This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Israel's patience with its Iranian-backed Yemenite adversary – the Houthis – ran out overnight, as it launched a wave of airstrikes against key infrastructure sites. Nine people were reported killed as Israeli fighter jets took out Yemen's three main ports, as well as power stations.
The Houthis fired a ballistic missile toward Israel in the early hours of Thursday morning, which set off incoming rocket alert sirens across large swaths of Israel's central region – including Tel Aviv – causing millions of people to seek cover in safe rooms and shelters. Israel's planes were already in the sky on their way to attack Yemen while this rocket was flying toward the Jewish state. It marked the second time since Monday that Iran's terrorist proxy in the Gulf of Aden had fired a ballistic missile – as well as a drone – toward Israel's densely concentrated population centers. No injuries or loss of life were reported, although an elementary school in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, was so badly damaged it might need to be torn down. It was thought to be either a fragment from the intercepted rocket or shrapnel from the interceptor missile, which caused the building's destruction.
Reports emerged Israeli military officials have been planning a heavy response to the Houthis for some time, and were waiting for the provocation that would almost inevitably emerge. On Wednesday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei warned Israel the so-called "axis of resistance" had not been broken, despite the fall of Assad's Syria. Even prior to this threat, it had been assumed the Houthis, who remain the most largely untouched of Iran's proxy groups, would be activated to up their involvement.
According to a statement by the military, dozens of Israeli Air Force (IAF) aircraft participated in the strikes in Yemen, including fighter jets, refuelers, and spy planes, some 2,000 kilometers from their home bases. In the first wave, Houthi targets were struck at the Hodeida port — which Israel has struck twice before — and also at the Ras Isa oil terminal on the Red Sea, as well as the Salif port. In the second wave of strikes, the Yemeni capital Sana'a was attacked, in which two power stations, the Haziz and D'Habban, were hit.
It is not only Israel which has borne the brunt of this, but also international shipping in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. This has occasioned U.S. and U.K. airstrikes on the Houthis, as Iran yet again leverages its hegemonic ambitions for the region on the backs of Arab blood and treasure. Indeed, earlier in the week, CENTCOM announced it had destroyed a Houthi command and control center used in the targeting of U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels.
While the degradation of Yemen's infrastructure is an important step, the limits of these kinds of attacks can be easily juxtaposed when we look at the cases of Hamas and Hezbollah side-by-side.
Even after nearly 15 months of fighting in Gaza, and amid a loss of men, materiel, and senior leaders, Hamas is still somehow not on its knees. Israel has targeted as much infrastructure as it can, and yet, despite the seeming proximity of some kind of hostage deal, Gaza's Islamist rulers have not yet tapped out. In the case of Hezbollah, where the IDF had exceptional intel and had been planning operations in some cases years in advance – if the exploding pagers is anything to go by – it was able to so successfully target senior, mid-range, and lower-level commanders and operatives. This was also coupled with an ability to cross the Lebanese border and take out terrorist infrastructure on the ground.
Israel's security services seemingly have much patchier knowledge about Houthi command structures, and without a contiguous border, the prospect of landing troops there is effectively nil. Israel's military and defense establishment will want to quicky identify and target senior Houthi leaders if it wants a modicum of the same successes it enjoyed against Hamas and especially Hezbollah.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Houthis fire ballistic missile toward central Israel, IDF teaches Yemen a lesson
Millions of Israelis were provided an unwelcome alarm call early Thursday morning as incoming rocket alert sirens sent citizens scurrying to safe rooms and protected areas.
According to a statement by the Israel Defense Force, dozens of Israeli Air Force (IAF) aircraft participated in the strikes in Yemen, including fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes, some 2,000 kilometers from Israel, reported the Times of Israel. The Houthi targets were struck at the Hodeida port — which Israel has struck twice before — and for the first time, in the rebel-held capital Sana'a, the IDF said.
U.S. warns ISIS prison break in Syria could unleash terrorist army on Middle East
Millions of Israelis were provided an unwelcome alarm call early Thursday morning as incoming rocket alert sirens sent citizens scurrying to safe rooms and protected areas.
According to a statement by the Israel Defense Force, dozens of Israeli Air Force (IAF) aircraft participated in the strikes in Yemen, including fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes, some 2,000 kilometers from Israel, reported the Times of Israel. The Houthi targets were struck at the Hodeida port — which Israel has struck twice before — and for the first time, in the rebel-held capital Sana'a, the IDF said.
U.S. warns ISIS prison break in Syria could unleash terrorist army on Middle East
Amid the fallout from the crumbling of the Assad regime in Syria, U.S. officials warned Wednesday that thousands of ISIS prisoners held in makeshift jails run by Kurdish forces with limited resources could overpower their captors and begin to flood out across the Middle East.
According to Daily Caller, which cited Politico, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) pushed hard into the territory of the U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who currently hold 9,000 ISIS soldiers and 50,000 others in shoddily secured detention centers. If the SNA attacks do not cease, an army-sized ISIS force might be let out of detention and cause a resurgence in the terrorist group.
"I usually hate this cliche, but this is the closest thing we have to a ticking time bomb," a senior U.S. counterterrorism official said. "If Turkey doesn't get these attacks on the [Syrian Democratic Forces] halted, we could have a massive jailbreak on our hands."
Human Rights Watch jumps on Amnesty bandwagon accuses Israel of 'genocide,' reanimates ancient blood libel
Not content to be outdone by Amnesty International's recent report on the so-called "genocide" taking place in Gaza due to allegedly deliberate starvation, another non-governmental organization – this time Human Rights Watch (HRW) – has reanimated an ancient blood libel and accused the IDF of intentionally dehydrating Gazans.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oren Marmorstein responded to a Human Rights Watch report with withering contempt. "Here are the facts," he said. "Since the beginning of the war, Israel has facilitated the continuous flow of water and humanitarian aid into Gaza, despite operating under constant attacks from the Hamas terrorist organization. Israel has ensured water infrastructure, including the continued operation of four water pipelines and water pumping & desalination facilities, which remain operational," reported Israel National News.
Shin Bet sounds alarm over scale of Iranian espionage in Israel
Over the last several months, Israel's security services – the Shin Bet most prominently among them – have successfully busted a number of individuals and couples who have been co opted to spy on Iran's behalf, usually via some kind of social media.
According to a report in The Jerusalem Post, the 12 cases it has uncovered are unprecedented. Even during the Iron Curtain era, Soviet intelligence agencies did not operate such a large number of spies in Israel, and there were certainly no Israeli citizens who chose to betray their country and spy for the enemy.
The Shin Bet has also been troubled by the fact that the Iranians do not recruit spies based on a particular profile. "We see a variety of citizens being recruited for espionage tasks by Iran, ranging from ultra-Orthodox citizens, new immigrants, minorities, and citizens leading ordinary secular bourgeois lifestyles," said a security official.
HTS leader calls on international community to lift Syria sanctions
Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Al-Julani said Syria is exhausted by war and the rebels pose no threat to the West or any of Syria's neighbors, reported Israeli news outlet Ynet. Al-Sharaa, who led the rebel force that took down the regime of Bashar Assad in a lightning offensive earlier this month said in an interview to the BBC that sanctions against Syria should be lifted.
"Now, after all that has happened, sanctions must be lifted because they were targeted at the old regime. The victim and the oppressor should not be treated in the same way," he said.
He also said that his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) should be taken off the list of terrorist organizations, claiming it did not target civilians or civilian areas and were themselves the victims of Assad's cruelty.
U.S. lawmakers threaten Turkey with sanctions if it invades Kurdish-held areas of northeastern Syria
Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., are threatening sanctions against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan unless Ankara forces Syrian opposition fighters into a ceasefire with U.S-backed Kurdish partners in the northeast of the country, according to The Hill.
The senators said they are prepared to introduce sanctions legislation this week against Turkey if Ankara does not immediately accept terms for a sustained ceasefire and demilitarized zone, as the country continues to roil from the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Israel democracy index shows waning public support in state institutions
Even in the midst of war, the Israel Democracy Institute index 2024 found most Israelis feel they can always count on their fellow citizens in times of trouble, and a majority think Israel is a good place to live.
The latest edition shows trust in institutions at a critical low, while over 50% of Israelis think that civil society organizations do a better job than the state. The public's perception of most issues remains divided between the political camps, with significant differences between Jewish and Arab Israelis on a variety of issues, including the greatest source of tension in society, and willingness to integrate.
The study showed that public trust in the government and the Knesset sank considerably in the wake of the catastrophic invasion and massacre perpetrated by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, but has since rallied to a certain extent.
Iran pauses implementation of draconian hijab legislation
Iran's National Security Council on December 16 paused the implementation of a controversial "Hijab and Chastity" law that would harshen the penalties against women who fail to comply with the Islamic regime's draconian laws on wearing the hijab, or headscarf. The law, which Iran's parliament approved in Sept. 2023, would have carried an $800 fine for the first offense, $1,500 for the second offense, and up to 15 years in prison for a third offense.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian was critical of the law, saying, "There are ambiguities about this law, which would not be easy to enforce," and arguing as well that it "would undermine national solidarity," reported the BBC.
The non-implementation of this law shows the Islamic regime in Iran is feeling somewhat jittery. If it was in full control, it would likely enforce the law the parliament had drawn up. The fact it has not might be testament to how much pressure is being exerted upon it on a number of domestic and foreign fronts.
Oldest known stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments sells for over $5m
The oldest known stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments sold for more than $5 million at an auction on Wednesday, according to the Times of Israel.
Sotheby's said the 115-pound (52-kilogram) marble slab was acquired by an anonymous buyer who plans to donate it to an Israeli institution.
The New York-based auction house said the final price exceeded the presale estimate of $1 million to $2 million and followed more than 10 minutes of "intense bidding" during the global competition.
The tablet dates from 300 to 800 A.D.s and is inscribed with the commandments in Paleo-Hebrew script — the only complete example of its kind from antiquity, according to Sotheby's.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
In the time frame after an election, and before a new Congress and president take office, some odd agendas appear in Washington.
None is odder than the campaign this year by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to demand that the long-dead Equal Rights Amendment NOW be certified as part of the Constitution.
Even though it has failed, and has been declared dead over and over.
For the ratification of amendments to the Constitution, at least 38 states must adopt the proposal.
During the time allowed for the ERA to be ratified, 35 states did adopt it. But that was not enough, even after Congress extended the allowed time.
But decades after the deadline and second deadline, several more states did vote for it, and promoters now are saying that those votes make it part of the Constitution.
They ignore the fact, however, that if votes after the deadline count, the ERA still lacks support because during that same time period, five states that had ratified it reversed their vote.
Gillibrand blasted the national archivist for explaining the facts.
"Earlier today, the national archivist preemptively stated that she would not legally certify the Equal Rights Amendment as part of the Constitution. By taking this unprecedented step, she is wrongfully inserting herself into a clear constitutional process, though her role is purely ministerial. Our argument has the support of legal experts, twenty-three attorneys general, the League of Women Voters, and the American Bar Association. I remain undaunted, and will continue to urge President Biden to direct the archivist to certify and publish the ERA and codify equality in the Constitution."
Even readers on social media, however, could explain her problem, adding, "While the ERA has been ratified by 38 states, it had only been ratified by 35 before expiration of the ratification deadline in 1982. Lawmakers in 5 states have since voted to rescind their earlier approvals and the DOJ has upheld that the ratification period had ended. "
The Gateway Pundit said the proposed amendment would have said, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex."
It failed to meet its ratification requirements by the first deadline in 1972, and again in 1982.
Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan and Deputy Archivist William J. Bosanko explained in their statement, "As Archivist and Deputy Archivist of the United States, it is our responsibility to uphold the integrity of the constitutional amendment process and ensure that changes to the Constitution are carried out in accordance with the law. At this time, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) cannot be certified as part of the Constitution due to established legal, judicial, and procedural decisions.
"In 2020 and again in 2022, the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice affirmed that the ratification deadline established by Congress for the ERA is valid and enforceable. The OLC concluded that extending or removing the deadline requires new action by Congress or the courts. Court decisions at both the District and Circuit levels have affirmed that the ratification deadlines established by Congress for the ERA are valid. Therefore, the Archivist of the United States cannot legally publish the Equal Rights Amendment. As the leaders of the National Archives, we will abide by these legal precedents and support the constitutional framework in which we operate."
In 2020, Democrat lawmakers in Virginia claimed they ratified the ERA, making their state the 38th to ratify.
Not quite, explained a legal opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel.
"Congress has constitutional authority to impose a deadline for ratifying a proposed constitutional amendment. It exercised this authority when proposing the Equal Rights Amendment and, because three-fourths of the state legislatures did not ratify before the deadline that Congress imposed, the Equal Rights Amendment has failed of adoption and is no longer pending before the states," it said.
"Accordingly, even if one or more state legislatures were to ratify the proposed amendment it would not become part of the Constitution and the archivist could not certify its adoption."
The opinion said Congress "may not revive a proposed amendment after a deadline for its ratification has expired."
"Should congress wish to propose the amendment anew, it may do so through the same procedures required to propose an amendment in the first instance, consistent with Article V of the Constitution."
The concept first was proposed in the U.S. House in 1923, but it didn't gain congressional action until the 1970s. But that legislation included a ratification deadline, which was extended once.
Recently, three states sued to keep the ERA corpse in its grave.
AP reported South Dakota, Louisiana and Alabama filed a federal case to block the ERA should there be support.
South Dakota's attorney general at the time, Jason Raynsborg, explained: "The South Dakota Legislature ratified the ERA in 1973, but in 1979 passed Senate Joint Resolution 2 which required the ERA be ratified in the original time limit set by Congress or be rescinded. Because thirty-eight states failed to ratify the amendment by [the deadline], the South Dakota Legislature rescinded its ratification of the ERA."
Nebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky and South Dakota, after first adopting it, later reversed their decisions and withdrew their adoptions.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center
A California man has been arrested in connection with this week's school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, in which a faculty member and a student were killed, in addition to the shooter who apparently killed herself.
The victims have been identified as student Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, and teacher Erin M. West. Six others were injured, including two hospitalized in critical condition.
A report in the Daily Mail said Alexander Paffendorf, 20, of Carlsbad, California, was arrested for allegedly plotting a coordinated attack with the Wisconsin shooter, Natalie "Samantha" Rupnow, 15, who died of a self-inflicted wound.
The report said Paffendorf was detained by the FBI on suspicion of "plotting" to coordinate a mass shooting at a government building in conjunction with Rupnow's shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School.
The report said an emergency gun violence restraining order was reviewed by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
"During an FBI interview, Paffendorf admitted to the FBI agents that he told Rupnow that he would arm himself with explosives and a gun that he would target a government building," the order charges.
Agents also reviewed multiple messages between Paffendorf and Rupnow.
"A San Diego judge approved the order on Tuesday, and required Paffendorf to surrender any firearms and ammunition, and prohibited him from acquiring any more," the report confirmed. Neighbors told reporters they saw more than a dozen police cars arrive at the apartment complex where Paffendorf lives. He's now scheduled for a court date on January 3.
Authorities continue to try to find a motive for the shooting, suggesting a "combination" of factors, according to Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.
Rupnow carried two handguns with her for the shooting, using only one, and police are trying to determine how she obtained them.
The Daily Mail said Vergara was a freshman at the school and she loved reading, art, singing, and playing keyboard.
A funeral is scheduled for Sunday.
West had worked at the school as the substitute coordinator before she was gunned down.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Another day, another international non-governmental organization (NGO) throws out a wild accusation of Israel's committing "genocide" against the Palestinians in Gaza. This time it is Human Rights Watch, whose report follows closely on a recent Amnesty International document that accused Israel of committing "genocide due to starvation." That report was so egregious the Israel branch of Amnesty completely disowned its own parent organization's so-called findings.
Israel's Foreign Ministry came out strongly against the HRW report and baldly accused it of a "blood libel" for propagating a claim for which there is no evidence. Indeed, COGAT, the body which administers activities in Judea and Samaria and deals with humanitarian aid in Gaza, put figures to its disclaimer of the report. Calling it an "egregious" lie, it showed it had disbursed more water – approximately 20 liters per person per day – rather than the "international standard 15 liters" to the people of Gaza. In addition, Israel facilitated hundreds of water infrastructure repairs, both in northern and southern Gaza. It also fixed water lines leading to Gaza on the Israeli side that were damaged by Hamas. And some of these repairs were done under fire. It should also be recalled that Hamas uses water pipes as firing tubes for rockets aimed at Israeli population centers. Israel also facilitated the repair of the "Kela" electricity line (which Hamas damaged on Oct. 7), so the desalination plant in Khan Yunis can work at full capacity.
Arsen Ostrovsky from the International Legal Forum, which centralizes efforts of lawyers, organizations and activists worldwide in their fight to promote justice, peace and equality in Israel and the Middle East, blasted the HRW report. "Human Rights Watch may as well change its name to Hamas Rights Watch, " he wrote in a statement.
On being asked why the report had come out now, Ostrovsky responded the situation was two-pronged. "Like the Amnesty report, it is being used to bolster South Africa's upcoming case in the International Court of Justice. However, in addition, the genocide charge has been fully exposed for what it is: a perversion of justice, without any legal basis or merit. Therefore, groups like Amnesty and HRW, as well as now Ireland and others, are seeking to redefine the very meaning of the term 'genocide,' to fit their warped agenda of vilifying Israel and denying the Jewish state its inalienable right to self-defense."
There seems to be some kind of game being played with all the accusations leveled against Israel; the more outrageous the claims against it the more international aid organizations among others double down on their rhetoric, accusing it of the most ghastly crimes, and ensuring enormous amounts of time, energy, and money are absorbed by these claims.
