₦airaland Forum

AustineE1:
Anti semitism is evil,let's share love and not hatred!....any news to tarnish Isreal's image moves fast even when not verified.I am not holding brief for Isreal but I also know that many Arab nations illegally harvest human organs,especially blacks,from the Magreb regions of Africa,down to middle East,organs of black Africans whom are caught up in the web of illegal migration are often harvested by these Arabs but who will speak up for black Africans?who will bell the cat?You cares? After all they are blacks!

Kindly disprove this report, Palestinians whose organ has been proven to be harvested are SEMITES, so criticism of israel isnt antisemetism, disprove the FACT not respond with feeble emotions

FACTS DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS

GAZA – Israel possesses the world's largest skin bank, a medical facility that stores human skin for later use in treating burns and skin cancers. This bank was established in 1986 under the supervision of the military medical sector of the occupying army, which provides its services internationally, especially to requests from Western countries.

Israeli occupation authorities been stealing organs from the bodies of dead Palestinian, a heinous criminal practice that has been revealed in several reports and through testimonies of Israeli doctors who participated in this gruesome practice, violating professional ethics and constituting a crime against humanity, Al-Ghad reported.

In contrast, this Israeli bank differs from other banks worldwide in that its supply of these vital organs does not come solely from voluntary donors. Instead, documented cases of stealing skin from the bodies of Palestinians have been recorded, individuals whose organs are also stolen.

There is compelling evidence of Israelis engaging in trafficking these stolen organs, making the entity the largest market for organs in the Middle East.

Where did Israel get this inventory from?
Expert in Israeli affairs Anas Abu Arqoub says, "The Israeli skin bank is the largest in the world, surpassing the American skin bank that was established 40 years before it, noting that Israel's population is much smaller than the United States."

Arqoub emphasizes that the theft of organs from Palestinian bodies is not just suspicions, stating, "Even the Israeli media acknowledges that it is an extraction process without the knowledge of the dead's families."

The reserve of human skin held by the Israeli occupation state, equivalent to 170 square meters, stored within the Israeli skin bank, confirms Arqoub's account. The number is considered unreasonable since Israel ranks third in its population's refusal to donate organs, attributed to Jewish religious beliefs.

Handing over Palestinian bodies to their families without organs!
The details of the story date back to 2001 when Swedish investigative journalist Donald Boström published an investigation exposing the theft of organs from the bodies of Palestinian martyrs and their trafficking by Israeli entities. This was the first time this crime was revealed to the international public.

Boström did not stop at this point but published another investigation on the same subject in 2009 in the pages of the Swedish magazine "Aftonbladet." The investigation mentions that the Israeli Ministry of Health launched a national campaign to encourage organ donation in 1992. However, despite that, a significant gap persisted between the demand and the supply of donations.

Coinciding with that campaign, cases of the disappearance of several Palestinian youth began, only to return afterward in closed coffins. The Israeli authorities imposed on their families to bury them at night without funerals.

Boström says, "I was in the region at that time, and on several occasions, UN employees contacted me concerned about the developments. The individuals who contacted me said that organ theft certainly happened, but they were prevented from doing anything about it."

These contacts prompted the journalist to delve further into the issue, so he went to interview the families of the dead who confirmed the theft of their sons' organs before their killing. Among them was the son of the martyr Bilal Ahmed Ghannan, who was 19 years old when the Israeli army arrested him in the village of Um al-Tut in the West Bank in 1992. He returned with a body without internal organs, from the neck to below the abdomen.

The Israeli medical authorities did not deny the torture and theft of Bilal's organs. At that time, the director of the Israeli Institute of Forensic Medicine, Chen Kugel, said that Bilal's family could be right because they "took everything that could be taken from all the bodies that came to the Institute of Forensic Medicine," without the family's consent. His family did not receive any explanation, apology, or compensation for what happened.

Israeli confessions of organ theft from Palestinians
In a 2009 documentary on the issue, there are admissions from the former director of the Israeli Institute of Forensic Medicine, Yehuda Hiss, confirming the theft of organs from the bodies of Palestinian in the institute. Hiss stated, "We took corneas, skin, heart valves, and bones ... Almost everything was done unofficially to a large extent... and permission was not sought from the families."

In her study on dealing with the bodies of Palestinians at the Abu Kabir Forensic Medicine Center in Tel Aviv, published in a book titled "On Their Bodies," anthropologist Meirav Feis stated that she witnessed "how they take organs from the bodies of Palestinians. In return, they leave the bodies of soldiers intact."

The researcher added, "They take corneas, skin, and heart valves in a way that makes the absence of those organs unnoticed by non-specialists. They replace corneas with plastic bodies and remove the skin from the back so that the family does not see it. In addition, the bodies of the dead are used in medical schools in Israeli universities for research purposes."

Feis said, "In the first intifada, the army effectively allowed the institute to extract organs from Palestinians under a military procedure that required dissecting the bodies of Palestinian prisoners. The autopsy procedure was accompanied by the removal of organs used by the Israeli skin bank, established in 1985 to treat burns suffered by Israeli soldiers."

Trafficking in the organs of Palestinian casualties
Israel is one of the largest markets for trafficking in human organs in the world, and the largest in the Middle East. Media reports revealed that the Israeli entity is involved in killing Palestinians to steal their internal organs illegally and trade them within an illegal international network.

In 2009, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested an Israeli settler named Levy Izhak Rosenbaum. After investigating him, it was revealed that he played the role of a broker in organ-selling operations in the United States for the benefit of a criminal cell led by rabbis, politicians, and government officials in Israel.

Journalist Donald Boström, in his mentioned investigation, suggests a connection between this network and the theft of organs from Palestinian martyrs taking place in "Israel." Boström said, "Half of the kidneys transplanted to Israelis since the beginning of the first decade of the 21st century were illegally purchased. The Israeli health authorities have full knowledge of this activity but do nothing to stop it."

In a report published by the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" in 2016, Israel admitted to losing dozens of bodies of Palestinians. The newspaper quoted statements from sources in the Israeli judicial and security apparatuses about the loss of 121 bodies of Palestinians held by the occupation authorities since the 1990s.

Continued organ theft
Following the explosion of the organ theft scandal in 2009, the Israeli government tried to evade the proven charges against it. The spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Health at that time, Einav Shimron Greenboim, issued a statement saying, "The practice mentioned in the investigation is an old story that ended years ago."

Doubts persist about the continuation of these unethical practices that violate human rights, as indicated by the Israeli authorities' continued detention of dozens of bodies of Palestinian dead, justifying it as a punitive measure.

According to Abdel Nasser Farwana, the head of the Studies and Documentation Unit at the Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission, Israel still holds more than 370 bodies of Palestinian and Arab bodies who died in different circumstances and years apart. He added, "The list of these detained martyrs includes individuals who died from the 1970s until around 2023."


Source: https://www.jordannews.jo/Section-20/Middle-East/Israel-s-skin-bank-raises-ethical-concerns-on-organ-consent-32381

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told Fox News on Saturday that Iran could theoretically be about a week away from being able to enrich its existing uranium to a weaponized level, though the envoy left out that Iran currently has no access to its material, no machines to enrich it, and no weapons program to use it for any operational purpose.

“They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material. And that’s really dangerous. So they can’t have that,” Witkoff said on Fox News’s My View with Lara Trump, clearly wanting to highlight the severity of the potential future nuclear issues should Iran rebuild all the other elements of its nuclear program, which were bombed in June 2025.

Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-887433

Donald Trump said George W. Bush's Iraq invasion "may have been the worst decision" in presidential history on Thursday, but he's no longer willing to say the war was based on a lie.

Trump, speaking at a nationally televised CNN town hall, said the younger President Bush went to war in Iraq to complete a mission that had been begun by his father, President George H.W. Bush.

“Frankly I think the son, being loyal to the father, I think he really wanted to go into Iraq, even if it wasn’t the right thing to do,” Trump said. He suggested the invasion was the basis of the current international problems from Europe to the Middle East.

“It started ISIS, it started Libya, it started Syria,” Trump declared flatly.

“Everything that’s happening started with us stupidly going into the war in Iraq….and people talk about me with the button. I’m the one that doesn’t want to do this, okay?” he added.

Trump has been aggressively attacking George W. Bush over the Iraq war since Saturday night's debate, using it to attack his 2016 rival Jeb Bush.

But Trump, famously loathe to apologize in the face of controversy, did hedge on one of the most explosive claims he made during the debate: that the Bush administration deliberately misled the country in the run-up to war.

"They lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction, there were none. And they knew there were none. There were no weapons of mass destruction," Trump said Saturday night.

Asked repeatedly by an audience member and moderator Anderson Cooper whether he stood by those comments, Trump declined to give a direct answer.

"Well a lot of people agree with what I said and I’m not talking about lying, I’m not talking about not lying" Trump said. "Nobody really knows why we went into Iraq."

The Iraq exchange was just one of many quips, insults, and news nuggets that Trump offered up in 45-minutes of conversation with CNN’s Anderson Cooper and voters in Columbia, two days ahead of the South Carolina primary.

The made-for-TV event was a reminder that Trump is a professional television showman who has been doing interviews before a live audience for decades.

“I get a lot of publicity but I don’t necessarily like it,” Trump feigned.

Among the other highlights:

-- Trump was confronted with a BuzzFeed story showing that Trump had, in 2002, said “Yeah, I guess so,” when asked about invading Iraq. Trump didn’t skip a beat in saying, “I could have said that” on Thursday before trying to wash away his old comments by saying, “By the time the war start I was against the war.”

-- In the day’s other controversy, Trump said he would meet with Pope Francis “any time he wants” after a public spat Thursday in which the Pope suggested Trump was “not Christian” for his support for building a wall with Mexico. “He’s got an awfully big wall at the Vatican,” Trump said, adding he believed the Pope’s words had been misinterpreted and magnified by the media. Trump said has a “great respect for the position” of the papacy and said the current pope has “a lot of energy” — a high Trump compliment — and “a lot of personality.”

