Profile picture
Elizabeth Tsurkov @Elizrael
, 5 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
Fascinating long-read about Trump's Middle East policy & Israel's ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia
newyorker.com/magazine/2018/…
The piece, like many others based (in part) on former Obama admin officials presents Trump's policy as a significant break from the past. Current policy is markedly worse, but Obama's realization that Netanyahu doesn't want peace did not translate into policy
Obama admin officials would speak derisively about Netanyahu behind closed doors, but they didn't do much in their time in office to advance Palestinian rights, for example, by presenting a peace plan, UNSC resolutions or even diplomatic sanctions due to human rights abuses.
While Obama's team did not help further Palestinian rights, it at least tried to prevent (at times successfully) things from getting worse. Those days are gone. Anyone who cares about human rights should be incredibly concerned about this.
U.S. behind-the-scenes interventions & public condemnations have prevented/constrained multiple Israeli human rights abuses, not just those of Palestinian rights. I'm saying this based on a decade+ of experience in Israeli human rights NGOs.
Missing some Tweet in this thread?
You can try to force a refresh.

Like this thread? Get email updates or save it to PDF!

Subscribe to Elizabeth Tsurkov
Profile picture

Get real-time email alerts when new unrolls are available from this author!

This content may be removed anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @Elizrael see all

Profile picture
Quick analysis of the developments in rebel-held Idlib/western Aleppo. Following collapse of Nour a-Din a-Zenki, the group most consistently able to mobilize its fighters against HTS jihadists, HTS is rushing to expand its control.
Main events:
The rapid collapse of Nour a-Din a-Zenki & al-Atareb, a town able to resist the domination of any outside group (regime/ISIS/jihadist rebels) for years, sent shock-waves through Idlib. Multiple towns surrendered to HTS, coming under its civilian & military control without a fight
Multiple sub-factions of the National Liberation Front, the conglomeration of anti-HTS rebels (Islamists and Free Syrian Army), publicly declared their neutrality to avoid being wiped out. Statements here from units of Jaysh al-Ahrar, Suquour al-Sham, Jaysh al-Nasr & Second Army.
Read 11 tweets
Profile picture
Sources in Idlib are telling me fighting between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadists vs. the National Liberation Front (NLF) + Turkish-backed FSA is about to escalate. Until now, most NLF & FSA did not join the fight.
Heavy fighting between HTS jihadists and National Liberation Front (Islamists) + Turkish-backed FSA. The sides are using artillery around Atmeh and Dir Balout IDP camps. Injuries & 1 death of civilians reported. Clashes ongoing in western Aleppo countryside as well.
Clashes ongoing in Idlib as well. The National Liberation Front took over several villages in Idlib while Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is gaining ground in western Aleppo. Multiple roads are closed in Idlib and Aleppo due to heavy clashes.
Read 28 tweets
Profile picture
Last night's incident in Gaza was a routine operation gone wrong, not an assassination attempt that would have escalated the situation.
The unit executing the op, Sayeret Maglan, routinely installs devices necessary for the collection of SIGINT beyond enemy lines.
Some of the communications equipment left behind in Gaza by the IDF unit that carried out last night's failed operation. Photo by Ismail Abu Ammar
Something went wrong & the unit was detected. In the ensuing firefight & ex-filtration, 7 Hamas members were killed & 7 injured. The deputy commander of Maglan, a Lt. Colonel, was killed & another officer in the unit was injured. Both Israeli casualties are Druze.
Read 8 tweets

Related threads

Profile picture
Trump: Day 696
-Under *17* Different Investigations
-Russia Targeted African-Americans
-Flynn's Business Partner Indicted
-Offers Farmers Extra $4.9B in Relief
-Student Loan Debt Reaches $1.47T
-Dow Plummets Another 507 Points
-Awarded "Golden Idiot" by Germans
Add...
Day 801 since Donald Trump admitted to sexual assault — yet he’s still in the Oval Office
Add...
Day 652 of NO EVIDENCE produced by Trump that his phones were tapped by Obama.

