World Jewish News
China’s Malicious Influence in the Middle East
More than a dozen Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, signed a joint declaration in Beijing last month to create an interim unity government that would operate in both the West Bank and Gaza. But the deal has no implementation mechanism, and there is no apparent settlement of the Hamas-Fatah war that started in 2007 and has been brewing on the West Bank since 2021.
The declaration in Beijing raised a few eyebrows, but mostly for the wrong reasons.
China has recognized “Palestine” since 1988, with little impact on the region. For the Palestinians, especially Hamas, being hosted in Beijing in the post-October 7 period was appealing, even if it didn’t solve any of their problems. But China’s moves in the Middle East and Red Sea are less designed to boost Palestinian statehood than they are to speed the decline in American influence in the region – and China is well placed to do just that.
In 2023, China was the top purchaser of Iranian oil, some 60% above pre-sanction peaks recorded in 2017. With that base, Beijing reached out to Saudi Arabia and brokered a Saudi-Iran “reconciliation” agreement, seven years after the Saudis had severed relations in the aftermath of an Iranian mob setting the Saudi embassy in Tehran on fire.
China has also increased its support of the Iranian-sponsored Houthi terrorist movement in the Red Sea, where the US has been unwilling or unable to prevent attacks on Western shipping, reducing traffic through Egypt’s vital Suez Canal by more than 50 percent.
Bloomberg News reports, however, that the Houthis “have told China and Russia their ships can sail through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden without being attacked, according to several people with knowledge of the militant group’s discussions.”
China’s hostility toward Israel has also increased, particularly as Israel has limited its technology-sharing with China over the past several years, culminating in China’s pro-Hamas UN Security Council Resolutions after the October 7 massacre.
Some history is in order here.
For centuries, Great Britain was the guarantor of freedom of the seas and security in the Middle East. After World War II and into the mid-1950s, as Britain divested itself of its colonies and responsibilities, the United States took over. It was a major realignment that had both promise and problems.
The standard American schoolroom map of that period (you remember it, right?) placed the US in the center of the world, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The eastern Pacific was ours – Canada, Mexico, Central America and Chile. Then the ocean, and on the western side, a series of American allies or trading partners – Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and even, more recently, Vietnam.
We assumed that, from China’s point of view looking to its east, the US was in charge of the Pacific. However, as China worked to change its economic and political fortunes over the past few decades, the country looked to its west – where it has relatively unimpeded access to the energy-rich countries of Central Asia and the Middle East, and then south to Africa — with the Indian Ocean as a vital waterway. The China People’s Liberation Army naval base in Djibouti opened in 2017, just north of the American base at Camp Lemonnier and the French and Japanese bases in the Red Sea.
China’s rise in the Middle East has moved in tandem with Biden administration policy that has irritated our traditional ally Saudi Arabia; offered support, including sanctions relief and financial support, to Iran, the Houthis, and the Palestinians; and frightened the Abraham Accord countries (the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Israel).
As our longtime friends in the Middle East and Persian Gulf see it, the US has abandoned the role we have historically played – the “indispensable nation,” the security guarantor, protecting their ability to pump, sell, and move oil. President Biden is giving Iran waivers to sell oil to China. US power still controls the sea lanes, but China gets the benefit — and they’ve been using their money to build commercial ports all along the route from Iran to the Pacific and then military facilities along the islands they’re building in the Pacific.
China’s political overtures to both sides of the Sunni-Shiite conflict in the region, plus increasing presence on the waterways from the Middle East to Asia, and purchases of crucial raw material and mineral assets in Africa – without waging a physical war in any of them – makes the broad picture much more frightening than the hosting of Fatah and Hamas in Beijing.
Many former (or current) US allies are leaning into China. We might think we are “the indispensable nation,” but they may not. China doesn’t talk about “democracy” or “uprooting corruption,” or even “women’s rights.” It goes for political and economic benefit which doesn’t threaten the people of the region. But that might just be for now.
Shoshana Bryen is Senior Director of The Jewish Policy Center and Editor of inFOCUS Quarterly.
The post China’s Malicious Influence in the Middle East first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
World Jewish News
Report from Israel: What Is Normality?
By ORLY DREMAN (Jerusalem, August 12, 2024) When the media tell us to prepare lots of water and where the locations for distribution of water will be, it reminds me of my parents’ stories about austerity rations during the long War of Independence. If there is no electricity – there will be no water because the water pumps are connected to electricity. We are living with uncertainty and with existential apprehension.
