A7News: Cleared: Iran tried to establish spy infrastructure in Israel

Arutz Sheva Daily Israel Report
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
------------------------------------------------
Delivered Daily via Email, Sunday thru Friday



Thursday, Jun. 20 '19, י"ז בסיון תשע"ט





HEADLINES:
1. CLEARED: IRAN TRIED TO ESTABLISH SPY INFRASTRUCTURE IN ISRAEL
2. NFL QUARTERBACK SPOTTED AT WESTERN WALL - AND IN SAMARIA
3. NEW ISRAEL FUND SUPPORTS US LEGISLATION AGAINST 'ANNEXATION'
4. HAMAS BLASTS BAHRAIN SUMMIT FOR 'NORMALIZING' TIES WITH ISRAEL
5. 'NO LIMIT TO THE ARROGANCE OF THE LEFT'
6. 'THE WHOLE AIR FORCE IS IN THE AIR'
7. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
8. ANALYSIS: THE ESCALATING WAR BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES


1. CLEARED: IRAN TRIED TO ESTABLISH SPY INFRASTRUCTURE IN ISRAEL
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The Shin Bet revealed an attempt by Iranian intelligence to set up an espionage infrastructure in Israel and arrested Taar Shafoot, a Jordanian citizen born in Hebron.

During the Shin Bet interrogation, it was revealed that Shafoot, a Jordanian businessman, had entered Israel on behalf of Iranian intelligence to carry out missions intended to promote the establishment of infrastructure in Israel and in Judea and Samaria that would serve secret activities of the Iranians.

The connection between Shafoot and Iranian intelligence began in Lebanon, where he met two Arabic-speaking handlers from Iranian intelligence, who called themselves Abu Sadek and Abu Jaafar.

Following the first meeting held in Lebanon, a number of meetings were held during the years 2018-2019 between Shafoot and his Iranian handlers, which were held in Lebanon and Syria.


2. NFL QUARTERBACK SPOTTED AT WESTERN WALL - AND IN SAMARIA
by David Rosenberg

National Football League quarterback Deshaun Watson was spotted at the Western Wall in Jerusalem Thursday, as he tours the country as part of a weeklong trip to the Jewish state.

Watson, a 23-year-old native of Gainesville, Georgia, was picked up by the Houston Texans in the 2017 draft, landed in Israel on Tuesday, along with his trainer, Quincy Avery.

The two flew to Israel under the auspices of America's Voices in Israel, which organizes trips to the Jewish state for celebrities and other prominent figures in the US, helping them learn about Israel and the Middle East conflict firsthand.

"This is a part of the world which gets a lot of attention internationally, and this is a chance for me to look beyond the headlines and learn more about the history and culture of this land," Watson said in a statement.

"I have been blessed to visit many countries around the world, but the chance to visit the Holy Land, see the sites and meet the people of this special place, truly is a special blessing and an amazing opportunity."

During his visit, Watson visited the Old City of Jerusalem Thursday, after visiting Israeli towns in Samaria on Wednesday, along with the site of the Biblical city of Shiloh. Watson met with Binyamin Regional Council Chief Yisrael Gantz during the trip to Samaria.

At the end of his visit to Samaria, Watson said he had fallen "in love with" Israel.

"In America, Israel is sometimes presented in a negative sense of fear and terror, but when you come here you realize how wrong it is, it's fun to see the beautiful country with wonderful people and amazing attitude towards us. I fell in love with you," Watson said, according to ONE.co.il.

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264864


3. NEW ISRAEL FUND SUPPORTS US LEGISLATION AGAINST 'ANNEXATION'
by Arutz Sheva Staff

The New Israel Fund appealed to its supporters abroad to join the legislative initiatives led by J Street in the Senate against the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

"The settler movement has a friend in the White House who is leading Israel to a dangerous future, and we join American organizations that we partner with and ask you to help the Congress say no to annexation," the NIF said in its appeal.

