Monday, December 18, 2023

12/18 Links Pt1: Standing up to the American colossus; Moshe Dayan and the Ghosts of Gaza; Jerry Seinfeld lands in Israel in show of solidarity

From Ian:

Seth Mandel: Moshe Dayan and the Ghosts of Gaza
Funeral orations have a special place in the history of great speechwriting. Battlefield eulogies have an advantage within the genre because of the drama inherent in the story, so it’s no surprise that Pericles’s funeral address for the casualties of the Peloponnesian War is often invoked, despite being two millennia old.

Eight years after the founding of the modern state of Israel, its revered military figure Moshe Dayan gave what is still his country’s most famous battlefield eulogy—one of its most famous speeches of any kind, in fact—that over the decades has attained in Israel the mythic status of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. And it is a speech that a great many Israelis are rereading or rewatching these days, because it warned the courageous Jewish pioneers on the Gaza border that their living dream could only be sustained by an ice cold realism. It was delivered in Nahal Oz, the same Nahal Oz that was infiltrated by Hamas murderers on Oct. 7. And its occasion was a murderous infiltration from Gaza 67 years ago. Dayan’s speech could have been written after Oct. 7 but was in fact written to prevent an event like Oct. 7 from happening.

Roi Rotberg was 13 during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948 when he volunteered as a messenger for the soldiers fighting for the Jewish homeland. He was 21 when he was killed by Arab gunmen from Gaza. As Nahal Oz’s security officer, he rode out to the fields regularly to chase away Arab thieves coming from across the border. When he did so on April 29, 1956, he rode right into a trap and was shot. Gazans dragged his body to their side of the border, badly mutilated it, and returned it to the Israeli side.

Dayan’s eulogy for Rotberg gets compared to the Gettysburg Address because it was brief yet powerful, a statement of national purpose and identity amid tragedy, and a searing indictment of complacency. Israelis must look at themselves through Gazan eyes, he told those gathered. In 1956, many of those in Gaza were refugees from the war. Not only did they fail to exterminate the Jews, but the Jews had clearly been accepted by the soil itself in their ancient homeland. And so, Dayan said, “Not from the Arabs of Gaza must we demand the blood of Roi, but from ourselves.” Jews have forgotten, he lamented, that the youth of Israel carry the burden of “the heavy gates of Gaza, beyond which hundreds of thousands of eyes and arms huddle together and pray for the onset of our weakness so that they may tear us to pieces.”

Without security and vigilance, the Jews of Nahal Oz could not plant a single tree because “beyond the furrow that marks the border, lies a surging sea of hatred and vengeance, yearning for the day that the tranquility blunts our alertness, for the day that we heed the ambassadors of conspiring hypocrisy, who call for us to lay down our arms.”
Caroline glick: Standing up to the American colossus
Insisting that this “diplomatic solution” is a viable alternative to war, the administration is demanding that Israel do nothing to physically secure its territory from Hezbollah terror forces and missiles.

As for Iran, the United States showed its continued subservience to the idea that Iran is a responsible regional power last week when it unfroze another $10 billion in Iranian revenue, which had been frozen under U.S. sanctions. Since Oct. 7, the United States has enabled the transfer of $16 billion to Iran.

Sullivan’s interview last Thursday with Channel 12’s Yonit Levi was a sterling example of how the administration obfuscates its hostile policies towards Israel. While speaking emotionally about how Hamas’s attack was the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, Sullivan gave no clear answers to any of Levi’s questions about U.S. support for Israel’s war goals. When she asked him whether the United States was demanding that Israel limit the timeline for its war against Hamas, Sullivan spoke of the need to target Hamas’s terror masters and limit bombing. When Levi asked whether the United States would reject an Israeli determination that it must militarily degrade Hezbollah’s military power on the border, Sullivan insisted that the United States believes there is a diplomatic solution to the Hezbollah threat. And when Levi asked whether Israelis should be concerned that the United States may refuse to provide Israel with sufficient ammunition to win the war, Sullivan said that he had just checked to see where congressional approval of Biden’s request for $14 billion in military assistance stood. He didn’t mention that it still hasn’t been approved.

As Michael Doran of the Hudson Institute wrote on his X account, the interview displayed “what the rhetorically-artful national security advisor openly admits, what he tries to dress up as more attractive than it is, and what he hides entirely.”

Why is the United States leveraging its position as Israel’s primary arms supplier and diplomatic shield at the United Nations—that is, its position as Israel’s ally—to compel an Israeli military defeat at the hands of Iran and its proxies, in a war that Israel rightly views as an existential conflict just as fateful as its 1948 War of Independence?

The answer is politics.

As the war in Gaza has progressed, President Biden’s political problems have multiplied. To win next November, Biden needs to secure the coalition of Democrats and Independents that elected him. But that coalition is split over the war. Most Independents support Israel. But according to a Wall Street Journal poll, 25% of Democrats support Hamas over Israel and only 17% of Democrats support Israel over Hamas. (Forty-eight percent of Democrats support Israel and Hamas equally). To win the election, Biden needs to rebuild his coalition and he can only do this by ending the war. And he can only end the war by forcing Israel to stand down, and so lose.

Israel doesn’t have to accept this state of affairs. According to a Harvard/Harris poll, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoys significantly more public support in the United States than Biden himself. Israel itself is supported broadly by 81% of Americans. The Harvard/Harris polling data has several internal contradictions, but the thrust of the data makes clear that Israel enjoys the support of a broad cross section of American society, including key Biden constituencies.

