Read Time:28 Minute, 11 Second

ISRAEL: ARMAGEDDON?

AFTER A SERIES OF SECRET MEETINGS AND INCREASED READINESS, IS ISRAEL PREPARING TO STRIKE IRAN?

I have purposely kept my comments to a minimum when it comes to Israel, for the simple reason that there needed to be enough time and events to gauge which way the wind — or in this case, the sand — was blowing.

With nearly ten million inhabitants, Israel ranks 149th in size, or about the size of New Jersey. To visualize it another way, the U.S. state of Alabama is more that six times that of Israel …… with just half the number of populace. In other words, Israel is jam-packed. Now, to throw one more kink into the equation — almost half the land is desert. That gives twice the population of Alabama living is an area 1/12 the size.

The Israeli military and intelligence services’ can be considered second to none. As small as she is, her intelligence service, known as the Mossad, is world renowned. As for her military, it is compulsive for all young people and they can be tenacious. Israel’s military has proved itself numerous times over the years.

It began with the Six-Day War, or the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, between Israel and the Arab countries of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Palestinian guerrilla attacks on Israel from bases in Syria led to increased hostility between the two countries.

With, nearly ten million inhabitants, Israel ranks 149th in size, or about the size of New Jersey. To visualize it another way, the U.S. state of Alabama is more that six times the size of Israel …… with just half the number of populace. In other words, Israel is jam-packed. Now, to throw one more kink into the size — almost half the land is desert. That gives twice the population of Alabama living is an area 1/12 the size.

Back to my reasons for keeping Israel on a back-burner … In many ways, so much of what is taking place in the world today has to do with the state of Israel — her history, her religion — and the state of Iran and its relationship with Israel. Surrounding their relationship — or lack of — are two things: nuclear weapons and the Abrahamic Accords.

The first of these, nuclear weapons, is something Iran wants. The U.N. nuclear watchdog inspectors have detected that Iran’s uranium has reached a level of 84 percent purity.

the second, the Abrahamic Accords, Iran does not want Israel to have.

The first of these, nuclear weapons

What it really boils down to, is the relationship between Israel and Iran. Surrounding their relationship — or lack of — are two things: nuclear weapons and the Abrahamic Accords.

In a series of secret meetings, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the heads of Israel’s security forces to significantly ramp up preparations for a strike on Iran’s nuclear installations, Israeli media reported on Tuesday.

The meetings, five in number, were attended by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Mossad head David Barnea and other top officials, according to Channel 12.

Netanyahu relayed to the officials the conclusions drawn from the meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during their recent visits to Israel, according to the report. He likewise updated them on his discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month in Paris.

Netanyahu reportedly told Blinken, Sullivan and Macron that Israel would act militarily to stop Iran if need be.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday it was in talks with Iran after the nuclear watchdog’s inspectors last week detected uranium enriched to 84% purity in the Islamic Republic, just below the 90% level needed for nuclear weapons.

Earlier this month, the IAEA chastised Iran for modifying the connection between the two groups of advanced centrifuges at its Fordow plant. The change was discovered during an unannounced inspection on Jan. 21 at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), a location built into a mountain where inspectors are beefing up checks after Iran said it would drastically increase enrichment.

In a confidential report to member states obtained by Reuters, the IAEA stated that “they were interconnected in a way that was substantially different from the mode of operation declared by Iran.”

A diplomat cited by Reuters in a separate report implied that the 84% enriched uranium was found at the same site as the reconfigured cascades, or clusters, of centrifuges.

In January, Israel and the U.S. held a five-day joint military exercise called “Juniper Oak,” which saw unprecedented levels of cooperation between the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for the Middle East, and the Israel Defense Forces.

“Juniper Oak” tested Israeli and American readiness and boosted the operational connection between the two militaries so as to enable them to deal with “regional threats,” according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, but the intended target audience for this message seems to have been Iran.

NEW

Israel doesn’t have a choice. The Biden Administration scrapped President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran, and replaced it with maximum appeasement. Now Iran is about to go nuclear. Be prepared for the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Never would have happened under President Trump. Under President Trump, peace agreements were being signed in the Middle East. Under the Biden Administration, the Middle East could be on the brink of war.

