What's New

Resources updated between Monday, April 20, 2020 and Sunday, April 26, 2020

April 24, 2020

Iranian police car (File photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Iran Sentences Christian Convert to Prison and Flogging Document

April 23, 2020

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (File photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

"US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a fundamental reform of the World Health Organization is needed following its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and that the United States, the WHO's biggest donor, may never restore funding to the UN body.

'I think we need to take a real hard look at the WHO and what we do coming out of this,' Pompeo told Fox News late on Wednesday. 'We reformed this back in 2007, so this isn't the first time we've had to deal with the shortcomings of this organization that sits inside the United Nations. We need a fix. We need a structural fix with the WHO.'

President Donald Trump suspended US funding of the WHO last week, accusing it of being 'China-centric and promoting China's 'disinformation' about the outbreak. WHO officials have denied this and China insists it has been transparent and open.

The United States has been the biggest overall donor to the WHO, contributing over $400 million in 2019, roughly 15% of its budget. Senior US officials last week told Reuters Washington could redirect these funds to other aid groups...."

Mike Pompeo warns US may never restore WHO funding Article

Mozambique soldiers (File photo courtesy social media)

Islamist group kills 52 in 'cruel and diabolical' Mozambique massacre Document

The International Criminal Court building in The Hague (File photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

"In response to Palestinian complaints against Israel, the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC), submitted in December 2019 a request to the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber ostensibly asking the Chamber to confirm that the ICC has jurisdiction over 'the situation of Palestine' and to confirm that the territory 'comprises the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.' Palestinian Media Watch and dozens of other organizations and governments submitted Amicus Curaie (Friends of the Court) briefs showing that according to international law there is no "State of Palestine" and therefore the court has no jurisdiction. The prosecutor is meant to respond to the Amicus briefs by the end of the month.

Now it turns out, according to the Jordanian Jafra News, that this entire pre-trial legal process to determine if the court has jurisdiction and its scope is actually a mere charade with the puppeteer pulling the strings of deception being the General Prosecutor of the ICC herself, Fatou Bensouda. A PA source in contact with the general prosecutor's office, told the Jordanian site that the request of the Prosecutor to the Pre-Trial Chamber was only initiated in order to protect 'the ICC's public image... in a sensitive investigation such as this,' but in fact the decision of the court already is that there is jurisdiction:

'The general prosecutor's office explained to the Palestinian side that it did not wait for the Preliminary Department's (i.e., Pre-Trial Chamber–Ed.) decision in order to begin preparations to open an investigation. This is because the aforementioned decision [that the ICC has jurisdiction] is a foregone conclusion, and a petition to this [Pre-Trial] Chamber was only done in the first place out of considerations related to protecting the ICC's public image and its proper activity, in the framework of its official authorities in a sensitive investigation such as this.' [Jordanian news website jfranews.com.jo, March 5, 2020]

This behind-the-scenes collusion led, according to the Jordanian report, to information being given by 'the ICC General Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and her staff' to the PA, indicating 'that the prosecutor's office has taken the necessary steps towards launching a comprehensive investigation of the Israeli occupation's crimes in the Palestinian West Bank,' even prior to the decision whether the court has jurisdiction at all. This report by Jafra News suggests that the ICC prosecutor is biased, lacks integrity, and therefore is incapable of conducting a fair proceeding concerning Israel...."

Has the ICC prosecutor secretly colluded with the PA and already decided to prosecute Israel? A Jordanian news site says so Article

April 22, 2020

The van used in the terror attack (Photo courtesy of the Israeli Border Police)

The horrifying moments were caught on camera. An Arab terrorist rammed his white van into an Israeli border policeman standing guard at a checkpoint near Abu Dis in the area of Maale Adumim, south of Jerusalem at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

The border policeman, 20, scrambled to recover his footing as the terrorist leapt from the van and attacked him with a pair of scissors, wounding him in the head. The border policeman fought him off and then ran to buy time. Other Israeli security officers gave chase.

They opened fire on the terrorist, killing him.

The officer was reported in moderate condition. He was treated by first responders at the scene and then transferred to Shaare Zedek hospital.

A pipe bomb was also found at the scene of the attack, which police say they think the terrorist intended to throw at the checkpoint.

A police spokesman said, "The terrorist arrived in the area with a vehicle and then stabbed a Border Police officer who was at the security checkpoint."

"The Border Police officer was lightly to moderately wounded. Other officers in the area responded by opening fire and shot the terrorist. An explosive device, a pipe bomb, was found in the area. The area has been closed off. Police bomb disposal personnel are at the scene," he said.

Palestinian media identified the terrorist as Ibrahim Muhammad Ali Hijazi Halasa, 25, from the Al-Sawahra area. They referred to him as a "martyr."

The attack occurred just before the start of Ramadan, which begins April 24. The month-long holiday is usually accompanied by a spike in terror attacks.

Border policeman rammed in horrifying terror attack near Jerusalem Document

The terrorists arrested for planning the attack (Photo courtesy of the Shin Bet)

The Shin Bet, in cooperation with the IDF and the Israel Police, arrested three Hamas operatives who were planning to commit several terror attacks against security forces and Israelis in Jerusalem and Ramallah area.

27-year-old Ahmed Sjadiyeh, 26-year-old Mohammad Hamed and 24-year-old Omer Eid met during their studies at the Bir Zeyt University, and were a part of Hamas' central student's union in the West Bank.

The three attempted to created home-made explosive devices by downloading instructions from the internet and bough several chemicals and metals to accomplish their task.

Their plans included bombing the Beitar Jerusalem soccer stadium in Jerusalem as well as several other terror attacks against Israeli security forces in the West Bank.

To achieve this task, Eid was sent to the stadium on December 4, during a soccer match and review the security and possible ways to commit their act.

The three were funded by Hamas through another member of the university, who is currently imprisoned in Israel. The funds amounted to tens of thousands of shekels.

The Shin Bet arrested the three before they managed to build a bomb and thwarted the planned terror attacks.

Israel arrests Hamas operatives planning terror attacks in Jerusalem Document

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu (File photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

"Three men in Westchester, New York, are suing the World Health Organization contending it mishandled its response to the novel pandemic and engaged in a cover-up with China. Richard Kling and Steve Rotker of New Rochelle and Gennaro Purchia of Scarsdale, filed the suit in White Plains federal court Monday and claimed they suffered 'injury, damage and loss' because of the outbreak and want the WHO to pay 'incalculable' damages. Steven Blau, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, argued WHO didn't do enough to ensure the Chinese government was transparent of its COVID-19 safeguards. 'The Chinese government and the WHO intentionally misled the international community, including the named Plaintiffs, about the coronavirus and its devastating medical and economic effects,' he wrote in the lawsuit..."

Lawsuit filed against WHO over its handling of coronavirus outbreak Article

April 21, 2020

Swastikas on gravestones (File photo)

Coronavirus crisis stoking antisemitism worldwide: report Article

April 20, 2020

Flag of the World Health Organization (File photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

U.N. Ambassador Craft backs WHO funding pause, says agency lacks 'trust & transparency' Article

Protesters in Hong Kong (File photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Hong Kong activists arrested over last year's democracy rallies Document