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Home , Kafr Qasim massacre, Mahmoud Abbas

Selected articles concerning , published weekly by Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim’s (Baltimore) Israel Action Committee Edited by Jerry Appelbaum ( [email protected] ) | Founding editor: Sheldon J. Berman Z”L

Issue 8 86 Volume 2 1 , Number 1 8 Parshias Emor | 34th Day Omer May 1, 2021

Arab Is raelis Are Reaping the Benefits of the Abraham Accords By Marc Sievers and Jonathan Ferziger foreignpolicy.com April 18, 2021 And these may redound to as well. conference in the UAE this month. In downtown Dubai’s Mas Watad hit on a weight - loss method years ago that glittering Grand Hyatt Hotel, the 56 - year - old attorney met she tailored to Arab women. On the menu were stuffed with E mirati investors and spoke on a panel about his grape leaves, cardamom - seasoned chicken kofta, and even efforts to build an Israeli - Arab incubator and industrial a reduced - calorie version of cheesy knafeh for dessert. zone for budding technology companies. While Israel’s From her home in Baqa al - Gharbiyye, an Arab city programming talent has attracted Microsoft, Intel, Apple, northeast of Tel Aviv, Israel, Watad built a thriving and other giants to set up research an d development dietician’s practic e. Her approach to weight loss, based on centers, only 4 percent of Israel’s technology workforce is natural ingredients and an eating - and - exercise regimen Arab. Much of that is due to the fact that computer driven by a mobile phone app, found a growing local engineering talent is cultivated and connections are made clientele. largely in Israeli army units such as the vaunted Unit 8200 Watad has since taken her slimming system intelligence corps, which ices out most Arab graduates international, founding a company called Dawsat with because they are exempt from serving in the military. of fices in her hometown, London, , and the While the peace accords are popular with the Israeli Palestinian city of Nablus. The business is aimed in Arab business community, most Arab members of the particular at women in the wealthy Persian Gulf states, voted against them. where diabetes, hypertension, and other obesity - related “As in Israel, we’ve a lways been a bridge to illnesses have grown out of control. “Weigh t Watchers encourage peace between and Palestinians,” Badir works fine in Europe, but here you need something said, fresh from his maiden venture into the Gulf. “We are connected to our tastes and culture,” Watad said. “Our happy to play that role now with Arab countries that have program comes directly from the Arab kitchen.” opened to us through the Gulf accords.” The Hebrew University - educated diet guru is one of The mayor’s willin gness to be an emissary for Israel is the pioneers among Israel’s Arab citizens in playing to a notable in part because his city is synonymous with one of vast potential market in the Arabian Peninsula, with which the ugliest incidents in the country’s history. What is commercial ties were initiated last year through peace known as the massacre occurred when Israeli agreements — known as the Abraham Accords — between border police, operating under on th e eve of Israel, the , and Bahrain. If relations Israel’s 1956 war with , shot and killed almost 50 of grow and mature, i nvestment from the UAE and its the town’s Arab residents returning from work at dusk in petroleum - rich neighbors should lead to greater economic violation of a curfew of which they hadn’t been aware. As opportunities and prosperity for Israel’s Arab population. close as the incident is to his heart, Badir doesn’t dwell on Palestinians, in turn, may also benefit through the West the past. H is mission, he said, is advancing the economic Bank’s proximity to and relative integration with Ar ab potential of his city and Israeli Arabs in general. That is communities in Israel, not least through family ties. one reason he is enthusiastic about the peace deals and the Israel’s 1.9 million Arab citizens make up slightly more new opportunities they could bring. than one - fifth of the Jewish state’s population and are a Coverage of the Abraham Accords in the Western slowly growing force in both politics and business. After media has focused on Israel’s strategic relations with the the fourth inconclusive el ection in only two years, both UAE and Bahrain, and to a lesser extent on the waves of Israeli Prime Minister and his Israeli tourists eager to visit Dubai, ride to the top of the opponents, for the first time, are now openly courting the 163 - story Burj Khalifa, and cruise the vast malls to shop country’s Arab parties to help them break the political till they drop. deadlock and form a governing coalition. Israeli Arabs The large n umber of Arab Israelis who also are eager have an emerging professional class concentrated heavily to enjoy the sights and sounds of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and in the medical sector. Arab - owned businesses, which figure Manama have largely been overlooked. Besides the ease of prominently in Israel’s construction and trucking sharing language and culture, the fact is that they are able industries, are increasingly moving into the realm of to circulate in Israel’s new Abraham Acc ords partner technology start - ups, which have become t he country’s countries more freely than in, say, Egypt, where they are calling card. generally subjected to scrutiny and sometimes harassment. That’s what took Mayor Adel Badir from Kafr Qasim, As for the evolving business connections, they should have a satellite town east of Tel Aviv, to the Cybertech Global a significant economic impact that may eventually even Focus o n Israel May 1, 2021 Page 2

