Podcasts about qataris

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. Following a phone meeting of the security cabinet, Berman discusses that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was involved in the conversation that included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite efforts to fire the Shin Bet chief. Hamas officials have said they will not accept any partial deals and still demand an end to the war, with some of the terrorist group's reactions appearing to react to protests in Israeli society, says Berman. He also speaks about criticism regarding top hostage negotiator Ron Dermer, with remarks from both the Qataris and hostage families about Dermer, a close advisor to Netanyahu. With the latest headlines about ongoing talks between Iran and the US, Berman expresses concern about Israel's position. He discusses chief negotiator Steve Witkoff, who doesn't have much background in Iran or the nuclear program but has Trump's ear and is a skilled negotiator. Berman notes that Netanyahu can't undermine Trump in this potential Iran deal, but the final result may not be as good for Israel. Please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog for more updates. For further reading: Hamas said to reject Israeli proposal that it disarm as part of 6-week ceasefire Hostage talks said to have lost ‘momentum’ since Dermer took over negotiating team Iran wants to drag out talks, Trump wants a deal now. Neither is good for Israel Trump waved off planned Israeli attack on Iran to pursue negotiated nuclear deal — NYT Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch. IMAGE: Outside the home of chief hostage negotiator Ron Dermer in Jerusalem on his birthday, protestors call on him to light up hope instead of blowing out candles (Credit Adar Eyal/Israeli Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Le FC Copains revient aujourd'hui avec un nouveau débat foot autour de la question suivante Le PSG 2025 est-il le meilleur de l'ère QSI ?On va défiler la liste des différents effectifs du PSG de l'ère QSI et essayer d'évaluer ensemble si le cru 2025 est le meilleure depuis l'arrivée des Qataris au Pars Sain Germain...Et on enchaine avec un débat

Belfast hotel mogul Paddy McKillen Sr has found himself in hot water. The 70-year-old was convicted in a French court on Wednesday over an attack on a female bailiff. It's alleged she was acting in relation to the alleged non-payment of a loan to the Qatari-linked Quintet private bank. But for the once firm friends, where did it all go wrong between billionaire McKillen and the Qataris? Host: Fionnán Sheehan Guests: John Burns and Peter Allen See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Le FC Copains revient aujourd'hui avec un nouveau débat foot autour de la question suivante Le PSG 2025 est-il le meilleur de l'ère QSI ?On va défiler la liste des différents effectifs du PSG de l'ère QSI et essayer d'évaluer ensemble si le cru 2025 est le meilleure depuis l'arrivée des Qataris au Pars Sain Germain...Et on enchaine avec un débat

85 MinutesPG-13Here's Pete's livestream from Sunday, March 9th, where Pete took questions and talked about the latest headlines. Please tune in every Sunday at 4 p.m. Eastern!Pete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'Support Pete on His WebsitePete's PatreonPete's Substack Pete's SubscribestarPete's VenmoPete's Buy Me a CoffeePete on FacebookPete on TwitterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.

AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson sits down with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for a live discussion in Washington, D.C., to introduce AJC's Center for a New Middle East. They cover plans for rebuilding Gaza, the future of Israeli-Arab relations, and the evolving geopolitical landscape, including the impact of the Abraham Accords and shifting regional alliances. Tune in for insights on diplomacy, security, and what's next for the Middle East. The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Resources: AJC Center for a New Middle East Initiatives and Policy Recommendations Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod:  Why Germany's Antisemitic Far-Right Party is Thriving Instead of Disappearing Spat On and Silenced: 2 Jewish Students on Fighting Campus Hate University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker: When Antisemitism Hits Home Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Conversation with Jason Isaacson and Steve Witkoff: Manya Brachear Pashman: This week, AJC's Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, Jason Isaacson, sat down for a live conversation with Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoy to the Middle East. They discussed plans to rebuild Gaza, political upheaval in Syria and Lebanon and expansion of the Abraham Accords. For this week's episode, we bring you that live conversation to you. Jason Isaacson:   Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here, and thank you Special Envoy Witkoff for participating in this evening's program, introducing AJC Center for New Middle East, and extension and refocusing of the work that we've been doing for decades to advance Arab Israeli understanding, cooperation and peace. Your presence here means a great deal to us.  As you've heard from my colleagues, AJC looks forward to working with you and your team in any way that we can to help ensure the success of a secure Israel, fully integrated in the Middle East. Now let me begin by thanking you again, renewing our thanks and thanking President Trump for your relentless efforts, which began even before the President took office, to assure the liberation of the hostages still held by Hamas and Gaza now for 508 days, we know how dedicated you are and the President is, to gaining the release of Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage, and the remains of the four other Americans, Itai Chen, Gadi and Judy Weinstein-Haggai, and Omer Neutra, and all of the hostages living and dead, still held captive by the terrorists.  So I want to point out that leaders of the Hostage Families Forum are with us here this evening. As is Emmet Tsurkov, whose sister Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped by terrorists in Iraq two years ago. We are all counting on your and your colleagues' continued efforts to free them all. Thank you again, Steve.  Now my first question to you, how does a successful real estate developer make the transition to Middle East diplomacy, as you certainly have. Clearly, there are profound territorial issues at play here, but there are also powerful and tangible factors, perhaps less easily negotiated, factors of historical narrative, of religion, of nationalism. How do you cut through all that? How do you achieve success given the very different career that you've pursued up to this point? Steve Witkoff:   Well, first of all, Jason, thank you for having me, and welcome everybody and to the hostage families, I just want to welcome you here. Some of the people I probably have talked to already, and just know that my heart is always with you. You know, President, I'm a very close friend of President Trump's, and I think he felt that, hopefully, that I could do a good job here. And so I think the job had a lot to do with miscommunication and correcting that. It had a lot to do with getting over to the region and understand what was happening, and maybe most importantly, it had a lot to do with his election and peace through strength and the perception that he was not he was going to take a different path, that the old policy prescriptions that that had not worked in the Middle East were not going to be tolerated by him anymore. And I think that's in large part what allowed us to get a positive result.  Adding to that, of course, was all of the good work that Prime Minister Netanyahu in his administration had achieved with Nasrallah Hezbollah in Lebanon, he had basically gutted Hamas. So many good things that happened. And you know, on top of that, the raids in Iran, and it created this perception that a lot of the a lot of what emanated out of October 7 was never going to be tolerated again. And that began the, you know, that began the pathway to achieving the result we achieved in the first phase. But that's just half of the problem. So we've got a lot more to go. Jason Isaacson:   I've got some questions about that, as well as you can imagine. Help us understand the President's priorities and therefore your focus in this very complicated region. There's the continued trauma of October 7, 2023 dozens of Israeli and other hostages still held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, and the deep wounds inflicted on Israeli society in that attack. There's the need to rebuild Gaza and to assure it is no longer governed by Hamas.  There's the prospect of advancing normalization between Israel and Arab states building on the Abraham Accords of the first Trump administration. There are also political upheavals and some hopeful signs, although the jury is still out in Lebanon and in Syria, and there's the ongoing threat to peace and stability posed by the Iranian regime. How do you prioritize? What are your expectations for success on these many tracks. It's an awful lot to deal with. Steve Witkoff:   That was, I think I counted like 14 questions. Jason Isaacson:   This is my specialty, by the way. Steve Witkoff:   I can see. I have to, now you're testing my memory on all of this. Jason Isaacson:   Priorities.  Steve Witkoff:   Yeah, I would say, How does the President think about it? Well, first and foremost, he wants something different for the region, yeah, and different in the sense that the old way of thinking we've they've rebuilt Gaza three or four times already. Like that's just an unacceptable use of resources. We need to do it in a much more in a much better way, a. B, we need to get rid of this crazy, ideological, psychopathic way of thinking that Hamas thinks. What they did, it can never be tolerated. I saw a film that many in this in this room did not see, made by Southern Command when I was in Gaza, and it's horrific. I mean, it is a horrific film. What happened in this film and what they did to people.  So this is not, this is not the act of people who are going to war. This is the act of barbarians, and it can never be tolerated. Normalization is critical for the region. Saudi Arabia embraces it because they can't finance in their own markets today. And why? Because there's so much war risk. I actually saw Jamie Diamond today, and I discussed it with him, and I said to him, you know, think about an area like Saudi Arabia. They have tons of money, but they can't leverage their money. And they can't because the underwriting risk on war, it can't be underwritten. So you're not going to see typical senior financing. Go into those marketplaces they can finance if they do a deal in New York and they can't finance in their own country. Makes no sense. And that's going to lead to a lot of stability.  In terms of the Iranian crescent, it's basically been decimated. Look at what's happened with Syria. No one ever thought that that was going to happen. We've got an epic election in Lebanon. And so tons of things happening. Lebanon, by the way, could actually normalize and come into the Abraham Peace Accords, as could even potentially Syria. So so many profound changes are happening there, and yet it's been a flash point of conflict, and I think that there's a possibility that we end it. Now, do we have to make sure that Egypt is stabilized? Yes, they've got some issues, economic and financial issues, and also on their streets. Same thing with Saudi Arabia, and we have to be cognizant about that. But all in all, I think there are some really good, good things that are happening.  Jason Isaacson:   Yeah, and I hope with your intervention and the president's power, more good things will happen in the coming months.  Steve Witkoff:   We're hopeful.  Jason Isaacson: So you've recently returned from your latest trip to the region with meetings at the highest levels in Israel, in Saudi Arabia, in the United Arab Emirates, next Tuesday in Cairo, will be a meeting of the Arab League to discuss the future of Gaza. What is your sense of, drills down on your last answer, what is your sense of the region's readiness to advance to the next phase of negotiations, to free the Israeli hostages, to shift to a new Israeli force posture in and around Gaza, and put a governing structure in place that excludes terrorists. Can we assure that Hamas no longer rules, no longer poses a threat, that its missiles, tunnels and other infrastructure in Gaza are destroyed? Steve Witkoff:   Well, you know, central to the May 27 protocol that was signed with the Biden administration and the Israelis. Central to that is that Hamas cannot have any part of  a governor governing structure in Gaza. And that's from that's a red line for the Israelis, but it's a red line for us, too. You see the film. And we have to thread that needle in phase two of the negotiations.  Jason Isaacson: How do we get there?  Steve Witkoff:   We're not entirely sure yet, but we are working. You know, we're making a lot of progress. There is, Israel is sending a team right now as we speak, it's either going to be to Doha or to Cairo, where negotiations will begin again with the Egyptians and with the Qataris, and I may if that negotiation goes positively enough. This is the initial phase of the negotiation where we've set, we've set some boundaries, some contours about what we want to talk about and what the outcomes we expect to happen. This is from the United States at the direction of President Trump. If it goes well, maybe I would be able to go on Sunday to execute and finish an arrangement. That's what we're hoping for. Jason Isaacson: Put phase two on track.  Steve Witkoff:   Put phase two on track and have some additional hostage release, and we think that that's a real possibility. We had a lot of conversation this morning about that, and with all of the parties I'm talking about, and people are responsive. Doesn't mean it's going to happen. That's a very chaotic place the Middle East. Jason Isaacson:   But you've got cooperation from the Quint, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar.  Steve Witkoff:   Yes. All of those countries in that region, they want to see, they want to see stability. There's new young leadership there. Everybody understands that it's untenable to be at war all the time. It just doesn't work, and it's setting everybody back. Look at Israel, by the way, they're drafting, they're conscripting people at 50 years old to go to go to the fight. That's, uh… Jason Isaacson:   And reservists are being called back to duty again and again. Steve Witkoff:   Correct. People can't work, by the way, economies are suffering throughout there. But on the other hand, Hamas can't be tolerated either, and yet, we need to get the hostages back to their families. Pardon me? Jason Isaacson:   Israel is still resilient. Steve Witkoff:   Of course it is. Of course it is. But we, you know, look, I don't want to talk about all these things and not acknowledge that the most that the primary objective has got to be to bring those hostages home. It has to be. Jason Isaacson:   I mentioned the Quint before: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar. Egypt and Jordan, longtime peace partners with Israel, were proposed by the president as the possible place in which Palestinians evacuated from Gaza could be housed temporarily, or perhaps more than temporarily. What is your sense of the possibility of the dislocation of Palestinians from Gaza? Is that essential to the idea of rebuilding Gaza, or not essential? Steve Witkoff:   Well, first of all, let me acknowledge King Abdullah, and also the Egyptians, General Hassan, who runs their intelligence unit. President Sisi, their ambassador. They're dug in. They're focused on solutions. It's a complicated situation right now, but they've done a great job, and they've been available, and whenever I call them, they're responsive.  The Jordanians have had a tough trip here, but, you know, they've managed through it. But let's just talk sort of about what the President talks about. Why is he talking about Gaza in the way he's talking about it? Because all the for the last four decades, the other ways of thinking have not worked. We sort of always get back to this place.  First of all, it's a giant slum. It really is, by the way, and it's a slum that's been decimated. On top of that, I was the first American official to go there in 22 years. I was literally there in the tunnels, on the battlefield. It is completely destroyed. There's 30,000 shells that are laying all over that battlefield, in large part because the Biden administration held up munitions shipments to the Israelis, and they were firing 1973 vintage ammunition that didn't explode. Who would let their children wander around these places?  In New York, there would be yellow tape around it. Nobody would be allowed to come in the they were digging tunnels. So everything underneath subterranean is swiss cheese, and then it got hit by 2000 pound bunker bombs. So you could have dust down there. It's so devastated. I just think that President Trump, is much more focused on, how do we make a better life for people? How do we change the educational frameworks? Right now, people are growing up there, in textbooks, in the first grade, they're seeing AK47's, and how you fire them. That's, that's, this is just insanity. What's going on out there.  So we have to directionally change how people are thinking there, how they're going to live together. People talk about two state we at the Trump administration, talk about, how do you get to a better life if you have a home in Gaza in the middle of a slum that hasn't been fixed up correctly, is that as good as aspirationally having a great job and being able to know that you can send your kids to college and they can become lawyers and doctors and so forth? That to me, is what we want to achieve. And when, when we began talking about Gaza, we were not talking about a giant eviction plan.  What we were talking about was the fact, unlike the Biden administration, and this is not a knock on them, it's that they didn't do their work correctly, the Biden administration, that May 27 protocol is based on a five year redevelopment plan. You can't demolish everything there and clean it up in five years, let alone x-ray it on a subterranean level and figure out what foundations exist, or what, what conditions exist to hold foundations, and then what we should build. It's easily a 15 year plan, and it might be 20 or 25 years.  And the Wall Street Journal, one of the most mainstream publications, two days ago, finally came out with a major article talking about that and basically validating what we've been talking about. Once you understand it from that perspective, you understand it's not about an eviction plan. It's about creating an environment there for whoever's going to live there that's better than it's ever been in the last 40 years. Jason Isaacson:   Steve, thank you. Before October 7, 2023 the betting in many foreign policy circles, as you know, was that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Israel were closing in on a deal to normalize relations, coupled with an enhanced security agreement between the US and Saudi governments and Saudi access to the full nuclear fuel cycle under US safeguards. Where would you say that formula stands today? Is that still the framework that you're expecting will describe the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia and between Saudi Arabia and Israel? Steve Witkoff:   Well, that's why I keep on going back to the May 27 protocol, because it's chock full of misinformation. And so the Saudis were operating, as were the Israelis, as if you could redevelop and reconstruct Gaza in five years. You can't. You can finish demolition, you can finish refuse removal, you can do all of that in five years. But for that, there's nothing else is going to get accomplished.  So when the Saudis talked normalization with the Israelis and defense treaty, they were thinking about it on a five year time frame. Once you begin to think about it as a 15 or a 20 year deal, it almost begs the question, are Gazans going to wait? Do they even want to wait?  I mean, if you're a mother and a father and you've got three kids, do you want to wait 20 years to maybe have a nice, safe home there? And this has nothing to do with relocation. Maybe we should be talking about relocation, or, excuse me, the ability to come back and, you know, later on. But right now, right here, right now, Gaza is a long term redevelopment plan, and I think once the Saudis begin to incorporate that into their thinking, and the Egyptians and UAE and everybody who has a vested interest in Gaza, I think you're going to see development plans that more mirror the way the President is thinking than what the May 27 protocol contemplated. Jason Isaacson:   Are you suggesting that the possibility of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia will come after there is a fully formed Gaza redevelopment plan?  Steve Witkoff:   I think so. Because I believe that. I believe it's just sequentially logical, because that's when you begin to think about how Gazans are going to think about it. Right now, we're talking about it in the abstract. And there are many countries, by the way, out there, that from a humanitarian standpoint, we've talked to many of them, are actually extending themselves and saying, Hey, look, we'd, we'd love to be a part of some sort of permanent solution for the Gazan people.  No one wants to see the Gazan people in some sort of diaspora, they're sort of disengaged, and that doesn't work. That only is going to fester and lead to more radicalism in the region. So we've got to get a solution for it, but we need to levelset the facts first. And the facts have not been levelset. They've been thinking about this from a perspective of facts that are inaccurate. Now we've level set those facts. We're going to conduct a summit pretty soon with probably the biggest developers in the Mideast region, many of the Arab developers, lots of master planners. I think when people see some of the ideas that come from this, they're going to be amazed. Jason Isaacson:   Steve, thank you. Final question, from AJC's many contacts and visits over many years across the Arab world, including regular exchanges over three decades in Gulf Cooperation Council countries, we've come to believe in the inevitability of Israel's full integration in the region, that the more the region's leaders and elites focus on the potential advantages to their societies, including their security of normal relations with Israel, the more likely it is that we'll achieve that goal. Is that the sense that you have as well, from where you sit? Steve Witkoff:   I do. I think, look, I think that the people of Israel want to live in peace with with the people of the Middle East. And it could be incredible. Jason Isaacson:   And vice versa.  Steve Witkoff:   And vice versa. I had a discussion with His Royal Highness, His MBs, his brother yesterday, the defense minister, an exceptional man, by the way, and we talked about how Saudi could become one of the best investable markets out there, when it can be financed. Think about this. The United States today has the greatest capital market system that the world knows. And when you have a great capital market system, when. You can borrow, when you can lease a car, when you can buy a home and mortgage it all those different things. It drives an economy. It propels it.  Right now in the Middle East, it's very difficult to finance. The banks don't want to operate it. Why? Because tomorrow a Hootie missile could come in if you're building a data center, and puff it's gone. We don't have to. Banks don't have to underwrite that risk in New York City or Washington, DC or American cities. So I think as you get more stabilization there, I think the real estate values are going to go through the moon. And we talk about this, Israel is a bedrock of great technological innovation. I think you know, all of the Arab countries, UAE, Saudi, Qatar, they're into blockchain robotics. They're into hyperscale data centers. These are the things that interest Israel, and yet they're driving so much of the tech surge out there. Imagine all of them working together. It could be an incredible region, so we're hopeful for that prospect. That's that's the way the President thinks about it. We've we talk at length about this, and he gives us the direction, and we follow it, and that's his direction. Jason Isaacson:   I thought I heard applause about to begin, but I will, I will ask you to hold for a second, because I just want to thank you, Steve whitco, for sharing your vision and the President's vision for how to move forward to build a more stable and prosperous and peaceful Middle East and and you've laid it out for us, and we very much appreciate your Thank you.  Steve Witkoff:   Thank you.  Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with AJC Berlin director Remko Leemhuis about the victory of a centrist right government in Germany's recent election and its plans to build a coalition excluding the far-right, antisemitic political party, Alternative for Germany. Remko and I discussed why that party's unprecedented post war election returns are a cause for concern.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Jérôme Rothen se chauffe contre un autre consultant, un éditorialiste ou un acteur du foot.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

durée : 00:05:40 - Tanguy Pastureau maltraite l'info - par : Tanguy Pastureau - Un club de boulistes a été viré de son terrain de boules pour qu'un hôtel de luxe s'étende. Paris ville de gauche, tu parles ! Tanguy trouve que c'est tout comme si c'était géré par les Qataris.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

Barbara Broccoli, chief of Eon Productions, met with Qatari officials on Monday night in Venice, the Deadline: Hollywood website said.

