So, You Thought Hezballah was Merely an Israeli Problem?

 

You read the news and almost every time, if not every time for most, when the Hezballah is reported, it is virtually always to do with Israel or some other conflict in the Middle East. Hezballah is mentioned in threats to fire missiles striking in Israel, tunneling beneath the Lebanon border into Israel with intent of infiltration raids on Israeli civilians, fighting alongside Bashir al-Assad Syrian forces aided by Iran and the IRGC in Syria, aiding with training as well as fighting allied with the Houthi rebel forces in Yemen and in that rare occasional report which mentions the tri-border region in South America where Hezballah has a series of training areas where Argentina shares borders with Brazil plus Paraguay. The areas you almost never hear references to Hezballah is in Europe, Asia, North America and southern Africa. Perhaps this is due to such events being swept neatly under the legal carpet presumably for the common good of the society. After all, no political figure wants to hear the news reporting of any Hezballah plots to carry out an attack using three or so metric tons of an explosive, say, ammonium nitrate, anywhere near their district, city, county, state or country, all depending on the political level which would be so threatened. Perhaps the political pressures could affect the way in which any such threat would be detected, investigated, possibly prosecuted or, to avoid any undue strain on the body politic, and arrange for other means of handling those involved.

 

Well, guess what. That is right, such a terror threat which was foiled with minimal fanfare and without anyone being charged, that despite one initially being arrested, all because the timing was off. This has come to light thanks to a deep investigation carried out by The Telegraph where it was reported that Hezballah had been caught planning a terror strike in or around London with, you guessed it, using metric tons of ammonium nitrate. MI-5, assisted by the London Police Department, uncovered the stash containing thousands of disposable ice packs filled with ammonium nitrate. This amount was considerably more than was used in the Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people and damaged hundreds of buildings. The raids were carried out on three businesses and one home in North West London by MI-5 and authorities after a months-long investigation. It was stated that MI-5 was acting on a tip from a foreign government which uncovered the major terrorist plot linked to the radical Islamist terror organization and Iranian ally, Hezbollah.

 

Here is where everything becomes interesting and contains a political attempt to cover up the entire series of events as they came at an inconvenient time. What makes it all the more intriguing was that there was one suspect, a man in his forties, arrested in connection with the raids, though he was later released without charge. The fact that only one person was detained, and then no charges made concerning a plot of such size makes for numerous questions to arise. What had authorities so worried that there was a code of silence concerning the entire affair and no arrests, trials or other ramifications from a months long investigation. Presumably, citing “well-placed sources”, the report claimed that the terror plot had been disrupted by a covert intelligence operation “rather than seeking a prosecution,” which is puzzling. Where things become somewhat clearer is when we are told that this plot was timed during the time of the negotiations and pending of the Iran nuclear deal. This was where The Telegraph suggested that the matter was withheld from the public in order to keep “the Iran nuclear deal afloat.” Still, it was reported that the plot was so serious that then Prime Minister David Cameron and then Home Secretary Theresa May were personally briefed on the discovery of the explosive material. One need not read much further to see where to begin to look to see the origination of the demand that this be kept as quiet as possible and not to make any large display including arrests which could have led to some very uncomfortable complications. After all, this was around the point that the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and we all knew instinctively that nothing, and we mean nothing, was to come between the P5+1 and the Iran deal.

 

UK supporters of extremist group Hezbollah

 

