JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
THE
USELESS U.N WANTS TO TELL ISRAEL. I SAY LET THE MUSLIM COUNTRIES
PROVIDE FOR THE COCKROACH ARABS, THEIR TRYING TO STEAL ISRAELS LAND.SO
LET IRAN GIVE MONEY TO FEED THE DEATH CULT ARABS, WHO ARE JUST PUPPETS
OF OTHER MUSLIM COUNTRIES TO GO AGAINST ISRAEL.AND BESIDES THIS THE
ARABS WANNA DIE FOR THEIR MOON GOD ALLAH-SATAN, LETEM.
WARN THE PEOPLE-WW3
EZEKIEL 33:1-6
1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them,
When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man
of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
4
Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not
warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon
his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not
warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall
deliver his soul.
6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow
not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and
take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but
his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
DANIEL 11:40-45 (WW3 BREAKDOWN)
40
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at
him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM
HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with
chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter
into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall
enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be
overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab,
and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43
But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and
over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the
Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the
east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS
LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he
shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away
many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the
tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy
mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
ISAIAH 24:1
1
Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste,(NUKES
USED) and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants
thereof.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel
of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a
son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(ARAB/MUSLIM) because the LORD
hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild
man;(RIOTS-BURNING-MURDEROUUS RAGE) his hand will be against every
man,(ISLAM WANTS WORLD DOMINATION) and every man's hand against
him;(DEFENDING THEMSELVES) and he shall dwell in the presence of all his
brethren.(ARAB/MUSLIMS LIVE WITH ISRAELIS)
ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe
to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed)
and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee!
when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be
spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal
treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19
Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than
thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not
understand.
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the
synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think
that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF THEIR MOON GOD
ALLAH)
ISAIAH 14:12-23
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O
Lucifer, (SATAN) son of the morning! (HEBREW MEANS CRESCENT MOON
ANGEL-ISLAM OVIOUSLY)(SATAN IS THE GOD OF ISLAM) how art thou cut down
to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said
in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in
the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the
realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor
planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
EZEKIEL 31:10-17
10
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself
in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his
heart is lifted up in his height;
11 I have therefore delivered him
into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal
with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.
12 And
strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left
him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen,
and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the
people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
13 Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches:
14To
the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for
their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither
their trees stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they
are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the
midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.(HELL).
15Thus
saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a
mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods
thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn
for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.
16 I made
the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to
hell with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the
choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in
the nether parts of the earth.
17They also went down into hell with
him unto [them that be] slain with the sword; and [they that were] his
arm, [that] dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.
18To
whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of
Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the
nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the
uncircumcised with [them that be] slain by the sword. This [is] Pharaoh
and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
EZEKIEL 32:17-32
17
It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth [day] of the
month, [that] the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
18 Son of
man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, [even] her,
and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the
earth, with them that go down into the pit.
19 Whom dost thou pass in beauty? go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.
20
They shall fall in the midst of [them that are] slain by the sword: she
is delivered to the sword: draw her and all her multitudes.
21 The
strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with
them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain
by the sword.
22 Asshur [is] there and all her company: his graves [are] about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword:
23
Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round
about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused
terror in the land of the living.
24 There [is] Elam (IRAN) and all
her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the
sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the
earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have
they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.
25 They
have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her
graves [are] round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the
sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet
have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put
in the midst of [them that be] slain.
26 There [is] Meshech,
Tubal,(RUSSIA) (GERMANY, TURKEY) and all her multitude: her graves [are]
round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though
they caused their terror in the land of the living.
27And they shall
not lie with the mighty [that are] fallen of the uncircumcised, which
are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid
their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their
bones, though [they were] the terror of the mighty in the land of the
living.
28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with [them that are] slain with the sword.
29
There [is] Edom,(JORDAN) her kings, and all her princes, which with
their might are laid by [them that were] slain by the sword: they shall
lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.
30
There [be] the princes of the north, all of them, and all the
Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain; with their terror they
are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with [them that
be] slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to
the pit.
31 Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all
his multitude, [even] Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith
the Lord GOD.
32 For I have caused my terror in the land of the
living: and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with
[them that are] slain with the sword, [even] Pharaoh and all his
multitude, saith the Lord GOD.
EZEKIEL 38:1-23
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2
Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA)
the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy
against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against
thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and
Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into
thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee
forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with
all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields,
all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6
Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of
the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with
thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and
prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto
thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be
visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is
brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against
the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is
brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of
them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a
cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with
thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall
also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy
mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt
say,(RUSSIA-ARAB-MUSLIMS) I will go up to the land of unwalled
villages;(ISRAEL) I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely,
all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12
To take a spoil,(OIL IS IN SPOIL) and to take a prey; to turn thine
hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the
people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle
and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba, and
Dedan,(SAUDI-ARABIA) and the merchants of Tarshish,(SPAIN) with all the
young lions thereof,(ENGLAND,AND ALL ITS ASSOCIATES-CANADA,AUSTRALIA-NEW
ZEALAND, USA, AND WESTERN ENGLISH SPEAKING NATIONS) shall say unto
thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to
take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and
goods, to take a great spoil?(OIL IS IN SPOIL-I BELIEVE THATS WHY
RUSSIA,ARAB/MUSLIMS MARCH TO ISRAEL)
14 Therefore, son of man,
prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my
people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
15 And
thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many
people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a
mighty army:
16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel,
as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I
will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I
shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
EZEKIEL 39:11-22
11
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog
(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of
the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of
the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall
they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and
they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300
MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
13
Yea, all the people of the land (OF ISRAEL) shall bury them; and it
shall be to them a renown the day that I (GOD-JESUS) shall be glorified,
saith the Lord GOD.
14 And they shall sever out men of continual
employment,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB EXPERTS) passing through the land to
bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth,
to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15
And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s
bone, then shall he set up a sign by it,(WON'T TOUCH IT) till the
buriers have buried it (PROPERLY) in the valley of
Hamongog.(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS NEW BURIEL SITE)(EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN
THE JORDAN VALLEY)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
17
And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every
feathered fowl,(500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS THREW ISRAEL EVERY
SPRING,FALL) and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and
come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do
sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel,
that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF THE RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM
ARMIES)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood
of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of
bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21
And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall
see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon
them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and
gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL
NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye
may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of
mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and
the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8
And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that
sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given
unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with
sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE
DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18
By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the
fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their
mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE
17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS
KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE
BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND
DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in
that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN
WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4
billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37
And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto
them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered
together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against
Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten
by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE
SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE
CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH
IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)(50% OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.(ON EARTH)
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.(ON EARTH)
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the
people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume
away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and
their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)
and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM
ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD
PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that
day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they
shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand
shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN
WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 32:18-29 (NOTICE ALL THE COUNTRIES LAND PROMISED ISRAEL BY GOD ARE IN THE JORDAN VALLEY BURIED)
18
“Son of man, wail for the multitudes of Egypt, and consign her and the
daughters of the mighty nations to the depths of the earth with those
who descend to the Pit:
19 Whom do you surpass in beauty? Go down and be placed with the uncircumcised! (IN HELL FIRES)
20 They will fall among those slain by the sword. The sword is appointed! Let them drag her away along with all her multitudes.
21
Mighty chiefs will speak from the midst of Sheol about Egypt and her
allies: ‘They have come down and lie with the uncircumcised, with those
slain by the sword.’
22 Assyria (SYRIA) is there with her whole company; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.
23
Her graves are set in the depths of the Pit, and her company is all
around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword—those who
once spread terror in the land of the living.
24 Elam (IRAN) is there
with all her multitudes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen
by the sword—those who went down uncircumcised to the earth below, who
once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their
disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.
25 Among the slain they
prepare a resting place for Elam with all her hordes, with her graves
all around her. All of them are uncircumcised, slain by the sword,
although their terror was once spread in the land of the living. They
bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit. They are placed
among the slain.
26 Meshech and Tubal (RUSSIA) are there with all
their multitudes, with their graves all around them. All of them are
uncircumcised, slain by the sword, because they spread their terror in
the land of the living.
27 They do not lie down with the fallen
warriors of old, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, whose
swords were placed under their heads, whose shields rested on their
bones, although the terror of the mighty was once in the land of the
living.
28 But you too will be shattered and lie down among the uncircumcised, with those slain by the sword.
29
Edom (JORDAN) is there, and all her kings and princes, who despite
their might are laid among those slain by the sword. They lie down with
the uncircumcised, with those who descend to the Pit.THIS IS RIGHT FROM
93:
SECOND ANGEL: MIDDLE EAST
Then I saw that the second angel
had a sickle in his hand, such as is used in harvesting.The second
angel said: "Harvest time has come in Israel and the countries all the
way to Iran."I saw those countries in a few split seconds."All of Turkey
and those [inaudible] countries that have refused me and refused my
message of love shall hate each other and kill one another."I saw the
angel raise the sickle and come down on all the Middle East countries. I
saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Georgia - Iraq, Syria,
Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor - full of blood. I saw blood
all over these countries. And I saw fire; Nuclear weapons used in many
of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere. Sudden destruction –
men destroying one another. I heard these words:"Israel, Oh Israel, the
great judgment has come." The angel said, "The chosen, the church, the
remnant, shall be purified. The Spirit of God shall prepare the children
of God."I saw fires rising to heaven.The angel said: "This is the final
judgment. My church shall be purified, protected and ready for the
final day. Men will die from thirst. Water shall be scarce all over the
Middle East. Rivers shall dry up, and men will fight for water in those
countries."The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken
in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no
more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.
PSALMS 83:1-8 (GODS LAND PROMISED TO ISRAEL)
1 O God, do not remain silent;do not turn a deaf ear,do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl, how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they (ARAB,MUSLIMS) conspire against your people;they plot against those you cherish.(ISRAELIS)
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;(TREATIES) they form an alliance against you—
6
the tents of Edom (JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites, (EGYPTIAN ARABS SO
CALLED PALESTIANS) of Moab (JORDAN) and the Hagrites,(EGYPT)
7 Byblos,(HEZBOLLOH) Ammon (JORDAN) and Amalek,(SYRIAN ARABS IN THE SINAI) Philistia,(ARABS) with the people of Tyre (LEBANON).
8 Even Assyria (SYRIA) has joined them to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
GENESIS 6:11-13
11
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with
violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the
earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and,
behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
1 OF 3 GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO
1-PROMISCUOUS SEX AMOUNG EACH OTHER.
ROMANS 1:24
24
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of
their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: (THE
60S FREE SEX)
2 OF 3 GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO
2-SODOMITES - MEN LUSTING MEN, AND WOMEN LUSTING AFTER WOMEN.
ROMANS 1:26-27
26
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their
women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned
in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is
unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error
which was meet.
3 OF 3 GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO
3-A DEPRAVED MIND-ANY SIN GOES.
ROMANS 1:28-31
28
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God
gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not
convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate,
deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO THESE 3 DEPRAVED ABOMINATION SINS?
OH OH NOAHS DAY. WHAT HAPPENED IN NOAHS DAY. THE WHOLE WORLD WAS JUDGED BY WATER.
GENESIS 6:7,17
7
And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face
of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the
fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
17 And,
behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy
all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every
thing that is in the earth shall die.
GENESIS 7:4
4 For yet seven
days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty
nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from
off the face of the earth.
GENESIS 8:16
16 And the bow shall be in
the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting
covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is
upon the earth.
WELL THE SODOMITES PICKED THE RIGHT SIGN OF A RAINBOW
FOR JUDGEMENT. THE SODOMITES TRYED TO STEAL GODS SIGN THAT THE WHOLE
EARTH WILL NEVER DIE FROM FLOOD WATERS AGAIN. BUT THE JUDGEMENT THIS
TIME IS GOING TO BE BY FIRE.NOT WATER.
2 PETER 3:7
7 But the
heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in
store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly men.
EZIKIEL 38:12-13
13 Sheba, and Dedan,(SAUDIA
ARABIA) and the merchants of Tarshish,(ENGLAND) with all the young lions
thereof,(USA,CANADA,AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND,EU,ENGLAND,ENGLISH SPEAKING
shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered
thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away
cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (AGAINST ISRAEL)
14
Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, (RUSSIA AND HER
MUSLIMS HORDES)Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of
Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
ISRAEL SATAN COMES AGAINST
1 CHRONICLES 21:1
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
GENESIS 12:1-3
1
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I (GOD) will
shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3
And I will bless them that bless thee,(ISRAELIS) and curse (DESTROY)
him that curseth thee:(DESTROY THEM) and in thee shall all families of
the earth be blessed.
And here are the bounderies of the land
that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the
future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have
every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east
of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The
southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the
Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num
34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE
FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE
FUTURE.(ALL THESE ARAB, MUSLIMS ARE OCCUPYING ISRAELS LAND. GET OFF
IMMEDIATELY. BECAUSE YOUR DEATH CULT DAYS ARE NUMBERED)
ISLAMIC DEATH CULT AND FAKE MOHAMMAAD AND FAKE MOON GOD ALLAH WHICH IS SIMPLY SATAN IS THE LEADER OF ISLAM.
LEVITICUS 26:16
16
I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden)
terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes,
and cause sorrow of heart:(WARS AND DEATH) and ye shall sow your seed in
vain, for your enemies shall eat it.(CHINA CONTROLS AMERICAS ECONOMY BY
BUYING UP DEBT)
ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe to thee that
spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed) and dealest
treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou
shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be spoiled;(destroyed) and
when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal
treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19
Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than
thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not
understand.
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the
synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think
that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF THEIR MOON GOD
ALLAH)
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto
her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call
his name Ishmael;(ARAB/MUSLIM) because the LORD hath heard thy
affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man;(RIOTS-BURNING-MURDEROUUS
RAGE) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM WANTS WORLD DOMINATION)
and every man's hand against him;(DEFENDING THEMSELVES) and he shall
dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(ARAB/MUSLIMS LIVE WITH
ISRAELIS)
The Family Tree of Ishmael
12 This is the family tree of Ishmael son of Abraham, the son that Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maid, bore to Abraham.
13-16
These are the names of Ishmael’s sons in the order of their births:
Nebaioth, Ishmael’s firstborn, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah,
Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah—all the sons of Ishmael.
Their settlements and encampments were named after them. Twelve princes
with their twelve tribes.
(ISLAM CLAIMS MOHAMMID IS A OFF SPRING OF
ISHMAEL THE FIRST BASTARD CHILD OF THE ARABS WITH A SLAVE MOTHER TO THE
ISRAELIS.DOES ANY ONE SEE THE NAME OF MOHAMMID IN ISHMAELS FAMILY TREE.
BECAUSE I SURE DON'T. I DOUBT MOHAMMID EVEN EXISTS. AND SATAN IS THE
LEADER OF ISLAM HHIMSELF. SO ISLAM IS NOT A RELIGION AT ALL. ISLAM IS
NOTHING BUT A DEATH CULT THAT WORSHIPS DEATH. AND WILL BURN IN HELL
FIRE, THEN THE FINAL JUDGEMENT IN FRONT OF JESUS.ONLY TO BE THROWN IN
THE LAKE OF FIRE FOREVER WITH THEIR NEVER DYING BODIES.ISLAM EXPOSED AS A
FRAUD SATAN LIE AND MURDER DEAT CULT.
