Experts Warn: UN Blacklist of Israeli Companies Will Spur Antisemitism - Sean Savage/JNS.org ISRAEL TODAY

Experts Warn: UN Blacklist of Israeli Companies Will Spur Antisemitism

Wednesday, August 30, 2017 |  Sean Savage/JNS.org  ISRAEL TODAY

RELATED STORIES

• 'Our Father Abraham Walked Here'
• Netanyahu under pressure regarding Israel's biblical heartland
• Professors: Stop calling Israel an occupier

Topics:

Settlements

An upcoming “blacklist” of major international companies with business ties to Israeli communities in Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heights and eastern Jerusalem represents yet another attempt by anti-Israel actors in the United Nations to single out and demonize the world’s only Jewish state, experts say. 

The U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) had voted to approve the database of businesses last year, defying objections from the U.S. and Israel. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein submitted a draft of the blacklist to the countries where the businesses are based. He is expected to receive a response from those nations by Sept. 1, and the UNHRC will publish the database by the end of this year. 

American firms on the list include Caterpillar, TripAdvisor, Priceline and Airbnb, The Washington Post reported.

“The blacklist is the latest incarnation of the decades-long Arab boycott and yet another singling out of Israel by the U.N. Because Israel, the Jewish state, alone is singled out, the intent and impact is anti-Semitic,” Anne Herzberg, a U.N. expert and the legal advisor for the Jerusalem-based NGO Monitor watchdog group, told JNS.org.

 Similarly, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon described the list as “an expression of modern anti-Semitism reminiscent of dark periods in history.”

While the list will have no legal consequences for Israel or the companies involved, its opponents say it could put pressure on the U.N. Security Council to take action.

Supporters of the list draw inspiration from efforts to target international businesses that were involved in apartheid-era South Africa as well as Arab-led boycotts of Israel as a means to pressure the Jewish state to change its policies regarding the Palestinians and the disputed territories.

But Michal Hatuel-Radoshitzky, a research fellow for Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said the list will likely do the opposite and undermine any chances for a two-state solution.

“First and foremost, this is because such a ‘blacklist’ serves to strengthen the common Israeli perception of a hostile international community which is united against the Jewish state,” Hatuel-Radoshitzky told JNS.org. 

She said, “This paradigm strengthens the hardliners and works against the moderate camp that perceives the two-state solution—which ultimately necessitates compromises from Israel—as the desired alternative.”

UN’s credibility

The blacklist also “serves to undermine the credibility of the UNHRC in specific and to further taint the U.N. in general,” Hatuel-Radoshitzky said.

 Since taking over as U.N. secretary-general in January, Portugal’s António Guterres has attempted to take a more evenhanded approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after years of disproportionate criticism of Israel by the world body.

“As secretary-general of the United Nations, I consider that the state of Israel needs to be treated as any other state,” Guterres said in an address to the World Jewish Congress in April. 

“I have already had the opportunity to show that I’m ready to abide by that principle even when that forces me to take some decisions that create some uncomfortable situations,” he added, referencing a move he made to squash a report by former U.N. official Rima Khalaf that called Israel an “apartheid state.”

Herzberg said that while it does not appear Guterres is in favor of the of the blacklist, it might be impossible for him to stop its release.

“Due to the U.N. bureaucracy and the dominance of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, it would be difficult if not impossible for the secretary-general to halt the process,” she said.

According to Herzberg, such reports are often compiled by a “narrow sector” of political activists and NGOs, many who are linked to terror groups and the BDS movement.

“Many U.N. officials were formerly employed by these partisan organizations and harbor extreme anti-Israel views,” she said. 

US response

The Trump administration recently urged the human rights commissioner, Hussein, not to publish the blacklist. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley called the list “shameful” and “counterproductive” to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

“It is an attempt to provide an international stamp of approval to the anti-Semitic BDS movement. It must be rejected,” Haley said.

In June, the U.S. indicated that it may replace its membership in the UNHRC with “other means” for addressing human rights issues, unless the U.N. body significantly reforms its conduct and anti-Israel bias.

At the same time, more than 20 U.S. states have passed legislation in recent years opposing the BDS movement, by requiring state institutions to cease any business with companies that boycott the Jewish state.

Both federal and state measures against BDS “will be effective in blunting the impact of the blacklist,” Herzberg said, adding she believes U.S. leadership will be essential in curbing the effectiveness of the U.N. blacklist.

