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Wednesday, January 24, 2024

01/24 Links Pt1: Israel is still winning the political war; Cut funding to organizations that are empowering Hamas; ICJ to rule on Friday

From Ian:

Israel is still winning the political war
On the other side, in UN venues highly suited for empty words, Russia and China both ceremonially declared their support for the Palestinians. Yet Moscow has continued to co-operate smoothly with Israel’s air force as it operates over Syria to attack Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, while not one Chinese partner has withdrawn from any joint venture in Israel. Nor did the rising calls to reduce the bombardment of Gaza, led by Belgium of all countries and eventually backed by the White House, have any actual consequence — Israel’s bombing was reduced in any case by the diminishing supply of worthwhile targets.

Likewise, not one of the Arab countries with whom Israel has diplomatic relations has interrupted them in any way, while relations with Egypt have blossomed into a veritable security partnership over Gaza and Sinai. Even more important are the statements of Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, who has made it clear that normalising ties with Israel will not long be delayed once the fighting ends. Even though intelligence exchanges and multiple technology joint-venture negotiations have been underway for some years without any need for official relations, such assurances cannot be overestimated: they are, after all, definitive evidence that Hamas’s assault on October 7 has failed.

The purpose of that deliberately horrific attack was precisely to stop any alliance between the Saudis and Israelis. That was certainly the goal of Iran, which has every reason to dread the fusion of Israel’s technology with Saudi Arabia’s financial resources: Tehran rightly fears this would entail some form of military co-operation, which in turn might bring Israeli air power within a short distance of its Iranian targets.

For now, though, Saudi Arabia’s declared goals are more prosaic. Just like the world’s venture capitalists, the Saudis believe that joint investments in Israeli tech will be profitable. But far more important is Israel’s proximity, which can greatly facilitate the training of Saudi engineers, technicians and skilled workers — thus achieving progress towards the central aim of putting Saudis to work and ending its reliance on expatriate labour. For Israel, it scarcely matters that the Saudis want a quiet Gaza ruled by reliably corruptible Palestinians, just as in the West Bank, before they start investing their billions; after all, the Israelis themselves obviously need some sort of political arrangement to retreat from Gaza without more rockets being launched the day after.

Israel’s diplomatic success is not just due to its changed economics however: its high-tech military equipment has arguably been more influential. It is the reason, for instance, why India has emerged as a steadfast ally, as it relies on Israeli tactical missiles for both its air and naval forces, along with much else. It is also the reason why the Pentagon does not begrudge military aid to Israel — it benefits from a constant backflow of valuable technology, including famous helmet-mounted display at the core of the F-35 fighters that now equip the Air Force, Navy and Marines.
Bonnie Glick and Richard Goldberg: Cut funding to organizations that are empowering Hamas
As Congress mulls its next moves on big federal spending bills, members of both political parties are refusing to confront an elephant in the room: Billions of taxpayer dollars are being sent to international organizations enabling Hamas terrorism.

With 34 Americans already murdered by Hamas and six more still held hostage in Gaza, it’s time for Washington to withhold contributions to agencies that actively subsidize, enable or defend the evil the world witnessed on Oct. 7.

The U.S. sends billions of dollars to the United Nations every year and hundreds of millions more to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Are we getting our money’s worth? Hamas certainly is.

Take the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for starters. This organization runs schools in the West Bank and Gaza that explicitly teach kids to hate Jews and of course Israel. Many of its staff members are members of terrorist groups such as Hamas. Its facilities are used by Hamas to launch attacks and build terror tunnels. Employees stand accused of celebrating Oct. 7 and even holding some of Hamas’s Israeli hostages in their homes.

UNRWA does not submit the names of its staff, contractors or beneficiaries to the U.S. for counterterrorism vetting. And so, despite funding UNRWA with over $1 billion under the Biden administration, there is no accountability in terms of who has access to that money.

These aren’t shocking revelations — they go back many years. This is what led the Trump administration to cut off all funding to UNRWA in 2018. The Biden administration, however, subsequently reopened the spigot. And with roughly 40 percent of UNRWA’s budget focused on Gaza, that’s $400 million of U.S. funding to an organization that employs Hamas members and whose employees are credibly believed to have participated in its crimes against humanity.

Absent an outright prohibition in an appropriations law, Congress may greenlight hundreds of millions more this year, both in the regular budget and the president’s requested emergency supplemental.

The same goes for the International Committee of the Red Cross, to which the U.S. will send another $600-700 million this year as if on autopilot. This, while the Red Cross refuses to pressure Hamas to allow medical visits to the hostages it kidnapped, and after an apparent cover-up of Hamas’s use of hospitals as both terror base camps and holding centers for hostages.
Which countries are actually helping Gaza and not just bolstering extremists?
Israeli news has repeatedly covered stories of aid entering Gaza only to be stolen by Hamas or looted by desperate Palestinian civilians. While these incidents are likely rampant, one of the better-known reports of this was from mid-December when Kan released footage of alleged armed individuals stealing UAE-donated aid on the streets of Gaza. In reality, the men seen atop the truck in that footage are not Hamas or criminal gangs but local Palestinians hired by the United Arab Emirates to ensure that their aid is delivered safely to those who need it most.

Numerous countries are playing a role in Gaza, but not all may be as well coordinated or as altruistic.

Qatar, for example, recently brokered a deal to deliver medicine to Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. While playing a central role in the delivery of aid, as well as in negotiating for the release of Israeli captives seems praiseworthy, the reality is that the Qatari government has long been known as the terror group’s most important patron and the gracious host of Hamas’ most senior leaders.

Playing all sides in the conflict
Qatar is playing all sides, gaining points for negotiating on behalf of Israel with the very murderous group they lavishly domicile, while the civilians in Gaza suffer from the results of Hamas’s actions.

The UAE, on the other hand, is working daily to improve the humanitarian situation in close coordination with the Israeli and other regional governments.

Along with countries such as Bahrain, Jordan, and Egypt, the UAE maintains strong open ties with Israel, but Bahrain is its only ally in so singularly and consistently denouncing extremism.