This week, two major terrorist leaders were assassinated in the Middle East. Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Tehran, just a day after top Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut in retaliation for the horrific rocket attack that killed 12 children on a soccer field in northern Israel. What does this mean for Israel and the wider region? Is this a major setback for Iran and its terror proxies? Tune in to hear what AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, who visited the site of the terror attack in Majdal Shams, has to say. Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Avital Leibovich Learn: What to Know About Hamas Terror Leader Ismail Haniyeh What to Know About Hezbollah's Escalation Against Israel Listen: Aviva Klompas is Fighting the Normalization of Antisemitism on Social Media On the Ground at the Republican National Convention: What's at Stake for Israel and the Middle East? Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Transcript of Interview with Avital Leibovich: Manya Brachear Pashman:   This week marked 300 days of captivity for the 115 remaining hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7. There was also a major development: confirmation that an operation in July led to the death of Hamas' military leader Muhammad Deif. But there were two more assassinations this week, the leaders of two terror groups targeting Israel.  On Wednesday, we learned that Hamas terror leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Tehran shortly after meeting with Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Haniyeh had been in Tehran for the inauguration of its new president. This just a day after top Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut in retaliation for the horrific rocket attack that killed 12 children on a soccer field in Golan Heights. AJC Jerusalem director Avital Leibovich is with us now to discuss these developments. Avital, welcome back to People of the Pod. Avital Leibovich: Thank you. Manya. Good to be here. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So, Avital, my first question is, are we safer now than we were at the start of the week? Do two fewer terror leaders lead to less terror? Avital Leibovich: Well, I would say the world in general is a safer place with the absence of Shukr and Haniyeh. However, the neighborhood here is not changing. And unfortunately, we are still surrounded by vicious enemies, who still are seeking to see our erosion and eradication. So while I'm very happy with your outcome in the last 24 hours, I also know there's still a lot of reason for concern. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So tell us about these terror leaders. Who was Ismail Haniyeh? And what was his role with Hamas? Avital Leibovich: Sure. So Ismail Haniyeh, who's also, by the way, has another name, which is Abu al-Abed, he actually served as the number one political leader of Hamas since May 2017. He actually substituted in this role, Khaled Mashal and other terrorists, and before that, he actually served as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority just for a very brief, short time between 2006 and 2007. And he actually became very close to a Hamas leader called Ahmed Yassin. And basically, he really grew into the very radical agenda of Hamas. Interesting enough, his background was totally different. I mean, even worked in Israel in the city closest to Gaza called Ashkelon. So he knows the country. He knows the mentality. So in addition to this, he also began to do some terror activity after the three years of working in Ashkelon in Israel. And then he initiated different kinds of activities. Among them was the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, a soldier who we'll remember. And after being involved in the terror realm and the political realm, he decided to focus more on Hamas' agenda, on Hamas' charter. And basically, what we have seen in the last couple of years are a few things. Number one, Hania got very rich, because he received millions and millions of dollars from the Qataris. Number two, he left Gaza and he spent the last years of his life in Qatar, in lavish hotels and apartments, enjoying great life. And this is also an indication of how much does he care about the people of Gaza.  And I want to connect to the current war and give you a quote of who Haniyeh was because I see that some of the media outlets have the nerve to call him a moderate negotiator. Therefore, I'd like to help them and share with you the following quote, which was said on October 27 — that was the first day where the IDF entered Gaza following the October 7 massacre. So he said, "We need the blood of women, children, and the elderly of Gaza, so it awakens our revolutionary spirit." This is the moderate guy that international media is referring to in their reports. He was a radical, he was a terrorist, and we had a very good opening of our day this morning when we heard the news. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And Fuad Shukr, what was his role with Hezbollah? Avital Leibovich: He also, you know, this is a name which is not known, I think, to many people, but he does have a French connection and an American connection — of course, an Israeli connection. The guy was number two in the level of seniority in Hezbollah. He was actually the manager of the army in a way of the Hezbollah military apparatus.  But more than that, he was a strategist, and he knew what direction should Hezbollah take in the next years. He was in charge of developing the entire missile industry that Hezbollah had, including the accurate missiles. In other words, he was a strategist but also was a practical man. Now, here's the connection that he had to the US and to France. In 1983, he was one of the orchestrators of the attack in the marine base in Beirut.  On that terrible day, 241 American marines lost their lives, but 70 French soldiers were killed as well. So as you can imagine, this terrorist Fuad Shukr has 40 years of terror activities, primarily against Israel, but also against Israeli allies. So again, I think it was a very courageous and accurate Israeli operation. And more than anything, Manya, it shows the amazing level of intelligence, where that person was exactly in which room, in which building, in which floor, and to be able to very surgically act in the right time, at the right moment and target him, I think that shows a lot for the Israeli intelligence capabilities. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Was Haniyeh part of the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations? Avital Leibovich: So if you look at the title that Hanieyeh had, which is the head of the political branch of Hamas, you could think that he had some impact on the decision making process with the hostage deals. But I can tell you that he had really no impact, very little impact. Because from the analysis that we have here in Israel, the main decision maker is Sinwar.  Now the question is, will the death of Haniyeh have an impact, number one on Sinwar? And therefore, number two on the hostage deal? Now, I'm not sure it will have an effect. I have to say. Sinwar is known as the longtime rival of Haniyeh. So in other words, he will not be mourning his death. But he had the last word with regard to any of the discussions on the hostages.  And at the end of the day, Sinwar said numerous times, that he's willing to die. And his ultimate goal is to make sure that Hamas has some sort of a controlling Gaza. He understands today Sinwar, that Hamas will no longer control the government, therefore, he's willing to compromise. For example, let's say Hamas will be giving the role of being in charge of the renovations in Gaza. Or perhaps they will be in charge of the education system and so on, in other words, just to have some sort of a stronghold inside Gaza in terms of governance of some sort. Now, if that will not be a part of any possible deal, then Sinwar has no interest to give a positive answer to a deal. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I am curious why Haniyeh would have met with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before his death? Avital Leibovich: Hamas and Iran have different kinds of cooperation. We have seen that across the region. In other words, we have seen Hamas representatives in Lebanon, working alongside Nasrallah, the health Hezbollah, but also meeting the Iranian foreign minister, when he came to Lebanon for visits. We understand that this time around there is a clear interest which Iran supports, is to target Israel as much as possible. And obviously Iran prefers a proxy like Hamas to be representative of its own goals and intentions.  And therefore you saw Haniyeh last time, was last night paying respects for the inauguration ceremony in Iran. And according to what I'm hearing, he was also hosted in a Revolutionary Guards facility. In other words, whoever targeted Haniyeh had a great level of intelligence by knowing how to get to that specific building.  But moreover, this is a very secure area, because the Revolutionary Guards are considered the body which is the most guarded of all bodies in Iran. They're the ones controlling the budget of the Iranian government. They're the ones operating Hezbollah and other militias and proxies. So in other words, the fact that it was a Revolutionary Guards headquarters, Antonia was there and despite of all this information, the security system around him cracked. I think that sends a very loud and clear message to the Iranians. Manya Brachear Pashman:   How is the relationship between Iran and Hamas and the relationship between Iran and Hezbollah different? Can you explain that to our audience? Avital Leibovich: First of all, I mean, you know, Iran is the chief orchestrator of everything that we have been seeing here since October 7, but actually before that as well. Now, I would say that with Hezbollah, it's a long love story between the two. Actually, Hezbollah was founded by Iran, quite shortly after the revolution in '79.  When the country became a fundamentalist Islamist and obviously, took the wrong path, distancing itself from the Western world. Iran actually built Hezbollah, founded Hezbollah, first the military wing, and then adding three years later the political wing. And the idea was to use them in order to attack Israel. And this is very convenient.  Think about it, Iran is 1300 kilometers away from Israel. It's not convenient to fire a rocket all the way from that country to Israel. But let's say you want to use simpler means and within half an hour to take an operation out, it's easier to use someone who's bordering with Israel. So gradually, we saw Hezbollah taking over almost the entire country. And everything had to do with Iranian funding. Now, in order to have Iranian funding in terms of sanctions, Iran and Hezbollah, found alternative options like laundering money, like a whole chain of drug trafficking in Syria and other countries. So they found solutions to do that.  By the way, Iran is doing the same thing with the Houthis in Yemen, also using them as a proxy. Because you know, this is the most poor country in the region, huge unemployment rates, you can recruit 10s of 1000s and hundreds of 1000s of people, as long as you pay them a very minimal salary. Now, as for Hamas, Hamas was built a little bit later.  It's actually an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, so not directly of Iran. However, sometimes there are joint interests between different terror groups. Actually, Iran founded the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, in 79, right after the revolution, because he thought this would be the main actor controlling Gaza with the best assets and so on. But with the course of the years, when Hamas controlled Gaza, and was able to develop its terror means rockets, drones, etc, then, of course, Iran moved to cooperate with Hamas, according to its needs for Iran, it's, of course, more worthwhile to use the blood of Palestinians than the blood of Iranians to sacrifice Palestinians and not the Iranians. This is how they see it.  At the end of the day, Iran now wishes to resume to the situation of being a major empire as it used to be, a Persian empire decades and decades ago. So this is the longtime dream, I would say. And the proxies are just another, I would say detail in the path to reach that dream.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Now, Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for the attack that killed a dozen children on a soccer field. Why not? They're usually proud of the death and destruction that they wreak. Why did Israel target the terror group anyway?  Avital Leibovich: Look, say a few words about this tragic event that took place just a few days ago in a very small, beautiful, pastoral village called Majdal Shams, which, by the way, means the tower of sun. It's on the Syrian border, and the other side is on the Lebanese border. And, you know, people asked me if this is the first time that Hizballah ever targeted Druze or targeted Muslims. Now this specific village was targeted five times already by Hezbollah. Saturday, obviously, was the deadliest of all the five. It was 6:18 in the afternoon, beautiful summer day, lots of kids outside.  I visited the soccer field where it happens. And the rockets left, really not a chance for those kids who were playing there. Although there was actually a shelter right there, maybe two feet from where the rocket hit the ground. They really didn't have a chance to make it and go into the shelter. And unfortunately, those poor 12 year old kids, ages 10-16, died in place. We still have over 30 people hospitalized, many of them are kids as well.  And I have to say, Manya, that I saw a village who has been traumatized. People are still wearing black clothes. There are black flags hanging everywhere inside the village. The pictures of the kids are, you know, pasted everywhere, on the squares just on random villages and walls of buildings.  I also went to one of the bereaved families. And you know, you sit there with a parent who lost his 12 year old boy named Johnny [Wadeea Ibrahim]. And he tells you about his dreams. And he says to me, you know, these dreams will never be fulfilled. And he says to me, we don't even know how to digest what happened to us. So, for Hezbollah, they don't really care who they're firing at, whether it's Jews or Arabs, or Muslims or Christians, whoever, they don't care if it's in the eastern Galilee, or the Western Galilee, or the Golan. All these areas are relevant for the Hezbollah fire since October 8. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, Hezbollah did not take responsibility. Why not? Avital Leibovich: So here is the mistake. Hezbollah actually made the mistake. Hezbollah has a TV station, which is its mouthpiece, just like Hamas's TV station mouthpiece is Al Jazeera. Hezbollah's is Al Mayadeen. Now, immediately after an attack, a Hezbollah attack, Al Mayadeen immediately publishes responsibility taking by Hezbollah always every time. And by the way, we're talking about an average of eight attacks a day, every day. And that's what they did here too. On Saturday, they immediately took responsibility in the name of Hezbollah.  Unfortunately, for them, after 20 minutes, they understood the extent of the mistake they did, and deleted, of course, this responsibility, and then they made up their own narrative. The narrative was that a misfiring of an Iron Dome interceptor, mistakenly killed the kids, like Israel's fault is that the kids died. Now, this narrative, if you think it was only the social media, then think again, they sent the foreign minister of Lebanon to the media to repeat it.  But they also did something more. They sent the head of the Druze community. It's the same blood and flesh of the Druze in the Golan. They sent him to the press to declare that it was not a Hezbollah rocket. So they understood that they will pay a price of some sort. I'm sure they understood that I'm not sure they understood the extent of the intelligence Israel had. And now of course, they're threatening to target Israel. I think the next 48 hours will reveal where we're heading. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And you talk about the incredible intelligence that led to the precise explosion in Beirut as well as the death of Haniyeh. Has Israel taken responsibility for his death and what it claimed credit if it was responsible, Avital Leibovich: Up to this minute, Israel did not take any responsibility for Haniyeh's death. Of course, yes, for the Hizballah number two guy Fuad Shukr, but not for Haniyeh. As a matter of fact, the Prime Minister ordered the Cabinet members and the ministers not to speak publicly on the issue. And basically, there's been a lot of quiet from the political echelon here since the morning. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And you touched on what my last question is, and that is, how will this elevate the tensions? Does this raise the chance of a war between Israel and Lebanon, Israel, and Iran, these assassinations?  Avital Leibovich: So I would say we are already in a war to some extent with Hezbollah, because Hezbollah has fired more than 6000 rockets since October 8. And I've counted 43 Israeli casualties since October 8. So we are talking about an active war in a sense, I think that there is a good reason to believe that both Hezbollah and Iran will react to these two targets. I'm not sure in which way. I do think that Hezbollah still has the notion and the strategy of not completely escalating the situation to a full scale war. I'm sure that Nasrallah is sitting in his bunker in the darkened neighborhood, seeing the footage from Gaza and understanding Israel's capability and does not want to turn Beirut into a similar kind of situation.  And he also saw the building last night and he also understood the extent of the intelligence capability. So I think he will have to react in such a way that on the one hand, he could be proud that he did something but on the other hand, would not engage in a full scale war. Iran, on the other hand, is a different story.  Because three months have passed since April 14 in which Iran decided to gift us with hundreds of drones and different kinds of ballistic missiles. And from their perspective, it failed. It failed because Israel has a great defense system. It also failed because the US led the great coalition of countries who supported the interception attempts in April 14. However, and this is a big however, Iran learned its lessons.  Iran learned why it failed in April. And therefore, my concern is that they will take these lessons and implement them in whichever reaction they will have. I'm not sure it will be tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, they will celebrate Haniyeh in the big funeral in Iran, and then there will be additional mourning days in Qatar. So it may take a few days, but I have no doubt that they will both, Hezbollah and Iran react. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Avital, thank you so much for just explaining all of these developments and what they mean. Avital Leibovich: Of course, I just hope that for once they will be able to talk about positive things and not only terror and wars. Manya Brachear Pashman:   We hope so too. We hope so too. Thank you so much. Avital Leibovich: Thank you and Am Yisrael Chai.

Memoirs are usually morally uplifting reads with happy endings. But Phil Elwood's new memoir, All the Worst Humans, is a confession of how Elwood, as a top DC based PR operative, created what he calls a “counter-narrative” for Assad, Gaddafi and the Qataris. Elwood isn't proud about any of this. As he confessed to me, he still sleeps poorly and often wakes up at 3.00 am regretting the morally poor choices he's made in his life. The sad thing is that there are still many other highly paid PR execs doing the dirty narrative work for dictators, tycoons and corrupt politicians. Let's hope they pick up All the Worst Humans at the airport on their next trip to Saudi Arabia or Russia.Phil Elwood is a public relations operative. He was born in New York City, grew up in Idaho, and moved to Washington, DC at age twenty to intern for Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He completed his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, and his graduate studies at the London School of Economics before starting his career at a small PR firm. Over the last two decades, Elwood has worked for some of the top – and bottom – PR firms in Washington. He lives in DC.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Since October 7, Israel has been saying it's fighting FOR humanity, on the frontlines of humanity, but in the information war—Israel's own humanity is being called into question. And that charge is being led by NGOs with ideological agendas that pass themselves off as great defenders of humanity, with names like Save the Children, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International. They have been active combatants in the information war against Israel. Amplifying some of the worst lies and propaganda against Israel. Failing to stand up for the victims of Oct. 7th. Failing to fight from the hostages. Even allegedly taking funding from the Saudis and Qataris. Today's guest is pushing back. Because if sunlight is the best disinfectant, then shedding light on these NGOs' funding and practices should expose all the dirt. Professor Gerald Steinberg, founder and president of NGO Monitor, has spent his life challenging the global system of anti-Israel NGOs. NGO Monitor has worked for years to hold the watchdogs accountable and warn Israel's supporters of the damage that they are doing by abusing the banner of human rights. Israel is losing the information war, thanks to the political activities of these NGOs. What can it do to turn the tide?Learn more, and support NGO Monitor here:https://www.ngo-monitor.org/https://geraldsteinberg.com/Stay up to date at:https://www.stateofanationpodcast.com/X: https://twitter.com/stateofapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofapod/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-a-nation