“Countries and companies will have to decide—do they want to do business in the U.S. or side with the bigots of the U.N., the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” she said.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates

4 Countries Who Played Big Roles in Israel's Restoration - SEAN SAVAGE JNS.ORG

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, an evangelical Christian, is a strong supporter of Israel. (Reuters photo)

4 Countries Who Played Big Roles in Israel's Restoration

4/26/2017 SEAN SAVAGE/JNS.ORG  CHARISMA NEWS

Throughout the seven decades since it declared independence, Israel has waged an ongoing struggle for legitimacy, navigating the global arena to find its place among the nations.

While many factors went into Israeli independence, the United Nations Partition Plan of 1947 and subsequent Resolution 181 laid the foundation. As with any contentious vote, there was significant lobbying and horse trading involved. But ultimately, 33 countries voted in favor, securing the necessary two-thirds majority in the U.N. General Assembly for the establishment of a Jewish and Arab state in the former British Mandate of Palestine.

For Israel's 69th Independence Day, JNS.org looks at how four countries actively involved in the historic 1947 vote not only shaped Israeli history, but have robust current relationships with the Jewish state and might play key roles in the country's future.

Guatemala

This small and largely impoverished Central American country—with significant natural resources, rich history and vast biodiversity—represents an important partner for Israel as the latter seeks to build non-traditional allies worldwide.

Late last year, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales made a historic visit to Israel, where Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein noted the key role Guatemala played in the 1947 vote by enlisting 13 Latin American and Caribbean—the most from any regional bloc—to vote in favor of the partition plan.

"It could be that without Guatemala, the resolution on that fateful day would not have passed, and history would be very different," Edelstein said.

During his visit, Morales—a devout evangelical Christian—said he looked forward to bolstering agriculture, science, technology and security ties with Israel.

Liberia

As one of the few independent African states in 1947, Liberia's vote was essential to Zionist supporters. The country—founded by freed American slaves in the 19th century—came under intense lobbying from the U.S. which, at the time, threatened to cut its international aid.

Relations between Israel and Liberia have become increasingly important, especially in areas of international aid, agriculture and technology as the Jewish state aims to build relations with sub-Saharan Africa—a key priority of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel was on the frontline helping Liberia deal with the deadly and widespread Ebola virus as the disease raged in West Africa from 2014-2015, killing thousands. Last June, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf visited Israel, where she noted the Jewish state's support.

"Throughout my visit with my delegation we wanted to learn about the extraordinary developments which Israel has made, especially in agriculture, which we look at with wonder each time we see it," Sirleaf said. "You have done wonderful things in the field of water. There are a lot of similarities between Liberia and Israel."

Liberia's agriculture minister, along with a dozen high-level African officials, participated in an agricultural conference in Jerusalem last December. Later this year, Netanyahu is scheduled to attend a major African summit in Togo, where Liberia is expected to participate.

India

Unlike the other countries listed here, India voted against the 1947 partition plan, despite Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru famously being lobbied by Albert Einstein to support the resolution. India was in a similar situation as Israel at the time. Both countries were emerging from British colonial rule, and faced nationalist and religious conflict over proposed partitions. Nevertheless, Indian leaders were concerned with maintaining relations with the Muslim world, especially following their own messy partition with Muslim-majority Pakistan.

But the events of 1947 are in the past. In subsequent decades, India and Israel formed a deep bilateral partnership centered on defense and technology. In July, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the first Indian head of state to visit Israel as the countries mark 25 years of diplomatic relations.

In recent months, India and Israel have signed new defense deals worth billions. In February, Modi approved the $2.5 billion purchase of an advanced anti-aircraft system, and another $1.5 billion in defense deals are set to be completed ahead of Modi's visit.

According to the Hindustan Times, "Though Israel is among the top four military hardware suppliers to India, with more than $1 billion in annual sales to New Delhi, the Modi government is keen to ensure that this visit is not focused on defense ties alone, but encompasses long-term economic and technological cooperation, resulting in a free-trade agreement."

Australia

Australia was one of four British Commonwealth countries voting for the creation of Israel, the others being South Africa, New Zealand and Canada. At the time, Australian External Affairs Minister H.V. Evatt chaired the U.N. committee that recommended acceptance of 1947's partition plan.

In May 1949, when Israel was accepted as a U.N. member, Evatt—who was serving as president of the U.N. General Assembly—welcomed the Israeli delegation, saying, "I look forward to the time when the wounds of the peoples of the Middle East will be healed, when we shall find friendships and, indeed, comradeship among these peoples."

Netanyahu in February embarked on a five-day visit to Australia, the first such trip for an Israeli prime minister, amid a growing focus on building Israel's relations with the Asia-Pacific region.

"Australia and Israel have a strong relationship, which is evident in a number of ways—not least of which has been Australian support for Israel politically, with the economic ties growing dramatically in recent years," Jeremy Jones, director of international affairs for the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, told JNS.org during Netanyahu's visit.

Jones added, "It is not unreasonable to think that the development of Israel's ties with Asia has given Australia—with its geographic, economic and political ties with Asia—a higher significance in Israeli diplomatic thinking."

This article was originally published at JNS.org. Used with permission.

Leaders are readers! Subscribe now and get 3 magazines for the price of 1. Get Ministry Today, Charisma and SpiritLed Woman all for $24. YES - Sign me up!

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Click Here to draw closer to God!

Could the World's Largest Muslim Country Become Israel's New Friend? - SEAN SAVAGE/JNS.ORG CHARISMA NEWS

Could the World's Largest Muslim Country Become Israel's New Friend?

 4/7/2016 SEAN SAVAGE/JNS.ORG  charisma news

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (left) visits the country's capital of Jakarta. (Wikimedia Commons)

At a time when Israel is seeking to boost its ties with Arab and Muslim countries in order to counter the threats posed by Iran and terrorist groups, could the world's largest Muslim country become the Jewish state's new friend?

In a March 28 meeting with a delegation of senior Indonesian journalists visiting Israel as guests of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a normalization of ties with Indonesia. 

"The time has come for official relations between Indonesia and Israel. We have many opportunities to cooperate in the fields of water and technology. Israel has excellent relations with several countries in Asia, particularly China, Japan, India and Vietnam," Netanyahu said.

The prime minister added that Israel's "relations with the Arab world are also changing."

"Indeed, we are allies in the fight against radical Islam," he said. "Relations between Israel and Indonesia must also change. I have more than a few Indonesian friends on Facebook. The time has come to change our relations. The reasons that prevented this are no longer relevant, and I hope that your visit will help with this."

Indonesia, however, pushed back against Netanyahu's call for diplomatic relations, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir saying the country regrets "that such activities are politicized by Israel."

"We want to assert that Indonesia's support and efforts to push for the independence of Palestine will not change," said Nasir, The Jakarta Post reported on March 31.

Whether or not Indonesian-Israeli relations are imminent, Shira Loewenberg—director of the Asian Pacific Institute for the American Jewish Committee (AJC)—said she views Indonesia "as being of critical importance to Israel, both symbolically and in actuality."

"As the world's largest Muslim-majority country, Indonesia's recognition of the Jewish state would have tremendous symbolic value for both countries as well as for democracies around the world. It would have great meaning for Muslim nations and populations around the world as well, which is perhaps why diplomatic recognition has not already taken place," Loewenberg told JNS.org.

A former Dutch colony, Indonesia is a volcanic archipelago of more than 14,000 islands in southeast Asia that is home to roughly 255 million people, the world's fourth-largest population. More than 87 percent of Indonesians practice Islam.

"Indonesia does offer an important opportunity, as part of the general trend in Israel, of opening up to Asia," Natan Sachs, a fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution think tank, told JNS.org.

Unofficial contact between Israel and Indonesia began under former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid from 1999-2001. 

Indonesia's relationship with Israel "warmed as Wahid aimed to establish closer commercial ties with the stated goal, eventually, of establishing formal diplomatic ties," Loewenberg said.

While Israel has formal diplomatic relations with some Muslim-majority countries, like neighbors Jordan and Egypt, such cooperation is mostly limited to the nations' governments and militaries due to lingering anti-Israel sentiments within the countries' actual populations. Israel has also sought informal or even secretive ties with some traditional foes like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to trying to repair ties with Turkey. Muslim-majority Azerbaijan, meanwhile, has already become a diplomatic and economic ally for Israel.

