Germany on wrong side of history again

For a state visit, Friday's visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Germany is remarkably low key. He was scheduled to meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and then have dinner with the chancellor, Olaf Scholz.

Apart from the intense security in the centre of the capital — the same level as precautions taken for US presidential visits — the German government hopes Erdogan's visit will pass with little notice. That's because this event couldn't come at the worst time for Germany.

Relations between President Erdogan and successive German governments have been difficult for years, with spats between Berlin and Ankara regularly breaking out. When German government spokespeople mention the phrase difficult partner you know they're talking about President Erdogan.

The Hamas atrocities in Israel on October 07, and Israel's subsequent retaliation in Gaza, have left Germany and Turkey on opposite sides of the conflict. Over the past month the Turkish president has become increasingly strident in his criticism of Israel.

He has refused to condemn the killings and hostage-taking by Hamas, referring to the group as liberators. Hamas is classed as a terrorist organization by Western allies, including Germany.

He has also appeared to call into question the Jewish state's existence by saying that Israel's own fascism undermined its legitimacy.

Jewish leaders in Germany have accused Erdogan of fuelling antisemitism with such comments and there have been calls for the German government to cancel the Turkish president's visit.

For Germany, historical Nazi guilt for the Holocaust means that support for the state of Israel is non-negotiable and a key cornerstone of Berlin's foreign policy. When asked in a news conference earlier this week about President Erdogan's comments Chancellor Scholz called them absurd.

Both Olaf Scholz and former Chancellor Angela Merkel have repeatedly called Israel's security Germany's Staatsräson, or reason of state, a vague term German leaders use to express the idea of unwavering German support for Israel.

But as Israeli attacks on Gaza intensify, and the death toll rises, that principle is coming under strain.

After the initial shock of the Hamas attacks, German mainstream media is increasingly also portraying the humanitarian suffering in Gaza, leading to a growing unease about Israel's actions.

On German streets outrage at Israel's actions is growing and pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been held most weekends since October 07. Germany has large Arab diaspora communities with links to, or sympathy for, people in Gaza. Support for Palestinians is also traditionally a totemic issue for some German left-wing groups.

There are fears that any comments about the conflict by President Erdogan during his visit could inflame tensions. But Germany and Turkey need each other. Germany is an important trade partner for Turkey. It also is home to the world's largest Turkish diaspora community and is an electoral battleground for President Erdogan. He is popular with some German-Turks.

Around three million people of Turkish heritage live in Germany, with half of them still able to vote. In May a majority of Turkish voters in Germany who took part in the election put their cross by Erdogan.

Berlin, meanwhile, needs Turkish help to control migration from the Middle East. Chancellor Scholz is hoping to revive a refugee pact with Turkey to send back asylum seekers and wants more Turkish support for the West in Russia's war in Ukraine.

Behind closed doors on Friday those issues were to be discussed. But the German government would be more nervous about what President Erdogan might say in public.

It was in May, after Erdogan's re-election as Turkish president, that Chancellor Scholz issued the invitation to Berlin. He probably now wishes he hadn't.

 

United States needs war in Gaza

A summit by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resulted in a blanket condemnation of Israel, but lacked substantive solutions. The summit was sabotaged by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, who recently normalized relations with Israel. These countries block significant actions due to extensive US influence and future geopolitical calculations, causing disappointment among the international Muslim community.

After all, the Arab street – even while repressed in their home nations – has pulsed with protests expressing ferocious rage against Israel’s wholesale massacre of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Arab leaders were forced to take some sort of action beyond suspending a few ambassadorships with Israel, and called for a special Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit to discuss the ongoing Israeli war against Palestinian children.

Representatives of 57 Muslim states convened in Riyadh on 11 November to deliver a serious, practical blow against genocidal practitioners and enablers. But in the end, nothing was offered, not even solace.

The OIC’s final statement will always be enshrined in the Gilded Palace of Cowardice. Highlights of the tawdry rhetorical show: we oppose Israel’s self-defense; we condemn the attack on Gaza; we ask (who?) not to sell weapons to Israel; we request the kangaroo ICC to investigate war crimes; we request a UN resolution condemning Israel.