-- Trump also continued to rail against Sen. Ted Cruz, calling him dishonest. “He holds up the Bible and then he lies. I think it’s very inappropriate,” he said. In particular, Trump hit Cruz for a photo-shopped picture that showed Marco Rubio shaking hands with President Obama. But Trump then indirectly swiped at Rubio’s height. “In fact, they even made Marco a lot shorter than he is, if you look at it really,” he said. “And I’m sure that's probably the thing that bothered him the most. He was like very small. I mean he’s not that small. Not too big, but he’s not so small."

-- Trump said he would likely include Democrats and those he disagrees with in senior administration roles. And he offered up this classic Trump answer on strike deals: “I believe in compromise where I win.”

-- When it comes to trail eating, Trump said he likes McDonald’s and other chain restaurants because they are hygienic. "I like cleanliness. I like clean," he said. He noted he’d recently visited another chain: “Kentucky Fried Chicken — not the worst.”

-- Trump also waded into some unusual territory, calling Michael Jackson’s plastic surgeries botched: “Just unbelievable.”

Trump used a similar phrase, one of his favorites, to describe his plan to replace President Obama’s health care law.

“It’ll be unbelievable,” he pledged.

SOURCE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4ThZcq1oJQ

SOURCE: https://www.politico.com/blogs/south-carolina-primary-2016-live-updates-and-results/2016/02/2016-south-carolina-trump-george-w-bushs-iraq-219475

Beyond the Golan: The Israeli case for reclaiming southern Syria's Bashan - opinion
FEBRUARY 21, 2026 13:53
By MICHAEL FREUND

This past Sunday night, a small group of Israelis quietly crossed the security fence on the Golan and walked into history.

They were neither armed nor violent. Instead, members of the Pioneers of Bashan simply went to lay a cornerstone for a future Jewish community in an area under Israeli control in southern Syria.

The IDF quickly detained them and escorted them back, but not before they declared that "settlement in Bashan is essential to preserve the achievements of the war."

Many Israelis will dismiss the episode as fringe activism, a curiosity, or even a provocation.

They shouldn't. The Bashan is part and parcel of our ancestral patrimony and is critical for Israel's security. In December 2024, after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the IDF entered the buffer zone on the Golan Heights and liberated the highest peak of Mount Hermon, along with much of the surrounding area, which is part of the Bashan. It is time to bolster Israel's presence and make it permanent by allowing Jews to settle there.

Mentioned dozens of times in the Tanach, the Bashan is a vast volcanic plateau – much larger than the Golan Heights – stretching from the slopes of Mount Hermon in the north down toward the Yarmuk River in the south and eastward, deep into what is today southern Syria's Hauran plain.

The Golan Heights that Israel controls today forms only the western edge of this historic region.

Its black basalt soil, formed by ancient lava flows, created exceptionally rich pasture land. That is why the Bible speaks of the "fatlings of Bashan" (Ezekiel 39:18), a symbol of fertility and prosperity.

When the Israelites approached the Promised Land, it was in the Bashan that they defeated the mighty kingdom of Og. The Bible recounts that Israel captured 60 fortified cities in the area (Deuteronomy 3:4), and the territory was subsequently allotted to the half-tribe of Manasseh.

In other words: The Jewish story in the North does not begin with the modern State of Israel. It begins with Moses.

Long before diplomats invented ceasefire lines, Jewish sovereignty in the Bashan was part of the original map of Israel.

But Jewish life in Bashan did not end with the Bible. During the Second Temple period, the region contained numerous Jewish towns and fortresses. The city of Gamla became one of the fiercest centers of resistance to Rome in 67 CE during the First Jewish Revolt.

In the centuries that followed, Jewish communities flourished across the plateau. Rabbinic sources refer to scholars known as the Rabbis of Nawa, or Neveh (Jerusalem Talmud, "Sanhedrin" 3:5), and Torah sages who lived and taught in Bashan during the Mishnaic and Talmudic eras. Archaeologists have uncovered dozens of synagogues and villages bearing Hebrew inscriptions and menorah carvings, proof of sustained Jewish rural life long after the Temple's destruction.

Even in the early Zionist period, Jewish settlement returned. Lands in Bashan were purchased in the late 19th century, and Jewish farming villages briefly existed there more than a century ago, before regional instability forced their abandonment.

For nearly 3,000 years, the Jewish map included Bashan, whether Jews ruled it or not.

Modern Israelis tend to think of the Golan Heights as a military buffer, a defensive necessity born in 1967. That is true but incomplete. The Golan is only the western slope of the ancient Bashan.

Historically, whoever controlled Bashan controlled the approaches to the Galilee. The plateau overlooks northern Israel like a balcony over a courtyard. Armies descending from the northeast, whether Arameans in ancient times or Syrians in modern ones, repeatedly used it as an invasion corridor.

But military control without a civilian presence has repeatedly proven temporary; areas held only by soldiers are treated as provisional, and provisional borders rarely endure.

After the Hasmonean conquest in the 2nd century BCE, Jews again settled the region and built communities there.

After the Six-Day War, Israel returned to the Golan, part of the Bashan, for the same reason: survival.

And now it is time for the Jewish people to reclaim the Bashan.

SOME VIEW the activists who crossed the fence this week as reckless. But the question they raised is serious: What happens when Israel controls territory militarily yet refuses to treat it as part of its national future?

Security control without a civilian presence is temporary by definition. Soldiers defend; civilians anchor. Without a population that believes possession of the land is permanent, hesitation eventually replaces deterrence.

Every Israeli knows this intuitively. We saw it in southern Lebanon. We saw it in Gaza.

A rare strategic moment
And today we see it in the unstable Syrian arena – militias, proxies, and jihadist factions competing for influence just kilometers from Israeli towns. The collapse of central authority across the border has created a rare strategic moment – a window that history suggests will not remain open indefinitely.

Now is the time to seize the opportunity.

The "oaks of Bashan" (Isaiah 2:13) – a biblical symbol of strength – were once shorthand for the northern reaches of the Jewish homeland. Even today, a community on the Golan bears that ancient name – Alonei Habashan.

Hence, the pioneers detained earlier this week were not inventing a claim; they were reviving one.

To be sure, no responsible government can permit civilians to cross an active military border zone. The army was correct to remove them.

But dismissing them would be a mistake.

Because the activists highlighted something deeper than policy: a strategic hesitation at the heart of Israeli thinking. We control land but fear to belong to it. We hold territory but avoid its meaning.

And yet, Jewish history repeatedly shows that settlement follows security, and then creates it.

From the Galilee to the Negev, from the Jordan Valley to the Golan, presence became protection.

The question facing Israel is not whether a handful of activists should establish a hilltop outpost beyond a fence. The question is whether the Jewish state understands that some places are not bargaining chips but foundational pillars.

Bashan was conquered by Israel under Moses, and it became a borderland repeatedly contested across history.

Today, once again, the territory stands between Israel and the chaos of the Levant.

The Bashan is knocking, awaiting the return of its children, the Jewish people.

Israel must now decide whether it hears it as noise or as a call.

The writer served as deputy communications director under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-887210?fbclid=IwY2xjawQHGxtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR6PC0P6NgkdSC7T7yeVviuwWinPQd-HHCiITLveg6wneOJN0a04X9JENL9doQ_aem_buM0L-Nr4I2bhDdoIvdyPA

MORE IMAGES FORM THE POST

On August 19, 1953, the democratically elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh was overthrown in a military coup d'état. For decades, the United States denied involvement, but declassified documents have confirmed what many Iranians always knew: the CIA, with British intelligence, orchestrated the overthrow using paid agents, propaganda, and orchestrated street violence . This operation, code-named TPAJAX, did not just remove a single leader; it dismantled Iranian democracy, installed the authoritarian rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and planted the seeds for the anti-American sentiment that culminated in the 1979 Islamic Revolution .

Here is a detailed look at how the CIA destroyed Iran's democracy in 1953, supported by specific data and declassified references.

The "Oil Nationalization" Problem

The stage for the coup was set in 1951 when Mossadegh was appointed Prime Minister. His government's flagship policy was the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry, which had been controlled by the British-owned Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC, later BP) for decades . Under British control, Iran received a fraction of the profits from its own resource. Mossadegh argued that Iran, as a sovereign nation, deserved full control over its wealth .

This act of economic sovereignty was a death sentence to Mossadegh in the eyes of the West. Britain, viewing the AIOC as a vital imperial asset, immediately imposed a global economic boycott on Iranian oil and began plotting to remove him .

Operation Ajax: A Joint CIA-MI6 Venture

Initially, the U.S. under President Harry Truman was reluctant to intervene. However, the election of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, driven by a more aggressive Cold War stance, changed the calculus. The fear that Mossadegh's instability could open the door for a Soviet-backed communist takeover (via the Tudeh Party) became the public pretext for action . The real motive, however, was oil and power.

In the spring of 1953, the CIA and Britain's MI6 launched Operation Ajax. The CIA's own internal history, written by lead planner Donald Wilber in 1954 and declassified decades later, confirms that the operation was "conceived and approved at the highest levels of government" .

The Toolkit of Overthrow: Propaganda, Bribes, and Street Gangs

The operation was a masterclass in covert political warfare. The CIA did not just rely on military force; they meticulously engineered the political environment. Here is how they used "paid agitators and demonstrators" to manufacture a crisis:

1. Paid Agents and Influence Peddlers
The CIA and SIS (MI6) had been cultivating assets for years. They had a network of paid agents that included members of parliament, military officers, religious leaders, and businessmen . According to the declassified plans, Fazlollah Zahedi—a general who had been arrested during World War II for suspected Nazi sympathies—was handpicked to replace Mossadegh . To secure his loyalty, the CIA funneled significant sums to him and his co-conspirators before the coup succeeded, including at least $50,000 upfront .