It is like what we wend through during Covid times when we used to stock up on products. Today we are buying three times more; it gives us a feeling that we can control our destinies. It reduces the pressure. The waiting feels worse… let it happen and it will be over with. Our normality is that I rehearse with my husband how far from the car we have to lie down on the street when the siren sounds. Normal is having stomachaches, headaches, back pain and lack of sleep due to stress. Our normality is bringing water bottles into the shelter, canned food, transistors, batteries, flash lights and more. We go out less and order take out way more.
When our grandchildren come they always ask us to remind them where to hide in case “the bad people” come. Friends call each other to wish good luck – kind of end of the world conversations.
Children do not understand the reality; it depends on how much stress they see in the home. Their survival is being together. They ask what will happen if the siren sounds during their birthday party. We sit down and talk to them. We hug, we eat comforting food and listen to music. We worry when someone says they feel “excellent.”
People walk in the street and look at the sky for unmanned aerial vehicles. They hold their phones in their hands to hear messages from the home front command. They also look behind their shoulders for a terrorist with a knife. We are awaiting the worst.
At the end of July the JNF Canada Resilience Task Force arrived in Israel… good people, like our friend Larry Vickar from Winnipeg, who came to support and contribute. They managed to visit the kibbutzim in the south, learn what security challenges they faced, and about their strength and bravery. They saw the Nova festival sight and heard the plans how to revive the communities devastated on Oct. 7th. They were at hospitals and heard lectures from doctors and mental health professionals. They met survivors and hostages who were freed. They met evacuees from the north and heard speeches by generals. Unfortunately, they only managed to be in Israel half a week when all foreign flights were cancelled and they had to leave the country on whatever flight was possible.
Tonight is Tishah B’ Av – many more Jews will fast today. This day feels more real this year. It is a day with bad tragedies. This is the day when both our temples were destroyed; the Jews from England, France and Spain were deported; WW1 began.
When we think things cannot get worse, they get worse.
Commercials abroad are about advertising clothing, cosmetics, sports goods. Here they are about how to treat anxiety, how to deal with children…
Our four-year-old granddaughter saw an ad on a tree in Tel Aviv about a lost cat. She turned to her mother and said: “This cat is kidnapped in Gaza.”
Every realityshow deals with the subject of the hostages – be it “Big Brother,” “Survival,” or just cooking shows – the text, the songs, the missions, the yellow clothes, all have to do with talking and reminding us of the present situation in the country. The hostages who returned more than eight months ago are opening up and telling of their horror experiences. They want to make Bibi understand not to let the remaining 115 hostages die. The beatings, the sexual assaults, the starving, the terrible sanitary conditions – one toilet for dozens of people, freezing in the winter, sleeping on the floor, the stress that they threaten to kill you all the time, no air in the tunnels, darkness. Some of them were alone so they did not speak for 53 days. No windows, no light – like a grave. The legs feeling stiff. The terrorists dragging the women on the floor by the hair while pointing their rifles and hand grenades at them. The women used to faint, regain consciousness , cry and vomit and faint again. The terrorists used to tell them, “You are going to make me babies.” They felt desperate and scared. Every minute was eternity. One sees the parents here at the demonstrations – with black bags under their eyes that get bigger and bigger. Some young women and men who returned need hearing aids because they were beaten so severely on the head and ears. Now they cannot sleep at night, they cry a lot, suffer from migraines, nightmares and feel dead inside.
In this abnormal country we had some escapism: the Olympics. Each one of our seven medalists dedicated their victories to the hostages, the murdered, the fighting soldiers, and the evacuees.
Remember – a few months ago I wrote that we still had 11 people missing. It took ten months, but all of them were identified – the last one a few days ago. A woman whose house was burned to the ground – only now were they able to confirm she was killed in her home with her husband on Oct 7.
I usually listen to the radio when I drive. Every time one opens the radio there are thousands of personal tragic stories… like stories of grandparents telling how their son/daughter protected their children with their bodies and the children survived to be raised by the grandparents.
When people ask each other: “How are you?” you do not hear “Fine, thank you.” The answer is: ”Sad – like everyone.”
I would like to honor young Jewish adults who come to Israel to volunteer… like our friend Mikaila Levine from California, a 19–year-old medical student who came to volunteer with Magen David Adom – even in these dangerous times. We are very proud of her. She did not think of leaving. She took the example from her grandfather, Dr. Gerry Levine, who came from North America to volunteer in the Yom Kippur War.
