A video circulating online shows Sebastián Marset, one of the world's most wanted drug traffickers, flanked by top leaders of Brazil's Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) from São Paulo, as they issue threats of war along Brazil's border. Filmed over the weekend in Santa Cruz de la… pic.twitter.com/qPRzK0wjpk
A video circulating online shows Sebastián Marset, one of the world's most wanted drug traffickers, flanked by top leaders of Brazil's Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) from São Paulo, as they issue threats of war along Brazil's border.
Filmed over the weekend in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, the footage captures Marset armed and surrounded by heavily armed men displaying PCC symbols and references to the group's operations in Paraguay.
Present at the gathering were Patric Velinton Salomão (alias Forjado), Pedro Luiz da Silva Soares (alias Chacal), and Sérgio Luiz de Freitas Filho (alias Mijão)—all identified as key figures in the PCC's street-level command.
In the video, Marset directly threatens rivals and law enforcement: “We are ready for war.” He taunts efforts to track him, stating, “You keep saying where we are… Today I may be here, tomorrow in Paraguay, another day in Bolivia, another in Colombia. Wherever it is, we are prepared to wage war with whoever it is, with the Colla, with the police. I don’t care about anyone.”
Marset stands accused of shipping over 16 tons of pure cocaine from Bolivia to Europe, orchestrating a multimillion-dollar money-laundering network through shell companies, corrupting officials in three countries, and funding murders linked to drug turf wars. He closes with a stark warning: “Better to be friends than enemies. Whoever chooses war with us will not fare well.”
[IsraelTimes] Jimmy Wales notes that claim Israel committing genocide is ‘highly contested,’ and says article in question is ‘particularly egregious example’ of non-neutral content on site
Jimmy Wales, founder of the online user-generated encyclopedia Wikipedia, one of the most-read websites in the world, said that an entry on the site titled "Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... genocide," was locked due to its bias against Israel.
In a comment posted on the article’s talk page on Sunday, Wales wrote that the page in question "fails to meet our high standards and needs immediate attention."
In a rare move, the article was locked by Wikipedia editors last week to prevent any further editing until either Tuesday night "or until editing disputes have been resolved," in a banner that noted that the freeze on editing was "not an endorsement of the current version."
In his statement on Sunday, Wales noted that the article in question states, "in Wikipedia’s voice, that Israel is committing genocide, although that claim is highly contested."
Israel has repeatedly and strongly pushed back against any claim that it carried out genocidal acts in Gaza, asserting that it was fighting Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... operatives embedded in the civilian population and that it did everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, including evacuation warnings ahead of Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s.
In September, a United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... commission of inquiry declared that Israel had committed genocide in the Strip, while a case before the International Court of Justice on the issue is still pending.
Wales said that the article page is a "particularly egregious example" of the issue of "neutrality" in Wikipedia articles, and that the current version violates the site’s demand for a neutral point of view and "requires immediate correction."
The current opening sentence of the page in question read, as of Tuesday afternoon: "The Gaza genocide is the ongoing, intentional, and systematic destruction of the Paleostinian people in the Gaza Strip carried out by Israel during the Gaza war."
Wales wrote that a neutral and unbiased opening line would instead "begin with a formulation such as: ’Multiple governments, NGOs, and legal bodies have described or rejected the characterization of Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.’"
In setting instructions for Wikipedia editors working on the entry, Wales wrote that he expects them to "attribute, don’t assert," and that the article "must not declare a legal conclusion." It must include sources "from all sides — governments, courts, NGOs, commentators."
He also noted that he has been leading a "working group" to study issues of neutrality in Wikipedia articles on a variety of topics, including Zionism, and that there is "much more work to do."
Last week, tech billionaire and X owner Elon Musk launched "Grokipedia," a crowdsourced online encyclopedia that he is seeking to position as a rival to Wikipedia.
Musk has previously criticized Wikipedia for being filled with "propaganda" and called for people to stop donating to the site, which is run by a nonprofit.
Wikipedia for months has been a target of the political right. Republican politicians in the US Congress launched an investigation in August of alleged "manipulation efforts" in Wikipedia’s editing process that they said could inject bias and undermine neutral points of view on its platform and the AI systems that rely on it.
Very sensible. The next step is for them to start having more babies.
[IsraelTimes] Critics of Israel intentionally using language that borders on antisemitism, charges János Bóka, who also serves as antisemitism czar for one of Jerusalem’s closest allies in Europe
Pursuing policies that are hostile to Israel will render Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... irrelevant in the Middle East, Hungary’s European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... Affairs Minister János Bóka told The Times of Israel.
Bóka’s position for Budapest’s government makes him a central player in overseeing what Jerusalem regards as a key shield from international pressure, with Hungary one of a handful of countries in the 27-nation bloc known for stymying efforts to put sanctions or other penalties on Israel.
In Israel on a five-day visit, Bóka, who is also Hungary’s antisemitism czar, argued that growing European criticism of Israel was largely fueled by domestic politics, and parried claims that his populist government had trafficked in antisemitism.
"If the European Union wants to remain a player in the region, it needs to have a strategic and constructive relationship with the state of Israel," Bóka said during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum last week.
His visit came weeks after anti-Israel sentiment on the Continent appeared to grow to a crescendo, with formal allies imposing arms embargoes and efforts to isolate the country and turn it into a pariah state gaining steam, threatening trade between Israel and its largest economic partner.
In September, the European Commission formally presented its proposal for sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers and a partial suspension of the European Union’s association agreement with Israel.
The sanctions have not been approved, and with a ceasefire in place in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... , the effort is frozen.
Pro-Paleostinian, anti-Israel protests have been shaking major European cities since the Hamas ..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,... attacks of October 7, 2023.
