Israel on high alert, deploys Iron Dome batteries against missile attack -
https://www.debka.com/israel-high-alert-deploys-iron-dome-batteries-missile-attack/
Israel remained on high alert Tuesday, Nov. 14, after deploying Iron Dome batteries in the center of the country as well as the south, against threatened Jihad Islami and Hamas missile attacks on towns in southern and central Israel.
Jihad has vowed to avenge the destruction of the tunnel it excavated between Khan Younis and the Israeli village of Kissoufim, and the deaths of 12 of its operatives who were trapped inside. However, despite a stream of oral threats, it appears to have decided to hold its fire for now. According to DEBKAfile's military sources, this could change depending on whether the IDF initiates further action. Then, both Jihad and Hamas would make good on their threats.
The US presidential envoy for the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt tweeted a warning Tuesday: Extremist statements & provocation vs. Israel by Islamic Jihad significantly harm the people of Gaza & are very dangerous. The PA must resume full responsibility in Gaza. US is working with the PA, Israel, Egypt & others to try to improve the situation. Gaza deserves better.
Meanwhile, both organizations are tensely following the slightest IDF moves around the Gaza Stri. The Israeli military began an exercise Sunday, which is due to wind down on Wednesday. They are taking into account that the IDF could use the drill for a surprise attack on a target of theirs. Hamas and Jihad have jointly decided in that case to let loose with a large-scale missile attack on Israeli cities. Hamas was prompted to team up with Jihad by dire political and financial straits on a downward spiral.
The reconciliation process with the Palestinian Authority and the rival Fatah has stalled. The transfer of the Gaza border crossings to the Palestinian Authority, in which high hopes were pinned, has not taken place. And there are no signs that the handover of the administration in Gaza City will take place as scheduled on Dec. 1.
Qatar has frozen its economic aid payments to the Gaza Strip, and Hamas sees no alternative source of financial assistance.
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/WATCH-Netanyahu-vows-Israel-will-act-alone-against-Iran-if-given-no-choice-514265
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Jewish Federation of North America's General Assembly that "if we have to we'll stand alone" in front of Tehran.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised on Tuesday that Iran would not gain a foothold in Syria by which to attack Israel. The premier spoke via video to American Jewish leaders just hours after Russia clarified the it had no intention of pushing Tehran's military forces out of the country.
"Iran is scheming to entrench itself militarily in Syria. They want to create a permanent air, land and sea military presence, with the declared intent of using Syria as a base from which to destroy Israel. We are not going to agree to that. I have said very clearly that Israel will work to stop this," Netanyahu told the Jewish Federation of North America's General Assembly which is meeting in Los Angeles.
"We must all work together to stop Iran's aggression and its pursuit of nuclear weapons. If we stand together we will achieve it. But if we have to we'll stand alone. Iran will not get nuclear weapons. It will not turn Syria into a military base against Israel," the premier asserted.
Further stressing Israel's dismay over the Iran nuclear deal, Netanyahu said: "We must ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. That is the bottom line and the most important. The Iran nuclear deal does not achieve that. On the contrary, after about a decade, it will leave Iran able to produce hundreds of nuclear weapons in a very short time, because the deal rescinds all the limitations on Iran's enrichment capacity. They can have hundreds of thousands of centrifuges and they plan to."
Both Israel and the United States believe that the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, designed to limit Iran's nuclear capacity, is dangerous because it leaves Tehran with the ability to create nuclear weapons.
Outside of the US, Russia, China, Great Britain, Germany and France signed the document, but none of those five countries have expressed interest in changing the document.
Netanyahu has said that safeguards against Iran can be put in place, without changing the text.
US President Donald Trump has created an opportunity for the the five world powers to address the flaws in the document, the prime minister said.
"You have to correct it [the Iran deal], either by fixing it or nixing it," Netanyahu continued, adding that he has previously encouraged world leaders to take action to improve the document.
"Iran is dangerous because of its fanatic ideology of global conquest, its growing power, its unflagging commitment to destroy Israel [and] its unvarnished aggression.
