LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 30/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Germany: Rise of the Salafists
*Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/July 29/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12773/germany-salafists
"Salafists see themselves as defenders of an original, unadulterated Islam.... As a consequence, Salafists want to establish a 'theocracy' according to their interpretation of the rules of sharia, one in which the liberal democratic order no longer applies." — Annual Report of Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).
"Under the guise of humanitarian aid, Islamists succeed in radicalizing migrants. In the past, Salafists in particular tried to reach out to migrants. They visited refugee shelters for this purpose and offered assistance. The target group was not only adult migrants, but also unaccompanied adolescents, who, due to their situation and age, are particularly susceptible to Salafist missionary activities." — Annual Report of Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).
The BfV report makes a direct link between the increase in anti-Semitism in Germany and the rise of Islamist movements in the country: "The 'enemy image of Judaism' therefore forms a central pillar in the propaganda of all Islamist groups.... This poses a significant challenge to the peaceful and tolerant coexistence in Germany."
The number of Salafists in Germany has doubled over the last five years and now exceeds 10,000 for the first time, according to Germany's BfV domestic intelligence agency. BfV estimates that Germany is home to more than 25,000 Islamists, nearly 2,000 of whom pose an immediate threat of attack.
The new figures are included the latest annual report of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, BfV), and presented by Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and BfV President Hans-Georg Maaßen in Berlin on July 24.
The report, considered the most important indicator of internal security in Germany, draws a bleak picture. The BfV estimates that the number of Islamists in Germany increased to at least 25,810 by the end of 2017, up from 24,425 in 2016.
Strangely, the report does not provide any estimates for the number of followers of the Islamic State or al-Qaeda living in Germany. As a result, the actual number of Islamists in Germany is undoubtedly higher than 25,810.
According to the report, Salafists comprise the single largest Islamist group in Germany. The number of Salafists in Germany jumped to 10,800 in 2017, up from 9,700 in 2016; 8,350 in 2015; 7,000 in 2014; 5,500 in 2013 and 4,500 in 2012.
The BfV report states:
"Salafists see themselves as defenders of an original, unadulterated Islam. They model their religious practice and lifestyle exclusively on the principles of the Koran, the Prophet Mohammed and the first three Muslim generations, the so-called righteous ancestors (Al-Salaf al-Salih in Arabic). As a consequence, Salafists want to establish a 'theocracy' according to their interpretation of the rules of sharia, one in which the liberal democratic order no longer applies.
"Political and jihadi Salafists share the same basic ideology. They differ primarily in the means by which they wish to achieve their objective, the 'Salafist theocracy.' Political Salafists spread their Islamist ideology through intensive propaganda activities — which they describe as 'missionary work' (Dawa) — to transform society, through a long-term process, according to Salafist norms.
"Many political Salafists position themselves as being against terrorism. They emphasize the peaceful nature of Islam and reject open calls for violence. Nevertheless, it should be noted that political Salafism has an ambivalent relationship to violence because in principle it does not exclude religiously inspired violence as a means to achieve its goals.
"In their interpretations of Islam, political Salafists make selective use of the classical works of the Islamic legal literature, which affirms a strong affinity to violence when dealing with non-Muslims. Salafists believe that the universal claim of Islam, due to its superiority as the divine plan of salvation for all of humanity, must be imposed by force if necessary. Therefore, the fundamental affirmation of violence is an intrinsic part of Salafist ideology.
"The two Salafist currents have different but easy-to-bridge views on under which prerequisites violence may be used. This explains why the transition from political to jihadist Salafism is fluid." The BfV report states that Salafists are focusing their proselytizing and recruiting efforts on migrants seeking refuge in Germany:
"Under the guise of humanitarian aid, Islamists succeed in radicalizing migrants. In the past, Salafists in particular tried to reach out to migrants. They visited refugee shelters for this purpose and offered assistance. The target group was not only adult migrants, but also unaccompanied adolescents, who, due to their situation and age are particularly susceptible to Salafist missionary activities.
