Author: Ben Evansky

The Obama administration is reportedly signaling another major shift in policy towards one of its staunchest allies, Israel, and this shift could change the way it votes at the Security Council. The change would mean an end to the US’ use of its veto power in the United Nations Security Council when certain anti-Israel resolutions are introduced for a vote.‪

Reports surfaced a couple of weeks ago, that a senior US diplomat met with Qatar’s foreign minister in Paris. They discussed the possibility that the US was giving serious consideration to not using its veto if a vote on Israeli settlements was to come up. It has been the policy of successive administrations to veto virtually all anti-Israel resolutions at the Security Council.‪

While the Israeli spokesperson at the United Nations would not comment on the reports, US officials at the UN told Fox News that there is no such initiative before the Security Council and they are not “pursuing or encouraging such action”, but some critics believe they are playing a game of smoke and mirrors.‪

Anne Bayefsky is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and Touro College and says the administration, like none other before them, is blackmailing Israel at the UN. She says “The administration may imagine that the threat of withholding the veto at the Security Council, or the failure to oppose vigorously any one of a constant stream of anti-Israel UN concoctions, will be good for the United States. They will be dead wrong.” She believes “Israel’s enemies are America’s enemies, and an effort by the Obama administration to use the UN as a tool to blackmail Israel or undermine Israel’s independence and security is a double-edged sword.‪”

Daniel Levy the Director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation in Washington disagrees. He tells Fox News that he doubts the US would vote for a UN Security Council resolution against Israel and expects that they will continue to veto them but he says the veto has not always been used by the administration on votes concerning Israel.‪

It was last month when tensions between the Obama administration and Jerusalem surfaced. While on an official visit to Israel, Vice President Joe Biden and the administration were infuriated when the Israeli Housing Ministry announced it was building 1600 new units in a hitherto undisputed part of Jerusalem. Ever since then, relations between the two erstwhile allies have been tense.‪

Levy who also advised former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak tells Fox News that “if Israel were to continue to flout its own commitments, undermine the possibility of a two-state solution, or if in the context of a peace process impasse, the US and its Quartet allies were to advance their own plan, then under those circumstances it is conceivable that the US would support or abstain on a UN Security Council vote”. He believes that such an outcome would be “presented as being part of, rather than in contravention of, America’s support for Israel.”‪

John Bolton the former US ambassador to the UN, and now a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy in Washington says that successive US administrations have played a vital role in stopping the delegitimizing and marginalization of Israel at the UN, and that foes “knowing that the United States was not prepared to countenance mischief making in the Security Council alone deterred considerable unhelpful activity, and at least mitigated much of what remained.” He says “If President Obama materially changes this long-standing, bipartisan American policy, peace in the Middle East will be set back. America’s friends and allies alike will conclude that the Obama Administration is indeed a feckless ally.”

Levy is not so sure and says that relations between the two countries continue to be “strong and supportive.” He questions the choices that the Netanyahu government has made, which he says “seem to place loyalty to settlements and a far-right wing coalition of choice above peace and the needs of the strategic relationship with the US.”‪

Bayefsky, who is also editor of EYEontheUN.org, says “If the Obama administration believes that it can bring about more peace and harmony and respect for America by sitting on its hands and refusing to exercise the veto, while the likes of Russia and China and Lebanon (which is currently a member) revel in a hate-filled denunciation of Israel, then the administration is delusional. The refusal to exercise the veto will be read as weakness, as will any attempt by the Obama administration to deflect criticism by claiming “the UN made me do it.”‪‪

In the last five months U.S. federal authorities have charged several men, some U.S. citizens, of aiding Hezbollah, a State Department designated terrorist group. These arrests have terrorism analysts wondering if Hezbollah is ramping up its U.S. operations.

The first indictments were handed down in Philadelphia in November when four men were charged with conspiracy to support Hezbollah. One of the suspects – Moussa Ali Hamdan is a U.S national from Brooklyn – and all four remain at large. They were charged with conspiracy to export some 1200 colt machine guns to a port in Syria and also with conspiracy to provide material support to Hezbollah through proceeds made from the sale of fake passports and counterfeit money.

Only last month another four men were charged in Miami for illegally exporting electronics goods to a shopping center in Paraguay, which U.S. authorities say is used to funnel money to Hezbollah. According to the US Treasury Department, both the shopping center and its co-owner Muhammad Yusif Abdallah give a portion of the center’s profits to Hezbollah. Abdallah is believed by the US to be a senior leader for Hezbollah in South America.

Just last summer, David Cohen, New York City’s Deputy Police Commissioner on Intelligence warned that Hezbollah should not be underestimated. Cohen told a terrorism conference in Manhattan that Hezbollah “…is probably the most capable and disciplined terrorist organization in the world.” Cohen said Hezbollah is closely linked, and works under the direction of the Iranian intelligence services and “poses a continuous danger to New York City.”