If Israel stands its ground and refuses to buckle to the administration’s bullying tactics, and if Netanyahu explains Israel’s position in a way the American public can understand, it will be able to maintain the support of the majority of Americans for its war effort and compel the Biden administration to stand with the Jewish state as we prosecute this life and death struggle to victory.
Hen Mazzig: Calling for a Ceasefire Is an Antisemitic Demand That Jews Endorse Our Own Genocide
One can criticize Israel without being antisemitic, the pro-Palestinian faction says. I agree with that statement. But calling for a ceasefire at this juncture is not criticism; it's a dogwhistle, a demand that Jews to lay down and accept the attacks against them.

Calls for ceasefire also conveniently ignore the connection between Israel and Jews. Zionism is a movement for the re-establishment of the Jewish nation of Israel following centuries of Jewish diaspora. Formally established in 1948, Israel became a beacon of hope for Jews worldwide experiencing persecution.

My own family exemplifies this reality. Concurrent with the Holocaust in Europe, Jews in the Middle East faced violent dispossession just for being Jewish. My Iraqi grandmother was just a child in 1941 when she experienced the Farhud, a two-day pogrom against the Jewish population of Baghdad. During these days of antisemitic violence, my grandmother witnessed her best friend being raped and murdered in the streets of Iraq, just for being Jewish. Meanwhile, Tunisian Jews like my paternal grandfather were conscripted to detention camps and forced labor in a gulag, where conditions were barbaric.

Even though we and the world have seen all this before, Israel nevertheless committed to a ceasefire on November 21, an agreement that included an exchange of all hostages taken on October 7 as well as Hamas putting a stop to all missiles launched into Israel. Predictably, Hamas began firing rockets into Israel fifteen minutes into that ceasefire. They also slaughtered four Israelis on Nov. 30 in Jerusalem, and continued attacking Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

To those with genuine hearts who just want the suffering and carnage to stop, know that I am with you. I understand the hurt you are feeling and pray every day for an end to this war so we can begin the difficult process of healing and peace.

As hopeful as I am, I am also realistic: Hamas started this war on Oct. 7, and the only thing that guarantees an end to all the pain and suffering for Israelis and Gazans is for Hamas to lay down its weapons and release the 135 hostages.

Pressuring Israel, which is on a rescue mission to release its citizens from captivity and bring a group of barbaric death agents to justice, will do nothing to bring peace of mind to humanity or peace to the region.

I am certain that this is clear to many of those calling for a ceasefire. But much like the chant "from the river to the sea," the calls for "a ceasefire" have turned into another thinly veiled euphemism for the destruction of the Jewish state that is meant to fool the American public.


Avi Issacharoff: Israel must fight Gaza war to the end
Sinwar, from his hideout in the underground tunnels of Gaza, will continue to try to exploit the hostages’ families as much as possible and will employ many more psychological warfare attacks in the coming days to increase pressure on the government to halt the ground operation. He needs it, as this is what he planned in the first place: For the hostages to give him the time and assurance he needs to avoid being targeted and eliminated.

Therefore, in the coming days, there will likely be many statements made by senior Hamas officials saying that if the Israeli attacks stop, then another hostage release deal could be agreed on. But that doesn’t mean that such a deal will actually come to pass. Sinwar and his companions will specifically try to buy more time to ensure their survival.

And perhaps it’s also necessary to tell the Israeli public and captives’ families the truth: An immediate deal won’t take place. Even if Israel offers the release of all Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in exchange for all Israeli hostages, Sinwar won’t agree to it without a clear international guarantee that he and his associates will be given immunity, and that Hamas will be able to return and rule the Gaza Strip.

There are also a few words that need to be said about the IDF’s ground operation. Despite the great cost of human lives, the danger to the lives of the hostages, and the shifting sense between euphoria and depression in television studios, this move shows results on the ground.

Ultimately, we must remember: if IDF soldiers hadn't opened fire on the three captives in Shijaiyah, most of the focus of this incident would likely be around the clear indication of the dismantling of Hamas and the loss of command-and-control capabilities by the organization's leadership.

It takes time, and it will take an additional time. The widespread ground operation we’re now seeing in Khan Younis may change its face and become based on more targeted and intelligence-based actions but it will continue, and the U.S. government understands and accepts this.

Hamas is paying a heavy price for its decision to launch an attack against Israel on October 7, and it will continue to do so. Additionally, we must also make sure to remember – even in times when the news feeds compel us all to immerse ourselves in the national turmoil – that the State of Israel has no choice but to act until Hamas’ complete elimination. Israel can’t allow this terror organization, responsible for the greatest disaster in the country's history, to return to power in Gaza. If this were to happen, we would see more and more attempts to carry out actions and attacks reminiscent of that on October 7. Only a determined and consistent action against Hamas can prevent such disasters in the future.
Seth Frantzman: Israel Faces Pressure to Shift to “Low Intensity” Conflict in Gaza
The question now becomes what the next phase of the war will bring to Gaza. Israel has increased the amount of aid that can enter Gaza through its Kerem Shalom crossing. Other countries, such as the UAE, have helped set up a field hospital, and Jordan recently conducted an airdrop for civilians in Gaza. More than 1.5 million Gazans have been displaced by fighting. Israel encouraged civilians to leave areas in northern Gaza and around Khan Yunis. However, this presents a conundrum for Israel. The IDF hasn’t wanted to leave civilians in the rear of operations, meaning that when it fights Hamas in a densely populated neighborhood such as Jabalya and Shujaiya near Gaza City, the goal is to first get civilians to leave. This takes time. It means nothing can be done quickly in Gaza. The campaign can’t be executed like the U.S. march on Baghdad in 2003, for instance, where divisions rolled through cities, heading for Baghdad.