Show Notes and Transcript Jaco Booyens joins Hearts of Oak to discuss his journey from South Africa to the U.S, becoming a citizen and focusing on anti-trafficking work.  His organisation prioritizes prevention, inspired by his sister's trafficking experience.  Jaco highlights the prevalence of human trafficking in the U.S, especially within families, tells us of the destructive impact of the pornography industry on exploitation and criticizes the church for not actively addressing these issues. Despite facing opposition from Big Tech, Big Pharma, and the pornography lobby, Jaco encourages engagement, education, and support for anti-trafficking efforts and tells us how we can all get involved. With 29 years of fighting trafficking, Jaco Booyens is the leading voice in America addressing the entire ecosystem that feeds human trafficking. His team collaborates with 170+ anti-trafficking organizations nationwide, as well as local and federal law enforcement agencies. JBM is consistently tracking the evolution of this crime in real time. This intel allows us to conduct a global gap analysis to best advocate for the needs of the anti-trafficking community on all fronts (legislation, awareness, training our first responders and government officials). JBM sees early and is able to sound the alarm - warning the American public about what's happening to their children. Jaco Booyens Ministries is an anti-trafficking organization led by the Holy Spirit to redeem the lives of children, victims, survivors, and those creating demand for sexual exploitation.  They support real-life rescues and save children BEFORE they need to be rescued Connect with Jaco and the Ministry... WEBSITE           jacobooyensministries.org X/TWITTER       x.com/BooyensJaco INSTAGRAM      instagram.com/jaco.booyens Interview recorded 29.5.24 Connect with Hearts of Oak... X/TWITTER        x.com/HeartsofOakUK WEBSITE            heartsofoak.org/ PODCASTS        heartsofoak.podbean.com/ SOCIAL MEDIA  heartsofoak.org/connect/ SHOP                  heartsofoak.org/shop/ *Special thanks to Bosch Fawstin for recording our intro/outro on this podcast. Check out his art theboschfawstinstore.blogspot.com and follow him on X/Twitter x.com/TheBoschFawstin TRANSCRIPT Hello, Hearts of Oak. I'm delighted to be joined by a brand new guest that I had the privilege of meeting over in my trip in Texas, and that's Jaco Booyens. Jaco, thank you so much for your time today. Thank you. It was great to meet you in person, and thank you for the kind gesture of having me on your show. Not at all. It was wonderful meeting you and then meeting you again later jumping on with you on your show and I had not actually known about the work you're doing. I've looked into it and and it's a phenomenal work you do and i'm hoping that we can share that with our viewers and listeners, but of course first of all people can obviously find you there's your twitter handle which is on the screen or X and this Jaco Booyans Ministries.org is the website that is on the the twitter handle at the top when you go on to Jaco's profile and also everything is in the description. And you describe yourself Jaco as as an anti-trafficking organization led by the Holy Spirit which we'll delve into that point in a moment which is alien for UK viewers certainly but to redeem the lives of children victims survivors and those creating demand for sexual exploitation. We support real life rescues and save children before they need to be rescued. So, we want to delve into the work you do, the vital work you've done for nearly three decades. But before I start with that, can I ask you about yourself? How does a South African end up in the US and becoming a US citizen, legally becoming a US citizen? You know, that's the question today is what's legal and what's not legal, because we still have legal immigration in the US, you know, there's still and as you do in the UK, there are laws on the books, it's whether those laws are actually upheld or not. That's the question of the day. You know, Peter, when I was 18 years old as a South African, born and raised in Johannesburg, with a tremendous, you know, love for England because all our sport are the same. Our school system is built on the British school system. Our legal system is British law. I mean, there's such an intertwinement between the UK and South Africa, right? I was destined to play professional rugby at that time as an 18-year-old. My sister was 12 years old. We were on the brink of civil war. This is 1994, South Africa, Nelson Mandela's coming out of prison. I mean, it is just a melting pot of change, right? And in that year, 1994, when my sister Ilonka was 12, she was trafficked. Now, we're from a single-parent home. Father was not in our lives. I'm a senior in high school, or a matriculant in high school, as we'll call it. But on my way to the military, because it's last class of military, mandatory military service, I'm also on my way to play professional rugby, which both happened. But then also my sister is trafficked. And it was a six-year journey. Of this 12-year-old girl being trafficked until she was 18, my sister, so for me from just about turning 19 to 26, 25, 26, it was this process of not knowing exactly what has happened, what is happening to our sister. And by God's grace, I was there the night she was rescued. And in that process, none of us knew what human trafficking was, but in that six-year process, there was this agreement by the family, my mother, myself, my brother, that when Ilonka was coming home, and we believed that God had her, that she was safe, that we would immigrate to Nashville, Tennessee, because music was our love. Music is, in fact, the industry she was trafficked through. We didn't know it at the time. And so once that happened in 2001, we immigrated to the U.S. We came as visitors and started the process of becoming legal U.S. Citizens, came in legally and worked the process. And for me, it was a 14-year process of becoming a citizen, because I was a visitor and then I became a professional athlete in the U.S., which changed my visa status. And you start over every time. And then I lived in Canada for two years playing professional football in Canada, football, not British football, American football. Which changed my legal status again. And so I had to restart three or four times. And hence the reason it took 14 years before I was sworn in as a U.S. Citizen, you know, and very proudly so. Where was that? Which city, which area was that you were sworn in? Did most of my work with the Memphis Office of Immigration, but I actually was sworn in in Dallas, Texas, because we moved to Dallas 2011 and 2014, sworn in as a U.S. citizen. So, I've been a citizen now for nine, ten years almost. It was such a proud moment, Peter. You know, I love South Africa. That red dirt never gets out of your system. I love my people. I love the country. But we're called here for the fight. We're in fighting human trafficking. We're called here. And standing in front of an immigration judge, I say this to a lot of U.K. residents would understand this. When you have migration and immigration into a country, into the U.S., you are asked to assimilate. You're required. I had to write a written English exam, verbal exam, understand the branches of government. An exam, I argue, most American citizens, naturally born, will fail. They'll fail that test. Same here. Same situation in the U.K. And so pass that exam, then you go through a bar. Then you go through an immigration federal judge, you get questioned. You get all your biometrics taken, they check your background, et cetera, et cetera. And then finally, you stand in front of a judge with your friends and family, and you hear, welcome, newest citizen of the United States. And you pledge that allegiance for the first time, and you sing that national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, for the first time. And what a moment, you know, what a moment. Incredible. Had my daughter there with me, my firstborn and she was witness to that. And so, you know, we honor that process, although it being a very expensive and a 14-year process, I honor it. Jaco, you touched on your sports background. You're an entrepreneur. You were in the media industry, which you refer to what happened to your family. That seems a lot on. Why jump into this issue whatever you've got your hands filled with so many other things. Yeah, you're right look I was I was born and raised on the stage. I mean my mom was a theater professor so my first memory we're doing the musical, the student prince I was three years old so I was raised in the entertainment business which ended up being the business that trafficked my sister. And so at the time, at 18, as I'm going to professional sport, the military, you've got a sister that's under duress. And so it takes precedent. Six years in, when Ilanka was rescued, by God's grace, I was there that night. Peter, I'll just tell you my story. I heard God's voice say, not another one. And although I didn't quite know and understand what trafficking was at the time, this is 2001. 2001, I knew that this, this had to end through her eyes in the US after we arrived in Nashville, she called a family meeting and unpacked for us in detail, what men had done to her and how, and you know, you can't, you, your brain disconnects. You don't want, you don't want to hear it, but you're hearing it because it's your sister. And so everything I knew in the beginning, I learned from Ilonka. That led us on this journey of fighting for every child and which led us to 2010 to realize that the United States is the leading nation in the world demanding the exploitation of people. That's a fact. It's sadly so, but it's a fact. We're demanding the highest demand on pornographic content, producing pornographic content, the distribution of CSAM, child sexual abuse material. We lead the world in social media and app development, which has become the platform on which this is prolificated, right? It's just, it's exploded since the age of social media. And so since 2010, although we do a lot of work in other countries still, our organization has a hyper focus on the 50 states of the United States. And thank you for the quote early. We believe we can save a child before they need to be rescued. And what we mean by that is predators look for vulnerabilities in children. If there's not a vulnerability, they'll exploit a potential vulnerability like love and belonging, care, shelter, food, community, identity, you know, and they'll explore what sticks and then they'll dig in. And, you know, remember, it's a crime. Human trafficking is such a broad term. There's labor trafficking, debt bondage, sexual exploitation, sex trafficking. But the crime of human trafficking by definition, which we had a hand in help write, is the exploitation of persons through the mechanism of force, fraud, and coercion. And so those are the mechanisms predators use. The bully uses force. Fraud, coercion is so effective when you combine it with sexual exploitation, so for us we just learned how to use our relationships in media which is still ongoing and active. Proud member of the blaze network with Glenn Beck. We produce feature films. We produce a lot of content and music and television. We utilize those platforms now as sounding boards and awareness campaigns to drive all attention attention and focus to end the sexual exploitation of children. That is our main focus, is to end trafficking. Now, with that being said, our organization has four key pillars, of which one is policy and legislation. Where we are unbelievably active in policy and legislation. We've got great leaders of that in our organization, where we write bills for individual U.S. States, U.S. Senate, the House. We consult. We are even busy with a bill for the House of Lords to speak into how do we protect children in a community by us identifying the vulnerability, vulnerability securing the vulnerability before a predatory force gets to to exploit. Tell me about the early days of starting the JBM, Jaco Booyan's Ministries? Yeah, what were those kind of early days, because this is a huge issue and has got much worse there's so many facets where you can tackle this. And you talk about media and legislation? There are so many angles that you can start on. And it seems as though this is something which actually is just too big to tackle. And I'm sure a number of people have tried to look at this and walked away by the beast they see in front of them. But tell us about those early days, how you started and how you grew in those first few years. Yeah, what a question, man. This is what makes you such a great interviewer, Peter, and congratulations on all the success of the show and the impact you're making. It's because of questions like this. That question is actually also the answer to the big problem. You know, I came full circle, 30 years is a long time, Peter. I mean, 30 years in, I now know that where we started is actually the solution to the problem. We started by focusing on one child in one family, understanding that if the family breaks down, the child is vulnerable. And so the solution to this multi-headed dragon monster that you're addressing is actually where we started. We focused on one child, my sister, her story, her voice. How did this happen? Learning about where we were vulnerable and we didn't know as a family, because we have a mother that worked three jobs, actively engaged in every aspect of the lifestyle, but yet it's not a sound, stable family. It's not. And that's not to frown upon single-parent families. They're to be celebrated, but they are vulnerable. We have to understand how they're vulnerable. And so the early days was very tough because when Ilonka, first of all, when she went through trafficking. The word human trafficking wasn't even socialized. Law enforcement deemed it a runaway right away, quickly, as is happening today. There was no policy and legislation. We didn't have a definition for human trafficking in the US until 2015. We didn't have laws on the books specific to child sex trafficking in the United States until 2015. And so the early years from 2001 to 2015 was a desert. You couldn't raise funds. You couldn't get anybody to repeat the word. Nobody wanted to even know. You couldn't talk about sexual exploitation and really child rape. Rape it was it was just a taboo across the board and and there was these prayers of could we just see a day when people would at least want to talk about it. Could we not just us but other amazing organizations that have championed this with us the problem was in the U.S. at that time and really still today to be honest on the heels of the Sound of Freedom movie. Great film, we consulted on it know the guys well, but it still paints a misconception of really what's happening, is it paints this picture to the American population that the problem is elsewhere. The problem is in Cambodia, it's in the Philippines, it's in Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, in the Congo, and then they tie the problem directly to poverty or displacement, right? Right. Sure. Poverty and displacement plays a big role, but that's, in fact, no longer a driving factor. You know, the fastest growing form of human trafficking globally and in the U.S. is what's called familial trafficking, where it's family members trafficking their own children, where the child is not homeless, is not a runaway, is not in the foster care system. So, for years we fought to say, hey, wait a minute. It's not just over there. It's here. It's in the U.S. And that's still a battle we face today. So we come full circle because we thought for a time period around 2010 through 15, we started saying to law enforcement, look, you're arresting the wrong people. You're arresting the victims and the Johns. The bad guys are walking free. The pimps and the predators are walking free. You know, so we said, could we just get laws on the books? And then we did. And then we thought that we could arrest ourselves out of the problem. And you realize you cannot. Then we thought we could legislate ourselves out of the problem. And we realized, as you do in the UK at the moment, just because the laws on the books doesn't mean it's adjudicated as such in the court of law. And so you're not going to legislate yourself out of the problem, although we need great legislation. So, how then do we fix this? We heal the nuclear family. That's how you fix this. The fight starts at home. Each parent, every child, you don't wait until a child is destitute. Or, I mean, it is a constant bombardment, a barrage of attack on our Gen Z culture of misinformation, lies, deceit, and sexualized content, normalizing absolutely absurd behavior. And so the law is tossed aside for social norm. So, once we realize that, okay, we started with, bonding one family together around one child, we come full circle and realize the only way to stop child sexual exploitation is to educate one family at a time for them to take ownership. Over the problem, which means accountability, fortify that family, and do not allow any of the crazy that you fight and I fight into the family. Don't allow them to radicalize the school system, the education platform, driving the church out of the home, bringing radicalized ideology through different religion, as you are literally living in every day, into the conversation because it disfranchised the strength of a family, which then renders that family completely vulnerable to predatory forces. I want to get on to the demand you talked about, and there are all different points on the website that people, the viewers, listeners do need to go to and absorb some of that information, to realize the scale of what you face and how you're working towards a solution for this. But the industry, you talk about kind of, well, people talk about industries, the lobby power of Big Pharma or the war industry or the food industry. But the sex industry, the pornography industry, and then the people trafficking kind of coming together, that sex industry, that must be a powerful industry with their tentacles in governments, not only in the US, but worldwide. Have you seen that? Yeah, it's because of the nature of it, you know, Peter in my in my Ted Talk, I say I open my ted talk I believe with every single human being can be trafficked. If I know your greatest vulnerability and your greatest need you can be trafficked well. Finance is a mechanism of vulnerability. Finance. The desire to be loved and understood and seen as every human being. So, every human being is a sexual being. So, when you take sex as a concept and you corrupt it, you're going to devastate and destroy. Absolutely so, now you're seeing that sex, in fact, a drug in pornography, 100%, right? It's actually very effective. So, you'll find that when we work with law enforcement in the U.S. and there's a drug raid. There's not always sex involved. There's not always guns smuggling involved. There's not always money laundering or people smuggling involved. It could be drugs. Where you fight sexual exploitation, all of the above are involved. Every single human trafficking case has illegal weapons, money laundering, people smuggling, drugs, crime, homicide. It's the one thing that begets all of it because it's the ultimate moral compromise. Once you go to that level where you are willing to look the other way or be participant in subjecting a child to exploitation, all the rest is fair game. So evil will play that card. And so when we talk about the size of that industry, we are in this year going to surpass the illegal drug trade in the U.S. With sexual exploitation. It will become the number one crime in the U.S. Now, in 2023, it was a $152 billion U.S. crime, sorry, international crime. $52 billion of the $152 billion was domestic, was U.S. So, a third of the world's human exploitation by dollar value is in the U.S. When you would consider sexual exploitation as a for-profit enterprise, publicly traded, it would be a Fortune 100 company in the US. This is tax-free, which makes its EBITDA close to probably $5 billion, right? Because it's all for gain and for profit. But it's not just money, Peter. It's the corruption of power. I'll give you an example. Were deep into this conversation and investigation in the Sean Combs P. Diddy case, like we were in 2007 and are currently in the Jeffrey Epstein case, Ghislaine Maxwell, Harvey Weinstein. Why it's prevalent at those levels is the following. It's not just money. It's not that they're making money through sex. Yes, they do. It's power and position. It's compromise, it's throwing a freak out party. P. Diddy's party inviting a bunch of people, positioning activity that's illicit in front of everybody. Compromising everybody at the party. Filming people. Get a knock on the door going, hey, you were at the party. You're in a photograph with a minor. You didn't talk to the minor. You didn't touch the minor. You didn't engage in the basement. None of it. But you are compromised. And it's a tool, unbelievably prevalent tool in politics to sway votes, to move people, to move judges, to move. Look, you've got a member of the royal family implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein case. There is no level of society as low or high where you cannot use sex to compromise an individual for power, position, or finance. And that's why it's so prevalent. It's effective, highly effective, because it speaks to the moral compass of a man or a woman, the fortitude and the spine of saying no, even if it costs you everything. And so when you take desire for political position, right now, one of our top things we're doing with the United Nations in the UK, and I shared this with you, is looking into premiership soccer, premiership football. The amount of Premier League players that had been trafficked from Africa, right? It's, again, there's a young talent. How do you control that talent? You compromise the talent, take passports, visa, you compromise them sexually, you hold something over your head. This is an effective tool that's in business and in public and private sector alike. Is part of the problem under the demand issue, and you touched about a moral compass, you've also got an innate sexual desire compass. And when that gift of sex is abused by society, by media, then we see the end result. Adult, but you've got men in positions of power and pornography and masculinity, sadly, have become mixed and therefore, and it's also seen as a non-victimless activity. It's seen as actually, this is fine, this is natural and these women, I'm sure they've made this decision to enter this career. You kind of come up against that of men in positions and why would any man in a position who enjoys pornography, why would you want to stop this? It's kind of seen as normal and natural and yet you're giving a different message which hits at it from an angle of truth that people don't want to accept I assume. Yeah, look. Taking accountability and personal responsibility for anything, as a father, for you as a father, right? Staring your faults and your mistakes in the face and say, I own them. That human nature shies away from that. Even if it's not sex, just making a mistake, saying, hey, that was me. I own it. I'm going to fix it. I'm going to do better next time. By nature, people don't want to do that. When it is sexual compromise now it's secret in my world it's secret it's private. It is their self-condemnation most of most men if they're honest they'll tell you right after they watch porn they feel guilty, they feel empty, they feel void, it does not fulfill them, and it will not, it cannot, because they've objectified a person where that where there's a dissonance, you know, there's a disassociation with nobody is being harmed. Let me give you some statistics real quick, okay? Over 80% of what the world deems prostitutes, over 80% of those women have filed rape charges. And you would say, well, how is a prostitute able to file a rape charge? It's easy. All she has to do in the moment is say, 'no.' It's not consensual. Well, you're branded a prostitute, so it must always be consensual. No, there's no irrevocable consent, right? Over 80%, get this number, 87% of what the world today classifies as prostitutes, we're talking about adult women now, right, had been sexually exploited as minors. So are they prostitutes? They're actually, in fact, not prostitutes. Because you have to understand the human behavioural science, the mind, the psyche, what happens to sex hormones in the brain, puberty, what actually happens to a human being with sexual encounter and interaction. It's chemical. It's metaphysical. It's physical. It's biological. It's not just a feeling. There's real reaction and there's bonding and tearing, bonding and tearing. This is why divorce is so detrimental. This is why having multiple sexual partners, there's a tearing because it's a bonding agent. It's the most vulnerable, most intimate moment a human being will ever be in. Complete exposure, nudity, nakedness, heart, emotion. So, it's this constant bonding, tearing, bonding, tearing. When you normalize that, you decimate culture. Here's some statistics. There's not a single civilization recorded in the history of mankind that embraced sexual exploitation that survived three generations, not one. Rome fell because of this. The Mayan culture fell. The Greeks fell. The Asian culture fell to where the Chinese have outlawed pornography completely. They'll give the US TikTok with porn and the UK TikTok, but porn is illegal in China. Why? They understand that it will kill their culture. Porn is the most destructive weapon on the face of the earth because it seems normal. It's sex. Here's another thing. Do you know that in Nevada, the state of Nevada that has legal brothels, and it's not on the Vegas strip, by the way, there's not a single legal brothel on the Vegas strip. The areas in Nevada that has legal brothels. Most of those women have pimps. Most of those women perform pornography because they're not making enough money to make their quota on general sex trafficking on the Vegas Strip. Most of those women in organized porn are intoxicated, are manipulated. What I want men to understand is when you objectify a woman or a man, the violation of privacy. What if it was your daughter? For young men, your future wife. The violation of privacy by observing porn, just observing it, watching it, you are creating demand for another human being to be exploited. And it is exploitation, whether they understand it or not. Remember, most victims don't self-identify. So, we are asking for human beings to be exploited, while we are frowning upon racism and all these things. There's more slaves today, sex slaves, than ever before in human history, ever before. We are dealing with a cataclysmic problem here in society where now we're looking at it and go, well, if we normalize it, there's Germany two weeks ago legalizing the possession of child. Pornography. Okay, I hear you. How did the individual obtain the child pornography? A child was exploited. So, you could say it's legal to possess it, but then you're saying it's legal to create it. So, the child has no defence. The child is a sitting duck. That culture, you mark my words, the German culture is going to implode. It will implode. It'll be decimated at the core because it's the ultimate moral compromise. When you have a situation in the UK where you have rape gangs, when you have a situation in the UK where there's no go zones, where you have a situation in the UK where a doctrine that does not frown upon sex with children becomes normalized. You're going to lose the culture. You'll be decimated like the Romans. You will lose it all. There is no way around this. If you cannot protect, for me as a Christian, it's a mandate, Peter. But even if you're not a Christian, let me tell you, if you cannot protect the vulnerable of your culture, the most vulnerable children, you don't have a future. Forget about them standing up for freedom, for liberty and justice, for our constitution, your constitution, for be kind to your neighbour, be a good citizen. You are having a Gen Z class. That is the most self exploitive class in human history. They sell their own bodies on OnlyFans. The girls in, and I've been on many UK campuses, go talk to them, ask them what's their body count, what's their sexual partner relations like. They've lost count. They've lost hope and they're empty. So pornography in any form, hentai, animation, porn, pornography is the entry drug into human exploitation and human trafficking. Speaking, I've never met a single paedophile, child trafficker, convicted trafficker that was not a porn addict that has not told me it started with pornography. And the drug no longer sustains the dopamine requirement. So, it has to go to harder core porn than it goes to purchasing sex from an adult. That doesn't satisfy. And the ultimate end goal is prepubescent sexual encounter, which is where you see Germany going on a bullet train. I agree. It's a massive concern watching that legislation. Jaco, you talked about your faith right at the beginning. And on the website, you say you're led by the Holy Spirit. Tell me where the church fits into this, because we've seen the church in the UK shy away from any major issues, and as long as they can have their Bible study on a Wednesday and their service on a Sunday morning, they've ticked those boxes, and we see a church withdrawing from society. What's it like for you as a high-profile individual on this huge, horrendous, dark issue that needs to be addressed and that no one really, if you talk to anyone in the street, no one would disagree with anything you say. Then you get down to actually them doing something that's a different issue. But where is the church in this? Where are Christians in this, especially over there in the US? You know, earlier, and I can't be a hypocrite. And I told you this before, every morning I start my day in the mirror asking myself if I'm part of the problem. Do I look the other way? Do I see something and not say something? Am I in some way, you know, demanding for some human being to be exploited? And the answer has to be absolutely not. So as a non-hypocrite, I'm going to tell you, the church has been nowhere in this conversation, because the church has believed the separation of church and state, and the church can't speak into societal issues, and the church is not supposed to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I'm now speaking to the church, and I'm speaking to all denominations, not just Catholicism that's very prevalent in the UK history. I'm talking to the Protestants, you know, all of them, right? The Anglicans, you know, the non-denominationalists. Our faith is not a faith of gathering, tapping each other on the shoulder and saying, hey, let's have Bible study. The greatest commandment of our faith to the one we serve, Jesus Christ, is go into all the nations and disciple, which means bring solutions, kingdom solutions to earthly problems. He tells Peter, pray on earth as in heaven. Heaven, our Father who art in heaven, on earth as in heaven, meaning bring heavenly, Holy Spirit-led, divine, scriptural, foundational solutions to great earthly problems like foster care and abortion and racism and whatever conversation you want to have. If the church does not actively engage with solutions in love, not in hate, in love, but with truth, which is the word of God in the public square, the church is in fact abandoning their watch post on the wall. That is, Peter, Ezekiel 33, 7 says, if the watchman on the wall, which by biblical precedent is the believer, the Christian. If the watchman on the wall does not warn society of an injustice that it sees, meaning speak into it, speak biblical truth, not a fluid biblical worldview, not a watered down false gospel, the gospel. If a Christian, each individual, does not actively speak with their mouth into that injustice, then the blood of is on the hands of the watchman. If that watchman, the Christian engages in culture in these conversations that you're having with Brexit, with the parliamentarians, the house of lords; what's happening. If they don't engage in election conversation from a biblical worldview, if they don't preach it from the pulpit, right? They're in fact the watchman with the blood on their hands. You can't as a Christian stand and say well look at Joe Biden, what is happening to America? We are, we're having drag shows for kids. We are losing our culture. My question immediately is where was the church when they drove you know prayer out of school? Where is the church when we say: hey we're going to show up at a drag show for kids and say this is not okay. They don't show up. So, the role of the church, in fact, the Messiah we follow, Jesus Christ, didn't even have a home, Peter. Didn't have a building, met under trees and went town to town to do what? Meet need, feed people, heal people, right? And spread a different message, a gospel that's a gospel of love, but correction, accountability, take ownership, wait for the British Parliament to save your family. You've got stewardship over your family, over your community, your child's school, right? And so Christians have abdicated their social responsibility because we've made the gospel just about me and my salvation. And now it's private. And now I'm not even a contributor to society. I'm just hoarding faith. But the Great Commission is go and spread this news. So, the church is complicit, 100%. When we are told Jesus went around doing good, destroying the works of the enemy, that verse is enough to live by until our dying day. Jaco, let me finish off just on the opposition you face on this issue. You talk about legislation. I'm sure there's opposition there. I know you're heavily involved in the media and I had the privilege of you showing me around the Blaze studio. And I felt a little bit of envy rising up as you were showing me around the facilities you have. Where does the opposition come from? Is it the political? Is it the media? Or is it lobby groups? Because again, publicly, no one will reject your message. But privately, there must be opposition to what you're doing or else we will see this situation eradicated. I agree with you. You know, the people in general, if we go into what I love, and I'm just going to say this, I love walking from Piccadilly to the West End. I love that walk all the way to Waterloo Bridge. I love that city, right? And when I stop people, I'll never forget, there was a group of kindergartners that were connected with a yellow vest, a bright yellow vest, and their teachers were all around them. And they were protecting them, walking through on a field trip through Piccadilly Circus, right? And there was an immediate reverence by the people they made way. In general, the public's gonna agree. Look, when they look in the eyes of a child, yeah, we've got to protect that child. The problem comes in when they abdicate their voice to government and they abdicate their voice. Well, this parliamentarian, this member of the House of Lords will speak on my behalf. They will not. They will not. They've got a different mission. Their mission is to stay in office. Their mission is to stay in power. The Uniparty, the globalists, their mission is to not have their own personal faults exposed to the world, to not lose position. So, the problem comes with general society agrees, but general society doesn't speak up and general society doesn't hold those who have been elected accountable. So now by default, we're forfeiting power to organizations. And so our biggest opposition comes from political parties on both sides of the aisle in every country. The Republicans, the Democrats, there's as much opposition sometimes in the House of Lords to a subject like age verification for social media websites. The second I bring that up, they go, wait a minute. Okay, well, hold on. Or when you bring up freedom of speech should not protect pornography to children. That's not a right, right? And that's what Germany grappled with. Do I think the German culture on the ground in the countryside want to see pornography children? Absolutely not. But they lost their voice. They've given it over. So in the U.S., our top opposition is big tech. Think how well they're funded. Big pharma. Absolutely. Big pharma as making a radical push for gender modification, puberty blockers, you know, sexual alteration of children, massive push, and they throwing money at politicians to sway votes. We have now an official pornography lobby, not against porn, for porn on K Street, over a hundred million dollar funded porn lobby that knocks on the doors of politicians every day and coerce them to legalize porn, child porn, to lower the age of consent. We've got a gigantic opposition in the non-faith community. We have a massive fight with radicalized Islam. It's just a fact. It's just a fact because societally in that religion, they don't frown upon. Activities we frown upon as an American culture. I'm reminded in the last Soccer World Cup, I was asked to work with the Qataris on an anti-trafficking campaign. And I said, I cannot, because you guys don't frown upon having eight-year-old child brides. That's the trafficking, the selling of little girls. And their response to me was, well, would you help us to say trafficking of boys is frown upon? I said, this is asinine. It's insane. Which FIFA stepped up and said, hey, we're against trafficking of all sorts. But culturally, when you abandon your core culture as a nation for a foreign entity to come in, and you're not asking that entity to become British. And I'm not saying they got to love bangers and mash, you know, but culturally who what what is the fabric and the fibre of of of Great Britain. What is what is an American what is the we do not consent with the exploitation of children in this country we do not agree with hate or racism we do not agree that that you shouldn't have freedom of speech, a first and second amendment. You cannot come to this country from a Joseph Kabila regime in the Congo and think that you can come cut people's limbs off. That's not okay. And the second culture loses its voice that we don't agree. You have people speaking on your behalf, but they're not speaking on your behalf. They're speaking on their own behalf and on their own compromise. And you lose your culture. Jaco, I really appreciate your time. I'm intrigued and excited at the work you're doing and for the viewers and listeners maybe you haven't come across your mister before how do they how do they partner with you how do they support you? I know you've got a shop on the website. I'm sure you've got a donate button. I mean how do people become part of what you're doing? Yeah, thank you. Our number one social platform we use is is Instagram. We're on X and Twitter but But there's massive censorship of our voice on some of those platforms. Please go to HelpJBM, Juliet Bravo Mike, Help, Jacobooyens Ministries, Help JBM.org. Number one thing I want your viewers to do is to get educated on our website, how to protect their own families, how to have a conversation with their teenager. How do predators talk online? Is your child already engaging with a predator on DMs, on social media? Secondly, they can help us for a nominal fee save lives period to rescue children from trafficking, fortify them, partner with us in donations but they can also partner with us by by becoming ambassadors in their community; distributing truth and educating families on how to how to protect men, women, and children from sexual exploitation. Jaco, thank you so much for saying that I know the viewers and listeners will really want to go delve into the website and support you in any way possible. So, thank you so much for coming along and sharing the work you're doing. Appreciate you, Peter. God bless you.

Le 5 janvier 2012, le joueur de football semblait très chamboulé par l'argent que possédaient les Qataris. Tous les jours, retrouvez en podcast une archive des meilleures imitations de Laurent Gerra.

C dans l'air, l'invité du 7 mai 2024 - Laurent Valdiguié, journaliste et co-auteur de PSG confidential (Robert Laffont) Laurent Valdiguié est grand reporter à Marianne. Avec François Vignolle, il publie "PSG Confidential : Argent, politique et barbouzeries, l'histoire secrète du club parisien" aux éditions Robert Laffont, dans lequel il s'immisce dans les coulisses politiques du PSG et de son propriétaire : l'émirat du Qatar. Ce livre dévoile "la sombre histoire du club de la capitale". Le cœur de l'enquête concerne la vente du PSG au Qatar en 2011. "L'émir adore le foot anglais mais le marché saturait en Angleterre. Et il a eu cette opportunité d'investir en France, un peu grâce à Nicolas Sarkozy", raconte François Vignolle à RTL. Pour les deux auteurs, "tout est né autour d'un déjeuner à l'Élysée, le 23 novembre 2010". Les deux enquêteurs indiquent que si le PSG a été racheté par les Qataris, c'est en échange du vote français donné au royaume pour l'organisation du Mondial 2022. "Ce 23 novembre 2010, Nicolas Sarkozy invite un certain nombre de personnes [dont] le prince héritier, son secrétaire général Claude Guéant et puis un invité de la dernière heure, Michel Platini". Le livre revient aussi sur plusieurs enquêtes qui ont été lancées sur des soupçons de barbouzeries d'anciens employés, des raids numériques à l'encontre des ennemis du PSG. Laurent Valdiguié est grand reporter à Marianne et co-auteur de "PSG Confidential" aux éditions Robert Laffont. Il reviendra sur l'histoire secrète du club parisien.

Israeli military leaflets dropped into Gaza on Monday instructed Palestinians to leave eastern Rafah before “targeted airstrikes” hit the city, forcing thousands to evacuate the area. On the same day, and after negotiations over the weekend, Hamas announced its acceptance of the ceasefire deal, brokered by the Egyptians and the Qataris, prompting celebrations across Gaza, after seven months of war. Israel, however, said it could not agree to the proposal, but was willing to negotiate. In this week's Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher talks to Israeli political analyst Gershon Baskin and Kobi Michael, senior research fellow at The Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, about the Israeli incursion into Rafah and the prospects for a ceasefire.

Congressman Steny Hoyer warned this week that, in light of Qatar's enabling of Hamas intransigence in Gaza ceasefire negotiations, “The United States must reevaluate its relationship” with that Middle Eastern nation. The Qatari prime minister peevishly responded that his country is undertaking a “comprehensive evaluation” of its mediating role.  While these statements smack of political theater, they should be seized to end Washington's practice of overlooking Qatar's myriad malign activities in the interest of maintaining a huge military presence in that nation.  In fact, the Qataris relentlessly support Sharia-supremacism worldwide, promote jihad via their news outlet, al Jazeera, and underwrite subversive influence operations here. Recently, they even blocked the use of our air base there.  Qatar is not our friend, let alone a reliable “major non-NATO ally.” Stop pretending otherwise and treat it accordingly. This is Frank Gaffney.

Ben and Tommy discuss an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian embassy building in Syria that killed several top Iranian generals, Israeli drone strikes that killed seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian relief workers in Gaza and what they tell us about Israel's lack of concern about civilian causalities, and growing protests in Israel against Netanyahu. Then they talk about Trump's “shadow Secretary of State” Ric Grenell, the Qataris investing in Newsmax, a 60 Minutes report blaming Russia for “Havana Syndrome”, and one year since Russia arrested WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich. Finally, they cover a new anti-hate speech law in Scotland, the barring of an opposition candidate in Venezuela, Chinese disinformation promoting Trump in the US, a big loss for Erdogan's party in Turkey's local elections, and Reagan's almost assassin complaining about cancel culture.

