jewworldorder--2020-12-16--Malaysian official who renamed stadium denies title is his name backwards, insists it is ‘Spanish or

Malaysian official who renamed stadium denies title is his name backwards, insists it is ‘Spanish or Greek’

A Malaysian official who renamed a stadium insists its new title , which is his name in reverse , is in fact an amalgam of Arabic and “ Spanish or Greek ” .
Hakim Ariff Md Noor , the district officer for the state of Kedah , said it was just a coincidence that the Ffira Mikah stadium ’ s new name was his name backwards .
“ It has nothing to do with my name .
The name of this mini stadium has an implicit meaning .
The name was chosen and proposed in an administrative meeting , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In Spanish or Greek , ‘ Ffira ’ means something great , while ‘ Mikah ’ in Arabic in conjunction with the name of an angel.
” While “ mikah ” resembles the Arabic word for angel , “ malaikah ” , “ ffira ” does not mean “ great ” in Spanish or Greek , nor does it appear to mean any other word .
The Ffira Mikah stadium , which is owned by Padang Terap District Council , was inaugurated by Mr Ariff last week after it received £37,000-worth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stadium a centre of excellence to revitalise football as a district product , ” Judge Ariff said .
“ The filling of the stadium is more important than its name.
” He said the stadium would be renamed again in order to avoid allegations of impropriety .
“ After this , it will be known as the Kuala Nerang Mini Stadium , ” he said .
The “ Ffira Mikah ” sign over the pitch has reportedly now been removed by KN Kiara Football Club , which manages the stadium .

A Malaysian official who renamed a stadium insists its new title, which is his name in reverse, is in fact an amalgam of Arabic and “Spanish or Greek”.
Hakim Ariff Md Noor, the district officer for the state of Kedah, said it was just a coincidence that the Ffira Mikah stadium’s new name was his name backwards.
“It has nothing to do with my name. The name of this mini stadium has an implicit meaning. The name was chosen and proposed in an administrative meeting,” he told Malaysian newspaper Sinar Harian.
“In Spanish or Greek, ‘Ffira’ means something great, while ‘Mikah’ in Arabic in conjunction with the name of an angel.”
While “mikah” resembles the Arabic word for angel, “malaikah”, “ffira” does not mean “great” in Spanish or Greek, nor does it appear to mean any other word.
Read more
The Ffira Mikah stadium, which is owned by Padang Terap District Council, was inaugurated by Mr Ariff last week after it received £37,000-worth of upgrades.
“I want to make the stadium a centre of excellence to revitalise football as a district product,” Judge Ariff said. “The filling of the stadium is more important than its name.”
He said the stadium would be renamed again in order to avoid allegations of impropriety.
“After this, it will be known as the Kuala Nerang Mini Stadium,” he said.
The “Ffira Mikah” sign over the pitch has reportedly now been removed by KN Kiara Football Club, which manages the stadium.
Source


Sufganiyot redeem 2020

After begging my kids to wear matching custom-made sufganiyot masks ( click the link and see the one at the bottom on the right ?
Aren ’ t they cute ? )
and failing , “ because they ’ re pink !
” and “ Mom , we do not live on Pinterest ” we embarked anyway , since it ’ s our favorite day of the year , even in non-matching masks .
Clearly , this is no ordinary year .
2020 has kicked us all in the behind , affecting our finances , our parenting , and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , proved to be one of the best years for sufganiyot… ever .
Bakers seem to feel that this is their chance at redemption , and who are we to argue ?
We had to juggle the lineup a bit this year , since some of the bakeries in our standard path are no longer viable options , and still more reside in neighborhoods affected significantly by COVID-19 , making them inaccessible .
One of the things we ’ ve learned this year is flexibility , so with a hat tip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we marched proudly forward to the 2020 contestants .
( Brooklyn Bakery , you ’ re still in the dog house after our last attempt with you . )
Our intention , in the face of limited options , was to expand our territory .
We started asking around for bonafide candidates , and we kept hearing “ Herby .
“ Go to Herby.
” I couldn ’ t imagine who this guy was , or where he came from , considering I can ’ t fathom Israelis attempting to pronounce “ Herby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say “ Hilary ” and it comes out more like “ Eelary ” so I imagined I was looking for a guy called “ Eerby.
” Apparently , Herby is from Memphis , and he runs a bakery in Bet El .
My sister lives in Migron , so the master plan was for her to pick up from “ Eerby ” in Bet El and meet us in the shuk for our entire group to evaluate his wares .
Of course , since it ’ s 2020 , she called two hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that while Herby came through , her family just discovered that they may have been exposed and were therefore in quarantine .
Not the types to be deterred , they Zoomed in : After continuous haggling , we decided that since the entire panel could not vote , we could not in good conscience include Herby ’ s Bakeshop in the final judging .
That said , we wanted to give him an honorable mention , since the part of our crowd that COULD taste them gushed about the filling to dough ratio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was leagues ahead of the standard chocolate spread .
Good show , Eerby , but sorry , we will try again next year !
A newcomer to us this year , suggested by a rather insistent friend of mine , Dolche Casa resides in Giv ’ at Masua near the Jerusalem Zoo .
The proprietors of the shop were absolutely gracious and their displays were gorgeous .
A distinct boutique feel .
Dolche ’ s dough was delectable and while their offerings were small ( we ’ re American , we like big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even though we would have liked to see a better dough/jelly ratio .
The fancy ones ( Oreo , Kremshnit , pretzels ) featured the fanciness on top of the doughnut itself , rather than inside of it , so we felt that while it was a worthwhile venture , the good stuff on top of a doughnut does not a sufganiya finalist make .
Nestled in Efrat , Pat BaMelach is an artisan bread bakery which has established quite a name for itself in the last few years , its breads even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( and we don ’ t live in the Gush . )
Their sufganiyot , however , do not appear near me , so before I piled the non-pink mask wearers into the car , I attempted to order ahead of time to ensure their inclusion in our tour .
“ Sold out ” was the copy that met me at the online checkout .
I called .
I Facebooked .
I called again .
They were so slammed it took me two days to order !
Luckily , they are ON TOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
I need your sufganiyot !
” and hooked me right up .
Perhaps they have been locked up all summer as the Universe ’ s effort to perfect sufganiyot .
They had not one but TWO of our finalists this year .
Both their Lemon Meringue and their Boston Creme are clear winners .
They took the proverbial cake this year with these two offerings — the custard inside the Boston Cream was magnificent and the lemon… ohhh the lemon .
Let it be known that we are not lemon people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , and 16 of them are chocolate cake .
On Shabbat , when I attempt to serve lemon cake , or strawberry pie , or anything sans chocolate , I encounter a mutiny .
And remember that with four kids , the parental units are outnumbered , so a non-chocolate winner is compelling .
I know that you may encounter a “ sold out ” when ordering online , but if that ’ s the case , GET IN THE CAR .
It ’ s worth it .
English Cake has produced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are always excited to visit .
This year , though , the dough was simply not fresh enough to produce a finalist .
All was not lost , however — they offered two varieties which we favored — the Mozart and the Mikupelet are worth trying , but they were a bit short on internal cream ( the ratio of filling to doughnut was lacking ! )
Pictured below , the Mozart is a tasty flavor combination ( bottom , right ) and the Mikupelet ( bottom , middle ) has a worthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left in the image ) hosted a fresh , juicy strawberry on top but was nearly empty .
English Cake , you ought to be embarrassed by the lack of filling .
Immediate disqualification .
Marzipan , you upped your game this year .
Although we visit Marzipan annually as part of our tradition , they ’ ve never before produced a finalist .
This year , they ’ re golden .
Literally .
We ’ ve never seen this before .
It ’ s a sufganiya stuffed with Ferrero Rocher flavored mousse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crunchy like Magic Shell , sprinkled with tasty golden dust .
Although their traditional jelly is inadequate ( cheap jam ) , they have established the gold standard this year .
Excellent showing , Marzipan !
Oh , the dough .
We are dough snobs .
We don ’ t like too chewy , or too heavy , or too light .
We want fresh and airy and sweet , and Berman ’ s dough is triumphant .
Their traditional jelly is a finalist , even though the displays were of the sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bread store .
Rivaling their champion traditional jelly , Berman invested extra effort this year and presented a chocolate covered custard-cream filled delicacy which my husband has branded “ Israel ’ s Krispy Kreme.
” Hitting custard on bite # 2 took it over the top and positioned it as a finalist contender .
Congratulations , Berman !
All of your sufganiyot offer scrumptious dough , and two finalists from any vendor is a feat to be proud of indeed .
Achim Chaba have no sign , no logo , and no website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoarse by the end of the day , these are bakers who do not stand on ceremony and would laugh in your face if you asked for Oreo or double chocolate .
My husband is masorti ( a traditionalist ) as far as sufganiyot go , and would not let the day end ( even though after 35 of them — no I ’ m not kidding — we were kinda doughnutted-out ) without including a standard shuk bakery in the running .
To be fair , he had a point .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all day .
Since he attended Dugma as a boy ( an elementary school in Nachlaot ) , he wandered through the shuk daily and sampled hot sufganiyot ( which were a shekel a piece ) for the full month proceeding Chanukah .
He needed hot doughnuts .
Chaba to the rescue .
Although they were rookies as far as we were concerned , they came out of the gate with a traditional jelly finalist .
Between roaring about the price of pitot and growling “ K ’ chi , mami , eser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their way around a light , fluffy and properly jellied classic sufganiya .
You can find them on the open road of the shuk , on the right side if you ’ re coming from Jaffa Road , down toward Agrippas .
They ’ re just a few stores in , and while you can ask their name to confirm you ’ re in the right place , considering the lack of a sign , they ’ re simply likely to throw sufganiyot at you and wish you Chag Sameach .
OK , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blog is “ too long , didn ’ t read , ” here is the upshot : Last year , we had to skip our Sufganiyot Tour of the Shuk because we ran away to India in the fall and found ourselves still there when Chanukah rolled around ( much to our chagrin when we realized that we had overstayed our visas ) .
While we were usually successful in locating Chabad for Shabbat dinner in our myriad of locations across India and Thailand , they didn ’ t exist in Hampi ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ southwest where Israelis are known to gather ) , so we sought out Lev Yehudi , which we were delighted to find was kind of Chabad-ish , yet focused on preserving both Israeli and Jewish culture rather than religious observance .
To us , culture meant sufganiyot .
Lev Yehudi was on an island ( where all the Israelis were ) and weren ’ t serving sufganiyot until evening , so in the name of tradition , we hired what one might call a boat ( but was really a floating saucer ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post-sufganiyot , since the regular “ boat ” ( it looked more like a boat , but was still captained by a guy with a long stick ) stopped making runs at dusk .
Lev Yehudi came through , complete with candlelighting , dreidels , songs , and celebration… but we felt we had to redeem last year ’ s lack of a Sufganiyot Tour , and we ’ re thrilled that the bakeries in and surrounding Jerusalem seemed to rise to the 2020 challenge .
Chanukah ends on Friday .
Redemption for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If chocolate ( or lemon ! )
sufganiyot are on offer near you , fight the urge to hermit .