And Ostrovsky says it is deliberate and coordinated. "The vast majority of these civil society groups have long abandoned their pursuit of human rights. It is essentially an anti-Israel cabal weaponizing the language of human rights and international law, in a relentless lawfare pursuit and hounding of Israel." Added to the Amnesty/HRW mix is Medicine Sans Frontier, which as if by magic, released an equally damning report about Israel, claiming it has seen "signs of ethnic cleansing.
With regard to the reanimation of ancient blood libels, he points out it is the "oldest hatred, but manifesting for the modern times, as a pursuit of Israel as the Jew amongst the nations. It also only underscores and exposes how baseless these allegations are and how much they are motivated by sheer anti-Semitism, than any pursuit of justice or international law."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Generations back, gays and lesbians were shunned in American society.
That changed when they demanded to be acknowledged and then tolerated.
Then they demanded to be promoted and honored.
Now one California teacher has sparked an enraged student and parent population in the district by demanding that students ARE "gay or lesbian."
It is NBC San Diego that has profiled the outrage sparked by the scheme of one teacher, a math instructor who reportedly "ordered his students to either come out as gay or lesbian during an activity."
It's at Rancho Buena Vista High School in Vista, and students were given the requirement while in an elective seminar class to teach them how to be "socially current."
The instructions:
"Stand in a circle. Each of you is now gay or lesbian, and you are about to begin your coming out process. You cannot talk for the rest of this activity."
Seven students promptly walked out and the repercussions continue even now.
Parent James Leon got an image of the classroom orders and posted them online.
"These are the types of activities being put on our children in public schools," read the caption. "My daughter told the teacher Hell no!!!!! Then proceeded to walk out of the classroom."
Since then, hundreds of enraged parents and others have joined the conversation.
"This doesn't belong in any classroom, not even sure where it belongs, but definitely not a classroom."
And, "This situation is so infuriating, I don't want this being 'taught' in my kids' classrooms. Ever."
Others charged that the teacher never should be working with "anyone's kids."
A response from the school was that Leon's daughter could "complete the alternative assignment."
And the father, in addressing a regular school board meeting days ago, was shocked when four San Diego County deputies showed up on a "preserve the peace call."
Then he told the board, "There is nothing that it does other than groom children."
His criticism was joined by a district bus driver, the report said.
"I am ashamed I work for the district and you guys allow this to happen in our schools," he said.
The father now has a meeting scheduled with Supt. Matt Doyle after the holidays.
And he's been warned not to let his daughter meet with the superintendent without a parent present.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Amid the somewhat uneasy truce between Israel and Hezbollah – and putting to one side the unfolding mayhem in Syria – the IDF is still active in southern Lebanon in its attempts to further degrade the fighting strength and spirit of the Iranian proxy.
To that end, Israeli combat engineers from the elite Yahalom, or "Diamond," unit, who performed a sweep of the area, located an underground Hezbollah command center, as well as an access tunnel, and confiscated a significant weapons cache.
The IDF said engineering forces from the 188th Brigade discovered and destroyed an elaborate underground Hezbollah command facility in southern Lebanon, which had been used to direct attacks against Israeli communities in the Galilee region since the terrorist group started firing projectiles on Oct. 8, 2023.
In addition to the command center, the Israeli military revealed it had located several weapons depots near the tunnel entrance, including one inside a mosque, where hundreds of explosive devices, guns, grenades, and other equipment were stored. The facility itself contained surveillance equipment, weapons systems, and military hardware used by Hezbollah to coordinate terrorist operations.
Meanwhile in Israel's south, the war of annihilation that Hamas began on Oct. 7, 2023, looks as though it might be winding down, amid a flurry of events, which have left Gaza's Islamist rulers increasingly isolated.
Reports emerged Wednesday of Hamas being at least more receptive to the idea of their most celebrated terrorists being sent into exile, rather than being released back to Gaza, and in exchange for some of Israel's hostages. There are still many details to iron out, but the significant uptick in negotiations has been catalysed by a renewed push by the United States, which includes CIA Director William Burns flying to Qatar, to attempt to finalize a deal.
The most likely destinations for those exiled are thought to be Turkey, to which it has been floated that Marwan Barghouti will be sent, and also Iran. Qatar, which is also taking part in the ceasefire/hostage release negotiations, despite being a financial backer of the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas is an offshoot, might once have been a possible destination for exiled Hamas convicted murderers. However, shortly after the election of President-elect Donald Trump, Doha removed the offer of hospitality it had formerly granted to Hamas leaders, effectively expelling them from the country.
The news of a possible partial deal has not been received with universal support in Israel. The Tikva Forum, a hostage families group – distinct from the much larger main organization – said it was against a partial release.