2. The "Art Group" and Propaganda
A special unit within the CIA, referred to as the "Art Group," was tasked with waging a psychological war. They produced a steady stream of anti-Mossadegh cartoons and propaganda materials that were secretly placed in Iranian newspapers . Editors were paid to publish inflammatory articles designed to portray Mossadegh as corrupt, anti-Islam, and a sympathizer of the Soviet-backed Tudeh Party .

3. Orchestrating Violence and "False Flag" Operations
This was the most insidious tactic. The CIA aimed to create a cycle of violence that would make the country appear chaotic and force the military to step in. According to the secret history obtained by The New York Times, CIA operatives, posing as Communists, staged bombings of religious leaders' homes, including the bombing of a cleric's residence . The goal was to turn the powerful religious community against Mossadegh, making them believe his government could not protect them or was in league with atheist communists .

4. The "Tudeh Party" Facade
To trigger a backlash, CIA agents were paid to pose as members of the communist Tudeh Party. These false-flag operatives took to the streets, committing acts of vandalism and violence while pretending to be Mossadegh's leftist allies. This was designed to scare the public and the military into believing a communist takeover was imminent, thereby justifying a crackdown by pro-Shah forces .

The Price Tag of Democracy's Destruction

The coup was relatively inexpensive compared to the massive oil wealth it secured. The CIA's initial budget for the plot was $1,000,000 . This money was used for the bribes, propaganda, and street gangs mentioned above.

Once the coup succeeded on August 19, 1953, the U.S. moved quickly to stabilize the new regime. Within two days of the coup, the CIA made an additional $5 million available to the new Prime Minister, General Zahedi . This was followed by a flood of aid: $28 million a month later, and $45 million a year later in 1954 . This financial infusion ensured that the Shah's dictatorship was firmly rooted.

The Aftermath: 25 Years of Repression

Mossadegh was arrested, tried in a military court, and spent the rest of his life under house arrest, dying in 1967 . The Shah returned to power, ruling with an iron fist for the next 26 years. His secret police, SAVAK, which was trained by the CIA, brutally suppressed all political dissent .

The 1953 coup was a pivotal moment. It replaced a democratic, albeit flawed, nationalist movement with a dictatorship entirely dependent on American support. For the Iranian people, the terms "freedom" and "democracy" became synonymous with American hypocrisy—a disguise for the pursuit of oil and strategic interests . This deep-seated resentment and mistrust became the fuel for the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which overthrew the Shah and established the Islamic Republic, setting the stage for the hostile U.S.-Iran relations that continue to this day .

As historian Ervand Abrahamian noted, the coup "carved in public memory a clear dividing line — 'before' and 'after' — that still shapes the country's political culture" .

SOURCE:
1. https://www.wionews.com/photos/history-repeating-how-the-us-engineered-irans-1953-coup-and-why-it-still-matters-1750337322165

2. https://archive.org/details/CIA-Mossadeq-Iran-1953

3. https://english.khamenei.ir/news/2159/1953-coup-Replacing-an-elected-govt-with-a-Fascist-dictatorship

4. https://archive.nytimes.com/thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/08/secrets-of-history-the-cia-in-iran/

5. https://archive.org/details/CIA-Battle-For-Iran/C01384460-BattleForIran?view=theater

Video source: https://youtube.com/shorts/Nfx0rxf8ghs?si=jjyd7I2LlhyYFUqq

Kdon2:
This aljezeera junk journalism

mikeapollo:
The Turkish party or faction that established peace with Israel in the 1950s is different from the party in power currently.
It is similar to Iran: the party or faction that ruled Iran up to 1979 was at peace with Israel, until the radical Islamists of Ayatollah took control and vowed to destroy to destroy and eliminate Israel from the surface of the earth.
The current leaders of Turkey have similar dislike for Israel and they are friends with all the attackers of Israel like Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi Rebels, Iran, Pakistan etc

Did I just hear that Pakistan is attacking Israel? Kindly give am evidence and why are those people attacking Israel?

Again, did you watch the video? If not I have more. Listen you have to be honest with truth if you're truly a human with conscience. Christians in nigeria and not spotted on or stoned while preaching not even in Borno state.

1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vio53jUpJz0?si=FQs7OFyxMZMRDgqF

2. https://youtube.com/shorts/7uL555xWQeE?si=4kDaT8hJ4-n5zL2j

3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TwEQX6zwUI?si=TSCc3J959eOOcwpW

4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGT3xKgSEI0?si=IOgZFBPnEGkEpz2f

Don't be a blind-headed ignorant Zionist that just support what he doesn't know BLINDLY.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

Fiscus105:
The same comments are coming out from Christians leaving in Nigeria, why Israeli government not killings Christians in Israel, can we say the same here?


I biliv you read post about Sharibu marks 8 years in the hands of Islam extremists and you refused to make a single comment.

US President Donald Trump has imposed a new 10% global tariff to replace ones struck down by the Supreme Court, calling the ruling "terrible" and lambasting the justices who rejected his trade policy as "fools".

The president unveiled the plan shortly after the justices outlawed most of the global tariffs the White House announced last year.

In a 6-3 decision, the court held that the president had overstepped his powers.

The decision was a major victory for businesses and US states that had challenged the duties, opening the door to potentially billions of dollars in tariff refunds, while also injecting new uncertainty into the global trade landscape.

Speaking from the White House on Friday, Trump indicated that refunds would not come without a legal battle, saying he expected the matter to be tied up in court for years.

He also said he would turn to other laws to press ahead with his tariffs, which he has argued encourage investment and manufacturing in the US.

"We have alternatives - great alternatives and we'll be a lot stronger for it," he said.

The court battle was focused on import taxes that Trump unveiled last year on goods from nearly every country in the world.

The tariffs initially targeted Mexico, Canada and China, before expanding dramatically to dozens of trade partners on what the president billed as "Liberation Day" last April.

The White House had cited a 1977 law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president power to "regulate" trade in response to an emergency.

But the measures sparked outcry at home and abroad from firms facing an abrupt rise in taxes on shipments entering the US, and fuelled worries that the levies would lead to higher prices.

Arguing before the court last year, lawyers for the challenging states and small businesses said that the law used by the president to impose the levies made no mention of the word "tariffs".

They said that Congress did not intend to hand off its power to tax or give the president an "open-ended power to junk" other existing trade deals and tariff rules.

In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, sided with that view.

"When Congress has delegated its tariff powers, it has done so in explicit terms and subject to strict limits," he wrote.

"Had Congress intended to convey the distinct and extraordinary power to impose tariffs, it would have done so expressly, as it consistently has in other tariff statutes."

The decision to strike down the tariffs was joined by the court's three liberal justices, as well as two justices nominated by Trump: Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch.

Three conservative justices, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito, dissented.

At the White House, Trump said he was "absolutely ashamed" of the Republican appointees on the court who voted against his trade policy.

He said they were "just being fools and lap dogs" and were "very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution".

Shares on Wall Street rose after the announcement, with the S&P 500 closing up about 0.7%, as businesses across the US cautiously welcomed the ruling.

"I feel... like a thousand-pound weight has been lifted off my chest," said Beth Benike, the owner of Busy Baby products in Minnesota, which manufactures products in China.

Nik Holm, chief executive of Terry Precision Cycling, one of the small businesses involved in the case, called the ruling a "relief".

"Though it will be many months before our supply chain is back up and running as normal, we look forward to the government's refund of these improperly-collected duties," he said.

The anticipated refunds and relief from tariff costs may prove elusive, however.

On Friday, Trump signed a proclamation imposing the new 10% tariff under a never-used law known as Section 122, which gives the power to put in place tariffs up to 15% for 150 days, at which point Congress must step in.

It will go into effect on 24 February.

The order states a variety of exemptions, including certain minerals, natural resources and fertilizers; some agricultural products like oranges and beef; pharmaceuticals; some electronics and certain vehicles.

For many of the categories of exempt goods, the order is broad and does not specifically say what items might be exempt.

Canada and Mexico will retain an exemption under a North American free trade pact, the USMCA, on tariffs covering a vast majority of goods.

A White House official said countries that struck trade deals with the US, including the UK, India and the EU, will now face the global 10% tariff under Section 122 rather than the tariff rate they had previously negotiated.

The Trump administration expects those countries to keep abiding by the concessions they had agreed to under the trade deals, the official added.

Analysts expect the White House to also consider other tools, such as Section 232 and Section 301, which allow import taxes to address national security risks and unfair trade practices.

Trump has previously used those tools for tariffs, including some announced last year on sectors such as steel, aluminium and cars. Those were untouched by the court ruling.

"Things have only gotten more complicated and more messy today," said Geoffrey Gertz, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security in Washington.

Reaction by major trade partners was relatively muted.

"We take note of the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court and are analysing it carefully," European Commission spokesman Olof Gill wrote on social media.

The US has already collected at least $130bn in tariffs using the IEEPA law, according to the most recent government data.

In recent weeks, hundreds of firms, including retailer Costco, aluminium giant Alcoa and food importers like tuna fish brand Bumble Bee, have filed lawsuits contesting the tariffs, in a bid to get in line for a refund.

But the decision by the majority does not directly mention refunds, likely handing back the question of how that process might work to the Court of International Trade.

In his dissent, Justice Brett Kavanaugh warned the situation would be a "mess".

Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG US, warned that the cost of litigation could make recouping funds difficult for smaller firms.

"Unfortunately, I'd say curb your enthusiasm, although I understand the desire for relief," she said.

