Wednesday, April 10, 2024

04/10 Links Pt1: The West’s cowardice over Israel is nothing short of abominable; Where's American the pressure on Hamas?; Data Science Vs Hamas Math

From Ian:

The West’s cowardice over Israel is nothing short of abominable
Defeating Hamas is not merely technically possible but existentially vital – for both Israel but the wider West. Hamas is not just some small-time gang of thugs that is best ignored. Since taking over the Gaza Strip in 2007, it has upgraded from a guerrilla ragtag force primarily engaged in hit-and-run attacks to a modern terror army skilled in asymmetric urban warfare that has been prepared to plunge the entire Middle East into chaos in order to seize power from the Palestinian Authority.

A perceived victory for Hamas would spell the normalisation of a terrorist government as a viable alternative to peaceful democracy in the Middle East. It would plunge Israel into a nasty power struggle between orthodox hardliners and moderates and leave it vulnerable to further incursions by bordering terror groups. This risks distracting Israel from its intelligence and diplomatic work in partnership with the West to tackle by far the biggest security challenge facing the Middle East – Iran’s development of nuclear weapons.

Moreover, the West’s prevarications risk fuelling the Gaza “PR disaster”. Israel’s global status as an avatar for oppression backed by the imperialist West epitomises the inability of leaders in Europe and America to counter anti-Western worldviews that are both fundamentally misguided and feverishly popular, in part because they do contain sparse grains of truth.

The view, passionately held from the university campuses of London to the townships of Johannesburg, that Israel is an expansionist colonial-apartheid regime draws on the undeniable reality that the Israeli authorities routinely restrict the movements of Palestinians and deny them the same rights as their Jewish counterparts.

Proponents of this view point, also to the established fact that Israelis have illegally built settlements on occupied land beyond their internationally recognised borders, with some Orthodox communities declaring a religious claim to the land. But what Israel’s critics overlook is that it is not the result of an elaborate colonial plot, but rather a messy multi-generational struggle to shore up security in a hostile region.

If Israel’s political class has pursued a settlement programme with gusto, it is as a security buffer rather than an imperialistic project. Many of the repressive restrictions in the West Bank came into force after the Second Intifada. If anything Israel is not an grotesque ode to imperialism but a cautionary tale on the compromises on freedom and human rights that a country will make when it is threatened by perma-terrorism.

Perhaps the world would be more open to such a perspective if the West were more assertive about Israel’s right to defend itself. Instead, it has chosen moral cowardice. In suddenly threatening to withdraw arms support after aid workers are killed, it indulges the myth that it is somehow possible for Israel to take on Hamas without heavy Palestinian casualties. And in urging Israel to negotiate a ceasefire before Hamas has been neutralised, the West legitimises the view that Israel is a bully, using monstrously disproportionate force in Gaza, that must be reigned in for the sake of the world’s conscience.

Instead of acting like the leader of the free world, the West is behaving like a civilisation under siege. The world is a darker place for it.
Lahav Harkov: How much influence does the US really have over Israel?
The Biden administration’s influence over the war effort in Gaza is apparent: the President and his Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, have taken part in Israeli war cabinet meetings and this week’s increased aid is not the first time Israel has changed its plans after meetings and conversations with White House officials.

The danger is that if this withdrawal is part of a mini-ceasefire or a brief pause, the US will try to make it permanent, as Biden administration officials have said they hoped to do in the past. Then, Israel will be faced with the choice of either going it alone, without American support, or giving in, thus allowing for Hamas’s remaining brigades in Rafah to continue posing a threat.

But it should also be noted that the US continues to supply weapons to Israel, and the Biden administration has yet to set additional conditions on its military aid, despite unprecedented backing for such a policy from within the Democratic Party. The President has not backed down from his support for the war aims of eliminating the Hamas threat and bringing home the more than 130 hostages remaining in Gaza.

What’s more, influence does not mean omnipotence. Biden also demanded that Netanyahu “empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home” — yet the deal still fell through.

