Iran Is Stepping up Its Arming of Hamas and Hizballah, in Preparation for War with Israel

Dec. 24 2014

Iran’s relationship with Hamas broke down when the two backed opposite sides in the Syrian civil war. But now Iran is supporting Hamas’s aspiration to take over the West Bank, thus potentially enabling massive simultaneous missile attacks on Israel. To make matters worse, Russia is supporting this project with arms sales. Michael Segall explains:

Iran, as statements by its senior officials suggest, is working to encircle Israel from the north (Hizballah), the south (Gaza), and the east (the West Bank) and to turn the rocket threat into an unbroken ring around Israeli territory. This Iranian activity is incessant, and it includes persistent smuggling of weapons into Gaza as well as shipments and convoys to Hizballah via Syria. According to foreign reports, sometimes Israel thwarts these weapons shipments in Syrian territory. . . . These reports note that some of the weapons destroyed in an attack on December 7 included advanced Russian-made antiaircraft systems . . . Fateh-110 missiles . . . and Iranian [drones]. . . . .

A few hours before the most recent alleged Israeli attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to the Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, met with Hizballah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as part of the activities marking the 70th anniversary of Russian-Lebanese diplomatic relations. Iran, Russia, and Hizballah have a common interest—the survival of Bashar al-Assad.

Read more at Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

More about: Hamas, Hizballah, Iran, Israeli Security, Vladimir Putin, West Bank

How Senator Schumer Put Short-Sighted Partisan Interest over Jewish Concerns

Last week, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce reported on its investigation into anti-Semitism on college campuses. Among the revelations therein is information about the role played behind the scenes by the Senatate majority leader Chuck Schumer, who often touts his own role as “protector” (in Hebrew, shomer) of his fellow Jews in the halls of power. Seth Mandel comments:

The leaders of Columbia, where the anti-Semitism was and is among the worst in the country, eventually came before Congress in April. Three months earlier, President Minouche Shafik met with Schumer, and the supposed shomer told her that Democrats had no problem with her and that only Republicans cared about the anti-Semitism crisis on campus. His office advised Shafik not to meet with Republicans on the Hill. When the Columbia Trustees co-chair David Greenwald texted the previous co-chair Jonathan Lavine about the situation, Lavine responded by saying, “Let’s hope the Dems win the house back.” Greenwald wrote back: “Absolutely.”

This is the message that Schumer had sent about anti-Semitism on campus and that message came through loud and clear: investigations into Jew-hatred would only occur under a Republican majority. Putting Democrats in charge would put a stop to the government’s efforts to help Jews on campus.

Though the Jewish vote is, as always, unlikely to cost Democrats the election, it is simply undeniable that non-Republicans and non-conservatives are fairly disgusted with the type of behavior displayed by Schumer.

Read more at Commentary

More about: Anti-Semitism, Chuck Schumer, Israel on campus, U.S. Politics