A7News: 'Russia is defining new rules to the game'

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Sunday, Sep. 23 '18, י"ד בתשרי תשע"ט



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HEADLINES:
1. 'RUSSIA IS DEFINING NEW RULES TO THE GAME'
2. LIKUD SOURCE: OLMERT IS NOW ABBAS' MOUTHPIECE
3. RUSSIA: ISRAEL RESPONSIBLE FOR DOWNING OF PLANE
4. ROUHANI ACCUSES UNITED STATES OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTACK
5. US CONDEMNS ATTACK ON IRANIAN MILITARY PARADE
6. FAMILY VISITS SCENE OF MURDER: 'WE'RE CONTINUING FORWARD'
7. ISRAEL AWAITS RUSSIAN DECISION
8. DOZENS OF GROUPS CALL TO SANCTION BDS-SUPPORTING PROFESSOR


1. 'RUSSIA IS DEFINING NEW RULES TO THE GAME'
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee member MK Ofer Shelach (Yesh Atid) referred to the announcement of the results of the Russian investigation, according to which Israel was responsible for the downing of the Russian plane by the anti-aircraft forces of the Assad army.

"Israel is not to blame for the downing of the Russian plane, and the defense ministry in Moscow knows it. Why is it blaming us? In order to signal that Syria is no longer a no-man's-land, and that there are new rules to the game."

"Netanyahu is proud of his relations with Putin, but the Russian is far less romantic: He has interests, and he acts according to them."

"As long as the prime minister is dealing only with tactical coordination, not with a major move to bring the Americans back into the picture, Putin will take a picture with him, but his people on the ground will define the reality as they wish," Shelach said.

Earlier on Sunday, the Russian defense ministry held a press conference during which the conclusions of the Russian inquiry into the plane crash were presented, and it was asserted that Israel was at fault for the serious incident.

At the press conference, defense ministry officials claimed that during the conversation with the "smart line" in Russian, the Israelis claimed that the target was in northern Syria, but the Israeli warplanes ultimately carried out an attack in Latakia - in western Syria.

"The erroneous information provided did not give the transport plane time to reach a safe place," the Russians claimed, adding that the IAF planes had used the Russian transport plane as a cover for the Syrian missiles.

"The activity of the Israeli Air Force suffered at the very least from unprofessional, if not criminal, behavior, and therefore our conclusion is that Israel is responsible for what happened," it was said at the press conference.

A representative of the defense ministry noted in his words that IDF leaders do not appreciate relations with Moscow and that Israel "behaves with ingratitude."


2. LIKUD SOURCE: OLMERT IS NOW ABBAS' MOUTHPIECE
by Hezki Baruch

A senior Likud source on Saturday responded to former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

The meeting took place in France.

"Olmert, who offered Abbas the Western Wall, has now turned into his faithful mouthpiece," the source said. "In the US and many Arab countries, they already understand that Abbas is the true obstacle to peace, and that the reason for his extreme demands is not peace but rather the elimination of the State of Israel."

MK Moti Yogev (Jewish Home) also responded to the meeting.

"Olmert met with Abbas, who educates Palestinian children to kill Jews and destroy the State of Israel," he said. "It's not for nothing that the starling is with the crow. It's because they're birds of a feather."

Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) said, "After Abbas insulted Olmert when he didn't even respond to his wretched offer to create a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and Israel retreating to its pre-1967 borders, Olmert is now spreading lies against the chosen government of Israel."

"The one refusing to negotiate is Abbas, who ran away from negotiations in 2011 and hasn't renewed them since. It's funny that Olmert is still living in the previous decade, and he still believes in the 'two-state solution,' which even Washington has already taken off the table."

According to Olmert, Abbas never officially refused his offer.

"Abbas is the president of the Palestinian nation, a great political leader, and the most interesting personality I have met [while discussing] future developments and the relationships between the Israelis and Palestinians," Olmert is claimed to have said during the meeting.

After the meeting, Olmert said that there is no replacement for the "two-state solution" and that Abbas is the only one who can make it work.

He also said that "Abbas fights terror, because that is part of his obligation to establish peace. I define Abbas as my friend, and have since we worked together. I believe, like him, that we can reach peace. I am sure, like Abbas is, that if I could have sat out my term, peace would have come years ago."


3. RUSSIA: ISRAEL RESPONSIBLE FOR DOWNING OF PLANE
by Arutz Sheva Staff

Russia rejected Israel's explanations about the incident in which a Russian plane was shot down by anti-aircraft batteries of the Assad army during an Israeli attack in Latakia.

The Russian defense ministry held a press conference Sunday morning, during which the conclusions of the Russian inquiry into the plane crash were presented, and it was asserted that Israel was at fault for the serious incident.

At the press conference, defense ministry officials claimed that during the conversation with the "smart line" in Russian, the Israelis claimed that the target was in northern Syria, but the Israeli warplanes ultimately carried out an attack in Latakia - in western Syria.

"The erroneous information provided did not give the transport plane time to reach a safe place," the Russians claimed, adding that the IAF planes had used the Russian transport plane as a cover for the Syrian missiles.

"The activity of the Israeli Air Force suffered at the very least from unprofessional, if not criminal, behavior, and therefore our conclusion is that Israel is responsible for what happened," it was said at the press conference.

A representative of the defense ministry noted in his words that IDF leaders do not appreciate relations with Moscow and that Israel "behaves with ingratitude."



4. ROUHANI ACCUSES UNITED STATES OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTACK
by Mordechai Sones

[youtube:2047523]

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the United States and the Gulf states of responsibility for yesterday's massive attack on a military parade in the country.

"The group behind the attack was financed and received military backing from the Gulf states - and the United States supplies the resources to the Gulf states to carry out these crimes," Rouhani said.

Rouhani added that Iran would "respond to these crimes within the framework of the law and international interests."

According to reports in Iran, at least 29 people were killed yesterday in a shooting attack during a military parade in the city of Ahwaz in southwest Iran.

State television reported another 60 people wounded in the parade. Among those killed were members of the Revolutionary Guards as well as women and children.

The ISNA news agency reported that four gunmen carried out the attack, according to a Revolutionary Guards official.

It was also reported that Iran summoned diplomatic envoys of UK, Denmark, and the Netherlands at night over the attack, accusing them of harboring Iranian opposition groups.

Iranian armed forces members march during the annual military parade in Tehran
Reuters



5. US CONDEMNS ATTACK ON IRANIAN MILITARY PARADE
by Ben Ariel

US officials on Saturday night condemned an attack on an Iranian military parade that killed 25 people and wounded more than 60.

"The United States condemns all acts of terrorism and the loss of any innocent lives," said the officials, who were quoted by The Associated Press.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert also voiced support for "the Iranian people" following Saturday's attack in the city of Ahvaz in Iran's oil-rich southwest, the deadliest terror attack to strike Iran in nearly a decade.

"We stand with the Iranian people against the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism and express our sympathy to them at this terrible time," said Nauert.

In Saturday's attack, terrorists disguised as soldiers opened fire on an annual military parade.

The Ahvaz Branch of the Arab Freedom Movement claimed responsibility for the attack, the BBC's Persian language service reported.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the attack was carried out by "terrorists recruited, trained, armed & paid by a foreign regime".

"Iran holds regional terror sponsors and their US masters accountable for such attacks," he tweeted.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused US-backed Gulf Arab states of carrying out the attack.

"This crime is a continuation of the plots of the regional states that are puppets of the United States, and their goal is to create insecurity in our dear country," Khamenei said in a statement published on his website and quoted by Reuters.



6. FAMILY VISITS SCENE OF MURDER: 'WE'RE CONTINUING FORWARD'
by Ido Ben Porat

Relatives of murdered terror victim Ari Fuld on Friday visited his grave and the scene of the terror attack, in order to send a clear message that they are looking at the future and are proud of Ari's Jewish pride.
Fuld, a 45-year-old father of four from the Gush Etzion town of Efrat, was critically wounded Sunday morning after a 17-year-old Arab terrorist from the Hevron district stabbed him in the back outside a shopping center in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem

While Fuld managed to draw his firearm and shoot the terrorist before collapsing, he later succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Standing beside his grave, Ari's father Yona said, "We have grown, and we will continue to grow, from what happened. We will choose life. We learned great spiritual strengths from Ari's life and death, and despite our private pain, we are filled with pride at Ari's heroism and the way he chose to end his life."