"Iran has already spread conflict around the Middle East, in Yemen, in Iraq and Syria and Lebanon. We are far from alone in recognizing the Iranian threat to the Middle East. The leading Arab countries, Saudi Arabia, see things exactly as we do. They are right," Netanyahu concluded.
IDF Chief of Staff: Israel willing to share intelligence with Saudis - By Anna Ahronheim -
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/IDF-Chief-of-Staff-Israel-willing-to-share-intelligence-with-Saudis-514438
Israel is willing to share intelligence with Saudi Arabia to confront Iran, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot
stated in an interview with Saudi's Elaph newspaper.
"We are ready to exchange experiences with Saudi Arabia and other moderate Arab countries and share intelligence information to confront Iran," Eisenkot
said in a rare interview with the London-based Saudi-owned newspaper, adding that "there are many shared interests between us and Saudi Arabia."
"Under US President Donald Trump there is an opportunity to form a new international alliance in the region. We need to carry out a large, comprehensive
strategic plan to stop the Iranian threat," Eisenkot said.
According to the Chief of Staff, the expansion of Iranian influence across the Middle East is a major concern to both Israel and Saudi Arabia.
"The Iranian plan is to control the Middle East through two Shi'ite crescents," Eisenkot told Elaph. "The first is from Iran through Iraq to Syria and
Lebanon and the second across the Gulf from Bahrain to Yemen to the Red Sea. We must stop that from happening."
Eisenkot, who met with military leaders from around the globe at the second annual conference of the chiefs of staff in Washington in October, told Elaph
that what he heard from the Saudi representative about Iranian expansion was "identical" to Israeli concerns.
"This is what should be prevented in the region," he said, adding that "In this matter there is complete agreement between us and Saudi Arabia."
While Tehran's nuclear program has been temporarily frozen, there is no doubt about the country's intention to acquire nuclear capabilities. Tehran is
not only providing arms to terror groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, but is transferring expertise, building weapons factories, supplying advanced weapons and investing huge sums into various militias.
In September a senior IDF officer stated that the Islamic Republic provides $60-70 million to Hamas in the Gaza Strip in addition to hundreds of millions
of dollars for their militias in Syria and Iraq and Houthi rebels in Yemen fighting pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition.
Tehran has also increased its financial support for its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, to $800 million a year, a dramatic boost from the $200 million provided
in the past.
According to IDF assessments, while Hezbollah has increased its military capabilities due to its fighting in Syria, the group has spread its troops across
the entire Middle East and is hurting financially.
"I see Hezbollah beginning to feel financial pressure. We are also seeing a drop in support for Hezbollah and that is reverberating on the streets where
we have seen demonstrations in Dahiya. That's something we have not seen before," he said referring to Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Beirut.
Hezbollah, one of the most prominent terror organizations in the world, has become bogged down fighting in Syria for President Bashar Assad. Of its approximately
22,000 fighters, about 7,000 are fighting for the Assad regime and 2,000 more have been killed in the four years the group has spent in Syria.
Last week Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia of having appealed to Israel to launch an attack against the group in Lebanon,
offering the Jewish State "billions of dollars" to do so.
On Wednesday Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted by Press TV as saying that "It is very reprehensible and shameful for a Muslim country in the
region to beg the Zionist regime [of Israel] to bomb the people of Lebanon."
"It is unprecedented in history for a Muslim country to take such measures, and this indicates the immaturity of the individuals, who have come to power
in those countries," Rouhani added.
Eisenkot told Elaph that while Israel has no intention to initiate a war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Jerusalem will not accept any strategic threats the
Iranian-backed terror group might pose to it, he said.
The Chief of Staff stated that he is hopeful about Trump declaring the need to stop Iran's missile program and the entrenchment of its troops and militias
in Syria and Iraq.
