2021.10.24 國際新聞導讀-以色列班耐特總理到索契見俄羅斯總統普丁、土耳其總統宣布10名西方使節將遭驅離出境、阿富汗人道危機將開始，人道救援團體力不能及、以色列破壞從黎巴嫩進口毒品與槍枝的走私事件

蘇老師講解國際新聞、中東與中亞歷史、中國事務、太空知識的頻道。 Diplomat's daily news review and history research on Middle East and Central Asia, China Affairs and Space Exploration

2021.10.24 國際新聞導讀-以色列班耐特總理到索契見俄羅斯總統普丁、土耳其總統宣布10名西方使節將遭驅離出境、阿富汗人道危機將開始，人道救援團體力不能及、以色列破壞從黎巴嫩進口毒品與槍枝的走私事件
普京與貝內特會談是在俄羅斯與西方關係緊張之際進行的——分析
俄羅斯最近成為新聞，主要是因為它與西方的競爭。它已經暫停了與北約的外交使團，並且還有其他擔憂。
作者：SETH J. FRANZMAN
2021 年 10 月 23 日 22:49
納夫塔利·貝內特總理和俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京於 2021 年 10 月 22 日會面。
（照片來源：KOBI GIDEON/GPO）
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俄羅斯塔斯社強調了總理納夫塔利·貝內特與俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京之間的會談，不僅說明了會談時長的重要性，而且說明了俄羅斯官方新聞媒體對以色列的整體看法及其在莫斯科外交政策中的作用。
俄羅斯最近成為新聞，主要是因為它與西方的競爭。它已經暫停了與北約的外交使團，並且還有其他擔憂。例如，有人質疑俄羅斯利用能源政策來加強歐洲。
美國有線電視新聞網表示，“不可否認，普京和俄羅斯總統的核心圈子在此期間信心大增。無論是通過吞併另一個國家的部分地區，在外國戰爭中支持獨裁者，還是在俄羅斯領土上毒害持不同政見者，普京的克里姆林宮似乎不再尋求西方的認可，這讓莫斯科的好戰情緒增長而對他的行為幾乎沒有影響。”
俄羅斯的Argumenty i Fakty論文週六辯稱，美國“未能通過高超音速武器的測試”。這與中國已測試高超音速武器的報導形成對比。
與此同時，俄羅斯媒體報導稱，吉爾吉斯斯坦拒絕接納美國軍事基地。俄羅斯媒體還稱，德國社會民主黨領導人支持北溪2俄羅斯管道。塔斯媒體稱，俄羅斯與中國進行了聯合海軍演習。
與此同時，俄羅斯國防部長謝爾蓋紹伊古週六表示，北約“在呼籲對俄羅斯進行軍事威懾的情況下，一直在向俄羅斯邊境撤軍”。這是莫斯科希望引起北約注意的更廣泛背景的一部分。
俄羅斯的消息報指出了美國使用巴基斯坦領空的擔憂，並補充說，俄羅斯伊斯坎德爾導彈的精確性令外國人“感到驚訝”。俄羅斯還指出，美國的防空能力不夠，同時對美國向烏克蘭出口標槍反坦克導彈表示擔憂。
總的來說，俄羅斯的立場是明確的。它關注北約並渲染有關該條約組織“集結”軍隊的報導。
“據報導，10 月 21 日，北約成員國國防部長計劃批准一項新計劃，以同時從多個方向反擊俄羅斯的理論攻擊，”消息報說。“有人指出，該聯盟'仍決心遏制莫斯科。'”
此外，“同一天，俄羅斯外交部官方代表瑪麗亞·扎哈羅娃表示，北約和該組織的秘書長延斯·斯托爾滕貝格已經將與俄羅斯的關係推向了一個他們甚至沒有經歷過的狀態。冷戰。據她介紹，在這種情況下，不可能與聯盟合作應對緊迫的國際挑戰。”
在此背景下，俄羅斯與貝內特舉行了長期會晤。他留在安息日對莫斯科來說很重要，因為這讓俄羅斯有更多時間觀察並熟悉以色列領導人。
克里姆林宮知道，貝內特最近也在華盛頓舉行了 8 月的會晤，而且以色列和美國的關係很牢固。這個猶太國家也在改善整個中東的關係。
俄羅斯關心增加其在該地區的權力，並在敘利亞以及利比亞、中非共和國和其他國家報導的軍事承包商都有軍隊。莫斯科與德黑蘭關係密切，而伊朗和以色列則是宿敵。
俄羅斯還通過阿斯塔納進程與土耳其和伊朗合作，討論敘利亞局勢。莫斯科希望美國離開敘利亞。最近幾天，無人機襲擊了位於坦夫的美國設施。俄羅斯也知道，約旦、伊拉克、埃及和海灣國家希望讓敘利亞恢復在地區的尊重。
這意味著結束敘利亞政權在內戰期間受到的冷遇。這對 2015 年代表該政權進行干預的俄羅斯來說是個好消息。俄羅斯在敘利亞的赫邁米姆設有基地，並在這個中東國家擁有海軍資產和特種部隊，以及防空和其他國防資產。這是莫斯科的重要國家。
俄羅斯總統普京周三準備在莫斯科郊外的新奧加廖沃州官邸發表講話。（來源：SERGEY ILYIN/SPUTNIK/VIA REUTERS）
對於以色列來說，敘利亞的問題是伊朗已經在那里站穩腳跟，而德黑蘭及其像真主黨這樣的代理人從那裡威脅以色列。以色列前參謀長表示，以色列在敘利亞打擊了超過一千個伊朗目標。兩次戰爭之間的這場戰役對猶太國家來說變得很重要。
除了伊朗核問題，以色列還有俄羅斯知道的其他擔憂。一名以色列安全官員最近表示，“伊朗訴諸於顛覆、恐怖主義融資和武器出口。伊朗正在繼續其在充滿不穩定的國家鞏固自己的計劃，目的是威脅該地區的其他國家。”
以色列還強調了伊朗無人機的威脅。最近幾個月，它一直在觀察伊朗如何使用無人機攻擊整個中東地區的目標。
耶路撒冷繼續對將精確制導導彈轉移給真主黨感到關切。“伊朗和恐怖組織真主黨繼續在敘利亞紮根，威脅以色列。以色列將繼續在這個灰色地帶開展行動——並且會一直持續下去，以保護以色列公民，”以色列安全官員說。
在更廣泛的地區，以色列正在與七個國家舉辦藍旗空軍演習，並正在加強與希臘和塞浦路斯以及阿聯酋、巴林、印度、埃及和約旦的關係。在歐洲司令部的幾十年之後，它也正式轉移到美國中央司令部的行動區。這有後果。以色列的主要詞是“穩定”——從希臘到海灣地區的穩定，巴勒斯坦地區的穩定，黎巴嫩的穩定。
俄羅斯也希望該地區保持穩定，但這意味著俄羅斯的影響力會增加，而美國的影響力會回落。美國今天在伊拉克和敘利亞發揮作用，該地區有美國的傳統盟友。俄羅斯有它的朋友，比如德黑蘭和大馬士革。它還希望在海灣、埃及和伊拉克取得更多進展，並希望鼓勵土耳其與美國保持距離。
這些不同的政策不一定符合以色列的利益。土耳其目前的執政黨對這個猶太國家充滿敵意，儘管它在去年暗示了一些和解。伊朗也對以色列懷有敵意。
敘利亞政權經常假裝是“抵抗”以色列的一部分，儘管該政權自 1970 年代以來就承認與以色列作戰是徒勞的。然而，敘利亞擁有反以色列分子，政權的軟弱意味著伊朗代理人已經回填敘利亞南部的地區，威脅以色列並轉移武器。
這一切在莫斯科都是眾所周知的。那裡被問到的問題是如何管理這種情況。這表明以色列對其政策很重要。
這與中國最近在 5 月加沙沖突期間發表的聲明不同，當時北京對以色列更為批評，也許已經開始將其視為全球存在的更廣泛的美中緊張局勢中的潛在對抗點。美國經常強調以色列需要與中國保持距離。
對於以色列和俄羅斯官員之間的會晤，美國決策者通常沒有說同樣的話——莫斯科也沒有談論它與以色列的關係在某種程度上與以色列和美國的密切關係不一致的想法。
Putin-Bennett talks come amid Russia tensions with West - analysis
Russia has been in the news lately, mainly for its competition with the West. It has suspended a diplomatic mission with NATO and there are other concerns on the horizon.
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
OCTOBER 23, 2021 22:49
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Russia President Vladimir Putin meeting, October 22, 2021.
(photo credit: KOBI GIDEON/GPO)
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Russia’s Tass news agency highlighted the talks between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Russian President Vladimir Putin, illustrating the importance not only of the length of the talks but the overall Russian state news media view of Israel and its role in Moscow’s foreign policy.
Russia has been in the news lately, mainly for its competition with the West. It has suspended a diplomatic mission with NATO and there are other concerns on the horizon. For instance, there are questions about Russia using energy policy to strong-arm Europe.