The British public has every reason to be quite put out by such political suppression of such an important investigation to the point that there were no arrests or other actions taken beyond raids to impound the explosives while not pursuing further actions. We ask, how is it possible to have such a plot with three-metric tons of explosives but not have any people involved with the use of the explosives or even a group planning for its use. Nobody was found or even to be of interest to MI-5 or the London Police concerning what was definitively a major pending terrorist attack. This cover-up probably extended to high officials in the British government requesting the silence on whomever the unidentified foreign government which provided the initial tip to the British assisting in their preventing a potential tragedy. They were likely contacted and had the situation explained and thus the request for not reporting their efforts in preventing the attack. The threat of terrorism is far too great and is of great importance to the people of every nation. Such an attempt would be politically important as well as the right for the people to know the truth about the world we all live within. But the news and the ruling elite do not treat the people in all too many countries as being capable of handling the truth. Kind of reminds one of the critical lines from some movie. So, because the people are too unsophisticated, too ignorant, so delicate, so uneducated and so emotionally unstable that they are deemed not capable of living in a world where they are told what the reality actually is. This is why the news granted for public consumption is not the reality of the world but a picture of a world with just the right kind of problems which permit the political class to remain in power unchallenged and apparently with everything under control. Telling the people that a significant threat of a terror attack was planned in their precious city and was very probably prevented due to some unmentionable country providing a warning with sufficient information that MI-5 and the police could clean up the threat without even a ripple being told to those who were under this threat. Makes one feel as if the public is not entitled to the truth as they presumably cannot handle the truth.

 

 

This is where society has reached, the stage where there are two worlds, the one we are all left sleeping peaceably in our beds each night assured that all is well meanwhile the elites know the reality that they are fortunate that terror threats are discovered and it matters not by whom as long as the people are able to be left in blissful ignorance. This is a sad commentary on our societies as it provides a picture where the people are expected to simply accept the reality fed them by a coordination of the political class and their media allies. The media also does not believe that the people can handle reality, so they sell the people a story-line which lulls them into a sense of being fully protected and safe. The powers that be insist on keeping everyone within the lines they set out for the public and the media and the politicians work to provide as little of the real threats from being identified as it might upset their ability to be reelected, and that is all that matters, right? Why should the people expect for their ruling elite who are chosen time after time to return to their comfortable little jobs while the decision to place trust in these elected officials is all a mirage. So we have what is an important treaty in the wings, well, better not tell the people that those who the politicians are about to make a deal concerning the manufacturing of nuclear weapons were planning what would have been one of the largest terror attacks for somewhere in London to be executed by the terrorist groups which handles the worldwide terror network for the Iranians. The politicians wanted the treaty as it would allow for trade and making large profits for the people who really matter, so the regular folk need not be troubled with any such information which could be distressing. This goes double if it might make for difficulty in carrying on business as usual and making their financiers happy. So, rest easy, they made raids and took away all the explosives and nobody was responsible for the planned terror strike or for hiding three metric tons of explosives, it all just assembled all by itself without any human intervention. And not to worry, the people planning the attack would never attempt to try so again, they probably promised. You know, they promised that they would go home and never try such an attack as was spoiled again just as Iran has promised not to manufacture nuclear weapons or more advanced ballistic missiles, you know, just like the ballistic missiles they have been testing. Read about these tests here, here, here, here and here. We hope you have a nice day and remember not to worry; your worrying would only upset the governing class.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Personal Observations of Reactions to Jerusalem Recognition

 

Amongst my friends and acquaintances the most used comment boils down to, “It is about time,” or similar comment. The next most stated idea was, “Wow, somebody finally noticed,” along with, “At last,” or similar sarcastic comment. But most of my friends and associates are relatively to extremely religious Israeli Jews, many from the English-speaking world as well as a good number of native Israelis. The reaction of my social circle was fairly even and supportive of the idea of the United States recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel and that President Trump added its historic importance as such was an added bonus. This did not alter the opinion of those amongst us who supported Hillary Clinton from still hoping Trump would be charged with some, any form of malfeasance, preferably one worthy of impeachment any more than it changed the minds of his supporters. The reaction in our little corner of Israel is generally that this was wonderful and that it was about time.