Calls have also grown to ban Israel from some sporting and cultural events, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez saying after protesters disrupted the Spanish Vuelta cycling race in September that Israel should be excluded until the "barbarity" in Gaza ends. Some countries have also threatened to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest — hugely popular in Israel and Europe — if Israel is allowed to compete.
Bóka argued that European critics of Israel are intentionally using language that flirts with antisemitism.
"Even political actors are now using a language that is anti-Israeli and anti-Zionist on the surface, but very deliberately, they are balancing on the edge of being antisemitic," he said. "I think they are very consciously using a terminology that could be interpreted both ways."
"For example, when they say from the river to the sea, obviously this means an area where there is no place for Jewish communities or a Jewish state," Bóka continued. "I believe that they are very consciously using this terminology in order to play on this sentiment."
Hungary is one of Israel’s closest allies in the European Union, with Prime Minister Viktor Orban directing police to ban pro-Paleostinian, anti-Israel rallies following Hamas’s massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
But it isn’t the only EU country pushing back against the increasingly hostile stance toward Israel adopted by many western and northern European countries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for the past decade cultivated a cadre of central and eastern European countries that could be relied upon to thwart anti-Israel efforts in Brussels. Membership in the grouping has changed over time, with Poland, for example, stepping away, but Hungary has remained a constant.
"The usual suspects are Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, from time to time, Romania, and we’re also coordinating very closely with Germany," said Bóka. "I would also include Italia in this group of like-minded countries."
Even within that group, Hungary has stood out for its willingness to thumb its nose at European majority positions, including on Israel.
In July, a panel of judges at the International Criminal Court reported Hungary to the court’s oversight organization for failing to arrest Netanyahu when he visited Budapest in April, stating that the move undercut the court’s ability to bring suspects to justice.
The Israeli leader received a red carpet welcome from Orban during the state visit.
’CIVILIZATIONAL CONFLICT’
Bóka argued that many EU states adopt adversarial stances toward Israel because of domestic politics.
Senior Israeli officials made similar accusations during the wave of Western countries recognizing a Paleostinian state in September.
According to the minister, French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to lead a global campaign to recognize a Paleostinian state "was part of an attempt on behalf of the French President to boost popularity by playing to a political audience that he wants to address."
A two-state solution should be "the end of a process and not the beginning of the process," Bóka said.
Recognizing a Paleostinian state now "could be easily interpreted by some as an appeasement or a gift to those who are not afraid of using violence as a means to achieve political objectives," he added.
Communist Hungary recognized a Paleostinian state in the 1980s, and there is a Paleostinian embassy in Budapest.
However,
there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly... Bóka insisted that Hungary does not fully recognize a Paleostinian state: "We recognize the Paleostinian Authority as the representative of the Paleostinian people in their exercise of the right to self-determination. I think the declaration that we made could be interpreted as recognizing the Paleostinian Authority, not necessarily the state of Paleostine."
According to Bóka, a major factor in growing support for the Paleostinian cause in many European countries is Moslem immigration, a trend that he said threatens the "pillars" of the continent’s civilization, echoing the stance of Hungary’s anti-migrant government.
"If there is mass and uncontrolled illegal migration from Northern Africa and the Middle East, this will necessarily change the fabric of the society," he argued.
"Radical Islamism has found a partner in the progressive far left," said Bóka, contending that they have a common goal of destroying European society and its democratic institutions. "The progressive left and the woke activists are the useful idiots of Islamist radicals."
He described shifting demographic trends as a "civilizational conflict" with potentially dire implications for Jews.
"Those who are in favor of the European civilization and European culture, as we know that is based on Judeo-Christian roots or is rooted in a Judeo-Christian tradition," said Bóka, "then we must reinforce our efforts so this process will not result in a Europe that is not a welcoming environment for Jewish communities anymore."
The minister has one Jewish grandparent and grew up active in the Bnei Akiva religious Zionist youth movement, visiting Israel twice with the group in the 1990s. His trip to Israel this month was his fourth to the country.
ANTISEMITISM AND SOROS
A 2023 poll by the Anti-Defamation League found that 37 percent of Hungarians harbored antisemitic attitudes, the highest figure of 10 countries polled.
Orban himself has been accused of using antisemitic tropes in political campaigns and was criticized for praising World War II-era leader Miklos Horthy, who allied with the Nazis.
"Of course, antisemitism exists in Hungary," Bóka acknowledged. "There are antisemitic approaches, there are antisemitic feelings, there are antisemitic individuals."
The important thing, he said, was how the government reacts to antisemitism.
"There is no political antisemitism in Hungary," said Bóka. "We have increased the political price of antisemitism in Hungary, and we have hugely decreased the benefit of applying political antisemitism as a tool in public discourse. We have a zero tolerance policy towards antisemitism."
Orban’s zero-tolerance policy on antisemitism recently saw Hungary bar the provocative Irish rap group Kneecap from entering the country and performing at a music festival, accusing the band of "antisemitic hate speech."
In April, Netanyahu also praised Orban for his "very bold stance against antisemitism." He added that Orban provides the local Jewish community not only with security but also with the ability to conduct Jewish life.
Much of the criticism of Orban has revolved around his opposition to Jewish billionaire George Soros ...either Ernst Stavro Blofeld or Auric Goldfinger come true. Maybe both.... , regularly accusing the US-based philanthropist of orchestrating flows of migrants colonists to Europe by financially backing pro-immigration and pro-refugee civil groups.
The government also says groups supported by Soros interfere in Hungary’s domestic affairs and ultimately aim to topple the hardline Orban.
In 2017, Israel’s ambassador to Hungary slammed a government-led anti-Soros campaign for "sowing hatred" and suggested it evokes memories of the Holocaust.
However,
there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly... the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem later walked back the statement, saying Soros "continuously undermines Israel’s democratically elected governments by funding organizations that defame the Jewish state and seek to deny it the right to defend itself."