CNN says that “it’s undeniable that Putin and the Russian president’s inner circle have grown in confidence during this period. Whether it be through annexing parts of another nation, backing a dictator in a foreign war or poisoning dissidents on Russian soil, Putin’s Kremlin seemingly no longer seeks validation from a West that has allowed Moscow’s belligerence to grow with little effect on his behavior.”
Russia’s Argumenty i Fakty paper argued on Saturday that the US had “failed the test of hypersonic weapons.” This is in contrast to reports that China has tested a hypersonic weapon.
Meanwhile, Russian media reports that Kyrgyzstan has refused to host a US military base. Russian media also says that the leader of the Social Democrats in Germany supports the Nord Stream 2 Russian pipeline. And Russia has carried out a joint naval drill with China, Tass media says.
Meanwhile, NATO is “consistently pulling its forces to Russian borders amid calls for military deterrence of Russia,” Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Saturday. This is part of the wider context where Moscow wants to put NATO on notice.
Russia’s Izvestia pointed out concerns about the US using Pakistani airspace, adding that foreigners have been “amazed” by the precision of the Russian Iskander missile. Russia also notes that US air defenses are not sufficient, while expressing concerns about America’s export of Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.
Overall, then, the stance of Russia is clear. It is concerned about NATO and playing up reports of the treaty organization’s “massing” of troops.
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“On October 21, it was reported that the heads of defense departments of NATO member states plan to approve a new plan to counter a theoretical attack by Russia in several directions at once, Izvestia says. “It was noted that the alliance ‘is still determined to contain Moscow.’”
Furthermore, “on the same day, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that NATO and the organization’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, had driven relations with Russia into a state where they hadn’t even been during the Cold War. According to her, in such circumstances, it is impossible to work with the alliance on urgent international challenges.”
In this context, Russia held its long meeting with Bennett. It is important for Moscow that he stayed over for Shabbat because it gives Russia more time to observe and become familiar with the Israeli leader.
The Kremlin knows that Bennett also had a recent meeting in Washington in August and that Israel-US relations are strong. The Jewish state is also improving relations across the Middle East.
Russia cares about increasing its power in the region and has forces in Syria as well as military contractors who have been reported in Libya, the Central African Republic and other countries. Moscow enjoys close relations with Tehran, while Iran and Israel are bitter foes.
Russia also works with Turkey and Iran via the Astana process to discuss the situation in Syria. Moscow wants the US to leave Syria. In recent days, there was a drone attack on the US facility at Tanf. Russia also knows that Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and the Gulf states want to return Syria to regional respectability.
That means ending the cold shoulder the Syrian regime got during the civil war. This is good news for Russia, which intervened on behalf of the regime in 2015. Russia has a base at Khmeimim in Syria and has naval assets and special forces, along with air defense and other defense assets in the Middle Eastern country. This is an important country for Moscow.
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin prepares to speak at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on Wednesday. (credit: SERGEY ILYIN/SPUTNIK/VIA REUTERS)
FOR ISRAEL, the issue in Syria is that Iran has entrenched itself there and that Tehran and its proxies like Hezbollah threaten Israel from there. Israel’s former Chief of Staff said Israel had struck more than a thousand Iranian targets in Syria. This campaign between the wars has become important for the Jewish state.
Besides the Iranian nuclear issue, Israel has other concerns that Russia is aware of. An Israeli security official recently said that “Iran resorts to using subversion, terrorist financing and arms exports. Iran is continuing its project of entrenching itself in countries rife with instability, with the aim of threatening other countries of the region.”
Israel has also highlighted the Iranian drone threat. In recent months, it has been seeing how Iran uses drones to attack targets across the Middle East.
Jerusalem continues to be concerned about the transfer of precision-guided missiles to Hezbollah. “Iran and the terrorist organization Hezbollah continue to establish themselves in Syria and threaten Israel. Israel will continue its campaign in this gray area – and will continue for as long as it takes in order to protect the citizens of Israel,” the Israeli security official said.
In the wider region, Israel is hosting the Blue Flag air force drill with seven countries and is growing relations with Greece and Cyprus, as well as the UAE, Bahrain, India, Egypt and Jordan. It has also officially moved to the US Central Command’s area of operations, after decades under European Command. This has ramifications. The main word from Israel is “stability” – stability from Greece to the Gulf, stability in the Palestinian areas, stability in Lebanon.
Russia also wants stability in the region, but one that will mean more Russian influence and the rollback of US influence. America has a role in Iraq and Syria today and there are traditional US allies in the region. Russia has its friends, such as Tehran and Damascus. It also wants more inroads in the Gulf, Egypt and Iraq, and it wants to encourage Turkey to distance itself from the US.
THESE DIFFERING policies are not necessarily in line with Israel’s interests. Turkey’s current ruling party is intensely hostile to the Jewish state, even though it signaled some reconciliation over the last year. Iran is also hostile to Israel.
Syria’s regime has often pretended to be part of the “resistance” against Israel, even though the regime since the 1970s has recognized that fighting Israel is futile. Nevertheless, Syria hosts anti-Israel elements, and the weakness of the regime means Iranian proxies have backfilled areas in southern Syria, threatening Israel and transferring arms.
All of this is well-known in Moscow. The question being asked there is how to manage the situation. This shows that Israel is important to its policy.
This is different than recent statements from China during the Gaza conflict in May where Beijing was more critical of Israel and perhaps has come to see it as a potential point of confrontation in the wider US-China tensions that exist globally. America has often stressed the need for Israel to distance itself from China.
US policymakers have not generally said the same about the meetings between Israeli and Russian officials – and Moscow also doesn’t talk up the idea that its ties with Israel somehow are at odds with close Israel-US ties.
埃爾多安稱土耳其將驅逐10名西方大使
在呼籲“緊急釋放”慈善家奧斯曼卡瓦拉後，土耳其不再歡迎 10 名西方國家大使。
通過路透
2021 年 10 月 23 日 21:38
土耳其總統塔伊普·埃爾多安於 2021 年 3 月 4 日在土耳其安卡拉通過視頻鏈接參加了他執政的 AK 黨的會議。
（圖片來源：總統新聞辦公室/通過路透社的講義）
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土耳其總統塔伊普·埃爾多安週六表示，他已下令外交部宣布 10 名西方國家的大使為“不受歡迎的人”，因為他們呼籲釋放慈善家奧斯曼·卡瓦拉。
驅逐 10 位大使，其中 7 位代表土耳其北約盟國政府，這將標誌著埃爾多安執政 19 年期間與西方最深的外交裂痕。
卡瓦拉已入獄四年，被控為 2013 年的全國抗議活動提供資金，並參與 2016 年未遂政變。在繼續審判期間，他一直被拘留，並否認指控。
在 10 月 18 日的聯合聲明中，加拿大、丹麥、法國、德國、荷蘭、挪威、瑞典、芬蘭、新西蘭和美國的大使呼籲公正、迅速地解決卡瓦拉的案件，並呼籲他的“緊急釋放。” 他們被外交部傳喚，稱該聲明不負責任。
埃爾多安在一次演講中說：“我向我們的外交部長發出了必要的命令，並說必須做什麼：必須立即宣布這 10 位大使為不受歡迎的人。你們會立即解決問題，”埃爾多安在講話中說，使用的術語的意思是外交官在國內已經不受歡迎了。
上週，土耳其總統塔伊普·埃爾多安在安卡拉議會舉行的一次會議上向執政的 AK 黨（AKP）的成員致意。（信用：穆拉特 CETINMUHURDAR/REUTERS）
“他們會了解並了解土耳其。在他們不了解和了解土耳其的那一天，他們將離開，”他在西北部城市埃斯基謝希爾的人群中對歡呼聲說。
美國、德國和法國大使館以及白宮和美國國務院沒有立即回應置評請求。
埃爾多安此前曾表示，他計劃下週末在羅馬舉行的 G20 峰會上會見美國總統喬·拜登。
挪威外交部表示，其駐安卡拉大使館目前尚未收到土耳其當局關於此事的信息。
“我們的大使沒有做任何需要驅逐的事情，”該部的通訊負責人特魯德·馬賽德在一封電子郵件聲明中告訴路透社，並補充說土耳其非常了解挪威對此案的看法。
“我們將繼續呼籲土耳其遵守該國根據《歐洲人權公約》承諾的民主標準和法治，”馬賽德說。
卡瓦拉去年因與 2013 年抗議活動有關的指控而被無罪釋放，但今年該裁決被推翻，並與另一起與未遂政變有關的案件的指控相結合。
人權組織表示，他的案件象徵著埃爾多安對異議人士的鎮壓。
'權威漂移'
涉及的六個國家是歐盟成員國，包括德國和法國。歐洲議會主席大衛·薩索利在推特上說：“驅逐十名大使是土耳其政府獨裁傾向的標誌。我們不會被嚇倒。奧斯曼卡瓦拉的自由。”
丹麥外交部長傑佩·科福德說，他的外交部沒有收到任何關於這個問題的正式通知，並與朋友和盟友保持密切聯繫。
“我們將繼續捍衛我們共同的價值觀和原則，正如聯合聲明中所表達的那樣，”他在一封電子郵件聲明中說。
卡瓦拉週五表示，鑑於埃爾多安最近的評論，他參加審判是“毫無意義的”，因為公平聽證是不可能的。
週四援引埃爾多安的話說，這些大使不會在他們自己的國家釋放“土匪、兇手和恐怖分子”。
歐洲人權法院呼籲在 2019 年底立即釋放卡瓦拉，稱沒有合理懷疑他犯了罪，並認定他被拘留是為了讓他保持沉默。
今年，它就親庫爾德人民民主黨（HDP）前主席塞拉哈丁·德米爾塔斯（Selahattin Demirtas）的案件發布了類似的裁決，他已被關押近五年。
負責監督歐洲人權法院裁決執行情況的歐洲委員會表示，如果卡瓦拉不被釋放，它將開始針對土耳其的侵權訴訟。
針對 Kavala 和其他人的案件的下一次聽證會將於 11 月 26 日舉行。
Turkey to banish 10 Western ambassadors, Erdogan says
10 ambassadors from Western countries are no longer welcome in Turkey after calling for the 'urgent release' of philanthropist Osman Kavala.