spread to the , given the many extended family Israel’s acceptance in the region. If that happens, it may ties between Israeli Arabs and West Bank Palestinians. also influence Palestinians. While the Gulf - Israel accords are popular with the With such ventures as Watad’s Gu lf - targeted diet Israeli Arab business community, most Arab members of business and Badir’s technology park, Israel’s Arab citizens the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, voted against them. In are seizing opportunities and helping to deepen their that, Arab lawmakers followed the lead of the Palestinian country’s integration in a region where it has long been Authority leadership in , rather than their own seen as an enemy, and where their status as Arab citizens Israeli Arab voters. These voters, by all indication, want of Israel made them be seen as politically and culturally their elected representatives — such as Badir — to focus suspect. more on lobbying the gover nment to attend to issues of It’s safe to say that Palestinians don’t see economic critical concern to Arab communities, especially cracking peace as a substitute for an independent state. Nor will down on organized crime and violence in Arab towns in greater prosperity and the opportunity to travel freely to Israel, improving the quality of education, and investing in Arab Gulf states resolve the complex identity issues and infrastructure and social services. The traditional fo cus by continuing discrimination faced by Israel’s Arab minority. Arab lawmakers on supporting the Palestinians in the West But the new opportunities for Israeli Arabs opened up by Bank and Gaza and condemning the Israeli government the Abraham Accords, along with the many other benefits hasn’t done anything to improve the quality of Arab life in to the region that the agreements offer, could be a for mula Israel. Indeed, the lawmakers have fed into the narrative of for a more mutually beneficial co - existence between the the Israeli right that Arabs are a fifth column who can’t be majority and minority in Israel. Eventually, that may even trusted. pave the way for a political settlement between Israelis and Not that the Emiratis and Bahrainis need Israeli Arabs Palestinians. as middlemen to develop trade and business relations with Mr. Sievers is a Muscat - based nonresident senior fellow at th e Israel. It’s pretty clear that those relations are taking off Atlantic Council and a former U.S. ambassador to . Mr. directly. But within Israel, the Abraham Accords could add Ferziger is a - based non - resident senior fellow at the momentum to the process of normalizing the status of Atlantic Council and a former Middle East correspondent for Arabs in society by giving them an economic stake in Bloomberg News .

Israel’s Relations with Its Arab Neighbors and Its Arab Citizens Are Undergoing Normalization. Could the Palestinians Be Next? By Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh jcpa.org April 21, 2021 T he pandemic created a sense of un ity between still campaigning with the hard - line, anti - Israel anti Jewish and Arab Israelis. normalization messages that have characterized his Israel’s March 2021 parliamentary elections and those party for decades. scheduled for the Palestinian Authority on May 22, 2021, Israel’s Internal “ Abraham Accords?” in the West Bank have focused international attention on Mansour Abbas’s success has positioned him as a two Arab leaders; Mansour Abbas, leader of Israel’s United prospective kingmaker in determining Israel’s governing Arab List faction (Ra’am), and , leader of coalition. Shelving nationalist and Palestinian slogans, the West Bank - based Palestinian Authority and Chairman Mansour Abbas, while a devout Muslim representing an of its ideological “parent,” the Palestine Liberation Islamic party, has pursu ed a pragmatic political path to Organization (PLO). electoral success, advancing the socio - economic agenda of Although Mansour Abbas and Mahmoud Abbas share Israel’s Arab population. This was not a short - term tactical the same family name, they are unrelated. They also move. During 2020, Abbas had publicly signaled his diverge in their approaches to their local constituencies, openness to work with conservative Zionist coalitions , Israel, and the Middle East. Dr. Mansour Abbas, a 46 - year - including cooperating with Prime Minister Benjamin old dentist from northern Israel and Chairman of the Netanyahu, who had aggressively courted Abbas and the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel’ s Israeli Arab sector. Mansour Abbas’ unilateral reset Ra’am party, scored a dramatic electoral victory in securing mirrors the spirit of the Abraham Accords and creates an four seats in Israel’s March 2021 Knesset elections on a internal “Abraham Effect” on Israeli Ar ab politics. Abbas platform of cooperation, integration, and normalization, appears to have moved Arab politics from years of breaking with decades of Arab party nationalist and political and ideological rejectionism and inflammatory Islamist rejectionist rheto ric against Israel. Instead, rhetoric against Israel. Instead, Abbas has chosen a Mansour Abbas publicly declared readiness to join an pragmatic, issue - oriented approach to tackle pressing Israeli right - wing coalition headed by Prime Minister security, social, and e conomic challenges within Israel’s Netanyahu. In contrast, his Palestinian namesake, Dr. Arab communities.1 Mahmoud Abbas, the longtime leader of the PLO, Fatah, The Political Context and Complexity of the and chairman of the Palestinian Authority running for “Ra’am Phenomenon” reelection in May 2021 after 16 years of a four - year term, is Page 3 May 1, 2021 Focus on Israel

