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I've Been Thinking:
A report has just been leaked about a secret meeting between senior Arab military leaders and Israel’s IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi who all met in Sharm el Sheik in March.
It was convened to discuss countering regional threats posed by Iran.
Details of the meeting, which was sponsored by the United States, were reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Then-head of Central Command, Gen. Frank McKenzie, brought together the top military commanders from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan. Included in the group was Saudi Arabia’s Chief of Staff Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Al Ruwaili.
Two important notes are that while the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also sent officers to the meeting, they did NOT send their military chiefs. And Kuwait and Oman did NOT participate at all.
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I've Been Thinking:
Iran announced that Qatar will host indirect talks between Iran and the United States. Their topic will be the revival of Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
The announcement was made by Mohammad Marandi, a media adviser to the Iranian nuclear team. Speaking to the semi-official ISNA news agency, Marandi said: "Iran chose Qatar to host because it is our friend.”
This is a major step forward in the negotiations over revitalizing the stalled talks around the Nuke Deal.
It is also important to note that this move places Qatar in a pivotal role not just in this one case, but as a serious player in the entire Middle East.
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I've Been Thinking:
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that all arms of the defense establishment were working in tandem to oppose the threat of a nuclear Iran,
Gantz made his point in response to reports that have begun to surface about disagreements between the military and intelligence agencies.
Benny Gantz said: "The defense establishment is dealing with the Iranian threat day and night as the most important and urgent strategic issue currently for Israel's security. This is done in coordination between all the security arms and with freedom of opinion while the political echelon makes the decision."
This is important given that the European Union announced that world powers and Iran have decided to restart the long-stalled talks on the revival of Tehran's nuclear program.
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I've Been Thinking:
Ukriane is extremely unhappy with Israel.
So much so, that Kyiv is considering suspending its visa-free agreement with Israel. They are peeved about Israel's policy on Ukrainian refugees.
Ukrainian ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk told Israeli Russian-language news Detaly that Israel is not playing fair. This is what he said:
"Russian citizens enter Israel without restrictions, Belarusian citizens as well, and Ukrainian citizens have invented electronic visas. "Neither I nor my management can help but take it painfully."
"We are now considering whether to suspend the visa-free regime for Israelis in response. It will be imperceptible now, but before Rosh Hashanah, the Israeli government will feel it."
The ambassador was referring to the pilgrimage of religious Jews who flock to Uman during the High Holy Days.
All the way back in March Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Chief-of-Staff Andriy Yermak made the same threat. He called the electronic permit system "an unfriendly step for the citizens of Ukraine."
Korniychuk also expressed disappointment with Israel's stance on the Russian invasion, saying Ukraine "expects [any form of] help from our partners... but do not sit on the shore waiting for someone to start winning."
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I've Been Thinking:
Israel has built a fake Gaza city in the middle of a military base named Zeelim, located in the Negev Desert, in the south of Israel.
Even the muezzin, the Muslim call to prayer, is sounded five times a day in this fake city.
Other than members of the IDF, the city is deserted.
This Israeli built fake city cannot be found on any map. Officially, it’s known as the Urban Warfare Training Center. Israeli soldiers who run military drills call it “Mini Gaza.”
The IDF began building Mini Gaza in 2005 at a cost of $45 million.
According to the facility’s commander, Col. Eli Abeles: “The nature of war has changed … Today our principal fighting … is done around built-up areas and in built-up areas.”
The tight alleyways, drab concrete buildings and open areas in the roughly 60-acre (quarter square kilometer) facility are meant to simulate the urban environments in which Israel’s soldiers often operate.
The IDF has an official graffiti artist who decorated the buildings with murals featuring Arabic slogans and portraits of Palestinian and Lebanese militants.
Between exercises, soldiers rest in the shade of the 500 buildings Israel has built, the tallest being eight stories high. They smoke cigarettes beneath faded posters, some of which honor those Palestinian fighters killed in battle with Israel. Other soldiers don red-and-white checkered scarves to role-play militants in an upcoming drill.
The training center can accommodate exercises for an entire brigade of 2,000 soldiers at a single time. Visiting American troops and forces from European allies — most recently Cypriot soldiers — have also trained in Mini Gaza.
This fake city is as realistic as you can get.
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I've Been Thinking:
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the Israeli government is still not offering his country sufficient support since the Russian invasion of his country.
"We will in future have to look into each others' eyes," he said - but then added that the support of Israeli people was noted and appreciated.
