With the passing of former US President Jimmy Carter, former Israeli envoy to Washington Yoram Ettinger discussed the tragic mistakes Carter made, many of which still affect the Middle East today. Ettinger recalled, "President Jimmy Carter strongly supported the Ayatollah regime's takeover of Iran. In 1978, Carter and his advisors concluded that the Persian Shah, America's Gulf policeman, was obsolete, and they believed Ayatollah Khomeini, who was in exile in Paris, would suit the US as he was anti-Communist and anti-Soviet." Ettinger added, "Carter went so far as to declare—ten days before Khomeini landed in Tehran—that US intelligence determined Khomeini would be an Iranian Gandhi. He also claimed Khomeini had no desire to spread the revolution outside Iran, would focus on tractors rather than tanks, and be a loyal envoy for the interests of the free world." "These evaluations were the fruits of delusions of a reality that didn't match the Middle Eastern reality," Ettinger said, noting that "Carter's approach also characterized his stance on the Palestinian issue and influenced the development of the peace agreement with Egypt." As a result of the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, the handful of Jews left in the country can now visit again an ancient synagogue that had been off-limits since the civil war began thirteen years ago. Bakhour Chamntoub, 74, is the leader of the nine-member Jewish community, all that is left of the tens of thousands who lived in Syria prior to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 but dwindled rapidly afterwards due to the Arab regime’s persecution. He told the news agency that prior to the outbreak of the war in 2011, he and his mostly elderly coreligionists would often go to the Joba Synagogue in the Damascus suburb of that name, which was originally built “720 years before Christ,” as a marble slab in Arabic attested at its gate, making it one of the oldest Jewish houses of worship in the world. “This synagogue means a lot to us,” he said, describing how beautiful it had been, with marble columns, chandeliers, tapestries and carpets. Now, it is mostly rubble, with a few walls left standing but all rooms inside looted of their lovely trappings. The legends state that it was built on the spot that Elijah anointed Elisha as his successor, in the days of the Kingdom of Israel whose borders stretched to part of what is today’s Syria. Its report cited historical records claiming that Roman King Titus, who destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem, also destroyed the Eliyahu Hanavi shul. It was rebuilt in the first century, and is referenced in the Babylonian Talmud, which was compiled around the year 500. It was destroyed again in the 1500s, and was rebuilt once again, always serving as a pilgrimage site due to its link to the famed prophet. https://worldisraelnews.com/after-fall-of-assad-ancient-damascus-synagogue-opens-its-doors-again/ A hoard of coins which once belonged to a Jewish king from the Hasmonean dynasty were discovered in Israel’s Jordan Valley on the second day of Hanukkah last week. Researchers at University of Haifa’s Zinman Institute of Archaeology announced Monday that they had uncovered a rare hoard of coins that belonged to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty, during a dig that took place over the Hanukkah season. Alexander Jannaeus (whose Hebrew name was Jonathan) ruled over the kingdom of Judea from 103 to 76 BCE. A descendent of Jewish royalty, King Jannaeus was the son of John Hyrcanus and grandson of Simon the Hasmonean (the brother of Judah Maccabee) and great grandson of Mattathias who led the revolt against the armies of Antiochus. That famous revolt, which broke out in 167 BCE, led to, among other things, the cleansing of the Temple which we now celebrate every year during the holiday of Hanukkah. After former U.S. President Jimmy Carter passed away on Sunday at the age of 100, Israelis remembered his legacy with mixed feelings. Carter, who served as America’s commander-in-chief from 1977 to 1981, had a complicated relationship with Israel throughout his life. During his single term as president, Carter facilitated an historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt known as the Camp David Accords. After 12 days of secret meetings at the U.S. President’s Camp David retreat center in 1978, Carter signed an agreement with then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The agreement was signed just five years after Sadat launched the Yom Kippur War against Israel in conjunction with Syria, Jordan, and several other nations. The Camp David Accords constituted the first official peace treaty between Israel and an Arab nation. Despite orchestrating this historic moment in Israeli history, Carter became a strong critic of Israel during his later years. Carter strongly opposed the increasing number of Israeli settlements and accused Israel of apartheid in the Palestinian Territories. Such criticism of Israeli policies even resulted in Netanyahu refusing to meet with Carter when he visited Israel in 2015. Still, at Carter’s passing, Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders took the occasion to honor the former American president for his contributions to facilitating peace in the region. “His legacy will be defined by his deep commitment to forging peace between nations,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said. “On behalf of the Israeli people, I send my condolences to his family, his loved ones, and to the American people.” https://allisrael.com/israelis-remember-jimmy-carter-s-legacy-with-mixed-feelings Israel carried out a daring commando raid in September on an underground Iranian missile production facility near the Syrian city of Masyaf, according to an exclusive report by KAN News. The covert operation targeted two critical sites: Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) and an underground facility operated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The SSRC, which has been a focus of Israeli defense operations for over a decade, was reportedly involved in producing components for Iran’s precision missile project. Israeli intelligence detected the transfer of these components and identified the growing threat, prompting operational plans to neutralize the facility. According to the report, Israel informed the United States about the operation in advance. The strike reflects Israel's ongoing commitment to addressing security concerns in the region, particularly in light of Iran’s attempts to supply precision-guided missiles to Hezbollah, its proxy in Lebanon. The raid comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, with Israeli officials expressing concerns about Iran’s ability to mass-produce advanced weaponry at the targeted site. These weapons posed a significant risk to Israel’s security, especially as Hezbollah continues to bolster its arsenal with Iranian support. This operation highlights Israel's proactive approach to neutralizing regional threats and preventing the escalation of missile capabilities aimed at its borders.
Jimmy Carter's aid to the Ayatollahs:
After fall of Assad, ancient Damascus synagogue opens its doors again:
Trove of ancient coins owned by Hasmonean king discovered during Hanukkah:
Israelis remember Jimmy Carter’s legacy with mixed feelings:
Israel Launches Secret Raid on Iranian Missile Facility in Syria: