AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL REVIEW

VOLUME 45 No. 7 JULY 2020

AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL & JEWISH AFFAIRS COUNCIL ISRAEL’S GREAT SOVEREIGNTY DEBATE

Is the Jewish state about to extend its civilian law to parts of the West Bank?

BLM AND THE JEWS THE PRECISION OUT OF THE TREATING A SICK MISSILE THREAT SHADOWS ECONOMY Problematic elements associated with Israel confronts a Israel-UAE relations How Israel might the Black Lives Matter movement revolutionary change make some major bounce back from create significant dilemmas ...... PAGE 30 in warfare...... PAGE 20 strides...... PAGE 25 the coronavirus pandemic ...... PAGE 23 WITH COMPLIMENTS NAME OF SECTION

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AIR – July 2020 AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL VOLUME 45 No. 7 REVIEW JULY 2020 EDITOR’S NOTE NAME OF SECTION his AIR edition’s cover story offers insights and context on the possibility that, from ON THE COVER TJuly 1, Israel could make a controversial decision to extend its sovereignty to certain Israeli Prime Minster Binyamin parts of the West Bank, as outlined in the US Trump Administration’s Israeli-Palestinian Netanyahu speaks of his plan peace plan. to apply Israeli sovereignty to A detailed BICOM backgrounder looks at the circumstances, permutations, legalities the Jordan Valley on Septem- and possible consequences, as well as the main arguments for and against such a move. ber 10, 2019 in Ramat Gan, Meanwhile, Palestinian Affairs reporter Khaled Abu Toameh analyses the reasons why Israel. (Photo: Amir Levy/Getty there has been a limited reaction from the Palestinian street, so far, to these plans. Images) Also featured this month is top Israeli missile defence expert Uzi Rubin looking at how cheap precision-guided missiles are transforming warfare, and what Israel must do to meet this new threat. Plus, Ahron Shapiro provides some valuable historical context for the current debate in the Jewish world about the Black Lives Matter movement, with many supporting its goals, but also worried about anti-Israel and antisemitic elements associated with it. And don’t miss Amotz Asa-El on Israel’s coronavirus-related economic challenges, Sharyn Mittelman on the UAE-Israel relation- ship coming in out of the cold, and David Harris on why, 53 years after the 1967 Six Day War, the story of that conflict still matters. Please give us your comments about any aspect of this edition at editorial@aijac.org.au.

Tzvi Fleischer CONTENTS FEATURE STORIES REGULAR COLUMNS ISRAEL’S FROM THE EDITORIAL CHAIRMAN SOVEREIGNTY COLIN RUBENSTEIN ...... PAGE 4 DEBATE WORD FOR WORD...... PAGE 5 BY BICOM SCRIBBLINGS The Trump plan could mean TZVI FLEISCHER ...... PAGE 6 that “approximately 97 per cent of Israelis in the West Bank DECONSTRUCTION ZONE will be incorporated into contiguous Israeli territory ... the DAVID HARRIS ...... PAGE 7 Jordan Valley, which is critical for Israel’s national security, ASIA WATCH will be under Israeli sovereignty,” whilst no population centre MICHAEL SHANNON ...... PAGE 8 ...... PAGE 12 would move from Palestinian to Israeli control AIR NEW ZEALAND THE APATHY OF THE PALESTINIAN STREET MIRIAM BELL ...... PAGE 9 BY KHALED ABU TOAMEH ...... PAGE 17 BEHIND THE NEWS...... PAGE 10 MISSILES CAN WIN WARS STRANGER THAN FICTION...... PAGE 11 Israel and the precision-guided missile threat BY UZI RUBIN ...... PAGE 20 NOTED AND QUOTED...... PAGE 35 TREATING A SICK ECONOMY IN PARLIAMENT...... PAGE 36 BY AMOTZ ASA-EL ...... PAGE 23 MEDIA MICROSCOPE ALLON LEE ...... PAGE 39 A SECRET AFFAIR GOES PUBLIC BY SHARYN MITTELMAN ...... PAGE 25 THE LAST WORD JEREMY JONES ...... PAGE 40 SANCTIONS PUT HEZBOLLAH UNDER PRESSURE BY HANIN GHADDAR ...... PAGE 27 HOW TO USE OUR INTERACTIVE EDITION

AIJAC IN WEBINAR LAND • Tap/click to return to the Contents page BY JAMIE HYAMS ...... PAGE 28 • All listed articles link to their page. ESSAY: RACIAL TENSIONS • Best viewed in your desktop browser or the Books (iOS) or Jewish dilemmas over Black Lives Matter equivalent e-book reader app in portrait mode. 3 BY AHRON SHAPIRO ...... PAGE 30

AIR – July 2020 Australia/Israel Review A journal of analysis and opinion published by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC)

Editorial Chairman

EDITORIAL Dr COLIN RUBENSTEIN AM Editor-in-Chief Dr TZVI FLEISCHER Senior Contributing Editor AN IAEA WAKE-UP CALL JEREMY JONES AM Staff Writers ALLON LEE, JAMIE HYAMS, AHRON eports about the ongoing Iranian violations of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan SHAPIRO, SHARYN MITTELMAN, NAOMI LEVIN, OVED LOBEL, JUDY MAYNARD Rof Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal surface so often they have become almost routine. Publishing Manager Each of these violations reduces the time it would take for Iran to produce a nuclear MICHAEL SHANNON Correspondents weapon and increases the urgency to pressure Teheran back to the table to renegotiate a ISRAEL: AMOTZ ASA-EL better nuclear deal. Yet other important global issues, such as the coronavirus pandemic EUROPE: DOUGLAS DAVIS NEW ZEALAND: MIRIAM BELL and the international Black Lives Matter protests, have pushed the Iranian nuclear issue National Editorial Board to the backburner. KEITH BEVILLE, RABBI RALPH GENENDE OAM, GARY HERZ, MIRIAM However, the latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert reports (June 5 and LASKY, STEVE LIEBLICH, RABBI JOHN 6) and the June 19 Board of Governors’ resolution on Iran are in a whole different category. LEVI AM, Hon. HOWARD NATHAN AM, IAN WALLER SC They ought to break through the current international complacency on Iran’s nuclear program. This is because this IAEA resolution, tabled by the European powers and passed by a landslide of 25-2 (with Russia and China the sole opponents) criticises Iran for violating AIJAC the Additional Protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), not the JCPOA, National Chairman MARK LEIBLER AC by refusing to allow the agency’s inspectors access to two suspected former nuclear re- NSW Chairman search and development sites. PAUL RUBENSTEIN Executive Director The resolution marks the first time that Teheran has been accused of obstructing in- Dr COLIN RUBENSTEIN AM spections since February 2012. Director of International & Community Affairs As US Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation JEREMY JONES AM Senior Policy Analysts Christopher Ford told reporters in a briefing, “It is the first time ever, by any country, any- AHRON SHAPIRO, JAMIE HYAMS, where, that a government has rejected and refused to comply with its obligations under ALLON LEE, NAOMI LEVIN, SHARYN MITTELMAN the IAEA’s Additional Protocol.” Policy Analysts The vote may also be seen as a minor diplomatic watershed event for the US, as it OVED LOBEL, JUDY MAYNARD Associate Director of Public Affairs marks the first time the UK, France and Germany have fully backed Washington on a ma- JOEL BURNIE jor policy regarding Iran’s nuclear program since May 2018. That’s when the US withdrew National Media & Public Affairs Officer from the JCPOA, which it saw as “defective at its core”, and reimposed sanctions in order ARIEL ZOHAR to pressure Iran to renegotiate a better, enforceable deal that would permanently block it Events Coordinator HELEN BRUSTMAN OAM from building nuclear weapons. Administration Some have, wrongly and dangerously, been willing to excuse Iran’s open violation of MELBOURNE: ROSEMARY SANDLER, RENA LANGBERG the JCPOA as a response to the US withdrawal. These excuses should now be abandoned SYDNEY: LOUISE DE MESQUITA in the face of Iran’s violations of the NPT – obviously illegal regardless of how one feels Israel Liaison PETER ADLER about the JCPOA. Founding Chairmen In any case, five years on, the dangerous vulnerabilities in the JCPOA should be evi- ISADOR MAGID AM (OBM) ROBERT ZABLUD (OBM) dent to all: the sunset provisions mean that Iran is only five years from having all restric-

HEAD OFFICE tions on its uranium enrichment lifted; apropos of the latest IAEA finding – the deal’s Level 1, 22 Albert Road, South Melbourne, VIC 3205, Australia inspection regime is inadequate and slow in dealing with Iranian stonewalling; the deal Telephone: (03) 9681 6660 allowed Iran to continue to develop much faster centrifuges – designed, perfected and Fax: (03) 9681 6650 Email: [email protected] currently under testing with the JCPOA’s blessing; and it simply ignored Iran’s ongo- SYDNEY OFFICE ing development of long-range ballistic missiles tailor-made for nuclear warheads. It also 140 William Street East Sydney, NSW 2011, Australia ensured that Iran could receive maximum economic benefit without sacrificing either its Telephone: (02) 9360 5415 Email: [email protected] nuclear weapons ambitions or moderating its behaviour as a regional destabiliser through

SUBSCRIPTIONS its proxies and clients such as Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Please send all remittances, changes of address and subscription inquiries to: Ironically, the ease with which Iran has unravelled its commitments and resumed Australia/Israel Review Level 1, 22 Albert Road nuclear activity proscribed by the JCPOA has only validated the Trump Administration’s South Melbourne, VIC 3205, Australia criticisms of that deal. ISSN No. 1442-3693 Print Post Approved – 100007869 In recent months, Iran has steadily stopped complying with a growing number of restric- 4 www.aijac.org.au tions outlined in the agreement, including exceeding limits on both the level of uranium

AIR – July 2020 enrichment and the size of its stockpile, developing ad- or exports that would empower its terrorist proxies and vanced centrifuges, and resuming enrichment at its fortified, clients. underground bunker in Fordow. Unfortunately, US efforts to extend the embargo There have, of course, been other violations of the deal through the UN Security Council appear unlikely to suc- that Iran has not owned up to, such as maintaining a secret ceed due to resistance from Russia and China, both of EDITORIAL archive of nuclear weapon development research that whom are potential arms suppliers for Iran. This is itself a Israel’s Mossad exposed in 2018. “Some have, wrongly and danger- cause for worry, as an open arms Documents obtained from this ously, been willing to excuse Iran’s trade with either of these patrons archive reportedly revealed the has the dangerous potential of nuclear sites the IAEA has been open violation of the JCPOA as a leading to alliances that could trying to inspect. response to the US withdrawal. These upset the delicate geopoliti- Yet for Teheran, the JCPOA excuses should now be abandoned” cal balance between the global has been the gift that keeps on superpowers. giving. In a move that defies all logic, the nuclear deal Yet should the bid to stop the lifting of the embargo fail bestowed upon Iran, unconditionally, an end to the long- in the Security Council, the US is threatening to unilaterally standing conventional arms embargo on that country from activate “snapback” sanctions on Iran as permitted under the October 18 of this year. provisions of the JCPOA and UNSC Resolution 2231. Whatever motivated this ill-conceived concession to There are genuine risks in such a course, but to al- the Iranians in 2015 – today, at a time when an Australian low the lifting of the arms embargo to proceed would be frigate has just returned from protecting commercial ship- riskier still. ping vessels from Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, In a year of unprecedented challenges for governments and Saudi Arabia is still feeling the effects of last year’s around the world, the Iranian threat, both nuclear and con- Iranian drone and missile attack on its largest oil field – ventional, must remain a priority. Australia, together with lifting the embargo under current circumstances would be its Western partners, should lend all diplomatic support to an own-goal of epic proportions. US efforts to extend the arms embargo on Iran. The latest This is true whether looking at it from the perspec- IAEA decision should serve as a wake-up call as to how tive of Iranian imports that would allow it to modernise important the Iranian nuclear file remains to international its military, involved in considerable regional aggression, peace and security.

and get the peace process out of the cul-de-sac it has been stuck in for two decades.” WORD Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer (Washington Post, FOR WORD June 20).

“Iran has denied us access to two locations and that, for almost a “The ships from the fraternal Islamic Republic of Iran are now year, it has not engaged in substantive discussions to clarify our in our exclusive economic zone.” questions related to possible undeclared nuclear material and Venezuelan Petroleum Minister Tareck El Aissami on the arrival of Iranian oil tankers carrying gas and supplies to Venezuela (Reuters, May 23). nuclear-related activities.” Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mariano Grossi (New York Times, June 15). “We never were and never will be enemies, and we hope you will support us. It is only circumstance which has separated “What we have here for the first time since… the JCPOA was us up until this point... We share a common interest. [Turkish agreed, is the emergence of evidence of potential undeclared President Recep Tayipp] Erdogan is a terrorist, and both of us nuclear material and/or activities being potentially hidden in are on the same side. It would be idiotic of us to ignore that.” Iran… it is the first time ever by any country anywhere that a Abdul Salam al-Badri, Deputy Prime Minister of the unrecognised government associated with General Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya, government has rejected and refused to comply with its obliga- sending a message to Israel (Times of Israel, June 12). tions under the IAEA’s Additional Protocol. Those two facts together are rather a game changer.” “It is to treat the citizens, to stop the chain of infections. We US Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ford (US State Department, June 19). will not return to a total lockdown, but in military terms to a ‘breathing lockdown’. I hope from next week we will see the “The extension of Israeli sovereignty to certain territories in results, and slow the pace of infections.” Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein announces new “red zone” Judea and Samaria will not, as many critics suggest, destroy the restrictions on certain neighbourhoods as Israel seeks to cope with a two-state solution. But it will shatter the two-state illusion. And burgeoning second wave of coronavirus infections (Jerusalem Post, in doing so, it will open the door to a realistic two-state solution June 23). 5

AIR – July 2020 There is more, but hopefully that’s enough to dem- onstrate that musical incitement to terror and violence is a major element of the programming of the official TV station of the supposedly moderate Palestinian COLUMNS NAME OF SECTION Tzvi Fleischer Authority.

MORE DANCING AND SINGING FOR COURT OUT TERROR On June 9, there was a ruling by the Israeli Supreme Last month in this column, I discussed a dance video Court which didn’t receive much coverage outside of repeatedly broadcast on official Palestinian Authority (PA) Israel, but should have. By a ruling of 8-1, the Court TV which openly promoted suicide bombings with lines declared that the controversial Regularisation Law, passed like “Strap on the explosive belt, detonate the first in by the Knesset in February 2017, was unconstitutional and Haifa, the second in Atlit [Israeli cities]” would be annulled. Just to demonstrate this is not a one off, I wanted to This was a law that occasioned much criticism of Israel mention a few other music videos recently broadcast on when it was passed, because it allowed buildings in West official Palestinian TV (all examples documented and trans- Bank settlements which had been built on privately-owned lated by Palestinian Media Watch). Palestinian land in the good faith belief that the land in May 25, 2020 – Popular PA TV children’s host Walaa question was state land to remain in exchange for compen- Al-Battat sings a song about how Israel is an ”occupation,” sation to the land’s owner. existing on “stolen land,” because “Palestine is Arabian.” As most Israel experts predicted at the time, the pow- However, Palestinians will “get all of it back” and Israel erful Israeli Supreme Court said Israel can’t have such a “will disappear.” The video includes footage of Palestin- law, because it “knowingly and unequally infringes upon the ian rioters throwing rocks and burning tyres and other property rights of Palestinian residents of the area.” violence. This Supreme Court finding deserves attention for two May 30, 2020 – A music video contains lyrics about reasons: how Palestinians are a “great people, it fights with daggers • It is often the case that controversial and even ill- and rocks, with knives and cannon shells, with a poem and advised proposals, laws or ideas are thrown up and debated a song” against “Allah’s enemy”. in Israel’s raucous democracy, and then professional Israeli June 1, 2020 – A song in a PA TV video includes lyr- critics and international media seize on them. The activists ics “Allah is with us. He is stronger and greater than the present them as proof that Israeli democracy is a sham and Children of Zion…My red blood waters the greenery with Israel is racist by nature, with the media happy to report lemon flavour…We are the victors... My chest is a ma- sympathetically on such critical claims. But when Israeli chine gun’s magazine…” democracy rejects or reverses an ill-advised idea or legal June 1, 2020 – A music video with lyrics including change, as it has in the current case, this is rarely even “We are at your service, O Al-Aqsa, our blood is your reported. Media consumers who heard the initial highly torch… Defend the honour and the religion, With the help critical coverage of controversial Israeli moves may never of men who are not traitors – they do not fear death...” find out that they were never implemented or were rapidly When the lines about “men who are not traitors” are sung, reversed. the video featured footage of two actual stabbing attacks by • The Court finding also illustrates a basic fact about Palestinians against Israelis. Israeli settlement construction that many outside June 1, 6, 9, 2020 – A patriotic song with lyrics such observers do not understand: Israeli settlements have as “I’ve remained loyal to my religion. On my land you will never been allowed to be built on privately-owned Pal- find me. I will sacrifice myself for my family. My blood estinian land. I have seen claims that Israel is bulldozing is Palestinian, Palestinian” is accompanied by images of Palestinian neighbourhoods to build settlements and famous Palestinian terrorists, such as Dalal Mughrabi, who replacing the local population with Jews. This is simply led a 1978 attack on an Israeli bus in which 37 civilians fiction. were murdered, including 12 children, and Salah Khalaf, The Regularisation Law was passed to deal with a rela- who planned the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich tively small number of cases where the Israeli courts have Olympics in 1972. found that valid Palestinian land ownership claims were June 8, 15, 16, 17, 2020 – A music video is broadcast inadvertently violated. Many cases involve illegal outposts with lyrics such as “Jihad is necessary and self-sacrifice is created without Israeli Government approval and later necessary… Draw your sword from its sheath, and let it legalised. not return to the sheath afterwards… Kiss a Martyr on the When the Regularisation Law was passed in 2017, it 6 land, who called on its behalf to Allah and fell as a Martyr.” was widely claimed by critics both inside and outside of

AIR – July 2020 Israel that it would pave the way for the wholesale seizure Fifth, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), of private Palestinian land for settlement expansion in the which supported the war effort, was established in 1964, future – even though the language of the law itself permits three years before the conflict erupted. That’s important no such thing. because in 1964 the only “settlements” were Israel itself.