By REUTERS
OCTOBER 23, 2021 21:38
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a meeting of his ruling AK Party via video link in Ankara, Turkey March 4, 2021.
(photo credit: PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he had ordered the foreign ministry to declare 10 ambassadors from Western countries 'persona non grata' for calling for the release of philanthropist Osman Kavala.
Expelling the 10 ambassadors, seven of whom represent governments from Turkey's NATO allies, would mark the deepest diplomatic rift with the West during Erdogan's 19 years in power.
Kavala has been in prison for four years, charged with financing nationwide protests in 2013 and with involvement in a failed coup in 2016. He has remained in detention while his trial continues, and denies the charges.
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In a joint statement on Oct. 18, the ambassadors of Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, New Zealand and the United States called for a just and speedy resolution to Kavala's case, and for his "urgent release." They were summoned by the foreign ministry, which called the statement irresponsible.
"I gave the necessary order to our foreign minister and said what must be done: These 10 ambassadors must be declared persona non grata at once. You will sort it out immediately," Erdogan said in a speech, using a term meaning that a diplomat is no longer welcome in the country.
TURKISH PRESIDENT Tayyip Erdogan greets members of his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Parliament in Ankara, last week. (credit: MURAT CETINMUHURDAR/REUTERS)
"They will know and understand Turkey. The day they do not know and understand Turkey, they will leave," he said to cheers from the crowd in the northwestern city of Eskisehir.
The US, German and French embassies and the White House and US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Erdogan has said previously that he plans to meet US President Joe Biden at a G20 summit in Rome next weekend.
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The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Ankara had not received information from Turkish authorities regarding the matter at this time.
"Our ambassador has not done anything that warrants an expulsion," the ministry's head of communications, Trude Maaseide, told Reuters in an emailed statement, adding that Turkey was well aware of Norway's view on this case.
"We will continue to call on Turkey to comply with democratic standards and the rule of law to which the country committed itself under the European Human Rights Convention," Maaseide said.
Kavala was acquitted last year of charges related to the 2013 protests, but the ruling was overturned this year and combined with charges in another case related to the coup attempt.
Rights groups say his case is emblematic of a crackdown on dissent under Erdogan.
'AUTHORITARIAN DRIFT'
Six of the countries involved are EU members, including Germany and France. European Parliament President David Sassoli said on Twitter: "The expulsion of ten ambassadors is a sign of the authoritarian drift of the Turkish government. We will not be intimidated. Freedom for Osman Kavala."
Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said his ministry had not received any official notification regarding the issue and that it was in close contact with its friends and allies.
"We will continue to guard our common values and principles, as also expressed in the joint declaration," he said in an emailed statement.
Kavala said on Friday that it would be "meaningless" for him to attend his trial as a fair hearing was impossible given recent comments by Erdogan.
Erdogan was quoted on Thursday as saying the ambassadors in question would not release "bandits, murderers and terrorists" in their own countries.
The European Court of Human Rights called for Kavala's immediate release in late 2019, saying there was no reasonable suspicion that he had committed an offense, and finding that his detention had been intended to silence him.
It issued a similar ruling this year in the case of Selahattin Demirtas, former head of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), who has been held in jail for nearly five years.
The Council of Europe, which oversees the implementation of ECHR decisions, has said it will begin infringement proceedings against Turkey if Kavala is not released.
The next hearing in the case against Kavala and others is due on Nov. 26.
紅十字會警告援助團體不足以避免阿富汗人道主義危機
在西方支持的政府垮台和塔利班重新掌權後，數十億美元的外國援助突然中斷，阿富汗陷入危機。
通過路透
2021 年 10 月 23 日 08:27
2007 年，紅十字國際委員會的成員站在埃雷茲十字路口附近。
（圖片來源：路透社）
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在紅十字會週五呼籲國際社會與阿富汗塔利班的新統治者搞，說自己的援助團體將無法避開了人道主義危機。
在西方支持的政府垮台和塔利班於 8 月重新掌權後，數十億美元的外國援助突然中斷，阿富汗陷入危機。
在紅十字國際委員會（ICRC）以來增加了在該國，而其他組織也加緊努力，總幹事羅伯特·馬爾蒂尼說。
但他告訴路透社，國際社會的支持對於提供基本服務至關重要，國際社會迄今為止在與塔利班接觸時採取了謹慎的態度。
“人道主義組織聯手只能做這麼多。他們可以想出臨時解決方案。”
聯合國周四宣布已設立一個基金，直接向阿富汗人提供現金，馬爾蒂尼表示，這將在三個月內解決問題。
“阿富汗是一場日益惡化的複雜危機，”他說，並引用了數十年因氣候變化和 COVID-19 大流行的影響而加劇的衝突。
馬爾蒂尼說，阿富汗 3900 萬人口中有 30% 面臨嚴重營養不良，該國 1800 萬人需要人道主義援助或保護。
塔利班在 1996 年至 2001 年上次執政期間驅逐了許多外國援助團體，但這次表示歡迎外國捐助者並將保護其工作人員的權利。
但強硬的伊斯蘭主義者面臨批評它未能保護包括女童接受教育在內的權利，也表示援助不應與條件掛鉤。
Red Cross warns aid groups not enough to stave off Afghan humanitarian crisis
Afghanistan has been plunged into crisis by the abrupt end of billions of dollars in foreign assistance following the collapse of the Western-backed government and return to power by the Taliban.
By REUTERS
OCTOBER 23, 2021 08:27
Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross stand near Erez Crossing in 2007.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
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The Red Cross on Friday urged the international community to engage with Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers, saying that aid groups on their own would be unable to stave off a humanitarian crisis.
Afghanistan has been plunged into crisis by the abrupt end of billions of dollars in foreign assistance following the collapse of the Western-backed government and return to power by the Taliban in August.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has since increased its efforts in the country while other organizations were also stepping up, Director General Robert Mardini said.
But he told Reuters that support from the international community, who had so far taken a cautious approach in engaging with the Taliban, was critical to providing basic services.
"Humanitarian organizations joining forces can only do so much. They can come up with temporary solutions."
The United Nations on Thursday announced it had set up a fund to provide cash directly to Afghans, which Mardini said would solve the problem for three months.
"Afghanistan is a compounded crisis that is deteriorating by the day," he said, citing decades of conflict compounded by the effects of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mardini said 30% of Afghanistan's 39 million population were facing severe malnutrition and that 18 million people in the country need humanitarian assistance or protection.
The Taliban expelled many foreign aid groups when it was last in power from 1996-2001 but this time has said it welcomes foreign donors and will protect the rights of their staff.
But the hardline Islamists, facing criticism it has failed to protect rights, including access to education for girls, have also said aid should not be tied to conditions.
敘利亞基地組織高級指揮官被美軍擊斃 - 五角大樓
五角大樓稱，美國軍方在敘利亞殺害了一名基地組織高級領導人。
通過路透
2021 年 10 月 23 日 08:01
在敘利亞伊德利卜省馬拉特努曼鎮星期五祈禱後，抗議者在反政府抗議期間舉著基地組織的旗幟
（圖片來源：KHALIL ASHAWI / 路透社）
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美國中央司令部發言人說，美國軍方周五在敘利亞的一次無人機襲擊中殺死了基地組織高級領導人阿卜杜勒·哈米德·馬塔爾。
美國陸軍少校約翰·里格斯比在一份書面聲明中說：“這位基地組織高級領導人的免職將破壞恐怖組織進一步策劃和實施威脅美國公民、我們的合作夥伴和無辜平民的全球襲擊的能力。”
襲擊發生在美國在敘利亞南部的一個前哨基地遭到襲擊兩天后。Rigsbee 沒有說明美國的無人機襲擊是否是為了報復。
Senior al-Qaeda commander in Syria killed by US army - Pentagon
The US millitary killed a senior al-Qaeda leader in Syria said the Pentagon.
By REUTERS
OCTOBER 23, 2021 08:01
Protesters carry Al-Qaeda flags during an anti-government protest after Friday prayers in the town of Marat Numan in Idlib province, Syria
(photo credit: KHALIL ASHAWI / REUTERS)
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The US military killed senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar in a drone strike in Syria on Friday, a US Central Command spokesman said.