Bóka pointed at Hungarian polling that showed that most of the country’s Jews did not see the anti-Soros campaign as antisemitic.
"If George Soros decides to engage in political life, he becomes part of the political discussion, then he can be a legitimate target of political criticism," he argued.
[IsraelTimes] Finance minister says fund won’t be able to invest in the world’s biggest companies if current guidelines continue, opposition socialists say move comes due to fear of Trump
Norway’s parliament on Tuesday voted in favor of pausing ethical divestment by its $2.1 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, while it updates the fund’s ethical guidelines.
The move, proposed by the minority Labour government early on Tuesday, came at a time of intense international scrutiny on the fund’s ethical divestment.
In September, the US State Department said it was "very troubled" by the fund’s decision to divest from construction equipment group Caterpillar CAT.N over the use of the company’s products by Israeli authorities in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... and the West Bank.
"The world has changed since the ethical guidelines were first adopted," Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg told parliament earlier on Tuesday. "The rules need to be reviewed."
DIVESTMENT GUIDELINES TO BE REVIEWED
The fund’s ethical guidelines, set by parliament, were first introduced in 2004. They stipulate, among other things, that the fund cannot invest in companies involved in serious violations of individuals’ rights in war or conflict situations.
An independent ethics body investigates alleged breaches and recommends companies for divestment. The decision to pull out is ultimately taken by the central bank’s board.
These recommendations to divest will now be put on hold for a period of roughly a year while guidelines are reviewed, Stoltenberg told parliament.
The Conservatives, who supported the proposal, still questioned why the decision was being rushed when usually this would take months, if not years, to get through parliament.
DECISION NEEDED TO ’PROTECT FUND’
Stoltenberg said it was needed to do this to protect the fund, which now finances 25 percent of public spending, at a time when a significant part of its value is dependent on a handful of companies.
"The seven most valuable companies in the world provide 16% of the fund’s stock holdings," said Stoltenberg, referring to Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Broadcom.
"Under today’s ethical guidelines for exclusions, we must be prepared that we may no longer be able to invest in the world’s biggest companies. Then we would not remain as a broad, global index fund," he said.
Three parties Labour relies on to pass its budgets condemned the proposal.
During the Nordic country’s most recent election campaign, in August and September, the fund’s investments in Israel took center stage, with some parties campaigning on the issue.
One said it would only support a future Labour government if it divested from all companies involved in what it called "Israel’s illegal warfare in Gaza."
On Tuesday, that party — the Socialist Left — said the government was acting out of fear of the United States.
"(This) is, without a doubt, really about the fear of Trump’s reactions," Socialist Left politician Ingrid Fiskaa told parliament.
Separately, the fund’s management said it would vote against ratifying Tesla TSLA.O CEO Elon Musk’s proposed compensation package, containing shares worth up to $1 trillion, which critics have called excessive.
The Norwegian divestment from Caterpillar came almost two years into Israel’s campaign against Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... in Gaza, which began when the terror group invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Satellite images have shown that vast swaths of urban areas in the Gaza Strip have been flattened by Israeli forces.
Israel also uses bulldozers in the West Bank, where, as a matter of policy, it destroys the houses of Paleostinians who have carried out terror attacks, as well as structures built without permits.
Recent counter-terror operations in the West Bank have seen Israeli forces destroy hundreds of structures in dense urban areas that have seen frequent festivities with the army over the years. According to the military, those demolitions were carried out following extensive discussions and careful review, and limited to the smallest number possible.
[IsraelTimes] Concertgebouw says Shai Abramson is ‘visible representative’ of Israeli army involved in ‘controversial war;’ Jewish organizers seek legal action to proceed with annual event
Last year, Amsterdam’s Royal Concert Hall held its 10th anniversary of a Hanukkah concert series that was rebooted 70 years after it was halted by the Nazis, in what some Dutch Jews saw as a repudiation of antisemitism that had swelled during the war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... This year, the concert has been called off — and the prestigious concert hall citing the chosen singer’s ties to the Israeli army.
The Chanukah Concert Foundation, which organizes the event, had booked Shai Abramson to sing. Abramson is a retired lieutenant colonel for the IDF who serves as the army’s chief cantor.
The Royal Concert Hall, or Concertgebouw, said in a statement on Sunday that it had pressed for months for a change to the program and canceled the concert, scheduled for December 14, when one was not made.
"This decision was made because it was not possible to reach an agreement on an alternative to the performance by the IDF Chief Cantor," the statement said.
It continued, "For The Concertgebouw, it is crucial that the IDF is actively involved in a controversial war and that Abramson is a visible representative of it."
Cowards, Jew haters, or both?
The Hanukkah concert was rebooted in 2015, 70 years after the Nazis ended the longstanding tradition in the city and murdered three-quarters of the Dutch Jewish population. The relaunch was billed as a chance to connect and celebrate the city’s Jewish residents, a community that has never come close to its pre-Holocaust size.
Now, the Chanukkah Concert Foundation says the Concertgebouw is contributing to the "isolation the Jewish community feels it is being pushed into in the current era," even as the concert hall said it "always remains a place where the Jewish community is welcome."
Clearly a lie.
"The Jewish community has been facing exclusion in the cultural sector for over two years," the Chanukah Concert Foundation said in a statement on Sunday. "It is ironic that the Concertgebouw — where Chanukah celebrations have been held since December 14, 1921, a tradition interrupted only by World War II — is now confronting the Jewish community with exclusion and isolation."
The Chanukah Concert Foundation said it would pursue legal action against the Concertgebouw, whose characterization of Abramson as an IDF representative it rejected.
"He is an independent artist, invited by the State of Israel to sing at national memorial ceremonies," the foundation wrote in a statement. "Labeling him as an IDF representative fosters unwarranted negative sentiment toward Israel, the Jewish community in the Netherlands and visitors to the concert, purposely turning this great musical experience into a political event."