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How
art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the
morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine
heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the
sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above
the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF
THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 8:44
44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will
do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of
his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Israelis in
Jerusalem welcome Trump return to White House as ‘God’s plan’Many at
city’s Mahane Yehuda market celebrate ex-president’s return, saying
‘he’s good for the Jews’; others less certain, noting he’s ‘fickle and
could be fickle about us too’By Ruth Eglash Today, 6:29 am-NOV 7,24
AFP
— Israelis in Jerusalem welcomed Donald Trump’s US election triumph on
Wednesday, hoping he might help end the wars devastating the region,
while some called it “part of God’s plan.”“I believe in God, so this is
part of God’s plan,” Esther Henderson, 44, a shopper in the ancient
city’s popular Mahane Yehuda market, told AFP.“I feel like this is part
of God showing us that the evil side, the more corrupt, the globalism,
is starting to fall down,” she said.“It’s not that I love Trump so
much,” said Henderson. “I just don’t like what’s been going on in the
world lately.”Recent surveys have shown that a majority of Israelis, 66
percent according to one conducted by Israel’s Channel 12 News, were
hoping to see Trump return to the White House.That sentiment was echoed
by many people at the market in Jerusalem on Wednesday when it became
clear that Trump had won.Jerusalem is considered holy by the world’s
three main monotheistic religions and is home to many conservative
Israelis.“This is excellent, he is good for the Jews,” said Yossi
Mizrachi, 51, a fruit vendor.“Now we just need him to give us weapons,”
he said, adding that he believed Trump would be able to “bring an end to
the war.”In a cafe, Yechiel Hajbi, 57, also said he was “very happy”
that Trump had won and felt hopeful that his return to power would
“bring peace.”‘Unstable opinions’He said he expected Trump to use his
business skills to mediate a peace deal similar to the 2020 Abraham
Accords.“He is strong… I believe in him,” Hajbi said. “I believe he can
make peace with the Arabs… they like him.”He said he had been less
impressed with Trump’s Democrat rival Vice President Kamala Harris,
calling her “weak” and saying she would not have been able to manage the
conflicts raging in the Middle East.Natan Shlomo, 36, also dismissed
Harris’s ability to stand by Israel despite vowing in her campaign to do
so, using an expletive to refer to President Joe Biden.Trump, he said,
will “act like a man, like the way the classic man is supposed to
act.”But other shoppers were less certain.“I have mixed feelings,” said
Assa Izhar, 63, who was visiting Jerusalem from the central Israeli city
of Modiin.“I am a little worried about Trump because he, in my opinion,
is fickle and could be fickle about us too,” he said.“On the other
hand, he made the Abraham Accords and other agreements, so I hope that,
as I heard this morning… he does not start wars, he finishes them,”
Izhar said.“I hope that is what he’ll do, end wars,” he said.Dganit
Yasmin, 56, also said she was unsure if Trump’s return would be good or
bad for Israel.“Honestly, I didn’t know who I prefer,” she said. “I have
concerns about Trump but I also had concerns about Kamala.”“I just hope
whoever is elected will be good to Israel, that’s ultimately what is
important to us,” Yasmin said.“I hope he will be on our side, because I
know that sometimes he has unstable opinions.”Times of Israel staff
contributed to this report.
Two settlement leaders, Ben Gvir call
to annex West Bank after Trump victory-Yesha Council head, Beit El
mayor say now is the time to apply Israeli sovereignty to disputed
territory, expand settlements, push to end Biden’s sanctions on
extremist settlers-By Jeremy Sharon-6 November 2024, 11:35 pm
In
the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election on
Wednesday, two settler leaders called for Israel to annex the West Bank,
describing Trump’s election as a new opportunity to expand Israeli
sovereignty to the disputed territory. The demand was also backed by
far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.Israel Ganz, head
of the Yesha Council umbrella organization of settlement municipalities,
claimed annexing the West Bank would bring stability and “true peace”
to the region, while Beit El Mayor Shai Alon echoed that sentiment and
also said now was the time to “build widely and extensively” in the
territory.They also both called for an end to the sanctions imposed by
the Biden administration on extremist settlers and illegal settlement
outposts in the past year that have angered the settlement
movement.Otzma Yehudit party leader Ben Gvir, himself a resident of the
Kiryat Arba settlement, said in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday that
“this is the time for sovereignty.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
sought to annex all the settlements and the Jordan Valley region of the
West Bank in 2020, asserting that he would be doing so with the
agreement of the Trump administration, but was eventually forced to back
away from the idea as Trump sought to advance his Israeli-Palestinian
peace plan.“We have merited a president who loves Israel and loves Judea
and Samaria,” said Ganz at the launch of a new “Trump” wine label at
the Psagot winery on Wednesday, using the Biblical names for the West
Bank region.“Now the entire region is waiting for policies that will
bring about stability and true peace. The path to there goes through the
application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” continued Ganz, who
also heads the Binyamin Regional Council in the central West Bank.He
added that the idea of establishing a Palestinian state must be dropped
from the agenda, as well as what he called “the sanctions against the
settlements and the State of Israel.”Beit El’s Alon said Trump’s
election heralded “a golden age for settlement” in the West Bank.“This
is an unparalleled opportunity to act with great resolve in the Judea
and Samaria region, to put an end to the murderous terrorism here, and
to continue Israeli construction widely and extensively in all our
territory,” declared Alon.“This is the time to apply sovereignty to
Judea and Samaria and to recognize the region is part of the complete
Israel,” he continued, adding, like Ganz, that “there will not be two
states here between the sea and Jordan.Speaking in the Knesset, Ben Gvir
rejoiced at Trump’s victory, and said it was now “the time for
sovereignty, the time for total victory, the time here in the State of
Israel to legislate a law for the death penalty for terrorists,” and
many other laws which he opined Trump would not oppose.The Trump peace
plan unveiled in January 2020 envisioned a truncated, demilitarized
Palestinian state being established only after complying with strict
conditions, and with Israel having annexed large parts of the West Bank,
particularly the Jordan Valley.Right-wing members of the government at
the time, including current Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as well
as the settlement movement in general, opposed the key elements of the
Trump plan that would have established a Palestinian state.After Trump
lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, the plan was dropped.
Trump
had claimed Jews would 'have a lot to do with' a loss-Omitting US Jews,
Trump hails ‘historic’ coalition that propelled his election
win-President-elect thanks Black, Hispanic, Arab and Muslim voters, but
not Jewish Americans; RJC asserts Jews helped win some swing states, as
exit polls show vast majority backed Harris-By Ron Kampeas Today, 2:57
am-NOV 7,24
JTA — In his victory speech early Wednesday, US
president-elect Donald Trump singled out constituencies traditionally
associated with Democrats who swung toward him on Election Day: Black
voters, women, Hispanics, and Arab and Muslim Americans.He did not
mention Jews, a demographic who he said before the election would “have a
lot to do with it” if he lost. Jews traditionally vote in substantial
majorities for Democrats, and did again on Tuesday.“This campaign has
been so historic in so many ways,” Trump said, speaking in Florida at
the Palm Beach County Convention Center, near his Mar-a-Lago
estate.“We’ve built the biggest, the broadest, the most unified
coalition,” he said. “They’ve never seen anything like it in all of
American history. They’ve never seen any — young and old, men and women,
rural and urban. And we had them all helping us tonight.“When you
think, I mean, I was looking at it, I was watching it, they had some
great analysis of the people that voted for us. Nobody has ever seen
anything like that came from,” he said.“They came from all quarters,”
Trump continued, “union, non -union, African American, Hispanic
American, Asian American, Arab American, Muslim American. We had
everybody. And it was beautiful. It was a historic realignment, uniting
citizens of all backgrounds around a common core of common
sense.”Trump’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Many
of the groups Trump cited, including African Americans, Hispanics, and
Arab and Muslim Americans showed movement toward him in polls before the
election and in exit polls after.Despite his own pro-Israel bona fides,
Trump cultivated Muslim and Arab Americans in Michigan, a state where
they have substantial populations and which he won, by targeting the
communities’ disaffection with his rival US Vice President Kamala Harris
over her support for Israel.In her concession speech, Harris said she
conceded to Trump, but also alluded to his failure to ever recognize his
2020 loss to Joe Biden.“A fundamental principle of American democracy
is that when we lose an election, we accept the results,” she said,
speaking to a crowd of tearful supporters at her alma mater, Washington
DC’s Howard University, a historically Black university.She said she
would not abandon her fight to advance her agenda. “This is not a time
to throw up our hands,” she said. “This is a time to roll up our
sleeves.”According to exit polls, Jews appeared to hew to their
longstanding tradition of voting for Democrats in percentages between
65% and 80%. One exit poll had Harris garnering 77% of the Jewish vote,
another had her at 71% and a post-vote analysis estimated Harris’s share
at 67%.Jewish voters are the only segment of the electorate where Trump
did not make meaningful inroads. @USJewish Dems said 7/10 Jewish voters
would support @KamalaHarris & that's what occurred, 3/4 voters in
PA.Despite unprecedented @GOP efforts to divide us, we voted our values.
https://t.co/CrOfnFhXoY — Halie Soifer (@HalieSoifer) November 6,
2024“Jewish voters are the only segment of the electorate where Trump
did not make meaningful inroads,” Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish
Democratic Council of America, said in a tweet. “Despite unprecedented
@GOP efforts to divide us, we voted our values.”A Republican Jewish
Coalition spokesman said that Jewish votes helped put Trump over the top
in a number of swing states, without providing evidence.“ Jewish
Americans were a major part of the winning coalition for President
Donald J. Trump’s historic victory last night — including record-setting
levels of support in key battleground states like Nevada — which hadn’t
been won by a Republican in 20 years — as well as Florida, Arizona,
Georgia, and Pennsylvania,” Sam Markstein, the RJC spokesman, said.News
outlets had yet to call Nevada and Arizona for Trump, although he was
leading 52%-47% in both states with most of the vote counted.“The
pro-Israel Jewish vote matters, which is why RJC and President Trump
made a concerted effort to move even more Jewish Americans to the GOP in
this election, hosting major events with the Jewish community across
the nation,” Markstein said.Times of Israel staff contributed to this
report.
Khamenei: 'Resistance' strong despite death of terror
chiefs-New squadron of US F-15 fighter jets on way to region ahead of
expected Iran attack-Aircraft would join B-52 bombers, THAAD air defense
system deployed in past month to counter threatened assault; Baghdad
pushes back on reports strike will come from Iraq-By ToI Staff Today,
4:44 pm-NOV 7,24
The United States appears to be reinforcing its
presence in the Middle East ahead of an expected Iranian attack on
Israel, with flight tracking sites showing American F-15E aircraft en
route to Jordan Thursday.According to the Haaretz daily, at least 12
aircraft are on their way to the region, joining fighter jets already
deployed in the area. There has been no formal announcement of the
deployment from the US military.The aircraft would join the B-52
Stratofortress bombers, tanker aircraft and Navy destroyers that US
Defense Lloyd Austin ordered to deploy to the Middle East earlier this
week, as well as the advanced THAAD, or the Terminal High Altitude Area
Defense, system to that the US rushed to Israel last month.The
anti-missile system is a critical part of the US military’s layered air
defense systems and adds to Israel’s already formidable anti-missile
defenses amid indications of an imminent Iranian response to Israel’s
recent retaliatory strike.According to two Israeli sources cited in
Axios, Israeli intelligence has indicated Iran would launch its attack
as soon as this week from Iraq, where the Islamic Republic sustains
militias that are part of its “Axis of Resistance” against
Israel.Washington has warned Baghdad of an Israeli reprisal if the
Iranian attack were to come from Iraq, the news site reported Wednesday,
citing two US officials. Baghdad’s military on Wednesday pushed back on
the reports, saying they were “false pretexts” aimed at justifying
aggression against Iraq.Iran has vowed a “punishing” reprisal to
Israel’s October 26 airstrikes, which Jerusalem said took out the
Islamic Republic’s air defenses and missile production
capabilities.Israel’s strikes were in retaliation to Iran’s October 1
barrage of 200 ballistic missiles, which forced most of the country to
take shelter and killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank. Days
earlier, Israel killed Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime head of Iran’s
Lebanese proxy Hezbollah. Israel also killed Yahya Sinwar, the head of
Hamas — another of Iran’s beneficiaries — in Tehran.On Thursday, Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran’s network of terror
proxies remained strong despite the killing of many of their senior
leaders.The “leaders of the resistance” are “still fighting,” he said,
according to a report on Iran’s state television.“God willing, the world
will see a day when the Zionist regime will be defeated by them,” he
added, referring to Israel.The October 1 attack was Iran’s second-ever
direct attack on Israel, having launched some 300 missiles and drones at
Israel in April, after a decades-long shadow war.Agencies contributed
to this report.
Despite constitutional concerns, Knesset passes
law on deporting terrorists’ relatives-Law ‘not constitutional in any
way, shape or form,’ says rights group ACRI; Israel Democracy Institute
predicts legislation will be struck down by High Court-By Sam
Sokol-Today, 4:58 pm-NOV 7,24
The Knesset on Thursday morning
gave final approval to two bills permitting the deportation of family
members of terrorists and the incarceration of terror convicts under the
age of 14.The first bill, sponsored by Likud MK Hanoch Milwidsky, was
approved 61-41 in its third and final reading just before 3 a.m.The
controversial law gives the interior minister the power to expel a
first-degree relative of someone who carried out an attack if they had
advance knowledge and either: (a) failed to report the matter to the
police or (b) “expressed support or identification with an act of
terrorism or published words of praise, sympathy or encouragement for an
act of terrorism or a terrorist organization.”It expressly applies to
Israeli citizens, who would retain their citizenship even after being
expelled from the country. It stipulates that after receiving
information regarding an individual, the minister will convene a hearing
during which a suspect will have the right to present a defense. The
minister will then have 14 days to make a decision and sign a
deportation order.Both the the Justice Ministry and the Attorney
General’s Office had raised concerns about the legislation, which
stipulates that those being expelled would be sent either to the Gaza
Strip or other destinations, depending on circumstances, for 7-15 years
for citizens or 10-20 years for legal residents.The bill passed at the
end of a fiery debate in which opposition lawmakers argued that it would
not succeed in preventing more terrorist attacks.“Yigal Amir’s family
will not be deported anywhere,” MK Merav Michaeli (The Democrats)
declared angrily, referring to the assassin of former Prime Minister
Yitzchak Rabin.Launching a similar attack against the bill, Yesh Atid MK
Mickey Levy asked “whether you will deport Ben Gvir’s family,” a
reference to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s conviction in
his youth for incitement to violence and supporting a terror
group.During the debate, Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen repeatedly accused
MK Ofer Cassif, the only Jewish member of the Arab-majority
Hadash-Ta’al party, of being an enemy of Israel.“Don’t worry. I promise
we will expel the families [of terrorists] and you as well,” he
screamed, approaching the podium as Cassif spoke against the bill. “You
are a terror supporter.”Last week, Knesset ushers had to physically
retrain the two lawmakers during a confrontation over the bill ahead of a
vote in the Knesset House Committee advancing it to the plenum for its
final two readings.“This is a historic and important day for all
citizens of Israel,” Ben Gvir said in a statement welcoming the bill’s
passage, which he said “sends a clear message [that] the State of Israel
will not allow the families of the terrorists to continue enjoying life
as if nothing had happened.”“From today onwards, every father, mother,
child, brother, sister or spouse who identifies with and supports their
family member who harmed the citizens of Israel will be deported,” he
declared.Opposition party Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman also
welcomed the bill’s passage, tweeting that “anyone who knew [about
terror plans] and did not report them [or] supported, incited and
expressed sympathy for the acts of terrorism will be
deported.”Constitutionally questionable-Speaking with The Times of
Israel last week, Oded Feller, the director of the Association for Civil
Rights in Israel’s legal department, dismissed the bill as “populism” —
stating that it was “unclear how this will work on a practical level”
and asserting that there were many ramifications of deporting a citizen
that lawmakers had failed to address.“The minister decides [to expel
someone] and you put him on a plane? You throw people over the border
with the Gaza Strip?” he asked. “It’s not constitutional in any way,
shape or form. If there is one thing that citizenship ensures, it’s that
you are not deported.”Eran Shamir-Borer, a senior researcher at the
Israel Democracy Institute and a former international law expert for the
Israeli military, agreed, telling the Associated Press that the law is
likely to be struck down by the High Court of Justice.He said that if a
resident of East Jerusalem was deported under the law, it could be seen
by many in the international community as a violation of the Fourth
Geneva Convention, because they view the area as occupied territory,
although Israel doesn’t.The deportation of an Israeli citizen could be
seen not only as a violation of their constitutional rights under
Israeli law, but also as a breach of their human rights under
international law, he said — calling the bill “completely
non-constitutional and a clear conflict to Israel’s core values.”Youth
detention-Lawmakers subsequently approved a law allowing for the
incarceration of terror convicts under the age of 14 in a 55-33
vote.According to the law, which was passed as a temporary measure
lasting for five years, judges will be empowered to sentence minors
between the ages of 12 and 14 convicted of terrorist murder,
manslaughter and attempted murder to prison terms. Under the new law,
convicted minors will be held in a closed residential facilities until
they turn 14, after which they can be transferred to regular prisons.An
identical law that was passed in 2016 following a series of attacks
carried out by teenagers and other minors expired in 2020.According to
the law, upon turning 14, the minor convict will be entitled to a
hearing to determine whether to transfer them to prison, shorten the
sentence or cancel it entirely.The Associated Press contributed to this
report.
