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Armenia recognizes the State of Palestine -opinion
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa signed a joint communiqué for the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Palestine. On June 21, the Armenian Foreign Ministry officially recognized the state of Palestine, making Armenia the 149th country to take this step.
The formalization of Armenian-Palestinian diplomatic relations comes at a complicated time for the State of Israel.
The official establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Palestine comes at a time when Israel just eliminated Hezbollah terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah in the hopes of derailing the Iran-backed terrorist groups that are presently fighting against the Jewish state. Many could view Armenia’s establishment of diplomatic relations with Palestine at this time as a move designed to give Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other Iran-backed terrorist groups breathing room to continue to wage a violent struggle against Israel.
As we speak, these terrorist groups continue to attack Israel. Last week, the Iran-backed terrorist groups in Iraq attacked Eilat. This comes after the Houthis in Yemen took responsibility for an attack on Tel Aviv, and Hezbollah itself rained down a series of missiles at central Israel a week earlier which targeted areas of the country previously not under rocket fire, including Netanya, Kfar Yona, and Even Yehuda. At a time like this, Armenia recognizing Palestine is a victory for terrorism.Although the PA is not the same as the Iran-backed terrorist groups fighting against Israel, it is critical to recall that the PA has given emotional support to these groups. According to Palestinian Media Watch, “Ignoring the thousands of rockets and drones fired at northern Israel by the Iranian-backed Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah since the start of the 2023 Gaza war, the Palestinian Authority and its ruling party, Fatah, continue to express support for Hezbollah against Israel by painting Hezbollah as a victim.”
Azerbaijan in contrast with Armenia
Following Israel’s recent pager attacks, in which Hezbollah has announced that at least 38 of its members were killed, both the PA and Fatah hurried to express their support for “sister Lebanon.” PA head Mahmoud Abbas’s office “condemned” the attacks as “acts of terror,” claiming they “harmed innocent civilians.” Also ignoring Hezbollah’s numerous attacks on Israeli civilian areas – and the murder of over 40 Israelis, including 12 children who were playing soccer – Abbas’s adviser Mahmoud al-Habbash accused Israel of “escalating” the situation and seeking to “undermine the region’s stability” with its “aggressive operations.”
Fatah also condemned Israel’s “aggressive and criminal operation,” stressing its continued support for Lebanon and its “great appreciation for the support” that Lebanon – i.e., terrorist organization Hezbollah – “has given the [Palestinian] cause.” In addition to promising to “continue on the path of struggle” by committing more terrorist attacks, Fatah has also directly called on Hezbollah to continue attacking Israel. Recently, top PA/Fatah official Jibril Rajoub encouraged Hezbollah and Iran to “punish the Israeli enemy.”
In contrast, Azerbaijan has not issued any statements in support of the Palestinians at this crucial time when Israel eliminated Nasrallah. The only action that Azerbaijan took was to cancel its flights to Israel due to “security concerns.” It also advised its citizens not to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority at this time again because of security concerns. Azerbaijan has not expressed any hostility toward Israel as the Jewish state continues to fight against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and other proxies of Iran.
This shows why Israelis should appreciate Azerbaijan and the friendship that it offers to the Jewish people. During our difficult moments, Azerbaijan is there, standing beside us, offering solidarity and support. In fact, the economic relationship between Azerbaijan and Israel continues to blossom despite Israel’s war against Iran and its proxies.
Azerbaijan is one of the few countries where it is safe for Israelis to travel despite the war in Gaza and Lebanon. Antisemitism is alien to the Azerbaijani culture.It is for this reason that Israelis should support Azerbaijan and condemn Armenia for supporting Iran’s proxies, especially at this critical time.
One of the reasons Azerbaijan is so understanding of Israel is that it must deal with a biased approach similar to the one Israel must grapple with. For example, Holland called Azerbaijan’s control of Karabakh the “takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh,” just as the Armenians now consider Judea and Samaria, and Gaza, to be “occupied Palestinian land” that must be liberated.