Steve Becker, head of the law firm Pillsbury, said the "best thing" for businesses would be if the government created a procedure that did not require filing a lawsuit.

"I think companies can be fairly confident that they'll get their money back eventually," he added. "How long it will take really is up to the government."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8146l0n55o

Kindly watch these from Christians living in Israel. And not "Advice"

1. https://youtube.com/shorts/NQBRJyrHkD8?si=CuZcsMf6LS-IoG1Y

2. https://youtube.com/shorts/AMbyJ_ZJ16I?si=Ewz4JVgOhNEO9Beu

Fiscus105:
I doubt if you know TB Joshua once adviced by Israeli govt to relocate his headquarters to Isreal.

I doubt if you know that Netanyahu spoke publicly about Christians be pececuted in Nigeria.

Mike Huckabee, the United States ambassador to Israel, has suggested that he would not object if Israel were to take most of the Middle East, stressing what he described as the Jewish people’s right to the land.

In an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired on Friday, Huckabee was pressed about the geographical borders of Israel, which he argues are rooted in the Bible.

Carlson told Huckabee that the biblical verse had promised the land to the descendants of Abraham, including the area between the Euphrates River in Iraq and the Nile River in Egypt.

Such a swath would encompass modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and parts of Saudi Arabia.

“It would be fine if they took it all,” said Huckabee, who was appointed by President Donald Trump last year.

Carlson, who appeared taken aback by the statement, asked Huckabee if indeed he would approve of Israel expanding over the entire region.

“They don’t want to take it over. They’re not asking to take it over,” the ambassador replied.

The US envoy, an avowed Christian Zionist and staunch defender of Israel, later appeared to walk back his assertion, saying that it “was somewhat of a hyperbolic statement”.

Still, he left the door open for Israeli expansionism based on his religious interpretation.

“If they end up getting attacked by all these places, and they win that war, and they take that land, OK, that’s a whole other discussion,” Huckabee said.

The Department of State did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio shares Huckabee’s views on Israel’s right to expand.

The principle of territorial integrity and the prohibition against the acquisition of land by force have been a bedrock of international law since World War II.

In 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal and must cease immediately.

But Israeli law does not clearly demarcate the country’s borders. Israel also occupies the Golan Heights in Syria, which it illegally annexed in 1981.

The US is the only country that recognises Israel’s claimed sovereignty over the Syrian territory.

After the 2024 war with Hezbollah, Israel also set up military outposts in five points inside Lebanon.

Some Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have openly promoted the idea of a “Greater Israel” with expanded borders.

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stirred international outrage in 2023 when he spoke at an event featuring a map that included the Palestinian territories and portions of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan as part of Israel, set against the colours of the Israeli flag.

In his interview with Carlson, Huckabee tried to argue that Israel’s right to exist is rooted in international law, but he also attacked the legal institutions that oversee international law for their opposition to Israeli abuses.

“One of the reasons I’m so grateful President Trump and Secretary Rubio are pushing hard, trying to get rid of the ICC [International Criminal Court] and the ICJ is because they have become rogue organisations that are no longer really about an equal application of law,” he said.

Beyond his professed religious devotion to Israel, Huckabee has faced criticism for failing to speak up for the rights of US citizens who have been killed and imprisoned by Israeli forces during his ambassadorship.

Last year, Huckabee even sparked anger from some conservatives in the US when he met with convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, who sold US intelligence secrets to the Israeli government, details of which later made it to the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.

Pollard, a former civilian analyst in the US Navy, served 30 years in jail and moved to Israel in 2020 after his release. He never expressed regret for his crimes, and in 2021, he called on Jewish employees in US security agencies to spy for Israel.

Huckabee said he does not agree with Pollard’s views, but he denied hosting him, arguing that he simply held a meeting with him at the US embassy in Jerusalem.

Asked if anyone can walk into the embassy to meet the envoy, Huckabee acknowledged that such a meeting requires a pre-approved appointment.

“He was able to come to the US embassy to have a meeting at his request. I did, and frankly, I don’t regret it,” Huckabee said.

“I met with a lot of people over the course of the time I’ve been here and will meet with a lot more.”

Source: https://youtube.com/shorts/Nfx0rxf8ghs?si=jjyd7I2LlhyYFUqq

Mike Huckabee, the United States ambassador to Israel, has suggested that he would not object if Israel were to take most of the Middle East, stressing what he described as the Jewish people’s right to the land.

In an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired on Friday, Huckabee was pressed about the geographical borders of Israel, which he argues are rooted in the Bible.

Carlson told Huckabee that the biblical verse had promised the land to the descendants of Abraham, including the area between the Euphrates River in Iraq and the Nile River in Egypt.

Such a swath would encompass modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and parts of Saudi Arabia.

“It would be fine if they took it all,” said Huckabee, who was appointed by President Donald Trump last year.

Carlson, who appeared taken aback by the statement, asked Huckabee if indeed he would approve of Israel expanding over the entire region.

“They don’t want to take it over. They’re not asking to take it over,” the ambassador replied.

The US envoy, an avowed Christian Zionist and staunch defender of Israel, later appeared to walk back his assertion, saying that it “was somewhat of a hyperbolic statement”.

Still, he left the door open for Israeli expansionism based on his religious interpretation.

“If they end up getting attacked by all these places, and they win that war, and they take that land, OK, that’s a whole other discussion,” Huckabee said.

The Department of State did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio shares Huckabee’s views on Israel’s right to expand.

The principle of territorial integrity and the prohibition against the acquisition of land by force have been a bedrock of international law since World War II.

In 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal and must cease immediately.

But Israeli law does not clearly demarcate the country’s borders. Israel also occupies the Golan Heights in Syria, which it illegally annexed in 1981.

The US is the only country that recognises Israel’s claimed sovereignty over the Syrian territory.

After the 2024 war with Hezbollah, Israel also set up military outposts in five points inside Lebanon.

Some Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have openly promoted the idea of a “Greater Israel” with expanded borders.

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stirred international outrage in 2023 when he spoke at an event featuring a map that included the Palestinian territories and portions of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan as part of Israel, set against the colours of the Israeli flag.

In his interview with Carlson, Huckabee tried to argue that Israel’s right to exist is rooted in international law, but he also attacked the legal institutions that oversee international law for their opposition to Israeli abuses.

“One of the reasons I’m so grateful President Trump and Secretary Rubio are pushing hard, trying to get rid of the ICC [International Criminal Court] and the ICJ is because they have become rogue organisations that are no longer really about an equal application of law,” he said.

Beyond his professed religious devotion to Israel, Huckabee has faced criticism for failing to speak up for the rights of US citizens who have been killed and imprisoned by Israeli forces during his ambassadorship.

Last year, Huckabee even sparked anger from some conservatives in the US when he met with convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, who sold US intelligence secrets to the Israeli government, details of which later made it to the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.

Pollard, a former civilian analyst in the US Navy, served 30 years in jail and moved to Israel in 2020 after his release. He never expressed regret for his crimes, and in 2021, he called on Jewish employees in US security agencies to spy for Israel.

Huckabee said he does not agree with Pollard’s views, but he denied hosting him, arguing that he simply held a meeting with him at the US embassy in Jerusalem.

Asked if anyone can walk into the embassy to meet the envoy, Huckabee acknowledged that such a meeting requires a pre-approved appointment.

“He was able to come to the US embassy to have a meeting at his request. I did, and frankly, I don’t regret it,” Huckabee said.

“I met with a lot of people over the course of the time I’ve been here and will meet with a lot more.”

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/2/20/us-envoy-suggests-it-would-be-fine-if-israel-expands-across-middle-east

Billionaire and former Victoria’s Secret CEO Leslie Wexner got some wild legal advice during his six-hour deposition in the Epstein probe this week.

Wexner sat for a closed-door deposition with members of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that was recorded and posted to YouTube on Thursday.

During the marathon questioning, when Democrats asked Wexner what his understanding was of what Epstein did for him at the time, the 88-year-old’s long-winded answers appeared to make his attorney jumpy.

Wexner began his lengthy answer by saying he needed someone to keep track of his “personal stuff” that was too complex for him to manage.

“I wanted somebody who had accounting, not financial sense, cause I wasn’t looking to make more money, just someone to manage things,” Wexner said.

“And then, coincidentally, drove down the street as I mentioned, met him, and asked him —I don’t know if it was six months later or a year later, something.”

So we called him and said, “Remember when we met, I said, ‘I’ve got a guy running my stuff, personal stuff, cause I wanted to keep business away from personal,’ and said, ‘Could you take a look at it? You’re smart. You’re financially aware.’ And he said, ‘It’s not what I do, but…I’ll come and take a look.’ So, he started doing that.”

Wexner continued on, finally stating, “I never would have guessed I was being conned. Never, ever. The deceit was so subtle.”

Wexner’s attorney patted him on the shoulder, gently reminding him, “Answer the question. I’m sure we all appreciate the stories, we’re just trying to answer the questions they actually want to be answered.”

The questioner then asked how Epstein was able to manage Wexner’s finances but also perform jobs for other clients at the same time.

Wexner began another long-winded answer when his attorney put a stop to things and whispered in Wexner’s ear, just loud enough for the recording to pick it up: “I’ll f*cking kill you if you answer another question with more than five words, ok?”

Wexner seemed to take the advice good-naturedly as he and his lawyer laughed.

Wexner has been described as one of Epstein’s potential co-conspirators who helped him build his vast wealth. During the deposition, Wexner claimed he, too, was a victim of Epstein, who was “naive, foolish and gullible” for trusting the convicted sex offender and allowing him to con him out of a great deal of money.

Watch the full clip above via YouTube.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/16T6eHt7vv/

Floky215:
But the arabs are at liberty to kill the jews right?
If isreal drop their weapon their won't be peace in the middle-east but if the Arabs do there would be peace...it's a simple fact..