In March, Israel prevented Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi from entering Ramallah to meet with the Palestinian Authority because Marsudi intended to skip a state visit to Jerusalem. But during a Knesset debate on the issue, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely revealed that Israel has had "continuous contact" with Indonesia, including an unofficial visit to Indonesia by Israeli Foreign Ministry Deputy Director-General in the Asia-Pacific Division Mark Sofer. During that trip, Israel and Indonesia had secretly agreed that Marsudi would visit Jerusalem, but Masrudi later backtracked on that deal.

In the business world, cooperation between Israelis and Indonesians is a poorly kept secret. At a foreign trade conference in Israel in January, an Indonesian investor who did not want his name used in the press confirmed those ties in a speech to more than 600 people.

"There's already a great deal of business going on between Indonesia and Israel. Indonesia is a quickly growing country with a lot of needs in areas where Israeli tech has made important breakthroughs, like agricultural technology," the investor said in Tel Aviv.

Unlike some of its neighbors in southeast Asia, Israeli allies Thailand and Singapore, Indonesia is not home to an official Israeli trade mission. As such, most Israeli-Indonesian administrative or economic matters are handled through Israel's mission in Singapore. These unofficial ties have allowed for nascent trade between Israel and Indonesia.

"As the world powers pivot to Asia, Israel, of course, is pivoting to Asia too," AJC's Loewenberg told JNS.org. "Asia represents more than 60 percent of the world's population, and the current trajectory and future economic growth of the region point to Asian dominance. With economic power comes political power, already visible in Chinese and Indian aspirations and actions. Cultivating productive, warm ties to Asia is critical for Israel and friends of Israel and the global Jewish community."

Despite being a Muslim-majority country, Indonesia differs culturally and politically from its Muslim brothers in the Middle East, which also lends itself to viewing Israel differently.

"The Indonesians don't quite share the same characteristics of some of the Sunni [Muslim] Arab states. Indonesians are more pluralistic and view themselves that way," said the Brookings Institution's Sachs.

Yet according to a 2014 BBC poll, roughly 75 percent of Indonesians had a negative view of Israel. 

"In Indonesia, a lot of the [population's] support for the Palestinians comes not because they are Muslim, but because Indonesia has a very long-held anti-colonial attitude. ... In that sense, many Indonesians see the Palestinians as the underdog and suffering from colonialism, so they identify with them in that regard," Sachs said.

That attitude was reflected in Indonesian officials' statements following Netanyahu's recent appeal for normalization.

"We will not forge diplomatic ties with a country that colonizes another country. That is the mandate of our constitution," said Tantowi Yahya, a lawmaker from the Indonesian House of Representatives commission that oversees foreign and security affairs, The Jakarta Post reported. 

The Indonesians "are far from the [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict geographically and are not major players," Sachs told JNS.org, explaining that the conflict "is an important point for them, but not central part of their foreign policy. It is more symbolic." 

For the original article, visit jns.org.

Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.

Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.

Has Hezbollah Become More of a Threat to Israel? - SEAN SAVAGE/JNS.ORG CHARISMA NEWS

Has Hezbollah Become More of a Threat to Israel?

3/15/2016 SEAN SAVAGE/JNS.ORG  charisma news

(Reuters file photo )

The seemingly endless 5-year-old Syrian civil war has presented Israel with a number of complex threats, including the rise of the Islamic State terror group. Yet most Israeli leaders believe that the Iranian-funded Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah remains by far the Jewish state's most formidable enemy to the north. 

At the same time, during the last several years, Hezbollah has been preoccupied with supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his fight against rebels and other Islamic terror groups. Has the Syrian civil war, which is viewed as one of the bloodiest conflicts on Earth, taken a serious toll on Hezbollah? Or has the war actually turned Hezbollah into a more potent threat to Israel?

"I think it cuts both ways," Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank who counts Hezbollah among his areas of expertise, told JNS.org. 

"Hezbollah has lost a significant amount of experienced fighters on the battlefield in Syria. All of their vigor, youth, expert knowledge and battle experience—which, according to Hezbollah, should have been used against Israel—has been wasted in Syria," Ottolenghi said.

Indeed, Hezbollah has seen significant causalities in Syria, with more than 1,000 fighters being killed in battles against rebel groups and Sunni Muslim terror groups such as Islamic State and the Nusra Front. 

Yet Hezbollah has also "gained an unprecedented amount of battle experience [in Syria], including urban warfare, which they will benefit from in any future conflict against Israel," Ottolenghi said.