"On June 8, the US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, spoke of Israel's" right "to annex part of the West Bank. But there is no such right.

"Annexing the West Bank is not only illegal under international law, but will also lead to the encouragement and expansion of the occupation and to the violation of the human rights of the Palestinians," the NIF added.

"The grantees of the New Israel Fund, organizations such as Breaking the Silence, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and other Israeli human rights organizations, have long been against the occupation, and the fact that extremists are in power, both in America and in Israel, is an unprecedented threat to Israeli democracy.

"We join the calls to put up a red line against the annexation, and you must turn to the senators who represent you and ask them to support Senate resolution 234 on this matter."

Btzalmo CEO Shair Glick said that the New Israel Funds's appeal "crosses a red line. The NIF always prides itself on being an Israeli organization operating inside Israel, but it now turns out that it is employing outsiders to exert external pressure against Israel."

"I call upon the government of Israel to declare the severing of any contact with this organization, which is a foreign corporation operating against the interests of citizens and the State of Israel," Glick added.


4. HAMAS BLASTS BAHRAIN SUMMIT FOR 'NORMALIZING' TIES WITH ISRAEL
by Arutz Sheva Staff, AFP

Ismail Haniya, the leader of the Gaza-based Hamas terrorist organization, said Thursday Hamas rejected next week's US-sponsored Middle East economic conference in Bahrain as it would amount to
Arab "normalization" of ties with Israel.

In a rare briefing with international journalists, Haniya also accused Israel of failing to abide by agreements meant to ensure calm in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

"We clearly express our rejection and non-acceptance of any Arab or Islamic country holding such a conference, which constitutes normalization with the occupation," Haniya said, referring to Israel.

US President Donald Trump's administration organised the conference, which is to be held on June 25 and 26 in Manama for the unveiling of the economic component of a US Israeli-Arab peace plan.

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drafting the long-awaited plan, but it has been rejected in advance by the Palestinian Authority, which accused the Trump administration of pro-Israel bias.

The political part of the conference is likely to be delayed until at least after the Israeli elections in September, and probably until November, after a new government has been formed.

The Palestinian Authority has also accused the United States of trying to use the potential offer of billions of dollars in investment to avoid dealing with political causes of their suffering, including what they called Israel's "occupation".

"We reject the Manama conference and the transformation of the Palestinian cause from a political cause to an economic cause," Haniya said.

Haniya also appealed to Bahrain's King Hamad "not to hold this workshop," vowing protests "in all the Palestinian lands and beyond".

Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008 and fears of a fourth remain.

An agreement reached in November is supposed to ensure calm in exchange for Israel easing its blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The Jewish state has never publicly confirmed the deal but has allowed Qatar to bring millions in cash and investments into the Hamas-ruled enclave since then.

In May the two sides came close to a new conflict, with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups firing hundreds of rockets from Gaza and the Israeli military striking dozens of terrorist targets in response.

Haniya accused Israel of not implementing the agreements reached.

"The understandings today are in the danger zone, due to the failure of the (Israeli) occupation to implement what was agreed upon."

He highlighted the distance Israel allows fishermen from Gaza to operate off the coast, saying Israel had pledged to allow it up to 18 nautical miles off the coast.

Last week Israel banned all fishing off the coast, though it has since resumed to six miles.

"The Israeli occupation uses this range as a form of blackmail," said Haniya.

"We are not against a just peace (with Israel) based on just rights but we are against surrender," he added.

Israel says the restrictions are necessary to isolate Hamas, saying the terror group often seeks to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip.


5. 'NO LIMIT TO THE ARROGANCE OF THE LEFT'
by Mordechai Sones

A wave of reactions to remarks by the former Mosad head in an interview according to which Netanyahu voters are "people without knowledge, without understanding. His political base is people whose normative threshold is grass-high."

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said "They called us rifraff, good-luck-charm kissers, robots, and now we're 'people lacking knowledge'. There's no limit to the arrogance of the Left when it comes to Likud voters. Our answer will arrive at the ballot box."