Isreal left gaza since 2005, what did the Arabs do with the place? they turned it into haven for terrorist and launching pad to kill enmass...

So Israel bomb has created peace in the region? Can you listen to yourself? So there is peace in moddleeast now? Same Israel that providing stipends and medical support for isis terrorist?

https://www.nairaland.com/8614574/secret-relationship-israel-isis-sources

When Israel left Gaza, have you head of the several bombings it did to Gaza, 2007, 2014, 2020 etc?? Have you heard of how they bombed the only airport Palestinians manag d to build. You listen to too much of CNN and BBC and not an effort to listen to the Palestinian side, that's not honesty on finding the truth.

Those whom you called terrorist are people fighting against occupation, you can google what occupation means and how people from South African to China fought occupation across history, I believe you're redeemable and can learn truth despite tons of propaganda.

SpaceX:
Why is Tucker associating himself with a terrorist country like Qatar and iran?

How's Qatar a terrorist country? Any evidence of association with Iran??

Speak with evidence ok?

smileyoo:
lol. you guys are never tired of parroting 4 century old stories, thereby stalking in the past.
The basic question is why can't the Arab world accept the various peaceful negotiations and resolutions of the conflicts, since the 1967 war ?
we know how Islam spread across the globe by sword of conquest, but the Jewish nation is a hard nut to crack, so why not make peace with them ?

Turkiye has recognised Israel since 1950s, first to do so in the region, they had great relations before 2023, The peace is about "Don't kill the over 7M Palestinians", they're part of the neighbors.

It's only sane to ask Israel to make peace with its neighbors and not bomb them. If you know anything about the region, you'll realise Israel interest is military superiority in the region and not peace and you can see that in Syria and Lebanon.

"Turkey is the new Iran," said former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during a conference in Jerusalem for heads of major American-Jewish organisations.

He added that Turkey is establishing a "hostile Sunni axis with nuclear Pakistan," warning attendees of Turkey's increasing influence in the region.

Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks:



Source: https://youtube.com/shorts/kaOWgujCHtA?si=JoTvnq_of2g8bqnk

Tucker Carlson 'DETAINED' in Israel: Journalist 'dragged into interrogation room' as explosive interview sparks diplomatic firestorm
19:17 GMT 18 Feb 2026, updated 05:59 GMT 19 Feb 2026
By PHILLIP NIETO, US POLITICAL REPORTER

Conservative podcasting titan Tucker Carlson said he and his staff were detained in Israel on Wednesday following an interview with Donald Trump's ambassador to the country.

The former Fox News host flew into Tel Aviv for a sit-down with Mike Huckabee, who challenged Carlson to speak to him directly following an online spat about the country's treatment of Christians.

Carlson, who also frequently criticizes Israel for its military actions in Gaza, took Huckabee up on his offer.

But as critics and pro-Israel activists began piling on Carlson for purportedly not leaving the airport during his brief visit, he revealed that he was met with hostility in the Middle Eastern country.

Carlson exclusively told the Daily Mail that shortly after the interview, Israeli officials confiscated his passport and hauled one of his colleagues off to an interrogation room.

'Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,' Carlson told the Daily Mail.

'It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country.'

Prior to the interview, Carlson posted a photo on X of himself and his business partner, Neil Patel, in front of Ben Gurion airport on Wednesday with the caption: 'Greetings from Israel.'

Tucker Carlson says he and his staff were detained at Ben Gurion airport and interrogated by Israeli officials on Wednesday following an interview with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee

Carlson frequently criticizes Israel for its military actions in Gaza and treatment of Christians

Huckabee, who has known Carlson for over three decades and previously worked with him at Fox News, invited Carlson to Israel for a discussion over their differences

'Too bad Tucker stayed in the airport in the face of so many invitations to see so many wonderful places. A huge and obviously intentional missed opportunity,' taunted David Friedman, the former US ambassador to Israel during Trump's first term.

Two sources familiar with the matter, however, told the Daily Mail that the Israeli government initially did not want to allow Carlson into the country, prompting a delicate negotiation involving the State Department.

In the end, the Israeli government decided not to bar Carlson from entering the country in order to avoid a 'diplomatic incident,' according to a Channel 13 report.

A spokesman for the US embassy in Israel denied that Carlson was detained and claimed he 'received the same passport control questions that countless visitors to Israel, including Ambassador Huckabee and other diplomats, receive as part of normal entrance and exit from Israel.'

'It is not accurate that Israel only was going to let Tucker into the country for the interview,' the representative added.

'The only engagement the Embassy had with Israel about his visit was to coordinate his private plane landing as part of facilitating a seamless visit. It was Tucker who chose to only come into the country for a few hours and depart. And Tucker received the same positive treatment of any visitors to Israel.'

The Daily Mail has contacted the White House and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office for comment.

Carlson accused Huckabee last week on his YouTube show of not ensuring proper protections for Christians in Israel.

Huckabee, who has known Carlson for more than three decades and previously worked with him at Fox News, responded by inviting him to Israel for a discussion.

'Instead of talking about me, why don’t you come talk to me?' Huckabee wrote on X. Carlson replied by welcoming the invitation, before noting that they were working on setting up the interview.

Israel's popularity remains at an all-time low in the GOP among young Republican voters and Trump supporters.

The Carlson-Huckabee event was reportedly an attempt by the Trump administration to prevent debates surrounding Israel from breaking the GOP's conservative coalition ahead of the midterms.

Carlson is a longtime supporter of Trump and ally of Vice President JD Vance

Carlson and his business partner Neil Patel at Ben Gurion airport on Wednesday

Trump urged Carlson and others within the GOP to ease off internal fights with Republicans over Israel, according to former Fox News anchor Melissa Francis.

'Everybody’s looking for a way to turn down the temperature,' Francis told the Jerusalem Post. 'President Trump is telling everyone, including Tucker, "Let’s take this down."'

Carlson is a longtime ally of Vice President JD Vance and speaks with Trump on a range of issues, including foreign policy.

Last month, Carlson visited the White House twice and met with Trump in the Oval Office on at least one known occasion.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15571619/Tucker-Carlson-DETAINED-Israel-interrogation.html?ito=social-facebook-video&fbclid=IwY2xjawQEBmxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR4cEFQfzPPFZZumh-EhUCbFz_7o9Bb35H25gPCawEe9LdKEN-Ylw_IoEQE42A_aem_Ri3Ipxi9DtSU5fuGYS_ZmA

Sex Offender Epstein, Ex-Israeli PM Barak Allegedly Exploited Boko Haram Crisis To Sell Israeli Spy Tech In Nigeria –Report

February 19, 2026


In a 2014 email cited in the investigation, Epstein wrote to Barak in reference to unrest across parts of the Middle East and Africa, including Nigeria, saying “isn’t this perfect for you.” Barak reportedly replied, “You’re right in a way. But not simple to transform it into a cash flow.”


Fresh revelations have emerged detailing how convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak allegedly leveraged Nigeria’s Boko Haram insurgency to push surveillance technology and secure access to the country’s oil and logistics sectors.

An investigation by Drop Site News (DSN), based on emails released by the United States Department of Justice, claims the duo viewed Nigeria’s worsening insecurity not as a humanitarian emergency but as a strategic business opportunity.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, while Nigeria was engaged in countering Boko Haram, Epstein and Barak promoted Israeli “field-proven” security solutions to Nigerian officials—a term commonly used by Israeli intelligence firms to describe technologies tested in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a 2014 email cited in the investigation, Epstein wrote to Barak in reference to unrest across parts of the Middle East and Africa, including Nigeria, saying “isn’t this perfect for you.” Barak reportedly replied, “You’re right in a way. But not simple to transform it into a cash flow.”



Biometric Technology Sold As Counterterrorism Tool

The investigation details Barak’s financial involvement in Israeli intelligence-linked firms whose technologies later found pathways into Nigeria.

In 2015, Barak and a business partner invested $15 million in FST Biometrics, founded by former Israeli military intelligence chief Aharon Ze’evi Farkash.

The firm developed a biometric system known as Basel, first prototyped at the Beit Hanoon (Erez) crossing between Israel and Gaza to monitor and control Palestinian movement.

As Boko Haram attacks escalated, Barak allegedly facilitated the sale of similar biometric surveillance equipment to Babcock University in Nigeria.

The project was presented as a counterterrorism initiative, with promotional materials at the time stating the system would “filter away all unwanted persons.”

The report suggests that these security contracts created a foothold for broader Israeli cyber-security influence in Nigeria.

By 2020, DSN reports, the World Bank had engaged the Israel National Cyber Directorate and a startup co-founded by Barak in shaping Nigeria’s national cyber infrastructure framework.



Security As Gateway To Oil And Ports

Beyond surveillance, the documents reportedly show that security cooperation was used as a gateway to Nigeria’s lucrative oil and maritime sectors.

Epstein allegedly facilitated high-level talks for DP World, the Dubai-based logistics giant, aimed at acquiring strategic port assets in Lagos and Badagry.

In 2018, he brokered discussions between Jide Zeitlin, then chairman of Nigeria’s sovereign investment authority, and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of DP World. Emails cited in the report suggest Epstein attempted to navigate U.S. sanctions issues affecting figures in Nigeria’s mining sector to advance commercial negotiations.

In one September 2018 message, Zeitlin reportedly wrote to Epstein: “I hope your pal’s sojourn in Tel Aviv … was more effective than his efforts on the African continent,” a reference interpreted by investigators as linked to quiet diplomatic engagement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates prior to the Abraham Accords.

Bin Sulayem resigned as chairman of DP World on February 13 amid renewed scrutiny over his ties to Epstein, according to the investigation.



High-Level Political Access In Abuja

The emails also reportedly reveal the extent of access Epstein and Barak secured within Nigerian political circles.