“Listen to me, Edan. I'm here. I'm with you. I love you. Just protect yourself. Just be safe.” These were the last words Yael Alexander spoke to her then-19 year old son, Edan, on the morning of October 7, 2023. Edan, an IDF soldier stationed on the Gaza border, was later taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. Yael joins us from her New Jersey home to tell her story of pain, uncertainty, and anguish over the past 152 days. This week, as President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address, she will be among the 17 American families of hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza on October 7 that will be in attendance at the U.S. Capitol.  Visit AJC.org/BringThemHome to urge Congress to keep pressing for the release of the hostages. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.  Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Yael Alexander Show Notes: Music Credits: Dramatic Piano and Strings by UNIVERSFIELD is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. More Analysis and Resources: Hostage Families Will Attend the State of the Union. Here's What to Know. Listen – People of the Pod on the Israel-Hamas War:  What It's Like to Be Jewish at Harvard Among Antisemites and Hamas Supporters When Antisemites Target Local Businesses: How Communities Are Uniting in Response How A 10/7 Survivor is Confronting Anti-Israel Activists on College Campuses Tal Shimony Survived the Hamas Attack on the Nova Music Festival: Hear Her Story of Courage, Resilience, and Remembrance Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Transcript of Interview with Yael Alexander: Yael Alexander: I told him at the end of the call: ‘Listen to me, Edan. I'm here. I'm with you. I love you. Just protect yourself. Just be safe.' And that's it, we hang up. I didn't know I'm not gonna hear from him again. Manya Brachear Pashman: That's Yael Alexander, the mother of Edan Alexander, one of eight Americans still held hostage by Hamas inside Gaza. I recently visited the family's home in Tenafly, New Jersey, a small suburban town often dubbed Little Tel Aviv for its relatively large Israeli population.  Throughout the town, there are reminders of the deep connection between its residents, the Jewish state, and its ongoing war with Hamas. A billboard downtown featuring Edan's picture. A weekly walk for the hostages not yet home. A moment of silence at the start of every school day. Signs of support staked in front lawns. As of this recording on March 7, 2024, it has been 152 days since Yael spoke with her son Edan. Those days have been a constant whirlwind of meetings, trips, tours—all in an effort to bring him home.  Most recently, the family went to Israel for a painful look at where Edan was at the time of that last call. At the State of the Union address in Washington D.C., Yael and her husband Adi will join 15 other relatives of Americans murdered or kidnapped by Hamas, as guests of a bipartisan group of members of Congress. Yael Alexander: They told us it's gonna' be a long process, but I didn't imagine you know, I thought after four weeks max, they're gonna bring everyone out. And now we're four months, it's, I don't have words. Manya Brachear Pashman: Edan Alexander, a 2022 graduate of Tenafly High School, was one of two graduates that year who instead of going straight to college moved to a kibbutz in Israel and volunteered to serve two years defending the nation where his mother and father had been raised and his grandparents still live. Yael Alexander: August 2023, Edan came to the U.S. for four weeks. He came to visit us, to spend time with his friends from college. Everyone was here in Tenafly. So, it was like the best opportunity for him and for them, like after their graduation to be again. And it was the best vacation ever. And when I drove him to JFK. I told him: Listen, Edan, I really want to come and visit you during the holidays. And I told him: I'm gonna' come by myself, Sukkot. So please ask your commander and tell him that mommy's coming and give you some free time to spend time with me. So, October 1, I came to Israel. He came to pick me up from the airport. And we spent the two days together. Manya Brachear Pashman: After two days with his mom, 19-year-old Edan asked if he could return to the kibbutz a little early to squeeze in time with his girlfriend before returning to base. He texted with his mother throughout the rest of the week and Facetimed with her and his grandparents on Friday night, October 6th. He was stationed on the Gaza border. Yael Alexander: Friday night after the kiddush, in our house. He called me and I told him: ‘Listen Edan, let's do a FaceTime. And he's like, OK, so I'm like, looking at him and he just looking so happy and great, telling me that he ate some chicken and rice and it was OK. It was fine. And now he's going to sleep because first thing in the morning on Saturday, he needs to get up to his watch.'  And I'm like, ‘OK, great. So say bye to Grandma and Grandpa and everyone' because we were sitting around the table. And it was very cute of him to change to the FaceTime because sometimes he doesn't want to do it. But this time he was like ‘Yeah, cool. Of course. Let's do FaceTime.' And, that's it.   Saturday morning, October 7, I'm waking up because my dad is opening the bedroom door and he's telling me ‘Yael, you need to wake up. It's an alarm outside. It was 6:30-ish in the morning AM and we need to go to a safe place.' And the first thing that I'm thinking about, ‘Oh my God, I need to check what's going on with Edan. So, I'm texting him, What's going on there? Are you OK? Are you safe?  And then he's calling me. It was a few minutes before 7 AM. And he's telling me: ‘Hey, Mom, we are getting a lot of bombs here. It's like a war. I'm seeing stuff. Terrible stuff. But don't worry, I'm safe. But it felt like all the conversation is start, also he spoke a little bit English. He was sound like he was screaming and full of adrenaline. And I didn't know what he's seeing or what is happening because no one knew.  I told him at the end of the call, ‘Listen to me, Edan. I'm here. I'm with you. I love you. Just protect yourself. Just be safe.' And that's it, we hang up. I didn't know I'm not gonna hear from him again. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yael called her husband Adi back in the States. He and Edan's younger brother Roy and sister Mika flew to Israel the next day. Still, for days, they remained in the dark, unable to get through to their son's cell phone. Unable to get any information. Yael Alexander: A lot of bad news, like you hearing, you know, all around. A lot of people murdered, horrible stories, like after a day or two you start hearing about these horrible stories from this morning of October 7, and still nothing from Edan.  So we went to every forum that it was like, I don't know, it was like … one night, you don't know what's going on, the day after you're working with people on the phone that you never met, and you just trust them they're gonna find your kid. They had some you know, I don't know. Everyone was trying to help you and telling you, go to hospitals. Go and look, because there is a lot of anonymous soldiers or people. Go and look for him. So we've been everywhere like every hospital in Israel, like we went there and tried to understand where is Edan.  On Thursday someone is calling me from the army and he's telling me that he's got a message for us. I didn't understand at first. What is this? What kind of message? I'm on the phone 24/7. We couldn't eat. We couldn't sleep, nothing, like in the loop. Like, try to find my son.  And then I'm just catching myself like, Oh, my God, you have a message for us? Yes, yes. Where are you? So we are waiting for them. We wait for 40 minutes I think. I couldn't breathe.  I remember my head like down, you know, between my knees and I'm just trying to breathe and breathe and breathe because I felt I'm going to faint. I didn't know what they want from me. We met them in this discreet room and then they told us that after they reviewed everything they know that Edan is took hostage by Hamas terrorists and they took him to Gaza. He was guarding a kibbutz that a lot of people got murdered. Thank God, they didn't touch him. They just took him from there. He was by himself. So, it wasn't like a conflict or nothing. Thank God. He was surrendering and they took him. There's something that we know. Manya Brachear Pashman: It was devastating news, but at that point in time, the best news that Yael and Adi could've received because it meant there was hope of seeing their son again. Yael Alexander: So, it's good. And they're looking at me like I'm a crazy person. Because this is the worst message you can ever get as a parent. My son is my life. He is my air, he is everything for me. But to understand that they took him and he's OK. It was like the world. Wow, wow, wow, wow. Now we can work to speak with everyone because he's OK. OK, he's a hostage. But still we have the hope that he will come back home. A day after we had a Zoom with Biden and all the American families. He was really with us, you know, he understand our pain, he could connect to this. He told us, as Americans, we are going to do whatever we can to help you to get through it. Like whatever we can, we are here and we are going to do it. And it was really comforting. It was like we felt the hug.  We stayed a total of an hour and a half with the President. It was unbelievable because we were so confused. We just got a day before the message. So, we knew what is the situation with Edan, but a lot of families didn't know what happened to their loved ones. Not everyone knew if they were murdered, if they took hostage. Still it was chaos. Manya Brachear Pashman:  152 days later, eight American hostages remain missing: Edan, Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Keith Siegel, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Gad Haggai, and Judith Weinstein. Both Judith and Gad are confirmed dead. Americans Liat Beinin Atzili and Avigail Idan have been released. 32 Americans lost their lives on October 7. Nearly two dozen more have lost their lives since. Yael Alexander: A few days after, I left Israel with the kids, with Mika and Roy. I felt it was very tough to stay in Israel. I wanted to stay. I didn't want to leave because I felt that I'm leaving my son behind. You know, it's the worst, really, it's the worst feeling ever. But I said to my husband: Listen, it's not healthy here. The alarms, the panic, the worry, it's too much. And they're like in jail, in their house, in my parents' house. So, it's not healthy.  I'm gonna go back home to Jersey, and I'm gonna try to have a routine, you know, again, with the schools, with the friends, with the community, like I'm trying to, you know, for them, because it's not healthy.  So, my husband spent I think two weeks over there without us. I came back. My sister came with me with her kids and all our friends just was here, like, you know, I'm still getting food, everyone is taking care of us and so caring and loving and you feel the hug. Manya Brachear Pashman: Though Edan's absence is palpable every day, the rhythms of life have not stopped in the Alexander home, though they are frequently interrupted. Mika is waiting to hear from colleges and shopping for shoes to wear to prom. But she's also writing columns about her brother, speaking at rallies, and holding down the fort when her parents are away advocating. Yael Alexander: It's hard. To be 17 and to handle this, and she's doing a lot. After we came back from Israel, there was a big rally in Times Square, New York. And they asked me to speak, and I couldn't. I was like, numb. I couldn't say anything. So, I asked Mika at the same day. And she did it. And it was a great speech, from the heart. And it was in front of thousands of people. And since then, I am amazed by her.  It seems like this situation because I'm keeping her also busy. I know that she can handle it, she's feeling like she's helping with the fight to bring Edan home. And this is super important to her. Manya Brachear Pashman: Meanwhile, in addition to traveling with his mother and marching for his brother, Roy is attending middle school, playing basketball, and preparing for his upcoming bar mitzvah, right before Passover. Edan was supposed to come in to New Jersey for that milestone. Yael Alexander: The first time that I saw Roy put the tefillin on and I just start crying because he's not a boy. He's looking more and more like Edan. And he's like, grown up now. I'm very emotional now when I'm seeing Roy. When I'm seeing Roy, he's not my little baby anymore … and I'm remembering everything that we've been through with Edan with his bar mitzvah and how little he was and it's very emotional for me now this time because we are such in pain, but still we are preparing for this, Roy's celebration. You know, bar mitzvah boy. So, it's a lot. It's sad and happy and you still trying to be OK for the kids to see you OK every day. But it's very hard. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yael, who baked cakes out of the family's home, and Adi, a diamond wholesaler, are juggling work obligations, meetings with senators and congressmen, travels to Washington and Israel, and media interviews, all focused on bringing their son home. Yael Alexander: I don't know what's next. Every day everything is so dynamic. I don't know what's going on. Like a day we here, a day we need to go to DC, like this is the thing now. My husband is going to work maybe two days a week now because he can't. We have the zoom. We have the meetings. Suddenly this come and this came. I'm not working obviously. I'm around it all day. All day and all night. You don't want to miss anything. I feel that everyone is really working. Also with the Qataris, also America, also Egyptians like everyone is doing whatever they can to make it happen. I'm really hoping, I'm going to be in Israel next week, I'm really hoping that some kind of miracle.  Now I'm praying a lot. A lot. I'm talking to Edan nonstop the whole day but I'm also praying like actual praying and I'm just asking for a miracle. And just to see him, to hug him, to just to feel his perfect face. Just to be with him because, yeah. Manya Brachear Pashman: The Alexander family no longer lives in the house where Edan spent his childhood. They moved a mile away during his sophomore year in high school. Edan never spent much time in his bedroom. He preferred to be in the center of the action, camped out on the sofa downstairs so he could greet anyone who walked through the room.  But Yael took me to the room where he slept as a teen. Beside the bed there now is a giant Torah scroll delivered by the local Chabad rabbi, dressed in silver plating and finials that jingle when the scroll is lifted. A prayer shawl is draped over the top. Yael Alexander: So you can see we have a Torah here. It's a beautiful Torah and this is something guarding Edan and is giving him bless to his return. Every morning, I'm coming in here and I'm doing my prayer. And I'm just talking to Edan every morning and I'm sending him a lot of strength in his heart and his soul. And I'm just here with him. And every night I'm saying ‘Good night, Edan. I love you. You know, can't wait to hold you. Manya Brachear Pashman: Edan spent most of his young life in Tenafly. A happy-go-lucky guy, champion swimmer for the high school team, and a big fan of the New York Knicks. But he was born in Israel, spoke Hebrew at home, and visited Israel often to see both sets of grandparents. He even celebrated his bar mitzvah there. Yael showed me the photographs in an album she keeps in his room. Yael Alexander: Oy yoy yoy. Yes, Edan. You see? What a celebration. Yeah it's everyone. Manya Brachear Pashman: Still, Yael was surprised when Edan announced his senior year in high school that he wanted to postpone college and try Garin Tzabar, a program founded in 1991 for young Jewish adults who want to explore serving as lone soldiers in Israel's Defense Forces.  Edan and 16 other high school graduates, including a classmate in Tenafly, moved to a kibbutz and did four months of training before committing to serve in the IDF. Yael Alexander: He told us that he wants to do the Garin Tzabar. I don't know, I felt proud. You know, because I've done my army. And Adi was in the Army, everyone doing the army in Israel. So, this is something that you do for your country, you know. For me, it was a great experience. It was great for me. And I thought also for Edan because he's doing this for two years and eight months. He's coming back, doing his college. So, Edan chose to do this. I was proud. I was proud. Yeah. I am proud. Not was. Manya Brachear Pashman: Edan's 20th birthday was on December 29, 2023. To call attention to his continued captivity, Yael and his brother Roy traveled to Israel and hosted a blowout celebration with live bands and balloons and media coverage.  Yael Alexander: It was really important for me to do a celebration for him, to mark this day, I wanted to everyone in the news in the radio, everyone will speak just about one thing about Edan's celebration, because if he's going to hear something or someone is going to hear it inside, it's going to be the world for me. Because for him to understand that his mom is in Israel and also his brother and we are celebrating his birthday and everyone loves him and miss him so much. It's going to be major. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yael knows she's not getting all the answers about her son's whereabouts and well-being. Still, she continues to meet with whomever will see her and listen to her pleas to bring Edan home. Yael Alexander: I don't think they can give me the answers. But it's important, because every meeting that you are opening your family, your trauma, your kid, like it's connecting them to you, and they understand it and you're still relevant. And this is something that they're gonna think about it and maybe you're hoping that they will work on it, you know, to make the stand, to connect to us. And to do this. Manya Brachear Pashman: During the pandemic, Yael started baking cakes. She loved being in the kitchen and Edan loved it too. But since he disappeared, she has not baked a single pastry. She has replaced dough with clay, sculpting in a quiet corner of the basement where she can disconnect for just a little while and think about Edan. She showed me one sculpture that started as a balloon, but collapsed in the middle. Yael Alexander: Now it looks like a heart and there is like a crack in the middle. And I think this is my perfect piece. It's so imperfect and look like it's not done but I think it's done and I can't wait to take it to do bisque and to paint it because this is how I feel right now. Like with the crack in my heart. Manya Brachear Pashman: Yael has adopted other coping mechanisms too. A chair and a coffee mug full of cigarette ash now occupy a corner of the front porch as she has resumed smoking, which she hasn't done since she herself served in the IDF. She also has tried to create the reality she wants to see. Yael Alexander: We bought a new dining table last week. It's a huge one also because I'm waiting to the celebration for Edan return home. So, I'm telling my husband: ‘Listen, don't say a word. I'm doing that because I'm creating something, and this is something good. So, we need to continue and praying that this is something that's gonna happen. We just holding and hoping and praying that he's OK. That he's still strong there, in heart and in mind, in everything. I'm all the time I'm praying ‘Please, Edan. Please stay strong. Don't let it break you. Even if you hear the bombing you know people are coming to save you. You're not alone. We are coming.        

“Qataris were the ones who said, ‘Here, come to our country, we'll host you.' So, now it is home to the largest American airbase in the Middle East, where we conduct our war on terrorism. And then down the street from this Al Udeid Air Base is Hamas, the Taliban, al Qaeda financiers, ISIS financiers … it is a truly bizarre arrangement.”Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He's also a former terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Treasury Department, and the author of several books on Islamic extremism.“The Muslim Brotherhood is one of the largest, if not the largest, grassroots political and religious organizations in the Middle East, and it is the cornerstone for just about every radical ideology that we have seen and faced over the last two decades since the 9/11 attacks,” says Dr. Schanzer.We discuss the role that Qatar has played in international geopolitics, commanding vast influence campaigns in the West and funding an array of terrorist outfits in the East.“The Qataris have been able to sustain it with a massive amount of lobby money and investment here in the United States, and so some of its greatest proponents are the Pentagon and the State Department. And they've gotten to the point where it's almost as if they can do no wrong—until 10/7. That's when it, I think, began to become clear to the average American that the Qataris are playing both arsonist and firefighter. They spend $200 million a year propping up Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They give Hamas headquarters in Doha. And then as soon as the crisis hits, they are trying to negotiate between the United States and Israel and Hamas, pretending to be a good-faith actor. But at the end of the day, I think we all have realized that they are advocating first and foremost for Hamas.”Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

« Rothen s'enflamme », le rendez-vous qui vous plonge dans un vestiaire de foot. Tous les soirs, des anciens joueurs professionnels analysent et débattent autour de l'actualité du foot. Jérôme Rothen anime des débats enflammés avec sa Dream Team composée de Christophe Dugarry, Emmanuel Petit, Jean-Michel Larqué, Eric di Meco, Pascal Olmeta, Jérémy Menez et deux recrues : Andy Delort et Steve Savidan. Julien Cazarre propose son journal du foot : Le Cazarre enchainé ainsi qu'un quizz Rothen contre le reste du monde.

Une actu sportive, un débat, et deux camps : c'est le bras de fer des GG ! Nos "Grands Gueules du Sport" s'affrontent à coup d'arguments... Mais à la fin, c'est vous les auditeurs, qui choisissez l'équipe victorieuse !

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wethefifth.substack.com* It wasn't a debate * Moynihan loves islands. Who doesn't?* University stuff* “Late capitalism”* Walt Disney wasn't a Nazi * Backfilling history* Massaging numbers* On the Qataris….* And a bunch of listeners chime in!

Le sujet fort de l'actualité foot du jour vu par Jérôme Rothen et la Dream Team.