Its main contention is that giving in to terrorists' demands only makes Israel's long-term security more precarious and will likely encourage further hostage-taking in the future. Many in the group are deeply concerned about their loved ones never being released if they acquiesce to a partial hostage release.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
Report: Hamas agrees to exile high-profile prisoners as part of hostage, end-of-war deal
Reports emerged Wednesday evening regarding what appears to be a slight softening of Hamas' position regarding the future of high-profile prisoners it has requested be released as part of the deal to return some of the Israeli hostages it's holding in Gaza.
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, are now in their final stages, the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds reported Wednesday.
According to sources quoted in the newspaper, at this stage, discussions are underway regarding the identity of the Palestinian prisoners who will be released as part of the deal. The report claims "heavyweight" terrorists serving life sentences will probably be deported to Turkey, and also to Iran —a country whose name has not been mentioned so far as a possible destination for exile. The rest will be released to Judea and Samaria, and the Gaza Strip, reported Israeli outlet Ynet.
Swiss parliament votes to outlaw Hezbollah
Switzerland's parliament on Tuesday took the rare step of voting to ban Hezbollah, It was a decision which diverged from the country's long-standing tradition of neutrality and fostering dialogue for international mediation.
Proponents of the ban, which was endorsed by the lower house following the approval from the upper house last week, argued that Hezbollah poses a significant threat to global security, necessitating Switzerland's firm stance against terrorism, reported Israel National News.
WATCH: Assad's Syrian mass graves unearthed, fears up to 150,000 bodies might be buried
Irish president maintains diplomatic spat with Israel accusing it of 'slander'
Irish President Michael D. Higgins accused Israel of "slander" and of seeking to build a "settlement" in Egypt, as the diplomatic acrimony between the countries rumbles on. Speaking at a credentials ceremony for PLO "Ambassador" Jilan Abdaljamid and Ambassador of Italy Nicola Faganello, Higgins responded to a question about Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar labeling him an "anti-Semite," according to the Jewish News Syndicate.
It's a "very serious business to actually brand a people because in fact they disagree with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, who is in breach of so many bits of international law, and who has beached the sovereignty of three of his neighbors, in relation to Lebanon, Syria, and would like in fact actually to have a settlement into Egypt," Higgins said.
Report: British intelligence foiled 2 assassination attempts against pope during 2021 Iraq visit
Pope Francis has revealed he was targeted in a failed assassination attempt during his 2021 visit to Iraq, according to excerpts of his upcoming memoir to mark his 88th birthday, reported news outlet Semafor.
British intelligence warned Iraqi authorities – who in turn told Vatican security – that a woman wearing explosives was traveling to Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, with the intention of blowing herself up during the papal visit, the memoir revealed. A van traveled to the city with "the same intent," his security detail told the pope at the time. The Iraqi authorities successfully intercepted both would-be suicide bombers, according to the book.
Khamanei warns Israel of its impending demise, says axis of resistance still strong
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a belligerent message on Wednesday, in which he again predicted Israel's imminent demise at the hands of its enemies.
Khamanei coupled this message with a projection of strength among the so-called "axis of resistance," which he said was far more resilient than its recent losses would suggest, according to the Jewish News Syndicate, or JNS. His statement coincided with internal tensions in the country as well as an economic crisis in which a 35% inflation rate has plunged the currency to historical lows against the dollar.
20 Dems in Congress urge Biden to halt offensive weaponry sale to Israel
A group of 20 members of Congress from the Democratic Party on Tuesday wrote a letter calling on the Biden administration to suspend offensive military transfers to the Israeli government, reports Israel National News.
The letter was spearheaded by Reps. Greg Casa, D-Texas, and Summer Lee, D-Pa., who are members of the so-called "Squad" of anti-Israel Democrats, with 18 other members of Congress joining.
The letter follows the Biden administration's Oct. 13, 2024 letter to then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer which identified steps the Israeli government must take for continued transfers of offensive weapons to be in accordance with US law and policy.
U.S. forces strike Houthi command center in Yemeni capital Sana'a
U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against a command center operated by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist group in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
According to the U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, the command-and-control facility was used to coordinate Houthi operations, including "attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden."
It is also suspected the recent ballistic missile strike at Israel – which sent millions of citizens running to bomb shelters and protected rooms, was also coordinated from here.
Nuclear watchdog chief says reviving Iran nuclear deal irrelevant as Islamic Republic nears military level uranium enrichment
Refael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency declared this week there was little point in reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with regard to Iran's nuclear ambitions, as the Islamic Republic is practically a nuclear threshold state.
The atomic regulator's comments came as the U.N. monitor has grown increasingly frustrated with Iran as it has blown past stockpile limits set by the landmark pact and spurned inspections since Washington abandoned the deal in 2018.