After begging my kids to wear matching custom-made sufganiyot masks (click the link and see the one at the bottom on the right? Aren’t they cute?) and failing, “because they’re pink!” and “Mom, we do not live on Pinterest” we embarked anyway, since it’s our favorite day of the year, even in non-matching masks.
Clearly, this is no ordinary year. 2020 has kicked us all in the behind, affecting our finances, our parenting, and our very freedom of movement. It has, however, proved to be one of the best years for sufganiyot… ever. Bakers seem to feel that this is their chance at redemption, and who are we to argue?
We had to juggle the lineup a bit this year, since some of the bakeries in our standard path are no longer viable options, and still more reside in neighborhoods affected significantly by COVID-19, making them inaccessible. One of the things we’ve learned this year is flexibility, so with a hat tip to those we could not include, we marched proudly forward to the 2020 contestants. (Brooklyn Bakery, you’re still in the dog house after our last attempt with you.)
Our intention, in the face of limited options, was to expand our territory. We started asking around for bonafide candidates, and we kept hearing “Herby. “Go to Herby.” I couldn’t imagine who this guy was, or where he came from, considering I can’t fathom Israelis attempting to pronounce “Herby” since I hear them trying to say “Hilary” and it comes out more like “Eelary” so I imagined I was looking for a guy called “Eerby.”
Apparently, Herby is from Memphis, and he runs a bakery in Bet El.
photo credit: Herby’s Bakeshop FB page
My sister lives in Migron, so the master plan was for her to pick up from “Eerby” in Bet El and meet us in the shuk for our entire group to evaluate his wares. Of course, since it’s 2020, she called two hours before our meetup and regretfully informed me that while Herby came through, her family just discovered that they may have been exposed and were therefore in quarantine. Not the types to be deterred, they Zoomed in:
Herby’s Bakeshop sufganiyot on Zoom, picture taken by author
After continuous haggling, we decided that since the entire panel could not vote, we could not in good conscience include Herby’s Bakeshop in the final judging. That said, we wanted to give him an honorable mention, since the part of our crowd that COULD taste them gushed about the filling to dough ratio, and insisted that the chocolate inside was leagues ahead of the standard chocolate spread. Good show, Eerby, but sorry, we will try again next year!
Dolcha Casa
Dolche Casa in Giv’at Masua, taken by author
A newcomer to us this year, suggested by a rather insistent friend of mine, Dolche Casa resides in Giv’at Masua near the Jerusalem Zoo. The proprietors of the shop were absolutely gracious and their displays were gorgeous. A distinct boutique feel.
Dolche’s dough was delectable and while their offerings were small (we’re American, we like big) their jelly was top notch, even though we would have liked to see a better dough/jelly ratio. The fancy ones (Oreo, Kremshnit, pretzels) featured the fanciness on top of the doughnut itself, rather than inside of it, so we felt that while it was a worthwhile venture, the good stuff on top of a doughnut does not a sufganiya finalist make.
Pat BaMelach
Pat BaMelach, taken by author
Nestled in Efrat, Pat BaMelach is an artisan bread bakery which has established quite a name for itself in the last few years, its breads even appearing at retail outlets in my neighborhood (and we don’t live in the Gush.) Their sufganiyot, however, do not appear near me, so before I piled the non-pink mask wearers into the car, I attempted to order ahead of time to ensure their inclusion in our tour.
“Sold out” was the copy that met me at the online checkout. I called. I Facebooked. I called again. They were so slammed it took me two days to order! Luckily, they are ON TOP of Facebook messages shouting, “SOS! I need your sufganiyot!” and hooked me right up.
Perhaps they have been locked up all summer as the Universe’s effort to perfect sufganiyot. They had not one but TWO of our finalists this year. Both their Lemon Meringue and their Boston Creme are clear winners.
Pat BaMelach, photo taken by author
They took the proverbial cake this year with these two offerings — the custard inside the Boston Cream was magnificent and the lemon… ohhh the lemon.
Let it be known that we are not lemon people. My recipe binder has 33 desserts in it, and 16 of them are chocolate cake. On Shabbat, when I attempt to serve lemon cake, or strawberry pie, or anything sans chocolate, I encounter a mutiny. And remember that with four kids, the parental units are outnumbered, so a non-chocolate winner is compelling.
I know that you may encounter a “sold out” when ordering online, but if that’s the case, GET IN THE CAR. It’s worth it.
English Cake
English Cake on Agripas, photo taken by author
English Cake has produced winners in the past, so we are always excited to visit. This year, though, the dough was simply not fresh enough to produce a finalist. All was not lost, however — they offered two varieties which we favored — the Mozart and the Mikupelet are worth trying, but they were a bit short on internal cream (the ratio of filling to doughnut was lacking!)
Pictured below, the Mozart is a tasty flavor combination (bottom, right) and the Mikupelet (bottom, middle) has a worthy crunch. Their Boston Creme (top left in the image) hosted a fresh, juicy strawberry on top but was nearly empty. English Cake, you ought to be embarrassed by the lack of filling. Immediate disqualification.
English Cake, photo taken by author
Marzipan
Marzipan on Agripas, photo taken by author
Marzipan, you upped your game this year. Although we visit Marzipan annually as part of our tradition, they’ve never before produced a finalist. This year, they’re golden. Literally.
Gold from Marzipan, photo taken by author
We’ve never seen this before. It’s a sufganiya stuffed with Ferrero Rocher flavored mousse, boasting a topping that’s crunchy like Magic Shell, sprinkled with tasty golden dust. Although their traditional jelly is inadequate (cheap jam), they have established the gold standard this year. Excellent showing, Marzipan!
Berman
Berman Bakery on Agripas, photo taken by author
Oh, the dough. We are dough snobs. We don’t like too chewy, or too heavy, or too light. We want fresh and airy and sweet, and Berman’s dough is triumphant.
Their traditional jelly is a finalist, even though the displays were of the sort you’d expect from a standard bread store. Rivaling their champion traditional jelly, Berman invested extra effort this year and presented a chocolate covered custard-cream filled delicacy which my husband has branded “Israel’s Krispy Kreme.”
Berman Bakery’s chocolate covered custard filled, photo taken by author, permission granted by pictured teen.
Hitting custard on bite #2 took it over the top and positioned it as a finalist contender. Congratulations, Berman! All of your sufganiyot offer scrumptious dough, and two finalists from any vendor is a feat to be proud of indeed.
Chaba
Achim Chaba on the open road of the shuk, photo taken by author
Achim Chaba have no sign, no logo, and no website. They are shuk pita guys; hoarse by the end of the day, these are bakers who do not stand on ceremony and would laugh in your face if you asked for Oreo or double chocolate. My husband is masorti (a traditionalist) as far as sufganiyot go, and would not let the day end (even though after 35 of them — no I’m not kidding — we were kinda doughnutted-out) without including a standard shuk bakery in the running.
To be fair, he had a point. We had not run into ONE warm sufganiya all day. Since he attended Dugma as a boy (an elementary school in Nachlaot), he wandered through the shuk daily and sampled hot sufganiyot (which were a shekel a piece) for the full month proceeding Chanukah. He needed hot doughnuts.
Chaba to the rescue. Although they were rookies as far as we were concerned, they came out of the gate with a traditional jelly finalist. Between roaring about the price of pitot and growling “K’chi, mami, eser shekel,” these guys clearly know their way around a light, fluffy and properly jellied classic sufganiya. You can find them on the open road of the shuk, on the right side if you’re coming from Jaffa Road, down toward Agrippas. They’re just a few stores in, and while you can ask their name to confirm you’re in the right place, considering the lack of a sign, they’re simply likely to throw sufganiyot at you and wish you Chag Sameach.
TLDR
OK, if you were skimming because the whole blog is “too long, didn’t read,” here is the upshot:
Finalists in the fancy category:
Lemon Meringue — Pat BaMelach
Boston Creme — Pat BaMelach
Gold (Ferrero Rocher) — Marzipan
Chocolate Covered Custard Filled — Berman
Finalists in the traditional jelly category:
Berman
Achim Chaba
Redemption
Last year, we had to skip our Sufganiyot Tour of the Shuk because we ran away to India in the fall and found ourselves still there when Chanukah rolled around (much to our chagrin when we realized that we had overstayed our visas). While we were usually successful in locating Chabad for Shabbat dinner in our myriad of locations across India and Thailand, they didn’t exist in Hampi (a small but wonderful hamlet in the southwest where Israelis are known to gather), so we sought out Lev Yehudi, which we were delighted to find was kind of Chabad-ish, yet focused on preserving both Israeli and Jewish culture rather than religious observance. To us, culture meant sufganiyot.
Lev Yehudi was on an island (where all the Israelis were) and weren’t serving sufganiyot until evening, so in the name of tradition, we hired what one might call a boat (but was really a floating saucer) to take us back to the mainland post-sufganiyot, since the regular “boat” (it looked more like a boat, but was still captained by a guy with a long stick) stopped making runs at dusk. Lev Yehudi came through, complete with candlelighting, dreidels, songs, and celebration… but we felt we had to redeem last year’s lack of a Sufganiyot Tour, and we’re thrilled that the bakeries in and surrounding Jerusalem seemed to rise to the 2020 challenge.
Chanukah ends on Friday. Redemption for this sh*t show of a year awaits. If chocolate (or lemon!) sufganiyot are on offer near you, fight the urge to hermit.
It’s worth it.


