55名美國眾議院議員提出哈馬斯國際融資預防法

該法案旨在“對協助哈馬斯、巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織或其附屬機構的外國人、機構和政府實施金融制裁。”

由OMRI NAHMIAS

2021 年 6 月 24 日 19:33

美國國會大廈，其中包含眾議院和參議院。

（照片來源：PIXABAY）

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華盛頓——一個由 55 名眾議院議員組成的兩黨小組提出了《哈馬斯國際融資預防法》，旨在“對協助哈馬斯、巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織或其附屬機構的外國人、機構和政府實施金融制裁”。

如果投票成為法律，該法案將要求總統向國會提交一份年度報告，“確定在知情和實質性協助哈馬斯、巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織或其附屬機構或繼任者的情況下，外國人士、機構或機構的身份”。那些組織。”

眾議員 Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) 和眾議員 Brian Mast (FL-18) 領導了周三提出的立法。

眾議院金融服務國家安全小組委員會副主席戈特海默說：“至關重要的是，美國和我們的盟友繼續孤立哈馬斯和巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織等恐怖組織，從源頭上切斷它們。”

一旦確定，總統必須對此類團體實施兩項或多項製裁，包括扣押在美國境內持有的財產；拒絕進出口擔保，拒絕出於國家安全原因受管制的貨物或技術的出口，以及拒絕超過 1000 萬美元的貸款。

總統還將被要求向國會報告“支持恐怖主義行為並向被禁團體提供物質支持的每個政府，或總統認為參與重大交易以故意和物質支持哈馬斯的任何政府”。 、 巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織 或任何附屬組織或後繼組織。”

美國對該政府的援助將暫停一年，總統必須指示每個國際金融機構的執行董事拒絕向該政府提供貸款或技術援助，並在此期間禁止向該政府出口任何彈藥。

這樣的政府在受美國管轄的外匯交易中也將被總統阻止。

“上個月，恐怖組織哈馬斯向以色列發射了數千枚火箭，同時使用包括婦女和兒童在內的加沙人作為人盾，”戈特海默說。

“這項法案將加強制裁，以削弱這些威脅我們盟友以色列、破壞和平並進一步破壞中東穩定的恐怖組織，”他補充說。

“美國絕不能容忍任何向這些激進的伊斯蘭恐怖分子提供支持的人，”馬斯特在一份聲明中說。

“哈馬斯和巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織是外國恐怖組織，被美國政府特別指定為全球恐怖分子。”

“哈馬斯 對 400 多名以色列人和至少 25 名美國公民的死亡負責。巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭聖戰組織聲稱對以色列發生的多起恐怖襲擊事件負責，其中包括導致一名新澤西學生死亡的襲擊事件，”馬斯特說。

在眾議院的另一項舉措中，眾議員李澤爾丁（R，NY-1）在黎巴嫩軍事法中重新引入了反真主黨，該立法將扣留 20% 的美國安全援助資金，直到黎巴嫩鎮壓伊朗支持的派系。

“真主黨是指定的恐怖組織和伊朗代理人，它對黎巴嫩武裝部隊的持續權力和影響對以色列構成持續威脅，”眾議員澤爾丁在一份聲明中說。

“在黎巴嫩軍隊做出真正和持續的努力來擺脫真主黨的腐蝕性影響之前，美國不應該將納稅人的錢轉移到黎巴嫩武裝部隊，這最終會落入直接威脅我們最強大盟友的恐怖組織手中。”

55 US House members introduce Hamas International Financing Prevention Act

The bill seeks “to impose financial sanctions on foreign persons, agencies, and governments that assist Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or their affiliates.”

By OMRI NAHMIAS

JUNE 24, 2021 19:33

The US Capitol building, which contains the House of Representatives and the Senate.

(photo credit: PIXABAY)

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of 55 House members has introduced the Hamas International Financing Prevention Act that seeks “to impose financial sanctions on foreign persons, agencies, and governments that assist Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or their affiliates.”

If voted into law, the bill would require the president to submit to Congress an annual report “identifying foreign persons, agencies or instrumentalities of a foreign state who knowingly and materially assist Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or an affiliate or successor of one of those organizations.”

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Rep. Brian Mast (FL-18) led the legislation that was introduced on Wednesday.

“It is critical that the United States and our allies continue to isolate terrorist groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad by cutting them off at the source,” said Gottheimer, the Vice Chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security.

Once identified, the president must impose two or more sanctions against such groups, including seizure of property held within the United States; denying export-import guarantees, denying export of goods or technology controlled for national security reasons, and denying loans more than $10 million.

The president would also be required to report to Congress “on each government that provides support for acts of terrorism and provides material support to the banned groups, or any that the president determines have engaged in a significant transaction to knowingly and materially provide support to Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad or any affiliate or successor organization.”

US assistance to that government would be suspended for one year and the president would have to instruct the executive directors of each international finance institution to deny loans or technical assistance to that government and prohibit any munitions export to that government for the period.

Such a government’s transactions in foreign exchanges that are subject to the jurisdiction of the United States would also be prevented by the president.

“Last month, the terrorist group Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Israel while using Gazans, including women and children, as human shields,” Gottheimer said.

“This bill will strengthen sanctions to weaken these terrorist groups that threaten our ally Israel, undermine peace, and further destabilize the Middle East,” he added.

“The United States must not tolerate anybody who provides support to these radical Islamic terrorists,” Mast said in a statement.

“Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated by the United States government as global terrorists.”

“Hamas is responsible for the death of more than 400 Israelis and at least 25 United States citizens. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has claimed credit for multiple terrorist attacks in Israel, including an attack that killed a New Jersey student,” Mast said.

In another move in the House, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), reintroduced the Countering Hezbollah in Lebanon’s Military Act, legislation that would withhold 20 percent of US security assistance funds until Lebanon’s clamp down on the Iranian-backed faction.

“Hezbollah is a designated terrorist organization and Iranian proxy, and its continued power and influence over the Lebanese Armed Forces presents a constant threat to Israel,” Rep. Zeldin said in a statement.

“Until the Lebanese military makes real and sustained efforts to rid itself of Hezbollah’s corrosive influence, the United States should not be diverting taxpayer dollars to the LAF, which will end up in the hands of a terror group that directly threatens our strongest ally.”

以色列改變對華政策，譴責其在聯合國人權理事會對維吾爾人的待遇

美國對中國採取更強硬的立場，但以色列在如何對待兩國關係方面也跟隨中國的步伐。

作者：LAHAV HARKOV , TOVAH LAZAROFF

2021 年 6 月 23 日 21:39

中國國旗

（圖片來源：WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/ECOW）

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以色列對中國的不人道待遇和對維吾爾少數民族的強迫監禁採取了新的立場，並在華盛頓的要求下簽署了周二在聯合國人權理事會第 47 屆會議上發表的譴責。

這次投票標誌著耶路撒冷在外交上看待北京的方式發生了轉變。簽署該聲明的決定是由外交部長亞伊爾·拉皮德與總理納夫塔利·貝內特協調做出的。

由加拿大提出、至少有 45 個國家簽署的譴責沒有包含種族滅絕一詞。此類聲明已在過去的會議上發表，但這是以色列首次在日內瓦簽署此類文件。

多位外交消息人士稱，以色列是應美國和加拿大的要求這樣做的，但並不是作為要求提出的。

中國外交官要求以色列在聲明發布前不要加入。

這不是耶路撒冷第一次以激怒北京的方式表明立場。以色列最近投票支持世界衛生組織對中國希望避免的 COVID-19 大流行病源進行調查。

外交消息人士表示，雖然以色列明確支持簽署譴責中國對待維吾爾人的聲明，但這並不是對北京政策的全面改變，外交部將逐案處理。案例基礎。

然而，拉皮德上任以來的言論和行動表明，他想向世界強調以色列是一個自由民主國家，並尋求在國際上與志同道合的國家結盟。

目前，美國正在對中國採取更強硬的立場，其他西方民主國家也是如此，而這些國家在很大程度上是以色列在世界上的盟友。

在對待兩國關係方面，以色列也在效仿中國。中國在促進兩國經濟聯繫的同時，在上個月的“圍牆守護者行動”中，在國際論壇上投票反對以色列，並強烈譴責以色列在加沙的行為。此外，中國官方支持的媒體採取了反以色列甚至反猶太主義的立場，例如一個片段聲稱富有的猶太人控制著美國的金融和媒體，並對美國政府施加了不當影響。