Two minors from central Israel charged with planning
terror attack on troops-In joint statement, Israel Police and Shin Bet
say young suspects from so-called Triangle region learned about
explosives, watched training videos, had radios, vests, chemicals-By ToI
Staff Today, 7:27 pm-NOV 7,24
The Shin Bet and Israel Police
arrested two minors on suspicion of planning to carry out a terror
attack on Israeli security forces, the two bodies announced in a joint
statement on Thursday.Both of the defendants are residents of the
so-called Triangle region southeast of Haifa, near the Palestinian city
of Jenin, which includes 14 towns and villages where more than 260,000
Arab Israelis live.One of the defendants, who recruited the second
suspect, was said to have been trained in bombmaking. The two were found
to be in possession of chemical explosives, vests, and radios.He also
tried to recruit additional members to the terror cell, according to the
police and Shin Bet statement, which added that the two had watched
training videos on making explosives and carrying out attacks.The
suspects were arrested for questioning in recent months, and an
indictment was filed against them, according to the statement.Central
District Police Commander Chief Superintendent Yair Hatzroni decried the
“grave security issue” of “Israeli minors promoting terror activists
against innocent people and the very security forces protecting them.”He
lauded the joint Israel Police-Shin Bet operation for preventing a
“major disaster and saving lives.”“We will continue to act resolutely,
under the authority afforded to us by law, and will use all of the means
at our disposal to thwart in advance any attempt to harm the security
of the State of Israel and its citizens,” he added in the statement.The
announcement came two days after the police and the Shin Bet said that
joint forces had arrested over 60 operatives from the Popular Front for
the Liberation of Palestine terror group organization in counterterror
operations in the West Bank and Lebanon.Tensions have been high since
the war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s brutal October 7, 2023, massacre,
which saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel,
killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians,
many amid acts of brutality and sexual assault.Since then, 41 people,
including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks
in Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces
were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.Emanuel
Fabian contributed to this report.
Trump backers, former
officials being considered for top posts in 2nd
administration-Lebanese-American businessman, who is the father-in-law
of Trump’s daughter, says he’ll be point man for Lebanon to negotiate
end of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah-By Reuters and Jacob
Magid-Today, 2:28 am-NOV 7,24
Donald Trump will begin the process
of choosing a cabinet and selecting other high-ranking administration
officials in the coming weeks following his presidential election
victory.Here are the top contenders for some of the key posts overseeing
defense, intelligence, diplomacy, trade, immigration and economic
policymaking. Some are in contention for a range of posts.Scott Bessent,
potential treasury secretary-Bessent, a key economic adviser to Trump,
is widely seen as a top candidate for treasury secretary. A longtime
hedge fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years,
Bessent has a warm relationship with the president-elect.While Bessent
has long favored the laissez-faire policies that were popular in the
pre-Trump Republican Party, he has also spoken highly of Trump’s use of
tariffs as a negotiating tool. He has praised the president-elect’s
economic philosophy, which rests on a skepticism of both regulations and
international trade.John Paulson, potential treasury secretary-Paulson,
a billionaire hedge fund manager and major Trump donor, is another top
contender for treasury secretary. The longtime financier has told
associates he would be interested in the job.A longtime proponent of tax
cuts and deregulation, Paulson’s profile is broadly similar to that of
other potential members of Trump’s economic team. He has publicly
supported targeted tariffs as a tool to ensure US national security and
combat unfair trade practices abroad.One high-profile fundraiser hosted
by Paulson in April raked in over $50 million for the former
president.Larry Kudlow, potential treasury secretary-FOX Business
Network personality Larry Kudlow, who served as director of the National
Economic Council for much of Trump’s first term, has an outside shot at
becoming his treasury secretary and would likely have an opportunity to
take a separate economics-focused position if he is interested.While he
is privately skeptical of broad tariffs, there is publicly little
daylight between the policies Kudlow advocates and those of the
president-elect.Robert Lighthizer, potential treasury secretary-A
loyalist who served as Trump’s US trade representative for essentially
the then-president’s entire term, Lighthizer will almost certainly be
invited back. Though Bessent and Paulson likely have a better shot at
becoming treasury secretary, Lighthizer has an outside chance, and he
might be able to reprise his old role if he’s interested.Like Trump,
Lighthizer is a trade skeptic and a firm believer in tariffs. He was one
of the leading figures in Trump’s trade war with China and the
renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, with
Mexico and Canada during Trump’s first term.Howard Lutnick, potential
treasury secretary-The co-chair of Trump’s transition effort and the
longtime chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald,
Lutnick is in the running for treasury secretary.A bombastic New Yorker
like Trump, Lutnick has uniformly praised the president-elect’s economic
policies, including his use of tariffs.He has at times given elaborate,
unvarnished opinions about what policies will be enacted in Trump’s
second term. Some Trump allies had privately complained that he too
often presented himself as speaking on behalf of the campaign.Richard
Grenell, potential national security adviser-Grenell is among Trump’s
closest foreign policy advisers. During the president-elect’s first
four-year term, he served as acting director of national intelligence
and US ambassador to Germany. When Trump met with Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskiy in September, Grenell sat in on the private
meeting.Grenell’s private dealings with foreign leaders and
often-caustic personality have made him the center of multiple
controversies, a fact that might make another Senate confirmation
process a challenge, depending on the composition of the upper chamber.
However, he is considered a top contender for national security adviser,
which does not require Senate confirmation, and a Senate-confirmed post
is not out of the question.Among the policies he has advocated for is
setting up an autonomous zone in eastern Ukraine to end the war there, a
position Kyiv considers unacceptable.Robert O’Brien, potential
secretary of state-O’Brien, Trump’s fourth and final national security
adviser during his first term, maintains a close relationship with
Trump, and the two often speak on national security matters.He is likely
in the running for secretary of state or other top foreign policy and
national security posts. He has maintained close contacts with foreign
leaders since Trump left office, having met with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel in May.His views are somewhat more hawkish
than some of Trump’s advisers. He has, for instance, been more
supportive of military aid for Ukraine than many of his Republican
contemporaries, and he is a proponent of banning TikTok in the United
States.Bill Hagerty, potential secretary of state-A US senator from
Tennessee who worked on Trump’s 2016 transition effort, Hagerty is
considered a top contender for secretary of state. He has maintained
solid relations with essentially all factions of the Republican Party,
and could likely be confirmed with ease in the Senate.He served as US
ambassador to Japan in the first Trump administration at a time when the
president touted his warm relationship with then-Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe.Hagerty’s policies are broadly in line with those of Trump. Earlier
in the year, he voted against a major military aid package for
Ukraine.Marco Rubio, potential secretary of state-Rubio, a US senator
from Florida and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, is also a top
secretary of state contender whose policies hew closely to those of
Trump. Like Hagerty, he was a contender to be Trump’s 2024 running
mate.Rubio has long been involved in foreign affairs in the Senate,
particularly as it relates to Latin America, and he has solid
relationships throughout the party.Mike Waltz, potential defense
secretary-A former Army Green Beret who is currently a US congressman
from Florida, Waltz has established himself as one of the foremost China
hawks in the House of Representatives. Among the various China-related
bills he has co-sponsored are measures designed to lessen US reliance on
critical minerals mined in China.Waltz is on speaking terms with Trump
and is widely considered to be a serious contender for secretary of
defense.Mike Pompeo, potential defense secretary-Pompeo, who served as
CIA director and secretary of state during Trump’s first term, is
considered a top contender for secretary of defense but could land in
various slots involving national security, intelligence or
diplomacy.While he flirted with a Republican primary challenge against
Trump, Pompeo never pulled the trigger, and he is now back on friendly
terms with the president-elect after a period of awkwardness. He stands
out as possibly the fiercest defender of Ukraine among Trump’s close
allies, a position that puts him at odds with most high-ranking figures
in his potential boss’s camp.Tom Cotton, potential defense secretary-A
Harvard College and Harvard Law School-educated Army officer-turned-US
senator from Arkansas, Cotton is well-liked among Trump donors and is a
serious contender for secretary of defense. Like Hagerty, he emerged as a
dark-horse contender to be Trump’s running mate in the final weeks of
the vice presidential selection process in June and July.Cotton
represents the shrunken hawkish wing of the Republican Party, having
consistently supported military aid for Ukraine.Keith Kellogg, potential
candidate for national security posts-A retired lieutenant general who
served as chief of staff to the National Security Council under Trump,
Kellogg has Trump’s ear and is a contender for several national
security-related positions, though it is unclear precisely where he
would land.During the campaign, he presented Trump with a plan to end
the war in Ukraine, which involved forcing both parties to the
negotiating table and ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine for the
foreseeable future, among other measures.Tom Homan, potential homeland
security secretary-Homan, who served as the acting director of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement for a year and a half during Trump’s
first term, is a contender for secretary of homeland security. Trump
made cracking down on illegal immigration the central element of his
campaign, promising mass deportations.Trump frequently praised Homan
during the campaign, and Homan often hit the trail to rally supporters.
During Trump’s first term, Homan was a leading advocate of the
administration’s controversial child separation policy, during which
children of immigrants who had entered the country illegally were
detained separately from their parents.Chad Wolf, potential homeland
security secretary-Wolf, who served as Trump’s acting secretary of
homeland security for roughly 14 months during his first presidency, may
have a shot at heading back to DHS.Wolf loyally carried out Trump’s
hardline immigration policies, and he deployed federal agents to
Portland, Oregon, to control protests during the riots that followed the
murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer.He may
have some strikes against him. He resigned on January 11, 2021, just
days after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.Trump has expressed
misgivings about bringing back those who resigned in the final days of
his term. Wolf, however, cited the legal controversy around his
appointment as DHS secretary – rather than the Capitol attack – when he
stepped down. Multiple judges ruled that his appointment by Trump, which
effectively circumvented the Senate, was illegal.Mark Green, potential
homeland security secretary-A former Army flight surgeon and the current
chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, Green is considered by
some Trump allies in Washington as a contender for the top job at DHS.
His supporters describe him as a Trump loyalist and immigration
hardliner who also has significant legislative experience.Green was
nominated by Trump during his first term to serve as secretary of the
Army, but he withdrew his name as past statements, which were widely
seen as transphobic and Islamophobic, drew more scrutiny.John Ratcliffe,
potential attorney general-A former congressman and prosecutor who
served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s last year in
office, Ratcliffe is seen as a potential attorney general, though he
could also take a separate national security or intelligence
position.The president-elect’s allies view Ratcliffe as a hardcore Trump
loyalist who could likely win Senate confirmation. Still, during his
time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe often contradicted
the assessments of career civil servants, drawing criticism from
Democrats who said he politicized the role.Mike Lee, potential attorney
general-A US senator from Utah, Lee is widely seen as another top
candidate for attorney general. Though the former prosecutor declined to
vote for Trump during the 2016 election, he later became an unwavering
ally, and he has become something of an intellectual hero among some
factions of Trumpworld.Lee was a key figure in attempts by Trump and his
allies to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, and
has spread unfounded conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 attack on the
Capitol.Susie Wiles, potential chief of staff-One of Trump’s two
co-campaign managers, Wiles is seen as the odds-on favorite to be
Trump’s White House chief of staff.While the specifics of her political
views are somewhat unclear, she is credited with running a successful
and efficient campaign. Supporters hope she would instill a sense of
order and discipline that was often lacking during Trump’s first term,
when he cycled through a number of chiefs of staff.Brooke Rollins,
potential chief of staff-The former acting director of Trump’s Domestic
Policy Council, Rollins is also a contender for chief of staff.Trump has
a close personal relationship with Rollins, and often compliments her
in private settings.She was generally considered one of Trump’s more
moderate advisers while in office. Among other policies she supported
during Trump’s first term were criminal justice reforms that lessened
prison sentences for some relatively minor offenses.Kash Patel,
potential candidate for national security posts-A former Republican
House staffer who served in various high-ranking staff roles in the
defense and intelligence communities during Trump’s first term, Patel
has frequently appeared on the campaign trail to rally support for the
candidate.Some Trump allies would like to see Patel, considered the
ultimate Trump loyalist, appointed CIA director. Any position requiring
Senate confirmation may be a challenge, however.Patel has leaned into
controversy throughout his career. In an interview with Trump ally Steve
Bannon last year, he promised to “come after” politicians and
journalists perceived to be enemies of the president-elect. During
Trump’s first term, Patel drew animosity from some more experienced
national security officials, who saw him as volatile and too eager to
please the then-president.Massad Boulos, point man to Lebanon-Boulos, a
Lebanese-American businessman and Trump surrogate, revealed in a recent
interview days before the election that he will serve as the US point
man for Lebanon in the incoming administration, tasked with negotiating
with Beirut to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.“I will
be responsible for negotiating with the Lebanese side in order to reach
an agreement, and Trump will appoint someone familiar with the Israeli
file to negotiate with the Israelis,” Boulos told the Lebanese
broadcaster Al-Jadeed in what appeared to be one of the first
revelations regarding now President-elect Trump’s personnel.Boulos
joined the Trump inner circle after his son Michael married the former
president’s daughter Tiffany in 2022. He helped Trump make significant
inroads in the Arab American in yesterday’s election.He will apparently
assume half of the role currently filled by US President Joe Biden’s
special adviser Amos Hochstein, who has been tasked with negotiating
with both Israel and Lebanon. He successfully brokered a maritime
boundary deal between the sides in 2022, but has not yet succeeded in
brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah since the terror
group began conducting cross-border attacks on October 8, 2023.Boulos
told Al Jadeed in another interview that Trump will fulfill his recent
promise to “end the destruction in Lebanon” through a “comprehensive
regional peace agreement.”“Trump is committed to ending the war before
he enters the White House,” he added, without elaborating.An Israeli
official and a former Trump official told The Times of Israel last month
that the former president told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when
they met in July that he wants the Gaza war wrapped up by the time he
enters office.“People see that Biden and Harris failed to end the wars
and failed to even return the American hostages from Gaza… Lebanese
Americans are migrating to Republican Party and to Trump because they
feel that Trump is their only hope to end this war, and end all the
wars… so we can start talking about rebuilding Lebanon and Gaza,” Boulos
said.