"The diverse propaganda activities of Salafists, which they play down as 'proselytizing' or 'inviting people to Islam' — it is in truth a systematic indoctrination and often also the beginning of radicalization — are successful: Salafism is the fastest growing Islamist trend in Germany.
"The Salafist scene represents the essential recruitment field for Jihad. Almost without exception, all persons with a German connection who have joined the jihad were previously in contact with the Salafist scene."
According to BfV, the growth of Germany's Salafist movement is being fueled in part by migrants from Chechnya: "Within the Salafist scene in Germany, actors of North Caucasian origin — especially from the Russian Republic of Chechnya — have gained importance. Particularly affected are federal states in Eastern and Northern Germany, as well as North Rhine-Westphalia. "The North Caucasus Islamist scene is characterized by sprawling, Europe-wide networks and characteristics. It is largely sealed-off to the outside. A critical factor for radicalization is the personal contact spectrum, which connects elements from the religion and the traditional clan structure. The North Caucasus Islamist has established contacts with Middle Eastern jihadi groups due to the 'successes' of the North Caucasus fighters in Syria or Iraq."The BfV report makes a direct link between the increase in anti-Semitism in Germany and the rise of Islamist movements in the country:
"Islamist propaganda often combines religious, territorial and/or national-political motives with an anti-Semitic worldview. The 'enemy image of Judaism' therefore forms a central pillar in the propaganda of all Islamist groups.... "The BfV recorded a large number of anti-Semitic incidents in 2017. The spectrum of incidents ranged from anti-Israeli banners at public events and anti-Semitic sermons to anti-Semitic posts on social media and verbal or physical attacks against individual Jews."The BfV has found that all the Islamist groups active in Germany spread and nurture anti-Semitic ideas. This poses a significant challenge to the peaceful and tolerant coexistence in Germany."
According to BfV, the second-largest Islamist movement in Germany is Millî Görüş (Turkish for "National Vision"), which has around 10,000 members in the country. The movement is strongly opposed to Muslim integration into European society:
"The movement believes that a 'just' political order is one founded on 'divine revelation' while those systems designed by humans are 'vain.' At present, the 'vain' Western civilization dominates, based on violence, injustice and exploitation of the weak. This 'vain' system must be replaced by a 'just order,' based exclusively on Islamic principles, rather than man-made ones and thus 'arbitrary rules.' All Muslims should contribute to the realization of the 'just order.' To do this, Muslims must adopt a certain vision (Görüş) of the world, namely a national/religious ('Milli') vision, a 'Millî Görüş.'"
In addition to the Salafists and Millî Görüş, BfV estimates that Germany is now home to 1,040 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, 950 members of Hezbollah and 320 members of Hamas. After presenting the BfV report Interior Minister Horst Seehofer demanded that the government speed-up deportations of Islamists. "We do not have anything under control in any area," he concluded.
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
© 2018 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

When We’re in Uniform They Treat Us Well': Israel's Druze No Longer Feel Like Blood Brothers
تقرير من الهآررتس يتناول وضع الدروز في أسرائيل الذين فقدوا شعورهم أنه إخوة بالدم مع اليهود بعد قانون يهودية إسرائيل
Noa Shpigel/Haaretz/July 29/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/66370/noa-shpigel-haaretz-when-were-in-uniform-they-treat-us-well-israels-druze-no-longer-feel-like-blood-brothers-%d8%aa%d9%82%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%d8%a2%d8%b1/
The new nation-state law has given members of Israel's model minority the feeling they've been betrayed: 'We’re blood brothers when someone dies but now we're second-class?'
On Wednesday, Education Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted a half apology, half excuse. “After conversations with many of our Druze brothers, it seems that the way the nation-state law was legislated actually hurt them and those who have tied their fate to the Jewish state.”
As the head of the Habayit Hayehudi party put it, “These are our blood brothers who stand shoulder to shoulder with us on the battlefield and who have entered into a life covenant with us. We, the government of Israel, have the responsibility of finding a way to repair the rift.”
