MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : US INTEL IN SWITZERLAND

Swiss intelligence chief to step down following dispute over Crypto AG spy scandal

MAY 13, 2021 BY JOSEPH FITSANAKIS intel org  

THE DIRECTOR OF SWITZERLAND’S spy service will step down once his mandate ends in August, allegedly over a dispute with the country’s governing council about the Crypto AG affair, which shook Swiss politics last year. Jean-Philippe Gaudin headed Switzerland’s Military Intelligence Service from 2008 to 2015. He then served as a defense attaché at the Swiss embassy in Paris, France, before being appointed by the then-Defense Minister, Guy Parmelin as director of the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS). Founded in 2010, the FIS performs both domestic and external intelligence functions in the Alpine state.

But, according to reports in the Swiss media, Gaudin is not expected to continue in his post once his mandate ends, on August 31. The reason seems to be tensions within the Swiss government over the so-called Crypto AG affair. The scandal centers on the world’s leading manufacturer of cryptologic equipment during the Cold War, Crypto AG, whose clients included over 120 governments around the world. In February of last year, The Washington Post and the German public broadcaster ZDF confirmed reports that had been circulating since the early 1980s, that Crypto AG was a front for American intelligence. According to the revelations, the Central Intelligence Agency and West Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service secretly purchased the Swiss company in the 1950s and paid off most of its senior executives in order to buy their silence.

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MESOPOTAMIA NEWS  Special Dispatch | 9330 | May 12, 2021 MEMRI

 

Hamas, Islamic Jihad Officials: Iran Provides Our Missiles, Weapons, Funds, And Food, Our Gunmen ‘Were Trained By Our Brothers In The IRGC’; Without Iran’s Assistance, We Wouldn’t Be Able To Fire Rockets At Tel Aviv; Qassem Soleimani Personally Oversaw Transfer Of Rockets To Gaza
   

The following is a complimentary offering from the MEMRI Iran Threat Monitor Project (ITMP). For more information, write to memri@memri.org with “ITMP Subscription” in the subject line.

During the current Israel-Gaza clashes, several types of rockets and missiles have been fired from Gaza into Israel. Hamas’s military wing, the ‘Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that missiles of the Sejjil type, as well as SH85, J80, SA120, S40 and Q20 missiles, were fired. According to another announcement, the Brigades reported that Hamas is using “a new, special tactic to fire the highly destructive Sejjil missiles,” which allows them to evade interception by Israel’s Iron Dome system. It also claimed that Hamas had fired a Kornet anti-tank missile at a military jeep north of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas announces it is using ‘a new special tactic’ to fire Sejjil missiles

Other terror organizations also boasted about the rockets fired into Israel. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) stated that it had fired Badr-3 rockets at the city of Ashkelon. The military wing of the Al-Mujahideen movement said it had fired a Sa’ir rocket at Nahal Oz, a kibbutz on the Gaza border, and the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees announced that it had fired a “KH rocket” at Israel’s Hatzerim air base on May 12 and “Model 107” rockets at the Ashkelon area.

As early as 2012, PIJ leaders had pointed out that its missiles had come from Iran. In recent years, the Gaza terror organizations have significantly upgraded their rocket capabilities, primarily with help from Iran, which has provided them with weapons and also helped them to boost their own rocket-manufacturing capabilities. Gazan officials have often highlighted the importance of this Iranian assistance, and stressed the direct involvement of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Qods Force killed in January 2020 in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad, in the military buildup of Hamas and the PIJ.   

The following are excerpts from these statements, as published in MEMRI reports and clips.

May 2021 – Senior PIJ Official: The Rockets We Use to Pound Tel Aviv, And All Our Weapons, Money and Food, Are Provided By Iran

In an interview that aired on Al-Ahd TV (Iraq) on May 7, 2021, senior PIJ official Ramez Al-Halabi said that the rockets used by the faction to target Tel Aviv bear the signature of Iran and Soleimani. He added that faction members were trained by the IRGC and that Iranian money was used to buy weapons for the armed factions in Gaza and Lebanon. Al-Halabi added that every home in Gaza has Soleimani’s portrait, and that “it is they [Iran] who support us with weapons, money, and food.”

To view Al-Halabi’s statements on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

December 2020-January 2021 – Senior Hamas, Hizbullah Officials: Iran Sent Kornet Missiles To Gaza

At a January 2, 2021 memorial for Soleimani, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said: “During the time of aggression of 2008-2009 [i.e. Israel’s Operation Cast Lead] a shortage of anti-tank weapons was discovered among the resistance fighters in Gaza, and Soleimani tried [to ensure] that those weapons wsiould arrive in the shortest possible time…”

In a December 27, 2020 interview with Al-Mayadeen TV, Hizbullah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah clarified that the weapons in question were Russian Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, and that they had arrived via Syria. He said: “The brother Al-Hajj Qassem [Soleimani] told me: ‘Oh Sayyid [Nasrallah], we must take the Kornet [missiles] that you have and send them to the brothers in Gaza’ – of course we were talking about Hamas and PIJ. I answered him: ‘…We took those missiles from the brothers in Syria. President Bashar Al-Assad agreed that those missiles, which Syria purchased from Russia, are in South Lebanon, but I don’t know whether he will agree to them being in Gaza… It is only right that I request his approval.’ [Soleimani] told me: ‘No problem. Whoever meets with him first will speak to him.’

“By chance, I was the first to meet with President Al-Assad, and so I spoke to him… [Assad] said: ‘As far as I’m concerned, there’s no problem.’ At the same time, Qassem [Soleimani] and the joint [Qods Force-Hizbullah] cell… received the Kornet [missiles] and transferred them [to Gaza].

“This is [only] one example. Everyone knows that the brother Qassem Soleimani and the brothers in the Islamic Republic of Iran also sent [military] aid to Gaza using [their] diplomatic relations – for example, their relations with Sudan. Things came to the point where Israeli planes bombed factories or weapons storehouses in Sudan… because they are storehouses for weapons, ammunition and missiles to be sent later, by various and diverse means, to the Gaza Strip.”

Regarding the Kornet missiles which Hamas received from Iran, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Zahar told Al-Mayadeen TV in a December 28, 2020 interview: “The Kornet missile has become necessary for the struggle against the occupation state… The Kornet conveyed to the occupation the message that it will be difficult for it to approach the [Gaza] borders… The Kornet constitutes a deterrent force that should be developed, in preparation for the defeat of the occupation and all its collaborators.” Alluding to Iran, Al-Zahar thanked “all those who provide assistance to the resistance in the struggle against the occupation, even if it is [as small as] a pen.”

December 2020-January 2021 – PIJ Secretary-General Nakhalah: Soleimani Personally Oversaw The Transfer Of Rockets To Gaza

In a December 31, 2020 interview with Al-Mayadeen TV, PIJ Secretary-General Ziad Al-Nakhalah said: “We have had the Kornet [missile] in our possession since 2012, as have our brothers in Hamas. In all the campaigns [against Israel]… the resistance has used them… All the conventional weapons reached [Gaza] via Al-Hajj Qassem Soleimani, Hizbullah, and Syria, and the entire [resistance] axis played a part in transporting them… There are training camps in Syria where our brothers in Hamas received special training to produce the rockets…” Nakhalah said that Soleimani had personally “supervised and directed the transfer of the missiles to Gaza [and had] travelled among several countries to persuade them [to help with this]… He personally visited Sudan [and arrived at] a clear agreement that it [Sudan] would serve as a station for the transfer of the weapons.”

Nakhalah also revealed that Soleimani had send 10 shiploads of weapons to the Gaza Strip.

The next day, January 1, 2021, Nakhalah told Iran’s Arabic-language Al-Alam TV about Soleimani’s role in arming and training the military factions in Gaza. He said that “nothing happened without his direct orders and oversight” and that it was Soleimani who had supplied the missiles used to attack Tel Aviv. Al-Nakhaleh added that Soleimani had played a “pivotal” role in the decision to attack “the capital of the Zionist entity” and that thanks to the experience gained under Soleimani’s guidance, the people of Gaza had learned how to manufacture missiles locally.

Nakhalah said: “With the capabilities at hand today, Gaza can confront Israel for a prolonged war. These expertise did not come from nowhere. They are the result of a great effort by Hajj Qassem [Soleimani] to enable [the Palestinian] fighters to reach that goal.”

Adding that Soleimani “did not train [the Palestinians] himself, obviously, but he gave instructions to the experts who supervised these matters,” Nakhalah said that his plans had “of course” been implemented, and that “nothing happened without his direct orders and supervision. What stage was reached, the results, all these things – he supervised all that. This was in addition to the strategic step of sending missiles and weapons to the Gaza strip. It was almost miraculous. It was very expensive in terms of technology, security, and capabilities…”

Despite the logistics, he said, “it was accomplished. [Soleimani] himself invested a lot [of effort] into this. He traveled to various countries, made plans, and set up guidelines to deliver these weapons [to the Gaza Strip]. And indeed, these weapons were delivered [to the Gaza Strip]. I can say that the missiles that [Soleimani] delivered to the Gaza Strip were the ones used to attack Tel Aviv. I can say that Hajj Qassem played a pivotal role in the fact that the Palestinians ventured to attack the capital of the Zionist entity. From that point in time, weapons were developed in Palestine, and the Palestinians began to manufacture all the missiles themselves as a result of the experience they gained thanks to the decisions of Hajj Qasem. This is a great and important issue, and without a doubt played a role in strengthening the Palestinian resistance.”