UN to Israel: Replacing UNRWA aid agency is your
responsibility, not ours-Secretary-General Guterres’s office warns
global body can’t provide alternative to Palestinian relief
organization; Israel’s envoy says notion of irreplaceability ‘absurd’By
Agencies and ToI Staff Today, 2:55 pmNOV 7,24A Palestinian child sits on
top of sacks of flour at a United Nations Relief and Works Agency
(UNRWA) aid distribution centre in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza
Strip on November 3, 2024. (Eyad BABA / AFP)
The United Nations
has said that replacing its Palestinian relief agency UNRWA in Gaza and
the West Bank was not the world body’s responsibility, signaling it was
Israel’s problem, according to a letter excerpt seen by Reuters.The UN
formally responded in a letter to Israel’s decision to cut ties with the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency, a move that UNRWA has said
leaves its operations in Gaza and the West Bank at risk of
collapse.Israel’s envoy to the UN dismissed as “absurd” the notion that
UNRWA cannot be replaced, in a meeting of the General Assembly on
Wednesday.Under a new law, Israel told the UN on Sunday it was ending a
1967 cooperation agreement with UNRWA that covered its protection,
movement, and diplomatic immunity. The law, which was backed by
lawmakers from both the coalition and opposition, will also ban UNRWA’s
operations in Israel from late January 2025.“I would note, as a general
point, that it is not our responsibility to replace UNRWA, nor do we
have the capacity to do so,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s
chef de cabinet, Courtenay Rattray, wrote to a senior Israeli foreign
affairs official late on Tuesday.The mention of responsibility is a
veiled reference to Israel’s obligations as an occupying power.The UN
views Gaza and the West Bank as Israeli-occupied territory.
International humanitarian law requires an occupying power to agree to
relief programs for people in need and to facilitate them “by all the
means at its disposal” and ensure food, medical care, hygiene, and
public health standards. Though Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005, due
to its control of the borders and ongoing military operation there
against the Palestinian terror group Hamas, the UN holds it responsible
for the humanitarian situation in the territory.Israel’s mission to the
United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on
Rattray’s letter.“If UNRWA is no longer able to operate, it would be the
responsibility of the Israeli authorities to replace the services that
it delivers to civilians, in education, in health, and all sorts of
other areas,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric later clarified to
reporters.Top UN officials and the Security Council describe UNRWA as
the backbone of the aid response in Gaza, where Israel and Hamas have
been at war for the past year, leaving the enclave in ruins. War erupted
on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led a massive cross-border attack on
southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251
people abducted as hostages to Gaza.“UNRWA may be defined by a single
word – failure,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told a meeting of
the General Assembly on UNRWA on Wednesday. “This idea that UNRWA could
not be supplemented is absurd.”Sitting next to released Israeli hostage
Mia Schem, he strongly criticized the General Assembly and all other UN
bodies for failing to condemn Hamas or to hold a single session
dedicated to the hostages.Israel has long had a combative relationship
with UNRWA, which it argues has perpetuated the Palestinian refugee
crisis by allowing the status to be passed down through generations.
Frustration with UNRWA in Jerusalem has picked up over the past decade
as Israel has found the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group embedded within
the agency’s infrastructure.That anger has peaked since Hamas’s October 7
onslaught, in which a number of UNRWA staffers were found to have
participated, including kidnapping and killing Israelis. Israel has
alleged that 10 percent of the UN agency’s staff in Gaza have ties to
Hamas — a charge the agency says it has no evidence of.The UN has said
nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the attack and had been
fired. Later, a Hamas commander in Lebanon killed in September by Israel
was found to have had a UNRWA job.UNRWA was established in 1949
following Israel’s 1948 War of Independence. It provides aid, health,
and education to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and
neighboring Arab countries — Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.It is only one
of two UN refugee agencies. While UNRWA caters to Palestinians, the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is responsible for all
other refugees around the world.The United Nations has repeatedly argued
there is no alternative to UNRWA. Israel says its job can be carried
out by other agencies it views as less corrupted by terror support.UNRWA
Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told the UN General Assembly on
Wednesday that implementing the Israeli law would have “disastrous
consequences,” adding: “Millions of Palestine refugees fear that the
public services on which their lives depend will soon disappear.”“They
fear that their children will be deprived of education; that illnesses
will go untreated; and that social support will stop,” Lazzarini said.
“The entire population of Gaza fears that their only remaining lifeline
will be cut.”“In Gaza, dismantling UNRWA will collapse the UN
humanitarian response, which relies heavily on the agency’s
infrastructure,” he warned.“In the absence of a capable public
administration or state, only UNRWA can deliver education to more than
650,000 girls and boys in Gaza. In the absence of UNRWA, an entire
generation will be denied the right to education,” he added.Assembly
President Philemon Yang told members at the informal meeting that
Israel’s legislation against UNRWA “constitutes an intolerable affront
to the authority of this assembly, an affront to international law and,
most importantly, an affront to the human dignity of innocent
Palestinian civilians.”Yang said the assembly extended UNRWA’s mandate —
most recently in December 2022 — by an overwhelming majority until June
30, 2026. He urgently called on Israel to comply with its international
legal obligations, the UN Charter, and UN resolutions.In a letter to
Netanyahu last week after Israel’s parliament approved the new law on
UNRWA, Guterres raised several legal issues regarding the
decision.Rattray reinforced that message, calling on Israel “to act
consistently” with its obligations under the founding UN Charter and
international law, stressing in his letter: “National legislation cannot
alter those obligations.”Israel captured the West Bank and East
Jerusalem from Jordan, and Gaza from Egypt — areas the Palestinians want
for a state — in the 1967 Six Day War. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005,
but, along with neighboring Egypt, controls the enclave’s
borders.Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour told the General Assembly:
“The agency is indispensable and irreplaceable.”Notifying the UN of
Israel’s decision to sever ties on Monday, outgoing Foreign Minister
Israel Katz said that only 13 percent of the aid to Gaza currently goes
through UNRWA, and argued the notion that there is no alternative to
UNRWA is fiction.The Israeli ban has raised fears that UNRWA employees
will lose their ability to coordinate with Israeli authorities to cross
checkpoints and move from one place to another in the West Bank and
Gaza.While Israel has worked to gradually limit UNRWA’s role in the
delivery of humanitarian aid, in favor of the World Food Program,
UNICEF, and other agencies, UNRWA is still heavily involved in the
Strip’s humanitarian operation, running shelters, clinics, and
warehouses.Despite pledges by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the
Foreign Ministry to make sure that the flow of aid remains
uninterrupted, representatives of the International Organization for
Migration and UNICEF have both stated that they would be unable to fill
the gap left behind when UNRWA has to cut back or halt operations in
Gaza.
Ministry director general: Wartime procurement nearly
$40b-Defense Ministry signs $5.2 billion deal to buy 25 advanced F-15IA
fighter jets-US-financed agreement will see Boeing supply 4-6 jets a
year starting in 2031, with option for 25 more of aircraft that have
enhanced range and payload capacity-By Emanuel Fabian-and ToI Staff
Today, 2:13 pm-NOV 7,24
Israel signed a $5.2 billion deal
Wednesday to procure a squadron of 25 advanced fighter jets, to be
financed by Washington’s military aid, the Defense Ministry
announced.The deal includes 25 of Boeing’s F-15IA fighter jets — the
Israeli variant of the advanced F-15EX — with options for 25 more. Under
the deal, the jets will be supplied in batches of four to six a year,
starting in 2031.The Defense Ministry said the new fighter jets will be
“equipped with cutting-edge weapon systems, including the integration of
state-of-the-art Israeli technologies.”“The upgraded aircraft will
feature enhanced range capabilities, increased payload capacity, and
improved performance across various operational scenarios. These
advantages will enable the Israeli Air Force to maintain its strategic
superiority in addressing current and future challenges in the Middle
East,” the ministry said.Eyal Zamir, the Defense Ministry director
general, said Israel has secured nearly $40 billion worth of procurement
agreements since the war in Gaza was sparked on October 7, 2023, when
thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed the south to kill some 1,200
people and take 251 hostages.“While focusing on immediate needs for
advanced weaponry and ammunition at unprecedented levels, we’re
simultaneously investing in long-term strategic capabilities,” Zamir
said in a statement. “This F-15 squadron, alongside the third F-35
squadron procured earlier this year, represents a historic enhancement
of our air power and strategic reach — capabilities that proved crucial
during the current war.”The president of Boeing Israel, former Israel
Air Force chief Ido Nehushtan, said in a statement, “Boeing takes pride
in its longstanding partnership with Israel, a relationship that dates
back to our nation’s establishment.”“The company will continue working
with the US and Israeli governments to deliver the advanced F-15IA
aircraft through standard military procurement channels,” he added.News
of the deal came as some in the international community, including among
Israel’s allies, have urged restricting weapons deals with Jerusalem as
a way to end the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.On Wednesday, Egypt joined
Turkey’s call — signed by 52 other nations, including Russia and China —
for the United Nations to declare an arms embargo on Israel.In October,
French President Emmanuel Macron said an arms embargo is the only way
to end the war in Gaza. A month earlier, citing concern over Israel’s
conduct of the war, Britain and Canada suspended some licenses for arms
trade with Israel but stopped short of calling for an arms
embargo.Israel’s two largest arms sources, the United States and
Germany, have resisted calls for an embargo on Israel, though each has
been accused of withholding certain arms during the war.
Analysis-Trump
and Netanyahu, newly empowered, to reunite; Israel risks overplaying
its hand-Prime minister got the outcome he wanted in the US elections.
Now Biden has two months to leave a legacy, and Trump must decide which
camp will lead his foreign policy-By Lazar Berman-Today, 12:03 pm-NOV
7,24
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saw his best-case scenario
become a reality Tuesday night: Donald Trump won a resounding victory
and will be back in the White House in January.Hours before results
started pouring in across the Atlantic, Netanyahu took a drastic step to
shore up control over his own coalition. With the world focused on the
US ballot, Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, replacing him
with loyalist Israel Katz.Now the prime minister seems to finally have
what he wants.He has a cabinet made up of ministers who won’t publicly
stand up to him. In a few short weeks, he will be working with a White
House that will keep disagreements quiet and won’t make a fuss about
humanitarian matters in the war against the Iranian axis.And after the
recent campaign against Hezbollah and last month’s airstrikes on Iran,
Netanyahu faces an Islamic Republic that is more vulnerable to Israeli
attacks than it has been for decades.Yet the persistent challenges
Netanyahu has faced since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack remain, and
Trump’s second presidency will offer new potential pitfalls for Israel’s
leader.Biden’s last hurrah-Before all that, Joe Biden still has two
months left in office. He was already limping when he dropped out of the
race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris, but now he is officially
in his lame-duck period.At the same time, Biden is now freed of
constraints. He doesn’t have to worry about any political future, and he
doesn’t have to think about the effect his statements and policies
would have on Harris’s campaign.Moreover, Biden doesn’t owe anyone
anything. The Democratic establishment and Congressional leaders turned
on him, and he is sure to be agitated anew by statements from anonymous
Harris campaign officials blaming him for their loss.And in the twilight
of a 51-year national political career, Biden, who has always cared
about international issues, doesn’t have a signature foreign policy
achievement to his name.If Iran does carry out its threat and launches a
third ballistic missile attack on Israel on his watch, Biden could
react differently than he has in the past. He has already reportedly
warned Iran that Washington will not be able to restrain Israel if it
attacks again. Might Biden order US forces to join in on the response
this time, concluding that applying military force is the only way to
force Tehran to stand down?The capabilities are in place. Besides the
tens of thousands of US troops permanently stationed in the Middle East,
last week the Pentagon ordered several B-52 Stratofortress bomber
aircraft — capable of carrying bunker-busting bombs — to the region.Even
if attacking Iran directly in the waning days of his presidency is a
bridge too far for a leader whose goal since October 7 has been
containing the regional conflict, it is conceivable that Iran’s supreme
leader and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could force Biden’s
hand.“The Iranians are liable to conclude that the next two months are
their last opportunity to break out and create a nuclear weapon,” said
Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the US.But Biden’s personal
distaste for Netanyahu could also determine what he does. He won’t be
eager to do any favors for the Israeli leader, especially after the
prime minister fired Gallant, who had a strong relationship with the
current US administration.he wants to do what he can for the next
Democratic leader — who almost certainly won’t be Harris — Biden could
try to gain some credit with Arab-Americans by putting all his
administration’s efforts into finding a way to end the wars in Gaza and
Lebanon. With only weeks for him to get the hostages out — something
that would mean a lot to the emotive president — Biden could start
backing up his demands for a deal with threats — whether to Hamas,
Qatar, or even Israel, depending on which of them he sees as dragging
their feet.At the same time, any targets of such threats will know they
only have to outlast Biden till January, reducing the effectiveness of
US pressure.Trump back at the wheel-As Trump’s foreign policy team takes
form, Israel has an opportunity to shape the relationship for the next
four years.“It is crucial that Israel reach early understandings with
the new administration as it takes office,” wrote three researchers at
the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv on Wednesday,
“as its focus during the early days following the inauguration will be
on building and setting its policy priorities.”There looks to be a
struggle between two competing wings of the Republican party over the
direction of the administration’s foreign policy. The traditional
Republicans who support aid to allies and military action against
terrorists and their enablers will run up against a resurgent
isolationist faction that sees foreign conflicts as a waste of American
resources better spent back home.Israel and the Western-oriented Arab
regimes hope that figures like senators Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton will
assume the top defense and foreign policy roles, signaling a
continuation of Trump’s first presidency.“The best way to understand
what he will do is to look at what he did,” said Elliot Abrams, senior
fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “I don’t expect big changes
in Middle East policy, which will mean more support for Israel and a
tougher approach to Iran.”“Many in the region will be readying for a
return to Trump’s transactional diplomacy — a tit-for-tat,
business-deal-making approach — that the regional political elite will
be familiar with from the previous Trump administration,” concurred
Burcu Ozcelik, RUSI’s senior research fellow for Middle East
security.“Gulf states, chiefly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, likely believe
there is more to be gained under the second Trump presidency, such as US
security guarantees, arms deals, and a tougher stance on Iran.”At the
same time, with JD Vance as vice president and pundit Tucker Carlson a
trusted voice, there are reasons to fear that Trump will adopt a foreign
policy that sees avoiding war, and not the victory of US allies, as the
priority. Vance noted only last week that US and Israeli interests
won’t always overlap and “our interest very much is in not going to war
with Iran.”The president-elect, in his victory speech on Wednesday,
pointedly declared: “I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop
wars.”Trump already warned Netanyahu that the “killing has to stop” in
Gaza. Israeli officials recognize that this could put them on a
collision course with the US president-elect.It could be advantageous to
end the fighting on Israel’s terms before Trump takes office and
potentially lays down his parameters for a deal.The problem is, it’s not
clear at all how to do that.Only last week, Hamas rejected any proposal
for a temporary halt to the fighting in Gaza and reiterated its
insistence on a lasting ceasefire. “The idea of a temporary pause in the
war, only to resume aggression later, is something we have already
expressed our position on. Hamas supports a permanent end to the war,
not a temporary one,” senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP.As
much as Netanyahu might like to wrap up the war and move toward a deal
with Saudi Arabia — something Israeli officials tell The Times of Israel
he is eager to do — the war will not end while Hamas holds hostages and
insists on trying to maintain power in Gaza.The same goes for Lebanon.