It seems that for years nothing has been said about the Druze that doesn’t include the words “blood,” “brothers” and some form of “covenant.” (Once this was more commonly a “covenant of blood,” today it’s more often a “covenant of life.”)
The good news is that the Druze no longer buy this. “It’s lip service,” said Munib Fares from the northern Druze town of Hurfeish immediately after he saw Bennett’s tweet. “What do you think, the Druze are stupid? We’re not stupid anymore. This is a different generation. Where were you during the vote, Bennett?”
In his and his wife Nasim’s pastry shop in the town on Mount Meron near the Golan Heights, Fares tossed the question into the air – and it remained unanswered.
The nation-state law that passed in the Knesset last week has angered the Druze community. The fight began when the three Druze MKs – Akram Hasoon (Kulanu), Saleh Saad (Zionist Union) and Hamad Amar (Yisrael Beiteinu) – petitioned the High Court of Justice against the new law. Also, a forum of reserve army officers formed to fight the legislation.
Finally, an emergency meeting was held on Thursday evening at Saad’s home, which included Zionist Union’s Tzipi Livni, who was recently tapped as the next opposition leader. It also included the spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Muwafak Tarif. And of course, there were angry posts on social media.
For years the Druze have felt they deserve a special status in Israel, partly because they’re drafted into the army; they’re not volunteers. Now many of them feel betrayed and say the country is treating them like second-class citizens – like other minority groups.
Fares, a former journalist who worked for years for public broadcaster Channel 1, says the new law “has no value, it’s a purely populist law. This is another attempt by [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to overtake Bennett from the right.”
Fares thinks the commotion has been overdone, but he views the law as harming Zionist and democratic values. “It erased the principles from the Declaration of Independence. Netanyahu isn’t any smarter than [Menachem] Begin and [Ze’ev] Jabotinsky,” Fares said, referring to right-wing leaders from yesteryear.
“This is particularly an attack on the Druze and everyone who serves the country according to the law. It doesn’t add honor to the nation, and not to how we look outside Israel either.”
Fares’ expectations from the country’s leaders are very low; he says the new law “will disappear from the agenda, and Netanyahu will find something new. He always invents something new to scare us.”
‘Don’t steal the feeling’
What can the Druze do? Fares’ mentions “all the Druze who 30 years ago made an effort to disconnect from the Arab nationality and who gave their children [Hebrew] names like Rami, Dudu, Osnat and Rinat in the hope of erasing the Arab nationalism and drawing close to the Jews.” He proposes that they “return to their roots after this spitting in their faces. What’s wrong with Ahmed, Elias, Fatma and Tuhfah?”
Nasim Fares says the two were at a graduation ceremony for their son who finished a medic’s course in the army. They showed pictures of one of their grandsons, 4 months old, saluting (with his mother’s help) in front of the parade grounds while the Israeli anthem was being played.
“I feel proud,” she said. “Don’t steal the feeling of belonging to the country from us. I’m an Israeli Druze in every way; so are my children and grandchildren. This isn’t just the country of the Jews.”
Hurfeish is filled with soldiers and officers, including those in the reserves. At the entrance to the town, alongside the road that leads to the cemetery, is a huge sign with pictures of Kamil Shanan, from Hurfeish, and Hael Sathawi, from Maghar. These are the two Druze police officers who were killed last year by three Israeli Arabs just outside the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.
For F., a resident of Hurfeish who serves in the security forces, the nation-state law is less worrying than the condition of the town. “We pay a heavy price but we love it,” he said. “There isn’t a house here without an Israeli flag.”
Last year was the first year since 1995 that a little bit of land was freed up for construction. “The community is suffocating, like all the Druze communities,” he said. “They don’t even fix the road.”
Still, he supports the new law. “The Arabs are multiplying too much,” he said. “Finally they’re starting to take control with the law over the Arabs in the south with the polygamy.”