The Supreme Court ruling calls attention to the real- Sixth, in the weeks leading up to the Six Day War, COLUMNS NAME OF SECTION ity – settlement buildings are not allowed to be built on Egyptian and Syrian leaders repeatedly declared that war privately-owned Palestinian land, and the Israeli judiciary was coming and their objective was to wipe Israel off will likely guarantee this will always be the case. the map. There was no ambiguity in their blood-curdling announcements. The record is equally clear that Israel, in the days lead- ing up to the war, passed word to Jordan, via the UN and United States, urging Amman to stay out of any pending conflict. Jordan’s King Hussein ignored the Israeli plea and David Harris tied his fate to Egypt and Syria. His forces were defeated by Israel, and he lost control of the West Bank and eastern WHY HISTORY STILL MATTERS Jerusalem. Mention history and it can trigger a roll of the eyes. Seventh, Egypt’s then-president Gamal Abdel Nasser Add the Middle East to the equation and folks might demanded that UN peacekeeping forces in the area, in start running for the hills. place for the previous decade to prevent conflict, be re- But without an understanding of what happened in the moved. Shamefully, without even the courtesy of consult- past, it’s impossible to grasp where we are today. ing Israel, the UN complied. That left no buffer between Fifty-three years ago on June 5, the Six Day War broke Arab armies being mobilised and deployed, and Israeli out. forces in a country one-fiftieth, or two per cent, the size of While some wars fade into obscurity, this one remains Egypt. as relevant today as it was in 1967. Eighth, Egypt blocked Israeli shipping lanes in the Red Politicians, diplomats, and journalists continue to grap- Sea, Israel’s only maritime access to trading routes with ple with the consequences of that war, but rarely consider, Asia and Africa. This step was understandably regarded as or perhaps are even unaware of, the context. an act of war by Jerusalem. First, in June 1967, there was no state of Palestine. It Ninth, France, which had been Israel’s principal arms didn’t exist and never had. Its creation, proposed by the supplier, announced a ban on the sale of weapons on the UN in 1947, was rejected by the Arab world because it eve of the June war. That left Israel in potentially grave also meant the establishment of a Jewish state alongside. danger if a war were to drag on and require the resupply of Second, the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem were arms. in Jordanian hands. Violating solemn agreements, Jordan And finally, after winning the war of self-defence, Israel denied Jews access to their holiest places in eastern Jeru- hoped that its newly-acquired territories, seized from salem. To make matters still worse, they desecrated and Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, would be the basis for a land-for- destroyed many of those sites. peace accord. Feelers were sent out. The formal response Meanwhile, the Gaza Strip was under Egyptian control, came on Sept. 1, 1967, when the Arab Summit Conference with harsh military rule imposed on local residents. famously declared in Khartoum: “No peace, no recogni- And the Golan Heights, which were regularly used to tion, no negotiations” with Israel. More “noes” were to shell Israeli communities far below, belonged to Syria. follow. Third, the Arab world could have created a Palestinian Today, there are those who wish to rewrite history. state in the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem, and the Gaza They want the world to believe there was once a Pales- Strip any day of the week. They didn’t. There wasn’t even tinian state. discussion about it. They want the world to believe there were fixed bor- Fourth, the 1967 boundary at the time of the war, so ders between that state and Israel. much in the news these days, was nothing more than an They want the world to believe the 1967 war was a bel- armistice line dating back to 1949 – familiarly known as licose act by Israel. the Green Line. That’s after five Arab armies attacked Israel They want the world to believe post-1967 Israeli in 1948 with the aim of destroying the embryonic Jewish settlement-building is the key obstacle to peacemaking. state. They failed. Armistice lines were drawn, but they The Six Day War is proof positive that the core issue is, and weren’t formal borders. They couldn’t be. The Arab world, always has been, whether the Palestinians and larger Arab even in defeat, refused to recognise Israel’s very right to world accept the Jewish people’s right to a state of their exist. own. If so, all other contentious issues, however difficult, 7

AIR – July 2020 have possible solutions. communist New People’s Army, and the invisible coronavi- In other words, when it comes to this conflict, dismiss- rus threat. In April, with the country under a full lockdown, ing the past as if it were a minor irritant at best, irrelevant 11 soldiers were killed and 14 injured in a fierce, hour-long at worst, won’t work. encounter with the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu province. Then in COLUMNS NAME OF SECTION May, BIFF militants killed two soldiers and wounded another David Harris is the CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). helping to carry out a COVID-19 community quarantine in ©AJC, reprinted by permission, all rights reserved. a clash launched under cover of darkness. Such acts clearly require a response, but the predicted signing of anti-terrorism legislation by President Duterte has met widespread domestic and international objection. Opposition legislators, religious figures, press and civil rights organisations and legal scholars have voiced alarm Michael Shannon that the bill passed in the congress could pave the way for a permanent curtailment of democratic rights. HEAVY HANDS Since gaining emergency powers to combat the CO- Three years after Islamic State-aligned extremists trig- VID-19 crisis in March, Duterte has already presided over gered a five-month siege in the southern Philippines city of a broad crackdown on critical voices, shutting down the Marawi, violent jihadist banditry continues to flourish in the country’s largest independent news broadcaster, the ABS- shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Rodrigo CBN network. The broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer and Duterte has vowed to flush out the notorious Abu Sayyaf and the popular news website Rappler have also come under allied groups from the thick jungles of Mindanao and the heavy pressure. southern islands, but his roughneck authoritarian approach The emergency powers have ushered in heavy penalties, to all problems tends to derail any worthy initiatives. Mean- including two months’ imprisonment and up to 1 million while, the weekly gains and losses continue. peso (A$29,000) fines, for anyone who dared to “create, An alleged Abu Sayyaf bomb expert, identified as Kahar perpetuate, or spread false information” without clearly Indama (also known as Khang), was arrested on June 19 in defining the term, and a spate of warrantless arrests has a raid on a safe house in which explosives and detonators as many as 41,000 Filipinos facing various punishments, were recovered. Khang is known to have played a key role including being forced into animal cages for allegedly vio- in the audacious car-bomb attack on the Philippines parlia- lating the lockdown regulations. ment that killed seven people in 2007. He is also a cousin Dozens of citizens have also faced subpoenas by intelli- of Furuji Indama, the Abu Sayyaf’s leader on Basilan Island gence and other state agencies for supposedly spreading false – a stronghold of the group. information online, which has increasingly come to include Days earlier, two policemen were killed when two criticism of the President and his government’s policies. militants believed to be Abu Sayyaf members opened fire at In this context, the terms of the new bill point to some a police station on Jolo island in the province of Sulu. On alarming prospects. the same day, a member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Free- Authorities would be permitted to arrest people it des- dom Fighters (BIFF) was killed and five other BIFF sus- ignates as “terrorists” without warrant and to detain them pects were captured during a clash with soldiers in North without charge for up to 24 days. Under the existing law, Cotabato province. terrorism suspects must be brought before a judge within BIFF is a hardline, IS-aligned splinter faction of the three days. Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a former rebel group that While the definition of terrorism also includes threats signed a peace deal with Manila and now administers an to the fundamental social, economic or political structures autonomous Muslim region in the southern Philippines. of the country, it does not require such intent, which crit- Islamist recruiters have used economic misery and ics say is so broad that even a minor street disturbance is chaos to strengthen their numbers, but they now have an- susceptible to being considered “terrorism”. Those con- other rallying cry, analysts say – the pandemic lockdown. victed on the basis of “terrorism” definitions would face up Rommel Banlaoi of the Philippine Institute for Peace, to life in prison without parole. Violence and Terrorism told the Asia Times, “Islamic mili- Similarly, the law against incitement to commit a ter- tants are taking advantage of the quarantine measures rorist act offers no clear definition of incitement, provid- against the pandemic as rallying issues to recruit members ing an open-ended basis for prosecuting speech. and to propagate the idea of violent extremism, especially Meanwhile, the fight against genuine terrorism in the in depressed rural areas heavily affected by lockdowns.” troubled south risks being undermined, as popular griev- Since mid-March, Philippine military forces have been ances intensify in a nation sliding towards Marcos-style 8 fighting on multiple fronts: IS-aligned rebel groups, the authoritarianism.

AIR – July 2020 “NZ First leader Winston Peters, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs, has been very disappointing, after mak- ing all sorts of promising statements before the elections. Our UN voting record [on Israel-related resolutions] NAME OF SECTION Miriam Bell hasn’t changed for the better, if anything it is worse.” COLUMNS Zionist Federation of NZ president Rob Berg’s assess- ELECTORAL CONSIDERATIONS ment of the parties is similar. He too points to NZ First Cross-party political unity – it is not often that you see and Winston Peters as a disappointment. Likewise, he says it in a functioning democracy. But back in March-April as that over the last three years the community has estab- the COVID-19 pandemic closed down the world, New lished some good relationships with key Labour MPs. Zealand’s politicians joined forces and agreed to work “There have also been some bi-lateral agreements be- together to fight the virus. tween ... Israel and New Zealand during this government’s Not surprisingly, that unity was fleeting. Today, the term. But, on the whole, I rate their attitude to Israel as headlines are filled with politicians’ angry claims and poor and… heavily influenced by the unions, who are counterclaims about COVID-19-related border controls, mostly anti-Israel.” quarantine and testing. With respect to National, Berg says, “The party’s new One major reason for this is that New Zealand has an leader, Todd Muller, is a member of the New Zealand- election in September and campaigning is now well under Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group. However, his posi- way, with politicians gearing up to make their mark. tion on Israel remains unclear.” The Labour-led coalition government, helmed by David Zwartz, the former Honorary Consul of Israel the very popular Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, is in New Zealand and veteran Jewish community activist, currently riding high in the polls. While it is expected says that, historically, the National Party and other right- the large gap in the polls between the two main parties of-centre parties have been more supportive of closer New will eventually narrow, at this stage a major upset seems Zealand-Israel connections than Labour and left-of-centre unlikely. parties. He doesn’t see that changing. Yet going forward, only one thing is certain: the focus But domestic issues that are relevant to the Jewish com- of the campaign will be the response to COVID-19 and the munity are often matters that are important to other mi- post-COVID economic recovery. nority ethnic and faith groups as well, Zwartz says. “We all So what does that mean for those interested in where tend to work together through interfaith or multi-ethnic the respective parties sit on issues of importance to the organisations... to get problems solved. Jewish community? “These issues tend to be non-political issues like security NZ Jewish Council spokesperson Juliet Moses high- for places of worship following the Christchurch mosque lights a political divide in attitudes towards the Jewish massacre and education for public acceptance of religious community and Israel. Most parties have a favourable and ethnic diversity.” attitude towards the community to the extent that Israel- Meanwhile, the findings of a recently released survey of related issues can be compartmentalised, she says. the New Zealand Jewish community reveals that, in terms “The Government – primarily via the Labour ministers of political affiliation, the majority of New Zealand Jews and with special mention of Minister of Ethnic Communi- surveyed were left-leaning, except in Auckland, where ties Jenny Salesa – has tried very hard to support us, par- right-wing political affiliations were dominant. ticularly after the Christchurch mosque attacks, and that What that means for how community members are support has been significant in many different ways. likely to vote come September is, obviously, unknown. “National has worked hard to build bridges since UNSC Berg thinks that while views on Israel will influence the resolution 2334 passed under its auspices, and [National way the Jewish community votes, it won’t be the main MP] Alfred Ngaro who chairs the NZ-Israel Parliamentary factor. Friendship Group, deserves special mention in that re- “Most will vote according to their political beliefs and spect. ACT Party [a libertarian minor party] leader David those undecided will look at the COVID-19 response and Seymour is a friend of the community.” plans for the economy. I do believe though that disap- In contrast, one of NZ First’s MPs has made what pointment vis-á-vis NZ First and their stance on Israel will many consider to be antisemitic “jokes” in Parliament, prevent some from voting for them again. while relations with the Green Party have been pretty “And what happens in Israel in terms of the ‘annexa- fractious. tion’ proposals and New Zealand government comments And, as far as Israel goes, the bag is mixed, with Na- on this might also influence voting here – although I am tional generally better disposed towards Israel than Labour, guessing there is a fair split in the community on this issue Moses says. too.” 9

AIR – July 2020 BEHIND THE NEWS BEHIND THE ROCKET AND TERROR to seek medical treatment in Israel. REPORT Patients say that PA agencies have A mortar shell was fired from stopped accepting their requests for Gaza into Israel on June 15, causing exit permits, and some patients have no casualties and prompting Israeli reportedly attempted to make their retaliatory strikes. It was the first pro- requests directly to Israeli authorities jectile fired at Israel since May 6. instead. In addition, the Palestinian After three months of quiet, Health Ministry is refusing to make ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda Palestinians resumed attacks using in- appointments in Israeli hospitals for cendiary balloons from Gaza in June. Palestinian patients and won’t issue proved in March and according to the On June 17, Israel announced it had certificates of coverage to pay for ICC, Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons their treatment in Israel. seeking to investigate alleged crimes to Hamas forces from the Sinai into by the Taliban and its allies; various Gaza via the Mediterranean “a num- Afghani security and defence forces; ber of weeks ago.” EMBARRASSMENTS FOR and “alleged war crimes by US mili- There was an attempted stabbing ABBAS tary personnel in Afghanistan and by on May 25 in Jerusalem. Vehicular Despite active recruitment by Fa- members of the Central Intelligence attacks on Israeli soldiers in the West tah and Palestinian security forces for Agency (CIA) in ‘secret detention Bank occurred on May 29 and June protesters to show up at a June 8 rally facilities’ in Afghanistan ‘and on the 23. in Ramallah against Israeli plans to ex- territory of other States.’” On May 18, an Israeli court con- tend sovereignty to parts of the West The US also indicated that the victed settler Amiram Ben-Uliel for the Bank, barely 200 people attended. sanctions were aimed at defending arson murder of the Palestinian Daw- Meanwhile, on June 11, a video Israel, given the current ICC investiga- absheh family in 2015 in the village of released by “The Palestinian Centre tion into alleged Israeli war crimes in Duma. He faces a life sentence. for Communications” news agency the “State of Palestine”. US Secretary and the Hamas-affiliated Shehab of State Mike Pompeo stated, “Given News Agency showed Yasser Jadallah, Israel’s robust civilian and military legal PA’S REFUSAL TO a former director of the political system and strong track record of in- COOPERATE WITH ISRAEL department of the PA, claiming that vestigating and prosecuting wrongdo- CAUSES DIFFICULTIES funds given to the PA by international ing by military personnel, it’s clear the Palestinian Authority (PA) Presi- organisations are being diverted into ICC is only putting Israel in its cross- dent Mahmoud Abbas announced on private accounts by Abbas and his hairs for nakedly political purposes.” May 19 that he was no longer bound close associates. Jadallah is seeking Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi by any agreements or understand- political asylum in Belgium. Ashkenazi responded, “I thank Presi- ings with Israel, and would also sever dent Trump for taking steps against security ties with the Jewish state. the politically driven tribunal which Despite this, Israel reportedly contin- US SANCTIONS ICC illegitimately claims jurisdiction over ues to provide security alerts to the On June 11, US President Donald Israel and the United States.” PA, but has received few in return. Trump signed an executive order Neither Israel nor the US are Nonetheless, Palestinian security authorising the blocking of assets members of the ICC. forces did thwart an attack against and imposition of travel restrictions Israeli soldiers near Jenin on June against employees of the International 7, while senior PA official Hussein Criminal Court (ICC) involved in IRAN’S NUCLEAR al-Sheikh hinted in a June 8 New York investigations into alleged US war BREAKOUT TIME NOW Times article that security coordina- crimes in Afghanistan. In addition to LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS tion continues discreetly. sanctions, the US announced that it Two reports issued on June 5 and The PA’s refusal to cooperate was launching a counter-investigation 6 by the International Atomic Energy with Israel is also reportedly leaving into the ICC for alleged corruption. Agency (IAEA) reveal that Iran has 10 hundreds of sick Palestinians unable The ICC investigation was ap- now breached all of its obligations