Zelenskyy spoke via Zoom to an audience at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It was his second speech to Israelis. The first was his address to Knesset members in March.
At Hebrew University the Ukrainian president said: "On Friday we will mark four months since the Russians invaded Ukraine and Moscow declared war against Kyiv."
"I think you have all witnessed what a tragedy it is, but nevertheless I'm sure we will prevail and win."
Zelenskyy called Russia a "terror state" and said that Russia continues its indiscriminate shelling of both Ukrainian military and civilians.
He said: "They attack and destroy our cities, and they burn everything in their path. Some 2000 educational institutions have already [been] destroyed in Ukraine. What kind of country intentionally bombards kindergartens?"
The Ukrainian president said that there was virtually nothing left of Mariupol after heavy Russian artillery bombardments. He said: "Four months ago, half of million people lived in the city. Now, only a few tens of thousands are left. The Russians shoot people all across Ukraine, they torture them, and they rape minors - boys and girls."
"The Ukrainian people are grateful to the Israeli people for waving our national flag on the streets, and we appreciate the gesture very much. We thank the Israeli people, but we also ask for the support of your government."
"Luxembourg, with a population of some 600,000 people, provided us defensive aid equal to 15% of their defense budget. But what about Israel? We understand this is not an easy situation but we would like to see greater support."
Zelenskyy went on to say that, while it has not yet happened, he expects Israel to join the sanctions imposed by the West. In his words: "Unfortunately, we haven't seen Israel joining yet."
Meanwhile, Israel reopened its embassy in Kyiv for a few days in order to provide consular services. Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky explained the move saying that “an Israeli diplomatic presence in Kyiv is very important and it is another sign of Israel’s support for Ukraine.”
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I've Been Thinking:
Both Iran and Russia are in the world’s doghouse. They both have international sanctions against them.
And so, Iran and Russia need to bond and to work together.
According to Tass, Russia’s official news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov paid an official visit to Iran. The news agency did not go into detail about the visit.
Last month Moscow announced that Russia and Iran - which sit on some of the world's largest oil reserves - had discussed swapping supplies for oil and gas. They also discussed setting up a logistics hub.
These are events we need to carefully monitor and follow.
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I've Been Thinking:
Israel and Turkey are working very closely on security – and, thankfully, it is paying off.
Turkish media is reporting that Turkey has thwarted several attacks on Israeli targets in Istanbul.
According to the reports, Iranian operatives were monitoring Israeli political figures and tourists for some time. The Iranians were planning a combined shooting and abduction attack. One such target, reports claim, was a former Israeli ambassador and his wife who were staying at a hotel in the city's Beyoğlu district.
Israel’s Mossad is in constant contact with Turkish intel. They have mutual goals. Turkey does not want terror attacks on their soil - not even terrorist attacks against Israel.
It’s not good optics.
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I've Been Thinking:
Serbia and Russia confirmed that a planned visit by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to the Balkan country will not take place. Moscow is accusing the West of preventing the trip by blocking the envoy's flight.
The announcement followed reports that Serbia's neighbors Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro, had refused to allow Sergey Lavrov's plane to fly through their airspace to reach Serbia.
During an online news conference Lavrov said: "An unthinkable thing has happened. A sovereign state has been deprived of its right to conduct foreign policies. The international activities of Serbia on the Russian track have been blocked."
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Russia's ambassador to Serbia who informed him that Lavrov could not come because the Russian government plane was denied necessary flyover permissions.
Montenegro, Bulgaria and North Macedonia are all members of NATO. And Lavrov blamed NATO countries for engineering the flight ban. He noted that the action showed once again that the main purpose of the alliance’s expansion is to try to isolate Russia.
For his part, the Russian foreign minister said that the West has trampled on the principle of a free choice of foreign policy partners.
Serbia, meanwhile, is almost fully dependent on Russia for gas. Serbian President Vucic recently talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone to arrange a new deal for gas supplies over the next three years.
It’s not just about obtaining the gas. Analyst Slobodan Stupar described Lavrov's attempted visit to Belgrade as a "show" that would have been used by Moscow to further vilify the West.
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I've Been Thinking:
According to an early opinion poll, neither of the large blocs in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, will get a majority of the 61 seats necessary to form a stable government.
The poll was conducted by 103FM. It was conducted following the announcement by the ruling coalition to vote on dissolving the Knesset.
Yair Lapid, Israel’s Foreign Minister, would replace Naftali Bennett as prime minister until the new election which is scheduled for October 25th.
