Monday, February 26, 2024

02/26 Links Pt1: Arab States Are Rooting for Israel to Destroy Hamas; The Media-Savvy Murderers of Hamas; IDF uncovers six-mile tunnel stretching from northern Gaza to south

From Ian:

In Private, Arab States Are Rooting for Israel to Destroy Hamas
The Washington Institute sent a delegation that visited Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and the PA to assess the prospects for security and peace in the current environment.

In private, Arab states are rooting for Israel to destroy Hamas. One senior Arab official said, "Israel is fighting for us in Gaza, and if it wins, it will succeed in defeating an Iranian proxy for the first time in forty years."

But Arab states are focused on their own security and their own interests and are either unwilling or unable to play much of a role in shaping the outcome in Gaza or helping fill the vacuum that will be left by the Hamas defeat they all privately say they want.

The Arab states all face domestic political urgency because of mass sympathy for the Palestinians and Al Jazeera-fueled outrage against the Israelis.

One senses almost zero appreciation that Israel today is a very different country than it was on Oct. 6 and that, for the vast majority of Israelis, even talking about the two-state solution is viewed as bizarre, even perverse. Most Israelis see the world solely through the lens of 10/7.

The general Israeli political sense is that it is wrong to make north Gaza safe enough for Palestinians to return until the Israeli evacuees are safe enough to return to their burnt and ransacked homes in Israel.

In private conversation, Arab officials express great sympathy and understanding for Israel's situation. Arabs are still working closely with Israel to stem Iranian smuggling and to cooperate against radical plans to escalate on other fronts.

Israelis say they are now facing seven hot fronts of military operation: Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran.

They are involved directly in six, leaving America, Britain, and some allies to address the Houthis and their threats to Red Sea shipping.

Iran has activated all those fronts, watching safely from the confines of its own territory as its adversaries take on one proxy after another.

We may be scoring tactical victories, but it's not even clear we are playing the right game.
Amb. Michael Oren: What Will Happen to Hamas?
Hamas will survive the war, but in what form? If we're talking about the 30,000 armed members of the Al Qassam Brigade under the command of Yahya Sinwar and other military leaders, Hamas will not survive the war. Hamas the military force will never be the same after this Israeli campaign. But Hamas the movement, Hamas the idea, will surely survive.

No amount of firepower can annihilate a concept. Both ISIS and al-Qaeda still exist and occasionally mount attacks. In its theology, Hamas is identical to other Islamist groups that seek to recreate the medieval Islamic caliphate in the Middle East. It differs only in seeking Israel's destruction as the first stage in that quest.

That threat can only be eliminated by long-term efforts to combat radicalization, especially among children. Such campaigns have been initiated in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, and are already registering success. Absent a similar effort among Palestinian youth, Hamas the idea will continue to inspire numbers of them to launch terrorist attacks against Israelis. But deprived of the backing of an independent state, the ability of these groups to cause major damage will be greatly diminished.
WSJ: The Media-Savvy Murderers of Hamas
The Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, when terrorists live-streamed their atrocities, is arguably the most well-documented attack in history. Hamas mercilessly murdered, butchered, raped and burned Israeli families alive - documenting their crimes with GoPros and cellphones. The terrorists even live-streamed their atrocities on their victims' social-media accounts.

For the past 16 years, Hamas has systematically embedded its terror infrastructure inside and under civilian areas in Gaza. IDF troops discovered that most homes in Gaza have terror tunnels underneath or weapon caches inside, and the majority of schools, mosques, hospitals and international institutions have been used by Hamas for their military operations.

The Israel Defense Forces, by contrast, conducts its operations with caution, transparency and in accordance with international law. Our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza, which is why we take extensive measures to minimize harm to the civilians Hamas puts in the crossfire.

Our mission is to dismantle Hamas and bring our hostages home - not to destroy Gaza or displace its people. We will continue fulfilling the mission of ensuring that Oct. 7 never happens again, while upholding our values.

The writer is chief spokesman of the Israel Defense Forces.


Khaled Abu Toameh: Palestinians Need New Leaders, Not New Governments
The sole way to "revitalize" the Palestinian Authority is to insist that it rid itself of every leader who has failed his people and who remains in power, disregarding the will and interests of the people. That is hardly likely, at least not in the foreseeable future. No one is willingly going to forego perks and power. There is no way that Abbas or any of his senior aides are voluntarily going to step down.

Only a new and fresh leadership committed to reforms, democracy, and transparency has a chance of leading the Palestinians towards a better life. Sadly, leaders with such a portfolio are hard to come by in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Any leader who comes through the US or Israel will be accused by Palestinians of being a traitor and collaborator with the enemies of the Palestinian people.
Amid US pressure for reform, entire PA government submits its resignation to Abbas
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Monday he was resigning to allow for the formation of a broad consensus among Palestinians about political arrangements after the conclusion of Israel’s war against terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The move comes amid growing US pressure on PA President Mahmoud Abbas to shake up the Authority, which would allow it to take a greater role in ruling postwar Gaza.

International efforts have intensified to stop the fighting in Gaza and begin work on a political structure to govern the enclave after the war.

Shtayyeh said he put the resignation to Abbas last Tuesday and was now formalizing it in writing.

His resignation must still be accepted by Abbas, who may ask him to stay on as caretaker until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Abbas is expected to choose Mohammad Mustafa, chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund, as the next prime minister.

The move signals a willingness by the Western-backed Palestinian leadership to accept changes that might usher in reforms seen as necessary to revitalize the PA.

The US wants a reformed PA to govern Gaza once the war is over and has ruled out Hamas playing any such role in the Strip in the future. But many obstacles remain to make that vision a reality.
The Legality of the Israeli Buffer Zone in Gaza
Israel is considering establishing a security zone within Gaza, along the border, to prevent terrorist infiltration of Israel, such as occurred in the Oct. 7 massacre. It is asserted that Israeli demolition of homes in the zone is unjustified by military necessity. Furthermore, it has been argued that the establishment of a buffer zone in Gaza consists of an illegal occupation of Gazan territory.

Yet, Israel's actions stem from clear military necessity. Moreover, states are entitled to hold enemy territory in the lawful exercise of their right to self-defense. This was seen most recently in the examples of the Turkish buffer zones in Syria and Iraq. Neither the U.S. nor the EU have denounced these buffer zones as a violation of international law or as illegally diminishing the territory of Syria.

While it has been argued that any buffer must be established on Israeli territory, given that some of the Israeli communities invaded on Oct. 7 are barely one km. from Gaza, such a buffer zone would be ineffective as a means of defense.

Stephen Schwebel, former president of the International Court of Justice, wrote: "A state acting in lawful exercise of its right of self-defense may seize and occupy foreign territory as long as such seizure and occupation are necessary to its self-defense. As a condition of its withdrawal from such territory, that state may require the institution of security measures reasonably designed to ensure that that territory shall not again be used to mount a threat or use of force against it of such a nature as to justify exercise of self-defense."
‘Strange to be here without them’: Soldiers who survived Oct. 7 return to Nahal Oz base
Five IDF soldiers who survived Hamas’s October 7 attack on the Nahal Oz surveillance base returned recently for the first time to see the charred remains of their former command center, where many of their fellow soldiers were killed or taken hostage during the shock onslaught.

A Channel 12 television report that aired Friday documented their emotional return to the base, where 15 surveillance soldiers were killed and six more were taken hostage on October 7. In total, 66 troops were killed in the assault on the base, part of the massive Hamas-led onslaught in southern Israel in which Palestinian terrorists 1,200 people were killed, mostly civilians, and 253 kidnapped.

“It’s not easy,” said Maya, identified only by her first name. “It’s strange for me that they’re not here, it’s strange to be in the command center without them.”

“I can’t really process it,” she added, saying before October 7 there was never a time when the now-ruined command room was not filled with activity, banter between soldiers and laughter.

“It took me three months to get back to normal,” Maya said. “I couldn’t get back to normal because my normal included the girls who unfortunately were killed here. I’m still working on it.”

The attack on the Nahal Oz base, which housed members of the Border Defense Corps’ 414th unit and is located less than a kilometer from the Gaza border, came at the very start of the Hamas assault.
IDF soldier, former Hamas captive, returns to service
Cpl. Ori Megidish, whom the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) freed from Hamas captivity in late October, returned to duty in the army’s Intelligence Directorate on Monday.

The IDF said that the decision to return Megidish to service stemmed from her personal desire and “a sense of mission to serve the state,” Ynet reported.

Megidish, from Kiryat Gat, was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz Base during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack while serving as a spotter. Then 18, she had enlisted six months earlier.

Addressing U.S. donors last week, she spoke of the first moments of the attack: “There were a lot of loud noises. They woke us up and all the girls ran to take shelter. We said goodbye to our families on the phone and after a while, we heard a lot of shouting and gunshots.”

Megidish was featured as part of an IDF press briefing on Dec. 30.

“Hamas kidnapped me on October 7 from the Nahal Oz Base. They kidnapped us, some of us were only wearing pajamas. They murdered my closest friends and many others,” she said.

“I was there for 23 days, which felt like years. My friends are still there, held among women, children, sick people and the elderly. While their family members are all awaiting their return.

“Despite my pain, loneliness and fear, while I was there, I had hope I’d be rescued. I pray that my friends who are still being held hostage have the same hope,” she added.

Megidish met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal, on Jan. 11. “How happy we were to meet Ori Megidish, who came to us wearing a uniform for the first time since she was kidnapped to Gaza. The whole country was happy when she returned home and she is for us a symbol of great light and hope,” the president said.


‘My life was given back to me’: Pregnant woman wounded in terror attack speaks out
Adi Zohar, a pregnant woman who was injured in a terror attack last week near Ma’ale Adumim, told media outlets on Sunday that it was a miracle she and her baby had survived her being shot.

Speaking to media from Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem where she is currently in recovery, the five-month pregnant mother of one said that she was shot while traveling on the road she takes daily to get to work.

While Zohar had not been worried about terror attacks along that route before, she said she now realized that they could happen anywhere.

“I was sitting in traffic and talking on the phone when I noticed the car in front of me suddenly hitting the one in front of it,” she recounted. “I told my aunt that there had been a weird accident, and seconds later, a terrorist exited the car like a madman and I immediately saw his gun.”

She went on to describe feeling trapped in her car as she made eye contact with the terrorist and tried to slide down in her seat to keep the baby safe.

“A few seconds later, I saw my shirt was full of blood, but I hadn’t felt the bullet,” she recounted.
A New Jersey man came to Israel for his son’s birth but joined the IDF to fight Hamas
It was supposed to be a time of celebration – Lior Elimelech’s family just welcomed his newborn son; it was the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, and the Shabbat before his sister was set to be married. Yet a national tragedy soon swept all their plans away and sent Elimelech into a war that would keep him away from his family for over 120 days.

Elimelech was born in New York but moved with his family to Israel when he was five. He returned to the US a year and a half ago and started a carpentry and wood construction business in New Jersey.

The couple’s son would have been the first grandson on both sides of the family, so to make the birth easier for the entire clan Elimelech and his wife traveled to Israel. They were supposed to return home to the US on October 10.Elimelech’s son was only 30 days old when the sirens rang out, and news began to surface of the October 7 pogrom conducted by Hamas in Israel’s south.

“I quickly understood where this was going,” said Elimelech.

A call to service
He hadn’t been on reserve duty since he left for the US, but he called his officer. They were both in shock. On October 8, Elimelech joined his tank unit, attached to a mandatory service brigade.

At first, he was a tank commander with no tanks – his crew worked servicing tanks in the north of Israel. When the brigade commander saw that his company was serious, he allocated to them four and then six tanks.

Elimelech’s company was soon riding these tanks into Shuja’iyya and Bureij to fight Hamas terrorists.


Inside Unit 8200: Moving forward after the October 7 intelligence failure
In the early hours of Oct. 8, the serene Galilee landscape served as the backdrop for a somber gathering at the headquarters of IDF intelligence Unit 8200. The massacre one day earlier hung heavily in the air as four former unit commanders, aged 53-65, convened at the behest of the current commander, identified only as ‘Y.’

They arrived there in a world still reeling from the shock of the Hamas Nukhba terrorists’ attack, with the magnitude of the tragedy barely beginning to dawn.

Unit 8200, a linchpin in the IDF Intelligence Corps, is at the forefront of signal intelligence, cyber warfare, and covert operations, functioning under the military intelligence directorate, Aman. Its reputation for excellence is built on a foundation of cutting-edge intelligence and surveillance operations, but the intelligence hole that was Oct. 7 was too big for explanation.

The meeting, which lasted several hours, concluded with a palpable divide among the participants. One faction criticized how the situation was handled, calling it “an egregious failure that transcends mere oversight, a catastrophic lapse in judgment and responsibility, indicative of personal, even criminal negligence on the part of ‘Y’ and senior officers.”

The other faction offered a different, opposite perspective, cautioning against a rush to judgment. They argued that “to single out ‘Y’ for blame is to misunderstand the nature of the failure we’re confronting. It’s not just a question of individual error but a systemic flaw, a problem rooted in decisions made long before ‘Y’ took command.” They insisted that accountability should extend beyond and that systemic changes are needed to prevent future failures.

Over the past two years, I met with 8200 leaders, delved into its operations, and gained a deep appreciation for its role in shaping global intelligence and the hi-tech sector. Despite what happened on Oct. 7, my admiration for the unit’s achievements and its critical role in national security remains unshaken. This unit saved countless lives and significantly contributed to security, earning accolades and recognition from the highest echelons of global intelligence communities.
IDF official warned of fatal intel. failures right before Oct. 7 massacre
A wave of unprecedented reactions flooded me over the weekend, following the publication of the first results of the investigation into the military intelligence failure on October 7. For those who do not know, the IDF intelligence unit, Unit 8200, is the largest unit in the military. Tens of thousands of successful Israelis come out of 8200, many of whom go on to establish start-ups, become big players in the hi-tech and cyber industries, and lead Israel to the global forefront of cutting-edge technology.

Hundreds of them wrote to me through various platforms. They shared the pain of a major intelligence failure, their love for the special unit in which they spent formative years, suggestions for improvement, and criticisms.

To complete the picture, I present here what 8200 commander Y wrote to all the unit's soldiers and officers on September 24, 2023, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of our previous intelligence failure that was the Yom Kippur War, less than two weeks before the October 7 massacre. Here is the commander's letter in full.

A chilling read in retrospect: A warning of the dangers of intelligence failures
The lesson for the Yom Kippur War regarding personal readiness, and regarding the statement "It couldn't happen to me," still echoes 50 years later. Our main mission, as an intelligence unit, is to sound the alarm for war. We failed at that mission during the Yom Kippur War.

Since then, we have experienced successes and failures. Sometimes we found ourselves we were the first to sound the alarm, and sometimes we failed in providing the alert on time.

The challenge of sounding the alarm is universal.

One of the famous failures of US intelligence is Pearl Harbor. The Japanese navy attacked the American fleet, and the complete surprise led the United States to join World War II. This catastrophic failure led to the establishment of the CIA. [The Americans] famously said that since then, once every three years, they experience another Pearl Harbor. In simpler terms, we created an amazing intelligence agency, and yet we continue to experience major failures.

The importance of readiness cannot be underestimated. We cannot stress enough the challenge of fulfilling this mission.

