AN IRANIAN HAND IN THE OCTOBER 7TH ATROCITIES...
Did Iran have a direct role in last October's horrific campaign of terror against Israel by Palestinian terror group Hamas? Since last Fall, many experts have pointed to the Islamic Republic's longstanding financial support for Hamas to draw a connection, but evidence of Tehran's direct involvement has been scant. For its part, Iran's clerical regime has expressed its support for Hamas, but stopped short of claiming responsibility for coordinating, assisting or facilitating the attack.
Nevertheless, telltale signs that the Islamic Republic was directly involved have begun to emerge. As the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) documents, the Iranian regime has disclosed it was involved in the "planning and execution" of the Hamas campaign on a number of occasions. Most recently, MEMRI notes, a "notice of mourning" for IRGC Gen. Mohammed Reza Zahedi, who was slain in Damascus on April 1st in an Israeli airstrike, issued by the Coalition Council of Islamic Revolution Forces has drawn a direct connection between Hamas' campaign of terror and Iran's clerical army. The notice lionized Zahedi for his "strategic role... in consolidating and strengthening the resistance front, and in the planning and execution of Al-Aqsa Flood," as Hamas named its October 7th offensive. The Council is a conservative ideological faction with links to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. (MEMRI, July 2024)
...AND POST-10/7 RADICALISM
Since the October 7th attacks on Israel, the world has witnessed an unprecedented surge of antisemitism. In the U.S., recent months have seen elite university campuses rocked by disruptive protests, vandalism and violence on the streets of major cities, and numerous instances of discrimination and targeting of Jews. In their examination of causes, some have pointed to funding from far-left foundations and donors, while others have argued that the protests reflect a broader opposition to the American project writ large. Still others note the active participation of Muslim civic organizations with extremist ties in mobilizing activists and protesters. But at least part of the answer comes from another source: the Islamic Republic of Iran.
On July 9th, the U.S. intelligence community divulged that Iran's clerical regime has been playing an active role in stoking the protests, encampments and civil unrest that have roiled the U.S. "In recent weeks, Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we've seen other actors use over the years," the Office of the Director of National Intelligence noted. "We have observed actors tied to Iran's government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters." (ODNI, July 9, 2024)
QATAR'S INTOLERANT TEACHINGS
A June 2024 study by the London-based Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) has raised serious concerns about Qatar's true foreign policy outlook. Officially, Doha condemns antisemitism and supports a two-state solution. However, the IMPACT-se study found very different results in its review of 55 textbooks from Qatar's national curriculum for the 2023-2024 school year. Specifically, the review found that problematic content identified in earlier editions remained largely unchanged since 2021, with Qatari textbooks continuing to promote violent jihad, religious extremism, and intolerance toward Jews and Israel among students as young as the sixth grade. The content portrays Jews as "materialistic, arrogant, and inherently hostile to Islam," denies Jewish historical ties to Israel, and rejects Jewish self-determination. Historical inaccuracies also abound; for instance, a chapter on World War II and Hitler's Mein Kampf in one Grade 11 history textbook omits the Holocaust and neglects the antisemitic components of Hitler's ideology. (Jerusalem Post, July 9, 2024)
A POLICY SHIFT IN BUENOS AIRES
In past years, under a succession of left-wing governments, Argentina embraced a Middle East policy that prioritized engagement with radical actors such as the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since the surprise election of conservative politician Javier Milei to the Argentinian presidency in December, however, the country's foreign policy has changed markedly – as has its counterterrorism policy. This month, Milei's government officially designated Hamas a terrorist organization and ordered a freeze on the group's assets within the country. The move is intended to signal solidarity with Israel, as well as to underscore the new president's ideological outlook. "Argentina must once again align itself with Western civilization," Milei's office said in an official statement. (Associated Press, July 12, 2024)
Want these sent to your inbox?
Subscribe