It also means that in areas that the IDF works hard to take control of, the area may revert to some kind of chaos after. This appears to have happened at Al-Shifa Hospital, where the IDF fought to eject Hamas from areas near the hospital and even recovered the bodies of two hostages in November. Now, the WHO says the hospital continues to host tens of thousands of displaced people. It’s not clear who will administer these areas that Israel either secures or withdraws from as the advance in Gaza shifts tempo. The goal is to defeat Hamas. That can’t happen if Hamas simply returns to areas from which the IDF had driven them. At the same time, it’s not clear how Israel will completely defeat Hamas if it won’t filter civilians back to areas in northern Gaza and provide for some administration of those areas in order to then advance into areas Hamas still controls.

Hamas had an estimated twenty-four battalions when the war began. Israel estimated in early December it had eliminated 7,000 terrorists in fighting. However, the continued fighting in northern Gaza shows that Hamas battalions continue to exist in some form there. If Israel transitions from major combat operations, as reports suggest the United States is advising Israel to do, then there will be questions about how the rest of Hamas battalions will be defeated. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin flew to the Middle East on December 17, arriving after U.S. Centcom commander General Michael Kurilla had been in Israel. Together, the top U.S. defense officials and brass are showcasing a close U.S.-Israel partnership but also a potential shift in messaging about Gaza.

The shift to ending major combat operations conjured up the U.S. transition in Iraq in May 2003, just two months after the war began, to ending major operations. This didn’t end well, as an Iraqi insurgency sprang up. Hamas appears well positioned to benefit from a pause in fighting, “low intensity” raids, or a conflict of attrition. Israel’s leadership also is not inclined to see the Palestinian Authority governing Gaza. Without them, it appears Hamas will continue to rule over civilians in areas in Gaza. A third alternative has not yet been proposed.
Col Kemp: Shijaiyah: In one of history's most treacherous battlefields, friendly fire is almost a given
I’ve been into Hamas’s tunnels. They are heavily fortified, concrete-lined and with electric lighting and air supply. Pre-prepared with concealed sniper positions and rigged with explosives, some are fitted with heavy blast doors which further complicate any assault.

But that’s not all. IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has reported that Hamas have been using suicide attackers, a uniquely difficult and lethal enemy to counter. An opponent who wears civilian clothes and operates within the civilian population can only really be identified if he is carrying or firing a weapon. If you don’t make the right split-second decision when someone appears in front of you in civilian clothes, without a rifle, with his hands up and with an unseen suicide vest beneath his outer clothing, you and your comrades could be vaporized. Or if there is no suicide vest you might just have killed an innocent civilian. There is no tougher call.

Inside Gaza, I witnessed scenes of destruction the like of which I had only before seen first-hand in Mostar in Bosnia nearly 30 years ago and in Bakhmut in Ukraine earlier this year. Most of the houses and other buildings were either totally destroyed or badly smashed up. Why has such devastation been necessary? You will have a better idea when I tell you that in almost every alleyway and something like every other house in Shijaiyah the IDF have found explosives, weapons and booby-traps, not to mention terror tunnel entrances. I entered one partly destroyed house and saw boxes of Iranian-supplied hand grenades that had been stored in a child’s bedroom.

In the midst of this hell, IDF soldiers are daily risking their lives to hunt down Hamas terrorists and to find and rescue Israeli hostages held at gunpoint. I spoke to many of them inside the Strip and saw some of them in action. What I found deeply impressed me. The standards of professionalism and battle discipline of these young conscripts are remarkable, especially when you consider that most are straight out of high school, as well as the older reservists who dropped what they were doing in their offices and factories, grabbing rifles and uniforms to answer the call of duty.

I was struck also by their sky-high morale and incredible fighting spirit, virtues that are so vital in any fighting army. They know only too well the risks they face each day, with death just one bullet or bomb away, and too often they see their comrades maimed and killed beside them. Yet every single one I met, with images of October 7 burned into their minds, remains utterly committed to protecting their families, friends and countrymen, some only a few miles from where they are fighting.

Consequently, they have been exceptionally successful so far in this fight, killing terrorists in large numbers and forcing many of them to surrender. But at the same time, they have inevitably made mistakes like the tragic killing of Yotam Haim, Samer Talalka and Alon Shamriz. That is the tragic nature of war and must not be allowed to cause the IDF to waver in its vital mission of destroying Hamas and rescuing the remaining hostages.
Austin in Israel to push scale-back in war on Hamas
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel on Monday, where he is expected to pressure Jerusalem to scale back the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

He met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv in the afternoon after an earlier meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined Austin in the Jewish state, where they participated in a team meeting that included Austin’s chief of staff Kelly Magsamen and Deputy U.S. Ambassador to Israel Stephanie Hallet.

Representing the Israeli side were Gallant, National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, and the military secretary to the prime minister, Maj. Gen. Avi Gil.

Austin was also scheduled to attend a meeting of the War Cabinet, which includes Netanyahu, Gallant and Minister-without-Portfolio Benny Gantz.