Hezbollah’s spokesman Ibrahim Mousawi, reached for comment in Beirut, asked that questions be emailed to him. Despite several emails he has not responded.

Hezbollah has been a pivotal player in Lebanon for many years and currently controls two government ministries. Created in 1982 in the wake of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Hezbollah gets the majority of its funding from Iran. Since 2006 estimates say that funding has risen to one billion dollars a year, and while a lot of that money is used to support its social system, a significant amount of cash supports its terror network.

Hezbollah has targeted the United States several times in the past. In 1983 it bombed a US barracks in Beirut which killed 241 American servicemen, and in 1996, 19 more US servicemen were killed when Hezbollah blew up an apartment building in Saudi Arabia. But can it target the US mainland?

Steve Emerson is the founder and executive director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism. Emerson, who has written extensively on foreign terrorist groups operating in the US, says Hezbollah has raised “millions to say the least” in the US and believes that the recent busts in Philadelphia and Miami are the “proverbial tip of the iceberg.” Emerson tells Fox News that “There are members of Hezbollah in the US who are capable of being activated to carry out terrorist attacks. However, these agents have refrained from attacking the Homeland. In the case of hostilities breaking out with Iran, all bets are off however.”

Professor Omar Ashour directs the Middle Eastern studies program at Exeter University in England. Ashour says Hezbollah has sympathizers, supporters and members throughout the Americas but there are differences between them. He says outside of Lebanon they tend to focus on financial, logistical, propaganda and support activities with a few exceptions.

Ashour says its unlikely they will strike on foreign soil and says from a strategic point of view they don’t need to launch attacks abroad, as they know “quite well the risks of doing so, especially after 9/11.”

Walid Phares, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Fox News contributor on terrorism says there are different types of Hezbollah presences in the US. He says, “You have those Hezbollah supporters who would rise to strike against limited targets, tactical targets but then you have those units that are part of the central force of Hezbollah which have been inserted inside the United States…probably inside major cities of America so that when instructions will come they want to wreak havoc inside this country.”

Phares tells Fox News that the US intelligence community is “pretty good about assessing Hezbollah’s institutions in Lebanon”, and continues to be aware of Hezbollah’s potential to strike in the US. However, he says the government is failing to recognize Hezbollah’s recruitment process in a timely manner and fears if and when it attacks the homeland, it will be on a national scale and not just a sporadic act of violence as seen in recent homegrown terrorist attacks.

Ever since the UN Human Rights Council issued its controversial Goldstone Report, which accused Israel of committing war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during its war with Hamas terrorists last year in Gaza, Israel and the Palestinians have been fighting a public relations war in an effort to influence world opinion.

The Report said that Israel used disproportionate force and accused its Army of using human shields and collective punishment. Though it doesn’t directly blame Hamas for inciting the battle, it does charge Palestinian militants with war crimes for their indiscriminate firing of missiles and rockets into Israel.

While both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, which controls Gaza, welcomed the report’s findings, the Israelis did not.

As part of that effort, Israel sent a number of its military officers to the U.S. to give eyewitness accounts of what they saw during Israel’s 22-day incursion into Gaza.

The officers were all actively involved in the fighting. Speaking to Fox News they gave their side of the story, offering the reader a rare inside look at the inner workings of the operation. Israeli military rules state that the officers may only be identified by first name and rank.

Hamas used civilians as human shields says F-15 pilot Yaniv. He said this would often result in his having to abort missions, even though they had spotted Hamas operatives firing from the buildings.

Captain Yaniv said the Israeli military went out of its way to avoid civilian casualties, using what they called the “knock on roof” tactic. When upon discovering Hamas fighters using residential buildings to fire on Israeli positions they would call the residents by phone, shout at them or drop leaflets ordering them to leave immediately. Through intelligence gathered by the drones, they knew exactly how many people were inside, and if they had the slightest doubt that civilians were present, the mission would be aborted.

Major Yaron details how Hamas operatives would use their family homes for cover. He told Fox News they would divide it by using the basement as a storage area for ammunition and rockets; the ground floor would be used as their communications HQ, the second floor as their office, and the family living quarters spread out on the 3rd and 4th floors. The idea is that if they live like this they “know the Israelis won’t attack.”

Air Force captain Daniel, a drone operator said he would often see “Hamas terrorists fire rockets and flee into crowded streets knowing that the IDF would use restraint.”

Omri is a lieutenant in the bomb disposal unit. He tells the story of a woman in the building they were occupying who needed diapers for her newborn baby. His commander ordered five soldiers to escort her to get diapers from another part of the neighborhood. All this was done as mortars and gunfire erupted all around them.

Omri tells Fox News that Hamas would use mosques to stash ammunition and fire on Israeli troops. He recalls the time he saw a cache of ammunition under the preacher’s podium as well as propaganda manuals, and even instructions telling children how to fight, which included children’s toy guns supposedly for them to practice with.