AIR – July 2020 under the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal. veteran Brigadier General Moham- ISRAEL HELPS OTHERS Teheran’s stockpile of 1.5 tons of mad Baqer Qalibaf. Elected on May FIGHT COVID-19 uranium enriched up to 4.5% – much 28, Qalibaf is the former air force Throughout June, Israel has been more than the JCPOA allows (300kg commander of the IRGC (1997- doing its part to help other nations up to 3.67%) – is getting close to 2000), chief of police (2000-2005) fight the coronavirus pandemic. NEWS BEHIND THE being enough to build two nuclear and mayor of Teheran (2005-2017). On June 2, Israel donated medical warheads. The breakout time required In the Majlis, Qalibaf joins many supplies to the Philippines, including for Iran to produce enough highly-en- other powerful MPs who are also for- 50,000 medical gloves, 30,000 surgical riched uranium for one nuclear bomb mer IRGC commanders. His appoint- masks, 4,500 medical gowns, 3,000 is now estimated at approximately ment is another success for the radical filtered face masks, 1,500 face shields three to three and a half months. conservatives headed by Supreme and 500 non-contact thermometers. In the reports, the IAEA also ex- Leader Ali Khamenei, increasing their On June 5, Israel donated wheel- pressed strong concerns that Iran con- dominance of the Government. chairs to Ecuador. tinues to block the access of inspectors Meanwhile, former radical presi- On June 16, Israel donated to Ne- to two sites suspected of having been dent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005- pal over 550 units of personal protec- part of the AMAD nuclear weapons 2013), is reportedly making moves to tive equipment, along with 10,000 project. In response to the reports, on run again in next year’s presidential masks, 5,000 pairs of surgical gloves, June 20, the IAEA Board of Governors election, despite expected opposi- 50 infrared digital thermometers and adopted a resolution urging Iran to tion from Khamenei. Prospects of the other medical supplies. fully cooperate with the agency. reformist camp gaining power in the Not all assistance was in the form elections are dim, as the radicals will of physical supplies. In the Demo- likely use their executive powers to cratic Republic of Congo, the coun- ASSAD REGIME FACING block reformist candidates from run- try’s first “drive-thru” coronavirus SEVERE PROBLEMS ON ning as they did in the parliamentary testing facilities were established in NUMEROUS FRONTS elections earlier this year. June after officials there sought the as- Syrians in the Druze-majority city sistance of Israel’s Magen David Adom of Sweida in south-west Syria turned emergency medical agency. out for several days in June protesting worsening economic conditions and Accords were still in effect. widespread corruption, while calling The PA decided to have it both ways. for the withdrawal of Russian and Despite Abbas saying the agreements Iranian troops and the fall of President with Israel are no longer in effect “as of Bashar al-Assad. FAKING IT today”, the PA told the Court on June 4, Meanwhile, the Syrian currency Palestinian Authority (PA) President “Substantively, the statement declares that has collapsed, falling to 3000 Syrian Mahmoud Abbas has long been accused if Israel proceeds with annexation… then pounds to the US dollar, after starting of saying one thing in English for West- it will have annulled any remnants of the the year at 700. Before the civil war ern listeners, and something else more Oslo Accords...” This is not what Abbas commenced in 2011, it had traded at inflammatory in Arabic. said at all, nor what other PA leaders have 47 to the US dollar. A recent example may take the cake. been saying. Likely to exacerbate the situa- The International Criminal Court (ICC) Moreover, the PA’s submission to tion for the Assad regime, despite its is considering undertaking an investiga- the court included an ostensible transla- apparent victory in the Syrian civil tion into alleged war crimes in the “State of tion of Abbas’ speech – but the transla- war, are US sanctions on the leaders Palestine” that the PA wants to go ahead in tion omitted some of the more extreme of that regime that came into force on hopes it will condemn Israel. However, the claims in the text that the PA released to June 17 under the Caesar Syria Civilian claim that the court has jurisdiction over its own people in Arabic. Protection Act. “Palestine” relies in part on the 1995 Oslo For instance, a promise to continue Accords, which created the PA. paying salaries to imprisoned terrorists So after Abbas announced on May 18 and their families, which the ICC has said HARDLINER IRANIAN that, “The… State of Palestine [is] absolved, could be a war crime, was omitted from PARLIAMENT’S NEW as of today, of all the agreements and un- the version sent to the ICC. SPEAKER derstandings with the American and Israeli If the PA continues to play this Iran has appointed a new speaker governments and of all the obligations based “double speak” game, it risks being called to its parliament (Majlis), Islamic on these understandings and agreements...” out not just by Israel, but by anyone with Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) the ICC wrote to the PA asking if the Oslo access to Google Translate. 11

AIR – July 2020 COVER STORY NAME OF SECTION COVER STORIES ISRAEL’S SOVEREIGNTY DEBATE

BACKGROUND AND IMPLICATIONS

by BICOM

s early as July 1, Prime Minis- Ater Binyamin Netanyahu could ask the government or Knesset to approve a plan to extend Israeli law (often referred to as “annexa- tion”) to areas of the West Bank. The details of the plan have not yet been released, but according to the new government’s coalition agreement, any step must be coordinated with the US while maintaining regional stability and existing peace agree- ments. This is a Q&A primer on the Israeli context and significance of extending sovereignty in the West Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu has been promising to extend Israeli sovereignty to parts of the Bank. West Bank for several months WHY NOW AND WHAT DOES THE TRUMP the Palestinians that he will negotiate, in good faith, on the PLAN SAY? basis of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan – i.e. a There has been a US shift, under the Trump presi- two-state solution; and agreement on the plan between dency, on the conditions and the timing for applying Israeli Netanyahu and his coalition partners in Blue and White. sovereignty to parts of the West Bank. All previous US The Trump plan outlines a political agreement between administrations had rejected any Israeli move outside the Israelis and the Palestinians in which Israel can apply “the context of a peace agreement and coordination with the law and the administrative and jurisdictional regulations” Palestinians. The “Prosperity for Peace” document, known in areas of the West Bank that are not allocated to a future as the Trump peace plan, has provided Israel an opportu- Palestinian state, and in return has to begin negotiations nity to apply sovereignty in up to 30% of the West Bank in with the Palestinians for their statehood within four years. advance of future negotiations with the Palestinians. How- Prime Minister Netanyahu has remained silent so far about ever, reports suggest the US has conditioned its recogni- when and where Israel might apply its sovereignty in the tion of Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank on four terms: West Bank. Despite promising to bring the Jordan Valley the completion of the work of a joint US-Israeli mapping and all settlements under Israeli law prior to the March committee; Israel agreeing to suspend construction in 2020 election, political realities have meant Netanyahu and parts of the West Bank that are not designated to fall under his Blue and White coalition partners agreed that only after 12 Israeli sovereignty; the Prime Minister communicating to July 1 can the Israeli government bring the issue to the

AIR – July 2020 cabinet and/or Knesset. control over Area A and civilian control over Area B (90% According to the Trump plan, a future Palestinian state of Palestinians live in Area A and B). Israel retained full would rule more territory than the Palestinian Author- security control over Area B and full security and civilian ity (PA) does now – although less than what Israel offered control over Area C, excluding civil affairs issues for the at Camp David in 2000 and during the Annapolis talks in Palestinians who reside in Area C, apart from the adminis- NAME OF SECTION COVER STORIES 2008. Israel could be required to relinquish about half of tration of the land. what is currently referred to as Area C (30%) to the PA, Historically, Israel has justified the construction of the which is already in control of 40% of the West Bank, as settlements on security grounds, i.e. grounds that the mili- well as transfer to the future Palestinian state territory in tary commander is entitled to consider in accordance with the western Negev that equals approximately 15% of the international law, rather than on the basis of any claim to a West Bank. The allocation of land in the Trump plan could sovereign right to the territory. mean that “approximately 97 per cent of Israelis in the West Bank will be incorporated into contiguous Israeli WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF EXTENDING territory ... the Jordan Valley, which is critical for Israel’s SOVEREIGNTY? national security, will be under Israeli sovereignty,” whilst There are several arguments as to why Israel should not no population centre would move from Palestinian to extend sovereignty: Israeli control. Rise of Violence: The IDF’s Coordinator for WHAT IS THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE Government Activities in WEST BANK? the Territories (COGAT), Immediately after the 1967 Six-Day War, the Israeli Maj.-Gen. Kamil Abu- cabinet held a debate about what to do with the newly Rukun, has warned that acquired territory of the West Bank. Some wanted to keep annexation could lead to hold of the ancestral Jewish homeland for ideological or a “shattering of security Maj.-Gen. Kamil Abu Rukun: “Annexation could lead to a wave of security purposes, and others wanted to exchange the land coordination and a wave terrorist violence” for peace. Over the last 53 years, this debate has divided of violence and terrorist Israeli society, as well as the political establishment. attacks.” In time, this situation could require Israel to take Given the Arab states’ immediate rejection of peace over the territories at a huge economic cost. Former US with Israel after the war, Israel decided to bring the gover- Ambassador to Israel Daniel B. Shapiro and John R. Al- nance of the West Bank under the authority of the IDF and len, a retired US Marine Corps four-star general who led created a military court system, which observed the provi- the security dialogue during the Israeli-Palestinian peace sions of the Fourth Geneva Convention for civilians under process under the Obama Administration from 2013 to “belligerent occupation”. Palestin- “The Trump plan outlines a political 2014, warned that annexation of ians were regarded as a stateless all the settlements “will create people but they were given indi- agreement between Israelis and the hundreds of miles of serpentine vidual rights, including the right Palestinians in which Israel can apply borders, with dozens of crossing to petition the Israeli Supreme ‘the law and the administrative and points, that would be difficult to Court over legal disputes in the jurisdictional regulations’ in areas of defend, requiring expensive new West Bank. Israel has treated the West Bank that are not allocated infrastructure and large troop the legal status of the West Bank deployments.” differently to east Jerusalem. On to a future Palestinian state” Diplomatic sanctions: It could 27 June 1967, Israel passed two result in economic or diplomatic amendments that effectively brought eastern Jerusalem sanctions from the EU, including restricting the import of under Israeli administrative law. Israeli settlement products to the European market (the In 1993, Israel and the Palestinian leadership agreed EU is Israel’s largest trading partner). Other aspects of to change the legal status of the West Bank. The 1993 EU-Israel relations could also be put on the table: from the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Association Agreement and existing trade arrangements, Arrangements (the DOP, also known as Oslo I) outlined a to cooperation programs (such as Horizon Europe) and framework for the transfer of self-governing authority to funding through the European Neighbourhood Instrument. the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. The subsequent The EU could also stop funding the PA, a move which 1995 Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West could cost Israel millions of dollars per year, and individual Bank and the Gaza Strip (also known as Oslo II) divided EU states could also recognise a Palestinian state in order the West Bank into three non-contiguous areas, Areas A, B, to placate Palestinian concerns about the end of a two-state and C. The PA was given full internal security and civilian solution. 13

AIR – July 2020 Impacting ties with the Gulf states: It could freeze or sponse to such a move, whilst Egypt has expressed concern curtail Israel’s ties with Arab Gulf states and so weaken the that such a move would strengthen Hamas and Islamist fight against Iran, as well as redirect the international com- forces in the Sinai Peninsula. Furthermore, according to munity’s attention away from Israel’s existential threat. As Joel Singer, Israel’s legal advisor during the Oslo talks, an-

NAME OF SECTION COVER STORIES the IDF’s former head of military intelligence Maj.-Gen. nexation would violate Article 37(1) of the Oslo Accords (Res.) Amos Yadlin states: “It is important that we focus which contains a clear undertaking that “[n]either party on the Iranian nuclear program in our dialogue with the shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of Americans. Iran has continued to stockpile enriched ura- the West Bank and Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the nium; it has continued to operate advanced centrifuges and permanent status negotiations.” Palestinian Prime Minister has shortened the time to reaching the nuclear threshold Mohammed Shtayyeh recently said annexation would also from one year to half a year. The world’s support for taking end the possibility of a two-state solution acceptable to the more steps to stop Iran is vital, as is the open and covert Palestinians and lead the PA to unilaterally declare an inde- cooperation with the Arab world against Iran. But an act pendent state along the 1967 partitions, with Jerusalem as of annexation will focus the international community’s its capital. attention on Israel, and not on Iran…” And on 13 June, International lawsuits: It could also open up Israelis to the UAE’s Ambassador to the US, Yousef Al Otaiba, wrote international lawsuits. Israel’s Attorney General Avichai in Yediot Ahronot that “Annexation will Mandelblit has warned that extending definitely, and immediately, reverse all sovereignty may increase the chances of the Israeli aspirations for improved that the International Criminal Court security, economic and cultural ties (ICC) will rule in the next few months with the Arab world and the United that it does have jurisdiction over Arab Emirates.” Palestine, which could lead to crimi- Destabilise Jordan: Maj.-Gen. (Ret.) nal investigations against IDF soldiers Amos Gilead, a former director of the and officers, government officials, and Political-Security Staff in the Defence heads of municipalities in the West Ministry, has argued that the applica- Jordan’s King Abdullah has been warning of Bank. the potential for “massive conflict” if Israeli Complicating land swap agreements tion of sovereignty to the Jordan Valley plans go ahead will not produce any strategic benefit with the Palestinians: Applying Israeli for Israel. He recently wrote: “The Hashemite Kingdom law beyond the 1967 Green Line could make it harder for of Jordan has become Israel’s ally and has provided Israel Israeli governments to gain Knesset approval to withdraw with a deep strategic security zone that runs all the way to from land in a future peace agreement. The ‘Basic Law: its border with Iraq. This is a security zone that, as opposed Referendum’ states that at least 80 MKs (or, in the alter- to the past, has not been used by terrorists to infiltrate native, a vote of at least 61 members and a majority of all Israel. All of that is liable to change the moment that Israel Israelis through a general referendum) must approve any annexes [territory in the West Bank], which is a step that agreement by the Israeli government that will result in a Jordan holds to be a violation of the peace treaty.” situation where “the law, jurisdiction and administration Undermine peace agreements: Jordan and Egypt have of the State of Israel shall no longer apply to territory in called for Israel not to take unilateral steps in the West which they currently apply.” Bank. Jordan’s king has warned of a “massive conflict” with Israel and said that all options remain on the table in re- WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF EXTENDING SOVEREIGNTY? Finalise Israel’s borders: Supporters of applying Israeli law in the West Bank argue that such a move would allow With Compliments from Israel to finalise its borders for the first time since its es- tablishment in 1948. All Israeli governments have opposed a complete withdrawal to the former armistice lines, a po- sition generally accepted by the international community. NETTEX AUSTRALIA There have also been provisions in most peace negotiations Pty Limited with the Palestinians for land swaps where Israel would retain major settlement blocs close to the border, although 69 Bourke Road, Alexandria 2015 PO Box 6088, Alexandria NSW 2015 no agreement has been reached on the exact size. Sydney, Australia Control eastern border: The opportunity to maintain Tel: (02) 9693 8888 Israeli control over the Jordan Valley is seen as a key 14 Fax: (02) 9693 8899 advantage to extending sovereignty. Historically, this has

AIR – July 2020 received broad support from this prime minister and this in- across the political spectrum as ternational climate and we have it provides Israel with valuable to seize it. For mayors of settle- strategic depth. Former Israeli ment towns like Revivi, Asaf

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin Mintzer (Elkana), Nir Bartal NAME OF SECTION COVER STORIES said Israel should maintain (Oranit) and Eli Shviro (Ariel), control over the Jordan Valley the Oslo Agreement allocated “in the broadest meaning of that full Palestinian control over term”. Furthermore, Brig.-Gen. Area A and partial control over (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser argues Area B (about 40 per cent of the that extending Israel’s sover- West Bank), with the other 60% eignty to the Jordan Valley will designated as “disputed” but send a clear message that Israel under Israeli control. The appli- is determined to keep this area, cation of sovereignty now could which many deem critical for reduce the size of the “disputed” its security. During the 2013- land by up to half, and this op- 14 talks between Israel and the portunity must not be missed. US, then-Secretary of State John Greater risk of inaction: Maj.- Kerry proposed installing tech- Gen. (Ret.) Gershon Hacohen nological means on both sides argues that if the Israeli govern- of the Jordan River as a solution ment rejects the opportunity for the eastern border. Israel’s for sovereignty that President Defence Minister at the time Trump’s plan features, Israel’s Moshe Ya’alon refuted the US future will face exponentially plan, saying that full Israeli con- higher risk potential. Israel trol of everything that entered cannot really maintain its or exited the areas in the State temporary security presence in of Israel and the Palestinian the Jordan Valley in perpetuity. Authority – by land, air or sea Other supporters of extend- – was a mandatory condition. ing sovereignty believe that the Without such control Ya’alon reaction of the anti-annexation said, Iran, ISIS and other hostile camp has been exaggerated. entities would take advantage Raphael G. Bouchnik-Chen, a of the situation, like they have retired colonel who served as done in Gaza. a senior analyst in IDF Military Timing is now: Supporters un- Intelligence, says such visions derline that today is Israel’s best “are dark prophecies,” “not real- chance to apply its sovereignty istic,” and “obscure the strategic in the West Bank, as long as significance” of extending sover- Donald Trump is US President, eignty for the security of Israel. since the Trump plan promises US support for the move. Several reports, predominantly in the right-wing Israel Ha- DO ALL SETTLERS AGREE ON yom, further argue that the public warnings from Arab and EXTENDING SOVEREIGNTY? European leaders of dire consequences if annexation goes Whilst the overwhelming majority of settlement lead- ahead differ from private messages sent by the same lead- ers agree on the need for Israel to apply its sovereignty ers. It is argued that Israel’s relations with Jordan, Saudi in the West Bank, not all settlers agree with the Trump Arabia and the Gulf states will also not be ruined. These plan’s approach. Some oppose it from a more right-wing states rely on Israel to help mitigate the Iranian threat, so perspective. Those who oppose it argue that the plan will why would these states choose the Palestinian issue over result in 19 settlement enclaves (home to over 20,000 interests which they perceive as existential to them? people) becoming surrounded by a future Palestinian state, Apply now, negotiate later: Many leaders in the settlement which would create complicated security issues for the movement argue that any plan that allows Israel to extend IDF, as well as meaning those settlements would also have its sovereignty should be supported. Oded Revivi, Mayor no room to expand, leaving their long-term existence in of Efrat, says: “We have an opportunity with this president, doubt with little desire from Israelis to live or move there. 15

