VFI News December 6, 2022

Protests on the streets of Iran continue to gain momentum, as thousands flock to the streets while the Iranian authorities continue their violent crackdown and executions in an effort to stamp out the protests. Is Israel responsible for the recent assassination of top IRGC officials in Iran? All of this and more in this week's episode of VFI News.

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Iran's official news agency reported Sunday morning, December 4, that the Islamic Republic has executed four people accused of collaborating with the Israeli Mossad. According to the report, the four were executed by hanging.

Two weeks ago, Iranian authorities announced they had sentenced four individuals to death. According to the semi-official Iranian government’s news agency, the four were suspected of cooperating with the Israeli intelligence service and kidnapping Iranian officials.

The report adds that three others were given five to ten years behind bars for allegedly damaging national security, aiding in kidnappings, and possessing illegal firearms.

Iran occasionally announces the detention of people it says are spying for foreign countries, including the United States and Israel. Tehran does not recognize Israel and supports anti-Israeli armed groups across the region, such as Hezbollah and Hamas.

Iran’s Revolutionary Court regularly hands out death sentences, although it remains unclear which court charged the four men. (INN / VFI News)

“God, we ask for help in protecting our citizens around the globe and not be consistently detained and harmed by other nations. We give our condolences to the relatives of the deceased and hope that this was the last incident of such malevolence.”

The articles included in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Vision for Israel. We try to provide accurate reporting on news pertinent to Israel, the Middle East, the diaspora, and Jewish issues around the world—and we hope that you find it both informative and useful for intercessory prayer.

Iran is intensifying its efforts to kidnap and kill government officials, activists and journalists, with security agencies in the US, Canada and the UK warning residents of threats to their lives by the Iranian regime, American media reported on Thursday, December 1.

The report is based on government documents and interviews with 15 officials in the US, Europe and the Middle East. The individuals being targeted include former senior US government officials, Iranian dissidents who fled to Western countries, media organizations critical of the regime, and Jewish individuals or people linked to Israel.

Similar to earlier reports, an American media outlet was told by officials that Iran is using proxies such as local criminals to carry out its plans.

The officials warned that while so far Iran has failed to carry out an attack, it is persistent and likely to succeed in assassinating a dissident, journalist or Western official, which could spark a direct conflict with Tehran.

The officials added that the rate of attempts has drastically increased in the past two years and are more ambitious and far-reaching than past attempts.

The report comes as British and Canadian officials warned local Iranian dissidents that the Iranian regime was targeting them.

Three weeks ago, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service stated that it is "actively investigating several threats to life emanating from the Islamic Republic of Iran based on credible intelligence". (JPost / VFI News)

A football fan was allegedly shot dead by Islamic Regime security forces Tuesday night, November 29, after he celebrated Iran's defeat to the USA in the World Cup.

Mehran Samak, 27, was reportedly shot in the head in the city of Anzali, eastern Iran, by government agents after he honked his car horn to celebrate the Iranian national team's 1-0 loss.

Samak was sitting in his car next to his fiancée when a member of Iran's security forces approached their car and shot the football fan with a bullet to the head, reports Iranian media.

He was rushed to a hospital but he died within an hour. Samak had joined dozens of other Iranians across the country who celebrated the national team's loss to the United States amid growing anger against the Islamic Regime.

Many saw the match result as a victory against the Iranian government, which has cracked down on nationwide protests that have engulfed the Islamic Republic for months. In Iran's Kurdish region, football fans set off fireworks and honked car horns early on Wednesday to celebrate the Iranian team's defeat. (DM / VFI News)

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” - Isaiah 5:20

Iran's Attorney General, Mohammad Jaafar Montazeri, announced the dissolution of the Morality Police following the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, and months of widespread protests that followed.

On Saturday, December 3, Iranian authorities said they were reviewing a decades-old law that requires women to cover their heads in public, French media reported.

"Both parliament and the judiciary are working (on the issue)" of whether the law needs any changes, Montazeri was quoted as saying at the time, adding that, "The review team met on Wednesday with parliament's cultural commission "and will see the results in a week or two."

Montazeri did not specify what could be modified in the law by the two bodies, which are largely in the hands of conservatives.

The announcement comes as protests in Iran continue following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, after she was arrested for an alleged breach of the country's strict dress code for women based on Sharia law.

Hundreds of protesters have been killed in more than two months of nationwide unrest, including dozens of minors. In addition, at least six people have so far been handed death sentences. (INN / VFI News)

“You, Lord, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked.” - Psalm 12:7

Explore the hidden connections between East and West—with this unique musical experience that spans across Israel and the nations, while blending middle eastern and country-western musical styles as well.