Knesset Member Maj. Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan (Likud) said in response that Shavit "didn't get used to the fact that the hegemony passed from the gentry to the people, and said a burst of nonsense that indicates an intelligence threshold at grass height."

MK Ofir Sofer (Jewish Home) said in response, "It's always a pleasure to be reminded each time of what the other side thinks of Right-leaning voters and those who love tradition."

MK Nir Barkat (Likud) suggested that Shavit apologize. "In my experience as mayor of Jerusalem and as a citizen of the State of Israel, I learned that when you respect people with different opinions than your own, you can live better together, despite the contrasts. Insult, slander, condescension, and contempt for others always achieve the opposite."

"You did nothing to bring people together with your words about Likud voters, including myself, people whose normative threshold is grass-high'. If you ever want to be listened to, I suggest you apologize," Barkat said.

Knesset Member Osnat Mark (Likud) also responded to the remarks. "Grass height isn't low enough compared to the miserable level of words that Shavit said about 1.5 million Israelis. His words mostly dishonor him.

"Likud voters are a huge and diverse group of good, Zionist, country-loving people, and to my joy, they're also increasing in the elections. They're probably smarter than Shavit thinks and don't allow these pitiful statements to confuse them."


6. 'THE WHOLE AIR FORCE IS IN THE AIR'
by Arutz Sheva Staff

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264751

A comprehensive military exercise was conducted this week by the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The exercise began on Sunday and ends tomorrow (Wednesday), and includes all the squadrons in the IAF.

A senior Air Force officer said today that "the whole Air Force is in the air."

"The exercise trains the entire force, from the techical branch to the operational staff and the commanders, and the Air Force commander himself."

"We are practicing multi-theater, fighting in several arenas together. The main focus is in the northern arena where the enemy is immediate. We are practicing at a particularly high level against a challenging, thinking and reacting enemy that has technologies beyond what exists in today's arena."

According to the senior official, "The ground forces are full partners in the exercise, and we have reached the highest levels of cooperation, generally speaking, that we have reached in the last decade."

He noted that this exercise is the first time that the Air Force is training for war with F-35 fighter jets: "Throughout the day and night. We practice uncertainty, flying in spaces of ambiguity, not knowing exactly who the enemy is and what position you are in. This allows us to get used to uncertain situations an important ability to have in the last decade.

In order to make the exercise more effective, the senior source said, forces are also simulating an enemy. "For a year we have been creating scenarios and we have capabilities in the field that simulate the enemy and move from place to place and challenge the trainees as they try to hit them."

He also referred to improving cooperation with the ground forces: "We want to reach a situation in which the soldiers in the field will converge on a target after we have hit the enemy's targets and rope him in. We build on the fact that there will be no civilians in the area so that there will be no damage to innocents. We will make sure the bomb hits the terrorists' house and not victims nearby. If there is a building with civilians, we will evacuate the civilians and then attack the house. It's an intelligence challenge [requiring] the cooperation of the ground forces."

[album:open:11172]


7. FROM THE ARMY OF JUDAH - TO THE IDF
by Arutz Sheva Staff

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264801

A watchtower dating from the time of the Kingdom of Judah (8th century BCE – during the reign of King Hezekiah) was recently uncovered during archeological excavations by IDF soldiers, together with the Israel Antiquities Authority, at a paratroopers base in the south of the country.

The excavation was conducted as part of the project called "The Nature Defense Forces Project- Commanders Take Responsibility for their Environment," led by the IDF's Technology and Maintenance Corps, and was carried out in cooperation with the IDF, the Ministry of Defense, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The tower, whose dimensions in antiquity is estimated to have been 5 x 3.5 m, was erected at a high geographic site, and as such, was an observation point to the Hebron Mountains, the Judean plain and the Ashkelon vicinity. It was built of especially large stones, some 8 tons in weight, and its height today reaches around 2 m.