以色列外交官已經告訴拉皮德的前任加比·阿什肯納茲 (Gabi Ashkenazi) 領導下的中國外交官，他們不能在沒有任何後果的情況下雙管齊下。

如果中國在對待以色列時將外交和經濟分開，那麼耶路撒冷目前的想法是它可以對北京做同樣的事情。貝內特是前總理內塔尼亞胡手下的經濟部長，是以色列經濟進軍亞洲的締造者之一，他並不打算危及這部分關係。

以色列將觀察中國的反應，看看它是否與簽署聲明的其他 45 個國家受到不同的對待。

聲明說：“我們對新疆維吾爾自治區的人權狀況表示嚴重關切。”

加拿大大使萊斯利·諾頓 (Leslie Norton) 週二表示：“可靠的報導表明，新疆有超過一百萬人被任意拘留，而且廣泛的監視不成比例地針對維吾爾人和其他少數民族成員，並限制了基本自由和維吾爾文化。”在日內瓦發表聲明。

“還有關於酷刑或殘忍、不人道和有辱人格的待遇或處罰、強迫絕育、性暴力和基於性別的暴力以及當局強迫兒童與父母分離的報導，”諾頓補充道。

北京否認所有關於虐待維吾爾人的指控，並將強制監禁設施描述為打擊宗教極端主義的職業培訓設施。

加拿大不是聯合國人權理事會 47 個成員之一。所有 193 個聯合國成員國都有能力發布此類聲明並在聯合國人權理事會簽署。以色列和美國都不是安理會成員，但美國計劃競選聯合國人權理事會的席位。

只有12個安理會成員簽署了聲明，包括法國、德國和英國。

諾頓說，45 個簽署國“與聯合國特別程序在 3 月 29 日關於維吾爾人和其他穆斯林少數民族成員涉嫌拘留、強迫勞動和轉移的聲明以及聯合國專家發表的描述集體鎮壓宗教和少數民族。”

她呼籲中國“允許包括高級專員在內的獨立觀察員立即、有意義和不受限制地進入新疆，並緊急落實消除種族歧視委員會關於新疆的八項建議，包括結束對維吾爾人的任意拘留。和其他穆斯林少數民族的成員。

與維吾爾人分開，諾頓還談到了對“國家安全法下香港基本自由惡化以及西藏人權狀況”的深切關注。我們呼籲中國當局遵守其人權義務。”

該倡議的其他簽署國包括：阿爾巴尼亞、澳大利亞、奧地利、比利時、伯利茲、波斯尼亞和黑塞哥維那、保加利亞、克羅地亞、捷克共和國、丹麥、愛沙尼亞、芬蘭、海地、洪都拉斯、冰島、愛爾蘭、意大利、日本、拉脫維亞、列支敦士登、立陶宛、盧森堡、馬紹爾群島、摩納哥、瑙魯、荷蘭、新西蘭、挪威、帕勞、波蘭、葡萄牙、羅馬尼亞、聖馬力諾、斯洛伐克、斯洛文尼亞、西班牙、瑞典、瑞士和烏克蘭。

上週在華盛頓舉行的國會聽證會上，美國駐聯合國大使琳達·托馬斯-格林菲爾德 (Linda Thomas-Greenfield) 表示，她計劃“揭露”中國對穆斯林維吾爾人犯下的種族滅絕和危害人類罪。

聯合國人權事務高級專員米歇爾·巴切萊特 (Michelle Bachelet) 週一告訴聯合國人權理事會，她希望就今年訪問包括新疆在內的中國的條款達成一致，以審查有關嚴重侵犯穆斯林維吾爾人的報導。

自 2018 年 9 月以來，她的辦公室一直在協商訪問權限。

中國常駐日內瓦聯合國代表團高級外交官姜英鋒週二駁斥了該聲明，稱其是出於“政治動機”的干涉。

“我們歡迎高級專員訪問中國，訪問新疆。這次訪問是為了促進交流與合作，而不是基於所謂的有罪推定的調查，”他告訴安理會，但沒有給出時間表。

Israel shifts China policy, condemns its treatment of Uyghurs at UNHRC

The US is taking a tougher line with China, but Israel is also following China’s lead in how it treats ties between the two countries.

By LAHAV HARKOV, TOVAH LAZAROFF

JUNE 23, 2021 21:39

China flag

(photo credit: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/ECOW)

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Israel has taken a new stance against China’s inhumane treatment and forced incarceration of its Uyghur minority, signing on to a condemnation issued at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 47th session on Tuesday, at Washington’s behest.

The vote marked a shift in the way Jerusalem views Beijing diplomatically. The decision to sign the statement was taken by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, in coordination with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

The condemnation, put forward by Canada, signed by at least 45 countries, did not include the word genocide. Such statements have been issued in past sessions, but this is the first time that Israel has signed such a document in Geneva.

Multiple diplomatic sources said that Israel had done so at the request of the United States and Canada, but it was not presented as a demand.

Chinese diplomats asked Israel not to join the statement before its release.

This was not the first time Jerusalem took a stand in a way that angered Beijing; Israel recently voted for a World Health Organization investigation into the source of the COVID-19 pandemic, which China had hoped to avoid.

Diplomatic sources said that while Israel stands unequivocally behind its signing on the statement condemning Chinese treatment of the Uyghurs, it is not an across-the-board change in policy toward Beijing, and that the Foreign Ministry will take things on a case-by-case basis.

However, Lapid has signaled in his remarks and actions since taking office that he wants to emphasize to the world that Israel is a liberal democracy and seeks to align with like-minded countries internationally

Currently, the US is taking a tougher line with China, as are other Western democracies, and those are, for the most part, Israel’s allies in the world.

Israel is also following China’s lead in how it treats ties between the countries. While cultivating economic ties between the countries, China votes against Israel in international forums and pushed for strong condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza during Operation Guardian of the Walls last month. In addition, Chinese state-sponsored media have taken anti-Israel and even antisemitic positions, such as a segment claiming that wealthy Jews control American finance and media and have undue influence on the US government.

Israeli diplomats already told their Chinese counterparts under Lapid’s predecessor, Gabi Ashkenazi, that they cannot have it both ways without any consequences.

If China is separating diplomacy and economics in its treatment of Israel, then the current thinking in Jerusalem is that it can do the same to Beijing. Bennett was one of the architects of Israel’s economic push into Asia, as economy minister under former prime minister Netanyahu, and is not seeking to jeopardize that part of the relationship.

Israel will watch China’s reaction to see if it is treated differently from the 45 other countries that signed the statement.

THE STATEMENT said: “We are gravely concerned about the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.”

“Credible reports indicate that over a million people have been arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang, and that there is widespread surveillance disproportionately targeting Uyghurs and members of other minorities, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms and Uyghur culture,” Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton said on Tuesday, reading out the statement in Geneva.

“There are also reports of torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, forced sterilization, sexual and gender-based violence, and forced separation of children from their parents by authorities,” Norton added.

Beijing denies all allegations of abuse of Uyghurs and describes the forced incarceration facilities as vocational training facilities to combat religious extremism.

Canada is not one of the 47 UNHRC members. All 193 UN member states have the ability to issue such statements and sign onto them at the UNHRC. Neither Israel nor the United States are council members, but the US plans to run for a UNHRC seat.

Only 12 of the council members signed onto the statement, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Norton said the 45 signatory countries “share the concerns expressed by UN special procedures in their March 29 statement on alleged detention, forced labor and transfers of Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities and in a letter published by UN experts describing collective repression of religious and ethnic minorities.”

She called on China “to allow immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang for independent observers, including the high commissioner, and to urgently implement the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s eight recommendations related to Xinjiang, including by ending the arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities.

Separate from the Uyghurs, Norton also spoke of the deep concern about the “deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong under the National Security Law and about the human rights situation in Tibet. We call on Chinese authorities to abide by their human rights obligations.”

Other signatories to the initiative were: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Ukraine.