For the record, that’s the best 57 Muslim-majority countries could drum up in response to this 21st-century genocide. History, even if written by victors, tends to be unforgiving towards cowards.

The Top Four Cowards, in this instance, are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco – the latter three having normalized relations with Israel under a heavy US hand in 2020. These are the ones that consistently blocked serious measures from being adopted at the OIC summit, such as the Algerian draft proposal for an oil ban on Israel, plus banning the use of Arab airspace to deliver weapons to the occupation state.

Egypt and Jordan – longtime Arab vassals – were also non-committal, as well as Sudan, which is in the middle of a civil war. Turkiye, under Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan, once again showed it is all talk and no action; a neo-Ottoman parody of the Texan “all hat, no cattle.”

Oil prices drop 5% on economic concerns

Crude oil prices dropped around 5% on Thursday to their lowest in four months, as investors worried about global oil demand following weak data from the United States and Asia.

Brent futures slipped to US$77.42 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) to US$72.90. Both Brent and WTI earlier traded at their lowest since July 07 this year.

Both WTI and Brent's front-month contracts also traded below later-dated contracts, a structure known as contango.

"The mood is negative, the charts are negative," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. "It's going to take something to change that mood, and until then people will ride it down until they realize it's overdone."

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased to a three-month high last week, suggesting that labor market conditions continued to ease.

The report came after other data that showed US retail sales fell for the first time in seven months in October as motor vehicle purchases and spending on hobbies dropped. This pointed to slowing demand at the start of the fourth quarter that further strengthened expectations the Federal Reserve is done hiking interest rates.

OPEC and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have both predicted supply tightness in the fourth quarter, but US data on Wednesday showed inventories were abundant.

Meanwhile, an expected slowdown in Chinese oil refinery throughput also gave investors pause. Runs eased in October from the previous month's highs as industrial fuel demand weakened and refining margins narrowed.

Still, Chinese economic activity rallied in October as industrial output increased at a faster pace and retail sales growth beat expectations

"The current price drop is taking place amid a seemingly auspicious backdrop, which suggests that investors simply do not buy into the 'Q4 stock draw' narrative; something that is not backed up by the recent weekly EIA reports either," said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM.

As the Israel-Hamas conflict appeared to be escalating in Gaza, US officials on Wednesday said they would enforce oil sanctions against Iran, which has long been a backer of Hamas.

 

Unyielding negotiations amid fighting in Gaza

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Thursday that the US is involved with intense negotiations on securing the release of some hostages held by Palestinian militant group Hamas but there was no deal on the table yet.

Kirby told CNN, the US has a team on the ground that is working by the hour on a potential deal but pumped the brakes on sharing any other details.

“We are in some intense negotiations; hopefully they’ll come out the right way and we’ll have good news to talk about with multiple hostages getting free,” he said. “But we don’t have a deal right now, and until we do, the less said the better.”

A deal could involve the swapping of dozens of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in return for a truce of a few days in the war, along with the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, according to media reports.

Qatar, which maintains communications with Israel, Hamas and the US, is also reportedly in the midst of the negotiations. Qatari officials have already helped secure the release of a few Israeli prisoners.

President Biden has also hinted at a deal, telling reporters at a press conference Wednesday night that he was deeply involved in moving on the hostage negotiation.

“We’ve gotten great cooperation from the Qataris. I’ve spoken with them as well a number of times,” Biden said. “I’m mildly hopeful.”

Hamas took about 239 hostages in a deadly October 07 surprise attack on Israel, which also left more than 1,200 Israelis dead.

Israel is now waging an intense war on Hamas, invading Gaza and now fighting in the streets of Gaza City, the Hamas stronghold, to rescue hostages and eradicate the Palestinian militant group.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed there would be no cease-fire without the release of hostages and also said his forces would free the prisoners.

But this week, Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office that Israel has been employing increased pressure to secure the release of hostages since launching the Gaza ground invasion in late October.

