By Erfan Fard June 3, 2021 – Iranian Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi, photo by Mahmoud Hosseini for Tasnim News Agency via Wikimedia Commons – BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 2,062, June 3, 2021 – ISRAEL
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A presidential election will take place in Iran on June 18, and it is rumored that Ali Khamenei prefers one candidate above the others: Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi. While Raisi has never belonged to the IRGC, his election would nevertheless represent a victory for the hardliners. Despite his lack of religious credentials, Raisi is also considered a serious contender to succeed Khamenei as Supreme Leader.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is the main economic, intelligence, and military power in Iran. While also very strong politically, the Corps has yet to assume full power in the political sphere.
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Yamina MK Nir Orbach said he did not support the request and asked that his signature be withdrawn.
By GIL HOFFMAN JERUSALEM POST – JUNE 3, 2021 21:20
The 61 MKs due to make up the new coalition on Thursday submitted a formal request to Secretary of the Knesset, Yardena Muller-Horowitz, to begin the process of replacing Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin.
The MKs took the step to facilitate the formation of a government as soon as possible. Sources close to Levin have said he would only allow a vote of confidence in the new government at the last possible date permitted by law in order to increase pressure on Yamina MKs to vote against the government.
MK Nir Orbach of the Yamina Party said he did not support the request to remove Levin and that his signature was added without his knowledge and asked that it be withdrawn. Without Orbach, the coalition would not have the 61 MKs needed to unseat Levin.
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Turkish crime boss Sedat Peker speaks out about arms shipment to radical rebels in Syria in his latest barrage of allegations against figures close to the government.
Turkish mobster Sedat Peker is seen speaking on his YouTube channel in this photo of a cellphone screen taken in Istanbul on May 26, 2021. – Fehim Tastekin – AL MONITOR – June 2, 2021
Fresh allegations by a fugitive Turkish mobster have rekindled controversy in Turkey over arms shipments to Syria and murky cross-border trade, allegedly involving the inner circle of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but his revelations constitute just a few pieces in a giant puzzle.
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Der türkische Kriminalboss Sedat Peker spricht in seiner jüngsten Flut von Vorwürfen gegen regierungsnahe Persönlichkeiten über Waffenlieferungen an radikale Rebellen in Syrien.
Der türkische Mobster Sedat Peker ist auf seinem YouTube-Kanal auf diesem Foto eines Handybildschirms zu sehen, das am 26. Mai 2021 in Istanbul aufgenommen wurde. –
Fehim Tastekin AL MONITOR 3. June 2021 – Neue Anschuldigungen eines flüchtigen türkischen Mobsters haben in der Türkei kontroverse Kontroversen über Waffenlieferungen nach Syrien und einen trüben grenzüberschreitenden Handel ausgelöst, der angeblich den inneren Zirkel von Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan einbezieht, aber seine Enthüllungen stellen nur einige Teile eines riesigen Puzzles dar.
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Mansour Abbas: Islamist kingmaker or the “good Arab”?
April 2, 2021 MIDDLE EAST EYE – Carol Daniel Kasbari – At a press conference on Thursday, MK Mansour Abbas, head of the newly elected Islamist party in Israel, the United Arab List (Ra’am), made what many in the Israeli media dubbed a historic speech. In an effort to reach out to the Jewish Israeli public, he spoke in Hebrew and during the television prime time often given to Israeli politicians. Speaking surrounded by the party’s green flags, the conservative Islamist quoted verses from the Quran calling for the creation of “an opportunity for a shared life, in the holy and blessed land for the followers of the three religions and both peoples” and told his Hebrew-speaking audience that “Now is the time for change.”
At the end of January, Abbas split from the Joint List when the other Arab majority parties in the political alliance refused his ultimatums to vote against LGBTQ issues.
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Mai al-Kayla at the Shifaa Hospital in Gaza City (ministry of health in Ramallah Facebook page, May 28, 2021).
- Operation Guardian of the Walls: Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas are negotiating to stabilize the ceasefire declared on May 22, 2021. Hamas objects to creating a linkage between the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip and the return of Israel’s MIAs and prisoners. Despite the loss of life and destruction of the Gazan infrastructure, Hamas continues branding the operation a victory for Hamas, claiming it changed the “equation” with Israel and returned the Palestinian cause to the international agenda. Iran and Lebanon related to Iranian and Hezbollah involvement in the most recent round of hostilities after Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, claimed the rockets fired and UAVs launched had been coordinated by the “resistance” [i.e., terrorist organizations] in the Gaza Strip with the “resistance” [i.e., Hezbollah and Iran] in Lebanon.