"We will continue forward in his path."

Ari's daughter Tamar said, "Dad would have wanted to show the world that this pride continues, and now he is part of us."

After visiting the cemetery, the extended Fuld family arrived at the scene of the attack, gathering for breakfast at the shopping center where Ari, fatally wounded, shot the terrorist, thereby preventing additional casualties.

Thanking the pubic for the warm embrace they received after Ari's murder, the family requested all of Israel "continue in this path - the Jewish path of being proud and walking straight in the land of Israel."

"This is what Ari would have wanted."



7. ISRAEL AWAITS RUSSIAN DECISION
by Nitzan Kedar

The Russian Defense Ministry will publish a report on the incident of the downing of the Russian spy plane by Syrian anti-aircraft fire after the Israeli attack near Latakia last week.

At the end of the week, Arab media claimed Russia rejected the findings submitted by the Israeli delegation headed by the Air Force commander, but no confirmation was given.

The Russians intend to publish a reconstruction of the events, minute by minute, according to the findings of their army investigation. A spokesman for the Kremlin said last night that the information provided by the Israeli security delegation, headed by Air Force Commander Major General Amikam Nurkin, was taken into account during the preparation of the report.

Asked whether the incident would have a future impact on relations between Russia and Israel, he replied that "it is still too early to talk about the issue."

A diplomatic source emphasized at the end of the week that the coordination mechanism between the IDF and the Russian army in Syria was functioning again, adding that the Israeli delegation had agreed with the Russian side to examine improving the coordination mechanism to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Russian response in recent days creates confusion in the political system. On the one hand, in talks between Netanyahu and President Putin after the incident, it seemed that the tempers calmed down, but later came the firm responses of the Russian embassy in Israel and the Foreign Ministry in Moscow, which demanded a more thorough investigation of the incident on the Israeli side.


8. DOZENS OF GROUPS CALL TO SANCTION BDS-SUPPORTING PROFESSOR
by JTA

Fifty-eight organizations called on the University of Michigan to sanction professors who implement academic boycotts of Israel.

The letter, sent Friday to university president Mark Schlissel, was signed by Jewish, Israel advocacy and political organizations and organized by the AMCHA Initiative, a nonprofit seeking to combat campus anti-Semitism.

It referred to an incident last week, in which a professor at the school, John Cheney-Lippold, refused to write a letter of recommendation for a student who wanted to study abroad at Tel AViv University, citing his support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against the country.

"I have extraordinary political and ethical conflict lending my name to helping that student go to that place," Cheney-Lippold has told reporters.

On Tuesday, the university said in a statement that it opposes academic boycotts of Israel and that "[i]njecting personal politics into a decision regarding support for our students is counter to our values and expectations as an institution."

On Thursday, in a separate statement, Schlissel said that "[w]e will be taking appropriate steps to address this issue and the broader questions it has raised."

The signatories of Friday's letter — which included groups such as the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, Christians and Jews United for Israel, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Zionist Organization of America — strongly criticized Cheney-Lippold's decision and called on Schlissel to make a statement that such behavior would not be allowed.

"Impeding a student's ability to participate in a university-approved educational program in order to carry out political activism is reprehensible," it read.

Cheney-Lippold's decision has raised questions about academic freedom. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) opposes academic boycotts, although writing letters of recommendation is voluntary on the part of professors.

Hans-Joerg Tiede, the associate secretary of the AAUP's Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure and Governance, told Insider Higher Ed that AAUP does address whether faculty are obligated to write reference letters, but that "refusing to write a letter of reference on grounds that are discriminatory would appear to be at odds with the AAUP's Statement on Professional Ethics."

John K. Wilson, the co-editor of the AAUP's blog, "Academe," told Insider Higher Ed that "it is morally wrong for professors to impose their political views on student letters of recommendation." Wilson emphasized, however, that the professor should not be punished.




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