"Our demand is that Iran, Hezbollah and other Iranian militias leave Syria. We have said publicly that we will not accept the Iranian position in Syria
in general, and especially their position west of the Damascus-Suwayda road. We will not allow any Iranian presence."
stated in an interview with Saudi's Elaph newspaper.
"We are ready to exchange experiences with Saudi Arabia and other moderate Arab countries and share intelligence information to confront Iran," Eisenkot
said in a rare interview with the London-based Saudi-owned newspaper, adding that "there are many shared interests between us and Saudi Arabia."
"Under US President Donald Trump there is an opportunity to form a new international alliance in the region. We need to carry out a large, comprehensive
strategic plan to stop the Iranian threat," Eisenkot said.
According to the Chief of Staff, the expansion of Iranian influence across the Middle East is a major concern to both Israel and Saudi Arabia.
"The Iranian plan is to control the Middle East through two Shi'ite crescents," Eisenkot told Elaph. "The first is from Iran through Iraq to Syria and
Lebanon and the second across the Gulf from Bahrain to Yemen to the Red Sea. We must stop that from happening."
Eisenkot, who met with military leaders from around the globe at the second annual conference of the chiefs of staff in Washington in October, told Elaph
that what he heard from the Saudi representative about Iranian expansion was "identical" to Israeli concerns.
"This is what should be prevented in the region," he said, adding that "In this matter there is complete agreement between us and Saudi Arabia."
While Tehran's nuclear program has been temporarily frozen, there is no doubt about the country's intention to acquire nuclear capabilities. Tehran is
not only providing arms to terror groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, but is transferring expertise, building weapons factories, supplying advanced weapons and investing huge sums into various militias.
In September a senior IDF officer stated that the Islamic Republic provides $60-70 million to Hamas in the Gaza Strip in addition to hundreds of millions
of dollars for their militias in Syria and Iraq and Houthi rebels in Yemen fighting pro-government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition.
Tehran has also increased its financial support for its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, to $800 million a year, a dramatic boost from the $200 million provided
in the past.
According to IDF assessments, while Hezbollah has increased its military capabilities due to its fighting in Syria, the group has spread its troops across
the entire Middle East and is hurting financially.
"I see Hezbollah beginning to feel financial pressure. We are also seeing a drop in support for Hezbollah and that is reverberating on the streets where
we have seen demonstrations in Dahiya. That's something we have not seen before," he said referring to Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Beirut.
Hezbollah, one of the most prominent terror organizations in the world, has become bogged down fighting in Syria for President Bashar Assad. Of its approximately
22,000 fighters, about 7,000 are fighting for the Assad regime and 2,000 more have been killed in the four years the group has spent in Syria.
Last week Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia of having appealed to Israel to launch an attack against the group in Lebanon,
offering the Jewish State "billions of dollars" to do so.
On Wednesday Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted by Press TV as saying that "It is very reprehensible and shameful for a Muslim country in the
region to beg the Zionist regime [of Israel] to bomb the people of Lebanon."
"It is unprecedented in history for a Muslim country to take such measures, and this indicates the immaturity of the individuals, who have come to power
in those countries," Rouhani added.
Eisenkot told Elaph that while Israel has no intention to initiate a war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Jerusalem will not accept any strategic threats the
Iranian-backed terror group might pose to it, he said.
The Chief of Staff stated that he is hopeful about Trump declaring the need to stop Iran's missile program and the entrenchment of its troops and militias
in Syria and Iraq.
"Our demand is that Iran, Hezbollah and other Iranian militias leave Syria. We have said publicly that we will not accept the Iranian position in Syria
in general, and especially their position west of the Damascus-Suwayda road. We will not allow any Iranian presence."
Is the Middle East Headed for War? - Chris Mitchell -
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made a stunning admission on Tuesday. He said Russia had not promised that
Iranian and pro-Iranian forces would withdraw from Syria.
