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Robert Mueller’s Israel Problem

As the Mueller probe drags along into year two of its supposed investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, a disturbing pattern has emerged. The special counsel has become obsessed with the state of Israel. The former FBI director is deeply suspicious, to the point of total paranoia, that there is a grand conspiracy involving the Trump campaign and transition officials as potential agents for the Israelis.

George Papadopoulos, the Israeli spy?

On Monday, the Daily Caller reported that Mueller had allegedly coerced Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos to plead guilty to lesser charges, after threatening that he would be prosecuted as an Israeli spy.

There isn’t much public evidence to suggest that Papadopoulos has substantial ties to Israel. Born to Greek immigrants, he has made a career of working on eastern Mediterranean energy issues. He has advocated for the very uncontroversial position that there should be a closer diplomatic and economic bond between Israel, Cyprus, Greece, and the United States. Nonetheless, the prospect of being prosecuted under the Espionage Act is terrifying, as a conviction carries a lengthy prison sentence.

While it is supposedly investigating Russia’s activities in 2016, the Mueller probe’s alleged Papadopoulos threat is just one of many instances in which the special counsel has instead exhibited a hyper focus on Israel-related activities.

Gen. Michael Flynn and Israel

In December, Gen. Michael Flynn pled guilty to making false statements to the FBI. Notably, one of the charges levelled at the decorated general was that during the transition period, he communicated with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. about a coming vote concerning an anti-Israel resolution at the United Nations. Although the mainstream media and the Left accused him of breaching protocol, a transition team reaching out to world powers prior to entering office is not illegal or unusual. In fact, it’s a standard, smart practice.

President Obama was notoriously hostile to Israel, so much so that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly called the incoming Trump administration and asked if they could rally for the defeat of the vicious U.N. resolution. The resolution passed anyway, thanks to U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power’s abstention.

Nonetheless, Mueller found it necessary to charge Flynn for misleading the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador about the resolution. Additionally, as the special counsel probe drags on, evidence has emerged that Flynn did not in fact mislead the FBI about his conversations.

Jared Kushner and Israel

In November, reports emerged that Mueller was scrutinizing efforts made by Jared Kushner, a senior aide to the president, and his efforts to combat the anti-Israel U.N. resolution during the presidential transition period.

Just as Gen. Flynn had every right to defend Israel, so did Kushner. Yet Mueller’s team seemingly carried on for months with a dedicated effort to examining Kushner’s Israeli ties. As Mueller was digging into Kushner, targeted hit pieces reporting exclusive information from the Mueller probe landed in leftist outlets such as the Washington Post, NBC News, and the New York Times.

Flashback: Mueller tries to “tempt Jews” to betray USA

Mueller’s suspicions of Israel — and Jews as a whole — go back to his early days as the FBI director.

In 2004, the Mueller FBI alleged that a massive Israeli spy ring was operating out of the Pentagon. The stunning revelations sent shockwaves throughout the intelligence community, and it was followed by endless editorials painting Israel as a nefarious actor seeking to undermine the United States.

Yet it later turned out that the allegations were completely bogus. There was no Israeli spy ring, but rather, what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to target Jews for prosecution. There were several disturbing instances of the Mueller FBI running sting operations attempting to “tempt Jews” to betray their country. “All turned down the offer,” according to the Washington Post. Mueller’s attempts to lure Jews into a trap failed. The botched operation confirmed the troubling reality that elements of the U.S. intelligence community remained attached to anti-Semitism.

Mueller sends a team to Israel

Last month, Mueller sent a team of investigators to Israel in an attempt to track down the activities of at least two Israeli social media and consulting firms. Mueller’s prosecutors have seemed to suggest in leaks to the media that the Israeli firms may have colluded with the president to secure his victory.

However, both companies have flatly denied that they ever even worked with the Trump campaign in an official or unofficial capacity, yet Mueller devoted massive resources to flying his team over to Israel to investigate the matter.

The Trump-Russia dossier and its backers have their own Jewish conspiracies

If Mueller is indeed relying upon the rumors gathered in the political opposition document (which was financed by the Clinton campaign) known as the Trump-Russia dossier (and reports suggest that he is), his attempts to uncover a series of grand Israeli and Jewish conspiracies shouldn’t come as a surprise.

According to the dossier, Russian Jews and Jewish organizations are integral to the supposed links between President Trump and the Kremlin. As Lee Smith lays out in an article for Tablet magazine, dossier producer Glenn Simpson has made it clear in his public testimony that he believes there is an ongoing “secret Jewish plot to undermine American democracy.”

To this day, not a single major allegation in the dossier has been confirmed.