In 2013, Barak attended a cybersecurity conference in Abuja that organisers privately described as an avenue to arrange meetings with then-President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The dinner is one other excellent way … to meet with good Friends of Israel and make new friends for Israel as well,” an organiser reportedly wrote to Barak in correspondence cited by the report.

Following those engagements, Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems proceeded with an internet surveillance project in Nigeria despite opposition from some lawmakers.

The documents further show Epstein advising Barak on monetising security relationships. After Barak shared details of a potential oil deal, Epstein reportedly warned him: “I told you on the phone before sending or asking anyone about it you should do your own homework.”



Global Fallout

The findings form part of a broader release of millions of documents detailing Epstein’s relationships with political leaders, financiers and intelligence-linked figures worldwide.

The investigation notes that Epstein funded Israeli organisations, including Friends of the Israeli Army and the Jewish National Fund, and maintained ties with individuals connected to Israel’s intelligence services.

Barak, who served as Israel’s prime minister from 1999 to 2001, has previously expressed regret over his association with Epstein.

Although Epstein was convicted in 2008 for procuring a minor for prostitution and served about a year in prison, Barak maintained personal and business ties with him for years, later claiming he was unaware of the full scope of Epstein’s crimes until 2019.


Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/features/2026/2/18/tested-on-palestinians-epstein-israels-barak-pushed-spy-tech-in-nigeria

18 February 2026 6:00am GMT
The White House wants to recruit organised crime and drug-dealing gangs to form the new Gaza police force, The Telegraph can reveal.

Donald Trump’s administration has presented plans for a new security force heavily staffed by members of existing anti-Hamas armed militias, according to multiple Western officials.

Israel, which is understood to back the United States’ proposals, has armed and actively supported some of the clans since the Gaza war began with the Oct 7 2023 attacks.

However, the notion of using some of their members to form part of a US-backed peace force has triggered “pushback” from senior American commanders.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) leave the State Dining Room of the White House after a press conference in Washington, DC on September 29, 2025
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel is understood to back Donald Trump’s proposals for Gaza Credit: Jim Watson/AFP
The armed clans in Gaza, which are formed along family lines, have documented links to organised crime going back decades. Civilians in the enclave deeply mistrust them.

In recent months, the clans have been accused of looting aid trucks as well as committing murders and carrying out kidnappings.

At least two of the major clan groups include members who have either actively fought alongside Islamic State, or declared allegiance to the terrorist organisation.

Senior US military commanders are concerned that Donald Trump’s peace process “will not work without reliable security partners”, one source told The Telegraph.

Britain, France and some other nations involved in trying to turn the president’s 20-point peace plan into reality have also expressed concern.

Four months after the ceasefire, plans for a post-Hamas police force appear largely to have stalled, amid disagreement over its composition and funding. There is also significant uncertainty as to whether Hamas would voluntarily disarm.

Mr Trump is holding the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington on Thursday, which delegations from more than 20 countries will attend.

Organisers hope to announce funding commitments for the reconstruction of Gaza, as well as promises of troops for the United Nations-mandated international stabilisation force (ISF), which, it is thought, would sit above the new Gaza police force and liaise with the Israel Defense Forces outside the Strip.

Mr Trump said on Sunday that $5bn had already been pledged for reconstruction and “thousands” of personnel promised to the ISF and local police.

Palestinian police have resumed street patrols in the Rimal neighborhood to maintain security and regulate traffic in Gaza City, Gaza on January 27, 2026
Mr Trump said that $5bn had already been pledged for reconstruction and personnel promised for local police Credit: Anadolu/Getty
The plan to recruit the new police force from the clans emerged before Christmas, prompting disagreement at the multi-national new Civil-Military Coordination Centre in southern Israel.

One Western source said: “There was significant pushback along the lines of ‘this is ridiculous – they’re not only criminal gangs but they’re sponsored by Israel’.”

Jared Kushner, Mr Trump’s son-in-law, is central to the administration’s drive to push forward the 20-point plan for peace.

He has been spearheading plans for new temporary “safe” communities in the part of Gaza under IDF control to tempt Palestinians away from the Hamas-controlled area, in the event the terrorist group does not willingly disarm.

The first community, which is currently being constructed on site of the former city of Rafah, is in an area dominated by the “Popular Forces” militia, an Israeli-backed group that has been accused of drug smuggling and aid looting.

Its former leader, Yasser Abu Shabab, who denied involvement in organised crime, was murdered in an internal disagreement in December.

Leader of the Popular Forces Yasser Abu Shabab
Yasser Abu Shabab, who led the Popular Forces militia, was murdered in an internal disagreement last year
Mr Kushner has been working closely with Aryeh Lightstone, chief executive of the Abraham Accords Institute, who is said to be ideologically aligned to the Israeli position on security and opposition to a Palestinian state, according to sources.

He coordinates much of the informal planning on the future of Gaza from a beachfront hotel in Tel Aviv, including discussions with billionaire investors, leading one source to call the discussion group the “Hilton club”.

Western officials are questioning the practicality of what they describe as Mr Kushner and Mr Lightstone’s “ideological” approach.

One official told The Telegraph: “There is a feeling that Kushner, Lightstone et al believe that if they can just give Palestinians the chance to flee Hamas, then they will take it.

“But the reality on the ground is that while lots of Gazans don’t like Hamas, they really don’t like or trust the clans. They see them as criminals.

“There is also a concern that the more ideological members of the administration will at some point turn around and say ‘we’ve given you the opportunity to leave Hamas; if you’re still there you must be a sympathiser’. Then Israel gets the green light to restart the war.”

Which clans US and Israeli figures proposed hiring from for the new Gaza police force is not currently known.

However, the White House did not deny that it had proposed this approach.

Aryeh Lightstone
Aryeh Lightstone, who is working with Jared Kushner, is said to have an ‘ideological’ approach to Gaza reconstruction
Reports from organisations such as the International Crisis Group from nearly 20 years ago detail concerns about drugs trafficking and weapons smuggling.

Figures within the Popular Forces, such as Isam Nabahim – a senior commander – are believed to have fought with Islamic State in the Sinai against Egypt.

The Doghmush clan in Gaza City is also accused of having had links with the terror group.

Although never proven, the clan was suspected of helping to hold the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, whom Hamas abducted in 2006, as prisoner.

His release in 2011 has subsequently been seen as a strategic security failure, because Israel was forced to release more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners – including Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of October 7 – in return.

A group called the Army of Islam, which was led by figures from the Doghmush, also abducted the BBC correspondent Alan Johnston, who was held for 114 days in 2007.

BBC journalist Alan Johnston talks about his experience as hostage
BBC correspondent Alan Johnston was kidnapped and held hostage in 2007 by a group linked to crime gangs Credit: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters
Some Israeli media have reported that, towards the beginning of the Gaza war, the various groups were given assistance from the general security force of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah, allegedly with CIA assistance.

However, Israel then took over the relationships.

Israel’s involvement with the Popular Forces became public last May after a senior official, who was believed to oppose the arming of Palestinian groups, leaked the details.

Hossam al-Astal, who leads an armed group to the east of Khan Younis, told The Telegraph in October that he “coordinated” with Israel, and that he would be prepared to help secure a post-Hamas Gaza.

The former security official in the PA – from which Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007 – is one of a number of leading “clan” figures who had been in prison in Gaza at the beginning of the war, but escaped when Hamas jailers fled their posts.

There has been speculation that the Board of Peace, through its subordinate National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, has selected Jamal Abu Hassan, a former PA security chief in Khan Younis, to lead the new police force.

Hossam al-Astal (center) surrounded by armed members of his group, 'Strike Force Against Terror,' in an undated picture from the Gaza Strip posted on Facebook
It is speculated that Hossam al-Astal, centre, who leads an armed group, is the Board of Peace choice to lead the Gaza police force Credit: Facebook
A Western official said that a more recent iteration of the US policing plan had proposed “agnostic recruitment”, where members could come from the clans, from the former PA security forces in Gaza, or elsewhere.

“The process has lost energy at the moment,” he said. “You can’t get past the fact that without a trustworthy force on the ground the process is destined to fail.”

A US administration official told The Telegraph: “Planning efforts remain under way to develop the vetting process for the police force. We won’t get ahead of that process.

“As the president stated, Hamas must uphold its commitment to fully and immediately demilitarise.”

The Israeli prime minister’s office declined to comment.

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/18/us-wants-organised-crime-gangs-to-police-gaza/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_youtube_crime-gangs-to-police-gaza%2F

For more than a year, I have repeatedly visited the office of the Christian Affairs Department at the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs in Jerusalem to seek a clergy visa for Rev. Jeff Hoover. Jeff is a U.S. citizen from Raleigh, North Carolina. Our international congregation in East Jerusalem called Rev. Hoover to come to Jerusalem to serve as an assistant pastor, since I am approaching retirement.

On December 1, 2011, I visited the Christian Affairs Department and spoke with the office’s director to see if there was progress on Rev. Hoover's application. The official in charge told me openly that his office can't give a recommendation for a clergy visa for Rev. Hoover because, he stated, "the State of Israel does not recognize the Baptist Church." The statement surprised me, but not because our attempts to get Rev. Hoover a visa failed. We had many similar setbacks in the past, but this was the first time a lack of recognition was cited as the reason. In the past, the officials did not give us a reason for denying visas, and after a few months of trying, we just gave up. “Not recognized” means that no Evangelical church in Israel is officially recognized because they have not acquired the privilege of "Status Quo." This privilege was granted during the Ottoman period to historic denominations, and more recently, to the Anglican and the Lutheran churches.