According to the 103FM poll, the Bennett-Lapid bloc can count on 55 seats. And the right-wing bloc, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, is predicted to get 59 seats. There are 120 seats in the Knesset.
Looking at it party be party, rather than by multi-party coalitions, Netanyahu’s Likud party is expected to receive 36 seats, while Lapid’s Yesh Atid party is predicted to get 20 seats. Outgoing Prime Minister Bennett’s Yamina party is predicted to gain back seats raising their number to seven.
The poll also indicates increased support for the Religious Zionist Party led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir with 10 predicted seats. Blue and White led by Israel’s Defense minister Benny Gantz will, according to the poll, retain their eight seats, while Israel’s Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party is expected to lose two seats ending up with only five.
According to the poll, the Labor Party and the Joint List are predicted to get seven and six seats respectively. Ra’am and New Hope are predicted to receive a minimum of four seats each.
Former Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who served as Israel's longest-serving prime minister, said he intends to form “a strong, forceful” alternative government. He is gearing up for the October 25th election.
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I've Been Thinking:
Even as he spoke about making great efforts to stabilize his ramshackle coalition and keep the government afloat, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had already made up his mind to dissolve the Knesset and pass the premiership to Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
Bennett’s mind was made up following a conversation he had with Attorney General Gali Baharav Miyara. During that conversation the then-prime minister attempted to understand the coalition's maneuverability. He tried to figure out if the contentious West Bank bill - extending Israel's authority over the West Bank settlements - could be implemented despite not being approved by the Knesset.
The coalition's failure to approve the West Bank Bill in the Knesset came as a blow to the government. As a result, following that dramatic vote, Bennett’s government was split.
The attorney general made it clear to Bennett that no legal evasive action can overcome the failure to pass the legislation. The only way to extend the regulations without a majority in the Knesset is to dissolve the government before the end of June, which would result in an automatic extension of the bill.
Once Bennett finished the conversation with the attorney general, his next call was to his wife Gilat. In that phone call he confided that he can no longer remain in position as prime minister.
Rather than watching his government get humiliated over and over again, he would rather put an end to it by himself.
And so he did.
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I've Been Thinking:
The terror group Hamas is restoring ties with Syria.
The relationship between Hamas and Syria broke off ten years ago. That was when Syrian President Bashar Assad cracked down against the revolt to oust him.
One official, who asked not to be named, spoke about the reconciliation and said that, of late, the two sides have held several "high-profile meetings to achieve that goal."
Hamas supported the revolt against Assad which began in 2011. Its goal was to overthrow Assad.
At that time, Iran supported Assad and Hamas shunned Iran – but only temporarily.
Hamas' ties with Iran were quickly restored. And Hamas was quick to praise Iran for helping rebuild their arsenal in Gaza. The arsenal consisted of long-range rockets, used to attack Israel.
One year after its 11-day war with Israel, Hamas is shifting its strategy. The terror group is now adopting a strategy known as “load distribution”. They no longer focus all their hatred on Israel. They are calling on Palestinians in the West Bank to continue the fight against Israel while reaching out to as many supporters as possible to join them in their struggle.
15 years ago Hamas took control of Gaza in a coup expelling the Palestinian Authority. While it is an internal Palestinian conflict, this conflict continues to have major implications for the region - especially Israel.
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I've Been Thinking:
Former chief of Israeli military intelligence, Amos Yadlin, has been very vocal about Iran. He made it very clear that Iran would exact revenge for attacks on its soil, attacks attributed to Israel.
In an interview on Ynet, Yadlin slammed Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for announcing a new Israeli strategy on Iran, and said obscurity is a better policy.
He and many others assert that Iran is already planning actions against Israelis. He further said that Iran is attempting to carry out attacks against Israel and Israelis.
I agree 100%. Israelis and Jews must be very careful now and until this threat diminishes.
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I've Been Thinking:
We must carefully monitor and scrutinize the Iranian space program.
Why? Because the same technology that is used for space launches is used for non-conventional weapons launches like nuclear and chemical bombs.
Iran appeared to be readying for a space launch recently as satellite images showed a rocket on a rural desert launch pad. This satellite sighting came as tensions remain high over Tehran's nuclear program.
The images from Maxar Technologies showed a launch pad at Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Iran's rural Semnan province. We have seen many failed launches from this site.
One set of images showed a rocket on a transporter, preparing to be lifted and put on a launch tower. A later image showed the rocket apparently on the tower.
