RICKARD CRUZ

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Strefa Gazy: Będzie porozumienie w sprawie zakładników? Dziś rozmowy superszpiegów w Paryżu

Marta Urzędowska

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Właśnie z powodu rosnącej liczby cywilnych palestyńskich ofiar – nie do uniknięcia podczas wojny w zatłoczonej Strefie, gdzie terroryści celowo ukrywają się za cywilami – świat coraz bardziej zdecydowanie wzywa Izrael do zakończenia działań wojennych, a przynajmniej – skuteczniejszego chronienia palestyńskich cywilów.

Nawet Amerykanie, którzy przyznają Izraelczykom prawo do walki z terroryzmem i nie proszą ich o całkowite zakończenie wojny do czasu ostatecznego zniszczenia Hamasu, dziś domagają się przerwania walk. Nie popierają też izraelskich planów ofensywy w Rafah na południu enklawy, przy granicy z Egiptem, gdzie przebywa 1,5 mln cywilów, w większości uchodźców z innych części zrujnowanej wojną Strefy.

Izrael, mimo protestów sojuszników, nie odpuszcza – planuje uderzyć w Rafah, jeśli do rozpoczęcia ramadanu, czyli 10 marca, terroryści nie zwolnią ok. stu zakładników pozostających jeszcze w ich rękach i nie oddadzą ciał kilkudziesięciu kolejnych, którzy zginęli z rąk terrorystów albo w izraelskich atakach.

Póki co nie jest jasne, czy rozmowy w Kairze przyniosą zawieszenie broni. W ostatnich tygodniach szły jak po grudzie, głównie przez terrorystów z Hamasu, którzy żądali, by – w zamian za zwolnienie zakładników – izraelska armia na stałe wycofała się z enklawy, co w obecnej sytuacji jest żądaniem absurdalnym.

Biały Dom: Dyskusje idą dobrze. Ale zakładników wyjdzie mniej

Wygląda na to, że Hanijja złagodził trochę w ostatnim czasie  stanowisko, bo Waszyngton zapewnia, że szanse na rozejm są. W czwartek wysłannik Białego Domu ds. Bliskiego Wschodu, Brett McGurk rozmawiał o nich z izraelskimi przywódcami.

– Wstępne informacje, jakie dostajemy od Bretta wskazują, że dyskusje idą dobrze – poinformował w czwartek rzecznik waszyngtońskiej administracji John Kirby, według którego McGurk rozmawiał z izraelskim premierem Benjaminem Netanjahu „przez dobrych kilka godzin”. Wspólnie zastanawiali się, czy negocjatorzy są dziś w stanie „przypieczętować deal w sprawie zakładników”.

Dzień wcześniej także izraelski minister w gabinecie wojennym, Benny Gantz, potwierdził, że istnieje „możliwość pójścia naprzód” w negocjacjach na temat nowego dealu. Jednocześnie ostrzegł, że – jeśli nie uda się dogadać – izraelska armia uderzy w Rafah, a w całej enklawie będzie kontynuowała ofensywę nie oglądając się na ramadan.

Według źródeł „New York Timesa” wygląda na to, że Hamas i Izrael są gotowe na razie poprzestać na skromniejszym porozumieniu, które objęłoby zwolnienie 35 zakładników – osób starszych i chorych, które miałyby być wymienione na palestyńskich więźniów.

W piątek w Paryżu na kolejnych rozmowach w sprawie porozumienia spotkają się przedstawiciele Izraela, USA, Egiptu i Kataru, wśród nich – szef Mosadu David Barnea, dyrektor CIA William Burns, szef egipskiego wywiadu Abbas Kamel i katarski premier Muhammad ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Jassim at-Tani. Od początku wojny w imieniu Izraela i Hamasu negocjują Egipcjanie i Katarczycy – obie strony nigdy nie spotykają się bezpośrednio przy stole rokowań.

W samej Strefie Gazy nie ustają walki. W czwartek w izraelskim bombardowaniu zniszczony został duży meczet Al-Faruk w Rafah, są dziesiątki zabitych i rannych. Walki trwają też nadal na północy enklawy, a także w Chan Junis, nieco na północ od Rafah. Jak wyliczają agencje, w sumie w ciągu ostatniej doby w całej enklawie zginęło ponad sto osób.