This is the web version of Foreign Exchanges, but did you know you can get it delivered right to your inbox? Sign up today:TODAY IN HISTORYNovember 28, 1814: The Times of London is published via a new steam-powered printing press, making it the first major newspaper so produced. The use of the faster steam press took newspapers from a niche business to a mass market one, in the process boosting efforts to increase literacy.November 28, 1943: Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin begin the Tehran Conference, the first of three major World War II meetings between the leaders of the UK, US, and USSR. The main outcome of Tehran was that Roosevelt and Stalin managed to get Churchill to commit to an invasion of France, in part to force Germany to pull forces away from their eastern front with the Soviets. They also discussed the eventual partition of Germany and creation of the United Nations.MIDDLE EASTISRAEL-PALESTINEHamas and the Israeli government, thanks primarily to Qatari mediation, finally agreed on the terms of a detainee exchange and temporary ceasefire deal last week. The accord, which went into effect on Friday morning, was originally intended to involve the release of some 50 hostages being held by Hamas and other Gazan militant groups and some 150 Palestinians in Israeli custody. Hamas has also been releasing a number of Thai and Filipino nationals under a separate arrangement negotiated by the Qataris. The arrangement was to have been implemented in stages over four days, ending Tuesday morning local time. The process appeared to be faltering on Saturday, as Hamas delayed its hostage release while accusing the Israelis of violating the terms of the agreement, before some additional Qatari diplomacy apparently salvaged things.The reason I referred above to what the deal “originally” involved is because it's since been extended. The Israelis and Hamas have agreed to continue the ceasefire and daily detainee releases for at least two more days, though Thursday morning, albeit amid new accusations from both sides about ceasefire violations. I'm not entirely certain about the details but Israeli officials have said they're expecting Hamas to release at least 10 hostages per day, which at current exchange rates suggests around 30 Palestinians released per day. Efforts are underway to extend this arrangement beyond Thursday morning, though it goes without saying that at some point all the hostages will be released and it's unclear what will happen then. It's true that conflicts at rest have a tendency to stay at rest, but Israeli rhetoric has indicated a clear intention to resume pulverizing Gaza once the detainee exchanges are no longer part of the equation.In other items:* Some of the freed Israeli hostages have talked to media and describe being treated poorly, which is not surprising. There have been claims of treatment that seems outright cruel though I'm unaware (which to be clear does not mean they haven't been made) of any claims of physical cruelty (apart from the cruelty of their initial abductions, of course). Several of the hostages seem to indicate that their access to food and water diminished over time but that may be related to deprivations across Gaza caused by the Israeli blockade and the minimal amount of aid that has entered the territory. Palestinians released from Israeli custody, who have been described as “prisoners” though many of them have never been charged with anything under the West Bank's rigged military justice system, have described harrowing treatment including torture. This is consistent with claims made by Palestinians swept up in Israeli mass arrest operations since the October 7 attacks and subsequently released.* On the subject of aid, the ceasefire is/was intended in part to facilitate a surge of aid into Gaza and its distribution throughout the territory—including across the heavily battered northern area. That effort does appear to have been successful, though as United Nations officials have said even this temporary surge isn't enough to meet the need. The Biden administration is sending three military planeloads of humanitarian aid to Egypt this week for distribution into Gaza.* Over the four days of the initial detainee exchange, under which Israeli authorities released somewhere around 150 Palestinians, they detained 133 Palestinians in the West Bank. Make of that what you will. As Spencer Ackerman noted yesterday, with events in Gaza getting most of the attention the Israeli government and its settler proxies are continuing to kill (including at least two more on Tuesday), arrest, and displace Palestinians in the West Bank at unprecedented rates. Unlike Gaza, where Israeli leaders have at least articulated the barest inkling of a goal (the “destruction of Hamas,” ostensibly), there's no indication what, if anything, might stop the violence in the West Bank.* The Biden administration has dispatched CIA Director and de facto Secretary of State William Burns to Qatar to participate, along with Egyptian, Israeli, and Qatari officials, in talks on extending the current “pause” (the administration is still refusing to call it a “ceasefire”). Burns is there mostly so that the administration can claim credit for the ceasefire/exchange deal even though its embrace of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza has left it unable to contribute all that much to this diplomatic process. Actual Secretary of State Antony Blinken is undertaking another European-Middle Eastern tour this week, mostly (from what I can tell) in order to look busy.* One message the administration is now ostensibly delivering to the Israeli government is that any eventual Israeli military (IDF) incursion into southern Gaza has to be more circumspect than its obliteration of northern Gaza. In particular the administration says it's insisting that a southern operation must not cause “significant further displacement of persons.” With most of the territory's population already displaced into the south (where the IDF has continued bombing them), it's unclear where they would go anyway. And with the IDF already having killed over 15,000 people (probably well over, given that it's been at least a couple of weeks since Gazan authorities could issue a reliable casualty update), the optics of this situation may finally be testing the administration's capacity for indulging Israeli war aims.* Israeli media outlets have gotten hold of leaked emails demonstrating that “a highly respected career military intelligence NCO” in the IDF had warned her superiors over the summer that Hamas fighters were training for what looked like an attack on an Israeli kibbutz. Those warnings were, according to the emails, subsequently corroborated but then dismissed further up the chain of command with arguments that the training was nothing more than a staged demonstration. The emails may increase public anger toward the IDF but seemingly give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu evidence to bolster his claim that any failure to prevent the October 7 attacks rests with Israeli security forces rather than with his government. Perhaps that's why they were leaked.YEMENYemen's Houthi rebels escalated their attacks on Israeli interests when they hijacked the cargo vessel Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on November 19. That ship is apparently part-owned by an Israeli businessman, though there was no other immediately apparent connection to Israel and none of the 25 people who were on board—and who are now in Houthi custody—are thought to have been Israeli. The USS Mason, a naval destroyer, reportedly prevented the hijacking of another cargo ship in the Red Sea on Sunday, but US officials now believe the would-be hijackers were Somali pirates rather than Houthi fighters. They have not ruled out the possibility of some sort of Houthi connection. Some Israeli shipping now appears to be diverting around Africa to avoid the Red Sea, which needless to say makes for a significantly longer journey.TURKEYTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had told reporters earlier this month that his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, would visit Ankara on Tuesday. Turkish media reported on the planned summit for more than two weeks, even as late as Monday evening, but Tuesday came and Raisi was, uh, not there. It's unclear whether this was an intentional snub or a miscommunication, particularly since the Iranian government never mentioned any planned summit. Either way it's somewhat bizarre.UNITED ARAB EMIRATESThe BBC is reporting, based on “leaked briefing documents,” that UAE officials are hoping to use the COP28 climate change summit, which they're hosting later this week, as a forum for concluding some new oil and natural gas deals. UAE officials haven't denied the report but they have said their focus is on achieving “meaningful climate action” at the summit—efforts to undermine that action notwithstanding.SAUDI ARABIAAnother investigative report suggests that the Saudi government is pursuing its own oil-forward agenda, something called the “oil demand sustainability program.” This effort aims to use the kingdom's massive public investment fund and some of its largest companies to sell developing nations on an array of fossil fuel-heavy technologies, including supersonic aircraft, gas-fueled cars, and oil and natural gas fueled power plants. The initiative is primarily aimed at emerging African economies and, as the name suggests, is intended to sustain oil demand even as developed countries move increasingly toward renewable energy. This is completely incompatible with the kingdom's stated adherence to the international climate agenda, though if you think the Saudis actually mean what they say when they talk about reducing carbon emissions you're a far more trusting person than I.ASIAMYANMARThe rebel “Brotherhood Alliance” claimed on Monday that its fighters had seized control of another significant commercial outpost close to the Chinese border in northern Myanmar's Shan state. In that sense the rebels seem to have picked up right where we left them prior to Thanksgiving, on the advance in Shan and several other provinces across the country. With Myanmar's ruling junta promising to stem those advances without actually demonstrating any ability to do so, the Chinese military conducted multi-day exercises near the border over the weekend. There's no indication that Beijing is planning to intervene here but it would need to respond to any instability along the border itself. PHILIPPINESThe Philippine government and communist New People's Army rebels announced on Tuesday that they will reopen peace talks, under Norwegian mediation. Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte broke off the last round of talks in 2017 but the basic outlines are still in place for a deal that would see the NPA transition from militant to political movement in return for amnesty for its fighters.NORTH KOREAThe North Korean military finally succeeded in putting a spy satellite in orbit last week, sparking an immediate security crisis along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The South Korean government announced shortly after the launch that it was suspending part of the intra-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement in order to increase its surveillance capabilities along the border, which Pyongyang took as an invitation to scrap the rest of the deal and begin restoring border guard posts and moving heavy armaments into the border region. The CMA bans “aerial surveillance,” a category that the South Korean government has decided includes satellites as well as sub-orbital aircraft so they're accusing North Korea of having violated the accord first. North Korean state media reported on Tuesday that the satellite had taken photographs of the White House and the Pentagon, which puts Pyongyang roughly on par with Wikipedia in terms of its new surveillance capabilities.JAPANJapanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio hosted Vietnamese President Võ Văn Thưởng on Monday, at which time the two agreed to upgrade their bilateral relationship to the level of “comprehensive strategic partnership.” That means strengthening economic as well as military ties, which could pull Vietnam further toward the US axis despite its still-strong relationship with China. Tokyo has in the past helped to support Vietnamese activity in the South China Sea, in waters whose ownership Hanoi disputes with China. The upgrade puts Japan's relationship with Vietnam on an equal footing with China, India, and the US.AFRICASUDANThe deputy commander of the Sudanese military, Yassir al-Atta, delivered a speech to the Sudanese General Intelligence Service in Omdurman on Tuesday in which he openly accused the UAE government of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces group. This is the first time a senior member of the Sudanese military/de facto government has leveled that accusation directly and it charges the UAE with complicity in a growing list of (alleged) RSF atrocities, particularly in the Darfur region. Atta further accused the governments of the Central African Republic, Chad, and Uganda of acting as conduits for UAE-supplied arms.In response, Emirati officials denied supporting the RSF and insisted that they have “consistently called for de-escalation, a ceasefire, and the initiation of diplomatic dialogue” since the military and RSF went to war with one another back in April. Observers have noted that the RSF is using more sophisticated weaponry, especially drones, than it had at the start of the conflict, but the paramilitaries insist they've seized those arms from Sudanese military bases rather than obtaining them from abroad. The Ugandan government also responded to Atta's charges, similarly rejecting them.SIERRA LEONESierra Leonean authorities say that unrest in Freetown early Sunday morning was the result of a “failed attempted coup” involving a number of active duty and retired members of the country's military and police forces. According to Al Jazeera, they've arrested “13 military officers and one civilian” and “have published photographs of 32 men and two women…being sought in connection with the unrest.” The alleged coup plotters attacked a military barracks and two prisons in the capital, killing at least 20 people and releasing some 2200 detainees, an unknown number of whom have been recaptured. Authorities imposed a curfew in the city that they've since relaxed. Like most failed coups the rationale behind this one remains unclear, though it presumably involved some combination of political and economic resentment. President Julius Maada Bio's narrow and heavily disputed victory in June's presidential election may have ratcheted up some of those resentments.LIBERIAThe official results came out while I was on break, but challenger Joseph Boakai did in fact defeat incumbent George Weah in Liberia's presidential runoff earlier this month. Weah, to his credit, conceded without incident even before the release of those official numbers.BURKINA FASOSome 3000 jihadist fighters attacked the town of Djibo in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday, according to Burkinabé state media. Details are very spotty but authorities are claiming that security forces killed at least 400 attackers from the al-Qaeda aligned Jamaʿat Nusrat al-Islam wa'l-Muslimin group, which has kept Djibo blockaded and largely cut off from the rest of the country for more than a year. There's no definitive word on casualties among security forces or civilians, though the UN says it's confirmed at least 40 civilians killed and more than 42 wounded.EUROPERUSSIAA Russian court on Tuesday extended the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich through at least January 30. Russian authorities arrested Gershkovich in March on spying charges that they've never fully explained, contending that the details are classified. He will presumably be traded back to the US at some point, but Russian officials have said they won't discuss a prisoner swap until after Gershkovich stands trial, and they continue to delay that process.A new report from the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and the Levada Center shows that domestic support for Russia's war in Ukraine has not diminished, even as Russians show increasing weariness for the conflict and for the economic hardships caused by Western sanctions. Indeed, the hardship appears to be hardening attitudes toward negotiations, with a number of focus group subjects expressing the view that Russia has sacrificed too much to give up any of the Ukrainian territory it has seized. I bet more sanctions will solve that problem.UKRAINEThe Ukrainian military's commander in Avdiivka, Vitaliy Barabash, told a media outlet on Tuesday that the Russian military has intensified its assault there and is now “attempting to storm the city from all directions.” It's unclear whether the Russians would be able to use Avdiivka as a staging ground for further offensives, particularly in the short term giving the impending onset of winter, but taking the city would at the very least further secure Russian-controlled parts of Donetsk oblast. Elsewhere, Marianna Budanova, the wife of Ukrainian military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov, has reportedly been hospitalized for heavy metal poisoning and there are indications that a number of officials in the military intelligence service (GUR) have also been poisoned. I'll leave it to the reader to speculate as to potential suspects.The Ukrainian government will later this week reportedly unveil a number of changes to its military mobilization system in an effort to reduce the incidence of both draft dodging and of forced conscription. Full details aren't yet known, but one part of the reform will involve the use of “commercial recruitment companies” to identify potential conscripts who have needed skills (mechanics, for example). These individuals will then somehow be given assurances that they won't be deployed to the front but will instead be put to work in support roles. Given Ukraine's need for more front-line soldiers, however, there must be more to it than that.POLANDPolish President Andrzej Duda on Monday swore in a new government led by incumbent Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in a move that has opposition leaders crying foul. Morawiecki has two weeks to form a government that can pass a parliamentary confirmation vote, a task even he acknowledges he's almost certain to fail given the results of last month's election. So Duda, who favors Morawiecki's right wing Law and Justice Party, is simply delaying the opposition's inevitable takeover for another two weeks. Why, you ask? Well, it seems fairly clear at this point that he's delaying in order to give Law and Justice more time to appoint party loyalists to important state positions, which could create problems for the government that will presumably take office after this two week period is up.FINLANDThe Finnish government, which had already closed all but one of its checkpoints along the Russian border, is planning to close the entire border for the next two weeks in hopes of stemming the flow of asylum seekers attempting to enter Finland. Authorities say that 900 such people have tried to cross the border from Russia this month, a hefty increase that they say is the product of a deliberate effort by the Russian government to funnel people to the border.NETHERLANDSConfounding polling that suggested a narrow race, the far right Party for Freedom (PVV) handily won last week's Dutch parliamentary election. PVV came away with 37 seats in the 150 seat House of Representatives, 12 ahead of the second place GreenLeft-Labour alliance. The victory may put party boss Geert Wilders in line to become the next Dutch prime minister, assuming he can moderate his extremist agenda enough to attract coalition partners. That may be easier said than done.AMERICASARGENTINASpeaking of far right election victories, libertarian extremist Javier Milei won Argentina's presidential runoff on November 19. Polling, which had been wrong at every stage of this election, was wrong again, having predicted a tight race only to see Milei win an 11 point victory over Finance Minister Sergio Massa. Milei, whose agenda includes dissolving Argentina's central bank and ditching the peso in favor of the US dollar, may find himself struggling against a relatively unfavorable Congress once he takes office next month.UNITED STATESFinally, The Nation's Mohammad Alsaafin finds both US and Israeli plans for the future of Gaza to fall short, for one seemingly basic reason:Speaking to reporters last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that the territory's governance should be unified with the West Bank, and laid out a series of edits for the future of Palestine.“Gaza cannot continue to be run by Hamas,” Blinken said. “It's also clear that Israel cannot occupy Gaza…. it is imperative that the Palestinian people be central to the governance of Gaza and the West Bank.Blinken's parameters were defied days later by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who declared, “IDF forces will remain in control of the Strip,” and made clear that he will not allow the Palestinian Authority to play a role there. (Netanyahu then told Fox News that Israel “does not seek to occupy” Gaza, though, given the facts on the ground, it is hard to know how Israel defines “occupation.”)The back-and-forth over what comes next in Gaza has prompted headlines like this one from NBC News: “The gap between the Biden administration and Netanyahu government over Gaza's future is widening.”But there is a glaringly absent party in these conversations: the Palestinian people themselves. Nobody seems particularly interested in what they might have to say about the future of their land.Thanks for reading! Foreign Exchanges is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.foreignexchanges.news/subscribe