UNRWA, the UN agency tasked with helping “Palestinian refugees”, announced it found a tunnel underneath one of its schools in the Gaza Strip, condemning it as a "neutrality breach", Israeli-based media reported on Wednesday, November 30.

In a statement, UNRWA did not mention Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and has dug many tunnels used for terrorist operations and leading from Gaza to Israeli territory.

"The Agency protested strongly to the relevant authorities in Gaza to express outrage and condemnation of the presence of such a structure underneath one of its installations," UNRWA said in the statement.

"The presence of a man-made cavity underneath the grounds of an UNRWA school is a serious violation of the Agency’s neutrality and a breach of international law. Moreover, it exposes children and Agency staff to significant security and safety risks," it added.

This is not the first time that a tunnel has been discovered underneath an UNRWA installation. In June of 2021, UNRWA admitted it revealed a tunnel beneath one of its schools that armed terrorist groups utilized during a round of fighting with Israel the previous month.

During the 2014 counterterrorism Operation Protective Edge, Hamas rockets were discovered inside a school building run by UNRWA. Likewise, a booby-trapped UNRWA clinic was detonated, killing three IDF soldiers.

Aside from the massive amounts of explosives hidden in the walls of the clinic, it was revealed that it stood on top of dozens of terror tunnels, showing how UNRWA is closely embedded with Hamas. (INN / VFI News)

“God, we ask that the real perpetrators are held responsible for their terrorist actions, and that the truth is established, so that malicious attacks can be prevented onwards.”

The UN General Assembly voted Wednesday afternoon, November 30, in favor of holding a commemorative event in honor of the 75th “Nakba Day,” the Palestinian name for Israel’s establishment, which translates to “catastrophe.”

The vote was 90-30, with 47 abstentions. The United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom were among those who opposed the move. Most of the European Union also rejected the motion, save for Cyprus which supported the measure.

Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan tweeted that the UN in "passing such an extreme and baseless resolution, the UN is only helping to perpetuate the conflict."

In a UN General Assembly plenum debate prior to the vote, Erdan called for the UN to “stop ignoring the Jewish Nakba,” referring to the 750,000 Jews expelled from Arab and Muslim countries in the aftermath of Israel’s establishment.

“What would you say if the international community celebrated the establishment of your country as a disaster? What a disgrace,” Erdan said. (JPost / VFI News)

“Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!” - Psalm 14:7

Abe Foxman, the past Anti-Defamation League leader who long has said that nothing could separate him from support for Israel, now says the leaders of an "extreme" party could do the trick if they get their way in coalition talks with incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I never thought that I would reach that point where I would say that my support of Israel is conditional,” Foxman said in an interview published Friday, December 2, by Israeli media.

“I’ve always said that [my support of Israel] is unconditional, but it’s conditional. I don’t think that it’s a horrific condition to say: ‘I love Israel and I want to love Israel as a Jewish and democratic state that respects pluralism.’”

“If Israel ceases to be an open democracy, I won’t be able to support it,” he said. Foxman said his outlook reflected that of the larger Jewish community — but added that he was optimistic Netanyahu would not let the leaders of Otzma Yehudit, the party accused of extremism, assuming a role in the incoming government, make drastic changes.

“I think he’s sensitive and smart enough to listen, to see the very serious concerns that [American Jews] have” said Foxman, who retired from the ADL in 2015, 50 years after first joining the organization.

He pointed to an interview Netanyahu had recently, in which the incoming prime minister said he would not allow the excesses counseled by the right-wing party leaders including Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Avi Maoz. (INN / VFI News)

President Isaac Herzog participated Sunday night, December 4, in an economic forum held at the Bahrain Economic Development Board, with the participation of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

During the event, the President announced that an expanded business delegation will visit Bahrain soon to promote economic cooperation.

President Isaac Herzog at the start of the event: "It is a great honor for us to be here. Your hospitality means so much to us and to our delegation."

"I am so happy to meet our counterparts. In this meeting we will speak about how to raise and move forward and upgrade remarkably the economic relations between our nations. As you said correctly, the Abraham Accords unleashed energy that existed underneath, but had to be realized between the nations, and we truly feel in the family."

"We truly feel that we are meeting our cousins, our brothers and sisters. I bring a message of goodwill and congratulations from the people of Israel to the people of Bahrain, hoping to create more business contacts and other relations in all areas of life, so we can show the entire region why peace is so important." (INN / VFI News)

“In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.” - Psalm 72:7

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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