 

The most interesting and disconcerting commentaries have been those of the media. They appear claiming that the entire world, particularly the United States, Canada and Europe had best brace themselves readying for waves of Islamic terror attacks. The media have almost amplified the threats that recognizing the three thousand year history of Jerusalem being the Capital City for Israel. What is even more interesting is that Jerusalem has been the capital only of the Jewish people and no other have ever declared any actual importance to Jerusalem and most of the media has all but ignored that. Their specific focus has been to press the criticism that by recognizing a three-thousand plus year old reality, President Trump has painted a target on every American’s back making them specific targets because of his recognizing Jerusalem and starting the moving of the embassy there. We all watched some of the media coverage the other day and it was horrific. Believing the newscast one would believe that all of Israel was ignited in random and terrorist violence and that people were locked into their homes scared to go outside. In our little corner of Israel, not a blade of grass is out of place and life continues on unchanged, unaltered. The days after President Trump made his supposedly universe-altering proclamation appear unchanged from the days leading up to his announcement with only the brighter look on people’s faces and a new vigor in their steps. Have there been violent demonstrations? Sure, as many of you have seen on your televisions as have we.

 

Fortunately, these pictures on your television sets have been the exception, nowhere near the rule. Most lives in Israel remain unchanged, owed much to our blessings. The riotous demonstrations we saw were pretty much restricted to the Temple Mount and Old City neighborhoods as well as Bethlehem and other areas in Gaza, Judea and Samaria and even then restricted to Arab neighborhoods. There have been spotty reports of demonstrations in some of the Arab Israeli Cities in addition to the Arab regions previously reported. None of these were unexpected as Hamas, Hezballah, Fatah, PLO, the PA, and Islamic Jihad had agreed to have three days of rage. Once this had been announced, it really made little difference whether President Trump had made his expected speech as there would have been no stopping the Arab populations from committing to the rioting we have witnessed. One British Newspaper reported a sensationalized “protests sweep Muslim world.” Their reporting noted that possible thousands demonstrated in Amman, Jordan and Cairo, Egypt and a few other large Islamic cities, but the general firestorm had not erupted worldwide as predicted before the announcement. Factually, much of the explosive reactions to President Trump and his earth-shaking announcement have failed to materialize. Check the image below and see the pattern of terror attacks from 9/11 through to sometime in 2015 or 2016. After viewing this image, kindly explain how terrorism could actually be worse. The nation completely covered at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea are Israel and Lebanon and the other heavy area is slightly but just as serious as it nearly covers Iraq. There continues to be terror attacks striking inside many of the areas covered by several attacks already as if you live in an area where terrorism had occurred, then those same areas are more likely to be struck by renewed violence. But as far as general mayhem throughout the globe, that will not be occurring.

 

 

The reality is that the majority of the violence will be restricted to predominantly Islamic regions and neighborhoods. This is both an unfortunate and, in another way, a fortunate result. The unfortunate result is that the Arab and Muslim worlds will erupt into violence over one nation recognizing one of the oldest surviving capital cities, Jerusalem. Let us think about the concept that Tel Aviv is the real capital city of Israel. The nation of Israel is a three-thousand year old concept with her capital as Jerusalem since before 1000 BCE and which existed for a thousand years while Paris, London, Berlin and Washington D.C. were all swamplands or forests, completely undeveloped or, at best, a small village. Not only had Jerusalem existed but was one of the major cities where a number of trade routes interconnected making it an important city. King David was the second King of a united Hebrew, Jewish State who moved the Capital City from Hevron, and Jerusalem remained the capital of the Jewish people ever since. That is over three-thousand years. Jerusalem is mentioned throughout the Jewish Bible, more than any other holy book. The Old City of Jerusalem has buildings older than the United States while the western areas of Jerusalem are a modern and vital city with modern buildings and commodities which leads to quite a vital difference. You have shops from the Shuk with its open booths to a modern three level mall with everything one would expect from a modern mall. Jerusalem is definitely the city where one can find everything, be it old or new, and depicts the difference that is Israel, an ancient land with some of the most amazing and newest innovations and inventions from cell phones to cherry tomatoes. Meanwhile, Tel Aviv was founded on April 11, 1909, which makes it one-hundred-eight and a half years, just a little younger than Jerusalem itself by just over three-thousand years. Quite a disparity and one which really gives Jerusalem and her claim as capital of Eretz Yisroel a slight advantage and we are glad to accept the United States in joining our reality even if it took a controversial President to drag them forward to recognize the past.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Europe Taking Israeli Price of Peace Path