At a congressional hearing in Washington last week, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she planned to “shine a light” on the genocide and the crimes against humanity China is perpetrating against the Muslim Uyghurs.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet told the UNHRC on Monday that she hopes to agree on terms for a visit this year to China, including Xinjiang, to examine reports of serious violations against Muslim Uyghurs.

Her office has been negotiating access since September 2018.

Jiang Yingfeng, a senior diplomat in China’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva, rejected the statement on Tuesday as interference driven by “political motives.”

“We welcome the visit by the high commissioner to China, to Xinjiang. This visit is for promoting exchanges and cooperation rather than an investigation based on so-called presumption of guilt,” he told the council, without giving a timeline.

伊朗的政治墮落使該政權的日子屈指可數

中以色列：由於阿亞圖拉與人民失去了眼神交流，以色列的任務是在不激怒人民和他們的驕傲的情況下與政權及其陰謀作鬥爭。

作者：AMOTZ ASA-EL

2021 年 6 月 24 日 21:51

EBRAHIM RAISI 抵達德黑蘭的一個投票站，在上週的總統選舉中投票，他贏得了選舉。

（圖片來源：MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA（西亞新聞社）通過路透社）

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“他們說時間會改變事情，但實際上你必須自己改變它們，”安迪沃霍爾說。

這位流行藝術家關於坎貝爾湯罐和可口可樂瓶的著名畫作實際上因慶祝從眾而受到批評，但他對變革的洞察力，無論是文化、社會還是政治，肯定是正確的：它永遠不會自行發生。

這當然適用於革命性的伊朗，在過去的 42 年裡，除了寡頭政治外，所有人都在等待變革——但徒勞無功。

現在，隨著第七任總統準備接替第六任，問題是伊朗選民剛剛說了些什麼，他們的國家將走向何方，以及這個猶太國家應該做什麼。而答案是人民苦澀，他們的國家處於低迷狀態，以色列應該讓它自己改變。

伊朗選舉從來都不是自由的，但即使按照霍梅尼革命的標準，上週發生的事情也有所不同。

是的，非伊斯蘭候選人甚至做夢都想不到被允許參選，任何不喜歡該政權的人以及整個女性人口也不可能被允許參選。

即便如此，該政權過去仍試圖通過編排強硬派和實用主義者之間的總統競選來營造民主的印象。這就是穆罕默德·哈塔米 (Mohammad Khatami) 於 1997 年成為總統的方式，同時倡導言論自由、市場改革和與西方的文化融合。

這一福音在 2009 年被粉碎，當時該政權剝奪了改革派候選人米爾-侯賽因·穆薩維的選舉勝利，並將他軟禁在家中，他繼續受苦受難。

儘管如此，民主化裝舞會仍在繼續。哈桑·魯哈尼 (Hassan Rouhani) 在 2013 年競選時面臨七名對手，其中包括一名前革命衛隊指揮官和一名前空軍司令。

現在連那塊單板都脫落了。神職人員只有一名候選人，並將任何可能威脅到他的勝利的人推到一邊，甚至是臭名昭著的馬哈茂德·艾哈邁迪內賈德（Mahmoud Ahmadinejad），他們為他偷走了 2009 年的選舉。

近 600 名候選人被取消資格，七名被批准的候選人中的三名不知何故退學，神職人員為他們的人Ebrahim Raisi讓路。這個人，以及為他加冕的過程，充分說明了政權越來越害怕他們聲稱代表的人，並失去與他們的目光接觸。

RAISI 不是 Hassan Rouhani 或外交部長 Mohammad Javad Zarif（在英國和美國獲得學位）或 Mohammad Khatami（住在德國並會說四種語言）的版本。相比之下，賴西甚至不知道高中畢業。

不為人知的是，Raisi 作為檢察官的記錄令人痛心。作為 1988 年將大約 5,000 名未經審判的囚犯送上絞刑架的論壇的成員，他是自己人民的屠殺者。（見大赦國際，“血淋淋的秘密：為什麼伊朗 1988 年的監獄大屠殺是持續的危害人類罪”，2018 年。）

一個將一個大規模殺害無辜公民的人強加給公民的政權說它很害怕。該政權有充分的理由感到害怕。

當伊斯蘭主義者接管時，人口增加了一倍多；工業被革命衛隊扣為人質，革命衛隊的首領不公平地贏得投標，然後獎勵親信和副業專業人士；疏忽規劃導致湖泊、河流和水龍頭乾涸；再加上政府對企業自由和貨幣紀律的恐懼，不斷萎縮的經濟是對沙阿時代的倒轉，當時就業機會豐富，年增長率超過10%。

據報導，在冠狀病毒大流行前夕，德黑蘭大區的失業率達到了 41%。在一些地區，青年失業率已超過60%，受過大學教育的女性失業率超過80%。在哈塔米時代，美元的價格不到 9,000 里亞爾，而現在則超過 230,000 里亞爾。

大流行進一步削弱了該國，根據統計網站 Worldometer 的數據，該國至少有 311 萬人受災，至少 83,000 人死亡。

那麼，有一半以上的公眾不費心去投票，這有什麼奇怪的嗎？生活糟透了，他們有效地說，現在主持這個節目的未經選舉的神職人員想把方向盤交給殺害我們親人的兇手。我們能下沉多少？

簡而言之，這就是伊朗政治墮落的地方。現在，作為自阿亞圖拉霍梅尼掌舵以來最暴力的領導人，有些人可能會覺得情況需要以色列對伊朗進行奢侈的攻擊。沒有什麼比這更錯的了。

伊朗人民的虐待只能持續這麼長時間。最終，人民會做出回應。

等待那一天的到來需要很大的耐心和鎮定，但這是我們必須召集的。伊朗各地的數百萬人知道真相。他們知道以色列從來都不是他們的敵人，也沒有從他們身上拿走任何東西。他們中的許多人還知道，猶太民族實際上深情地回憶起波斯帝國，它修復了耶路撒冷被夷為平地的聖殿，並將以色列土地歸還給猶太人。

數以百萬計的伊朗人也知道，在伊斯蘭主義者接管之前，以色列和伊朗的貿易很活躍，而且在原教旨主義者被撤職的那一天，它將真正恢復。

是的，以色列人知道伊朗的核計劃是不能容忍的，破壞它勢在必行。即便如此，這應該以一種不會讓普通伊朗人覺得以色列羞辱他們的方式來完成。

以色列應該先發製人，也應該先發製人，但只是在戰術上；破壞毛拉們對我們的陰謀，轟炸他們的敘利亞前哨，刺痛他們的核行動，但要避免大規模襲擊。

這種攻擊不應該來自外部，而應該來自內部，而不是來自空中，而是來自下方，並且不應該由外國人發動，而應該由被阿亞圖拉徹底剝奪、剝奪和羞辱的偉大波斯人民發動，並且現在如此恐懼。

Iran's political degeneration has the regime's days numbered

MIDDLE ISRAEL: As the ayatollahs lose eye contact with the people, Israel’s task is to fight the regime and its plots without provoking the people and their pride.

By AMOTZ ASA-EL

JUNE 24, 2021 21:51

EBRAHIM RAISI arrives at a polling station in Tehran to cast his vote in last week’s presidential election, which he won.

(photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)

‘They say time changes things, but actually you have to change them yourself,” said Andy Warhol.

The pop artist’s famous paintings of Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles were actually criticized for their celebration of conformity, but his insight about change, whether cultural, social or political, sure was right: It never comes by itself.

That certainly goes for revolutionary Iran, where everyone except its oligarchy has been awaiting change for the past 42 years – in vain.

Now, as its seventh president prepares to succeed the sixth, the questions are what Iranian voters just said, where their country is headed, and what the Jewish state should do. And the answers are that the people are bitter, their country is in the doldrums, and Israel should let it change by itself.

Iranian elections have never been free, but what happened last week was different even by the Khomeini Revolution’s standards.

Yes, non-Islamist candidates could never even dream of being allowed to run, nor could anyone otherwise disagreeable to the regime, and also the entire female population.

Even so, the regime used to try to create an impression of democracy by choreographing presidential contests between hardliners and pragmatists. That is how Mohammad Khatami became president back in 1997, while advocating free speech, market reforms and a cultural thaw with the West.