In conclusion, pray for us that it will be comfortable living here again. We want our lives back. We are a country that desires life and we shall overcome – like always.
I will conclude the same way we end every conversation- “May we hear good news! Amen”!
Orly Dreman is a 10th generation Israeli. Her cousin, Ruvi Rivlin, was a former president of Israel. Orly’s father was a diplomat who served both in North America and in Europe.
By profession Orly is an English teacher. She has dealt with children suffering from ADD.
Since childhood, Orly has been involved in voluntary work with the disabled, the challenged, new immigrants, the elderly and others.
Orly is married to former Winnipeger, Solly Dreman who made Aliya.
He’s a professor of clinical Psychology at BGU and treated victims of terrorism and war.
He was Brigade psychologist in the Yom Kippur War.
To read previous posts from Orly since October 7, go to:
from-darkness-to-light-december/
life-in-israel-four-months-after-october-seventh
a-complicated-pesach
message-from-israel-a-different-planet
World Jewish News
How the Media’s Antisemitism Machine Helped Take Down Josh Shapiro
We’ve been here before, and now Israel and the Jews are at the center of the US presidential election race.
Until Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, mainstream and social media outlets focused attention on Jewish Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who was considered a front runner.
The New York Times “Draws Fresh Scrutiny” to Take Down a Proud Jew
Despite Shapiro’s capabilities, his effectiveness as a politician, and his policies on issues that matter to the American people, the media, including The New York Times, chose to focus on him as a pro-Israel Jew who has been outspoken on antisemitism on college campuses.
Is this really such a devastating a problem for American voters who are focused on the constantly rising prices of basic necessities?
It apparently doesn’t matter that this Statista poll shows foreign policy as second-to-last on the list of top voter issues:
Or likewise, that this ABC News/IPSOS poll shows that the Israel-Hamas war is the lowest priority of all issues among US voters.
All that matters, according to the Times, is that Shapiro has “been one of the Democratic Party’s staunchest defenders of Israel at a moment when the party is splintered over the war in Gaza” and that he considers himself “a Zionist.”
The Times tried to damn him by revealing on Saturday that he volunteered “in the Israeli army” when he was 20-years-old, when he actually just did some volunteer projects on an IDF base.
An op-ed Shapiro wrote for his college newspaper, written after his experience volunteering in Israel, was initially resurfaced by the Philadephia Inquirer. At the time, he wrote that he didn’t believe Palestinians were capable of peace because they are “too battle-minded.”
This is a view that 30 years later, created a rumble across the media, despite his attempt to take it back. Shapiro has been viewed as a centrist in the Democratic Party, and has been very outspoken about his support for a two-state solution.
Social media dictates the news agenda
Shapiro’s five-month stint doing volunteer service projects, including on an IDF base more than 30 years ago, spread across social media and the Twitterverse (or rather X-Universe). Of course, it was twisted into him “serving in a foreign military.”
Wikipedia is trying very hard to cover up that Josh Shapiro voluntarily served in a foreign military pic.twitter.com/l7A4rDrQCL
— ib (@Indian_Bronson) August 3, 2024
Josh Shapiro is likely to be our next vice president
Josh Shapiro volunteered for the IDF but not the US military
Many of these dual-citizens have more loyalty to Isreal than America pic.twitter.com/tXwrEA7R89
— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) August 3, 2024
Then, the media latched onto this antisemitic agenda, making it a central issue. The question of whether it was a good idea for Shapiro, a Jewish politician, to be up for one of the highest ranking US political positions has been an issue of debate on television broadcasts. Is this appropriate, they asked? Especially since he is pro-Israel? Is America ready for a Jewish and pro-Israel vice president?
As reports leaked of Harris’ official pick of Walz, celebrations kicked off for a Zionist losing out:
Yeah!!! A sigh of relief that Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her VP. He has a great record as governor. And it sends an important message that she did not chose Josh Shapiro.
Some of Walz policies as governor:
He cut child poverty by 1/3!!! universal school… pic.twitter.com/leBjDDvzk6
— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) August 6, 2024
Across the country, an inherent anti-Israel narrative has taken hold since October 7, and even those well-meaning, Jewish allies filled with concern have been duped into dividing Americans even more with this conversation.
.@RepAuchincloss: “Those in the overly online left who are attacking Josh Shapiro’s pro-Israel positions in a different way than they are attacking non-Jewish veep contenders’ positions, they’re just telling on themselves. There’s a strong undercurrent of antisemitism to that.” pic.twitter.com/tI1S2satLk
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) August 5, 2024
While there were CNN interviews on its news broadcasts like the one above — where anchors and analysts alike were quick to condemn this narrative and discuss its antisemitic nature — this goes beyond what would be acceptable or politically correct to discuss for any other group. The fact that Shapiro was singled out among a list of alternative options for Harris who have virtually the same stances on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and US aid to Israel and Gaza is antisemitic.
If Americans care about inflation, the economy and immigration most out of anything, why would they vote based off of whether or not he is a Jew?
HonestReporting’s executive director Gil Hoffman brings us back to the source.
Did this @nytimes article that exaggerated Josh Shapiro’s connection to Israel lead to him not being picked at @KamalaHarris‘s running mate? You decide. https://t.co/WSTgNsYU7G
— Gil Hoffman (@Gil_Hoffman) August 6, 2024
An important point, and one that will most likely not be addressed in mainstream media.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
The post How the Media’s Antisemitism Machine Helped Take Down Josh Shapiro first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
World Jewish News
Assassinated Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Recast as ‘Moderate’ by Confused Media
There was an unfortunate inevitability to the media’s coverage of the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh at a residence in Tehran early Wednesday morning.
Reportedly killed in an airstrike, Haniyeh was one of Israel’s most prominent targets following the October 7 attacks, and was in the Iranian capital for the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
In addition to a flurry of analyses suggesting that Israel could be responsible for triggering a regional war, international media also published various “explainers” on Haniyeh, portraying the Hamas political bureau head as a moderating force within the Islamist terrorist group.
HonestReporting called out Reuters on social media over a headline, which was later amended, that absurdly described the Hamas terrorist as “tough-talking,” and who was “seen as the more moderate face of Hamas.”
Watch Haniyeh celebrate the murders of 1200 Israelis on October 7 after murdering countless himself and then ask yourself why you trust anything written by @Reuters that calls him a moderate.https://t.co/drHaijJB4Y pic.twitter.com/cTpOqYrcfY
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) July 31, 2024
Although the mastermind behind October 7 is Hamas’ Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, reputable wire agencies like Reuters should not need reminding that there was nothing moderate about Haniyeh’s celebration of the massacre of Israeli civilians, and his promise to repeat such atrocities.
The Guardian used similar language, going so far as to suggest some kind of diplomatic prowess on Haniyeh’s part by describing him as a “moderate figure within the [Hamas] movement, one whose role had become vital in sustained diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire.”
Apparently for the @guardian, a mass murderer is a moderate, as long as the majority of his victims were Jews. pic.twitter.com/ouPXNVb1aK
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) July 31, 2024
The BBC’s Middle East correspondent, Yolande Knell, was widely criticized for a piece that praised the “pragmatic” ways of Haniyeh, claiming he was less hardline than other Hamas leaders despite his “tough rhetoric.”
Media Portrayal of War-Provoking Israel
The assassination of Haniyeh, which came just hours after the IDF confirmed it had eliminated Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, who was responsible for the Majdal Shams rocket attack, will undoubtedly provoke a response from Iran, which described it as a “dangerous escalation.”
This skewed narrative is being parroted by the international media, which has placed disproportionate blame on Israel for escalating tensions in the region, including The New York Times accusing Jerusalem of an “audacious escalation.”
According @nytimes, targeting 2 arch terrorists is an “audacious escalation.” Didn’t the region already escalate audaciously on October 7 and on Saturday, when Hezbollah fired 100 rockets and murdered 12 kids? pic.twitter.com/S2bfAQ737Y
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) July 31, 2024
But the fact is, Israel is not bringing the Middle East to the “brink of all-out war,” as CNN claimed, nor is it provoking “Armageddon,” as suggested in an op-ed in the UK’s Independent.
These depictions of Israel as a destabilizing force in the region overlook crucial context. The killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr came after the group murdered a dozen children in a rocket attack on Israel. These acts of terroristic violence, like the October 7 atrocities, sparked the current conflict.
Ismail Haniyeh’s death may well trigger a wider regional conflagration. If it does, it does not change the fact that he was a genocidal monster, and the world is a better place without him in it.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
The post Assassinated Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh Recast as ‘Moderate’ by Confused Media first appeared on Algemeiner.com.