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.