That gospel was crushed in 2009, when the regime robbed reformist candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi of his electoral victory and placed him under house arrest, where he continues to languish.

Still, the democratic masquerade continued. When Hassan Rouhani ran in 2013, he faced seven opponents, including a former commander of the Revolutionary Guards and a former commander of the air force.

Now even that veneer was shed. The clerics had one candidate and pushed aside anyone who might threaten his victory, even the notorious Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for whom they stole the 2009 election.

With nearly 600 candidates disqualified, and with three of the seven who were green-lighted somehow dropping out, the clerics made way for their man,

Ebrahim Raisi. The man, and the process that crowned him, speak volumes of the regime’s growing fear of, and loss of eye contact with, the people they purport to represent.

RAISI IS no version of Hassan Rouhani or Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who earned academic degrees in Britain and the US, or of Mohammad Khatami, who lived in Germany and speaks four languages. Raisi, by contrast, is not known to have even finished high school.

What is not unknown is Raisi’s record as a prosecutor, which is harrowing. As a member of the forum that in 1988 sent to the gallows an estimated 5,000 untried prisoners, he is a slaughterer of his own people. (See Amnesty International, “Blood-soaked secrets: Why Iran’s 1988 Prison Massacres are Ongoing Crimes Against Humanity,” 2018.)

A regime that imposes on the citizens a man who mass-murdered innocent citizens says it is scared. And the regime is scared with good reason.

With the population more than double its size when the Islamists took over; with industry held hostage by the Revolutionary Guards, whose chieftains win tenders unfairly and then prize cronies and sideline professionals; with negligent planning resulting in dried lakes, rivers and faucets; and with the government fearful of corporate freedom and monetary discipline, the steadily shrinking economy is an inversion of the shah’s era, when jobs were abundant and annual growth rates exceeded 10%.

On the eve of the coronavirus pandemic, unemployment in greater Tehran reportedly reached 41%. In some regions, youth joblessness has been higher than 60%, and university-educated women’s unemployment exceeded 80%. The dollar, which in Khatami’s time cost less than 9,000 rials, now costs more than 230,000.

The pandemic further debilitated the country, having plagued – according to statistical Website Worldometer – at least 3.11 million and killed at least 83,000.

Is it any wonder, then, that more than half the public didn’t bother voting? Life stinks, they effectively said, and the unelected clerics who run the show now want to hand the wheel over to the murderer of our kith and kin. How much lower can we sink?

That, in brief, is where Iran’s political degeneration has arrived. Now, as its most violent leader since Ayatollah Khomeini approaches its helm, some might feel circumstances demand an extravagant Israeli attack on Iran. Nothing could be more wrong.

THE IRANIAN people’s abuse can only last so long. Ultimately, the people will respond.

Waiting for that day’s arrival demands much patience and poise, but that is what we must muster. Millions throughout Iran know the truth. They know Israel has never been their enemy and has taken nothing from them. Many of them also know that the Jewish nation actually recalls fondly the Persian Empire that restored Jerusalem’s leveled temple and returned the Land of Israel to the Jews.

Millions of Iranians also know that until the Islamist takeover, Israeli-Iranian trade was brisk, and that it will resume in earnest the day the fundamentalists will be removed.

And yes, Israelis know Iran’s nuclear program is intolerable and that sabotaging it is imperative. Even so, this should be done in a way that will not make average Iranians feel that Israel humiliated them.

Israel should initiate and also preempt, but only tactically; derail whatever it is the mullahs are plotting about us, bomb their Syrian outposts, sting their nuclear operation, but avoid the grand attack.

That attack should come not from without, but from within, and not from the air, but from below, and it should be waged not by foreigners, but by the great Persian people whom the ayatollahs have so thoroughly disempowered, dispossessed and dishonored, and now so justly fear.

蓬佩奧“發表”：伊朗在幾個月內解除核協議

約西·科恩 (Yossi Cohen) 時代邁克·蓬佩奧 (Mike Pompeo) 中的摩薩德-中央情報局故事

作者：尤娜傑瑞米鮑勃

2021 年 6 月 24 日 21:43

美國國務卿邁克·蓬佩奧 (Mike Pompeo) 於 2020 年 7 月 15 日在美國華盛頓特區國務院舉行的新聞發布會上發表講話

（照片來源：ANDREW HARNIK/POOL VIA REUTERS）

美國前國務卿邁克龐培告訴耶路撒冷郵報，當拜登政府看到伊斯蘭共和國能夠在短短幾個月內解除核限制時，回到伊朗核協議將是愚蠢的。

Pompeo 正在解決有關特朗普政府制裁政策是否有效的問題，其中一個結果是伊朗將鈾濃縮水平提高到 20% 和 60% 的水平。

“關於濃縮問題的水平——現在他們達到 60% 的事實並不能證明退出 JCPOA [聯合綜合行動計劃，伊朗協議] 的決定是一個錯誤。當你有能力對先進的、功能更強大的離心機進行研究時，承諾不進行濃縮是愚蠢的，”他說。

這位前國務卿和中央情報局局長繼續說：“如果我有能力做離心機，我可以加大壓力。您可以隨時選擇致富：2017 年、2019 年、2021 年、2029 年。認為對於幾個月內可以做的任何事情，您應該犧牲：1）數十億美元，2）允許在整個歐洲進行暗殺是愚蠢的, 3) 允許導彈計劃發展和 4) 允許中東發生恐怖活動。

“這是愚蠢和天真的。我希望拜登政府能夠吸取教訓，”他補充道。

接下來，他甚至面臨一些批評 JCPOA 的批評，但認為美國不應該在 2018 年這麼早就退出，而應該等到 2024 年或 2029 年協議的核限制接近結束時退出。本來可以從伊朗遵守鈾濃縮限制的情況中獲益，並且只有在這些限制即將到期時才挑戰德黑蘭。

“早就來不及了，今天也不晚。伊朗並未完全遵守其未申報地點的承諾。公開的[摩薩德獲得的伊朗核]檔案[顯示]他們在過去的軍事層面撒謊，”蓬佩奧說。

此外，他說，“這筆交易的整個基礎存在根本性的缺陷。我們現在肯定知道他們在這件事上撒了謊。他們今天繼續撒謊。可能——我不能說更多——我們選擇了準確的[正確]時刻開始努力。他們增加了伊朗的濃縮，以獲得大規模的讓步……歐盟希望向他們[讓步]。俄羅斯人和中國人在聯盟中給予他們。我希望拜登政府會看到這不是 2015 年。”

此外，他解釋說，“伊朗人無意停止尋求核武器……儘管[美國前總統巴拉克]奧巴馬錶示將其放在一個盒子裡是為了防止這種情況發生。那是謊言。AMAD 程序和該程序的派生傳播開來。”

“SPND [專注於核問題的防禦性創新和研究組織] - 他們繼續進行。他們使用他們可用的工具來接近他們可以交付核武器的時刻。那很危險。沒有理由投入數十億美元來強化這些計劃，”蓬佩奧宣稱。

在談到他與從 2016 年 1 月到 2021 年 6 月 1 日期間指導摩薩德的尤西·科恩（Yossi Cohen）之間獨特的親密關係時，蓬佩奧說：“我與科恩導演的關係在我成為中央情報局局長後不久就開始了。他上任僅一年多。

“我知道兩件事。特朗普總統想阻止伊朗獲得核武器——以阻止伊朗在世界各地努力的神權革命。為了為總統提供這些成果，我們需要合作夥伴，不僅僅是摩薩德，我們也需要摩薩德，”他說。

他回憶說：“我和科恩導演談過。我們建立了重要的[組織]關係。但更重要的是他和我之間的關係。（情報組織之間）這些事情總是很緊張。人們想要獲得[競爭]信用。我們向整個團隊明確表示，我們代表特朗普總統和 [總理] 內塔尼亞胡是合作夥伴。”

這位前中央情報局局長評論說：“我可以看出他是一名職業的職業摩薩德軍官。我不是……他還曾擔任以色列的國家安全顧問……我們來自不同的背景，互相稱讚。”