AIR – July 2020 Other settlers reject the Trump plan on ideological and should implement eight practical steps on the ground grounds, citing the US condition that Israel can only annex that can minimise the cost of occupation for the Palestin- areas if it agrees to the entire plan, including its agree- ians without impacting the security needs of Israel until ment to conduct direct negotiations with the Palestinians such time as conditions are conducive for a return to peace COVER STORIES NAME OF SECTION for at least four years, and that in this period Israel must negotiations. The steps range from allocating parts of Area freeze all construction and demolitions in the territory C for Palestinian economic development and industrial earmarked for the Palestinian state, as well as possibly in estates; building a new railroad between Jenin and Haifa other areas. and giving permission to the Palestinians to export their goods overseas; and allowing Palestinians greater freedom WHAT ALTERNATIVE PLANS EXIST FOR of movement in the West Bank. THE FUTURE OF THE WEST BANK? The Sovereignty Movement: On the Israeli Right there Despite years of failed efforts to find a permanent are several proposals that claim to enable Israel to control solution to the conflict, many Israelis still favour separa- all of the West Bank without ruling over the Palestinian tion from the Palestinians, in order to maintain the state’s population. Yamina leader Naftali Bennett’s “Stability Plan” Jewish and democratic character. As a result, more Israelis calls for Israel to apply sovereignty in Area C and Pales- have taken the view that Israel cannot afford to wait and tinians living there to become full citizens of the State of hope that the conditions that will allow a permanent status Israel (approximately 80,000 people). Those living in the agreement will emerge, and instead must act – unilater- Palestinian-controlled areas (Areas A and B) would govern ally if necessary – to offer practical solutions to reducing themselves in all aspects Israel’s footprint in the West Bank without jeopardising its barring two elements: security needs. overall security responsi- Policy alternatives proposed include: bility and not being able Unilateral Separation: The Institute for National Security to allow the return of Studies (INSS) has proposed that Israel should begin a descendants of Palestin- process of unilaterally separating from the PA and ending ians refugees. Likud MK Israeli rule over the majority of the Palestinian population Tzipi Hotovely advocates Right-wing Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett has a controversial in the West Bank, whilst at the same time entering nego- for delaying citizenship “stability plan” for the West Bank tiations for a permanent status agreement based on the for the Palestinian-Arab two-state solution. The plan proposes that Israel transfer population in the West Bank for up to 25 years under the security control in Area B to the PA, similar to the au- heading of “annexation-naturalisation.” thority it now has in Area A, so that a uniform Palestinian The Regional Approach: The Israeli Peace Initiative, co- entity will be created in 40 per cent of the West Bank (A founded by Koby Huberman, seeks to combine a two-state + B) that will be the foundation for the future Palestinian solution with a comprehensive regional agreement, which state. In the remaining area, the IDF will stay in 20% of the would provide international normalisation to Israel and West Bank for security interests (most of which is in the moral and financial support to the Palestinians, in order to Jordan Valley, including strategic sites and transportation help both sides pay the price for securing a peace agree- routes), and allocate up to 25% of Area C for the develop- ment. Huberman argues that negotiations should also ment of Palestinian infrastructure and economic projects. include Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE in order Minimising the conflict:This idea emerged from the to secure regional buy-in. The Arab states could provide centre of Israeli politics, and its most prominent advocate solutions to the permanent-status issues of Jerusalem, is Micah Goodman. According to Goodman, Israel can security and Palestinian refugees.

HOW WOULD EXTENDING SOVEREIGNTY With Compliments AFFECT PALESTINIANS IN AREA C? Netanyahu has recently stated that Israel will not apply its laws to areas where Palestinians reside, meaning it will not need to give Palestinians Israeli citizenship. Therefore, ROTRU it is expected that the US-Israeli mapping committee will exclude Palestinians by creating Palestinian enclaves. These INVESTMENTS enclaves could continue to be part of Area C or be trans- ferred to Area B, which will make the Palestinians living PTY. LTD. there subject to Palestinian law, but under Israeli security control. Nevertheless, the IDF’s Civil Administration has 16 begun preparations to carry out a census of Palestinians

AIR – July 2020 who currently reside in Area C for the possibility that some may be given resident rights if they live in land that is THE APATHY OF THE eventually annexed to Israel. PALESTINIAN STREET Applying Israeli law in the West Bank could also lead to the Israeli Supreme Court becoming overwhelmed with NAME OF SECTION COVER STORIES by Khaled Abu Toameh mass petitions or Palestinian requests for Israeli citizenship.

CONCLUSION n June 20, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the rul- At the time of writing, no decision has officially been Oing Fatah faction repeated their call to Palestinians to made by Prime Minister Netanyahu on the extent and stage mass protests against Israeli intentions to apply its depth of any move. Recent media reports suggest that the sovereignty to parts of the West Bank. smaller the amount of land annexed, the less pushback will The PA and Fatah are hoping that the widespread pro- follow for Israel domestically and internationally. tests will start in various parts of the West Bank. Nevertheless, a dual process has emerged in Israel which So far, however, the Palestinians have failed to heed the could delay Netanyahu announcing his plan. The US-Israel call for taking to the streets en masse to demonstrate against mapping team is yet to finalise its task and Netanyahu has re- the Israeli “annexation” plan, much to the dismay of senior portedly suggested that the process, when completed, could PA and Fatah officials. happen in stages, most likely with areas closest to the 1967 Palestinian political analysts said that the apathy could Green Line being incorporated under Israeli law first, which be attributed to a number of factors. avoids any entanglement with Jordan. First, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the Palestinian economy has taken attention away from political and security issues, particularly those related to Israel. Many Palestinians seem to be more wor- ried about the growing number of coronavirus infections and the poor economy than the annexation plan. Second, many Palestinians remain sceptical about the PA leadership’s motives and intentions, particularly regarding PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ May 18 decision to renounce all agreements and understandings with Israel, including halting security coordination between the Pales- tinian security forces and the IDF. These Palestinians do not take Abbas’ recurring threats to walk away from agreements signed with Israel seriously. They see his announcement as a mere tactical step aimed at New Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz (left) and Foreign Minister pressuring Israel into abandoning its annexation plan and Gabi Ashkenazi (right) may have a crucial role in shaping any plans for sovereignty in the West Bank placating the Palestinian public. Third, many Palestinians seem to have lost confidence The second process has emerged under the political re- in the Palestinian leadership’s ability to confront Israeli and ality of the new unity government. The Trump Administra- US Administration policies and decisions. As far as these tion is reportedly demanding Blue and White’s agreement Palestinians are concerned, the PA leadership has failed in on Israel’s plan in the West Bank before it gives Netanyahu preventing Israel from pursuing its policies and measures a green light to move forward with it. During the press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on 10 June, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi reiterated that the Trump peace plan “will be pursued responsibly, in full coordination with the US, while maintaining Israel’s peace agreements and strategic interests. We intend to do it in a dialogue with our neighbours.” Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz and Ashkenazi have also held several talks with Netanyahu and representatives of the US Administra- tion to try to reach an agreement.

© Britain-Israel Communications & Research Centre (BICOM – www.bicom.org.uk), reprinted by permission, all rights reserved. 17

AIR – July 2020 and interrogate Palestinian activists, especially those affiliated with Hamas and other extremist groups in the West Bank. “The Palestinian Authority leadership is very

COVER STORIES weak,” said Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip. “The correct approach for address- ing the state of regression, failure and helplessness among Palestinians is by finding a new national lead- ership that is honest and has a strategic vision. The weakness of the Palestinian leadership and its failure to take serious measures in response to dangerous moves, such as settlement expansion and land con- Palestinian demonstrations against sovereignty extension have had small fiscation, have encouraged Israel and the US admin- turnouts istration to undervalue our people. This shameful weakness has killed the national spirit of our people in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, including settlement in the West Bank and prevented any serious movement to construction. confront Israel.” In addition, in the past three years the PA leadership has Palestinian political analyst Marwan Ezzadin said failed in stopping the US Administration from recognising he does not believe that Palestinians are prepared for Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, relocating the US Embassy another Intifada against Israel. “The Palestinian Author- from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, closing the PLO office in ity and Fatah are making a big effort to send thousands Washington DC and halting US financial aid to the United of people to the streets to protest the annexation plan,” Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees Ezzadin noted. “We may see large demonstrations in the (UNRWA). coming days, but neither the Palestinian Authority nor Fourth, Palestinians do not feel that most Arab states Fatah want an all-out confrontation with Israel. They now fully support them in their conflict with Israel and know that a new Intifada would have catastrophic conse- the US Administration. In fact, Palestinians have seen that quences for the Palestinians.” some Arab states are on board On June 19, Abbas chaired an- with US President Donald Trump’s other meeting of the Fatah Central Administration, especially the US Committee in Ramallah to discuss “Peace to Prosperity” plan. ways of curbing the spread of the Moreover, the Palestinians see coronavirus in the West Bank and how some Arab countries, while thwarting Israel’s annexation plan. paying them lip service, are con- “Our people won’t accept the tinuing to engage in the normalisa- annexation of one centimetre of tion of their relations with Israel. their land,” the committee said in a Palestinians are largely not heeding PA head Mah- statement after the meeting. It also Fifth, the ongoing power moud Abbas’ calls for mass protests struggle between Fatah and called on Palestinians to “continue Hamas, which recently entered its 13th year, has further popular activities, on all levels and in all areas, to confront convinced Palestinians that their leaders are acting on the the Israeli annexation plan.” basis of personal, not national, interests. A common ar- A Fatah official who attended the meeting said some of gument made by Palestinians is that the split between the his colleagues expressed concern over the “apathy of the West Bank and Gaza Strip “plays into the hands of Israel” Palestinian public” to repeated calls for holding mass dem- and “poses an existential threat to the Palestinian national onstrations against the Israeli plan. project.” “There’s a gap between the leadership and the people,” Under the current circumstances, Palestinians feel less the official said. “We need to make a bigger effort to motivated to take to the streets to protest Israeli or US organise popular activities in the West Bank. We also need policies as Fatah and Hamas leaders continue to engage in to find ways to restore our people’s confidence in their an incomprehensible struggle over money and power. leadership.” Sixth, apparently some Palestinians are afraid of being targeted by the PA security forces if and when they engage Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning Palestinian Affairs jour- in violent attacks against the IDF and settlers in the West nalist based in Jerusalem. Reprinted from the Jerusalem Post. Bank. Despite Abbas’ decision to suspend security coordi- © Jerusalem Post, (www.jpost.com), reprinted by permission, all 18 nation with Israel, the PA security forces continue to arrest rights reserved.

AIR – July 2020 NAME OF SECTION COVER STORIES

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AIR – July 2020 the threat from the air. Missiles can win Initially, such efforts were focused on access denial; in other words, preventing hostile aircraft from collecting wars visual intelligence about friendly troop dispositions and NAME OF SECTION COVER STORIES blocking hostile bombing of troops and cities. The response was the perfection and deployment of integrated air de- Israel and the precision-guided missile fences that relied on interceptor aircraft and anti-aircraft threat artillery (later replaced by ground-to-air missiles). The Battle of Britain was the first victory of this access denial strategy, with Britain managing to combine radar, fighter by Uzi Rubin aircraft, and fire control centres into the first modern inte- grated air defence system. he emergence of pinpoint precision-guided rockets Later on during WWII, when Britain’s integrated air Tand missiles on the battlefield is a turning point in the defence became virtually impenetrable to the Nazi Luft- history of warfare. This is because they provide terror or- waffe, the Germans conceived the idea of bombing by ganisations and non-government militias with the means missile rather than by aircraft. Since the air defences of the to achieve air superiority without operating any combat time were unable to intercept missiles plunging at super- aircraft. sonic speeds, ballistic missiles promised the penetrability Air superiority means having access to hostile airspace that conventional bomber aircraft had lost. while denying the enemy access This marked a major shift. In to friendly airspace. It provides making this adjustment, Germany its possessor with the freedom of achieved the essence if not the action to strike the enemy at will. form of classic air superiority – This freedom of action is achieved namely, the freedom to strike the through conventional air power enemy’s territory at will – with by suppressing the hostile air no loss of aircraft or pilots. force and neutralising the enemy’s While Germany’s ballistic and ground-based air defences. cruise missiles wreaked havoc Every campaign in World War and killed thousands in Britain II opened with a bid for air superi- and later in Belgium, their poor ority. The Third Reich’s Luftwaffe accuracy prevented them from (airforce) succeeded in achiev- The German V-2 was conceived as an alternative way to changing the course of the war. ing this in Poland, Norway, and achieve air superiority, but without precision guidance, The disproportion between the France, bringing about the swift it failed immense effort of the Germans defeat of those armies and the in developing, building, deploying overrunning and occupation of those national territories by and launching the missiles – a brilliant technical achieve- Adolf Hitler’s Wehrmacht. The Luftwaffe failed to achieve ment – and their minimal impact on the war was inter- air superiority over Britain, leading to the cancellation of nalised by all post-war military establishments, including Hitler’s planned invasion of the British Isles (“Operation the IDF. The expression “Missiles and rockets don’t win Sea Lion”). wars” blinded Israel for years to the looming missile threat. In 1967, Israel opened the Six Day War with Operation Between WWI and WWII, several air forces – par- Focus, which obliterated the air forces of Egypt and Syria. ticularly the British and American – worked to achieve The purpose of this operation was twofold: to deny the the second goal of air superiority, that of gaining access to enemy’s capability to strike Israel’s territory and armed enemy airspace with fleets of strategic bombers. During forces from the air; and to provide an umbrella for the WWII, strategic bombing by swarms of heavy bombers IDF’s offensive, which ultimately defeated the opposing caused unimaginable damage to German cities and killed land forces. at least one million civilians, but the effect on the course In Operation Mole Cricket 19 during the opening stage of the war is still up for debate. Only in the waning phases of the 1982 Lebanon War, the Israel Air Force gained full of the war, when the Luftwaffe’s capabilities were nearly air supremacy over Syria and Lebanon, thus largely knock- exhausted, did the Allied bombers gain access to German ing Syria’s ground forces out of the war. airspace with acceptable losses. Since the early 20th century, when flying machines Air offence and air defence clashed next in Southeast evolved from rich men’s toys into lethal weapons of war, Asia, when the dense array of North Vietnam’s ground-to- 20 all the world’s armies have invested heavily in countering air missiles, backed by the judicious use of interceptor air-

AIR – July 2020 craft, nearly blunted the US’s have equipped themselves air superiority and exacted with huge stockpiles of simple a heavy price in downed US missiles – AKA rockets – and aircraft and lost aircrew. have used them to terrorise

Another landmark – if Israel’s homeland, killing hun- NAME OF SECTION COVER STORIES largely forgotten – clash dreds of civilians and causing between air offence and air considerable property damage defence occurred during the and economic loss. Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). Once Saddam Hussein’s plan THE PRECISION to defeat Iran by a lightning BREAKTHROUGH campaign fizzled out, the con- Rockets and missiles, as flict deteriorated into a war originally conceived during of attrition over the course of WWII, were not very accu- which Iraqi jet bombers, pur- rate, making them unfit for chased from the Soviet Union, precision strikes. As a result, bombed Teheran and other they were used mainly to satu- Iranian cities. rate troop concentrations and The Iranian air force was terrorise population centres. still equipped at the time with Improved accuracy could cutting-edge US interceptor only be achieved via heavy, aircraft purchased by the Shah extremely costly, and highly prior to the 1979 Islamic Rev- complicated electromechani- olution. The consequence was cal guidance systems. Preci- that Iran managed to down sion strikes thus remained the many Iraqi bombers, forcing Middle Eastern regimes have also turned to missiles as an alter- sole domain of manned com- native to airpower, whether Soviet-made Scuds (top) or this more Saddam to call off his strategic sophisticated, indigenously-developed Iranian missile (bottom) bat aircraft that could close in bombing campaign. on targets and hit them with In desperation, Saddam – like Hitler before him – short-range precision-guided munitions. turned to ballistic missiles. His fleet of Soviet Scud missiles Over time, however, technology has caught up. Today’s did not have the range to hit deep within Iran. Using the smartphones contain all the wherewithal necessary for pre- expertise of aerospace companies in Europe and South cision guidance of vehicles, be they automobiles, drones, America, he developed an extended-range version and or missiles. For about a decade, it has been possible to converted most of his Scud stockpile. The new missile, incorporate such technologies into even simple Grad mis- dubbed Al-Hussein, was used for strategic bombardment. siles, converting unguided rockets into pinpoint precision Almost 200 missiles were fired at Teheran and three missiles at modest expenditure. other major cities deep within Iran, killing thousands, This technological shift makes missiles as effective as air destroying houses, and compelling millions to evacuate the power for precision strikes. Precision-guided missiles are cities. The common wisdom among most analysts is that being developed and deployed today by all the major world those missile attacks were the last straw that compelled powers, as well as by many smaller states. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini to “drink the In the Middle East, Iran is leading the way. It is cur- poison chalice” and agree to a ceasefire. After eight years of bloodletting, Iraq emerged victorious. It can be safely concluded that in that case, missiles did win the war. A similar logic compelled Hafez Assad, Syria’s ruler, following the trouncing of his air force in the 1982 Leba- non War, to acquire a huge fleet of Scud missiles tipped with locally-developed chemical warheads. His minister of defence, Mustafa Tlass, pointed out the interchangeability MERGER & ACQUISITIONS CAPITAL RAISINGS between aircraft and missiles when he wrote that “the 1982 DIRECT INVESTMENT war was an air war, the next one will be a missile war.” The non-state terror organisations now confronting For more information visit cfsg.com.au or contact Marcus H. Rose, Executive Chairman, Israel from Lebanon and Gaza, Hezbollah and Hamas, have on 03 8676 0581 or [email protected] never had the option of acquiring air forces. Hence they Level 3, 365 Little Collins Street, Melbourne Australia 21

AIR – July 2020 rently converting all its older rockets and missiles into cannot guarantee a hermetic defence. Precision missiles precision weapons. It also supplies its allies in the region that do manage to leak through the defensive shield could with expertise and materials with which to build their own erode the IAF’s capability – witness what Iranian precision precision missile capabilities – hence the Precision Project missiles did in Iraq.