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Qatar’s regime under fire for training Hamas terrorists: ‘Qatar is Hamas and Hamas is Qatar’

BENJAMIN WEINTHAL

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Officer Nasrallah salutes the Undersecretary of Hamas’ Interior Ministry, General Nasser Maslah (ruc.edu.ps, March 13, 2023) / (photo credit: MEMRI)

A shocking new report by the Middle East Media Research Institute revealed that Qatar’s authoritarian state trained Hamas operatives at the country’s police college as recently as 2023.

According to the early February MEMRI report, “Qatar – which is known for supporting Hamas, financing its military activity and sheltering its leaders, and for extending media support to Hamas by means of its Al-Jazeera channel – also trained, in its Police College in Al-Rayyan, officers from Hamas’ Interior and National Security Ministry, which is part of Hamas’ governing authorities in the Gaza Strip.”

An IDF spokesperson told the Post that “The IDF does not comment about issues with Qatar and other foreign states. It is a very sensitive issue.” The IDF referred the Post to the foreign ministry.

A foreign ministry spokesman told the Post “We won’t comment regarding the MEMRI report.”

Qatar is currently functioning as a mediator in an effort to secure the release of the over 130 hostages held by Hamas in Qatar. Israeli officials and MKs have been largely reluctant to comment on the Qatari regime’s role in funneling over $2 billion into Hamas’ coffers over the last ten years due to the hostage release talks.

Officer Nasrallah receives a certificate of appreciation from the Undersecretary of Hamas’ Interior Ministry General Nasser Maslah (ruc.edu.ps, March 13, 2023) (credit: MEMRI)

Training Hamas in Qatar

The training of Hamas operatives in Qatar took place long after Hamas was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US and the European Union.

MEMRI wrote “Hamas officers were routinely sent to train at this college, which recently produced its sixth class of graduates, and were received with great honor upon their return to the Gaza Strip”

Rich Goldberg,  a member of the National Security Council during the Trump administration, told the Jerusalem Post ”This is certainly further evidence to support a designation of Qatar as a state sponsor of terrorism.” Goldberg testified in Congress in late October about Qatar’s alleged role in sponsoring Islamist terrorism.

Yigal Carmon, the president and founder of MEMRI, told the Post that  “Qatar is Hamas and Hamas is Qatar.”

Hamas Political Bureau head Isma’il Haniya, who celebrated the October 7 massacre of 1,200 people in southern Israel and lives in Qatar, frequently met with the Hamas officers and praised them  with certificates of appreciation.

Haniya said that the Qatar police college played a “significant role” in strengthening the police of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. He thanked Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Aal Thani for his work on behalf of Palestine.

A Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman thanked Qatar for helping the ministry “to develop its personnel and give them unique skills and expertise.”

MEMRI disclosed that “Cadet Ahmad Jamil Nasrallah from the Gaza Strip, who was sent to the Qatar Police College by the Interior and National Security Ministry, received the highest grade among the cadets sent to the college by Arab countries. This morning [February 2, 2023].” Qatar’s Emir congratulated Nasrallah.

Hamas’ Interior Ministry sent “several students of the Ribat University College (which trains members of Hamas’ security apparatuses) every year to acquire such a degree at the Qatar Police College,” noted MEMRI.

Jerusalem Deputy Mayor, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, told the Post that “Qatar hosts Hamas leaders and facilitates its financing. We know Hamas was trained by the Islamic republic of Iran and so this new revelation about Qatar is hardly surprising. The free world should show zero tolerance for terrorist funders and sympathizers. Today its Hamas and tomorrow it will be home grown Jihadi terrorism in the West.”

MEMRI first located and translated the jaw-dropping reports about the Qatar-Hamas alliance in training Hamas operatives. According to the Hamas website, on February 7, 2023:”Today… brother Isma’il Haniya, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, honored Officer Ahmad Nasrallah from the Gaza Strip, who had been sent by the Interior and National Security Ministry to [attend] the Qatar Police College.”

MEMRI posted a photograph of Undersecretary of Hamas’ Interior Ministry,General Nasser Maslah, presenting a certificate of appreciation to  officer Nasrallah from March, 2023.

Hamas’ Interior Ministry also sent Muhammad Abu Rizq to the Qatar Police College. He graduated in 2022.Accofrding to the Hamas website, “The Honorable Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Aal Thani honored cadet Abu Rizq at the graduation ceremony of the Qatar Police College’s fourth graduating class.”

MEMRI wrote Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman Iyad Al-Buzom tweeted that day: “We congratulate the cadet Muhammad Ahmad Abu Rizq, of the Gaza Interior Ministry, for achieving the highest grade among the cadets sent to the Qatar Police College by the Arab countries, and for being honored by the Qatari Emir… We thank the Qatari Interior Ministry for giving our cadets the opportunity to attend the Qatar Police College, which helps the Gaza Interior Ministry develop its personnel and give them unique skills and expertise.”