Austin and Netanyahu made statements at the start of the extended meeting with the War Cabinet, with the premier welcoming the American and his delegation, saying that “we are fighting a war of civilization against barbarism.”

Netanyahu continued, “I can say that when we talked, I mentioned again Israel’s commitment to achieving a complete victory against Hamas. We think that this is not only our war, but in many ways also your war, because you are leading the forces of civilization in the world.”

Austin reiterated the Biden administration’s position that “our commitment to Israel is unquestionable.”

“I know that Israel is a small and close-knit country, and I know that all the citizens of Israel have been affected by the enormous evil committed by Hamas. I am here to mourn with you for the pure souls that were taken from you on the 7th of October, and I am also here to stand by the families of those who are still in Gaza, including U.S. citizens,” Austin said.

“I’m also here to discuss how we can best support Israel on a path to lasting security, and that means tackling urgent needs first. We must get more humanitarian assistance in to the nearly two million displaced people in Gaza and we must distribute that aid better,” he added.
US leaves open possibility of Hamas retaining power
The U.S. State Department on Thursday refused to rule out the possibility of the Hamas terrorist organization retaining power or joining a Palestinian Authority-led governing body for the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria.

“We have been clear about our position on Hamas, which the United States designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997 due to its premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets,” a U.S. government spokesperson told JNS.

However, “Palestinians’ voices and aspirations must be at the center of post-crisis governance in Gaza, unified with the West Bank under the P.A.,” the spokesperson said, adding, “Ultimately, the future of Palestinian leadership is a question for the Palestinian people.

“We remain committed to working with the P.A. and Palestinian leadership on the critical work of strengthening Palestinian institutions … and reinforcing commitments to nonviolence and countering terrorism,” concluded the official.

On Nov. 8, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Gaza must be handed over to the P.A. once Israel’s operation there ends. The solution “must include Palestinian-led governance and Gaza unified with the West Bank under the P.A.,” stated Blinken.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby added that Washington seeks to back an authority that “has the support of all Palestinians so that they can effectively help with post-conflict governance, particularly in Gaza.”

According to a survey released last month, 89% of Palestinians support establishing a government that includes or is led by Hamas. Only around 8.5% said they favor an authority controlled exclusively by P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction.
US officials urge Abbas to bring in 'new blood' to Palestinian leadership

PMW calls on Red Cross to stop facilitating Pay-for-Slay terror salaries
The Palestinian Authority has announced that those Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel who must submit new forms to continue to receive their terror salaries from the PA in 2024, must immediately have this arranged through the International Red Cross.

The following is the announcement by Fatah in Bethlehem:
Posted text: “Honored prisoners’ relatives, please produce a [International Red] Cross document for those who have no sentence whose names appear below;
a [International Red] Cross document accompanied by a new administrative [detention] order for the administrative detainees;
and a [International Red] Cross document accompanied by a verdict for the sentenced prisoners.

This is in order to renew the monetary eligibility approval (i.e., PA salaries for terrorist prisoners) before Jan. 1, 2023 (sic., Jan. 1, 2024) …
Thank you.”
List title: “The list of prisoners whose eligibility will end during December 2023… Administration of District 7 – Bethlehem District”
[Fatah Movement – Bethlehem Branch, Telegram channel, Dec. 4, 2023]

The accompanying pictures show a list of prisoners from the Fatah’s Bethlehem District whose period of eligibility to PA terror salaries will end in December 2023 unless they renew the forms though the Red Cross.
UN Women Deputy Chief Endorsed 153 Tweets Attacking Israel & Zionism
A top official of UN Women addressed the United Nations by webcam from her home with a large “Palestine” poster and flag showing in the background, and since the October 7th Hamas massacre she has publicly endorsed 153 anti-Israel and anti-Zionist tweets, revealed a Swiss watchdog group today.

Sarah Douglas, the Deputy Chief of Peace and Security at UN Women, should be fired for her blatant and systematic violations of the the UN’s minimal requirements of neutrality and impartiality, said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, an independent non-governmental organization based in Geneva that released the following report documenting her partisan political activity.


Hamas’ Lust for Mutilation, Murder & Sexual Atrocity
Symbolically, raping women in war signifies conquered territory and the rape of a nation. During their attack, Hamas terrorists raped not only women but men as well. The symbolic meaning of male-on-male rape is that the victims are being turned into women, which from a Palestinian hypermasculine and homophobic culture is one of the worst forms of humiliation. For Palestinians, shame is experienced as female traits of weakness. Hamas terrorists raped and tortured Israeli men to expunge their own hidden shame and project their humiliation onto their alleged oppressors. Similar to prison culture, the victims become their “bitch.” The rationale is, “he, and not me, is actually the woman.”

Hamas terrorists also castrated many of the Israeli men. According to testimony by a female police officer at a presentation to the United Nations, men were shot in their genitalia. The officer added, “They had a thing with sexual organs — both in women and in men, either amputation or targeted shooting [to that part of the body].” Male sexual organs symbolize masculinity, strength, and the reproduction of more enemy occupiers. Dishonor is signified by female qualities; hence, castration is the ultimate symbol of emasculation and implies that the victim is no longer a man. Historically, castration was used to eliminate potential opponents.