"The removal of this al Qaeda senior leader will disrupt the terrorist organization's ability to further plot and carry out global attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians," US Army Major John Rigsbee said in a written statement.
The strike comes two days after a US outpost in southern Syria was attacked. Rigsbee did not say if the US drone strike was carried out in retaliation.
IDF, Police foil attempt to smuggle drugs, guns across Lebanon border
A smuggling attempt across the Israeli-Lebanese border was spotted by IDF soldiers and around NIS 350,000 worth of contraband was seized.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
OCTOBER 23, 2021 21:46
An Israeli soldier cleans the cannon of an artillery unit on the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon, August 6, 2021.
(photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
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IDF soldiers and Israel Police foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons and drugs across Israel’s border with Lebanon, the Police said on Saturday.
The attempt was spotted by IDF soldiers and around NIS 350,000 worth of contraband was seized. Two guns and nine kg. of hashish were seized, Police said.
The IDF and Police are investigating the incident and examining the possibility that the attempt was aided by Hezbollah, the IDF said.
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The economic situation in Lebanon leaves the IDF concerned that there may be an increase of drug smuggling and infiltration of migrant workers and refugees along the northern border.
Drugs and weapons seized after a smuggling attempt across the Israel, Lebanon border. (credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
“The Lebanese economy is not good, and that can lead to things happening on the border,” Lt.-Col. Raz Haimlich, commander of the Artillery Corps Fire Brigade 411th “Keren” Battalion, told The Jerusalem Post in July. “I’m always ready for something to happen… whether it’s drugs being smuggled or people infiltrating, looking for work. I think the work that the IDF is doing will stop people from trying to smuggle.”
Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.
IDF, Police foil attempt to smuggle drugs, guns across Lebanon border
A smuggling attempt across the Israeli-Lebanese border was spotted by IDF soldiers and around NIS 350,000 worth of contraband was seized.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
OCTOBER 23, 2021 21:46
An Israeli soldier cleans the cannon of an artillery unit on the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon, August 6, 2021.
(photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
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IDF soldiers and Israel Police foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons and drugs across Israel’s border with Lebanon, the Police said on Saturday.
The attempt was spotted by IDF soldiers and around NIS 350,000 worth of contraband was seized. Two guns and nine kg. of hashish were seized, Police said.
The IDF and Police are investigating the incident and examining the possibility that the attempt was aided by Hezbollah, the IDF said.
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The economic situation in Lebanon leaves the IDF concerned that there may be an increase of drug smuggling and infiltration of migrant workers and refugees along the northern border.
Drugs and weapons seized after a smuggling attempt across the Israel, Lebanon border. (credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
“The Lebanese economy is not good, and that can lead to things happening on the border,” Lt.-Col. Raz Haimlich, commander of the Artillery Corps Fire Brigade 411th “Keren” Battalion, told The Jerusalem Post in July. “I’m always ready for something to happen… whether it’s drugs being smuggled or people infiltrating, looking for work. I think the work that the IDF is doing will stop people from trying to smuggle.”
美國擔心以色列建造 3,000 個定居者家園的計劃
在宣布定居者住房計劃之際，有媒體報導稱，總理納夫塔利·貝內特 (Naftali Bennett) 面臨著美國要求凍結此類計劃的額外壓力。
作者：TOVAH LAZAROFF , OMRI NAHMIAS
2021 年 10 月 23 日 22:59
2020 年 6 月 30 日，一名猶太定居者走過耶路撒冷附近西岸 Givat Zeev 和 Ramat Givat Zeev 周圍的以色列定居點建築工地。
（圖片來源：AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS）
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美國對以色列國防軍推進 3,000 座西岸定居者住房計劃的意圖感到“擔憂”，包括將兩個前哨基地合法化。
這是自美國總統喬拜登宣誓就職以來，猶太和撒馬利亞高級規劃委員會首次大規模推進定居者住房計劃。
宣布這一消息之際，媒體報導稱，納夫塔利·貝內特總理正承受著美國要求凍結此類計劃的額外壓力。與貝內特關係密切的內閣部長和官員否認了這些報導。
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美國國務院發言人內德·普萊斯在周五的新聞發布會上被問及這一消息。
“我們對下周宣布召開會議以推進西岸深處的定居點單位感到關切，並認為以色列和巴勒斯坦權力機構必須避免採取加劇緊張局勢和削弱推進談判達成的兩方面努力的單方面措施，這一點至關重要國家解決方案，”普萊斯說。“這當然包括定居活動，以及定居前哨的追溯合法化。”
2020 年 12 月 1 日，約旦河西岸 Gush Etzion 的 Efrat 猶太人定居點和周邊田地。（圖片來源：GERSHON ELINSON/FLASH90）
該委員會通常每年召開四次會議來推進定居計劃，但今年它只在 1 月份召開了一次會議，以推動 780 戶定居者住房的計劃，這只是過去幾年推進的金額的一小部分。
據左翼非政府組織 Peace Now 稱，高級規劃委員會在 2020 年推進了 12,159 套住房計劃，並在 2019 年推進了 8,457 套移民住房計劃。
在貝內特離開與拜登的第一次會面之前，該委員會最初定於 8 月召開會議，以批准建造 2,223 座定居者房屋的計劃。
歷史悠久的 74 英畝矽谷地產以 1.35 億美元掛牌出售由 Mansion Global 贊助
那次會議因罷工而被取消，現在才重新安排，計劃中的房屋數量更多。
民政局表示，它打算就涉及 3,144 套住宅計劃的 30 個項目進行辯論。其中，1,800 套房屋將獲得最終批准。
根據現在的和平，這包括將 Mitzpe Danny 前哨站合法化為 Ma'aleh Mishmash 定居點的新社區，以及將 Haroeh Haivri 合法化為教育機構的計劃。它補充說，由於某些計劃的重複計算，其計劃的數量達到了 2,862。
10 月 31 日，該委員會還將在以色列國防軍軍事和文職人員控制下的西岸 C 區推進六個項目，共計 1,303 套巴勒斯坦人住房。
這包括伯利恆地區 Al-Ma'assara 村的 270 所房屋、圖爾卡姆地區 Almasqufa 的 233 所房屋和南希伯倫山 Dkeika 的 200 所房屋。
此外，傑寧地區的計劃將就 Abba a-Sharqiya 的 160 套住宅、Khirbet Abdallah Younas 的 170 套住宅和 Bir Albasha 的 270 套住宅進行辯論。
在所有這些中，只有阿卜杜拉的 170 所房屋將獲得最終批准。在 Gush Etzion 地區的 Khirbet Zakariya 建造 50 座巴勒斯坦人房屋的計劃被取消。
Lahav Harkov 為本報告做出了貢獻。
US concerned about Israeli plans for 3,000 settler homes
The announcement about settler housing plans comes amid media reports that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is under extra US pressure to freeze such plans.
By TOVAH LAZAROFF, OMRI NAHMIAS
OCTOBER 23, 2021 22:59
A Jewish settler walks past Israeli settlement construction sites around Givat Zeev and Ramat Givat Zeev in the West Bank, near Jerusalem June 30, 2020.
(photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)
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The US is “concerned” by the IDF’s intention to advance plans for 3,000 settler West Bank homes, including for the legalization of two outposts.
It is the first such large-scale advancement of settler housing plans by the Higher Planning Council for Judea and Samaria since US President Joe Biden was sworn into office.
The announcement comes amid media reports that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is under extra US pressure to freeze such plans. Cabinet ministers and officials close to Bennett have denied those reports.
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US concerned about Israeli plans for 3,000 settler homes
US State Department spokesman Ned Price was queried about the announcement at Friday’s news briefing.
“We are concerned about the announcement of a meeting next week to advance settlement units deep in the West Bank, and believe it is critical for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to refrain from unilateral steps that exacerbate tension and undercut efforts to advance a negotiated two-state solution,” said Price. “This certainly includes settlement activity, as well as retroactive legalization of settlement outposts.”
View of the Jewish settlement of Efrat and the surrounding fields, in Gush Etzion, West Bank, on December 1, 2020. (credit: GERSHON ELINSON/FLASH90)
The council usually meets four times a year to advance settlement plans, but this year it has met only once, in January, to promote plans for 780 settler homes, a fraction of the amount it advanced in past years.
According to the left-wing NGO Peace Now, the Higher Planning Council pushed forward plans for 12,159 homes in 2020, and advanced plans for 8,457 settler homes in 2019.
The council had initially been set to convene in August to approve plans for 2,223 settler homes, prior to Bennett’s departure for his first meeting with Biden.
That meeting was canceled due to a strike and has only now been rescheduled, with a larger number of planned homes.
The Civil Administration has said that it intends to debate 30 projects that involve plans for 3,144 homes. Out of those, 1,800 homes will receive final approval.
This includes plans for the legalization of both the Mitzpe Danny outpost as a new neighborhood in the Ma’aleh Mishmash settlement, and the Haroeh Haivri as an educational institution, according to Peace Now. It added that its count of the plans came to 2,862, due to the double-counting of some plans.