Old habits die hard

The evidence is not on his side, but that hasn’t stopped Mueller from sending agents halfway across the world to chase down leads garnered from politically motivated sources. As his career track record shows, this isn’t the first time Mueller has played the Israeli agent card. The first time, Mueller’s delusions ended up making a hugely embarrassing saga for the FBI. Now one year into the Mueller probe, his special counsel has yet to find evidence for any grand Israeli plot. (For more from the author of “Robert Mueller’s Israel Problem” please click HERE)

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Hamas Rioters Paid $100/Day to Attack Israel, Funding Came from Obama

. . .But in reality Israel has shown restraint at what were actually Hamas-incited protests and riots that involved the terrorist group paying Palestinians to participate, according to Daniel Greenfield of Front Page Mag, who exposed the absurdity of the media coverage with a biting opening paragraph.

“Hamas supporters in Gaza held the world’s first peaceful protest with hand grenades, pipe bombs, cleavers and guns. Ten explosive devices were peacefully detonated. There were outbursts of peaceful gunfire and over a dozen kites carrying firebombs were sent into Israel where they started 23 peaceful fires. And Israeli soldiers peacefully defended their country leaving multiple Hamas attackers at peace,” Greenfield wrote.

Greenfield noted that despite the media focus of the past few days, the Hamas-led protests and violent riots have actually been ongoing since late March, and offered proof obtained by a U.K. Telegraph reporter in April that Palestinians were being paid $100 per day by Hamas to take part, more if they suffered injuries or died.

That reporter discovered that merely participating in the protests earned $100, while being shot (whether with real or rubber bullets) garnered $200, severe injuries netted $500 and death warranted a $3,000 payment to the surviving family.

Considering an estimated 40,000-50,000 Gazans participated in the most recent protests and riots — which were really an effort to breach the barrier separating Gaza from Israel so Hamas terrorists could rush through and do their worst — that event likely cost Hamas millions of dollars. (Read more from “Hamas Rioters Paid $100/Day to Attack Israel, Funding Came from Obama” HERE)

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Remember the Dead Palestinian Baby? Turns out She Didn’t Die from Israeli Forces

. . .As evidence of the cruelty of Israeli security forces toward innocent Palestinians in Gaza, the media focused on a dead Palestinian baby. The infant’s tragic death, however, turned into a propaganda win for the terrorist organization.

A prime example of what could easily have been written by the Hamas propaganda department itself was an article in the Los Angeles Times which lamented the death of the 10-month-old baby girl — Layla Ghandour.

But a former journalist for the L.A. and New York Times astutely noted that, buried midway through the blatant piece, it was revealed by a doctor in Gaza that the baby had died from a pre-existing heart condition.

The 16th paragraph of that report read: “A doctor at the hospital where Layla was treated said she had a preexisting heart condition that caused her death. He asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss the child’s medical history.” . . .

The preceding paragraph even cited Israeli military spokesman Ofir Gendelman, who stated without elaboration, “We have evidence casting doubt on the truthfulness of reports about the death of a baby girl in the Gaza Strip.” (Read more from “Remember the Dead Palestinian Baby? Turns out She Didn’t Die from Israeli Forces” HERE)

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Turkey’s Edrogan Calls for Muslim World to Unite Against Israel Due to Gaza Massacre, Jerusalem

By Press TV. Turkey has urged Islamic countries to review their ties with Israel after dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire on the Gaza border.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told his ruling party in parliament that Ankara would call an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

“Islamic countries should without fail review their relations with Israel,” Premier Yildirim said, adding, “The Islamic world should move as one, with one voice, against this massacre.”

Yildirim said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the body, called the OIC summit on Friday.

Yildirim said that after the summit at 3:00 pm a giant rally would be held at the vast Yenikapi meeting area in Istanbul under the slogan of “Stop the Oppression” to express solidarity with the Palestinians. (Read more from “Turkey’s Edrogan Calls for Muslim World to Unite Against Israel Due to Gaza Massacre, Jerusalem” HERE)

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Did Israel Use Excessive Force at Gaza Protests?

By BBC. Palestinian health officials say more than 100 Palestinians have been killed and 10,000 injured by Israeli troops over the past six weeks at a series of protests along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. . .

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel’s military of carrying out “massacres” of unarmed civilians, but Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted its troops acted in self-[defense] and blamed the militant group Hamas, which dominates Gaza, for the deaths. . .

Before the protests began, Israeli officials said soldiers would be permitted under certain rules to fire live ammunition at anyone attempting to damage the border fence, and even against people coming within 300m (985ft) of it – a figure that was reportedly later reduced to 100m.

Despite the warnings, thousands of Palestinians approached the fence during the protests. A number threw stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers deployed on the Israeli side of the border, and flew kites laden with petrol soaked material intended to start fires on Israeli territory.

