1) At WINEP, Assaf Orion discusses a topic that has to date been ignored by UK media outlets: ‘Hezbollah’s New Brinkmanship’.
“Seventeen years after Hezbollah forces crossed into Israel, killed three soldiers, and sparked a devastating war, the group no longer bothers to hide its sprawling military presence in south Lebanon, on the border, and even across it. In fact, it seems to view Israel’s recent domestic turmoil and perceived weakness as a window of opportunity. As the Security Council prepares to extend the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Hezbollah has erected tents and deployed armed men across the Blue Line in the Mount Dov/Shebaa area—the latest in a string of actions that violate the security regime established by UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the war. These illicit activities are blatantly visible to all, as are UNIFIL’s shrinking relevance and the Lebanese military’s collaboration with Hezbollah.”
2) At the Algemeiner, A.J. Caschetta looks at a new UNHRC report.
“Francesca Albanese, the “Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967,” issued a new U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) report on alleged Israeli crimes against Palestinians last week.
Critics have been withering in response, but perhaps most remarkably, Albanese does not appear to understand what the word “arbitrary” means. […]
Of course, Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is the opposite of arbitrary. It is consistent, logical, circumspect and judicious. For example, when Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) launch missiles at Israel, Israel’s response is calibrated to target only the combatants and their infrastructure in Gaza. The terror groups’ poorly-made and wildly inaccurate missiles, on the other hand, are quite arbitrary, often killing more Palestinians than Israelis.”
3) At the Atlantic Council, Saeid Golkar and Kasra Aarabi explain ‘Why Khamenei’s son is not the next radical modernizer in the Middle East’.
“All experts, inside and outside of Iran, point exclusively to two hardline Islamist clerics to succeed Khamenei: incumbent President Ebrahim Raisi and Mojtaba Khamenei.
While Raisi—infamously known as the “Butcher of Tehran” for his role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988—has a proven track record that underscores he is anything but a radical reformer, not least in his current role in brutally suppressing Mahsa Amini protests that begun in September 2022, less is known about Khamenei’s son, who operates in the shadows.”
4) MEMRI’s O. Peri explains why ‘Following Syrian Regime’s Return To Arab League, Syrian Opposition’s Plight Grows Worse’.
“Since the regime’s return to the Arab League and the renewal of its relations with the Arab countries, the decline of the opposition’s status and the absence of Arab support for it have become even more conspicuous. Saudi Arabia is a particularly clear example of this. Whereas in the first years of the Syria war it supported the opposition both politically and militarily, in the recent years its support has significantly waned. This was especially noticeable when Saudi Arabia and Jordan, which are promoting a “step-for-step” approach towards the Syrian regime in their efforts to resolve the Syria crisis, did not even define the opposition’s role in this process or bother to consult with it. Even Turkey, which until recently has been considered a major ally of the Syrian opposition, has in the past few months been restoring its relations with the Syrian regime, causing the opposition to fear a possible decline in the financial and political support it receives from Turkey.”
5) The FDD provides a resource on the topic of ‘Iran and its Network of Nineteen Terrorist Organizations on Israel’s Borders’.
“Over the last four decades, the Iranian regime has built a network of armed groups on Israel’s borders to create instability and foment terrorism. Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and a mosaic of other terrorist organizations receive funding, training, and weapons from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Quds Force (IRGC-QF). FDD’s Long War Journal has monitored the buildup of Iran-backed terrorist organizations on key fronts: Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria.”