Hezbollah is not going to simply throw up its hands and desist,
especially as the Iran-backed organization seems to be moving toward an
attrition strategy against Israel, in which time plays into its
hands.Its patrons in Tehran, meanwhile, are likely to adopt a cautious
stance with Trump back in office.“Just like the rest of the world, they
want to be very careful and circumspect when it comes to Trump,” said
Iran expert Ori Goldberg. “They’ve been burned by him, and they don’t
want to go head-to-head with him.”
Trump may restrict Iranian oil
but China might not play along, analysts say-US president-elect says he
believes in enforcing sanctions and then removing them, expected to
ease clamps on Russian energy-By Reuters 6 November 2024, 11:52 pm
WASHINGTON
— Former US president Donald Trump’s return to the White House could
mean tougher enforcement of US oil sanctions against Iran, potentially
trimming global supplies, but his administration could struggle to get
China, Iran’s top crude customer, to cooperate, analysts said.Cracking
down on OPEC-member Iran would support global oil prices, but the effect
could also be offset by other Trump policies, from measures to expand
domestic drilling, the imposition of tariffs on China that could depress
economic activity, or an easing of relations with Russia that could
unfetter its sanctioned crude shipments.“Trump cuts both ways for oil
prices,” said Clay Seigle, an independent energy strategist in Houston,
adding that tariffs and trade wars would pull down US gross domestic
product and oil demand with it.Iranian crude exports have shot to the
highest level in years in 2024 as the country found ways to sidestep
punitive sanctions targeting its revenue. Trump re-imposed the sanctions
during his first presidency after he unilaterally withdrew the US from a
Western nuclear deal with Tehran in 2018.Trump, a Republican, has said
during his campaign that US President Joe Biden’s policy of not
rigorously enforcing oil-export sanctions has weakened Washington and
emboldened Tehran, allowing it to sell oil, accumulate cash and expand
its nuclear pursuits and influence through armed proxies.Jesse Jones,
head of North American upstream at Energy Aspects said a Trump
administration return to a maximum-pressure campaign on Iran could lead
to a 1-million-barrel-per-day decrease in Iranian crude exports.“That
could be done relatively quickly without additional legislation, just by
enforcing sanctions that are already on the books,” he said.ClearView
Energy Partners, a research group, has estimated some 500,000 bpd to
900,000 bpd could be taken out of the market.‘ Million-dollar
question’But a tougher stance on Iran also means cracking down on China,
which does not recognize US sanctions and is the Islamic Republic’s
biggest oil customer.“The million-dollar question is how much
significant financial pressure you’re willing to put on Chinese
financial institutions,” said Richard Nephew, a Columbia University
professor and a former US deputy special envoy for Iran.Nephew said
China could retaliate by strengthening work in the BRICS club of
emerging economies, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South
Africa and others, including by reducing reliance on the dollar in deals
in oil and other goods.Trump spoke at the New York Economic Club in
September about the risks to dollar dominance that sanctions can
bring.“I was a user of sanctions, but I put them on and take them off as
quickly as possible, because ultimately it kills your dollar, and it
kills everything the dollar represents,” Trump said at the time.“So I
use sanctions very powerfully against countries that deserve it, and
then I take them off, because, look, you’re losing Iran. You’re losing
Russia,” he said.China and Iran have built a trading system that uses
mostly Chinese yuan and a network of middlemen, avoiding the dollar and
exposure to US regulators, making sanctions enforcement tough.Seigle
said cracking down on Iran could be bullish for oil prices. But the
impact could be muted especially if Trump follows through on campaign
promises to impose blanket tariffs on US imports to protect domestic
manufacturing, including 60 percent levies on anything from China.“A
trade war that pulls down GDP would reduce oil demand and take prices
lower,” Seigle said.Ed Hirs, energy fellow at the University of Houston,
said Trump was also likely to ease sanctions on Russia’s energy
industry, imposed by Western countries as punishment over Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine. Trump promised during his campaign to “settle” the
war in Ukraine before taking office in January.“I would expect Trump
would relieve all sanctions on Russian oil,” Hirs said.Western sanctions
on Russian oil are not intended to halt flows, but only to limit
Russia’s revenue from exports to $60 a barrel for those sales using
Western maritime services. The sanctions have shifted the market for
Russian oil off Europe to China and India, adding costs for Russia.
UN
nuclear watchdog chief may visit Iran as Trump victory shuffles
geopolitical deck-Rafael Grossi says IAEA seeks to resolve outstanding
issues with Islamic Republic; Trump’s Tehran policy unclear as he heads
for second term-By Reuters and ToI Staff 6 November 2024, 10:35 pm
UN
nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday he might head to
Iran in the coming days to discuss its disputed atomic program and that
he expected to work cooperatively with US President-elect Donald
Trump.News of the possible visit came even as Iran says it is preparing
to launch a fresh attack on Israel in response to an assault on military
sites last month, a move likely to draw an Israeli retaliation and
further boost already high tensions in the region.Grossi had previously
said he hoped to go to Tehran ahead of the November 5 US vote as he
seeks to resolve several long-standing issues that have dogged relations
between Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency and Western
powers.“We are already talking to colleagues in Iran for my next visit,
maybe in a few days. We still have to confirm the time but this will be
done,” he told a news conference in Rome after a nuclear energy
event.Without confirming it, Iranian officials have welcomed a visit
from Grossi, saying Tehran is ready to cooperate with the IAEA to
resolve outstanding issues, without giving details.Issues at stake
include Tehran’s barring of uranium-enrichment experts from IAEA
inspection teams in the country and its failure for years to explain
uranium traces found at undeclared sites.Iran has also stepped up
nuclear activity since 2019 after then-president Trump abandoned a 2015
deal Iran reached with world powers under which it curbed enrichment —
seen by the West as a disguised effort to develop nuclear weapons
capability — and restored tough US sanctions on the Islamic
Republic.Tehran is now enriching uranium to up to 60 percent fissile
purity, just a short step from the roughly 90% required for an atom
bomb. It has enough higher-enriched uranium to produce about four
nuclear bombs if refined further, according to an IAEA yardstick.Iran
has long denied any nuclear weapons ambitions, saying it is enriching
uranium for civilian energy uses only, though there are no civilian uses
for its highly enriched uranium, according to experts.The Islamic
Republic has vowed for decades to eliminate the State of Israel, which
considers an Iranian nuclear weapon an existential threat.How Trump
decides to handle Iran in his second White House term remains unclear,
with the president-elect both speaking out against the use of military
force in the Middle East but employing tough talk in support of
Israel.At an election rally on Tuesday, he said he wanted Iran to be a
“very successful country” but that it “can’t have nuclear
weapons.”Snapback sanctions-Ahead of the US election, there had been
signs Tehran was ready to re-engage with European parties to the
collapsed 2015 deal — Britain, France and Germany — and the US to find a
way to revive talks in the hope of relaxing US sanctions.But the
regional geopolitical context has darkened to the detriment of any
diplomatic breakthrough since the Iranian-backed Palestinian terror
group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, precipitating
the Gaza war, and as Tehran has increased its military support for
Russia’s war in Ukraine.The October 7 massacre saw terrorists kill 1,200
people and kidnap 251.Israel’s current assault on Lebanese terror group
Hezbollah, also backed by Iran, and tit-for-tat missile strikes between
Iran and Israel have raised fears of a wider Middle East conflict with
some questioning whether it would be in Tehran’s interest to return to
talks with a potentially tougher Trump administration.Iran has
threatened Israel with a “crushing response” after Israeli planes hit
military sites across the country last month in retaliation for hundreds
of ballistic missiles launched by Tehran on October 1.US President Joe
Biden’s administration has reportedly warned Iran that it will not be
able to restrain Israel should Iran attack again, with Israel saying it
is prepared to attack sites it spared in its last bombardment.Publicly,
Iranian political leaders have downplayed the significance of the US
election result on Tehran’s policies.Their main concern, though, is the
potential for Trump to empower Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to
strike Iranian nuclear sites, carry out assassinations and reimpose his
“maximum pressure” policy through heightened sanctions on the country’s
oil industry.The European powers have sought to raise pressure on Iran
in recent months despite scant leverage amid concerns the next Trump
administration will need time to review Middle East policy.That could
leave little time to put a joint action plan together before October
2025, the date for the expiration of UN Security Council Resolution
2231, which enshrined the nuclear deal and the big powers’ prerogative
to restore UN sanctions.
Afghan man charged in Germany for
killing police officer in Islamist knife attack-Prosecutors say man who
attacked anti-Islam rally in western city of Mannheim in May harbors
‘sympathy’ for ISIS and ‘shares its ideology’By AFP 6 November 2024,
9:06 pm
BERLIN, Germany — An Afghan man has been charged with
killing a police officer and wounding several others in an
Islamist-inspired knife attack earlier this year that shocked Germany,
prosecutors said Wednesday.The attack in the western city of Mannheim in
late May took place just before the scheduled start of a rally
organized by Pax Europa, a campaign group against radical Islam.The
suspect, named as Sulaiman A., harbors “sympathy” for the Islamic State
group and “shares its ideology,” federal prosecutors said in a
statement.He showed up at the city’s market square armed with a large
hunting knife and intended to carry out an attack on those he considered
“infidels” or unbelievers, they said. He “pounced on a police officer
who had rushed to the scene and stabbed him forcefully and deliberately
in the head and upper body,” the statement said.The officer died as a
result of his severe injuries. The other victims also suffered injuries,
some of them potentially life-threatening, the prosecutors said.At the
time of the attack, Der Spiegel magazine reported that Sulaiman A. was a
25-year-old who was born in Herat, Afghanistan, and lived in Hesse
state.The stabbing revived debate in Germany about deporting serious
criminals even if they come from countries deemed unsafe, including
Afghanistan and Syria.In August, Germany carried out its first
deportation of Afghans convicted of criminal offenses to their home
country since the Taliban took power in August 2021.Since the Hamas
attack on Israel of October 7, 2023, which sparked Israel’s war against
the terror group in Gaza, German security services have been on
heightened alert for Islamist threats.Three people were killed and eight
wounded in a knife attack at a street festival in the western city of
Solingen in August, allegedly carried out by a Syrian asylum seeker and
claimed by the Islamic State group.Times of Israel staff contributed to
this report.
UK anti-Israel activists behead stolen bust of
Israel’s first president Weizmann-Group posts image of destroyed statue
on social media, declares Weizmann’s ‘Zionist project’ will soon be
dead-By ToI Staff 6 November 2024, 7:43 pm
Days after British
anti-Israel activists published footage of the theft of two busts of
Israel’s first president Chaim Weizmann from the University of
Manchester, the Palestine Action group posted images on social media on
Tuesday showing that they had decapitated one of the statues.“First bust
of Weizmann is dead. Soon, his Zionist project will be too,” the group
wrote on X.Palestine Action said on Saturday that activists had taken
the busts of the late Israeli leader from the university in northwestern
England because he had “secured” the 1917 Balfour Declaration, “which
began the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by signing the land away.”On
Monday, Palestine Action posted a photo on X of the busts wrapped in
keffiyeh headscarves, an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian
cause.After the right-wing pro-Israel group Betar US issued a $10,000
reward for the return of the busts, Palestine Action responded that it
would send “one ear” from one of the busts in exchange for the reward
money.UK politician John Woodcock, known as Lord Walney, was quoted by
the Daily Mail as saying that the act was “designed to terrorize British
Jews” and could be seen as incitement to violence.First bust of
Weizmann is dead. Soon, his zionist project will be too!
pic.twitter.com/CZcTX1MIu5— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) November 5,
2024-The Greater Manchester Police said on Saturday that it was
investigating the incident.Over the weekend, the anti-Israel activist
group also sprayed the London office of the Jewish National Fund (JNF)
with red paint, and carried out similar acts of protest at the Britain
Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) lobby group’s
headquarters in London.It also collaborated with students from the
University of Cambridge, where Balfour was educated, to spray the
university’s Institute of Manufacturing and Senate House.The group said
the activists stole the busts to mark the 107th anniversary of the
declaration, in which the British government issued a commitment to
establish a national home for the Jewish people in the historical Land
of Israel, which was at the time governed by the Ottoman Empire.The
declaration is considered the first of many steps that led to the
creation of Israel.Weizmann, who worked as a biochemistry professor at
the University of Manchester, was a leading statesman of the Zionist
movement in the early 1900s. He spearheaded the international diplomatic
efforts that led to international recognition of the budding Jewish
state and is considered one of Israel’s founding fathers.Agencies
contributed to this report.
GOD IS GIVING ISRAEL GAZA, THE WEST
BANK AND LEBANON ISRAELS PROMISED LAND SO FAR.GOD THREW ISRAEL IS
EXPANDING ISRAEL, NOT NON EXISTANT PALESTINIANS (ARAB) LAND. ISRAEL AND
ONLY ISRAELS LAND.AND THAT STUPID ISRAEL HATING UNITED NATIONS CAN FOLD
ANY TIME, THE QUICKER THE BETTER.