jewworldorder--2020-12-16--Top cops said set to quit Israel Police in protest of new commissioner pick

Several senior officers in the Israel Police are reportedly planning on hanging up their handcuffs and leaving the force in protest of Public Security Minister Amir Ohana ’ s Tuesday announcement that he had nominated Border Police chief Yaakov ( Kobi ) Shabtai to serve as the next commissioner of police .
In addition to interim police chief Motti Cohen ’ s subsequent announcement that he would resign from the post within days , three other police major generals — Jerusalem District Commander Doron Yadid , Tel Aviv District Commander David Bitan and Deputy Commissioner Alon Asor — are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcaster reported .
In a letter to the force on Ohana ’ s decision , Cohen lamented the political calculations that led to the delay in the appointment of a permanent police chief for two years .
He also claimed that unnamed forces were intervening in the police ’ s work .
Get The Times of Israel ’ s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up According to Kan , Ohana told Cohen of his intention to appoint Shabtai in a “ particularly difficult ” meeting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subordinates of his intention to step down even before his successor takes the reins .
Like Cohen , major generals Yadid , Bitan and Asor were “ dismayed ” at the choice of Shabtai and the manner in which the appointment was made , the report said .
Shabtai , 56 , had not been seen as a frontrunner in recent weeks , with many analysts speculating that Ohana would tap Yadid or one of Yadid ’ s predecessors , Yoram Halevi .
Before taking on the role of Border Police chief , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit in addition to commanding an undercover combat force in the Gaza Strip .
He had not served as district commissioner , a typical prerequisite for police chief candidates .
In addition to the announcement of the new police commissioner , Ohana said Tuesday the current head of the Israel Prisons Service ’ s southern district , Katy Perry , will serve as the next chief of the IPS , which has also been without a permanent chief since 2018 .
In announcing his decision , Ohana said that both positions he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the organization and experience in various roles , ” as well as the ability to both uphold the organizations ’ values and “ refresh ” them .
Hours after the announcement , Cohen sent his letter declaring his decision to retire from the force .
“ It seems that the decision not to appoint a permanent commissioner for such a long time was not without ulterior considerations , ” he wrote in an apparent swipe at the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .
“ Along with the familiar challenges of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with new challenges — attempts to intervene in the work of the Israel Police .
This intervention has no place in the organization and I did not lend it a hand , ” Cohen wrote , without going into specifics .
Responding to the criticism , Ohana said on Twitter that “ a minister should be involved in the affairs of his office , and the minister of public security must be involved in police work , even if it is a new phenomenon for someone in the police or in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement from the public security minister came less than a week after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit ordered him to name a candidate for permanent police commissioner by the end of the month .
Mandelblit ’ s instruction followed an injunction from the High Court of Justice ordering the government to fill the position , without providing a deadline .
The Israel Police has been without a permanent commissioner since December 2018 , when Roni Alsheich ’ s term ended .
Around the same time , new elections were called , leading to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections over the course of a year .
As the government during this time was a caretaker-transitional one , it could not appoint a police chief .
Israel , however , has had a permanent coalition since May .
Alsheich was a key figure in Netanyahu ’ s criminal probes and is one of the figures the premier and his Likud colleagues have claimed without evidence were involved in an attempted coup against Netanyahu .
Cohen has been acting police chief since Alsheich ’ s departure and has had his tenure extended several @ @

Several senior officers in the Israel Police are reportedly planning on hanging up their handcuffs and leaving the force in protest of Public Security Minister Amir Ohana’s Tuesday announcement that he had nominated Border Police chief Yaakov (Kobi) Shabtai to serve as the next commissioner of police.
In addition to interim police chief Motti Cohen’s subsequent announcement that he would resign from the post within days, three other police major generals — Jerusalem District Commander Doron Yadid, Tel Aviv District Commander David Bitan and Deputy Commissioner Alon Asor — are also planning on resigning, the Kan public broadcaster reported.
In a letter to the force on Ohana’s decision, Cohen lamented the political calculations that led to the delay in the appointment of a permanent police chief for two years. He also claimed that unnamed forces were intervening in the police’s work.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
According to Kan, Ohana told Cohen of his intention to appoint Shabtai in a “particularly difficult” meeting, after which the interim commissioner told his subordinates of his intention to step down even before his successor takes the reins.
Like Cohen, major generals Yadid, Bitan and Asor were “dismayed” at the choice of Shabtai and the manner in which the appointment was made, the report said.
Kobi Shabtai, commander of the Border Police, on September 28, 2017 (Moshe Shai/Flash90)
Shabtai, 56, had not been seen as a frontrunner in recent weeks, with many analysts speculating that Ohana would tap Yadid or one of Yadid’s predecessors, Yoram Halevi. Before taking on the role of Border Police chief, Shabtai served in the Yamam police counter-terrorism unit in addition to commanding an undercover combat force in the Gaza Strip. He had not served as district commissioner, a typical prerequisite for police chief candidates.
In addition to the announcement of the new police commissioner, Ohana said Tuesday the current head of the Israel Prisons Service’s southern district, Katy Perry, will serve as the next chief of the IPS, which has also been without a permanent chief since 2018.
New Israel Prisons Service southern district chief Katy Perry. (Israel Police)
In announcing his decision, Ohana said that both positions he was filling require leaders with “in-depth knowledge of the organization and experience in various roles,” as well as the ability to both uphold the organizations’ values and “refresh” them.
Hours after the announcement, Cohen sent his letter declaring his decision to retire from the force.
“It seems that the decision not to appoint a permanent commissioner for such a long time was not without ulterior considerations,” he wrote in an apparent swipe at the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Along with the familiar challenges of the job, recently I also had to deal with new challenges — attempts to intervene in the work of the Israel Police. This intervention has no place in the organization and I did not lend it a hand,” Cohen wrote, without going into specifics.
Responding to the criticism, Ohana said on Twitter that “a minister should be involved in the affairs of his office, and the minister of public security must be involved in police work, even if it is a new phenomenon for someone in the police or in the public service in general.”
Minister of Public Security Amir Ohana and Acting Israeli Police Commissioner Motti Cohen, during a visit at the Coronavirus National Enforcement Administration, in Tel Aviv, on December 1, 2020. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)
The announcement from the public security minister came less than a week after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit ordered him to name a candidate for permanent police commissioner by the end of the month. Mandelblit’s instruction followed an injunction from the High Court of Justice ordering the government to fill the position, without providing a deadline.
The Israel Police has been without a permanent commissioner since December 2018, when Roni Alsheich’s term ended. Around the same time, new elections were called, leading to an extended period of instability that saw three elections over the course of a year. As the government during this time was a caretaker-transitional one, it could not appoint a police chief.
Israel, however, has had a permanent coalition since May.
Alsheich was a key figure in Netanyahu’s criminal probes and is one of the figures the premier and his Likud colleagues have claimed without evidence were involved in an attempted coup against Netanyahu. Cohen has been acting police chief since Alsheich’s departure and has had his tenure extended several times.


jewworldorder--2020-12-17--U.S. Senate Votes To Create ‘Ambassador-At-Large’ To Pressure Countries To Be More Tolerant Of Jews