COVERNAME OF SECTION STORIES of Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies in the region. Against a precision missile threat, active defence is a Why is Israel so anxious to frustrate Hezbollah’s Preci- necessary but insufficient condition. It requires comple- sion Project? Because once it is achieved, it will elevate mentary measures. One such measure is passive defence, Hezbollah’s war-making capability to that of a state meaning the shielding of vital installations with thick military force. Hezbollah will concrete walls that could possess all the advantages of withstand direct hits. While an offensive air force with- technically feasible, this kind of out needing to own a single response is very expensive and combat aircraft. Its precision time-consuming. missiles will be able to paralyse Another response would be any vital installation or ter- to diversify the IAF’s offensive rorise any civilian population capability to compensate for centre in Israel. degradation of its offensive One of the biggest ad- power during the initial phase vantages of ground-launched of future war. If Hezbollah can rockets and missiles is their Iran’s attempt to upgrade Hezbollah’s vast missile arsenal with establish an “air force without advanced guidance systems would elevate the threat to Israel to small footprint. Precision a new level aircraft,” so can Israel. rockets and missiles enjoy the same advantage: their launchers are as small, stealthy, and ISRAEL’S RESPONSE as hard to find and destroy as those of their more imprecise Israel’s own Precision Project is more than a decade predecessors. Air power, by contrast, has the Achilles heel old. Israel’s defence industries have developed and tested a of a reliance on huge air bases replete with kilometres-long number of ground-launched precision missiles with vary- runways, aircraft hangars, workshops, communication ing ranges and warheads. To date, the IDF has agreed to centres, and so on. buy only the shortest-range version, and even that only in The vulnerability of giant, stationary air bases to preci- limited numbers. Longer-range precision missiles, such as sion missile strikes was demonstrated during the January the recently tested 400-km range LORA, are successfully 2020 Iranian missile strike on the US-operated Ein Assad exported to foreign armies, but not to the IDF. air base in Iraq. Prior to the attack, the US teams at that A proposal to establish an Israeli missile strike force to base had launched a fleet of Predator unmanned aerial back up Israel’s aircraft strike force was mooted a couple vehicles (UAV) for patrolling the base perimeter. One of of years ago. As far as is known, it was rejected by the IDF. the incoming Iranian missiles hit an underground com- The relatively short-range precision missiles now acquired munications conduit and cut the fibre optic lines between are slated to provide ground forces with long-range artil- the UAV’s control vans and the system’s transceivers. This lery support for ground operations, not to back up and caused a loss of ground control over the entire UAV fleet. complement the IAF’s capability to conduct strategic It took hours to re-establish communication via satellite strikes when its bases are under precision missile fire. and bring the UAVs back in. Modern precision missiles have the same punch as com- Needless to say, US combat aircraft based in Iraq were bat aircraft yet are less vulnerable, as they don’t rely on powerless against this missile strike. Simply put, Iran huge, immovable, target-rich air bases. Precision-guided gained air superiority over the air base by virtue of its missiles and rockets can paralyse the civilian and military precision missiles. infrastructures of entire countries, paving the way to their defeat. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE DEFENCE Israel needs to do everything in its power not only to Once Hezbollah is equipped with precision missiles, prevent defeat by such weapons but to use them to defeat it stands to reason that it will launch an Operation Focus its enemies. of its own in the opening stage of any future war with Israel, firing salvos of precision missiles to paralyse Israel’s Dr. Uzi Rubin was the founding director of the Israel Missile air bases. Israel’s active missile defence structure – Iron Defence Organisation, which managed the Arrow missile defence Dome, David’s Sling, and any future high power laser program. He is now a senior research associate at the Begin-Sadat defence system – will probably be able to destroy most (BESA) Centre for Strategic Studies. © BESA, reprinted by permis- 22 incoming missiles, but not all of them. Active defence sion, all rights reserved.

AIR – July 2020 TREATING A SICK ECONOMY COVER STORIES NAME OF SECTION by Amotz Asa-El

ith stadiums emptied, malls shuttered, trains idled, Wairports nearly desolate, and a strict curfew confin- ing them to within 500 metres of their homes, Israelis this year missed the vistas and fragrances of a blossomy spring that followed an unusually rainy winter. Fortunately, the tightest restrictions that the Govern- Israelis are back in the shops – but unemployment remains at an ment had imposed in March in response to the coronavirus unprecedented high pandemic had largely been lifted by June. That’s almost the size of the deficit for all of 2019, Unfortunately, the dramatic economic impacts of the which was NIS 52.2 billion (A$22 billion). pandemic could not be as easily reversed. Then again, Fortunately, things have improved a bit since the initial there is reason to believe that the initial shock has been shocks, as the Government began easing lockdown restric- absorbed, and that the journey to recovery, while young tions. By June, the Government reported that 275,000 and long, is nonetheless underway – providing the impact furloughed workers had returned to work, and the head of of Israel’s current “second wave” of coronavirus infections the Labour and Welfare Ministry’s Labour Service has esti- does not derail it. mated that, by September, the unemployment rate should Israel’s response to the medical challenges of the pan- decline to around 10%. demic was ranked by the Economist Intelligence Unit as the Better yet, economists also estimated the Government fourth best in the developed world – reflecting early and will manage to finance the growing deficit by new bond decisive pre-emptive measures that also benefitted from issues abroad. Previous fears that the deficit would run so the country’s tightly controlled borders, relatively young deep that covering it would require printing money – and population, and long experience in coping with emergency risk courting an inflationary spiral – seem to have been situations. dispelled. However, what worked well epidemiologically has been derided by some as economically excessive, inspir- ing fiery debates between the Health Ministry’s medical professionals and the Treasury’s economists. Nonetheless, the international context of a global, and thus inescapable, crisis is not a matter of debate, and neither is the severity of the recession it has spawned. The most economically destructive anti-pandemic measure was likely the Government’s order that employ- ers must allow no more than 30% of their workers to be physically present at their workplaces. Thousands were consequently sent on furlough or simply dismissed. The other great shock was caused by the near-complete halting of flights into and out of the Jewish state. In terms of the stark numbers, these measures initially spiked unemployment from a negligible 3.9% to roughly a quarter of the workforce, representing a jobless rate that is more than double any Israel has ever experienced before. At the same time, the government’s NIS 88.4 bil- lion (A$37 billion) stimulus and compensation program, including new health spending, unemployment payments, tax deferments, and emergency payments to shuttered businesses, created a NIS 46.2 billion (A$19.5 billion) budget deficit for the first five months of the 2020 fiscal year. 23

AIR – July 2020 Israeli law currently forbids printing money to cover More broadly, Israel’s important tourism, enter- deficits, as a result of the 1985 hyper-inflation crisis and tainment, and restaurant industries have been severely the stabilisation plan which ultimately ended it. Printing crippled, even after the Government allowed eateries to money to deal with the current crisis would have required partially reopen, and reception centres to hold events of

COVERNAME OF SECTION STORIES new legislation – which in turn might have generated a up to 250 people. sense of historic retreat and economic pessimism. Still, by late June, it was clear that the pandemic’s eco- onetheless, when viewed from neighbouring capitals, nomic impact would last longer and run deeper than many NIsrael’s pandemic economic dilemmas probably seem had initially hoped. enviable. Two good indicators of this reality are the conditions In Iran, the Government’s initial denial of the coro- of the national airline El Al and of Israeli energy tycoon navirus threat, and its admission of flights from China Yitzhak Teshuva. well after others had banned them, resulted in more El Al had been in trouble prior to the crisis, having lost than 150,000 reported infections by June, and wild NIS 98 million (A$41.3 million) in 2019. It was therefore rumours about thousands of unreported fatalities. The in no position to sustain the huge economic shortfalls pandemic’s financial pressure led Teheran to request caused by having its fleet grounded during the pandemic, from the International Monetary Fund an emergency even after firing 17% of its workforce and cutting the pay US$5 billion loan, while Iranian currency has hit his- of its remaining employees by 20%. torical new lows, with US$1 buying close to 200,000 The result has been negotiations with the Government rials at the end of June. that might lead to the privatised company being re-na- In Lebanon, the effect has been even worse, as the tionalised, with the Treasury offering to guarantee NIS250 already vulnerable Lebanese pound’s depreciation accel- million (A$105.3 million) in private loans for the com- erated. By mid-June, it had plunged by 70% in its dollar pany, and to buy up to US$150 million (A$218.4 million) value over the last nine months. Protesters had been taking in shares at a public offering, should the stock not be taken to the streets to express their anger over the desperate up by private investors. economic situation even before the outbreak, as Beirut Meanwhile Yitzhak Teshuva, a self-made real estate reached the brink of insolvency. tycoon and one of Israel’s wealthiest people, had been the The pandemic, however, only multiplied mistrust in the main beneficiary of Israel’s newly found offshore gas fields Government, and also against Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hez- in the Mediterranean through his ownership of the Israeli bollah, and generated a sense of despair that saw protesters petroleum company Delek. Having thus become an energy in Beirut and Tripoli clash with police, at times attacking baron, in recent years he has invested in oil drilling in the them with firebombs, while absorbing tear gas and rubber North Sea, Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. bullets in return. In May, with energy prices in free fall, his heavily lever- Debt-ridden Lebanon’s economic crisis is underpinned aged foreign investments proved beyond his means, and by protracted governmental paralysis and fiscal waste, for a while, he seemed to be on the brink of insolvency. aggravated by the presence of an estimated one million Fortunately for him, he managed to reach a deal with his Syrian refugees, all of which led to imposition of capital creditors for the latter to take a major haircut on his debts. controls. This, in turn, has resulted in soaring food prices Even so, his financial reputation is now badly dented, and and unemployment, and a cash crunch that most Lebanese his situation looms as a reminder of the unpredictability households are feeling acutely. and volatility of the coronavirus economy. Things are even worse in Syria, where the pandemic’s pressure is dragging down the Government’s effort to at- tract badly-needed foreign investments in order to rehabil- itate and re-ignite its ravaged economy, while the war still goes on, although limited in scope and confined to specific areas. The Syrian lira, which last September traded on the black market at 650 to the US dollar, had sunk by mid- June to more than 3,000 to the dollar, as new US sanctions went into effect. With large parts of the country reportedly suffering from food shortages, thousands have taken to the streets PROUDLY SUPPORTING AIJAC in multiple locations, openly demanding President Bashar Assad’s departure, in scenes reminiscent of the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011. 24

AIR – July 2020 srael’s economic crisis is obviously of an entirely dif- Iferent nature, largely resembling what the rest of the A SECRET AFFAIR GOES developed world has had to face in the wake of the coro- PUBLIC navirus pandemic.

Then again , the economic burden that has so suddenly NAME OF SECTION by Sharyn Mittelman befallen every household is creating social pressures of a sort no Israeli Government has had to face since the great economic crisis of 1985. srael’s warming relations with its Gulf Arab neigh- The business sector’s disgruntlement convinced the Ibours have often been a “secret affair”. In recent weeks, Government to fully reopen the school system by mid- however, the Jewish state’s growing ties with the United May, earlier than most other OECD nations. Arab Emirates (UAE) have increasingly come out into the The rationale was that the pandemic’s initial wave had public spotlight. been weathered, and the school lockdown was a major Despite the UAE having no formal diplomatic relation- burden for the workplace, since it forced parents to stay ship with Israel, on both May 19 and June 9 the UAE sent home with their kids. medical supplies to the Palestinians to help battle corona- However, shortly after students returned, there were virus via Israel’s Ben Gurion airport, the second of which coronavirus outbreaks in schools in major Israeli cities, arrived in Israel in a clearly marked Etihad Airways plane. soon resulting in more than 40 schools being once again The Palestinian Authority refused to accept the medical shuttered. supplies – because the arrangement was coordinated be- Even so, pressure to open the economy intensified, tween the UAE and Israel, the PA condemned it as an act most notably from artists and stage workers who held of “normalisation”. well-attended and loud demonstrations outside the Knes- Meanwhile, on June 12, an Emirati diplomat published set, demanding that theatres reopen, and that Prime Min- an opinion article, in Hebrew, in a major Israeli daily – ister Binyamin Netanyahu meet with them to hear their something once unthinkable for representatives of Arab demands. governments with no formal ties to the Jewish state. Netanyahu, who could hear the protests through his There have been many other public acts to indicate a office window, met with their representatives, and soon thawing in the relationship. The UAE is allowing Israel to announced that public performances would resume – but participate in the Expo 2020 in Dubai (now postponed to audiences will be limited to 500 people. 2021), and in February an Israeli cycling team took part in While these and other restrictions began to be lifted, the UAE Tour racing through Dubai. the number of infections began rising, exceeding 250 new cases per day in mid-June, after having declined the previ- ous month to nearly zero. Referring to the international travel lockdown, Ne- tanyahu has promised that the skies will be reopened on August 1 to a limited set of “green” countries with low infection rates, most notably Greece, a favourite destina- tion for Israeli vacationers. Optimists see this as a light at the end of the tunnel. Pessimists see it as proof that most of the world will re- main inaccessible for at least the rest of the year. Both pessimists and optimists agree the virus is far Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev in Abu Dhabi in 2018 from eradicated, and expect it to continue to impact every aspect of their lives at least until the middle of 2021. In November 2015, the UAE allowed Israel to es- What sets it apart from Israel’s previous economic cri- tablish a diplomatic office in Abu Dhabi, and there have ses is its global scope, and the realisation that its eruption been a number of visits to the UAE by Israeli politicians had nothing to do with Israeli policies, actions or inaction, including by Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon and that, in coping with it, Israel is in the same boat as the in 2016. rest of mankind. In 2018, Israel’s then Culture and Sports Minister Miri In this regard, it fits both halves of a pair of contradic- Regev heard and saw the Israeli anthem played in Abu tory Hebrew adages: one says that a plight shared by a Dhabi after Israeli Sagi Muki won a gold medal in an inter- multitude is half a consolation, while the other says that national judo tournament there. a plight shared by a multitude is a consolation only for Israeli Communications Minister Ayoub Kara also vis- fools. ited the UAE in 2018. 25

AIR – July 2020 The warming relationship has been influenced by be undermined by a decision to annex… I wanted to make shared interests, particularly concern about Iran – its sure people understood how we saw this possibility and destabilising activities across the region through its prox- the risks associated with it.” ies and its nuclear ambitions. On Dec. 17, 2019, the US However, the article appeared to contrast with com-

NAME OF SECTION BIBLIO FILE Administration reportedly convened a secret trilateral ments made by the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign meeting with Israel and the UAE to coordinate their poli- Affairs, Dr. Anwar Gargash, on June 16, at the American cies in dealing with the Iranian threat. Jewish Committee’s (AJC) virtual Global Forum. Dr. Gar- According to reports, Israel and the UAE also discussed gash said, “The UAE is clearly against any annexation as is a potential non-aggression pact as an interim step toward being proposed by the current Israeli government. Having full diplomatic relations. Days after the meeting, the UAE said that, that is the political domain. Do I have to really Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed tweeted an article look at all the other domains and make them almost static headlined: “Islam’s reformation, an Arab-Israeli alliance because of the political domain?” is taking shape in the Middle East,” apparently indicating Gargash went on, “I think we can come to a point approval. where we come to a given Israeli government… and A UAE diplomat attended the launch of the Trump say, we disagree with you on this [annexation], we don’t Administration’s Israeli-Palestinian According to reports, Israel and think it’s a good idea, but at the peace plan in January, along with same time there are areas, such the UAE also discussed a poten- diplomats from Oman and Bah- as COVID, technology and other rain, lending the proposal implicit tial non-aggression pact as an things, where we can actually work support. interim step toward full diplomatic together.” However, UAE officials do ap- relations” It may be that Gargash and pear to be warning Israel that the Al Otaiba are not actually saying progress achieved over many years contradictory things but rather it of backroom meetings may be set back by Israeli Prime is part of the same message – the UAE would like to move Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plans to apply sovereignty towards normalisation with Israel given their common to parts of the West Bank, as part of the Trump Administra- interests but that would be made difficult if Israel moves tion’s peace plan. ahead with extension of sovereignty in the West Bank be- Indeed, this was the background to the UAE’s Ambas- cause of the reaction in the “Arab street” – both in the UAE sador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba’s unprecedented June and in neighbouring Gulf states. Therefore, if such a legal 12 op-ed for Israel’s largest Hebrew-language news- change in the West Bank were to occur, the relationship paper Yediot Ahronot titled, “It’s Either Annexation or could be put on ice and limited to “non-political” collabo- Normalisation.” ration on shared interests. A translation of the article stated, “Annexation will Indeed, Israeli analysts noted that even Al Otaiba’s certainly and immediately upend Israeli aspirations for im- statements emphasised the carrot of improved relations proved security, economic and cultural ties with the Arab rather than making threats or issuing harsh warnings. Seth world and with the UAE.” Frantzman of the Jerusalem Post pointed out that Otaiba’s Al Otaiba wrote, “Our shared interests around climate comments: change, water and food security, technology and advanced “…were not overly harsh. They appeared more like a science could spur greater innovation and collaboration,” warning from a colleague than from an adversary. They but he warned, “Annexation will also harden Arab views of were tempered as well, without threats. This is important Israel just when Emirati initiatives have been opening the because it leaves some room for manoeuvre within this space for cultural exchange and broader understanding of context of annexation and discussions of ‘normalisation.’ Israel and Judaism.” They did not appear to draw a red-line, but rather a He concluded, “In the UAE and across much of the warning in the kind of soft chiding terms the Gulf is used Arab world, we would like to believe Israel is an oppor- to. This means that annexation might not totally derail tunity, not an enemy. We face too many common dangers relations.” and see the great potential of warmer ties. Israel’s decision However, the UAE may wish to consider that it could on annexation will be an unmistakable signal of whether it have greater influence on Israel if it were to privately of- sees it the same way.” fer a timeline for full normalisation in the near term in Al Otaiba also made a video in English in which he said: exchange for “no annexation”, rather than a theoretical “We wanted to speak directly to the Israelis. The message hope of normalisation at some future date. It would also was ‘All the progress you have seen and the attitudes that be helpful if UAE diplomats considered writing an op-ed have been changing towards Israel. People becoming more in the Palestinian press telling them the time to negotiate 26 accepting of Israel, less hostile to Israel, all of that could with Israel on a two-state peace is now.