Hezbollah’s new leader says no
diplomatic agreement before Israel ends ‘aggression’In 2nd TV address as
head of terror group, Naim Qassem says ‘only one thing can stop this
war of aggression, that is the battlefield,’ adding that US election
will not impact talks-By Gianluca Pacchiani-and Agencies 6 November
2024, 7:43 pm
In a TV address on Wednesday afternoon, new
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said a diplomatic settlement to the terror
group’s ongoing conflict was still possible, but only once Israel stops
its military campaign in Lebanon.In his second televised speech since
taking the helm of the group following the Israeli assassination of
longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in September, Qassem said the war will
only end after Israel stops its “aggression” against Lebanon, and only
at that point will Hezbollah agree to indirect negotiations, under the
mediation of its ally Nabih Berri, president of the Lebanese
parliament.“I will tell you very clearly, our conviction is that only
one thing can stop this war of aggression, and that is the battlefield,”
said Qassem in a pre-recorded address. He said he did not believe
“political action” would bring about an end to the more than yearlong
conflict.“When the enemy decides to stop the aggression, there is a path
for negotiations that we have clearly defined — indirect negotiations
through the Lebanese state and Speaker Berri,” said Qassem. He said
those talks could only proceed if they guaranteed “the protection of
Lebanese sovereignty in full, without anything missing,” but did not
provide further details.Qassem claimed that Hezbollah is conducting a
defensive war of attrition and has been preparing for a long
confrontation since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006.“We have
tens of thousands of trained resistance jihadi combatants that are ready
to die as martyrs,” he said, strengthened by their Islamic ideology,
their training and their weapons, and nowhere in Israel would be
off-limits to the group’s attacks.In response to the Israeli
“aggression,” Qassem said Hezbollah will continue firing rockets and
drones at Israel, and that the launches of the past days are only a
taste of what is to come.Before and during Qassem’s speech was aired on
Wednesday, long-range rockets from Lebanon targeted central Israel,
setting off sirens in a wide swath of cities and towns surrounding Tel
Aviv, causing damage but no injuries. As of Wednesday afternoon, more
than 120 Hezbollah rockets had been fired at Israel throughout the day,
the IDF said.The new Hezbollah leader accused Israel of aiming to defeat
the terror group as a first step to conquering Lebanon, and
subsequently to “change the map of the Middle East.”Hezbollah started
the war on the northern front in October last year, a day after Hamas’s
massive October 7 attack, and has been attacking the Jewish state with
rockets, drones and missiles on a near-daily basis ever since. This past
September, Israel launched a major campaign against the group,
eliminating most of its senior leadership and launching a ground
offensive to clear southern Lebanon of the vast terror infrastructure
Hezbollah built there in the past two decades.Touching on the heavy toll
the war has imposed on the Lebanese civilian population, Qassem claimed
that it is the “price to pay for victory,” and denied that there were
frictions between displaced Shiites and other groups inside Lebanon,
despite evidence to the contrary.According to Lebanese health
authorities, more than 3,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes
on Lebanon over the last year, the vast majority in the past six weeks, a
figure that is thought to include civilians and combatants but is
likely not complete. Hezbollah stopped consistently updating the number
of its members killed since the uptick in cross-border violence in
September 2024. The IDF estimates that some 3,000 Hezbollah operatives
have been killed over the past year.The attacks on northern Israel since
October 2023 have resulted in the deaths of 40 civilians. In addition,
61 IDF soldiers and reservists have died in cross-border skirmishes and
in the ensuing ground operation launched in southern Lebanon in late
September.Qassem also commented on the capture of a top Hezbollah naval
operative in north Lebanon by Israeli commandos last week, calling it a
“humiliation” for Lebanon and demanding explanations from the Lebanese
Armed Forces and UNIFIL, in particular from the German contingent, which
mans a naval patrol.The leader of Hezbollah, who recorded his address
before the outcome of the US election was declared, said the results of
the vote would have no impact on any possible ceasefire deal to end the
ongoing war.“We don’t base our expectations for a halt of the aggression
on political developments… Whether [Kamala] Harris wins or [Donald]
Trump wins, it means nothing to us,” he said. “What will stop this… war
is the battlefield.”
Iran’s currency tanks to all-time low as
Trump clinches US presidency-While Tehran downplays impact of result,
locals fear president-elect will increase US sanctions; ‘our economy and
social situation will surely get worse,’ says Iranian student-By AP and
ToI Staff 6 November 2024, 3:17 pm
Iran’s currency fell on
Wednesday to an all-time low as former president Donald Trump apparently
clinched the US presidency again, signaling new challenges ahead for
Tehran as it remains locked in the wars raging in the Middle East.The
rial traded at 703,000 to the dollar, traders in Tehran said. The rate
could still change throughout the day. Iran’s Central Bank could flood
the market with more hard currencies as an attempt to improve the rate,
as it has done in the past.The slide comes as the rial already faces
considerable woes over its sharp slide in value — and as the mood among
some on the streets of Tehran darkened.“One hundred percent he will
intensify the sanctions,” said Amir Aghaeian, a 22-year-old student.
“Things that are not in our favor will be worse. Our economy and social
situation will surely get worse.”He added: “I feel the country is going
to blow up.”In 2015, at the time of Iran’s nuclear deal with world
powers, the rial was at 32,000 to $1. On July 30, the day that Iran’s
reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in and started his term,
the rate was 584,000 to $1.Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the
accord in 2018, sparking years of tensions between the countries that
persist today.Iran’s economy has struggled for years under crippling
international sanctions over its rapidly advancing nuclear program,
which now enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels.Pezeshkian,
elected after a helicopter crash killed hardline President Ebrahim Raisi
in May, came to power on a promise to reach a deal to ease Western
sanctions.However, Iran’s government has for weeks been trying to
downplay the effect on Tehran of whoever won Tuesday’s election in the
United States. That stance continued on Wednesday with a brief comment
from Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokeswoman for Pezeshkian’s
administration.”The election of the US president doesn’t have anything
specifically to do with us,” she said. “The major policies of America
and the Islamic Republic are fixed, and they won’t heavily change by
people replacing others. We have already made necessary preparations in
advance.”But tensions remain high between the nations, 45 years after
the 1979 US Embassy takeover and 444-day hostage crisis that
followed.Iran remains locked in the Mideast wars roiling the region,
with its allies battered — terror groups and fighters of its
self-described “Axis of Resistance,” including the Palestinian terror
group Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.Israel is
pressing its war in the Gaza Strip against Hamas, which started when the
terror organization invaded Israel on October 7 of last year, killing
some 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages to Gaza. Israel has also
been fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon in a conflict that began the day
after the Hamas assault with the Lebanese terror group firing rockets
and drones into Israel. The IDF recently began a ground operation and
extensive bombing campaign in Lebanon aiming to make it safe for tens of
thousands of displaced residents of northern Israel to return home.Iran
still appears to be assessing damage from Israel’s strike on military
targets in the Islamic Republic on October 26, which came in response to
Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile barrage on Israel. Iran also
launched a massive barrage of missiles and drones at Israel in April,
its first direct attack not through its terror proxies.Iran has
threatened to retaliate against Israel — where US troops now man a
missile defense battery.Mahmoud Parvari, a 71-year-old taxi driver in
Tehran, did not mince words when discussing Trump.“I feel like I’m
seeing the devil,” he said. “He looks like Satan, his eyes are like
Satan and his behavior is like a madman.”But another taxi driver, who
only gave his last name as Hosseini, offered a more pragmatic view.“If
it helps my country I would definitely” make a deal with Trump, he said.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Trump or anyone else. After all he is a
human being.
”Homepage-'Many people have told me God spared my
life for a reason'Donald Trump elected US president in stunning,
historic White House comeback-Also wins popular vote; vows to ‘stop
wars’ not start them, says his initial focus will be on domestic
priorities; in state after state, Harris does less well than Biden in
2020-By Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Stephanie Kelly and Joseph Ax 6
November 2024, 3:15 pm
PALM BEACH, Florida (Reuters) — Donald
Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday,
an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept
defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S.
Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination
attempts.With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes
needed to clinch the presidency.As of 5:45 a.m. ET (1045 GMT) Trump, 78,
had won 279 electoral votes to Harris’ 223 with several states yet to
be counted. In state after state, Trump outperformed what he did in the
2020 election while Democratic candidate Kamala Harris failed to do as
well as Joe Biden did in winning the presidency four years ago.He also
led Harris by about 5 million votes in the popular count.“America has
given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” Trump said early on
Wednesday to a roaring crowd of supporters at the Palm Beach County
Convention Center in Florida.Trump’s political career had appeared to be
over after his false claims of election fraud led a mob of supporters
to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a failed bid to overturn
his 2020 defeat.But he swept away challengers inside his Republican
Party and then beat Harris by capitalizing on voter concerns about high
prices and what Trump claimed, without evidence, was a rise in crime due
to illegal immigration.With his decisive victory, Trump became only the
second defeated president in US history to win a fresh White House
term, 132 years after Grover Cleveland achieved the feat.The results cap
a historically tumultuous and competitive election season that included
two assassination attempts targeting Trump and a shift to a new
Democratic nominee just a month before the party’s convention. Trump
will inherit a range of challenges when he assumes office on Jan. 20,
including heightened political polarization and global crises that are
testing America’s influence abroad.His win against Harris, the first
woman of color to lead a major party ticket, marks the second time he
has defeated a female rival in a general election. Harris, the current
vice president, rose to the top of the ticket after Biden exited the
race amid alarm about his advanced age. Despite an initial surge of
energy around her campaign, she struggled during a compressed timeline
to convince disillusioned voters that she represented a break from an
unpopular administration.Harris did not speak to supporters who had
gathered at her alma mater Howard University. Her campaign co-chair,
Cedric Richmond, briefly addressed the crowd after midnight, saying
Harris would speak publicly later on Wednesday.“We still have votes to
count,” he said.Republicans won a US Senate majority, but neither party
appeared to have an edge in the fight for control of the House of
Representatives where Republicans currently hold a narrow majority.Major
stock markets around the world rallied following Trump’s victory, and
the dollar was set for its biggest one-day jump since 2020.‘I’m not
going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars’ Trump in his victory
speech called his return to the presidency “a political victory that our
country has never seen before.”Addressing the American people, he said,
“Every single day, I will be fighting for you, and with every breath in
my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and
prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This
will truly be the golden age of America.”He described the Republican
party as “the party of common sense. We want to have borders, we want to
have security, we want to have things be good, safe. We want great
education, want a strong and powerful military and ideally we don’t have
to use it.”And he vowed to stop wars rather than start them: “You know,
we had no wars [in my previous term], four years we had no wars, except
we defeated Isis, we defeated Isis in record time. But we had no wars.
They said ‘he will start a war’. I’m not going to start a war. I’m going
to stop wars.”Trump also said some supporters believe divine
intervention had prevented his assassination: “Many people have told me
that God spared my life for a reason. And that reason was to save our
country and to restore America to greatness. And now we are going to
fulfill that mission.”In a call for unity, he declared: “It’s time to
put the divisions of the past four years behind us. It’s time to unite …
We have to try. And it’s going to happen. Success will bring us
together… and we are going to start by all putting America first.”He
also said his initial focus would be on domestic priorities: “We have to
put our country first for at least a period of time. We have to fix it,
because together we can truly make America great again for all
Americans.”Jobs and economy-Voters identified jobs and the economy as
the country’s most pressing problem, according to Reuters/Ipsos opinion
polls. Many Americans remained frustrated by higher prices even amid
record-high stock markets, fast-growing wages and low unemployment. With
the administration of US President Joe Biden taking much of the blame, a
majority of voters said they trusted Trump more than Harris to address
the issue.Hispanics, traditionally Democratic voters, and lower-income
households hit hardest by inflation helped fuel Trump’s election
victory. His loyal base of rural, white and non-college educated voters
again showed up in force.Trump prevailed despite persistently low
approval ratings. Impeached twice, he has been criminally indicted four
times and found civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation. In May,
Trump was convicted by a New York jury of falsifying business records to
cover up hush money payments to a porn star.His victory will have major
implications for US trade and climate change policies, the war in
Ukraine, Americans’ taxes and immigration.His tariff proposals could
spark a fiercer trade war with China and US allies, while his pledges to
reduce corporate taxes and implement a spate of new cuts could balloon
US debt, economists say.Trump has promised to launch a mass deportation
campaign targeting immigrants in the country illegally.He has said he
wants the authority to fire civil servants he views as disloyal. His
opponents fear he will turn the Justice Department and other federal law
enforcement agencies into political weapons to investigate perceived
enemies.A second Trump presidency could drive a bigger wedge between
Democrats and Republicans on issues such as race, gender, what and how
children are taught, and reproductive rights.Harris falls short-Vice
President Harris fell short in her 15-week sprint as a candidate,
failing to galvanize enough support to defeat Trump, who occupied the
White House in 2017-2021, or to allay voters’ concerns about the economy
and immigration.Harris had warned that Trump wanted unchecked
presidential power and posed a danger to democracy.Nearly three-quarters
of voters say American democracy is under threat, according to Edison
Research exit polls, underscoring the polarization in a nation where
divisions have only grown starker during a fiercely competitive
race.Trump ran a campaign characterized by apocalyptic language. He
called the United States a “garbage can” for immigrants, pledged to save
the economy from “obliteration” and cast some rivals as the “enemy
within.”His diatribes were often aimed at migrants, who he said were
“poisoning the blood of the country,” or Harris, whom he frequently
derided as unintelligent.Despite legal woes and controversies, Trump is
only the second former president to win a second term after leaving the
White House. The first was Grover Cleveland, who served two four-year
terms starting in 1885 and 1893.Unprecedented campaign-Two months after
Trump’s conviction in the hush money case, a would-be assassin’s bullet
grazed his right ear during a July campaign rally in Pennsylvania,
exacerbating fears about political violence. Another assassination
attempt was thwarted in September at his Florida golf course. Trump
blamed both attempts on what he claimed was the heated rhetoric of
Democrats including Harris.Barely eight days after the July shooting,
Biden, 81, dropped out of the race, finally bowing to weeks of pressure
from his fellow Democrats after a poor performance during his debate
with Trump called into question his mental acuity and the viability of
his reelection bid.Biden’s decision to step aside turned the contest
into a sprint, as Harris raced to mount her own campaign in a matter of
weeks, rather than the typical months. Her rise to the top of the ticket
reenergized despondent Democrats, and she raised more than $1 billion
in less than three months while erasing what had been a solid Trump lead
in opinion polls.Harris’s financial advantage was partly countered by
the intervention of the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, who poured more
than $100 million into a super PAC mobilizing Trump voters and used his
social media site X to amplify pro-Trump messaging.As the campaign drew
to a close, Harris increasingly focused on warning Americans about the
perils of reelecting Trump and offered an olive branch to disaffected
Republicans.She highlighted remarks from several former Trump officials,
including his former chief of staff, retired Marine Corps General John
Kelly, who described Trump as a “fascist.”Trump’s victory will broaden
the fissures in American society, given his false claims of election
fraud, anti-immigrant rhetoric and demonization of his political
opponents, said Alan Abramowitz, a political science professor at Emory
University who studies voter behavior and party politics.A second Trump
term-Trump has vowed to reshape the executive branch, including firing
civil servants he views as disloyal and using federal law enforcement
agencies to investigate his political enemies, violating what has been a
longstanding policy of keeping such agencies independent.During his
first term, Trump’s most extreme demands were sometimes stymied by his
own cabinet members, most notably when vice president Mike Pence refused
to block Congress from accepting the 2020 election results.Once the
2024 vote is certified by Congress on January 6, 2025, Trump and his
incoming vice president, US Senator JD Vance, are due to take office on
Inauguration Day, January 20. Throughout his two-year-long campaign,
Trump has signaled he will prioritize personal fealty in staffing his
administration. He promised roles in his administration to Musk and
former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., both avid
supporters.Agencies and ToI staff contributed to this report.