The question, then, is whether this influence is such that Israel will make any major changes due to US influence, such as backing down from eliminating the final Hamas battalions in Rafah.

Recent remarks from Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, someone so close to Netanyahu that he has been nicknamed “Bibi’s brain”, indicate that Jerusalem is determined to push forward regardless of the pressure from Washington.

“If Israel does not take care of Hamas in Gaza after what it did on October 7th,” Dermer said, “I truly believe that this country has no future because all the buzzards circling around this country are going to think that you can pick apart this carcass […] That’s why the determination to take them out is so strong, even if it leads to a potential breach with the United States.”
In Eid greetings, Blinken mentions West Bank Palestinians alongside world’s most oppressed Muslims
In a statement marking Eid Al-Fitr, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlights the plight of Palestinians in the West Bank alongside Muslims suffering in some of the world’s worst conflicts.

“Our thoughts turn to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, civilians in Syria, women suffering under the Taliban in Afghanistan, Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China, Rohingya in Burma and Bangladesh and far too many others,” Blinken says.

The decision to lump Palestinians in the West Bank along with those enduring war crimes and genocide highlights the severity with which the Biden administration views the Palestinian plight in the West Bank, where they live under Israeli military control.

“Far too many have lost loved ones over the past year and many more are concerned for the safety and security of their families today. I hope that this year’s Eid al-Fitr marks a moment on a path to more hopeful, free, and peaceful times ahead,” Blinken says.

“The United States is committed to standing up for human rights for people around the world, to providing humanitarian aid where it is desperately needed, and to working to bring about enduring peace, dignity, and safety of all communities,” he adds, wishing Muslim communities around the world an Eid Mubarak and praying for a more peaceful year ahead.


JPost Editorial: Where's American the pressure on Hamas?
The behavior of the terror group is one of an organization that believes it is in the driving seat. It is not. Israel’s current preoccupation with a ceasefire has been to secure the release of the living hostages and the return of the bodies of those who have been killed in captivity.

Hostages aside, Hamas has absolutely no bargaining power.

Why has the US not increased pressure on the Qataris, who openly host Hamas leaders (at the request of the American government) and have funded the terror group for years with millions of dollars a month?

Other world leaders have also continued to call for a ceasefire. On Monday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi published on opinion piece in The Washington Post and Le Monde, stating that “Only a two-state solution will bring peace to the Middle East.”

“It is the only credible path to guaranteeing peace and security for all and ensuring that neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis ever have to relive the horrors that have befallen them since the October 7 attacks,” the statement continued. “The establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of the two-state solution, in accordance with international law and relevant UNSC resolutions, to live side by side in peace and security with Israel, is the only way to achieve true peace.”

Op-eds are an interesting way for world leaders to get their message across. Why are the three, especially Sisi – whose own nation has strengthened its border with Gaza to prevent terrorists fleeing – and King Abdullah, who has enough problems at home with Palestinian factions, not piling the pressure on Hamas instead of writing opinion pieces?

The world needs to remember which side is holding hostages in captivity, which side crossed an international border on October 7 and massacred over 1,000 people, and which side is dragging its feet every time there are ceasefire talks.
Biden Presses Israel To Declare Ceasefire, Calls Netanyahu's Gaza Campaign a 'Mistake'
President Joe Biden last week pressed for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, calling Netanyahu’s campaign against Hamas a "mistake."

"I think what [Netanyahu] is doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach," Biden said in an interview that aired Tuesday on Univision. "What I’m calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks, total access to all food and medicine going into the country."

The interview was recorded last Wednesday, according to the Associated Press, two days after an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen. During a phone call on Thursday between the two leaders, Biden condemned the airstrike and threatened to withhold support for Israel, while also urging Netanyahu to seek an immediate ceasefire.