"They have also benefited from fighting in an increasingly integrated fashion with Iran's Revolutionary Guards and the Russians," he added. "They have access now to better weapons and have gained with Iran a new front in southern Syria, which they can use to open a new battle against Israel in the Golan Heights, if they wish to."

Hezbollah has significantly bolstered its weapons arsenal since its last conflict with Israel in 2006. According to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Hezbollah went to war with Israel in 2006 with around 13,000 short-range and medium-range rockets, but "today it could have over 100,000 rockets and missiles, including a number of long-range systems as well as systems with improved accuracy, allowing it to strike throughout Israel and with increased precision."

Hezbollah is also believed to have made significant improvements in its air and coastal defense, including long-range surface-to-air missiles that could pose a threat to Israeli aircraft. 

Consequently, Israel has stepped up its military preparedness in the north. In late January, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Northern Command held a major two-week drill on the northern border to simulate concurrent wars in Lebanon and Syria against Hezbollah and other Islamic terror groups.

"We simulated vast maneuvers, substantial fire power and the attack of thousands of targets in all combat areas, with high efficiency, including residential areas exploited by the enemy," Aviv Kochavi, head of the IDF Northern Command, said at the time.  

While tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have been simmering for years, the assassination of Hezbollah-affiliated terrorist Samir Kuntar—who was involved in the murders of an Israeli family in 1979 and was later released from an Israeli jail in a 2008 prisoner swap for the bodies of dead IDF soldiers—has ramped up threatening rhetoric even more. 

In mid-February, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the terror group has the ability to unleash widespread destruction on Israel that would be comparable to an atomic bomb by targeting strategic sites in Israel such as an ammonium plant in Haifa. 

"A few missiles on a few ammonium plants equal the same amount of death as an atomic bomb ... you (Israel) can destroy Lebanon and Dahiyeh (a Hezbollah stronghold neighborhood). You have the strongest air force, you have missiles and you have other means by which to do it. But we can do the same thing to you with only a few missiles aimed at a few ammonium plants," Nasrallah said.

A senior IDF official recently told the London-based Arabic newspaper Elaph that Israel could "put Lebanon back 300 years" if Hezbollah attacked, but that the political echelon in Israel would not allow it. 

"The organization (Hezbollah) and its leader know very well what Israel's reaction will be, so it will not set out on such an adventure," the IDF official said. 

Aside from Hezbollah's expanded arsenal and defense capabilities, Israeli officials have also expressed concern in recent years that Hezbollah may attempt to invade northern Israel and occupy towns or villages in the region.

"In the next war, Hezbollah won't stay on the borders, and the Israeli settlements in the north will not be protected from this," a source close to Hezbollah recently told Foreign Policy magazine. "Hezbollah will bring the war to them, and Israel's biggest concern is over Hezbollah's experience in Syria, as it now has the experience to be offensive rather than just defensive."

FDD's Ottolenghi suggested that even briefly entering Israeli territory and controlling a village would be a huge success for Hezbollah.

"From their perspective, if they could take territory away from Israel, even for a brief period of time, they would view that as a success and an incredible propaganda stunt," he told JNS.org. 

"For Hezbollah, it is not a matter of having moral constraint, it is a question of capability more than anything else," he added. 

While Hezbollah's military buildup, support from Iran, and battlefield experience in Syria may pose an increasing risk for Israel, the terror group has also seen its domestic and external support erode in recent years.

"Hezbollah has to some extent seen its relatively popular stance in Lebanon eroded by its involvement in Syria, and it has been blamed in some corners in Lebanon as responsible for plunging the country back into sectarian conflict," Ottolenghi said.

The Lebanese terror group has faced increased opposition within the Arab world, especially from Sunni Arab leaders who are increasingly fearful of Iran's regional ambitions. 

On March 2, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—formally designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

The GCC's secretary general, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, declared that the six countries "consider the actions of Hezbollah militias in GCC countries, and the terrorist actions and incitements it conducts throughout Syria, Yemen and Iraq ... incompatible with the moral values, humanitarian principles and international law, and [the actions] pose a threat to Arab national security."

"We have gone a long way since the summer of 2006, when Nasrallah and [former Iranian president Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad were so popular in the Arab world as a result of the Second Lebanon War. The GCC now views Iran and its proxies as the biggest strategic threat that they confront," Ottolenghi said.