To view Nakhala’s statements on MEMRI TV, click here or below:

May 2020 – PIJ Secretary-General Nakhalah: Nothing Happened In Gaza Without Soleimani’s Direct Orders And Oversight; He Supplied The Rockets We Used To Attack Tel Aviv

In a May 21, 2020 interview, on Egypt’s Al-Nas TV, PIJ leader Nakhala told Iraq’s Al-Nujaba TV that thousands of Palestinian fighters had been trained at designated camps set up by Soleimani. He explained that these fighters had been transported out of the West Bank and Gaza to these camps, and that six months previously, in December 2019, 80 PIJ fighters had been arrested by authorities in Egypt.

He said in the interview: “People do not know that thousands of Palestinians were trained in camps supervised by Hajj Qassem [Soleimani]. I’m talking about thousands of Palestinians from within the occupied land. By various methods and means, they would be transported, trained, and returned.”

Confirming that the fighters were transported from “Gaza and the West Bank,” he added: “I wouldn’t be revealing a secret if I told you that six months ago, the Egyptians detained 80 of our fighters in Cairo. I travelled to Cairo and we reached an understanding.”

To view Nakhala’s statements on MEMRI TV, click here or below: Hamas, Islamic Jihad Officials: Iran Provides Our Missiles, Weapons, Funds, And Food, Our Gunmen ‘Were Trained By Our Brothers In The IRGC’; Without Iran’s Assistance, We Wouldn’t Be Able To Fire Rockets At Tel Aviv; Qassem Soleimani Personally Oversaw Transfer Of Rockets To Gaza | MEMRI weiterlesen / click to continue

MESOPOTAMIA NEWS HISTORY  :  What We Did –  How the Jewish Communist Left Failed the Palestinian Cause

 

May 12, 2021 Posted by Dorothy M. Zellner

I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD when World War II ended, but I remember the way the war lived in our house. Both my parents were secular, non-Zionist Jewish immigrants and lifelong followers of the Soviet Union, which they believed would end exploitation, poverty, and racism. My siblings and I have memories of blacked-out windows and air raid sirens and the sound of incessant war reports on the radio, which my father turned up as loudly as possible to drown out the normal din of childhood. He raved almost daily, waving his fists in the air, cursing the “Nazi swine!” and obsessively following the progress of the Red Army, which he hoped would save not only the Jews but the entire human race. I cannot recall my parents talking about what many American Jews of that period considered the promised land, the Zionist project in Palestine.

Until the late 1940s, the Soviet Union and its Communist followers in the United States opposed the partition of Palestine to create a Jewish state, advocating instead for the establishment of a single state that would confer equal rights on everyone who lived there. In the US, this Jewish Communist left was small in number but influential. Thus it was significant that in 1947, the year I turned nine, the Soviet Union abruptly altered its position, throwing its support behind the creation of what would become the State of Israel. After a brief period of shock and confusion, the Jews of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) followed suit.

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MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : NETANJAHU VERURTEILT ISRAELISCHE  LYNCHMORDE AN ARABERN

Konflikt in Nahost : Die Gewalt eskaliert auch zwischen Israelis

  • Aktualisiert am 13.05.2021-08:01 FAZ – Eine Rauchwolke steigt am Mittwoch über Gaza-Stadt auf, nachdem Israel ein Hochhaus angegriffen hat, das auch Cafés und zivile Wohnungen beherbergte.

Als Folge des Konflikts zwischen Israel und den Palästinensern nehmen auch die Spannungen zwischen jüdischen und arabischen Israelis zu. In Bat Yam südlich von Tel Aviv wurde am Mittwochabend ein mutmaßlich arabischer Einwohner von einer wütenden Menge ultranationalistischer Juden attackiert. Bilder zeigten, wie mehrere Dutzend Angreifer den Mann gewaltsam aus seinem Auto zerrten und ihn bewusstlos prügelten. Im Anschluss ließen sie ihn reglos auf der Straße liegen, Polizei und Rettungskräfte trafen erst 15 Minuten später ein.

