ISRAELI Opinion. Tradition. FILM BIDEN'S NEW WINS FOREIGN RADICAL TRIBECA POLICY UNCERTAINTY AWARDS A2. A10. A11. THE algemeiner JOURNAL $1.00 - PRINTED IN NEW YORK FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 | 14 IYAR 5780 VOL. XLVII NO. 2453 Researchers Double Air Force Strikes Forcing Iran Out US COVID-19 Death of Syria, Israeli Forecast, Citing Officials Say Eased Restrictions BY BENJAMIN KERSTEIN Under the pressure of continuing IAF air strikes, Iran is beginning to drawn down its military presence in Syria, unnamed Israeli security officials were quoted as saying on Tuesday. The Israeli news site Walla cited the officials saying, “For the first time since Iran entered Syria, it is reducing its forces there and evacuating bases.” “Syria is paying an increasing price due to the Iranian presence on its territory for a war that is not [Syria’s],” they added. Health workers move a patient at the NYU Langone Hospital, in New York City, May 3, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Eduardo Munoz. Israeli Air Force F-15 planes. Photo: Reuters / Amir Cohen. BY REUTERS from the University of Washing- warnings from public health “Iran has turned from an asset for Syria into a burden,” ton’s Institute for Health Metrics experts that a rising clamor to lift the officials asserted. & ALGEMEINER STAFF and Evaluation (IHME) reflect restrictions on commerce and They added that Israel would maintain pressure on A newly-revised coronavirus “rising mobility in most US states” social activities — in hopes of Iran “until it leaves Syria.” mortality model predicts nearly with an easing of business closures healing a ravaged economy — Recently, Israel has stepped up its attacks on Iranian 135,000 Americans will die from and stay-at-home orders expected could exact a staggering cost in targets in Syria, including an air strike on Monday night COVID-19 by early August, almost in 31 states by May 11, the institute terms of human lives. near Aleppo. Strikes last week hit Homs, Quneitra and the double previous projections, as said.“We expect that the epidemic The novel coronavirus is outskirts of Damascus. social-distancing measures for in many states will now extend already known to have infected Defense Minister Naftali Bennett vowed Israel would quelling the pandemic are increas- through the summer,” the IHME almost 1.2 million people in the not permit Iran to entrench itself in Syria, saying, “For Iran, ingly relaxed, researchers said on director, Dr. Christopher Murray, United States, including 68,762 who Monday. said in a statement. have died from COVID-19, the respi- Continued on Page A3 The ominous new forecast The projections reinforced Continued on Page A3 Remembering ShabbatCalendar Parshat EMOR Times for New York City, Friday Candle Lighting Shabbat Begins: 7:42pm | Shabbat Ends: 8:47pm פרשת אמור Herman Wouk P.O.B. 208 East 51st St, Suite 185 New York, NY 10022 page A8 Tel: (718) 771.0400 | Fax: (718) 771.0308 Email: [email protected] www.algemeiner.com © Copyright 2020 The Algemeiner Journal - All Rights Reserved. A2 | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 Opinion. How Much of Trump’s Foreign Policy Would Biden Preserve? back to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem. While Biden by Trump in the Middle East peace plan continues to pay lip service to the foolish he floated earlier this year. But the furious JONATHAN S. TOBIN mindset that kept the United States from opposition of the Biden team to any prospect JNS.org formally recognizing Israel’s rights to its of Israeli annexation of West Bank settlements capital for 70 years, his concession that a long shows that they are still laboring under the overdue action that he still insists should not delusion that any Israeli government can be have happened — his claims that the embassy persuaded to return to the dangerous 1967 Democrats can’t wait until next January. should only have been moved in the context of lines, and that doing so would make any They’re hoping that the next inauguration day a comprehensive peace with the Palestinians, difference to Palestinians, who have already Democratic US presidential candidate and will be the end of their long nightmare and which, considering that they have consistently rejected several peace offers that conformed former Vice President Joe Biden, in they can put the presidency of Donald Trump rejected every offer of peace, it tantamount to to those parameters. Washington, DC, March 15, 2020. in the rearview mirror. Should they get their saying it will never happen — is not without In some ways, one can say that time has Photo: Reuters / Kevin Lamarque. wish, they’re hoping that his successor will significance. stood still since 2017, because the Palestinians probably going to be hoping to maintain, toss out everything he’s done. Biden’s