As a young intelligence officer, I felt like I was a reincarnation of [the officers that were there on] that major blunder on Yom Kippur eve. I read every book, every article obsessively. I felt like I was there. And then, 20 years ago, I decided to meet with all the senior intelligence officers who were there during that war – Eli Zeira, who was the head of Aman [the Military Intelligence Directorate]; Aryeh Shalev, who was head of military research; Yoel Ben-Porat, head of SIGINT, and many others. I left every meeting shaken. I remember leaving meetings thinking to myself "Wow, they're so amazing and intelligent." I didn't feel like it was some slimy group [of incompetent officers]. After every meeting, I left with a feeling of "If they failed, it could happen to us too. It could happen to me too."

We all have a lot to learn from that war.
IDF detected Hamas terrorists switching to Israeli SIMs ahead of Oct. 7
Hours before Hamas’s Oct. 7 onslaught on the northwestern Negev, Israel Defense Forces intelligence officials learned that hundreds of terrorists in the Gaza Strip activated Israeli SIM cards in their phones, the Military Censor cleared for publication on Monday.

The anomaly was reportedly detected around midnight on Oct. 7, some 6 and a half hours before thousands of Palestinian terrorists stormed the security fence before murdering approximately 1,200 people, wounding thousands and taking 253 hostages back to Gaza.

Further details surrounding the SIM card issue have not been cleared for publication.

The IDF subsequently downplayed the report, claiming that while “several indicative signs accumulated” ahead of the attack, intelligence officials only noticed “dozens” of SIM cards being activated in Gaza.

“As previously published, on the night of Oct. 7, indicative signs were received for which situation assessments were conducted and operative decisions were made accordingly,” stated the military.

“The indicative signs are based on a variety of tools and capabilities, including technological tools whose method of operation cannot be detailed,” added the statement.
IDF Introduces Array of Unmanned Weapons in Gaza War
During the Gaza war, the IDF has introduced into service remote-activated weapons systems.

The Panda excavator, used to locate and destroy Hamas tunnels, is a remotely-run machine developed by Israel Aerospace Industries.

Unmanned armored personnel carriers (APCs), based on the IDF's M-113, are able to carry munitions to great distances.

The IDF's technological development arm has adapted dozens of drones to carry out surveillance inside buildings and tunnels.

Some are also armed. More than 100 terrorists were killed by the Maoz attack drones, used mostly by commando forces.

These units also used drones able to discharge grenades and attack 4 or 5 targets per mission.

After Hamas in the south and Hizbullah in the north destroyed IDF observation facilities, they were quickly replaced by new technologies that have been in development for the past two years.
Netanyahu: Israel has a plan to remove civilians from Rafah
The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday evening presented to the War Cabinet a plan to evacuate the civilian population from Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah.

The IDF also introduced its operational plan for the pending offensive in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called “the last Hamas bastion.”

Speaking to Fox News on Monday, the premier addressed U.S. concerns about a plan to protect noncombatants.

“We do have a combined plan of evacuating civilians out of harm’s way and destroying those Hamas battalions,” Netanyahu said about the four Hamas battalions concentrated in Rafah out of six remaining in Gaza. Israel has destroyed 18 of the 24 terrorist battalions so far.

“I can tell you that Hamas will do everything in their power to make sure that we don’t evacuate those civilians. They try to stop them at gunpoint and often at gunfire, but that’s not going to stop us. We won’t give them immunity. We will get the population out. We will continue the job to achieve total victory,” he continued.

“Total victory is how you win the war and total victory is how you win the peace. You can’t win the peace if you don’t win the war.”

To that end, the premier told CBS News on Sunday that once the invasion of the city along the Egyptian border begins, the IDF will be “weeks away from total victory.”




IDF uncovers six-mile tunnel stretching from northern Gaza to south
Israel Defense Forces troops in the Gaza Strip uncovered a major tunnel network extending from the northern part of the enclave to the south, a distance of more than six miles, the military revealed on Monday.

The IDF’s 162nd Division, led by the Nahal Brigade and the Combat Engineering Corps’ special operations Yahalom Unit, gained control over the Hamas shafts and destroyed “large parts” of the network, the army said.

The terror tunnel system connected the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which borders the northern Strip, to Israa University in southern Gaza City and beyond, according to Israel.

“The route connects [Hamas’s] Central Brigade to the Gaza City Brigade, including the Nuseirat, Sabra and Zeitoun battalions,” the IDF said, noting that the tunnels were used to move terrorists “between different units in the Strip.”

Earlier on Monday, the IDF said soldiers of the 401st Brigade “continue to operate and fight” in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbrhood, killing at least 30 terrorist operatives over the past day alone with air force support.

Meanwhile, in central Gaza, the Nahal Brigade killed more than 10 terrorists over the span of 24 hours, the IDF said.

In Khan Yunis in the south, the IDF’s Combat Intelligence Corps Unit 414 identified a terrorist preparing to fire a rocket-propelled grenade. The soldiers pursued the terrorist and ordered an airstrike, eliminating the threat.

In western Khan Yunis, soldiers killed several terrorists using tank and sniper fire, as well as in close-quarters combat. During raids on terrorist infrastructure in the area, the forces seized weapons including grenades, ammunition and other military equipment used by Hamas.