“If and when there will be something concrete to report,” he said, “we will do so.”

Western media whitewashing Israeli genocide in Gaza

While the Israeli regime, with the support of the west, has killed over 11,000 people in Gaza in more than 40 days - two-thirds women and children - Western media is busy in justifying the crimes of Israel.

Of course, propaganda and psychological operations in war are not a strange phenomenon, and Western media must also be considered part of the unequal forces involved in this war. Western media is trying to support Israel's crimes in Gaza with flimsy and unacceptable excuses such as the right to self-defense.

One of these psychological operations was exposed by Reuters on November 15. Reuters claimed in a news report, citing three informed sources in Iran, that Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of Iran, complained in a recent meeting with Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran that Hamas had refused to inform Iran about the "Al-Aqsa Storm" operation.

It may be said that this is a tendentious and unprofessional news report. Accurate information received by the Tehran Times indicates that such a claim was not true and such a matter was not even discussed in the meeting.

This fake news can be examined from two perspectives. First, sowing discord on the enemy's front is an old and perennial technique. Both sides of a conflict strive to weaken the unity and cohesion of the opposing party through various methods, especially through psychological operations.

The Reuters fake news can also be analyzed from this angle; an attempt to create discord between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Palestinian resistance front. In fact, Reuters tried to portray, Hamas does not trust Iran and Iran is also complaining about this lack of trust.

Second, the discussion is related to Reuters' history in this regard. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the former foreign minister of Iran - who has always tried to take a balanced approach toward foreign media - could not remain silent in the face of baseless reports by Reuters.

On July 24, 2018, Zarif had said, "Know that Reuters produces 50 lies about Iran's economy every day."

A very long list of Reuters' lies about Iran can be presented: the claim of 1,500 deaths in the events of November 2019, the claim of Iranian snipers shooting Iraqi protesters in October 2019, the claim of transferring ballistic missiles from Iran to Iraq in August 2018, the claim of a drone attack on Aramco from southern Iran in November 2019, etc.

There are just a few examples of Reuters' lies against Iran. Interestingly, Reuters often attributes its lies to three anonymous sources. It's as if a lie becomes believable if it is attributed to three people!

The fact that most rooted and professional media in the West, when it comes to Iran and its issues, set aside their principles and frameworks and turn their dreams into a tool of vile propaganda, is a separate and important issue that must be addressed independently and deeply.

 

Netanyahu must be removed and sent to jail

Israel has been talking about a massive ground offensive into Gaza for more than a month now. Israeli officials say they are bent on eradicating Hamas, while they continue their outsize deadly attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip. 

The United States, amidst calls to pull the plug on Israel, has been doing everything in its power to buttress Israel’s lost clout and credibility, refusing to ask the regime to dial down its attacks on women and children. 

Many in the occupied territories believe that the biggest victims of the ongoing Israeli onslaughts are Israelis themselves. That’s because among the vast carnage caused by the regime’s ruthless atrocities, the captives held by Hamas forces are also present.

On November 04, protesters encircled the Israeli prime minister's residence in occupied al-Quds, firmly asserting the demand for Netanyahu's immediate resignation.

The demonstrators, comprising families of those affected by the Hamas October 07 operation and individuals held captive in Gaza, expressed deep frustration over what they perceive as inadequate measures to avert the Hamas attack and secure the release of some 200 captives currently held in Gaza. They chanted “must go” and “jail now” asking for the largely detested politician to step down. 

“My family wasn’t kidnapped because of Hamas. My family was kidnapped because the army didn’t come out to defend me. That’s the reason. Hamas is tiny compared to the giant Israel,” a family member of one of the captives told Israeli media during the protest. Others called on Israeli officials to tone down their animus towards Gaza and take into account the lives of Israeli captives.  

Following significant backlash from affected families and well-known figures within the Israeli war cabinet, the prime minister announced on Sunday the potential for a deal to secure the release of Israeli captives, aiming to calm the waters. However, he refrained from disclosing any specifics about the potential agreement. “I think the less I say about it the more I’ll increase the chances it materializes,” he said, speaking as if he was commenting on a wish he made after blowing out his birthday candles.