On October 31, the council is also set to advance six projects totaling 1,303 homes for Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank, which is under IDF military and civilian control.
This includes 270 homes in Al-Ma’assara village in the Bethlehem area, 233 homes in Almasqufa in the Tulkarm area and 200 in Dkeika in the South Hebron Hills.
In addition, plans for the Jenin area will be debated regarding 160 homes in Abba a-Sharqiya, 170 homes in Khirbet Abdallah Younas and 270 in Bir Albasha.
Of all those, only the 170 homes in Abdallah will receive final approval. A plan for 50 Palestinian homes in Khirbet Zakariya in the Gush Etzion region was dropped.
Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.
埃德爾斯坦嘲笑內塔尼亞胡說現任政府可能會持續到2025年
內塔尼亞胡在一次地方當局會議上說：“我們將迅速返回並解決問題。[我們的回歸] 可能需要兩週或三年半的時間。
通過GIL HOFFMAN
2021 年 10 月 23 日 22:06
尤利·埃德爾斯坦——他的信息是，沒有理由認為如果內塔尼亞胡再次領導該黨，他在組建政府方面將比過去四次取得更大的成功。
（照片來源：Yonatan Zendel/Flash90）
廣告
利庫德集團領導人候選人尤利·埃德爾斯坦週末抨擊現任本傑明·內塔尼亞胡，因為他暗示現任總理納夫塔利·貝內特和候補總理亞伊爾·拉皮德的政府可能會比預期的持續更長時間。
“我們將迅速返回並解決問題，”內塔尼亞胡在一次地方當局會議上說，而利庫德集團的回歸“可能需要兩週或三年半的時間”。
埃德爾斯坦回應說，阻止利庫德集團重新掌權的障礙是內塔尼亞胡本人。
“所以，即使右翼有 72 個授權，我們也應該在反對派中坐等三年半，讓左翼摧毀猶太國家？” 埃德爾斯坦問道。“我們不會讓這種事情發生。我們現在必須解散這個災難性的政府！”
內塔尼亞胡打算在接下來的兩週內推動利庫德集團在聯盟中尋找裂縫，這可能會阻止國家預算獲得通過，使政府垮台並開始選舉。
反對黨領袖本雅明內塔尼亞胡在以色列議會發表講話。（信用：諾姆·莫斯科維奇）
與內政部長阿耶萊特·沙克德關係密切的消息人士否認了周六晚上 KAN 電視台的報導，即通過預算的最後障礙已被消除。根據該報告，Shaked 和 Ra'am（阿拉伯聯合名單）就為阿拉伯部門的市政當局提供資金達成了協議。
內閣將在周日就一項 530 億新謝克爾的五年計劃為阿拉伯部門提供資金進行投票。
一項有爭議的 Ra'am（阿拉伯聯合酋長國名單）MK Waleed Taha 法案將在周日由部長級立法委員會的聯盟以及隨後幾天由議會通過，此前他威脅要阻止國家預算的通過和發起選舉。
歷史悠久的 74 英畝矽谷地產以 1.35 億美元掛牌出售由 Mansion Global 贊助
擔任以色列議會內政委員會主席的塔哈取消了本週的所有會議，這些會議原定為國家預算附帶的部分經濟安排法案立法。他說他不會召集委員會，因為聯盟不會推進一項法案，使非法建造的阿拉伯和貝都因人的房屋能夠連接到電力。
宗教猶太復國主義黨 MK Itamar Ben-Gvir 指責貝內特“向恐怖支持者投降”。他還抨擊以色列議會外交和國防委員會主席拉姆·本-巴拉克（Yesh Atid）讓一名被指控與恐怖支持者會面的穆斯林助手重返工作崗位。
利庫德集團 MK Miri Regev 週三在以色列議會全體會議上引起軒然大波，當時她稱曾任摩薩德副首腦的本巴拉克是“以色列的仇敵”。
在周六晚上接受第 13 頻道採訪時，雷格夫表示，儘管她的利庫德集團內部提出批評，但她堅持對本巴拉克的批評，不會道歉。
“他不再在摩薩德，”她說。“他現在是一名政治家，我不信任一個僱用會見恐怖主義支持者的人。”
Edelstein mocks Netanyahu for saying current gov't may last until 2025
Speaking at a conference of local authorities, Netanyahu said: 'We will return quickly and fix things. [Our return] could take two weeks or three and a half years.'
By GIL HOFFMAN
OCTOBER 23, 2021 22:06
YULI EDELSTEIN – his message was that there is no reason to think that if Netanyahu leads the party again, he will have any more success in forming a government than he did the last four times.
(photo credit: Yonatan Zendel/Flash90)
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Likud leadership candidate Yuli Edelstein blasted incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend for suggesting that the current government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid could last longer than expected.
“We will return quickly and fix things,” Netanyahu said at a conference of local authorities, and that Likud’s return “could take two weeks or three and a half years.”
Edelstein responded that the obstacle preventing the Likud from returning to power is Netanyahu himself.
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“So even though the Right has 72 mandates, we are supposed to sit and wait in the opposition for three and a half years and let the Left destroy the Jewish state?” Edelstein asked. “We will not let this happen. We must already break up this disastrous government now!”
Netanyahu intends to push Likud MKs to find cracks in the coalition over the next two weeks that could prevent the state budget from passing, enable the government to fall and initiate an election.
Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu speaking in the Knesset. (credit: NOAM MOSKOVICH)
Sources close to Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked denied a KAN TV report on Saturday night that the final hurdle toward passing the budget had been removed. According to the report, agreements had been reached between Shaked and Ra’am (United Arab List) about funding for municipalities in the Arab sector.
Voting in the cabinet will proceed on Sunday on a five-year, NIS 53 billion plan for funding the Arab sector.
A controversial bill of Ra’am (United Arab List) MK Waleed Taha will be passed by the coalition in the Ministerial Committee on Legislation on Sunday and by the Knesset in the days after, following his threats to prevent the passage of the state budget and initiate an election.
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Taha, who chairs the Knesset Interior Committee, canceled all of its meetings for this week, which were set to legislate part of the economic arrangements bill that accompanies the state budget. He said he would not convene the committee, because the coalition is not advancing a bill that would enable Arab and Bedouin homes built illegally to be connected to electricity.
Religious Zionist Party MK Itamar Ben-Gvir accused Bennett of “surrendering to terror supporters.” He also blasted Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Ram Ben-Barak (Yesh Atid) for returning a Muslim aide to work who was accused of meeting with terror supporters.
Likud MK Miri Regev raised an uproar in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday when she called Ben-Barak, who is a former deputy head of the Mossad, “a hater of Israel.”
In an interview with Channel 13 on Saturday night, Regev said that despite criticism from inside her Likud faction, she stands by her criticism of Ben-Barak and would not apologize.
“He is no longer in the Mossad,” she said. “He is now a politician, and I don’t trust a man who employs someone who meets with terror supporters.”