 

In Israel back during the early days, before and immediately after the Oslo Accords, Israel would take the position officially that the deaths from terrorism were a price we needed to pay for peace. This mantra was echoed by the liberal and leftist politicians and much of the mainstream media in Israel and was accepted broadly by left-wing and leftist Jews across the United States. In Israel this mantra became to strike sour notes really fast when the Second Intifada was launched by Yasser Arafat claiming the lives of over a thousand Israeli civilians and tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of injured, many with debilitating and horrific wounds which left them crippled, disfigured, scarred and in mental anguish not just for years but for the remainder of their lives. The price Israel was asked to pay for peace by the left was what has led to the public turning to the right to govern as they promised not to accept such a price and claimed they would get a peace with dignity. That is where the problem arose and which the world refuses to accept, that the Arabs do not desire peace, they demand total victory and the Jews dead or gone. The European Union and most European governments refuse to accept such and instead blame Israel for the lack of peace. This has also been the driving force behind the United States means of reaching a peace demanding that Israel continuously make sacrifices and concessions for peace while not demanding any reciprocal sacrifices or concessions from the Arabs. The Europeans, United Nations and United States all historically have demanded that Israel meet one demand from Arafat and then Abbas after demand after demand every time there is a decision to drive the peace process forward. The problem is as long as the Arabs are gaining concessions for refusing to negotiate, they will continue to not negotiate and simply demand more concessions and wait for the United States in concert with Europe and the United Nations to force these concessions out of Israel. This has finally had the breaks applied and Israel is starting to resist the continued concessions. It remains to be seen whether President Trump will be different though, as we covered in our article “Will President Trump Really Demand Same Old Concessions of Israel?”, it initially appears that he is planning on at least initially demanding concessions of Israel. From there we will see but should Israeli Prime Minister make too many concessions he can expect his time as Prime Minister to be limited as the Israeli public has realized the fruitlessness of that game.

 

Europe has also taken the concept that terrorism is the price they will need to pay while their Islamic populations adjust to European philosophies and lifestyle. The last three months have seen major terror attacks striking in Berlin, London and Stockholm yet Europe continues living responding to these attacks as if stating, “Terrorism is simply something we need tolerate for now as our societal norms are stronger than Islamic terror.” I think we all know the Islamic terrorist response, “We love death more than you love life”. This was made obvious on numerous other occasions in Paris, London, Madrid, Zurich, Normandy, Nice, Brussels and on and on and the list will only grow until Europe disappears or stands up. Anybody with a modicum of common sense can figure out who will win this fight, and it is not European traditions. The problem goes so much deeper than attitude. Currently Europe is in the driver’s seat and if they were to return to what built Europe, then they could salvage their society and their way of life for their grandchildren. As things stand now, the average European born today should at least reach adult life before having their entire existence challenged by the forces of Islam, radical Islam, forcing them to either live in the shadows worried minute to minute what might befall them or fleeing to the United States or South America. Should the trends remain as they now stand, their children if born in Europe will be Muslims with traditional Muslim beliefs and not one whit of European traditions born of Judeo-Christianity.

 

 