- The Gaza Strip: This past week no rockets or mortar shells were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory. On May 30, 2021, a Palestinian infiltrated into Israel from the Gaza Strip and stabbed a security guard in one of the Israeli settlements near the border.
- Judea and Samaria: The number of rocks and Molotov cocktails thrown by7 the Palestinians at Israeli vehicles this past week was larger than usual, apparently triggered by the recent tensions and violence. Hamas called on the Palestinians in Jerusalem intensify their activity, especially at al-Aqsa mosque.
- Rebuilding the Gaza Strip: Senior Hamas figures do not look favorably upon the idea of PA involvement in rebuilding the Gaza Strip. Three ministers in the PA government, including the prime minister, visited the Gaza Strip to assess the extent of the damage in preparation for rebuilding with PA involvement. In the meantime, Gazans have been removing rubble, repairing roads, cleaning the streets and returning to routine life.
- Palestinian boycott campaign: In the wake of recent events in east Jerusalem and Operation Guardian of the Walls in the Gaza Strip, the PA has launched a campaign to boycott Israeli-manufactured goods, led by local BDS operatives.
- The coronavirus: Dr. Samer al-Assad, head of preventive medicine in the ministry of health in Ramallah, reported a significant decline in the extent of coronavirus infection in the PA territories. The minister of health reported that 102,960 doses of the Pfizer vaccine had been delivered to the PA by COVAX, of which 46,800 were transferred to the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian mediation for a ceasefire
- Egypt is continuing contacts with Israel, the PA and Hamas to put the ceasefire declared on May 22, 2021 on a firm footing. A delegation from Egyptian General Intelligence headed by Ahmed Abd al-Khalq, who holds the Palestinian portfolio, visited the Gaza Strip three times for talks with the Hamas leadership to prepare the ground for indirect negotiations with Israel in Cairo, most recently after the visit of the American Secretary of State. The Egyptians and Hamas leadership discussed stabilizing the ceasefire and rebuilding the Gaza Strip, which will be conducted under Egyptian supervision, and the exchange of prisoners.
- Quoting a “source in the Hamas leadership,” the Egyptian negotiating team promised Hamas that in the coming week Israel would reverse the recent “punishments” imposed on the Gaza Strip during the operation, i.e., reopen the crossings, increase the fishing zone, allow the delivery of fuel for the power station, repair damaged electric lines and allow the delivery of the money from Qatar (al-Akhbar, May 29, 2021).
- On May 31, 2021, a delegation led by Abbas Kamel, head of Egyptian General Intelligence, arrived in the Gaza Strip after visiting Israel and the PA. The delegation entered through the Erez Crossing and spoke for several hours with Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip and other members of the Hamas leadership. They focused on stabilizing the ceasefire, an oversight mechanism for rebuilding the Gaza Strip, and the issue of the prisoners and MIAs held in Gaza. Abbas also went to inspect several sites earmarked for reconstruction.
Abbas Kamel, head of Egyptian General Intelligence, visits the Gaza Strip and meets with Yahya al-Sinwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip (QudsN Facebook page, May 31, 2021).
UN Human Rights Council appoints commission to investigate Operation Guardian of the Walls
- On May 27, 2021, the UN Human Rights Council voted to appoint an independent [sic] international commission to gather evidence about violations of international law in Israel and the “occupied” territories, including east Jerusalem, carried out as of April 13, 2021 (about a month before Operation Guardian of the Walls). The commission will collect, analyze and publish all information indicating such violations. The resolution was passed with 24 countries voting in favor, 14 abstaining and nine voting against. The American delegation to international institutions in Geneva said in an announcement that it “deeply regretted” the decision (American delegation website, May 27, 2021).
- According to Michelle Bachelet, UN high commissioner for human rights, Israeli forces may have committed “war crimes” during the most recent operations by attacking densely populated areas from the air, causing a disproportionally high number of civilian casualties and extensive damage to the civilian infrastructure. She also related to Hamas’ system of locating military assets in densely populated civilian areas and launching rockets from such sites. She said the rockets were fired without discriminating between civilian and military targets and were clearly in violation of international humanitarian law. She said neither side absolved the other under international law (AP, May 27, 2021).
The vote to appoint the commission (UN Human Rights Council Twitter account, May 27, 2021).
- The Palestinian foreign ministry welcomed the Human Rights Council resolution, stressing that the investigation would relate to events beginning on April 13, 2021, and would include the “root causes” [i.e., Israel’s actions in east Jerusalem]. The foreign ministry thanked the countries that voted in favor of the resolution and criticized those that opposed it, claiming their position was “immoral” and warning they were on the wrong side of history. The ministry also urged the rapid appointment of the commission and called for cooperation from the international community (Wafa, May 27, 2021).