His friend, Osama al-Kadi, said: “We linked our fate with the fate of the Jewish people even before the founding of the state and the imposing of the compulsory draft law in 1956. We’re loyal citizens of the country, serving in the security forces, working and paying taxes, carrying the burden and fulfilling all our civic obligations.
“So when the Basic Law that defines the national values of the State of Israel makes no mention of the Druze community in Israel, this creates a feeling of disappointment, a lack of respect and discrimination enshrined in law against us.”
‘Why a stab in the back?’
A few kilometers south of Hurfeish is the Druze town of Beit Jann, which in recent years has made headlines for leading the national rankings in high school graduates receiving matriculation certificates. Surprising about this achievement is that Beit Jann is also near the bottom of Israel’s socioeconomic indexes
“They could use us as an example and model instead of pushing us into the corner,” said Ali Azu of Beit Jann, a retiree who once worked for the prison service.
Last week Azu posted a collage on Facebook made out of four pictures: two of Druze army officers and two of Likud MKs Oren Hazan and David Bitan. The text expressed regret that the two officers were the victims and the two Knesset members, who are under police investigation, “are those who decide on the nation-state law.”
“We, the Druze, classify ourselves as before July 18 and after July 18," Azu said. In other words, before the law and after.
Before the law, “we were the spearhead in every field, in education and also in defense. After it, there is embitterment, great
disappointment and uncertainty that require fateful decisions about the continuation of the partnership,” he added.
“Many young people are already thinking about this. If we’re in a low-level caste, that of the untouchables, there’s no reason for us not to follow the same path as [Joint List MK] Ahmad Tibi and support him. At least he respects us.”
Among the group of religious Druze farther up the street, one said: “We didn’t expect from the country we’ve served for 70 years to treat us this way, to be separated. That the Jew is sacred.” He says his parents are originally from Syria; he doesn’t want to return. “But why a stab in the back?”
Another man said: “In Arabic there’s a saying: Give a balloon more and more air and in the end it will explode.”
In the community of Kisra Samia in the Upper Galilee, people are no longer trying to be polite. The anger there, as in other Druze towns and villages, is directed not only at the government and country but also at Communications Minister Ayoub Kara of Likud. Many residents said Kara no longer represents them but were afraid to give their names.
“He shouldn’t try to enter the village,” one said. “He’s not really Druze,” another added.
“This is the height of racism – in previous governments it wouldn’t have happened,” said Mahmoud Shakur from Kisra. One of his sons is serving in the army and another is about to enlist, but army service is no longer to be taken for granted, he added.
“My children are treated worse than the Arabs. I won’t let them enlist. For what? Why contribute to the country?” he said.
“They can study or work for three years, save money and build a home. Like those in Umm al-Fahm," he added, referring to an Arab city. "What, we’re blood brothers when someone dies but now we're second-class?”
Hisham Asad, a young man who became more religious after finishing his military service a few years ago, tried to count how many disabled veterans live in the town.
“When we’re in uniform they treat us well,” he said.” After we’re released we’re dirty Arabs. They forget we protected them.”
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israel-s-druze-no-longer-feel-like-blood-brothers-1.6317216

Analysis/Mysterious Attack on Saudi Oil Tanker Heats Up U.S.-Iranian Front
عاموس هاريل من الهآررتس:  الهجوم الغامض على ناقلة النفط السعودية يسخّن الجبهة الأميركية الإيرانية
Amos Harel/Haaretz/29 July/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/66368/amos-harel-haaretz-mysterious-attack-on-saudi-oil-tanker-heats-up-u-s-iranian-front-%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b3-%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a%d9%84-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%d8%a2%d8%b1%d8%b1/
Washington fears Iranian-led attack on troops in Iraq ■ Israeli politicians say fight to stop Iran in Syria proved successful, but military remains skeptical
An incident on Thursday that generated relatively little media coverage is attracting a great deal of attention among intelligence organizations in the region and from the oil industry. A huge tanker with a shipment of oil from Saudi Arabia bound for Egypt was damaged by a missile attack from the northern Bab el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea. The Houthi rebels in Yemen, armed and financed by Iran, were responsible for the attack. It happened in the wake of the renewed exchange of threats between the United States and Iran, which could also hurt the oil market.
