Biden-Harris granted Iran $10 billion in sanction relief 72 hours after Trump’s election win
Plus, archaeologists exploring prehistoric cave find earliest evidence of ritual prayer in northern Israel
JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
Biden-Harris granted Iran $10 billion in sanction relief 72 hours after Trump’s election win
“The Biden-Harris administration waived sanctions on Iran three days after the November election, providing Tehran access upward of $10 billion in once-frozen funds, according to a copy of the non-public order transmitted to Congress” https://t.co/S0DHfIBwTW
— Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) December 10, 2024
The Biden-Harris administration waived sanctions on Iran three days after the November election, providing Tehran access upward of $10 billion in once-frozen funds, according to a copy of the non-public order transmitted to Congress and reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined on Nov. 8 that “it is in the national security interest of the United States” to waive mandatory economic sanctions that bar Iraq from transferring upward of $10 billion to Iran in electricity import payments.
IDF claims its strikes destroyed 70%-80% of Assad’s military hardware
Extraordinary.
The IDF estimates that it has destroyed 70-80 per cent of Assad’s military capabilities after a 48-hour bombing campaign in Syria, to prevent advanced weaponry from falling into the hands of hostile elements.
The Middle East is a different place today.
You almost… pic.twitter.com/deFVmSMiwh— Jake Wallis Simons (@JakeWSimons) December 10, 2024
Following a major 48-hour bombing campaign in Syria, the Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday said it had destroyed most of the former Bashar al-Assad regime’s strategic military capabilities, in an effort to prevent advanced weaponry from falling into the hands of hostile elements.
In a statement, the IDF said that its Air Force and Navy had carried out over 350 strikes against “strategic targets” in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime over the weekend, taking out “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria.”
Netanyahu says Israel wants peaceful ties with next Syrian leaders, warns of ‘heavy price’ if it poses threat
Benjamin Netanyahu:
“If the new regime in Syria allows Iran to re-establish itself, or allows the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah, we will respond with great force and exact a heavy price from it.”pic.twitter.com/NcbjKnlKBd
— Vivid. (@VividProwess) December 10, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned during a meeting at the headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces in Tel Aviv on Tuesday that if the new Syrian jihadist regime befriends Iran, Israel will take decisive action against it.
“If this regime allows Iran to regain its foothold in Syria—or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah—or attacks us, we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price from it,” he said.
Pro-Israel U.S. Rep. Brian Mast appointed GOP chair of House Foreign Affairs Committee
Congratulations to decorated war veteran Rep. Brian Mast, appointed as the new chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He volunteered for IDF service and after the October 7 massacre wore the Israeli army uniform in Congress in solidarity. Respect.
pic.twitter.com/XdWllLEqVw— Michael Dickson (@michaeldickson) December 10, 2024
Mast has served in Congress since 2017, chairing the Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability. He served in the U.S. Army for more than 12 years. He earned a Purple Heart after he lost both legs in a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.
As one of his primary powers as the chair, Rep. Mast will get to review U.S. weapons sales to foreign countries.
Former hostage Noa Argamani recalls horror of Hamas captivity, warns those still held in dire medical need
“I was left bruised, bleeding, with my entire head open, and no one came to help me. Not the Red Cross, not doctors, no one.”
Rescued hostage Noa Argamani described in harrowing new detail her time in captivity in Gaza.https://t.co/Q5t6daem6w pic.twitter.com/JaMbImFRXh
— Arsen Ostrovsky ️ (@Ostrov_A) December 10, 2024
Rescued hostage Noa Argamani revealed new details about her time in Hamas captivity in Gaza and warned of the desperate medical conditions of the remaining hostages at a discussion panel on mental health at President Isaac Herzog’s residence in Jerusalem.
After she spoke, which included an account of how she was wounded in an IDF airstrike that hit the building she was being held in – and which killed another hostage – Herzog said that “the hostages are in grave danger,” and that there is a renewed “significant effort” to reach a deal for their release.
Police uncover treasure trove of guns, ammo, and terrorist flags at home of two George Mason University pro-Hamas protest leaders
‘Death to Jews’: Inside the Home of 2 SJP Leaders at George Mason University, Police Find Guns, Ammo, and Terrorist Flagshttps://t.co/NqUA5hQqjC
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) December 9, 2024
When officers entered the Chanaa family home, they found firearms – modern weapons, not antiques – as well as scores of ammunition and foreign passports, all of which sat in plain view, according to court documents obtained by the Free Beacon and sources familiar with the investigation.