- Muhammad al-Shalaldeh, the PA minister of justice, said the resolution was a “victory” for the civilian victims of the hostilities and for the Palestinian cause, adding that all the reports brought before the Human Rights Council would also serve as criminal evidence and legal proof for the International Criminal Court (ICC) (Wafa, May 28, 2021). Shaawan Jabarin, head of the Ramallah-based al-Haq organization, welcomed the resolution, claiming it set a “precedent” that would serve the Palestinians politically, “morally” and legally. He also said it was a statement from international legal authorities and contained specific recommendations that would be transmitted to the ICC. The Ramallah-based al-Mezan Center for Human Rights also welcomed the resolution and called for the rapid appointment of the commission.
Iranian and Hezbollah involvement in the Gaza Strip hostilities
- After Yahya al-Sinwar said the rocket barrages and UAV launches during Operation Guardian of the Walls were “coordinated” by the “resistance” in the Gaza Strip and the “resistance” in Lebanon, various commentators said the following:
- Ibrahim al-Amin, editor of the Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper al-Akhbar in Lebanon, said in an interview that a joint operations room was established in Beirut which included officers from Hezbollah, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Qods Force, Hamas and other Palestinian organizations. He claimed the joint operations room was responsible for coordination. He also claimed that Esmail Ghaani, commander of the IRGC’s Qods Force, had visited Beirut twice and stayed at the joint operations room (al-Manar, May 29, 2021). A source in the Qods Force issued a denial, claiming the “Palestinian resistance” had waged the war itself, efficiently and in a praise-worthy fashion. However, according to the source, the “resistance in Lebanon” had managed to transfer “items” to the Gaza Strip that the “resistance” needed.
- Na’im Qassem, deputy Hezbollah secretary general, said there had been a high level of collaboration between Iran, Hezbollah and the Palestinian “resistance,” making the “resistance’s” achievements possible (al-Manar, May 29, 2021).
- Al-Arabiya TV reported that Iranian and Palestinian engineers had recently cooperated to make the range of the rockets more precise and improve the capabilities of Hamas military wing’s UAVs. The rockets safely arrived in the Gaza Strip and [allegedly] Hamas used them to attack Tel Aviv (al-Hadath, May 29, 2021).
- The Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar claimed that Israel’s plan to destroy Hamas’ tunnels (the “metro”) and kill hundreds of operatives had failed because of joint Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah surveillance and intelligence collaboration. According to al-Akhbar, the Palestinians in Gaza used Hezbollah’s accumulated experience and placed false targets, such as rocket launchers, communications centers and control rooms for Israeli Air Force to attack (al-Akhbar, May 31, 2021).
Developments in the Gaza Strip
The Palestinian Authority (PA)
[1] All information, pictures and reports are from Rescue Without Borders in Judea and Samaria unless otherwise noted. ↑
[2] A significant attack is defined by the ITIC as involving shooting, stabbing, a vehicular attack, the use of IEDs, or a combination of the above. Stones and Molotov cocktails thrown by Palestinians are not included. ↑
[3] Several sources reported that the Egyptian delegation demanded that the Hamas leadership, especially Yahya al-Sinwar, not challenge the Israeli leadership and make do with press conferences and military displays (al-Araby al-Jadeed, May 28, 2021). ↑
[4] https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/05/30/hamas-leader-battle-against-israel-to-continue-forever/ ↑
Related Articles
The recent war in Gaza exposes the limits of a key pillar of the country’s defense strategy. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
By Seth J. Frantzman, the author of After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East.
The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system (left) intercepts rockets fired by Hamas toward southern Israel from Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on May 14. – June 3, 2021, 4:42 AM
In the recent war between Israel and Hamas, a cease-fire was achieved after 11 days of fighting. Both sides claimed victory, and both are expecting another round in the future. For Israel, a key to its success has been the Iron Dome air defense system, which uses radar and missiles to intercept rockets and other threats. This kept Israeli civilians relatively safe from the 4,340 rockets the Israel Defense Forces say were fired from Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz is scheduled to meet U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today to seek up to $1 billion in emergency military aid to help replenish Iron Dome interceptors used in the war.