AIR – July 2020 Yet the Caesar Act’s most significant effect may be de- US SYRIA SANCTIONS terrence – namely, Lebanese companies that were hoping PUT HEZBOLLAH UNDER to gain access to the Syrian market through trade or recon- struction projects will now have to reconsider those plans.

PRESSURE Fuel smugglers are another important group who could NAME OF SECTION BIBLIO FILE be affected by the act. At a time when Lebanon cannot af- by Hanin Ghaddar ford to lose more of its foreign currency reserves, Central Bank governor Riad Salameh hinted last month that the ashington’s imminent implementation of the Caesar country is haemorrhaging US$4 billion per year due to WSyria Civilian Protection Act is setting off alarm bells Hezbollah and other actors smuggling government-subsi- in Lebanon. Although the law’s main intent is to punish dised fuel into Syria. Bashar al-Assad’s government for atrocities committed against the Syrian people, the regime would not have STRENGTHENING THE BORDER, been able to survive long enough to commit these abuses SEPARATING FROM ASSAD without direct and indirect support from Lebanese mili- By using these and other Syria-related violations as tias, officials, and businesses. leverage, the Caesar Act could help Lebanon strengthen Most notably, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was its sovereignty and empower its institutions against non- at the forefront of the Syria war for years, helping Bashar state actors. In particular, if the threat of Caesar sanctions al-Assad conduct his brutal campaigns more efficiently convinces Lebanese officials to formally demarcate their by drawing on fighters and resources from Lebanon. The border and begin properly implementing Security Council group’s deep ties with the regime persist today, including Resolutions 1559, 1680, and 1701, then Hezbollah would in the fuel industry and other sectors explicitly targeted by be less free to exploit national institutions in support of the US Congress’ Caesar Act. This gives US officials an op- the Assad regime next door. portunity to sanction Lebanese individuals, channels, and Moreover, smugglers would be less free to continue ac- instruments that Hezbollah and Damascus use to keep the tivities that damage Lebanon’s economy and bring danger- regime afloat. ous weapons into its territory. Indeed, the ground is fertile for more pressure on the On the diplomatic level, the Caesar Act can help discour- group and its allies inside Lebanon. age efforts to normalise Lebanese relations with Syria so The Hezbollah-led government in Beirut has asked the long as an unreformed regime holds power in Damascus. International Monetary Fund for an aid package of US$10 When Lebanese activists and opposition figures raised billion, so local officials understand the repercussions of concerns last month about how fuel smuggling is hurting defying US law and the broader international community the economy, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stated at this critical moment. Accordingly, Washington and its that the only solution is to normalise relations in order partners should make clear that the country cannot expect to properly coordinate with Syria on resolving the prob- IMF aid until it begins cutting specified military and com- lem. The group prefers this solution because it needs to mercial ties with the Assad regime. keep the estimated 120 illegal crossings under its control, instead of having the border demarcated and supervised WHO SHOULD BE ALARMED? by the Lebanese Armed Forces. Yet Lebanese citizens (and Lebanon has long been connected to Syria politically, banks) can no longer afford the damage caused by loose economically, and financially. The fact that the border borders and Hezbollah involvement in Syria. between the two countries is still not officially demarcated allows for unchecked daily smuggling operations, making it difficult to estimate the size of financial exchanges between the two countries. But some details are evident – as Re- With Compliments uters reported in November, “Wealthy Syrians are believed to have deposits of billions of dollars in Lebanese banks.” Much of this money became trapped when Lebanon’s economy cratered and local banks imposed tight limits on cash withdrawals in US dollars. Specialty Quilts Some of these banks and their associated Lebanese partners and businesses may be subject to new sanctions for materially assisting the Assad regime, particularly if T: (03) 9532 0448 they are tied in any way to logistical support for Hezbollah military operations in Syria. 27

AIR – July 2020 The Caesar Act is a strong instrument to reinforce the lion freed up by the JCPOA nuclear agreement to fund its argument that Lebanon can no longer be tied to the cur- terror proxies including Hamas and Hezbollah to project rent Syrian regime on the economic and security levels. its power across the Middle East. In order to prevent a total economic collapse, the country However, he pointed out, there have been an estimated

BIBLIO FILE NAME OF SECTION needs to distance itself from the Assad-Iran axis and defy 1,000 attacks targeting Iranian PGMs and associated facili- any normalisation with the present regime in Damascus. ties in Syria and Iraq since the end of 2018, seemingly by The threat of Caesar sanctions is one way of prodding Israel, as Iran tries to supply these weapons to Hezbollah. Lebanese citizens to realise that clear, firm distancing is a He added that the whole of Hezbollah and Iran’s other ter- prerequisite for international aid. rorist proxies should be proscribed as terror groups.

Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Fellow in The Washington In- DR. EINAT WILF stitute for Near East Policy’s Geduld Program on Arab Politics. © Former Israeli Labor Knesset member and adviser to Washington Institute, reprinted by permission, all rights reserved. Shimon Peres, Dr. Einat Wilf described the Second Inti- fada, following Yasser Arafat’s refusal of the 2000 Camp David peace offer, and Mahmoud Abbas rejecting an even more generous offer in 2008, as a massive wake-up call for AIJAC IN WEBINAR many on the left, including herself. LAND This demonstrated to Dr. Wilf that the Palestinians want not a state, but to abolish Israel. She says at the heart of this is the claimed Palestinian “right of return” for the by Jamie Hyams millions of descendants of refugees, and that UNRWA, the UN agency that caters for them, perpetuates the problem. ith crisis often comes innovation and opportunity. She therefore calls for UNRWA’s abolition and for the Pal- WThus, the coronavirus pandemic has seen a flourish- estinian refugees to be treated the same as all other refugee ing of webinars from Jewish communal organisations, populations. with AIJAC in the vanguard. If we can’t bring guests to Australia in person, we can certainly bring them to view- PROFESSOR WALTER RUSSELL MEAD ers’ screens for an hour of fascinating analysis. Distinguished academic and Wall Street Journal “Global Starting with the doyen of Israeli political commenta- View” columnist Professor Mead said that US President tors, Ehud Yaari, in late March, AIJAC had conducted 11 Donald Trump’s strategy on Iran – to use sanctions to webinars by the third week of June. The broad range of pressure Teheran to renegotiate the JCPOA on the nuclear speakers have provided not just valuable insights, but at issue and rein in its regional misbehaviour – is working, times important messages for all concerned with the state but there is as of yet no end in sight. of the world. Below are some highlights from each. He advised that, in considering extending sovereignty in the West Bank, Israel should calculate what it hopes to EHUD YAARI achieve against the cost in international relations, especially Yaari explained that Benny Gantz’s decision to join given its warming relations with various Arab countries. Binyamin Netanyahu in a national unity government was Asked about the spike in antisemitism, he responded the least bad option open to him once his own hopes of that to counter it, the Jewish people need a strong national forming a government failed. Yaari expected Gantz to state that can defend itself and act as an advocate for all moderate the government’s stance towards the Palestinian Jews. A major difference between now and previous out- Authority (PA), but pointed out that no-one in the Israeli breaks of antisemitism is that Jews now have Israel to go to mainstream, including Gantz, expects negotiations to if needed, he said. resume anytime soon. He also noted that the need for both sides to work BRIG. GEN. (RES.) YOSSI KUPERWASSER together to fight the coronavirus had seen some of the Brigadier General (res.) Kuperwasser, a former senior closest security cooperation ever between Israel and the IDF intelligence officer, and Director-General of Israel’s PA, and even between Israel and Hamas. Ministry of Strategic Affairs, also addressed antisemi- tism, saying that criticism of Israel is antisemitism when DR. JONATHAN SCHANZER it amounts to delegitimising Israel, in effect denying Jews Dr. Schanzer, a former terrorism finance analyst at the the right to self-determination; demonising Israel, calling US Treasury, warned that 2020 would be the year of Iran’s it a Nazi state, apartheid, colonialist or racist; and double- extremely accurate precision-guided missile (PGM). He standards, expecting of Israel different behaviour from that 28 explained that the Iranian regime is using the US$150 bil- expected of other states.

AIR – July 2020 Israel, 100,000 Indonesians visit Jerusalem each year, Indo- nesia still finds ways to import Israeli technology, and the country stands ready to support peace initiatives between Israel and the Palestinians. Kalla, who has met Binyamin

Netanyahu and has visited Israel three times, added that NAME OF SECTION BILIO FILE Indonesians on the whole have no problems with Jews, and the country would easily establish diplomatic relations with Israel once peace with the Palestinians was achieved.

DR. ERAN LERMAN Dr. Eran Lerman, an Israeli expert on foreign rela- Kuperwasser, who calls this embedded hatred of Israel tions and the Middle East, addressed the nuclear deal with and Jews “Israelophobia”, warns it has implications for Iran (JCPOA). He said Australia “should lend moral and Israeli security as it finds support in the left of Western so- diplomatic support for the efforts to force the Iranians to ciety. He called for Australia to join other parliaments such the table to renegotiate what was I think a catastrophic deal as Austria’s and Germany’s in declaring the BDS movement back in 2015, and if there’s one specific issue that must be antisemitic. renegotiated, it is what they call the sunset clauses. The time and moment at which the Iranians would be free from MICHAEL RUBIN their obligations and would run their centrifuges at will.” Middle East scholar and former Pentagon official Mi- He also called attention to Turkey’s intensifying efforts to chael Rubin advised that the coronavirus will not change dominate the eastern Mediterranean. Iran’s or Turkey’s ambitions for Middle East hegemony, because it is the nature of ideological dictatorships to pri- DAVID HARRIS oritise their ambitions above all else, including what is best David Harris, the long-serving CEO of the American for their own citizens. Jewish Committee, explained that the three main sources He said that quiet diplomacy won’t work to free Kylie of antisemitism are the far right, the far left and Islamists Moore-Gilbert, the Australian-British academic imprisoned or jihadists, adding, “All three were threatening, all three in Iran, because that’s what Iran wants. Instead, the Australian were existentially important…And those on the right who Government should make the issue front and centre in all only wanted to point the finger at the left and those on the its interactions with Iran, and press its allies to do the same, left who only wanted to point the finger at the right were because Iran will only listen when the cost of keeping her doing a disservice to the cause.” hostage becomes too high. He added that Australia has more He was also adamant that Palestinian rejectionism is the moral authority and weight in Washington than it realises. real challenge in discussing the Israeli-Palestinian situation.

LT. COL. (RES.) SARIT ZEHAVI EMILY SCHRADER Former Israeli military intelligence officer Lt. Col. Digital marketing expert Emily Schrader gave valuable (res.) Zehavi, an expert on the threat to Israel from its insights into the way antisemitic groups use social me- north, said Australia needs to follow Germany’s lead and dia, and how to counter them. She noted the tendency of ban all branches of Hezbollah. Otherwise, she added, we antisemites to attack “Zionists” using traditional antisemitic are just enabling its military wing. By storing its arms in tropes, rather than directly attacking Jews, to escape censor- civilian areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut, Hezbollah ship. Antisemites have also latched on to the coronavirus uses “Lebanese civilians as human shields” as a matter of pandemic and the Black Lives Matter issue to attack Jews strategic policy, Zehavi said. She warned that, while Israel’s and Israel, she said. She noted that social media platforms attacks on Iran and its proxies in Lebanon and Syria were seem to react less strongly to attacks on Jews than against based on careful calculations, the potential for escalation is other types of bigotry, but urged people to get involved in ever present if a raid inflicts more damage than intended. fighting back, saying, “It’s important to say the truth when you know the truth and to fight back when you see lies.” HIS EXCELLENCY JUSUF KALLA Former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla was or those interested in knowing what else our speak- bluntly dismissive of suggestions that Australia’s recogni- Fers said, reports of the webinars, video excerpts and tion of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital had damaged its rela- recordings of the entire presentations are on the AI- tions with Indonesia, saying that Australia’s politics is an JAC website and Facebook page, and can be viewed on internal issue for Australia, not Indonesia. He explained AIJAC’s YouTube channel. The webinar program will be that, while there are no official ties between Indonesia and continuing, so look out for coming events. 29

AIR – July 2020 substantive changes in policy.” M4BL’s website explicitly spells out these policy changes that the or- ESSAY ganisation is pressuring the protesters

NAME OF SECTION ESSAY to support, big and small. Of special concern to world Jewry, M4BL calls for cutting off all US military support for Israel, which it terms an “apart- Racial Tensions heid” state that is perpetrating “geno- cide… against the Palestinian people.” “The US justifies and advances the global war on terror via its al- Jewish dilemmas over “Black Lives Matter” liance with Israel and is complicit in the genocide taking place against the Palestinian people,” the brief by Ahron Shapiro reads, without offering evidence for the outrageous and unsupportable claim. M4BL further alleges that US he death of George Floyd, an Tunarmed Black man, at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, was a breaking point for race relations in the USA, setting off massive protests that spread to cit- ies around the world and awakened sympathies of people of all ethnici- ties, including world Jewry. The masses poured into the streets, despite the coronavirus pan- demic, to endorse the simple mes- sages that Black lives matter, that the blood of minorities is not cheap and the injustices they face, past and pres- ent, need to be addressed much more The murder of George Floyd by police has been a breaking point in US race relations – but vigorously. has also created some dilemmas for the Jewish community Organising the protests is Black Lives Matter (BLM), a self-styled These political objectives are military aid to Israel, which it con- activist group that was born in the not found on the BLM website itself cedes is mostly used to support the outrage following the shooting death but on the site of its sister organisa- American defence industries, “diverts of Black teen Trayvon Martin by a tion, the Movement for Black Lives much needed funding from domestic neighbourhood-watch volunteer (“M4BL”), an umbrella group founded education and social programs” (that’s in Florida in 2012. BLM soared in by BLM’s organisers in December not how Federal budgets work). It popularity after thousands took to 2014. M4BL’s platform has been avail- also makes spurious claims such as the streets after another Black teen, able online since mid-2016. “Israeli soldiers also regularly ar- Michael Brown, was fatally shot by a Moreover, BLM’s message to its rest and detain Palestinians as young white police officer in Ferguson, Mis- newfound supporters appears clear: as four years old without due pro- souri, in 2014. it’s their way or the highway. In a cess.” (They don’t. According to the But BLM, the group that organises Washington Post story on BLM from laws under which the IDF operates, protests and purports to represent June 10, M4BL strategist Thenjiwe Palestinian minors under the age of these protesters, effectively insists the McHarris, said she “is pleased to see 12 are not criminally responsible for demonstrators endorse a series of far- the movement broadening but that their actions and therefore cannot be flung political demands that, in truth, it is ‘meaningless and harmful’ when arrested, though they can be tempo- many would not even be aware of, let people join marches and post ‘Black rarily restrained if they are creating a 30 alone agree with. Lives Matter’ but do not advocate for danger to themselves or to others, be-