Abbas’ prime - time television Hebrew address2 on Zoabi, and Ayman Odeh – all of whom known for their April 1, 2021, reflected an unprecedented outreach by an diatribes against Israel. Arab politician to the Israeli pub lic, particularly the Abbas had also developed friend ly working political right. Abbas said that he would “courageously relationships with senior Likud members, including champion a vision of peace, mutual security, partnership Knesset speaker Yariv Levin, who had partnered with and tolerance between the peoples.”3 Abbas to counter violent organized crime in the Israeli Abbas’ move was not a spur - of - the - moment decision. Arab sector, a key agenda item for Abbas’ constituency.14 Several months earlier, in a Dece mber 2020 interview, Levin had also reached out t o Muslim members of the Abbas said, “Our failure is due to lack of self - criticism.”4 Knesset when in 2020, he blessed them in fluent in Abbas also noted the urgency of addressing economic and honor of the Eid Al - Fitr holiday in an unprecedented social crises in the Arab sector that required political move.15 pragmatism to solve. Abbas’ campaign avoided incendiary Shifts in the Israeli Arab Body Politic defa ult statements on the Palestinian - Israeli conflict – that Ra’am’s electoral success reflects a broader - based had characterized the Israeli Arab political leadership’s societal shift in the Israeli Arab sector.16 Two polls in rhetoric for decades, including the recent April 2021 early 2020 indicated a growing Israeli - Arab identity as swearing - in of Knesset members. Instead of pledging opposed to a Palestinian - Arab identity that had more allegiance to Israel, Arab Joint L ist faction Knesset commonly characterized .17 members used the platform to condemn Israel as an In parallel, the 2020 coronavirus pandemic “apartheid, racist, occupation state.”5 emphasized the e quality between Jews and non - Jewish Abbas’s successful campaign responded to growing citizens. Media coverage of close cooperation between frustration in the Israeli Arab community. Since 2007, the Jewish and Arab medical caregivers created a sense of Israeli Arab middle class has grown s ignificantly.6 Israel’s unity during a national crisis. Additionally, Israeli Arabs nearly two million Arab citizens have increasingly sought were vaccinated months ahead of other Arabs in the economic and political integration, with 63 percent of M iddle East, including Palestinians under PA Israeli Arabs supporting Arab parties joining an Israeli governmental authority.18 coalition government.7 Ra’am’s emphasis on grassroots, The shift to issue - oriented Arab politics had picked up day - to - day issues attracted a broad and varied voter base momentum over the past six years. President Reuven despite the faction’s Islamic brand. Ra’am succeeded in Rivlin had also proposed a “shared society” program in attracting a wide electoral base, including young people, 2015 to help bridge the divide between Jews and Arabs.19 Christians, secular Muslims, and who voted for In 2015, the Knesset passed an unprecedented social and their pragmatic solution - oriented a pproach over Islamist economic investment plan for the Arab sector in and nationalist sloganeering. Israeli Arab political analyst Resolution 922, earmarking ILS 10 billion to train teachers, and activist Joseph Haddad noted8 that Mansour Abbas build water and sewage pipes, renovate public buildings, positioned Ra’am as the Jewish ultra - Orthodox party a nd subsidize employment. Although the plan generated of Israeli Arab politics.9 high expectations, robust budgets prompted organized Abbas’ new approach surprised Israel’s political class, crime groups to take over development projects.20 triggering a debate among commentators regarding his In recent years, the Arab public’s priorities have intentions, motivations, and goals: Was he communicating changed. They have placed the Palestinian issue l ower on a sincere desire for Israeli - Arab integration, or was he their agenda,21 prioritizing their own needs, such as employing a recognized strategy of political Islam based on fighting violent crime, employment discrimination, and penetrating a sovereign state’s political system to achieve allocating budgets for local infrastructure, health, and Islamic ideological goals?10 Some viewed Abbas’ outreach education.22 with trepidation, comparing Abbas’ political approach to Since 2010, organized crime has risen sharply in the power to Turkish President Erdogan, the Arab community. In 2019 alone, 15 Israeli Arab mayors leadersh ip in Gaza, and Iran’s Hizbullah in .11 and their families were targeted by gunfire, Molotov Some have argued that Ra’am and its fellow Southern cocktails, and car bombs by crime families vying for Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel’s more control. In 2020, there were 96 homicides in the Israeli moderate approach compared to the militant and radical Arab sector, an all - time high.23 Northern Islamic Movement still threatens Israel’s Jewish In response, Arab MKs proposed an ILS 5 billion anti - majority character.12 Some of Abbas’ Arabic language violence legislation. The program included stiff penalties post - election references to fellow Arab leaders seemed to for illegal weapons possession, additional police stations, confirm these suspicions.13 However, notably, his rhetoric proposals for protecting the integrity of public bidding for and overall public declarations have avoided “hot button” projects, scholarships for Arab students, mor e Arab police issues such as Islam, the Palestinians, Jerusalem, Hamas, officers, and encouraging young Arab citizens to perform “apartheid,” and occupation, unlike Arab Joint Party List National Service. leaders such as Dr. Ahmad Tibi, Azmi Bashara, Hanin However, Israel’s ongoing parliamentary crises in 2019 - 2020 stalled the Arab development plan. Abbas filled Focus o n Israel May 1, 2021 Page 4

