奧斯丁說，美國將繼續致力於以色列的安全，並將與以色列國防軍合作，以確保其在中東的軍事優勢。

通過耶路撒冷郵報STAFF，路透

2021年4月11日22:25

國防部長奧斯丁和以色列國防部長本尼·甘茨（BENNY GANTZ）

美國國防部長勞埃德·奧斯丁 週日在與國防部長本尼·甘茨會晤後不久說，美國仍然致力於以色列的安全，並將與以色列國防軍合作，以確保其在中東的軍事優勢 。

甘茨說，他告訴奧斯汀，以色列將與美國密切合作，以確保與伊朗的新核協議不會威脅到以色列國。

“今天的德黑蘭對國際安全，整個中東和以色列國構成戰略威脅，我們將與美國盟國緊密合作，以確保與伊朗的任何新協議都將確保世界的切身利益。美國的領導人阻止了我們地區的危險軍備競賽，並保護了以色列國。”甘茨說。

上週三， 總理本傑明·內塔尼亞胡（Benjamin Netanyahu） 表示，與伊朗達成的任何允許其發展核武器之路的協議都不會對該猶太國家具有約束力。

他說：“我向我們最好的朋友說，與伊朗達成的一項協議已鋪平了以核武器威脅我們遭受毀滅的核武器，這樣的協議將對我們沒有約束力。”

拜登政府的一位高級代表首次訪問奧斯丁，星期天抵達以色列。他對伊朗的立場令政府感到擔憂。

奧斯丁說，他對與甘茨的對話感到高興。他說，拜登政府對以色列及其安全有堅定的承諾。

奧斯丁說：“我們與以色列的雙邊關係對於地區穩定至關重要。”

甘茨對美國同行說，以色列將美國視為全面夥伴，並將與盟國緊密合作，以確保與伊朗的任何新外交協議都不會損害地區安全。

奧斯丁說，他們還討論了以色列與中東其他阿拉伯國家之間繼續正常化的關係。

他說：“這是建立在數十年合作基礎上的信任關係。” “我們對以色列的承諾是持久而堅定的。”

奧斯丁將在為期兩天的訪問中會見內塔尼亞胡，官員們表示，這將包括討論美國對以色列的武器供應。

華盛頓試圖在地區安全問題上讓以色列放心，同時重啟關於美國重返大國與特朗普政府退出的伊朗之間的2015年核協議的談判。到目前為止，談判是間接的和結論性的。

以色列長期以來一直對該協議持批評態度，以色列稱該協議暫時限制了伊朗的核能力，從長遠來看，這將為德黑蘭生產炸彈鋪平道路。它表示將不受任何外交協議的約束。

以色列和伊朗最近幾週都報告了對其海上船隻的破壞。敘利亞指責以色列對其領土進行空襲。以色列說，它正在試圖阻止伊朗軍隊在鄰國敘利亞內的集結。

Gantz to Austin: We will work with US to ensure new Iran deal protects Israel

Austin says the US remains committed to Israel's security and will work with the IDF to ensure its qualitative military edge in the Middle East.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS

APRIL 11, 2021 22:25

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN AND ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER BENNY GANTZ

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The US remains committed to Israel’s security and will work with the IDF to ensure its qualitative military edge in the Middle East, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Sunday shortly after meeting with Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Gantz said he told Austin Israel would work closely with the US to ensure that a new nuclear deal with Iran does not threaten the State of Israel.

“The Tehran of today poses a strategic threat to international security, to the entire Middle East and to the State of Israel, and we will work closely with our American allies to ensure that any new agreement with Iran will secure the vital interests of the world, of the US, prevent a dangerous arms race in our region and protect the State of Israel,” Gantz said.

Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said any agreement with Iran that allows it a path to develop nuclear weapons will not be binding on the Jewish state.

“To our best friends I say, an agreement with Iran that paves its way to nuclear weapons that threaten us with destruction, an agreement like this will not bind us,” he said.

Austin arrived in Israel on Sunday on the first visit by a senior representative from the Biden administration, whose stance on Iran has worried the government.

Austin said he was pleased with the conversations with Gantz. The Biden administration has a strong commitment to Israel and its security, he said.

“Our bilateral relationship with Israel is central to regional stability,” Austin said.

Israel views the United States as a full partner and will work closely with its ally to ensure any new diplomatic accord with Iran does not compromise regional security, Gantz told his US counterpart.

Austin said they also discussed continued normalizing relations between Israel and other Arab countries in the Middle East.

“This is a relationship built on trust that had developed over decades of cooperation,” he said. “Our commitment to Israel is enduring and ironclad.”

Austin is due to meet Netanyahu during the two-day visit, which officials said would include discussions of US arms supplies to Israel.

Washington has sought to reassure Israel on regional security issues while restarting talks about a US return to the 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Iran that the Trump administration quit. So far, the talks have been indirect and inconclusive.

Israel has long been critical of the deal, which it says puts a temporary cap on Iranian nuclear capabilities that would pave the way to Tehran producing bombs in the long run. It has said it would not be bound by any diplomatic agreement.

Israel and Iran have in recent weeks reported sabotage to their ships at sea. Syria has accused Israel of air strikes on its territory. Israel says it is trying to stem a buildup of Iranian forces within neighboring Syria.

由於以色列和伊朗之間的緊張關係日益加劇，安全內閣將於下週開會。

由Yonah的傑里米BOB，LAHAV哈爾科夫，TZVI JOFFRE

2021年4月11日22:44

7月2日，伊斯法罕的伊朗納坦茲核設施發生火災後，受損建築物的視圖。

（照片來源：伊朗路透社的原子能組織路透社）

據報導，摩薩德週日在納坦茲核電站的網絡攻擊背後，對伊朗主要的鈾濃縮設施造成了廣泛破壞。

總理本傑明·內塔尼亞胡（Benjamin Netanyahu）在與德黑蘭的緊張局勢加劇的情況下，召開了安全內閣兩個月以來的首次會議，討論下週日的伊朗問題。

以色列媒體援引西方消息人士的話說，最初被伊朗稱為“意外”的襲擊是由摩薩德進行的。

伊朗星期天晚上承認，所謂的“事故”是“恐怖主義”行為的結果。

該國核問題負責人阿里·阿克巴爾·薩利西（Ali Akbar Salehi）表示，國際社會和國際原子能機構需要應對他所謂的核恐怖主義。引述他的話，伊朗保留對肇事者採取行動的權利。

消息人士向《耶路撒冷郵報》證實，在納坦茲發生的事件不是“事故”，造成的損失比伊朗最初向公眾提出的損害還要嚴重。西方消息人士稱，該設施遭到網絡攻擊。

以色列國防軍參謀長中將。阿維夫·科哈維（Aviv Kohavi）罕見地暗示了以色列星期天參與其中。

“以色列國防軍在整個中東的行動並未隱藏在敵人的視線中，他們正在觀察我們，看到我們的能力並認真考慮他們的下一步行動，”他在致以以色列陣亡士兵的致辭中說。

Kohavi說：“憑藉出色的運營活動，過去的一年是以色列國公民所知道的最安全的年份之一。” “我們將繼續採取行動，將權力與自由裁量權，決心與責任相結合，所有這些都將確保以色列國的安全。”

總理內塔尼亞胡（Benjamin Netanyahu）在周日的獨立日活動中與安全部門負責人說：“與伊朗及其代理人的鬥爭和伊朗軍備努力是一項艱鉅的任務。”

他在談到據報導的Mossad行動後，將鈾濃縮機在發射後數小時內脫機。他說：“今天存在的情況並不一定是明天存在的情況。”

據國外報導，納坦茲過去一直是以色列網絡作戰的目標。2010年，Stuxnet病毒與美國聯合行動襲擊了該設施，摧毀了1000多台離心機。

伊朗說，週日的事件沒有造成任何傷害或污染。伊朗國會議員兼議會能源委員會發言人Malek Shariati-Niasar寫道，該事件被高度懷疑為“破壞活動”，原因是該事件發生在伊朗的“國家核技術日”，而且伊斯蘭共和國與伊拉克之間的對話也不斷恢復。西方國家參與2015年《聯合全面行動計劃》核協議。

他說，伊朗議會正在跟踪事件的細節，並將在收到並總結信息後宣布對此事發表意見。

伊朗週日早些時候表示，納坦茲基地的配電網出現問題。

伊朗國會議員阿里·哈達德（Ali Haddad）將事件歸咎於以色列。

他在推特上說：“昨天，一名核科學家遭到暗殺，今天襲擊了伊朗的薩維茲號船，破壞了納坦茲的核設施。”

哈達德呼籲威懾而不是克制。他說：“將承諾轉化為克制後，猶太復國主義者的敵人敢於施加更大的打擊。”

在伊朗開始向納坦茲的先進IR-6和IR-5離心機注入六氟化鈾氣體之後的第二天，對納坦茲的襲擊發生了。據報導，這是在美國國防部長勞埃德·奧斯丁訪問以色列時透露的。

距國際原子能機構報告伊朗已在納坦茲設施重新開始濃縮鈾還不到一個月，也距外國報告指責以色列涉嫌對該設施的襲擊指責以色列不到一年，據報導該襲擊已嚴重影響了伊朗的核計劃。

據《郵報》最近報導，就組裝新的先進離心機的能力而言，伊朗還遠未恢復到2020年7月爆炸前的水平。

在去年所謂的襲擊中，伊朗的報導原先將爆炸稱為“事件”，但未提供進一步的細節。

伊朗半官方的法爾斯說：“離心機裝配大廳在幾個月前被敵人炸毀，但我們沒有停下來，臨時建立了彌補丟失大廳的大廳。”通訊社。他沒有具體說明去年襲擊背後的“敵人”。

薩利希說，伊朗正在努力將納坦茲的敏感設施進一步移至地下，並希望新的地下大廳能在明年建成。

在對伊朗和以色列海上船隻的多次襲擊中，以色列與伊朗之間的緊張局勢正在加劇，最近的報導稱以色列近年來襲擊了數十艘伊朗船隻。

人造衛星新聞上週四報導，伊朗軍方發言人周二指責以色列和美國在紅海伊斯蘭革命衛隊的Saviz船發生爆炸。

發言人在一份聲明中說：“毫無疑問，美國在破壞和傷害伊朗的一切努力中都具有幫助。”

伊朗正在與歐美官員會面，商討是否可能重返JCPOA。

內塔尼亞胡在過去一周內多次警告以色列應捍衛自己免受伊朗威脅，並強調耶路撒冷將努力打擊德黑蘭的核野心。

‘Mossad behind cyber attack against Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility’

Security cabinet set to meet next week amid growing tensions between Israel and Iran.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB, LAHAV HARKOV, TZVI JOFFRE

APRIL 11, 2021 22:44

VIEW OF a damaged building after a fire broke out at Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Facility, in Isfahan on July 2.

(photo credit: ATOMIC ENERGY ORGANIZATION OF IRAN/WANA VIA REUTERS)

The Mossad was reportedly behind the cyberattack at the Natanz nuclear plant on Sunday that caused extensive damage to Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the security cabinet’s first meeting in two months to discuss Iran next Sunday amid increased tensions with Tehran.

Western sources quoted in Israeli media said the attack, which was initially referred to as an “accident” by Iran, was carried out by the Mossad.

Iran admitted on Sunday evening that the so-called “accident” was the result of a “terrorist” act.

The country’s nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the international community and the International Atomic Energy Agency needed to deal with what he called nuclear terrorism. Iran reserves the right to take action against the perpetrators, he was quoted as saying.