Lavrov's statement followed Sunday's announcement of a Memorandum of Principles (MoP) signed by Russia, the United States and Jordan. According to a U.S.
official, the MoP "enshrine[d] the commitment of the U.S., Russia and Jordan to eliminate the presence of non-Syrian foreign forces." Presumably that would include Iranian forces, but Lavrov disagreed. He told reporters, "No one mentioned Iran or pro-Iranian
forces, somebody might be tempted to call the entire Syrian Army pro-Iranian, and then what - it should surrender? In my opinion, it is wishful thinking."
So why is this important and could this be more one more factor leading the Middle East to a wider war?
While Russia says Iran can remain in Syria, Israel has pledged it won't tolerate an Iranian military presence close to its border. Israeli Prime Benjamin
Netanyahu warned Tuesday that "Iran is scheming to entrench itself in Syria. They want to create a permanent air, land and sea military presence. We are not going to agree to that. I have said very clearly that Israel will work to stop this, and we must all
work together to stop Iran's aggression and its pursuit of nuclear weapons. If we stand together we will achieve it. But if we have to, we will stand alone. Iran will not get nuclear weapons; it will not turn Syria into a military base against Israel."
Iranian and pro-Iranian forces would withdraw from Syria.
Lavrov's statement followed Sunday's announcement of a Memorandum of Principles (MoP) signed by Russia, the United States and Jordan. According to a U.S.
official, the MoP "enshrine[d] the commitment of the U.S., Russia and Jordan to eliminate the presence of non-Syrian foreign forces." Presumably that would include Iranian forces, but Lavrov disagreed. He told reporters, "No one mentioned Iran or pro-Iranian
forces, somebody might be tempted to call the entire Syrian Army pro-Iranian, and then what - it should surrender? In my opinion, it is wishful thinking."
So why is this important and could this be more one more factor leading the Middle East to a wider war?
While Russia says Iran can remain in Syria, Israel has pledged it won't tolerate an Iranian military presence close to its border. Israeli Prime Benjamin
Netanyahu warned Tuesday that "Iran is scheming to entrench itself in Syria. They want to create a permanent air, land and sea military presence. We are not going to agree to that. I have said very clearly that Israel will work to stop this, and we must all
work together to stop Iran's aggression and its pursuit of nuclear weapons. If we stand together we will achieve it. But if we have to, we will stand alone. Iran will not get nuclear weapons; it will not turn Syria into a military base against Israel."
Yet Iran seems determined to "turn Syria into a military base against Israel." A recent BBC report showed satellite
images of an Iranian base under construction close to Damascus and not far from Israel.
This confrontation involving Iran, Syria and Israel has been brewing. Earlier this year, we reported about Iran's growing influence in Syria and the danger
it poses to the Middle East, Israel and the possibility of war.
Middle East analyst Caroline Glick told CBN News Syria is flooded with Iranian troops.
"The Syrian military is Iranian. Hezbollah is Iranian, of course. Iran is Iranian and they have an unlimited number of troops they can bring in at will
and they are bringing to Syria from Afghanistan, from Pakistan," Glick explained. "It's basically a bottomless well of personnel that Iran can bring over as cannon fodder for its hegemonic aims in the Middle East."
Avi Melamed, author of "Inside the Middle East" warned Iran is trying to create a land bridge to Lebanon on the Mediterranean that would post a great
danger to Israel.
"Because you have to remember that the Iranian regime vows the elimination of the State of Israel ... [They're] trying to launch a military front against
Israel on the Golan Heights. This could result in a massive eruption because Israel will not stand for that and rightly so," Melamed said.
It remains to be seen if the Middle East will see one more "massive eruption" soon.
images of an Iranian base under construction close to Damascus and not far from Israel.
This confrontation involving Iran, Syria and Israel has been brewing. Earlier this year, we reported about Iran's growing influence in Syria and the danger
it poses to the Middle East, Israel and the possibility of war.
Middle East analyst Caroline Glick told CBN News Syria is flooded with Iranian troops.
"The Syrian military is Iranian. Hezbollah is Iranian, of course. Iran is Iranian and they have an unlimited number of troops they can bring in at will
and they are bringing to Syria from Afghanistan, from Pakistan," Glick explained. "It's basically a bottomless well of personnel that Iran can bring over as cannon fodder for its hegemonic aims in the Middle East."
