Is the Palestinian people an ancient people with a known, documented history? With a language, culture and customs distinct from other peoples of the region? Did they cherish Jerusalem as their ancient capital? What, if anything, distinguishes this "people" from other Arabs of the region?
Or is it all a sham- a cunningly designed Trojan horse invented solely to destroy the Jewish state? This video answers these vital questions with surprising words from the mouths of such Arab figures as Ahmed Shukri, Abdullah King of Jordan, Hafez al-Asad of Syria.
Can an Arab be a Zionist? • Why have both the Left and Right downplayed the existence of a pro-Israel Arab-Israeli community? • Editor Steve Ganot speaks with director Igal Hecht about his new film on Arab citizens who love the Jewish state.
Two years ago the Islamic State’s blitz assault across
a swath of land as big as the United Kingdom led to the establishment
of the self-proclaimed Caliphate and fragmented both Syria and Iraq.
Today, the American-led and the Russian-led coalitions succeeded to
contain the advance of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq because of
several factors:
Attrition: Since August 2014, when the U.S.-led coalition initiated
its air campaign against the IS, the coalition has succeeded in
eliminating thousands of Islamic fighters, but more important, it has
struck and shaken the command and control structure of the IS.
Manpower: Countries from where IS volunteers have been recruited
have adopted new rules of conduct and restricted the flow of volunteers
to the IS. Aware that most of the fighters would come back to their
native countries and become dormant members of IS agent cells, these
countries now closely monitor Salafist organizations.
Firepower inferiority: Unwilling to put “boots on the ground,” the
U.S. and Russians chose to crush IS forces as well as rebels from the
air, targeting their equipment, logistics, leaders, and military
formations.
Diminishing financial support: When IS captured Mosul,
it looted Mosul’s central bank, absconding with $500 million. In the
last year, U.S. aircraft unleashed a new and effective financial
measure: blowing up the coffers of the Islamic State.
Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah
was formerly Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and
Deputy Head for Assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence.
