Free Republic

Rep. Justin Amash (L-Mich.) announced Saturday he will not run for president as a Libertarian, saying the circumstances do not “lend themselves” toward a successful third-party campaign. “I’ve spent nearly three weeks assessing the race, appearing in media, talking to delegates and donors, watching the Libertarian Party’s convention plan unfold, and gathering feedback from family, friends, and other advisers,” Amash tweeted. “After much reflection, I’ve concluded that circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate.” Amash maintained that a third party candidate could contribute a fresh...

Rep. Lee Zeldin hearkened back to 2016 to remind the nation that the Obama administration was “furious” with retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn for calling on world leaders to block an “anti-Israel” effort. The New York Republican tweeted Thursday morning about Flynn, who served as Trump’s national security adviser in early 2017, and his efforts to block the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which focused on Israeli settlements in “Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.” “Keep in mind Obama admin was furious Gen Michael Flynn was making calls to world leaders helping to block UN Sec Council Res 2334 in...

The Trump administration does not view the new Israeli government's July 1 deadline to begin the process of applying sovereignty over Judea and Samaria as a "do or die" date, a senior US official told Barak Ravid of Channel 13 News on Tuesday. The coalition deal that allowed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to form a new government says he can bring "the understandings with the Trump administration" on sovereignty up for a vote in the cabinet or in the Knesset as early as July 1 — but only with the full agreement of the White House. The report comes as...

Rep. Justin Amash is considering a third-party presidential run this year to challenge President Trump and Joe Biden, and will be making a decision “soon,” his campaign said Wednesday. The campaign for Amash, the former Republican, put out a statement Wednesday saying the Michigan independent will make a decision “soon.” “In mid-February, Justin Amash paused active campaigning for his congressional seat to carefully consider a presidential run,” his campaign said. “He has been discussing the potential campaign with his family, his friends, his team, and others, and a decision can be expected soon.” […] Amash is a libertarian-minded conservative who...

If Israel finds a vaccine for coronavirus, boycotters can still take it, Omar Barghouti, founder of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement said on Sunday. Barghouti made the remarks in a live video on the BDS Arabic Facebook page as part of a webinar on “BDS and Anti-normalization: The most important strategies to fight against the deal of the century, even in the time of COVID-19.” The BDS founder warned that coronavirus cannot be a “honeymoon” for Israel and questioned why the Palestinian Authority hasn’t stopped security cooperation with Israel. At the same time, he said “if you...

...While Amash would obviously have no chance to win the presidency if he ran as a Libertarian, he could theoretically peel off voters from Trump in the battleground state of Michigan, which may be the ulterior motive behind his potential run...

Jared Kushner told senators in a closed-door briefing Wednesday that the Trump administration is pressing ahead with its Middle East peace plan, even with the Palestinians boycotting the process and without a stable government in Israel, White House officials tell me. Why it matters: The path could soon be cleared for Israel to annex areas of the West Bank envisioned as part of Israel under the plan. In the meantime, the administration is urging the Palestinians to negotiate, warning that its current plan will move forward without their input if they don't.

A man identified as an Iraqi refugee has been arrested in Houston as part of a federal investigation into an alleged terrorist plan with links to two other U.S. cities, state officials confirmed Thursday. Federal officials would not immediately confirm details, but Gov. Greg Abbott and other officials said the suspect is believed to have provided support to terrorists -- including connections to ISIS.

The time when Palestinian leaders had the last word on Arab states ties with Israel is over. The new reality in the Middle East is that Iran, not Israel, is perceived as an existential threat to the Sunni-Arab states, particularly to those in the Gulf. In addition to security considerations, Arab states are also interested in trade relations with Israel, especially in Israeli technology. That said, we can also be certain that the same Arab states will continue to pay lip-service to the Palestinian cause, principally, to appease their domestic crowds in the name of Islamic solidarity and Arab unity....

The Washington Post in their article, "How peace plan could dispossess Arab Israelis" (2/9/20) has dispossessed and manipulated the truth. The Post uses a device called a "straw man argument" to indoctrinate its readers. In the article, which describes the recently proposed Trump administration peace deal, the Post states that "many [Israeli Arabs] say [the deal] would amount to a forced deportation from Israel, where their families have lived for generations." Who are these "many" individuals? Nonexistent straw men. No Israeli Arabs would be "deported" in the peace plan. The peace plan expressly states that no one would be deported,...

