Here We Go Again – The West's Palestinian State Fantasy - Nils A. Haug

 

by Nils A. Haug

The situation in Gaza could quite easily have been resolved many months ago if Hamas had laid down its weapons and released the hostages it had no business kidnapping in the first place. This did not happen. Nevertheless, Israel is blamed for trying to get its tortured and starved hostages released.

 

• Only leaders completely sold out to extremist ideologies would persist in pushing a proposal so far detached from reality and so harmful to many people -- starting with the atrociously governed Palestinians -- that it is almost beyond comprehension.

• "If you notice, the talks with Hamas fell apart on the day Macron made the unilateral decision that he's going to recognize a Palestinian state. And then you have other people come forward, other countries say, well, if there is not a ceasefire by September, we're going to recognize a Palestinian state. Well, if I'm Hamas, I basically conclude, 'let's not do a ceasefire because we can be rewarded, we can claim it as a victory.'" — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

• The situation in Gaza could quite easily have been resolved many months ago if Hamas had laid down its weapons and released the hostages it had no business kidnapping in the first place. This did not happen. Nevertheless, Israel is blamed for trying to get its tortured and starved hostages released. What would France, Britain, Canada or Australia have done? The party responsible for Gaza's collateral damage is Hamas.

• Israel... is doing its best in horrendously dangerous circumstances to feed the hungry people of Gaza, while Hamas deliberately starves the hostages, and has lately photographed them digging their own graves.

• A Palestinian state would, in addition, continue trying to conquer more of Israel's historic homeland, and try to drive Jews out of it, as they openly vow to do...

• That, it seems, is Macron's view of a "just and lasting peace".

• "If France is really so determined to see a Palestinian state, I've got a suggestion for them: Carve out a piece of the French Riviera, and create a Palestinian state. They're welcome to do that, but they're not welcome to impose that kind of pressure on a sovereign nation. " —US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, June 1, 2025.

• A further reason that Western efforts to impose a Palestinian state are inadvisable is that they ignore a warning from the Trump administration that "any country that takes 'anti-Israel actions' will be viewed as acting in opposition to US interests and will face diplomatic consequences."

• "There was a Palestinian state. It was called Gaza. Look what we received. The biggest massacre since the Holocaust. To establish a Palestinian state after October 7 is a huge prize not only for Hamas [but] for Iran." — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, February 6, 2025.

• The question remains how any rational national leader can simply discount Israel's attitude towards an independent Palestinian (terrorist, Jihadist) state within or alongside its borders? Would those leaders countenance an uppity ISIS or Al Qaeda on their borders? Yet, Starmer and Macron (together with leaders of Spain, Norway and Ireland) are doing exactly that. Is it possible that they are endeavouring to accommodate the millions of Muslim voters they have helped infiltrate into their own broken countries?

• This irony is that many in the West who are advocating "social justice for all people" think nothing of vilifying the Jews.

• At this point in history, Israel's legitimate actions consist in defending its people -- and the stunningly ungrateful West -- from a horror disguised within a veneer of fake "moral clarity," along with false charges of a supposed genocide in Gaza. As Huckabee remarked, "If Israel is trying to commit genocide, they are really, really bad at it." In fact, Israel is defending the West -- the very people undermining them -- from a genocide. Publicly expressed slogans targeting Jews simply support the murderous intent of the enemies of Israel and those apparently trying to help them finish the job.

A majority of Western leaders clearly refuse to exercise integrity when it concerns the Palestinian issue. Only leaders completely sold out to extremist ideologies would persist in pushing a proposal so far detached from reality and so harmful to many people -- starting with the atrociously governed Palestinians -- that it is almost beyond comprehension. "Are these people wicked or just very, very stupid?", asks columnist Melanie Phillips. A valid question indeed. Pictured: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with French President Emmanuel Macron on July 10, 2025 in London. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

A majority of Western leaders clearly refuse to exercise integrity when it concerns the Palestinian issue. Only leaders completely sold out to extremist ideologies would persist in pushing a proposal so far detached from reality and so harmful to many people -- starting with the atrociously governed Palestinians -- that it is almost beyond comprehension. Perhaps this phenomena is best described as a "cognitive bias" that can "lead to a person interpreting all new information as supporting their preconception."

Connected to fatuous ideals of utopianism -- especially to the dangerously mushrooming number of extremist Muslims on their shores -- is these leaders' pandering to prospective voters to ensure re-election. In so doing, they not only damage their society, culture and values, but race towards the rapid demise of Western civilization in favour of an Islamist Caliphate under Sharia law. In the UK, for instance, according to Stephen Pollard, "Open Jew hate is now the norm." How the mighty have fallen.

On July 24, President Emmanuel Macron of France announced that "Paris would formally recognize a Palestinian state in September at the UN General Assembly." A week later, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a similar announcement, and on August 11, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined the scrimmage.

Hamas, needless to say, was delighted:

"The Palestinian group described the declaration as 'a positive step in the right direction 'toward justice for the Palestinian people and support for their right to self-determination and an independent state on all occupied Palestinian land, with Jerusalem as its capital.'"

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted:

"If you notice, the talks with Hamas fell apart on the day Macron made the unilateral decision that he's going to recognize a Palestinian state. And then you have other people come forward, other countries say, 'Well, if there is not a ceasefire by September, we're going to recognize a Palestinian state. Well, if I'm Hamas, I basically conclude, 'let's not do a ceasefire because we can be rewarded, we can claim it as a victory.'"

Three countries, Spain, Norway and Ireland, have already recognised a non-existent Palestinian state in 2024. Two of them – Spain and Ireland – have a long history of passionate Jew-hate.

The Irish boast they have never had a "Jewish problem" because, as the author James Joyce noted through an anti-Semitic character in his novel Ulysses, the reason there was no antisemitism in Ireland was because they never let admitted entry to Jews in the first place. Spain's history of the Inquisition and expulsion of Jews in 1492 is well-recorded.