The UAE is providing unconditional humanitarian aid to Gaza, without any of the political brinkmanship of some other actors. Since the start of the war, it has sent over 140 airlifts to Gaza; set up six desalination stations; and delivered over 200 trucks of aid along with quietly opening a 150-bed field hospital which has so far treated around 1,700 patients. It has also transferred hundreds more patients to Abu Dhabi for further care.


Hamza Howidy: My Fellow Gazans: We Must Demand the Release of the Israeli Hostages
In the months following the October 7 massacre of Israelis, I have not been able to stop thinking about how much spite and hate it must have taken for Hamas's leaders and militants to convince themselves that beheading, raping, and kidnapping civilians was something their God asked them to do as a kind of worship. It's the only way to explain what at the end of the day remains a mystery: How could a person convince himself that kidnapping women in their 80s and little children is some kind of noble "resistance"?

Then I remembered a horrifying scene that took place 16 years ago, when I was a little child in Gaza. Hamas supporters were celebrating the victory of taking control of Gaza from Fatah—the "decontamination" of Gaza, as they called it. I still remember detainees being dragged by Hamas members on motorcycles to Al-Saraya Street in Al-Remal neighborhood with obvious signs of torture on their bodies. I remembered Hamas members firing dozens of bullets into their bodies from their AK-47s. I remembered Bahaa Balousha's three children who were under the age of 10, who were killed by masked men because their dad was a Fatah member.

These memories helped me understand October 7. This is who Hamas has always been. They were not better to their own people than they were to the innocent Israelis they massacred. They are psychopaths. And they have for 16 years held the people of Gaza hostage.

Not that we could discuss this in Gaza. It's not safe to talk about your thoughts or feelings about Hamas in Gaza, because you never really know if the person you are talking to is an undercover Hamas member or supporter.

Still, I used to believe Hamas was a ticking time bomb, which gave me the courage to stand up to them. I organized protests against Hamas. But received no international support, despite asking for it, when we spoke out against Hamas in 2019 and 2023. We felt betrayed and utterly alone while fighting for our freedom—then coming home and turning on the television only to find that Arabic media was more interested in the weather than our fight for freedom. Had we been supported, had Hamas been disposed of, it would have prevented the October 7 attacks and all the innocent Palestinians killed when Hamas now uses them as human shields.

As you know, Hamas was not disposed of. Instead, we were punished. I was imprisoned and tortured. Twice I became a Hamas hostage within a nation of them, until I managed to leave Gaza. And as someone who was imprisoned and tortured by Hamas, I find that I have to speak up for the kidnapped Israelis, even if it means my family is in danger from Hamas and their supporters. Because I don't wish for anyone to live through what I did in Hamas' custody.


Netanyahu Is Not Alone in Opposing a Palestinian State
President Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to commit to a Palestinian state once the Israel-Hamas war ends, and Netanyahu said no. Israel sees that its 2005 withdrawal from Gaza gave Hamas a sanctuary to plan, train for and ultimately launch an attack on Israel.

In Israel's view, a two-state solution would only compound this problem. So, Israel asks, what would prevent Hamas or a similar group from usurping control of a Palestinian state much as they did in Gaza?

This is not just Netanyahu's view but Israelis' view. In a survey conducted several months before the Hamas attack, a mere 35% of Israelis thought two states could "coexist peacefully."

Even if Netanyahu were to depart from the political scene, such Israeli opposition may remain. The U.S. can promise incentives such as normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia, but the fear of another Oct. 7 will trump any potential benefits.


UN head won’t speak at NYC shul Holocaust memorial event for first time in years
The secretary general of the United Nations, António Guterres, will not speak at a Holocaust remembrance service at a Shul that has invited him for years. For the first time since taking office in 2018, Guterres has not been invited to the annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day memorial service at the Park East Synagogue in New York this Saturday.

The shul’s senior rabbi, Arthur Schneier, has previously invited Guterres to address the service.

In 2019, Guterres said he felt “at home at Park East Synagogue.” He has previously used his address to condemn contemporary antisemitism.

According to Ynet, Guterres said: "After the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7, and the subsequent increase in antisemitism and the ongoing pain of the community, the ceremony in the synagogue will focus on the healing and testimony of survivors. It will not be an event for the diplomatic community and therefore the secretary-general will not participate."

Instead of Guterres, the Consul General of Israel in New York, Aviv Ezra, will address the event.

Ezra will use his speech to remember the October 7 massacre as well as the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The service will hear testimony from a former hostage, as well as a brother and sister of a hostage still held by Hamas.

A spokesperson for the Shul told the JC: “Park East Synagogue International Holocaust Remembrance Day Shabbat Service this year will focus on the Shoah and the barbaric attack on Israel on October 7th, the kidnapped, the rise of worldwide anti-Semitism, and internal pain.”

Guterres will speak at the UN’s own Holocaust Memorial Ceremony on Friday alongside Holocaust survivors.

Since October 7, both the secretary general and the UN more widely have come under fire for their response to Hamas’s atrocities. Guterres was slammed by Israeli officials when he said that the Hamas attack “did not happen in a vacuum.”
Netanyahu hosts Cameron amid UK calls for ceasefire with Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and British Foreign Secretary David Cameronon held a private meeting in Jerusalem on Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The PMO did not divulge what was discussed during the meeting.

Ahead of Cameron’s trip, the Foreign Office in London said he would urge Netanyahu to “significantly increase the flow of life-saving aid” into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and “raise concerns over the high number of civilian causalities.”

“This week, I am in the Middle East … to help build a plan to move from that pause [in the war advocated by the U.K.] to a sustainable, permanent ceasefire without a return to hostilities,” Cameron said before taking off for Tel Aviv.

“Such a plan would require Hamas to agree to the release of all hostages, Hamas to no longer be in charge of Gaza launching rocket attacks at Israel, and an agreement in place for the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza, in order to provide governance and services and, increasingly, security,” he added.
Israel wants Sinwar, Deif expelled from Gaza in new ceasefire deal
Israel and Hamas broadly agree in principle that an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners could take place during a month-long ceasefire, but the framework plan is being held up by the two sides' differences over how to bring a permanent end to the Gaza war, three sources said.