For Israel, the GCC designation was a welcome sign of potential cooperation between the Jewish state and Sunni Arab states.

The changes in the Arab world, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said, "have great potential to change the diplomatic reality in the region. They give hope for a better future for all nations in the Middle East. I hope these ties will help advance our relations with the Palestinians, or at least the Palestinians who want to live with us in peace."

Yet Ottolenghi cautioned, "I'm very wary of reading into this [GCC decision] as a sign that friendship has blossomed between Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. [Sunni Arab states] are looking out for themselves because they see Iran as the principle threat to their stability and survival."

At the same time, Israel and the Gulf states have a mutual fear: Iran's growing influence in the region as a result of the Islamic Republic's nuclear deal with world powers, which lifted powerful international sanctions against Iran. Both Israel and the Gulf states also feel abandoned by the United States on the Iranian issue.

"They don't feel like they can rely on the U.S. to do their bidding anymore. I see a U.S. administration hedging and probably betting on détente with Iran," Ottolenghi said. 

In a recent interview with The Atlantic, President Barack Obama said the Saudis "need to find an effective way to share the neighborhood [with Iran] and institute some sort of cold peace."

Backing the Gulf states against Iran, said Obama, "would mean that we have to start coming in and using our military power to settle scores. And that would be in the interest neither of the United States nor of the Middle East."

Nevertheless, Hezbollah will likely be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the regional disarray. 

"Hezbollah is benefitting from America's retreat from the region and its reluctance to confront Iran head-on in Syria," Ottolenghi said. "The reluctance of the [Obama] administration to have a Syria policy and also to go against Iran's interest in Syria, [in order] to not undermine the nuclear agreement, has benefited Hezbollah."

While the Syrian conflict has taken its toll on Hezbollah through losses of both manpower and popularity, the Lebanese terror group's new battlefield experience and stepped-up support from a resurgent sanction-free Iran promise to make Hezbollah's next conflict with Israel a costlier affair for the Jewish state.

"They have dramatically improved their fighting skills and access to more advanced and heavier weapons," Ottolenghi said. "I think the next war with Hezbollah will be bloodier, more intense and destructive than the last one."

For the original article, visit jns.org.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Click here to subscribe and to receive a free leadership book.

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.

Influx of Mideast Migrants Brings Fear of Renewed Anti-Semitism to Germany by JNS - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Anti Israel Rally. (Photo: Alan Popely / https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanpopely/ © with Attribution, NonCommercial)

Influx of Mideast Migrants Brings Fear of Renewed Anti-Semitism to Germany

By JNS January 24, 2016  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS  By: Sean Savage

“Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.” (Job 33:7)

While Germany takes pride in confronting its Holocaust past and maintaining a strong relationship with Israel, the European nation’s recent influx of more than a million Middle East migrants—many originating in countries like Syria and Iraq, which have deeply rooted anti-Israel and anti-Semitic cultures—has generated fear among German Jews that the refugees will undermine their safety.

In October, an official German state intelligence document leaked to the German weekly newspaper Welt am Sonntag warned that the mass migration could conflict with modern German values and lead to “instability in our land.”

“We are importing Islamic extremism, Arab anti-Semitism, national and ethnic conflicts of other peoples as well as a different societal and legal understanding,” the document said.

After the events in the German city of Cologne over New Year’s Eve, when hundreds of women accused migrants of sexually assaulting them, more Germans have grown skeptical about the Mideast refugee situation. A poll released Jan. 15 by public broadcaster ZDF found that 60 percent of Germans doubt the country’s ability to cope with the refugee influx. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has faced growing backlash from the public and members of her own Christian Democratic Union political party, which recently pledged to “tangibly reduce the number of refugees arriving.”

This anxiety has been expressed by some prominent German Jewish leaders, who fear that the migrants will bring anti-Semitism from their home countries. Jutta Wagemann, a spokesperson for the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told JNS.org  “there are concerns in the Jewish community about the anti-Semitism of the Middle East refugees.”

In a joint op-ed with World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder, the Central Council’s president, Josef Schuster, wrote in September that “huge numbers of refugees are of course a big challenge for Europe.”

“It is also important that those who at present can’t return to their home countries will become familiar with our Western values. In Germany, that means respect for the values enshrined in the Constitution and also an acceptance that support for Israel is part of the political DNA of this country. Moreover, society by and large agrees that the Holocaust must be remembered,” they wrote.