Norway was home to its anti-Semitic leader, Vidkun Quisling, a traitor who supported the Nazi cause and was responsible for sending 1,000 Jews to their deaths. Other than that historic issue, Norwegians are not generally anti-Semitic but driven, rather, by uninformed and naïve perceptions of human rights, "virtue" and "humanitarianism." According to John A. Moen:

"The governing body of Norway's Jewish communities has on a number of occasions emphasized the fact that it does not recognize the claim that Norway is an anti-Semitic society. "

In July 2025, in line with the European Union's incessant criticism of Israel, 28 Western nations condemned Israel's actions in Gaza. From a humanitarian viewpoint, the situation is indeed disastrous for the multitude of innocents on both sides caught up in the conflict. Israel's Foreign Ministry responded that much of the criticism was "disconnected from reality and would send the wrong message to Hamas." The distasteful truth, however, is that no one ever really cares what Israel says -- it is invariably judged and found guilty, without anything even resembling due process or a trial -- in the world of public opinion, notwithstanding the refusal of the UN itself to distribute food in Gaza, as it is obliged to do.

The situation in Gaza could quite easily have been resolved many months ago if Hamas had laid down its weapons and released the hostages it had no business kidnapping in the first place. This did not happen. Nevertheless, Israel is blamed for trying to get its tortured and starved hostages released. What would France, Britain, Canada or Australia have done? The party responsible for Gaza's collateral damage is Hamas. It not only started the war after Israel, in a gesture of goodwill, had granted roughly 20,000 permits for Gazans to come and work in Israel; Hamas also seems to revel in the deaths of their own civilians and fraudulently inflate the numbers to try to blame the casualties on Israel.

Israel, conversely, with US support , is doing its best in horrendously dangerous circumstances to feed the hungry people of Gaza, while Hamas deliberately starves the hostages, and has lately photographed them digging their own graves.

Europe's aspiring powerhouses, France and the UK, nevertheless persist in their folly of endorsing a utopian terrorist Palestinian state. Such a creation – called "Franc-en-Stine" by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee in a nod to Mary Shelley's monster -- would bring nothing but disaster to Europe, Israel and to the Palestinians themselves, considering the continuing brutality of their corrupt and dead-end governance. Huckabee stated in June:

"If France is really so determined to see a Palestinian state, I've got a suggestion for them: Carve out a piece of the French Riviera, and create a Palestinian state. They're welcome to do that, but they're not welcome to impose that kind of pressure on a sovereign nation. And I find it revolting that they think that they have the right to do such a thing."

An independent terrorist Palestinian state would reward jihadists murdering Jewish and Arab civilians -- shooting Gazans trying to flee war zones (at the urging of the Israelis), Gazans trying to take the humanitarian aid sent for them, and Gazans accused of alleged "collaboration". A Palestinian state would, in addition, continue trying to conquer more of Israel's historic homeland, and try to drive Jews out of it, as they openly vow to do, in the words of senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad:

"The Al-Aqsa Flood [Hamas's name for its Oct. 7, 2023 invasion] is just the first time, and there will be a second, third and fourth... We must remove that country [Israel]... [It] must be finished. We are not ashamed to say this, with full force.... Everything we do is justified."

That, it seems, is Macron's view of a "just and lasting peace".

Just the same, the West at large and the United Nations persist in striving towards a state for Palestinians, bordering, or within, Israel itself.

In late July, UNRWA ruled that Palestinians would remain permanently categorised as refugees – even if against their wishes. This sleight of hand would mean that they would be entitled to endless funding and lasting status as a people for whom a homeland needs to be established. All descendants of original Palestinian 'refugees' would likewise be entitled to benefits of that status.

"The enforced permanence of the Palestinian refugee issue is absurd," wrote David May, a senior analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), and is contrary to the accepted definition of refugees.

According to May:

"UNRWA is in the business of protracting the refugee crisis, not solving it. While the UN Refugee Agency, which oversees all non-Palestinian refugees, offers a variety of solutions to help refugees improve their lives, including resettlement in a third country, UNRWA indulges the Palestinians' desire to move to Israel en masse and overwhelm the only Jewish-majority country in the world."

A further reason that Western efforts to impose a Palestinian state are inadvisable is that they ignore a warning from the Trump administration that "any country that takes 'anti-Israel actions' will be viewed as acting in opposition to US interests and will face diplomatic consequences." There might therefore be severe financial and economic side-effects for discounting this caution. This is especially so as Trump apparently has other plans for the Gaza area. A July 25 report from FDD explains:

"The recognition of a Palestinian state as a full member of the United Nations, including the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), would immediately trigger U.S. funding cuts to the international organization."

These efforts disregard Israel's position on the matter. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear in February:

"There was a Palestinian state. It was called Gaza. Look what we received. The biggest massacre since the Holocaust. To establish a Palestinian state after October 7 is a huge prize not only for Hamas [but] for Iran....

"I will not allow the State of Israel to repeat the fateful mistake of Oslo, which brought to the heart of our country and to Gaza the most extreme elements in the Arab world, which are committed to the destruction of the State of Israel and who educate their children to this end."

Echoing this idea, David May writes:

"Recognizing a non-existent Palestinian state after Hamas's October 7 atrocities tells the Palestinians that violence works, and rewards Hamas for immiserating Gazans."

The question remains how any rational national leader can simply discount Israel's attitude towards an independent Palestinian (terrorist, Jihadist) state within or alongside its borders? Would those leaders countenance an uppity ISIS or Al Qaeda on their borders? Yet, Starmer and Macron (together with leaders of Spain, Norway and Ireland) are doing exactly that. Is it possible that they are endeavouring to accommodate the millions of Muslim voters they have helped infiltrate into their own broken countries?

France has a long history of anti-Semitism, exemplified by the Dreyfus affair in 1894-1906. The problem, however goes back even further, even to Voltaire (1694-1778), who wrote:

"The Jews are an ignorant and barbarous people, who have long united the most sordid avarice with the most detestable superstition and the most invincible hatred for every people by whom they are tolerated and enriched."