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Pictures from the video. Right: Houses of collaborators being set on fire. Left: Execution of a collaborator (Telegram, May 29, 2021)
Main events of the past week
- This week, the downtrend in ISIS’s activity in the various provinces continued. This is after a significant increase during the month of Ramadan:
- Syria: In the desert area (Al-Badia), several Syrian soldiers were wounded when a mine exploded in the Palmyra region. Russian planes carried out over 100 airstrikes against ISIS targets in the desert region. In the Deir ez-Zor-Al-Mayadeen region and in the Al-Raqqa region: this week, there was a decrease in the volume of ISIS’s activity against the Kurdish SDF forces.
- Iraq: The main event was a car bomb explosion against the Tribal Mobilization forces in Haditha, in western Iraq. Twelve Tribal Mobilization fighters were killed or wounded in the explosion. ISIS’s Iraq Province released a video threatening those who collaborate with the authorities.
- The Sinai Peninsula: The commander of the Egyptian army’s Counterterrorism Unit was killed by sniper fire during an Egyptian army operation against terrorist elements in Sheikh Zuweid, in northern Sinai. ISIS’s Sinai Province released photos documenting the execution of two collaborators with the Egyptian security forces who had been abducted in northern Sinai.
- ISIS’s activity in Africa focused on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Niger. The number of attacks carried out this week was relatively low and they were directed mainly at local security and army forces. ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly continues to publish articles documenting its governance capabilities in various parts of Africa, mainly those where the central government is weak.
- Afghanistan: In the province of Parwan, IEDs were activated against two buses carrying Shiites, several dozen of whom were killed or wounded. This week, several attacks were also carried out against the security forces. Most of the attacks took the form of activating IEDs and focused on Jalalabad. In the Philippines and Indonesia, local security forces arrested operatives of ISIS-affiliated organizations.
- The battle for hearts and minds: This week, ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly published a poster detailing the goals of ISIS’s propaganda activity, to which the organization attaches great importance. The poster reiterates ISIS’s key concept that war is waged simultaneously in two key spheres that are of equal importance: military war and propaganda war.
The Syrian arena
Syrian governorates (freeworldmaps.net)
The Idlib region
- During the week, exchanges of artillery fire continued almost daily between the Syrian army and the forces supporting it, and the rebel forces (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, May 2021).
The Deir ez-Zor-Al-Mayadeen region
- ISIS continued its attacks against the Kurdish SDF forces operating in the region, although there has been a significant decrease in the scope of the attacks. On May 27, 2021, ISIS claimed responsibility for machine gun fire at an SDF fighter in the Hajin region, about 50 km southeast of Al-Mayadeen. He was killed.
The desert region (Al-Badia)
- Russian fighter jets carried out over 100 airstrikes against ISIS targets in the desert region (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, May 28, 2021). Several Syrian soldiers were wounded when a mine exploded during an operation against ISIS in the Palmyra region (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, May 28, 2021).
Al-Raqqah region
- On May 26, 2021, an IED was activated against an SDF vehicle in south Al-Raqqah. The four passengers on board were killed or wounded.
The Iraqi arena
Provinces of Iraq (Wikipedia)
- This week as well, ISIS operatives carried out attacks in the various provinces in Iraq. There was a significant decrease in the number of attacks this week as well. The Iraqi security forces continued their counterterrorism measures against ISIS in the various provinces. The following is a list of attacks, mostly according to ISIS’s claims of responsibility.
Kirkuk Province
- On May 27, 2021, an IED was activated against a group of Iraqi soldiers in southern Daquq, in south Kirkuk. A police officer was killed.
Salah al-Din Province
- Most of the incidents this week were focused on the region west of Tuz Khormato, about 100 km northeast of Samarra:
- On May 30, 2021, an Iraqi army headquarters was targeted by machine gun fire. Several soldiers were wounded.
- On May 28, 2021, the headquarters of an Iraqi foj (army force whose size is between a battalion and a brigade) in the region was targeted by mortar shells. No casualties or damage were reported.
- On May 27, 2021, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army vehicle. The passengers on board were wounded.
Right: ISIS operatives observing the camp (Telegram, May 30, 2021). Left: ISIS operative preparing to fire rockets (Telegram, May 30, 2021)
- Another attack was carried out on May 28, 2021, against an Iraqi army camp on the Haditha-Baiji road. The camp sustained damage. On May 30, 2021, a Tribal Mobilization vehicle was targeted by gunfire in the region of Yathrib, about 40 km southeast of Samarra. Two Tribal Mobilization fighters were wounded.
Al-Anbar Province
- On May 31, 2021, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army patrol during operational activity in eastern Iraq, near the border with Syria. One soldier was killed. On the same day, an Iraqi army headquarters near the Arar border crossing on the Iraqi-Saudi border was also attacked. Several soldiers were killed or wounded, and the building sustained damage.