In mehreren jüdisch-arabischen Orten gab es seit der Nacht zum Mittwoch Ausschreitungen. Netanjahu verurteilt Lynchmorde:

Ministerpräsident Benjamin Netanjahu verurteilte die Gewalt. „Was in den vergangenen Tagen in den Städten Israels geschehen ist, ist inakzeptabel“, erklärte er. „Nichts rechtfertigt den Lynchmord an Arabern durch Juden, und nichts rechtfertigt den Lynchmord an Juden durch Araber.“

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MESOPOTAMIA NEWS SPECIAL : Die Hamas Erklärung  –  Iran liefert unsere Raketen, Waffen, Fonds und Lebensmittel, unsere Bewaffneten ‘wurden von unseren Brüdern in der IRGC ausgebildet’; Ohne die Hilfe des Iran wären wir nicht in der Lage, Raketen auf Tel Aviv abzufeuern; Qassem Soleimani persönlich überwachte den Transfer von Raketen nach Gaza

MEMRI TV

Während der aktuellen Zusammenstöße zwischen Israel und Gaza wurden mehrere Arten von Raketen und Raketen aus Gaza auf Israel abgefeuert. Der militärische Flügel der Hamas, die “Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigaden”, gab bekannt, dass Raketen des Typs Sejjil sowie SH85-, J80-, SA120-, S40- und Q20-Raketen abgefeuert wurden. Laut einer anderen Ankündigung berichteten die Brigaden, dass die Hamas “eine neue, spezielle Taktik einsetzt, um die hochzerstörerischen Sejjil-Raketen abzufeuern”, die es ihnen ermöglicht, sich dem Abfangen durch das israelische Iron Dome-System zu entziehen. Sie behauptete auch, dass die Hamas eine Kornet-Panzerabwehrrakete auf einen Militärjeep nördlich des Gazastreifens abgefeuert habe. [1]

Hamas kündigt “neue Spezialtaktik” zum Abschuss von Sejjil-Raketen an

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MESOPOTAMIA NEWS INTEL BY MEIR AMIT CENTER / ISRAEL – Escalation in Israel’s South – Rocket Fire from the Gaza Strip Updated to 12:00 noon, May 11, 2021

Published:

Direct rocket hit on a house in Ashqelon (QudsN Facebook page, May 11, 2021).
Overview
  • The hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians in Jerusalem escalated to a new height on May 10, 2021, the day Israel celebrated Jerusalem Day. Hamas’ military-terrorist wing issued an ultimatum to Israel, calling for the removal of Israel’s security forces from the al-Aqsa mosque precinct and Sheikh Jarrah in east Jerusalem, and the release of all the Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israeli jails, by 18:00. When its conditions were not met, Hamas fired seven rockets at the Jerusalem region.
  • Another barrage of rockets was then fired at Israel’s southern coastal cities of Ashdod and Ashqelon. As of noon, May 11, 2021, more than 250 rockets had been fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel. Several buildings were damaged and 31 civilians were hospitalized. The IDF responded be attacking more than 130 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist targets.
  • Since the tension began in Jerusalem, Hamas has systematically escalated its attacks. When the riots in east Jerusalem began Hamas initiated an intensive propaganda campaign inciting the Palestinians to violence against Israel. Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas’ military-terrorist wing, later issued a warning to Israel and an ultimatum, which led to massive rocket fire barrages.
  • While in recent years Hamas has been careful not to escalate the situation along the border, and one way or another maintained the lull understandings, apparently this time the organization decided to disregard the understandings and fire massive barrages of rockets at Israel, despite the fact it was clear the Gaza Strip would pay a high price. Apparently what caused the change was Hamas’ desire to represent itself as defending Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque to make political capital with the Palestinian public in Judea and Samaria. It might also have been caused by internal pressure on the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip from senior figures abroad to push for action against Israel, since they are less committed than the Gaza Strip leadership to the welfare of the Gazan population.
The Chain of Events
  • The escalation in hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians began on May 10, 2021, Jerusalem Day, when Israel celebrates the uniting of the city. During the morning thousands of Palestinians who had barricaded themselves inside al-Aqsa mosque rioted against Israeli police. About three hundred Palestinians were injured, seven of them seriously.
Rocket fire attacking Israel
  • The Palestinians’ opening shot was a barrage of rocket fire at exactly 18:00, when the ultimatum issued by Hamas’ military-terrorist wing ended. Seven rockets were fired in the general direction of Jerusalem and the surrounding area, one of which was intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system. A number of close explosions were heard. A house in an Israeli community close to Jerusalem was damaged when a rocket fell nearby. The last time rockets were fired at the Jerusalem area was during Operation Protective Edge (July-August 2014). Hamas military-terrorist wing was quick to claim responsibility for the rocket fire. Usama Obeida, spokesman for the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades, said the rocket fire targeted the “enemy of occupied Jerusalem,” a response to its alleged “crimes and aggression” against the Old City, and to the attacks on the residents of Sheikh Jarrah and al-Aqsa mosque. He also said the promise made by Muhammad Deif, commander of Hamas’ military-terrorist wing, would be kept.[1]
  • Later the military-terrorist wing announced the rockets were a new type called A120, which had range of 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) and the attack on Jerusalem was the first time they had been used (al-Aqsa, May 11, 2021).
Muslims on the Temple Mount celebrate the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip targeting Jerusalem (QudsN Facebook page, May 10, 2021).     Palestinian video of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, May 10, 2021).
Right: Palestinian video of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, May 10, 2021). Left: Muslims on the Temple Mount celebrate the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip targeting Jerusalem (QudsN Facebook page, May 10, 2021).
Rocket fire attacking the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip border
  • Immediately after the rocket fire attacking Jerusalem barrages of rockets and mortar shells began attacking the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip. The military-terrorist wings of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), Fatah in the Gaza Strip, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) all claimed responsibility for the rocket fire (al-Aqsa, May 11, 2021). As of noon, May 11, 2021, more than 250 rockets had been fired, dozens of which were intercepted by the Iron Dome aerial defense system (IDF spokesman, May 11, 2021).
  • The joint operations room of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip issued an announcement to the effect that after they had warned Israel, and the time had come for it “to pay for its aggression against the holy sites.” The announcement promised the Palestinians that the “resistance” [i.e., terrorist organizations] would not disappoint them and would serve as their shield and sword. A PRC spokesman said they were calling the operation “Sword of Jerusalem” (Shehab Twitter account, May 11, 2021).
  • Rockets were fired continually at Ashqelon and the communities near the Gaza Strip, continuing into May 11, 2021, when the range was extended to Ashdod, to the north of Ashqelon:
    • Ashqelon took several direct hits, and several buildings were damaged. Dozens of local residents were injured, four in one family. Later two local residents were killed by rocket fire.
Rocket fire damage in Ashqelon (Palinfo Twitter account, May 11, 2021).     Rocket fire damage in Ashqelon (Palinfo Twitter account, May 11, 2021).
Rocket fire damage in Ashqelon (Palinfo Twitter account, May 11, 2021).
Direct rocket hit on a house in Ashqelon (QudsN Facebook page, May 11, 2021).    Direct rocket hit on a house in Ashqelon (QudsN Facebook page, May 11, 2021).
Direct rocket hit on a house in Ashqelon (QudsN Facebook page, May 11, 2021).
    • In Sderot a house next to a synagogue was hit, and a rocket caused a fire in a newly-built section of the city.
    •  A local municipality was also directly hit. No casualties were reported (spokesman for the municipality’s media unit, May 11, 2021).
Rocket fire damage in one of the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip (QudsN Facebook page, May 10, 2021).    Rocket fire damage in one of the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip (QudsN Facebook page, May 10, 2021).
Rocket fire damage in one of the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip (QudsN Facebook page, May 10, 2021).
Anti-tank missile fired at Israeli civilian vehicle near the Gaza Strip
  • A short time after the rocket fire targeting Jerusalem, a Kornet anti-tank missile was fired at a civilian Israeli vehicle near the Gaza Strip border. A civilian was wounded and evacuated to a hospital for medical care (IDF spokesman, May 10, 2021). The PIJ’s military-terrorist wing claimed responsibility for the missile fire, documenting and publishing it on its media outlets. PIJ spokesmen claimed the vehicle’s passengers were a military delegation headed by the head of intelligence for the IDF’s Gaza Division (PIJ military-terrorist wing Telegram account, May 11, 2021). The Filastin al-Yawm channel broadcast a video of the missile fire, claiming it came in response to the [alleged] “crimes at al-Aqsa mosque,” and that the vehicle belonged to “enemy commanders” (Filastin al-Yawm, May 10, 2021).
From a video issued by the PIJ's military-terrorist wing documenting the Kornet missile attack on an Israeli civilian vehicle (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, May 10, 2021).     From a video issued by the PIJ's military-terrorist wing documenting the Kornet missile attack on an Israeli civilian vehicle (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, May 10, 2021).
From a video issued by the PIJ’s military-terrorist wing documenting the Kornet missile attack on an Israeli civilian vehicle (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, May 10, 2021).
PIJ ultimatum for Israel
  • Around 21:00 on May 10, 2021, Abu Hamza, spokesman for the PIJ’s military-terrorist wing, announced that Tel Aviv and Ashqelon would be attacked at 21:00 (Abu Hamza’s Twitter account, May 10, 2021). In effect, at the designated time a large barrage of rockets attacked Ashqelon and the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip.
Israeli casualties
  • As of 12 noon, May 11, 2021, 31 Israelis had been evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashqelon. A man who had been critically wounded was transferred to the hospital in Beersheba. Another man was seriously wounded and 21 people were superficially wounded, with eight people treated for shock. Among those wounded were four members of the same family, and five children (Barzilai Hospital spokesman’s unit, May 11, 2021).
Israel’s Response
  • In response to the rocket fire the IDF attacked Hamas terrorist targets. Around midnight the IDF announced the launching of Operation Guardian of the Walls against the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. The IDF attacked about 130 targets in the Gaza Strip in several waves (IDF spokesman, May 11, 2021). After an assessment of the situation the IDF’s recommendation to continue attacking was authorized (Israeli media, May 11, 2021).
  • With aircraft and tanks, the IDF attacked primarily Hamas and PIJ targets (IDF spokesman, May 10 and 11, 2021), including:
  • Senior military-terrorist wing operatives and their houses.