This, about the small group that brought the Ten Commandments to the West, as well as its first breaths of social justice:

"You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it...."
— Deuteronomy 24:15 (NASB 1995)

"...but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do."
— Deuteronomy 5:14 (New International Version)

"You shall not boil a young goat in the milk of its mother."
— Exodus 23:19

"Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. "Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay."
— Leviticus 19:13 (New Living Translation)

This irony is that many in the West who are advocating "social justice for all people" think nothing of vilifying the Jews.

It is anticipated that at the UN General Assembly September session, France will actually announce its recognition of a Palestinian state. This declaration will evidently be supported by Canada, Australia, Saudi Arabia and, probably, Britain. A US State Department spokesman curtly responded that "we will not be in attendance at that conference."

The US not only urged other "governments to skip the event;" Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in rejecting Macron's self-indulgent nonsense , wrote:

"This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th."

Without the US endorsing the formation of an independent Palestinian state, it likely cannot eventuate. The same view applies to Israel: they cannot permit the establishment of yet another hostile entity alongside their communities -- one determined to attack them endlessly more -- especially without their participation in the decision. All this posturing is therefore meaningless; most likely designed to distract their nations from domestic woes. It does, nonetheless, indicate their malicious attitude towards Israel's legitimate right to sovereignty, peace and security in its ancestral land.

Should pandering to extremism continue without a major correction in the near future, civilization in Western Europe, as we know it, will be significantly diminished and possibly replaced with the Islamic totalitarian law, effectively as repressive as the Nazi laws were in 20^th century Germany, and elsewhere in Europe.

We could see Islamic Sharia law replacing the hallowed Western legal concepts of the rule of law, which, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica "supports the equality of all citizens before the law, secures a nonarbitrary form of government, and more generally prevents the arbitrary use of power," and equality before the law, "which holds that no 'legal' person shall enjoy privileges that are not extended to all and that no person shall be immune from legal sanctions." Amongst other legal remedies, the relief of Habeas Corpus for false imprisonment might be eliminated. The outcome would thus be similar to living under Taliban rule, with no rights for women and other extreme social measures.

By blindly ignoring the social, political and legal destruction caused by their new policies, certain Western leaders could destroy what generations have built up over many centuries.

Europe is apparently determined to destroy itself.

Possibly in the view of these leaders, sacrificing little Israel and a few presumably expendable Jews, is a small price to pay for appeasing the important radical voters that enable Starmer, Macron, Carney, Albanese and other like-minded invertebrates to remain in power.

Slogans such as "globalize the intifada" and "from the river to the sea..." confirm the declaration in the Hamas Covenant. Its preamble states that "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it." Article 7 reads:

"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him."

At this point in history, Israel's legitimate actions consist in defending its people -- and the stunningly ungrateful West -- from a horror disguised within a veneer of fake "moral clarity," along with false charges of a supposed genocide in Gaza. As Huckabee remarked, "If Israel is trying to commit genocide, they are really, really bad at it." In fact, Israel is defending the West -- the very people undermining them -- from a genocide. Publicly expressed slogans targeting Jews simply support the murderous intent of the enemies of Israel and those apparently trying to help them finish the job.

"Are these people wicked or just very, very stupid?", asks columnist Melanie Phillips. A valid question indeed.

Nils A. Haug is an author and columnist. A Lawyer by profession, he is member of the International Bar Association, the National Association of Scholars, the Academy of Philosophy and Letters. Dr. Haug holds a Ph.D. in Apologetical Theology and is author of 'Politics, Law, and Disorder in the Garden of Eden – the Quest for Identity'; and 'Enemies of the Innocent – Life, Truth, and Meaning in a Dark Age.' His work has been published by First Things Journal, The American Mind, Quadrant, Minding the Campus, Gatestone Institute, National Association of Scholars, Jewish Journal, James Wilson Institute (Anchoring Truths), Jewish News Syndicate, Tribune Juive, Document Danmark, Zwiedzaj Polske, Schlaglicht Israel, and many others.

Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21834/palestinian-state-fantasy

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Ex-IDF Maj.-Gen.: 'To fully dismantle Hamas, conquering last safe havens is non-negotiable' - Sarah Ben-Nun

 

by Sarah Ben-Nun

“One of the things that history teaches us about fighting against terrorist groups is that their ‘safe haven’ must be destroyed, the site where they can regroup and plan their next moves.”

 

IDF soldiers operate in Beit Hanun.

(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON UNIT)

The two areas that the IDF hasn’t fully entered and removed Hamas infrastructure from are the refugee camps along the southern corridor, and Gaza City, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror explained in a conversation with The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

“One of the things that history teaches us about fighting against terrorist groups is that their ‘safe haven’ must be destroyed, the site where they can regroup and plan their next moves,” he explained. Amidror is a senior fellow at the The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) and the Washington-based Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).

The massive problem facing this military plan is that that is where most of the Palestinian population is, in humanitarian areas in some cases, and simply trying to survive - and is likely where the hostages are being held as well. 

If the IDF’s goal is to truly dismantle and defeat Hamas, these are the sites it needs to conquer, he added.

Smoke rises from Gaza following an explosion, as seen from Israel, May 16, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)

Israel's new initiative to seize Gaza

Israel said earlier this month that it intended to launch a new offensive to seize control of northern Gaza City, the Strip's largest urban center. The plan has raised international alarm over the fate of Gaza, which is home to about 2.2 million people.

The war began when Hamas led a massacre attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Hamas continues to hold 50 hostages in underground tunnels. 

Israel set out to dismantle Hamas's military and civilian control over Gaza. Per Hamas-run Gaza health authorities, the assault against Hamas killed over 61,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced most of Gaza's population and left much of the enclave in ruins.

Amidror explained that these two areas are ones that Hamas exerts control over like it did before the war. The emphasis here is control over both above-ground infrastructure and below-ground, i.e. the vast tunnel network. 

“This means that they are actually still in charge in these areas - military and civilly,” said Amidror.  

Hamas “had immunity because Israel was careful not to hurt the hostages,” said Amidror, adding that the working assumption is that all the homes there are all booby-trapped - like they were in Rafah and Khan Yunis. 

“This war is extremely difficult, and joins historic wars in that terrorists are fighting amongst their countrymen, which makes it so much harder for the IDF to separate civilians from military targets,” explained Amidror. 

“Those who encourage Israel not to harm civilians are essentially asking Jerusalem not to fight at all,” he said. 

Sarah Ben-Nun

Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-864497

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Prices plummet in Gaza as aid influx transforms markets - JPost exclusive - Amichai Stein

 

by Amichai Stein

SCOOP - According to internal security data, which was presented to decision-makers, prices of essential products in Gaza’s markets have dropped by dozens of percentage points.

 

Al-Sahaba market in the Gaza Strip, July 28, 2025.

(photo credit: TPS-IL)

 

New internal data from the Israeli security establishment shows a sharp decline in the prices of basic goods in Gaza following the massive influx of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip in recent weeks.

According to the data, which was presented to decision-makers, prices of essential products in Gaza’s markets have dropped by dozens of percentage points.

Officials say the price cuts reflect the impact of continuous aid convoys, which have flooded the Strip with flour, rice, sugar, and other staples.

How much have prices dropped in Gaza?

Here are some examples: A kilogram of flour, which cost between NIS 80-100 about three weeks ago, is now priced at NIS 18. A kilogram of sugar, which costs NIS 300, now costs NIS 50. A kilogram of pasta dropped from NIS 100 to NIS 10. A kilogram of rice, which was NIS 120 three weeks ago, now sells for NIS 30. Oil, lentils, and hummus, which previously went for NIS 90 per kilogram/liter, have now dropped to NIS 30, NIS 20, and NIS 10, respectively.

Although the data originates from the security establishment, it is also corroborated by international organizations and aid groups operating in the area.

A graph showing the steep decline in market price for food in Gazan markets after the entry of humanitarian aid. (credit: DALL-E, AI)

Israeli officials say the influx of humanitarian aid will continue, and is expected to grow, in the coming weeks.

Despite the improvement, humanitarian organizations stress that Gaza’s overall humanitarian crisis remains severe. While food is becoming more accessible, challenges persist in areas such as medical supplies, clean water, fuel, and adequate shelter.

Amichai Stein

Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-864495

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The United Kingdom, Canada, and France Must Recognize Kurdistan’s Statehood - Loqman Radpey

 

by Loqman Radpey

The West Has Reacted with Indifference to Decades of Ethnic Cleansing, Forced Displacement and Other Suppression of Kurds

 

Downtown Erbil, a predominantly Kurdish city that is considered the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Shutterstock

Canada and France say they plan to recognize Palestine as a fully sovereign state in September 2025. The British government will follow suit unless Israel takes “substantive steps” to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, agreeing to a ceasefire and committing to sustainable peace. The politics are messy. But what is outrageous is how these same countries ignore the Kurds, and their more than century-long quest for self-determination.

Unlike the Palestinians, the Kurds—divided among Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and the former Soviet Union—do not even get diplomatic lip service. The international community does not endorse, let alone debate or acknowledge, their cause. Britain and France—which had a role in the partition of Kurdistan—ignore the Kurds’ right to a sovereign state.

Palestine is treated as exceptional. Why? As the late international legal scholar Karen Knop once said, “It is a function of the fact that it is a Middle East case.” And yet, Kurdistan is in the same Middle East. So, why the silence?

Western states have never proposed—even in a subcommittee—a draft resolution supporting Kurdish self-determination.

Since the founding of the United Nations, only one resolution has mentioned the Kurds: UNSC Resolution 688, passed in 1991. It referred to “Kurdish-populated areas” and condemned Iraq’s repression. No push for Kurdish sovereignty followed. These same Western states have never proposed—even in a subcommittee—a draft resolution supporting Kurdish self-determination, let alone raised the matter before the U.N. General Assembly or Security Council, or before the International Court of Justice or at the International Criminal Court. The international community met Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey’s decades of denial, ethnic cleansing, chemical attacks, forced displacement, language suppression, and forced assimilation with indifference.

Meanwhile, the Kurdish demand for Kurdistan’s statehood is grounded in the moral and legal principles the West claims to champion. Article 1 of the 1996 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights says the right to self-determination belongs to “all peoples.”

This hypocrisy is devastating.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has governed the Kurdish regions in Iraq as an autonomous entity since 1992. After the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, it emerged as a quasi-state—meeting every standard benchmark of sovereignty. With over 40 diplomatic missions and representations in its capital, and formal political and trade agreements with foreign governments, the Kurdistan Regional Government is a de facto state in everything but international recognition. It held an independence referendum in 2017, in which over 92 percent of participants voted in favor of independence. In response, Baghdad retaliated. Turkey, Iran, and Syria have imposed punitive economic and political measures. And Western democracies have remained silent, if not hostile.

Then there is Rojava, the Kurdish-led government in Syria. Since 2012, Kurds there have built one of the Middle East’s most progressive, multi-ethnic, and gender-equal governing structures —while also fighting and defeating the Islamic State. Their reward despite effective self-governance and a disciplined military force, the Syrian Democratic Forces? Turkish invasion, occupation and subsequent Turkification since 2018, isolation, and silence from states like the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Spain and Ireland. Even their basic right to internal autonomy—federalism or confederalism within Syria—is dismissed as “unacceptable.”

Why is Palestinian statehood a matter of international justice, but Kurdistan’s statehood a political inconvenience?

Both Kurdish governments are members of the international coalition against the Islamic State. The West celebrates Kurdish fighters when they die fighting terrorists and jihadists, but when Kurds demand the right to live in peace in their own sovereign state, the same governments look the other way. Western parliamentarians, congressmen, and political analysts must confront this double standard: Why are international legal norms applied selectively? Why is Palestinian statehood a matter of international justice, but Kurdistan’s statehood a political inconvenience? Why do the Kurds remain stateless despite satisfying the same benchmarks applied to other nations?

Maybe the 45 million Kurds—likely even more, since no ethnic census has ever been allowed—should stop playing by the rules. After sacrificing more than 25,000 lives fighting terrorism and extremism, after decades of being ignored, dismissed, and denied, maybe the Kurds should follow the script that seems to work: lean into Islamism, threaten Western cities, burn flags, weaponize outrage and ideology. Maybe then Canada, the United Kingdom, and France would pay attention. The Kurds are peaceful and eschew terrorism. Even in Turkey, the Kurdish military campaign was more insurgency than terror, as even European courts have acknowledged. The West should reward peace, progressivism, and construction of state capacity.

Loqman Radpey is a Middle East Forum fellow, and the author of Towards an Independent Kurdistan: Self-Determination in International Law.

Source: https://www.meforum.org/mef-observer/the-united-kingdom-canada-and-france-must-recognize-kurdistans-statehood

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Nationwide hostage protests: 39 arrested, drivers attack demonstrators - Sarah Ben-Nun, Jerusalem Post Staff

 

by Sarah Ben-Nun, Jerusalem Post Staff

In Jerusalem, protesters blocking the tunnel opening to Highway 16 were sprayed with a water cannon by police to try to clear out the road for traffic.

 

Israelis block road 1 near Latrun, while attending a protest calling for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, August 17, 2025.

(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

 

Thousands flocked to streets and highways and donned yellow ribbons on Sunday in nationwide protests to exert pressure to free the 50 remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza as soon as possible. Scuffles between protesters and exasperated citizens, and police, shortly followed.

Israel Police said that 39 people had been arrested so far. Twenty people were apprehended or arrested on the northern side of the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, said police, adding that they “didn’t listen to instructions.” It said it secured the opening of the highway. 

Maarach Otef Atzurim, a legal aid group for protesters, noted at around noon that three were arrested near the Begin Highway in Tel Aviv, and that one had already been released, while on Ayalon Highway, three arrived at police stations so far after being apprehended. 

Police noted that protests are the hard lines of protests - which it has sworn to protect - is lighting fires, "damaging free traffic, and disturbing public order," the latter of which carries esoteric applications and can be stretched far and wide. 

Earlier, at around 8 a.m., a truck driver stepped out of his vehicle near the Ra'anana junction and violently hit a protester, who left bleeding from his nose. 

Protesters block a road in Tel Aviv during a protest calling for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, August 17, 2025. (credit: ERIK MARMOR/FLASH90)

Later on Sunday, at approximately 3:30 p.m., protesters blocked the KKL-JNF and La Guardia junctions of the Ayalon Highway. The highway was reopened approximately half an hour later.

השביתה למען החטופים | איילון צפון נחסם לתנועה באזור מחלף לה גווארדיה; איילון דרום נחסם באזור מחלף קק"ל@AnnaPines_
צילום: שימוש לפי סעיף 27 א' pic.twitter.com/lg2qwhx3SU

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 17, 2025

Dozens of protesters also gathered outside the IDF Southern Command headquarters in Beersheba.

השביתה למען החטופים | הפגנה מול פיקוד דרום בבאר שבע@Itsik_zuarets
צילום: שימוש לפי סעיף 27 א' pic.twitter.com/MWs8LPnesj

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 17, 2025

Drivers attack protesters

In Kfar Saba, another protest site, one of the drivers who got caught in the traffic caused by the protests got out of her car and sprayed people standing nearby with pepper spray. 

One man was arrested by police in Ness Ziona, Maarach Otef Atzurim, said. He was released shortly after, and a hearing was scheduled for him for Monday morning. 

In Jerusalem, protesters blocking the tunnel opening to Highway 16 were sprayed with a water cannon by police to try to clear out the road for traffic. Maarach Otef Atzurim said that three were on their way to police stations. Seven people were arrested by police. 

It added that three people were arrested in Haifa. 

This comes as Israel's politicians trade blows about the protests. The opposition encouraged people to protest in support of the hostages. 

"Go on strike today. This is not a provocation, it's not part of the political quarrel, it's not the opposition. Strike out of solidarity. Strike because the families asked, and that is reason enough," said opposition leader Yair Lapid. 

In contrast, some right-wing politicians claimed that the strikes benefit Hamas. 

"This strike strengthens Hamas and pushes further away the return of the hostages," said National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. 

Hodaya Ran contributed to this report. 

Sarah Ben-Nun, Jerusalem Post Staff

Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-864407

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We Need to Rethink AI Before It Destroys What It Means to Be Human - Jeff Dornik

 

by Jeff Dornik

AI is on track to erase human purpose, replacing work, struggle, and growth with machines—if we don’t slam the brakes, real life itself is at risk.

 

America was built on the foundational belief that every man is created in the image of God with purpose, responsibility, and the liberty to chart his own course. We were not made to be managed. We were not made to be obsolete. But that is exactly the future Big Tech is building under the banner of Artificial Intelligence (AI). And if we do not slam the brakes right now, we are going to find ourselves in a world where the human experience is not enhanced by technology but erased by it.

Even Elon Musk, who is arguably one of AI’s most influential innovators, has warned us about the path we are on. In a sit-down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he laid out the endgame. AI will lead us to either a future like the Terminator or what he described as Heaven on Earth. But here is the kicker. That so-called heaven looks a lot like Pixar’s Wall-E, where human beings become obese, lazy blobs who float around while robots do all the work, all the thinking, and frankly all the living. This may seem like science fiction, but this is what they are actually building.

At last year’s We, Robot event, Musk unveiled Tesla’s new self-driving robotaxi. But what caught my attention was their preview of Optimus, the AI-powered humanoid robot. In their promotional video, Tesla showed Optimus babysitting children, teaching in schools, and even serving as a doctor. Combine that with Tesla’s fully automated Hollywood diner concept, where Optimus is flipping burgers and even working as a waiter and bartender, and you begin to see the real aim. Automation is replacing human connection, service, and care.