- On May 28, 2021, an IED was activated against a patrol of the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization east of Al-Qaim, near the Iraqi-Syrian border. Several fighters were killed or wounded. A day earlier, on May 27, 2021, mortar shells were fired at an Iraqi army camp in east Al-Qaim. A direct hit was observed. No casualties or damage were reported.
Right: ISIS operative preparing to fire a mortar shell at an Iraqi army camp. Left: The mortar shell being fired at the camp (Telegram, May 29, 2021)
- On May 26, 2021, an IED was activated near the house of a mukhtar affiliated with the Iraqi regime in the Al-Masharee’ region, south of Al-Qaim. The house was destroyed.
- On May 25, 2021, a car bomb exploded in Haditha, western Iraq, among Tribal Mobilization fighters. A total of 12 Tribal Mobilization fighters were killed or wounded.
Diyala Province
- On May 28, 2021, a Popular Mobilization camp north of Al-Miqdadiya was targeted by gunfire. One fighter was wounded.
Counterterrorism in Iraq
Nineveh Province
- The Iraqi security forces arrested 12 wanted ISIS operatives in the province (Security Information Unit Facebook account, May 29, 2021).
Kirkuk Province
- The Iraqi security forces located five rockets ready for being launched in the Kirkuk region (Security Information Unit Facebook account, May 31, 2021).
Al-Anbar Province
- In the Kabisa region, about 150 km west of Baghdad, the security forces located a motorcycle bomb that ISIS intended to use in an attack (Security Information Unit Facebook account, May 29, 2021).
- The security forces arrested two ISIS operatives, the one in the Daquq region, south of Kirkuk, and the other in the Al-Intisar neighborhood in Mosul. The two men had been engaged in smuggling weapons to ISIS’s hiding places. The sum of $247,000 was found in their possession (Security Information Unit, May 30, 2021).
ISIS’s Iraq Province released a video threatening collaborators
- ISIS’s Iraq Province released a video entitled Creators of Wars (“Sunna’ al-Malahem”), documenting executions of collaborators with the Iraqi regime. One of those seen in the video was a commander belonging to the Tribal Mobilization forces in the Jalula region. The video also documents the collaborators’ houses, belongings and wheat fields being set on fire. Threats against collaborators can be heard in the background (Telegram, May 29, 2021).
The Sinai Peninsula
- Colonel Khaled al-Arian, commander of Egyptian Army Counterterrorism Unit 888, was killed by sniper fire during an operation against terrorist elements (i.e., ISIS) in Sheikh Zuweid in northern Sinai (Nabd al-Watan, May 30, 2021; @mahmouedgamal44 Twitter account, May 30, 2021). A day after his death, ISIS’s Sinai Province released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. According to the statement, ISIS operatives fired at an Egyptian army patrol during an operation in Al-Shalaq, west of Sheikh Zuweid. An Egyptian officer with the rank of aqid (colonel), an Egyptian army commander, was killed in the attack.
Khaled al-Arian, killed by a sniper in Sheikh Zuweid (Nabd al-Watan, May 30, 2021)
- ISIS’s Sinai Province released photos documenting the execution of two collaborators with the Egyptian security forces after they had been abducted in northern Sinai (Telegram, May 30, 2021).
The rhetoric against Makhmour, a settlement where residents are overwhelmingly sympathetic to the Kurdistan Workers Party, could be part of a strategy to divert attention away from economic problems at home.
Amberin Zaman AL MONITOR – June 2, 2021 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to strike a refugee settlement in Iraqi Kurdistan on the grounds that it is a breeding ground for rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).In a live interview on the state-run TRT news channel, Erdogan said that if the United Nations did not “clean it up, we will do it as a UN member.”
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Most political leaders remain conspicuously mum following the announcement on the new government as Likud plans to maximize pressure on Yamina MKs in hopes they will torpedo the budding coalition at the last minute.
By Yehuda Shlezinger , Danielle Roth-Avneri and News Agencies – Published on 06-03-2021 09:10 ISRAEL HAYOM – Yesh Atid on Thursday presented the Knesset Secretariat with the signatures of 61 lawmakers, seeking to cement the change of government in Israel.The so-called “pro-change” bloc seeks to have the new government sworn in by next Wednesday. According to Channel 12 News, Yesh Atid has also presented a motion to immediately replace Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin (Likud) with MK Mickey Levy, as it is believed Levin will use his power to delay the vote in an effort to delay the unseating of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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