According to Sa'ar Ganor and Valdik Lifshitz, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The strategic location of the tower served as a lookout and warning point against the Philistine enemy, one of whose cities was Ashkelon. In the days of the First Temple, the Kingdom of Judah built a range of towers and fortresses as points of communication, warning and signaling, to transmit messages and field intelligence.

This tower is one of the observation points connecting the large cities in the area, located in the Beit Mirsim (Mirsham), Tel Eton and Tel Lachish sites. In ancient times, to transmit messages, beacons of smoke were lit during the day and beacons of fire at night. It is probable that the watchtower now uncovered is one of the towers that bore some of the beacons."

In the Bible, beacons, or, in the language of the Bible, "pillars" are mentioned several times. Thus, in the story of the Concubine in Gibeah, the use of pillars of smoke is described: "The Israelites had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city, and then the Israelites would counter attack .The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the Israelites (about thirty), and they said, "We are defeating them as in the first battle." But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke" (Judges 20: 38-40). The prophet Jeremiah also describes the manner in which the beacons were passed: "Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction" (Jeremiah 6:1).

Evidence from another source is known from one of the ostracons (letters on clay) discovered at Tel Lachish. At the end of letter no. 4 it is written, "May God cause my lord to hear reports of good news this very day …. Then it will be known that we are watching the (fire) signals of Lachish according to the code which my lord gave us for we cannot see Azekah."

This letter shows that the existence of the beacons and the interpretation of the signals were part of the defense system and the idea of routine security, and security in times of emergency, in the Kingdom of Judea during the Iron Age.

Activity in the ancient tower, uncovered in the area of the military base, ceased on the eve of the expedition of Sennacherib, King of Assyria, to Judah in 701 BCE. Archaeological excavations revealed that the entrance to the tower was blocked, and the force stationed there apparently converged on one of the nearby fortified towns.

From biblical testimonies and archeological findings in the area, we know that Sennacherib's attack virtually destroyed Judah, including 46 cities and 2,000 villages and farms. Now, some 2700 years after Sennacherib's expedition to the Land of Judah, IDF soldiers uncovered an observation tower belonging to Judean army soldiers, similar to the watchtowers used today by the army.

Guy Saly, director of the IDF Nature Defense Forces Project states that about 150 recruits and commanders from the Paratroopers Brigade, including recruits from commando units, participated in the excavations, in an activity that lasted several months. Saly added that the project, established with the aim of leading commanders and soldiers to becoming responsible and actively involved in protecting nature, landscape and the heritage values of their surroundings, began in 2014 with eight projects, and today, as part of this project, sixty activity centers operate across the country.

"To our delight, each project creates solidarity, strengthening the connection between the soldiers and their surroundings.The IDF, a melting pot of Israel's diverse population, is a unique meeting place for people from all parts of the country, which, through environmental activities, creates between them a stronger awareness to the preservation of nature and the Israeli heritage," says Saly.

Second Lieutenant Roi Ofir, age 21, commander of the recruit team in the reconnaissance battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade, from Rosh Ha'ayin, says: "The archaeological excavation was a routine break from my point of view. I saw soldiers enjoying manual labor that has added value.This is the first time I participated in excavations. The connection to the land, and the fact that there were Jewish fighters in the past, gave me a sense of mission. The fact that there was also a connection to the area where we carried out our own military maneuvers; left us with a feeling that we were giving back.


8. ANALYSIS: THE ESCALATING WAR BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES
by Yochanan Visser


As I reported on May 22, the war between the United States and Iran has already begun and is now escalating.

The Islamic Republic has activated its proxies in Iraq, Yemen and Syria to strike the US and its allies in the Middle East while trying to disrupt oil transports in the Persian Gulf.

Over the past few weeks, Iran-backed militias launched rocket attacks on US-related targets in Iraq while the Ansar Allah or Houthi militia in Yemen shot down an American drone and repeatedly launched drone attacks on Saudi-Arabia.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was, furthermore, reportedly behind new attacks against oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.