This sentiment was shared with Merkel during an October meeting between the Central Council and the leadership of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party. “Many refugees come from countries where Israel is an enemy; this resentment is often transferred to Jews in general,” the Jewish leaders warned.

More recently, prominent German Jewish leaders have been outspoken in expressing their growing fears of the refugee influx, Islamic extremism, and attacks by far-right pro-Nazi extremists.

“No, we are no longer safe here,” said Daniel Killy, leader of the Jewish community in Hamburg, Germany, citing the disintegration of state power, the excesses of the far right, the loss of political credibility, and “the terrible fear of naming Islamism as such” as contributing to an insecure environment for Jews, the German news outlet Tagesshcau.de reported.

Salomon Korn, president of Germany’s Frankfurt Jewish community, said that most of the new arrivals come from countries that do not enjoy an “enlightened” version of Islam, the German daily newspaper The Local reported.

“Many of the refugees had grown up in environments rife with anti-Semitism and a belief in Muslims’ mission to spread their religion,” Korn said.

Despite their fears, Jewish groups have also been at the forefront of helping refugees settle in Germany.

“Many individuals and official representatives of many local communities as well as the Central Council for Jews in Germany and the Central Jewish Social Organization have extended their hands to the newly incoming refugees, have participated in welfare work, and for example explicitly visited refugee homes,” Stefanie Schüler-Springorum, head of the Berlin-based Center for Anti-Semitism Research, told JNS.org.

“At the same time, many voiced their fear of ‘imported anti-Semitism,’ albeit again in a large variety of tones,” Schüler-Springorum added.

Many of Germany’s Jews were refugees themselves, fleeing the former Soviet Union during the latter half of the 20th century. The fact that many Jews chose Germany as their new home was a testament to the country’s post-war efforts in confronting its own dark history of anti-Semitism.

Yet Benjamin Weinthal, a Berlin-based fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, believes that the “challenges are enormous” for Germany, given the fact that the country has had a growing presence of Islamic extremists. According to Weinthal, Germany is also home to 950 active Hezbollah members, 300 Hamas members, and a powerful radical Salafist movement with 7,000 radical Sunni Muslims.

“The Salafists in Germany export fighters to ISIS (Islamic State) and Al-Qaeda in the Syrian and Iraqi war theaters. Many have returned to Germany with combat experience,” Weinthal told JNS.org. “When you factor in Germany’s support for a BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement) measure—EU product labeling [of Israeli settlement products]—with the hotbed of jihadism in the country, one can see why Germany has no real political will to tackle the anti-Semitism of many of the refugees and immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.”

The summer of 2014 can be seen as a watershed moment in modern anti-Semitism in Germany, with a number of protests against Israel’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza leading to an increase in anti-Semitic sentiments and attacks on Jews. At the time, reports indicated that anti-Israel protesters were heard shouting “Gas the Jews,” while a video of a radical Berlin imam show him telling his followers to “kill them (Jews) to the very last one.”

Regarding Germany’s challenge of integrating more than a million migrants, Schüler-Springorum believes that it is possible “with time, money, and the political will to [meet the challenge], even in face of negative events like [New Year’s Eve] in Cologne.”

Schüler-Springorum cited the historic precedent of Germany’s success in dealing with its anti-Semitic past as providing hope that Germany can successfully educate and integrate the current Mideast refugees.

“As my colleague Michael Brenner wrote some weeks ago: Where, if not in Germany, with its achievements in dealing with our own anti-Semitic past—due especially to many grassroots organizations, civil society initiatives, and NGOs—can this be expected to be successful? Not tomorrow, of course, but hopefully in the non-too distant future,” Schüler-Springorum said.

But despite Germany’s success in overcoming its Holocaust past, Weinthal argues that the country has “failed to internalize that modern anti-Semitism—hatred of the Jewish state and the delegitimization of Israel via product labels, for example—is the main problem.”

As such, Weinthal believes that many German Jews will seek aliyah as a viable option, much like their counterparts in France who are moving to Israel in droves, especially after the Islamist terror attacks in Paris last January and November. In 2015, about 200 German Jews made aliyah.

“The threat to the safety of German Jews will continue,” Weinthal said. “Aliyah as an escape hatch for German Jews will be the natural result of Germany’s failure to protect its small Jewish community and stop modern anti-Semitism.”