foreign-policy team will look like are as determined to avoid peace with Israel rather than demolish, the increasingly close That’s the way it usually works when one an Obama administration alumni reunion as they were during Obama’s eight years in though largely informal ties between Israel party takes over from its rivals, and it largely committee. But even they know that what office, despite his consistent efforts to tilt the and Sunni Arab states that look to it as an ally characterized the transitions from Bill Clinton Trump did with respect to Jerusalem cannot diplomatic playing field in their direction. And against the threat from Iran. to George W. Bush and then from Bush to be undone without doing far more harm the majority of Israelis are just as determined And despite the bitter denunciations of Barack Obama, and then Obama to Trump. than the theoretical good they imagine might to avoid repeating blunders — like the Oslo Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear Should prospective Democratic nominee Joe come from appeasing the Palestinians in this Accords and Ariel Sharon’s 2005 withdrawal deal coming from the Obama alumni, as well Biden defeat Trump in November, it’s certain manner. That is why the arguments from from Gaza that led to so much bloodshed — as Biden’s promise to return to it, the idea that that with respect to many issues, the govern- Jewish Democrats, who would have cheered as they were when Obama exited from the they can simply happily revert to a policy of ment clock will be turned back to where if a president they voted for had moved the White House. appeasing Tehran is also illusory. things stood in January 2017. embassy, that Trump’s action was insignificant But while Biden, Blinken, and company In the years since Obama left office, Iran’s But despite the general feeling among were so disingenuous. The impact of America may talk of two states and hope that they can continued support for international terror Trump’s detractors that his presidency has finally recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the outlast Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its efforts to destabilize Arab nations as been a bad dream from which they long to ancient capital of the Jewish people can’t be in office — something Obama failed to do — part of its quest for regional hegemony have wake, the notion that all of his decisions can diminished. they may also understand that their chances continued, even as the Iranian people persist be simply erased is itself an illusion. A lot has Nevertheless, as top Biden adviser and of making the Palestinians negotiate seriously in making clear their disgust with the misrule happened during these years, especially with former Obama Deputy Secretary of State remain nonexistent. The constant bickering of the theocratic tyrants that oppress them. respect to the Middle East, and Biden and his Anthony Blinken made clear this week, a new with the Israeli government that was the Biden will need to understand that advisors would be foolish to want to roll back Democratic administration would return hallmark of Obama’s Middle East policy may relaxing or ending Trump’s sanctions on Iran, everything that’s been done. to Obama’s fruitless quest for a two-state return. But in practice, Biden is likely to find which have shaken the Islamist regime and That was made apparent when Biden solution that the Palestinians don’t want. himself managing the conflict in a manner exposed its inherent weakness domestically, said that he will not move the US embassy That is a goal that was also embraced that is similar to that of Trump in that he is Continued on Page A4 Why Israel Will Beat COVID-19 Singer attribute our success in the world in us a similar discipline has been the years of of technology has another element to it. living under rocket fire. For many years, the ARI HAROW While Israeli soldiers are encouraged to ask only active bomb shelters were in Northern JERUSALEM questions and not just accept military strategy Israel and near the Gaza border, while the rest the dictated from above, once a decision is final- of Israel was felt to be out of range. Starting with Algemeiner Journal ized, military discipline is enforced without the Gulf War and later from Lebanon and Gaza, compromise. While the ability to question all of Israel became a target. While the Iron (USPS 927800) is published weekly Sitting in the tiny, closet-like office, we authority is a strength in developing a certain Dome and other missile defense systems have (except for the week of Passover could barely move the chairs around to get the work ethic, the ability to follow final directives limited the efficacy of these attacks, we the and Succos) four of us into the cramped space. There was a is an asset when fighting a pandemic.