Iran did not acknowledge a forthcoming launch at the spaceport at its mission to the United Nations. That is not surprising.
The Iranians are very secretive about their launches.
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I've Been Thinking:
Unilever is being sued by a group of U.S. shareholders who believe that the company mishandled the decision by its Ben & Jerry's unit to stop selling ice cream in the Israeli-West Bank.
According to the proposed class action suit filed in Manhattan federal court, Unilever improperly concealed the decision before it was announced, recognizing that many U.S. states might divest from companies that support anti-Israel boycotts, yet stood behind it once the news became public.
To refresh your memory, last July Ben & Jerry's announced that it would stop selling its products in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and parts of East Jerusalem. Ben and Jerry’s then stopped a three-decade-long relationship with the local Israeli company that was making the ice cream.
According to the official complaint: "As a result of defendants' wrongful acts and omissions, and the declines in the market value of Unilever, plaintiff and other class members have suffered significant losses and damages."
I think this case has merit.
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I've Been Thinking:
Israeli Ambassador to Russia, Alexander Ben-Zvi, was summoned by Russia’s foreign ministry. Ambassador Ben-Zvi to clarify the how and why there was an airstrike on Damascus International Airport.
Everyone had concluded Israel was behind the strike.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry explained that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikahil Bogdanov had expressed to Ben-Zvi Moscow's deep concern regarding the attack, which, the Russians said, had damaged the airport's runway, navigation systems and buildings, and caused damage to international air traffic.
The ministry also stated that the attack had disrupted the inflow of humanitarian aid from the United Nations to millions of Syrians in a country ravaged by over a decade of civil war.
Bogdanov told Ben-Zvi that the explanations Jerusalem provided so far did not satisfy the Kremlin and that Moscow would not allow Syria to become the "battlefield" of other countries as Syria helps in fighting terrorism across the region.
Everyone has their own perspective.
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I've Been Thinking:
Energy is a very big issue - especially in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Europe is highly reliant on Russia for oil and natural gas, that should be perfectly clear to everyone. Europe is in trouble – but hope is on the horizon.
Israel is coming to the rescue.
Israel is now an exporter of natural gas. And, according to the Israeli Energy Minister, Israel and the European Union will sign a natural gas export deal.
According to the EU, Israel could be a new source of gas as EU nations look to reduce their reliance on Russian energy.
Originally, Israel was content being a regional supplier. They have already signed natural gas deals with Egypt and Jordan. Now that they are expanding to Europe, Israel will need to transform their natural gas to LNG, Liquified Natural Gas, and ship it on special ships across the Mediterranean.
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I've Been Thinking:
Norway has decided that all products imported from the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Height will be labelled as being produced in the West Bank.
All products.
The Norwegian government claims to have very good relations with Israel and explains that they are following a 2019 European Union Court decision. According to the decision Norway is referencing, people should have the knowledge of where something was produced before making purchases.
Israel is extremely displeased by this new decision by Norway.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry released a statement that reads: “This is a decision that will not contribute to the promotion of Israeli-Palestinian relations”.
“It will adversely affect the bilateral relations between Israel and Norway and impact the relevance of Norway’s role in the advancement of Israeli-Palestinian relations."
It is important to note that the EU court has ruled that countries cannot boycott products form the West Bank.
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I've Been Thinking:
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro recently visited Iran. There are not too many heads of state running to visit Iran these days.
Iran and Venezuela recently signed a 20-year cooperation plan, according to live coverage on Iranian state TV.
The signing ceremony was held in North Tehran's Saadabad Palace in the presence of visiting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi.
The plan includes cooperation in the fields of oil, petrochemicals, tourism, and culture.
These two nations will continue to expand their ties. They will focus on their economic growth, energy and technology fields.
Both Iran and Venezuela are under serious international scrutiny and sanctions - especially from the United States.
That pressure coupled with sanctions is one of the powerful forces uniting Iran and Venezuela. They are bound by a mutual hatred and disdain for the United States.
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I've Been Thinking:
Despite protestations from Jerusalem, the Biden Administration is committed to moving towards re-opening a US Consulate in Jerusalem.
The Biden team has made the announcement and has sent diplomats to speak to Palestinian leadership.
This flurry of activity is a lead up to the President of the United States’ visit to Jerusalem and Ramallah.
Additionally, the US office responsible for diplomatic relations with the Palestinians has been renamed. Once called The Palestinian Affairs Unit, the office has now been renamed the US Office of Palestinian Affairs.