The incident at Natanz was not an “accident,” and the damage was worse than what Iran had initially presented to the public, a source confirmed to The Jerusalem Post. Western sources said the facility was hit by a cyberattack.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi gave a rare strong hint pointing to Israeli involvement on Sunday.

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“The IDF’s actions throughout the Middle East are not hidden from our enemies’ vision, who are observing us, seeing our capabilities and carefully considering their next steps,” he said in a speech honoring Israel’s fallen soldiers.

“By virtue of clever operational activities, the past year was one of the most secure years that the citizens of the State of Israel have known,” Kohavi said. “We will continue to act, combining power and discretion, determination and responsibility – all of this to guarantee the security of the State of Israel.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at an Independence Day event on Sunday with the heads of the security branches, said: “The struggle against Iran and its proxies and the Iranian armament efforts is a huge mission.”

In a possible reference to the reported Mossad operation taking the uranium enrichment machines off-line within hours of their launch, he said: “The situation that exists today will not necessarily be the situation that will exist tomorrow.”

Natanz has in the past been targeted by Israeli cyber operations, according to foreign reports. In 2010, the Stuxnet virus attacked the facility in a joint operation with the US, destroying more than 1,000 centrifuges.

Iran said there no injuries or pollution were caused by the incident on Sunday. Malek Shariati-Niasar, an Iranian MP and spokesman for a parliamentary energy commission, wrote that the incident was highly suspected as being “sabotage,” being that it occurred on Iran’s National Nuclear Technology Day and amid the renewal of talks between the Islamic Republic and Western nations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal of 2015.

The Iranian parliament was following the details of the incident and would announce an opinion on the matter after receiving and summarizing the information, he said.

Earlier on Sunday, Iran said a problem with the electrical distribution grid of the Natanz site had caused an incident.

Iranian MP Ali Haddad placed the blame for the incident on Israel.

“Yesterday the assassination of a nuclear scientist and today the attack on the Iranian ship Saviz and the sabotage of the Natanz nuclear facility,” he tweeted.

Haddad called for deterrence and not restraint. “When commitment is translated as restraint, the Zionist enemy dares to strike more blows,” he said.

The attack against Natanz took place a day after Iran began injecting uranium hexafluoride gas into advanced IR-6 and IR-5 centrifuges at Natanz and was revealed as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel.

It also came less than a month after the IAEA reported that Iran had restarted enrichment at the Natanz facility and less than a year after Israel was blamed by foreign reports for an alleged attack on the facility, which reportedly had significantly impacted Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran is still nowhere near having recovered to the point where it had been before that July 2020 explosion in terms of its capacity for assembling new advanced centrifuges, the Post recently reported.

In the alleged attack last year, Iranian reports originally referred to the explosion as an “incident” without providing further details.

“The centrifuge assembly hall was blown up by the enemy a few months ago, but we did not stop and temporarily set up the hall that made up for the lost hall,” Iranian nuclear chief Salehi said Saturday, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency. He did not specify which “enemy” was behind the attack last year.

Iran is working to move sensitive facilities at Natanz further underground and hopes the new underground halls will be ready next year, Salehi said.

Tensions are rising between Israel and Iran amid a number of attacks on Iranian and Israeli maritime vessels, with recent reports claiming that Israel has hit dozens of Iranian ships in recent years.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Iranian military blamed Israel and the US for causing an explosion on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Saviz vessel in the Red Sea, Sputnik news reported last Thursday.

“The United States undoubtedly has a hand in all attempts to undermine and harm Iran,” the spokesman said in a statement, adding that Tehran was not accusing any of the Gulf states of being involved in the incident.

Iran is meeting with European and American officials to discuss a possible return to the JCPOA.