Biden’s remarks came as critics of Israel have increasingly piled pressure on him to pull support from Israel amid its war with Hamas. More than 100,000 Michigan Democrats voted "uncommitted" in the state’s Democratic presidential primary as part of a protest to demand Biden call for a ceasefire. On Tuesday, dozens of anti-Israel protesters shut down a Senate cafeteria to call for more aid to Gaza and fewer weapons to Israel.

The president did not tie his calls for a ceasefire to the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists, which Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have repeatedly demanded.

Israel’s war cabinet minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday said Hamas terrorists are now either "eliminated or in hiding" and that Hamas has been "defeated" militarily. "[Israel] will not stop," Gantz added. "We will enter Rafah. We will return to Khan Younis. And we will operate in Gaza. Wherever there are terrorist targets—the [Israel Defense Forces] will be there."


Clifford D. May: Wavering Biden sends message to America’s enemies and allies
“Today, the people of Israel are under attack, orchestrated by a terrorist organization, Hamas.” So said President Biden six months ago Sunday.

He went on to speak of the “innocent people murdered, wounded, entire families taken hostage by Hamas.”

He made clear that “the United States stands with Israel. We will not ever fail to have their back. … My administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.”

So, when did the rock start to crumble, and the wavering begin?

I’d say last month when Mr. Biden allowed a U.N. Security Council resolution backed by Russia, China and 22 Arab states to pass.

The resolution didn’t demand that Hamas release its hostages — including six Americans — as a precondition for “a lasting sustainable ceasefire.”

The message didn’t condemn Hamas. It didn’t even mention Hamas.

Hamas welcomed the resolution and continued holding — and likely torturing — its hostages while killing more Israelis whenever possible.

Israel, however, has since come under mounting pressure to cease firing, which would help Hamas escalate the war it’s waging in alliance with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen — terrorists all and all guided and funded by Iran’s rulers, whose dedication to “Death to Israel!” and “Death to America!” has never wavered.


Hamas again rejects hostage deal, to present ‘roadmap’ for ending war
Hamas has informed mediators that it rejects the latest U.S. proposal for a renewed hostages-for-ceasefire deal, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing sources as saying that the terrorist organization intends to put forward a roadmap for a permanent end to the war.

The U.S. offer would have seen Jerusalem release 900 terrorist prisoners, including murderers, in exchange for 40 hostages, along with a partial IDF withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the unrestricted return of Palestinians to the northern part of the coastal enclave.

The plan proposed that Hamas would release more hostages at a later stage following the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza.

A senior Israeli official familiar with the talks in Cairo told the Journal that Israel was open to using the U.S. proposal as a basis for talks and that a majority in the Cabinet would vote to back a deal.

Israeli officials, however, view the framework’s plan for the free movement of Palestinians in northern Gaza and the ratio of terrorists to hostages released as significant concessions to Hamas, the newspaper said.

Indirect talks have been taking place in Cairo, Doha and Paris brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States for a temporary truce that would see the release of the captives still in the Strip.

The Israeli delegation led by Mossad director David Barnea departed the Egyptian capital on Monday amid conflicting reports of progress in negotiations to free the remaining hostages.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday expressed frustration with Hamas, saying Israel was prepared to move forward.


Bassam Tawil: How Biden is Sabotaging His Peace Deal Between Israel and Saudi Arabia
Recently, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after meeting with [Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed] bin Salman that there is "good progress" on Saudi Arabia-Israel normalization talks. "I believe we can reach an agreement which would present an historic opportunity... We had a very good discussion about the work that we've been doing for many months now on normalization, and that work is moving forward. We're continuing to make good progress."

[T]here is good reason to believe that the Saudis will eventually agree to normalize their relations with Israel. In order for that to happen, however, Hamas, which is strongly opposed to any peace with Israel and does not recognize its right to exist, must be defeated and eradicated.

It is no secret that Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries despise Hamas and consider it a threat to their own national security....

There is no doubt that the Saudis, together with the UAE, Bahrain and the even the Palestinian Authority, are quietly praying for Israel to finish the job and get rid of Hamas. These Arabs, understandably, cannot express their views in public lest they be accused of "colluding" with Israel.