Avi Melamed, author of "Inside the Middle East" warned Iran is trying to create a land bridge to Lebanon on the Mediterranean that would post a great
danger to Israel.
"Because you have to remember that the Iranian regime vows the elimination of the State of Israel ... [They're] trying to launch a military front against
Israel on the Golan Heights. This could result in a massive eruption because Israel will not stand for that and rightly so," Melamed said.
It remains to be seen if the Middle East will see one more "massive eruption" soon.
Russian FM says Iran can legitimately stay in Syria -
Sergey Lavrov notes terms for new ceasefire agreement don't include an Iranian pullout
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that a recently announced agreement on the terms of a ceasefire in Syria did not include a Russian commitment to ensure Iran-linked militias would be pulled out of the country.
Lavrov said Iran maintained a "legitimate" presence in Syria, according to the Interfax news agency.
It was not clear if Lavrov's comments related to reports that the deal would place restrictions on how close to the Israeli-Syrian border Iran-backed groups would be allowed to remain.
The statement came as officials from the US National Security Council flew into Israel for talks with security heads, primarily over the US-Russia agreement regarding Syria and Iran's growing threat to the region.
On Monday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel will not be bound by the deal, which would somewhat distance Iranian proxies from the border with Israel.
The agreement, announced in a joint US-Russian statement Saturday, affirms a call for "the reduction, and ultimate elimination" of foreign fighters from southern Syria.
According to reports, the deal applies to Iranian proxies fighting on behalf of Assad's regime, which would be required to leave the border area and eventually Syria.
But according to an unnamed Israeli official, under the deal, militias associated with Iran would be allowed to maintain positions as close as five to seven kilometers (3.1-4.3 miles) to the border in some areas, Reuters reported Monday.
In addition to the Syria agreement, the US officials are likely to discuss Iran's alleged construction of a military base less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Israel's Golan border.
On Friday, the BBC, citing a Western security official, reported that Iran was setting up a permanent base on a site used by the Syrian army near el-Kiswah, 14 kilometers (8 miles) south of Damascus, and 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Israeli border.
Palestinian Authority Daily: Iran Will Not Spread Tentacles Into Our Territory - by Deborah Danan -
During Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' surprise summons to Saudi Arabia last week, the PA's official daily published anti-Iran articles claiming the Islamic Republic was spreading its "tentacles" by appropriating the Palestinian cause as part of its ongoing attempts at regional hegemony.
On Wednesday, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's editorial posited that former Lebanese prime minister Said Al-Hariri's shock resignation was the result of Iran's "flagrant interference" in his countries affairs - a strategy that Tehran was hoping to repeat in other areas including the Palestinian territories. Iran has already had some measure of success in its burgeoning relations with Gaza-based terror groups Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and most recently with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The editorial accused these groups of being unaware of the "magnitude of the dangers" of such ties with Iran.
"[W]e say that we will not sit idly by and will not allow intervention aimed at duplicating the model of Hizbullah in Palestine in order to expand the map of the Persian empire," the editorial said according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
It continued with the assertion that "Iranian interference is not aimed at liberating Palestine or promoting Palestinian interests; rather, its main goal is to achieve hegemony and control" with almost no regard for the Palestinians' "supreme national interests."
In a separate article, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida columnist Anwar Rajab warned of "the danger that Iran and its proxies pose for the stability and security of the entire region."
Rajab also said Palestinian factions like Hamas, PIJ and the PFLP should be wary of Iran's "military and monetary aid on the pretext of supporting the Palestinian resistance."
"The Iranians have their own goals, interests, and agendas, but we cannot accept their having Palestinian tools, for any reason whatsoever," he wrote.
He said that, going forward, all external financial or humanitarian aid should pass through the PA or through international organizations in coordination with the PA.
Rajab noted that accepting bait from Iran would also destroy the Palestinians' relationship with Saudi Arabia.