The FISA warrant Trump referenced targeted Carter Page. #TrumpLies
Read 77 tweets
Profile picture
Trump: Day 691
-Cohen Sentenced 3 Years in Prison
-"Dirty Deeds" Covered Up by Cohen
-AMI Admits Making Hush Payments
-Tabloid Acknowledges 'Catch & Kill'
-Moves 2 Deport Vietnam Refugees
-Giuliani Courts Business in Bahrain
-Pelosi Paves Way 4 House Speaker
Add...
Day 796 since Donald Trump admitted to sexual assault — yet he’s still in the Oval Office
Add...
Day 647 of NO EVIDENCE produced by Trump that his phones were tapped by Obama.

The FISA warrant Trump referenced targeted Carter Page. #TrumpLies
Read 75 tweets
Profile picture
SCOOP: While TRUMP was facing mounting pressure from prosecutors, @RUDYGIULIANI was in Bahrain on Tues, meeting with the King & other officials in an effort to win a lucrative security consulting contract. He is also pursuing work in Africa & South America nytimes.com/2018/12/12/us/…
PHOTO: @RUDYGIULIANI meeting with King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain on Tuesday, during a trip Rudy & his associates took to try to win a security contract from the Kingdom that could pay Rudy's firm millions of dollars. nytimes.com/2018/12/12/us/…
And here's @RUDYGIULIANI meeting on Tuesday with Bahrain's Interior Minister, police chief & ambassador to the US, along with former @WHNSC official KIRSTEN FONTENROSE (who oversaw TRUMP's Middle East policy) & lobbyist ROBERT STRYK, who arranged the trip. nytimes.com/2018/12/12/us/…
Read 4 tweets
Profile picture
It is all well & good that companies & lobbyists are reassessing #Saudi Arabia over reported murder of #JamalKhashogg. BUT! Where the fuck have all these people and firms been for decades? The violations of the #Saudi monarchy have never been a secret. nyti.ms/2CcsOjL
Glad to see people pay attention, finally, and I wish it hadn’t been over such a gruesome crime. I wish people and firms had started boycotting #Saudi royal family over its gender apartheid that affects all women there. Or the #Yemen war. Or jails full of activists. Or. And. Or.
This was my first oped about #Saudi Arabia for a US newspaper - ironically enough, The Washington Post. Fifteen schoolgirls had died in a fire because religious police wouldn’t let them out because the girls weren’t wearing a cloak and a headscarf washingtonpost.com/archive/opinio…
Read 16 tweets
Profile picture
1/ The #Saudi kidnapping of #Khashoggi reminds me of the kidnapping of #Hariri. It is meant to embarrass the other party, this time the gov of #Turkey, and provoke a diplomatic crisis. This is drug Cartel methods. It has no other goal than to assert power over the other.
2/ However, resorting to these methods to assert power in the political and international affairs sphere is always a sign of weakness and a sign of a power in crisis. #SaudiArabia
Read 216 tweets
Profile picture
In honor of Thomas Friedman’s latest love letter to Saudi here is 70 years of the NY Times describing #Saudi royals in the language of #reform.
This piece from 1953 describes King Saud as “more progressive and international-minded than his autocratic father”
This piece from 1957 doesn’t refer to Saudi Arabia specifically but it’s an epic headline nevertheless.
Read 42 tweets

Trending hashtags

#healthtech #alQaeda #Skripal #TrumpLies #Fight #pt #KremlinAnnex #TrumpTrain #IranDeal #university #Russia #Hitler #Bannon #GameOver #TrumpShutdown #reform #Hamedan #Fiance #turnaround #WeAreHostages #NSA #Obama #NeverForget #PeaceThroughStrength #SDF

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member and get exclusive features!

Premium member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year)

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!