After a vote by the U.S. Senate , the State Department ’ s ‘ Antisemitism Czar ’ , Elan Carr , will be getting pay raise and promotion to “ Ambassador-At-Large ” — and we will now be required to address him as “ His Excellency “ : The U.S. Senate passed a bill that would elevate the position of the anti-Semitism monitor to ambassador , adding punch to the envoy ’ s mission of pressing other governments to confront anti-Jewish bigotry .
“ Anti-Semitism continues to rise at an alarming rate across the globe , ” Sen. Jacky Rosen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bipartisan bill , said in a statement Wednesday after the vote , which passed unanimously .
“ To equip the State Department to better address rising anti-Semitism , it is critical that we elevate the role of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism to Ambassador-at-Large.
” The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar bill last year , meaning it is almost certain to become law before the year ends and the current Congress lapses .
A broad array of Jewish groups backed the measure .
With the status of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to the secretary of state , increased funding and the office ’ s recommendations are likelier to be seen overseas as having the backing of the administration of the day .
“ This legislation provides the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism with the tools , resources and gravitas necessary to apply much-needed pressure on foreign governments to create more tolerant societies as part of their relationships with the United States , ” Hadassah said in a statement .
The Orthodox Union said , “ the Senate is providing powerful new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impactful international efforts to combat what has been aptly called ‘ the world ’ s oldest form of hatred ’ .
” The position of anti-Semitism monitor was created by Congress in 2004 .
The only time Republicans and Democrats can agree on anything is when the Jews demand something — then miraculously they are able to vote “ unanimously ” on every issue set before them .
We are curious , however , to know exactly what kind of “ much-needed pressure ” that the U.S. State Department is going to exert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more tolerant of Jews .
Are we going to start sending in the U.S. military if Poland continues to refuse to cough up billions in reparations to the Jews for “ collaborating ” with the “ Nazis ” to kill 6 Million™ Jews ?
Are we going to cut off relations with the Netherlands because they refuse to return a valuable painting to a Jewish family who “ lost it in the Holocaust ” ?
Perhaps we should invade Finland or Denmark if they ever vote to make non-medical circumcision illegal ?
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phosphorous bombs after they made the inhumane ritual kosher killing of animals illegal ?
The oh-so convenient thing about “ antisemitism ” is that it ’ s so vague that it can mean anything that the Jews want it to mean — and this will keep the new Ambassador a very busy beaver , no doubt .
Also on Christians for Truth :

After a vote by the U.S. Senate, the State Department’s ‘Antisemitism Czar’, Elan Carr, will be getting pay raise and promotion to “Ambassador-At-Large” — and we will now be required to address him as “His Excellency“:
The U.S. Senate passed a bill that would elevate the position of the anti-Semitism monitor to ambassador, adding punch to the envoy’s mission of pressing other governments to confront anti-Jewish bigotry. “Anti-Semitism continues to rise at an alarming rate across the globe,” Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who led sponsorship of the bipartisan bill, said in a statement Wednesday after the vote, which passed unanimously. “To equip the State Department to better address rising anti-Semitism, it is critical that we elevate the role of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism to Ambassador-at-Large.” The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar bill last year, meaning it is almost certain to become law before the year ends and the current Congress lapses. A broad array of Jewish groups backed the measure. With the status of ambassador, the envoy will have easier access to the secretary of state, increased funding and the office’s recommendations are likelier to be seen overseas as having the backing of the administration of the day. “This legislation provides the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism with the tools, resources and gravitas necessary to apply much-needed pressure on foreign governments to create more tolerant societies as part of their relationships with the United States,” Hadassah said in a statement. The Orthodox Union said, “the Senate is providing powerful new tools to the State Department to lead impactful international efforts to combat what has been aptly called ‘the world’s oldest form of hatred’.” The position of anti-Semitism monitor was created by Congress in 2004.
The only time Republicans and Democrats can agree on anything is when the Jews demand something — then miraculously they are able to vote “unanimously” on every issue set before them.
We are curious, however, to know exactly what kind of “much-needed pressure” that the U.S. State Department is going to exert on countries to force them into being more tolerant of Jews.
Are we going to start sending in the U.S. military if Poland continues to refuse to cough up billions in reparations to the Jews for “collaborating” with the “Nazis” to kill 6 Million™ Jews?
Are we going to cut off relations with the Netherlands because they refuse to return a valuable painting to a Jewish family who “lost it in the Holocaust”?
Perhaps we should invade Finland or Denmark if they ever vote to make non-medical circumcision illegal?
And Belgium might need a little taste of phosphorous bombs after they made the inhumane ritual kosher killing of animals illegal?
The oh-so convenient thing about “antisemitism” is that it’s so vague that it can mean anything that the Jews want it to mean — and this will keep the new Ambassador a very busy beaver, no doubt.