Hamas military-terrorist wing battalion commander's house (IDF spokesman, May 10, 2021).
Hamas military-terrorist wing battalion commander’s house (IDF spokesman, May 10, 2021).

  • Rocket launchers, rocket launching squads and a missile-launching squad.
  • Terrorist attack tunnels near the border security fence. Several terrorist operatives were inside one of the tunnels

Attack on a Hamas terrorist tunnel (IDF spokesman, May 10, 2021).
Attack on a Hamas terrorist tunnel (IDF spokesman, May 10, 2021).

  • A Hamas intelligence situation room in the southern Gaza Strip.
  • Sites for the manufacture of rockets and other weapons, and weapons storehouses.
  • Hamas and PIJ posts and training bases.
IDF attack on Gaza City (Wafa, May 11, 2021).    IDF attack on the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City (Palinfo Twitter account, May 11, 2021).
Right: IDF attack on the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City
(Palinfo Twitter account, May 11, 2021). Left: IDF attack on Gaza City (Wafa, May 11, 2021).
Attack on a site in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City (Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, May 11, 2021).    IDF attack on Hamas workshop in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
Right: IDF attack on Hamas workshop in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. Left: Attack on a site in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City
(Twitter account of journalist Hassan Aslih, May 11, 2021).
  • The ministry of health in Gaza claimed 24 Gazans were killed in the attacks, nine of them allegedly children, and 103 wounded (ministry of health in Gaza website, May 11, 2021).
  • Hamas’ ministry of the interior in Gaza called on the public not to gather at the entrances of the hospitals and ERs in order to allow for the continuous and rapid passage of emergency staff. In addition, the ministry warned the public not to touch undetonated ordinance which could explode and cause damage to life or property (ministry of the interior in Gaza Facebook page, May 11, 2021).
  • In response to the rocket fire the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced the closing of the Kerem Shalom Crossing, which is used for the delivery of merchandise. That followed the recent closing of the fishing zone and of the Erez Crossing, which is used for the passage of Gazans, with the individual exceptions of humanitarian and other special cases (COGAT spokesman’s unit website, May 9 and 10, 2021).
Hamas and the PIJ
  • As soon as the rocket fire began the Hamas media announced that Hamas was keeping its promise and that Muhammad Deif’s warning was being put into action. The headline of the Hamas newspaper al-Risalah read, “al-Qassam[2] keeps its promise.” Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida threatened that if Israel attacked civilian installations or houses in the Gaza Strip the response would be strong and painful, and beyond what Israeli expected.
  • Isma’il Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, said Jerusalem had set a new balance of power which could be seen in the political and public arenas and on the ground. He also said the connection between Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip was firm, and when Jerusalem called the Gaza Strip answered. He announced they would continue the struggle as long as Israel continued its [alleged] “displays of aggression and terrorism in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque” (Shehab Twitter account, May 11, 2021). Abu Obeida sent the east Jerusalemites the message that they could be calm because the “resistance” was vigilant, stood behind them and had its finger on the trigger.
Palestinian Reactions
  • Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Ahmed Hilles, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee, and with Salah Abu Warda, governor of the Gaza Strip’s northern district, and with other senior figures in the Gaza Strip, to discuss recent developments (Wafa, May 11, 2021). Mahmoud Abbas ordered the flags lowered to half mast in mourning for the Gazans who had been killed. He cancelled Eid al-Fitr celebrations with the exception of religious observance (Shehab, May 10, 2021).
  • PA Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh issued a demand to the UN Security Council for urgent intervention to stop “Israel’s aggression against the Gaza Strip and the Muslims in al-Aqsa mosque.” He called on the human rights organizations, especially those dealing with children, to condemn Israel, and ordered that all necessary equipment be provided to the hospitals in the Gaza Strip (Wafa, May 11, 2021).
  • Musheir al-Masri, spokesman for the Hamas faction in the Palestinian Legislative Council, who was interviewed while the rockets were being fired, said Israel had to pay a high price for its stupidity. He said al-Aqsa mosque would always be the fuse that lit the explosion, adding that the campaign was now only beginning, and all options were open (al-Aqsa, May 10, 2018).
  • Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Hamas was fully ready for a campaign in every location, and prepared to change the equation it had with Israel. Appealing to Hamas terrorist operatives, he said the zero hour had arrived and that anyone who had a weapon should be prepared to fight, including those whose only weapon was a knife or a rock. “Attack the settlers, attack the posts, attack the roadblocks and checkpoints” (al-Aqsa, May 10, 2021).
  • PIJ leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah claimed Israel had begun the “aggression” in Jerusalem and if Israel did not stop its “aggression” there was no point in trying to use political efforts to stop the rockets (Telegram channel of the PIJ’s military-terrorist wing, May 11, 2021).
  • Senior PIJ figure Muhammad al-Hindi said all the [terrorist] organizations wanted the uprising to turn into an intifada. He said Israel and the United States wanted calm but they were fooling themselves, and the Palestinians would make them miss their opportunity. He said that during the coming days various mediators would intervene to end the round of escalation, but the campaign was still ongoing (al-Mayadeen, May 10, 2021).
Al-Aqsa mosque is what unites the events in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Israeli Arabs. The Arabic reads, "Jerusalem unites..." (Palinfo Twitter account, May 11, 2021).    The "connection" between the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem (Alaa' al-Laqta's Facebook page, May 11 2021).
Right: The “connection” between the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem (Alaa’ al-Laqta’s Facebook page, May 11 2021). Left: Al-Aqsa mosque is what unites the events in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Israeli Arabs. The Arabic reads, “Jerusalem unites…” (Palinfo Twitter account, May 11, 2021).
Activities to Halt the Escalation
  • The UN Security Council met to discuss the situation. Apparently they did not reach a decision.
  • American spokesmen said the United States and President Biden were following the events and were very worried by the violence. They condemned the rocket attacks on Israel. They said they recognized Israel’s right to defend itself and that the Department of Defense would provide Israel with what it needed. They called on both sides to promote calm, noting that the United States’ position on Sheikh Jarrah had been made known to Israel (Politico, May 11, 2021).
  • Germany and Britain condemned the rocket fire attacking Israel, saying the violence in Jerusalem and Gaza had to stop and both sides had to prevent the situation from deteriorating, adding that rocket fire from the Gaza Strip against civilian targets had to stop (Twitter account of the British foreign minister, May 11, 2021).