The tanker, the Arsan, was flying a Saudi flag and transporting some 2 million barrels of oil to Egypt. It was struck by missiles near the port of Hodeida in Yemen where Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been attacking the Houthis for the past few months. According to the Washington Institute the tankers were hit by a rocket fired from a fast-attack vessel or a ground-to-sea missile fired from Yemen, possibly a C-802, which Iran supplies to the rebels. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack and the Saudis announced that they were suspending tanker shipments in the Red Sea until the situation was sorted out and marine traffic was safe again. The Washington Institute researchers wrote that the Red Sea is the third most important shipping lane in the word (the first is Hormuz in the Persian Gulf).
The incident happened in the midst of a typical Twitter duel between U.S. President Donald Trump and the Iranian leadership, during which the Iranians threatened to disrupt international oil shipments if the United States imposes sanctions that hurt the Iranian oil industry. The commander of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, Gen. Qasem Soleimani, has accused Saudi Arabia over the past few days of responsibility for the “unsafe” conditions in the Red Sea.
The United States is worried about Soleimani, who directly threated Trump last week, for other reasons as well. There is concern that the Revolutionary Guards might deploy Shi’ite militias, armed and financed by Tehran, to strike U.S. troops in Iraq. In the beginning of this decade, the United States accused Iran of a similar wave of attacks against it in Iraq. This is one of the reasons for the hostility that U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis harbors against the Iranians. Mattis was commander of the U.S. Army’s CENTCOM at the time, and he accused Iran of killing his troops in Iraq.
Endgame in Syrian Golan
The Israeli conflict with the Iranians focuses mainly on events in Syria, in light of the Assad regime’s successes in the civil war. The raising of the Syrian flag at the Quneitra crossing on the Golan Heights on Thursday shows that Assad’s assault to renew control over the Syrian Golan Heights is nearing an end. Meanwhile, heavy bombardments by the Syrian army and the Russian air force continue on the last positions held by ISIS-backed rebels in the southwestern corner of the Syrian Golan. Israel is preparing for the full return of the UN observer force, UNDOF, on the Golan when the situation stabilizes on the Syrian side.
Politicians in Israel were optimistic over the weekend about the possibility that the main understandings with Russia will be implemented, as reached by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Russian foreign minister and army chief of staff last week: the reinstatement of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement and a Russian commitment to keep the Iranians and the Shi’ite militias some 100 kilometers from the boundary with the Israeli Golan.
The Israeli cabinet believes Israel has so far been very successful in its fight to stop the Iranians in Syria. Iranian pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad to allow them to establish an airport and a seaport under their control was apparently to no avail. An Iranian plan to deploy a large Shi’ite militia in Syria, with tens of thousands of fighters, has been delayed after one of the intended militia bases was bombarded. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, the Hariri government is working to stop the construction of assembly lines for the production of precision rockets, following American pressure based presumably on precise intelligence.
Iran persists in its efforts in Syria to deploy anti-aircraft systems, medium-range ground-to-ground missiles and unmanned aircraft quite some distance from the border. Israel will continue to pressure Russia over these weapons, in the hope that it will stop the Iranians from gaining a foothold in Syria. Early June saw the failure of a move initiated by Russia itself to keep Hezbollah away from the border between Syria and Lebanon, so as to reduce weapons-smuggling from Syria to Lebanon. The arrival of Russian forces at the border encountered resistance from Hezbollah and the Russians evacuated their troops.
Israel’s immediate demand from Russia involves the presence of Iran and the militias within 100 kilometers of the Israeli Golan boundary. Moscow has promised to work to remove the Iranians when the Syrian Golan is fully retaken. The issue also came up in the Trump-Putin meeting in Helsinki two weeks ago.