The cantor’s website says his performances around the world are done "with the intention of developing and strengthening ties with Jewish communities around the world, and intensifying connections with Israel and with the IDF."
The Hanukkah concert’s cancellation is not the first time the war in Gaza has interfered with plans at the Concertgebouw. In November 2023, a planned benefit concert for the Israeli humanitarian nonprofit ZAKA was canceled after the Concertgebouw demanded that half of the proceeds go to a Dutch Paleostinian aid group that had been accused of anti-Israel bias.
Wow. That’s chutzpah.
The following year, the concert canceled performances by a Jerusalem-based quartet, citing "safety" concerns over planned pro-Paleostinian demonstrations.
Take it on the road to Munich — they have courage to spare.
Amsterdam has been a hotspot of such demonstrations. Last year, the city was roiled by pro-Paleostinian protests, and a soccer game between the local team and Maccabi Tel Aviv sparked antisemitic mob violence against Israeli supporters.
In March, the University of Amsterdam suspended a student exchange with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, accusing the school of failing to distance itself from the war in Gaza.
As for the Hanukkah concert, the concert foundation says it will "assume that the concerts on December 14th will go ahead, including Cantor Abramson," amid its planned litigation.
The Concertgebouw, meanwhile, has removed the concert from its website, where among the other upcoming performances listed are multiple by the Jerusalem Quartet, the group whose concert was canceled last year over security concerns.
"Making this decision was extremely difficult," Concertgebouw Director Simon Reinink said in a statement about the Hanukkah concert cancellation. "Only in very exceptional cases do we make an exception to our important principle of artistic freedom. To our great regret, such an exception is now occurring. The intended performance by the chief cantor of the IDF is at odds with our mission: connecting people through music."
[IsraelTimes] French Culture Minister Rachida Dati throws her support behind a visit to Paris by Israel’s top orchestra, despite a French union criticizing it because of Israel’s “crimes” in Gaza.
“Welcome to Israel’s national orchestra,” Dati writes on X.
“Nothing justifies a boycott call for this moment of culture, sharing and communication. Freedom of creation and programming is a value of our republic. (There is) no pretext for antisemitism,” she says.
The union, CGT Spectacle, representing workers in France’s entertainment sector, on October 29 criticized the concert the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is scheduled to give in Paris on Thursday, without calling for a boycott.
“The Paris Philharmonic Hall cannot host the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra without reminding the public of the extremely serious accusations weighing on the leaders of that country (Israel) or the nature of the crime committed in Gaza,” the union said.
It added that it viewed the concert as an attempt to bring about the “normalization” of Israel in international settings.
On Monday, the Paris Philharmonic Hall issued a statement saying it hoped the Israeli concert would take place “in the best possible conditions.”
It noted that it never demanded visiting musicians to “take a position… on the issue of ongoing conflicts or on sensitive political stakes.”
[IsraelTimes] Unprecedented case alleges millions given in payments to Islamic State and al-Nusra Front in 2013-2014; former executives could face up to 10 years in prison
French cement maker Holcim’s Lafarge unit went on trial Tuesday, facing charges that its Syrian subsidiary financed terrorism and breached European sanctions to keep a plant operating in northern Syria during the country’s civil war.
Investigative judges alleged that Lafarge paid jihadist groups, including Islamic State and the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front, both designated as terrorists by the EU, a total of 5 million euros ($5.83 million) between 2013 and September 2014.
The case, bringing a company to trial on financing terrorism charges in France, is unprecedented.
Lafarge, which became part of Switzerland-listed Holcim in 2015, and eight people, including former Lafarge executives, have been under investigation by the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office since 2017.
In a statement on Tuesday, Lafarge said the case revolved around “actions that occurred more than a decade ago and were in flagrant violation of Lafarge SA’s Code of Conduct. None of the former executives who are standing trial as individuals are with Lafarge SA or any affiliated entities today.”
Lafarge said it was dealing with the issue responsibly through the legal process.
[IsraelTimes] Speaking to youth conference in Munich, Rania says Gallant’s comments on fighting ‘human animals’ were part of effort to ‘convince the public you are dealing with beasts’
#1
Interesting how Liberals, Socialists and Democrats are always labeling others as NAZI's.
Given, the Nazi Party (NSDAP) itself was the National Socialist Party that used Democrat methods to come to power and was responsible for MILLIONS of Deaths.
[X] The woman in the second video looks an awful lot like Ms Malik in the first one.
Zohran Mamdani’s intern Hadeeqa Arzoo Malik explains that electing him is part of a Holy War and jihad:
“This is all jihad, this is all ibadah, this is all counted by Allah. How committed am I to this? What am I willing to sacrifice for this noble cause?”pic.twitter.com/8oWzjUfW6v
Not that we were uncertain about what Mayor Mamdani would mean for New York City, but it is satisfying to be proved correct even before the votes are counted.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/05/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1762 views]
Top|| File under: Moslem Colonists
[LegalInsurrection] “The main agent in that normalization is Tucker Carlson, who is an intellectual coward, a dishonest interlocutor”
The controversy surrounding The Heritage Foundation and Tucker Carlson / Nick Fuentes continues to burn. It appears from people who supposedly have knowledge that the President of Heritage Kevin Roberts survived an attempted ouster and is standing by Tucker though it’s unlikely Heritage will work with him in the future.
But the controversy is not going away. Prior coverage:
Heritage Foundation Soils Itself, Embraces Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes
Heritage Trustee: “I will not—I cannot—accept the idea that we have ‘no enemies to the right’”
If anything it’s shifting from Fuentes and Roberts’ statement to Tucker as the focus. Tucker and his supporters are trying to create a narrative that Tucker is a free speech hero (classic crisis management tactic). Some big names, like Megyn Kelly, are standing by him (he will be on stage with her on her tour on November 5) and also pretending it’s just about free speech.
