Monday, March 18, 2024

03/18 Links Pt1: U.S. Fails to Understand What This War Means to Israel; Hamas are cruelly turning hospitals into targets; Hamas Blew Gaza's Golden Opportunity

From Ian:

U.S. Fails to Understand What This War Means to Israel
President Biden's standing by Israel at the start of the war with Hamas will be remembered as one of the high points in the special relationship between the countries. But this has been blunted by the passage of time and the images from Gaza.

Biden's demand to increase humanitarian aid and related initiatives (airdrops, maritime pier) show that his administration has not internalized that the problem is not delivering aid to Gaza, but its distribution within it. Hamas will take control of everything that enters. It will use it to supply its fighters (and prolong their ability to fight) and strengthen its rule. The way to prevent this is to deliver the aid to areas where Hamas would not be able to access it.

The U.S. discounts the extent of public support for Hamas in Gaza, and the fact that it is entrenched in all spheres of life. The administration holds an optimistic assessment regarding the ability to bring about deep change through governmental models under Arab or international auspices.

America's vision includes peace agreements between Israel and Saudi Arabia and the establishment of a Palestinian state. But from Israel's perspective, normalization with Saudi Arabia will not compensate for Hamas' non-defeat. Talk of a "Palestinian state" after the Oct. 7 massacre constitutes a prize for Hamas and expresses a lack of understanding of the sentiment in the Israeli public. Anyone who thinks that after Oct. 7 Israel will take risks like those taken in the past lives in a fantasy land.

The Biden administration has not internalized that for Israel, the defeat of Hamas is an existential issue. It is not like America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which were conducted thousands of miles away. Israel's deterrence that collapsed on Oct. 7 will not be restored if Israel stops short of meeting the goals it has defined for the war. The temptation for players in our region to attack it will grow.
WSJ Editorial: A "Revitalized" Palestinian Authority?
The Biden Administration is pitching its "two-state solution" to Israel with the lure of a "revitalized" Palestinian Authority. However, a new report by Regavim, an Israeli NGO, reveals a pattern of Palestinian police "turning their Western-supplied guns on the State of Israel" and then being glorified for their terrorism by the PA.

It specifically identifies 76 officers of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) who have been killed or arrested while carrying out terrorist attacks against Israelis in the past three years. The latest example is Capt. Muhammad Manasrah, who shot up a gas station on Feb. 29, murdering two Israelis.

The PASF was created to fight Hamas terrorism in collaboration with Israel, but for too long it has abetted, committed or celebrated terrorism. A serious reform would begin by axing the PA's "pay-for-slay" program, which pays terrorists in prison as well as families of "martyrs," such as the Oct. 7 killers. A reformed PA would also cut the incitement to hatred against Jews from its media, sermons and schools.

The two-state solution is one of those diplomatic constructs that sounds nice but crashes against reality. In this case it's the reality that today's Palestinian leaders don't want Israel to exist.
Arsen Ostrovsky: Hamas are cruelly turning hospitals into targets
In principle, each of these hospitals, which Hamas has totally usurped for purposes of shielding their fighters and weapons, and using them as control and command centers, lose their protected status under international law and become legitimate military targets.

Article 8(2) of the Rome Statute and Article 52(2) of the First Protocol to the Geneva Convention of 1949 both make clear that intentionally directing attacks against hospitals and medical locations, can only be permissible, provided there is a distinct military objective.

In this case, the military objective is clear and defined: to eliminate the threat of Hamas, which continues to use hospitals and other civilian areas in Gaza to plan and execute acts of terror against Israel, as well as rescue the 239 hostages that the terror group is holding captive.

However, merely because Hamas has seized hospitals as their own personal launching pads, does not give Israel carte blanche to automatically attack.

International humanitarian law also dictates that, in the event a decision is made to attack a hospital or such target that would otherwise hold special protected status, there must be sufficient advanced warning provided that goes unheeded, and then ultimately, if an attack should proceed, that it still adhere to the principles of proportionality.

In each case, Israel has been providing repeated warnings for civilians to evacuate and have created safe passages for them to do so. In circumstances where warranted, the IDF have even aborted what would otherwise be deemed legitimate military strikes. In the meantime, Israel continues to facilitate the provision of humanitarian goods and medical supplies into Gaza, and to the hospitals.

Quite simply, the IDF have gone to unprecedented lengths, not seen in the history of modern warfare, to avoid and minimize civilian casualties, whereas Hamas are doing everything possible to maximise casualties.

Having discharged its duty to provide ample warning, Israel is also adhering to the doctrine of proportionality, that is, should there be any potential loss of civilian life, that it not exceed the military advantage to be gained from such a strike or action.

The goal here is clear: eliminate Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that seeks Israel’s destruction, and bring back the hostages, following the heinous October 7th massacre.

If the international community truly cares about the wellbeing of civilians in Gaza and is rightfully aghast at the scenes coming out of Shifa, it would be well advised to direct its outrage at Hamas, which continues to unconscionably and illegally, turn hospitals into their personal control and command centers.


Netanyahu: Defeating Hamas would be ‘stinging blow to Iran’
Victory in the war against Hamas would deliver a “stinging blow to the Iran terror axis,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, adding that Israelis are united in pursuit of this goal.

“The vast majority of the people, the army, the [IDF] reservists. They want victory because they understand that victory is essential for survival,” the premier told board members of the pro-Israel AIPAC lobbying group at his office in Jerusalem.

Contrary to the picture being presented in the United States, Netanyahu asserted that the vast majority of the public is behind the government’s goals of destroying Hamas, freeing the hostages and preventing Gaza from again threatening Israel.