Major Yaron who commanded soldiers deep inside Gaza city tells Fox News of an incident that occurred following the death of one of his soldiers. The dead soldier’s friend reacted badly to the death and painted graffiti on the walls where they were held up. This resulted in the soldier being immediately sent home and given a court martial. The Major ordered his soldiers to scrub the walls clean, saying, “this is how we are trained to fight.”

Asked about the Goldstone’s report finding that Israel committed war crimes, Major Yaron says absolutely not. He says there is no room for that in the rules of conduct which are drilled into every soldier during training.

The other officers agree and point to the Israeli Defense Forces booklet called, “The Spirit of the IDF”, which is given to every soldier in the IDF. It spells out what is expected of them, and according to Captain Daniel, it’s something that is “ingrained in all soldiers, and it’s the value at the heart of the IDF.”

The two most important sections, according to the officers are the sections on “Human Life” and “Purity of Arms” (Morality in Warfare). The section on Human Life begins with the following sentence; “The soldier shall always act with reason and caution, bearing in mind the supreme value of human life.” Purity in Arms says that “The soldier shall not employ his weaponry and power in order to harm non-combatants or prisoners of war, and shall do all he can to avoid harming their lives, bodies, honor and property.”

As to Goldstone’s other findings, Moshe a lieutenant at the army’s counter-terrorism school, and who fought in Gaza wants to know where Goldstone and his report team got their ideas, he says he’d like to meet with Goldstone and “convince him of his experiences. I want to know why he wrote those things.”

Air Force captain Yaniv is critical of the report. He contends that it does not give Israel the right to self-defense. He says “at the beginning it’s bias, at the very beginning”, and he says that’s a “problem.” His Air Force colleague, Captain Daniel complains that Goldstone never says that Israel had a right to self-defense under international law.

As to their frustration felt by the media’s overall coverage of the war, one of the officers says that maybe Israel’s foreign ministry and IDF spokesman’s office could have done a better job, but all agree that’s not their job. They all say their first responsibility is to secure the borders of Israel from attack and protect the country’s citizens.

Israel set up its own investigation to look at any abuses that might have taken place during the conflict. According to a report update they are presently investigating 150 claims of wrongdoing.

The Israeli’s say their system for investigating violations of the Law of Armed conflict is equivalent to those of the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia.

South Dakota is the latest state to have adopted terror-free investment policies that target companies doing business with Iran. It joins some 18 other states and the District of Columbia. Observers say these states can teach the UN Security Council a thing or two when it comes to punishing Iran. The South Dakota law will force its state controlled pension fund to divest itself from companies doing business in Iran.

The bill’s original sponsor is Republican State Representative Dan Lederman who says the bill will affect nine million dollars of stocks owned by the state pension fund. Those equities will be divested over the next fifteen months. Hardest hit companies include Royal Dutch Shell and Total S.A. Lederman says “if Iran loses these partners the financial impact would be massive.”

While Shell would not comment on the new South Dakota law, it announced Wednesday in a publicly released letter to the group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) that it’s ending all gasoline sales to Iran. United Against Nuclear Iran welcomed the news and its President Ambassador Mark Wallace said more is still needed, and that “Shell must end its hydrocarbon development business in Iran.”

David Williams, Shell’s spokesman, told Fox News that if a new international agreement can be agreed upon concerning “additional trade sanctions against Iran, we will of course comply as we would in the case of any country.” The French multi-national, Total S.A. did not respond to Fox News questions.

Christopher Holton is the director of the Center for Security Policy’s Divest Terror Initiative, the group credited with bringing the disinvestment campaign to the state level. Holton says companies such as Siemens, Conoco-Phillips and Halliburton have either chosen to end or wind down operations in Iran, “at least partly as a result of the divestment initiatives.”

Bill Reinsch, president of the National Foreign Trade Council, a group that lobbies against disinvestment campaign’s told Fox News in a written statement, that “public pension fund divestment is a clumsy and ineffective tool.” Reinsch says his organization doesn’t support governments that engage in “objectionable behavior”; however, he does not believe that “state or local government action that may harm retired firefighters, teachers and police officers and is highly unlikely to achieve its intended purpose is a wise policy choice.”

As a former Under-Secretary during the Clinton Administration, Reinsch says “foreign policy sanctions laws by states conflict with the constitution’s assignment of primacy in foreign affairs to the President.”

Holton disagrees with Reinsch’s assertions and says that “billions of dollars of state pension system money has exited shares of companies that do business in, or with Iran since this initiative started back in 2005.”

Right now there are three other states with similar bills to that of South Dakota; Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi. While the other two are gaining traction, Holton says he is particularly frustrated with the effort in Mississippi where one state representative, Johnny Stringer has refused to even give the bill a hearing. A request for comment to Stringer’s office was not returned.