Netanyahu has warned multiple times in the past week that Israel would defend itself against Iranian threats, stressing that Jerusalem would work to combat Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

由ZEV STUB

2021年4月11日22:02

9月，美國，阿聯酋，以色列和巴林的國旗被投影在耶路撒冷舊城的牆壁上。

（照片來源：YONATAN SINDEL / FLASH90）

一項旨在加強以色列與阿拉伯聯合酋長國之間投資關係的稅收條約 正在製定中，並可能在未來幾週內完成。

預計該條約將在未來幾年內幫助促進每年超過20億美元的雙邊貿易，並且可能增長至$ 6.5b。未來十年內的一年。這將使阿聯酋成為以色列最重要的貿易夥伴之一。

稅收協定有助於確保個人和公司不會兩次向不同國家繳納相同的稅款，並且有助於鼓勵雙邊貿易。 雙方已就以色列-阿聯酋條約的基本條款 達成協議，關於協議範圍的幾個問題尚待最後確定。

但是，無論兩國何時實際簽署和批准該條約，該條約都只會在明年1月1日生效。

自從兩國在8月中旬同意使關係正常化以來，以色列和阿聯酋的工商界共同做出了許多合作努力和夥伴關係，以緩解貿易。儘管兩國之間的非正式貿易在《亞伯拉罕協議》生效之前就已經存在，但自從去年9月該協議正式簽署以來，經濟關係發展得如此熱烈，甚至令內部人士感到驚訝。

以色列去年與巴林，蘇丹和摩洛哥等幾個阿拉伯國家簽署了標準化協議。阿聯酋是目前正在與之起草稅收協定的唯一國家。

兩國之間的貿易關係不斷改善，兩國將從中受益匪淺。以色列將阿聯酋視為全球貿易樞紐，這將使其獲得更多進入亞洲市場的機會。阿聯酋將以色列視為與西方的紐帶，而阿聯酋的投資者則渴望對以色列公司，尤其是科技行業的公司進行有利可圖的投資。

在以色列結束大流行機場關閉之後，兩國之間的現有航班本月恢復。商務旅客和遊客希望探索直到最近才被禁止的市場。

以色列航空公司El Al，Israir和Arkia以及阿聯酋航空擁有的flydubai，都已開通了特拉維夫和迪拜之間的定期航班。阿提哈德航空上週從阿布扎比發射了有史以來第一架常規商業航班，飛往以色列。

Israel, UAE close to reaching tax treaty

However, regardless of when the treaty is actually signed and ratified by both countries, it would only come into effect next January 1.

By ZEV STUB

APRIL 11, 2021 22:02

A taxation treaty that would boost investment ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is in the works and could be finalized within the coming weeks.

The treaty is expected to help facilitate more than $2 billion in annual bilateral trade in the coming years and could grow to as much as $6.5b. a year within the coming decade. That would make the UAE one of Israel’s most significant trading partners.

Taxation treaties help ensure that individuals and corporations don’t pay the same taxes twice to different countries, and they help encourage bilateral trade. The basic terms of the Israel-UAE treaty have been agreed upon by both sides, and only a few questions of the scope of the agreement remain to be finalized.

However, regardless of when the treaty is actually signed and ratified by both countries, it would only come into effect next January 1.

Since the two countries agreed to normalize relations in mid-August, the business and economic communities of Israel and the UAE have forged a number of collaborative efforts and partnerships to ease trade. While informal trade between the two nations existed before the Abraham Accords came into effect, even insiders have been surprised at how warmly economic ties have developed since the accords were formally signed last September.

Israel signed normalization agreements with several Arab countries last year, including Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. The UAE is the only nation with which a tax treaty is currently being drafted.

Both countries have much to gain from increased commercial relations. Israel sees the UAE as a global trading hub that would give it greater access to Asian markets. The UAE sees Israel as a nexus with the West, and Emirati investors are hungry for lucrative investments in Israeli companies, particularly in the tech sector.

Existing flights between the two countries resumed this month after Israel ended its pandemic airport closures. Business travelers and tourists want to explore markets that have until recently been forbidden.