According to an IAEA report handed to member states and leaked to the press earlier this month, Iran has begun dramatically expanding its production of uranium enriched to near-weapons grade levels, collecting enough material for several bombs already, according to a report in the Times of Israel.
Palestinians sue U.S. State Department over American support for Israel's war in Gaza
Five Palestinian families filed a lawsuit against the U.S. State Department on Tuesday, alleging the agency, under Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has violated U.S. human rights laws by continuing to provide military support to Israel during its war in Gaza. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia reported the Media Line.
The plaintiffs accuse the State Department of bypassing the Leahy Laws, which prohibit U.S. military assistance to individuals or units accused of gross human-rights violations unless they have been held accountable. The lawsuit highlights allegations from South Africa at the World Court and Amnesty International that Israel is committing genocide and war crimes in Gaza, claims that Israel has firmly denied.
What's the future of Russian bases in a post-Assad Syria?
According to Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, Moscow is engaged in intensive talks with the new authorities in Damascus to secure agreements on retaining its two bases in Syria. This is especially notable given the hasty withdrawal of forces belonging to Assad's other ally, the regime in Tehran.
Russia, like most other actors in the region, was shocked at the speed with which the HTS rebels overtook vast swaths of the country, ultimately deposing the Syrian dictator.
On Dec. 12, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov reported "constructive" talks with the leaders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stating that Russian forces were "invited by the Syrian authorities to fight terrorist organizations, a fight that is not yet over."
Qatar grabs Syrian foothold
Following the collapse of Bashar Assad's regime in Syria last week, Qatar's foreign ministry issued an official statement, saying that Doha "is closely monitoring developments in Syria and calls for preserving the nation's institutions and unity." Numerous discussions have since taken place between Qatari officials and various regional leaders from across the political spectrum, reported Ynet news.
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, said the country is closely following regional developments, particularly the war in Gaza and the situations in Syria and Lebanon.
Some commentators have highlighted the reanimation of the Turkey-Qatar gas pipeline, which Assad had shelved, and which will be a way for Europe to bypass Russia's supply.
IDF troops destroy Hezbollah command center in southern Lebanon
Despite the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel seeming to still hold, it does not mean the IDF has been idle in its pursuit of tearing down the Iranian proxy's terrorist infrastructure. Far from it.
According to the military, the underground facility was used by Hezbollah to direct numerous rocket attacks on Israeli towns in the Galilee in the past year.
According to the Times of Israel, troops located weapons, surveillance equipment, and other military gear inside the tunnel, the IDF says.
The IDF said several weapons depots were located near the tunnel, including one inside a mosque, where hundreds of explosive devices, guns, grenades, and other equipment were stored.
Israel unveils first domestically built quantum computer
Israel earlier this week unveiled its first domestically built quantum computer, pushing the country forward in the global race for "quantum supremacy," according to a report on Israel21c.
The 20-qubit computer which utilizes advanced superconducting technology was developed under the leadership of Israel Aerospace Industries, in cooperation with the Israel Innovation Authority and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and its technology transfer company, Yissum.
IAI has been investing substantial resources into making Israel a leading nation in the sphere of quantum computing and infrastructure. Its quantum computer lab will focus on design, simulation, integration, and the adaptation of practical applications for the newly unveiled quantum computer.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Democrats were enraged because local Republicans in Fountain Hills, Arizona, used an open forum at a community center to put up a Christmas tree featuring Donald Trump flags responded with their own offering, a mask of Donald Trump's severed head inside a Christmas wreath.
It didn't go over well.
The fight erupted after the community center invited various groups to put up Christmas trees. An animal rescue group put up a tree, as did the sheriff's office and the town's public works department. The Republican club also did.
The Arizona Sun Times reported the Fountain Hills Democratic Club demanded the Republican tree be removed, but it wasn't because of the First Amendment.
So then the group posted "a severed mask of Donald Trump's head inside a wreath."
"The town refused to take the tree down, citing the First Amendment, so in protest, the Fountain Hills Democratic Club (FHDC) put up their own 'inappropriate' replacement, a severed mask of Donald Trump's head inside a wreath," the report said.
Fountain Hills Councilman Allen Skillicorn told the publication, "While I defend the Fountain Hills Democratic Club's free speech, I am shocked by the inappropriate and out-of-touch behavior by FH Dem Club members. The Grinch appears to reside in their hearts. The people of Arizona and Fountain Hills have rejected their sex toy ideology and devotion to confusing children. I defend their right to not believe in Christianity and the Holiday of Christ's birth, but does that mean they should mock the faith of others? I invite the FH Dems to enjoy some eggnog and twinkly lights, but leave the Bah Humbug at home, behind closed doors."
