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In this mailing:
* Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinians: Abbas Chooses Hamas Over Peace with Israel
* Con Coughlin: UK: Boris Johnson Must Decide between Washington and Beijing
* Is Cannabis a "Gateway" to Harder Drugs?


** Palestinians: Abbas Chooses Hamas Over Peace with Israel ([link removed])
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by Khaled Abu Toameh • January 30, 2020 at 5:00 am
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* Hamas and Iran have no plans to boost the economy in the Gaza Strip. They also have no intention of creating jobs for thousands of unemployed Palestinians.
* "After years of no progress, the donor community is fatigued and reluctant to make additional investments so long as the governance structure in Gaza is run by terrorists who provoke confrontations that lead to more destruction and suffering." — From the "Peace to Prosperity" plan.
* In fact, the wording of Trump's plan is quite compatible with the position of Abbas and his PA officials in the West Bank.
* By forging an alliance with Hamas, a terror group that does not recognize Israel's right to exist, Abbas is already signaling his readiness to join forces with those who oppose any peace process with Israel. Such an alliance effectively places Abbas on the side of Iran and its Hamas and PIJ proxies.
* Abbas and Hamas may renew their relations in the near future, but it will be the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip who will suffer, condemned by their leaders to poverty and misery.
* In their response to the "Peace to Prosperity" plan, Palestinian leaders have once again succeeded in what they do best: taking any hope for the wellbeing of their people and driving it straight into the ground.

Instead of welcoming President Donald Trump's peace plan, designed to give the Palestinians a prosperous future, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected and denounced it as the "deal of shame" and "slap of the century." Pictured: Abbas denouncing the peace plan in Ramallah on January 28, 2020. (Photo by Abbas Momani/AFP via Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump's "Peace to Prosperity" plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians offers hope to the two million Palestinians of the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by Hamas for more than a decade.

Instead of welcoming the plan, designed to give the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip a prosperous future, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected and denounced it as the "deal of shame" and "slap of the century."

Worse, Abbas has chosen to renew his ties with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the two Iranian-backed groups that are opposed to his policies and have regularly condemned his policies and decisions.

Abbas, in other words, is acting not only against the interests of his people in the Gaza Strip, but also against himself by engaging the same groups that have long been seeking to undermine his rule.

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** UK: Boris Johnson Must Decide between Washington and Beijing ([link removed])
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by Con Coughlin • January 30, 2020 at 4:30 am
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* Mr Johnson would be well-advised to heed Mr Pompeo's advice and reconsider allowing Huawei access to Britain's telecoms systems, irrespective of the restrictions the British authorities claim they will impose on the firm's access to sensitive installations.
* In an age when the foremost challenge of the Western democracies is to defend their interests against Beijing's long-term goal of achieving global dominance, it is vital that they present a united front against the Chinese threat.
* Mr Johnson needs to understand that Britain's interests are best served by maintaining strong ties with Washington, rather than by indulging in dubious business deals with Beijing.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be well-advised to heed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's advice and reconsider allowing Huawei access to Britain's telecoms systems, irrespective of the restrictions the British authorities claim they will impose on the firm's access to sensitive installations. Pictured: Johnson (left) and Pompeo on May 7, 2018, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to allow the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei access to Britain's new 5G network has placed unnecessary strain on the transatlantic alliance at a time when it needs to show a united front against Beijing's global ambitions.

Mr Johnson's decision to allow Huawei to build parts of the 5G network has been taken in the face of fierce opposition from the Trump administration, which regards the Chinese company a security risk because of its historic links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

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** Is Cannabis a "Gateway" to Harder Drugs? ([link removed])
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January 30, 2020 at 4:00 am
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(Image source: iStock)

As legalized marijuana becomes epidemic across the country, Gatestone Institute will be posing serious questions throughout the coming year regarding its potential impact on road and occupational safety; its effect on children and our country's overall health, the role of states to protect society from its potential abuse and what lessons can be applied from the tragedy of driving "under the influence".

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