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, November 28th, 2023. Kepler Education: Kepler is an online marketplace for Classical Christian education that assures parents maintain their agency without forfeiting the assistance and expertise of qualified conservative Christian teachers. Kepler offers university model courses in the classical tradition that fit your schedule and budget. Visit www.kepler.education and use our simple search tool to find the course and teacher that meets your child’s needs. Or simply ask for help to get assistance from a real human being. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/27/talks-under-way-to-extend-israel-hamas-ceasefire-as-return-to-fighting-looms Talks under way to extend Israel-Hamas ceasefire as return to fighting looms Talks are under way to extend the temporary ceasefire in Gaza, with Hamas and Israel both saying they would like to see further releases of hostages in return for freedom for more Palestinians held in Israeli jails. But the ceasefire is due to expire, threatening a return to the bloody fighting and bombardment that has devastated swaths of Gaza, killed many thousands of civilians and caused an acute humanitarian crisis. The third release of prisoners and of mostly Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas took place without major problems on Sunday night. Israel and Hamas have each raised concerns over the lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners due to be released on Monday, which Qatari mediators are now working to resolve. “There is a slight issue with today’s lists. The Qataris are working with both sides to … avoid delays,” an official briefed on the matter said. Seventeen hostages were released by Hamas on Sunday, including a Russian national and three Thai nationals. The Israelis were all women or children. Thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners, mostly children, were freed from Israeli jails, authorities said. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has said he did not want to end the ceasefire but pledged that Israel would resume its military offensive in Gaza at the end of the truce. Netanyahu, who has promised Israelis he will “crush” Hamas, said he would welcome an extension to allow the release of 10 additional hostages every day in return for freedom for 30 Palestinian prisoners, as agreed under the original deal. Israeli officials insist they will not call off their offensive until they are certain that Hamas no longer poses a threat to Israel. Joe Biden said on Sunday that his administration would “continue to remain personally engaged to see that this deal is fully implemented and work to extend the deal as well”. Local media in Israel reported optimism among senior officials that the truce, which was the result of several weeks of complex indirect negotiations mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt, would be extended. Sixty-two of the more than 240 hostages held by Hamas since last month have been released, one hostage was freed by Israeli forces, and two were found dead inside Gaza. A total of 117 Palestinians have been freed since the truce began. Between 13,000 and 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli offensive launched after the Hamas attack, roughly two-thirds of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. More than 1 million people have been forced from their homes. The UN says the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war. But the 160 to 200 trucks a day is still less than half what Gaza was importing before the fighting, while humanitarian needs have soared. Details have emerged of the conditions of the detention of some hostages. Local media has reported shortages of food and medicine, and cramped accommodation possibly underground, but no physical mistreatment. According to one report, a former hostage has told his friends that his captors had brought other children to play with him while he was in captivity. Some learned of the fate of relatives from Hebrew-language radio networks they could listen to. Two teenagers learned that their mother had been killed and their father remained missing only when released. Calls from the hostages’ families to prioritise their release have sharpened the dilemma facing Israel’s leaders as they seek to reconcile the military offensive with the goal of freeing all of the captives. https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/11/23/new-biden-rule-reveals-transgender-movements-endgame-no-dissenting-parents-allowed/ Lack of ‘Affirmation’ Is Child Abuse: New Biden Rule Applies Transgender Standard to Foster Care The transgender standard is set to become a litmus test for parenthood, according to the logic of a new policy working its way through the Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. A new rule in HHS’ Administration for Children and Families would apply the idea that any lack of “affirmation” constitutes a form of child abuse to foster care placements. Once that idea takes root in foster care, child protective services agencies might start applying it more broadly. The rule would reinterpret the Social Security Act, which requires agencies to ensure that each child in foster care receives “safe and proper” care. The rule would lay out steps agencies must take to meet that requirement for “LGBTQI+ children,” defined as kids who “identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, as well as children who are non-binary, or have non-conforming gender identity or expression.” Before agencies place a child with a foster parent, known as a “provider,” that person must “establish an environment free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse based on the child’s LGBTQI+ status;” receive training “to be prepared with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression;” and must be able to “facilitate the child’s access to age-appropriate resources, services, and activities that support their health and well-being.” As the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Rachel Morrison pointed out for The Federalist Society, the rule does not define “hostility,” “mistreatment,” or “abuse.” However, it does clarify that “a provider who attempted to undermine, suppress, or change the sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression of a child, including through the use of so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ would not be a safe and appropriate placement.” The proposed rule cites medical associations such as the American Psychological Association to claim that efforts to “undermine, suppress, or change” sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression “are not supported by evidence and have been rejected as harmful.” The rule does not acknowledge that gender ideology has infiltrated these medical associations and that many doctors—including those who once embraced gender ideology—have warned against confusing children on their gender and putting them on a path to mutilating their own bodies. Dr. Stephen B. Levine, a psychiatrist and early proponent of transgender medical interventions, joined and briefly helped lead the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, which later became the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the central medical group that organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association rely upon. European countries, long considered more “progressive” than the U.S., have found a lack of evidence for medical interventions on children and are recommending a “watchful waiting” approach for minors. Yet Levine argues that “affirming” a transgender identity is a “powerful psychotherapeutic intervention” that will set kids on the path to mutilation and sterilization—long before they have any concept about what their own fertility means. Under Biden’s proposed new rule, any potential foster parent who aims to protect a child from this confusion and damage may soon face expulsion from the program. That means the process will be designed to weed out guardians who actually would take good care of the kids and enable guardians who would assist in harming them. California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, signed a bill turning California into a “sanctuary state” for “gender-affirming care,” which the law defines as an absolute right. The law gives California courts the ability to award custody over a child if someone removes the child from his or her parents in another state in order to obtain such “care” for that child despite the parents’ disagreement. https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/27/businesses-diversity-equity-inclusion-economic-uncertainty/ Businesses Ditch ‘Diversity’ Initiatives In Droves Amid Economic Uncertainty Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives lost steam in 2023 compared to previous years as companies increasingly shift resources due to tightening economic condition The total percentage of American organizations with a DEI budget dropped 4 percentage points, from 58% in 2022 to 54% in 2023, while the number of organizations with a DEI strategy fell 9 points in that same time frame, according to a report from a consulting firm. DEI initiatives in the workplace gained huge traction following the death of George Floyd, which encouraged companies to divert resources to the practice, but now “external forces,” including tightening economic conditions as well as public and judicial pressure, are pushing back on those efforts. “After two years of unprecedented investment sparked by 2020’s racial justice movement, this year, global momentum around DEI slowed,” according to the report from Paradigm. “There are a number of headwinds contributing to this shift: the first is economic uncertainty that not only led to reduced spending across the board, it also firmly shifted the power balance back to employers.” Despite the decline in funding, there was a 6-point increase in the number of companies that had a senior DEI leader and an 8-point increase in organizations that had goals related to representation for women in leadership from 2022 to 2023, according to Paradigm. A total of 20% of companies in 2023 had goals related to increasing employment related to race or ethnicity, which is a 4-point increase year-over-year. The shift follows concerns from companies that the Supreme Court could target DEI and race-based hiring in the workplace the same way it struck down race-based admissions at colleges and universities earlier this year. A pair of decisions by the Supreme Court in June involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina cumulatively ruled that using race as a factor in college admissions is not permissible under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. “Over the past several months, we’ve heard from a number of HR leaders who are de-emphasizing data and analytics as a part of their DEI efforts, in response to the changing legal landscape and increased scrutiny on DEI efforts,” according to the report from Paradigm. Only 26% of companies examine the final results of hiring by race or ethnicity, while 33% analyze promotions in the same manner, according to Paradigm. Around 36% of organizations measured the attrition rate of their employees by race or ethnicity. Businesses pulled back from hiring in October, adding only 150,000 jobs for the month compared to 297,000 in September, while unemployment ticked up to 3.9% from 3.8%. The Leading Economic Index predicted that 2024 will only see 0.8% in the U.S. economy due to a possible recession. https://nypost.com/2023/11/26/business/ny-retailers-blast-hochul-over-theft-which-has-cost-stores-4-4-billion/ NY retailers lost $4.4 billion due to organized shoplifting rings in 2022: group Retailers across New York state say there’s no end in sight to the rising epidemic of organized shoplifting rings — and warn it could lead to more store closures, increased costs for consumers and threats of violence against store employees. Store owners said they lost $4.4 billion last year as a result of retail theft — which they say adds to the urgency for Gov. Kathy Hochul to crack down. However, Hochul vetoed a bipartisan bill last week — to the chagrin of store owners — that would have created a task force to combat organized theft. Hochul rejected a proposal that would have created a 15-member panel made up of experts appointed by the governor, Legislature and the state attorney general that would have put together a list of recommendations to respond to retail theft. The Retail Council of New York State, the Albany-based lobbying group which represents retailers statewide, said it was “extremely disappointed” by Hochul’s veto. Melissa O’Connor, the president and CEO of the group, released a statement saying that she urged the governor to take “immediate action” so as to formulate “an effective, collaborative response to this problem.” “She made it abundantly clear that retail theft prevention will be a priority for her administration, and we look forward to working with her to achieve results,” O’Connor said. A spokesperson for Hochul said that adopting the proposal would have cost the state $35 million — an expenditure that wasn’t allotted in the most recent budget. Law enforcement officials from New York City to Albany to Syracuse have reported increases in incidents of retail theft — blaming the spike on progressive prosecutors who encourages criminal behavior with lenient punishment for shoplifters. Last month, the chief of police in Syracuse said that the city has seen a 55% spike in shoplifting since 2021 — and that’s a conservative estimate. “That number is likely higher because businesses often don’t report it — but they do continue to express concerns,” Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said. So far this year, the Albany Police Department has fielded 23 calls for larcenies at a single Stewart’s convenience store on Central Avenue — up from 14 at the same time in 2022. The rash of retail thefts at the location forced the owner to shut down. A New York Police Department spokesperson pointed to crime statistics showing that there were more than 93,000 incidents of petty larceny through the end of October — which is 29% higher compared to the same period two years ago but 5% lower compared to the same period last year. Around one-third of all shoplifting arrests in the five boroughs last year involved just 327 people who were collectively arrested and re-arrested a total of more than 6,000 times, according to the NYPD. These 327 alleged shoplifters targeted 18 department stores and seven chain pharmacy locations, which accounted for 20% of all complaints, the NYPD said.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, November 28th, 2023. Kepler Education: Kepler is an online marketplace for Classical Christian education that assures parents maintain their agency without forfeiting the assistance and expertise of qualified conservative Christian teachers. Kepler offers university model courses in the classical tradition that fit your schedule and budget. Visit www.kepler.education and use our simple search tool to find the course and teacher that meets your child’s needs. Or simply ask for help to get assistance from a real human being. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/27/talks-under-way-to-extend-israel-hamas-ceasefire-as-return-to-fighting-looms Talks under way to extend Israel-Hamas ceasefire as return to fighting looms Talks are under way to extend the temporary ceasefire in Gaza, with Hamas and Israel both saying they would like to see further releases of hostages in return for freedom for more Palestinians held in Israeli jails. But the ceasefire is due to expire, threatening a return to the bloody fighting and bombardment that has devastated swaths of Gaza, killed many thousands of civilians and caused an acute humanitarian crisis. The third release of prisoners and of mostly Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas took place without major problems on Sunday night. Israel and Hamas have each raised concerns over the lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners due to be released on Monday, which Qatari mediators are now working to resolve. “There is a slight issue with today’s lists. The Qataris are working with both sides to … avoid delays,” an official briefed on the matter said. Seventeen hostages were released by Hamas on Sunday, including a Russian national and three Thai nationals. The Israelis were all women or children. Thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners, mostly children, were freed from Israeli jails, authorities said. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has said he did not want to end the ceasefire but pledged that Israel would resume its military offensive in Gaza at the end of the truce. Netanyahu, who has promised Israelis he will “crush” Hamas, said he would welcome an extension to allow the release of 10 additional hostages every day in return for freedom for 30 Palestinian prisoners, as agreed under the original deal. Israeli officials insist they will not call off their offensive until they are certain that Hamas no longer poses a threat to Israel. Joe Biden said on Sunday that his administration would “continue to remain personally engaged to see that this deal is fully implemented and work to extend the deal as well”. Local media in Israel reported optimism among senior officials that the truce, which was the result of several weeks of complex indirect negotiations mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt, would be extended. Sixty-two of the more than 240 hostages held by Hamas since last month have been released, one hostage was freed by Israeli forces, and two were found dead inside Gaza. A total of 117 Palestinians have been freed since the truce began. Between 13,000 and 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli offensive launched after the Hamas attack, roughly two-thirds of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. More than 1 million people have been forced from their homes. The UN says the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war. But the 160 to 200 trucks a day is still less than half what Gaza was importing before the fighting, while humanitarian needs have soared. Details have emerged of the conditions of the detention of some hostages. Local media has reported shortages of food and medicine, and cramped accommodation possibly underground, but no physical mistreatment. According to one report, a former hostage has told his friends that his captors had brought other children to play with him while he was in captivity. Some learned of the fate of relatives from Hebrew-language radio networks they could listen to. Two teenagers learned that their mother had been killed and their father remained missing only when released. Calls from the hostages’ families to prioritise their release have sharpened the dilemma facing Israel’s leaders as they seek to reconcile the military offensive with the goal of freeing all of the captives. https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/11/23/new-biden-rule-reveals-transgender-movements-endgame-no-dissenting-parents-allowed/ Lack of ‘Affirmation’ Is Child Abuse: New Biden Rule Applies Transgender Standard to Foster Care The transgender standard is set to become a litmus test for parenthood, according to the logic of a new policy working its way through the Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. A new rule in HHS’ Administration for Children and Families would apply the idea that any lack of “affirmation” constitutes a form of child abuse to foster care placements. Once that idea takes root in foster care, child protective services agencies might start applying it more broadly. The rule would reinterpret the Social Security Act, which requires agencies to ensure that each child in foster care receives “safe and proper” care. The rule would lay out steps agencies must take to meet that requirement for “LGBTQI+ children,” defined as kids who “identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, as well as children who are non-binary, or have non-conforming gender identity or expression.” Before agencies place a child with a foster parent, known as a “provider,” that person must “establish an environment free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse based on the child’s LGBTQI+ status;” receive training “to be prepared with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression;” and must be able to “facilitate the child’s access to age-appropriate resources, services, and activities that support their health and well-being.” As the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Rachel Morrison pointed out for The Federalist Society, the rule does not define “hostility,” “mistreatment,” or “abuse.” However, it does clarify that “a provider who attempted to undermine, suppress, or change the sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression of a child, including through the use of so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ would not be a safe and appropriate placement.” The proposed rule cites medical associations such as the American Psychological Association to claim that efforts to “undermine, suppress, or change” sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression “are not supported by evidence and have been rejected as harmful.” The rule does not acknowledge that gender ideology has infiltrated these medical associations and that many doctors—including those who once embraced gender ideology—have warned against confusing children on their gender and putting them on a path to mutilating their own bodies. Dr. Stephen B. Levine, a psychiatrist and early proponent of transgender medical interventions, joined and briefly helped lead the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, which later became the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the central medical group that organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association rely upon. European countries, long considered more “progressive” than the U.S., have found a lack of evidence for medical interventions on children and are recommending a “watchful waiting” approach for minors. Yet Levine argues that “affirming” a transgender identity is a “powerful psychotherapeutic intervention” that will set kids on the path to mutilation and sterilization—long before they have any concept about what their own fertility means. Under Biden’s proposed new rule, any potential foster parent who aims to protect a child from this confusion and damage may soon face expulsion from the program. That means the process will be designed to weed out guardians who actually would take good care of the kids and enable guardians who would assist in harming them. California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, signed a bill turning California into a “sanctuary state” for “gender-affirming care,” which the law defines as an absolute right. The law gives California courts the ability to award custody over a child if someone removes the child from his or her parents in another state in order to obtain such “care” for that child despite the parents’ disagreement. https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/27/businesses-diversity-equity-inclusion-economic-uncertainty/ Businesses Ditch ‘Diversity’ Initiatives In Droves Amid Economic Uncertainty Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives lost steam in 2023 compared to previous years as companies increasingly shift resources due to tightening economic condition The total percentage of American organizations with a DEI budget dropped 4 percentage points, from 58% in 2022 to 54% in 2023, while the number of organizations with a DEI strategy fell 9 points in that same time frame, according to a report from a consulting firm. DEI initiatives in the workplace gained huge traction following the death of George Floyd, which encouraged companies to divert resources to the practice, but now “external forces,” including tightening economic conditions as well as public and judicial pressure, are pushing back on those efforts. “After two years of unprecedented investment sparked by 2020’s racial justice movement, this year, global momentum around DEI slowed,” according to the report from Paradigm. “There are a number of headwinds contributing to this shift: the first is economic uncertainty that not only led to reduced spending across the board, it also firmly shifted the power balance back to employers.” Despite the decline in funding, there was a 6-point increase in the number of companies that had a senior DEI leader and an 8-point increase in organizations that had goals related to representation for women in leadership from 2022 to 2023, according to Paradigm. A total of 20% of companies in 2023 had goals related to increasing employment related to race or ethnicity, which is a 4-point increase year-over-year. The shift follows concerns from companies that the Supreme Court could target DEI and race-based hiring in the workplace the same way it struck down race-based admissions at colleges and universities earlier this year. A pair of decisions by the Supreme Court in June involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina cumulatively ruled that using race as a factor in college admissions is not permissible under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. “Over the past several months, we’ve heard from a number of HR leaders who are de-emphasizing data and analytics as a part of their DEI efforts, in response to the changing legal landscape and increased scrutiny on DEI efforts,” according to the report from Paradigm. Only 26% of companies examine the final results of hiring by race or ethnicity, while 33% analyze promotions in the same manner, according to Paradigm. Around 36% of organizations measured the attrition rate of their employees by race or ethnicity. Businesses pulled back from hiring in October, adding only 150,000 jobs for the month compared to 297,000 in September, while unemployment ticked up to 3.9% from 3.8%. The Leading Economic Index predicted that 2024 will only see 0.8% in the U.S. economy due to a possible recession. https://nypost.com/2023/11/26/business/ny-retailers-blast-hochul-over-theft-which-has-cost-stores-4-4-billion/ NY retailers lost $4.4 billion due to organized shoplifting rings in 2022: group Retailers across New York state say there’s no end in sight to the rising epidemic of organized shoplifting rings — and warn it could lead to more store closures, increased costs for consumers and threats of violence against store employees. Store owners said they lost $4.4 billion last year as a result of retail theft — which they say adds to the urgency for Gov. Kathy Hochul to crack down. However, Hochul vetoed a bipartisan bill last week — to the chagrin of store owners — that would have created a task force to combat organized theft. Hochul rejected a proposal that would have created a 15-member panel made up of experts appointed by the governor, Legislature and the state attorney general that would have put together a list of recommendations to respond to retail theft. The Retail Council of New York State, the Albany-based lobbying group which represents retailers statewide, said it was “extremely disappointed” by Hochul’s veto. Melissa O’Connor, the president and CEO of the group, released a statement saying that she urged the governor to take “immediate action” so as to formulate “an effective, collaborative response to this problem.” “She made it abundantly clear that retail theft prevention will be a priority for her administration, and we look forward to working with her to achieve results,” O’Connor said. A spokesperson for Hochul said that adopting the proposal would have cost the state $35 million — an expenditure that wasn’t allotted in the most recent budget. Law enforcement officials from New York City to Albany to Syracuse have reported increases in incidents of retail theft — blaming the spike on progressive prosecutors who encourages criminal behavior with lenient punishment for shoplifters. Last month, the chief of police in Syracuse said that the city has seen a 55% spike in shoplifting since 2021 — and that’s a conservative estimate. “That number is likely higher because businesses often don’t report it — but they do continue to express concerns,” Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said. So far this year, the Albany Police Department has fielded 23 calls for larcenies at a single Stewart’s convenience store on Central Avenue — up from 14 at the same time in 2022. The rash of retail thefts at the location forced the owner to shut down. A New York Police Department spokesperson pointed to crime statistics showing that there were more than 93,000 incidents of petty larceny through the end of October — which is 29% higher compared to the same period two years ago but 5% lower compared to the same period last year. Around one-third of all shoplifting arrests in the five boroughs last year involved just 327 people who were collectively arrested and re-arrested a total of more than 6,000 times, according to the NYPD. These 327 alleged shoplifters targeted 18 department stores and seven chain pharmacy locations, which accounted for 20% of all complaints, the NYPD said.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, November 28th, 2023. Kepler Education: Kepler is an online marketplace for Classical Christian education that assures parents maintain their agency without forfeiting the assistance and expertise of qualified conservative Christian teachers. Kepler offers university model courses in the classical tradition that fit your schedule and budget. Visit www.kepler.education and use our simple search tool to find the course and teacher that meets your child’s needs. Or simply ask for help to get assistance from a real human being. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/27/talks-under-way-to-extend-israel-hamas-ceasefire-as-return-to-fighting-looms Talks under way to extend Israel-Hamas ceasefire as return to fighting looms Talks are under way to extend the temporary ceasefire in Gaza, with Hamas and Israel both saying they would like to see further releases of hostages in return for freedom for more Palestinians held in Israeli jails. But the ceasefire is due to expire, threatening a return to the bloody fighting and bombardment that has devastated swaths of Gaza, killed many thousands of civilians and caused an acute humanitarian crisis. The third release of prisoners and of mostly Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas took place without major problems on Sunday night. Israel and Hamas have each raised concerns over the lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners due to be released on Monday, which Qatari mediators are now working to resolve. “There is a slight issue with today’s lists. The Qataris are working with both sides to … avoid delays,” an official briefed on the matter said. Seventeen hostages were released by Hamas on Sunday, including a Russian national and three Thai nationals. The Israelis were all women or children. Thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners, mostly children, were freed from Israeli jails, authorities said. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has said he did not want to end the ceasefire but pledged that Israel would resume its military offensive in Gaza at the end of the truce. Netanyahu, who has promised Israelis he will “crush” Hamas, said he would welcome an extension to allow the release of 10 additional hostages every day in return for freedom for 30 Palestinian prisoners, as agreed under the original deal. Israeli officials insist they will not call off their offensive until they are certain that Hamas no longer poses a threat to Israel. Joe Biden said on Sunday that his administration would “continue to remain personally engaged to see that this deal is fully implemented and work to extend the deal as well”. Local media in Israel reported optimism among senior officials that the truce, which was the result of several weeks of complex indirect negotiations mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt, would be extended. Sixty-two of the more than 240 hostages held by Hamas since last month have been released, one hostage was freed by Israeli forces, and two were found dead inside Gaza. A total of 117 Palestinians have been freed since the truce began. Between 13,000 and 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli offensive launched after the Hamas attack, roughly two-thirds of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. More than 1 million people have been forced from their homes. The UN says the truce has made it possible to scale up the delivery of food, water and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war. But the 160 to 200 trucks a day is still less than half what Gaza was importing before the fighting, while humanitarian needs have soared. Details have emerged of the conditions of the detention of some hostages. Local media has reported shortages of food and medicine, and cramped accommodation possibly underground, but no physical mistreatment. According to one report, a former hostage has told his friends that his captors had brought other children to play with him while he was in captivity. Some learned of the fate of relatives from Hebrew-language radio networks they could listen to. Two teenagers learned that their mother had been killed and their father remained missing only when released. Calls from the hostages’ families to prioritise their release have sharpened the dilemma facing Israel’s leaders as they seek to reconcile the military offensive with the goal of freeing all of the captives. https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/11/23/new-biden-rule-reveals-transgender-movements-endgame-no-dissenting-parents-allowed/ Lack of ‘Affirmation’ Is Child Abuse: New Biden Rule Applies Transgender Standard to Foster Care The transgender standard is set to become a litmus test for parenthood, according to the logic of a new policy working its way through the Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. A new rule in HHS’ Administration for Children and Families would apply the idea that any lack of “affirmation” constitutes a form of child abuse to foster care placements. Once that idea takes root in foster care, child protective services agencies might start applying it more broadly. The rule would reinterpret the Social Security Act, which requires agencies to ensure that each child in foster care receives “safe and proper” care. The rule would lay out steps agencies must take to meet that requirement for “LGBTQI+ children,” defined as kids who “identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, as well as children who are non-binary, or have non-conforming gender identity or expression.” Before agencies place a child with a foster parent, known as a “provider,” that person must “establish an environment free of hostility, mistreatment, or abuse based on the child’s LGBTQI+ status;” receive training “to be prepared with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression;” and must be able to “facilitate the child’s access to age-appropriate resources, services, and activities that support their health and well-being.” As the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Rachel Morrison pointed out for The Federalist Society, the rule does not define “hostility,” “mistreatment,” or “abuse.” However, it does clarify that “a provider who attempted to undermine, suppress, or change the sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression of a child, including through the use of so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ would not be a safe and appropriate placement.” The proposed rule cites medical associations such as the American Psychological Association to claim that efforts to “undermine, suppress, or change” sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression “are not supported by evidence and have been rejected as harmful.” The rule does not acknowledge that gender ideology has infiltrated these medical associations and that many doctors—including those who once embraced gender ideology—have warned against confusing children on their gender and putting them on a path to mutilating their own bodies. Dr. Stephen B. Levine, a psychiatrist and early proponent of transgender medical interventions, joined and briefly helped lead the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, which later became the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the central medical group that organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association rely upon. European countries, long considered more “progressive” than the U.S., have found a lack of evidence for medical interventions on children and are recommending a “watchful waiting” approach for minors. Yet Levine argues that “affirming” a transgender identity is a “powerful psychotherapeutic intervention” that will set kids on the path to mutilation and sterilization—long before they have any concept about what their own fertility means. Under Biden’s proposed new rule, any potential foster parent who aims to protect a child from this confusion and damage may soon face expulsion from the program. That means the process will be designed to weed out guardians who actually would take good care of the kids and enable guardians who would assist in harming them. California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, signed a bill turning California into a “sanctuary state” for “gender-affirming care,” which the law defines as an absolute right. The law gives California courts the ability to award custody over a child if someone removes the child from his or her parents in another state in order to obtain such “care” for that child despite the parents’ disagreement. https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/27/businesses-diversity-equity-inclusion-economic-uncertainty/ Businesses Ditch ‘Diversity’ Initiatives In Droves Amid Economic Uncertainty Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives lost steam in 2023 compared to previous years as companies increasingly shift resources due to tightening economic condition The total percentage of American organizations with a DEI budget dropped 4 percentage points, from 58% in 2022 to 54% in 2023, while the number of organizations with a DEI strategy fell 9 points in that same time frame, according to a report from a consulting firm. DEI initiatives in the workplace gained huge traction following the death of George Floyd, which encouraged companies to divert resources to the practice, but now “external forces,” including tightening economic conditions as well as public and judicial pressure, are pushing back on those efforts. “After two years of unprecedented investment sparked by 2020’s racial justice movement, this year, global momentum around DEI slowed,” according to the report from Paradigm. “There are a number of headwinds contributing to this shift: the first is economic uncertainty that not only led to reduced spending across the board, it also firmly shifted the power balance back to employers.” Despite the decline in funding, there was a 6-point increase in the number of companies that had a senior DEI leader and an 8-point increase in organizations that had goals related to representation for women in leadership from 2022 to 2023, according to Paradigm. A total of 20% of companies in 2023 had goals related to increasing employment related to race or ethnicity, which is a 4-point increase year-over-year. The shift follows concerns from companies that the Supreme Court could target DEI and race-based hiring in the workplace the same way it struck down race-based admissions at colleges and universities earlier this year. A pair of decisions by the Supreme Court in June involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina cumulatively ruled that using race as a factor in college admissions is not permissible under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. “Over the past several months, we’ve heard from a number of HR leaders who are de-emphasizing data and analytics as a part of their DEI efforts, in response to the changing legal landscape and increased scrutiny on DEI efforts,” according to the report from Paradigm. Only 26% of companies examine the final results of hiring by race or ethnicity, while 33% analyze promotions in the same manner, according to Paradigm. Around 36% of organizations measured the attrition rate of their employees by race or ethnicity. Businesses pulled back from hiring in October, adding only 150,000 jobs for the month compared to 297,000 in September, while unemployment ticked up to 3.9% from 3.8%. The Leading Economic Index predicted that 2024 will only see 0.8% in the U.S. economy due to a possible recession. https://nypost.com/2023/11/26/business/ny-retailers-blast-hochul-over-theft-which-has-cost-stores-4-4-billion/ NY retailers lost $4.4 billion due to organized shoplifting rings in 2022: group Retailers across New York state say there’s no end in sight to the rising epidemic of organized shoplifting rings — and warn it could lead to more store closures, increased costs for consumers and threats of violence against store employees. Store owners said they lost $4.4 billion last year as a result of retail theft — which they say adds to the urgency for Gov. Kathy Hochul to crack down. However, Hochul vetoed a bipartisan bill last week — to the chagrin of store owners — that would have created a task force to combat organized theft. Hochul rejected a proposal that would have created a 15-member panel made up of experts appointed by the governor, Legislature and the state attorney general that would have put together a list of recommendations to respond to retail theft. The Retail Council of New York State, the Albany-based lobbying group which represents retailers statewide, said it was “extremely disappointed” by Hochul’s veto. Melissa O’Connor, the president and CEO of the group, released a statement saying that she urged the governor to take “immediate action” so as to formulate “an effective, collaborative response to this problem.” “She made it abundantly clear that retail theft prevention will be a priority for her administration, and we look forward to working with her to achieve results,” O’Connor said. A spokesperson for Hochul said that adopting the proposal would have cost the state $35 million — an expenditure that wasn’t allotted in the most recent budget. Law enforcement officials from New York City to Albany to Syracuse have reported increases in incidents of retail theft — blaming the spike on progressive prosecutors who encourages criminal behavior with lenient punishment for shoplifters. Last month, the chief of police in Syracuse said that the city has seen a 55% spike in shoplifting since 2021 — and that’s a conservative estimate. “That number is likely higher because businesses often don’t report it — but they do continue to express concerns,” Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said. So far this year, the Albany Police Department has fielded 23 calls for larcenies at a single Stewart’s convenience store on Central Avenue — up from 14 at the same time in 2022. The rash of retail thefts at the location forced the owner to shut down. A New York Police Department spokesperson pointed to crime statistics showing that there were more than 93,000 incidents of petty larceny through the end of October — which is 29% higher compared to the same period two years ago but 5% lower compared to the same period last year. Around one-third of all shoplifting arrests in the five boroughs last year involved just 327 people who were collectively arrested and re-arrested a total of more than 6,000 times, according to the NYPD. These 327 alleged shoplifters targeted 18 department stores and seven chain pharmacy locations, which accounted for 20% of all complaints, the NYPD said.

Miriam and Noah talk about the deal struck between Israel and Hamas, via the Qataris and the Americans, that would return 50 hostages, mostly kids and their mothers, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners and a four day cease fire, the execution of which deal was already delayed on its first day. Miriam talks about evil and Viktor Frankl while Noah, as far as we can tell, lay in a fetal position, moaning on the floor of the studio.

Un accord a été conclu entre le Hamas et Israël en vue de la libération des otages en échange de prisonniers palestiniens et de trêves dans les bombardements sur Gaza. Un texte négocié au Qatar sous l'égide des négociateurs de la petite monarchie du Golfe. Comment les Qataris ont réussi ce coup de force diplomatique ? On vous explique !