A social media post said the head was on display only a few hours, and then was taken down.
The post said, "We have removed the offensive mask out of respect for all Democrats. A statement was made, if only for a few hours."
Tania Brown, who is part of the group that reportedly complained about the Republicans' tree, said, "Please tell me y'all didn't?? How does this truly serve the community at Christmas? How do you feel guests from all over the world are going to feel? How does this represent the Fountain Hills Democratic Club? Is this what you want to be known for? I'm saddened by the response y'all chose. I feel it's in very poor taste and now you've matched them. Please be better and do better. PS. The wreath was absolutely beautiful! I was so proud of y'all. Not so much anymore."
The town leans heavily Republican and voters ousted a leftist mayor this fall. Conservative Gerry Friedel was elected. Conservatives gained a strong 6-1 majority on the town council.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is raising questions about just what "genocide" is being addressed in the International Criminal Court's recent decision to target him with an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.
"The state of Israel is being accused of genocide at a time that we are taking action to defend ourselves from an enemy that is trying to commit genocide against us. We are accused of deliberately attacking civilians at a time that we are doing everything to prevent harm to civilians. And this is against an enemy that hides behind civilians and uses them as a human shield. So what genocide are they talking about there in The Hague?" he asked recently.
His comments came after the ICC took the unprecedented step of naming him, and other Israeli leaders over their response to Hamas' terror attack on Israel a year ago, in which some 1,200 civilians were murdered, often in horrific ways, and hundreds more were kidnapped.
"We will not capitulate to pressure; together we will stand, together we will fight, and with God's help, together we will win," he said. "Israel utterly rejects the absurd and false actions and accusations against it by the ICC, which is a biased and discriminatory political body. There is no war more justified than the one Israel is conducting in Gaza since October 7, 2023, after the terrorist organization Hamas launched a deadly attack against it, committing the largest massacre against the Jewish people since the Holocaust."
Yoav Gallant, formerly Netanyahu's defense minister, said the ICC will be remembered in infamy.
And those nations who are not a part of the ICC's political agenda are being warned about violating international law by cooperating with the ICC.
It is the American Center for Law and Justice that has taken action in response to the ICC's anti-Israel agenda.
"In a shockingly unlawful attack on the sovereignty of Israel, the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for simply acting in lawful self-defense in response to the horrific October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on innocent Israeli (and non-Israeli) men, women, children, and the elderly," the organization explained. "Incredibly, the ICC chief prosecutor encouraged States that are not ICC members to collaborate with the ICC 'in working towards accountability and upholding international law.'
"In other words, the ICC is urging nations that are not part of the ICC to violate international law and assist the ICC in this unlawful overreach," the legal team explained.
It responded with a letter to 38 states that are not ICC members.
"We explained that under 'a well-settled principle of customary international law, the ICC has no jurisdictional authority to issue arrest warrants for citizens of a state not a party to the Rome Statute (without that state's consent).' Since Israel has not ratified the Rome Statute, it is not subject to ICC jurisdiction, and as such, the ICC's arrest warrants violate clearly established international law principles," the legal organization explained.
"We also emphasized that non-party states are under no obligation, legal or otherwise, to cooperate with the ICC. In fact, since Israel has not waived immunity for its officials (by not ratifying the Rome Statute), the ICC prosecutor, by requesting collaboration with non-party states, is asking the requested states to act inconsistently with their obligations under international law," the ACLJ reported.
"As such, we urged the states that we contacted 'to counter what the [ICC prosecutor] is attempting to do and use all governmental authority at your disposal, including the imposition of sanctions on the ICC, to punish and deter this infringement on the sovereignty of Israel – an overreach that simultaneously threatens the sovereignty of all non-party states.'"
In fact, the international community, especially through the agendas of the United Nations, has attacked Israel more than any other country on earth.
The ACLJ continued, "We explained that the 'ICC has not only undermined the security of Israel and triggered a broader regional destabilization across the Middle East, but its actions also threaten all non-party states' jurisdictional protections.'"
The ICC now presents "unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of all non-party states and merit immediate action," the ACLJ said in its letter.
Proper responses, the letter said, would be for those non-party states to limit the travel of ICC officials and sanction the organization.
The report said, "The ICC's reputation on the international stage has been faltering for years. The way that the ICC continues to unlawfully target Israel proves this ongoing problem. That is why the ACLJ refuses to let the ICC get away with these meritless arrest warrants."