Hamas terrorists also tortured, sexually mutilated, and disfigured Israeli female soldiers. A member of an Israeli military reserve unit reported that several of the female soldiers who were killed on Oct. 7 “were shot in the crotch, intimate parts, vagina, or were shot in the breast.” “Others had mutilated faces, or multiple gunshots to their heads.” Women soldiers are particularly offensive to Hamas because they signify the epitome of emasculation. For Palestinian men who by tradition oppress their women, Israeli female soldiers are a mockery of their masculinity. Women who can defend themselves are an existential threat that undermines Palestinian entire patriarchal culture. Their worst fear is being killed by a woman, an enemy or one of their own.

Many Israeli victims’ faces were mutilated or entirely obliterated. It was reported that heads were often badly disfigured. “Heads and faces were covered in blood. They were shot in the eyes, face, and skull,” “It seems as if mutilation of these women’s faces was an objective in their murders.” Some had their “heads bashed in so badly that their brains were spilling out.” Some “were shot in the head so many times at close range that their heads were almost blown off.”

Facial mutilation is the archetypal sign of dishonor. A mutilated victim is forever stigmatized, a personification of shame, a visible sign of dishonor and a political advertisement for who is in power. Symbolically, to damage or defile the face is to damage reputation and honor. It is a literal loss of face.

Hamas terrorists also gouged out and shot many Israelis in the eyes. While torturing a family of four, including a young boy and girl, 6 and 8 years old, the father’s eye was gouged out in front of his kids. The mother’s breast was “cut off, the girl’s foot amputated, the boy’s fingers cut off before they were executed.” Gouging out eyes is a common form of Jihadist mutilation. Symbolically, shame resides in the eyes because you can only be shamed in the eyes of others. So, destroying eyes is destroying shame. For Hamas terrorists, their imagined disrespect is experienced as shame that originates and resides in the eyes of the innocent Israeli victims. In order to alleviate their feelings of humiliation and restore a sense of honor, Hamas terrorists have to destroy the organs that saw it. The mutilation of eyes is the manifestation of “see no evil.”

Hamas’ sexual atrocity, murder and mutilation is a deliberate desecration of the enemy. Castration, hacking off breasts, disfigurement, and dismemberment represent power and control of the body at the moment of death. The slow defilement of the body prevented Israeli victims from having any dignity in death. In the context of an honor shame culture, Israeli victims are always potential witnesses to Palestinians unspoken and imagined shame. By killing Israelis, Palestinians kill their own shame. Without the witnesses, Palestinian shame no longer exists. Hamas’ humiliation of Israelis transforms into Palestinian pride. Murder feels good.

For Hamas terrorists, torture and murder is not immoral but righteous blood vengeance that restores honor to Palestine. Culturally, the violence is sanctioned as a socially acceptable punishment for enemy occupiers. The blood of enemies washes away dishonor, and proves to the world that Palestinians are not weak victims. This is, in part, why they filmed everything — because they want the world to view them as strong fighters who have reclaimed their honor. Torturing, raping, and killing Israelis elevates them from men ashamed of their status in life into respected ruthless warriors recognized and celebrated by other terrorist groups and antisemitic extremists around the world.

Hamas shame is not the result of alleged Israeli oppression. It is the direct result of information operation strategies that portray Palestinians as helpless victims against Israeli aggression. You can only be shamed in the eyes of others; without disinformation, there is no dishonor. The problem is not that Palestinians have no shame, it is that they have too much, and it is fabricated.
Jordanian army says guards injured in clashes along Syrian border

IDF refutes claim it targeted sole Catholic church in Gaza after 2 women said killed
The Israel Defense Forces refuted on Sunday a claim that it had targeted a Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip, after the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem asserted that an elderly Christian woman and her daughter had been shot and killed by an Israeli sniper on the grounds of the Holy Family Parish on Saturday.

Stressing that the IDF “does not target civilians, no matter their religion,” the army told AFP that it had on Saturday been contacted by church representatives about an incident in the Holy Family Parish, but “no reports of a hit on the church, nor civilians being injured or killed, were raised.”

“A review of the IDF’s operational findings support this,” it added. “The IDF takes claims regarding harm to sensitive sites with the utmost seriousness — especially churches — considering that Christian communities are a minority group in the Middle East.”

Pope Francis on Sunday reacted to the alleged attack, in which he said “unarmed civilians” were targeted by shootings and bombings.

“I continue receiving very serious and sad news about Gaza,” the pope said at the end of the Angelus prayer. “A mother and her daughter… were killed and other people were wounded by the shooters.

“This has happened even within the parish complex of the Holy Family, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick and have disabilities,” the pope added.

“Some are saying ‘this is terrorism and war,'” the pontiff said. “Yes, it is war, it is terrorism… let us pray to the Lord for peace,” he added.
IDF soldiers who killed hostages disobeyed orders to hold fire

Israel-Hamas war: Three hostages killed did "right things" to come home, IDF says | LiveNOW from FOX
An investigation is ongoing after the IDF mistakenly shot and killed three Israeli hostages in Gaza. IDF Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to discuss that and other topics related to the war with Hamas.




Hamas leaders hold secret meeting in Turkey - report

Seth Frantzman: Hezbollah threats extend to Israel's North amid Iran pressure

Christian combat soldier sacrifices life for Israel: Sgt.-Maj. Urija Bayer

Human Rights Watch claims Israel starving Gaza civilians ‘as a method of warfare’

Hamas releases video of three elderly Israeli hostages pleading for release
Hamas's armed wing released a video on their Telegram channel on Monday night showing three of the elderly male Israeli hostages still in captivity. In the video, the hostages plead for Israel's help in securing their release, stating that they do not want to be killed by an Israel Air Force strike.