Arab states are motivated to sign peace treaties with Israel when they see Israel as a winner.

By pressuring Israel not to invade Rafah, the US administration is sabotaging its own efforts to persuade Saudi Arabia to normalize its ties with Israel...

By demanding that Israel refrain from entering Rafah, the Biden administration is actually asking Israel to forget about recovering the 130 hostages being raped and tortured by Hamas every day -- which still include six Americans – and to lose the war. This is something that neither Israel nor Hamas's Arab enemies -- nor even Biden -- can afford to accept.
Israel critics in Congress are ‘playing into the hands of Hamas,’ Rep. Ritchie Torres says
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), in an interview with Jewish Insider this week, condemned those in his party who have been pushing to cut off or condition U.S. aid to Israel as effectively aiding Hamas’ cause, but insisted that the Biden administration and most of Congress and the American people remain supportive of Israel and its fight.

Torres denounced the “hyperbolic and hysterical demonization from fairweather friends,” referring to lawmakers who are pushing to suspend or condition aid to Israel, rhetoric he said has “given Hamas enhanced leverage.”

“Hamas feels emboldened to reject cease-fires and keep the hostages in indefinite captivity,” Torres said. “Those in American politics who are waging an information war against Israel are playing into the hands of Hamas.”

He was also sharply critical of those — including some colleagues — who have characterized the Israeli strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza as reflective of a broader lack of discipline or caution by Israel.

“The notion that Israel deliberately targeted aid workers or assassinated the aid workers — that strikes me as a lie and a libel, and shame on anyone who repeats it,” Torres said.

He characterized it as “curious just about everyone in Congress and on social media has minimal visibility into what’s happening in Gaza, and yet everyone claims to be an expert on the conduct of asymmetric war in a densely urban, densely populated war zone.”

Torres described the strike as a tragedy, but said that Israel had acted properly in apologizing, launching an investigation and disciplining IDF officials involved.

Torres visited Israel last week with the UJA-Federation of New York and other officials from the Bronx, meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid.

Torres also met with MK Mansour Abbas, who heads Israel’s United Arab List party, whom Torres said he viewed as a “symbol of Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian coexistence” who could represent “the future of politics in the Middle East.”


FDD: Hamas-Run Gaza Health Ministry Admits to Flaws in Casualty Data
The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said on April 6 that it had “incomplete data” for 11,371 of the 33,091 Palestinian fatalities it claims to have documented. In a statistical report, the ministry notes that it considers an individual record to be incomplete if it is missing any of the following key data points: identity number, full name, date of birth, or date of death. The health ministry also released a report on April 3 that acknowledged the presence of incomplete data but did not define what it meant by “incomplete.” In that earlier report, the ministry acknowledged the incompleteness of 12,263 records. It is unclear why, after just three more days, the number fell to 11,371 — a decrease of more than 900 records.

Prior to its admissions of incomplete data, the health ministry asserted that the information in more than 15,000 fatality records had stemmed from “reliable media sources.” However, the ministry never identified the sources in question and Gaza has no independent media.

Expert Analysis
“The sudden shifts in the ministry’s reporting methods suggest it is scrambling to prevent exposure of its shoddy work. For months, U.S. media have taken for granted that the ministry’s top-line figure for casualties was reliable enough to include in daily updates on the war. Even President Biden has cited its numbers. Now we’re seeing that a third or more of the ministry’s data may be incomplete at best — and fictional at worst.” — David Adesnik, Senior Fellow and Director of Research

“It is important to recognize that Hamas is deeply invested in shaping the narrative that emerges from Gaza, particularly regarding the number of casualties in the war. Moreover, this control of data extends beyond the statistics provided by the Hamas-controlled health ministry, as there is also a deliberate effort to downplay the number of terrorists who have been killed by Israel in the war, potentially numbering more than 10,000.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

A Record of False Claims
On October 16, the health ministry told global media that an Israeli airstrike was responsible for an explosion that killed 500 Palestinians at the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in northern Gaza. U.S. media quickly reported the story even though it became clear within hours there was no evidence to support claims of an airstrike or a death toll close to 500. Soon, evidence emerged showing that a rocket fired by Palestinian terrorists was nearly certain to have caused a blast in the hospital’s parking lot. An unclassified U.S. intelligence report on October 18 said the blast likely caused between 100 to 300 deaths, and it leaned towards casualty estimates at “the low end of the 100-to-300 spectrum.”