事實上，兩國關係如此密切，以至於蓬佩奧於 5 月底飛往以色列，只是為了參加科恩在摩薩德的退休儀式——儘管蓬佩奧自 1 月以來一直沒有正式的政府職能。

蓬佩奧和科恩還有一個共同點：宗教在他們的生活中都扮演著重要的角色。

蓬佩奧隸屬於福音派長老會，2007 年至 2009 年擔任當地教會執事，並在主日學校任教。

他有時也在公開講話中引用聖經。

科恩在東正教猶太人中長大，甚至在東正教青年團體中認識了他的妻子。他的孩子們就讀於東正教學校，他還幫助在他家附近建造了當地的東正教猶太教堂。

在摩薩德的職業生涯中，他的大部分職業生涯都在海外，他不一定遵守東正教猶太法律的所有限制，但仍然非常虔誠。

當被問及這種聯繫時，雖然蓬佩奧想首先關注他們的職業關係，但他確實表示：“我也知道他是一個有紀律的信徒，這為我們提供了一個基礎，我們可以建立個人聯繫，並有助於推動我們的組織走向卓越。”

尤其如此，“每當我們的一位領導要求為特定行動提供特定信息時，我們將處於世界一流的地位，為他們提供這些信息。我認為我們做到了，並且相信這會繼續下去，我希望我們的繼任者能夠做到這一點。”

在最近接受Yediot Aharonot採訪時，Pompeo 還稱讚科恩從他們的關係開始就表現出願意分享情報，而不是標準的情報行業交易信息交易。

當被問及他在那次採訪中的評論時，他回答說：“我正在和那位導演 Cohen 交談，我想非常清楚，我想建立夥伴關係，而不是交易關係。Y 不是 X。你需要給我們 X，所以我們會給你 X。”

“我們會這樣做，因為我們是很好的合作夥伴。我們不會說 X 等於 Y，也不會說 Z。這是關於交付，關於我們的兩個民主國家。對我來說：美國優先。對於導演科恩來說，這是關於他對以色列人的效忠。我們執行了，我們的兩個部門共同建立了一種能力，讓我們的領導人做出正確的決定並執行，”他說。

《華盛頓郵報》了解到，科恩還與吉娜·哈斯佩爾 (Gina Haspel) 有著良好的職業關係，後者在蓬佩奧之後負責中央情報局的工作，並從 2018 年 5 月至 2021 年 1 月與科恩並行工作。

既然如此，為什麼只有蓬佩奧出席了退休儀式，而不是哈斯佩爾？

蓬佩奧回答說：“我一直在和吉娜交談。我不想從她無法出席的事實中得出任何結論。”

他補充說：“我想為美國而存在。我不再擔任政府職務。我以邁克的身份在那裡。我想在那裡。我們做得很好。他很快就不會成為摩薩德的主管，而是約西。我想確保我感謝 Yossi 所做的工作，他讓美國和以色列更加安全。”

關於蓬佩奧和科恩關係的時間表仍然存在一些問號。

在Yediot 的報告中，敘述是科恩在 2017 年初與龐培一起訪問了“農場”，秘密機構在那裡訓練其特工。

不久之後，蓬佩奧和他的妻子蘇珊對科恩和摩薩德在以色列的總部進行了互訪。

在這一點之後，時間線變得有點毛茸茸的。

例如，目前尚不清楚蓬佩奧是否在 2018 年 1 月 31 日的行動後不久、在 2018 年 2 月的慕尼黑會議上或在科恩前往華盛頓的旅途中從科恩那裡得到了有關摩薩德盜竊伊朗核檔案的提示。 2018 年 3 月。

《華盛頓郵報》此前獨家報導稱，蓬佩奧在 2018 年 3 月與科恩會面期間對摩薩德的成就感到震驚，並被告知這部分時間線的不同版本。

無論如何，蓬佩奧是科恩的首選對手，向當時的美國總統唐納德特朗普提供情報證據，鼓勵他在 2018 年 5 月退出核協議。

蓬佩奧還討論了關於是否有情報顯示伊斯蘭革命衛隊聖城旅負責人卡西姆蘇萊曼尼在特朗普政府於 2020 年 1 月 3 日暗殺他時正在協調對美國目標的迫在眉睫的襲擊的爭議。

罷工的批評者，包括一些接受媒體採訪的中央情報局內部人士，表示沒有這種特殊或迫在眉睫的威脅可以證明暗殺伊朗高級政府官員而不是非國家恐怖分子是正當的。

蓬佩奧回應說：“如果他們說沒有（關於即將發生的襲擊的情報），他們就沒有看到我所看到的。顯然，伊拉克恐怖部隊和聖城旅正在努力殺死美國人[正在計劃中]。當他（蘇萊曼尼）從貝魯特到大馬士革再到巴格達時，他參與了一個項目，如果取得成果，將導緻美國人死亡。”

隨著美國內部關於蘇萊曼尼被殺一事的辯論可以追溯到 2017 年，特朗普政府的部分成員希望他在 2020 年 1 月 3 日被罷免之前很久就被罷免。

然而，當被問及特朗普政府 2019 年 4 月宣布伊斯蘭革命衛隊為恐怖組織是否部分是為了為消滅蘇萊曼尼奠定法律基礎時，蓬佩奧駁回了這個想法，簡單地說：“不，他們被宣佈為恐怖組織是因為他們是恐怖分子。”

無論人們同意或不同意蓬佩奧的觀點，他總是非常清楚自己的觀點——對於潛在的未來美國總統候選人來說，這些觀點將是重要的——並且不會繞圈子。

Pompeo to 'Post': Iran unwound nuclear deal in a matter of months

The Mossad-CIA story in the Mike Pompeo, Yossi Cohen era

By YONAH JEREMY BOB

JUNE 24, 2021 21:43

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 15, 2020

(photo credit: ANDREW HARNIK/POOL VIA REUTERS)

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It would be foolish for the Biden administration to return to the Iran nuclear deal when it can see the Islamic Republic was able to unwind from the nuclear limitations in a mere matter of months, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has told The Jerusalem Post.

Pompeo was addressing questions about whether Trump administration sanctions policies were effective when one of the results was a jump by Iran to higher levels of uranium enrichment, such as the 20% and 60% levels.

“Regarding the level of enrichment issue – the fact that now they are at 60% doesn’t prove the decision to withdraw from the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iran deal] was a mistake. A commitment not to enrich when you have the capacity to do research on advanced, more capable centrifuges is folly,” he said.

The former secretary of state and CIA director continued, “If I have the capacity to do centrifuges, I can turn up the pressure. You can enrich anytime you choose: in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2029. It is foolish to think that for anything which you can do in a matter of months, you should sacrifice: 1) billions of dollars, 2) allow assassinations throughout Europe, 3) allow the missile program to develop and 4) allow terror in the Middle East.

“It is foolish and naïve. I hope the Biden administration will have learned its lesson,” he added.

Next, he was confronted with criticism even from some who criticized the JCPOA, but thought the US should not have withdrawn so early in 2018, but should have waited to withdraw until near the end of the deal’s nuclear limits in 2024 or 2029. The idea would have been to reap the benefits of Iranian compliance with uranium enrichment limits and to challenge Tehran only when those limits were close to expiring.

“It would have been too late, and it is not too late today. Iran has not been in full compliance with its undeclared sites promises. The [Mossad-obtained Iranian nuclear] archives released [show] they lied about past military dimensions,” stated Pompeo.

Moreover, he said, “The entire basis of the deal was fundamentally flawed. We now know for sure that they lied about that. They continue to lie today. Probably – and I can’t say a whole lot more – we picked the precise [right] moment to begin the effort. They have increased enrichment for Iran to receive massive concessions…. The EU wants to give [concessions to] them. The Russians and the Chinese are in league to give them. I hope the Biden administration will see this isn’t 2015.”

In addition, he explained, “The Iranians have no intention of ceasing to seek a nuclear weapon…. In spite of the fact that [former US president Barack] Obama said it was put in a box to prevent this. That was a lie. The AMAD program and derivations of that program spread out.”

“The SPND [Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research focused on nuclear issues] – they were continued. They used the tools they had available to be closer to the moment when they could deliver a nuclear weapon. That is dangerous. There is no reason to give billions of dollars to fortify those programs,” Pompeo declared.