Naftali Bennett 應該怎麼做才能不再是一個偶然的領導者？
中以色列：如果貝內特將他的以色列議會派係與新希望合併，他的政治交付和選舉前景之間的差距會縮小。
作者：AMOTZ ASA-EL
2021 年 10 月 22 日 12:55
7 月，總理納夫塔利·貝內特和司法部長吉迪恩·薩爾參加了在耶路撒冷舉行的新聞發布會。
（照片來源：AMIT SHABI/POOL）
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“我覺得月亮、星星和行星都落在了我身上，”哈里·杜魯門談到他得知富蘭克林·羅斯福去世的那一刻時說。
他後來偶然成為的領導者實際上是美國最好的總統之一，他構想了華盛頓的冷戰學說，帶頭推動了歐洲的重建，並穩定了戰後世界。
他並不孤單。
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卡利古拉跛行和結結巴巴的叔叔克勞狄斯意外地繼承了他被暗殺的侄子，然後成為羅馬最有效的皇帝之一，將其擴張到現在的英國、阿爾及利亞和奧地利。
同樣，伊扎克·沙米爾吸收了以色列歷史上最大的移民浪潮，儘管他從未計劃成為總理，只是因為他的突然離職而接替了梅納赫姆·貝京。
現在以色列因為“政治事故”再次有了總理，正如他自己在聯合國的一次演講中所說的那樣。
那次事故發生四個月後，納夫塔利·貝內特( Naftali Bennett ) 的記錄似乎也不錯，但他的潛在選民基本上沒有受到影響。為什麼？
BENNETT 已經取得了多項成就。
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在大流行方面，他採取了大膽的措施，在醫療機構的流程之前訂購了第三次疫苗接種，從而阻止了Delta 變體。這是一場賭博，而且奏效了。
在經濟方面，他採取了避免封鎖的平行賭注，事實證明，這一選擇也是明智的。同樣在這方面，他的政府提出了一項新的預算，目前正在製定法律，結束了貝內特的前任強加的財政困境。
在公民方面，貝內特以多年來從未遇到過的動力對抗極端正統派政客。首先，他成立了調查委員會，調查梅隆山災難，極端正統派領導人顯然害怕判決，試圖阻止這項調查。
2021 年 10 月 18 日，納夫塔利·貝內特總理出席在耶路撒冷赫茨爾山舉行的紀念已故總理伊扎克·拉賓和他的妻子利亞的國家紀念儀式。（圖片來源：KOBI GIDEON/GPO）
然後他的政府對首席拉比在 kashrut 監督中的角色進行了改革，將其從管理者轉變為監管者。因此，極端正統派政客將失去大量納稅工作崗位，這些工作崗位使數千家餐館和咖啡館的運營成本飆升。
本著同樣的精神，貝內特在上週的耶路撒冷郵報會議上呼籲限制極端正統派的政治影響力，表達了以色列中產階級面對我們公共領域最明顯缺陷之一的憤怒。
最後，在國際舞台上，新政府從前一屆停止的地方開始，在阿拉伯聯合酋長國和巴林開設大使館，並在摩洛哥設立代表處，併計劃成為大使館。
此外，貝內特由埃及總統阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西和約旦國王阿卜杜拉接待，外長亞伊爾·拉皮德由巴林國王哈馬德·本·伊薩·阿勒哈利法接待，貝內特剛剛應邀正式訪問阿聯酋。
對於僅僅四個月的任職時間來說，這是相當多的，除此之外，最終可能會成為本屆政府最重要的遺產，即對以色列阿拉伯地區犯罪危機的戰爭。
在這個階段，在這個流血的戰線上有很多值得譴責的地方，也沒有什麼值得慶祝的。然而，貝內特作為他的聯盟的一部分與阿拉伯政客一起解決這一禍害的事實，以及他選擇親自領導這項工作的事實，進一步表明他在內心深處不是政治家，而是企業家，他們的渴望比大多數政治家的渴望談論更大。
最後，在人際關係方面，貝內特保留了一堆政治對手，他們大多來自與他完全不同的背景，比如梅雷茨領導人尼贊霍洛維茨，貝內特以前者的衛生部長身份每天與他們密切合作。
任何其他有這樣前 120 天的總理在民意調查中都會表現出色。那麼，為什麼貝內特沒有超越他對 5% 選民的核心追隨？
BENNETT 的影響源於他的管理能力，但他需要的選民正在尋找其他東西。
貝內特的選舉迴旋空間有限。左派和中左派不同意他，極右派討厭他，極端正統派現在將他視為戰略敵人。這給他留下了右翼和中右翼。
在這個狹窄的領域內，貝內特進一步局限於不欣賞以色列人現在稱之為 Bibism 的煽動和個人崇拜文化的選民。在這些選民中，許多人欣賞他表現出的謙遜和他灌輸的民族綏靖感。
然而，這個選民正在以懷疑的眼光看著貝內特。不是因為他們不同意他迄今為止所做或所說的任何部分，而是因為他們在等著看他建立一個真正的政治結構。
貝內特的選舉失敗源於他缺乏政治組織。
他提交的候選人名單是倉促整理的，缺少第一排的公眾人物。與拉皮德不同，他沒有像露絲·卡爾德隆和艾麗莎·拉維那樣吸引文人，也沒有像少將這樣的開創性女性。(res.) Orna Barbivay，沒有像前 Mizrahi 銀行首席執行官 Yaakov Peri 這樣的高級銀行家，沒有像截癱能源部長 Karin Elharrar 這樣的社會領袖，也沒有像摩薩德前副局長 Ram Ben-Barak 或 Mickey Levy 這樣的高級安全人物，前耶路撒冷區警察指揮官。
Bennett 必須效仿這種模式，他應該通過將他的派係與司法部長 Gideon Sa'ar 的新希望合併來開始這一旅程。
兩者沒有意識形態上的差異，而且合作得很好。加上12個議會席位，他們將形成政治權力基礎和選舉磁鐵。他們的信息很簡單：我們是真正的利庫德集團，是梅納赫姆貝京的繼承者，是他所信仰並為之奮鬥的民族自由主義。
公共重量級人物將開始採用貝內特的方式，新選民也將如此，意識到他不再是一個偶然的領導者。
www.MiddleIsrael.net
作家的暢銷書 Mitzad Ha'ivelet Ha'yehudi（猶太愚蠢行軍，Yediot Sefarim，2019 年）是一部從古代到現代的猶太人領導權的修正主義歷史。
What should Naftali Bennett do to cease to be an accidental leader?
MIDDLE ISRAEL: The gap between Bennett's political delivery and electoral prospects can narrow if he merges his Knesset faction with New Hope.
By AMOTZ ASA-EL
OCTOBER 22, 2021 12:55
PRIME MINISTER Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar participate in a press conference in Jerusalem in July.
(photo credit: AMIT SHABI/POOL)
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“I felt like the moon, the stars, and the planets had fallen on me,” said Harry Truman about the moment in which he learned of Franklin Roosevelt’s death.
The accidental leader he then became actually turned out to be one of the best American presidents, the one who conceived Washington’s Cold War doctrine, spearheaded Europe’s reconstruction and stabilized the postwar world.
He was not alone.
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Claudius, Caligula’s limping and stammering uncle, succeeded his assassinated nephew by accident, and then became one of Rome’s most effective emperors, expanding it to what now are Britain, Algeria and Austria.
Similarly, Yitzhak Shamir absorbed the biggest immigration wave in Israel’s history, even though he never planned to be prime minister and succeeded Menachem Begin only because of his abrupt departure.
Now Israel again has a prime minister as a result of “a political accident,” as he put it himself in a speech at the United Nations.
Four months after that accident, Naftali Bennett’s record also seems favorable, but his potential electorate remains largely unharnessed. Why?
BENNETT has already registered several achievements.
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On the pandemic front, he blocked the Delta variant by taking the daring measure of ordering the third vaccination ahead of the medical establishment’s process. It was a gamble, and it worked.
On the economy, he took the parallel gamble of avoiding lockdowns, a choice that also proved wise. Also on that front, his government tabled a new budget, which is now in the process of being made law, ending the fiscal limbo that Bennett’s predecessor imposed.
On the civic front, Bennett confronted ultra-Orthodox politicians with a drive they had not faced in years. First, he established the commission of inquiry that is investigating the Mount Meron disaster, a probe that ultra-Orthodox leaders tried to prevent, evidently fearing its verdict.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends a state memorial ceremony commemorating the late prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and his wife, Leah, on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, October 18, 2021. (credit: KOBI GIDEON/GPO)
Then his government introduced a reform of the Chief Rabbinate’s role in kashrut supervision, transforming it from manager to regulator. Ultra-Orthodox politicians will thus lose a repository of tax-paid jobs that spiked operational costs of thousands of restaurants and cafés.
In the same spirit, Bennett’s call in last week’s Jerusalem Post Conference to limit ultra-Orthodoxy’s political sway voiced Middle Israelis’ wrath in the face of one of our public sphere’s most glaring defects.
Lastly, on the international scene, the new government has picked up from where the previous one left off, opening embassies in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as well as a representation office in Morocco, which is planned to become an embassy as well.
In addition, Bennett was hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and by Jordan’s King Abdullah, and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid was hosted by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Bennett was just invited to formally visit the UAE.
That’s quite a bit for a mere four months of incumbency, and that’s besides what might ultimately emerge as this government’s most important legacy, the war on the crime crisis in Israel’s Arab sector.
At this stage there is plenty to decry and nothing to celebrate on this bleeding front. However, the fact that Bennett is out to tackle this scourge with Arab politicians as part of his coalition, and the fact that he chose to personally head this effort, are further indication that at heart he is not a politician, but an entrepreneur, one whose eagerness to do is bigger than most politicians’ eagerness to talk.
Lastly, on the human-relations front, Bennett is keeping intact a bundle of political antagonists, mostly from backgrounds entirely different from his, like Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz, with whom Bennett works closely on a daily basis in the former’s capacity as health minister.
Any other prime minister with such a first 120 days would have done well in polls. Why, then, does Bennett not break beyond his core following of 5% of the electorate?
BENNETT’S impact stems from his managerial abilities, but the electorate he needs is looking for something else.
Bennett’s electoral maneuver space is limited. The Left and Center-Left disagree with him, the far-Right hates him, and ultra-Orthodoxy now sees in him a strategic enemy. That leaves him with the Right and the Center-Right.
Within that narrowed field Bennett is further confined to the electorate that does not appreciate the culture of incitement and personality cult that Israelis now call Bibism. Among these voters, many appreciate the humility he has displayed and the sense of national appeasement he has instilled.
Yet this electorate is watching Bennett with skepticism; not because they disagree with any part of what he has so far done or said, but because they are waiting to see him build a real political structure.
Bennett’s electoral failure stems from his lack of a political organization.
The candidate list he fielded was assembled hastily and lacked first-row public figures. Unlike Lapid, he attracted no literati like Ruth Calderon and Aliza Lavie, no groundbreaking women like Maj.-Gen. (res.) Orna Barbivay, no senior bankers like former Mizrahi Bank CEO Yaakov Peri, no social leaders like paraplegic Energy Minister Karin Elharrar, and no senior security figures like Ram Ben-Barak, a former deputy head of the Mossad, or Mickey Levy, a former Jerusalem District police commander.