"It is unreasonable to arouse the ire of our big sister, Saudi Arabia," he wrote.
Last week, Abbas was summoned to Saudi Arabia by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. According to a report on Israel's Channel 10, the PA president was warned against having any ties with Tehran. The warning came in response to the news that senior members of Hamas - which recently inked a reconciliation deal with the PA's ruling Fatah faction - had visited Tehran.
The report also claimed the Saudis told Abbas to accept President Donald Trump's plan for solving the conflict with Israel or resign.
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New Trump-Putin deal on Syria grants Iran/Hezbollah free movement in Israeli, Jordanian border regions -
A major Israeli concession made it possible for Moscow to walk off with a big gain for its allies in the Nov.8 Trump-Putin memorandum for Syria, DEBKAfile reports.
The strong pledges made by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gady Eisenkott - that Iran and Hezbollah would not be permitted to establish a permanent military presence in Syria and come close to the Israeli border - have melted away in secret bargaining sessions. Israel was finally forced to agree to their presence as close as 20km from its northern Golan border with Syria, backing away sharply from its original demand of a 50km buffer zone.
In consequence, a 20km deep area (see map) in the Quneitra region of the Syrian Golan will serve as a "de-escalation zone," in accordance with the second Syria memorandum agreed between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The zone will be monitored by Russian troops with Syrian forces available for their use.
Israel's unwilling consent to this arrangement was an unforeseen and major concession.
Clause 2 of the memorandum affirms US and Russia consent to the continued operation of the de-escalation zone in the Daraa region (opposite the Jordanian border) and the Quneitra region (opposite the Israeli border) that were first set up by the Trump-Putin July 7 summit in Hamburg.
That clause states: "The US, Russia and Jordan on November 8 called for the "reduction and ultimate elimination of foreign forces" - particularly Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah - in southern Syria."
The presence of Syrian forces in these regions is implicitly sanctioned. However, in realistic terms, "Syrian forces" anywhere in the country automatically entail Iranian officers and Hezbollah - not to mention Shiite militias and Revolutionary Guards personnel. The simple fact is that, apart from a few scattered units, not much is left of the "Syrian army" after nearly eight years of civil conflict.
DEBKAfile's military sources note that no date was set in either deal for the "reduction and ultimate elimination of foreign forces" in southern Syria. Therefore, there is nothing to stop the Iranian and Hizballah military presence just 20km from northern Israel from becoming an established fact for an indefinite period. Furthermore, there is no bar to the military forces present in the Daraa and Quneitra de-escalation zones from moving from point to point, under the protection of the Russian military monitors.
An anonymous US State Department official said Sunday, Nov. 12, that Russia had agreed "to work with the Syrian regime to remove Iranian-backed forces a defined distance from the Golan Heights frontier with Israel." In the official's view, if Russia agrees to removing Iranian and Hezbollah forces from the Israeli and Jordanian borders, that will be a sign "we are moving in the right direction."
This hope suggested that Washington too was not exactly sure that the Russians would stand by every iota of the deal. Moscow has not reacted to the American official's comments, which sounded like an attempt to make the Trump-Putin memorandum easier for Israel to swallow, and may well take exception to it.
Jordan welcomed the "important achievement" - and with good reason. The US and Russia agreed to expand the joint coordination command center they are running out of Amman, and for Jordan this is tantamount to a guarantee for its security. Israel only has a bilateral military coordination apparatus with the Russian command in Syria, under which it retains freedom of action against Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Syria, which is limited to three spheres:
Aerial action in Syrian air space; Surgical strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah arms convoys and depts.
Military response to Iranian and Hezbollah forces coming dangerously close to its border. This distance has not been precisely defined since both the Americans and the Russians rejected Israel's proposals.
Israel's Minister of Regional Cooperation, Tzahi Hanegbi, who often speaks for Binyamin Netanyahu on foreign affairs, commented Sunday that the new memorandum "does not meet Israel's unequivocal demand to rule out developments that bring the forces of Hezbollah or Iran to the Israeli-Syrian border."