Additionally, Israel must push Hezbollah back from the border, the prime minister said.

“The description [being painted in the U.S.] is that you have an outlier prime minister with some extreme fringe groups and that is what is driving the policy. It is false, deliberately false. Wrong. There is unity among the people to achieve victory along the lines I described. It is within reach, and we are going to do it,” Netanyahu said.

“If we achieve these goals, then we will also deliver a stinging blow to the Iran terror axis which is behind everything that we are seeing here today,” he continued.

This is not just Israel’s battle, but also “the battle for the victory of the Israel-American-moderate Arab axis against the Iran axis,” the prime minister stressed.


Hamas Blew Gaza's Golden Opportunity
The argument that conditions in Gaza were so dreadful that Gazans had no choice but to "break out" on Oct. 7 is wrong-headed. Just how dire were the circumstances in Gaza before Oct. 7?

The sheer growth of Gaza's population tells an eloquent story. In 1967, when Israel occupied the Strip, its population was slightly below 400,000. By the eve of the current conflict it had risen five-fold. Really fast population growth occurs when a society gets improved healthcare and rising access to food and other resources.

Gaza's golden opportunity came after the Israelis arrived in 1967, accelerating the flow of many benefits of modernity. In the mid-1960s, around one baby in ten died in the Palestinian territories before he or she reached the age of one; by the late 2010s, this had fallen well over 80% to a level similar to other Arab countries such as Jordan and Egypt and equivalent to the level the UK reached in the early 1970s.

At 75 years, life expectancy in Gaza was better than experienced by several U.S. states. Males in Glasgow live only a few months longer than males in Gaza. By 2020, the average Palestinian in the West Bank and Gaza was living a whole two decades longer than had been the case when the Israelis had conquered the Strip in 1967.

Illiteracy has been more or less banished and the share of those going to university has approached 50%; before 1967, neither the West Bank nor Gaza had a single fully-fledged university. Better-educated people are invariably better able to keep themselves and their offspring alive, which accounts in large part for the rising life expectancy.

So, too, does the general availability of food in Gaza which, despite the propagandistic claims of Hamas, was plentiful before it instigated the current war. There were more than four overweight children in the territories for each underweight one. Beach resorts, five-star hotels and luxury-car dealerships graced Gaza prior to the present conflict. Poverty had more to do with the welfare and redistributive policies of the Hamas regime rather than any restrictions on the import of goods by Israel or Egypt.
Former MK accused of spying on Israel helped draft hostage deal - report
Former Knesset member Azmi Bishara took a significant part in the drafting of the agreement between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas at the Paris Summit, which was intended to lead to the establishment of a hostage deal and a ceasefire, according to a report by French newspaper Le Figaro, on Sunday.

Additionally, Bishara, who fled to Qatar after being suspected of espionage against Israel, is currently serving as a senior adviser to the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, according to the report.

The outline drawn up in Paris was reported to include the release of several hundred Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of 35-40 Israeli abductees, among them women, soldiers, men over 50, and abductees whose medical condition is serious.

In addition, the number of prisoners who would be released for each female soldier will be higher than for other abductees who would be released at this stage and will also include "heavier" prisoners (i.e., prisoners serving life sentences for murder.)

Also, according to the reported deal outline, for each hostage who is released from Hamas captivity, Israel will agree to a day of cease-fire in the fighting in Gaza. This means that a ceasefire could last up to six weeks in the first phase of the deal.
Does the U.S. Need a Palestinian State?
As the war in Gaza grinds on, the Biden administration has signaled interest in establishing a Palestinian state. Yet it is vital to recognize that the two-state solution has little support in the region itself from either side. The Israeli Cabinet, including both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political rivals, has rejected a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state without direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. Not surprisingly, since the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, the Israeli public has grown more hawkish, with at least 2/3 opposing a Palestinian state.

Meanwhile in the West Bank and Gaza, there is no clear majority for an independent Palestine side by side with Israel. There is, however, very clear indication of widespread support for Hamas, according to a December poll. This disconnect between Washington's policy aspirations and genuine public opinion in the region shows how this quixotic effort lacks credible realism.

That a sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank hills overlooking the Israeli population centers around Tel Aviv would represent a security threat to Israel is clear. Moreover, the implications for Jordan could be dire. A "free Palestine" will send shock waves to Amman. Instability in Jordan will then turn into opportunities both for terrorist factions that will spill over from Syria and Iraq, or for Iranian intrusion.

In addition, the likely political character of the Palestinian state is cause for concern. Once elections take place, it is very likely that Hamas will come to power. Does Washington really want to build such a state as a platform for Hamas' Islamist radicalism? A Hamas-dominated Palestine is sure to ally with Iran, whose influence would then extend throughout the region. It should not be hard to understand that building the Iranian bloc is not in American national interest.

Forcing Israel to accept the security threat that a Palestinian state will inevitably represent will harm America's reputation throughout the Middle East and beyond. If Washington suddenly chooses to reverse course on Israel, other partners will question the reliability of American promises. How Washington treats Israel will be watched closely around the world.

The question of a Palestinian state is not only a question of an abstract principle of a right to national self-determination, since that ideal ought to apply equally for the Kurds and the Sikhs as well. For the U.S., the Palestinian question should be foremost about the effectiveness of American power in the region - particularly with regard to Iran.
Call Me Back PodCast: Biden’s Bibi Problem – with Nadav Eyal
Hosted by Dan Senor
On October 6th of last year there was a long-standing ceasefire in place between Israel and Hamas. On October 7th, Hamas launched a massive war against Israel. Israel responded to this war that Hamas launched. Wars are violent. In all wars, civilians tragically get killed in the crossfire. What is unique about this war is how Hamas has used violence against civilians – Israeli civilians and Palestinian civilians — as core to its war-fighting strategy. What is unique to this war is how Hamas has built a 300-plus mile tunnel system underground to protect Hamas leadership and fighters while it set up its own civilian population to suffer. What is also unique about this war is the lengths the IDF has gone to telegraph so many of its operations so Palestinian civilians can re-locate in advance of those operations.