The Azerbaijanis have a rich history in Karabakh that dates back to antiquity, just as the Jewish connection to Judea and Samaria dates back to ancient times. Four UN Security Council resolutions have recognized that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan, just as the Mandate for Palestine recognized Judea and Samaria as part of Israel.
Azerbaijan and Israel are facing the same struggle to get their rights recognized by biased states such as Armenia and Holland, which prefer to condemn both countries rather than recognize their historical rights.
The writer is a Middle East scholar and commentator on the region.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s briefing to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday put him at odds with the IDF regarding how many haredi the military can absorb in a short amount of time.
Netanyahu said that while he was in favor of increasing haredi integration into the IDF, in practicality, the military needed more time to establish haredi-tailored programs and environments for this to be successful.
The prime minister’s remark comes days after top IDF officials presented a series of highly specific, customized programs for the ultra-Orthodox that are either already open or are “ready to go” as soon as the haredi respond to their military summons. This directly contradicts the prime minister’s words during the briefing.
Netanyahu spoke to the committee in a closed and classified hearing, but portions of what he said were, nevertheless, publicized, including his comments regarding haredi integration into the IDF.
When asked about the issue, Netanyahu said, “We would prefer that anyone who is not studying [in a yeshiva] share the burden [of military service.] But right now, there is a gap between what the army says it can absorb and what it can absorb, so the absorption capacity of the IDF needs to be increased.”
He added that there were intentions to create new frameworks that would allow the haredi to maintain their way of life as well as to respond to operational needs, such as establishing an ultra-Orthodox base along the border with Jordan that would be responsible for defense there.
How to fulfill the IDF’s need for more soldiers
Besides that example, Netanyahu said that the army’s need for more soldiers could be filled by extending the service of mandatory service soldiers as well as calling up a variety of reservists from among the population living in border communities who never responded to their call-ups or were given exemptions.
In contrast to Netanyahu’s statements, seeming to indicate that the IDF cannot absorb a significant increase of haredi men, the military has said repeatedly, dating back to August, that it has been ready to receive an additional 3,000 haredi per year, on top of the approximately 1,800 per year it has already been absorbing.
The announcement in August and the sending of summons to 3,000 members of the ultra-Orthodox community came after months of extensive work and the investment of significant resources to prepare both personnel and bases for a new, major influx.
One new option for service that the IDF has already added for the haredi to make their service more attractive is serving in technical and logistical capacities at hardened aircraft shelters at an air force base section where only men will serve.
Another new option is called the Yoav Track in logistics command centers, which includes fulfilling a wide variety of technical and logistic roles throughout the military, and not just in the Israel Air Force.
Also, though Netanyahu said that the IDF should look into forming a new haredi brigade, the military had already announced last week that on December 26, it would open one, distinct from Netzach Yehuda.
Netzach Yehuda had been the brigade that most of the haredi wanted to join to date. However, it has turned off many of the ultra-orthodox because it has a reputation for being more religious Zionist in nature than haredi.
Additionally, there is a recently established unit of haredi serving at the Ofer detention center, and that program is expected to grow.
Further, a Lt.-Col. with a hassidic Chabad background, who has joined the army. He will be focused on haredi affairs and making sure new inductees are comfortable and are having their needs addressed.
Despite a detailed presentation last week about all of these new service mediums as being already established for haredim, a spokesperson for Netanyahu doubled down on the claim that the IDF was still lacking in its capacity to absorb a major influx of haredi soldiers.
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.
British rocker Paul Weller, Scottish band Primal Scream, and Irish rappers Kneecap will headline a ‘Gig For Gaza’ charity show at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on Dec. 13.