[1] Given the tense situation in Jerusalem, as part of Hamas’s attempts to increase the tension and incite the Palestinian public to acts of violence, Muhammed Deif, the commander of Hamas’ military-terrorist wing, issued a (rare) formal announcement. He warned Israel that Hamas would not watch the events from the sidelines and Israel would pay a high price (website of Hamas’ military-terrorist wing, May 4, 2021). ↑
[2] The Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military-terrorist wing. ↑

MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : LAGARDE (EZB) FAVORISIERT DAS CHINESISCHE MODELL / VOLLKONTROLLE ÜBER DAS GELD !

  Währungspolitik : Banken fürchten Risiken durch EZB-Plan für digitalen Euro

  • Von Markus Frühauf FAZ –  12.05.2021-09:56  – Christine Lagarde, Präsidentin der Europäischen Zentralbank (EZB), möchte in fünf Jahren den digitalen Euro auf den Markt bringen. Bild: dpa

Die EZB will im Sommer darüber entscheiden, ob sie ihre Pläne zur Digitalisierung des Euro umsetzt. Doch eine Umfrage zeigt, dass Fachkräfte Bedenken über die Umsetzung haben.

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MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : SLOWBALISIERUNG = HOME OFFICE STATT ARMUTS-MIGRATION IN DEN HERKUNFTSLÄNDERN / CLOSE DOWN MORIA!

TELEMIGRATION !  Die Zukunft der Globalisierung – Von Svea Junge FAZ –  11.05.2021-

Die Corona-Pandemie beendet die Globalisierung nicht. Doch sie wird sich in den nächsten Jahren grundlegend verändern. Eindrücke vom Symposium anlässlich des 100. Geburtstags von Herbert Giersch.

Die Corona-Pandemie hat der Globalisierung, die ohnehin schon seit der Finanzkrise an Tempo eingebüßt hat, einen kräftigen Dämpfer verpasst. Die Sorge wächst, dass die Krise nun endgültig das düstere Szenario einer „Slowbalisation“ einläutet – also einer stark verlangsamten Globalisierung –, das seit Ausbruch des Handelskriegs zwischen den USA und China im Raum steht.