Israeli troops responded by firing tear gas, rubber bullets and various types of live ammunition. (Read more from “Did Israel Use Excessive Force at Gaza Protests?” HERE)

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Middle East Melee: Are Iran and Israel on the Brink of War?

By The Blaze. As tensions mount in the Middle East, Israel’s government is ramping up its civil defense. Bomb shelters are mandatory, gas-masks and emergency kits are issued to citizens at government distribution centers.

“That said to me an awful lot. They are trying to protect human life,” said Glenn Beck on “The News and Why it Matters”. He added, “It’s not the same way on the other side of the border.”

Iranian forces launched more than 20 rockets at Israel Wednesday. Most of the rockets were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome aerial defense system. Israel retaliated with missiles and artillery fire across the boundary between Syria and Israel. (Read more from “Middle East Melee: Are Iran and Israel on the Brink of War?” HERE)

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11 Iranians Among Dead in Israel’s Strikes in Syria, Monitor Says

By The Times of Israel. At least 11 Iranians were among those killed in unprecedented Israeli strikes in Syria Thursday, a monitor said Saturday.

“At least 27 pro-regime fighters were killed: six Syrian soldiers and 21 foreign fighters, including 11 Iranians,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

That updates the monitor’s initial death toll of 23, which did not specify the number of Iranians.

“The new report is due to the death of wounded or missing persons whose deaths have been confirmed,” Abdel Rahman said.

Israeli officials told Hadashot TV news Friday night that the security cabinet believes Iran “has gotten the Israeli message, and won’t mess with us in the near future,” — a day after Israel launched dozens of strikes on Iranian military sites in Syria in response to an Iranian missile barrage directed at northern Israel. (Read more from “11 Iranians Among Dead in Israel’s Strikes in Syria, Monitor Says” HERE)

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Iranian Forces Fire at Israel Military Base

By Breitbart. Iranian forces operating from Syria fired about 20 rockets at Israeli army positions in the Golan Heights, the Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday night.

Some of the missiles were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome system, and there were no reports of injuries, the IDF stated.

A video posted on social media in Syria purports to show a volley of rockets from a launcher being fired into Israel.

(Read more from “Iranian Forces Fire at Israel” HERE)

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IDF: Iranian Forces Fire 20 Rockets at Israel; Iron Dome Intercepts Some

By Times of Israel. Some 20 rockets were fired at Israeli military bases by Iranian forces in southern Syria just after midnight on Thursday, with some of the incoming missiles being intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, the army said, amid sky high tensions on the northern border.

There were no reports of Israeli casualties in the attack. An army spokesperson said damage was caused to Israeli military bases, but that it was “limited.”

The Israeli army said the missile barrage was carried out by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Forces. This appeared to be the first time that Israel attributed an attack directly to Iran, which generally operates through proxies. The late night rocket barrage was also the largest attack, in terms of the number of rockets fired, in the seven years of the Syrian civil war.

Tehran has repeatedly vowed revenge after the T-4 army base in Syria was struck in an air raid — widely attributed to Israel — on April 9, killing at least seven members of the IRGC, including a senior officer responsible for the group’s drone program. (Read more from “Idf: Iranian Forces Fire 20 Rockets at Israel; Iron Dome Intercepts Some” HERE)

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Israel Almost Shot down Russian Jet in Syria

By The Jerusalem Post. The Israel Air Force came close to shooting down a Russian Air Force jet that was headed toward Israeli airspace in 2015, former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon said in an interview on Saturday.

“At the very beginning of the Russian presence [in Syria], there was a case where one Russian pilot almost crossed our border over the Golan Heights. If it was a Syrian plane we would have shot it down,” Ya’alon told RIA Novosti news agency.

According to Ya’alon, Israel identified the plane as it was approaching, and while it had identified it as Russian, the IAF was prepared to take it down if it did not change course. Ya’alon said contact was made with the Russian-operated Khmeimim Air Base in Syria alerting it to the danger the plane was in and following the warnings, the jet changed direction.

“The issue was resolved immediately,” he said.

The incident occurred shortly after Moscow intervened in the Syrian conflict in September 2015. Shortly thereafter, Israel and Russia implemented a deconfliction mechanism in order to avoid accidental clashes in Syrian airspace where both air forces are active. (Read more from “Israel Almost Shot down Russian Jet in Syria” HERE)

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Report: Iran Planning to Launch a Barrage of Missiles Against Israel

By The Jerusalem Post. Iran is preparing a barrage of missiles to launch against Israeli military positions from Syrian territory, Hebrew media reported Sunday, citing defense officials.

Iran plans to avenge alleged Israeli strikes on its bases in Syria, Ma’ariv defense analyst Alon Ben David said, by targeting military targets in northern Israel.

As of now, Israel is not “on the eve of war against Iran,” he said, “but the Iranians do want revenge for their losses.”