One man, who identified himself as 79-year-old Haiem Bery, was seated in the middle of two others around the same age, speaking in Hebrew into the barrel of the camera. He said that all of them were living in very harsh conditions.

The three also state that they were in poor health.

"We are the generation who built the foundation for the creation of Israel. We are the ones who started the IDF military. We don't understand why we have been abandoned here," he said.

"You have to release us from here. It does not matter the cost. We don't want to be casualties as a direct result of the IDF military airstrikes. Release us with no conditions. Don't let us grow old here," he added.

The video ends with all three men repeating the phrase in unison, "Don't let us grow old here."
CIA director meets with Qatari PM, Mossad chief to discuss hostage deal - Report

Qatar-funded experts tell hostages’ relatives not to criticize Doha
The Richardson Center for Global Engagement, which receives substantial funding from the Government of Qatar, advised the families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza not to criticize the Gulf state, which is a major financial backer of Hamas.

The Richardson Center “promotes global peace and dialogue by identifying and working on areas of opportunity for engagement and citizen diplomacy with countries and communities not usually open to more formal diplomatic channels,” according to its mission statement. One of the ways it does this is to negotiate for the release of hostages, and was involved in the release of American student Otto Warmbier from North Korea and Princeton student Xiyue Wang, and worked with the family of basketball player Brittney Griner when she was imprisoned in Russia.

In multiple statements regarding the release of American hostages last year, the Richardson Center stated it “is greatly appreciative of our partners, including the Government of Qatar, and the many individuals who support and enable our work as a non-for-profit.”

In 2019, the center announced a “substantial investment in hostage recovery” from Doha. Richardson Center Vice President and Executive Director Mickey Bergman said at the time that “the funding provided by Qatar will allow us to expand our team, engage in more on the ground activities, and provide even greater support to families in their darkest hours.”

Doha has sought to make itself an essential player in the region, maintaining good relations with Washington – the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar hosts 8,000 U.S. military personnel – while serving as a conduit to pariah states and terrorist groups, like Hamas, the Taliban, and others.

Qatar hosts Hamas’ political office, including leaders Khaled Mashal and Ismail Haniyeh, and has transferred nearly $2 billion. to the Palestinian terrorist group since it took over Gaza in 2007


DOE snubs invite to view Hamas atrocities as groups demand action
Fifty-one top city Department of Education officials were invited to watch footage of the Oct. 7 atrocities committed by Hamas to better understand the Jewish plight, but none responded or attended, The Post has learned.

Chancellor David Banks, his deputies, superintendents, and several UFT representatives were first invited to the screening at the Israeli Consulate by embassy volunteers on Dec. 5 and then two days later by the NYC Parents Alliance.

The parent group, which represents Jewish families mostly from specialized high schools, sent a letter urging the DOE officials to attend.

Besides a few automatic “out of office” replies, not a single response was received, an Alliance parent told The Post.

Volunteers with the Israeli consulate have been organizing the screenings in the Big Apple, with the latest held Thursday for academics, including staff from Columbia University, New York University, Cooper Union, and CUNY.

The footage includes gruesome Hamas body-cam footage of the terror group’s slaughter of 1,200 Israelis, an attack that launched the Jewish state’s war with Gaza.

“To not respond to us at all does not feel very supportive. It enforces the feeling that the DOE does not take antisemitism seriously,” said the father of a Brooklyn Tech student.

“We believe that viewing this private screening is a necessary step toward developing an understanding of the reaction of the NYC Jewish community to this atrocity,” the letter from the Alliance reads. The sessions include the opportunity to ask questions of the consul general and Israeli soldiers and engage in debate.


Released Hamas hostage on 60 Minutes: Objecting to anything could be death sentence
In a Sunday broadcast of CBS's 60 Minutes news interview program, former Hamas hostage Yarden Roman-Gat recounts her terrifying experience being captive in Gaza. Her husband, Alon Gat, describes their experience on October 7 and his time during the 54 days before her release.

The segment opens with a visit to Alon’s parents’ home in Kibbutz Be’eri, which was turned to rubble. On October 7, his wife and their three-year-old daughter Geffen were visiting his parents when Hamas stormed the kibbutz, broke into their home, and shot Alon’s 69-year-old mother to death. His sister Carmel disappeared, and Hamas took Alon, Yarden, and their daughter into a car and drove off.

When the car approached a small army post, the Hamas terrorists stopped the car and hid in the trees because a tank was passing them. Yarden and Alon took the opportunity to run out of the car with their daughter. Alon took Geffen from Yarden and hid with her for nine hours while Yarden was recaptured by the terrorists and taken to Gaza.

She was driven through thick celebratory crowds. “My kidnappers could not help themselves, showing me off as a trophy and showing my face as an object. I was not a person,” she says.

Yarden was taken to a house where she was surrounded by guards constantly. “You cannot object to anything. It could cost you your life,” she says. She was given a "hijab" that covered most of her body. She described her situation as “helpless.”

There were details of her captivity she did not want to discuss with the interviewer regarding food.

She also described the frightening experience of being in a war zone. She said, “You cannot ignore it. It’s very intense.”


'Insanely talented drummer': Israel's metal music scene mourns hostage killed in friendly fire tragedy
The tragic news about Yotam Haim's death has deeply shocked the local metal and punk music scenes. Abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, he was later found to have been accidentally killed by IDF fire in Shijaiyah in the Gaza Strip.

