excellent and encouraging address on the administration's efforts to advance religious liberty around the globe and truly make this issue a top U.S. foreign policy priority.  As the closing speaker of the afternoon session, I was asked to share my observations as an Evangelical follower of Jesus living in Jerusalem of the latest trend lines and key leaders in the Mideast, including: Egyptian President el-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II and the Delegation of Evangelical leaders I took to Cairo and Amman last November. The new Saudi Crown Prince and the important reforms he is pursuing. The leaders of the United Arab Emirates, one of the least discussed but most interesting American allies in the region. And the rising Iran threat -- including Russia's dangerous alliance with Iran -- and how this is fundamentally reshaping the geopolitics of the region. I've not made a full transcript of my remarks, but here are a few excerpts: These [Sunni Arab] countries realize that the threat to the region is not the United States, it's not Israel even, it's not Christianity -- it's Iran and Iran's radical Islamism. And it's causing a fundamental recalculation of every leader in that region, 'Who is my friend and who is my foe?'.... Now, I make things up in novels. But this is real life. Things are happening -- Russia is forming an alliance with Iran, Turkey, Qatar. So, to the north, wickedness, evil, danger. To the south, something new: an American, Israeli, Sunni Arab alliance. It's not perfect. It's not fully formed. But something is happening that has never happened in history. We need to encourage it. We need to nurture it. We need to be grateful that this current administration understands it in a way that the last administration certainly did not. And we need to continue to pray -- for peace in the region, peace for Jerusalem, and that we can be salt and light in every aspect of life, from foreign policy to human rights and the gospel most importantly.... I do hope you'll watch and share the full address -- it runs about 25 minutes. Later today, I head to New York City for meetings with a number of world leaders on the sidelines of the opening Fall session of the United Nations General Assembly. I'd be grateful for your prayers this week, and will report what I can when I can. REMINDER: On Saturday evening, October 6th, I will speak in the Denver, Colorado area. The topic of my address will be, “FLASH POINTS: WHERE WILL THE NEXT MAJOR WAR BREAK OUT?” Please register today to join us. It's the only other public speaking event I'll be doing on this visit to the U.S., and I'd love to see you there. [Note: Though the C-SPAN graphic mentions The Joshua Fund, I was speaking at the Summit as a private individual, not in my capacity as TJF's Founder. TJF is a strictly non-partisan, non-political organization.] ————————————— PRE-ORDER — To pre-order a copy of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE on Amazon, please click here. (Note: Right now, Amazon is the only place I can find online that is pre-selling the novel. I will post links to others sales options when they become available.) To order a copy of The Kremlin Conspiracy — the New York Timesbest-selling political thriller, now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats — please click here, or order from any of your favorite general market or Christian bookstores. To order copies of the new mass market paperbacks of the J.B. Collins novels — my most recent trilogy of novels about ISIS plotting attacks on the U.S., Israel, Jordan and Egypt — please click here. —————————- Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.com)? This is the non-profit organization that my wife, Lynn, and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, to care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, care for Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks so much! joelcrosenberg | September 23, 2018 at 3:32 pm | Categories: Epicenter | URL: https://wp.me/piWZ7-8Io

Israel Demands UN Condemn Hamas; Trump Warns of US-Iran 'Escalation'; Syria Threatens Israel and Saudi Arabia - United with Israel

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ACT FOR ISRAEL! Thank French Imam for Standing with Israel at Risk to His Life  Israel Fires Patriot Missile at Second Drone from Syria this Week  WATCH: Israeli Invention Gives Paralysis Victims New Life  The Sky’s the Limit for Israel’s New Agreement with NASA  Legal Group Takes Action Against ‘Aggressive’ Irish Anti-Israel Boycott Legislation  Israel’s South: 100 Days of Destruction  The Truth Behind the Illegal Bedouin Village in Khan Al Ahmar   WATCH: Seeing Better with Israeli Nanotechnology!  Good News Israel! Opening High Tech to Immigrants, Fighting Phosphorus Pollution in Brazil, and More!  Living Torah: How to Make Life’s Bitter Moments Sweet!

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Palestinians Furious After Saudi Arabia Downplays Importance of Jerusalem - Israel Today

Palestinians Furious After Saudi Arabia Downplays Importance of Jerusalem

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 |  Israel Today Staff

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Palestinians

Proponents of the Palestinian cause have tried to inflate the position of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in Islam, and thereby paint Israel's sovereignty in this city as an affront to their religion.

But, a couple years ago, renowned Egyptian scholar and novelist Youssef Ziedan acknowledged in a series of television interviews that Jerusalem holds no religious significance for Muslims.

Today, it is common to hear that Jerusalem is Islam's third holiest city, being the location of the "Al Aqsa Mosque" referred to the in the Koran.

Ziedan said the whole thing is nonsense:

"The Al-Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem] did not exist back then, and the city was not called Al-Quds. It was called Aelia, and it had no mosques."

He is far from being alone in that position.

In fact, a growing number of Saudis on social media have taken to using a hashtag that translates as "Riyadh is More Important Than Jerusalem."

It is a deliberate downplaying of the importance of Jerusalem from both religious and nationalist viewpoints, and it coincides with the oil-rich kingdom's warming relations with Israel.

Saudis have grown increasingly frustrated with what they see as the Palestinian intransigent and treachery.

Palestinian rejection of Saudi efforts to bring the Israeli-Arab conflict to an equitable end has incensed many in Riyadh, as has Palestinian support for Iran's nuclear program and collaboration between Palestinian groups and Iran's Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah.

Like Israel, Saudi Arabia views Iran as an existential threat.

Alienating Saudi Arabia in this manner threatens to lose the Palestinians the support of the Arab world's top powers.

And yet, we see their hearts continue to harden.

In a backlash to the aforementioned Saudi hashtag, Palestinians on social media have started using a hashtag that translates as "Jerusalem is more important than the [Saudi] king."

If things continue down this path, a day could come when the Arab world's leading powers reject a Palestinian state even more than Israel does.

PHOTO: A Saudi delegation led by prince Al-Walid bin Talal visits the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on March 04, 2014. (Issam Rimawi/FLASH90)

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