News Digest — 2/3/22
Liberman To ‘Post’: World On The Verge Of Anarchy, Superpowers Must Act Now
The G7, Russia and China need to immediately work together to stop a sharp global slide toward chaos and anarchy due to the rise of dangerous technology, increased use of the Darknet and the proliferation of cryptocurrencies, Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman told The Jerusalem Post.
In an interview that will be published in Friday’s (4th) Magazine, Liberman detailed a dire picture of the world as well as four catalysts behind the slip toward global chaos.
First, he said, is the emergence of technology-driven artificial-intelligence, and young hackers who are capable of ‘doing things’ with their computers and cell phones that were unimaginable just a few years ago.
“These are technological developments that have no oversight or coordination,” he said. “There is no form of global regulation, and it takes us to places that are potentially frightening.”
The second catalyst, Liberman continued, is the rise of cryptocurrencies across the globe. There are, he said, 15,000 types of cryptocurrencies today.
“Every now and then, a few people get together and make a digital currency,” he said. “There are crypto markets in Iran to evade sanctions and to launder money, and it can be used to finance terrorism and crime.”
The third catalyst, according to Liberman, is what is happening on the Darknet, a gathering place for criminals and terrorist activities.
The fourth catalyst, he explained, is the breakdown and collapse of international order and systems.
An illustration of this, he said, can be seen in Vienna, where the world superpowers continue to negotiate with Iran in pursuit of a new nuclear deal. They speak to the Iranians at the same time that Iran is supplying the Houthis in Yemen with ballistic missiles and drones and ordering them to attack the United Arab Emirates.
The solution, he said, is getting the G7 – an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – to work with Russia and China to find ways to regulate a new world order and to stop the slide toward global chaos.
“You need all the players to create uniform regulation in all of these different fields. If you don’t, everything will move in directions that will make the movies we see in Hollywood turn into a reality,” he warned. “There is time to act, I hope they do.”
The full interview with Liberman will appear in Friday’s Jerusalem Post.
Israeli Arabs Condemn ‘False’ Amnesty Report Calling Israel Apartheid
Israeli-Arabs and organizations working toward coexistence in Israel, condemned the International Amnesty Report, published Tuesday (1st), saying its findings were “false and defamatory” TPS reported.
The report accused Israel of being an apartheid state.
Lorena Khateeb, an Israeli member of the Druze community and a social activist, said that “as an Israeli-Arab citizen, I condemn Amnesty’s report. I grew up studying and working with Muslims, Christians, Druze and Jews – we all pull together in the Israeli puzzle, despite the challenges. We enjoy equal rights and even work together to fix things. Does apartheid look like this?”
Yoseph Haddad, an Arab-Israeli who served in the IDF and was wounded in combat, tweeted: “Amnesty – Who are you to decide that we live under an apartheid regime? You have no idea about the reality in Israel.”
“Stop the lies, and stop promoting your agenda on my back and the back of Israeli-Arab society!” he demanded. “Amnesty International has already broken the record for hypocrisy, but to compare Israel to an apartheid regime is not only a distorted lie but an insult to all those South Africans who actually lived through apartheid. It is contempt for and cynical exploitation of the concept.”
The “Together Vouch for Each Other “ organization, which promotes coexistence in Israel, stated that “As an Israeli-Arab NGO, we condemn Amnesty International’s false and defamatory report. We are Israeli-Arabs who live, study and make a living here, we are all an integral part of the society and enjoy equal rights.”
“We are all working to correct things that need to be changed as in any country, but to say that Israel is apartheid is a gross misrepresentation of the reality and an insult to those who suffered under apartheid in South Africa. This is an accusation that we collectively and categorically reject. We call on Amnesty International to stop advancing their anti-Israel agenda on our backs,” the organization said.
In a video response to Amnesty’s “lies” about Israel, the Foreign Ministry (MFA) released a video Tuesday (1st) showing Israel’s government ministers of various ethnic and religious backgrounds, including Israeli-Arab Knesset Member Esawi Frej.
“The State of Israel is a strong and vibrant democracy that grants all its citizens equal rights, regardless of religion or race. The State of Israel was established as the national home of the Jewish people with broad international support, in light of the lessons of the Holocaust,” the MFA said in a statement.
“The State of Israel will continue to promote the values of democracy and inclusiveness, in whose light it was established and continues to exist,” the Ministry stated.
(tps.co.il; mfa.gov.il)
Gantz To Bahrain For Security-Agreements-Signing, In First Official Visit
MANAMA – Defense Minister Benny Gantz landed in the Bahraini capital on Wednesday afternoon (2nd) in his first official visit to the island kingdom. He is in the country to sign security agreements with his Bahraini counterpart as the two nations look to further solidify their ties.
For security reasons, Gantz’s landmark trip was kept secret until he landed in Manama, and details of his schedule in the island kingdom were similarly not immediately permitted for publication.