Tucker’s supporters also are asserting this is a backdoor way of attacking JD Vance.
It’s baffling how Tucker has such a stranglehold on big influencers and podcasters – everyone seems afraid.
But there are even more people speaking out.
I was on Newsmax this morning talking about the Tucker problem:
“There is an influential group who are trying to destroy the MAGA movement, who hate Donald Trump because they think he’s too pro-Israel and he’s too close to Jews. This is really a malicious thing and Tucker Carlson is a major problem. And I wish President Trump, who’s been great on so many things, would speak out about it because Tucker is destroying everything President Trump has achieved because he’s going to end up putting a Democrat back in the White House.”
Posted by: Grom the Affective ||
11/05/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1759 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Oh - it's the internecine republican jew hating stuff. Should have known with Fuentes name in the first sentence.
[IsraelTimes] Resolution slated for debate in Security Council aims to see first troops in International Stabilization Force, who’ll coordinate with Egypt and Israel, deployed in Strip by January
The Trump administration’s draft United Nations ...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense... Security Council resolution on establishing an international force in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... would reportedly give the US and other participating countries a broad two-year mandate to govern Gaza and be in charge of security there.
According to a copy of the draft published by the Axios news site on Monday, the so-called International Stabilization Force will be in charge of securing the Gaza Strip’s borders with Israel and Egypt, ensuring the safety of civilians and humanitarian zones, and training and partnering new Paleostinian coppers.
The force’s mandate will apparently include disarming Hamas ..a regional Iranian catspaw,... , with the draft saying that the ISF will "stabilize the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, including the destruction and prevention of rebuilding of military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state gangs."
The draft resolution also states that the ISF will perform "additional tasks as may be necessary in support of the Gaza agreement," and that it will be established and operate "in close consultation and cooperation with Egypt and Israel."
Additionally, the resolution calls for granting US President Donald Trump ...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US... ’s proposed "Board of Peace" the powers of "a transitional governance administration with international legal personality that will set the framework and coordinate funding for the redevelopment of Gaza pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan, until such time as the Paleostinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its reform program."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly proclaimed that the Paleostinian Authority cannot play any role in governing postwar Gaza, although the idea has remained popular among Israel’s Western allies.
A US official told Axios that the goal is to deploy the first ISF troops to Gaza by January. Washington is reportedly aiming to negotiate the terms of the resolution within days and hold a vote on it within weeks.
Currently, the next stages of Trump’s 20-point peace plan have been on hold, with Hamas failing to hand all of the hostages’ bodies it continues to hold. The terror group returned the remains of three hostages on Sunday night, leaving eight still in Gaza — six Israelis, one Thai and one Tanzanian.
Since the sides remain in the first stage of the deal, Israel is still in control of approximately 53 percent of the Strip, demarcated by the Yellow Line. In a future stage, once the ISF is deployed, Israeli troops are slated to withdraw further "based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the United States," according to Trump’s plan.
The proposal envisions Israeli forces gradually withdrawing as the ISF deploys, "until they are withdrawn completely from Gaza, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat."
Hamas officials have pushed back in recent weeks on the idea of fully disarming, with Trump suggesting last month that if the group won’t hand over its weapons, "we will disarm them, and it’ll happen quickly and perhaps violent mostly peacefully, but they will disarm."
Also Tuesday, Channel 12 news reported that Israeli officials strongly dislike certain clauses of the Trump administration’s draft UN Security Council resolution on establishing the international force in Gaza.
A senior US official told the network that “the Israelis gagged” over certain parts of the resolution – mainly because the deployment of the force will require another stage of IDF withdrawal from Gaza and limit Israel’s freedom of action in the territory going forward.
Beyond the military implications, some Israeli officials view the proposal as a dangerous “internationalization” of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, fearing it could lead to undesired international oversight not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank, the network continued.
Channel 12 added that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer worked behind the scenes with American officials on the proposal, which would give the US and other participating countries a broad two-year mandate to govern Gaza and be in charge of security there.
[IsraelTimes] Moussa Abu Marzouk dodges question on whether Hamas will disarm as required by Trump’s peace plan; Israeli officials said to fear restrictions on IDF in administration’s UN proposal for Gaza force
A top Hamas ..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,... leader said Tuesday that the terror group and the Paleostinian Authority have come to an agreement regarding the establishment of a temporary committee that will manage the Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... Strip on behalf of the PA.
The committee’s responsibilities will include overseeing the border crossings and the security forces in the Strip, Moussa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera, adding that it will be headed by a PA minister.
Abu Marzouk didn’t clarify during the interview whether this decision was approved by the US as well as the PA, meaning it was unclear whether there is any weight to the agreement. As in: "NO"
In recent weeks, Hamas has refrained from publicly addressing the composition of the committee that will oversee Gaza’s civilian affairs, in line with the White House’s plan to end the war in Gaza.
According to Arabic media reports, one of the proposed candidates to head the committee is Paleostinian Authority Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan. However,
those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things... there were reports that Israel has rejected his candidacy.
Abu Marzouk said that Israel was still refusing to allow UN forces to operate in areas currently under its control in the Strip, something he stated contradicts the draft proposal the United States submitted to the UN Security Council, which centers on the deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza.
He clarified that disagreements remain over the operational details of the international force — such as where it would operate and what its mandate would be — and said that "a long discussion is still required on this matter."
Avoiding a definitive answer on whether Hamas will disarm as required by US President Donald Trump ...So far he's been unkillable, and they've tried.... ’s broad Gaza peace plan, Abu Marzouk said that "Hamas is the force that controls the ground [in Gaza]. If it is disarmed, there will be other weapons and other groups. Just as in Iraq, when the Iraqi army was disbanded, chaos followed — al-Qaeda and ISIS emerged."