Israel will prepare for possible action against Iran’s nuclear facilities after a series of secret meetings between the prime minister and leaders from the defense and intelligence ministries, according to a leaked report.

“Israel will not allow Iran to become nuclear,” Brigadier-General (Reserves) Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of the Israeli Defense Security Forum, told Fox News Digital. “As we are witnessing the continued unhindered progress of the Iranian military nuclear program with weapons-grade enrichment, Israel is readying its credible military option.”…..

Israel calls on Biden’s handlers to issue a ‘credible military threat’ against Iran over its uranium enrichment

The Biden administration’s ongoing strategy in the face of any crisis is either to hide and hope the problem will disappear, or to make the problem even worse with inane comments and wrongheaded actions.

International nuclear inspectors were said to be alarmed to find that Iran had enriched uranium to 84% purity.

As Iran escalates, America declines (largely because of its leader).

Should America proceed to issue a “credible military threat” in response to Israel’s request, the most pressing question would be how credible that threat could be. How would Iran regard it in light of the Biden administration’s relentless appeasement efforts? Nonetheless, a gesture of solidarity would be a help to Israel.

Cohen: US must immediately issue credible military threat against Iran,“ JNS, February 21, 2023:

“Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Tuesday called on the United States to issue a credible military threat against Iran, after International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors found uranium enriched to near weapons-grade in the Islamic Republic.

“Iran is very close to 90% enrichment of uranium. The United States must put a credible military threat on the table immediately,” said Cohen at an event in Jerusalem hosted by the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. Cohen also slammed Iran for being the world’s “number one” financier of global terrorism.

The IAEA said on Monday it was in talks with Tehran after inspectors last week detected uranium enriched to 84% in the Islamic Republic.

Bloomberg reported on Sunday, citing two senior diplomats, that the IAEA was trying to clarify how Tehran accumulated the material, which is at the highest level of enrichment found by monitors in the country to date.

Iran has been enriching uranium to up to 60% since April 2021. Three months ago, it started enriching to 60% at a second site at Fordow.

Earlier this month, the IAEA chastised the Islamic Republic for modifying the connection between the two groups of high-tech machines at its Fordow plant. The change was discovered during an unannounced inspection on Jan. 21 at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), a location built into a mountain where inspectors are beefing up checks after Iran said it would drastically increase enrichment.

A diplomat cited in a Reuters report implied that the 84% enriched uranium was found at the same site as the reconfigured cascades, or clusters, of centrifuges….

The IAEA revealed last week its inspectors had discovered that Iran enriched uranium up to 84%, close to the military-grade level of 90%.

Iran could enrich weapons-grade uranium within a matter of weeks, CIA Director William Burns has told CBS, warning that the Islamic Republic was on its way to obtaining the necessary components for a nuclear weapon.

Speaking on the channel’s flagship show Face the Nation, Burns said that the agency does not yet believe that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made the decision to build a nuclear weapon even though the country is proceeding with obtaining the different components it needs for one.

Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that its inspectors had discovered uranium enriched to 84%, close to the military-grade level of 90% that is needed for a weapon.

Iran could enrich military-grade uranium in matter of weeks – CIA chief

The IAEA revealed last week its inspectors had discovered that Iran enriched uranium up to 84%, close to the military-grade level of 90%.

Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that its inspectors had discovered uranium enriched to 84%, close to the military-grade level of 90% that is needed for a weapon.

Burns: We don’t believe Iran decided to weaponize its nuclear program

“We don’t believe that the supreme leader in Iran has yet made a decision to resume the weaponization program that we judge they suspended or stopped in 2003,” Burns said. “They’ve advanced very far to the point where it would only be a matter of weeks before they could enrich to 90% if they decided to cross that line.”

He said that the ballistic missile program has also been advancing at a worrisome pace.

Burns visited Israel last month for high-level meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief David Barnea. The CIA chief, whose visit came amid an escalation of security tensions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, also met with Egyptian President Ahmed Fattah El-Sisi as part of his trip to the Middle East.

Israel steps up military planning against Iran’s nuclear program

Recent reports on Iran accelerating its uranium enrichment are pushing Israeli leaders to inspect concrete plans.

TEL AVIV — Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant agreed on Wednesday night on a multiyear defense budget, a large portion of which will be dedicated to preparations for a potential strike against Iran’s nuclear program.

Indeed, reports confirm that Israel is stepping up its preparations to attack Iran’s military nuclear infrastructure. Since Netanyahu returned to power in late December, this possibility is being discussed on a practical level, reflecting the coveted goal of his career. As things look now, the question is not really whether Israel will attack Iran, but when it will do so and whether it will go it alone or with US logistical, political and perhaps even “kinetic” backing.

Israel’s top security brass took part this week in the Defense Ministry’s 2023 annual work plan conference, among them Gallant, Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir and the head of the Ministry’s Political-Security Division, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dror Shalom. Addressing the participants, all three agreed that a real war was being waged between Israel and Iran. Shalom, the most outspoken of the three, said Israel must shift gears and realize that it is already engaged in a war of varying intensity with Iran.

Gallant said that recent reports about Iran’s 84% uranium enrichment level, within touching distance of military-grade level, is of great concern to Israel. He said that it was not clear at the moment whether Iran reached this level unintentionally as part of its accelerated research and development program, whether it was a local initiative by zealous scientists or based on the orders of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Either way, according to Shalom, the achievement suggests that Iran is capable of reaching a military nuclear breakout in a matter of weeks.

According to Shalom’s analysis, even if it takes Iran two more years to develop a nuclear warhead for a ballistic missile capable of carrying it hundreds and thousands of miles, Israel knows that the time frame for attacking Iran to counter this threat is shrinking.

According to Shalom, Iran’s rush to achieve nuclear capability is similar to a heavily loaded freight train speeding along the tracks — right now, this train can still be hit, but it will soon enter a tunnel where it will be completely immune. Once it emerges on the other side of the tunnel, it will already be a nuclear state, he warned. According to the assessments voiced in this closed-door discussion, Israel must not let Iran achieve this immunity. We must stop this train ahead of time, Shalom said. Cooperation with the United States would be preferable, but even without such help, Israel cannot avoid such a move and will go it alone, he noted.

The conference included a detailed presentation of Israel’s attack preparations, the means acquired and developed to carry it out, and the resources being invested in this action plan. Attacking Iran now will be far more difficult than it would have been had Israel taken advantage of the window of opportunity that opened up a decade ago.

Gallant stressed that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure is no longer limited to one site or to low-grade centrifuges. Iran’s current nuclear program, he added, is an extensive industry comprising large infrastructure installations, research institutes, various enrichment sites and, of course, knowledge acquired by a large number of scientists and engineers. Gallant suggested that an Israeli attack should be creative, damaging the entire infrastructure, not just individual sites, as was the case with the previous two attacks that Israel mounted against nuclear-wannabe states Iraq and Syria. The message was clear: There are many different ways to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The conference discussions were by no means intended to deliver a public attack threat against Iran, the kind that Israeli leaders, especially Netanyahu, have often voiced over the past 15 years. Rather, it was an internal discussion in which senior Defense Ministry officials were given action plans and details of preparations for such an attack.

Since he returned to power almost two months ago, Netanyahu has already publicly threatened to attack Iran several times, although not with the intensity that characterized his threats in the past. While Gallant is not considered partial to military adventures, he will carry out his boss’ orders. Zamir, meanwhile, is the unknown figure among this trio at the top of Israel’s security hierarchy.

Zamir was a candidate for the post of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief, but former Defense Minister Benny Gantz preferred Lt. Gen. Herzl Halevi, who took office Jan. 1. Zamir is considered close to Netanyahu. While Gantz was mulling over his choice for the army’s next top soldier, Zamir was in Washington as a research fellow at the Institute for Near East Policy, where he wrote a detailed position paper in 2022 titled “Countering Iran’s Regional Strategy – A Long-Term, Comprehensive Approach.”

Zamir advocated not only an Israeli military attack on Iran, but also inflicting damage on its oil infrastructure and other sites considered the administration’s “soft underbelly.” Israel should adopt a policy of divide and rule both within Iran, targeting the various minority groups comprising its population, and outside Iran, and offer Iran’s proxies incentives to walk away from the struggle with Israel. In Zamir’s words, Israel should take “the approach of strategically differentiating Iran’s regional proxies, driving a wedge between Tehran and its proxies, by proposing inducements to stop the activities of the proxies in the target countries.”

Another interesting proposal by Zamir was “waging an ideological-cultural campaign to win the hearts and minds of the region’s sects, tribes and population groups, in a way that highlights the advantages, especially for Shiite communities, of moderate Islam and the values of democracy, as opposed to authoritarianism and dictatorship.”

However, these plans aside, Israel is currently facing completely different existential problems stemming from the Netanyahu government’s rush to carry out a regime coup by overhauling the judicial system. The legislative blitz mounted by the government and Knesset is deeply divisive and poses detrimental implications for Israel’s security. Israel’s Channel 13 TV reported this week that a reserve brigadier general, who plays a major command role when called up for reserve duty, announced that he would no longer perform reserve service.

There is growing evidence, especially in air force squadrons, of “gray insubordination” — dodging reserve duty that is the backbone of the IDF and, presumably, of any Iran attack plan. “If Israel ceases to be a democracy, I have no intention of standing up and fighting for it,” a senior reserve squadron commander told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. There are many more like him. In other words, Netanyahu currently appears to have more burning and explosive problems to deal with than Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

NEW

LAPID IS RIGHT, THE MADNESS MUST STOP

After the last Israeli coalition government collapsed, Yair Lapid became caretaker prime minister. Given that a successful incumbent prime minister often has a strong chance of reelection, Lapid likely thought that such moves as cutting a hasty maritime deal with Lebanon and Hezbollah would bring him victory. Instead, he was defeated by Benjamin Netanyahu.

Now, Lapid believes he is on a mission to save Israel from Netanyahu. In particular, the Netanyahu government’s proposed judicial reforms.

Judicial reform was a major part of the platforms put forward by the right-wing parties in last year’s election campaign. The new Justice Minister Yariv Levin, backed by the coalition, has wasted no time pushing it forward.

Lapid promptly went on the warpath, claiming that he is fighting to save Israeli democracy. On Feb. 5, for example, he posted a video recorded while he marched with protestors against the reforms. “We will save our country because we are unwilling to live in an undemocratic state,” he said.

However, as Caroline Glick has reminded us, there was a time when Lapid favored judicial reform. It seems he still does, as he has suggested that President Isaac Herzog establish a commission to examine the issue. Lapid did this even while spearheading public protests, threatening civil unrest and calling on employers to let their workers march on the Knesset.

In requesting presidential intervention, however, Lapid is sidestepping the democratic processes he claims to extoll. It is as if he does not trust the very institution he supposedly wants to protect.

In a Facebook post, Lapid went hyperbolic: “Next week the coup d’état goes up a step. They don’t stop. Rushing fast to destroy our democracy, tear the people apart and crush the economy.”

Yet in that same post, Lapid pointed to actions taken by Knesset committees that are the essence of the democratic process: “In the last month, we held discussions all night in the Knesset building, presented reservations, presented arguments, professional opinions, brought in dozens of external experts. We made the coalition understand that they would not be able to pass anything easily.”

Here, Lapid is simply identifying what is best about Israeli democracy—discussion, debate and providing expert opinion on a particular piece of legislation. This is exactly what the role of any parliamentary opposition entails. Legislation as significant as judicial reform should not be able to pass easily. That is the whole point.

Lapid continued: “In recent weeks, we have demanded a series of discussions in all Knesset committees on the damage of the regime revolution and its impact on all areas of life—in the economy, security, foreign policy, women’s and minorities’ rights.” Exactly. That is his job as opposition leader.

But then Lapid showed us that he has no respect for our democratic processes: “I put forward the proposal to establish a presidential commission to save our democracy from destruction. The basic condition for the establishment of the committee should be to stop the legislation.”

That is not the president’s job. It is Lapid’s job, as head of the opposition, to attempt to stop the legislation if that is what he thinks should happen.

Lapid, however, does see the need for reform: “The president will establish a committee that will listen to all parties and submit a proposal for real, moderate and balanced reform that will regulate the powers of the court and the separation of powers.”

Again, that is not the president’s job.

It is the job of the Knesset committee that debates and amends bills. Even that is not the last word. As Lapid knows, laws continue to be amended over time as experience shows what changes are required.

In his post, Lapid claimed to be part of a protest movement that is “not giving up on my country, on its values, I do not agree that Israeli democracy will be erased.” At the same time, he is giving up on traditional democratic processes by encouraging presidential intervention and civil unrest.

He concluded: “We have to stop this madness.”

Yes. The madness has to stop. It’s time to get off the streets, out of the president’s office and back into committee.

Quieter efforts to influence judicial reform in the proper venue will not go unnoticed. Anyone interested can follow committee proceedings on the Knesset website. Articles can and will be written on the opposition’s efforts to modify the reforms.

But it is so much more fun to block roads, join mass demonstrations, blame Netanyahu and denounce the MKs who are doing what the majority of voters elected them to do.

NEW

IRAN IS SHAKING WITH FEAR AFTER BIBI PUBLICLY SAID THIS

“A credible military threat or an actual military action.” These are the key words uttered by Prime Minister Netanyahu that define how he thinks Iran’s attempt to build nuclear weapons can be stopped. But, he made it perfectly clear that those two things are what allow sanctions to do the job. Without it, sanctions do’t really have the teeth to make a deep impact and stop the buildup.

Benjamin Netanyahu has been saying the same things about Iran for nearly 30 years. Actually, he was saying these things for 10-15 years prior to his election as Prime Minister. One of the first things he did when he was a young politician in his 30’s was the publication of a book concerning how to conduct the war on terror.

Netanyahu had a unique vantage point to approach the issue. He was a young former elite commando in the IDF who fought the war on terror with his hands and a victim of terror who’s older brother was killed leading the famous Raid on Entebbe to free the 101 Jewish prisoners from a hijacked plane.

“Listen to what the politicians say.” This seemingly obvious advice is often overlooked. But there is no issue that Netanyahu has been so steadfast on than the “stop Iran’s nuclear weapons” issue. There have been countless actions that Israel has taken against Iran. But there has not been a massive bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear weapons program. This term of office for Netanyahu may just be the time that it will happen. But it will probably happen after the 2024 elections. Bibi would rather have a Republican White House if he decides to attack.

His persistence has served him well electorally. Understandably, most of the Israeli electorate is gravely concerned about a nuclear attack from Iran. Netanyahu reassures the electorate that he is on top of this issue. The electorate repays him by reelecting him time and again. The threat and the man to deal with the threat are indeed a match that will be studied in history books for many generations.

NEW

Cardinal Opens Francis’ Abu Dhabi Interfaith Shrine,” by Jules Gomes, ChurchMilitant.com, February 22, 2023:

SAADIYAT ISLAND, Abu Dhabi (ChurchMilitant.com) – Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald hosted the first Catholic service at the Abrahamic Family House — an interfaith shrine born of Pope Francis’ Abu Dhabi concordat with Sunni leader Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb.

Speaking on behalf of Pope Francis at the inauguration of St. Francis of Assisi Church — the Catholic section of the complex housing a mosque and synagogue — Fitzgerald said the shrine could be said to fulfill Isaiah’s vision of “a house of prayer for all the peoples.”

“Worship opens us up to others, instilling in us a care for justice, encouraging us to act with integrity,” the cardinal emphasized on Sunday. “We cannot truly pray to God without remembering the other members of the Abrahamic family, and indeed of the human family.”

“The father of the prophet John the Baptist (known to Muslims as Yahya) asks God to bless his son,” Fitzgerald said. “He is asking this of the God of Abraham, the Merciful Lord of Mercy, al-Rahman al-Rahim.”

The cardinal, a former president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, told the congregation that Muslims had earlier prayed the Maghrib prayer in the mosque section of the shrine on Thursday evening.

Muslim Prayer Anathematizes Christians

“Remarkably, Cdl. Fitzgerald, an acclaimed Islamic scholar, ignored the fact that the Maghrib prayer contains Surah Al-Fatiha, which is one of the most anti-Christian and anti-Jewish texts in the Qur’an,” a Muslim jurist who converted to Christianity told Church Militant.

“The inclusion of this prayer, which is considered indispensable in Muslim worship, tells us everything we need to know about how serious Muslims are about interfaith dialogue,” the convert, who faces the death penalty for apostasy from Islam, added.

After asking Allah to guide Muslims “to the straight path,” verse 7 defines this way as the “path of those whom you have favored, not of those who have earned your anger, or of those who have gone astray,” the convert explained.