Haim, the drummer of the metalcore newcomers Persephore, was scheduled to perform at a Tel Aviv metal festival on that fateful Saturday.

Following the tragic news, friends and colleagues, including musicians scheduled to perform in a special fundraising event next week in his honor, are sharing their deep sorrow and seeking to bid farewell to the 28-year-old musician.

"Just last night at our concert, we dedicated one of the Hanukkah candles we lit on stage to Yotam," mourned Kobi Farhi, lead singer of veteran rockers Orphaned Land, in a conversation with ynet.

"Urban warfare is the most difficult; soldiers are killed by our own forces' fire, and so are the hostages. We're sorry that we didn't have the strength and ability to bring him back home safely, him and the other victims. We embrace his family, the metal scene, and all of the people of Israel."

"My heart breaks for Yotam," Yotam Ben Horin, lead singer of the punk band Useless ID, told ynet, "I so hoped he would return home and to the music he loved so much. In a few days, there was supposed to be a benefit event by punk and metal bands to bring him back, which now turns into a memorial evening. It's unbelievably sad. Things like this shouldn't happen."


Jerry Seinfeld lands in Israel in show of solidarity
Jewish-American comedian Jerry Seinfeld arrived in Israel on Monday, together with his wife and children, to express solidarity with the nation following the horrific massacre that occurred on October 7. In this, Seinfeld joins other Hollywood stars who have done so, including actor Michael Rapaport, actress Debra Messing, and producer Scooter Braun.

It has not been reported with whom Seinfeld is expected to meet, or where he is expected to visit.

A few days after the October 7 carnage, Seinfeld joined the outpouring of solidarity with Israel by posting a message of support on his Instagram account, which has 1.3 million followers.

Seinfeld's love for Israel
“I lived and worked on a kibbutz in Israel when I was 16, and I have loved our Jewish homeland ever since,” Seinfeld wrote on October 10. “My heart is breaking from these attacks and atrocities. But we are also very strong people in our hearts and minds. We believe in justice, freedom, and equality. We survive and flourish no matter what. I will always stand with Israel and the Jewish people.”

The message was posted with a photo of a woman draped in an Israeli flag with the slogan: “I stand with Israel,” taken from the Israeli advocacy organization, Stand With Us.


Levin: Biden is funding the enemy
Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior adviser Richard Goldberg tells 'Life, Liberty & Levin' the Biden administration is 'subsidizing' Iran's budget.


Call Me Back PodCast: The Two-State Solution – with Haviv Rettig Gur
Hosted by Dan Senor
We are increasingly hearing from policymakers in the U.S. and around the world about re-starting the path to a two-state solution after the war. That is our focus today in our weekly check-in with Haviv Rettig Gur. Is there a path to a two-state solution in the near or medium term? If so, what has changed where the two-state solution has failed in the past. We also discuss a more optimistic take on the differences between the Israeli Government and the Biden administration.




The Commentary Magazine Podcast: Young, Indoctrinated, and Dangerous
Hosted by Abe Greenwald, Christine Rosen, John Podhoretz & Matthew Continetti
Today we talk about a new poll that found a majority of Americans under 25 view Israel as an oppressor and believe that the October 7 massacre could be justified. We get into the history of these poisonous ideas, their rise in American universities and American culture, and what needs to be done about it.


‘Pathetic’: Albanese govt tries standing with Islamist demonstrators and Israel
The Australian’s Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan slams the Albanese government for trying to have it “both ways” in its solidarity with Islamist demonstrators South Western Sydney and standing side-by-side with Israel.

“It’s kind of pathetic really, we make these fabulously emotional speeches about how we stand with Israel forever, and then we criticize them when they try to defend themselves and we take no serious action of solidarity with them whatsoever,” Mr Sheridan told Sky News contributor Steve Price.

“So all sorts of social democratic and centre-left leaders went to express solidarity with Israel after the most barbaric terrorist attacks we’ve witnessed in the modern era.

“You can’t have it both ways, you can’t stand side-by-side with the Islamist demonstrators in South Western Sydney and stand side-by-side with Israel at the same time.

“You can’t say as the Prime Minister does, Hamas must be dismantled and must never again have any role in the future of Gaza and then say to the Israelis but you cannot take any military action to achieve that end.”


Anti-Semitism in Australia has reached ‘record levels’
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council’s Walt Secord claims anti-Semitism in Australia has reached “record levels”.

Mr Secord sat with Sky News Australia to discuss the increase of anti-Semitism in Australia regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“Last week the Executive Council of Australian Jewry … released a report showing that anti-Semitism levels in Australia had reached record levels,” he said.

“In fact, a 738 per cent increase.”

“I’ve lived in Australia now for 36 years and I have not seen anti-Semitism – the public expression of anti-Semitism – reached these levels in my life, it’s extraordinary.”

“You have a situation where school children are reluctant to wear their uniforms, people are being subjected to graffiti in their local institutions but also harassment – it is extraordinary, and it’s something that I think is absolutely un-Australian.”


Israel-Hamas war raised ‘racial and religious tensions’ unseen for years
Sky News host Caleb Bond warns the war between Israel and Hamas has raised “racial and religious tensions” in ways not seen for years.

Convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika is set to be released back into the community as the immigration detention order expires on Sunday.

Mr Bond expressed concern about the release of the convicted terrorist at a time when the risk of terror and tensions between the West and Islamists are heightened.