Compared to the optimism of Israeli politicians on this matter, the IDF is more skeptical, and is worried that over time, the Iranians will break the agreement and the Russians will not enforce it.

Druze doctor threatens hunger strike over Nationality Law
تقرير من يديعوت أحرونوت: طبيب درزي في إسرائيل يهدد بأضراب عن الطعام أحتجاجاً على قانون يهودية دولة إسرائيل
Hassan Shaalan and Moran Azulay/Ynetnews/July 29/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/66374/ynetnews-druze-doctor-threatens-hunger-strike-over-nationality-law-%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%B7/
As hundreds of people demonstrate in Tel Aviv as part of the Druze community protest against the law, prominent community doctor asks ‘Have I served for 32 years for my country for nothing?’ A Druze doctor told a crowd of hundreds of demonstrators on Satruday night that the community will march on Jerusalem, launch a hunger strike and block roads if the recently-passed Nationality Law is not nullfied.
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv’s Habima Square as part of the Druze community’s protest against the controversial law which has been the subject of significant scrutiny. Dr. Sami Awad, a 54-year-old Druze father of three and a human resources expert from Daliat al-Carmel, delivered a speech at the protest, telling the crowds: “We will go up to Jerusalem, start a hunger strike, and block roads if the law stands; we demand equality for all minority groups.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet on Sunday with the heads of the coalition factions in an effort to mend the rift between the Druze community and the government surrounding the law. At 4pm, a meeting will be held with heads of local authorities from the Druze community, and immediately after that, the various parties will begin formulating the solution “I was discharged from the army about four years ago after a 32 years’ service, since 1982,” Dr. Awad the angered demonstrators. “I give lectures to many organizations, colleges, and universities, in Israel and abroad. I’m an organizational consultant, but I also prepare young Druze for their IDF service,” he explained.
“I want to tell you that the army is the only place where I felt equal, but not completely equal. I served with my Jewish friends, and I would go back home to a house without a construction permit, without legal electricity connections, to a neighborhood without Infrastructure and without basic services,” he continued. “When I travel to the center of the country, I see new neighborhoods in Yokneam and cities like Harash and Modi’in. And in my town, they are still dealing with water and electricity connection problems, at best. When I travel abroad, my name is marked and I am constantly questioned until I take out my ID card,” he added as he listed examples of discrimination he says he has suffered. “The education I received and absorbed at home, like the other young Druze in this country, focused on the importance of donating, giving back, and the love of the homeland,” Dr. Awad said. “In the 1950s, my father served as a fighter in the IDF, my grandfather also served. Despite all this, the feelings were difficult today. To constantly witness discrimination, feel discrimination, feel different, and hurt over the injustices … Despite all this, I was filled with pride and I spent many years in the military because I felt that it was mine, that Israel is my country,” he added.Druze combat fighters
The bond between Jews and the Druze community is natural, the doctor told his listeners, drawing parallels between his community’s minority status and that of Jews around the world. “The existence of the state of Israel was never guaranteed despite the Holocaust that accelerated the country’s establishment.” “What happens now? Now that the nationality bill passed, emotions are very high. Why? The law permits discrimination, without anyone’s discretion. The law simply says: discriminate between a Jew and a non-Jew. The law is terrible not because of what it states, but because of what it lacks,” Dr. Awad argued. “The law doesn’t mention equality and there is no word about other minorities, only Jews. Article 1c, the most damaging one, states that only Jews have the right to national self-determination in the State of Israel. What does this mean? That means I cannot define myself, I have no definition. I, who served 32 years in the IDF, do not know how to define myself at all,” he bemoaned. “Am I a mercenary? A temporary guest here? Passerby? Have I served for 32 years for my country for nothing?,” he asked, describing the feeling that has ensued as a result of the law as “dreadful.” “How can I persuade young Druze to enlist in the army now, to contribute to this country that this law states is not mine? How will I look at my son, and in eight years time, when it his time to enlist, explain to him that after 32 years in the army I do not want him to enlist because it’s not ours anymore? What will happen next? What will happen in 10-20 years?”The protest against the Nationality Law in Tel Aviv .
