“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122: 6
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Michael Wilner—State of disarray: Middle East policy in Obama’s sixth State of the Union:
Foreign policy rarely dominates State of the Union addresses, and this year will be no different.
The president saves his most extensive remarks on foreign policy, instead, for a different venue: The United Nations General Assembly, during its annual high-level forum in September.
But Americans pay little attention to that. For many in this country, the State of the Union is the only presidential address they will sit through all year. Take those speeches alone, and President Barack Obama’s policies on the Middle East appear to have evolved not based on his own strategic terms, but on haphazard, violent shifts on the ground demanding live reactions from Washington.
Islamic extremism worldwide
The annual speech before a joint session of Congress will make brief mention of Iran, Israel, and an appeal to the American people for their support against the asymmetric foe they face in violent Islamic extremism.
Obama will repeat his call for a new international war on violent Islamist crime, loosely motivated by religion but broadly affecting Muslim communities worldwide. Since his last State of the Union, the capital cities of France, Australia and Canada have all experienced similar terror attacks that have gripped the imagination and fears of the American public.
“In Syria,” the president said in his 2012 address, “I have no doubt that the Assad regime will soon discover that the forces of change cannot be reversed, and that human dignity cannot be denied.”
Two years later in 2014, without mention of a rising Islamic State, Obama made three mentions of Syria— promising to work with the international community to deliver for Syrians a future “free of dictatorship, terror and fear,” and chemical weapons.
[…]
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SnyderTalk Comment: By refusing to admit who our enemy is, President Obama has committed the cardinal sin of foreign policy. On the battlefield, diplomacy is no substitute for hot lead and butcher knives. It appears as though the president is more concerned about protecting what he thinks Islam is than he is about protecting the American people and the free world. Stated another way, he’s an ideologue whose grip on reality is suspect.
Also, see:
- Obama’s 2015 State of the Union address: Full text of prepared remarks
- Fact checking the 2015 State of the Union address
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Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Dr. Shimon Shapira: Attack in Golan Exposes Iran’s Growing Presence along Israel’s Borders—Hizbullah confirmed that an attack was conducted against a joint Iranian-Hizbullah reconnaissance operation in Mazrat al-Amal in the Kuneitra area on the Golan Heights. In addition to the death of six Hizbullah operatives headed by Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of the notorious Imad Mughniyeh, at least three Iranian Quds Force commanders were killed including Gen. Mohammed Allahdadi, Ali Tabatabai, and an additional Iranian by the name of Assadi, who was, in all likelihood, the commander of the Iranian expeditionary forces in Syria. Tabatabai was responsible on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps for the Golan front with Hizbullah’s Jihad Mughniyeh. Gen. Allahdadi was the IRGC liaison officer to Hizbullah and to Syrian Intelligence and in charge of the weapons shipments from Iran to Hizbullah.
Boaz Bismuth: New threats in the Middle East— In the Middle East, change is not usually for the best. Sunday’s incident just across the border from us in Syria, in which Jihad Mughniyeh and a cell of terrorists, including Lebanese and Iranian nationals, were eliminated, was an example of the new Middle East in which we live. Today, our enemies have become only more dangerous, more radical and more fragmented. The new Middle East we were promised has merely produced the disintegration of Arab nations in our neighborhood. Syria and Iraq already realized long ago that maintaining sovereignty over their entire territories is a thing of the past. Shiites against Sunnis, government forces against extremist militias — everyone is battling for control of the Arab world, the unity of which has turned into a myth. It is tough to talk about one Arab world, given what is going on in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya. Everything is split and smashed to pieces. The vacuum left by collapsed governments has been filled by groups many times more dangerous than they governments they replaced. Our enemies have not decreased in number in the new Middle East. Rather, they have multiplied.
William Booth and Ruth Eglash: Palestinian Move at International Criminal Court Signals a Volatile New Stage—Following a decision by prosecutors at the International Criminal Courton Friday to launch an inquiry into possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories, no one knows exactly what ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will examine in the coming months. The high number of civilian deaths in Gaza during the summer war? Indiscriminate Hamas rocket fire at Israeli towns? Her announcement of a preliminary examination refers only to “the situation in Palestine.” The inquiry will focus on the nature of possible crimes, the admissibility of evidence and whether the court has jurisdiction. According to the Obama administration, Palestine is not a state and the Palestinians do not have standing with the court. Further complicating matters, one of the Palestinian governing partners is Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and several other nations. The Israeli military, too, is conducting its own investigations into the Gaza war, undercutting the need for an ICC investigation.