Bennett must emulate this model, and he should start this journey by merging his faction with Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope.
There are no ideological differences between the two, and they are working well together. With a combined 12 Knesset seats they will form a political power base and an electoral magnet. Their message will be simple: we are the real Likud, the successors of Menachem Begin and the national liberalism in which he believed and for which he fought.
Public heavyweights will then begin gravitating Bennett’s way, as will new voters, realizing he is no longer an accidental leader.
www.MiddleIsrael.net
The writer’s bestselling Mitzad Ha’ivelet Ha’yehudi (The Jewish March of Folly, Yediot Sefarim, 2019), is a revisionist history of the Jewish people’s leadership from antiquity to modernity.
“以色列遊說者”學者揭開中國的面紗，但他做錯了什麼？- 分析
多年來，約翰·米爾斯海默 (John Mearsheimer) 一直在警告中國的崛起​​。現在他繼續警告中國，同時仍然抨擊以色列。
作者：SETH J. FRANZMAN
2021 年 10 月 23 日 22:24
中國和以色列——朋友還是敵人？
（圖片來源：路透社）
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早在2007年，兩位美國學者就撰寫了一本關於“以色列遊說團和美國外交政策”的書，抨擊以美關係。其中一位作者約翰·米爾斯海默( John Mearsheimer ) 後來繼續發表了一場關於以色列和美國猶太人的奇異演講。
他談到“巴勒斯坦的未來，我指的是約旦河和地中海之間土地的未來，或者說很久以前被稱為託管巴勒斯坦的地方。” 他接著指出，“深切關心以色列的美國猶太人可以分為三大類。前兩個是我所說的‘正義的猶太人’和‘新的南非白人’，它們是明確定義的群體，他們思考以色列及其根本方向。”
這個奇怪的演講是對以色列及其政策的強烈批評的又一站。他在 2010 年關於“新南非白人”的演講中說，“儘管如此，巴勒斯坦人不會很快建立自己的國家。相反，他們最終將生活在一個由以色列猶太人主導的種族隔離國家。” 當時，米爾斯海默被認定為“R. 溫德爾哈里森政治學傑出服務教授和芝加哥大學國際安全政策項目聯合主任。”
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現在，他在外交事務上撰寫了一篇題為“不可避免的競爭：美國、中國和大國政治的悲劇”的新文章。他首先指出“三年前，冷戰結束，美國贏了。它現在是這個星球上唯一的強大力量。縱觀威脅，美國決策者似乎沒有什麼值得擔心的——尤其是中國，一個十多年來一直與美國結盟對抗蘇聯的弱小國家。但是有一些不祥的跡象。”
多年來，米爾斯海默一直對中國的崛起​​發出警告。早在 2015 年，對他的工作的評論指出，“米爾斯海默認為遏制是美國阻止中國實現地區霸權的唯一途徑。” 他在抨擊以色列的同時繼續警告中國。
2020 年 10 月 1 日，土耳其伊斯坦布爾，維吾爾族示威者參加抗議中國的抗議活動。（來源：REUTERS/MURAD SEZER）
在這篇新文章中，米爾斯海默認為“[與中國的]接觸可能是任何國家在近代歷史上犯下的最嚴重的戰略錯誤：沒有一個大國積極促進同行競爭對手崛起的可比例子。現在做太多事情已經太晚了。”
專家擔心的是，美國決策者未能遏制中國的快速崛起。據《外交》報導，文章認為，現在中國可能比以前的蘇聯更強大。在他的文章中，他關注的是他們如何擁抱自由的國際世界秩序，卻忽視了中國的崛起​​。
它還忽略了擁抱中國並沒有使中國成為一個自由民主的國家，但實際上中國“在崛起時變得更加鎮壓和野心勃勃”。事實上，當今世界正在看到中國的這一方面。他認為，現在美國和中國之間正在展開一場危險的安全競爭。“華盛頓讓技術不受限制地流動，讓中國在創新的關鍵領域挑戰美國的主導地位。” 現在“做太多事情可能為時已晚”。
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國際安全教授馬克斯·艾布拉姆斯指出，“一些學者忙於寫關於美以關係危險的書籍。” 這指出，隨著中國的崛起​​，米爾斯海默忙於為以色列遊說團體大肆宣傳，並抨擊“新南非白人”。
有些人可能會說，抨擊以色列的政策並不矛盾，同時也認為美國沒有足夠重視中國的崛起​​，但其他人可能想知道為什麼在美國需要盟友和夥伴的時候，有人主張糾正以美關係。與中國的任何全球鬥爭。
《以色列遊說》一書辯稱，“沒有遊說能夠將美國的外交政策偏離美國國家利益所暗示的那樣遠，同時讓美國人相信美國和以色列的利益在本質上是相同的”，並且遊說導致了“以色列的利益”。敵人被削弱或被推翻，以色列對巴勒斯坦人放任自流，而美國承擔了大部分的戰鬥、死亡、重建和付出代價。”
在他們抨擊以色列的原始論文中，以色列遊說團的作者在 2006 年爭辯說，“這不僅意味著華盛頓應該讓以色列自由地與巴勒斯坦人打交道，而不是強迫以色列做出讓步，直到所有巴勒斯坦恐怖分子被監禁或死亡，但美國應該追捕伊朗和敘利亞等國家。因此，以色列被視為反恐戰爭中的重要盟友，因為它的敵人是美國的敵人。事實上，以色列在反恐戰爭和打擊流氓國家的更廣泛努力中是一個負擔。”
2006 年，作者認為敘利亞已經失去了它的“蘇聯贊助人”。事實上，今天俄羅斯深深地支持敘利亞，敘利亞正在俄羅斯的支持下贏得一場長達十年的內戰。
作者似乎批評以色列是一個強大的軍事力量，並指出雖然擁護者認為美國應該支持像以色列這樣的民主國家，但“美國過去推翻了民主政府並支持獨裁者，而這被認為是為了推進其利益——它與今天的許多獨裁政權關係良好。”
構成該書基礎的 2006 年文章認為，“美國猶太領導人經常諮詢以色列官員，以確保他們的行動推進以色列的目標。” 他們爭辯說，“以色列政府和美國的親以色列團體共同製定了政府對伊拉克、敘利亞和伊朗的政策，以及重新安排中東秩序的宏偉計劃。” 這篇文章描繪了美國“新保守派”與以色列的關係，他們在 2003 年發動了對伊拉克的戰爭。
作者指出，“有人可能會爭辯說，以色列和遊說團體對伊朗的政策沒有太大影響，因為美國有自己的理由阻止伊朗發展核武器。這話有一定道理，但伊朗的核野心並未對美國構成直接威脅。如果華盛頓能夠與有核的蘇聯、有核的中國，甚至有核的朝鮮共存，那麼它就可以與有核的伊朗共存。”
如果敘利亞能成為美國的盟友，那篇 2006 年的文章似乎在爭論。“同樣令人擔憂的是，遊說團體在伊朗和敘利亞的政權更迭運動可能會導緻美國攻擊這些國家，從而產生潛在的災難性影響。我們不需要另一個伊拉克。至少，遊說團體對敘利亞和伊朗的敵意使華盛頓幾乎不可能讓他們參與打擊基地組織和伊拉克叛亂的鬥爭，而在那裡急需他們的幫助。”
現在，許多關於美國與敘利亞政權合作的幻想已經過去了。美國確實與伊朗在伊拉克​​對抗伊斯蘭國的工作是一致的，但這並沒有使伊朗成為美國的盟友。現在米爾斯海默似乎更關心中國。從長遠來看，他反對美以關係的論點對他對中國的擔憂有何幫助，目前尚不清楚。削弱以色列和美國與伊朗和敘利亞的合作不太可能削弱中國的崛起​​。今天，以色列在中東有更多的朋友，尤其是在海灣地區以及希臘和印度的美國主要夥伴中。從長遠來看，目前尚不清楚將以色列從美國的盟友和夥伴體系中驅逐出去對美國有什麼幫助。回想起來，對以色列和“遊說團”的痴迷似乎不符合美國的“利益，
更廣泛的問題是關於美國外交政策的分歧可以追溯到 1950 年代。雖然有些人認為以色列是一種“責任”，或者美國對以色列的支持激怒了該地區的潛在美國朋友，但其他人則將以色列視為美國在該地區和世界安全網絡的基石。總的來說，美國應該拋棄以色列與敵對的極端主義政權合作的論點似乎並不奏效。為什麼美國應該更喜歡薩達姆侯賽因的政權，而不是以色列。納賽爾的政權會更可取，還是以基地組織告終的穆斯林兄弟會和極端分子更可取。極端主義政權往往會變成軟弱、混亂的國家，例如 Zia ul-Haq 之後的巴基斯坦，或埃爾多安 (Erdogan) 統治下的土耳其。緩和，穩定的國家在保障安全方面更有幫助。為什麼與伊朗合作而不是與以色列密切合作會更好地為美國服務。
以色列已成為技術創新者，以色列的技術幫助美軍。考慮一下美國坦克或鐵穹的獎杯系統的作用，或以色列製造的其他系統，這些系統現在是 F-35 飛行員頭盔的一部分，或 F-35 的機翼。所有這些都表明，美以在各個方面的合作非常重要，包括現在應對無人機威脅。
沒有證據表明如果美國轉向伊朗和敘利亞，它會收到伊朗國防技術來幫助美國坦克，或者敘利亞會建造鐵穹系統。事實是，敘利亞和伊朗與俄羅斯和中國關係密切，永遠不會成為美國的盟友。美國沒有在那裡沉沒成本，而是與以色列密切合作並取得了繁榮。
從長遠來看，美國正在縮小在該地區的足跡並離開阿富汗。這使得以色列的伙伴關係更加重要。在阿薩德政權作為其在該地區的盟友和夥伴的同時，一些專家會更喜歡美國的縮編嗎？如果美國在未來幾十年對抗中國，依靠強大的以色列的能力已經得到證實。
'Israel lobby' scholar sheds light on China, but what did he get wrong? - analysis
John Mearsheimer has warned for years about China’s rise. Now he continues to warn about China, while still slamming Israel.