CHILD ABUSE TIMELINE

of the Child Abuse Timeline .
We include extracts from the blog Fighting Back and some additions : Andrew Ash was brought from a government children ’ s home , to parliament , to be sexually abused .
The female MP was part of a pedophile ring ‘ at the heart of government ’ , a ring that included Sir Jimmy Savile .
Andrew was also trafficked to Amsterdam on a number of occasions .
1980 ’ s – As a child , Peter Hatton-Bornshin stayed at the local-government-run Grafton Close Children ’ s Home .
He was forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elm Guest House , orgies which involved top people .
When he was a little older , Peter was sent to Broadmoor mental hospital , where he died in mysterious circumstances .
Early 1980 ’ s – Derek Laud becomes first black member of the Conservative Monday club .
1981 – the Portuguese police accused the caretaker of a Casa Pia state-run children ’ s home of raping dozens of children over a period of 30 years .
In the 1980s the police dropped their investigation and officials destroyed documents .
In 2004 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ de Noticias claimed that Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio and Portugal ’ s European Commissioner Antonio Vitorino had been mentioned in anonymous letters sent to the magistrates investigating the Casa Pia child abuse scandal .
aangirfan : CASA PIA / ( Why Portugal is a haven for paedophiles – the disturbing backcloth to the Madeleine case ) 1981 – 3 senior care staff at Kincora boys home ( Boy brothel reportedly run by MI5 ) jailed for abusing 11 boys .
1981 , 4th August ( Royal Wedding ) – Vishal Mehrotra goes missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a mile from Elm Guest House .
Body found in 1982 in woodland in Sussex .
1982 – Johnny Gosch is kidnapped , reportedly by the US military .
Noreen Gosch gave the court sworn testimony linking U.S. Army Lt. Col. Michael Aquino ( ret . )
to the nationwide pedophile ring that kidnapped her son .
Noreen Gosch said : “ This … was an offshoot of … the MK-Ultra program developed in the 1950s by the CIA.
” Paul Bonacci in front of the ranch where , reportedly , Johnny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ captive .
Paul Bonacci has stated that , as a youth , he was forced to participate in satanic snuff films .
He identified Bohemian Grove as the location of a satanic murder .
Paul A. Bonacci said that , as a child , he was kidnapped by the US military , tortured and subjected to sex abuse and mind control .
In a court in Omaha , he won $ 1,000,000 in damages .
Mob boss and ‘ friend of the Vatican and CIA ’ , Enrico De Pedis , has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Father Gabriele Amorth , who has worked for the Vatican over many years , told La Stampa that missing schoolgirl Emanuela Orlandi was forced to take part in sex parties .
According to Amorth : “ This was a crime with a sexual motive .
“ This has previously been stated by ( deceased ) monsignor Simeone Duca , an archivist at the Vatican , who was asked to recruit girls for parties with the help of the Vatican gendarmes .
“ Parties were organised , with a Vatican gendarme acting as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The network involved diplomatic personnel from a foreign embassy to the Holy See .
“ I believe Emanuela ended up a victim of this circle.
” According to a phone caller to a TV program : ” To find the solution to the case , go and see who ’ s buried in the crypt of the basilica of Sant ’ Apollinare.
” The caller implied that Emanuela had been kidnapped as a favour to Cardinal Ugo Poletti .
The motive was said to be sexual .
Mob boss , Enrico De @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the central Roman Basilica of Sant ’ Apollinare , beside the Opus Dei University of the Holy Cross .
On 14 May 2012 , police forensic experts exhumed the tomb .
They found hundreds of bones in an ossuary nearby in the crypt .
Some people believe that the Mob boss de Pedis was the son of Cardinal Poletti , the Vicar of Rome , who was very close to former Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti .
De Pedis reportedly was involved in the CIA ’ s Operation Gladio , which carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1983 , April , 19 – 30th – Kasirs , the owners of the Elm Guest House boy brothel are given suspended sentences .
1984 , Savile accepted as a member of the Athenaeum , a gentlemen ’ s club in London ’ s Pall Mall , after being proposed by Cardinal Basil Hume .
1984 – Geoffrey Dickens MP hands over 50 page dossier on VIP child abuse with links to Elm Guest House to Leon Brittan ’ s office .
1984 , June 1st – Mark Tildlsley , 7 , lured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gang .
No prosecutions made , and Cooke ’ s role in murder not investigated until 1999 .
Sydney Cook , whose pedophile ring has been linked to a former UK government minister .
A former Conservative government minister is suspected to be linked to Sidney Cooke who tortured and killed 14-year-old Jason Swift in 1985 .
Cooke ’ s ring may have included Sir Jimmy Savile , Sir Cyril Smith and top judges .
Jason Swift has links to Baby P. In 1985 , 14-year-old Jason Swift was killed by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have lived in Islington council ’ s Conewood Street children ’ s home .
A close male relative of Baby P reportedly recruited boys from children ’ s homes in Islington for the child-abuse ring .
Islington children were reportedly sent to Jersey , the island linked to child abuse .
A former detective has told the Sunday Mirror that in 1986 the minister was photographed at a premises in North London where boys taken , from Kings Cross , were taken to be raped .
The former detective says that , back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were due to be arrested .
But the police operation was suddenly closed down .
1985 – first public allegation of abuse in Islington ’ s Council care by Demetrious Panton to Margaret Hodge .
( very existence of which would be ignored until 1989 ) .
Jason Swift .
Jason is believed to have lived in Islington council ’ s Conewood Street children ’ s home .
( Jersey child abuse link to Islington , London ) Sidney Cooke , Leslie Bailey , Robert Oliver , and Lennie Smith , were involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1985 , November – Jason Swift , 14 , brutally raped and murdered by Sydney Cooke and three accomplices – Leslie Bailey , Robert Oliver and Steven Barrell .
1986 – San Francisco police began investigating claims of sexual abuse centering around the Army ’ s Child Development Center at the Presidio of San Francisco .
In 1987 , a girl identified Lt.-Col. Michael Aquino as the person who had had abused her .
1986 – The Sunday Times exposes Spartacus .
Undercover reporters offered 2 boys in manila , 8 and 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discreet , I can guarantee you will get as many boys as you want in the Philippines.
” 1989 – a group of parents published allegations in a conservative magazine that their children had witnessed Satanic Ritual Abuse and had been ritually abused from May , 1987 until October 1988 in Oude Pekela , in the Netherlands .
During the initial investigation , only the non-ritual aspects were reported in the press and investigated by the authorities .
In 1989 the Christian news program Tijdsein reported allegations that included satanic ritual abuse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Oude Pekela Fred Jonker and Ietje Jonker-Bakker alleged that several children had been abused by unknown men in the context of satanic rituals .
1987 – Beat Meier and Roger Lawrence ( P.I.E .
member ) were caught by UK customs in 1987 trafficking a 3 year old boy on the Ostend – Dover ferry .
Meier ’ s name is also believed to have come up during the Marc Dutroux investigation in Belgium , along with Spartacus boss John D. Stamford .
http : //spotlightonabuse 1987 – Plans drawn up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Broadmoor hospital – during a meeting at the Athanaeum .
1987 , 10th March – Daniel Morgan , private investigator for Southern Investigations murdered in pub car park , Sydenham , following important police corruption probe .
1987 , May – Harvey Proctor resigns as MP for Billericay after being involved in spanking sessions with young male prostitutes .
1988 – The Franklin child prostitution ring provides boys to top U.S .
politicians .
[ 1 ] Religious leaders and Washington politicians flew children to Washington for sex orgies .
Right – Johhny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kidnapped by the US military .
Many of the children described satanic rituals that they were forced to attend , some of which involved sacrificing infants and young children .
Children attending these sacrifices were warned that if they ever told anyone they would be the next to be sacrificed .
General Michael Aquino of the USA ’ s national Security Agency is said to have kidnapped Johnny Gosch .
In addition , they told of being flown to locations around the country in King ’ s private plane to parties where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual acts demanded of them… Several of the children in Kings prostitution ring recount stories of seeing George Bush at some of King ’ s Parties .
At least one of King ’ s young prostitutes reported that at one party , she saw George Bush pay King and then depart with a young black man… At least two of ( King ’ s ) victims have been wrongly imprisoned for refusing to recant their testimony .
Paul Bonacci ( above ) claimed the sex ring was based at Offutt U.S. Air Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was abused at the air force base from the age of three onwards .
The abuse began in 1970 .
At Offutt , Paul said he was “ trained ” by tortures , heavy drugging and sexual degradation .
Larry King was reportedly released from prison on April 11 , 2001 after serving about five years .
1988 – Alan Williams ( 21 ) and Warwick Spinks ( 25 ) set up Boys Club 21 and Gay Palace in Amsterdam .
1988 – The BBC ’ s Chris Denning jailed for three years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and possession of indecent photographs .
“ Grant -Hamilton is known as the ring leader in a sickening child – porn ring , and also accused of being involved in a heroin and cocaine smuggling racket through Turkey to London ” .
1989 – Leon Brittan knighted .
Also resigns as MP to become European Commissioner for Competition at the European Commission .
1989 – Robert Oliver found guilty of Jason Swift ’ s manslaughter .
Sentenced to 15 years in jail but served 8 , released in 1997 .
Not on sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Feb 3rd – Colin Peters , Alan Delaney , Ernest Whittington , Victor Burnett , sentenced at the Old Bailey for involvement in a ” sex ring ” which ” lured boys as young as 10 into prostitution ” over a 5 yr period ( around 1983 – 1987 ) .
Police believe part of a much wider ring involving ” influential , professional people and its tentacles reach into Westminster and Whitehall ” .
Said to ” resemble the Mafia in its organisation and strength.
” Colin Peters , alleged ringleader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barrister and Foreign Office official from Bayswater .
He is also listed as a guest in the documents relating to Elm Guest House .
Group now linked heavily to the Elm Guest House scandal and Operation Hedgerow bears striking ” similarities ” to Operation Fernbridge , and similarly involves child trafficking to Amsterdam .
Judge said it resembles the Mafia possibly because it is indeed connected to it !
.. ” Informed sources in Britain believe that the Delaney Peters ring and the Moncini-linked networks are connected , and that both are part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , May – Sydney Cooke sentenced to 19 years in jail for the manslaughter of Jason Swift .
Sydney Cooke allegedly handed boys to a former top cabinet minister suspected of being part of a VIP  paedophile ring for vile sex orgies .
late 1980 ’ s/by 1990 – Amsterdam bars/scene – Boys Club 21 ( Alan Williams ) , Gay Palace ( Spinks ) , Boys for Men , De Boys , The Blue Boy busiest watering holes in international child abuse jungle .
A Swiss businessman is caught in Amsterdam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large suitcase with airholes in the side ; Alan Williams introduces two paedophile friends from Wales , John Gay and Lee Tucker who sell Welsh boys into the clubs on Spuistraat at £120 a time .
‘ Frank ’ , informant ( 1990-1993 ) from Nick Davies article caught up in paedo underworld and witnessed snuff film with Spinks in Canaries .
Kid no older than 12 .
Detectives discovered Alan Williams and friends had been discussing doing this in the barn of a German from one of the Spuistraat clubs .