Intense mediation efforts led by Qatar, Washington and Egypt in recent weeks have focused on a phased approach to release different categories of Israeli hostages - starting with civilians and ending with soldiers - in return for a break in hostilities, the release of Palestinian prisoners and more aid to Gaza.

The latest round of shuttle diplomacy started on Dec. 28 and has narrowed disagreements about the length of an initial ceasefire to around 30 days, after Hamas had first proposed a pause of several months, said one of the sources, an official briefed on the negotiations.

However, Hamas has since refused to move forward with the plans until the future conditions of a permanent ceasefire are agreed, according to six sources. Most of the sources consulted for this story requested anonymity in order to speak freely about sensitive matters.
Most Jewish Israelis against freeing hostages for end of war
Sixty percent of Jewish Israelis oppose a deal that would see the remaining hostages returned in exchange for releasing all Palestinian security prisoners and an end to hostilities in Gaza, according to an Israel Democracy Institute survey published on Wednesday.

Broken down by political affiliation, 53% on the left would support such an agreement, as would 46% in the center and 24% on the right.

Among Arab Israeli respondents, 78.5% would support such a deal.

This week’s War in Gaza Survey is the ninth conducted by the IDI’s Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research since the start of the war that was initiated by Hamas’s Oct. 7 invasion of the northwestern Negev.

When asked how long the war will last, half of the Jewish interviewees said more than another four months, an opinion that was consistently prevalent across the political spectrum and party affiliations.

In addition, nearly 50% of Jewish Israelis think that Jerusalem should act only in accordance with the judgment of Israeli leadership rather than in coordination with the Americans, while 60% of Arab Israelis believe that Israel should act only in accordance with the Americans.

Seventy-five percent of left-wing Jewish Israelis are in favor of coordination with the U.S., while 53% in the political center and 26% on the right support this view.

Moreover, the Israel Defense Forces gets high marks, with 88% of Jewish Israelis giving the military a positive assessment for its performance during the current war, with only 43% of Arab Israelis agreeing. Views of the War Cabinet were lower, with 46% of Jewish Israelis and 14% of Arab Israelis holding a positive view.
Red Cross compares Palestinian security prisoners with Israeli hostages
A senior Red Cross official on Wednesday compared Israel with the Hamas terrorist organization, saying that both sides refuse to allow visitations for prisoners.

Hamas is holding 136 hostages captured during its Oct. 7 assault on the northwestern Negev.

“Since October 7, Israel has suspended visits to the Palestinian prisoners in the prisons. At the same time, Hamas has so far not allowed visits to the abductees it is holding. This is unacceptable,” Red Cross Regional Director for the Near and Middle East Fabrizio Carboni said in an interview with London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

Carboni said that the International Red Cross visits Palestinian security prisoners in Israel and facilitates visits by their families, pointing an accusatory finger at Israel: “As of October 7, the Israeli authorities made a decision to suspend the visits through the International Red Cross. We regret this and continue to talk to those concerned to resume these visits.”

He added that “it is also sad that Hamas does not allow us to visit the abductees it is holding.”

Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric in December also blamed Israel, telling Channel 12 that “both” Hamas and Israel were responsible for the ICRC’s failure to reach the hostages.
Reports of Hamas openness to new hostage deal ‘fake news’
An Israeli official has dismissed reports that Hamas has softened its stance in negotiations over the release of additional hostages being held by the terrorist group in Gaza.

“The publications are a fake. The opposite is true. There is a hardening of positions. Hamas is climbing high on the tree,” the official told Channel 12 on Wednesday, while stressing that a “breakthrough soon” is still possible.

Citing Egyptian officials, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Hamas was willing to discuss a deal to release civilian women and children hostages in exchange for a “significant” halt to hostilities.

There are 108 hostages alive in Gaza out of 253 taken during Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, according to Israeli estimates. Hamas is also believed to be holding 28 bodies, including 24 from those taken on Oct. 7. In November, 105 hostages were released as part of a prisoner exchange deal that included a temporary ceasefire.

Nineteen women and two children remain in Gaza, according to the Journal report. Some of the women are soldiers, and five could be dead.
US must pressure Qatar for hostage deal
Washington must be assertive with Qatar
Therefore, Washington is required to adopt a more assertive approach and prove to Doha that it has a lot to lose and that it cannot hold the stick at both ends as it has done so far.

On the one hand: funding terrorism, continuing to host Hamas leaders, and operating Al-Jazeera, which serves as a conduit for Hamas to convey messages; and on the other hand maintaining extensive ties with key Western countries.

Moreover, the administration is required to clarify to the Qataris that their inability to deliver on their commitments regarding the return of all remaining hostages will significantly impact bilateral relations and entail economic steps that will seriously damage Qatar’s image.

It can be assumed that this will have a domino effect. Significant American pressure on Qatar, which will lead to pressure on Hamas, can only come from Jerusalem putting pressure on Washington.

Israel should leverage the American longing for the end of the war and emphasize to the US that the release of the hostages is an integral part of the battle. Therefore, promoting another deal is a pure American interest.

This is a complex balance that cannot be ignored. The US must handle the issue wisely since Qatar is a strategic ally that serves American interests for many reasons. Doha has become an important tool for making American deals with Iran; it hosts the central headquarters of the US military in the Gulf, stands on the American side in the competition against China, and assisted the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.

However, the balance of power between the countries, Qatar’s security dependence on the US, and the leverage of American pressure as the strongest power in the world leads to the conclusion that the US can further push Qatar into the corner, without harming the strategic relations between the countries.

So far, the IDF pressure has neither fully subdued Hamas nor reached another hostage deal. Therefore, Qatari leverage on Hamas via threats to their relations and expelling their leaders from the country takes on greater significance. Such a move, which promotes American and Israeli interests, could only be carried out through massive pressure from Washington, and the exploitation of Qatar’s sensitivity to its international image.
Israeli Hostage Families Want UK Government To Up Pressure On Qatar To Secure Releases
Families of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during the horrific 7 October attacks have issued a call to the UK government to urgently put pressure on Qatar to secure their release.