This is the reality of this war. And, yet, the Biden administration has supported Israel in this war from Day 1. Israel articulated its objectives in this war. The Biden administration made clear it supported Israel in pursuit of those objectives.

But suddenly, the Biden administration and some of its allies on Capitol Hill are excoriating Israel’s government. In fact, they are calling for the toppling of Israel’s leaders in the middle of this war. Well, as Minister Benny Gantz said on Friday, “ Israel is a strong democracy, and only its citizens will determine its leadership and future. Any external intervention is unacceptable.” How does this shifting US-Israel relationship impact actual events on the ground? The actual things that matter in this war — the hostage negotiations, the debate about a day-after plan for Gaza, and the coming operation in Rafah, to name a few.

To help us understand what’s going on here,guest today is NADAV EYAL, who returns to the podcast. He is a columnist for Yediot. Eyal has been covering Middle-Eastern and international politics for the last two decades for Israeli radio, print and television news.
Gil Troy: Beware of Dangerous Advice: An Urgent Letter to President Biden
Dear President Biden,
Beware! Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and your favorite columnist (according to him) – Thomas Friedman – are giving you terrible advice about the Middle East mess. They misread the geopolitical situation, your political needs, and Israeli politics. It’s a counterproductive trainwreck: the more they bash Israel, the more they weaken America and your re-election prospects; and the more they bash Benjamin Netanyahu, for the wrong reasons, the more they boost his.

First, a thank you. We Israelis appreciate your post-October 7 “Don’t – Don’t” speeches – and America’s steady flow of support and weaponry since. You faced a monumental attack on America and the West, not just Israel – and rose to the challenge.

Second, I write as an occasional critic of Benjamin Netanyahu, who, like you appreciates the good he has done for Israel, especially economically, but considers him a walking advertisement for term limits. I encouraged him to gracefully retire – with a presidential pardon – in a 2017 column. After October 7, I suggested he announce a resignation date, soon, so none of his military actions would be misread as political. Still, like most Israelis, I don’t need outsiders telling us that Bibi must go – not least because it rouses his base.

My biggest worry is that Blinken, Schumer and Friedman endanger America and the world. They’re giving Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran’s arc-of-evil propaganda victories they don’t deserve, while holding Israel to standards America and other democracies never meet.

Consider Senator Schumer’s speech. We all know that when a Jew starts by “as-a-Jewing” Israelis, calling himself a “shomer” – guardian –of Israel…. buckle your seatbelts! Schumer demanded “a military operation in Rafah that prioritizes civilian life.” That fascinates me as an American historian. Please, consult America’s top military historians. Ask them if in World War II, or Iraq, or ever, America ordered soldiers to “prioritize” the enemy’s “civilian life.” In Vietnam, the army destroyed villages to save them. In Mosul – under Barack Obama – the army killed thousands of friendly civilians while saving them from ISIL. Similarly, in Gaza, Israel is being forced by Hamas to kill many unfriendly civilians and some innocents to save Israel, Gaza, and the world, from Hamas.
Chuck Schumer helps make the world safe for Hamas
One irony of Schumer’s unfortunate statement is that Netanyahu is perhaps the greatest peacemaker in Israel’s history. He made the Abraham Accords possible and was on the cusp of making peace with Saudi Arabia. There were even reports that Israel was close to normalizing relations with Indonesia—the most populous Muslim country in the world.

These are not the achievements of a “governing vision that is stuck in the past.” It is a vision that is laying the groundwork for a peaceful and prosperous Middle East.

It is Biden and Schumer who are stuck in the past. The days of handwringing and mourning the deaths of Jews while decrying their legitimate efforts to defend themselves are over. If Biden and Schumer cannot give their full-throated support to Israel’s right to defend its citizens in the wake of such a heinous attack, they should at least get out of the way.

Schumer’s perfidy is not unprecedented. When former President Barack Obama chose to ram the Iran nuclear deal down the throats of the American people, Schumer waited until he knew Obama had the Senate votes the president needed before Schumer fecklessly came out against it. It is possible that Schumer could have prevented the disastrous deal, but we will never know because he didn’t lift a finger to stop it.

It is now clear that Chuck Schumer is no lifelong supporter of Israel. He is a lifelong supporter of Chuck Schumer. He has no moral compass.

As U.S. allies in the region study Schumer’s betrayal of Israel, they will no doubt be further convinced that America is an unreliable and untrustworthy ally. To them, the catastrophic surrender in Afghanistan will no longer seem like a fluke, but part of a pattern of American retreat. If the retreat continues, our Middle Eastern allies will drift out of our sphere of influence and look to make accommodations with Iran, Russia and China. Indeed, that process has already begun.

Schumer is right that “the world has changed radically” since the Oct. 7 attack. America has become weaker; the world has become more dangerous; and the American-led world order has never been more at risk.
JPost Editorial: Chuck Schumer: Don't interfere in Israel's politics
Schumer has an impressive pro-Israel record that cannot be ignored. In 1994, he campaigned with the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Congress to revoke the tax-exempt status of the Holy Land Foundation, a Palestinian-American charity and the country’s largest Muslim charity until its closure in 2001.