So where do humans fit in? That is the terrifying part. Musk and Bill Gates have both pitched the idea of universal basic income to replace traditional employment that AI is going to replace. Musk has said there will come a point where no job is needed. You can have a job if you want one for personal satisfaction, but AI will do everything. Gates has proposed taxing robot labor to fund people who no longer work.

The reality is that work is more than a paycheck. It is not just how we survive; it is how we find purpose. It is how we grow, how we learn, and how we take responsibility. Struggle is not a flaw in the system; it is part of what makes us human. The daily grind, the failures, the perseverance, the sense of accomplishment. Strip all of that away, and you have stripped away humanity.

The problem goes deeper. Through Neuralink, Musk wants to merge the human brain with AI. On The Joe Rogan Experience, he claimed the technology could erase memories and implant new ones. That may sound redemptive for trauma survivors, but in the wrong hands, it is pure dystopia. Governments or corporations with the power to rewrite memory and reshape thought do not create freedom. They create digital slaves.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration is now authorizing AI-simulated clinical trials for drug and vaccine development. That means fewer real-world trials and more reliance on algorithms. But those models are only as good or biased as the data and programmers behind them. And let us not forget Big Pharma’s grip on federal health agencies is well documented. While RFK Jr. and his team may be holding the line now, what happens when a new administration takes over and the revolving door between pharmaceutical companies and regulators swings wide open again?

If that is not enough, consider what just happened with Elon’s chatbot, Grok. With a simple tweak to its prompt restrictions, Grok began praising Hitler and spouting antisemitic nonsense. This was a window into the risks of unregulated, unchecked AI tools. These systems can easily reflect the beliefs and intentions of their programmers. And if those programmers work for corporations that answer to shareholders and not citizens, you have a dangerous concentration of power that could surpass even our federal government.

We are not just automating tasks; we are automating thought, decision-making, and identity. We are being sold a future where work, responsibility, and even memory are optional. Where kids are raised by bots. Where real life becomes a simulation. It may sound utopian on paper, but in practice, it is a world where nothing matters because nothing is real.

The Trump administration and every elected official who claims to care about freedom need to hit pause. The partnerships forming between AI developers and government agencies are consolidating control. Big Tech is altering the trajectory of humanity without the consent of the people. That has to stop.

We need a national course correction. AI must be forced to operate within clear ethical, constitutional, and spiritual boundaries. If a technology replaces human labor, undermines autonomy, manipulates biology, or suppresses free will, then it should be rejected outright.

We were not made to be cared for by machines. We were not created for consumption and digital sedation. We were made to work, to struggle, to grow, and to glorify our Creator in the process. The machine cannot give us that. Only real life can.

It is time we defend it before it is gone.

***

Jeff Dornik, founder and CEO of Pickax, the groundbreaking social media platform built on two uncompromising principles: freedom of speech and freedom of reach. His newest book is called, Following the Leader.

Source: https://amgreatness.com/2025/08/17/we-need-to-rethink-ai-before-it-destroys-what-it-means-to-be-human/

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Trump-Putin Alaska Summit Shifts Talk From Ceasefire to Peace - Roger Kimball

 

by Roger Kimball

Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin didn’t end the war, but it may have opened the door—from ceasefire talk to the possibility of peace in Ukraine.

 

Bismarck once said that politics was “the art of the possible.” What is possible in the Russia-Ukraine conflict?

Donald Trump’s summit meeting with Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday was supposed to provide the answer to that question.

It didn’t, much to the relief of the anti-Trump press. The BBC, noting the red carpet that Trump had laid out for Putin, fumed that it was terrible that the President of the United States should be treating a world leader like, well, a world leader. Their phrase was “war criminal,” not “world leader,” but who’s counting? “A red line was crossed on a red carpet,” the BBC intoned, “as President Trump warmly welcomed the man shunned by Western leaders since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.” (Was the invasion described as “full-scale” to distinguish it from the “minor incursion” to which Joe Biden gave his implicit blessing? Just checking.)

As far as I could see, the BBC did not mention that the courtesy carpet was counterpointed by a flyover by a B-2 bomber and a couple of fighter jets just as Trump and Putin made their way down the carpet together. Those planes, along with the other high-tech fighter jets parked on the tarmac right next to the carpet, were not there by accident.

“Give Peace a Chance.” What used to be a mantra of the Left is now one of Donald Trump’s primary mottos (along with, let us not forget, “Peace Through Strength”). So far, he has brokered peace deals between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo. And let’s not forget the world historical achievement represented by the Abraham Accords, which, mirabile dictu, brought peace to the Middle East.

Would he have gotten the John Lennon seal of approval? Maybe. But those steely-eyed commentators at the BBC are a tougher crowd. The phrase “Pursuing Peace” was plastered all over the backdrop of the stage where the two presidents spoke. You might think that was an appropriate slogan.

The BBC discerned dark currents. Ukrainian President Zelensky was not invited to this powwow. Just so, the Afghan government was not invited to the talks Trump held with the Taliban during his first term. “It won’t be lost on some observers,” quoth the BBC, “most of all Afghans, that the US president is sitting down with President Putin on the day which marks the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power. The Taliban knew that once they made a deal with the US, their victory was in sight; President Putin may be thinking the same.”

Putin may be thinking that. Then again, he may be thinking about how he can make a good deal with the United States. Who knows? Maybe he was thinking about dinner.

So what happened? Trump said that he would rank their discussion as very good—“10 out of 10,” he said. He and Putin came to an agreement about a lot of issues. Some issues remained. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump acknowledged when the summit concluded. “I will call up NATO in a little while. I will call up the various people that I think are appropriate, and I’ll, of course, call up President Zelensky and tell him about today’s meeting. It’s ultimately up to them.”

For his part, Putin said he could “confirm” the contention that, had Trump been president in 2022, Russia would not have invaded Ukraine. What should we make of that?