A new project by the European Union (EU) offers European photographers an all-expenses-paid trip to “occupied Palestinian territory” in order to “tour areas across the West Bank to capture different aspects of Palestinian life.” “Do you want to be part of the EU Photo Marathon in Palestine?” reads the EU flyer that depicts three empty chairs against the backdrop of a concrete and graffitied portion of Israel’s security fence. “Apply before 20 February 2020!” the flyer concludes along with the hashtag “#EU4PALESTINE” and a photo of the EU and Palestine Liberation Organization flag side-by-side. […] Matan Peleg, CEO of the...

Love him or loathe him, U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace proposal for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has formalized a seismic shift in Mideast geopolitics; one that has been roiling and brewing since 2009. The so-called “Obama doctrine” in the Middle East was intended to re-calibrate American influence in the region, and its key strategy seemed to be to fete and kowtow to Iran, in the belief that “respect” would moderate the murderous mullahs. It did not. The mullahs grinned, Secretary Kerry bowed and scraped, and Iran continued to foment war with its proxies and maintain its distinction as the pre-eminent financier...

The “Palestinian people” is a propaganda fiction. It’s time to stop playing along. President Trump’s “Deal of the Century” was a brilliant illustration of his mastery of the art of the deal. This extravagantly generous proposal, and the Palestinians’ contemptuous rejection of it, severely damages the international Left’s claim that the Israelis are the obstacles to peace, and exposes the Palestinian leadership for the genocidal warmongers they are. Now it is time to take one more crucial step: end the recognition of the “Palestinian people” altogether!! There is no such nation, race, ethnicity, nationality, or culture, and never was! Returning...

I review Robert Spencer's latest book, The Palestinian Delusion, and give my thoughts on the latest plan for Middle East "peace."

Recently-published accounts reveal that the Palestinian Authority (PA) spent almost $150 million in 2019 on salaries and other benefits for convicted terrorists and their families. According to the Israeli NGO Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), “the PA has admitted to spending no less than 517.4 million shekels ($149.7 million/€136 million) paying salaries to terrorist prisoners and released prisoners in 2019.” The NGO pointed out that “Israeli law demands that this figure be deducted from the monthly tax transfers Israel makes to the PA.” Legislation passed by the US Congress in 2018 suspended American aid to the PA for as long as...

We are not here to lecture—we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership – based on shared interests and values – to pursue a better future for us all. - President Donald J. Trump BOLD VISION FOR PEACE: President Donald J. Trump recognizes it is time for a new approach to achieve peace, security, dignity, and opportunity for Israel and the Palestinian people. This Vision is the most serious, realistic, and detailed plan ever presented, one that could make Israelis,...

With all these scandals, you would think that the UN would finally vote to end this beleaguered agency. Yet it is as determined as ever to keep fleecing taxpayers around the world. The United Nations (UN) has a long, sorry track record of corruption and mismanagement. The latest in its long string of scandals comes from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is facing its worst financial crisis since its founding in 1949.The UNRWA has always worked exclusively with Palestinian refugees. It operates alongside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which handles...

Jesus was not only "first Palestinian" - he was "first Islamic Martyr" Itamar Marcus | Dec 29, 2019 Fatah leader: Jesus was "first Palestinian," and "first Islamic Martyr" PA Prime Minister: “Christmas is a national holiday for the Palestinian people” Abbas: "For all of us Palestinians, this holiday [Christmas] is ours" Fatah: "Christmas is a Palestinian holiday" There were repeated new claims this week, by senior Palestinian leaders and the official press, that Jesus was a "Palestinian" and the "first Palestinian." A senior Palestinian leader this week also referred to Jesus as the “first Shahid,” or Islamic Martyr, which many...

Several Palestinian clans have rejected The Convention of the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, a move widely seen as a revolt against the PA. Critics of the treaty claim that it goes against Arab and Islamic norms and teachings. “This treaty is unacceptable to Arabs and Muslims,” remarked Palestinian activist Abu Ghassan Shaheen. “It goes against our religion and traditions.” On Saturday, leaders of large Palestinian clans in Hebron called on the PA to withdraw from the treaty. They also called for banning feminist groups from entering Palestinian schools. The clan leaders expressed opposition to the PA’s...

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said Friday her team plans to launch an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, drawing a sharp rebuke from Israel. In a statement, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Besouda said there was a “reasonable basis” for an investigation. “In brief, I am satisfied that war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip,” she said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the announcement by the Hague-based court as a “dark day for truth and justice.” “The ICC prosecutor’s decision...