In 2010, Schumer’s comments at an Orthodox Union event, advocating for the economic strangulation of Gaza to discourage support for Hamas while emphasizing the importance of humanitarian aid, drew criticism. He credited economic prosperity in the West Bank to cooperation with Israel and justified Israel’s blockade of Gaza as a means to promote moderation.

Schumer consistently supported Israel, notably during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict – and in 2018, he dismissed the connection between Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the overall conflict. He also co-sponsored a Senate resolution opposing UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemned settlement-building, criticizing the Obama administration for its abstention.

In 2017, he co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, proposing penalties for participating in boycotts against Israel and settlements in response to Israeli government actions. He also introduced a resolution celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification and praised then-President Donald Trump in 2018 for moving the embassy to Jerusalem – which he supported for decades.

In the complex realm of international relations, the urge to advocate for democracy and peace is noble, but the path to such ideals must be taken carefully, respecting the sovereignty and will of each nation’s people.

Schumer’s intentions, rooted in a long history of support for Israel, reflect a genuine desire for peace and stability in the region, but intervening in the political process of another democracy, especially an ally like Israel, raises significant concerns about respect for self-determination and the potential for unintended consequences.

The delicate balance between supporting allies and respecting their autonomy requires nuanced understanding and restraint.

While external voices can play a role in encouraging dialogue and peace, the decision-making power ultimately lies with the citizens in question.

As history has often shown, external interventions in another country’s politics can complicate and sometimes exacerbate tensions, however well-intentioned.

Most Israelis reject a two-state solution, so promoting one must honor the principles of sovereignty and self-determination. Let’s encourage dialogue, support and cooperation, but also remember the importance of allowing nations to chart their own course democratically.
Lieberman slams ‘outrageous’ Schumer speech: ‘I can’t ever remember anything like it’
No Labels founding Chair and former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) slammed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for a speech he made earlier this week in which he called for new elections in Israel.

“For a U.S. Senator, let alone a majority leader, let alone the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in Washington, to tell Israelis that it’s time to get rid of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu], that’s outrageous,” Lieberman said in a Sunday interview with radio host John Catsimatidis on “The Cats Roundtable” on WABC 770 AM.

The former Connecticut senator also referred to the speech as a “mistake” and said that he “can’t ever remember anything like it.”
Mark Levin takes aim at Chuck Schumer: 'You are a disgrace'
Fox News host Mark Levin breaks down why the Democrat Party is a totalitarian party and reacts to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticism of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on 'Life, Liberty & Levin.'




Niger Termination of U.S. Military Ties Followed Accusation of Iran Uranium Deal
Niger’s decision to end its counterterrorism alliance with Washington came after senior U.S. officials accused the country’s ruling junta of secretly exploring a deal to allow Iran access to its uranium reserves, Nigerien and U.S. officials say.

The decision to end military cooperation with the U.S. was announced Saturday night by a spokesman for the Nigerien junta. It deals a serious blow to the Biden administration’s efforts to contain a sprawling Islamist insurgency in the Sahel, the semiarid region south of the Sahara. It could affect a $110 million base that was built by the U.S. and is used to fly surveillance drones over West Africa. It could also possibly force the withdrawal of more than 600 American troops still stationed in Niger.

American officials had been working to salvage their relationship with Niger since the country’s military ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in a July coup, triggering restrictions on military aid under American law. The junta has been tightening ties with Russia and with two of its neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso, which are also ruled by Moscow-aligned generals.


‘Hezbollah terrorist’ caught at US border wanted ‘to make a bomb’
A Lebanese migrant caught trying to infiltrate into the United States told border authorities he belonged to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah organization and had planned to commit a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, The New York Post reported on Sunday.

Basel Ebbadi, 22, was nabbed on March 9 near El Paso, Texas. He told authorities he aimed to reach New York and was “going to try to make a bomb,” according to an official document cited by the report.

Ebbadi confessed to training with Hezbollah for seven years and guarding weapons sites for another four years, internal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) documents indicated. His mission focused on “jihad” and killing those who are “not Muslim,” said the report.

He was placed in isolation and referred for interrogation by the Tactical Terrorism Response Team (TTRT) for making “terroristic threats to personnel.”

U.S. border agents recorded 172 encounters with terror-watchlisted individuals in the 2023 fiscal year that ended Sept. 20. Fifty-nine such individuals were apprehended in the first four months of 2024, according to federal data cited by the report.
IDF launches pre-planned op. in Gaza's Shifa hospital, heavy clashes reported
The IDF's reinvasion of Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza started around 2:30 a.m. early Monday morning and included a mix of IDF Division 162 regular infantry, armor, special forces, the Shin Bet, and IDF intelligence collection Unit 504.

Although the IDF said it achieved surprise on a group of terrorists who had returned to Shifa, it said it had both given a general warning to the medical staff there and had been following the return of terrorists for a long time.

More specifically, the IDF said it had planned the operation for a number of days, waiting for the right timing when they could most catch Hamas off guard.

Other than that this was a time when more terrorists had returned to Shifa, including some commanders, the IDF did not explain why taking over the hospital during Ramadan and heated criticism from the US over the humanitarian situation was smart strategic timing.

It appeared that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was updated about the operation, but not the full cabinet. IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari discusses a new IDF operation in Shifa Hospital in Gaza. March 18, 2024 (Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

There were no indications from the IDF that any members of the Hamas high command had been killed, wounded, or targeted, but the IDF said that several or more unidentified Hamas terrorists had been killed. Their identities were still unclear.

There were also no indications that any hostages had been freed.

Initial indications were that one IDF soldier was wounded.

Rather, the IDF said it had arrested around 80 persons, some of whom are Hamas. The IDF is currently distinguishing who is among Hamas and who is a civilian or medical staff.