He added that such a move "would not contribute to stability or to the implementation of agreements (such as the ceasefire)."
"There is no vacuum — any replacement force must be Paleostinian and agreed upon by Paleostinians, so there will be no rejection or internal conflict."
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kirill Semenov
[REGNUM] At the beginning of November, the ceasefire in Gaza remains extremely fragile, and faith in its stability among the nearly two million residents of the besieged enclave continues to rapidly fade.
According to the Government Media Office in the Strip,
…ie. the Hamas office of propaganda…
as of November 2, the Israeli army committed 194 violations of the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on October 10.
Goodness — who knew they could count that high?
These violations are systemic and multi-layered, including not only direct military operations that have led to massive civilian casualties, but also the deliberate blocking of humanitarian aid, which together create a real threat of a complete breakdown of the peace process and exacerbate the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in the enclave.
*shrug* The UN said they have three months’ supply on hand. Heaven only knows how much more is in Hamas’s overstuffed warehouses…
Despite the official declaration of a ceasefire, Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip continued, taking various forms, including direct attacks that claimed civilian lives.
On October 18,
…almost three weeks ago. What has that to do with today’s events?
an Israeli tank fired a shell at the Abu Shaaban family's car in the Zeitoun neighborhood. The direct hit killed 11 people, including women and children, who were simply checking on the condition of their abandoned homes, dreaming of a return to normal life.
Didn’t the IDF warn them not to return because it isn’t safe? Whose fault then is it, when they get caught in the crossfire?
The events of October 19 were particularly tragic and revealing, when Israeli aircraft launched a series of isolated, deadly strikes on various areas of the Gaza Strip, killing 45 people.
Those forty-five were Hamasniks and human shields, not proper civilians. But even proper civilians are not a protected category when they deliberately put themselves in a fire zone.
That same day, an attack on a group of civilians in the city of Zuwayda killed six people.
Almost simultaneously, a drone strike targeting a tent of displaced people north of Khan Younis killed a woman and two children who were seeking refuge from earlier fighting.
Again, human shields. Mr. Semenov doth protest much too much.
Two more people, including a journalist covering the aftermath of the conflict, were killed in the strike on western Zuwayda.
These tragic episodes were part of a bloody series of ceasefire violations that reached its horrific climax on October 28-29, when massive Israeli bombings killed around 100 people, turning hopes for peace into a new wave of mourning.
Hamas sent bodies that were not hostages. Israel took umbrage and hit Hamas targets.
Among the victims that night was Amin al-Zein, whose story particularly vividly exposed the brutality of what was happening. Just half an hour before his own death in a school strike
…all of the schools in Gaza, along with the mosques and hospitals, ae Hamas strongpoints, command and control spots, entries to the underground tunnel system, and/or weapons caches. In other words, legitimate targets…
in Beit Lahiya, he gave a heartfelt interview in which he earnestly urged people to return to their homes in northern Gaza, trusting in the safety and stability of the ceasefire.
Those who trust that Hamas will not again break the ceasefire and provoke an IDF military response are fools.
His fate became a bitter symbol of shattered hopes for thousands of Palestinians, who were once again deceived in their expectations of peace.
JUSTIFICATION TACTICS
These attacks were accompanied by a deliberate suspension of humanitarian aid deliveries, further exacerbating the suffering of the civilian population.
The violence takes many forms, with Israeli strikes regularly targeting critical civilian infrastructure and drones carrying out targeted killings, as happened on October 30, when a Palestinian was killed near a vegetable market in Shuja'iya.
The Israeli army justifies these operations by citing the need to protect its troops from threats, particularly those emanating from the so-called "Yellow Line"—a virtual boundary dividing the territory. However, in practice, their actions result in the deaths of civilians.
So Mr, Semenov demands that the Israelis bare their throats to the Hamas sword? Fuck that shit.
The current tactical situation has apparently given Israel the opportunity to more accurately identify and specifically target Hamas commanders, who have become less cautious under the ceasefire.
Precisely.
Every strike is justified—either by pretexts or military rationales.
According to an Israeli army statement, several battalion commanders of Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, were killed in a series of operations, including strikes in late October. Among them were Abdullah al-Lidawi, commander of the Western Battalion in the Northern Gaza Brigade, and commander Hatim al-Qudra.
The Israeli command claimed that among the dead were three battalion commanders, two deputy battalion commanders and sixteen company commanders, indicating the scale and systematic nature of the operations carried out after the armistice.
Israel was able to achieve successes it had not enjoyed during the period of intense fighting by taking advantage of the fact that Hamas commanders had come out of hiding.
HUMANITARIAN BLOCKADE
The humanitarian consequences of Israel's violations are also multifaceted. Gaza authorities state that from October 10 to 31, 3,203 trucks were allowed into the Strip, representing only 24% of the 13,200 allowed under the deal.
And Hamas raided something like 80% of them, the UN admitted afterward, so who is at fault?
The Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt remains closed. This is blocking the evacuation of the wounded and further restricting the flow of aid.
Complain to Egypt. They refuse to take those people back, except the ones who can afford their very high fees.
Israel is also blocking the entry of heavy equipment needed to clear the rubble, which is estimated to contain some 9,500 bodies of Palestinians who have not yet been counted among the 68,500 dead in Gaza.
No. They ar blocking the Turks, who brought ghr heavy equipment, because Turkey has proved itself an enemy of Israel and an overt supporter of Hamas.
At the same time, equipment was allowed through to search for the remains of Israeli hostages, which demonstrates a selective approach to fulfilling humanitarian obligations.
Bith Israel and Hamas know where most of the hostqge bodies are, and that no heqvy equipment is needed to to obtain them. So why should Israel allow in tools intended for rebuilding Hamas’s war tunnel system?
The agreement protocol also called for the deployment of more than 300,000 tents and mobile homes for displaced families, but this never happened, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless and facing further suffering.