Iran plans to use Shiite militias already deployed in Syria along with experts from Hezbollah, according to Channel 2 News military analyst Roni Daniel. The proxies would be overseen by general Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps abroad.

Tensions have risen dramatically between the two arch-enemies following the infiltration of a Iranian drone into northern Israel, which the IDF says was armed and on a sabotage attack mission against the Jewish State. (Read more from “Report: Iran Planning to Launch a Barrage of Missiles Against Israel” HERE)

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Actress Drops out of Prestigious Awards Ceremony over ‘Distressing’ Events in Israel

U.S. actress Natalie Portman has pulled out of a June awards ceremony in Israel because of concerns over “recent events” there, event organizers said Thursday.

Portman, who was born in Jerusalem, will not travel to Israel in June to receive the Genesis Prize, sometimes referred to as “The Jewish Nobel.”

“Recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her, and she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel,” the Genesis Foundation, which sponsors the award, quoted a Portman representative as saying . . .

Clashes have erupted in recent weeks between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters along the Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip. Live fire from Israeli troops has killed dozens of Palestinians and wounded hundreds more, sparking international criticism of Israel’s response to the protests. Israel says it is defending its border and has accused the militant group Hamas, which loosely governs Gaza, of organizing the mass demonstrations a cover for attacks.

Portman was announced as the winner of the 2018 Genesis Prize in November. She had committed to give the $1 million award to “philanthropic programs focused on advancing women’s equality in all aspects of human endeavor,” the Genesis Foundation said. (Read more from “Actress Drops out of Prestigious Awards Ceremony over ‘Distressing’ Events in Israel” HERE)

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Israeli Arab Doubts That Wearing a Yarmulkah Is Dangerous in Berlin. Then This Happens.

By The Daily Wire. Two young men wearing yarmulkahs on the streets of Berlin were attacked by three young thugs, one of whom, an Arabic-speaking man, whipped out a belt and started to whip them, but there was one additional piece of evidence the attackers didn’t know: one of the victims was a young Israeli Arab who was testing his friend’s statement that wearing a yarmulkah in Germany is dangerous.

That young Arab, Adam Armoush, told the Israeli broadcaster Kann, “They kept cursing us and my friend asked them to stop cursing. They started to get angry and one of them ran to me and I knew it was important to film it because there would be no way to catch him by the time police arrived. Honestly, I’m surprised a thing like this could happen.” (Read more from “Israeli Arab Doubts That Wearing a Yarmulkah Is Dangerous in Berlin. Then This Happens.” HERE)

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Jewish Men Beaten with Belt in Berlin Anti-Semitic Attack

By The Telegraph. There has been public outrage in Germany after video footage emerged of two Jewish men being violently assaulted in an apparent anti-Semitic attack in central Berlin.

The two men, who were both wearing kippah, traditional Jewish skullcaps, were insulted before being set upon and whipped with a belt in one of the city’s most fashionable neighbourhoods.

A group of three unidentified men can be heard on the video clearly shouting “Yahudi”, the Arabic word for Jew.

The two victims stood their ground and threatened to call the police before their main assailant was dragged away by his companions.

The incident was videoed by one of the victims, who was named by Israeli television as Adam Armoush, a 21-year-old Israeli citizen living in Berlin. (Read more from “Jewish Men Beaten with Belt in Berlin Anti-Semitic Attack” HERE)

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No Jews Allowed on Temple Mount on Holocaust Commemoration

It’s sadly ironic, says an Israeli Islamic scholar, that Jews won’t be able to ascend their Temple Mount next Thursday on Holocaust Remembrance Day because Muslims will be celebrating Muhammad’s “miraculous” night journey there on a mythical winged horse – an event not actually mentioned in the Quran.

The source of the Muslim holiday of “Isra” and “Mi’raj” is indeed is based on a story in the Quran, but the story doesn’t actually mention Jerusalem or the historic site of the Temple.

“This claim is simply fake news,” said Mordechai Kedar, a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University, told Breaking Israel News. “It is entirely based on opinions and not on any textual source. Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Quran and there is not a basis to believe that Jerusalem had any significance for Muhammad.”

Kedar explained that in the Quran, Al-Aqsa specifically referred to a mosque near Jeharna in Saudi Arabia.

“In early Islam, we see that assigning holiness to the Temple Mount was criticized as an attempt to introduce Jewish concepts into Islam,” he said. “Jerusalem only took on any significance in Islam in the late 8th century when the Bedouin Muslims prevented the Damascus Muslims from making Haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. As an alternative destination for Haj, the Damascus Muslims decided on Jerusalem, adding a Hadith (oral commentary) shifting the scene of Muhammad’s Night Journey to Jerusalem in order to justify their decision.” (Read more from “No Jews Allowed on Temple Mount on Holocaust Commemoration” HERE)

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