A spokesman for the Al-Qassem Brigades revealed that Israel exhibited reluctance towards the release of captives. Abu Obeida remarked that the regime is prolonging discussions regarding a possible arrangement, one that would entail the liberation of dozens of Israelis in exchange for the release of Palestinian women and children held in Israel's prisons. He further noted the death of an Israeli female soldier in an airstrike by the regime a few days prior.

Netanyahu seems to be procrastinating on a deal with Hamas to release Israeli captives, mindful that once the war ends, his political career too, will come to an end. 

Netanyahu must be removed and punished

Israel, massacre in Gaza, United States, Russia an

Recent polls indicate that Netanyahu would face defeat if elections were held at present. A poll conducted on November 3 revealed that 76% of Israelis favor Netanyahu's resignation. On November 07, a prominent pro-Netanyahu newspaper altered its position and published an editorial advocating for his removal following the war. 

In his 16 years of tenure, Netanyahu has been touting himself as a stalwart figure in matters of security. His infamous speeches on how Iran poses an existential threat to Israel, have aided him in gaining significant votes during Israel’s highly contested elections. But his conduct as well as the occurrence of the regime’s biggest security failure under his watch, suggest that Netanyahu has been veering from any security control measures.

Another recent development has also shed light on the true stance of Israeli politicians, implying that they may not truly prioritize the safety and security of Israelis who have been drawn to the occupied territories from across the world to live in the “national homeland of the Jewish people”.

An Israeli woman, who was captured in Iraq earlier this year, surfaced in a video aired by Iraq's Al Rabiaa satellite network on Monday. Elizabeth Tsurkov confessed to spying for Mossad in Iraq and Syria while expressing grievances that Israeli authorities have not taken any tangible measures over the past six months to secure her release.

“This war is being stupidly run by Netanyahu through his wife, Sara, and his son, Yair, will lead to the hostages being killed. If you want your sons and daughters to return alive, the war must stop,” Tsurkov told the families of Israeli captives held in Gaza, urging them to stop the regime’s devastating attacks on the besieged territory.

While Netanyahu remains flummoxed by the need to fulfill his personal interests, Israelis living in the occupied territories are becoming less inclined by the day to support the occupation. Netanyahu’s disregard towards the safety of Israeli captives, and those risking their lives to serve Mossad, has prodded Israelis to think twice about living in what’s been propagated as an eternal safe haven for Jews. 

 

Iran to educate female students from Gaza

An Iranian vice president has announced that Tehran will allow female students from the Gaza Strip to enter Iranian universities, as education in the besieged Palestinian territory remains halted due to relentless Israeli attacks. 

Ensiyeh Khazali, the vice president of Iran for women and family affairs, said Iran is willing to support Gazan students who are struggling to continue their education in the face of Israeli aggressions.

“In the first step, three female students from Gaza will receive scholarships to study at Bou Ali Sina University in Hamadan as a symbolic move, so that we can witness the expansion of this movement in other universities,” announced the VP, adding that women’s universities should particularly try to extend a helping hand to female students in Gaza. 

Khazali said it is important to show support for female pupils, as women are the ones that shape the future of their societies.

“The women of Gaza are among the most patient and resistant women in world history, sending their children to the resistance front with courage and not bowing their heads in shame,” she noted.

She also stated that hosting students from other countries can be effective in introducing Iran’s culture to the world. 

“In the face of the crimes of the usurping Zionist regime, no practical action, restraint, sanction, or resistance by those who claim to be advocates of human rights and women's rights is visible, which is regrettable for humanity,” Khazali stressed.

She called on regional countries to take cohesive action in order to put an end to Israel’s massacre of Palestinian women and children.

Since October 07, Israel has been bombing civilian sites across the besieged Gaza Strip including schools, universities and other education centers. Students in Gaza are currently unable to attend classes, as they struggle to stay alive under relentless Israeli attacks.

Half of the buildings in Gaza have so far been destroyed, and more than 11,000 people have been killed.