the political vacuum, reiterated its urgency, and the Islamist Hamas movement are still dedicated to recalcula ted his political approach.24 destroying Israel and “liberating Palestine from the Arab disenchantment with its Knesset leadership also River to the Mediterranean Sea.”33 PA leadership still increased Arab public support for Zionist parties. Notably, preache s boycotts to the detriment of its citizens and the nationalist Likud faction won more votes in the Arab continues to pay families of “martyrs,” referring to sector in the 2021 elections than the left - wing Meretz a nd Palestinians who carried out terrorist attacks against Israeli Labor factions combined (21,403 opposed to 21,714 for civilians.34 Notably, , incarcerated in Likud).25 Israel since 2004 and serving five l ife terms for planning The growing support for Likud and other Zionist and executing deadly terror attacks that killed four Israelis parties in the Arab sector did not occur in a vacuum. and a Christian cleric, is a leading candidate to replace Abbas had developed friendships with several Knesset Mahmoud Abbas.35 members from the right - wing Likud and Israel Beitenu As normalization progresses between Israel and the parties, with whom he regularly conversed in Arabic.26 Arab world, including and , Mahm oud Abbas even expressed appreciation to hawkish nationalist Abbas’ promotion of BDS policies and his outreach to transportation minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had helped terror - supporting regimes, such as Turkey and Iran, only Abbas solve longstanding traffic infrastructure problems isolate the Palestinians more among critical Arab countries, near two l arge Israeli Arab towns in Northern Israel. specifically and the Gulf states. Moreover, Abbas, who served as Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Mahmoud Abbas’ misguided policies have dealt a blow to under Speaker Yariv Levin of Likud, noted right - wing revive the Palestinian - Israeli peace process, setting back Knesset members’ readiness to solve Israeli Arab issues, normalization prospects.36 Abu Toameh points out that, which served as an impetus for Abbas to respond in kind “It seems that Palestinians who support terrorism and do to their outreach.27 not accept the two - state solution are headed toward Rahat mayor and Abbas ally, Faiz Abu Sehban, noted do minating the next Palestinian parliament and that Ra’am’s readiness to align with the political right in government.”37 Israel reflects its conservative values similar to those of The PA’s anti - Israel policies, particularly its boycott of Jewish ultra - religious parties, as opposed to the liberal , the $50 - billion investment program as part of the progressive agenda that defines the Israeli political left.28 Abraham Accords 2019 economic workshop in Manama, Abraham Accords’ “Ripple Effect”? Bahrain, contrasted sharply with Arab normalization with The Arab world’s growing normalization of relations Israel and growing Israeli - Arab normalization within Israeli with Israel via the Abraham Accords has helped foster a politics. more open environment both in the region and Israe l to PA policies of radicalization and self - isolation have encourage Arab - Israeli relations. The Abraham Accords not been lost on the Palestinian public. The PA security’s have provided new opportunities for Israeli Arabs through arrest, detention, and mistreatment of Palestinian business and trade with their Arab counterparts. The UAE participants at Bahrain’s 2019 “Peace to Prosperity” launched a $10 billion technology fund for investment in workshop prompted defiant responses by some in the Israel,29 and Israeli Ara bs have increased their Palestinian private sector. “We are being pursued and participation in the high - tech sector. Former U.S. threatened,” complained a Palestinian businessman. “All of Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, an architect of the us are in a precarious position. Why i s it that people Abraham Accords, initiated a program in Nazareth to working on advancing peace and building a better future advance Israeli Arab high - tech entrepreneurs.30 receive this type of treatment?”38 Palestinian Paralysis? Despite the Palestinian leadership’s radical policies, the W est Bank Palestinians, aware of the Abraham “Abraham Effect” on the Israeli Arab community and the Accords’ positive effect on economic and political Abraham Accords between Arab state s and Israel have relations, have grown increasingly disillusioned with PA established precedents and pathways for Palestinian Chairman (Ra’is) Mahmoud Abbas and the PLO normalization with Israel. While largely unnoticed in leadership.31 While Israeli Arabs and Jews explore new Western policy circles, Palestinian Israeli normalization opport unities with Bahrain and the UAE, Palestinians find and economic cooperation have taken root. Since 2005, themselves wedged in by Mahmoud Abbas’ hard - line anti - normalization betwee n Palestinians and Israelis in Area C normalization platform. As the authors noted in their of the West Bank has flourished in 15 industrial and November 2020 policy brief, the Palestinian leadership has commercial zones, providing a career path to some 40,000 radicalized and isolated itself from Israel, much of the West Bank Palestinians who work together with Israelis Arab world, and even the Palestinian public.32 under identical conditions and receive the benefits a nd Khaled Abu Toameh noted that the 2021 Palestinian protections of Israeli labor and social security laws. general elections – if held – feature Mahmoud Abbas’ The Area C industrial and commercial zone economic hard - line campaign messages which reject peace and program represents a proven, sustainable, and productive normalization with Israel. The radical PLO faction, the model for economic, social, and political normalization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and between Israelis and Palestinians .39 This bottom - up Page 5 May 1, 2021 Focus on Israel economic normalization approach is a necessary primarily silent in Palestinian politics. Those who have precondition to top - down political agreements. Many attempted to change the Palestinian discourse have been Palestinian employees in these zones hold senior and shunned by their own families, while their economic managerial positions in Israeli companies and factories, wellbeing and even their liv es have been threatened. The where they are offered equal ity of opportunity and full Palestinian leadership and its loyalists do not tolerate economic normalization close to home. public criticism or effective opposition. While Israel’s The PA’s Mahmoud Abbas, on the Other Hand Abbas and his Ra’am party have exhibited signs of political Israel’s Mansour Abbas’ positive politics of adaptiveness to the democratic demands of a broadenin g normalization and integration contain lessons for Arab constituency in Israel, the ideologically immutable Palestinian leadership and discourse. However, it app ears PA leadership demonstrates intractability, further isolating at present that the PA’s Mahmoud Abbas remains stuck in itself from the Palestinian public, the Arab world, and the the past. Young West Bank Palestinians have expressed Israeli people. At present, there does not seem to be a dissatisfaction with the 86 - year - old Abbas and Fatah’s West Bank equivalent of Mansour Abbas running for the intransigent and ineffective politics and called on him to Palestinian Authority leadership. However, Mansour resign, as reflected in a l ate 2020 Palestinian poll.40 Abbas’ influence may have opened a veritable Pandora’s Some moderate Palestinian leaders think creatively and box for the Palestinian leadership. can offer the Palestinian public a positive vision and a Regional and local political pressure may soon force pragmatic approach to a better future. Presently, this PA politicians to follow the trend of normalization with seems an unlikely scenario given the PA’s poor democratic Israel that today characterize Arab state relations with tr ack record. Israel, Israeli Arab relations within Israel, and increasingly, Potential moderate and pragmatic candidates remain economic ties between Wes t Bank Palestinians and Israelis. Visit suburba northodox.or g for the current issue .