IDF striking ‘deep inside Lebanon’ after Hezbollah downs drone
Following Hezbollah’s interception of an Israeli drone on Monday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said it was attacking the terrorist organization “deep inside Lebanon,” with reports of an attack in the area of Baalbek, located about 42 miles northeast of Beirut.

Fighter jets struck sites used by Hezbollah’s air defense array in the Beqaa Valley, “in response to the launch of surface-to-air missiles towards an unmanned aerial vehicle of the ‘Hermes 450’ type, that fell earlier today,” according to the IDF spokesperson.

The strikes are the deepest attack carried out by the IDF in Lebanese territory since the beginning of the war.



The Beirut-based An-Nahar newspaper reported that two people were killed in the attack on the Baalbek area and Hezbollah confirmed that two of its members were killed in three Israeli strikes. The terrorist group also claimed that a warehouse that was hit contained food for its al-Sajjad project, which sells food and consumables at below-market prices at Hezbollah grocery stores in the group’s strongholds.

The IDF identified the terror operative targeted in the strike as Hassan Hossein Salami, the head of Hezbollah’s eastern command.

“Salami belongs to the Nasr unit of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and commanded recent terrorist activities against IDF forces and civilian and military targets in the north of the country,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari tweeted.


Daniel Greenfield: Biden Admin Warns Israel Not to Interfere With Hamas Members Stealing Aid
These kinds of lies go through three stages.
1. It will never happen
2. It’s happening and it’s a good thing
3. How dare you prevent it from happening

There are numberless examples in the political arena, but we’ve now reached stage 3 in the Hamas aid lie.
The Biden administration asked Israel to stop targeting members of the Hamas-run civilian police force who escort aid trucks in Gaza, warning that a “total breakdown of law and order” is significantly exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, three U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.

U.S. officials say they are increasingly concerned “that Gaza is turning into Mogadishu” as a security vacuum and desperation have opened the door for armed gangs to attack and loot aid trucks, putting even more pressure on the Strip’s already strained humanitarian system.

Armed gangs? A Total breakdown of law and order? Who exactly do U.S. officials think Hamas is?

Months after the administration lied to our faces and told us over and over again that Hamas would never get the aid, that they won’t put up with it if they do, they redefine Hamas terrorists as members of the local police who are just providing an “escort” for aid trucks and killing them will lead to a “total breakdown of law and order”.

The alternative to a “total breakdown of law and order” is Hamas.

Here’s footage, by the way, of Hamas terrorists providing an escort for aid trucks.


Official downplays hostage deal prospects: Israel, mediators ‘talking to ourselves’
An Israeli official sought to temper expectations on Monday as negotiators flew to Qatar to continue working on a potential hostage deal, telling The Times of Israel that there is not necessarily cause for optimism.

“We need to be careful,” said the official. “We’re still talking to ourselves.”

A mid-level Israeli delegation is in Doha to continue working on the details of a potential agreement with Hamas that would see dozens of hostages released from Gaza in exchange for an extended truce in the war in the coastal Strip.

The delegation consists of experts who have been involved in the talks throughout, a second Israeli official told The Times of Israel. The official added that in-person talks aren’t the only forum for progress to be made.

“There are telephone calls all the time,” said the official.

They are following up on an outline formulated at a US-Israel-Egypt-Qatar forum in Paris over the weekend, which reportedly involves Hamas releasing 40 hostages including, women, children, female soldiers, and elderly and ill abductees in exchange for a six-week pause in fighting and Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian terror convicts.

Hamas is not involved in the talks, and the organization’s leadership still would have to agree to any framework hammered out in Qatar and Paris.


Andrew Bolt provides update from Israel
Sky News Australia host Andrew Bolt has given an update from the frontline in Israel where he says people on the left and right alike agree the war must be “fought and won.”

“We have a debate in Australia over whether Israel should keep fighting or stop, or ceasefire … No debate here at all, absolutely none,” Mr Bolt reported.

“Apart from a few minor figures.

“People I’ve talked to on the left and the right are absolutely united that this war must be fought.

"And must be fought and won.”


Israel ‘can’t leave Hamas in power’ of the Gaza Strip
The Australian’s Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan says Israel “can’t leave Hamas in power” of the Gaza Strip.

Mr Sheridan told Sky News host Steve Price that Israel has to “destroy the Hamas battalions” in the south of the Gaza Strip.

“It strikes me that there’s a real weirdness about the moral debate here.

“Why doesn’t everybody, including Penny Wong and everybody else, immediately call on Hamas to surrender?

“The Hamas war criminals should come out from hiding.”


UK Labour Party's actions during ceasefire vote ‘deeply chilling’: Tom Slater
Spiked Online Editor Tom Slater has branded the UK Labour Party’s way of convincing the Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle to consider their amendments to a ceasefire motion “deeply chilling.”

It follows a debate which erupted in British Parliament after the Scottish National Party put forward a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

In a break of protocol the Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle allowed a vote on Labour’s amendments to the motion which included an “immediate humanitarian pause” rather than a ceasefire.