Gantz is spending just 24-hours in the Persian Gulf country, where he is meeting with top Bahraini officials, including King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Minister of Defense Affairs Abdullah Bin Hassan Al Noaimi, before returning to Israel late Thursday night (3rd).
During the visit Gantz will sign security agreements with Al Noaini, the details of which were still being discussed ahead of the trip.
In addition, the defense minister will visit the United States Navy’s 5th Fleet, which is based in the Persian Gulf island nation, as well as meet with its commander Brad Cooper.
In a symbolic turn of events, the plane carrying Gantz for his first official visit to Bahrain was the same Boeing 707 used by Egyptian president Anwar Sadat to make his landmark trip to Israel in 1977, formally kicking off the peace process between Jerusalem and Cairo. In 2005 the plane was sold by the Egyptian military to a civilian airline, which sold it to the Israeli Air Force in 2011. The IAF turned the passenger plane into a refueler, and it remains in use today.
In what is becoming an increasingly common, but still diplomatically sensitive, occurrence, Gantz made his trip to Bahrain through Saudi Arabian airspace, marking one of the first known times that an Israeli Air Force plane made such a trip publicly.
The defense minister was joined on the trip by Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Eshel, Israeli Navy Chief David Salame, and the head of the ministry’s influential Political-Military Bureau, Zohar Palti.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid first visited Bahrain in September 2021 to open Israel’s embassy in Manama.
Somewhat less influential than the other countries in the Persian Gulf, the oil-rich Bahrain is still considered to be a significant player in the region. It maintains a deep relationship with the United States military, which based the Navy’s 5th Fleet in the island nation.
Both Israel and Bahrain consider Iran an enemy. For the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Islamic Republic represents a constant threat to its stability, as Iran has regularly backed revolutionary groups within the country over the years.
Earlier this week, the Israeli Navy began taking part in a massive international exercise led by the 5th Fleet. This was Israel’s first time participating in the naval drill, which is also being attended by countries with which Israel does not have formal ties, including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Pakistan.
Report: Three Quarters Of French Jews Have Experienced Anti-Semitic Acts
An extensive survey conducted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) about the experiences of French Jews has found that nearly three quarters of the community has experienced anti-Semitic acts.
The survey studied France’s Jewish, Muslim, and general populations, revealing the “extent of unabated anti-Semitism threatening the country’s Jewish population,” which is the largest in Europe.
The study found that 85% of French Jews feel that anti-Semitism is a widespread problem in France, with 73% saying that it has been increasing in the last decade.
But only 64% of France’s general population thinks that anti-Semitism is widespread and increasing.
Nearly three quarters (74%) of French Jews said they have been victims of anti-Semitic acts at some point. The attacks include derogatory remarks (68%), threats on social media (28%), verbal threats (24%), and physical violence (20%).
Nearly 40% said that they felt threatened for being Jewish, with 35% saying that they avoid wearing clothes or dress that is identifiably Jewish. Over 40% also avoided placing mezuzahs or other Jewish symbols outside their homes.
“Fearing for one’s own safety and for children’s security has tragically become the new normal for most French Jews, leading many of them to choose to hide their Jewish identity and to tell their children to do so as well. This is simply unacceptable in any democracy that is supposed to protect all of its citizens,” AJC Europe Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen said.
The study also found that over half of Jewish parents told their children not to wear kippahs or Stars of David, and just under half told their children not to let anyone know they are Jewish.
The AJC said, “With the persistence of anti-Semitism over many years, there is an apparent lack of confidence among Jews in bringing those responsible to Justice. 80% of those who experienced an act of anti-Semitism did not file a complaint with French authorities, and 76% did not report it to a community association, such as the Jewish Community protection Service.
(isnn.com)
Magnitude 4.5 Quake “Strikes” Near Cyprus – Felt In Northern Israel
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck Cyprus on Wednesday evening (2nd) 240 miles northwest of the Israeli border of Nahariya. There is no immediate danger to Israeli residents, and so far, no damage has been reported.
“The bookshelves moved a bit, but it was less strong than the previous one, thank God,” Roni, an Israeli living in Paphos, told Walla News. Another Israeli living in Paphos, Alice, said: “I absolutely felt the earthquake…we came home and in a few minutes everything shook…..”
Last week, two earthquakes, measuring 3.6 and 3.8 on the Richter scale were felt in Israel within a 24-hour span.
At the time, the Mayor of Beit Shean, Jacky Levy, told Army Radio that around 10,000 people could be killed in his city alone due to the earthquakes. At the same time a Jerusalem Post editorial called out the lack of preparedness and safety concerns faced by Israeli cities if and when larger quakes hit Israel.
Earthquakes measuring from 3 to 3.9 on the Richter scale are considered minor, and while they are being felt by many people, they do not usually cause damage. An earthquake from 4 to 4.9 on the scale can be felt by all people in the area and can cause minor damage.
(jpost.com; gglz.net; walla.co.il)