The attacks on the tankers Kokuka Courageous and the Front Altair which took place in the Gulf of Oman last week caused extensive damage to the vessels while the crew of both tankers remained unharmed.

The holes in the hull of the tankers indicate that Limpet mines were used while the crew of the Front Altair initially reported that the ship was hit by a torpedo or an underwater drone.

📹 To watch the video: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/264824

According to Sean Kido, the commander of an explosive ordinance dive and salvage task group in the Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) the mines used in the attack on the Kokuka Courageous were made in Iran.

"The limpet mine that was used in the attack is distinguishable and also strikingly bearing a resemblance to Iranian mines that have already been publicly displayed in Iranian military parades" Kido told reporters.

He added that his unit had recovered finger and hand prints from the hull of the Japanese-owned ship.

CENTCOM, the US Central Command in the Middle East, later delivered evidence that IRGC units were present in the area where the oil tankers were hit.

CENTCOM released a video depicting a glass bottom boat full with, what it claims, were members of the IRGC who removed an unexploded mine from the hull of the Kokuka Courageous.

The US Central Command also reported that the same IRGC units had unsuccessfully tried to shoot down a US MQ-9 armed drone which was monitoring the movements of the Iranians with Misagh-2 MANPADS.

On June 6th, the same type of American drone was shot down over Yemen by Ansar Allah which used an Iranian supplied SA-6 surface-to-air missile to down the UAV.

CENTCOM said in a statement that "the altitude of the engagement indicated an improvement over previous Houthi capability, which we assess was enabled by Iranian assistance."

Despite the overwhelming evidence that Iran carried out the latest attacks against unarmed oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman the regime in Tehran continues to deny any involvement in the escalating attacks.

Amir Hatami, Iran's Defense Minister, told the Iranian news agency IRNA that the evidence delivered by the US was "unsubstantiated".

"Accusations leveled against Iran's armed forces and the published film with regards to the incident (that) happened to the vessels ... are unsubstantiated and we categorically reject these accusations," Hatami claimed.

Iran is now pressuring Europe to chose sides in the escalating conflict with the U.S. and is working hard to develop its global terror network in European countries.

The Islamist regime in Tehran has given Europe an ultimatum.

Unless the Europeans help Iran getting relief from the US-led sanction regime the Iranians will breach the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers.

Whenever the Europeans don't comply with this ultimatum Iran will start enriching uranium beyond the limits set in the JCPOA starting June 27.

The Europeans, however, can do little to address the Iranian concerns and aren't able to force companies into investing in Iran's economy because those companies will be targeted by US sanctions.

The question is now what will happen next.

There have been unconfirmed reports that the Trump Administration is preparing for a tactical strike on a nuclear-related target in Iran.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo doesn't rule out military action against Iran and has made clear that the death of a single American service man or woman would trigger a military response,according to The Washington Post.

The Administration, however, does have other tools to up the pressure on Iran before retorting to military action and until now has only deployed 1,000 additional soldiers to the Middle East.

The most important step the US could take is building a global coalition against Iran including China which receives 80 percent of its oil supply via the Persian Gulf.

World powers should unite in confronting Iran over its attacks against unarmed commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and the first step that should be taken is to protect these ships while they are passing through the waterway, Iran experts think.

The US and its allies should, furthermore, up the cyber attacks on Iran's military apparatus and work together with Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries to fold terrorist plots by sharing intelligence, something that is already happening.

From its side, Iran could further escalate the attacks against US-related targets in the Middle East and beyond and further increase its involvement in the Yemenite war.

Control over Yemen, even partly, would give Iran the possibility to disrupt the flow of oil via the Bab el-Mandeb waterway even more and the possibility to increase the pressure on Saudi-Arabia.

Another option is that Iran will activate its proxies to launch an attack against Israel, Ha'aretz analyst Amos Harel reported citing Western and Israeli intelligence sources.

The Israeli government and military are aware of this scenario and are preparing for this possibility according to Harel.