“Even if the Labour Party did lean on Lindsay Hoyle in a way that I think is pretty plausible, I think the way in which they convinced him is still deeply chilling.” Mr Slater said in response.

“There is clearly a terroristic threat to MPs.”

The debate went on for a total of six hours and resulted in more than 50 lawmakers submitting letters of no confidence in the Speaker.


UK MPS are ‘right to be worried’ about threat of Islamic extremists
Writer and presenter Connor Tomlinson says UK MPs have a "right to be worried" about the threat posed by Islamic extremists.

His comments come as former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has claimed Islamists are 'in charge' of Britain.

“MPs are right to be worried,” Mr Tomlinson told Sky News Australia host Rita Panahi.

“We’ve had Stephen Timms in 2010 who was stabbed by an Islamist, we had Sir David Ames murdered by an Islamist in 2021.

“The problem is none of the MPs will actually name the threat.”


'Dangerous message': Anti-Semitic politician appears as guest of honour at public school
Anti-Semitic Greens politician Jenny Leong being celebrated as a guest of honour at a public school on Friday has sent a “dangerous message”, says Sky News host Sharri Markson.

Ms Leong was criticised just a few weeks ago for her remarks that Jews’ “tentacles reach in to the areas that try and influence power” but eventually apologised after being called out by the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and other politicians.

“And yet, a New South Wales public school invited Jenny Leong to be their guest of honour just on Friday,” Ms Markson said.

“Some in the audience were shocked to see this anti-Semitic politician walk out to present high-achieving students with awards at the Fort Street High School speech day.

“But Jenny Leong being invited to present awards just three weeks after those horrific and offensive comments sends a message to students that unlike other forms of racism, racism against Jews is somehow to be tolerated.

“This is a dangerous message to send that anti-Semitism should be condoned and is acceptable.”


Concerns over visa applications as ‘rampant anti-Semitism’ continues
Sky News host Peta Credlin has raised concerns about visa applications being processed out of Gaza amid “rampant anti-Semitism” in Australia.

Ms Credlin expressed disgust over a pro-Palestinian protest held outside Town Hall last week.

“Only this time, the spectre of jihad was spoken about openly and publicly. Not contained to a fiery speech in a Sydney mosque but brazenly shouted out on the streets of an Australian city,” Ms Credlin said.

She said the leader of the group explained that Muslims, at least in his view, “exalt the mothers of suicide bombers, and wish that their own mothers were the mothers of so-called martyrs”.

“Apparently, according to what was reported exclusively in The Australian, Victorian police simply stood by while all this was happening.

“Yet if praising anti-Jewish religious terrorism is not hate speech, what is? As if celebrating martyrdom and jihad shouldn't worry every peace loving Australian?”


Palestinian activist who hijacked planes and called Hamas 'freedom fighters' to jet into Australia for a speech
A Palestinian 'terrorist' who hijacked two planes and described the Hamas soldiers responsible for the October 7 attacks as 'freedom fighters' could come to Australia.

Leila Khaled is listed as a keynote speaker at June's Ecosocialism event in Perth, which is hosted by the Socialist Alliance and the Green Left newspaper.

However, Jewish-Australian community members have called for her to be barred from entering Australia due to her complicated history as a prominent member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The now-elderly woman is still a member of the extremist Marxist group which is known for hijacking planes, assassinations and suicide bombings.

The PFLP is regarded as a terrorist organisation by the United States, the European Union and Canada, while Australia has subjected the group to financial sanctions.

The Australian Jewish Association condemned Ms Khaled's appearance at Ecosocialism in a tweet on Monday.

'What a great illustration of the fusion of hard left politics, radical "Palestinian" activism [and] terrorism, in this case aircraft hijacking,' it said.

The PFLP gained global infamy in the late 1960s and early 1970s due to string of airline hijackings and bombings.

Ms Khaled was involved in at least two of the group's hijackings.

In 1969, she helped hijack Trans World Airlines Flight 840 travelling from Rome, Italy, to Tel Aviv, Israel, as the group believed Israel's ambassador to the U.S. was on board.

No one was injured in the attack but the hijackers blew up the plane's nose.

Ms Khaled was involved in a second hijacking a year later when she attempted to hijack El Al Flight 219 from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to New York City.

She, alongside another co-hijacker, threatened to detonate grenades inside the plane if the pilot did not let them into the cockpit.

Gunshots were fired and the plane went into a nosedive before landing.

Following the attacks, Ms Khaled spent a month-and-a-half imprisoned in Syria and a month detained in Britain.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry wrote to Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus on Monday to urge them to deny Ms Khaled entry.

'She was the first woman to hijack an airplane. She remains a member of the national committee of the PFLP, an organisation which is listed under Australian sanctions laws,' the letter from Peter Wertheim and Alex Ryvchin reads.

'Given her criminal background and current associations, her appearance - actual or virtual - would be likely to have the effect of inciting, promoting or advocating terrorism to an Australian audience, to aggravate current social divisions and thus cause damage to social cohesion.'
Concerns as Albanese government ‘might grant a visa’ to Palestinian plane hijacker
Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson says the Jewish community is “right to be concerned” about a Palestinian convicted plane hijacker coming into Australia.

Leila Khaled took part in two plane hijackings in the late 1960’s and is now set to appear at a socialist conference held in Perth this year.