This statement is irrelevant in light of the Trump administration's tacit consent for Iranian and Hezbollah forces to take up a presence and move freely near the Israeli border. Our military sources report that, at this moment, elements of Iranian and Hezbollah command posts - although not troops - have set up shop opposite the Israeli Golan at distances of 4km to 15km from the border, with no sign of preparations to pull up stakes and move out.
Saudis Allying With ... Israel? - Brent Smith -
It seems that Saudi Arabia may be allying with the lesser Satan, Israel. America is, of course, the Great Satan.
For decades Saudi Arabia has been an unspoken bad seed, a major state-sponsor of terror and the genesis of the Muslim Brotherhood. It's been a toss-up as to who is really the No. 1 terror sponsor - the Iranian mullahs or the Saudi Wahhabists.
It's been surmised by some experts that a major reason the Saudis fund and export terror is simple self-preservation. If we finance the radicals, they won't turn on us. This is at least in part, as we may recall, why the kingdom funded al-Qaida when bin Laden was the head cheese. They literally funded him on the stipulation that he would not return to Saudi Arabia. This has served to keep the nation relatively stable, even when those around them were under siege. The radical Islamists chose not to bite off the hand that was feeding them.
But now it seems that it is none other than the Saudis who are feeling threatened - threatened by the other major terror sponsor - Iran. Really, it was just a matter of time.
Two sayings that apply nicely to this situation are: Nature abhors a vacuum, or more specifically, a power vacuum. The other is: The enemy of my enemy is my ally.
The Persians (Iran) have wished to be top dog in the Middle East for many moons. They hadn't made any major inroads until the Iraq War and "Arab Spring." Since then they have done well to capitalize on the fall of Iraq and the death of Saddam Hussein, Gadhafi in Libya and the deposed Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. Despite being despicable bags of dirt, these despots were a check against Iranian hegemony.
With the help of the Russkies, Iran has been masterful at exerting influence to fill the power vacuum.
And the threat to once-stable Saudi Arabia has grown so great that it appears to be forming a clandestine alliance with enemy No. 1 in the Middle East - Israel. This is as odd a couple as the tea party collaborating with antifa.
In a relatively short period of time, Iran has begun to "box in" the Saudi kingdom. Nations that were aligned with the Saudis or the West are now cozying up to Iran. Turkey, still inexplicably part of NATO, is leaning more toward Iran and Russia. This is very worrisome as Turkey is No. 1 in Global Firepower's Middle East military strength rankings.
Qatar, long ally of Saudi Arabia, has begun distancing itself from the Saudis and is instead sidling up to Iran. In 2016, due to the urging of the Saudis and the ransacking of its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad, Qatar drastically pared down its diplomatic relations with Iran. However, in August of this year, Qatar restored full diplomatic relations with Iran, effectively poking a stick in the eye of Riyadh.
The proxy war against Iran in Yemen has not gone the Saudi's way either. And Iran-funded Hezbollah has made major inroads in Lebanon.
Looking at a regional map, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what Iran is up to. And this, as it should, scares the crap out of the Saudis.
So worried are they that "one particular article claimed that the Saudis had run tests on bringing down air defense systems to provide the Israeli Air Force a path of least resistance to Iran," writes the Jerusalem Post.
The Saudis will benefit greatly allying with the firepower of Israel, and the Jewish nation may be able to take a breath as it quietly builds alliances with other Sunni nations. After all, at the end of the day, this conflict will likely be what it has always been - a battle of supremacy between Sunni and Shias.
And why should we care? Hopefully no one would ask such a thing. We should care because if the Middle East blows up, the rest of the world may just follow.
Saudi Prince Muhammad is on eve of accession, plans war on Iran, with Israeli attack on Hezbollah -
The next Saudi King Crown Prince Muhammad and Israel agree that Iran is the biggest threat to the region, but Israel's top soldier rules out initiating an attack on Hezbollah.