Liran Berman, 36, is desperate to secure the return of his 26 year old twin brothers Ziv and Gali, who were kidnapped from the kibbutz Kfar Aza on the 7 October when Hamas launched an assault on southern Israel from Gaza - killing more than 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping hundreds more.

There have been several hostage releases since the attack amid Israel's subsequent war against Hamas in return for Palestinian prisoner releases by Israel, but Ziv and Gali remain among 132 Israelis that the IDF say are hostages in Gaza, their fate unknown. The youngest hostage, Kfir Bibas, turned one year old on 18 January – if he is still alive.

Berman, along with families of other hostages, is currently touring capitals across the world in an attempt to drum up international support for their campaign to free the hostages.

"We met the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak [on Monday], and [on Tuesday] we met with David Cameron," Berman told PoliticsHome.

"We asked them – we pleaded to them – to continue the pressure on Qatar, because only through pressure on Qatar can another deal be facilitated."

Qatar has emerged as a key player in hostage negotiations, with Qatari officials acting as the primary mediators between the terror group and the Israeli government. A significant proportion of Hamas' leadership is also headquartered in the gulf state – including Hamas chairman, Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Doha.


Qatari poll: Only 5% of MENA Arabs oppose Oct. 7 massacre
Arabs across the Middle East and North Africa overwhelmingly view Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, which left over 1,200 people dead in Israel and saw 240 others kidnapped to Gaza, as “legitimate resistance,” according to a new survey of 16 nations throughout the region conducted earlier this month.

The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, a think tank funded by Qatar, polled some 8,000 Arabs in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen and the Palestinian Authority-controlled areas in Judea and Samaria between Dec. 12, 2023 and Jan. 5, 2024.

The Doha-based institute claimed the surveyed individuals represented more than 95% of the Arab population in the region.

Around two-thirds said the Oct. 7 terror attacks in southern Israel were a “legitimate resistance operation”; 19% said that the massacre was a “somewhat flawed but legitimate resistance operation.”

Only 5% denounced Hamas’s war crimes as an “illegitimate operation,” while 3% said that it was a “legitimate resistance operation that involved heinous (unacceptable) or even criminal acts.”

The massacre received the highest support in Libya, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco and among Palestinians, with a staggering 0% of Judea and Samaria residents agreeing that the atrocities of Oct. 7, which also included beheadings, rape and other sexual offenses, were illegitimate.
At UNSC meeting, members press for Palestinian state
At the United Nations’ quarterly meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian file on Tuesday, U.N. member states pressed Israel to advance the creation of a Palestinian state.

Drawing intense interest amid Israel’s war with Hamas, the meeting was upgraded to the ministerial level, and was attended by foreign ministers from France, Russia, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Norway, the Palestinian Authority and elsewhere.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told ambassadors and foreign ministers in attendance that any refusal to accept a two-state solution “must be firmly rejected.”

He added that the “clear and repeated” rejection of a Palestinian state by Israeli leaders “is unacceptable.”

Israel’s U.N. envoy, though, blasted the wide calls on Tuesday for a ceasefire and subsequent start of a political process for Palestinian statehood.

“Shockingly, many here on the Security Council are advocating for a permanent ceasefire, while giving no thought to the implications,” said Ambassador Gilad Erdan. “What do you think will happen if there is a ceasefire? I’ll tell you what will happen: Hamas will remain in power. They will regroup and rearm. And soon, Israelis will face another attempted Holocaust.”

In his address, Erdan attempted to focus attention on Iran, represented at the meeting on Tuesday by its foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

He recited a host of countries in the region preyed upon by Iran’s terrorism, and the internal destruction in countries in which Iranian proxies hold sway.

“Iran’s terror will reach all of you. We all know this. Even Russia, who collaborates with Iran,” said Erdan, taking a shot at Moscow in what has become an increasingly tense bilateral relationship.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, meanwhile, castigated the United States for repeatedly using its veto power on the council to upend calls for a ceasefire, instead opting for diplomacy.

Lavrov claimed that every time Washington acts on its own in the Middle East, it ends in “ever bloodier escalation.”

He also called out those countries who are leading the planning for the day after Hamas’s rule over Gaza ends.

Palestinians should decide their future for themselves, said Lavrov, noting that “I think that’s what our Western colleagues call democracy.”


ICJ to rule Friday on whether to order an end to the Gaza war
The International Court of Justice plans to issue its ruling on South Africa’s request that it order Israel to halt its war in Gaza in open court this Friday at 1 p.m. (2 p.m. Israel time) at The Hague, Netherlands.

South Africa’s News24 said a delegation from its government had touched down in the city in anticipation of the judgment.

The ICJ held hearings earlier this month on South Africa’s request that it issue provisional measures related to its charges before the court that Israel was guilty of genocide in Gaza.

The ruling on provisional measures is preliminary, as the ICJ has yet to hold hearings on the actual genocide charge, which Israel rejects.

Israel dismissed the genocide allegations as "grossly distorted," adding that it had the right to defend itself and was targeting Hamas, not Palestinian civilians, which had attacked its country on October 7, killing over 1,200 people and seizing some 240 hostages.

The ruling comes at a critical junction in hostage release negotiations
The ruling comes as Israel is under intense international pressure to halt the war in Gaza while in talks over a hostage deal to secure the release of the remaining 132 captives held there in exchange for at least a month-long pause in the war.

Israel has been under intense scrutiny due to the high fatality count, with Hamas asserting that over 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in war-related violence in Gaza. Israel has said that at least 9,000 are combatants.
210 US lawmakers blast South Africa’s ‘defamatory’ genocide charge against Israel
Two hundred and ten Congress members have signed a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken blasting South Africa’s case in the International Court of Justice in which it accuses Israel of perpetrating a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

“South Africa makes grossly unfounded and defamatory charges against Israel on the world stage, abusing the judicial process in order to delegitimize the democratic State of Israel,” the lawmakers write in the letter organized by Democratic Representative Kathy Manning and Republican Representative Chris Smith.