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MESOPOTAMIA NEWS ANALYSIS : Israel Must Define the Rules of the Game

By Managing Director of INSS, Brig. Gen. (res.) Udi Dekel TEL AVIV
Hamas prepared the rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip in advance, including toward Jerusalem, in order to connect the Gaza Strip to al-Aqsa (the Temple Mount). As Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh clarified: “The equation that connects the Gaza Strip with Jerusalem is strong.” The fire toward Israel’s capital specifically on Israel’s Jerusalem Day was intended to create a new equation that would present Hamas as “the defender of al-Aqsa.”

Hamas’s achievements are: defining the rules of the game against Israel – placing an ultimatum and realizing the threat, especially with the opening assault on Jerusalem and the rocket salvos targeting central Israel; positioning itself as the defender of al-Aqsa and Jerusalem; inciting and igniting violence by young Arab citizens of Israel in mixed cities in Israel; scoring points in Palestinian public opinion in relation to its status vis-à-vis the Palestinian Authority, in particular against the background of the cancellation of the elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council; highlighting Hamas’s leadership of the Palestinian national movement in the face of the weakness and helplessness of the Palestinian Authority, which cooperates with Israel; preventing Israel’s annual Flag Parade on Jerusalem Day through the Damascus Gate and the ascent of Jews to the Temple Mount; driving a wedge in the process by the Israeli Islamic party Ra’am to help form an Israeli government; initiating a wave of condemnation of Israel in the Arab world and the international community.

Hamas’s assessment of the situation and its calculations regarding the consequences of its aggressive activities are based on two intertwined assumptions: one, that Israel’s response to rocket launches will be measured and “proportionate,” i.e., relatively moderate, in part due to its current political instability; two, that Israel prefers a limited number of days of combat (the concept of “battle days,” a common term in the security establishment), which would be followed by calm.

Therefore, Israel must shatter the validity of these assumptions, which drive Hamas’s policies and activities. First and foremost, the current round of escalation illustrates the problematic nature of the current dealings with Hamas – the transfer of money from Qatar, which along with allowing relief for residents of the Gaza Strip enables Hamas to strengthen its control and terror-military power and conduct defiant policies, while weakening the Palestinian Authority, inter alia, by undermining its status as a partner for a deal with Israel.

Especially in light of the current round of escalation, Israel must respond strongly to Hamas and its infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, and to make it clear that it will not allow the organization to set the rules of the game – even if a powerful attack forces Hamas to continue firing rockets, including to central Israel, which would inevitably prolong the duration of the campaign. In order to separate the fighting in Hamas from what is happening in Jerusalem, the religious-Islamic fervor in the capital in general must be reduced, and in particular toward the end of Ramadan and the days of Eid al-Fitr. In this context, action must be taken to reduce the friction between the Israeli police and young Arabs in Israeli cities. The leadership of the Arab public in Israel must be mobilized to calm and restrain the extremists. At the same time, extremist Jewish elements must be neutralized, those who support “price tag” attacks and those who seek friction in order to set the area on fire. The West Bank must be kept out of the escalation cycle through security coordination with the Palestinian Authority and through the granting of permits – relief ahead of the holiday.

Hamas’s brazenness and our inability to understand its rationale illustrate why Israel should strive for a stable long term settlement in Gaza that is not based on blackmail and actual strengthening of Hamas, but on strengthening the Palestinian Authority. In Gaza, dependence on Qatari money has been shown not to be a stable long-term solution. It is better to find other tools to restrain Hamas and allow normal life for the population of Gaza Strip.

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MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : Heyday of Turkey-Iran relations coming to an end – expert

  • Turkish Trends  AHVAL NEWS –  Updated On: May 12 2021 – The heyday of relations between Turkey and Iran appears to be behind us, Vahid Yücesoy, a PhD candidate at the University of Montreal with focus on Iran and Turkey interests, said.

However, it is not possible to say that Ankara and Tehran are on “conflicting terms,” Yücesoy told Nervana Mahmoud, the host of Ahval’s Turkish Trends podcast programme.

As the region’s two non-Arab counties Turkey and Iran have been engaged in a battle for leadership in the Middle East.Iran and Turkey’s differences over regional policy are most marked in Syria, where Ankara backs the Syria’s opposition in a civil war that began in 2011. Iran supports the government of President Bashar Assad, supplying militia, funding and military know-how.

Ties between long-time regional rivals Turkey and Iran started to improve in 2016, when the neighbours signed the Astana agreement together with Russia to try to end the Syrian conflict.

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