“The scenes we have witnessed on the streets of Melbourne and Sydney, the synagogues targeted, the hostage posters ripped down – this all sends a message to would-be terrorists,” he said.

“Maybe Benbrika has been miraculously deradicalised in the past three years – it seems highly unlikely but who knows.

“But even if the Attorney-General felt comfortable that he was not currently of the mind to plan and carry out an attack, surely it is obvious that we live in a time when radicalisation is more likely than it has been for a while.”


Ex-defence secretary Ben Wallace warns Israel against 'killing rage' in Gaza

US Jews suffer nearly 200 swatting, false bomb threats throughout weekend
"In the past 24 hours, the Secure Community Network [SCN] has tracked a staggering 199 swatting incidents and false bomb threats across the country targeting Jewish facilities, including 93 in California, 62 in Arizona, 15 in Connecticut, five in Colorado, and four in Washington state, among others," SCN said on Saturday.

These swatting incidents and false bomb threats followed incidents over the last week in Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia, and came in the wake of both the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel as well as a record rise in security incidents and antisemitic activity across North America.

In recent days, law enforcement in Ohio and California have announced the arrest of alleged perpetrators of a high volume of swatting activity and false bomb threats.

Secure Community Network (SCN) National Director and CEO Michael Masters said in a statement “The alarming volume of swatting incidents and false bomb threats being carried out across the country is a major concern for the safety and security of the Jewish community in North America, as well as law enforcement. SCN, community partners, law enforcement, and public safety agencies take these incidents seriously and are working hard to address them. It’s critical to recognize that these are not victimless crimes or innocent pranks: they can have real – and even deadly – consequences."

A significant rise in threats
SCN has tracked more than 449 swatting incidents and bomb threats in 2023-to-date, up 541% from 2022 (83 incidents), as compared to a total of 23 between 2019-2021. In response, SCN has worked in coordination with local, state, and federal authorities to respond to these incidents and ensure coordination between law enforcement and the Jewish community across North America, to include safety and security resources and a national swatting update in conjunction with the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which over 1,400 community members and law enforcement representatives attended.

In the wake of the October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, the SCN has logged record highs in security incidents and antisemitic activity, with a record 772 incidents logged in October and 634 in November, up 290% from the year prior — incidents including vandalism, harassment, and assault among other acute threats and actions. In October and November alone, SCN has referred 230 individuals to law enforcement.
Man arrested in antisemitic attack outside Georgetown synagogue
A man was arrested in an antisemitic attack outside a D.C. synagogue on Sunday.

Officers arrested Brent Wood for allegedly shouting an antisemitic phrase and spraying a foul-smelling substance on two people outside the Kesher Israel Congregation on N Street in Georgetown just before 9:30 a.m.

Sources told News4 that the suspect was yelling, “Gas the Jews."

The victims were not physically hurt.

Wood, whose last known address is in Toledo, Ohio, is charged with simple assault and resisting arrest.

Police are investigating the incident as a hate or bias-motivated crime.

The Anti-Defamation League condemned the incident, issuing a statement that reads in part, “There is simply no excuse for these antisemitic acts. None of this is normal and no one should think this is okay… It is incumbent upon all of society to push back against antisemitism and other forms of hate.”


Pro-Palestine rally blocks major road in Port Melbourne
A major road in Port Melbourne has been blocked by pro-Palestine supporters, causing major traffic disruptions.

About 25 people attended the rally, which began at around 10am.

The demonstrators were seen sitting on the road and holding up signs in protest.

The group's protest action is blocking Leonardo and the Defence Science and Technology Group, which they say are aiding in the conflict in the Middle East.

Protesters used megaphones to chant slogans such as “stop arming Israel” and “free, free Palestine”.

The protest comes after a pro-Palestine demonstration gathered outside the US Consulate on St Kilda Road in Melbourne on Monday, November 27, with protesters holding signs saying, “stop the genocide” and “close Pine Gap”.


Calls for Prahran High School teacher to face disciplinary action after making pro-Hamas comments
Calls are mounting for a Prahran High School teacher to face disciplinary action after he praised Hamas at a pro-Palestine rally.

Jason Wong, who is a VCE science and biology teacher at the school, told a crowd of thousands of protesters in Melbourne’s CBD on Sunday that “Hamas was doing exactly what they have to do”.

The Herald Sun has been told Jewish teachers and students at Prahran High School have felt “unsafe” amid Mr Wong’s controversial comments and behaviour.

“The school has several Jewish students and teachers and this has been very distressing for them,” one source said.

“He has been wearing a keffiyeh to school and preaching his pro-Palestine views in the classroom.

“His serious actions warrant him to lose his job or be suspended,” they added.

Zionist Federation of Australia President Jeremy Leibler said it was “appalling” that a teacher would praise a listed terrorist organisation.

“We rely on teachers to guide our children, but this teacher is abusing his position of influence,” Mr Leibler said.

“We saw in the Brighton case that the court found a dereliction of duty to students, when the principal refused to take action to protect Jewish students at that school.

“Mr Wong should be suspended immediately, pending a review by the department. It is clear that his advocacy for a terrorist organisation is incompatible with his public role and duties.”

It comes as more teachers have been seen wearing keffiyehs in classrooms in recent weeks.


Radical Islamic preacher calls for a 'final solution' carried out by a Muslim army in shocking anti-Israel sermon in Sydney



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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 19 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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