Israel’s Ministry of Religious Affairs may have the right to deny a Christian clergyperson a visa to enter Israel. But why should it take a year and a half before the applicant learns that his or her church is not recognized? In June, while in Israel, Rev. Hoover was told that if he left Israel, the officials would process his visa application. He returned to the U.S. and after six months, he was told that his application papers which he first submitted in 2010 were lost. He submitted new forms, but that didn't help. In the last eight months, Rev. Hoover and I both--he from the US and I from Jerusalem--made repeated contacts with officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs to ask about the status of his visa. All of our efforts came to a halt when I was told, "Baptists are not recognized in the State of Israel."

Whenever it is politically expedient, Israeli authorities close an eye and issue visas to Baptist and other Evangelical clergy. But in general, most Christian ministries in the Holy Land, and particularly Evangelicals, confront huge obstacles when seeking visas for Western pastors or volunteers who wish to help them in their respective churches, schools and other ministries. These Israeli policies encumber the ministries of the various Christian denominations and add pain and frustration to the Christian minorities that are facing the threat of extinction in the birthplace of their faith.

In international forums, Israeli officials don’t miss an opportunity to state that Israel practices religious freedom and equality. Members of my church, East Jerusalem Baptist Church, wonder how Israeli officials define freedom of religion. It is ironic that the Western Evangelical churches that often give the greatest political, economic and moral support to the State of Israel are the churches that are the least privileged under Israeli rule.

Sources: https://www.comeandsee.com/view.php?sid=1190

The senior Jewish judge who ruled in favour of Palestine Action
Dame Victoria Sharp’s ‘family connections to Boris Johnson’ had previously concerned activists

Dame Victoria Sharp is the twin sister of Richard Sharp, the former BBC chairman Credit: Sam Tobin/PA Wire

Will Bolton
Crime correspondent
Will Bolton is The Telegraph's Crime Correspondent. See more
13 February 2026 4:08pm GMT

The decision to rule the ban on Palestine Action unlawful was made by one of the most senior female Jewish judges in the UK.

Dame Victoria Sharp, sitting with Mr Justice Jonathan Swift and Mrs Justice Karen Steyn, ruled on Friday that the proscription of the group was “disproportionate”.

She has been the president of the King’s Bench Division of the High Court since 2019, and is the first woman to hold the role.

Prior to Friday’s ruling, pro-Palestinian groups had complained about the panel of three judges – including Dame Victoria – who replaced Mr Justice Martin Chamberlain, the judge who had overseen previous hearings.

Defend Our Juries, a campaign group that has organised demonstrations in support of Palestine Action, said in November that the move had made it “hard not to draw the conclusion that this is a stitch-up”.

A spokesman said: “The judiciary is meant to be independent of political influence. Yet with no transparency around this decision, public confidence is being seriously undermined.

“That two of the replacement judges have links which at least raise the appearance of a conflict of interest only deepens these concerns. This includes Dame Sharp’s family connections to Boris Johnson, [and] to prominent pro-Israel lobbyist and major Labour Party donor Trevor Chinn.”

The group said it had concerns about the appointment of Mrs Justice Steyn as she had previously sat on a case regarding the use of F-35 jets by Israel.

Pro-Palestine bloggers also complained about the appointment of Mr Justice Swift because in 2023 he rejected an appeal by Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks publisher, against his deportation to the United States.

Dame Victoria is the twin sister of Richard Sharp, the former Goldman Sachs banker. He stepped down as the chairman of the BBC following controversy over his involvement in a chain of events that led to Mr Johnson securing a loan.

Educated at North London Collegiate School and the University of Bristol, she was called to the bar in 1979 and became a recorder in 1998 and a QC in 2001, before being appointed as a justice of the High Court in 2009.

In January this year, a month before giving her landmark ruling, she revealed she would be retiring from her role as a senior judge in October.

A biography of Dame Victoria, published by the judiciary, said she had been a “champion of transparency initiatives, leading the introduction of livestreaming in the Court of Appeal and the broadcasting of sentencing in the Crown Courts”.

Dame Victoria specialised in defamation and, as a judge and barrister, had been involved in high-profile cases including those involving Carole Caplin, a style adviser to Cherie Blair, and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese footballer.

Mrs Justice Steyn was born in Cape Town, South Africa, before moving to the UK as a child.

Called to the bar in 1995, she focused on human rights, public international law and information law, with particular specialisms in armed conflict and national security. She was appointed a High Court judge in 2019.

Mr Justice Swift was born in Rochford and educated at Southend High School for Boys before going on to study at New College, Oxford. He was appointed as a High Court judge in 2018.

On 10 June 2022, Mr Justice Swift ruled in favour of the UK government in saying that the deportation flights of unsuccessful asylum seekers in the UK to Rwanda should be allowed to proceed, as there was a material public interest in it happening.

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/13/jewish-judge-in-favour-palestine-action-victoria-sharp-uk/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_fb_photo_palestine-action-victoria-sharp-uk%2F&fbclid=IwY2xjawQBeg1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR6Q-nxfsC9G-Cr2cI4kvXKXh6mvazBL8-z2n2j4jyjm62uaXYDwtQc5LPrAUA_aem_db7dj4A0FprnS5XBjDN7Eg

‘I was Epstein’s butler for 18 years. There’s no way he killed himself’

Valdson Vieira Cotrin, who ran Jeffrey Epstein’s Paris home for 18 years, has told The Telegraph he does not accept the official verdict of suicide and fears his own life is in danger. He also said he believes Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, was a victim of foul play.

Cotrin made the extraordinary claim that Epstein told him he was offered a job by Donald Trump in his first administration in 2016 but turned it down. There is no evidence the allegation is true. Trump has said he stopped speaking to Epstein in 2004.

Cotrin also alleged:

- Prince Andrew visited Epstein in Saint Tropez with photographer David Hamilton, who was accused of abusing underage models
- Prince Andrew was a frequent guest at Epstein’s Paris town house, with Royal protection bodyguards paid for by British taxpayers
- Ghislaine Maxwell was the “authoritarian boss” who gave orders in the Epstein household
- Epstein gave money to Woody Allen to finance a film

Cotrin remains in possession of photographs taken with friends of Epstein, including a photo of himself with Bill Clinton on Epstein’s private jet. Clinton was issued a subpoena on Tuesday to give evidence to a congressional committee investigating Epstein.

Cotrin recalled driving Epstein to Le Bourget airport in Paris in July 2019 for a flight to New York, where he was arrested upon landing. Epstein was found hanged in his cell on August 10 that year.

“I am like his brother. I don’t believe this was suicide. He loved life too much,” Cotrin said.

Cotrin said Epstein had been relaxed before leaving and was planning to negotiate bail. His partner, Maria Gomes de Melo, said Epstein told her: “I’ll be back next week.”

Cotrin said he never saw Epstein with underage girls. Young women were hired to give massages and cut his nails, he said, but “it stopped there”.

He listed dignitaries who visited Epstein over two decades, including Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Lord Mandelson, Woody Allen and Ehud Barak.

Cotrin said Epstein boasted of being offered a job by Trump after his 2016 election win. “He said: ‘Trump asked me to work for him in the new government.’ I said: ‘Congratulations.’ He said: ‘No, I didn’t accept.’”

Cotrin said Maxwell “was the boss and the lady of the house. She was harder and more authoritarian.”

He recalled first serving Prince Andrew with David Hamilton in Saint-Tropez in the early 2000s. He also served the Duke in Paris, driving him in Epstein’s Mercedes and cooking for him.

Cotrin said he met Clinton once in autumn 2002 when the former president passed through Paris at the end of a trip with Epstein. Flight logs show Clinton was on Epstein’s jet at least 26 times between 2001 and 2003.

Cotrin said a police search of Epstein’s Paris home found nothing. “They were scanning the walls and floors in case there were hidden cameras or rooms with hidden children and torture devices. They found nothing.”

He said there were “lots of photos of Virginia” in the Paris flat. When asked why he did not throw them away, Epstein said: “She was part of my life. I have nothing to hide.”

Cotrin has not worked since Epstein’s death. “The day I die, I would like to continue serving him up there – his tea, coffee, his sandwiches, his bread and cheese buns.”

source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/08/08/jeffrey-epstein-butler-18-years-valdson-cotrin/

erniok2:
This was not covered in the report.

The report clearly stated non engagement with ISIS, supporting some syrian rebel factions and not directly ISIS except an isolated case of one of the factions declaring allegiance later to ISIS, not vetting when giving medical treatment.

Unless it is stated, this should be in the dustbin.

did you read this?

3. ISIS on Israel’s Border: The Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade

By 2015, the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade (YMB) — operating in the Yarmouk Valley adjacent to the Golan Heights — formally pledged allegiance to ISIS. This placed an ISIS-affiliated force directly on Israel’s border.

Despite:

ISIS rhetoric calling for Israel’s destruction
YMB kidnappings of UN peacekeepers (including from buffer zones)
ISIS presence closer to Israel than at any other point in its history

Israel did not launch sustained military operations against YMB.

According to analysis published by openDemocracy:

Israeli airstrikes in Syria overwhelmingly targeted Hezbollah, Iranian assets, and Assad’s forces
ISIS and ISIS-linked groups were largely left untouched
Israel reportedly treated over 1,000 wounded Syrians, including militants, without screening for affiliation

A senior Israeli military spokesperson stated:

> “We don’t do any vetting or check where they are from or which group they are fighting for.”

Source:
openDemocracy – ISIS and Israel on the Golan Heights
(https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/north-africa-west-asia/isis-and-israel-on-golan-heights/)

Israel, Syrian Armed Groups, and ISIS on the Golan Heights

A Report on Documented Interactions

Introduction

Throughout the Syrian civil war, Israel has publicly framed its actions along the Syrian border as defensive and humanitarian. However, reporting from Israeli military sources, Israeli and international media, and independent political analysis reveals a far more complex landscape. This report compiles documented evidence and journalistic investigations showing how Israel coordinated with, aided, or strategically refrained from confronting armed groups operating near the Golan Heights — including groups later affiliated with ISIS.