NETANYAHU'S THREATS
The political context only exacerbates the situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made no secret of his skepticism about the ceasefire, has publicly stated that Hamas "pockets" still exist in areas controlled by the Israeli army in Rafah and Khan Yunis, and that they will be eliminated.
Although, with American mediation, an agreement was reached on the unimpeded withdrawal of these Hamas units from behind the “yellow line”.
Netanyahu insists that the destruction of Hamas is a key principle, and Israel will not deviate from it. This creates a constant threat of a resumption of full-scale hostilities.
Hamas is required first to turn over all hostages, whether living or dead, and second to lay down all their weapons and leave Gaza. Hamas refuses to accomplish either.
As a result, the ceasefire, which was supposed to be a bridge to peace,
…Hamas insists it can omly be a ceasefire of nore more than 3-5 years duration, so the bridge is already collapsed…
is turning into an instrument for maintaining permanent tension, where every violation leaves the Palestinians alone with a deepening humanitarian catastrophe, claiming more and more lives.
Hamas’s choice. Just like the PLO, they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
WAR WITHOUT FRONTS
It seems that the war in Gaza has not stopped, but has only changed, taking on more insidious and sophisticated forms.
You noticed that, too? How very clever.
The period of nominal truce has turned into a sluggish, but no less deadly, phase of the conflict, where death can await Palestinians at any moment and in the most unexpected place.
Danger has lost its clear frontal contours and has become completely unpredictable: it can come from the sky in the form of a sudden drone strike, seemingly aimed at one person but killing an entire family in the neighboring house; it can lurk around a bend in the road in the form of a shell fired at a car filled with civilians; it can fall on a tent in a refugee camp or on a bread line.
The Damoclean sword of violence is familiar to Israelis for the past generation, courtesy of the Palestinians. Why should they feel sorry for you?
This has created a state of permanent fear and psychological tension, in which people live in anticipation of an attack, with no safe zones or guarantees of tomorrow.
The armistice, which deprived the war of clear boundaries, made it in some ways even more inhuman, turning it into a routine of horror, where ordinary activities – a trip home, a walk through the market, children playing – became mortally risky.
This state of total unpredictability and permanent fear, in which death can overtake a person at any moment, is not just a side effect of war, but part of a calculated strategy.
While paralyzing society from within, Israel isn't limiting itself to mere periodic strikes and openly undermining the ceasefire. A parallel, equally calculated campaign is being waged, aimed at sowing social divisions in Gaza.
Its essence is to methodically erode Hamas's domestic support and pit Palestinians against each other. Various tactics are used to achieve this, including targeted funding and support for armed groups opposed to Hamas, to which Israel provides resources and carte blanche for destabilizing activities.
These groups, taking advantage of the security vacuum and general state of impunity, unleash localized wars for influence, plunder humanitarian aid, attempt to control it by turning it into an instrument of blackmail, and intimidate the population.
The ultimate goal of this multi-layered war is not just military victory, but the total disorganization of Palestinian society.
Israel appears to be seeking to create a persistent security and governance vacuum in Gaza, a chaotic situation in which any attempt to establish viable Palestinian institutions will be doomed to failure and the territory will remain fragmented and incapable of consolidation, depriving the Palestinian people not only of a present but also of a political future.
CLANS AND EXTREMISTS
In Gaza's complex pattern of armed fragmentation, where Palestinian militias and clan networks challenge Hamas's monopoly on power, groups directly supported by Israel play a particularly prominent role.
The most prominent figure among them is Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of the so-called "Popular Forces." His group is implicated in the looting of humanitarian aid. Furthermore, among his associates are individuals whose ties to international terrorism have been reliably established.
In addition to Abu Shabab's criminal past, a former drug lord convicted of drug trafficking, his circle includes prominent supporters of the terrorist Islamic State*. Abu Shabab himself was only able to escape from prison due to Israeli strikes in late 2023.
One of the Popular Forces' commanders is 33-year-old Issam Nabahin, who previously fought for ISIS* in Sinai. He was reportedly sentenced to death for his crimes in 2023 but managed to escape from prison before his execution. Another prominent member of the group, Ghassan al-Daini, pledged allegiance to ISIS* in 2015 and was previously involved in the kidnapping of BBC News journalist Alan Johnston in 2007.
Despite this, Israel provides Abu Shabaab with comprehensive support. Its militants operate from a fortified base in the Israeli army-controlled area of Rafah, from where they freely trespass and rob humanitarian convoys entering through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
This "activity" was officially documented by the UN. According to a UN memorandum, Abu Shabaab was identified as "the main influential figure behind the widespread and organized looting" of humanitarian aid.
The memo also concludes that criminal groups "may benefit from passive, if not active, favor or protection from the Israeli military," which is a direct accusation against Israel for supporting groups engaged in robbery.
Israel, in turn, continues to accuse Hamas of stealing humanitarian aid.
Another key Israeli "partner" in Gaza is the powerful Dogmush clan, whose feud with Hamas has lasted since the 1980s. This clan has a long history of involvement with jihadist groups.
Its historical leader, Mumtaz Doghmush, founder of the Army of Islam, publicly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS)* in 2015.
Despite documented ties to one of the most radical groups in the world, Israel directly approached the clan with a proposal for cooperation. As the current head of the clan, Nizar Dogmush, confirmed, Israeli officials offered to take control of the humanitarian zone in Gaza City in exchange for logistical support, including arms and food supplies.
"The Israelis wanted us to take charge of the humanitarian zone in Gaza City, so that we could recruit as many of our family members as possible, and they would provide logistical support - weapons, food and housing," he said.
Alongside the Popular Forces and the Dogmush clan, a number of other armed groups operate in Gaza, creating a complex web of opposing forces. In the northern part of the Strip, the Popular Army's Northern Forces, led by Ashraf al-Mansi, operate. Like Abu Shabab's forces, they claim to be anti-Hamas and, according to sources, employ a similar model of interaction with the Israeli army.