Nevertheless, the health ministry does not identify the individuals who died as a result of errant Palestinian fire, even though the Israel Defense Forces reported that 12 percent of rockets fired during the first month of the war fell inside Gaza — more than 1,000 total misfires.
Call Me Back PodCast: Data Science Vs Hamas Math – with Abraham Wyner Hosted by Dan Senor
30,000. You hear that number and you already know exactly what we are referring to. It’s 30,000 casualties. That’s the number of Palestinians that have been killed in Gaza as a result of the IDF response to the October 7th invasion of Israel, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Of course, we don’t know how the Gaza Health Ministry arrived at that number. How does it collect this data, analyze it, and how does it account for civilian casualties versus Hamas terrorists? It’s a big round number that everyone – from news reporters, to aid organizations to governments – mindlessly repeat.

Well, a data scientist at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania has taken the time to try to understand how these numbers are computed. He published his study in a piece in Tablet Magazine — it’s called “How the Gaza Ministry of Health Fakes Casualty Numbers”. You can find it here: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/how-gaza-health-ministry-fakes-casualty-numbers

Abraham Wyner is Professor of Statistics and Data Science at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Faculty Co-Director of the Wharton Sports Analytics and Business Initiative. Professor Wyner received his Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics from Yale University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with distinction in his major. He was the recipient of the Stanley Prize for excellence in Mathematics. His PhD in Statistics is from Stanford University.


56 Congress members call on Biden to halt transfers to Israel until WCK deaths' investigated
It is "unjustifiable " for the US to approve arms transfers to Israel in the wake of the strike against the World Central Kitchen workers, according to a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed by 56 members of Congress.

"We strongly urge you to reconsider your recent decision to authorize the transfer of a new arms package to Israel and to withhold this and any future offensive arms transfers until a full investigation into the airstrike is completed," the letter said, "and if it is found this strike violated US or international law, those responsible are held accountable."

The letter cited the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, impending famine, and the growing death toll.

Letter says amount of aid not enough for Palestinian civilians
Biden's efforts to increase the delivery of aid into Gaza will not be sufficient to meet the needs on the ground, according to the letter.

The letter was spearheaded by Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

The letter, written on April 5, initially received support from 40 members of Congress, with 16 additional members adding their signatures on Monday.
Samatha Power blames World Central Kitchen strike on systemic Israeli issues
U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power characterized the Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza last week as part of broader systemic issues in Israel’s military and deconfliction procedures, a description very much at odds with Israel’s characterization of the strike as a tragic but isolated mistake.

“The system that gave rise to the killing of these innocent aid workers is the same system that has made it so hard to bring about the kind of civilian protection that is needed as well for Palestinians,” Power said in testimony to a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, also linking the strike to the reported deaths of more than 200 other aid workers and 30,000 Palestinians, a statistic produced by Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry.

Administration officials have offered conflicting answers in recent weeks on whether they trust and utilize the casualty numbers provided by Hamas’ healthy ministry. Israel has described the World Central Kitchen strike as an unfortunate error and has disciplined IDF officials.

“The system for so-called deconfliction, where civilian sites and civilian gatherings, and the welfare of civilians, including aid workers… that system is really in need of this improvement,” Power continued.

She said Israel’s deconfliction system “doesn’t provide any assurance” that aid groups will be able to deliver “in safety or reliably” inside Gaza.