They also found pro-terror materials, including Hamas and Hezbollah flags and signs that read “death to America” and “death to Jews,” according to court documents and sources familiar.
Hamas drilled 2,000-strong attack in May 2023, noted lack of IDF response
Report: Hamas mobilized 2,000 men in May 2023 to drill attack, noted lack of IDF response https://t.co/YeCoX24P67 via @timesofisrael
— drdivine (@drdivine) December 10, 2024
In a May 2023 exercise, the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza mobilized some 2,000 fighters from its elite Nukhba force to simulate a surprise attack on Israel, some five months before it went on to launch its October 7, 2023, onslaught, Channel 12 reported, citing the findings of a military probe.
According to the report, fighters were scrambled to various designated gathering points, mostly in mosques, to simulate preparations for an invasion of Israeli communities across the Gaza border.
‘Mysterious’: Prominent Syrian chemist found murdered in Damascus apartment
JUST IN: Report: The body of the prominent Syrian chemist, Dr. Hamdi Ismail Nada, was found lifeless under “mysterious” circumstances inside his home in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
N12 pic.twitter.com/XQ9SA0bngA
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) December 10, 2024
In a significant development highlighting Syria’s deteriorating security situation, Dr. Hamdi Ismail Nada, a distinguished chemical scientist, was killed Tuesday at his Damascus home under what Syrian media described as “mysterious circumstances.”
Damascus-based sources characterized Nada as a leading scientific figure, warning that his death could signal “the beginning of a phase of chaos and targeted killings orchestrated by global intelligence agencies” in the wake of President Bashar Assad’s fall from power.
Swedish brothers who converted to Islam planned ISIS-style attack on synagogues
Sweden: Brothers convert to Islam, plot at mosque to carry out jihad massacres of Jews –
https://t.co/oRwNJJYcKL pic.twitter.com/wAoRWNbAXA— Robert Spencer (@jihadwatchRS) December 7, 2024
Two Swedish converts to Islam who were arrested by Stockholm’s SÄPO security agency in March had planned to attack synagogues and other Jewish targets on behalf of Islamic State, according to local media reports.
The suspects, identified as two brothers in their 20s, swore allegiance to the Somali branch of the terrorist organization and acquired a weapon at a “basement mosque” near their home in Tyresö, a suburb southeast of the Swedish capital, the Dagens Nyheter newspaper reported.
Archaeologists exploring prehistoric cave find earliest evidence of ritual prayer in northern Israel
Archaeologists Exploring Prehistoric Cave Find Earliest Evidence of Ritual in Israel
Deep inside Manot Cave, about 35,000 years ago, Homo sapiens placed a boulder carved like a tortoise shell. And they kept returning to it…https://t.co/heOLgnuG4W pic.twitter.com/XqbJR2tiaT
— thealbedojourney (@albedojourney) December 10, 2024
“The engraved rock was deliberately placed in a niche in the deepest, darkest part of the cave,” the researchers said. “The turtle-shell design, carved on a three-dimensional object, indicates that it may have represented a totem or a mythological or spiritual figure. Its special location, far from the daily activity areas near the cave entrance, suggests it was an object of worship. Notably, there are prehistoric caves in Western Europe, with similar findings testifying these places held symbolic importance and served for ritual and communal activities,” he added.
In the course of the study of the complex, the researchers uncovered ash remains in one of the stalagmite rings near the engraved rock, confirming the use of fire to illuminate the ritual space, likely with torches. Acoustic tests revealed that the complex possesses enhanced natural acoustics, which could have created a unique auditory experience for communal activities, such as prayer, singing and dancing.
Australia failing to deal with spiraling, and increasingly violent anti-Semitism problem
This is not a headline from 1930s Germany, it is from 21st century Australia. pic.twitter.com/giZX6uA1Qf
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) December 10, 2024
An emotional MP for Vaucluse, Kellie Sloane, says another anti-Semitic incident in Sydney’s eastern suburbs early on Wednesday morning has left her community feeling shaken and under attack.
Sloane was among several politicians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns, to express their outrage after the suburb of Woollahra, home to synagogues and Jewish institutions, was targeted by vandals for the second time in a matter of weeks.
Originally Published at Daily Wire, World Net Daily, or The Blaze
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