ELM GUEST HOUSE 1982 – John Rowe (MI5) and Terry Dwyer persuade Carole Kasir to change her Elm Guest House into a boy brothel. 1982 – An advert for Elm Guest House placed in Spartacus International Gay Magazine, 1982, June – John Rowe, of Elm Guest House, takes ‘Rusty’ to Amsterdam. He is in care. Other boys taken to Amsterdam too by John Rowe. Rowe’s trips to Holland organised for Monday Club, also cruises. Recruited via rent boy scene. Selected boys sent on ‘holiday’. 1982, June 19th – The London police’ Special Patrol Group of 60 officers raid the Elm Guest House. A 17-year-old rent boy is detained. This rent boy had appeared in the BBC’s Dr Who and in a Royal Command performance. The police find whips, chains, ropes and pornogrphic films.
Jordan, Minnesota 1983 – In Jordan, Minnesota, several children made allegations of satanic ritual abuse against their parents and an unrelated man. The man confessed and then identified a number of the children’s parents as perpetrators. Twenty-four adults were charged with child abuse though only three went to trial with two acquittals and one conviction.[53] Despite strong medical findings of sexual assault, all other charges were dropped. The children made allegations concerning child pornography, child murder, and ritual sacrifice.
Emanuela Orlandi 1983 In Italy, Emanuela Orlandi disappears.
Mob boss and ‘friend of the Vatican and CIA’, Enrico De Pedis, has been linked to the kidnapping of Emanuela.
De Pedis. De Pedis was buried in Sant’Apollinare church after he was gunned down in 1990 in Rome’s Campo De Fiori. De Pedis controlled the drug trade in Rome and was reportedly protected by the police and security services.
In 2008 Sabrina Minardi, De Pedis’ girlfriend, claimed that the deceased American Archbishop Paul Marcinkus, the chief of the Vatican bank, was behind the kidnap of Emanuela.
Father Gabriele Amorth, who has worked for the Vatican over many years, told La Stampa that missing schoolgirl Emanuela Orlandi was forced to take part in sex parties.
According to Amorth: “This was a crime with a sexual motive.
“This has previously been stated by (deceased) monsignor Simeone Duca, an archivist at the Vatican, who was asked to recruit girls for parties with the help of the Vatican gendarmes.
“Parties were organised, with a Vatican gendarme acting as the ‘recruiter’ of the girls.
“The network involved diplomatic personnel from a foreign embassy to the Holy See.
“I believe Emanuela ended up a victim of this circle.”
Poletti According to a phone caller to a TV program: ”To find the solution to the case, go and see who’s buried in the crypt of the basilica of Sant’Apollinare.” The caller implied that Emanuela had been kidnapped as a favour to Cardinal Ugo Poletti. The motive was said to be sexual. De pedis allegedly supplied teens to cardinals for sex.
De Pedis. Mob boss, Enrico De Pedis was buried in a diamond-encrusted tomb in the central Roman Basilica of Sant’Apollinare, beside the Opus Dei University of the Holy Cross. On 14 May 2012, police forensic experts exhumed the tomb. They found hundreds of bones in an ossuary nearby in the crypt. Some people believe that the Mob boss de Pedis was the son of Cardinal Poletti, the Vicar of Rome, who was very close to former Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti. De Pedis reportedly was involved in the CIA’s Operation Gladio, which carried out acts of terrorism in Italy. Quel “benefattore” di Enrico De Pedis detto “Renatino” | le cose che …– Translate this page 1983, April, 19 – 30th – Kasirs, the owners of the Elm Guest House boy brothel are given suspended sentences.
Leon Brittan (right) 1983, 11th June – Leon Brittan becomes Home Secretary. 1984, Savile accepted as a member of the Athenaeum, a gentlemen’s club in London’s Pall Mall, after being proposed by Cardinal Basil Hume. 1984 – Geoffrey Dickens MP hands over 50 page dossier on VIP child abuse with links to Elm Guest House to Leon Brittan’s office.
Mark Tildsley 1984, June 1st – Mark Tildlsley, 7, lured from fair and murdered by Sydney Cooke and gang. No prosecutions made, and Cooke’s role in murder not investigated until 1999.
Sydney Cook, whose pedophile ring has been linked to a former UK government minister. A former Conservative government minister is suspected to be linked to Sidney Cooke who tortured and killed 14-year-old Jason Swift in 1985. Cooke’s ring may have included Sir Jimmy Savile, Sir Cyril Smith and top judges. Jason Swift has links to Baby P. In 1985, 14-year-old Jason Swift was killed by a child-abuse gang. Jason is believed to have lived in Islington council’s Conewood Street children’s home. A close male relative of Baby P reportedly recruited boys from children’s homes in Islington for the child-abuse ring. Islington children were reportedly sent to Jersey, the island linked to child abuse. A former detective has told the Sunday Mirror that in 1986 the minister was photographed at a premises in North London where boys taken, from Kings Cross, were taken to be raped. The former detective says that, back then, up to 16 top people were due to be arrested. But the police operation was suddenly closed down.
Margaret Hodge (Margaret Oppenheimer) 1985 – first public allegation of abuse in Islington’s Council care by Demetrious Panton to Margaret Hodge.
(very existence of which would be ignored until 1989). 1985 – Cliff Richard appears on ”Jim’ll Fix It”. Jason Swift. Jason is believed to have lived in Islington council’s Conewood Street children’s home. (Jersey child abuse link to Islington, London) Sidney Cooke, Leslie Bailey, Robert Oliver, and Lennie Smith, were involved in the death of Jason Swift.
1985, November – Jason Swift, 14, brutally raped and murdered by Sydney Cooke and three accomplices – Leslie Bailey, Robert Oliver and Steven Barrell. Swift is a believed resident of Islington council’s Conewood Street home.
Michael Aquino 1986 – San Francisco police began investigating claims of sexual abuse centering around the Army’s Child Development Center at the Presidio of San Francisco. In 1987, a girl identified Lt.-Col. Michael Aquino as the person who had had abused her. 1986 – The Sunday Times exposes Spartacus. Undercover reporters offered 2 boys in manila, 8 and 14. He said “If you are discreet, I can guarantee you will get as many boys as you want in the Philippines.”
Oude Pekela 1989 – a group of parents published allegations in a conservative magazine that their children had witnessed Satanic Ritual Abuse and had been ritually abused from May, 1987 until October 1988 in Oude Pekela, in the Netherlands.
During the initial investigation, only the non-ritual aspects were reported in the press and investigated by the authorities.
In 1989 the Christian news program Tijdsein reported allegations that included satanic ritual abuse, to which there was no official response.
Oude Pekela doctors Fred Jonker and Ietje Jonker-Bakker alleged that several children had been abused by unknown men in the context of satanic rituals.
1987 – Beat Meier and Roger Lawrence (P.I.E. member) were caught by UK customs in 1987 trafficking a 3 year old boy on the Ostend – Dover ferry. Meier’s name is also believed to have come up during the Marc Dutroux investigation in Belgium, along with Spartacus boss John D. Stamford. http://spotlightonabuse 1987 – Plans drawn up to appoint Savile to run a taskforce overseeing Broadmoor hospital – during a meeting at the Athanaeum. 1987, 10th March – Daniel Morgan, private investigator for Southern Investigations murdered in pub car park, Sydenham, following important police corruption probe. 1987, May – Harvey Proctor resigns as MP for Billericay after being involved in spanking sessions with young male prostitutes. 1988 – The Franklin child prostitution ring provides boys to top U.S. politicians.[1] Religious leaders and Washington politicians flew children to Washington for sex orgies.
The sex ring was led by, “a cult of devil worshipers involved in the mutilation, sacrifice and cannibalism of numerous children.” [1]
Right – Johhny Gosch, one of the children reportedly kidnapped by the US military.
Many of the children described satanic rituals that they were forced to attend, some of which involved sacrificing infants and young children. Children attending these sacrifices were warned that if they ever told anyone they would be the next to be sacrificed.
General Michael Aquino of the USA’s national Security Agency is said to have kidnapped Johnny Gosch. In addition, they told of being flown to locations around the country in King’s private plane to parties where they were expected to take part in any sexual acts demanded of them… Several of the children in Kings prostitution ring recount stories of seeing George Bush at some of King’s Parties. At least one of King’s young prostitutes reported that at one party, she saw George Bush pay King and then depart with a young black man… At least two of (King’s) victims have been wrongly imprisoned for refusing to recant their testimony.


jewworldorder--2020-12-17--BLOOD LIBEL – MENAHEM BEILIS AND LITTLE ANDREI

In 1911 , Ukraine was part of the Empire of Tsar Nicholas II .
Certain people , such as Lenin , were planning to overthrow the Tsar .
Eight days later his mutilated body was discovered in a cave near a local brick factory .
‘ The lamplighter , on whose testimony the indictment of Beilis rested , later confessed that he had been confused by the secret police.
’ Menahem Beilis spent more than two years in prison awaiting trial .
Andrei Yushchinsky .
( This source clearly takes the side of Beilis ) Sections of the right-wing Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder .
Professor Ivan Sikorsky ( above ) , a psychiatrist who lectured at the University of Kiev , “ skewed his analysis of Andrei ’ s wounds to support the accusation of Jewish ritual murder.
” Sikorsky stated that he found 13 wounds on a part of Andrei ’ s body .
13 is said to be important in “ Jewish ritual ” .
However , “ it was then revealed that there were in fact 14 wounds on that part of the body.
” [ 6 ] Vera Cheberyak ( above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal gang , may have been the real killer of Andrei .
Reportedly , on the day of his disappearance , Andrei , instead of going to school , went to the home of his friend Zhenya ( Eugene ) .
The lamplighter , Shakhovskoy , originally stated that he saw Andrei and his friend Zhenya at Vera Cheberyak ’ s home .
It was later , after meeting the secret police , that the lamplighter claimed that Andrei had been ‘ kidnapped by a Jew ’ .
.
( This source clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a month after the arrest of Mendel Beilis .
The Russian elite had a fear of certain Jewish revolutionaries .
Between 1905 and 1916 the government allowed over 14 million copies of 3,000 ‘ antisemitic ’ books to be printed , including the Protocols of the Elders of Zion .
Reportedly , Russia ’ s Interior Minister Nikolai Maklakov ( above ) provided money to bribe witnesses in the Beilis case .
In 1911 , in the Kiev opera house , in front of the Tsar , Stolypin was assassinated .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be asked.
’ Stolypin had waged a campaign against the ‘ terrorists ’ and over a thousand ‘ terrorists ’ had been hanged in 1906-07 .
Stolypin ’ s enemies were not just Jewish communists , but also “ Constitutional Democrats , redundant officials , disgruntled landowners , Poles , Finns , court reactionaries ” and many others .
.
( This source clearly takes the side of Beilis ) .
( This source clearly takes the side of Beilis ) And later still the lamplighter said ‘ he had been confused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Menahem Beilis ?
Beilis was acquitted by the all-Christian jury .
Reportedly , the jury considered that although Beilis was innocent , Andrei might have been subjected to ritual murder by some other group .
The Beilis Case .
More information about Andrei became widely known in 1912 thanks to a former police detective Nikolai Krasovsky .
Nikolai Krasovsky had been sacked from his post for the unwillingness to frame Beilis .
Nikolai Krasovsky came to the conclusion that Vera and her gang had murdered Andrei .
Zhenya and his sister Valya mysteriously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged that they had been poisoned by their mother Vera , because they knew too much .
It suits governments to blame ‘ scapegoats ’ or ‘ patsies ’ for certain crimes .
PARIS PSYOP – INSIDE JOB – MOSSAD … .
Elliot Rodger – mind controlled sex slave ?