The IDF said that there was no information to indicate that Hamas had used terror tunnels as in November.

Hamas operating from within Shifa Hospital itself
Rather, this time, they had stayed within the Shifa buildings themselves.

Operationally, the IDF said it approached several different facilities in the sprawling Shifa complex simultaneously to prevent the terrorists from escaping from any of them.

Shooting took place in multiple different rooms in the complex, and there are currently ongoing operations there with the IDF searching room to room for additional concealed terrorists.

Over the past few hours, IDF soldiers identified terrorist fire toward them from a number of hospital buildings. The forces engaged the terrorists and identified several hits.


IDF eliminates Hamas internal security commander
The IDF eliminated overnight Monday the head of the Operations Directorate of Hamas' Internal Security, Faiq Mabhouh.

The military was conducting an anti-terrorism operation at Al-Shifa hospital following intelligence about the presence of Hamas terrorists there.

According to an IDF statement, Mabhouh was hiding in a compound at Shifa, from which he operated and advanced terrorist activity.

He was in charge, among other things, of coordinating the Hamas mechanisms in the Gaza Strip. In the adjacent room to where he was killed, multiple weapons were found.

During the raid, Staff Sgt. Matan Vinogradov was killed.

Mabhouh's brother, Mahmoud, who was chief of logistics and weapons procurement for Hamas, was assassinated in Dubai in 2010, reportedly by the Mossad.


Son of world Mizrachi movement head confirmed killed on October 7
South African-Israeli dual national Daniel Perez was killed on October 7 by Hamas terrorists, who are holding his remains in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defence Forces revealed on Sunday.

Perez, 22, from Yad Binyamin, served as a platoon commander in the Israel Defence Forces’ 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion. His death was confirmed following an investigation by the military rabbinate, and his family was informed before the news was made public.

The slain soldier’s father, Rabbi Doron Perez, serves as executive chairman of the religious Zionist Mizrachi World Movement.

“Over the past 163 days we have desperately [prayed] for better news,” Rabbi Danny Mirvis, the organization’s acting CEO, stated on Sunday. “Throughout that time, the Perez family has inspired us and strengthened us as we have sought to strengthen them. The global [prayers] for his well-being will now become global wishes of comfort.”

The statement noted that the news came on the 7th of Adar, the Hebrew date of the biblical Moses’ death. This date is associated with mourning for all those whose burial place is unknown. “As we have prayed and hoped for Daniel’s return until now, we continue to pray and hope for his return to a kever Yisrael [Jewish burial],” said Mirvis.

Daniel Perez immigrated to the Jewish state from South Africa in 2014 along with his parents and three siblings. In a Feb. 28 interview with Jewish Insider, Rabbi Perez declared that his son holds a South African passport and said that Pretoria “has a responsibility to return a South African, whatever their political position on the conflict.”

Asked by the outlet whether the South African government was doing anything to bring about Daniel’s release, Rabbi Peretz said the family had been in touch with officials and efforts were being made.


F-16 pilot who fought ISIS, now in Gaza: Naftali Hazony | The Israel-Hamas War
Naftali is an Israeli F-16 fighter pilot who spent 8 years in the Israeli Air Force. Recently, he has been fighting in Gaza, where he is part of a special forces unit tasked with some of the most dangerous missions.

Visegrad24 presents an in-depth series covering the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. This comprehensive series features on-the-ground interviews, bringing firsthand insights from a diverse range of voices, including politicians, professors, journalists, experts and influencers.

00:00 - Introduction
02:40 - Being a fighter pilot
04:27 - Top Gun, real or not?
06:05 - The future of warfare
06:40 - Iran & war
09:37 - Western civilization & Islamism
13:50 - What to do about Gaza?
15:45 - The IDF and politics
18:35 - October 7th changed everything
21:25 - Gaza 24 months from now
24:23 - Civilian casualties in Gaza
26:06 - How many in Gaza oppose Hamas?
28:42 - UNRWA is the center of terror
30:22 - Living conditions in Gaza
31:42 - Strength and winning
35:18 - Israeli politicians
36:26 - The multicultural IDF and God


Bruce Bechtol on North Korea and the Middle East
Bruce Bechtol, professor of political science at Angelo State University, spoke to a February 26 Middle East Forum Podcast (video). The following summarizes his comments:

North Korea's significant role in the violence roiling the Middle East was most recently evident in Hamas's October 7 attack against Israel. North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) sold to the terror group were fired at kibbutzim in southern Israel during Hamas's incursion. An Israel Defense Force's (IDF) investigation revealed Korean writing on the F-7s trigger mechanism, proving its origins – "it's not a smoking gun, it's a smoking Howitzer." As early as 2014, a deal with North Korea brokered through a Lebanese front company supplied Hamas with multiple rocket launchers (MRLs), rockets, and laser-guided (specifically produced by North Korea) anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) that Hamas has used against Israel.

Gaza's vast tunnel network "look[s] almost exactly" like the tunnels under the demilitarized zone [DMZ] in Korea for a reason. North Korea gave Hamas the technical support and training for construction of its extensive tunnel system within which the terror group can hide. The arms smuggled into the Gaza Strip go through Sudan and through tunnels under Egypt's border with Gaza. The huge cache of weapons in Hamas's possession points to the ineffectiveness of Egypt's interdiction.

North Korea has no compunction selling weapons to terrorist groups. Thus, countries such as Israel and the U.S. must consider North Korea's proliferation of weaponry "an existential national security threat" they have yet to address through "proactive means." Washington has been "slow" to focus on Pyongyang, ostensibly because the U.S. is in "sensitive talks" with the regime about its nuclear program. Yet, North Korea still has nuclear weapons, and it is destabilizing not only the Middle East, but also Sub-Saharan Africa.