How the Recent Sabotage of an Iranian Nuclear Facility Relates to Negotiations with the U.S. By Eran Lerman jiss.org.il April 21, 2021 A disturbing analogy from 1938. purposes” has been dropped. There never was a “fatwa” The Iranian regime is eager to generate a sense of of the Supreme Leader against acquisition of nuclear urgen cy in the West, pushing the Biden Administration to weapons. The world knows, and the Iranians hardly bother give up its sanctions leverage and return to the 2015 to hide, that thi s is a military project. Nevertheless, the JCPOA. The recent damage caused to the Natanz entire JCPOA of 2015 rests upon the bold assertion (as enrichment facility can change this equation. In any case, spelled - out on page one of the accord), which is an as Munich 1938 taught, it is dangerous to try and buy time outright lie: that that the Iranian nuclear project is civilian at the cost of mollifying an ambitious totalitarian regime. in nature. The Iranian regime blames Israel for the blast that 2. Accuracy and truth are no t high priorities for seriously damaged the Natanz facility. It decided to the Iranian leadership. Indeed, one of the ways in which “retaliate” by commencing enrichment to the level of 60% they have contended with severe setbacks – and in fact, uranium 235. The IAE A has confirmed this, putting the this has served Israel well – is simply to invent a major Iranians one step closer to the goal of enrichment to 93% achievement where there was none, so as to soften the (military grade fissile material). The decision was made in blow. Thu s, Iran falsely claimed to have inflicted heavy the context of ongoing “indirect” talks with the US, and losses among IDF soldiers in response to the massive direct talks in Vienna with the other five part ners of the Israeli air strikes against Iranian targets in on May 10, 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) The 2018 (Israeli Operation “House of Cards” in Syria). This talks seem headed towards an agreed mechanism for a may well be the case now too. Iran ’s claim to enrichment return to the JCPOA and the removal of sanctions on at 60% may be accurate, but it will not be easy to Iran. accumulate large amounts of fissile material in the next few Iranian conduct reminds us of three basic realities: months – given the damage to Natanz. 1. The Iranian nuclear pro ject has one and only 3. The main goal of the Iranian regime at present one purpose: the production of a nuclear bomb. Lame is to generate a sense of urgency in the West (the excuses aside, there is no other reason to enrich uranium Biden Administration, specifically). Senior American to 60% (or even to 20%, given that Iran does not have and officials, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, will not have nuclear - powered submarines or other already have quoted alarmist assessments as to Iran’s vessels). Sixty percent is simply a declared way station to breakout time to justify a quick return to the JCPOA as it the stockpiling of military grade fissile material. Iran also is was in 2015; an d only then to negotiate a “longer, stronger, working on tooling metallic uranium, and has been in broader” agreement. But with US leverage frittered away possession of basic bomb - making technologies for nearly (following the easing of sanctions), what will motivate the two decades (as the captured Iranian n uclear archives Iranian regime to compromise? Should the US succumb to prove). In effect, the false Iranian pretense of “civilian the arguments of urgency, which are man ipulated by Iran, Focus o n I srael May 1, 2021 Page 6

the prospects of achieving the goals Biden himself has set In any case, the effort to “gain time” is legitimate and will be next to nil. worthy. In the face of a determined, ambitious, and This highlights the supreme importance of the serious totalitarian Iranian regime, the US must not concede key damage inflicted upon the enrichment facility at Natanz. principles or forfeit decisive tools of leverage, nor should it This facility has been the target of several at tacks in the abandon loyal allies. past ( – including, as David Sanger relates in his book, Alas, European appeasement of Hitler is the historical Confront and Conceal, systemic cyber - attacks planned analogy that comes t o mind. Chamberlain, who probably during the Bush years and carried out under Obama in understood what sort of villain he was dealing with, close cooperation with Israel). If the battle is for time, then wanted to gain time, and was tempted to believe that his every moment is o f the essence. Therefore, the US should concessions to Hitler in 1938 bought him a couple of be appreciative of any significant delay in Iran’s ability to crucial years. (They did not. War came within 11 months). breakout towards a bomb, and certainly of a setback T he sad observation is that had Chamberlain been willing measured in months. The time gained should be used to to fight Hitler right then, World War II could have been sustain the pressure on Iran towards a better ag reement – avoided since the German High Command was ready to without the current “sunset clauses.” overthrow Hitler. The time supposedly “bought” by The Biden Administration may well resent Chamberlain’s weakness at Munich came at t he cost of 60 independent Israeli actions, and has made manifest its million lives, the devastation of Europe and Asia, and the preference for diplomacy over the use of force. (See the Holocaust. Interim National Security Strategy document). Events su ch The two cases are not quite similar, except for this one as the blast at Natanz “muddy the waters” at Vienna and central lesson. Once the wish to gain time drives a may disrupt the negotiations led by the State Department willingness to accept the demands of a ruthless, tota litarian and European allies. But at the end of the day, Israel’s regime hellbent on subversion and destruction – the tragic right “to defend herself by herself” – a right formally consequences are inevitable. It is this insight that should be recognized by President Oba ma – is an asset for US imparted to friends in American politics and diplomacy. diplomacy, if used in the right manner. Israel’s Colonel (res.) Dr. Lermanis Vice President of the Jerusalem Institute independence could provide American negotiators and for Strategy and Security. their European partners with key cards as the talks evolve.

A Syrian Rocket That Landed in the Negev Should Remind the U.S. of the Dangers Posed by Iran By Bobby Ghosh bloomberg.com April 15, 2021 A few limits on the ayatollahs’ nuclear program won’t support of terrorist groups and sectarian militias across the be enough. Middle East, its support for the Syrian regime of the It was a scare fit for a Tom Clancy novel: On dictator Bashar al - Assad and its mi ssile program. Tehran Wednesday night air - raid sirens went off near the Israeli has repeatedly rejected this request. nuclear reactor in Dimona. Happily, the services of Jack Iranian missiles, militias and Assad all factor into the Ryan were not required. Israeli military officials say it was a scare in Dimona. false alarm. The sequence of events reportedly began with Israeli But U.S. President would do well to take it air strikes in Syria against stockpiles of weapons, including as a real warning. Even as his administration contemplates missile s, stored by Tehran’s local proxies. Iran has been sanctions relief for Iran, the klaxons around Dimona are a using groups such as , as well as elements in sobering reminder that the nearby thr eat from Iran is not Assad’s military, to build up a substantial arsenal in Syria, limited to its uranium - enrichment program. Its more from where it can hit cities in Israel. In response, the conventional military activities in Israel’s neighborhood are Israeli military routinely cond ucts clandestine missions and a pressing threat that should be front and center in any airstrikes against the Iranian arsenal and outposts in Syria: American diplomatic outreach to the Islamic Republic. Over 500 such targets were hit in 2020 alone. Reports f rom Vienna, where the world powers are Last night’s strike was met by a barrage of Syrian negotiating with Iran to return to the terms agreed to in surface - to - air missiles, a not - infrequent occurrence. their 2015 nuclear deal, suggest the Biden administration is Although none of them seems to have hit an Israeli softening its position. Whereas American officials initially aircraft, one missile flew as far as the northern Negev made the easing of U.S. sanctions con ditional on Tehran’s desert, in the general direction of Dimona, where it set off compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, alarms. In response, the Israeli Defense Forces deployed they are now signaling a willingness to discuss the anti - missile rockets to intercept the Syrian projectile — relaxation of some restrictions in order to facilitate more and, for good measure, launched another air strike against talks. the battery from which it came. Apparently lost in the shuffle of diplomacy is another That, at any rate, is the IDF’s version of how it went Biden precondition: that Iran agree to follow - on down. negotiations over its other malign activities, including its Page 7 May 1, 2021 Focus on Israel