World
leaders congratulate Trump on victory in US presidential election-Many
remark on ‘historic’ nature of Republican’s return to the White House
after previous term in office, express hope for future cooperation-By
Agencies 6 November 2024, 12:38 pm
World leaders rushed to
congratulate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday
after he was projected to defeat Democratic Vice President Kamala
Harris in the US election, which would cap a stunning political comeback
four years after he left the White House.Among those to offer salutes
on social media platform X within the first hours of Trump’s apparent
victory emerging were the leaders of Britain, France, Ukraine, India,
and Israel.Many noted that the success would be a return to office for
Trump, who previously served as president in 2017-2021.Britain’s Prime
Minister Keir Starmer wrote his congratulations to Trump on “your
historic election victory.”Starmer added that he looked forward to
working with Trump and that, “as the closest of allies, we stand
shoulder to shoulder in defense of our shared values of freedom,
democracy and enterprise.”France’s President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X
he was “ready to work together just as we knew how to do during four
years. With your convictions and with mine. With respect and ambition.
For more peace and prosperity.”Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in his
message, vowed Berlin would work with Trump for “prosperity and
freedom.”In a post on X, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered
her “most sincere congratulations” to Trump, and said Italy and the
United States had an “unshakeable alliance”.“It is a strategic bond,
which I am certain we will now strengthen even further,” she
said.President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine wrote, “I appreciate
President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in
global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically
bring just peace in Ukraine closer,” a reference to the ongoing war in
his country as it battles a Russian invasion.The Kremlin reacted
cautiously, saying the US was still a hostile state and that time would
tell if Trump’s rhetoric on ending the Ukraine war translated into
reality.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Trump had made some
important statements about wanting to end the Ukraine war during his
campaign, but only time would tell if they led to action.“Let us not
forget that we are talking about an unfriendly country, which is both
directly and indirectly involved in a war against our state [in
Ukraine],” Peskov told reporters.Peskov said he was not aware of any
plans by President Vladimir Putin to congratulate Trump on his victory
and that relations with Washington were at a historic low.European
Council President Charles Michel wrote that “as allies and friends, the
EU looks forward to continuing our constructive cooperation.”“The EU
will pursue its course in line with the strategic agenda as a strong,
united, competitive, and sovereign partner while defending the
rules-based multilateral system,” Michel said.Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu called it “history’s greatest comeback” that “offers a new
beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance
between Israel and America.”“In true friendship,” Netanyahu wrote on
X.President Isaac Herzog congratulated Trump on his “historic return to
the White House,” calling him “a true and dear friend of Israel, and a
champion of peace and cooperation in our region.”Palestinian Authority
President Mahmud Abbas congratulated Trump, saying he was “confident
that the United States will support, under your leadership, the
legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.” Abbas, in a statement
carried by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, affirms the
Palestinian commitment to “the pursuit of freedom, self-determination
and statehood, in accordance with international law.”Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan — a bitter Israel critic who got along well with
Trump — also congratulated the former US president.“I hope that
Turkey-US relations will strengthen, that regional and global crises and
wars, especially the Palestinian issue and the Russia-Ukraine war, will
come to an end,” Erdogan wrote on X. “I believe that more efforts will
be made for a more just world.”Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and his son,
de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, both congratulated
Trump on his election victory, state media reported.The two leaders sent
cables to Trump, who cultivated warm Saudi ties during his first
administration, with King Salman hailing “close relations between the
two friendly countries and peoples, which everyone seeks to strengthen
and develop in all fields,” the official Saudi Press Agency said.From
Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi congratulated Trump and wished
him “the best of luck and success in achieving the interests of the
American people.”“I look forward to together establish peace and
maintain regional stability and bolster strategic ties between Egypt and
the United States,” he wrote.Jordan’s King Abdullah II also
congratulated Trump, as did Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad
Al-Thani.The Qatari ruler of the Gulf monarchy, a key mediator for a
truce and hostage release deal in Gaza and host of the largest US
military base in the Middle East, said he looked forward to “working
together again… in promoting security and stability both in the region
and globally.”Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told
AFP that under Trump the United States’s “blind support for the Zionist
entity must end because it comes at the expense of the future of our
people and the security and stability of the region.”Dutch Prime
Minister Dick Schoof looked forward to “close cooperation on shared
interests,” and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer wrote that his country
looks forward “to further expanding and strengthening our transatlantic
relations to successfully address global challenges together.”Hungary’s
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close Trump ally, hailed “the biggest
comeback in US political history” and “a much needed victory for the
World.”“You made it happen!” Polish President Andrzej Duda posted on
X.Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also offered his congratulations, as
did Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolac, who wrote, “Under your new
leadership we hope for peace and prosperity for all our
citizens.”Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote of looking
forward to working with Trump, as did neighboring Norway’s Prime
Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette
Frederiksen.From Asia, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi
congratulated Trump on a “historic election victory,” adding that he was
looking forward to working with the vote frontrunner.“As you build on
the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our
collaboration,” he wrote on X.From El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele
congratulated Trump and wrote, “May God bless and guide you.”Messages
also came from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Taiwan
President Lai Ching-te.Without directly mentioning Trump, China’s
foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing that
Bejing hopes for “peaceful coexistence” with the United States.“We will
continue to approach and handle China-US relations based on the
principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win
cooperation,” she said.Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told
reporters he hopes to work with Trump “to take the Japan-US alliance and
Japan-US relationship to new heights.” South Korean President Yoon Suk
Yeol congratulated Trump saying that “under your strong leadership, the
future of the ROK-US alliance and America will shine
brighter.”Secretary-General of NATO Mark Rutte reported on X: “I just
congratulated Donald Trump on his election as President of the United
States.”“His leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance
strong,” Rutte wrote of Trump, who has been a strong critic of the
alliance. “I look forward to working with him again to advance peace
through strength through NATO.”Trump declared victory early Wednesday
morning, though the results were not yet final.“America has given us an
unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he said to a roaring crowd of
supporters at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.“We’ve achieved
the most incredible political thing, political victory, that our country
has never seen before — nothing like this,” he declared.Trump also
shouted out Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, who has become one of
his most high-profile supporters. “We have a new star. A star is born:
Elon,” Trump said.In an overnight post to X, Musk wrote, “America is a
nation of builders. Soon, you will be free to build.”
Republicans
win control of US Senate, make gains in House-GOP secures at least 51
seats out of Senate’s 100; Republicans lead Democrats in Michigan,
Montana, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Wisconsin; control of House still
undetermined-By Agencies 6 November 2024, 11:18 am
WASHINGTON —
Republicans won a majority in the US Senate with victories in West
Virginia and Ohio on Tuesday, ensuring Donald Trump’s party will control
at least one chamber of Congress next year.The GOP had won 51 seats by
Wednesday morning, giving them a majority. But, with other states not
yet called, it’s possible Republicans could pick up more
seats.Republicans also posted early gains as they battled to retain
control of the House of Representatives.If they prevail, Republicans
would be in a position to dictate the agenda in Washington, helping
Trump deliver on his promise to slash taxes and restrict immigration.The
final result will probably not be known for days, but Tuesday’s results
ensure Republicans in the Senate will be able to help Trump appoint
conservative judges and other government personnel.Trump made sure to
recognize GOP wins in down-ballot races in a speech early morning
Wednesday.“The number of victories in the Senate was absolutely
incredible,” Trump said as he was predicted to be reelected to the White
House.Trump also said he expected Republicans to hold the House and
complimented House Speaker Mike Johnson. The House, however, was still
an open contest. Republican West Virginia Governor Jim Justice was
projected to win an open Senate seat in the state shortly after polls
closed, taking over the seat previously held by Joe Manchin, a
Democrat-turned-independent. In Ohio, Republican Bernie Moreno was
projected to defeat third-term incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown. Those
two victories ensured Republicans will hold at least a 51-49 majority in
the Senate.Republicans stood a chance to widen their Senate majority
further, as their candidates were leading Democratic incumbents in
Michigan, Montana, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin.Republican
incumbents also held off challengers in Texas, where Ted Cruz won
reelection, and Nebraska, where Deb Fischer defeated independent Dan
Osborn.However, they were unlikely to end up with the 60-vote majority
needed to advance most legislation in the chamberThe Senate was set to
see two Black women serving simultaneously for the first time, as
Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester won in Delaware, and Democrat Angela
Alsobrooks won in Maryland.House up for grabs-Republicans also won
several races that could allow them to expand their 220-212 majority in
the House, though the final outcome may not be known for days.They won a
Democratic-held district in Pennsylvania that includes Scranton,
Democratic President Joe Biden’s hometown, and picked up seats from
Democrats in North Carolina, where they had redrawn district lines to
their advantage, with another victory in Michigan.Democrats won a
Republican-held seat in upstate New York and a seat in Alabama that had
been redrawn to comply with a US Supreme Court order to create a Black
majority district.Democrats now need to flip at least seven seats to
take control of the 435-seat chamber. But their opportunities to do so
were gradually diminishing, as Republican incumbents won competitive
reelection races in Colorado, Iowa,New Jersey, and Virginia.In Delaware,
voters made history by electing Democrat Sarah McBride, the first
openly transgender member of Congress.With at least 200 seats safe for
each party, the winning side will likely end up with a narrow majority
that could make governing difficult. That has been evident in the past
two years as Republican infighting has led to failed votes and
leadership turmoil and undercut the party’s efforts to cut spending and
tighten immigration.Tight races in the heavily Democratic states of New
York and California could determine House control, and California
typically takes several days to count its ballots.
China straps in for 'mercurial' Trump's second term-By Isabel Kua, with Luna Lin.
Beijing
(AFP) Nov 6, 2024-China can buckle in for another four years of
tariffs, tensions and tough talk under a second Donald Trump presidency,
experts told AFP -- though they said the billionaire's openness to
deals could play in Beijing's favour.World leaders lined up to
congratulate Trump on Wednesday as the former president neared his
election victory and a return to the White House.Beijing declared its
hope that the two countries could enjoy a "peaceful coexistence" in the
future, while remaining tight-lipped on how precisely the mercurial
magnate's victory could affect ties.But experts said that, behind closed
doors, China was preparing for a rocky few years."There will be more
turbulence, more conflict, more uncertainties and even more risks in
Sino-US relations in the next four years," Wu Xinbo, director of the
Center for American Studies at Shanghai's Fudan University, told
AFP.Both US presidential candidates had pledged to get tougher on
Beijing.But Trump upped the ante, pledging to slap 60-percent tariffs on
all Chinese goods entering the United States.That proposal could hit
$500 billion worth of Chinese exports, asset managers PineBridge
Investments have suggested.Memories of the first Trump administration
are likely still fresh in the minds of policymakers in Beijing.During
his time as president, Trump launched a gruelling trade war with China,
imposing swingeing tariffs on Chinese goods for what he said were unfair
practices by Beijing, such as theft of US technology and currency
manipulation.- Trade hit hard -And with the Chinese economy battling
some of its worst growth in years, Beijing will be loath to get dragged
even deeper into a spat with its largest trading partner, analysts
say."Economic and trade relations will be hit the hardest," Fudan
University's Wu said."He (Trump) has already talked about playing the
tariff card against China again."Adam Slater, lead economist at Oxford
Economics, estimates the proposed tariffs could slash bilateral trade by
as much as 70 percent and "cause hundreds of billions of dollars' worth
of trade to be eliminated or redirected".But some analysts said the
60-percent figure could merely be an opening gambit by a man who has
always touted "the art of the deal"."The thing that the Chinese have
learned about Trump is that he would say a lot of things... because he's
so mercurial, he won't exactly follow through on all these threats,"
Hoo Tiang Boon, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological
University, said."He's actually open to negotiation, but yet, at the
same time, he's prone to extremes."- 'Very strong relationship' -The
tycoon has made much of his reputation as a dealmaker and his rapport --
and even admiration -- for autocratic leaders like President Xi
Jinping.In October, he touted his "very strong relationship" with the
Chinese leader -- and even claimed he would be able to talk Xi out of an
attack on self-ruled Taiwan with threats of 150 percent tariffs."He
respects me and he knows I'm f*cking crazy," he told the Wall Street
Journal.It's not yet clear if the next four years could see Trump pay a
return visit to Beijing, where Xi hosted him in 2017 -- or if he could
host the Chinese president in Washington DC."Trump prides himself on
making deals and on personal relationships with other leaders," Benjamin
Ho at the China programme at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of
International Studies said."He will try to squeeze China on areas where
he can and is likely to adopt an American first policy."And analysts
think that Trump's transaction style -- and long-standing contempt for
transnational groupings like NATO -- could stand in China's favour as it
seeks to reshape the global order."His America-first isolationist
approach is likely to weaken Western alliances and would open up more
pathways for China to expand their global influence," Nanyang
Technological University's Hoo said."This would present openings to
China, at least from a foreign policy perspective."But while that could
help relieve pressure on China diplomatically, Fudan's Wu said the trade
trumps all other concerns."He may not value relations with allies as
much as the Biden administration did, and that may affect the
willingness of allies to coordinate with the US on China," he said."But I
think what we are most concerned about -- as I said -- is still the
pressure from the trade side."
NATO chief congratulates Trump, says will keep alliance 'strong' by AFP Staff Writers.
Brussels,
Belgium (AFP) Nov 6, 2024-NATO chief Mark Rutte on Wednesday
congratulated Donald Trump, who has claimed victory in the US
presidential election, and said his return to power would help keep the
alliance "strong".Trump, who sealed a dramatic comeback to power after
sweeping to victory against Democrat Kamala Harris, rattled NATO during
the electoral campaign, threatening not to protect members who do not
spend enough on defence."His leadership will again be key to keeping our
Alliance strong. I look forward to working with him again to advance
peace through strength through NATO," Rutte said on social media
X.Trump's first term in power was a rollercoaster for NATO as the
bulldozing president lambasted European allies such as Germany for weak
defence spending and reportedly even mulled pulling Washington out.Some
NATO members fear his second stint in office could see reduced US
commitment to European security and an end to military support for
Ukraine, as Trump has promised a quick deal with Russian President
Vladimir Putin to end the war.But Rutte, who took over the reins of the
alliance in October and was selected in part due to his good relations
to the abrasive US leader, previously told allies to "stop worrying",
insisting Trump understood the value of having the 32-nation alliance on
his side."President-elect Trump demonstrated strong US leadership
throughout his first term in office -- a term that turned the tide on
European defence spending, improved transatlantic burden sharing, and
strengthened Alliance capabilities," Rutte said Wednesday."We face a
growing number of challenges globally, from a more aggressive Russia, to
terrorism, to strategic competition with China, as well the increasing
alignment of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran," he added."Working
together through NATO helps to deter aggression, protect our collective
security, and support our economies".
New EU defence chief says must spend more due to Putin, not Trump by AFP Staff Writers.
Brussels,
Belgium (AFP) Nov 6, 2024-The EU's new defence commissioner Andrius
Kubilius said Wednesday the bloc needs to spend more on rearming because
of threats from Russia -- not US president-elect Donald Trump.Trump's
looming return to power after triumphing in elections against Democrat
Kamala Harris has sent shockwaves through the EU as Russia wages war
against Ukraine on its border.The volatile former reality TV star during
his first term in power lambasted Washington's European allies in NATO
to spend more on defence.On the campaign trail, Trump rattled Europe by
saying he would encourage Russia to "do whatever the hell they want"
with alliance members not spending enough.Former Lithuanian prime
minister Kubilius -- who needs to be confirmed by EU lawmakers in his
new role -- pointed out that European countries had ramped up their
budgets since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in
2022."We need to spend more, but not because that is a demand from
President Trump, but because of Putin, because of the threat of Putin,"
Kubilius told a hearing at the European Parliament.Kubilius said that
"recent intelligence assessments suggest Russia may test the resolve of
the EU or NATO by the end of this decade.""That is why we must urgently
enhance the EU's readiness for potential military aggression. This is
the way we can deter it," he said."We do not want war. We want peace.