According to the official US statement, the new name is meant to "strengthen our diplomatic reporting and public diplomacy engagement."
It read "We felt that it was important to reintroduce separate reporting lines to Washington on Israeli and Palestinian issues, by our respective teams on the ground that focus on these issues.”
Before it was closed, the US Consulate in Jerusalem functioned as a de facto embassy for the Palestinians that reported directly to the State Department.
This change in name is significant. What was once a “unit” is now an “office”. In the parlance of Washington DC bureaucracy, that is a very big step up.
Israel is still pushing back against this change in US policy and suggesting that the United States open their Palestinian Consulate in Ramallah which is the seat of the PA government. The US has countered saying it is not a change, rather it is a return to a previous policy.
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Iran is playing a nuclear game --- Again.
Iran turned off two surveillance cameras that were installed to monitor their nuclear activity.
The cameras had been installed by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), the United Nations' nuclear watchdog group, that was monitoring one of Iran’s atomic sites.
It was Iranian TV that reported the incident – but it did not report the nuclear plant’s location.
According to the state TV report: "The Islamic Republic of Iran has so far had extensive cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency … Unfortunately, the agency, without considering this cooperation … not only did not appreciate this cooperation, but also considered it as a duty of Iran."
Iran has been withholding footage from IAEA surveillance cameras since February of 2021 as a pressure tactic to restore the atomic accord.
Israeli Prime Minster Naftali Bennett has made it very clear that Israel will not let Iran cross the threshold and become a nuclear power with nuclear weapons:
Bennett said: "Israel is operating against the many tentacles of Iranian terror, not only as it has done in past decades. The days of Iran having immunity when it strikes against Israel and spreads its terrorism via proxies, are gone. We are operating everywhere and all the time and will continue to do so.”
"In recent years Iran has crossed red lines, especially last April, months before this government came to power, when it began enriching uranium to 60% with no international response … Israel cannot and will not accept such a situation."
And then Bennett added: "We expect the IAEA Board of Governors will issue a clear warning sign before the regime in Tehran and make clear that if they continue their defiant nuclear policy, they will pay a heavy price."
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Ukraine is again asking Israel for one of their most secret weapons. This time it’s the “Iron Dome.”
Ukraine's ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, confirmed that his government had made the request for an Iron Dome missile defense system.
Speaking at a press conference, the Ukrainian ambassador said: "We must defend our citizens just as Israel defends its own against the Hamas.”
Korniychuk complained that only 10% of the protected gear Israel committed to supply Ukraine have been delivered and that Jerusalem has refused to allow wounded Ukrainian soldiers, in need of prosthesis, to enter Israel for treatment.
He said: "Israel remains inside its comfort zone … Jerusalem must decide if it will stand with the just and democratic countries of the world."
There is no way Israel will deliver the Iron Dome, which triangulates and plots an incoming missile and then shoots a supersonic rocket to intercept it, to Ukraine.
When Israel brought plans for the Iron Dome to the US Defense Department, hoping to partner in its development, the Defense Department said it was impossible to create that missile defense system. How wrong they were.
These weapons could easily fall into the hands of Israel’s enemies and Israel will not let that happen. Not for Ukraine, not for anyone.
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I've Been Thinking:
It appears that Turkey is preparing for an offensive attack into Syria to strike Kurdish enclaves located there.
So now Russia and Syria are bolstering the border between Turkey and Syria to help prevent that attack from happening.
Turkey already controls a 20 mile buffer zone which they set up in Syria. The buffer zone’s purpose is to protect the Turkish border from potential Kurdish attacks and cross border strikes.
And now the Turks want to expand their “safe zone” and move it toward the regions of Tal Rifaat and Manbij and several other areas further east.
Russia, which warned Turkey against military escalation in northern Syria, sent Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks in Ankara to make the message clear.
Did Erdogan receive the message? We will soon find out.
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In a scathing attack, Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar, Kyiv's ambassador to Ankara, said that Turkey is among the countries buying grain that Russia – grain that was stolen from Ukraine.
Ukraine is now seeking help from Turkish authorities and Interpol is launching an investigation to determine who exactly is involved with the shipments of grains transiting Turkish waters.
Over the past month reports have emerged accusing Russia of stealing Ukrainian grain.
Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's biggest grain exporters, but the ongoing war has stopped many of these shipments from leaving the Black Sea.