While no official Israeli source admits to a formal alliance with ISIS, multiple sources indicate **direct support to Syrian rebel factions**, **medical treatment of militants without vetting**, and a **policy of non-engagement toward ISIS-linked forces** when those forces were perceived as counterweights to Iran, Hezbollah, and the Assad government.


1. Israel’s Official Position: Humanitarian Aid on the Syrian Border

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) publicly acknowledge operating medical facilities on the Syrian border under what became known as “Operation Good Neighbor.” According to an official IDF publication dated February 22, 2015, Israeli forces treated wounded Syrians regardless of affiliation:

“We do not discriminate against women, by race, religion or anything else.”
Maj. Simon Sisso, Golani Company Commander

The IDF confirms that wounded individuals were transferred from Syrian territory into Israeli field hospitals in the Golan Heights, even while acknowledging that **ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate), and other armed factions** were active in the same area.

Source:
IDF – Humanitarian Aid on the Volatile Syrian Border
(https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/humanitarian-missions/operation-good-neighbor/humanitarian-aid-on-the-volatile-syrian-border/)

The IDF states that it did not vet the political or military affiliation of those receiving care.

2. From Medical Aid to Direct Support: Israeli Assistance to Syrian Rebels

In 2017, Haaretz, citing a Wall Street Journal investigation, reported that Israel had been providing direct financial, logistical, and material support to Syrian rebel groups operating in southern Syria near the Golan Heights as early as 2013.

According to the report:

Israel supplied cash payments, food, fuel, and equipment
A dedicated IDF unit was established to manage these operations
Funding reportedly reached approximately $5,000 per month for certain factions
Aid aimed to maintain a buffer zone of friendly forces between Israel and Iranian-backed militias, including Hezbollah

One of the primary groups cited was Fursan al-Joulan (Knights of the Golan), which coordinated directly with Israeli forces.

“We wouldn’t have survived without Israel’s assistance.”
— Moatasem al-Golani, spokesman for Fursan al-Joulan

While Israeli officials claimed funds were strictly humanitarian, fighters interviewed by the Wall Street Journal stated the money was used to pay salaries and purchase weapons.

Source:
Haaretz – Israel Reportedly Providing Direct Aid, Funding to Syrian Rebels
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2017-06-19/ty-article/israel-reportedly-providing-direct-aid-to-syrian-rebels/0000017f-f06c-d223-a97f-fdfdfef50000


3. ISIS on Israel’s Border: The Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade

By 2015, the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade (YMB) — operating in the Yarmouk Valley adjacent to the Golan Heights — formally pledged allegiance to ISIS. This placed an ISIS-affiliated force directly on Israel’s border.

Despite:

ISIS rhetoric calling for Israel’s destruction
YMB kidnappings of UN peacekeepers (including from buffer zones)
ISIS presence closer to Israel than at any other point in its history

Israel did not launch sustained military operations against YMB.

According to analysis published by openDemocracy:

Israeli airstrikes in Syria overwhelmingly targeted Hezbollah, Iranian assets, and Assad’s forces
ISIS and ISIS-linked groups were largely left untouched
Israel reportedly treated over 1,000 wounded Syrians, including militants, without screening for affiliation

A senior Israeli military spokesperson stated:

> “We don’t do any vetting or check where they are from or which group they are fighting for.”

Source:
openDemocracy – ISIS and Israel on the Golan Heights
(https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/north-africa-west-asia/isis-and-israel-on-golan-heights/)



4. Strategic Non-Engagement and Regional Priorities

Multiple sources converge on a key strategic conclusion: Israel’s primary concern in Syria was not ISIS, but rather Iranian influence and Hezbollah’s military presence.

This perspective is reinforced by:

Israel’s consistent targeting of Shia-aligned forces
The absence of comparable strikes against ISIS
Internal U.S. diplomatic correspondence (2012) acknowledging that the Syrian war weakened Iran’s regional position

In a public statement posted on X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims that Epstein didn't work for Israel.

Netanyahu commented on convicted child s*x trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's close friendship with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (1999-2001).

Netanyahu claims Barak's losses in Israeli politics led to him working with the "anti-Zionist radical left... to overthrow the Israeli government."

Despite this, the Epstein files still point to a close link between Epstein himself and a number of Israeli officials.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s racist social media post featuring former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle was deleted Friday after a backlash from both Republicans and Democrats who criticized the video as offensive.

The Republican president’s Thursday night post was blamed on a staffer after widespread backlash, from civil rights leaders to veteran Republican senators, for its treatment of the nation’s first Black president and first lady. A rare admission of a misstep by the White House, the deletion came hours after press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed “fake outrage” over the post. After calls for its removal — including by Republicans — the White House said a staffer had posted the video erroneously.

The post was part of a flurry of overnight activity on Trump’s Truth Social account that amplified his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, despite courts around the country and Trump’s first-term attorney general finding no evidence of systemic fraud.

Trump has a record of intensely personal criticism of the Obamas and of using incendiary, sometimes racist, rhetoric — from feeding the lie that Obama was not a native-born U.S. citizen to crude generalizations about majority-Black countries.

Politics
Trump’s racist post about Obamas is deleted after backlash despite White House earlier defending it
By BILL BARROW and JOSH BOAK
Updated 1:31 AM GMT+1, February 7, 2026
Leer en español
Comments
270
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s racist social media post featuring former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle was deleted Friday after a backlash from both Republicans and Democrats who criticized the video as offensive.

The Republican president’s Thursday night post was blamed on a staffer after widespread backlash, from civil rights leaders to veteran Republican senators, for its treatment of the nation’s first Black president and first lady. A rare admission of a misstep by the White House, the deletion came hours after press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed “fake outrage” over the post. After calls for its removal — including by Republicans — the White House said a staffer had posted the video erroneously.

The post was part of a flurry of overnight activity on Trump’s Truth Social account that amplified his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, despite courts around the country and Trump’s first-term attorney general finding no evidence of systemic fraud.

Trump has a record of intensely personal criticism of the Obamas and of using incendiary, sometimes racist, rhetoric — from feeding the lie that Obama was not a native-born U.S. citizen to crude generalizations about majority-Black countries.

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The post came in the first week of Black History Month and days after a Trump proclamation cited “the contributions of black Americans to our national greatness” and “the American principles of liberty, justice, and equality.”

An Obama spokeswoman said the former president, a Democrat, had no response.


‘An internet meme’
Nearly all of the 62-second clip appears to be from a conservative video alleging deliberate tampering with voting machines in battleground states as 2020 votes were tallied. At the 60-second mark is a quick scene of two jungle primates, with the Obamas’ smiling faces imposed on them.

Those frames originated from a separate video, previously circulated by an influential conservative meme maker. It shows Trump as “King of the Jungle” and depicts Democratic leaders as animals, including Joe Biden, who is white, as a jungle primate eating a banana.

“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” Leavitt said by text.

Disney’s 1994 feature film that Leavitt referenced is set on the savannah, not in the jungle, and it does not include great apes.

“Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public,” Leavitt added.

By noon, the post had been taken down, with responsibility placed on a Trump subordinate.

The White House explanation raises questions about control of Trump’s social media account, which he’s used to levy import taxes, threaten military action, make other announcements and intimidate political rivals. The president often signs his name or initials after policy posts.

The White House did not immediately respond to an inquiry about how posts are vetted and when the public can know when Trump himself is posting.

Mark Burns, a pastor and a prominent Trump supporter who is Black, said Friday on X that he’d spoken “directly” with Trump and that he recommended to the president that he fire the staffer who posted the video and publicly condemn what happened.

“He knows this is wrong, offensive, and unacceptable,” Burns posted.

Trump did not comment on the video as he departed the White House to spend the weekend in Florida. He spoke to reporters about the stock market and U.S. crime rates and answered questions about elections and housing costs while other reporters tried to ask him about the video.

Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., told The Associated Press she does “not buy the White House’s commentary.”

“If there wasn’t a climate, a toxic and racist climate within the White House, we wouldn’t see this type of behavior regardless of who it’s coming from,” Clarke said, adding that Trump “is a racist, he’s a bigot, and he will continue to do things in his presidency to make that known.”

How? What's Mossad doing in turkey, do you know whom Mossad is??

Freshandfitpod:
That is why the US will never sell F-35 to Turkey because they have this terroristic behaviour

Turkish authorities have detained two individuals in Istanbul for alleged espionage activities on behalf of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency. The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) carried out the operation on Friday in coordination with the Istanbul prosecutor's office and police, culminating in the arrest of the suspects following a lengthy surveillance period.

The suspects are identified as Mehmet Budak Derya, a mining engineer and marble trader, and Veysel Kerimoğlu. According to security sources, Derya was first approached by a Mossad contact in 2012 under the guise of a business proposal. He subsequently traveled to Europe in 2013 to meet with individuals posing as company executives who instructed him to hire Kerimoğlu, a Turkish citizen of Palestinian origin. The pair's international marble trade allegedly served as cover for their intelligence activities.

Sources allege the network gathered information on Palestinians opposed to Israeli policies and even scouted locations in Gaza. Around 2016, the operation reportedly expanded to include trading drone parts, a venture initiated by Kerimoğlu and approved by Mossad handlers. One alleged target of their drone sales, Mohamed Zouari, was later assassinated in Tunisia in an attack widely attributed to Israeli intelligence.

The investigation revealed that Derya underwent at least two polygraph tests administered by Mossad, in 2016 and 2024, which he reportedly passed. In a key meeting this January, Mossad operatives allegedly discussed plans for Derya to establish a sophisticated front company abroad designed to infiltrate international supply chains. The detainees were apprehended before this plan could be implemented, in an operation codenamed "MONITUM."