Therefore, we must become ready for defence."
CHAPPIE: An innovative advancement in CBRN defense.by Tech. Sgt. Jordan Thompson.
Buckley
SFB (SPX) Nov 07, 2024-Buckley Space Force Base is home to one of the
Defense Department's only two chemical, biological, radiological and
nuclear quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicles."You spend enough time
around him and start to forget he's a QUGV," said U.S. Air Force Master
Sgt. Dominic Garcia, Installation Office of Emergency Management section
chief. Garcia refers to this innovative QUGV, affectionately known as
CHAPPIE, representing a significant technological advancement in CBRN
defense.CHAPPIE, one of the only two QUGVs in the DoD repurposed for
CBRN field operations, stands out with its extensive list of
capabilities and customizations. These include remote CBRN sensing
capabilities using our current inventory of detectors, which
distinguishes it from other systems and makes it a significant
technological advancement in CBRN defense."This QUGV is not only an
operational game-changer for CBRN defense but also serves as a proof of
concept for technological innovation within the Air and Space Forces,"
Garcia explained. "The AFWERX vehicle allows end-users from the force,
regardless of rank, to collaborate directly with industry to develop
what the multi-capable warfighter needs at the speed of relevance, not
10-15 years later."AFWERX, an investment program and the Department of
the Air Force's innovation arm accelerates agile and affordable
capability transitions by teaming innovative technology developers with
Airman and Guardian talent.Garcia's passion for this project dates back
six years to his time at Dyess Air Force Base. "The idea came after a
deployment to Syria where we were locating and destroying ISIS chemical
weapons while facing novel chemicals," Garcia recalled."I thought there
had to be a safer and faster way. In 2022, while stationed at Minot, I
applied for a Small Business Innovation Research Grant through AFWERX. I
received $1.24 million to develop a remote CBRN sensing capability
using our current inventory of detectors. Within 20 months, we reached
90% of our goal, conducting tests at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency
and Dugway Proving Ground."CHAPPIE is more than just a tool for saving
lives and improving CBRN efficiency. According to Garcia, it represents a
legacy of innovation and a testament to the power of new ideas. "The
QUGV's functionality provides a significant capability to support every
mission at every base across the Air and Space Force. The message
ingrained in this project transcends to every Airman and Guardian,
emphasizing the importance of innovation."
PAC-3 missile engages target in test for US Army-by Clarence Oxford.
Los
Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 07, 2024-Lockheed Martin's (NYSE: LMT) Patriot
Advanced Capability - 3 (PAC-3) missile system, integrated with
Raytheon's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) radar,
successfully intercepted an advanced Tactical Ballistic Missile (TBM)
during a recent flight test. This event highlighted advanced software
upgrades that reinforce PAC-3's capacity to address the evolving
landscape of threats within the U.S. Army's modernized Integrated Air
and Missile Defense (IAMD) network.The test took place at White Sands
Missile Range, where the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) and
Cost Reduction Interceptor (CRI) demonstrated their capabilities by
detecting, acquiring, tracking, and intercepting a TBM target. The
interceptors were launched in a ripple configuration and successfully
hit the target."Integrating PAC-3 with new, advanced systems to deliver
next-generation deterrence capability is a critical piece of the U.S.
Army's modernization strategy," said Brian Kubik, vice president of
PAC-3 Programs. "This is 21st Century Security in action - by harnessing
digital technologies to network platforms together, Lockheed Martin is
increasing the effectiveness and deterrent value of defense solutions
for our customers, ensuring they have the technology needed to stay
ahead in an evolving threat environment."Preparation for the flight test
involved a collaborative effort between Lockheed Martin and the U.S.
Army, including comprehensive ground testing and captive carry
evaluations. This initiative builds on earlier demonstrations of PAC-3's
integration with the U.S. Army's Integrated Battle Command System
(IBCS) and LTAMDS radar.The PAC-3 system employs Hit-to-Kill technology,
engaging targets with direct contact to deliver significantly greater
kinetic energy compared to blast-fragmentation systems. This capability
is crucial for defense against a range of threats such as aircraft,
tactical ballistic missiles, hypersonic threats, and cruise missiles.
Fukushima trial nuclear debris removal complete.
Tokyo,
Nov 7 (AFP) Nov 07, 2024-A difficult operation to remove a small piece
of radioactive debris from Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant
using a robotic device was completed successfully, the plant operator
said Thursday, after technical issues halted earlier attempts.Extracting
the estimated 880 tons of highly radioactive fuel and debris from
Fukushima remains the most challenging part of the decades-long
decommissioning process.But radioactivity levels inside the former power
station, which went into meltdown in 2011 after being hit by a
catastrophic tsunami, are too high for humans to enter.So engineers used
a specially developed extendible robotic device to remove a sample with
a diameter of five millimetres (0.2 inches), aiming to study it for
clues about conditions inside the stricken reactors.The trial debris
removal began in September, after an initial attempt in August was
suspended at an early stage over a problem with the equipment's
installation.Another technical snag related to cameras on the apparatus
caused a pause of over a month before the procedure resumed in late
October.On Thursday, plant operator TEPCO said it had "completed the
trial removal of fuel debris", declaring the operation a success after
several complex steps.Over the weekend, the robot managed to remove a
piece of debris from a containment vessel surrounding a damaged reactor
for the first time.Technicians then tested the radiation level of the
sample on Tuesday and put it in a special container.It will be sent to
research institutes in Ibaraki north of Tokyo for analysis, a TEPCO
spokeswoman told AFP, adding that the company is still studying when it
will be able to start the full-fledged removal of the radioactive
debris.Three of Fukushima's six reactors were operating when the tsunami
hit on March 11, 2011, triggering the worst nuclear disaster since
Chernobyl.Japan last year began releasing into the Pacific Ocean some of
the 540 Olympic swimming pools' worth of treated reactor cooling water
amassed since the disaster.The step sparked a diplomatic row with China
and Russia, both of which banned seafood imports, although Japan insists
the discharge is safe, a view backed by the UN atomic agency.Beijing,
however, said in September it would "gradually resume" importing seafood
from Japan after imposing the blanket ban.kh/kaf/sco-TEPCO - TOKYO
ELECTRIC POWER.
Pharma giant AstraZeneca says China chief detained.
Beijing,
Nov 7 (AFP) Nov 07, 2024-Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca said that the
head of its China operations had been detained, after reports the firm
was under investigation for potentially illegal data collection and drug
imports.Leon Wang, president of AstraZeneca China, "has been detained",
a representative of the firm's global media team said in an email
received by AFP on Thursday."If requested, we will fully cooperate with
the Chinese authorities," the representative had previously said on
Tuesday."We continue to deliver our life changing medicines to patients
in China and our operations are ongoing."AstraZeneca stocks in London on
Tuesday fell by more than 8.0 percent and have remained down following
reports from China about the investigation against the company, analysts
said.Last month, the firm confirmed that Wang had been placed under
investigation.China is a key market for AstraZeneca, developer of a
Covid-19 jab widely administered throughout the world during the
coronavirus pandemic.But in September, the firm confirmed several
employees were under investigation in China after a report said they
were being questioned about potentially illegal data collection and drug
imports.The probes involved five current and former employees of the
firm -- all with Chinese citizenship -- and were being led by
authorities in the southern city of Shenzhen, Bloomberg said.One
investigation related to the firm's collection of patient data, which
authorities suspect may have breached Chinese privacy laws, Bloomberg
reported, citing people with knowledge of the situation.Another probe
related to imports of a liver cancer drug that had not been approved in
mainland China, according to Bloomberg.The firm, headquartered in the
United Kingdom, has 90,000 employees globally.Global firms have faced an
increasingly difficult business environment in China in recent years,
industry groups say, citing a lack of transparency on data laws and
prolonged detentions of employees in the
country.ll-oho/je/fox/zap/phz/bfmASTRAZENECA.
Trump may further test US military norms in second term-By W.G. DUNLOP.
Washington
(AFP) Nov 6, 2024-Donald Trump is set to resume his sometimes fraught
relationship with the military as commander-in-chief, promising to keep
US troops out of wars abroad while possibly using them on the streets at
home.As with many subjects, Trump has made contradictory comments about
American forces, at times lauding their power while also claiming they
were depleted and in need of rebuilding.He at times clashed with his
generals during his 2016-2020 term in office and caused shock by
reportedly referring to fallen troops as "losers" and "suckers" --
something he denied.More recently, his staff sparked controversy by
shoving an employee at Arlington, the country's most hallowed military
cemetery.Suggestions that he could deploy the military to handle
domestic opponents or migrants could pose serious dilemmas for troops if
put into practice during his second term, said Kathleen McInnis, a
senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
think tank."Soldiers are required to not follow illegal orders, but the
line between legal and illegal in some of these instances can be murky,"
she said.Trump told Time magazine earlier this year that his plan for
mass deportations of undocumented immigrants would involve the National
Guard, "but if I thought things were getting out of control, I would
have no problem using the military."More recently, he told Fox News that
"the bigger problem is the enemy from within," saying that "sick
people, radical left lunatics" should be "handled" by the National Guard
or military if needed.He has also reportedly floated the idea of using
US special operations personnel to kill drug kingpins in Mexico, while
insisting that he would avoid major entanglements abroad for the world's
most powerful military.He will take office faced with major crises in
the Middle East and Europe -- which he has claimed he will quickly
resolve- 'Fraught' -Some senior officials who worked closely with Trump
during his first term have since delivered withering judgements on his
character.His former chief of staff and retired general John Kelly told
the New York Times recently that the Republican fits the definition of a
fascist, while Mark Milley -- the top US military officer under Trump
-- reportedly described him as a "fascist to the core" and "the most
dangerous person to this country."But how is he viewed by those in
uniform?"The generals and admirals that worked for him during the first
term described a fraught relationship with President Trump," McInnis
said.The president-elect has a history of ruffling feathers with his
remarks about the military, though it is unclear if that has harmed his
popularity with US troops.It's difficult to determine the views of
currently serving military personnel due to the armed forces' long-held
policy of remaining politically neutral.Harris criticized Trump's
history of negative remarks about the military in a speech shortly
before the election, saying she "will always honor, never denigrate the
service and sacrifice of our troops and their families."But Trump was
ultimately victorious -- a win that will likely spell major changes for
the US relationship with NATO as well as its backing for Ukraine."I
expect that we may see things like 'quiet quitting' NATO; ending the war
in Ukraine by forcing Ukrainian capitulation; and a deep focus on China
and Taiwan," McInnis said of Trump's likely national security policy.
World leaders pledge to work with Trump as he wins US election.
Hong
Kong (AFP) Nov 6, 2024 - World leaders raced to congratulate Donald
Trump on Wednesday as he triumphed in a stunning US election victory
over Kamala Harris.Here are the first reactions, with many being
expressed even before his election win was confirmed:- China: 'mutual
respect' -Without directly mentioning Trump, foreign ministry
spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing that China hopes for
"peaceful coexistence" with the United States."We will continue to
approach and handle China-US relations based on the principles of mutual
respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation," she said.-
Russia: will judge 'concrete steps'Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told
journalists he was unaware of any plans by Vladimir Putin to
congratulate Trump since the US is an "unfriendly country"."We will draw
conclusions based on concrete steps and concrete words," Peskov said.-
Israel: 'powerful recommitment' -Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
described Trump's win as "history's greatest comeback!""Your historic
return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a
powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.
This is a huge victory!" Netanyahu said in a statement.- Hamas: 'blind
support' must end -Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas's political bureau,
told AFP that under Trump the United State's "blind support for the
Zionist entity must end because it comes at the expense of the future of
our people and the security and stability of the region."- Ukraine:
hopes 'just peace' closer -President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated
Donald Trump on his "impressive victory" and said he hoped his
presidency would bring a "just peace in Ukraine closer.""I appreciate
President Trump's commitment to the 'peace through strength' approach in
global affairs," Zelensky said in a statement on social media.- NATO:
'peace through strength' -NATO chief Mark Rutte congratulated Trump and
said his return to power would help keep the alliance "strong"."His
leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong. I look
forward to working with him again to advance peace through strength
through NATO," Rutte said in a statement.- EU: 'strong transatlantic
agenda' -"I warmly congratulate Donald J. Trump," European Union chief
Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X. "We are bound by a true partnership
between our people, uniting 800 million citizens. Let's work together on
a strong transatlantic agenda that keeps delivering for them."-
Britain: 'historic election victory' -Prime Minister Keir Starmer
congratulated the 78-year old on his "historic election victory"."From
growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US
special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the
Atlantic."- France: 'respect and ambition' -French President Emmanuel
Macron congratulated "President Donald Trump", saying he was ready to
work together "with respect and ambition" like "we managed to do for
four years".In a post on X, Macron said that the relationship with Trump
would "take account of your convictions, and mine", adding: "For more
peace and prosperity."- Germany: 'prosperity and freedom' -Chancellor
Olaf Scholz vowed Berlin would work with Trump for "prosperity and
freedom" in his message."Germany and the USA have long been working
together successfully to promote prosperity and freedom on both sides of
the Atlantic. We will continue to do so for the benefit of our
citizens."-Japan:'new heights' -Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told
reporters he hopes "to work closely with Mr Trump to take the Japan-US
alliance and Japan-US relationship to new heights."- Qatar: 'security
and stability' -Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, whose Gulf
monarchy is a key mediator in the Gaza conflict and hosts the largest US
military base in the Middle East, said he looked forward to "working
together again in promoting security and stability both in the region
and globally".- Turkey: 'my friend' Trump -Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan
congratulated "my friend Donald Trump"."I hope Turkey-US relations will
strengthen, that regional and global crises and wars, especially the
Palestinian issue and the Russia-Ukraine war, will come to an end,"
Erdogan said in a statement.- Egypt: 'reaching peace' -President Abdel
Fattah al-Sisi said he hoped Trump's return to the White House could
help bring peace to the Middle East."I wish him all the success... and I
look forward to reaching peace together, upholding regional stability
and strengthening the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United
States and their friendly peoples," Sisi said in a statement.- India:
'heartiest congratulations' -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed a
"historic election victory" offering his "heartiest congratulations" to
Trump, describing him as "my friend.""As you build on the successes of
your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration," he
said in a statement.- South Korea: alliance to shine brighter'
-President Yoon Suk Yeol congratulated Trump adding that "under your
strong leadership, the future of the ROK-U.S. alliance and America will
shine brighter. Look forward to working closely with you."- Italy:
'sincere congratulations' -Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered her
"sincere congratulations"."Italy and the United States are 'sister'
nations, linked by an unshakeable alliance," she said. "It is a
strategic bond which I am sure we will now strengthen even more."-
Poland: 'congratulations'"!You made it happen!", Polish President
Andrzej Duda posted on X.