AIR – July 2020 fore being returned to their families.) in solidarity with BLM chanted “dirty When informed about several ma- Jews” and waved signs with inflamma- jor Jewish organisations that said they tory slogans such as “Israel, laboratory would withhold direct support for of police violence.” the BLM movement in light of their In early June, actor and rapper ESSAYNAME OF SECTION anti-Israel platform – while still sup- Ice Cube tweeted antisemitic memes porting the Black community – Ra- without consequence, while talk show chel Gilmer, one of the drafters of the host and activist Chelsea Handler brief, told Haaretz in 2016, “I don’t circulated a video by Black militant Acting Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant: Targeted for having once attended a law think it’s a loss” to the Black Lives and openly antisemitic “Nation of enforcement exchange program in Israel Matter movement. “It’s just made it Islam” leader Louis Farrakhan, getting clear that they weren’t real allies.” likes from several Hollywood A-listers was appointed Atlanta’s police chief before deleting it. following the killing of a Black drunk- ANTI-RACIST – BUT A Black Lives Matter has also kept driving suspect by policemen in that BLIND SPOT ON JEWS? mum over outrageous, fabricated and city on June 12, came under attack in To date, most leaders of Black factually unsubstantiated allegations social media for having participated Lives Matter have shown little con- circulating under its hashtag, claim- in Georgia State University’s Geor- cern about who their allies are, pro- ing police brutality in the US was gia International Law Enforcement vided they support the platform and somehow a product of military-style Exchange (GILEE) program in Israel a show up at protests or flood social training US police officers had re- number of years ago. media with content. As such, BLM has ceived in Israel as part of international In 2014, Bryant – who incidentally been troublingly silent about antise- exchange programs. There were even is Black – gave his own account of his mitic posts in social media by their allegations that Israeli forces taught work with the Israeli police which supporters or antisemitic incidents Minneapolis police the knee-to-neck debunks the claim that US police of- that have taken place during recent choking technique that killed George ficials who visit Israel are schooled in protests organised in their name. Floyd. violent techniques. Bryant’s feedback For example, in Los Angeles on Stephen Pomerantz, who, follow- from the program actually revealed a May 30, roving BLM demonstrators ing the 2001 September 11 attacks, focus on sensitivity training and com- spray-painted anti-Israel slogans on organised many of the counter-ter- munity relations. synagogues and looted and torched rorism exchanges in question for the “One of our greatest challenges in several Jewish-owned businesses. On Jewish Institute for National Security American policing is serving a com- June 13, in Paris’ Place de la Répub- of America, has pointed out how ab- munity that is vastly more diverse lique, anti-racism protesters gathering surd this claim is. He noted that: than the local police department,” “…there is no field Bryant wrote. “Comparatively, the training involved in either Israeli police are responsible for serv- the conferences or trips, ing a variety of demographics. I was and no training on holds impressed by the level of community or arrest mechanics. policing efforts employed by the Is- The exchanges, which raeli Police to build relationships and are hosted by the Israel maintain peace among such diverse National Police, focus on populations. The mentor shadow- effective counterterrorism ing was considerably inimitable and techniques. having the opportunity to observe Participants learn how the daily operation of a station and its Israeli law enforcement de- command staff was enlightening.” ters, disrupts, and responds Bryant concluded, “Although to terrorist attacks. They generally ensuring public safety was explore the ideology of sui- important, understanding the con- cide bombers and other at- cerns of the community was equally tackers, ways to de-escalate significant.” an ongoing incident, and The fact that many BLM activists the intelligence-gathering promote antisemitic views, or refuse and sharing process.” to denounce antisemitism in their An antisemitic tweet from the rapper Ice Cube Yet, Rodney Bryant, who ranks, is unsurprising, UK Telegraph 31

AIR – July 2020 columnist Zoe Strimpel wrote on problem of Black antisemitism with- nation in voting – both of which were June 20. out losing sight of the fact that the crafted in the conference room of the “Anti-racism movements often fos- vast majority of the American Black Religious Action Center of Reform ter antisemitism,” Strimpel explained. community are not antisemitic. Judaism, by the Black and Jewish-led

BIBLIO FILE “This is because the most commit- Tobin wrote: “as much as we must Leadership Conference, which was ted anti-racists see Jews as part of an resist the impulse to avoid criticising based in the same building. imperialist racist Zionist conspiracy, Black antisemitism because of their In his work A History of Jews in represented by Israel”. long history of oppression, the oppo- America, historian Howard M. Sachar “According to their political site is also true. It is equally important estimated Jews “made up at least 30 lights,” she continued, “Israel is the for those calling attention to Black percent of the white volunteers who world’s single biggest problem, and antisemitism to realise that Jews and rode freedom buses to the South, they believe it exists solely to egre- Blacks are not competing for victim registered Blacks, and picketed seg- giously and brutally oppress people of status. Nor is it helpful or accurate to regated establishments. Among them colour – including, but not limited, to assume that minority communities were several dozen Reform rabbis their Arab neighbours. Jews, Zion- are invariably hostile, or that common who marched among the demonstra- ists and racists unite, for them, in one ground can’t still be found.” tors in Selma and Birmingham.” Also toxic brain fog.” very prominent among them was AMERICA’S BLACKS Dr. Martin Luther King’s friend and BLACK ANTISEMITISM: AND JEWS: HISTORIC confidante Rabbi Avraham Joshua A TROUBLING PARTNERSHIPS Heschel, a Conservative rabbi and PHENOMENON Encouragingly, while Black anti- professor of ethics. Antisemitic elements in the BLM semitism remains a serious problem, movement, unfortunately, may in part and elements of the Black Lives reflect the popularity of antisemitic Matter movement leadership appear views among sectors of America’s to show little interest in combatting Black community, which according to it, let alone welcoming supporters numerous studies, is relatively high. of Israel into their tent, the majority As UCLA law professor and of the American Black community popular blogger Eugene Volokh noted and its core institutions have much in December 2019 in the midst of a less tolerance for antisemitism and wave of Black-on-Jewish violence in Israel-bashing. Dr. Martin Luther King (front row, second the New York area: Much of this goodwill can be from right) with his friend and confidante “According to an October 2016 traced back to historic partnerships Rabbi Avraham Joshua Heschel (front row, Anti-Defamation League survey, between Black and Jewish activists third from right) ‘antisemitic views’ among black which reached a peak during the respondents were materially more American civil rights era, some of Jewish volunteers even gave their common than among whites, with which have endured and are continu- lives in the fight for civil rights for 23% of black respondents scoring ing to be nurtured to this day. Blacks – perhaps most famously An- high on the ADL’s scale, compared The depth of cooperation between drew Goodman and Michael Schwer- to only 10% of whites.” Black and Jewish organisations during ner, who in 1964, together with Black While the ADL seems to have the American civil rights era would be colleague James Chaney, were killed stopped polling antisemitic views by almost impossible to exaggerate, with by the Ku Klux Klan in what became ethnic group since the 2016 survey, Jewish groups contributing vital legal known in FBI case files as “Mississippi Volokh noted that “The results remain assistance to the civil rights cause in Burning”. largely the same when aggregating the virtually every landmark court case, While historians note a decline in ADL’s 6 surveys from 2007 to 2016; including Brown v. Board of Educa- relations between the Black and Jew- between that and the oversample of tion (1954), which ended segregation ish communities from the mid-1970s Blacks and Hispanics among the 1532 in schools. onwards, some strong ties endured, respondents in 2016, the comparison Jewish groups assisted in drafting while others revived. Nowhere seems likely to be pretty reliable.” legislation such as the Civil Rights Act are these ties more evident than at In January 2020, commenting of 1964, prohibiting discrimination America’s oldest and most accom- on the same wave of antisemitism, based on race, colour, religion, sex or plished Black civil rights organisa- columnist Jonathan Tobin wrote about national origin, and the Voting Rights tion, the National Association for 32 the importance of addressing the Act of 1965, barring racial discrimi- the Advancement of Colored People

AIR – July 2020 – better known by the acronym occasions censuring and remov- NAACP. ing local officials who have Founded in 1909 by a group of made antisemitic remarks. Just visionary Black, Jewish and white as importantly, the group has social reformers, and continuing to embraced opportunities to in- BIBLIO FILE feature a rabbi on its national board crease Black-Jewish dialogue in today, the NAACP is aimed at cor- communities where antisemitic recting injustices against Black people attacks have occurred to reduce in the context of a universal mission. antisemitism at its source. According to the organisation, its mis- In November 2018, for- sion is “to secure the political, educa- mer US Attorney General Hasidic Jews march for Black Lives Matter in Crown tional, social, and economic equality of Eric Holder was the keynote Heights, once the site of Black riots targeting the local rights in order to eliminate race-based speaker at a major NAACP Jewish community discrimination and ensure the health fundraiser in South Carolina and well-being of all persons,” placing held under the theme of “saluting our level, they have their support. it in the same category as the Jewish Jewish and Black Founders.” Virtually all mainstream American Anti-Defamation League civil rights “We are once again at a time in Jewish organisations have publicly organisation. Indeed, the two organisa- our nation when we need to band supported the main goals of the Black tions routinely work side by side. together to eradicate hatred and work Lives Matter movement, if not the At crucial moments in history, together to advance the cause of civil details of the controversial policies of NAACP actually went beyond simple rights,” Holder said, “We must resist BLM as an organisation. support for Zionism to actu- And so it was, on June ally lobby for Israel’s creation. “The depth of cooperation between Black 7 in Crown Heights, New In 1972, in a JTA story and Jewish organisations during the York – once the scene of Black about the NAACP pulling out American civil rights era would be almost riots against the local Jewish of that year’s National Black impossible to exaggerate” community in the early 1990s Political Convention over – where hundreds of members anti-Israel resolutions that of the Chabad Hasidic sect had been passed there, then-NAACP those who would try to put asunder marched down Eastern Parkway in a assistant executive director Dr. John the historic Jewish/Black alliance that show of brotherly solidarity with their Morsell reminded the news agency has meant so much in the fight for Black neighbours. that the NAACP’s support for Israel equality for both groups.” “Whoever can protest to his was always a matter of principle and townspeople and does not, is account- predated the founding of the state. He LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR able” read one sign, quoting a passage recalled that, in 1947, then-NAACP While Jewish and pro-Israel activ- from the Talmud. executive secretary Walter White ists debate how to address the prob- A rally organiser told the Forward “lobbied vigorously for [the UN’s lems within the Black Lives Matter that speaking out against police vio- Palestine] partition [plan] with the movement, disparate Jewish com- lence was a religious obligation. delegates from Ethiopia, Haiti and munities are not allowing the contro- “If an agent of the justice system Liberia, and succeeded in influenc- versy to silence them. Rather, they are can murder a person in cold blood ing two affirmative votes and one continuing to raise their voices in sup- that doesn’t just call out as a human abstention.” port of their Black neighbours, letting issue, as an American issue, to me that While NAACP’s support for Israel them know that whatever objections calls out as a Halachic issue, a Jewish has become more complex over the they may have with elements of BLM law issue,” he said. “It should call out years, it refuses to cave in to political as a political movement, on a personal to every Jew.” pressure to make the Jewish State a wedge issue. In 2017, then-NAACP With Compliments President Cornell Brooks tweeted “On the issue of Palestine and Is- rael... we don’t necessary [sic] need SOUTHERN a consensus but we do need to keep talking.” STEEL GROUP Pty Limited The NAACP has been quick to root Telephone: (02) 9792 2099 out antisemitism in its ranks, on several www.southernsteelgroup.com.au 33

AIR – July 2020 NAME OF SECTION

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AIR – July 2020 THE MONTH IN MEDIA QUOTEDNOTEDNAME OF SECTION AND

JULIE NOTED there is serious, violent extremism Binyamin Netanyahu had helped On the ABC website (June 2), on left and right. On the right, white spark the decision to create the “First the Executive Council of Australian supremacists and racists generally Movers” by warning Austrian Chan- Jewry’s research officer Julie Na- spout vicious conspiracy theories and cellor Sebastian Kurz in early March than warned that far-right groups atavistic hatreds that shame humanity. that Europe was underestimating are spreading antisemitic conspiracy There are active racist groups in the the threat of coronavirus and needed theories under the cover of the CO- US that allege the coronavirus is a de- to “wake up” and introduce tough VID-19 crisis. liberate creation of the Jews. Others measures. “Within Western right-wing claim the Jews are behind the riots, According to Shields, Australian extremist circles, many are directly while of course Black Lives Matter PM Scott Morrison would soon be blaming ‘the Jews’ for COVID-19. claims that US racism is connected to sharing phone calls with Kurz and Some say that there was a Jew- what it alleges is Israeli racism.” Netanyahu as the pandemic spread. ish owned scientific laboratory in He said the “same people who “Leaders privately believe the Wuhan that developed the virus. founded BLM also founded the group has been hugely valuable at a Others say that the State of Israel Movement for Black Lives, and it time when bigger multilateral institu- itself developed COVID-19. In both is more overtly political. Its 2016 tions like the United Nations, World cases, the accusation is that the virus platform, for example, included the Health Organisation and European was designed by Jews to be used as declaration that Israel had commit- Union have struggled to respond a biological weapon against those of ted genocide against the Palestinians. swiftly and practically to the crisis,” European ethnicity. This is a grotesque statement that Shields added. “However, some right-wing ex- is manifestly untrue and as discon- On June 11, the Australian edito- tremists have rejected these claims nected from reality as any far-right rial noted that “together with Israel, of this strain of coronavirus being website or QAnon nuttiness. But the Taiwan, New Zealand and a few created by Jews on the basis that it Movement for Black Lives is far more others, Australia is in the top tier of would be counter-productive for powerful than a crazy right-wing nations in curbing the coronavirus.” ‘the Jews’ to inflict a virus that has website. The statement demonstrates resulted in government policies how virulently the old moral disease which, they claim, are opposed by of anti-Semitism infects both the HEALTHY DEBATE ‘the Jews’ — such as closing national extreme right and the far left. Rioters Israel’s successful handling of the borders. More to the point, they ar- in Los Angeles attacked synagogues first wave of COVID-19 and its posi- gue that the virus itself, and its effect, and Jewish schools.” tion as a model for others to emulate is potentially a major recruitment was highlighted in an episode of the and incentive to the anti-globalist and ABC podcast, “Coronacast” (June 2). ethno-nationalist cause, a cause which FIRST AND FOREMOST Fielding online questions, hosts sees ‘the Jews’ as the primary enemy,” Nine Newspapers’ Bevan Shields Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor she wrote. reported (June 23) that Israel belongs were asked to comment on why Israel to a selection of countries called the had experienced “a surge in school “First Movers” – including Austria, cases” and been forced to shut the af- NO EASING OF Denmark, Norway, Greece, the fected schools down. EXTREMISM Czech Republic, Singapore, Australia Dr Swan said the high school in The Australian’s foreign editor and New Zealand – which are “an the upmarket Jerusalem suburb of Greg Sheridan lamented the un- eclectic group of nations that ordi- Rehavia had 111 infected students, healthy rise in extremism on both the narily would have zero geographic, which meant that “somebody has left and right, which is permeating political or economic need to talk” come into that school and really throughout the West, and the promi- but which are regularly discussing spread the virus.” nence of Jews and Israel as targets how to respond to the challenges of He added that the coronavirus (June 20). coronavirus. “needs a cluster to take off. It doesn’t According to Sheridan, “in the US, Shields detailed how Israeli PM seem to transmit easily just between 35

AIR – July 2020 individuals. An individual goes home or goes to a funeral or goes to a A BREATH OF FRESH AIR ABOUT TIME wedding, or indeed goes to a school, On May 30, SBS TV “World News” The Age and Sydney Morning Herald and then you get an enclosed envi- reported on Project Rozana – an (June 17) reported on the Trump

NOTED AND QUOTEDNOTED AND ronment and it spreads within that Australian charity involving Jews, Administration considering withhold- and bursts out from there. So it is a Muslims and Christians, which ing aid to Jordan in a bid to secure virus that needs a cluster, and it has raises money for medical projects in the extradition of Ahlam Aref Ahmad certainly got a cluster in that school Palestinian areas in an effort to foster al-Tamimi. Tamimi was convicted in in Jerusalem. And it’s a high school, better relations between Israelis and Israel of masterminding a notorious so it’s older kids, and the older the Palestinians – sending 20 “hospital 2001 bombing that killed 15 people, kids get, then the more likely they grade ventilators” to the Palestinian including seven children and two are to spread it than younger kids Authority. American citizens, at the Sbarro res- in primary schools. And so there is The report also noted that, in taurant in Jerusalem. a primary school shut in Jerusalem 2019, the charity set up a medical After Israel released her in 2011 because a lot of the primary school fellowship in the name of “Palestinian during a prisoner swap with Hamas, kids, brothers and sisters, go to this Israeli” woman Aiia Maasarwe, who she moved to Jordan, and, as the re- other school in Rehavia. And I think was murdered in Melbourne while port noted, “has made frequent media that the other schools, there’s just she was studying there in January appearances, expressing no remorse been one or two cases.” 2019. for the attack and saying she was pleased with the high death toll…

does not have a particularly large Chinese community, but that does not negate the need for us to show solidarity with others. We have a very high percentage of people with Jewish heritage, and they know firsthand in Goldstein the consequences of racial and ethnic bigotry – how it can corrode that sense of social soli- Bob Katter (Katter’s Australian Party, Kennedy) – June 18 – “I darity, compassion and respect around our common humanity. would have added [to a list of the great shames of our nations]… It all comes from the same basic origins: ignorance and a lack of the great shame that we would only allow 15,000 Jewish people respect and understanding, and seeing points of division, rather in here before the Second World War. Six million of them than our common humanity. So, whether it’s anti-Semitism, or couldn’t get any country on earth to take them, so they perished bigotry and racism towards people of Chinese heritage or any in the gas chambers of Adolf Hitler. Sadly, we must share some other type of heritage, we stand proud and strong.” of the horrific blame here. We could have taken half a million of Jenny Leong (Greens, Newtown) – June 18 – NSW Legisla- those people and not even noticed they were here in Australia.” tive Assembly: “Tonight I speak about racism—not racism in the Ed Husic (ALP, Chifley) – June 18 – “The Global Terror- United States of America, where the Black Lives Matter move- ism Index of 2019 discovered a 320% increase in right-wing ment is growing stronger and winning changes in the face of an extremism over five years. In Australia, we’ve seen people ap- extremist President, and not racism in Palestine, but right here, proach mosques with machetes. We’ve seen racist tropes linked in this city and across this State and, indeed, across this country.” to genocide being graffitied on the walls of places of worship. The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane (ALP, NSW Legislative Coun- We’ve seen instances of anti-Semitism played out in the com- cil) – June 17 – “On 25 February I wrote a 1,500-word article munity. We’ve seen swastika flags being flown out of residential entitled A Nation in Crisis Needs Leadership, pointing to the homes. In February this year, after much urging, ASIO finally sluggishness of our leadership in tackling the coronavirus and recognised this growth. ASIO, through the course of the coro- citing the Ruby Princess as an example of utter incompetence. navirus, indicated that there has been a massive leap in online By way of comparison, I made reference to the way the Chinese activity. In fact, the number of domestic ASIO investigations into leadership tackled the coronavirus. I merely repeated what [US] far-right individuals is second only to Sunni extremists.” President Trump, [US] Vice President Pence and the head of the Tim Wilson (Lib., Goldstein) – June 15 – “Racism has no place World Health Organisation were saying at the time, only to find in our country. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your myself being mauled by right-wing media ratbags… It was a circumstances are. We should not be afraid to call it out, par- vicious, malicious and disproportionate orchestrated campaign ticularly when there is any increase in it against a subsection of intended to do me maximum political damage—a campaign that the community such as the discrimination or harassment against is fuelled by those who oppose justice for Palestine and those people of Chinese origin because of a health crisis that could anti-China zealots who oppose a respectful Australia-China 36 have started anywhere in the world…. The Goldstein electorate relationship.”