While the world is distracted, members of Congress are writing bills designed to steal Russia's money and give it to Ukraine. In this episode, listen to the pitch being made to Congress as we examine if this is a good idea. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes Taking the Russian money: is it legal? Lee C. Buchheit and Paul Stephan. October 20, 2023. Lawfare. Chelsey Dulaney and Andrew Duehren. October 11, 2023. The Wall Street Journal. Lawrence H. Summers, Philip Zelikow, and Robert B. Zoellick. June 15, 2023. Foreign Affairs. Paul Stephan. April 26, 2022. Lawfare. Laurence H. Tribe and Jeremy Lewin. April 15, 2022. The New York Times. April 15, 2021. President Joe Biden. White House Briefing Room. What we're being told about Ukraine Secretary of State Anthony Blinken [@SecBlinken]. November 3, 2023. Twitter. Visual Journalism Team. September 29, 2023. BBC News. June 2023. Reuters. Biden wants to hide weapons deals with Israel Sharon Zhang. November 2, 2023. Bills Audio Sources October 31, 2023 Senate Appropriations Committee Witnesses: Antony Blinken, Secretary, U.S. Department of State Lloyd Austin, Secretary, U.S. Department of Defense Clips 1:05:05 Secretary of State Antony Blinken: If you look at total assistance to Ukraine going back to February of 2022, the United States has provided about $75 billion our allies and partners $90 billion. If you look at budget support, the United States has provided about $22 billion during that period, allies and partners $49 billion during that period; military support, we provided about $43 billion allies and partners $33 billion; humanitarian assistance, the United States $2.3 billion allies and partners 4.5 billion, plus another $18 to $20 billion in caring for the many refugees who went to Europe and outside of Ukraine. October 19, 2023 Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (The Helsinki Commission) Witnesses: Eliav Benjamin, Deputy Head of Mission, The Embassy of Israel to the United States Jamil N. Jaffer, Founder and Executive Director, National Security Institute at George Mason University Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Dr. Dan Twining, President, International Republican Institute Oksana Markarova, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States of America Clips 19:25 Eliav Benjamin: Understanding in the most unequivocal manner and in the clearest way that these are evil people. If we can even call them people. This is Israel's 9/11, only if you take the proportion of the size of Israel, this is 9/11 times 10, at least. 20:45 Eliav Benjamin: Because these terrorist organizations are not only against Israelis or against Jews, and not only in Israel, they are against mankind and anything which calls for decency, any entity and anybody who calls for protecting human rights and protecting individuals and protecting civilians. 21:25 Eliav Benjamin: Hamas have no value for human life, while Israel is doing its utmost to protect human life, including Palestinians in Gaza by even calling for them to go down south so that they won't be affected by the war. Hamas is doing everything in its power to harm civilians, to harm its own civilians. And everything that Hamas is committing -- and committed -- is no less than war crimes. And if you want crimes against humanity, and this is while Israel is working within the international human rights law, and within the military law. 28:15 Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN): Ambassador we have attempted to get some monies to from Putin and from the Soviet Un -- the oligarchs, to help rebuild Ukraine. Do you have any new information about that, or concerns? Oksana Markarova: Thank you for this question. First of all, I think it's very just that all this horrible destruction, which only for the first year of the war the World Bank estimated at $411 billion -- just the physical destruction -- has to be compensated and paid for by the Russians. So with regard to the Russian oligarchs and everyone who finances this war, supports this war, thanks to Congress we already have the possibility to confiscate it through the courts and DOJ has already moved forward with one confiscation of malfeasance money -- $5.4 million, and others. It is going to take time. But I think the major question right now to discuss with all the G7 is the Russian sovereign assets. We know that there are at least in the vicinity of 300-400 billion, or maybe even more, frozen by G7 countries. Not only that, but we recently discovered there are about $200 billion that are frozen in the Euroclear system in Belgium. So I'm very glad that there are more renewed talks right now between the G7 Ministers of Finance on how to confiscate and how to better use this money even now. I think we have to join forces there because again, we're very grateful for the American support, we are very much counting on this additional supplementary budget, but at the end of the day, it's not the American, or Ukrainian, or European taxpayers who have to pay for this, it is the Russians who have to pay for their damages. We look forward to working with Congress and we're working very actively with the administration, the State Department and Treasury, on how to better do it. As the former Minister of Finance, I not only believe -- I know -- that it can be done and I know this is a very specific case, that will not jeopardize the untouchability of the Sovereign Money, which is normal in the normal circumstances. This is a very specific case of a country that has been condemned by 154 countries in the UN for the illegal aggression. We have in all three major cases, the cases against Russia on both aggression and genocide and everything else. And it's only natural and just to use the sovereign assets as well as the private assets of Putin's oligarchs to compensate and to pay this. 32:50 Eliav Benjamin: Look at the charter of Hamas, which calls for destruction, annihilation of Jews, of Israel and yes, wants to control everything from the Mediterranean Sea until the Jordan River. 33:00 Eliav Benjamin: That is their aspiration, that is what they want to do, with zero care about civilians, including their own whom they take us human shields. As we're speak now, they're firing rockets from underneath hospitals, from underneath schools, from underneath mosques, from within residential areas, putting their own people at risk and sending them to die as well. This is not what Israel is about, but this is what Hamas is about and has been about. And now once and for all, unfortunately, really unfortunately, it took such a horrific war that they launched on Israel for the whole world to realize what Hamas is really about and what we've been saying for so many years that Hamas stands for. But it's not only Hamas: it's Hamas, it's the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, it's Hezbollah, it's all of these terrorist organizations who have zero care about human beings. This is who we should go after, and make sure they don't do any more harm. 39:10 Jamil Jaffer: It was the single deadliest day in Israel's history, single deadliest day for the worldwide Jewish community since the Holocaust. The equivalent of over a dozen 9/11 attacks on a population adjusted basis. Let me say it again. On the day of the 9/11 attacks, we had about 280 million Americans and we lost approximately 3000 Americans that day. Israel has lost 1400 have their own in a population of approximately 9 million -- over a dozen 9/11 attacks. 41:15 Jamil Jaffer: There's a key connection between these two fights. We know that Iran today supplies all manner of drones to Russia in its fight in Ukraine. We know that Iran has troops on the ground in Ukraine, training Russians on the use of those drones. We know that Iran is considering providing short range ballistic missiles to Russia, in that conflict. Russia, for its part, has provided Iran with its primary source of Conventional Munitions and nuclear technology for the vast majority of the time. Now, the key connection between these organizations is important to note. It's not just Russia and Iran; it's China and North Korea as well. These are all globally repressive nation states. They repress their own people, they hold them back, they give them no opportunity, and then they seek to export that repression to other parts of the globe, first in their immediate neighborhood, and then more broadly across the world. These nations are increasingly working together. We see China and Russia's no-limits partnership. We see President Xi saying to President Putin, in an off hand conversation that the world heard, that there are changes that haven't been seen in 100 years, and Russia and China are leading those changes. We know that for decades, Iran and North Korea have cooperated on ballistic missile and nuclear technology. We know that today in the fight in Gaza, Hamas is using North Korean rocket propelled grenades. So the reality is these globally repressive nation states have long been working together. And it is incumbent upon the United States to stand with our friends in Ukraine and our allies in Israel in this fight against global repression. 41:35 Dr. Dan Twining: It's vital not to mistake Hamas's control of Gaza with legitimacy. There have been no elections in Gaza since 2006. Hamas will not hold them because it thinks it will lose. Polling from September, a month ago, shows that only a quarter of Palestinians support Hamas leading the Palestinian people. Before the conflict, 77% of Palestinians told pollsters they wanted elections as soon as possible. A super majority tells pollsters that Hamas is corrupt. It is a terrorist organization, not a governing authority that seeks better lives for Palestinians. Residents of Gaza suffer poverty, isolation, and violence at its hands. 43:25 Dr. Jonathan Schanzer: Israel has just suffered in Iran-sponsored massacre, Ukraine is struggling to repel Russian forces, and Taiwan watches with grave concern as China threatens to invade. America must view these three embattled democracies as important assets. And it must view these three adversaries as a threat to the US-led world order. As we speak, there is a very real possibility of a regional war erupting in the Middle East. The Islamic Republic of Iran has armed and funded Hamas and Hezbollah along with other factions in the region. Recent reports point to the existence of an Iranian-led nerve center in Beirut that is designed to help these terrorist groups target Israel more efficiently. Fortunately, the IDF has thwarted Iranian efforts to create a new terror proxy in the Golan Heights. Israel has repeatedly destroyed most, if not all, of what Iran is trying to stand up there. However, Iran-backed militias do remain in Syria, and Russia's presence in Syria is complicated all of this. Moscow's missile defense systems have forced Israel to take significant precautions in the ongoing effort to prevent the smuggling of advanced Iranian weapons from Syria to Lebanon. These are precision guided munitions. We've never seen a non-state actor or a terrorist group acquire these before and Russia is making this more difficult. The operations to destroy these weapons in Syria are ongoing. They often take place with Russian knowledge. It's an uneasy arrangement and because of that, the Syrian front is still manageable, but Russia's role in the region is far from positive. Moscow continues to work closely with both Iran and Hezbollah. In fact, Russian-Iranian relations have deepened considerably since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This goes beyond the sanctions busting that was the basis of their relationship before all this started. Russia has received UAVs from Iran, which we've heard today, Tehran has sent advisors to train Russian personnel, and since last summer, Russia has launched over 2000 Iranian UAVs into Ukraine. Moscow now wants to produce some of these UAVs domestically and so Russia and Iran are currently working together to increase the drones' range and speed. Iran has supplied other material to Russia like artillery shells and rockets. In return, Tehran wants Russia to provide fighter jets, attack helicopters, radar and combat trainer aircraft, and more. Moscow has sent to Tehran some captured Western weapons from Ukraine. These include javelin, NLAW anti-tank guided missiles, and Stinger MANPADS. Amidst all of this, on top of it all, concerns are mounting about a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Beijing has openly intimidated the island nation. Within a 24 hour time span in July, 16 PLA warships approached Taiwan, accompanied with over 100 different aircraft sorties. China's calculus about an invasion of Taiwan could be influenced heavily right now by what the United States does in Ukraine and in Israel. Ihe landscape is clear: China, Iran and Russia are working together. Our policy must be to deny them the ability to threaten our friends and our interests. 47:45 Dr. Jonathan Schanzer: It's great news. I was gonna recommend it, but it's already happened: the United States has sent two of its Iron Dome batteries based in Guam to Israel, en route already. 52:15 Dr. Dan Twining: If America's three greatest adversaries are going to actively collaborate in armed attacks on our allies, that's all the more reason for us to ensure that friendly democracies prevail in the fight. Giving Ukraine and Israel what they need to restore their sovereignty and security is essential. Appeasing aggression in one theater only invites belligerence in another. Make no mistake, China is watching our reaction to the wars on Ukraine and Israel with great interest. If we don't show the will and staying power to help our friends win, we only embolden Chinese designs in Asia. Defeating aggression in Europe and the Middle East is central to deterring aggression in Asia. 1:09:55 Dr. Jonathan Schanzer: I am going to use the current crisis right now to sort of explain how America can get a win. That attack by Hamas was sponsored by Iran. Hamas is an Iran-back terrorist organization that also enjoys the support of China and Russia. As Israel has now readied to go into the Gaza Strip and to destroy this terrorist organization with the support of the United States, we're now seeing Iran-backed proxies threaten a much wider war. We're watching Hezbollah and Lebanon, Shiite militias in Syria, potentially other groups in other parts of the region. What needs to happen here right now is America needs to determine the outcome of this conflict. And by that, I mean it needs to deter Iran, it needs to deter Hezbollah and any other actor that might intervene, and force them to watch helplessly as our ally destroys Hamas. Watch them look on helplessly as one of their important pieces is removed from the chessboard. If we can do that, then I think we're now in the process of reestablishing deterrence after having lost it for many years. 1:14:15 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): Along with Ranking Member [Jim] Risch, I'm the lead on the what we call the REPO Act, which would authorize the President to work with other countries in Europe that are also home to frozen Russian sovereign assets, and create a procedure for seizing those assets and directing them to Ukraine to be used for rebuilding and other purposes. I think there are mixed feelings in the administration about this, but they seem to be moving our way. I'd love to have your thoughts on the value of grabbing those sovereign assets, not just as additional resources for Ukraine, but also as a powerful signal to Putin that his behavior is going to have real punishment and hitting him good and hard right in the wallet, I think, would be a good added signal. 1:15:20 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): The second is simply to make sure that we do a better job of grabbing Russian oligarch assets. We have a predicament right now, which is that if you're a US citizen, and you're driving down the highway and you've got $400,000 in unexplained cash in your car, the police can pull you over and they can seize that. If you are a foreign, Russian, crooked oligarch, and you have a $400 million yacht someplace, you have more rights than that American citizen, in terms of defending your yacht. It's a very simple procedure, it's called "in rem." You move on the yacht rather than having to chase through all the ownership structures. And I would very much like to see us pass a bill that allows us to proceed against foreign oligarchs', criminals', and kleptocrats' assets in rem. 1:16:50 Dr. Jonathan Schanzer: The seizing of assets and redirecting them to Ukraine, I think, sounds like a solid thing for the United States to do. I think, though, it would make sense to do this with a coalition of countries. So that the US is not singled out -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): That's what the legislation requires. In fact, the bulk of the funds are actually held in European countries, so acting on our own would not be sensible. Dr. Jonathan Schanzer: It wouldn't be effective, correct. So getting the Europeans on board, and by the way, getting the Europeans to chip in a bit more, just as we are, I think is also a very sound policy. As far as targeting the oligarch assets, I fully understand your frustration. When I worked at the Treasury Department trying to track those kinds of assets was never easy. We did work with a sort of shorthand version of, if we're 80% sure that we know what we're dealing with we're going to move first and then adjudicate after it's been done. And by and large, that worked out very well during the height of the war on terror. And there was an urgency that I think needs to be felt now, as we think about targeting Russian assets too. 1:18:00 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): To follow me on my path of in rem Latinate legal terms. There's also qui tam out there, which allows individuals to bring fraud actions in the name of the United States, and if it turns out there really is fraud, they get a share of it. It would be nice to have people who work for, let's say, a Russian oligarch to be able to be paid a bit of a bounty if they come in and testify and say, "Yep, definitely his boat every time we go out, he's on it. Every time the guests come they're his guests and we call him boss." Things like that can make a big difference, so we're trying to push that as well. Dr. Jonathan Schanzer: That sounds like something for the Rewards for Justice program at the State Department. They might be able to expand it. We already have bounties for those that provide evidence leading to arrests of terrorists, why not oligarchs? Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): Correct. 1:24:40 Dr. Jonathan Schanzer: Qatar has, for the last 10 or 12 years, had a an external headquarters. Some of [Hamas's] political leadership has been based there: Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Meshaal both call Qatar home. Of course, this is not new for the Qataris. They've also hosted all manner of other terrorist organizations in that country. It's the Taliban, al Qaeda, ISIS. It's well known at this point that Qatar is a hospitable place. They just don't agree with our definition of terrorism. Fundraising takes place there, all sorts of organizational activities take place there, and people are free to come and go. It is a safe haven for them. It is extremely dangerous that we have bestowed upon that country the label of major non-NATO ally, and that this is allowed to continue. They're offering right now their "good offices" -- I'll put those in air quotes -- to try to negotiate the release of the 302 hostages. This is not in Qatar's is interest. They are advocating on behalf of Hamas, as they have been for a long time. This should not be allowed to stand. 1:28:10 Dr. Jonathan Schanzer: Hezbollah is based in Lebanon primarily, although they've got a significant base of operations in Latin America right now, and of course they've got a lot of operatives running around in Tehran. They are a wholly-owned subsidiary of the regime in Iran. Just to give you a sense of the threat, right now Hezbollah is threatening to open up a second front with Israel. While the fighting rages in Gaza, in the north of Israel there is a second front that could very well be open. There have been dozens of rockets that have been fired, dozens of anti-tank missiles infiltrations into northern Israel. This is very disconcerting. This is one of the things that I think the President is trying to deter at this moment, to deter a second front from opening. Hezbollah is considered to have an army that is equal in strength to the average European army. It has 150,000 rockets right now facing south at Israel. It's got precision guided munitions that could hit strategic targets, like Israel's nuclear facility, or like its chemical plant. These are things that could create catastrophic attacks, and we could be hours or days or weeks away from watching those threats materialize. And so this is why it is imperative right now that the US mount the deterrence that is necessary to stare down Iran and to stare down Hezbollah and to allow Israel to be able to do what it needs to in Gaza and hopefully end this crisis. 1:31:15 Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX): What does it look like if a Palestinian family of four is being interviewed for safe passage into a neighboring country or nearby country? What exactly does that look like? What does that processing and that vetting look like? Dr. Jonathan Schanzer: I'm going to make a suggestion here. I don't know how that kind of vetting can happen. You know, you're looking at a territory roughly the size of Washington DC, with 2.2 million people that had been subjected to Hamas rule for 16 years. How you start to figure out who's okay and who's not at this stage in the game, who's a threat and who isn't, is going to be really challenging. I wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal with a colleague of mine, Mark Dubowitz, our CEO, on Monday. I want to make this suggestion: I've already identified a number of the countries that have been Hamas supporters over the years, those that have financed and provided the weapons and the training to Hamas. I think there should be significant pressure on those countries to take in the refugees. Have a clear message from the United States that they created this problem, and it is now their problem to take care of these 2 million people. Quite frankly, I don't care who's radicalized when they go to these countries that have been supporting a radical cause for as long as they have. I think this would be justice. October 18, 2023 House Committee on Foreign Affairs Witnesses: Philip Zelikow, Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and White Burkett Miller Professor of History at the University of Virginia Rebeccah Heinrichs, Senior Fellow and Director of the Keystone Defense Initiative at the Hudson Institute Clips 14:35 Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX): The Russian sovereign assets is a winner in my judgment. If we can tap into the right -- the very people who started this war and this conflict, in my judgment, should be paying for the cost, and not as much the US taxpayer. And that's why I introduced the REPO Act, the bipartisan, bicameral legislation that demands that the Biden administration transfer frozen Russian sovereign assets to the Ukraine effort. It's beyond time that Russia pay for the war that it created. My bill prohibits the Biden administration from unfreezing Russian sovereign assets until Russia ends its unprovoked war of aggression and agrees to compensate Ukraine for the damages it has inflicted. 16:05 Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX): To be clear, the war crimes and genocide committed by Russia cannot be reversed by money alone. 22:30 Rep. French Hill (R-AK): My approach was crafted to be consistent with US Policy and International Law by amending the International Emergency Economic Powers Act IEEPA, and using its established framework and existing definitions. As a former Treasury official, in my view, this is a better legislative approach. This is consistent with well established international precedent, whereby the United States work with international partners to establish a fund like we saw in Afghanistan in 2022. The Iran-US Claims Tribunal in 1981, the UN compensation fund for Kuwait in 1991, following the invasion by Iraq. 22:40 Rep. French Hill (R-AK): I too have introduced a bill on this topic, HR 5370. And I appreciate the Foreign Affairs staff working with me on that. My bill would give the President authority to seize and transfer title of Russian sovereign assets within the United States jurisdiction into an international fund for the sole purpose of Ukraine's eventual reconstruction and humanitarian relief. I'm grateful to Chairman McCaul and I co-sponsor his bill on this topic, as well for his leadership. 24:10 Rep. French Hill (R-AK): Considering most Russian sovereign assets are actually located outside the United States, it's important for our partners and allies around the world to introduce and pass similar companion legislation rather than having the US act unilaterally. 24:30 Rep. French Hill (R-AK): Let me be clear, I consider Russian Federation sovereign assets inclusive of all state owned enterprise assets and those of Russian publicly traded companies, like Gazprom, that are controlled by more than 50% by the Russian Federation. 26:30 Philip Zelikow: Economic warfare is the real center of gravity in this war. Economic warfare is the center of gravity in the war. I know we all watch the daily updates from the battle front lines. You know, this movement here, that movement there. This is a war of attrition. It's going to be decided by economic and industrial staying power as the war continues almost certainly into 2025 and perhaps beyond. 27:00 Philip Zelikow: In that struggle, the economic warfare against Russia has achieved some gains, and will have some more gains over the long haul. Russia's economic warfare against Ukraine has been devastating and is not sufficiently appreciated. Ukraine lost 30% of its GDP in the first year of the war. 1/3 of the population of Ukraine is displaced, half externally half internally. Russia is waging economic warfare on three main fronts. It's destroying Ukraine's infrastructure, and will do another energy infrastructure war this winter, for which it's gearing up, including with North Korean weapons and Iranian weapons. Point two: they've destroyed Ukraine's ability to export through the Black Sea except for a trickle, which was the fundamental business model of a commodity exporting country. Point three: they have destroyed Ukraine's civil aviation. Ukraine has no civil aviation. Any of you who've traveled, as I have, to Ukraine will notice that you can't fly in the country, which makes travel and business in the country now back to the era of the railroads before there were airplanes. So the the Russian economic warfare against Ukraine is devastating. And as time passes, this is going to have deep effects on the ability of Ukraine's economy and society to hold together, which will play out politically. So point one: economic warfare is the true center of gravity in the war. 28:35 Philip Zelikow: Two, the Russian assets are the key strategy to change the outcome. The Russian assets are at least $280 billion. Now, even in our debased day and age, that's a lot of money. It's a lot of money in the context of the Ukrainian economy. Even using very conservative multipliers of how much private investment the public investment can unlock, let's say one to one, the impact of this money on the whole future prospects of Ukraine and its staying power are decisive. Otherwise, they're relying on US and European taxpayers whose readiness you can gauge. So this is potentially the decisive fulcrum of the economic warfare and Ukraine's prospects in the war. 29:25 Philip Zelikow: So, third point, why has this been so hard? First reason was there was a knee jerk neuralgia on the part of bankers and financiers to the actual confiscation of Russian assets in the foreign exchange holdings, with much talk of losing confidence in the dollar in the euro. On analysis, these worries quickly fall away, which is one reason that I worked with my colleagues, Larry Summers, the former Treasury secretary, and Bob Zoellick, the former president of the World Bank, who do know something about international finance to debunk those concerns. And I'd be glad to go into more detail about why the concerns about the dollar or the euro turn out to be overblown when they're analyzed. 30:10 Philip Zelikow: The other concern was how do we do this legally? There's been a ton of legal confusion about this. This bill will help dispel that legal confusion. 30:30 Philip Zelikow: What about sovereign immunity? Sovereign immunity is a doctrine that only exists in the context of national courts trying to usurp sovereign authority in a situation where it's sovereign on sovereign, whereas in this bill, there would be an act of state that goes after Russian sovereign property. There is no such thing as immunity; there is no doctrine of sovereign immunity. Ordinarily, under international law, if one sovereign takes another sovereign's property, then the loser is entitled to compensation for that nationalization or expropriation. So why isn't Russia entitled for that compensation in this case? Because it's a lawful state countermeasure. Countermeasures are different from sanctions. And countermeasures -- and this is a well recognized body of law -- you are allowed to do things that would ordinarily violate your sovereign obligations to a fellow sovereign, because that sovereign has committed such extreme outlaw behavior, that the countermeasure is a lawful recourse. And that is exactly the extreme case we have here. There is a well codified body of law on this, and Russia has hit every one of the marks for a set of lawful state countermeasures that deprives them of any right to compensation when states take their money and then use it, putting it in escrow to compensate the victims of Russia's aggression. 37:35 Rebeccah Heinrichs: The United States directly benefits from Ukraine's battlefield successes as Russia remains a top tier adversary of the United States. These are the weapons that Americans made and designed specifically to go after the kinds of things that the Ukrainians are destroying in the Russian military. 39:55 Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX): The EU has a plan just to tax frozen assets and send those proceeds to Ukraine. Our Treasury Secretary, Miss Yellen recently claimed that transferring sovereign assets to Ukraine was not legal. Do you agree with that, and if not, what is your opinion from a legal standpoint? Philip Zelikow: I think Secretary Yellen has now revised her view of this matter, having had a chance to be informed by some of the legal work that's been done since she first made that impromptu remark. There is the legal authority both under domestic law and international law, and the bill this committee is considering would reaffirm, consolidate, and elaborate that authority. So legally, this can be done. 40:55 Philip Zelikow: What the EU came up with in May was the idea -- they were encountering a lot of resistance to actually taking the Russian money, so they said, Well, can we come up with something, since a lot of these as the securities have now matured and are in cash and Euroclear, mainly -- the clearing house in Brussels -- is now managing the cash on behalf of Russia, because Russia is no longer able to manage it. So can we do something with the interest? And by the way, the EU couldn't get that through in June. Ursula von der Leyen couldn't get that adopted over, principally, French and German opposition at the time. So they're talking about just taking this interest. As a legal matter, if you have the legal right to take the interest, you have the legal right to take the principle. This was a cosmetic idea trying to overcome the opposition they had there. It's kind of a situation where, as one of my colleagues in this effort, Larry Tribe, has put it as well, instead of crossing the Rubicon, they're kind of wading in. From a legal point of view, it's actually clearer to do the transfer for Ukraine than to try to expropriate the money using tax authorities, which makes it look like you're expropriating it for your country, rather than for the benefit of the victims, which is a much cleaner, legal way to do it. So they ended up, for political reasons, with a half measure that takes only a tiny fraction of what they should and does so in ways that are actually legally awkward. I understand why they are where they are, but as they process this, I think they're just going to have to step up to going ahead and crossing the Rubicon. 50:20 Philip Zelikow: The whole argument that I made in an article with Summers and Zoellick in Foreign Affairs is that actually, this is a strategy for victory. You put this enormous war chest and the multiplier of private investment into play. And what you can envision is a whole new European recovery program, anchored on the rebuilding of Ukraine that not only saves Ukraine, revitalizes it, but links it to the EU accession process, to the enlargement of the European Union. In other words, to the victory of the whole cause of freedom, in a way almost regardless of where the final battle line ends up being in Ukraine, Ukraine will be growing with bright prospects, part of a Europe with brighter prospects, because of its alignment with the free world. 51:25 Philip Zelikow: When people worry about the significance of this in foreign exchange, I ask them to just remember two numbers 93 and three. If you look at the percentage of foreign exchange holdings held in the world today, 60% United States, 23% Euro, 6% yen, 4% Sterling: that's 93. The percentage of foreign exchange holdings in Chinese renminbi: three. And the Chinese were really encouraged that it's gone up from 2.5 to 3 in recent years. So when you look at 93 to three, that's what you get when we work with our allies in a concerted economic strategy. We can move on the Russian assets, and there's really no choice except to stick with the currencies of the free world because they're still the only basis for being a participant in the world economy. 54:20 Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI): Who actually has the authority to take possession of it? Because as you point out, if you've got the legal right to the interest, you got the legal right to the principal. Who is granted that authority? And then who is granted the authority to distribute that? Philip Zelikow: So the theory is that the national governments can transfer any of the Russian state assets in their jurisdiction into escrow accounts for the benefit of the victims, as a state countermeasure to Russia's aggression. So the way that would work is under the President's IEEPA authority, he could transfer all this -- and there are precedents for this -- into an escrow account held in the States and then an international escrow account, with this limited purpose of compensating the victims of Russian aggression, then you need to create an international mechanism, which the US would participate in creating, to then manage that distribution, which needs to have a proactive urgent speed of relevance. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI): That was what I was afraid of. If it just simply takes one participant to bog the whole thing down, guess what? It's not going to work, in my humble opinion. Philip Zelikow: When they're debating this in the EU, some people say we should have a new EU directive to govern this, but under our Common Foreign and Security Policy, one member like Hungary, for example, could botch that. So if you create something perhaps managed by the G7 Donor Coordination Platform, that is a relatively simple instrument in which the United States could play a part. One thing that you've done in the bill you've drafted, Mr. Chairman and Congresswoman Kaptur, is you're creating mechanisms in which Congress has insight and some oversight into how the United States participates in that process, and what the mechanism does and how the money is spent, which I think is an appropriate role for the Congress. There are precedents for how to do this. The design of this international mechanism I'm discussing is both policy driven, but also has a reactive claim side, but can have some conditionality on reform and the EU accession process. That's a heavy lift. Building that mechanism will be the biggest job since we built the Economic Cooperation Administration to run Marshall Plan aid 70 years ago. That serious work has not really begun, because we're just working on the preliminary phase of mobilizing and using this money. 58:25 Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA): You believe the Administration, even without this bill, has authority right now to transfer the frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. Philip Zelikow: Yes, it does. It has it under the existing IEEPA authorities that the President has already invoked. The Renew Democracy Initiative has put out a really extensive legal brief that goes into great detail about this. I think actually the administration's lawyers are coming around to the view that yes, they do have the authority under existing law. What the REPO Act does is, one, it reaffirms that, but two, it makes Congress a partner in this with regulation and oversight that's an appropriate Congressional role. So by both reaffirming the authority and getting Congress to join the executive and doing this together I think it makes it a truly national effort with an appropriate Congressional part. 59:20 Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA): How would you respond to critics who say this would make it harder for other folks in the future to want to invest in the United States? Philip Zelikow: You can look at the numbers. After we froze Russian assets, everybody understood the political risks that might be involved with putting their money into dollar holdings. The Chinese called in all their bankers and asked them, "Do we have any other options?" That happened last year. You can just simply track what's happened in the international financial markets and see how folks have now priced in that political risk. But the result is still very strong demand and interest in the dollar. But here again, to come back to Congressman [Gregory] Meeks point, by working with the Euro and the yen and Sterling, we give them no place to go. If they want to participate in the world economy, then they're just going to have to invest in assets like that. 1:00:30 Rebeccah Heinrichs: The other thing that's very interesting and good in the REPO bill that is different is this provision, Section 103, that would prohibit the release of blocked Russian sovereign assets. I think that's an incredibly important element of this bill. That would remove the temptation for any kind of sweetener for the Russians to have access to these funds and leave Ukraine in a lurch whenever they have to rebuild their society. That's a very important part of the bill. 1:01:10 Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX): Why would it be better to transfer these assets for Ukraine's direct benefit than to use them for leverage in negotiations and ending this conflict at some point? Rebeccah Heinrichs: It comes back down to the fundamental question at the end: who's going to foot the bill for rebuilding Ukrainian society? Somebody's going to have to do it. It should not be the American people primarily. They're footing a pretty significant bill. I think that benefits American industry and benefits our own military, but this particular piece should be carried out by the perpetrators of this act. So I think that it'd be a mistake to hold that out as a sweetener to get the Russians to come to the end or the conclusion. 1:01:55 Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX): Mr. Zelikow, you mentioned earlier in response to one of my colleague's questions that it looks like that under current law under the IEEPA authorities, the president can do this activity now. Do you know why the President is not doing that? And if he chose to do that, could he do it immediately? Or is there any delay in that? Philip Zelikow: They could act immediately. They've delayed a long time, partly, to be very blunt -- because I've been talking to a lot of people about this -- they had very deep interagency disagreements inside the administration over how to proceed and they found that their bandwidth was totally overwhelmed by other Ukrainian-related concerns, and they didn't give this heavy attention until fairly recently. And now that they have given it sustained attention, I think the President has actually settled, at a fundamental level, those interagency disputes and they are now moving forward to try to find a way to make this work. 1:02:50 Philip Zelikow: I think the point you raised a minute ago about whether we want to hold this back as leverage was one factor in the back of the minds of some people. I think as the war has continued on through this year, hopes of a quick settlement of the war have dissipated. I think they realize that this is going to be a long war. That sobering realization has kind of sunk in. Also, from a legal point of view, if you want to, you could credit the Russians in any peace negotiation. You can basically say this is a credit against your liability for the for rebuilding Ukraine. 1:04:55 Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA): As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, we have been to many European nations. To a nation, they say the United States is the indispensable partner here, and they say that with all humility and not blowing smoke. We visited the Hague and sat with lead prosecutor Khan, and everyone is talking about waiting us out. Not just waiting out Congress's support, but waiting out the outcome of the next election. They asked us specifically about that. Mr. Putin is clearly waiting for the outcome of the next election in hopes that it will not be the reelection of Joe Biden, who I'm really proud is in Israel right now. Timing. How does this work? You already said it's going to be into 2025. How do we use this leverage, this economic warfare as the center of gravity in this conflict, to bring the timing tighter to a successful conclusion for Ukraine? Philip Zelikow: So that's a great question. And this is why action on this issue is so urgent now, because the operational timeline to stand this up on a massive multi 100 billion dollar scale is if we move on this in the next couple of months and mobilize the money. We could get an enormous operation up and running with a relatively secure source of funding by next year. If we get that up and running by the middle of next year, we then insulate ourselves, to some extent, against the kind of electoral risk to which you gently alluded. 1:07:55 Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. (R-NJ): If the United States did transfer Russian sovereign assets to Ukraine, how could Ukraine best use these in the near term? Philip Zelikow: In the near term, what they would do, I think, is begin undertaking a comprehensive program to shore up their infrastructure, withstand the coming Russian campaigns to further damage that and begin to rebuild the basic transportation infrastructure and other things that can then begin to unlock a really bright future for the rest of the Ukrainian economy. There are things that can be done then to move Ukrainian industry into new sectors. I think the Ukrainian goal is not just to restore what they had five years ago, but actually to use this as a way to build back better, to imagine a brighter future in partnership with Europe. And then if the money is managed well, this gives leverage to encourage the Ukrainian reform process as part of the EU accession. Putin's whole effort here is, "if I can't conquer Ukraine, I will wreck it and make it ungovernable," and we'll show decisively that that objective cannot be achieved. 1:10:35 Rebeccah Heinrichs: If I may, sir, another principle that has been misunderstood throughout this conflict is this notion of escalation. Escalation is not bad. It's only bad if it's the adversary who's escalating to prevail. We want Ukraine to escalate to win, to convince the Russians to end the war. If you do not permit the Ukrainians to escalate, then you only have a long protracted war of attrition that none of us can afford. 1:12:05 Philip Zelikow: Whenever you do a large thing in international affairs, there are going to be unintended consequences from that, and rather than be dismissive about that concern, I'll say if you embark on this, then people will be tempted to try to use these sorts of precedents against us. They'll be limited in their ability to do that because of the fundamental places where money is held in the world economy. A lot of people don't do business with the United States because they love us; they do business with us because they think it's necessary. If they could expropriate our property with no penalty, they would. Venezuela tried that. Most of the world doesn't want to follow Venezuela's example. So yes, there are some potential unintended consequences of people trying to use this precedent. But one reason we've tried to set this under international law is to use the standards of international law to govern this countermeasure. International law allows these countermeasures, but it says you can only do this if the target country's outlaw behavior is extreme, and there's a standard for that. It turns out Russia totally meets that standard. This is the most extreme case of international aggression since the Second World War, bigger than Korea, bigger than Kuwait. But by setting that kind of standard, it makes that slippery slope a little less slippery. 1:14:25 Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ): There are some concerns that if we were to transfer these assets, use it for the benefit Ukraine, would there be an impact on the US dollar? Just get your thoughts on that? Philip Zelikow: Yeah, that's why we got in some of the best people we could on international plans, just to do the analysis on that. 93% of the foreign exchange holdings are held in G7 countries and only 3% in renminbi. Running to the renminbi because they're worried about the dollar is something people would do if they wanted to do it already. They've already priced in the political risk of dollar holdings after they've seen what we've done. And you can see their asset allocations. Now, the dollar is involved in 88% of all foreign commercial transactions on one side of the transaction or another. So it's hard to run away from it, especially if the Euro, Yen, and Sterling are in there with you. There's really kind of no place to go if you want to participate in the international economy. Working with Larry Summers, the former Treasury Secretary, Robert Zoellick, with Brad Setser, who studies international finance, we ran some numbers about worst case scenarios and so on, and we think that concern, which sounds good as a soundbite, it turns out on analysis, it fades away. 1:16:10 Philip Zelikow: The US only holds a fraction of the relevant Russian money because the Russians tried to get their money out of our jurisdiction. But when you go to Europe and ask them what's holding them up, they all say "We're waiting for the American lead." So even though we may only hold a fraction of the money, we hold a lot more than a fraction of the relevant clout, and we need to go together, exactly as you imply. September 28, 2023 House Committee on Foreign Affairs Witnesses: Victoria Nuland, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, United States Department of State Christopher P. Maier, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, United States Department of Defense Caroline Krass, General Counsel, United States Department of Defense Richard C. Visek, Acting Legal Adviser, United States Department of State Clips 33:00 Victoria Nuland: First with regard to the Taliban, we've been very clear we're going to judge the Taliban by their actions. It is our assessment that the Taliban have partially adhered to their counterterrorism commitments. We've seen them disrupt ISIS-K, for example. But there's obviously plenty more to to do to ensure that Afghanistan doesn't become a safe haven, or return to safe haven, or persist as a safe haven. That said, I would note that the director of the National Counterterrorism Center Christy Abizaid recently said publicly that al Qaeda is at its historic nadir in Afghanistan, and its revival is unlikely. 34:20 Victoria Nuland: Iran is obviously a state sponsor of terrorism; it is the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Music by Editing Production Assistance