In his 2018 book, North Korean Military Proliferation in the Middle East and Africa, Bechtol details North Korea's supply of weapons to Hamas, which is but one of the Iranian regime's many proxies receiving North Korean weaponry and destabilizing the region. Other Iranian proxies receiving North Korean weaponry include Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen. Therefore, "destroying North Korea's illicit arms networks in the Middle East runs through Iran." (h/t L_King)
Herzog honors Samaria reservist who killed Palestinian terrorist
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday visited Eli in Samaria, where he honored an Israel Defense Forces reservist who killed a terrorist who murdered two civilians at the town’s gas station on Feb. 29.

Aviad Gizbar, who owns a hummus restaurant at the petrol station and was on leave from the military at the time, shot and killed the terrorist from his restaurant, preventing further bloodshed.

Herzog presented Gizbar with a certificate of appreciation during a visit to Eli’s prestigious Bnei David pre-military academy, where he also met with hundreds of students, staff and bereaved families.

“We can’t—by no means—return to the days before the Black Sabbath [of Oct. 7],” the president told attendees, per the Israeli news outlet Kipa. “We can’t return to words that lash out, of hate and division. If there’s anything we can swear on the memory of the fallen, it is that their deaths were not in vain.”

Herzog expressed his appreciation on behalf of the entire nation of Israel to the soldiers “who, for over five months, have been guarding our land and the cities of our God, and are all dedicated to victory.”
Israel Police preparing for mass terrorist infiltration from Jenin
Israel Police's Lowlands division conducted training exercises and security assessments throughout Israel's Northwest in recent weeks. These precautions are due to the ongoing warnings of possible Palestinian terrorist infiltrations into Jewish settlements within the region.

Since the infiltration of Hamas terrorists into Israeli territory on October 7, police units have been preparing for any possible scenario of high-risk terrorist attacks. This comes following previous reports that under Hamas's original plan, attacks would occur beyond Gaza but throughout the West Bank as well, perpetrated by local terror cells and allies.

Jenin as a hotbed for terrorism
Jenin, located in the northwestern part of the West Bank, has become, in recent years, a hotbed for terrorist activity. The IDF and Shin Bet killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist in Jenin in a drone strike in late February en route to committing a shooting attack likely on Israeli forces.

In January, three Palestinian men were killed in a hospital by Israeli commandos, with one being a member of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

As of last week, over 3,500 terror suspects have been arrested or killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank, with many affiliated with Hamas and other terrorist groups, since Operation Swords of Iron began.

Avi Daniel, Commander of Israel Police's Lowland Region, discussed the readiness of the security forces if a possible infiltration occurs, saying, "We are exceptionally strong and prepared for any scenario and intrusion."

Timur Yagudaev, commander of the Israel Police Special Patrol Unit (Yasam) in the Lowlands district, stated that "following the events on October 7, we learned our lessons and understood that events could be in multiple locations with many injured with Magen David Adom (MDA) not being able to reach them.


Netanyahu: I suggested Gaza aid sea route to Biden
The humanitarian initiatives for the civilian population of the Gaza Strip came about with Israeli support, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told leaders of the pro-Israel AIPAC lobbying group on Monday.

“Everything that you see: The airdrops, that’s with us; the sea route, that’s with us—it actually started out as an idea that I presented to President Biden two weeks into the war,” Netanyahu said during the meeting in Jerusalem, a recording of which was shared by his office.

“And then alternative ground routes; that’s us. Kerem Shalom [to southern Gaza], and now in the center of what is called Karni [the Karni crossing near Gaza City], that’s us, we’re providing it,” added the premier.

Netanyahu did not elaborate on what he meant by the “sea route” and whether this included Biden’s plan to build a pier to supply Gaza. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office told JNS that Jerusalem would not be “adding to what we already put out.”

During the meeting with AIPAC, Netanyahu noted, “The problem is not getting the trucks into Gaza—that’s a problem, but not a big problem. The problem is how do you distribute.

“The problem is how do you prevent looting by Hamas and by others so it does get to the civilian population; we’re working on that,” he said.
Israeli FM slams EU’s Borrell for claiming J’lem starving Gazans
Ahead of a summit of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to stop bashing the Jewish state and recognize its right to defend itself.

“Israel allows extensive humanitarian aid into Gaza by land, air and sea for anyone willing to help,” tweeted Katz, noting that Israel persists in assisting the Strip’s civilian population “despite Hamas violently disrupting aid convoys and UNRWA‘s collaboration with them.”

According to Katz, “it’s time” for the E.U. diplomat to “stop attacking Israel and recognize our right to self-defense against Hamas’ crimes.”

Katz’s post on X tagged the foreign ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Romania.

Speaking at a conference in the Belgian capital shortly before he met with 27 E.U. foreign ministers on Monday, Borrell accused Jerusalem of “provoking famine” in the Gaza Strip, claiming that the Israel Defense Forces is weaponizing starvation as a “weapon of war.”

“Gaza was before the war the greatest open-air prison. Today, it is the greatest open-air graveyard,” Borrell claimed in separate comments. “A graveyard for tens of thousands of people, and also a graveyard for many of the most important principles of humanitarian law.”

According to Israel, at least 14,000 terrorists are among the estimated 31,000 Palestinians that Hamas claims have been killed in the war.


Australian lawmakers slam government for renewing UNRWA funding
The Australian government’s decision to renew aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency before any independent inquiry into the agency’s terror links violates the country’s domestic laws, a group of Australian lawmakers said this weekend.