AIR – July 2020 Tamimi, a Hamas activist, chose the On June 9, the paper said it “ab- According to the report, Israeli target and guided the bomber there.” hors anti-Semitism, from whatever PM Binyamin Netanyahu had said Earlier, on June 2, the papers part of the political spectrum and Palestinians “in the Jordan Valley, reported on the tragic shooting to celebrates the contribution of people including residents of the city of death of autistic Palestinian man Iyad of Jewish faith and background to Jericho, would remain under limited QUOTEDNOTED AND Khayri by Israeli border police, who modern Australia, especially to mod- Palestinian self rule, with Israel hav- mistakenly thought he was carrying a ern Australian business.” ing overall security control” and if weapon. The story quoted Israeli De- The newspaper reported on June the Palestinians endorsed the Trump fence Minister Benny Gantz apologis- 10 that NSW Jewish Board of Depu- peace plan, they would attain a state. ing and committing to ensure ‘‘every ties CEO Vic Alhadeff had said “there On June 1, an AP report on Israeli effort’’ is made to limit casualties was concern that the cartoon con- border police in Jerusalem shooting while continuing to ‘‘maintain the veyed the message that Jewish people dead Iyad Halak, an unarmed autistic proper level of security.” did not care about black lives, which Palestinian they mistakenly thought SBS TV “World News” (May 31) was at odds with their historical was carrying a weapon, noted that included footage of Israelis demon- support for the civil rights move- “Palestinian attackers with no clear strating in Tel Aviv to protest Khayri’s ments both in the US and Australia. links to armed groups have carried death. In addition, even though unintended, out a series of stabbings, shootings the cartoon conveyed a number of and car ramming attacks in recent anti-Jewish stereotypes.” years.” A CARTOONISH ROW Executive Council of Austra- Australian Financial Review apolo- lian Jewry co-chief executive Alex gised for a cartoon from its resident Ryvchin was quoted saying the FOREIGN SERVICE cartoonist David Rowe that was incident was a ‘‘cautionary tale to An AP report appeared in the published on June 6, following read- exercise greater care when depicting Australian (June 11) on German ers’ complaints that it portrayed people of an ethnic minority’’ and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas’ visit Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg AIJAC’s Colin Rubenstein said, ‘‘I to Israel to warn against extending – who is Jewish – as an antisemitic appreciated the constructive conver- sovereignty to any part of the West caricature. sations I had with Michael Stutchbury Bank because it “would violate inter- Purporting to duplicate a famous and welcome the amended cartoon national law”. painting depicting British explorer and the considered explanation and The report said, “Israel intends Captain Cook’s landing at Botany Bay apology that went with that.” to extend its sovereignty over Jew- in 1770, with Australian PM Scott ish West Bank settlements, in line Morrison in the titular role and a with US President Donald Trump’s flag proclaiming “Black Lives Mat- AP COVERAGE ALL OVER controversial Middle East plan”, with ter”, a hooked-nosed Frydenberg was THE MAP critics arguing “unilaterally redraw- depicted wearing what looked like The Australian newspaper’s reli- ing the Mideast map would destroy a traditional Jewish skullcap on his ance on Associated Press (AP) reports any lingering hopes for establishing a head and carrying a large gold dollar for its coverage of Israel-related news Palestinian state alongside Israel.” sign. produced mixed results. What the article failed to note Rowe said the scene was based An AP report on May 27 said, is that Trump’s “controversial” plan on the “famous Emanuel Phillips Fox “Middle East plan, unveiled in Janu- is actually a road map for creating a painting” and he had wanted to make ary, envisions leaving about 30 per demilitarised Palestinian state! an anti-racism statement following cent of the territory under perma- The article quoted Maas saying the global protests in support of the nent Israeli control while giving the Germany and the EU “still believe Black Lives Matter movement. Palestinians expanded autonomy in the negotiated two-state solution The report said Rowe “did not the rest of the area. The Palestinians is the right way, that annexation deliberately include anti-Jewish have rejected the plan, saying it is will not make this solution more imagery” and “apologised for any hurt unfairly biased toward Israel.” probable.” unintentionally caused and amended An AP report on May 30 said, But if one party is refusing to and republished the cartoon”. The pa- “The annexation of the Jordan Valley negotiate and has refused to negoti- per’s website ran an amended version and the far-flung settlements would ate since 2014, then doesn’t that of the cartoon, removing the hook make it virtually impossible to create effectively “lead to the two-state nose and skullcap but retaining the a viable Palestinian state alongside solution no longer being viable and dollar sign. Israel.” that we are on the wrong path,” as 37

AIR – July 2020 Maas alleged would be the result of Trump Administration’s announce- and Israel were given greater focus sovereignty extension proposals in ment that it will impose sanctions on than Russia’s invasion of Crimea, for his media conference with his Israeli the staff of the International Criminal instance, or the Assad regime’s litany counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi? Court if they are involved in investi- of war crimes, which were both to-

NOTED AND QUOTEDNOTED AND gating alleged US war crimes com- tally ignored. mitted during the Afghanistan war. Adams asked Douglas Guilfoyle, AGELESS CLAIMS The article said Netanyahu called Associate Professor of International The Sunday Age June 21 edition President Trump’s decision “bold and Security Law at the University of ran a small picture caption on the leadership” in standing up for “justice NSW, Canberra, “Now, [Mike] Pom- top of page two featuring two figures and … truth”. peo, who is one of my least favourite walking a camel at twilight close to a Netanyahu was quoted saying, people, Secretary of State, said the beach. “This kangaroo court is a politicised US would punish the ICC employees The caption said “Palestinians court. It’s obsessed with conducting for any investigation or prosecution enjoy the beach in Gaza City – one witch hunts against Israel, the United of Americans or Israelis for alleged of the few open public spaces in this States and other democracies that abuses against Palestinians?” densely populated city. Go online to respect human rights, while turning Guilfoyle replied, “yes, so in see our World of Photos gallery.” a blind eye to the world’s greatest terms of what I was saying before Whilst the caption and the Age abusers of human rights, including about the territorial basis of the website did not elaborate, the claim the terrorist regime in Iran.” court’s jurisdiction opening the door that there are few open spaces in Elsewhere, the Australian news- to potential- fights with non-parties, Gaza is a mainstay of Palestinian paper report (June 13) noted that at the moment, the court has heard propaganda, usually used to attack Netanyahu is “angered by the ICC’s argument and reserves judgment on the blockade of Gaza. In fact, Gazans moves – strongly opposed by Wash- whether it should assume jurisdic- have access to the well-established ington – to probe alleged war crimes tion in the most recent years of the and popular Asdaa amusement park in the Palestinian territories” and Israel-Palestine conflict. So that is a which includes water slides, a train has accused the court of “fabricat- question actively before the court. ride, a Ferris wheel, amongst other al ing accusations that Jews living in I should say the court has not yet fresco activities. Moreover, there are their historical homeland constitutes assumed jurisdiction and has not yet plenty of open spaces elsewhere in a war crime” with regard to Israeli formally opened an investigation, but the Strip itself. settlements. The story noted that the it’s on the cards.” The claim recalls the accusation US under President “Barack Obama Asked if Pompeo was correct that made on ABC TV in 2013 that there took a more co-operative approach the ICC is a “kangaroo court”, Guil- are no green spaces in Gaza and with the court, but the US remained foyle said, “that’s wildly unfair”. therefore there are no birds there outside of it.” He said the ICC “operates inde- either, despite abundant scientific and pendently. The judges are indepen- photographic evidence that Gaza is dently elected by the Assembly of a habitat, and sometimes migratory IN PHILIP’S COURT state parties. There have occasionally hub, for up to 171 different species The June 17 episode of ABC Radio been criticisms that the judges can be of birds. National “Late Night Live” focusing elected either on the basis of crimi- on the International Criminal Court nal or expertise or international or was a chance for veteran host Philip expertise [sic]. And maybe some of ICC MEETS ABC Adams to focus on his usual targets the judges lack the kind of depth of An ABC online report (June 12) and if he could combine them into experience in courtroom manage- included Israeli Prime Minister Bin- the one question, all the better. ment that would be desirable. But yamin Netanyahu’s support for the Practically this meant that the US that’s a long way from saying that they’re politically motivated.” With Compliments from Guilfoyle said Australia is “a stead- fast supporter of the court”, making MAX STERN & Co. no mention of the Morrison Govern- INTERNATIONAL Stamp & Coin Dealers ment’s submission that the ICC has Shop 8B, 271 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 no jurisdiction to investigate alleged Tel: 03 9654 6751 Fax: 03 9650 7192 Mobile: 0419 335 700 criminality involving the Israeli- Email: [email protected] Palestinian conflict because there is Website: www.maxstern.com.au 38 currently no “State of Palestine”.

AIR – July 2020 Allon Lee MEDIA MICROSCOPE STATES OF CONFUSION The paper (June 17) ran AIJAC’s Allon Lee’s response Many commentators in the media critical of the Ne- which detailed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud tanyahu Government’s announced intention to begin the Abbas’ spoiler role over the past 25 years in spiking Israeli process of applying Israeli sovereignty over parts of the offers of a state, including in 2008 when, as Abbas himself West Bank ignored two critical pieces of context: first, the has said, he “rejected ‘out of hand’ Olmert’s offer of a state refusal of Palestinian leaders to accept multiple Israeli of- on the equivalent of 100 per cent of the West Bank, all of fers to create a Palestinian state and; second, the details of Gaza, and a capital in east Jerusalem.” In the Hobart Mercury US President Donald Trump’s “Commentators in the media critical of the January 2020 peace plan that (June 22), serial Israel critic would allow the sovereignty Netanyahu Government’s announced inten- Greg Barns slammed Israel extension in some areas, but tion to begin the process of applying Israeli while implying it was annex- also create a Palestinian state sovereignty over parts of the West Bank ing all of the West Bank. How in the rest. ignored two critical pieces of context” can you condemn an action In the Saturday Age (May that hasn’t actually taken 23), academics Anas Iqtait and Tristan Dunning mentioned place and which Israel has never actually said it would “Trump’s plan” but then avoided any details. Instead they do? claimed, “Israeli annexation would mean the elimination In the Sydney Morning Herald (June 25), academic Ben of the very few possibilities left for achieving [a two-state] Saul dismissed Trump’s plan to create a Palestinian state, solution.” and denied Israel has any right to be in the West Bank, say- The pair criticised what they saw as Australia’s inade- ing, “annexation would be a violent, predatory, lawless act. quate support for the two-state solution, such as not voting It would compound the illegitimacy of Israel’s half-century in favour of a one-sided resolution condemning Israel at occupation of Palestine… is not democratic, since millions the UN Human Rights Council in 2018. of Palestinians cannot vote in Israeli elections. Far from On June 3, the Age published AIJAC’s Jamie Hyams’ creating peace, it would doom Israelis and Palestinians to a response, which said Palestinians receive “vastly prefer- future of ceaseless violence.” ential treatment on the international stage, with Australia On ABC Radio National’s “Religion & Ethics Report” one of the few countries principled enough to call this out. (June 10) academic Eyal Mayroz suggested Palestinians Without this favouritism, the Palestinians may well have should not be expected to accept 70% of the West Bank as had a state by now.” Trump’s plan proposes because “this is a tiny bit of what Hyams suggested Palestinian leaders remain intransi- was promised of them in 1948 and what was theirs even gent because they “don’t genuinely accept Israel’s right beforehand. So their sacrifice has already been made…just to exist in peace, and any two-state resolution would by accepting the West Bank and the Green Line as a com- require the end of all further claims.” He explained that promise.” If Palestinian Arab leaders had not rejected the “Israel has legal claims to the area after the 1920 San UN Partition Plan in 1947 by going to war, the Palestinian Remo Convention and League of Nation decisions desig- state would have been much greater than what is on offer nated it as part of a future ‘Jewish national home’. Israel now, but they certainly never had any sovereignty over any thus has at least as much right to this territory – more area before 1948, as Mayroz strongly implied. accurately described as disputed than occupied – as any On ABC Radio National “Saturday Extra” (June 13), Ne- other country.” tanyahu’s biographer Anshel Pfeffer cautioned that “July 1 In the Canberra Times (June 11), journalist Neheda Bara- will probably be just another step in promising something kat refreshingly acknowledged that Palestinian leaders “had vague but not actually carrying anything out.” He said Ne- missed a number of opportunities to resolve the conflict tanyahu’s top priorities have always been Iranian, Islamist – partition proposals from prime minister Ehud Barak and regional threats. Fellow guest panellist Palestinian in 2000, prime minister Ehud Olmert in 2007 [sic] and journalist Daoud Kuttab largely agreed, saying, “Netanyahu US president Barack Obama in 2014” but then strongly is a person who really likes to have good relations with criticised Israel under Binyamin Netanyahu’s tenure. Of the top leaders of the world” and would be wary of having course, Netanyahu was actually Israel’s prime minister in sanctions placed on Israel, as happened to Russia when it 2014. Whoops. invaded Crimea. 39

AIR – July 2020 NAME OF SECTION Jeremy Jones

RACISM IN ANTI-RACIST CLOTHING hatred for, and contempt often leading to violence against, My correspondent was clearly upset. His message to Jews. me was overflowing with feelings of pain and distress. Just as Jews are being blamed, in an ongoing way, Given that he was writing in the days following the for everything bad related to the COVID-19 pandemic killing of George Floyd in the US and a wave of protests and responses to it, antisemites of varying stripes have and riots, my first thought was that he was writing on the involved themselves in the global responses to the deaths subject of racism, discrimination and inequality. of George Floyd and the far too many others being Only on reading the link he attached did I learn about mourned now. the event he had witnessed that day. In Los Angeles, there was not just antisemitic invec- My friend, a religiously committed French Muslim, had tive from rioters, but the leaders of one synagogue had to been marching in an anti-racism protest in Paris, together remove bollards protecting their building because of fast- with Christians, Jews and others. spreading rumours that the bollards were actually stock- They passed some counter-protesters, at which time piles of rocks provided for antifa rioters! vile antisemitic slurs began to be shouted – not at, but by, Meanwhile the no- self-ascribed anti-racists. torious long-time hate Although receiving far less media coverage, there were preacher Louis Far- also first-hand reports from a Los Angeles protest – which rakhan – never one to morphed in places into a riot – of chants of “F--k the miss an opportunity to police and kill the Jews”, before looting and anti-Jewish find gullible and ignorant vandalism took place there. people to sing his praises Notorious hate preacher Louis Farrakhan In London, Nazi salutes were directed at the anti- on temporal issues while racism protestors – bizarrely by those identifying them- simultaneously remaining prominent for his misogyny, an- selves as the protectors of the legacy of Winston Churchill, tisemitism and homophobia – found a handful of politically despite Churchill’s positive legacy resting mainly upon his illiterate celebrities to promote his “wisdom” to more than leading Britain against Nazi Germany. 10 million followers. A number of commentators, on both sides of the barri- Not too far removed from Farrakhan was the rapper cades in the battle over the future of race relations and the and actor known as Ice Cube, who seemed equally com- call for the recognition that Black Lives Matter, have noted fortable promoting far-left, far-right and simply far-out the way some have tried to hijack an anti-racist agenda to conspiracies – as long as the ultimate target was Jews. push a radical anti-Israel barrow. In the process, they have It isn’t too difficult to find claims on the internet that inserted ignorance and immorality into calls for honesty Jews were responsible for the systemic underpinnings to and education, but that is not the matter I am addressing the actual killing of George Floyd, or that Jews are respon- here. sible for the Black Lives Matter movement. It may take time, but the parasitical behaviour of the With so much information available to undermine anti-Israel advocates will do what it has done to other claims of Jewish conspiracy or culpability, it can sometimes causes to which it has cynically and opportunistically at- seem that only the most malicious and malevolent, or the tached itself over the decades – either destroy the cause most simple-minded and superficial, could accept the slurs acting as its host or be rejected by those concerned with and lies. the health of that cause. Unfortunately, the veracity of claims seemingly bears My concern here is with a far more ubiquitous and dan- little relationship to the damage they can cause. gerous phenomenon – the un- This is not to argue that anti-racists should change abashed anti-Jewish movements their priorities – but that any strategy which is genuinely which try to exploit each and anti-racist will not only reject, but will actively fight, anti- every issue to promote direct Jewish rhetoric and activity.

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