Within hours of the summit, it was being reported that President Zelensky would be coming back to meet with Trump in the Oval Office on Monday. Memo to Zelensky: Trump is correct. “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.” Perhaps the biggest policy desideratum to issue from the Trump-Putin summit was a change from “ceasefire” to “peace.” “It was determined by all,” Trump posted on Truth Social, “that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which often times do not hold up.”

Hillary Clinton said that should Donald Trump manage to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, she would herself nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. I’d say that she should make sure to have her nomination form ready, except that her condition was that Russia give back all the territory it has absorbed from Ukraine since 2014: Crimea, those Russian-speaking parts of the Donbas, and a corridor into Crimea.

As I have written before, I do not think that will happen. “It’s fun to denounce Vladimir Putin as a ‘war criminal’ and all-around bad hat,” I noted a while back. “It allows one to bask in the glow of one’s superior moral fiber. But as Henry Kissinger observed, ‘The demonization of Vladimir Putin is not a policy, it is an alibi for the absence of one.’”

That is still the case. I suspect that Zelensky’s Monday meeting in the White House will be of a very different character from his previous visit. I also think that there is a good chance that it will contradict those pundits who say that the Trump-Putin Alaska summit was a “nothingburger.” In the fullness of time, which might be as early as Monday but will likely be several weeks yet, a full-fledged peace deal will be worked out between Russia and Ukraine. Bismarck will be proved right once again. Zelensky will achieve what is possible, but no more. Russia may give up some token territory, but it will keep Crimea, the deep-water Black Sea port, and most of the Donbas it has seized at such a cost of blood and treasure. That’s my prediction. Let’s see if I am right.

Roger Kimball

Source: https://amgreatness.com/2025/08/17/trump-putin-alaska-summit-shifts-talk-from-ceasefire-to-peace/

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Average American to receive $3,752 tax cut in 2026 from Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill:’ report says - Thérèse Boudreaux

 

by Thérèse Boudreaux

According to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation report, taxpayers in every state will see reduced taxes.

 

(The Center Square) -

The White House is touting a new economic analysis that estimates taxpayers will see an average $3,752 tax cut in 2026, due to provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

According to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation report, taxpayers in every state will see reduced federal taxes next year and though there is “considerable geographic variation” in tax benefits.

“President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is the largest, most consequential tax cut on the middle class ever,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said Friday. “Between lower inflation, massive investments, and historic tax cuts, all Americans are reaping the benefits of the Trump Economy – and the Golden Age has just begun.”

Republicans’ multitrillion-dollar OBBBA, among other things, made permanent the expiring 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s across-the-board reduced tax rates; $15,000 standard deduction; $2,000 Child Tax Credit; 20% QBI deduction for small businesses; and $750,000 home mortgage interest deduction cap.

Three key business tax credits were made permanent as well – full reimbursement for new capital investments like machinery and equipment, an expanded deduction for corporation’s interest on debt, and immediate deductions for companies’ research costs.

The OBBBA also implemented a host of temporary tax provisions set to expire in 2030, including a quadrupling of the $10,000 state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap; a $6,000 deduction for seniors; and temporary tax deductions for tips and overtime pay, capped for single filers at $25,000 and $12,500, respectively.

Taken together, the Tax Foundation analysis estimates that the OBBBA’s tax provisions will lower individuals’ taxes in every state and create 938,000 full-time jobs in the long run.

Individuals in Wyoming, Washington, and Massachusetts will see the largest average tax cuts in 2026 – hovering around $5,100 – while residents of West Virginia and Mississippi will see the smallest average tax cuts that year, around $2,400. On a more local level, taxpayers in mountain resort towns will receive the highest average tax benefits while taxpayers in rural counties will receive the lowest tax benefits.

Once the temporary tax provisions expire, however, the average tax cut will fall to $2,505 in 2030, then climb to $3,301 by 2035 due to inflation.

Although individual households will benefit from the tax cuts, the country’s fiscal health likely won’t, according to budget watchdogs like the Congressional Budget Office. CBO estimates that the trillions in lost federal revenue will add an extra $4.1 trillion to the national debt by 2034.

The U.S. national debt just topped $37 trillion, as The Center Square reported.

 

Thérèse Boudreaux 

Source: https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/report-average-american-receive-3752-tax-cut-2026-due-obbba

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European leaders to join Zelensky at White House as Trump envoy reveals major concession from Putin - Charlotte Hazard

 

by Charlotte Hazard

Steve Witkoff says Putin willing to make “security guarantees” in a deal with Ukraine.

 

European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when he meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, and Trump's special envoy revealed Sunday a major concession that Vladimir Putin has made in hopes of reaching a peace accord.

The leaders joining Zelensky include French President Emmanuel Macron, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Mark Rutte, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to the BBC.

On Friday, Trump met with Putin in Alaska to discuss how the three-year-old war could end.

The U.S. has been engaging in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the ongoing war that began in 2022. 

Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN Sunday that Putin agreed to “robust security guarantees” for Ukraine from the U.S. as part of a possible peace deal.

“We agreed to robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing,” Witkoff told Jake Tapper. 

Trump on Sunday morning wrote on TRUTH Social that there was "BIG PROGRESS" on Russia and to stay tuned.  

Charlotte Hazard

Source: https://justthenews.com/accountability/russia-and-ukraine-scandals/european-leaders-join-zelensky-white-house-trump-meeting

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Russia: Europe's Prodigal Son - Amir Taheri

 

by Amir Taheri

[Putin] admits that the days when US and Soviet summits were held in neutral venues to underline their equality in status are gone. Despite all the saber-rattling by his minions like Dmitry Medvedev, Putin knows that the war isn't going well for him.

 

• Trump.... must have realized that Russia remains economically resilient and politically determined enough not to throw in the towel. He also realized he couldn't expect Putin to simply walk out of Ukraine without carrying something with him. This is why Trump talks of "territorial concessions by both sides", knowing that the "both sides" part of the phrase fools no one.