SHIFTING TO discuss his uniquely close relationship with Yossi Cohen, who directed the Mossad from January 2016 until June 1, 2021, Pompeo said, “My relationship with director Cohen began very shortly after I became director of the CIA. He had been in place for just over a year.

“I knew two things. President Trump wanted to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon – to push back the theocratic revolution of Iran’s efforts around the world. In order to deliver those outcomes for the president, we needed partners, not just the Mossad, but we needed the Mossad as well,” he said.

He recounted, “I talked to director Cohen. We built out an important [organizational] relationship. But the more important relationship was between he and I. There is always tension with these things [between intelligence organizations]. People want to take [compete over] credit. We made clear to our entire teams that we were partners together on behalf of president Trump and [prime minister] Netanyahu.”

The former CIA chief commented, “I could see he was a professional, career Mossad officer. I was not…. He had also spent time as Israel’s national security adviser…. We came from different backgrounds which complimented each other.”

In fact, the relationship was so close that Pompeo flew into Israel in late May just to attend Cohen’s retirement ceremony at the Mossad – and this despite the fact that Pompeo has had no official government capacity since January.

Pompeo and Cohen have another thing in common: religion plays an important role in both of their lives.

Pompeo is affiliated with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, served as a local church deacon from 2007 to 2009 and taught Sunday school.

He has also at times invoked references to the Bible in public remarks.

Cohen grew up an Orthodox Jew and even met his wife in Orthodox youth groups. His children attended Orthodox schools, and he has helped build a local Orthodox synagogue near his home.

During the course of his career in the Mossad, much of which was overseas, he has not necessarily kept up with all of the strictures of Orthodox Jewish law, but remains very religiously committed.

Asked about this connection, while Pompeo wanted to focus on their professional ties first, he did offer that “I also knew he was a disciplined believer, which gave us a basis for which we could relate personally and could help to drive our organizations to excellence.”

This was especially true “whenever a moment came that one of our leaders asked for a particular piece of information for a particular operation – we would be in a world-class position to deliver that for them. I think we did that, and am confident that will continue, and I hope our successors build that out.”

In a recent interview with Yediot Aharonot, Pompeo also complimented Cohen for showing a readiness to share intelligence from the get-go of their relationship, as opposed to the standard intelligence industry transactional horse trading of information.

Asked about his comment in that interview, he replied, “I was speaking to, I want to be very clear, that director Cohen and I wanted to build a partnership, not a transactional relationship. It was not X for Y. You need to give us X so we will give you X.”

“We’ll do it because we are good partners. We won’t say X equals Y, and maybe throw in Z. It was about delivering, about our two democracies. For me: America first. For director Cohen, it was about his allegiance to the Israelis. We executed, and our two services together built out a capacity to let our leaders make good decisions and to execute,” he said.

The Post understands that Cohen also had excellent professional relations with Gina Haspel, who ran the CIA after Pompeo and worked in parallel to Cohen from May 2018 until January 2021.

In that case, why did only Pompeo attend the retirement ceremony and not Haspel?

Pompeo responded, “I talk with Gina all of the time. I don’t want to draw any conclusion from the fact that she was unable to attend.”

He added, “I wanted to be there for America. I am no longer in governmental office. I was there in my capacity as Mike. I wanted to be there. We had done good work. He was someone who would soon not be the director of the Mossad, but Yossi. I wanted to make sure that I thanked Yossi for the work that he did, to make America and Israel more safe.”

THERE ARE still some question marks about the timeline of the Pompeo and Cohen relationship.

In the Yediot report, the narrative was that Cohen visited in early 2017 with Pompeo at “the Farm,” where the clandestine agency trains its operatives.

Shortly after, Pompeo and his wife, Susan, then paid a reciprocal visit to Cohen and Mossad headquarters in Israel.

After this point, the timeline got a bit hairier.

For example, it is unclear whether Pompeo was given a tip-off from Cohen about the Mossad’s heist of Iran’s nuclear archive soon after the January 31, 2018, operation, at a Munich conference in February 2018 or during a trip by Cohen to Washington in March 2018.

The Post previously exclusively reported that Pompeo was blown away by the Mossad’s achievement during a March 2018 meeting with Cohen and has been told different versions of this part of the timeline.

In any event, Pompeo was Cohen’s go-to counterpart to give then-US president Donald Trump intelligence evidence that would encourage him to withdraw from the nuclear deal in May 2018.

POMPEO ALSO discussed the controversy about whether there was intelligence showing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp Quds Force chief Qasem Soleimani was coordinating imminent attacks on US targets at the time that the Trump administration assassinated him on January 3, 2020.

Critics of the strike, including some within the CIA who spoke to the media, have said there was no such special or imminent threat that would justify assassinating a high-ranking Iranian state official, as opposed to non-state terrorists.

Pompeo responded, “If they said there wasn’t [intelligence about imminent attacks], they didn’t see what I saw. There was clearly an effort by Iraqi terror forces and the Quds Force to kill Americans [being planned]. As he [Soleimani] was traveling from Beirut to Damascus to Baghdad, he was engaged in a project which, if fruitful, would lead to the death of Americans.”

With the internal debate in the US about the killing of Soleimani dating back to 2017, portions of the Trump administration wanted him removed from the board long before he was taken out on January 3, 2020.

However, when questioned about whether the Trump administration’s April 2019 declaration of the IRGC as a terrorist group was done partially to lay the legal groundwork for eliminating Soleimani, Pompeo shot down the idea, saying simply, “No, they were declared a terrorist group because they are terrorists.”

Whether one agrees or disagrees with Pompeo, he is always remarkably clear about his views – views that will be important to follow for a potential future US presidential candidate – and does not beat around the bush.

阿巴斯評論家尼扎爾·巴納特 (Nizar Banat) 死於巴勒斯坦權力機構安全人員突襲他的家

突襲並殺害了馬哈茂德·阿巴斯的一位著名批評家，因為巴勒斯坦權力機構加強了對政治對手的安全鎮壓。

由哈利·阿布·托梅

2021 年 6 月 24 日 21:33

2016 年 11 月 16 日，在約旦河西岸城市納布盧斯的老城區與巴勒斯坦槍手發生衝突，一名巴勒斯坦婦女被槍殺，巴勒斯坦民族權力機構安全部隊成員在巡邏。

（圖片來源：ABED OMAR QUSINI/REUTERS）

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巴勒斯坦權力機構總理穆罕默德·施泰耶週四下令成立一個特別調查委員會，以調查希伯倫地區著名反腐敗活動家尼扎爾·巴納特( Nizar Banat)的死因 。

巴納特現年 44 歲，長期批評巴勒斯坦民族權力機構主席馬哈茂德·阿巴斯，他在巴勒斯坦權力機構安全官員突襲杜拉鎮的家中喪生。巴納特的親屬說，當他還在熟睡時，大約 25 名保安人員用棍棒和其他物品嚴厲毆打他。

一些巴勒斯坦人將他的死與沙特記者賈馬爾·卡舒吉 (Jamal Khashoggi) 的慘死進行了比較，後者於 2018 年被沙特政府的特工在伊斯坦布爾的沙特領事館暗殺。

巴納特之死引發了許多巴勒斯坦人的抗議浪潮，他們指責巴勒斯坦權力機構“暗殺”了這位激進分子。在社交媒體上出現的圖片中，巴納特身上似乎有很多瘀傷。

在拉馬拉青年團體組織的一次示威活動中，抗議者高喊口號，要求將阿巴斯免職。巴勒斯坦權力機構警察使用催淚瓦斯和棍棒驅散抗議者並阻止他們接近他的總部。

西岸其他城鎮以及加沙地帶也發生了類似的抗議活動。

自阿巴斯於 4 月下旬決定取消原定於 5 月 22 日和 7 月 31 日舉行的議會和總統選舉以來，巴勒斯坦權力機構安全部隊逮捕了數十名巴勒斯坦政治活動家和社交媒體用戶。

許多被拘留者被指控與哈馬斯有關聯，並驅逐了法塔赫特工穆罕默德·達蘭（Mohammed Dahlan），後者是常駐阿拉伯聯合酋長國的阿巴斯的死敵。其他人則被指控在社交媒體平台上“侮辱”阿巴斯和其他巴勒斯坦高級人物。