South Dakota representative Dan Lederman wants more states to join his effort and says that divestment “only works on a macro-economic scale.” he explains, “the more dollars we divest the bigger impact we will have on these companies helping Iran’s leaders.” Lederman believes this sort of legislation sends a strong message to the Iranians and “lets it be known that Americans are not interested in their tax dollars going toward investments in companies which partner with our enemies who arm, train and sponsor the terrorists that our troops are locked in combat against every day.”

Mike Rounds, South Dakota’s republican governor , who supported the bill from early on is scheduled to sign the bill into law on March 29th.

As for any imminent UN Security Council action, that appears far off according to Fox News’ UN producer, Jonathan Wachtel. He says that’s because Iran’s major trading partner China continues to stymie efforts by the US and allies to punish the Islamic Republic. In addition, Lebanon, under increasing Iranian-Hezbollah political pressure, takes over the Presidency of the Security Council in May, and is expected to resist any efforts to put pressure on Tehran. Wachtel says a “resolution is weeks away at best.”

 

A controversial United Nations report called the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict and more commonly known as “The Goldstone Report,” is under fire for being biased against Israel. Among its conclusions was an accusation that Israel had committed “war crimes” during its twenty-two day war with Palestinian terrorists that ended in January, 2009. Critics discredit this finding – saying key members of the report were clearly biased in favor of the Palestinians.

The Geneva based UN Human Rights Council created the Goldstone report in April 2009 after a recommendation by Richard Falk, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on “The situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Occupied since 1967”, to investigate Israel’s Gaza offensive.

Prior to his UN appointment, Falk had written that Israel’s “imposition of collective punishment had a certain resemblance” to what the Nazis had done in World War II, and is known for his controversial views on the 9/11 terror attacks, telling Fox News that Americans “deserve a more adequate response to the unanswered questions…that have been provided by the 9/11 commission.”

Falk says he fully supports the Goldstone Report saying its members are “highly qualified and professionally respected.”

Nile Gardiner disagrees. Gardiner is a UN expert at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, and tells Fox News that the so called experts who helped write the report had already convicted Israel for war crimes before coming on board to investigate it. According to Gardiner “it’s an extreme example of the UN’s anti-Israel propaganda, which comes at a huge expense to taxpayers.”

Just last month, commission member Desmond Travers told the pro-Palestinian website Middle East Monitor that Hamas had only fired “something like two” rockets at Israel prior to the build up to the conflict in December 2008. According to official Israeli figures the number of rockets fired into Israel was 125, in addition to 80 mortars. Travers also called Gaza the “only gulag in the Western hemisphere”, and in that same interview accused Britain’s “Jewish lobby” of wielding undue influence over that country’s foreign policy. Travers did not respond to a request for an interview.

Another member of the team is Christine Chinkin, who in a letter published by the Sunday Times of London during the height of the war joined others in accusing Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza. Several months later Ms. Chinkin was appointed to the Goldstone report. Chinkin did not respond to a request for an interview.

This last weekend Francesca Marotta, a senior member of the UN staff that helped compile the Goldstone Report, was advertised as being the keynote speaker at a pro-Palestinian event in Switzerland. Marotta told Fox news she did not end up attending and wouldn’t answer any further questions. Calls for her to be disciplined were scoffed at by UN spokesman for the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Rupert Colville told Fox News that none would be taken against her, saying, “Why on earth should there be?” Colville also says staff from his office “attend a huge variety of meetings on issues related to work.”

Hillel Neuer is the executive director of the Swiss based NGO; UN Watch and first publicized Marotta’s speaking engagement. He argues that no one in her position should side with partisan political campaigns and says her actions undermine the UN’s authority and neutrality.

As to the four senior members who produced the report, Neuer points to a letter sent by future inquiry members Judge Richard Goldstone, Hina Jilani and the aforementioned Desmond Travers a full month before their appointment that protested Israel’s actions in Gaza. Neuer says, “Goldstone promised impartiality but the mission members had all made up their minds, adopting the Hamas narrative over Israel from the very start.”

As to whether UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon was worried about the UN’s neutrality being question, his spokesman Farhan Haq told Fox News that he had “no comment” about the composition of Goldstone’s team and that the report’s substantive findings “speaks for itself.”

Rupert Colville said the members of the mission “should be thanked and congratulated, not subjected to personalized abuse.” Hillel Neuer fired back telling Fox News, “The inquiry disregarded the basic principles of international fact-finding” through its selection of members.

While Judge Richard Goldstone did not respond to a request for an interview concerning the impartiality of the inquiry members, UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer believes that “the Islamic dominated Human Rights Council carefully selected mission members whom they knew were sharply critical of Israel.

The UN General Assembly will again take up the Goldstone report in early spring 2010.