As the Israeli-Hamas war enters a new phase, Alex and Jason discuss how hard it is to speak publicly and diplomatically about an issue that's become so partisan and so emotive. Plus: the pair talk about Jason's idea for interim post-war governance of Gaza involving a Qatari-Saudi-Egyptian-Emirati condominium which would need to be mediated by American and British diplomats. Although only a medium-term solution, Jason believes it could give key regional players a stake in forging peace in the region. Twitter: @DisorderShow  Website: https://natoandtheglobalenduringdisorder.com   Producer: George McDonagh  Exec Producer: Neil Fearn    Show Notes Links    Read Jason's Article, “Qatar is the key to peace in postwar Gaza” here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's Big Thing, the TSS gang revisit the topic of Man Utd's takeover bid. With the Qataris apparently stepping aside (for now), Sir Jim Ratcliffe is apparently lining up a minority bid, which will see his company gain control of soccer operations... This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/TSS today to get 10% off your first month. --- JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our brand-new Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Become a member today at patreon.com/totalsoccershow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tremblez riches Qataris ! Darie Boutboul s'attaque à vous ! Retrouvez tous les jours le meilleur des Grosses Têtes en podcast sur RTL.fr et l'application RTL.

We are thrilled to be joined again by the makers of Skylight Calendar! Enjoy this podcast knowing  that we used it to get this one to you on time! :-) You can order yours by going to www.skylightcal.com and using the discount code  PETER  for 10% off of this 15” device up to $30.    Having ADD or ADHD is a gift, not a curse. Hear from people all around the globe, from every walk of life, in every profession, from Rock Stars to CEOs, from Teachers to Politicians, who have learned how to unlock the gifts of their ADD and ADHD diagnosis, and use it to their personal and professional advantage, to build businesses, become millionaires, or simply better their lives.  Our Guest today in their own words:  Sophie is a neurodivergent mother of three, late diagnosed with autism / adhd / dyspraxia 18 months ago, as was her now 9 year old son. She lives in Dubai, and until 18 months ago had spent 20 years in the corporate world of strategy consulting and professional services. She's moved from client facing strategy work internally to set up her firms strategy and projects team, before being asked to step into the technology leader and then the human resource leader roles . She's since set up her own company The Growth Pod, which helps passion and purpose led entrepreneurs harness their creativity and their uniqueness to create successful growth strategies or their business.  Today we learn how this neurodivergent Mother's is thriving as she advocates for more balanced neurodiversity in the corporate world. Enjoy!! :)  [You are now safely here] 00:04 - Skylight calendar makes chores and scheduling easy. Use the code “PETER” for a nice discount! 00:40 - Thank you again so much for listening and for subscribing!! 01:47 - Introducing and Welcome Sophie Thomas! 04:34 - “If you look at my professional success, it hasn't been a hindrance to me! I did well because of it.” 05:13 - On talking with her son about being neurodivergent  06:17 - Grief and self-discovery led to transformation. 07:00 - On the Importance of supporting neurodiverse students 09:36 - On making accommodations in the classroom 11:40 - Inclusion challenges and gender challenges in the Middle East workplace. 12:05 - On lacking Mental health and neurodiversity support/discussion of sexuality due to illegality. The region is far behind the world in celebrating neurodiversity, leaving them absent of utilizing super-powered skill sets from our global community. 15:30 - On breaking the Rain Man stereotype 16:05 - How can people find you? Web:  https://sophiethomascoaching.com Socials:  @ Growth_Pod on INSTA  17:00 - Thanks so much for enjoying "Faster Than Normal” just about every week!! We appreciate you and your hard work so much! Onwards! Please join us again very soon! OH! And… If you haven't picked up The Boy with the Faster Brain yet, it is on Amazon and it is a number #1 One bestseller in all categories. Click HERE or via https://amzn.to/3FcAKkI My link tree is here if you're looking for something specific. https://linktr.ee/petershankman TRANSCRIPT via Castmagic.io and then corrected.. mostly but somewhat.  You're listening to the Faster Than Normal podcast, where we know that having Add or ADHD is a gift, not a curse. Each week we interview people from all around the globe, from every walk of life in every profession. From rock stars to CEOs, from teachers to politicians who have learned how to unlock the gifts of their add and ADHD diagnosis and used it to their personal and professional advance edge to build businesses, to become millionaires, or to simply better their lives. And now, here's the host of the Faster Than Normal podcast If you haven't picked up The Boy with the Faster Brain yet, it is on Amazon and it is a number #1 One bestseller in all categories. Click HERE or via https://amzn.to/3FcAKkI My link tree is here if you're looking for something specific. https://linktr.ee/petershankman   TRANSCRIPT via Castmagic.io and then corrected.. pretty-much.   You're listening to the Faster Than Normal podcast, where we know that having Add or ADHD is a gift, not a curse. Each week we interview people from all around the globe, from every walk of life in every profession. From rock stars to CEOs, from teachers to politicians who have learned how to unlock the gifts of their add and ADHD diagnosis and used it to their personal and professional advance edge to build businesses, to become millionaires, or to simply better their lives. And now, here's the host of the Faster Than Normal podcast to simply better their lives. And now, here's the host of the Faster Than Normal podcast, the man who booked a round trip flight to Tokyo just to write a best selling book, Peter Shankman. Peter Shankman [00:00:04]: Hey, everyone. I want to give a shout out this week to Skylight Frame. You can check them out@skylightframe.com. As always, they've been a great sponsor for the past couple months. They're still here. A lot of you have gone out and bought the Skylight Frame, and it is pretty awesome. It's a full calendar that sits on your wall, connects to Google or whatever calendar service you use, Apple calendar, whatever. And then it tells your kids what they have to do. You enter in all their chores. They can look at the screen every morning. They click on what the have to do and they do it. And it has stopped the arguments in our house from Jessa, have you changed the dog's baby pads to have you cleaned your room? She simply knows. She goes looks chores, cleans them off, does her chores, and then clicks them on the touch screen. When the touch screen is not in use, it shows beautiful photos that you can upload right to its server. So I love it. Huge fan. You can get up to $30 off with the code, Peter, if you order today@skylightframe.com. Okay. Thank you, Skylight. Peter Shankman [00:01:47]: Peter Shankman. Welcome to another episode of Fast Than Normal. Do you know what I found out? I found out last week in pure, typical ADHD fashion. Apparently we've come across 300 episodes. Apparently last week's episode or a couple of weeks ago was our 300th. And I had no idea. I wanted to get a cake and eat the cake during a podcast. And someone sent me an email, hey, congratulations on hitting 300 episodes. And I went, oh, yeah. Okay, cool. Thanks. So that's the beauty. One of the beauties of ADHD. Totally blew that one. But hey, we made it through 300 episodes, which is pretty cool. I think less than one parent of all podcasts ever make it to 300 episodes, so feeling pretty good about that. Anyway, I want to talk today to a woman named Sophie Thomas. Sophie Thomas is a neurodivergent mother of three. She's late diagnosed with autism, ADHD dyspraxia. So apparently she did nothing for the first, like, X number of years of her life and than when her nine year old son got diagnosed. She's like, oh, look at all these things I have. She lives in dubai, which is pretty cool because you know me and how much I love Dubai and until 18 months ago had spent 20 years in the corporate world of strategy consulting and professional services. She recently moved from client facing strategy work to set up her firm's Strategy and Project Team before being asked to step in as technology leader and then do a human resource role. Realizing that she loved human resources, she set up her own company called The Growth Pod, and that helps passion and purpose led entrepreneurs harness their creativity and their uniqueness to create successful growth strategies for their businesses. Many of her clients are also neurodiverse and part of her new mission in life is to advocate for neurodiversity in the corporate world. Welcome, Sophie. Sophie  [00:03:25]: Thank you. And congratulations on 300 episodes as a nascent podcaster. I know that's a massive feat. Peter Shankman [00:03:33]: I was kind of shocked by it and like I said, didn't even realize it, which is so typical. When The Boy with the Faster Brain came out a month and a half ago, I didn't realize the launch date and I started getting all these emails saying, hey, congratulations on your new book. I'm like, I didn't know it was out yet, but cool. Thanks. Yeah, that's just so typical. So you got diagnosed with autism, ADHD and dyspraxia. So tell us what Than was like. Was that a whole life changer for you? Sophie  [00:03:58]: Absolutely. I've always known I was different and having the diagnosis just completely changed my narrative and it changed our family as well because we were going through the process. For my son, I read a book on Asperger's, though I know we're not meant to use the term and identified him in that book. And sort of going through that book, I also identified myself. And my husband is super supportive of us, but he wasn't quite sure what we would do with an autism diagnosis for my son or a neurodivergent diagnosis. And seeing an understanding that I was neurodivergent just made it so much easier for all of us to accept his diagnosis and celebrate it. Because if you look at my professional success, it hasn't been a hindrance to me. In fact, when I reflect on it and since leaving the corporate world, when I look back at my experiences and I've changed the narrative, I don't now put of myself as a survivor and have done well despite my neurons divergence. I did well because of it. Sophie  [00:05:06]: It's because of loads of the traits that I have that I've been able to be the success that I was. And I'm really excited now that we can have that conversation with my son at a very young age, celebrate his neurodiversity and talk about his superpowers and his strengths and how he can take those into what I know will be a very different world in sort of 1520 years time when he's in looking for jobs and creating careers. But I think it's going to be really empowering for him to have had somebody close to him as a role model and a family that champions and supports him. Peter Shankman [00:05:44]: Tell me about so one of the things that I talk a lot to companies about this, and I explained that my ADHD is definitely my success is because of not in spite of my ADHD, but one of the things we don't talk a lot about is what it was like growing up. So ADHD doesn't just happen the second you get diagnosed. You get diagnosed because you know something's different. So when you were growing up, I'm assuming I don't know where you grew up, but assuming where you grew up, it couldn't have been as easy because you weren't allowed to be as different as you are allowed to be today. Sophie  [00:06:17]: No, there was a huge amount of grief, I think that came with my diagnosis. As part of that diagnosis, I had to go through all of my old school reports which my parents had lovingly kept for me. And it's amazing when you read all of those back to back in about 6 hours, as I did Hyper Focus and looking at the narrative of that kid. I just felt so sad for her that nobody sat there. And put together the picture of somebody than I always thought I was stupid or not very intelligent. But I was okay because I could work really hard. And I see in those reports the pockets of we think Sophie is a bright child, but she's lazy and she's too introverted. We just don't seem to be able to get through to her. And everything I read into that now is we don't have the time or we don't have the skills. We don't have the understanding of how to teach her differently or how to teach her in a way where she can excel. I had to sit down at every major point of examinations and in the UK we have two or three big sets of them in our life. And I had to reteach myself every curriculum in three months before my exams just to get through. I was predicted to fail. I was told I wasn't going to go to a decent university. And against all of the odds, I sat down, I knuckled down and I came out with a's across the board. And now I have a different narrative, which is that I am really bright, my neurodiversity, I'm twice exceptional. I can say from a position of fact that my intelligence is higher than 98 percentile of the population. That in itself has changed me completely. And I try not to think about actually what would have been different if somebody had supported me. Because I find that not necessarily it can be a spiral and a rabbit hole to go through, no question. What I think not is about, okay, how can I take that and how can I help my son? How can I advocate for my son? How can I make it different from him? How can I help him to recognize and own his intelligence, to harness that power, to find ways that he can learn and get the accommodations he needs in school and then think about how he's best going to use those powers in a career that's going to be meaningful to him? Peter Shankman [00:08:38]: And your son is with you in it like, what's it like in the Dubai school system in America? It's just sort of coming up and we're starting to make good strides, but it's taken forever in a day. Sophie  [00:08:53]: It's nascent here. I mean, it's a very different society. It's very multicultural. So a lot of the things that I would have imagined we would struggle with in terms of inclusion in Europe or the US. We don't have here because it is so diverse. You have everybody from every nationality, different languages, everybody is in different places. So schools seem to be more naturally inclusive, but they're private education. They want to maximize revenue. So it is harder for kids that have additional needs to get into the good schools. It's expensive for parents to support them if they do have additional needs and need learning support, assistance. And we're really lucky that our son thrives in school. And his school is probably one of the most inclusive. The small accommodations they put into the classroom for him, they've been putting in there for all kids because they recognize that all kids move to a different beat of their own drum. I'm nervous about secondary because the education sector is developing so rapidly. The primary is more developed. It's come on along in the last six, seven years since we started sending him to school. Secondary is catching up. Bu I'm nervous about that because I think at that point you're a bit like a shark in infested waters. And the inclusivity that we found in the early years, I'm not sure we're going to find it in secondary. Peter Shankman [00:10:11]: Interesting. Okay, so what are you preparing to do? How are you getting ready for that? Sophie  [00:10:17]: Well, we're having conversations with him about he's got to own his decision of which school. It would be very easy for us as parents to go on the traditional measures of a good school. We could look at grades, we could look at the number of university students. But at the end of the day, he's got to find somewhere where he feels like his rhythm is going to be recognized and supported. So we're going to try and go around a load of schools. I'm part of the local communities around Neurodiversity, so I listen to which of most inclusive things. But one thing I'm seeing a trend of in Dubai is schools that are coming up than are way more creative and innovative and nontraditional. And I feel like one of those schools where it is much more focus on digitization tech that that will be a better environment for him, rather than something that looks more like a traditional education system that I might recognize and sort of stereotypical me. Would Cold feel like that was a good school for him? Peter Shankman [00:11:17]: Makes sense. Tell me about what it's like there in the workplace, having been out there for years, having now understanding your neurodiversity, what is the conversation like when you would talk to, say, when you were still at your old position? Would you tell people about it? Would you talk to it? How did they react to. Sophie  [00:11:40]: Think, you know, I've been in the Middle East for 14 years, and, you know, I would have said my primary difference for the majority of that was that I was female. Secondly, that I was English Add. There aren't many senior English female women in the workplace. And in my later role in HR, I was involved in diversity inclusion. And when I look at the conversations you have around ind here compared to those you have in Europe or the US. It's much, much narrower. So the focus is on gender still, which is a conversation that we still have elsewhere, but less so it's on nationality. So it is a much more inclusion of the national workforce here and bringing in the Emirates, the Saudis, the Qataris into Middle Eastern firms. There really isn't a conversation about hidden disabilities, about neurodiversity, and there's absolutely zero conversation around sexuality and the LGBTQI because of the context here in illegality, which is really challenging. So it's a much, much narrower conversation. When I was in my role, we were coming out of COVID and huge concerns around mental health and support for individuals. And I found, without knowing about my neurodiversity, that the individuals who were struggling the most with inclusion were individuals on the neurodiverse spectrum. And we had so many challenges with people with mental health awareness, with breakdowns, burnouts, suicidality, and we were not where we needed to be in the region in terms of inclusiveness around conversations around mental health and support that we could put in there. And so even on, like, when it's really obvious, when people are really struggling, we're not great. And when we're talking about proactive measures of inclusivity in the workplace and celebrating neurodiversity traits and thinking about how we incorporate those, embrace them, and actively seek them out in the future, we're just miles away. And what I loved when I met you in Dubai was you had just finished off your step conference speech around customer experience, which I loved. But it was your shout out about the future of work and actively seeking. Out neurodivergent skill sets to be part of the environment and the corporate add entrepreneurial environment. That really resonated with me because we are so behind in this region in having those conversations or even recognizing that it's something to be celebrated. I told very few colleagues about my diagnosis. I left about six months after my diagnosis, not directly because of my diagnosis, but it was interlinked. But when I talked about my son's diagnosis, I had people commiserating with me and saying things, well, at least like, you've got two normal children. Yeah. Add oh, have you looked at his diet? And maybe just things that I would have expected in the UK 25 years ago. Peter Shankman [00:14:54]: Right. Sophie  [00:14:54]: So there's a really in the general population, not a great understanding. I think there's still very much a kind of a Rain Man or bonkers children bouncing off the walls kind of impression of neurodiversity. And I still get friends coming up to me when I tell them, and I'm now very open about my diagnosis, and they're like, well, you don't seem very autistic or you don't seem very neurodiverse. And it blows my mind that we still have those entrenched views and see it as a much more disabling sort of set of characteristics or neurotype than it really is. Peter Shankman [00:15:37]: And again, I think that's something we'll definitely talk about offline, because, like I said, I was speaking one of the companies I was talking to last week. I was on satellite, and someone emailed me later from your region. And, you know, it's great to finally hear this and my company's taken seriously because no one here believes it. So I think we got a lot of work to do. That being said, Sophie Thomas, I'm so glad you joined us today. Thank you so much for taking the time. How can people find you so you. Sophie  [00:16:02]: Can find me@sophiethomascoaching.com where I have all of my interests? Add particularly around neurodivergent supports for workplaces. And you can find me at the Growth Pod or Growth_pod on Instagram Growth_pod, not for my work on business coaching. Peter Shankman [00:16:19]: Sophie, thank you so much. As soon as we go live, we'll let you know. As always, thank you all for listening. We will have another episode next week. I can't believe we're over 300 episodes, as you know. Sophie  [00:16:28]: Congratulations. Peter Shankman [00:16:29]: Thank you. As I didn't know. But either way, great to have you guys. We'll see you next week. Sophie, thank you again, everyone. Neurodiversity is a gift, not a curse. We're going to keep telling that story forever. Talk to you soon. Bye. VO: [00:16:43]: Credits: You've been listening to the Faster Than Normal podcast. We're available on iTunes, Stitcher and Google play and of course at www.FasterThanNormal.com I'm your host, Peter Shankman and you can find me at shankman.com and @petershankman on all of the socials. All now on https://www.threads.net/@petershankman If you like what you've heard, why not head over to your favorite podcast platform of choice and leave us a review, come more people who leave positive reviews, the more the podcast has shown, and the more people we can help understand that ADHD is a gift, not a curse. Opening and closing themes were composed and produced by Steven Byrom who also produces this podcast, and the opening introduction was recorded by Bernie Wagenblast. Thank you so much for listening. We'll see you next week! 

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