巴勒斯坦權力機構希伯倫州長 吉布林·巴克里在一份聲明中說，巴納特的家在突襲期間他的健康狀況“惡化”。巴納特被緊急送往希伯倫醫院，在那裡他被宣布死亡。巴克里說，根據巴勒斯坦權力機構總檢察長簽發的逮捕令，警察抵達巴納特的家將他逮捕。

州長沒有說明逮捕的任何理由。

“巴勒斯坦安全部隊沒有來逮捕他，”已故活動人士的表弟侯賽因·巴納特 (Hussein Banat) 說。“他們是來暗殺他的。” 他補充說，突襲發生在凌晨 3 點 30 分左右

另一位親戚 Majdi Banat 說，毆打持續了八分鐘。“他們用炸藥炸毀了房子的門，”他說。“這是一次非常殘酷和暴力的襲擊。”

他補充說，由於他的反腐敗運動，巴納特收到了來自巴勒斯坦高級官員的許多威脅。

“他們告訴他，你要么死要么活，”這位親戚說。“去年五月，他們試圖通過在他家開槍殺死他。”

在過去的幾個月裡，巴納特在 Facebook 上發布了幾段視頻，其中他對阿巴斯和巴勒斯坦權力機構領導人進行了嚴厲攻擊，並指責他們應對猖獗的腐敗負責。

在最近的一段視頻中，巴納特譴責 Shtayyeh 政府處理上週與以色列的輝瑞疫苗交換協議。根據協議條款，以色列向巴勒斯坦人提供了超過一百萬種即將到期的疫苗，使他們能夠更快地接種疫苗。作為回報，以色列將收到巴勒斯坦人購買的相同數量的疫苗，預計將於今年晚些時候到達。

巴納特計劃作為一個名為“自由與尊嚴”的新名單的候選人參加議會選舉。

在阿巴斯取消選舉後，巴納特和他的名單呼籲歐盟停止對巴勒斯坦權力機構的財政援助，並對“揮霍歐洲納稅人的錢”展開調查。

對歐盟的前所未有的呼籲引起了巴勒斯坦權力機構和法塔赫高級官員的強烈譴責。他們指責巴納特呼籲外國各方暫停對巴勒斯坦權力機構的財政援助，從而“越過了紅線”。

上訴後不久，身份不明的槍手襲擊了他的房子。沒人受傷。巴納特暗示，屬於阿巴斯執政的法塔赫派系的“暴徒”是槍擊事件的幕後黑手。他聲稱襲擊者是由巴勒斯坦權力機構安全人員護送的。

Banat 的妻子 Um Kifah 在得知她丈夫的死訊數小時後說：“Nizar 是一個‘shahid’（烈士）；他曾經說實話。我丈夫不是小偷，也沒有腐敗。他總是說，他的反腐敗運動旨在確保我們的孩子擁有更美好的未來。他們殺死了一名尼扎爾，但現在他們將獲得 1000 名尼扎爾。”

巴納特的朋友、政治活動家穆罕默德·阿姆魯表示，這起事件是巴勒斯坦權力機構與巴勒斯坦人關係的“重大犯罪”和“轉折點”。

“巴勒斯坦權力機構已從任意逮捕轉向實際清算，”阿姆魯說。“我們要求阿巴斯總統個人負責。”

幾個巴勒斯坦人權組織和政治派別譴責這一事件，並要求立即進行調查。

巴勒斯坦獨立人權委員會（ICHR）表示，它“對活動家尼扎爾·巴納特（Nizar Banat）的死感到非常關切”。

該組織稱，根據目擊者和家人的證詞，巴納特在被捕期間遭到毆打和毒氣。

“ICHR 已開始調查和收集有關死亡事件的信息，”該組織表示。“此外，ICHR 將通過委員會委派的一名法醫參與屍檢。調查結果將立即公佈。”

巴勒斯坦人權活動家 Khaled al-Shouli 譴責巴納特之死是“危害人類罪”，並呼籲將此案提交國際刑事法院。

巴勒斯坦立法委員會前副議長侯賽因·赫雷舍赫說，“尼扎爾·巴納特的處決反映了巴勒斯坦權力機構的恐慌和混亂狀態。”

Abbas critic Nizar Banat dies in raid on his home by PA security officers

The raid and killing of a prominent critic of Mahmoud Abbas took place as the PA has stepped up its security crackdown on political opponents.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

JUNE 24, 2021 21:33

Members of Palestinian Authority security forces patrol following clashes with Palestinian gunmen in which a Palestinian woman was shot dead, in the old town of the West Bank city of Nablus, November 16, 2016.

(photo credit: ABED OMAR QUSINI/REUTERS)

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PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on Thursday ordered the formation of a special commission of inquiry to investigate the death of Nizar Banat, a prominent anti-corruption activist from the Hebron area.

Banat, 44, a longtime critic of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, died during a raid by PA security officers on his home in the town of Dura. Banat’s relatives said about 25 security officers severely beat him with clubs and other objects while he was still asleep.

Some Palestinians compared his death to the gruesome killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 by agents of the Saudi government.

The death of Banat triggered a wave of protests by many Palestinians, who accused the PA of “assassinating” the activist. In graphic photos that surfaced on social media, Banat appeared to have many bruises on his body.

During a demonstration organized by youth groups in Ramallah, protesters shouted slogans calling for the removal of Abbas from office. PA policemen used tear gas and clubs to disperse the protesters and prevent them from approaching his headquarters.

Similar protests took place in other West Bank towns, as well as the Gaza Strip.

PA security forces have arrested dozens of Palestinian political activists and social media users since Abbas’s decision in late April to call off the parliamentary and presidential elections, which were supposed to take place on May 22 and July 31, respectively.

Many of the detainees have been accused of affiliation with Hamas and ousted Fatah operative Mohammed Dahlan, an arch-rival of Abbas who is based in the United Arab Emirates. Others have been accused of “insulting” Abbas and other senior Palestinian figures on social media platforms.

PA Governor of Hebron Jibreen al-Bakri said in a statement that Banat’s health “deteriorated” during the raid on his home. Banat was rushed to the Hebron hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Bakri said the officers arrived at Banat’s home to arrest him in accordance with a warrant issued by the PA prosecutor-general.

The governor did not give any reason for the arrest.

“The Palestinian security forces did not come to arrest him,” said Hussein Banat, a cousin of the deceased activist. “They came to assassinate him.” He added that the raid took place around 3:30 a.m.

Another relative, Majdi Banat, said the beating lasted for eight minutes. “They blew up the door of the house with explosives,” he said. “It was a very brutal and violent raid.”

He added that Banat had received many threats from senior Palestinian officials because of his anti-corruption campaign.

“They told him you are wanted dead or alive,” the relative said. “Last May, they tried to kill him by shooting at his home.”

In the past few months, Banat posted several videos on Facebook in which he launched scathing attacks on Abbas and the PA leadership and accused them of being responsible for rampant corruption.

In a recent video, Banat denounced the Shtayyeh government over its handling of last week’s Pfizer vaccine exchange agreement with Israel. Under the terms of the agreement, Israel offered the Palestinians more than one million soon-to-expire vaccines enabling them to vaccinate sooner. In return, Israel would receive an identical number of doses purchased by the Palestinians and which are expected to arrive later this year.

Banat was planning to participate in the parliamentary elections as a candidate for a new list called Freedom and Dignity.

After Abbas called off the elections, Banat and his list called on the European Union to halt financial aid to the PA and launch an investigation into the “squandering of European taxpayer money.”

The unprecedented appeal to the EU drew strong condemnations from senior PA and Fatah officials. They accused Banat of “crossing a redline” by appealing to foreign parties to suspend financial aid to the PA.

Shortly after the appeal, unidentified gunmen attacked his house. No one was hurt. Banat hinted that “thugs” belonging to Abbas’s ruling Fatah faction were behind the shooting attack. He claimed that the assailants were escorted by PA security officers.

Banat’s wife, Um Kifah, said hours after she learned about the death of her husband: “Nizar is a ‘shahid’ (martyr); he used to tell the truth. My husband was not a thief and he was not corrupt. He always said that his campaign against corruption was aimed at ensuring a better future for our children. They killed one Nizar, but now they will get 1,000 Nizars.”

Mohammed Amru, a political activist and friend of Banat, said the incident was a “big crime” and a “turning point” in the relationship between the PA and the Palestinians.

“The Palestinian Authority has moved from arbitrary arrests to physical liquidation,” Amru said. “We hold President Abbas personally responsible.”

Several Palestinian human rights groups and political factions condemned the incident and demanded an immediate investigation.

The Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) said it looks “with great concern at the death of the activist Nizar Banat.”

The group said that according to testimonies of eyewitnesses and family members, Banat was beaten and sprayed with gas during his arrest.

“ICHR has begun investigating and collecting information about the death incident,” the group said. “Additionally, ICHR will participate in the autopsy through a forensic doctor delegated by the Commission. The results of the investigation will be announced immediately.”

Palestinian human rights activist Khaled al-Shouli denounced the death of Banat as a “crime against humanity” and called for referring the case to the International Criminal Court.

Hussein Khreisheh, former deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, said the “execution of Nizar Banat reflects the state of panic and confusion in the Palestinian Authority.”

貝內特：以色列在伊朗問題上與盟友協商，但我們會保護自己

“我們將繼續與我們的盟友協商，通過相互尊重，說服、交談、分享信息和理解。”

通過LAHAV哈爾科夫

2021 年 6 月 24 日 21:16

總理 納夫塔利·貝內特 週四首次公開展示了前政府對伊朗政策的轉變，稱以色列將與其盟國密切合作，打擊德黑蘭的核計劃，同時保持可信的軍事威脅。

貝內特在以色列空軍新飛行員的畢業典禮上說：“我們將繼續與我們的盟友協商，通過相互尊重，說服、交談、分享信息和理解。”

“但是，最終，”他補充說，“我們將對自己的命運負責，而不是掌握在其他任何人的手中。我們將負責任和認真地行事，以保護我們作為保管人的偉大遺產。”

以色列更喜歡這樣一個世界，它明白“這個暴力、狂熱的政權，選舉‘德黑蘭劊子手’為總統，願意讓國家挨餓多年以實現軍事核計劃，是這樣一個政權：一個人不能做生意，”貝內特說。

“不幸的是，事實並非如此。”

貝內特表示，在保護以色列的安全和確保其存在方面不會妥協。

畢業典禮也是為了紀念“歌劇行動” 40週年，當時印度 空軍轟炸並摧毀了伊拉克的核反應堆，貝內特說：“歲月流逝，我們的敵人發生了變化和發展。過去是伊拉克，現在是伊朗。”

“對方的成熟度和決心已經提高，但我們的敵人知道——不是從宣言，而是從行動——我們更加堅定，更加成熟許多倍，並且在必要時毫不猶豫地採取行動。過去，現在也是，”貝內特說。

本週早些時候，一架無人機襲擊了伊朗原子能組織的一棟建築，這是伊朗製造離心機的地方。情報消息人士稱，這次襲擊造成了重大損失，但伊朗聲稱它已被挫敗。據《紐約時報》報導，該網站位於以色列去年提交給特朗普政府的目標清單上。

貝內特的講話表明，在美國和伊朗在維也納舉行的第六輪間接談判結束後幾天，前總理本雅明內塔尼亞胡的政策發生了變化，以恢復 2015 年核協議。

雖然雙方都反對伊朗協議，但內塔尼亞胡拒絕與美國總統喬拜登及其政府討論，更喜歡前總統唐納德特朗普的嚴厲制裁政策，並且不想通過與伊朗協商來約束以色列或賦予任何版本的伊朗協議合法性美國對其細節。

然而，貝內特通過試圖與美國人合作以減少對以色列安全可能造成的損害，對美國重返聯合綜合行動計劃的可能情況做出了回應。

總理已允許以色列制裁專家前往華盛頓討論以色列認為如果美國重返該協議應保留哪些制裁。預計以色列專家還將與拜登政府討論限制伊朗核計劃的執法機制。

外交部長亞伊爾·拉皮德計劃週日在羅馬會見美國國務卿安東尼·布林肯，伊朗是議程上的項目之一。拉皮德也將於週二成為首位對阿拉伯聯合酋長國進行國事訪問的以色列部長；耶路撒冷和阿布扎比都對德黑蘭的安全感到擔憂。

貝內特的講話也可以被視為對內塔尼亞胡週一評論的回應，反對派領導人聲稱拉皮德說他和布林肯同意“不出意外”是軟弱的表現。

內塔尼亞胡辯稱，貝內特和拉皮德並不讓美國人感到意外，而是在束縛以色列的手。

“我從來沒有同意將我們所有的行動告訴他們，因為這會招致不執行這些行動的壓力，或者向媒體洩露信息，從而阻止行動並剝奪我們在生存問題上對伊朗採取行動的自由，”他說。

Bennett: Israel consulting allies on Iran, but we will protect ourselves

“We will continue to consult with our allies to convince, to talk, to share information and understandings, through deep mutual respect.”

By LAHAV HARKOV

JUNE 24, 2021 21:16

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for the first time on Thursday publicly presented the shift on Iran policy from the previous government, saying that Israel will work closely with its allies on countering Tehran’s nuclear program, while maintaining a credible military threat.

“We will continue to consult with our allies to convince, to talk, to share information and understandings, through deep mutual respect,” Bennett said at the graduation ceremony for new Israel Air Force pilots.

“But, in the end,” he added, “we will retain responsibility for our fate in our own hands, and not in anyone else’s hands. We will behave responsibly and seriously to protect the great legacy of which we are custodians.”

Israel would prefer a world that understands that “this violent, fanatical regime, that elected ‘the hangman of Tehran’ as its president, that is willing to starve its nation for years in order to attain a military nuclear program, is a regime with which one cannot do business,” Bennett said.

“Unfortunately, that is not the case.”

Bennett said there will be no compromise in protecting Israel’s security and ensuring its existence.

The graduation ceremony also commemorated 40 years since Operation Opera, when the IAF bombed and destroyed Iraq’s nuclear reactor, and Bennett said that “the years have passed and our enemies changed and developed. Then, it was Iraq, now it is Iran.”

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“The other side’s level of sophistication and determination has advanced, but our enemies know – not from declarations, but from actions – that we are many times more determined, many times more sophisticated and do not hesitate to act when necessary. Then, and now as well,” Bennett said.

Earlier this week, a drone attacked one of the buildings of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, a site at which Iran manufactured centrifuges. Intelligence sources said the strike caused major damage, but Iran claimed it had been foiled. The site was on a list of targets Israel presented to the Trump administration last year, The New York Times reported.

Bennett’s speech indicates a change from former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies days after the end of a sixth round of indirect negotiations in Vienna between the US and Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear deal.

While both oppose the Iran deal, Netanyahu refused to discuss it with US President Joe Biden and his administration, preferring previous president Donald Trump’s policy of heavy sanctions and not wanting to bind Israel or grant legitimacy to any version of the Iran deal by consulting with the US on its details.

Bennett, however, has responded to the likely scenario of an American return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action by trying to cooperate with the Americans to reduce the possible damage to Israel’s security.

The prime minister has allowed Israeli sanctions experts to go to Washington to discuss which sanctions Israel thinks should be kept in place if the US returns to the deal. Israeli experts are also expected to discuss with the Biden administration enforcement mechanisms to restrict Iran’s nuclear program.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid plans to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Rome on Sunday, and Iran is one of the items on the agenda. Lapid will also become the first Israeli minister to make a state visit to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday; Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi share security concerns about Tehran.

Bennett’s speech can also be viewed as a response to comments by Netanyahu on Monday, in which the opposition leader claimed that Lapid saying that he and Blinken agreed to “no surprises” is a sign of weakness.

Netanyahu argued that by not surprising the Americans, Bennett and Lapid are tying Israel’s hands.

“I never, ever, agreed to tell them about all our operations, because it would invite pressure not to carry them out, or leaks to the press that would prevent the operation and take away our freedom to act against Iran on existential matters,” he said.

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