According to a local newspaper, Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko indicated that Belarus was ready to discuss the transport of Ukraine's grain via Belarus, “but there must be compromises."
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry asserts that several grain shipments were being shipped to Syria via Russian cargo ships. Several trucks were also sent to Russia and around 1,500 tons of grain were exported to Crimea from the Kherson Oblast.
A Russian ship loaded with grain had also headed to Egypt, but Cairo had refused to accept it and turned it away. Egypt is one of the world's largest wheat importers and usually imports large volumes of Black Sea wheat.
Russia has denied all accusations of stealing Ukrainian wheat. And Russian officials have recently promised to ensure the passage of vital Ukrainian food exports through the Black Sea in exchange for the end of sanctions against them.
"We call on our friends, the African Union, to persistently demand that the West lift illegal unilateral sanctions that undermine the transport and logistics infrastructure necessary for world trade,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said according to Interfax.
Lavrov also noted the vulnerability of African countries in terms of food security.
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Microsoft announced that it detected and took down an Iran-linked, Lebanese, hacking group that had targeted more than 20 Israeli organizations and one intergovernmental organization over the past three months.
The group, knowns as Polonium, which was tracked by Microsoft's Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC), abused OneDrive cloud storage for command and control (C2) as they attacked Israel.
Up until now Polonium had gone undetected.
Microsoft indicated that MSTIC assessed with high confidence, that POLONIUM is Lebanon-based, and also indicated that it could rule with "moderate confidence" that the observed activity was coordinated with Iran's intelligence and security ministry.
The Microsoft statement reads: "MSTIC assesses with moderate confidence that the observed activity was coordinated with other actors affiliated with Iran's intelligence and security ministry"
Polonium created and used legitimate OneDrive accounts, then used those accounts as part of their attack operation.
In response to this hack, Microsoft suspended more than 20 malicious OneDrive applications created by Polonium and told the targeted organizations of the attacks.
According to Microsoft, Polonium primarily targeted Israeli organizations which specialize in critical manufacturing and IT, along with major organizations in Israel's defense industry.
Microsoft has, in the recent past, identified and disabled several Iranian-linked attacks on Israeli companies.
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Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian Deputy Chairman of their Security Council, thanked Israel and Turkey for helping negotiate between Russia and Ukraine and the West.
Of course, he also blamed Ukraine for all the problems resulting from this invasion.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Medvedev said: "Mediation is valuable not because there is simply an intermediary [but] because there is a platform for negotiations, and parties demonstrate a desire to negotiate," and then added that Ukraine prefers to continue fighting.
Yevgen Korniychuk, Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel, also praised Israel for their help in mediating the conflict. He said: "We are looking more for the Israeli diplomatic effort, as an intermediary … We always look to Israel as one of the most prominent possible intermediaries for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin."
Israel has close ties with both Russia and Ukraine, and is in a position where it can act as a trusted mediator.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has had numerous phone calls with Putin and with Zelenskyy. Bennett has even travelled to Russia to meet with Putin for face-to-face mediation.
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The situation is heating up again vis a vis Iran and their nuclear plans.
Iranian state media has reported that Iranian leadership is promising an "immediate response" to any move against them by the United States and the European countries participating in the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.
"Any political action by the United States and the three European countries in the agency (IAEA) will undoubtedly be met with a proportionate, effective, and immediate response from Iran," Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quoted as saying by state media.
Iranian media also reported that Amir-Abdollahian said that the head of the IAEA’s visit to Israel, Iran's arch-enemy, was in conflict with the agency's impartiality.
According to a draft resolution seen by the news agency Reuters, the United States, France, Britain, and Germany are pushing for the U.N. nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors to rebuke Iran for failing to answer longstanding questions on uranium traces at undeclared sites.
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Finally, 50 years after the Massacre of 11 Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich, Bavarian authorities say that they are releasing the unpublished files on the attack. Or almost all the files. All, “except for some confidential files.”
On September 5, 1992, PLO terrorists who called themselves Black September, broke into the Munich Olympic. The terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes and then they escaped.
Joachim Herrmann, the top security official in the southern German state, explained that Bavaria will no longer keep any files under wraps, but conceded that federal authorities might still hold confidential files.
The goal of Black September was the release of terrorists held in Israeli prisons and two comrades held in West German jails.
A failed attempt to free the hostages in Munich resulted in the death of all of the Israelis.
There are still so many unanswered questions about this terror attack. Hopefully the newly opened files will shed important light on this tragic episode in Olympic history.
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