Deborah E. Lipstadt: Why Won’t Europe Acknowledge the Grave Threat to Its Jews?— As thousands flooded the streets in France this week in a show of solidarity reflected across the world in the wake of the Paris terror attacks, I couldn’t help but feel that there was something hypocritical in this massive outpouring of unity and support. I know: how can I criticize such an inspiring public show of solidarity? It just seemed that throughout all the collective mourning, the Jews who were targeted and killed because they were Jews were an afterthought—and would always remain so. While the Charlie Hebdo massacre horrified all people who value liberty, for Jews the siege on a kosher supermarket in Paris two days later cut closer. It was directed at us. I was perplexed when some people refused to see that. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked a reporter on the scene whether there was “anything to indicate that this was an anti-Semitic act.” Then CNN’s Chris Cuomo and another reporter agreed that because Muslims shop at the store too, it wasn’t necessarily an anti-Semitic attack. It took the killer’s own proclamation that he had chosen the kosher market in order to kill Jews to stifle that line of reporting.
Soeren Kern: European ‘No-Go’ Zones: Fact or Fiction?—Part 1: France— The jihadist attack on the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French magazine known for lampooning Islam, has cast a spotlight on so-called no-go zones in France and other European countries. No-go zones are Muslim-dominated neighborhoods that are largely off limits to non-Muslims due to a variety of factors, including the lawlessness and insecurity that pervades a great number of these areas. Host-country authorities have effectively lost control over many no-go zones and are often unable or unwilling to provide even basic public aid, such as police, fire fighting and ambulance services, out of fear of being attacked by Muslim youth. Muslim enclaves in European cities are also breeding grounds for Islamic radicalism and pose a significant threat to Western security.
Nidal al-Mughrabi: Gazans Rally Against France, Praise Islamic State—Hamas allowed a rally on Monday by Salafi jihadists in Gaza in support of Islamic State and the deadly attacks by three Islamist gunmen in France. Demonstrators held aloft posters of the gunmen and burned French flags outside the French cultural center. “You have to await more heroes of Islam, you worshippers of the Cross,” the crowd chanted. Islam “orders us to punish and kill those who assault and offend Islam’s Prophet Mohammad,” said Abu Abdallah al-Makdissi. Many of the activists wore uniforms similar to those of Islamic State fighters.
Eugene Kontorovich: ICC Undermines Its Own Independence with Palestine Inquiry—The ICC prosecutor did not actually determine that Palestine qualifies as a “state” under the well-established legal definitions of the term. Rather, she substituted the determination of the UN General Assembly in 2012 to call Palestine a “non-member state.” The GA is not a judicial body but a political one. Its determinations are political, not legal. (It also has no power under the UN Charter to create or recognize states.)
Charles Hill: Why Modernity Is Incompatible with Political Islam—Political Islam’s purpose is not only to be incompatible with modernity but also to oppose it, demolish it and replace it in every regard. The modern world may be summarized as a series of intellectual movements, institutional achievements and generally accepted ideas that across the span of the past three or four centuries have slowly shaped a basically workable and common international order. Political Islam considers the modern international system incompatible. First, the concept of the state is itself at odds with Islamist views. As one fighter with ISIS forces said, “We are opposed to countries.” Second, democracy can be interpreted in Islamist terms as an abomination to the faith in that it requires legislation on behalf of a sovereign people, whereas Islamists must adhere to Sharia law alone.
Daniel Pipes: Is Sissi Islam’s long-awaited reformer?— In a widely praised January 1 speech, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi visited Al-Azhar University to address the country’s religious leadership, saying the time had come to reform Islam. He’s won Western plaudits for this, including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, but I have reservations about the speech. To begin with, no matter how fine Sissi’s ideas, no politician — and especially no strongman — has moved modern Islam. Ataturk’s reforms in Turkey are systematically being reversed. A decade ago, King Abdullah II of Jordan and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan gave similarly fine speeches on “the true voice of Islam” and “enlightened moderation” that immediately disappeared from view. Yes, Sissi’s comments are stronger, but he is not a religious authority and, in all likelihood, they too will disappear without a trace.
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs: Video: The AMIA Bombing in Buenos Aires – Its Cover-Up and Investigation—The Argentinean government and the judge in charge covered up the investigation of the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires in which 85 persons were killed and 151 wounded in the deadliest bombing in Argentinean history. AMIA special prosecutor Alberto Nisman was found dead on Sunday, the day before he was to testify that President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman had covered up Iranian involvement in the bombing. On Dec. 25, 2007, Nisman spoke at the Jerusalem Center about the cover-up. Watch:
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Hamas: Tel Aviv stabbing attack ‘heroic act’
Netanyahu: Tel Aviv terror attack a result of wild incitement coming from Palestinian Authority
Terror attack in Tel Aviv: Palestinian seriously wounds 4 in stabbing rampage on bus
Officer who stopped terrorist: Passengers were screaming from the bus for help
Development of new tunnel-detection system progressing, IDF source says
War on Iran a last resort, Obama tells Congress, warning of diplomatic failure
Gazans had no place to hide during IDF bombings
IDF Soldiers Honored for Bravery During Gaza Conflict
Israeli source: We meant to target low-ranking guerrillas in Syria, not Iranian general
North goes on alert after Iran threat of ‘ruinous thunderbolts’
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‘He Stabbed Her in Front of My Eyes Until She Collapsed’
Hamas Praises Tel Aviv Attack as ‘Worthy Response’
Driver Said: ‘I’m Dying, Save Me’
Islamicized Europe or Nihilistic Eschatology
Egypt’s Al-Ahzar Institute: Cause or Foe of Terror?