In 1911, Ukraine was part of the Empire of Tsar Nicholas II. Certain people, such as Lenin, were planning to overthrow the Tsar. In 1911, a 13-year-old Ukrainian boy Andrei Yushchinsky (above) disappeared. Eight days later his mutilated body was discovered in a cave near a local brick factory.
A non-religious jew called Menahem Beilis (above) was arrested after a lamplighter testified that the boy had been kidnapped by a Jew.
‘The lamplighter, on whose testimony the indictment of Beilis rested, later confessed that he had been confused by the secret police.’ Menahem Beilis spent more than two years in prison awaiting trial. Andrei Yushchinsky. (This source clearly takes the side of Beilis) Sections of the right-wing Russian press came up with accusations of ritual murder.
Professor Ivan Sikorsky (above), a psychiatrist who lectured at the University of Kiev, “skewed his analysis of Andrei’s wounds to support the accusation of Jewish ritual murder.” Sikorsky stated that he found 13 wounds on a part of Andrei’s body. 13 is said to be important in “Jewish ritual”. However, “it was then revealed that there were in fact 14 wounds on that part of the body.” [6]
Vera Cheberyak (above centre), the leader of a criminal gang, may have been the real killer of Andrei. Reportedly, on the day of his disappearance, Andrei, instead of going to school, went to the home of his friend Zhenya (Eugene).
Vera Cheberyak and her gang.
Zhenya’s mother, Vera Cheberyak, bought and sold stolen goods and often housed criminals. Reportedly, during a quarrel with Zhenya, Andrei threatened to inform the police of Vera’s illegal activities. Reportedly, Vera and her gang then murdered Andrei.
The lamplighter, Shakhovskoy, originally stated that he saw Andrei and his friend Zhenya at Vera Cheberyak’s home.
It was later, after meeting the secret police, that the lamplighter claimed that Andrei had been ‘kidnapped by a Jew’.
. (This source clearly takes the side of Beilis) In 1911, Tsar Nicholas II visited Kiev.
This was a month after the arrest of Mendel Beilis. The Russian elite had a fear of certain Jewish revolutionaries. Between 1905 and 1916 the government allowed over 14 million copies of 3,000 ‘antisemitic’ books to be printed, including the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Reportedly, Russia’s Interior Minister Nikolai Maklakov (above) provided money to bribe witnesses in the Beilis case. Russia’s chief minister was Peter Stolypin. In 1911, in the Kiev opera house, in front of the Tsar, Stolypin was assassinated. The assassin Bogrov, a Jewish student Socialist Revolutionary, was a police informer. He was executed ‘before any questions could be asked.’ Russia had a terrorism problem. Stolypin had waged a campaign against the ‘terrorists’ and over a thousand ‘terrorists’ had been hanged in 1906-07. Stolypin’s enemies were not just Jewish communists, but also “Constitutional Democrats, redundant officials, disgruntled landowners, Poles, Finns, court reactionaries” and many others. Andrei Yushchinsky . (This source clearly takes the side of Beilis) And later still the lamplighter said ‘he had been confused by the secret police.’ Menachem Beilis and family.
What happened to Menahem Beilis? What happened to Menahem Beilis? Beilis was acquitted by the all-Christian jury. Reportedly, the jury considered that although Beilis was innocent, Andrei might have been subjected to ritual murder by some other group.
The Beilis Case. More information about Andrei became widely known in 1912 thanks to a former police detective Nikolai Krasovsky. Nikolai Krasovsky had been sacked from his post for the unwillingness to frame Beilis. The substantial home of Vera Cheberyak Nikolai Krasovsky came to the conclusion that Vera and her gang had murdered Andrei. Zhenya and his sister Valya mysteriously died in August 1911. It is alleged that they had been poisoned by their mother Vera, because they knew too much.
The Kouachi brothers have secular (non religious) backgrounds CONCLUSION
It suits governments to blame ‘scapegoats’ or ‘patsies’ for certain crimes.
PARIS PSYOP – INSIDE JOB – MOSSAD ….
Elliot Rodger – mind controlled sex slave?
Elliot Rodger – innocent patsy mind controlled…


Lebanon’s Economic Quicksand

JNS.org – “ Lebanon is the Titanic without the orchestra , ” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stated on December 13 , 2020 .
“ The Lebanese are in complete denial as they sink , and there isn ’ t even the music.
” Lebanon ’ s economy faces an “ arduous and prolonged depression , ” according to the World Bank .
Its government is in paralysis .
In August , Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned following the Beirut port blast and was replaced by Mustafa Adib , the former ambassador to Germany , who quit a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form a government because of political obstruction by the Hezbollah and Amal movements , described in Lebanon as the “ Shiite twins.
” Saad Hariri , who served twice as prime minister , has been trying unsuccessfully since October 2020 to form a government amid political bickering .
If and when a government is created , it is expected to initiate a series of reforms .
These reforms are demanded by international donors , who have vowed to assist Lebanon financially once a government is formed and significant reforms are implemented to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a demand that would mean asking the present political elite to commit suicide .
Adding insult to injury , in November the New York-based firm Alvares & Marsal , commissioned by the Lebanese government to conduct an audit of Lebanon ’ s central bank , withdrew from the deal because it had not been provided with the needed information .
The bank ’ s governor , Riad Salameh , a former Merrill Lynch banker , claimed that bank secrecy in Lebanon did not allow him to divulge information about the activities of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Salameh , parliament would have to enact specific laws to enable the release of such information , which , in the present political situation in Lebanon , is impossible .
In a video conference between the United Nations and France on December 2 , French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the promised aid “ won ’ t replace the commitment of Lebanese political forces and institutions to form a government as quickly as possible and implement a roadmap for reforms without which the [ long-term ] international economic help won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanese pound by nearly 80 % since October 2019 led to triple-digit inflation ( 120.3 % year-on-year in August ) , paralyzed banks , sent inflation soaring , and is expected to drag more than half of the population into poverty .
Already in May , the United Nations estimated that 55 % of the population was living in poverty on less than $ 14 per day , and within that group , those who were in extreme poverty represented nearly a quarter of the population .
Lebanon ’ s foreign debt has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of GDP , making it one of the highest in the world .
Lebanon had been an economic miracle for decades .
The central bank encouraged deposits in Lebanon and offered lavish interest ( sometimes higher than 20 % ) on monies put in circulation .
Counting on this flow , the bank could allow itself to spend to such an extent that observers described Lebanon ’ s financial system as a nationally-regulated Ponzi scheme , where new money was borrowed to pay existing lenders .
Improved dollar flows showed up in rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parallel rise of liabilities .
In fact , the banks ’ assets could have been wiped out by what was owed to the depositors .
It was sitting on huge losses .
Servicing Lebanon ’ s debt surged , which translated to about 50 % of budget spending .
Moreover , instead of containing the spending , politicians spent wastefully on a public sector pay raise before the 2018 elections .
Political parties and politicians jumped on the cash cow , each appropriating a sector in the economy with the explicit goal of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fortune and subordinating the state ’ s needs to their own enrichment .
It worked well until new money stopped coming in .
The straw that broke the camel ’ s back was the abysmal decision in October 2019 to tax WhatsApp calls .
Mass protests erupted , and instability once again engulfed the Lebanese system .
Dollar inflows stopped , and mountains of dollars exited Lebanon .
Banks had no more currency to pay depositors ; they shut their doors , triggering a currency collapse and generating chaos .
Since October 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost their jobs .
A third of all private-sector jobs have vanished .
The total number of unemployed was estimated in June 2020 at almost 600,000 , or 30 % of the entire labor force of 1.8 million .
The Aug. 4 Beirut port blast hit hundreds of businesses and slashed at least 100,000 jobs in the tourism sector , one of the big employers of the Lebanese economy .
COVID-19 worsened the situation , and one of the primary sources of revenue — tourism — collapsed .
Gulf State investors decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they saw the Lebanese political system taken hostage and paralyzed by Hezbollah , whose troops were fighting in Syria , Iraq , and Yemen instead of “ confronting ” Israel as supposed “ liberation fighters.
” The lucky ones who can afford to pay for passage to Europe , Africa , and the Americas are leaving the country at an incredible pace .
In October , more than 400 physicians of all specialties and an unknown number of skilled workers left Lebanon , precisely as their forefathers did at the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lebanese diaspora .
The less lucky ones are left struggling with rising poverty and must lean heavily on their families outside of Lebanon , who have been extending financial aid for decades .
Indeed , one of the most reliable sources of dollars was the remittances from the Lebanese abroad , who kept sending money even in times of international crisis .
However , since 2011 , disbursements slowed as Lebanon ’ s sectarian schism led to more political chaos .
After the widespread outbreak in 2019 , the central bank put limits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop the bleeding of dollars .
Moreover , the central bank set the exchange rate for the incoming dollars at 3,900 Lebanese liras to the dollar , while the free-market rate was around 9,000 .
This was enough to signal to all contributors that they had to find new ways to provide money to Lebanon , independent of the banking system .
The flow of monies from the ex-pat Lebanese communities became a trickle .
This dire situation has exacerbated the hostility the Lebanese have always felt towards those Syrians who came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decade after the outbreak of the civil war in Syria , Lebanon is still hosting nearly one million Syrian refugees , representing almost 25 % of its population .
The economic crisis has shattered the refugees ’ fragile situation and provoked a sharp increase in severe crime , accompanied by harsh Lebanese repression of the whole refugee population .
It is estimated that the proportion of Syrian refugees in Lebanon living in extreme poverty ( living on less than $ 3 a day ) has reached 88 % , far from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Human trafficking and prostitution are reported to be rife .
Facing this grim prospect and parallel to the spiraling of the financial crisis , the governor of Lebanon ’ s central bank announced in late November that the bank could provide subsidies for basics for only two more months since the inflow of dollars had almost stopped .
He had been using the dwindling reserves to provide foreign currency for the import of fuel , medicine and other basic goods .
The governor ’ s mention of ending subsidies triggered panic buying and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor ’ s statement threatening the sale of banks that fail to raise capital by 20 % by the end of February 2021 prompted a rush by depositors .
The move was believed to be the governor ’ s way of warning the US administration against interfering with Iran and Hezbollah ’ s money trail , which had been using the intricate network of the Lebanese banking system to finance their activities , pay their workers and clients in Lebanon and elsewhere , and launder drug money .
Bearing this situation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK minister on December 3 that Lebanon is on the verge of not being able to feed itself as it plunges into poverty and hyperinflation is genuine .
As described by Reuters , scenes of desperate people searching for food in dumpsters or selling their belongings for food are common .
Lebanon finds itself in economic quicksand .
The implications are clear : all parties must come to their senses and stop bickering and promoting sectarianism and tribalism .
The Lebanese body politic must stabilize the political system , allow structural reforms to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corruption must be halted , even though it has been eating away at Lebanon since the beginning of the 21st century .
Lebanon ’ s other option could lead to a state of hunger and despair , which could provoke the resurgence of sectarian conflagration and the spiraling into an open civil war over basic resources .
In the event of civil disorder , Hezbollah would most likely be the dominant party and strongest militia — enjoying as it does Iranian military and financial support .
A more dominating presence of the Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would go a long way toward turning Lebanon into an Islamic Republic , part of the Iranian empire .
IDF Col .
( ret . )
Dr. Jacques Neriah , a special analyst for the Middle East at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs , was formerly foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and deputy head for assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence .
This article first appeared on the website of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs .

JNS.org – “Lebanon is the Titanic without the orchestra,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stated on December 13, 2020. “The Lebanese are in complete denial as they sink, and there isn’t even the music.”
Lebanon’s economy faces an “arduous and prolonged depression,” according to the World Bank. Its government is in paralysis. In August, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned following the Beirut port blast and was replaced by Mustafa Adib, the former ambassador to Germany, who quit a few weeks later following his inability to form a government because of political obstruction by the Hezbollah and Amal movements, described in Lebanon as the “Shiite twins.”
Saad Hariri, who served twice as prime minister, has been trying unsuccessfully since October 2020 to form a government amid political bickering. If and when a government is created, it is expected to initiate a series of reforms. These reforms are demanded by international donors, who have vowed to assist Lebanon financially once a government is formed and significant reforms are implemented to fight decades of widespread corruption and mismanagement — a demand that would mean asking the present political elite to commit suicide.
Adding insult to injury, in November the New York-based firm Alvares & Marsal, commissioned by the Lebanese government to conduct an audit of Lebanon’s central bank, withdrew from the deal because it had not been provided with the needed information. The bank’s governor, Riad Salameh, a former Merrill Lynch banker, claimed that bank secrecy in Lebanon did not allow him to divulge information about the activities of the country’s domestic banks. According to Salameh, parliament would have to enact specific laws to enable the release of such information, which, in the present political situation in Lebanon, is impossible.
Related coverage December 17, 2020 7:37 am
In a video conference between the United Nations and France on December 2, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the promised aid “won’t replace the commitment of Lebanese political forces and institutions to form a government as quickly as possible and implement a roadmap for reforms without which the [long-term] international economic help won’t be released.”
The meltdown of the Lebanese pound by nearly 80% since October 2019 led to triple-digit inflation (120.3% year-on-year in August), paralyzed banks, sent inflation soaring, and is expected to drag more than half of the population into poverty. Already in May, the United Nations estimated that 55% of the population was living in poverty on less than $14 per day, and within that group, those who were in extreme poverty represented nearly a quarter of the population.
Lebanon’s foreign debt has reached $90 billion or 170% of GDP, making it one of the highest in the world. Lebanon had been an economic miracle for decades. The central bank encouraged deposits in Lebanon and offered lavish interest (sometimes higher than 20%) on monies put in circulation. Counting on this flow, the bank could allow itself to spend to such an extent that observers described Lebanon’s financial system as a nationally-regulated Ponzi scheme, where new money was borrowed to pay existing lenders.
Improved dollar flows showed up in rising foreign reserves, but there was a parallel rise of liabilities. In fact, the banks’ assets could have been wiped out by what was owed to the depositors. It was sitting on huge losses. Servicing Lebanon’s debt surged, which translated to about 50% of budget spending. Moreover, instead of containing the spending, politicians spent wastefully on a public sector pay raise before the 2018 elections. Political parties and politicians jumped on the cash cow, each appropriating a sector in the economy with the explicit goal of servicing their constituents, amassing their own fortune and subordinating the state’s needs to their own enrichment.
It worked well until new money stopped coming in. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the abysmal decision in October 2019 to tax WhatsApp calls. Mass protests erupted, and instability once again engulfed the Lebanese system. Dollar inflows stopped, and mountains of dollars exited Lebanon. Banks had no more currency to pay depositors; they shut their doors, triggering a currency collapse and generating chaos.
Since October 2019, tens of thousands of Lebanese have lost their jobs. A third of all private-sector jobs have vanished. The total number of unemployed was estimated in June 2020 at almost 600,000, or 30% of the entire labor force of 1.8 million. The Aug. 4 Beirut port blast hit hundreds of businesses and slashed at least 100,000 jobs in the tourism sector, one of the big employers of the Lebanese economy.
COVID-19 worsened the situation, and one of the primary sources of revenue — tourism — collapsed. Gulf State investors decided to boycott Lebanon’s financial structure when they saw the Lebanese political system taken hostage and paralyzed by Hezbollah, whose troops were fighting in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen instead of “confronting” Israel as supposed “liberation fighters.”
The lucky ones who can afford to pay for passage to Europe, Africa, and the Americas are leaving the country at an incredible pace. In October, more than 400 physicians of all specialties and an unknown number of skilled workers left Lebanon, precisely as their forefathers did at the end of the 19th century, joining the 15 million-strong Lebanese diaspora. The less lucky ones are left struggling with rising poverty and must lean heavily on their families outside of Lebanon, who have been extending financial aid for decades.
Indeed, one of the most reliable sources of dollars was the remittances from the Lebanese abroad, who kept sending money even in times of international crisis. However, since 2011, disbursements slowed as Lebanon’s sectarian schism led to more political chaos. After the widespread outbreak in 2019, the central bank put limits on the withdrawal of transfers in order to stop the bleeding of dollars. Moreover, the central bank set the exchange rate for the incoming dollars at 3,900 Lebanese liras to the dollar, while the free-market rate was around 9,000. This was enough to signal to all contributors that they had to find new ways to provide money to Lebanon, independent of the banking system. The flow of monies from the ex-pat Lebanese communities became a trickle.
This dire situation has exacerbated the hostility the Lebanese have always felt towards those Syrians who came to Lebanon to find jobs. Almost a decade after the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, Lebanon is still hosting nearly one million Syrian refugees, representing almost 25% of its population. The economic crisis has shattered the refugees’ fragile situation and provoked a sharp increase in severe crime, accompanied by harsh Lebanese repression of the whole refugee population. It is estimated that the proportion of Syrian refugees in Lebanon living in extreme poverty (living on less than $3 a day) has reached 88%, far from the 55% of a year ago. Human trafficking and prostitution are reported to be rife.
Facing this grim prospect and parallel to the spiraling of the financial crisis, the governor of Lebanon’s central bank announced in late November that the bank could provide subsidies for basics for only two more months since the inflow of dollars had almost stopped. He had been using the dwindling reserves to provide foreign currency for the import of fuel, medicine and other basic goods.
The governor’s mention of ending subsidies triggered panic buying and concerns over food security. Moreover, the governor’s statement threatening the sale of banks that fail to raise capital by 20% by the end of February 2021 prompted a rush by depositors. The move was believed to be the governor’s way of warning the US administration against interfering with Iran and Hezbollah’s money trail, which had been using the intricate network of the Lebanese banking system to finance their activities, pay their workers and clients in Lebanon and elsewhere, and launder drug money.
Bearing this situation in mind, the alert expressed by a UK minister on December 3 that Lebanon is on the verge of not being able to feed itself as it plunges into poverty and hyperinflation is genuine. As described by Reuters, scenes of desperate people searching for food in dumpsters or selling their belongings for food are common.
Lebanon finds itself in economic quicksand. The implications are clear: all parties must come to their senses and stop bickering and promoting sectarianism and tribalism. The Lebanese body politic must stabilize the political system, allow structural reforms to be introduced and implemented; self-destruction by corruption must be halted, even though it has been eating away at Lebanon since the beginning of the 21st century.
Lebanon’s other option could lead to a state of hunger and despair, which could provoke the resurgence of sectarian conflagration and the spiraling into an open civil war over basic resources.
In the event of civil disorder, Hezbollah would most likely be the dominant party and strongest militia — enjoying as it does Iranian military and financial support. A more dominating presence of the Iranian Shiite party in the Lebanese political system would go a long way toward turning Lebanon into an Islamic Republic, part of the Iranian empire.
IDF Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah, a special analyst for the Middle East at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, was formerly foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and deputy head for assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence.
This article first appeared on the website of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
Source