Continued threat of a wider war in the Mideast, after a bellicose speech by Benjamin Netanyahu that says Iran “has a “ruthless commitment to murdering Jews.”
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War rumblings continue, as Netanhayu says Iran is another Nazi Germany
Category Archives: Iran
An ominous warning: ‘Netanyahu needs a war with Iran. And he needs it soon’
There are ominous signs that Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and the Saudi Crown Prince are pushing for a wider war in the Mideast. In a dangerous escalation, Israel last night attacked an Iranian military base near Syria’s capital, Damascus, using both warplanes and surface-to-surface missiles.
Dangerous signs that Trump, Netanyahu and the Saudi Crown Prince are planning wider Mideast war
The Mideast could soon explode in a wider war, as Trump, Netanyahu and the Saudi Crown Prince may be targeting Lebanon and, ultimately, Iran.
Target Hezbollah
Israel backed al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in Syria in an effort to weaken Bashar al-Assad and Iran. The effort has failed and now Israel and Saudi Arabia are turning their attention to Lebanon where two mysterious events over the past week indicate that Hezbollah may be in Israel’s sights.
Gulf crisis could push Hamas closer to Iran, or cause it to fold under the Palestinian Authority
Ahmad Kabariti reports from Gaza on how the unfolding crisis in the Gulf around Qatar could move Hamas closer to Iran, or cripple the group in its power struggle with the Palestinian Authority.
Iran is no longer a theocratic juggernaut, even if Trump and friends want you to see it that way
Iran today is not a unified, expansionist juggernaut, but an increasingly corrupt, discredited regime that faces rising opposition. But U.S. policy reflects the Israeli and Saudi claim that Iran is supposedly unified, powerful and expanding, so it must be confronted everywhere.
Interrogating the Qatar rift
The abrupt announcement that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, UAE, Yemen, the Maldive Islands, and the eastern government in divided Libya have broken all economic and political ties with Qatar has given rise to a tsunami of conjecture, wild speculation, and most of all, to wishful thinking and doomsday worries. Richard Falk untangles the threads of the story so far what it could mean for U.S. foreign policy in the region.
Iran beats US for wrestling world cup, but you wouldn’t know it from watching NBC
When Donald Trump stopped all incoming travelers from seven primarily-Muslim countries, Iran was on the list. Iran retaliated by blocking all Americans from traveling to Iran, including the U.S. wrestling team who were scheduled to compete in the annual wrestling version of the World Cup. When the ban got knocked down stateside, the Iranians relented and the plot thickened when it all came down to the U.S. vs. Iran in the finals. You might think a sports drama like that would be of interest to the media. But NBC, who had rights to cover the event, instead opted for a blackout on it.
Jews in Iran: a travelogue
Yakov Rabkin travels to Iran where he meets with local Jews. He writes, “One should not idealize the life of Jews in Iran who have had their share of challenges. But their life stands in contrast to a well-oiled campaign to besmirch the history of Jewish-Muslim relations in order to suit a political agenda, the agenda of those who argue that there is no safe place for Jews except Israel.”
The Kissinger friendship: Clinton called ‘Henry’ to intercede with ‘Bibi’
Hillary Clinton brought up Israel twice at last night’s debate but Bernie Sanders didn’t take the bait even as he landed on Henry Kissinger. He ought to be telling Americans that she got her job as secretary of state due to her close connections to Israel
Sanders should declare a foreign policy of working with Iran in a ‘post-hegemonic’ world — Pampinella
Stephen Pampinella, a scholar of int’l relations at SUNY New Paultz, says Bernie Sanders must challenge neoconservative policies in both parties by declaring he will work with Iran to stabilize the Middle East in a “post-hegemonic” world order that relies on international law. Israel lobby won’t like this!
As sanctions end over nuclear program, US socks Iran with new sanctions over missile testing
Over the weekend, in a victory for diplomacy, the U.S. lifted sanctions on Iran in place since 2006 as the two countries also completed a prisoner exchange. But no sooner than the plane carrying released prisoners had left the tarmac in Iran, the U.S. Department of Treasury slapped new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile testing last fall, breaking the spirit of the agreement with Iran.
Sophisticated Orientalism in the New York Times
Orientalism is alive and well at the New York Times, as the paper tries to explain the Saudi-Iran dispute by citing 7th century theology.
Congress seeks to undermine Iran deal by linking Iran with ISIS
Congress seeks to link Iran with San Bernardino attacks with visa legislation that John Kerry has to apologize for. Iranians talk about the Zionist lobby’s effect; but US media avoid it.
Saddam was just a ‘neighborhood bully,’ Netanyahu says– 13 years after saying Saddam threatened ‘security of our entire world’
In speech to American Enterprise Institute last night, Benjamin Netanyahu said that Saddam was a “neighborhood bully” who had only “regional” effects, not “wedded to a larger goal.” But in 2002 he testified to Congress that Saddam put “our entire world at risk.”
Ad targeting Sen. Bennet says Iran wants to nuke the world’s children
An ad from a conservative group targeting Colorado Senator Michael Bennet for his vote in favor of Iran Deal features children who are targets of a nuclear strike. Bennet is up in 2016 and won by just two points in 2010.
Which nation spends more on its military: Iran or Israel?
Iran spends surprisingly little on its military, contrasted with Saudi Arabia and Israel. So why is Teheran demonized?
Don’t trade a war on Palestinians for a war on Iran — Berman
“Daylight” between the U.S. and Israel over Iran is bound to become a “deeper wedge” over the occupation in coming years as American politicians at last speak up, Rabbi Joseph Berman of Jewish Voice for Peace predicts
A guide to the worst refugee crisis since WWII
The world is witnessing the largest refugee crisis since the horrors of World War II. There are close to 60 million war refugees, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, an all-time high, as people from Syria, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and Yemen are fleeing violence in their countries. Human rights organizations warn the Gulf states, Israel, Iran, and Russia—all of whom have taken zero refugees—along with the US, Canada, and Europe—which have taken few—are not doing enough. Ben Norton presents a guide to the refugee crisis and how every country you need to know about is responding.
Iran is going to nuke your dog, pro-Israel group warns
The Israel Project produced a video showing an apparent nuclear attack on a city, featuring a man walking his dog. And never promoted it.
‘A better relationship with Iran’ is the deal’s secret promise, but supporters can’t say so
Israel’s interest continues to dominate Iran discussion: Washington Senator Patty Murray mentioned Israel more often than the United States in her statement supporting the Iran deal, while J Street’s petition backing Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s support for the deal only mentions Israel.
Israeli nukes are finally newsworthy– as US gov’t both releases and gags info
Federal law bars aid to countries trafficking in technology outside the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. Shouldn’t this bar US aid to Israel? The federal government has a gag order on such information, even as media pressure builds to discuss Israeli nukes
US Israel lobby groups ‘take orders’ from Netanyahu — says leading Israeli journalist
The rightwing Israel lobby used to be able to get 76 Senate signatures on a napkin overnight. Now it’s losing its power. Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Indiana Sen Joe Donnelly both are bucking it.
Nadler says his vote against Iraq war caused some to question his ‘commitment to Israel’
Jerrold Nadler is the only Jewish member of Congress from NY to support the Iran Deal, and his statement repeatedly stresses his devotion to Israel, lest he will pay for this decision
End of lockstep US Jewish support for Israel is a triumph not a tragedy
Many Jewish voices are lamenting the tragic division of the US Jewish community over the Iran Deal. The historic division is over a critical question, the US national interest versus Israel’s, and it signals the day when the many Jews who support BDS will at last get a hearing in synagogues and community centers