The parliamentary condemnation came just hours after Australia announced that it was resuming funding for UNRWA, following similar moves by Sweden, the European Commission and Canada even before the U.N.’s own investigation of the agency is completed.

“Australians are right to expect the Federal Government to withhold any further funding to UNRWA, and they are rightly concerned that the Federal Government has breached its responsibility to uphold the norms and mechanisms of accountability, community development, fundamental human decency and its own domestic laws,” according to a statement by Australian MP Andrew Wallace on behalf of his parliament’s 22-member Israel Allies Caucus.

“The decision to resume funding to UNRWA without any independent findings is an appalling affront to the people of Israel and to Jewish Australians who continue to suffer at the hands of Hamas terrorists and their allies,” he said.

A bombshell Israeli intelligence report, shared with the U.S. administration, showed that dozens of UNRWA employees actively participated in the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, and that the agency has 450 “military operatives” belonging to Hamas and other terrorist groups on its payroll.

The intel prompted 18 nations, led by the United States and Germany, UNRWA’s biggest donors, to suspend contributions to the agency totaling $438 million, or more than half of this year’s expected funding.

However, several countries, voicing concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, have since resumed their donations. The United States, which provides about 30% of UNRWA’s budget and is its largest donor, has frozen its donations, something that may become permanent in the wake of congressional legislation.

“The best available current advice from agencies and the Australian government lawyers is that UNRWA is not a terrorist organization,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters Friday in Adelaide while she announced the aid package.

“[We have] been working with a group of donor countries and with UNRWA on the shared objective of ensuring the integrity of UNRWA’s operations, rebuilding confidence, and so importantly, ensuring aid flows to Gazans in desperate need.”

The Australian lawmakers said that the government’s “inexplicable decision” funded in part by the tax dollars of Australians was both an egregious betrayal of Israel and an affront to the Australian public.
Penny Wong makes ‘outrageous decision’ to resume UNRWA funding
Sky News host Sharri Markson says Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese on Friday announced the “unsurprising but outrageous decision” to resume funding to UNRWA.

Ms Markson said it is the UN agencies where employees took part in the October 7 attacks.

“And where thousands of members have expressed support for Hamas.

“Penny Wong didn't even bother to wait for the outcome of the independent review which is being conducted by a former French Minister into the organisation.

“You have to ask, why is she so desperate to reinstate the $6 million of your taxpayer funds, that she can't wait just a few more days until the outcome of the review?”




It’s taken too long to respond to Hamas’ sexual violence
Unimaginable acts of barbarism were committed by Hamas when it attacked Israel on Oct. 7. These planned atrocities targeted civilians, with more than 1,200 men, women, children and infants slaughtered that day and more than 250 taken captive into Gaza. Out of those, 132 are still being held, including 14 young women.

The immediate release of all hostages must be a top priority. However, with these young women sits the most urgent concern, especially after a harrowing United Nations report detailed the horrific sexual torture endured by women massacred in Hamas’ savagery in Israel and evidence that those being held in Gaza underwent, and are still subject to, similar atrocities. That’s why the lack of response and outrage is so alarming.

Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, led a team to investigate sexual violence related to the attacks. Her report, released March 4, details evidence of systemic, weaponized sexual violence including rape and gang rape, and the rape of corpses. Many female victims were found naked or partially naked, with genitals shot and mutilated.

As for those women still held, Patten wrote her team “found clear and convincing information that some have been subjected to various forms of conflict-related sexual violence including rape and sexual torture and sexualized cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”

She also noted some of that treatment “may be ongoing.” These women have already been held captive for five months under conditions too difficult to comprehend.

Patten’s report is indeed damning but should not come as a surprise. Last month, the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, a collective of nine organizations, delivered a report to the U.N. detailing sexual violence on and after Oct. 7.

Through the testimony of survivors, eyewitnesses, released hostages and others, there is ample evidence that these sadistic acts were premeditated with precision as weaponized sexual violence by Hamas terrorists.

These were not isolated incidents. Hamas terrorists livestreamed their crimes from GoPro cameras, took selfies with victims and went as far as to post the assaults on the social media accounts of some victims.
Hostages had to prepare food but couldn't eat it, mother of hostage says
The hostage, Liri Elbag, has been detained in Gaza captivity for 164 days along with 133 other hostages, some of whom were murdered.

Liri’s mother, Shira, spoke on Monday with "Kan B" about information she received from hostages released in November, which indicates that her daughter was exploited by her captors.

"Liri moved between houses. She had to cook for the family with whom she was staying, take care of their children, and clean their house. The hostages had to prepare food, but they themselves could not eat," she said.

"In a week that apparently concentrated a large number of hostages, some of whom were later released, they shared their experiences. At that point in time, Liri remained in the tunnel; we assume that she is still there," she said.

She also said, “I tried a few times to sit enclosed in a dark room in the house, without a phone, without anything - I managed maybe for an hour and got up crying."

Regarding the sexual abuse committed by Hamas terrorists on the hostages in captivity, Liri’s mother said: "I constantly try to imagine what she goes through there; it's very difficult. We all know that many girls have been abused there, and as a mother, I try not to think about it at all - I try not to imagine it." 'Only want to hear good things'

"When I meet female hostages who were released, I ask about things they may not have told me. The truth is that I only want to hear the good things that happened at that time because the bad things are no longer relevant either," she noted.

"Some things are funny because Liri is a very imaginative girl," Shira said. "She would say to them, 'Let's imagine we are in a restaurant, what would you like to eat?'. Each one had to say what she liked the most, and they would also get angry with her - 'But Liri, because of you we are even hungrier now.'"