Hussam al-Astal's "Counter-Terrorism Strike Force" has gained a foothold in the Khan Yunis area, openly declaring cooperation with Israel and Western countries, confirming that his fighters receive logistical assistance, water, and electricity from the Israeli army.
Furthermore, traditional clans—the Hellis, Hanidaq, Jundiya, and Abu Werda—are also playing a role in this confrontation. Some of their members have formed joint militias, such as the Shuja'iya Popular Defense Forces, which, according to Israeli media, receive logistical support and salaries from Israel through the Palestinian Authority. However, the leaders of these clans often distance themselves from the armed factions, describing them as "out of control."
Hamas, for its part, conducts large-scale military operations against gangs and identifies individuals collaborating with Israel. The movement's effectiveness becomes especially evident in situations where Israeli cover is weakened.
Figures like Yasser Abu Shabab can only operate under the direct protection of the Israeli army at their bases. Hamas staged several assassination attempts against him, and Abu Shabab was saved only by direct military intervention by the Israeli military.
Following violent clashes in the Sabra area, where Hamas deployed hundreds of fighters in the stronghold of the Dogmush clan, the movement demonstrated its ability to carry out targeted and powerful military actions and retake control of territory.
When Israeli troops retreated from certain areas, supporters of pro-Israeli clans were immediately deprived of cover, found themselves under threat of extermination, and were forced to seek reconciliation with Hamas, which quickly reasserted its control over these territories.
QUESTIONABLE STRENGTH
Thus, Israel's support for figures like Yasser Abu Shabab and clans like the Dogmush, with their historical ties to ISIS*, is a modern incarnation of the old colonial strategy of divide and rule.
The goal is to sow chaos and division among the Palestinians, making the restoration of unified governance in Gaza impossible. Prime Minister Netanyahu has publicly acknowledged this policy, claiming that the "activation" of Palestinian clans "saves the lives of IDF soldiers."
However, as experience shows, Hamas retains sufficient control, resources, and resolve to suppress the activities of collaborators. For now, these groups exist only thanks to direct military cover from Israel, and their real ability to challenge Hamas in the long term remains questionable.
[IsraelTimes] France’s FM says Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris staying at residence of French ambassador until deal secured to bring them back home after 1,277-day arbitrary imprisonment
Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... has released from prison a French pair held for more than three years and sentenced to lengthy jail sentences on espionage charges their families always rejected, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday.
Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72 — she a high school teacher, he a retired teacher, both on a tourist visit to Iran when they were arrested in May 2022 — are now "on their way to the French embassy in Tehran," Macron said on X.
He welcomed this "first step" and said talks were underway to ensure their return to La Belle France as "quickly as possible."
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot added in a separate post on X that they were now at the residence of the French ambassador and "awaiting their definitive release" from Iran.
Their Gay Paree-based legal team said in a statement to AFP that the release had "ended their arbitrary detention, which lasted 1,277 days."
Their release comes at a time of acute sensitivity in dealings between Tehran and the West in the wake of Israel’s 12-day June war targeting the Islamic Theocratic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic missiles program and the reimposition of UN sanctions in the standoff over the Iranian nuclear drive.
’STATE HOSTAGES’
Kohler and Gay Paree were among a number of Europeans still held by Iran in what several European governments, including La Belle France, describe as a deliberate strategy of hostage-taking by Tehran to extract concessions from the West.
La Belle France has described them as "state hostages."
Kohler and Gay Paree were the last two French citizens officially known to be held by Tehran after several other Frenchies were released over the last months.
Their sentences on charges of spying for La Belle France and Israel, issued last month after a closed-door trial, amounted to 17 years in prison for Jacques Gay Paree and 20 years for Cecile Kohler.
The families insisted they were wholly innocent and were only visiting Iran as tourists.
Kohler was shown in October 2022 on Iranian television in what activists described as a "forced confession," a practice relatively common for detainees in Iran, which rights groups say is equivalent to torture.
La Belle France had filed a case with the Hague-based International Court of Justice over the couple’s detention, saying they were held under a policy that "targets Frenchies traveling in or visiting Iran."
But in September, the ICJ suddenly dropped the case at La Belle France’s request, causing disappointment among the families but also sparking speculation that closed-door talks were underway between La Belle France and Iran for their release.
Iran, which has previously carried out exchanges of Westerners for Iranians held by the West, has previously said the couple could be freed as part of a swap deal with La Belle France, which would also see the release of Iranian Mahdieh Esfandiari.
Esfandiari was arrested in La Belle France in February on charges of promoting terrorism on social media, according to French authorities.
She is to go on trial in Gay Paree from January 13, but was released on bail by the French judicial authorities last month in a move welcomed by Tehran.
🚨 IRAN CLAIMS MASSIVE CYBERATTACK ON ISRAELI DEFENSE INDUSTRY
Iranian media is boasting that hackers breached a Rafael subcontractor, allegedly gaining access to classified data on major Israeli defense systems, including: ⚙️ David’s Sling ⚙️ The new laser interception system… pic.twitter.com/dsHqvLLyRG
Iranian media is boasting that hackers breached a Rafael subcontractor, allegedly gaining access to classified data on major Israeli defense systems, including:
⚙️ David’s Sling
⚙️ The new laser interception system
⚙️ A naval cruise missile
Rafael strongly denies any real damage, saying the breach involved only a supplier of exhibition models, not classified systems, calling Iran’s claim “completely unfounded.”
Still, the timing and propaganda value are clear:
Iran is trying to project an “intelligence victory” amid growing regional pressure and internal turmoil.
Posted by: badanov ||
11/05/2025 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1761 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
..one of the armed feet of the Moslem Brüderbund millipede,...
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