Hamas’ website reported on January 15, 2022 that “Hamas Political Bureau Head Isma’il Haniya honored Officer Muhammad Ahmad Muhammad Abu Rizq, from the Gaza Strip.” MEMRI showed a photograph of Haniya presenting Abu Rizq with a certificate of appreciation.

In 2021,  Haniya met with a group of Gazan cadets attending the Qatar Police College. Hamas’ outlet Al-Risalah reported that Haniya praised the  cadets’ “excellent performance” and “warmly thanked His Excellency, the Honorable Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Aal Thani, the Emir of the sister-country Qatar, as well as his government and the honorable and generous Qatari people, for [the efforts they] invest in serving our [Palestinian] homeland, our people and the Palestinian cause in international forums.”

 Haniya  also congratulated Officer Husam Abu Shamala, a graduate of the Qatari program.

MEMRI also revealed that, in February, 2021, Husam Fathi Abu Shamala returned to Khan Younis as a graduate of the police college after spending five years in Qatar.

It is unclear how many Hamas operatives Qatar trained. Multiple Post press queries to Qatar’s embassies in Washington and London went unanswered.

Qatar is facing intense anger from a growing number of US lawmakers for its financial aid to Hamas and its reported espionage operation targeting opponents of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. 

The AP and Fox News Digital  reported that Qatar’s regime hired former CIA officer, Kevin Chalker, and his company, Global Risk Advisors, to spy on Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) ,and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla), as well as former California Republican Congressman Ed Royce.,

In January, Qatar denied on its X account, formerly known as Twitter, the allegation that it hired Chalker’s firm to  discredit US elected officials as part of a vast  surveillance operation titled “Project ENDGAME.”

Chalker’s lawyer, Kevin Carroll, told Fox News “Mr. Chalker has a long-standing record of service to the United States and any allegations of wrongdoing—much less defamatory allegations of criminal wrongdoing—by him or GRA are just false.”

When the Post asked Carroll and Chalker if GRA or Chalker played a role in training Hamas operatives in Qatar, Carroll and Chalker refused to comment.  Numerous Post press queries were sent to GRA, Carroll and Qrypt, Chalker’s new company.

The Post also asked Chalker if he and GRA view Hamas as a terrorist organization. Chalker declined to comment.

Protests have unfolded against Qatar’s embassy in Washington and its hotel in Beverly Hills, the Maybourne, due to the Gulf Country’s financial support for Hamas and its failure to secure the freedom of the remaining hostages.

Rabbi Pini Dunner, from The Beverly Hills Synagogue, along with the organization, Rabbis United, are slated to protest on Monday against “Qatar-funded Hamas terrorism” in front of Qatar’s consulate in Beverly Hills..  The organizers are also demanding “the release of the hostages.” Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, is slated to speak at the 12:45 PM rally.

Qatar has lashed out at American Jews and Congressional representatives who demonstrated in front of their Washington embassy calling for Doha to pressure Hamas to release the hostages.

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When fighting antisemitism, you can’t pick and choose

BEN COHEN

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Protesters associated with the far-left group La France Insoumise demonstrate Nice, in the south of France, against governmental reform in 2018. Credit: Frederic Dides/Shutterstock.

It was one of those incidents that you never expect will happen to you, but when it does, it changes your life irrevocably.

On June 8, 2023, a Thursday, a 67-year-old Orthodox Jewish woman whose name was reported as “Sarah” was driving to her home in Créteil, a suburb in the southeastern outskirts of Paris. As she drove, a group of traffic cops who were sitting at a nearby gas station noticed that she was speeding. They duly pulled her over.

Clearly flustered and nervous as she sat talking to the police officers, who informed her that she was driving dangerously, Sarah accidentally released the brake on her car, backing into a police motorcycle that was parked behind her. Thinking that she was trying to flee the scene, the cops promptly arrested her and brought her to the police station in Créteil.

Absolutely terrified by this point, Sarah said in a later media interview that she lost consciousness. When she came around, she discovered that she was lying prostrate on the police station floor, handcuffed to a bench. When she realized that her wig, which she had worn since she married at the age of 18, according to the custom of Orthodox Jewish women, had been removed, she panicked.