“We vigorously denounce South Africa’s deeply hostile stance toward Israel and thoroughly reject its charge of genocide.”

“We urge you to continue to do the same, to offer Israel all appropriate support in opposing the South African application to the ICJ, and to encourage our allies to join us in speaking out against this unfounded attack on Israel, particularly at the United Nations and in other intergovernmental organizations,” the letter adds.


Major South African banks provide platform to fund Hamas
Research conducted by The Jerusalem Post staff and several sources uncovered what appears to be a network of several South African organizations and straw man companies deeply involved with funding Hamas activities through the Al-Quds Foundation, an international group sanctioned by the US and outlawed by Israel, using accounts registered in major local South African banks: Standard Bank, Nedbank, and Absa.

The global Al-Quds Foundation
The Al-Quds International Foundation (a.k.a. Al-Quds International Institute or QII) was established in Beirut in 2001 by Hamas members to raise funds for the terror organization through the guise of charity. According to the US Department of Treasury, the Hamas leadership runs all of the foundation’s affairs through Hamas members who serve on the board and other administrative committees, while all documents, plans, budgets, and projects are drafted by Hamas officials. Additionally, several senior Hamas officials, including Specially Designated Global Terrorists Mousa Abu Marzook and Osama Hamdan, served on Al-Quds’ Board of Trustees.

The foundation is part of the extensive network of Muslim Brotherhood affiliated organizations and was chaired until recently by sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the most prominent Islamic scholar of the Sunni world in the past decades, who was also aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood axis, and who was made notorious in the West for his infamous fatwa (an Islamic legal ruling) endorsing, and commending suicide bombings.

Today, the foundation is headed by Sheikh Hamid bin Abdullah Al-Ahmar, a Yemeni businessman based in Turkey, who is a leading figure at the Al-Islah party in Yemen, which is a political tributary of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in the country.

The foundation was sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury back in 2012 for their “being controlled by and acting on behalf of Hamas,” with sanctions including the freezing of any assets held by the foundation under US jurisdiction, and the barring of on all US citizens from engaging in transactions with it. Israel also outlawed the foundation as early as 2009 for similar reasons.
FDD: 24 Israeli Soldiers Killed in Gaza
Expert Analysis
“As with all its major wars, Israel has looked to its almost 300,000 reservists to provide the military backbone. They’ve served and sacrificed because this is an existential war, right next door, and not an expeditionary campaign of choice on the other side of the globe. Western observers, including the legion of arm-chair generals that have appeared since 10/7, would do well to remember that when pressuring the Israelis on timelines or tactics.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“The tragic loss of 24 Israeli soldiers in Gaza illustrates the complexity of fighting Hamas and the terrorist infrastructure it has created in Gaza. The terrorist organization turned civilian areas into fortresses of terror, stockpiling weapons in homes and placing rocket launchers and tunnels around buildings. Eliminating this threat requires dangerous work, and the death toll is an example of the high cost Israel is paying to defeat an enemy that exploited civilian areas for terror purposes for decades.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

IDF to Investigate Cause of Deadly Explosion
IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on January 23 that “we are still examining and investigating the details of the incident and the cause of the explosion” that killed 21 soldiers. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the IDF had opened an inquiry into the tragedy. “We must learn the necessary lessons and do everything to safeguard the lives of our fighters,” Netanyahu said. An article in Israel’s major newspaper Yediot Aharonot noted that the “incident highlights, reinforces [the] need to eliminate [the] Hamas threat to launch attacks across the border described as an objective of the war.”

Israel Continues Operations in Gaza
Israel continued operations in Gaza on January 23, encircling the city of Khan Younis, according to the IDF. Dozens of terrorists were eliminated, and the IDF said it “targeted terrorist cells carrying RPGs near the troops, those launching anti-tank missiles, and terror operatives who had rigged compounds with explosives.” The IDF has been fighting Hamas in Khan Younis, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s home town, since early December.


IDF continues Khan Yunis assault, killing many terrorists
Israel Defense Forces troops continue to score operational successes during intense combat in the southern Gaza terror stronghold of Khan Yunis, increasing pressure on Hamas by eliminating many of its terrorist squads, the military said on Wednesday morning.

Over the past 24 hours, IDF commandos carried out numerous raids on terrorist infrastructure in the heart of the city, according to the army. Troops encountered many Hamas operatives during close-quarters combat, among them squads preparing to fire anti-tank missiles.

The terrorists were eliminated using sniper fire, tank shelling and Israeli Air Force strikes, according to the IDF.

Combat teams of the 7th Armored, Paratroopers and Givati brigades likewise expanded their raids on Hamas compounds in the heart of Khan Yunis, locating many weapons and killing large numbers of terrorists.

Meanwhile, in the center of the Gaza Strip, soldiers of the Yiftah Brigade killed a terrorist preparing to launch an attack from inside a building before he was able to open fire at the forces.

In the north, the 215th Artillery Brigade eliminated many terrorists by ordering IAF airstrikes on terrorist squads that had returned to areas from which forces had previously withdrawn, the IDF said.


FDD: Egypt Claims It Destroyed Hamas Tunnels, But Smuggling Continues
Expert Analysis
“A decade ago, the Egyptians were aggressively dealing with the Hamas smuggling issue. It was part of their crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. Now, they are warning that if the Israelis do the same thing, it could cause a rupture in the most enduring Arab-Israeli peace agreement. Egypt’s behavior is highly irregular. Why Cairo would not welcome the opportunity to work with Israel to solve the border problem is not clear. But it appears the Sisi regime may be hiding something.” — Jonathan Schanzer, FDD Senior Vice President for Research

“Cairo is embarrassed, and its officials are trying to save face by issuing such defensive statements. There have always been corrupt members of the security establishment who benefited financially from tunnel building and weapon smuggling. It’s time for Egyptian authorities to arrest them and cooperate with Israel on ensuring a safer border. It’s a mutual national security interest for both Cairo and Jerusalem.” — Haisam Hassanein, FDD Adjunct Fellow

Egypt-Gaza Tunnels
Former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood in power from 2012 to 2013, tacitly allowed Hamas and other bad actors to transport missiles and other weapons into Gaza using tunnels underneath the Sinai. Cairo started cracking down on the underground network after current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi succeeded him. Egypt has destroyed numerous tunnels over the past decade using a variety of tactics, including flooding them with sewage. On January 23, Rashwan claimed that the Egyptian army has destroyed 1,500 tunnels and erected ”three barriers” along the Gaza border. “Any smuggling operation is impossible, neither above ground nor underground,” Rashwan said.