Two London publications on the same day, Thursday, Nov. 17, shed unusual light on the next chapter in Saud royal history, as well as on the hitherto semi-clandestine ties between Riyadh and Jerusalem.
The London Daily Mail, quoting "a source close to the Saudi royal family" reported that King Salman, 91, intends to give up the throne next week and name his son, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, 32 as his successor. The king will reportedly confine himself to ceremonial duties like "the queen of England," retaining only the title of "Custodian of the Holy Shrines."
Near two weeks ago, Prince Muhammad ordered 500 notables, including princes, former ministers and business leaders detained on charges of corruption. The British newspaper carried the first photos of the distinguished detainees sleeping on mattresses on the floor of the five-star Carlton Ritz Riyadh.
After he is crowned king, the prince will focus on Iran, according the Daily Mail. His plan is "to start the fire in Lebanon, in the hope of Israeli military backing." He is convinced he has to hit Iran and Hezbollah - contrary to the advice of the royal family - and will enlist the help of the Israeli military to crush Hezbollah, for which he has promised Israel billions of dollars if they agree."
The source stressed: MBS can't confront Hezbollah in Lebanon without Israel. The Daily Mail did not reveal how Israel sees this proposition - only that the prince has a Plan B: to fight Hezbollah in Syria. Neither did its source explain how this would come about amid a crumbling Syrian insurgency.
DEBKAfile's Middle East sources note that rumors of King Salman's imminent abdication and handover to his son Muhammad have been around for some time and are credible, given the monarch's failing health. Many of the hundreds of high-profile figures he placed under detention on Nov. 4 are opposed to his accession.
That the Crown Prince will focus on Iran is also credible - except that more than a year ago, he declared that Saudi Arabia was at war with the Islamic Republic in Yemen and it is not going very well. The Saudis and their allies, the UAE, are stuck in a standoff with the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels. Iran moreover threatens their ports and capital cities with missile strikes. However, when the Houthis fired a ballistic missile supplied by Iran at Riyadh international Airport on Nov. 4, Prince Muhammad called it an act of war.
He is turning to Israel and its armed forces, not just as the only reliable military and intelligence force capable of handling the opening shots of the war on Iran, but out of their shared perception of Iran as the biggest threat to the Middle East. He moreover no longer expects active and determined participation in fighting Iran from the US under President Donald Trump. On this last point, Saudi Arabia and Israel are divided.
In an interview with the London-based, Saudi-owned news site Elaph - his first with a Saudi publication - that was published on the same day as the Daily Mail story, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen Gady Eisenkot laid out what he thinks are Iran's ambitions in the Middle East: "The Iranian plan is to control the Middle East by means of two Shiite crescents. The first from Iran through Iraq to Syria and Lebanon, and the second from Bahrain through to Yemen until the Red Sea," he said, adding: "This is what must be prevented in the region."
"With [US] President Donald Trump, there is an opportunity for a new international coalition in the region," he said, citing the US, Arab nations including Saudi Arabia and Israel "for stopping the Iranian threat." "We are ready to exchange experiences with moderate Arab countries and exchange intelligence to confront Iran," he added. While the Israeli general stressed the importance of the Trump administration's role in this effort, the Daily Mail's Saudi source did not mention the United States at all.
So while the prince who may be crowned Saudi king next week and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu agree that Iran is the biggest threat to the region and beyond, they are at odds on how to cut it down and who should lead the effort. Prince Muhammad's thinking on this resembles the Israel's approach to the Iranian threat five years ago, that if the IDF decided to go it alone, the Americans will jump in later. But today, Eisenkott reflected a different approach. He stressed in the interview that Israel "isn't interested in a war now with the Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, despite Iranian attempts to bring about an escalation."
Riyadh may take this as Israel's reply to prince Muhammad's plan: Several billion dollars will not persuade Israel to send the IDF to fight a war except in its direct national interest, even though Israel and Saudi leaders and military chiefs are in complete accord on the Iranian peril.
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