Dr. Awad also asked what would be of the soldiers currently serving in the IDF, how they will look upon the flag, “when, according to the definition of this superfluous and divisive law, they are simply mercenaries.”The doctor also shared personal losses which he had suffered while serving in the army. “I lost soldiers in the battlefield and accompanied bereaved families for years, I felt their pain … What will happen in this new reality, I do not know, the Druze street is outraged today, there is no point in doing anything if I do not have my full rights as an equal citizen,” he said. The speaker further highlighted the Druze contribution to the military and the country. “It’s true that we are only 125,000 people, but we have a lot of rights in this country: There are 142,000 Druze in Israel, two generals in the IDF, 18 brigadier generals; one of the developers of the Iron Dome is a senior Druze officer from a village in the north,” he explained. Officers, engineers in various security forces, and ambassador were among the prominent professions to which he said the Druze community had contributed. Highlighting that 427 Druze people had perished in Israeli wars, Dr. Awad hailed their presence in the medical, academic and scientific fields.Netanyahu meets with Druze leaders
Turning to the prime minister, Dr. Awad said he had one small message, reminding him that he was only alive due to actions carried out by a Druze.”I want to remind him that 50 years ago, when he was commander of the Sayeret Matkal commando unit on Mount Hermon, he was caught in a snowstorm. If he had stayed there, he and his entire team would not be with us today. The person who came to his aid is one of the north’s residents, Salim Shufi, a young Druze who rescued him and his entire crew. How can you not remember Salim while approving this new and appalling law?” he asked. “We built this country together with the Jews, we are not against the state, under any circumstances … We are in favor of equality for all residents regardless of religion … The Declaration of Independence is the foundation, and it is our Nationality Law.”‘Druze soldiers feel like mercenaries in the IDF’
Last Wednesday Brig. Gen. (Res.) Amal As’ad, former commander of the Coordination and Liaison Administration, also expressed his anger saying, “After we built this home together with Jews, the Nationality Law excludes the Druze community from that home and put it outside the fence. “We encourage the fact that Israel is a Jewish state even prior to its establishment and we will continue doing so with or without the law,” As’ad elaborated. “But, for some reason the Druze community was left behind. I’ve served in the IDF for this country for 26 years and I have the right to demand for it to mine exactly as it is yours,” he went on to say.
“We intend to take further measures, without making any reckless moves. We are thinking together about our next steps to amend the law,” the former commander of the coordination and liaison administration explained. “Most people—including ministers, are starting to understand that this law is bad for the state, bad for the Jewish citizens, and bad for other minorities,” he stated. According to As’ad, there are Knesset members, lawyers, heads of local authorities and officers who petitioned the High Court on the matter. “I am proud to be a member of the Druze community … The Nationality Law has hurt us, we do not want separate laws … We are proud of the flag, the national symbols, and the Declaration of Independence. The state should be a state for its entire people—Jewish and non-Jewish citizens living there,” he insisted.
Shaher Mahameed, a Haifa-based MDA paramedic, also shared his feelings regarding the controversial law. “I have been working in this field for more than 20 years, treating Jews and Arabs without any difference. I saved the lives of Jews many times. After they recovered, they even gave me certificates of appreciation. Unfortunately, the government approved a racist law that discriminates between Arabs and Jews. Instead of respecting us, Israel continues to disparage us. “
‘The law is racist, we lost our faith in the country’
Angered by the law, a Bedouin soldier said he was ashamed of the government which he said had proved it was racist.Why should I serve in a country that spits in our faces? I prefer not to remain in the army for another minute if this law stands. The government is shooting itself in the foot,” he complained.