There is a push to deny Ms Khaled an Australian visa due to her actions.

In an interview, she said that Hamas were “freedom fighters”.

Mr Paterson told Sky News host Peta Credlin that the Albanese government “might grant a visa” to the convicted plane hijacker.

“Someone convicted of terrorist offences, someone a member of a terrorist organisation, has no business whatsoever coming to this country.”




Berlinale film festival launches investigation into pro-Palestinian posts on its Instagram
Berlinale, one of the world’s largest film festivals, announced on X on Sunday that they were launching an investigation into how pro-Palestinian content had been shared on their Instagram account.

“Today, image-text posts about the war in the Middle East, which included the Berlinale logo were posted on Panorama’s Instagram channel,” Berlinale posted online. “These posts did not originate from the festival and do not represent the Berlinale’s position. We immediately deleted them and initiated an investigation into how this incident occurred. We will file criminal charges against unknown persons.

While the post has been deleted from Berlinale’s Instagram account, screenshots of the post circulated on X. The image depicts a man on a horse with the Berlinale logo featured on the bottom corner above the text “FREE PALESTINE” and “From the River to the Sea.”

“From the River to the Sea” is a popular chant used in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, thought to be referencing the land from the Jordanian River to the Mediterranean Sea which encompasses the entire state of Israel. It is based on this understanding that many consider the controversial slogan’s meaning as advocating for the destruction of the state of Israel in favor of a singular Palestinian state.


Jerry Seinfeld heckled by pro-Palestine protesters in New York City
As Jerry Seinfeld left an event at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, he was greeted by pro-Palestine protesters chanting, “Genocide supporter! You support genocide!”

Two of the protesters outside the 92Y were arrested Sunday night, according to police, the New York Post reported.

Seinfeld was attending an event featuring former New York Times columnist and founder of The Free Press, Bari Weiss. The annual event was titled “State of World Jewry,” and Bari Weiss made an address to the audience.

Seinfeld smiled at the protesters and rode away in his black SUV, surrounded by NYPD officers, as seen in videos of the event.

As the SUV pulled away, protesters continued to shout, “F*** you, you support genocide!”

The demonstrators were protesting Weiss, a strong supporter of Israel and self-proclaimed Zionist.

Demonstrators have targeted numerous celebrities
Protesters tried to connect Weiss to the death of a Palestinian professor and poet, Refaat Alareer, who was killed in Gaza. Alareer posted on X, formerly Twitter, that if he is killed, “I blame Baris Weiss and her likes.” This post was made in response to Weiss criticizing Alareer for making a joke in another X post about whether or not an Israeli baby was burned alive in an oven “with or without baking soda” during the attack against Israel on October 7.

Seinfeld has been supportive of Israel since October 7 and visited Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel in December to witness the atrocities that occurred there.

Pro-Palestinian protests have become a regular occurrence on the streets of New York, and Seinfeld is not the first celebrity to be berated on the city’s streets. Alec Baldwin had previously been confronted by pro-Palestine protesters in December.


US Air Force soldier sets himself on fire outside Israeli embassy in DC
A man in US military fatigues set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington DC on Sunday, in protest of what he called a “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza.

The protester was identified on Sunday by the independent journalist Talia Jane as Aaron Bushnell, 25, an active-duty service member of the US Air Force, who, from a public LinkedIn profile, appeared to work in the service’s IT department.

Late Sunday night, Jane reported that Bushnell had succumbed to the wounds sustained in the self-immolation.

A video posted by the journalist showed Bushnell identifying himself before lighting himself ablaze.

“I am an active duty member of the US Air Force,” he said, “and I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people in Palestine have been experiencing at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all.

“This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal,” he added.

The man then doused himself in what was presumably gasoline and set himself on fire, shouting “Free Palestine!” as he went up in flames. After almost a minute, several men responded to the incident, using fire extinguishers to attempt to put out the blaze.

The Washington DC fire department responded to the incident at 12:58 p.m., it later confirmed on X, writing that a man was transferred to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after setting himself on fire outside the embassy.

The US Air Force did not confirm Bushnell’s specific identity but did tell several news outlets that the protester was, in fact, an active-duty Air Force service member.


Gaza conflict engulfs Melbourne Writers Festival
The war in Gaza has split the Melbourne Writers Festival, with the organisation’s chief executive and deputy chairman quitting over the promotion of an anti-Israel line at this year’s event.

The 38-year-old festival is the latest major cultural institution to be upended by the social and political fallout from the deadly conflict in the besieged Palestinian territory, which has driven a wedge between writers, artists and performers and the arts organisations and patrons that support and fund their work.

The dispute within the Melbourne Writers Festival centres on the unpublished program for this year’s festival and accompanying promotional material that casts Israel as an illegitimate, settler colonialist state, accuses it of atrocities and seeks to align Indigenous Australia with the Palestinian cause.

The program claims in part: “Aboriginal and Palestinian solidarity has a long history, a relationship that is more vital than ever in the movement to resist colonialism and speak out against atrocities.”

This proposition, while embraced by the pro-Palestinian and black sovereignty protest movements, is historically contentious, as it denies the ancient connection of Jewish people to Palestine and challenges Israel’s right to exist.