Islamic tradition and commentaries from the Hadith of Sahih Bukhari to Tafsir al-Jalalayn identify “those who have earned Allah’s anger” as the Jews and “those who have gone astray” as the Christians.

“The repetition of this identification in Bukhari is an indication of how strong the identification is of those who have earned Allah’s anger with the Jews and those who have gone astray with the Christians,” writes Robert Spencer in his bestseller The Critical Qur’an.

Some Western commentators find it inconceivable that the central prayer of Islam “anathematizes Jews and Christians,” the renowned Islamic scholar notes. “But unfortunately, this interpretation is venerable and mainstream in Islamic theology.”

“The Abrahamic Family House has not led and will not lead Muslims to abandon core Islamic doctrines regarding how Christians wrongly proclaim Christ’s divinity and are under the curse of Allah as a result (cf. Qur’an 9:30; 5:17),” Spencer told Church Militant.

Spencer, author of 23 books on Islam and the Middle East elaborated, “As in all other cases, Muslim/Christian dialogue is seen on the Muslim side as an opportunity to proselytize for Islam and intimidate Christians into fearing to discuss the rampant Muslim persecution of Christians, for fear of harming the dialogue.”

“The interfaith shrine is Pope Francis’ house of cards,” Spencer warned. “It will result in nothing lasting except the continued ignorance and complacency of Catholics regarding the threat of Islamic jihad. Liberal Catholics who think this is a positive step are being naive (at best).”…

Catholic Cardinal Opens ‘Abrahamic Family House’ With Muslims Praying Prayers Denouncing Jews and Christians

Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald, shown on the campus of John Carroll University in suburban Cleveland May 13, is one of the Catholic Church’s foremost experts on Islam and the Quran. The former president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has spent much of his 54 years in the priesthood working to improve understanding among people of different faith traditions. (CNS photo/William Rieter) See FITZGERALD-ISLAM May 19, 2015.

Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald, the Roman Catholic Church’s apostolic nuncio emeritus to Egypt and apostolic delegate emeritus to the Arab League, as well as a past president of the Pontifical Council for Irreligious, er, that is, Interreligious Dialogue, on Sunday represented Pope Francis at the first prayer service in St. Francis of Assisi Church in Abu Dhabi, which is part of the new Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith shrine that comprises not just a church, but also a synagogue and a mosque. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty.

“The place of prayer,” Fitzgerald announced happily, “should also be a place of joy, and I hope that this will be true for all of us here present.” Fitzgerald also expressed the hope that the new three-in-one house of worship would be “a house of prayer for all the peoples.” Maybe it will, but Fitzgerald and his colleagues are ignoring the fact that the Islamic prayers held in the building three days before the St. Francis of Assisi Church was inaugurated were hardly as welcoming to non-Muslims as the Christians and Jews have been to the Muslims.

ChurchMilitant.com reported Wednesday that Fitzgerald also said: “Worship opens us up to others, instilling in us a care for justice, encouraging us to act with integrity. We cannot truly pray to God without remembering the other members of the Abrahamic family, and indeed of the human family.” Meanwhile, however, one of the other “members of the Abrahamic family” was not quite as generous. Muslims “had earlier prayed the Maghrib prayer in the mosque section of the shrine on Thursday evening.” According to a Muslim jurist who converted to Christianity, this was not the wonderful manifestation of interfaith harmony that Fitzgerald assumed it to be: “Remarkably, Cdl. Fitzgerald, an acclaimed Islamic scholar, ignored the fact that the Maghrib prayer contains Surah Al-Fatiha, which is one of the most anti-Christian and anti-Jewish texts in the Qur’an. The inclusion of this prayer, which is considered indispensable in Muslim worship, tells us everything we need to know about how serious Muslims are about interfaith dialogue.”

Indeed. The Fatiha (Opening) is the first sura (chapter) of the Qur’an and most common prayer of Islam. If you’re a pious Muslim who prays the five requisite daily prayers of Islam, you will recite the Fatiha seventeen times in the course of those prayers. The final two verses of the Fatiha ask Allah: “Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom you have favored, not of those who have earned your anger, or of those who have gone astray.”

Is Israel Ready for War with Hamas? … Here’s The Story …