No agreements have been made regarding changes to the Nationality Law, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. Netanyahu and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, who led the legislation process, have stated their opposition to changing the newly passed law. Instead, Netanyahu and the other officials discussed the possibility of adding to a law passed in May that sets a day in the State of Israel’s official national calendar celebrating the Druze community and their contribution to the country. lternatively, a complementary law will be added to the Nationality Law to establish the Druze community’s status in the country. The secondary law will be formulated by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and a legal advisor from the Druze community.Netanyahu meets with MKs and ministers to discuss the Druze community
Netanyahu meets with MKs and ministers to discuss the Druze community
In addition, the government will consider promoting legislation that gives preference to Druze who serve or served in the IDF.inister of Finance Moshe Kahlon will work on a solution to a range of issues raised by senior members of the Druze community, with concerns mainly regarding infrastructure in Druze villages, setting a unique program for the employment of Druze women, and more.
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5318819,00.html

Why Trump Attacks His Allies
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Ashawq Al Awsat/July 29/18
In the 17th Century, international relations foundations were laid in what was called the Peace of Westphalia treaties, following sectarian wars and countries fighting in Europe. The treaties ended conflicts, some of which lasted 30 years and killed eight million people.
There were three principles in the treaties: Faith in the sovereignty of the state, non-interference in its affairs, and that all states are equal in the international perspective. Upon this, the concept of international relations in the modern world was built, and even though it did not always succeed in stopping conflicts, it remained a reference. One of the most prominent advocates for the return of these principles to our region is the Arab League’s Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, believing that, if respected, they can end continuing conflicts stemming from regional and foreign interferences.
From a previous article of mine about American President Donald Trump administration’s policies, we can get a relatively clearer view of these principles.
President Trump has criticized more than once what he considers the influence of international organizations, including the United Nations and its agencies. He opposes international agreements like the World Trade Organization Agreement, considering them as interfering and contradicting to his country’s policies. This is why he has withdrawn from UNESCO, and most of his country’s commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement, reduced commitment to the refugee agency and withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council.
More importantly, he threatened to reassess his country’s commitments towards the very strategic NATO. Washington’s share in NATO’s budget is massive - $650 billion - which is more than double what all other 27 member-countries pay altogether! Trump is asking NATO for more power, and from the rest of the members more financial commitment, and military participation in fighting, including Germany and Japan.
With the same logic, he almost destroys NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Organization, which is almost obliterated, rejecting many of the commitments to it. So we have to understand the current administration through its public behavior when we talk about its statements as well as its policy in the Gulf and the Middle East in general. He treats the Gulf states as his closest neighbors [Canada and Mexico] and like his most important allies [Germany]. He does not accept Turkey and Qatar to buy the Russian S-400 missile system because he sees it giving Moscow political influence and funding its military-technical capabilities. Trump’s administration is also different from the former one and the Democratic Party in general, especially when it comes to mixing politics with human rights. As I mentioned in my previous article on Trump, there are five pillars of his government’s policy, including strengthening his country’s economic power and confronting its competitors. He considers that Europeans live on the benefits of post-World War II and he challenges them to embrace full free trade. He accuses the Chinese of exploiting his country’s flexible investment systems to transfer knowledge, steal advanced technology to their country and threaten America’s standing.
Of course, there are many people who do not agree with Trump, but his actions and his direct language express the positions of the party, specifically the Right. Those who disagree with him believe that the United States, as a superpower, has a greater political and moral responsibility for managing the world, and that the 400-year-old Westphalia principles are no longer valid with dramatic changes due to the progress in technology and the geopolitical changes. The migration explosion due to civil wars, hunger, and economic mismanagement may justify military intervention through NATO, or economically through the World Bank. Trump, as president, does not necessarily reflect his personal vision of the world around him, as much as the views of the party that brought him to the White House. Before that, he was known as an international investor, dealing with immigrants and with foreign investors, New Yorkers and merchants. America ’s foreign policy under Trump does not see the same value for the organizations and alliances built after World War II. As for Iran, it deals with it as a threat to its own interests. Washington wants Tehran to know its limits in dealing with a superpower, but expects its European allies and Arabs to take responsibility for it.