The decision to frame this year’s program in this way has put Melbourne Writers Festival artistic director Michaela McGuire and her curatorial staff at odds with the board, which last year unanimously agreed that while writers should be free to express their views, the festival should not take a public position on the war.
‘Enough of this garbage’: Arts community needs to ‘step up’ on anti-Semitism
Sky News host Rowan Dean called for the arts community in Australia to “step up” and deal with its anti-Semitism problem.

Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre board has split over the organisation’s support for anti-Israel activist Clementine Ford.

This comes as Ms Ford was connected to the doxxing of about 600 Jewish artists and ­creatives, despite her denial of any wrongdoing.

“Let’s step up the arts community and say enough of this garbage,” Mr Dean said.

“This Jew-hatred that we are seeing from the arts community – it’s got to stop.”




Radio host Tom Elliot slams Police reaction to assault on Jews
In a monologue on 3AW Radio, Mornings host Tom Elliot has criticised the actions of Victoria Police following an incident where two Australian Jewish men were assaulted while attempting to attend a City of Melbourne council meeting.

Elliot's remarks added to the controversy surrounding the altercation, which has raised concerns about antisemitism and police's handling of the situation.

During the segment, Elliot expressed disbelief at the police response to the situation, particularly their decision to remove the victims, Mark and Yaacov, from the area instead of apprehending their attackers.

He questioned the validity of police claims that the men lacked valid tickets, citing video evidence that supports their assertion of having tickets to the meeting.

Elliot condemned the police for a failure to uphold the rights of the Jewish individuals present at the meeting. He argued that both the Jewish attendees and the anti-Israel protesters had the right to express their views peacefully and that police should have taken measures to separate the two groups rather than simply removing the Jewish men from the area.

The host's remarks reflect growing dissatisfaction with the police response to incidents involving minority groups and underscore the need for a thorough investigation into the handling of the situation.


‘Brain-dead’ pro-Palestine mob brawl outside Bradford kebab shop allegedly selling Coca-Cola
The owner of a kebab shop in Bradford was reportedly left needing stitches after a fight erupted between restaurant staff and pro-Palestinian protesters claiming that the outlet sold Coca-Cola.

Footage shows staff and protesters holding Palestinian flags trying to beat each other with long sticks.

Mirban, a close friend of the owner, told the Mail the protesters had gathered outside the shop to demand it stops selling Coca-Cola – which BDS campaigners claim supports the illegal occupation of Palestinian land by operating a fizzy drinks plant in the West Bank.

Police said four men were arrested on suspicion of “offences including criminal damage, assault, affray and possession of an offensive weapon”.

Mirban told halal food blog Feed the Lion that Salah's stopped selling Coca-Cola products two months ago, adding that that protesters — who he believed to be “predominantly a Muslim crowd — shouted into a loudspeaker that the restaurant “’sell[s] coca-cola from underneath the counter and we’ve warned them multiple times.’”

Mirban said that kebab shop owner Salahudin Yusuf and the rest of the staff at Salah’s were “for the Palestinian cause” and said that the individuals targeting the kebab shop in the belief that they support Israel are “brain-dead”.

“We are for the Palestinian cause. Any attacks on innocent people we condemn. But we’re purely a business. For these individuals and groups to start attacking these businesses is out of order and it’s not from Islam” he said.


Furious Jewish groups tell Charlotte Church to 'hang her head in shame' after she sings 'From the river to the sea' at pro-Palestine concert
This is the moment Charlotte Church leads a 100-strong pro-Palestine choir featuring children in singing 'anti-Semitic' song From The River to Sea - after sparking a backlash over her performance.

Footage has emerged showing how the 38-year-old star led a choir in the protest chant at a Sing For Palestine event in Caerphilly, south Wales.

The song is deemed anti-Semitic and a direct call for the state of Israel to be destroyed.

The Welsh singer, draped in a keffiyeh scarf in solidarity with those in Palestine, was also caught singing 'Stop the Occupation' as she attended the event at the Bedwas Workmen's Hall on Saturday night.

The incident has sparked fury among people in the Jewish community, with the advocacy group the Campaign Against Antisemitism accusing her of using her 'stardom to teach kids to sing extremist lyrics in a village hall'.

And Jewish MP Andrew Percy blasted the incident as 'deeply concerning', saying all who joined in Charlotte's sing-along 'should hang their heads in shame'.

The pop star has been outspoken in her support for the territory, having released an Instagram video in November calling for the 'liberation of Palestine'.

During the event, which was attended by 150 people, Church told the crowd it was a 'safe space to just breathe and sing and get it all out', The Sun reports.

She then led a choir, which included some children, in a seven-minute rendition of the controversial song as part of her 40-minute set.
‘Shame’: Star slammed for singing anti-Semitic message
Singer and actress Charlotte Church has been accused of spreading an anti-Semitic message during a performance in Wales.

The Welsh singer included the phrase “from the river to the sea” at a pro-Palestine concert.

The incident sparked outrage with some calling for the start to be cancelled.

One user created the hashtag '#cancelCharlotteChurch' on X.

UK Andrew Percy labelled the incident as “deeply concerning” adding that those who joined the singer should “hang their heads in shame”.






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