Israeli turns 86 in Hamas captivity in Gaza
Israeli hostage Shlomo Mansour, the oldest of 134 captives still being held by Hamas in Gaza, turned 86 years old on Sunday.

“Of course, it is not an easy day for us,” Moshit Mansour, Shlomo’s daughter, told JNS. “We are trying to keep it together by sticking with one another and doing things that our father loves. This is how we deal with it.”

The last time Shlomo’s family heard from him was on Oct. 7 right before Hamas terrorists stormed his Kibbutz Kissufim home. After Shlomo was beaten, he was led away in handcuffs in full view of his wife of 60 years, who miraculously escaped.

Shlomo’s family, including his 15 grandchildren, are anxious for his return.

“We are waiting to finally be on the safe side after a deal and the return of the captives. Until then we can’t really say anything,” Moshit said in reference to Mossad Chief David Barnea’s reported imminent departure for hostage negotiations in Doha.

A source told Reuters that the talks will center around the remaining gaps between the sides, including the number of Palestinian terrorists to be released from Israeli prisons and the delivery of humanitarian aid into the coastal enclave.

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the latest Hamas demands “absurd,” yet still agreed to send a delegation to Qatar.


Islamist fanaticism & Israeli high-tech: Michael Eisenberg | Israel-Hamas War
Michael is an American-Israeli businessman and venture capitalist, co-founder and general partner of Aleph, a Tel Aviv-based venture capital firm.

Michael is also the host of the Aleph podcast, on which he hosted Visegrad24's Stefan Tompson. You can find that interview here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urh01...

Visegrad24 presents an in-depth series covering the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. This comprehensive series features on-the-ground interviews, bringing firsthand insights from a diverse range of voices, including politicians, professors, journalists, businessman, experts and influencers.

00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - Jewish migrants & meritocracies
02:50 - Jews and the media
04:50 - Is Israel part of the West?
08:16 - Geopolitics
08:58 - Why should the West care about Israel?
13:49 - Religious fanaticism and the clueless West
15:26 - Israel losing the information war
19:08 - Storytelling
20:08 - Competing narratives
22:14 - The long war & civic responsibility
27:18 - Culture and social cohesion


Migration, the far-left and Israel: Attila Somfalvi | The Israel-Hamas War
Atilla is a journalist, researcher on disinformation at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, political analyst and strategist as well as the host of one of Israel's most popular political podcasts.

Visegrad24 presents an in-depth series covering the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. This comprehensive series features on-the-ground interviews, bringing firsthand insights from a diverse range of voices, including politicians, professors, journalists, experts and influencers.

00:00 - Introduction
00:48 - Intelligence failure on October 7th
01:53 - Flexibility of Israeli society
02:50 - Israel as a militarised society
06:04 - Legacy media and social media
08:58 - Israeli influence operations
10:58 - The radical left
13:25 - Europe's open borders
17:55 - What happened to Europe?
22:08 - War against Hezbollah?
25:07 - The Islamic regime in Iran
29:04 - The U.S. - Israel relation
31:07 - Will Israel administer Gaza after the war?




A California Synagogue Leased Space to a Muslim Group, Telling Members They Had an Obligation To 'Strengthen the Bonds' Between Communities. Things Went South From There.
A California synagogue axed its leadership and is struggling to retain members after leasing its facility to a Muslim group that brought in an anti-Israel speaker who compared Israel to Nazi Germany.

Hamakom synagogue, a conservative congregation of around 900 families located in an upscale Los Angeles suburb, says it was trying to ease tensions between the Jewish and Muslim communities when it decided to lease its space this month to the Islamic Society of West Valley, a neighboring Muslim faith group that needed space to hold services during the holy month of Ramadan.

Hamakom entered into an agreement with the Islamic Society that allowed it to take over the synagogue’s main campus, pushing Jewish members onto a smaller satellite branch. In anticipation of the lease’s commencement, the synagogue’s leadership covered up pictures of Israeli hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to photographs reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon, sparking anger among Jewish congregants.

Soon after the Islamic Society began using Hamakom’s facility, it hosted anti-Israel activist Hussam Ayloush, who said last year that Israel did not have a right to defend itself following the Oct. 7 attack and compared Israel to Nazi Germany. The invite led many Jewish members to threaten to resign from the shul, according to internal emails viewed by the Free Beacon, and prompted Hamakom to sever its rental contract with the Islamic Society within days of inking it.

Hamakom’s two copresidents have now resigned from their posts and the synagogue is promising a "thorough internal review to understand the missteps taken and to implement corrective measures," according to a statement from rabbis Stewart Vogel and Richard Camras. The incident comes as Jewish communities in America face rising anti-Semitism across the country.

"Recent decisions, including our outreach efforts with the Islamic Society of West Valley (ISWV) and related actions, have fallen short of the high standards of excellence and inclusivity we strive to uphold," the synagogue’s rabbis said in their statement issued through a crisis management PR firm. "It's clear that these decisions have had a profound impact on our community, eroding trust and causing distress among our members."


NYT's Editorial: Blocking Newspaper Trucks Is NOT "Peaceful Protest"
When anti-Israel activists swarmed the plant that prints the New York Times, The Post and other newspapers the other day, aiming to stop the papers' distribution, cops passed on making arrests because this was supposedly "peaceful protest."

No: It was a forceful attack on a private enterprise (on private property, too), and on the freedom of the press.

So now we get uncontrolled "pro-Palestine" demonstrations, targeting everything from the Thanksgiving Day parade to Christmas services at St. Patrick's Cathedral, with periodic actions to close commuting chokepoints from Grand Central Station to city bridges and assaults on the press.




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

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