However, Cairo has yet to completely shut down cross-border tunnel operations. On October 26, the Israeli military confirmed that Hamas used the tunnel system to smuggle weapons and ammunition from Egypt into Gaza in the runup to its October 7 assault.
Hamas denies it slaughtered civilians on Oct. 7
Hamas on Sunday released a statement denying its members committed atrocities on Oct. 7.

The denial is a complete reversal for the terrorist group and a total disavowal of its own footage, after it supplied GoPro cameras to its operatives so that they could capture for posterity their horrific deeds on that day.

“Avoiding harm to civilians, especially children, women and elderly people, is a religious and moral commitment by all the Al-Qassam Brigades’ fighters,” Hamas stated in the 16-page document, claiming it only targeted Israeli military sites. (The Al-Qassam Brigades is Hamas’s so-called military wing.)

“We reiterate that the Palestinian resistance was fully disciplined and committed to the Islamic values during the operation and that the Palestinian fighters only targeted the occupation soldiers and those who carried weapons against our people,” it added, saying that its members were “keen to avoid harming civilians” and that any such targeting was by accident.

The claim is astonishing given the hours of footage taken by the organization’s members in which they’re seen shooting innocent Israelis throughout Oct. 7.

Around 1,200 persons, mostly civilians, were killed that day and 253 were forcibly taken to Gaza to be held in abysmal conditions, living on starvation diets and denied medical care.

(The first batch of medicine destined for the remaining hostages entered the Gaza Strip last week. Israel is still waiting for proof that the medicines reached the captives.)


Israel may arm Judea and Samaria communities with anti-tank weapons
Israeli officials are considering a proposal to provide security squads in a limited number of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria with anti-tank missiles to fend off an Oct. 7-style attack by Palestinian terrorists, the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday.

IDF commanders have not expressed any reservations so far and the proposal is awaiting the approval of senior security officials, Haaretz reported.

The plan calls for allocating missiles to civilian security units of isolated Judea and Samaria towns and other communities located close to villages controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

Since Hamas launched its current war against the Jewish state on Oct. 7, the Israeli government has established hundreds of additional civilian security squads, also known as standby squads.

Standby squads are made up of local residents, usually army veterans, who train together and are qualified to use automatic rifles. They serve as first-response teams, holding down the fort until IDF troops arrive.

At least two kibbutzim in the northwestern Negev were saved during Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attacks because of such squads.

Between Oct. 7 and Jan. 15 alone, the Hatzalah Judea and Samaria rescue group recorded more than 2,600 terrorist attacks against Israelis in the area, including 760 cases of rock-throwing, 551 fire bombings, 12 attempted or successful stabbings and nine vehicular assaults.
What is the significance of the IDF's new push in western Khan Yunis?
Khan Yunis crucial to defeating Hamas
If the IDF can rout Hamas's forces in western Khan Yunis, the only remaining Hamas-organized battalions will be in Rafah, even further south, and in Nuseirat in central Gaza.

While top Israeli defense officials would like to take apart these battalions as well, completing the elimination of the Gaza City and Khan Yunis battalions will be a further long-term blow to Hamas's operations and morale.

The recent intensifying of attacks in Khan Yunis has also brought the average of firing Hamas rockets to an all-new low, something the IDF was not able to do in around 15 years of prior rounds.

All of this is true no matter what happens next.

Of course, what happens next still matters a lot.

Will this pressure lead Hamas's leaders to finally cut another hostage exchange deal?

Can the IDF locate Hamas's leader and hostages in Khan Yunis to bring about a moment of truth that will place a whole new level of pressure on the terror group's top people?

Or will they remain hidden in Khan Yunis tunnels for an extended period, or have they fled to Rafah or some other less well-known Gaza village?

Such options offer them less control of the fighting and a smaller defensive network, but could prolong the amount of time until the IDF finds them, which in and of itself maintains pressure on Israel to cut a less good deal to receive the hostages back.

Also, it is unclear whether routing Hamas in Khan Yunis will improve the standoff between Israel and the US (and other Israeli Western and moderate Arab allies) about how to handle managing Gaza "The Day After" the IDF withdraws and hands it to some other third party or group of third parties.

But there is no question that tactically the push could be a new victory point for the IDF over Hamas, and it potentially could also positively impact the broader strategic picture.


IDF razes home of Palestinian accused of supplying guns in deadly June attack
The Israeli Defense Forces demolished the West Bank home of an alleged Hamas terrorist accused of being involved in a deadly shooting attack next to the settlement of Eli in June, a military spokesperson announced Wednesday.

Bassel Shehadeh has been indicted on suspicion of supplying the firearms used in a shooting attack carried out by two Hamas gunmen near Eli in June 2023, in which four Israelis were killed.

Overnight, troops entered the town of Urif, south of Nablus, and demolished Shehadeh’s home. The homes of the two gunmen have already been razed.

“The family was evacuated from the three-story building, then the second floor of the building was blown up,” village council secretary Adel al-Amer told AFP.

In other overnight operations, troops detained seven wanted Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the army spokesperson.

In August, the IDF indicted Shehadeh and another Palestinian, Hamed Sabah, on charges of murder and other security offenses for allegedly supplying firearms and ammunition to Muhannad Faleh Shehadeh and Khaled Mustafa Sabah and coordinating attack plans with them, the indictment said. The trial is ongoing.