The problem Europe is facing is theirs is an aging society which stopped having sufficient children to replace the population, let alone support their aging pensioners. In order to support their elderly and continue the engines of their economy, they brought in immigrants from what they call Asia but most of the world knows as the Middle East, the Arab world plus Turkey and many North Africa countries, the MENA Islamic community. Many of the nations, despite appearing to operate in normal fashion, have actually been failed states with marginal economies having many of their population eking out subsistence farming to survive. This left these immigrants educationally deficient for the European economic model with modern factories and high tech industries. But the problem when it comes to terrorism was not with these immigrants from years past but with their children who feel cheated and abandoned by their European governments and the converts to Islam who often were radicalized from the very start. This has caused a growing problem and with the latest surge of refugees these problems have only become exacerbated. The liberal and leftist governments across Europe were determined to make the refugee influx into their elixir to solve the growing economic problems and thus were invested heavily in refusing to recognize the growing problems. They took on the exact mantra which had been adopted by the liberal and leftist Israeli politicians, that terrorism would prove temporary and that with time the refugees and second generation Muslims would acclimate and blend into the population. Their mistake was they never took the necessary steps to incorporate the Muslim populations into their workforce or to educate and train them adequately and thus they left much of the Muslim population living in the slums where radicalization became to be viewed as a way out, the way to force the Europeans to grant them the solution which they view as Sharia. The problem with this is Sharia and European secular democratic multiculturalism are mutually exclusive and only one or the other can prove dominant. If Europe refuses to insist on retaining their democratic and secular culture, then Sharia will become the new normal and Europe as we know her will die a cruel and terrible death never to rise again, ever.

 

Europe Islamist Terror in Snap Shots

 

Israel realized this in time but Israel has an advantage, a higher reproductive rate which is sufficient for a growing society gaining in numbers amongst its Jewish and Christian populations. Israel, and not Europe, is the mainstay where Christianity is actually growing and healthy as is the Israeli religious Jewish population. Israeli secular left population suffers a similar but less severe fate as does the secular left populations suffers in Europe, a reproductive rate well below two children per woman. Replacement rate is somewhere between two-point-one and two-point-three children per woman and that is simply to sustain population numbers. The graph below shows the by nation numbers and what becomes immediately apparent is that the nations with the closest to replacement reproductive rates are the nations where there is also larger Muslim populations such as France, United Kingdom, Belgium, Finland, Norway and Sweden almost attaining replacement rate and their native population reproducing closer to one-point-five and with Turkey, an Islamic nation, actually attaining minimal replacement rate (and Ireland is unexplainable as usual but this time that is almost a good thing). Until Europe can reverse their sagging reproductive rates without taking in ever increasing immigrants, then the continent will continue to be a dying culture incapable of sustaining itself. Simply put, despite having a culture dripping with sexuality from every corner in its commercials, media, entertainment and almost every other means, they use that sexuality apparently purely for recreation and not for procreation. Unless the Europeans get serious and change their cultural attitude where everything is about the immediate pleasures and forget the future and return to their former nurture and natural society which had been based on Judeo-Christian ethics but does not necessarily need to return there, as long as they find some meaning which produces a future population to carry on what they have built. Anything less will bring to an end the Europe which has attained one of the more advanced cultures and civilizations known to mankind, a society now teetering on ruin.

 

 

Accepting terror deaths is not a future, caring about the future is the only future. That means the “now” culture must be placed in the dustbin of history or Europe will be placed in the dustbin of history. If the average European refuses to take even the slimmest of concerns for the future, then those now flooding into Europe will definitely give them no concern. We might ask whether they care about what they are leaving for their children, but there lies the problem, all too many Europeans are not having children at all. Having no children is the quickest path to extinction and Europeans are on that path as a lifestyle. The question the leadership of Europe must find the answer for is how to have an entire population made up largely of narcissistic childlike adults who refuse to leave the playpen into responsible adults who desire a future and offspring to populate and build it. Religion had been the driving force which made propagation a principle worth pursuing. What they are going to replace religion with is a mystery to us here as we remain attached to our religion. The saving grace in the United States is the share of the population who, if we can borrow a description used by President Obama, “cling to guns or religion” and could have added Bibles and children. The other saving grace is the main religion of the immigrants who are coming from south of the border is Christianity. Europe is importing a foreign culture which is incompatible with their historic culture and only one will survive unless Islam has a reformation and decided that the Mecca Quran should supersede the Medina Quran, and not the other way around as they now interpret abrogation. One of those pressing for just such a reformation is Egyptian President Sisi but he has friends who are fighting for the same thing, they are just rather less visible as they are not the leaders of the largest Arab Muslim population. We can only hope they can succeed where former attempts have failed.

 

Beyond the Cusp