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
OCTOBER 23, 2021 22:24
China and Israel - Friends or foes?
(photo credit: REUTERS)
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Back in 2007 two American academics authored a book about "The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy," slamming Israel-US relations. One of the authors, John Mearsheimer, later went on to give a bizarre lecture focusing on Israel and American Jews.
He spoke about “the future of Palestine, and by that I mean the future of the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, or what was long ago called Mandatory Palestine.” He went on to note that “American Jews who care deeply about Israel can be divided into three broad categories. The first two are what I call ‘righteous Jews’ and the ‘new Afrikaners,’ which are clearly definable groups that think about Israel and where it is headed fundamentally.”
This bizarre lecture was one more stop on an obsessive critique of Israel and its policies. He said during his 2010 lecture on the “new Afrikaners” that “nevertheless, the Palestinians are not going to get their own state any time soon. They are instead going to end up living in an apartheid state dominated by Israeli Jews.” At the time Mearsheimer was identified as the “R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science and co-director of the Program on International Security Policy at the University of Chicago.”
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Now he has authored a new piece at Foreign Affairs titled “The Inevitable Rivalry: America, China, and the Tragedy of Great-Power Politics.” He starts out by noting that “three decades ago, the Cold War ended, and the United States had won. It was now the sole great power on the planet. Scanning the horizon for threats, US policymakers seemed to have little cause for concern—and especially not about China, a weak and impoverished country that had been aligned with the United States against the Soviet Union for over a decade. But there were some ominous signs.”
Mearsheimer has warned for years about China’s rise. Back in 2015, a review of his work noted “Mearsheimer believes that containment is the United States’ only way to prevent China from achieving regional hegemony.” He continued to warn about China while slamming Israel.
Ethnic Uighur demonstrators take part in a protest against China, in Istanbul, Turkey October 1, 2020. (credit: REUTERS/MURAD SEZER)
In the new piece, Mearsheimer argues that “engagement [with China] may have been the worst strategic blunder any country has made in recent history: there is no comparable example of a great power actively fostering the rise of a peer competitor. And it is now too late to do much about it.”
The expert’s concern is that US policymakers failed to contain the rapid rise of China. Now China could be even more powerful than the Soviet Union once was, the article argues, according to Foreign Affairs. In his article, he focuses on how they embraced a liberal international world order but ignored the rise of China.
It also ignored how embracing China didn’t make China a liberal democracy but actually China “grew even more repressive and ambitious as it rose.” Indeed, the world is now seeing that aspect of China today. Now a dangerous security competition is developing between the US and China, he argues. “Washington let technology flow with few limits, allowing China to challenge US dominance in the critical realm of innovation.” Now it may be “too late to do much about it.”
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Max Abrahms, an international security professor, noted that “some scholars were too busy writing books about the dangers of the US-Israeli relationship.” This points out that Mearsheimer was busy talking up the Israel Lobby and also slamming the “new Afrikaners” as China was rising.
While some might say there is no contradiction in slamming Israel’s policies while also arguing that the US didn’t take China’s rise seriously enough, others might wonder why some advocated redressing the Israel-US relationship at a time when the US needs allies and partners in any global struggle with China.
The Israel Lobby book argued that “no lobby has managed to divert US foreign policy as far from what the American national interest would otherwise suggest, while simultaneously convincing Americans that US and Israeli interests are essentially identical” and that the lobby has resulted in "Israel's enemies get weakened or overthrown, Israel gets a free hand with the Palestinians, and the United States does most of the fighting, dying, rebuilding, and paying.”
In the original paper in which they slammed Israel, the authors of the Israel Lobby argued in 2006 that “this is taken to mean not only that Washington should give Israel a free hand in dealing with the Palestinians and not press it to make concessions until all Palestinian terrorists are imprisoned or dead, but that the US should go after countries like Iran and Syria. Israel is thus seen as a crucial ally in the war on terror because its enemies are America’s enemies. In fact, Israel is a liability in the war on terror and the broader effort to deal with rogue states.”
In 2006 the authors argued that Syria had lost its “Soviet patron.” In fact today Russia is deeply backing Syria and Syria is on the way to winning a ten-year civil war with Russia’s backing.
The authors seem to critique Israel for being a strong military power and note that while advocates think the US should back a fellow democracy like Israel, “the US has overthrown democratic governments in the past and supported dictators when this was thought to advance its interests – it has good relations with a number of dictatorships today.”
The 2006 article that formed the basis for the book argued that “American Jewish leaders often consult Israeli officials, to make sure that their actions advance Israeli goals.” They argued, “the Israeli government and pro-Israel groups in the United States have worked together to shape the administration’s policy towards Iraq, Syria and Iran, as well as its grand scheme for reordering the Middle East.” The article painted a picture of US “neo-conservatives” with ties to Israel leading the drive to war against Iraq in 2003.
The authors noted “one might argue that Israel and the Lobby have not had much influence on policy towards Iran, because the US has its own reasons for keeping Iran from going nuclear. There is some truth in this, but Iran’s nuclear ambitions do not pose a direct threat to the US. If Washington could live with a nuclear Soviet Union, a nuclear China, or even a nuclear North Korea, it can live with a nuclear Iran.”
If only Syria could be a US ally, the 2006 article seemed to argue. “Equally worrying, the Lobby’s campaign for regime change in Iran and Syria could lead the US to attack those countries, with potentially disastrous effects. We don’t need another Iraq. At a minimum, the Lobby’s hostility towards Syria and Iran makes it almost impossible for Washington to enlist them in the struggle against al-Qaida and the Iraqi insurgency, where their help is badly needed.”
Now many of those fantasies about the US working with Syria’s regime have passed. The US did work on the same side as Iran against ISIS in Iraq, but that didn’t make Iran a US ally. Now Mearsheimer appears more concerned about China. It’s unclear how his arguments against the US-Israel relationship would have helped in the long term regarding his concerns about China. Weakening Israel and the US working with Iran and Syria would not likely have reduced China’s rise. Today Israel has more friends in the Middle East, especially among key US partners in the Gulf and in Greece and India. It’s not clear how pushing Israel out of the US system of allies and partners would have helped the US in the long run regarding China. It appears in retrospect that obsession with Israel and the “lobby” was not in US “interests,” and there is no evidence weakening Israel and working with countries like Syria would have helped US interests in the Middle East.
The wider question regards a divide in US foreign policy that goes back to the 1950s. While some have argued that Israel was a “liability” or that US support for Israel antagonized potential US friends in the region, others have seen Israel as a cornerstone of the US security network in the region and the world. In general, the argument that the US should have jettisoned Israel to work with hostile extremist regimes doesn’t seem like it would have worked. Why should the US have preferred Saddam Hussein’s regime, spreading war and gassing minorities, to Israel. Would Nasser’s regime have been preferable, or the Muslim Brotherhood and extremists that ended up with Al Qaeda. Extremist regimes have tended to become weak, chaotic states, like Pakistan after Zia ul-Haq, or Turkey under Erdogan. Moderate, stable states have been more helpful in projecting security. Why would the US have been better served by working with Iran, rather than working closely with Israel.
Israel has become a tech innovator and Israeli technology helps US forces. Consider the role of the Trophy system for US tanks or Iron Dome, or other systems Israel makes that are now part of the helmets of F-35 pilots, or the wings on F-35s. All of this shows that US-Israel cooperation on various fronts, including now countering drone threats, is important.
There’s no evidence that had the US pivoted to Iran and Syria that it would have received Iranian defense tech that would help US tanks or that Syria would have built an Iron Dome system. The fact is that Syria and Iran are close to Russia and China and were never going to be US allies. Rather than sunk costs there, the US worked closely with Israel and prospered.
In the long run, the US is drawing down its footprint in the region and has left Afghanistan. That makes Israel’s partnership more crucial. Would some experts have preferred the US drawdown while having the Assad regime as its ally and partner in the region? If the US is to confront China in the next decades, the ability to rely on a strong Israel has been borne out.
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