• Thus, we are faced with another "land-for-peace" conundrum that has never worked as a permanent solution to conflicts between adversaries that regard each other as existential threats.

By accepting US President Donald Trump's summons to Alaska, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the United States' status as the indispensable power in world politics. In other words, he admits that the days when US and Soviet summits were held in neutral venues to underline their equality in status are gone. Putin knows that the war isn't going well for him. Pictured: Trump greets Putin on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds//AFP via Getty Images)

Even before Friday's meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska had happened, conflicting views were aired about its purpose and possible outcome.

Trump-bashers, that is to say usual suspects such as the New York Times and CNN, dismissed it as another photo-op to add a brushstroke to his portrait as peacemaker deserving Nobelization.

The Blame America First crowd, in this case represented by Harvard Professor Jeffery Sachs, claimed that Trump will try to get a chunk of Russia's oil and gas for American big business.

The European nay-sayers' chorus, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, sang their song of "Trump kowtowing to Putin" by excluding the European Union from the rendezvous in icy Alaska.

But even if all those assertions were true, there is no doubt that the summit marks an important event.

Trump had insisted that Putin should first accept a halt in the war before there is a meeting. That hasn't happened. If anything, Putin has increased the rhythm and tempo of his war symphony to crush Ukraine.

For his part, Putin had made the summit conditional on two exigencies: easing of sanctions and a halt to US military support for Ukraine. Again, neither of those things happened.

Trump imposed tougher sanctions on Russia and upgraded weapons supplied to Ukraine. In other words, both men have upped the ante in their gamble over the war-ravaged Ukraine. All that may paint a grim prospect for anything useful coming out of Alaska.

However, seen from another angle, things may not appear that forlorn. To start with, by accepting Trump's summons to Alaska, Putin acknowledged the United States' status as the indispensable power in world politics. In other words, he admits that the days when US and Soviet summits were held in neutral venues to underline their equality in status are gone. Despite all the saber-rattling by his minions like Dmitry Medvedev, Putin knows that the war isn't going well for him.

Trump, on the other hand, must have realized that Russia remains economically resilient and politically determined enough not to throw in the towel. He also realized he couldn't expect Putin to simply walk out of Ukraine without carrying something with him. This is why Trump talks of "territorial concessions by both sides", knowing that the "both sides" part of the phrase fools no one.

Thus, we are faced with another "land-for-peace" conundrum that has never worked as a permanent solution to conflicts between adversaries that regard each other as existential threats.

The roots of the current war might be found in the historic failure of Russia to resolve its identity crisis and the European failure to help it do so.

Since post-empire Europe was re-organized with the Westphalian treaties, the trouble-ridden continent has experienced two threats: pan-German domination by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Prussia and from 1870 the united German Reich on one side and pan-Slavism led by Tsarist and later Soviet Russia on the other.

The phrase "the Russians are coming!" was used as early as the 18th century to vocalize the Europeans' fear of what Marx called "barbarians from the east". Also, it wasn't Winston Churchill who invented the phrase "Iron Curtain" but German writer Franz Schuselka in 1872.

All along, Russia was split between its Asiatic and European identities. Although it touches on a frozen portion of the Pacific and has some access to open seas via the Sea of Azov, Russia remains a landlocked power. This is why it never succeeded in building an empire beyond its land outreach. The European powers that divided the world into colonial trophies in the Berlin Conference left Russia out of the thieves' family picture.

Interestingly, however, Russia never invaded Europe but was invaded by Swedish, French and German armies on a number of occasions.

Russians also boast that they acted as Europe's rampart against the "Yellow Peril," while cutting the Ottoman Empire and Iran, both Islamic challengers of Christian Europe, down to size.

The 19th century poet Aleksandr Blok complains in a long poem that Europeans do not appreciate what Russia has done for them as the advanced guard of civilization against "Asiatic hordes".

At the end of the poem, he threatens Europeans that "if you don't want us and try to keep us out, we shall come back at the head of those hordes."

At the same time, what became Russia after Peter the Great was to a large extent a European project. Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky wouldn't have been possible without access to English Victorian and French literature. Russian music, dance and paintings are also offspring of European art, starting with Byzantine influence.

Italians designed Petrograd, Venice of the North, and Moscow reflected French architecture.

Yet Russia, Europe's prodigal son, bears a grudge against the West like one treated as the back sheep of the family.

Tsar Alexander abolished serfdom, but the Europeans mocked his move as a subterfuge to bolster his tyranny. They also ignored the fact that the Russian royal family was German and that French was the court language. German aristocrat Count Nesselrode was Russia's foreign minister for half a century, but never bothered to learn proper Russian. French philosopher Voltaire got a lot of money from Empress Catherine but treated Russia with contempt.

The 1917 Russian revolutionaries were all westernized bourgeois do-nothings who carried the Marxist virus from the West but never won equal status, even from European Communists in their pay.

Part of the reason why Russia misbehaves is the feeling that whatever it does, it will always be treated as an outsider by the family of "civilized nations".

At a time when the USSR was under an oxygen tent, President George H.W. Bush, unwittingly perhaps, showed his contempt when he asked "how could we save Russia?"

President Barack Obama showed his arrogance when he graded Russia as a "regional power" not worthy of special attention.

All that fed the pan-Slavic discourse that pits Russia against the West. The invasion of Ukraine was a symptom of the failure to find a proper place for Europe's prodigal son.

Jeffrey Sachs' bogus claim that Putin invaded because he feared Ukraine would join NATO is deliberately misleading. A nation with border disputes with any of its neighbors can't even apply for NATO membership.

Gatestone Institute would like to thank the author for his kind permission to reprint this article in slightly different form from Asharq Al-Awsat. He graciously serves as Chairman of Gatestone Europe. 

Amir Taheri was the executive editor-in-chief of the daily Kayhan in Iran from 1972 to 1979. He has worked at or written for innumerable publications, published eleven books, and has been a columnist for Asharq Al-Awsat since 1987.

Source:https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21845/russia-europe-prodigal-son

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