Israeli airlines El Al, Israir and Arkia, as well as Emirati-owned flydubai, have all launched regular flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai. Etihad launched the first-ever regular commercial flight to Israel from Abu Dhabi last week.

官方媒體顯示，君主和王室其他成員在安曼拉格丹皇宮的不知名士兵和王室陵墓的紀念碑上敬獻花圈。

由路透社

2021年4月11日16:23

約旦國王阿卜杜拉（Abdullah）和前王儲以及同父異母的兄弟哈姆扎親王（Ramza Prince）自裂谷震撼後首次首次出現在該國，並參加了周日舉行的慶祝獨立100週年的儀式。

官方媒體顯示，君主和王室其他成員在安曼拉格丹皇宮的不知名士兵和王室陵墓的紀念碑上敬獻花圈。

哈馬扎週一在王室的調解下，於週一晚些時候向阿卜杜拉國王表示效忠。兩天前，軍方警告他，稱他的行為正在破壞約旦的安全與穩定。

星期三，自政變曝光以來的第一份聲明中，約旦國王說，危機已經解除，哈姆扎在家人的陪同下“在我的照料下”。

這位君主說這場危機是“最痛苦的”，因為它來自皇室內部和外部。

Hamza在4月3日的視頻中露面，稱他已被命令留在家裡，並指責該國的統治者腐敗和專制統治，導致人們猜測他的下落。

政府在上周宣布軍方已就哈姆扎的行為向他發出警告時，政府說，哈姆扎已與與試圖破壞約旦穩定的外國政黨有聯繫的人保持聯繫，而且他已經接受調查了一段時間。

人們原先預計哈姆扎將接替阿卜杜拉成為約旦的下一任國王，直到君主於2004年根據家庭傳統將自己的兒子侯賽因王子接任繼承人為止。

儘管哈姆扎（Hamza）和阿卜杜拉（Abdullah）公開掩埋了爭端，但上週的戲劇性事件暴露了王室內部的斷層線，約旦免受鄰國敘利亞和伊拉克的動盪。

君主制內部的裂痕動搖了該國在動盪地區的穩定國家的聲譽。

Jordan's King Abdullah, estranged Prince Hamza make joint appearance

State media showed the monarch and other members of the royal family laying wreaths at the memorial to the unknown soldier and tombs of royalty in the Raghdan palace in Amman.

By REUTERS

APRIL 11, 2021 16:23

Jordan's king Abdullah and estranged prince Hamza make first joint appearance since rift

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Jordan's King Abdullah and former crown prince and half-brother Prince Hamza made their first joint appearance since a rift shook the country, attending a ceremony on Sunday marking 100 years of independence.

State media showed the monarch and other members of the royal family laying wreaths at the memorial to the unknown soldier and tombs of royalty in the Raghdan palace in Amman.

Hamza pledged allegiance to King Abdullah late on Monday following mediation by the royal family, two days after the military warned him over actions that it said were undermining Jordan’s security and stability.

On Wednesday, in the first statement since the affair came to light, King Jordan said sedition had been quashed and Hamza was “under my care” with his family at his palace.

The monarch said the crisis was "the most painful" because it came from both inside the royal family and outside it.

Hamza's absence after he appeared in a video on April 3 saying he had been ordered to stay at home and accused the country's rulers of corruption and authoritarian rule led to speculation about his whereabouts.

In announcing last week that the military had warned Hamza over his actions, the government said that Hamza had liaised with people linked to foreign parties seeking to destabilize Jordan and that he had been under investigation for some time.

Hamza had been widely expected to succeed Abdullah as Jordan’s next king, until the monarch made his own son, Prince Hussein, heir instead in 2004, in line with family tradition.

While Hamza and Abdullah have publicly buried the hatchet, the dramatic events of the last week exposed faultlines within a royal family that has helped shield Jordan from the turmoil that has consumed neighboring Syria and Iraq.

The rift within the monarchy has shaken the country's reputation as a stable country in a volatile region.

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