Even though the Syrian missile was a stray, its timing that the Islamic Republic and its proxies are building in invited other interpretations. Afte r all, it has been less than Syria are a growing menace that Israel can’t ignore. two weeks since an Israeli operation reportedly disabled an The greatest threat comes not from stray rockets fired Iranian nuclear facility in Natanz, south of Tehran. It has off by Assad’s forces but from precision - guided Iranian long been assumed that the Iranians would not dare target missi les assembled in Syria and supplied to Tehran’s Israeli nuclear infrastructure, for fear of inter national catspaws in the country or in neighboring and opprobrium and the likelihood of massive retaliation by Lebanon. And they don’t need to target Dimona in order the IDF. But Iranian officials have sworn to exact to do great harm, whether in Israel or elsewhere in the vengeance for the disruption of Natanz and last Middle East. November’s assassination of the top Iranian nuclear Preventing such an outcome ought to be a high weapons scientist. Prominent hard liners in the regime priority for the Biden administration and the other world have called for an “eye - for - an - eye” attack on Dimona. powers represented at the talks in Vienna. Last night’s The widening Iranian footprint in Syria greatly events should serve as a reminder that a deal limited to its increases the chances of such an attack. But even if nuclear program will not greatly limit the danger Iran Dimona remains out - of - bounds, the missile stockpiles — represents. and reportedly, research an d manufacturing facilities — B obby Ghosh is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He writes on foreign affairs, with a special focus on the Middle East and Africa .

Hamas Is Improving Its Rocket Technology By Yoav Zitun ynetnews.com April 25, 2021 A warning from the recen t escalation. Hamas, even if it did not claim any Israeli casualties. The latest escalation in southern Israel over the weekend However, each such attack on Israel allows it to better map has demonstrated that Hamas Hamas' capabilities and hamstring it continues to improve the precision to prevent the next conflict or catch of its rockets. the terror group unpr epared. Nine out of 40 rockets fired from Hamas' drone unit, naval the on Friday and commando, intelligence gathering Saturday were supposed to explode and tunnel networks have suffered in urban centers. Seven were considerable damage from the IDF intercepted by the Iron Dome over the past two years — but missile defense system and two Hamas has not given up. exploded within Gaza border The terrorist organization is likely communities, causing property trying — albeit without much damage. suc cess — to smuggle precision With a 22% success rate and taking into account that Iron equipment into the Gaza Strip that will allow it to turn its Dome is 85 – 90% effective, dozens of rockets may hit rockets into missiles, similar to Hezbollah's precision - urban centers in the country's south should the conflict guided missile program in Lebanon. escalate and Gaza terror groups fire hundreds of rockets Israel has been making great efforts over the past year and per day. a half to foil s uch smuggle attempts even outside the Gaza In previous rounds of escalation over the past two years, Strip. Hamas tried to bypass Iron Dome through massive salvos, The IDF Southern Command estimates that Hamas is still overwhelming the de fense system. far from obtaining or producing such tie - breaking These attempts were partially successful and even led to weapons and has not been able to smuggle standard arms the death of an Israeli in Ashdod but since then, the into the Gaza Strip for years due to IDF activ ity but the defense establishment has also upgraded the system's last round proves that the Islamist group has been making capabilities to deal with concentrated volleys in a variety of strides toward this goal . ranges. This p ast weekend ended with relative success for

Dealing a blow to Zionism By Stephen M. Flatow jns.org April 26, 2021 There is no legal, historic or religious basis for the What they are celebrating is the striking of a blow at the Zionist left’s campaign to stop Jews from buying land heart of Zionism. in Judea and Samaria. “We’re happy to share some good news today!” be gan Left - wing American Jewish groups are crowing about the email from Partners for Progressive Israel, the U.S. their success in postponing a vo te on whether the Keren arm of Israel’s far - left Meretz Party. “Thanks to the tireless Kayemeth LeIsrael - Jewish National Fund (KKL - JNF) can resistance work being done” by various left - wing activists, purchase private land from Arabs in Judea and Samaria. Focus o n Israel May 1, 2021 Page 8 “a small victory” has been scored by blocking the vote, at prevented Jews from purchasing land in 95 percent of the least for now . country. The Zionist left didn’t support that. On the The left’s “good news” is bad news for Zionism. The contrary, all Zionists, from left to right, denounced it. setback may be small, and hopefully, it will be only In 1947, the United Natio ns proposed a partition that temporary, but make no mistake about it — Partners for would have left the Jews with a tiny state. During the Progressive Israel and its allies have undermined the subsequent Arab invasion, the Jewish forces liberated consensus that has held the worldwide Zion ist movement more land than was allotted to them. From 1948 to 1967, together for more than a century. those areas were part of the State of Israel. The Israeli left The “Jerusalem Program,” which is the credo of the didn’t object to the JNF buying land there. World Zionist Organization, consists of six “foundations So why is it that today, left - wing groups like Partners of Zionism” that every Zionist organization is obligated to for a Progressive Israel treat the pre - 1967 armistice line as accept. The first foundation is: “The uni ty of the Jewish sacrosanct, and treat Judea and Samaria as off - limits? Why people, its bond to their historic homeland Eretz Yisrael, should the pre - 1967 armistice line be considered as any and the centrality of the State of Israel and Jerusalem, its more holy than the lines proposed by Peel, Woodhead or capital in the life of the nation.” the United Nations? Note that it does not refer to a bond only to Israel All of those boundary lines were arbitrary. The lines within the pre - 1967 armistice lines. It says, “its bond to suggested by Peel and Woodhead were conceived by the their historic homeland Eretz Yisrael.” The choice of the British Colonial Office. The 1947 lines were the bra inchild term “Eretz Yisrael,” the Land of Israel, was obviously of U.N. officials. The lines that prevailed from 1948 to intentional. And that term has to include the areas which 1967 simply marked how far Jordanian tanks had managed have always been at the heart of the Land of Israel, Ju dea to advance in 1948 before the . and Samaria. The cities of Judea and Samaria, such as There is no legal, historic or religious basis for the Hebron, Shiloh and Shechem, were the scene of thousands Zionist left’s campaign to stop Jews fro m buying land in of years of Jewish and Zionist history, long before cities Judea and Samaria. The campaign’s only basis is fear — fear like Tel Aviv existed. and weariness. The Palestinian Arabs are loud, insistent In the early 1900s, as the Zionist movement began and violent. (Look at what’s happened in Jerusalem over actively p urchasing land from private Arab owners, the last few days.) The Arabs’ allies in the international everybody on the Zionist spectrum, from right to left, news medi a are carping and relentless. Thus, many Jews on thought it was a great idea. the left are afraid and tired. They’re afraid of Arab violence They thought it was a great idea because it was the way and tired of being out of sync with their favorite to build a Jewish state. Not only that. Many on the Zionist newspapers and cocktail - party friends. They seek relief by left also belie ved that private commercial transactions siding with the Arab world’s deman ds to stop Jews from between Jews and Arabs would actually promote living in their historic homeland. coexistence. People doing business with each other is the All of which raises an interesting question. Every opposite of people shooting at each other. organization that wants to be part of the World Zionist Nobody, including even the farthest - left elements in Organization and the American Zionist Movement, the Zionist mov ement, thought that the Jewish National including Partners for Progressive Israel, is required to Fund should be prevented from purchasing land simply accept that Jerusalem Program principle about the Jewish because Palestinian Arab leaders, or various foreign people’s “bond to their historic homeland Eretz Yisrael.” powers, wanted to prevent it. Clearly, Partners for Progressive Israel and like - In 1937, the British Peel Commission recommended minded groups are now working overtime to weaken, not dividing in to Jewish and Arab states; strengthen, Israel’s bond to the areas that are at the heart in 1938, the British Woodhead Commission made a similar of our historic homeland. Should such organizations be proposal. The Zionist left didn’t announce that Jewish land permitted to remain within a movemen t whose purchases should be stopped in half the country, just fundamental principles they seek to undermine? It’s time because Peel or Woodhead thought there should be an for this question to be debated seriously in the Jewish Arab st ate there. world. In 1939, the British proclaimed a White Paper that Mr. Flatow is the author of “A Father’s Story: My Fight for Justice Against Iranian Terror.” Embraces Mahmoud Abbas; How Will US Jews Respond ? By Moshe Phillips algemeiner.com April 22, 2021 A war ning from the recent escalation. — Abbas stood before the Palestine National Council’s J Street’s decision to feature Mahmoud Abbas at its opening session (PNC) and delivered a blatantly “first - ever virtual national conference” earlier this week, antisemitic speech. demonstrates just how far J Street is from it being the Abbas stated that Jews have “no historical ties” to the firmly pro - Israel, Zionist group it wants American Jews to Land of Israel, because they are actually descendants of the believe it is. Turkish Khazar tribe (a bizarre and long - discredited Just three years ago this month — on April 30, 2018 conspiracy theory). Page 9 May 1, 2021 Focus on Israel

Abbas also said there has never been an antisemitic Or does J Street acknowledge that Abbas is still an incident against Jews in Arab countries — “Not even antisemite? And if so, why was he invited to speak? And once,” he declared. “Do yo u think I’m exaggerating? I what about the fact that Abbas’ PA continues to pay challenge you [to find] even one incident against Jews in salaries to imprisoned terrorists and the families of dead over 1,400 years.” terrorists? Is the PA’s pol icy of naming parks, streets, and Then, Abbas insinuated that the Holocaust was caused other venues after terrorists something that J Street by the Jews’ own “social behavior, [charging] interest, and endorses? financial matters.” J Street’s May 2018 condemnation of Abbas was a rare Abbas’ previous cl aims about the Holocaust — and impressive criticism of a figure whom J Street had described in detail in his 1982 doctoral dissertation and almost never previously criticized. For J Street, though, subsequent book — include that only a few hundred that honest perspective seemingly lasted just for a thousand, not six million, Jews were killed by the Nazis; moment. and that David Ben - Gurion collaborated with the Nazis to Recently, J Street has tried to take advantage of the kill J ews, to garner world sympathy for creating a Jewish Jewish community’s desire to have a big tent, and gain state. legitimacy in the eyes of the independent organizations What did J Street — which now speaks of “moderate that govern much of Je wish establishment life in America. Palestinian leaders” — say about Abbas’ speech? But J Street should not be offered safe harbors within In a May 1, 2018, press release, J Street said that it our federations and councils. J Street’s giving a platform to “strongly condemns remarks made by Presiden t Mahmoud Abbas is all of the evidence for this that we need. Abbas on Monday that featured absurd antisemitic tropes No one is demanding that other far left groups such as and deeply offensive comments on the history of the Americans for , a member of the Conference Jewish people and Israel.” J Street called Abbas’ speech of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations for “incendiary,” and argued that “there is absolutely no decades, be put outside the tent. J Street, however, through excuse” for what he said. its embrace of Abbas, and its other actions, has put itself in I f less than three years ago, Abbas was — according to a far different cat egory — much closer to extremists like J Street — an antisemite, how is he now acceptable as a Jewish Voice for Peace, Neturei Karta, and IfNotNow. featured speaker at their national conference? Does American Jews who support Israel’s security must have red antisemitism have a shelf life and an expiration date? Or lines, and J Street has violated them. does J Street simply think it is now acceptable to partner I hope that American Jewish individuals and with Abbas to advance his radical, antisemitic agenda? organizations who are b lessed with morality and common And is J Street simply hoping that the rest of us will sense will soon find their voice and speak out forcefully not notice that under Abbas, antisemitism still fills both against J Street, and put them outside the tent. the Palestinian Authority (PA) - controlled media and its Mr. Phillips is national director of Herut North America’s U.S. school t extbooks? division. Herut is an international movement for Zionist pride and education and its U.S. website is https://herutna.org/