‘PA Sues Israel at ICC While Inciting Stabbings’
Bedouin Rioters Hurl Explosives at Police in Rahat
IDF Closes Roads Along Israel-Lebanon Border
Samaria Guards Arrested Instead of Arab Terrorists
Mogherini Calls for ‘Fresh Look’ at Peace Talks
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Report: Slain Iranian Was Planning Hizbullah Missile Bases
Iranians vow revenge on Israel as ayatollah plays up Mughniyeh ties
Russia and Iran sign deal to widen military cooperation
A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a strike on Hezbollah
Report: Hamas Building “New Generation” of Rockets
Alberto Nisman committed suicide? Let’s kill that lie
Iranian minister slams colleagues for lying about impact of sanctions
Peres: France doesn’t need our help fighting anti-Semitism
Dramatic PLO trial gives US terror victims stage for redress
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Marine Corps realigns its Special Operations, sends elite troops to Middle East
Japan PM vows to save ISIS hostages threatened with beheading in new video
Obama Pushes Tax Plan to Give His Party, and His Legacy, a Lift
Pope says Catholics don’t have to breed ‘like rabbits’
Paris attacks: Four face charges over links to Coulibaly
ICC Opens Inquiry into Possible War Crimes in Middle East Conflict
U.S.: We Oppose Actions Against Israel at ICC as Counterproductive to Peace
Palestine could ‘lose millions in US aid’ if they sue Israel in ICC, senator warns
Controversy over Miss Universe photo resounds from Middle East to South Florida
In London, Bobby Jindal slams prospect of Muslim ‘no-go zones’
Political Debate On Net Neutrality Heats Up
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Iran Building Missile Sites in Syria
Israel unaware killed Iranian general was in Hezbollah convoy in Syria
Israel Kills Iran’s Favorite (Terrorist) Son
Hezbollah silent on Israeli strike retaliation plans
Iranian army commander: Israel must wait for ‘devastating thunderbolts’
Limited progress made at Iran nuclear talks
EU hails ‘serious’ Iran nuclear talks
Is steadier, but slower growth the ‘new normal’ for China?
Turkey PM calls for ‘new beginning’ with Armenians
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Genesis 45: 4-15
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10 You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11 There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.”’ 12 Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13 Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.
SnyderTalk Comment: Read His Name is Yahweh.
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His Name is Yahweh explains why the Name of God, Yahweh, is so important. It’s available in eBook format and in paperback. It’s also available for free in PDF format.
- God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This [Yahweh] is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.” (Exodus 3: 15)
- “Therefore behold, I am going to make them know—this time I will make them know My power and My might; and they shall know that My name is Yahweh.” (Jeremiah 16: 21)
- “Behold, the days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘Yahweh our righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 23: 5-6)
- Yeshua said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” (John 8: 58)
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The Name Yahweh Sets the Messiah Apart
Click here to download the entire audio presentation for free and with no strings attached. Share it as often as you want.
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Blessings in the Book of Revelation is a book that you need to read, especially now. There are blessings throughout the Scriptures but Revelation is the only book in the Bible actually containing a specific blessing for reading it. It’s repeated twice, once at the beginning and again at the end. This is the reason that I believe Revelation should be the first step toward studying biblical prophecy. Though not easy to do, Revelation can be broken down and understood by anyone, not just the academic elite. So, Revelation’s blessings are for everyone. Click here to order the eBook. Click here to order the paperback.
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Other Books by Neil Snyder
- Stand! is a suspense novel that exposes the lies, corruption, and greed underlying the theory that man-made CO2 emissions are responsible for global warming. Professor Wes Carlyle and Karen Sterling, his research collaborator, carefully scan the audience for their would-be attacker—a member of the enviro-gestapo who has been following them for days. Wes spots his man in the back of the room leaning against the wall. Suddenly, another man in the audience steps forward and moves toward Karen at a menacing pace. With a vicious stroke, he swings a billy club at her head. Click here to order the eBook. Click here to order the paperback.
- What Will You Do with the Rest of Your Life? deals with a question that every Christian has to consider: what should I do with my life? Click here to order the eBook. Click here to order the paperback.
- Falsely Accused is a true story about a young woman who was accused of committing a double homicide. It’s about a travesty of justice, and it reveals Yahweh intervening in the life of a believer to rescue her from danger in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Everyone will enjoy the book, but young people in particular need to read it because the mistakes made that led to the problem could have been avoided. They were the kinds of mistakes that young people are prone to make. As they say, forewarned is forearmed. Click here to order the eBook. Click here to order the paperback.