Weller, the former frontman for 1970s punk pioneers The Jam, is curating the show, with all proceeds going to organizations Medical Aid For Palestinians and Gaza Forever, which purportedly provide essential aid – including food, medical supplies, and emergency shelter – for Gazans who have been forced to flee their homes due to the Israel-Hamas War.
“This is an opportunity to enjoy a night of powerful music and make a tangible difference in the lives of people facing unimaginable hardship,” a press release for the show said. The concert will also feature guest speakers and short films.
Weller of Primal Scream performed with Palestinian flag
During a recent tour of the US, Weller, a longtime advocate for leftwing causes, performed with a Palestinian flag draped over his guitar amplifier. Speaking onstage from Glasgow, Scotland, last month, Weller said, “I would like to dedicate that last song to all the tens of thousands of women, children, babies, men, civilians in Palestine and Gaza. I would ask you one question. It’s really simple. There is no grey area. Are you for genocide, or are you against it? It’s a f–-king yes or no question…”
Over the summer, Primal Scream, which formed in the 1980s, gave their support for a jersey design for a Palestinian refugee football team based on their classic record ‘Screamadelica.’
In March, Kneecap withdrew from performing at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, after it was revealed that the US Army was a “super sponsor” of the event as well as defense contractor RTX Corporation.
“It is done in solidarity with the people of Palestine and to highlight the unacceptable deep links the festival has to weapons companies,” the group explained of their decision via Instagram. “This will have a significant financial impact on Kneecap… but it isn’t an iota of hardship when compared with the suffering being inflicted on the people of Gaza.
None of the artists appearing nor promo material for the concert mentioned the 101 Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, nor the October 7 massacre that killed over 1,200 Israelis and sparked the current war aimed at toppling Hamas.
David Brinn contributed to this report.
Support for a two-state solution in the Middle East among Arab Americans and Palestinians residing in the West Bank and Gaza is on the rise, according to two recent surveys.
The more recent survey from YouGov and Arab News was published on Tuesday. The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) published the other in September.
A survey of Arab Americans leading up to the US presidential elections found that half of those polled (50%) believed in seeking a two-state solution.
The poll touched upon the future of the conflict and possible resolutions to see its conclusion. Half of Arab-Americans polled believed in seeking a two-state solution with shared governance over Jerusalem. 34% believe that there should be one state where Israelis and Palestinians have equal rights, and 9% stated that they were unsure.A separate poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in September found that support for the concept of the two-state solution among Palestinians continues to rise and has the support of 39% of those polled.
According to PSR, three months prior, support for two states stood at around 32%. Figures were taken from Gaza and the West Bank, at 39% and 38%, respectively.
However, when asked about a separate Palestinian state not linked to the “two-state solution” and when state borders are identified as those of 1967, support rises to 59%, PSR found.
Half of the respondents prefer the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, while 19% prefer a confederation between the two states of Palestine and Israel. Only 10% prefer establishing a single state with equality between Israelis and Palestinians.
When asked about solving the conflict and reaching statehood, nearly half of Palestinian respondents (48%) said they would choose “armed struggle” as a way to achieve it (50% in the West Bank, 36% in Gaza).
However, a third said they preferred negotiations to end the conflict, and 15% said they would like to see popular peaceful resistance.
International calls for two-states
Recent US administrations and other global actors have called for the end to the ongoing war and to reach a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
The Biden administration has attempted to broker a hostage and ceasefire deal as a first step. In remarks made ahead of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in September, US President Joe Biden reiterated his support for a two-state solution.
“As we look ahead, we must also address the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank and set the conditions for a better future, including a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalized relations with all its neighbors, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own,” Biden said.
The survey conducted by Arab News and YouGov was conducted using a sample of 500 Arab Americans across the United States from September 26 to October 1, 2024. The survey data have a margin of error of +/- 5.93%.
The poll conducted by PSR comprised a sample size of 1,200 people, of whom 790 were interviewed face-to-face in the West Bank and 410 in Gaza. The margin of error stood at +/-3.5%.
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