Mutual trust is the motor running this Arab - Jewish startup By Abigail Klein Leichman israel21c.org April 25, 2021 Two physics PhDs from divergent backgrounds The details are scientifically complex, but these two channeled their professional and personal friendship have years of experience in applied ph ysics. into a high - tech venture. “We know each other a long time,” Taha tells It’s not unusual to find the Jews and Arabs of ISRAEL21c. Jerusalem side by side in stor es, buses and trains, working During his PhD studies at Hebrew University in 2002, together in hospitals and studying together in institutions Taha was working in a lab where Israel was an of higher education. undergraduate assistant. Though the men are not far apart It is quite unusual, however, to find a Jewish and Arab in age — Taha is now 45 and Israel i s 43 — Israel had duo who are close friends and startup cofounders. entered university after three years of military service and That’s what makes Hesham Taha and Avi I srael’s story another year of traveling abroad. so intriguing – and so hopeful for a shared future in this Their shared interest in physics research led to a warm city of 936,000 people, 62 percent of whom are Jewish and working relationship. 38% Arab. When Israel finished his PhD, he joined Taha working Their company, Teramount, connects optical fibers to at Nanonics Imaging, which makes advanced scanning silicon chips, enabling the transfer of terabytes of data at probe microscopy systems. t he speed of light for applications requiring high “We did many travels together to conferences and to bandwidth, like 5G networks, cloud computing, data - customers,” Taha says. “We often had to share the same center infrastructure and machine learning - based room, or got stuck in the same airport, and our friendship applications. deepened. We had many dis cussions about life and our Focus o n Israel May 1, 2021 Page 10 families and how we see coexistence in this small piece of In 2015, the Israel Innovation Authority launched a land. This is how you develop thoughts about the situation fund supporting startups with an Arab founder, offering a from a different perspective. We had trust in each other.” low matching requirement as an enticement for outside Hebrew has always been their common language. investors. “At m y previous company I was a senior employee “Getting this grant was the main trigger for initiating and the only Arab,” Taha says. “Many of the employees Teramount, because deep - tech is relatively high risk fo r were American immigrants and I spoke Hebrew better investors,” says Taha. “Also, many Arab founders did not than they did,” he adds with a laugh. have a previous exit and are making their first attempt. “In 2014,” Taha continues, “Avi raised an idea that we Such governmental support definitely motivates the both were aware of from our work about how to connect ecosystem and supports Arab people building startups.” optics to chips. We saw great potential. I decided to leave Jerusalem - basedTeramount recently raised $8 million my job a year after him, and we started Teramount.” in a Series A funding round led by deep - technology VC Mutual trust and respect Grove Ventures with participation from Amelia Israel recalls, “I had a vague thought about how the Investments and former Executive VP of Intel David microelectronic revolution would be applied to optics and (Dadi) Perlmutter, Teramount’s chairman of the board. communications. I needed a counterpart to help me refine Israel is CTO and Taha is CEO. it, so I talked to Hesham. We’re both men of science and “I had the privilege of choosing my own boss,” Israel knew the problem before we could identify the market.” says. “I knew I wasn’t ready to be a CEO; I’m too drawn It wasn’t long before the market materialized. To to the technical part. Hesham is more eloquent and very move i nnovation smoothly into the future, multinationals experienced.” such as Intel and Cisco must overcome the data bottleneck The cofounders emphasize that their mutual respect that existing photonics aren’t reliable or scalable enough to and trust for one another, personally and professionally, is solve. what makes their partnership tick. Teramount’s answer to this problem is now in the “Our families often socialize. Hesham’s son and my commercialization stage, work ing with leading vendors in daughter were born about a week apart,” says Israel, whose the semiconductor (chip) industry. The team of eight is daughter attends the bicultural Hand in Hand school in expected to double by the end of the year. Jerusalem. “We are very confident that our unique approach is “Our friend ship is a benefit but it’s about knowing the general enough to fit many needs,” says Israel. whole person. The trust and confidence you must have in a cofounder takes some of the risk off the table.”

1,600 - year - old mosaic pavement unearthed in central Israel to be placed on display By Jewish News Syndicate jns.org April 26 , 2021 The flooring, which da tes back to the Byzantine IAA’s mosaic workshop at the Rockefeller Museum in period, was discovered during large - eastern Jerusalem for preservation by scale excavations in Yavne, ahead of conservation experts. the development of a new The Yavne Municipal ity is currently neighborhood in the city. preparing the infrastructure for the IAA archaeologists Elie Haddad display of the mosaic, whose relocation and Hagit Torgë said that though they and preservation will be carried out initially believed the flooring to be through what the IAA calls “ancient “simple white mosaic paving belonging technological methods … employing to yet another industrial installation,” materials used in antiquity.” once they treated it with a special acid to During the work, the sit e will be remove its patina coat, “a colorful mosaic carpet was open to the public so that everyone can observe the revealed, ornament ed with geometric motifs.” conservation process and gradual uncovering of the They assessed that the well - preserved flooring “may mosaic. have been part of a splendid residential building in a “Archaeological preservation and awareness of the wealthy neighborhood adjacent to the industrial zone.” past are important values in the life of the city, which Once documented, drawn and photographed in the has a magnificent history,” said Yavne Mayor Zvi Gov - Ari. field, the pavement was temporarily transferred to the

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