On June 20, Muhannad Faleh Shehadeh and Khaled Mustafa Sabah, also from Urif, stormed a gas station adjacent to Eli in the central West Bank, opening fire with a semi-automatic rifle at a hummus joint in the gas station.

The attack claimed the lives of three of the restaurant’s patrons: Nachman Mordoff and Elisha Anteman, both 17, and 21-year-old Harel Masood. Ofer Fayerman, 64, was also murdered while pumping gas. Four people were injured.


Israeli protesters block aid trucks from entering Gaza
Hundreds of demonstrators prevented humanitarian aid trucks from entering the Gaza Strip from Israel at the Kerem Shalom border crossing on Wednesday.

The protesters from the “Order 9” movement demanded that “no aid goes through until the last of the abductees returns, no equipment be transferred to the enemy.”

(An Order 8 call-up notice is an order for the emergency mobilization of an IDF reserve soldier outside the framework of regular reserve duty. Many were issued after Hamas’s Oct. 7 invasion of the northwestern Negev with the mobilization of some 360,000 reserve soldiers).

The demonstrators include relatives of soldiers killed in action in the Gaza Strip and representatives of the families of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Reservists released from Gaza combat and civilians evacuated from the northern and southern frontiers also participated.

The protesters said they bypassed police checkpoints to cross fields in the area near the Egyptian and Gaza borders “and are actually stopping the truck convoys for Hamas.”

Traffic officials said that dozens of trucks turned around and drove away from Kerem Shalom due to the protest.


Gaza children protest against Hamas
Dozens of Palestinian children in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah held a rare protest against Hamas on Wednesday, calling on the terrorist organization to release Israeli hostages and end the war so they can return to their homes.

Outside Deir al-Balah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the children held white pieces of paper reading, “Yes to giving back the prisoners” and expressing wishes to return to homes in Jabalia and Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip.

“Will these cries and demands reach the hideouts of Hamas leaders?” Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic spokesman, asked on X.

The protest came one day after another small demonstration against Hamas in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Videos circulating on social media featured Palestinians cursing Hamas and Gaza strongman Yahye Sinwar, who masterminded the Oct. 7 massacre of Israelis living near the Gaza border.

There is no organized opposition to Hamas in Gaza.

Around 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. Hamas currently holds 136 men, women and children captive in the Strip. Some people remain unaccounted for as Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains.


Fresh US strikes target Iranian proxy in Iraq, anti-ship missiles in Yemen
The US military struck three facilities in Iraq and two anti-ship missiles in Yemen operated by Iranian-backed militias that have continued to instigate attacks on US personnel and ships in the region as the US continues to try to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spilling over into a wider conflict.

The overnight strikes in Iraq and Yemen targeted sites that the US has said are involved in the attacks against US forces in Iraq and Syria and were threatening US military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

In a statement Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes in Iraq were at the direction of US President Joe Biden and targeted facilities used by the Iranian-backed Kataeb Hezbollah militia group and other Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq.

“These precision strikes are in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks against US and Coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias,” Austin said. Those strikes hit militia facilities in Jurf al-Sakhar, which is south of Baghdad, al-Qaim, and another unnamed site in western Iraq, two US officials said.

Late Tuesday, US Central Command announced it had also struck two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch.

“US forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region,” Central Command said.

Both fronts — land attacks in Iraq and Syria, and sea attacks originating from Yemen — have seen a significant uptick in launches and counterstrikes over the last few days. In Iraq, US strikes on the Kataeb Hezbollah sites came hours after the US said militants fired two one-way attack drones at al-Asad Air Base, injuring US service members and damaging infrastructure. And they followed the militia’s most serious attack this year on the air base when it launched multiple ballistic missiles on Saturday.

US Central Command said it targeted Kataeb Hezbollah headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile, and one-way attack drone capabilities.


Iran-backed Houthis demand US, UK aid workers leave
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen has demanded that US and UK citizens who work in Yemen leave the country, the group wrote in a letter to the UN.

“The letter also calls on aid agencies not to recruit any workers with dual nationalities from the UK and US in the next 30 days,” Sky News reported, while according to a report at Al-Ain news, the Houthis made it clear to aid organizations in Sanaa that US and UK personnel must leave the country.

Though the Houthis control part of Yemen, they do not control the whole country. The group has been routinely attacking commercial ships over the last two months, citing Israel’s offensive in Gaza. In response, the US and UK have launched airstrikes on the Houthis, citing an unprompted attack on global trade.

Houthis are targeting UN officials
According to Al-Ain, the Houthis have targeted a representative of UNICEF, who is British, and also a British citizen who is of Sudanese origin and works with the UN. They have also asked an American who works for the World Food Programme to leave: “The sources indicated that the Houthi group warned the UN and international organizations against bringing any employee or official holding British or American citizenship to areas under its control,” the report read.

This represents a new escalation by the Houthis. The group has become increasingly aggressive in its attacks and these demands appear to mean that it wants to increase attacks on US and UK ships and other ships.


‘War mongering’: Piers Morgan slams former Israeli soldier for defending Houthi attacks
Sky News Australia host Piers Morgan has hit out at a former Israeli soldier for defending the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

The United States and United Kingdom confirmed they conducted further strikes against Houthi militant positions in Yemen.

The bombing was the second time the US and UK had cooperated to target Houthi positions and military hardware following a series of strikes on January 11.

Miko Peled, an Israeli-American activist and author, tried to claim the Houthis were doing the “responsible thing” with their attacks on cargo ships.

“I just think the idea it is responsible is for the birds,” Mr Morgan said.

“It is utterly irresponsible, it is warmongering, it’s deliberately inflammatory.

“It’s Iran’s behest and they are getting the bloody nose they deserve from the US and UK who are trying to preserve nearly 15 per cent of the world’s trade from going down in the Red Sea.”




Caroline Glick Analyzes U.S. Pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
Caroline Glick, Senior Contributing Editor of Jewish News Syndicate, offers analysis regarding the Biden administration’s tactics to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.


Trump vows to build ‘greatest Iron Dome anywhere in the world’
Donald Trump pledged to build an “Iron Dome” missile defense system for the United States if he is reelected in November’s presidential election.