An amateur video of the incident was shared with the French news website Mediapart, which posted it last week. It shows Sarah’s ordeal to its full, harrowing extent. “I’m a Jew!” Sarah declares with an ear-splitting scream. “I want my wig! My wig! My wig!” she continues, writhing helplessly on the floor as a policeman stands imperiously over her, sandwiching her legs between his feet.

The video also shows a disturbing level of contempt from the police officers. One of them describes Sarah as a feuj, an insulting French slang term for “Jew.” When a male officer finally returns with her wig, an exasperated female officer is then heard telling Sarah: Allez, putain (“Come on, bitch”).

From the police station, Sarah was taken to the emergency room of a local hospital, where her husband came to collect her. A doctor who examined her noted that she had suffered both bruising and psychological trauma. Nevertheless, on March 4, Sarah will go on trial, charged with “endangering the lives of others” due to her allegedly careless driving.

Sarah has herself now gone on the offensive, telling investigators from the General Inspectorate of the police that the removal of her wig represented the “ultimate humiliation” for an observant Jewish woman. She has also filed a complaint against the police, charging them with “sexist, antisemitic” violence towards her. “Créteil police know the city, they know that there is a sizable Jewish community, so they cannot claim to be unaware of what a wig means,” her lawyer, Arie Alimi, told the media.

Sarah’s case is significant for two reasons—one of them uncomplicated, the other far more complicated.

The uncomplicated reason is simply that the behavior of the French police was clearly antisemitic. The video suggests that they rather enjoyed having a vulnerable Jewish woman at their mercy, whom they essentially dehumanized. In a democracy, the police are accountable for their actions, and in this case, one can legitimately ask whether the officers who attended to Sarah at the police station should continue to serve on the force, particularly as they are in regular contact with other members of the Jewish community in Créteil.

The other reason is complicated because it involves overtly political considerations.

It is striking that Sarah’s case has been taken up by important swathes of the French left—a left that is normally at loggerheads with the Jewish community because of its consistent demonization of Israel. Counter-accusations of antisemitism are both frequent and hotly denied, especially in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas pogrom in Israel, which has triggered a vicious wave of antisemitism in France and other countries, frequently deploying progressive, anti-colonial messaging to camouflage what is—and what has always been—a deeply reactionary and backward form of prejudice.

Yet Sarah’s case has been reported on sympathetically and in detail in many organs of the French left, including L’Humanité—the daily paper of the French Communist Party, which once had the unenviable reputation of being the most slavishly pro-Moscow of all the European Communist parties affiliated with the late, unlamented Soviet Union.

Sarah has also won the support of parliamentarians from the far-left group La France Insoumise (or LFI, translated as “France Rising”), which occupies 75 of the 577 seats in the French National Assembly. In a social-media post, Mathilde Panot, who heads LFI’s parliamentary grouping, denounced “the sexist and antisemitic” treatment meted out to Sarah by police officers who had behaved with “dishonor,” and who should now be the subjects of a “rapid investigation and sanctions.”

While Sarah’s case against the police deserves the full backing of her fellow Jews, it behooves us to look critically at her other sources of support. When Panot and three of her LFI comrades turned up at last week’s memorial ceremony in Paris for the 42 French citizens who were among the more than 1,200 people murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, pro-Israel demonstrators on the sidelines barracked them, shouting, “LFI, Hamas thanks you.” Panot’s explanation for her attendance was her desire to call attention to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, whom LFI falsely believes, in common with much of the left globally, are undergoing a “genocide.”

On a human level, it’s hard to understand how someone could be moved (and understandably so) by the cries of a frail, elderly Jewish woman in police custody, yet dismiss the horrors of Oct. 7—the slaughter, the mutilation, the rape of untold young woman at a music festival—as so much “Zionist propaganda.” As long as that remains the case, politicians on the left who intervene only in those incidents of antisemitism are unconnected to Israel will never win the trust of the Jewish community.

Simply put, if you are going to fight antisemitism, you cannot pick and choose which incidents you focus upon on the basis of your ideological convictions. And since the far-left is not, for the foreseeable future, going to accept the contention that its attacks on Zionism and Israel’s legitimacy are forms of antisemitism, one has to probe the political price of acknowledging their support in cases like those of Sarah.

Because if Sarah had been a resident of the West Bank instead of Créteil, and if she had been pulled over by Palestinian Authority officers and then detained, facing treatment even worse than her humiliation by French police officers, LFI and those who share its worldview would have, at best, remained silent. Such hypocrisy would never pass muster on the left when it comes to racism against members of the black community, Muslims or any other minority. But Jews, as we have painfully learned yet again over the last four months, are different.

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