The former president and Republican frontrunner to challenge the current office holder, Democrat Joe Biden, for the White House made the remarks at a rally in New Hampshire on Tuesday. He spoke ahead of the state’s primary, which he later won against his final GOP opponent Nikki Haley.

“I will build an Iron Dome over our country. A state-of-the-art missile defense shield made in the USA. We do it for other countries. We help other countries. We don’t do it for ourselves. We need it too,” Trump said.

Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries developed the Iron Dome missile defense system, which since 2011 has received $1.6 billion in U.S. funding, with another $1 billion approved by Congress last year.

Trump described seeing the technology in action and being impressed by its capabilities during his visits to the Jewish state.

“I’ve seen shots that you wouldn’t even believe. Missile launch. They go, ‘Missile launch!’ and you hear a bell go. I see this. I like it. It’s so incredible. And these guys. These geniuses. These are not muscle guys,” he continued from the stage in the city of Laconia. An Iron Dome battery in Ashkelon fires interceptor missiles at rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, Aug. 7, 2022. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

“We are going to have the greatest Iron Dome anywhere in the world,” the former president continued to applause. “And it’s going to be manufactured right here in New Hampshire.”


Piers Morgan's Debate On Suspended 'Jihad Doctor': "STOP Using Your Skin Colour!"
Piers Morgan Uncensored is joined by TRIGGERnometry's Konstantin Kisin and pro-Palestine commentator Wajahat Ali to debate whether it is right that NHS GP Abdul Wahid has been suspended for moonlighting as the leader of terrorist movement Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is now banned in Britain.

Piers Morgan begins by delivering a monologue recounting what happened when Dr Wahid appeared on his show and giving his view on the matter before inviting his guests to comment. A fiery debate ensures as Wajahat claims people are less quick to condemn terrorists when they have lighter skin.




Piers Morgan Calls For Two-State Solution And Asks Israeli Spokesperson Mark Regev How War Will End
Piers Morgan delivers a powerful monologue calling for a two-state solution and urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “recognise that the war cannot go on forever".

He then interviews Israeli spokesperson Mark Regev, asking him what can be done to achieve peace in the Middle East and asking him how many Hamas terrorists the IDF have killed.


Israel has ‘taken control’ of Northern Gaza: Jack Keane
Former US Army Vice Chief of Staff Jack Keane says Israel has taken control “largely” of Northern Gaza.

The former US Army Vice Chief of Staff also said they have been “very successful” in extinguishing most of the rockets and missile attacks that were “dominating at the beginning of the conflict”.

“There’s much left to be done obviously with two-thirds of the fighters still remaining,” he told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.

“The overwhelming majority of their echelon of leaders are still alive.

Mr Keane says destroying Hamas is “going to be a challenge”.


The Israel Guys: We Went to the GAZA BORDER (actual footage)
Our team here at the Israel Guys went down to the Gaza border this week and visited the ravaged town of Be’eri. Even over 100 days after the attack on October 7th, the destruction and horror of what happened is still overwhelming. The things we saw were shocking to say the very least!

Not only that, but the war raging in Gaza became much more real as there were explosions sounding off every couple of minutes.


Israeli rock climbing team banned from international competition amid security concerns
Israel’s rock climbing team was barred from participating in the international competition “Dock Masters 2024” in Utrecht, Netherlands, event organizer Royal Dutch Mountaineering and Climbing Club (NKBV) said in a Tuesday statement.

The NKBV said the ban was in response to potential security threats Israeli athletes faced simply by participating in the event, as the NKBV claims they cannot guarantee the safety of Israel's national team members.

Ayala Kerem, who is currently considered the top athlete in Israel in the field and is even marked by the Olympic Committee to go to the Paris Olympics, was scheduled to participate in the competition, so her non-participation could harm her chances of reaching the Olympics.

"It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you of the latest developments surrounding the participation of Israeli athletes in the Dock Masters. We fear disturbances during the event and are concerned about your safety, the safety of the other competitors, our team, and the visitors,” the statement said.

“We have spoken with a number of experts and with the National Climbing Association ( NKBV) to interpret the situation. Unfortunately, this forces us to cancel your booking, as we cannot monitor the security risks and ensure your safety. We deeply regret making this decision," the NKBV statement read.


Biden is interrupted at least 11 TIMES by pro-Palestinian protesters as abortion rights speech in Virginia with Kamala, Jill and Doug Emhoff descends into chaos
President Joe Biden fired up Democrats at a 'Restore Roe' rally in Northern Virginia Tuesday, hoping to harness the issue that has kept Democrats competitive – but got interrupted repeatedly by anti-Israel protesters.

Biden scheduled a camera-ready event where he and other speakers went directly and repeatedly at Donald Trump, on when the Republican presidential nomintation was on the line in the New Hampshire primary.

One by one, protesters interrupted, forcing the president to pause his remarks while security removed them from the venue, which was decked out with pro choice signs and spotlights.

'This is going to go on for a while. They got this planned,' Biden said in frustration after the 7th such interruption.

He was assisted by the crowd, which chanted 'Four more years!' and 'Let's go Joe!' after the interruptions, which repeatedly accused him of 'genocide.'

'Please don’t jump!' Biden joked after the 10th interruption, by a woman holding a sign about Gaza amid Israel's war on Hamas.

The protests began almost as soon as the president began speaking. The president was in the process of thanking Amanda Zurawski, who had spoken about her struggles to get an abortion in her home state of Texas after experiencing medical complications at 18 weeks of pregnancy. She said she faced 'catastrophic complications' in 2022 when pregnant with a girl, and had told the crowd she was 'devastated' learning she would lose her baby with '100 per cent certainty.'

'I want to thank you again Amanda for your absolute courage,' Biden said.

At that point, a man who carried a Palestinian flag and shouted out 'How many kids have you killed ...?' before the crowd shouted him down with chants of 'Four more years!' Another woman also protested and got ejected.

'There’s one other person who doesn’t have a clue about the power of women in America, that’s Donald Trump,' Biden said in one of the lines he was able to get out without being cut off.




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