The former U.N. ambassador did not directly answer a question about whether Israel is deliberately using starvation as a weapon of war, as groups including the European Union, Human Rights Watch and some progressives have alleged, but said that Israel “has not done enough to facilitate the kind of humanitarian access we need” to stave off potential famine conditions, adding that there “have been a series of restrictions over many months” imposed by Israel.


U.S. Funneled Nearly $1 Million to Hamas-Linked Charity That Hosted Terror Leader’s Son, Report Says
The United States Agency for International Development funneled nearly $1 million "to a terror charity in Gaza involved with the son of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh," according to a report.

USAID gave more than $900,000 in taxpayer funds to the Bayader Association for Environment and Development, a humanitarian group based in the Gaza Strip that is said to be "in close cooperation with [the] Hamas regime," according to a report by the Middle East Forum’s Focus on Western Islamism project. The United States awarded the most recent grant on Oct. 1, six days before Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel.

"Bayader is listed in federal spending data as a sub-grantee for USAID, with the government monies first routed through a sponsoring U.S. nonprofit, which are ostensibly required to vet their sub-grantees," according to the report. In February 2023, Bayader reportedly organized an event in the Gaza Strip that included "senior Hamas officials," such as Abdul Salam Haniyeh, the son of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The Middle East Forum’s findings are certain to increase pressure on the Biden administration as it works to pump humanitarian aid into the war-torn Gaza Strip, where humanitarian groups linked to Hamas are operating. This includes the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a recipient of U.S. aid that is now known to employ individuals who participated in Hamas’s attack. Israel estimates that around 10 percent of UNRWA’s workforce maintains ties to the Iran-backed terror group.

USAID did not immediately respond to a Washington Free Beacon request for comment. The aid agency has come under Republican pressure in Congress for awarding taxpayer funds to groups with alleged ties to terrorism. USAID’s inspector general is reportedly investigating claims that at least $110,000 in funds were sent to a charity tied to Pakistani militant groups.

During the February 2023 event cited in the report, "Bayader staff embraced senior Hamas officials, who were there to launch Bayader’s latest project."

USAID also has "praised Bayader’s work on its own social media, and USAID officials appeared to visit Bayader’s offices, where one senior USAID official, Jonathan Kamin, received an award from the terror-linked charity," the Middle East Forum found.


Richard Goldberg: Iran Is Watching Israel Bow to A Weak America | The Caroline Glick Show
Did Israel cave to American pressure to pull its troops out of Gaza and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza? Will the Biden administration's policy of conflict containment lead to peace or more war? How are Israel's enemies perceiving events on the ground?


Senate Republicans push bill that could revoke Qatar’s major non-NATO ally status
Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced legislation on Tuesday that would revoke Qatar’s status as a major non-NATO ally, unless the Gulf nation ends financial support for terrorist groups and expels or extradites Hamas leadership.

The legislation comes after months of increasing frustration from its sponsors over Qatar’s relationship with Hamas and what they view as the country’s insufficient efforts to pressure the terrorist group to secure the release of U.S. hostages. Budd and Ernst recently said that Hamas leadership must be expelled from Qatar.

The bill would instruct the State Department to, within 90 days, conduct a review of the U.S.-Qatar relationship. The department would be asked to certify that Qatar’s status remains in “the national interest of the United States,” that Qatar has “exerted any and all leverage it has over Hamas,” that it has ceased direct or indirect support to terrorist organizations and that it has “expelled or agreed to extradite” any members of Hamas.

If the administration cannot certify all of those points, it would be required to “immediately terminate” Qatar’s status, and would not be able to reimplement it until all of the conditions could be met.

The legislation accuses Qatar of “undercutting negotiations” for a hostage deal with public comments calling for a cease-fire unconditioned on the release of hostages and stating it has no leverage over Hamas.

The bill notes that there is precedent for revoking a state’s major non-NATO ally status, citing Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, and describes the status as “a privilege which must be continuously earned.”

“I do not introduce this bill to consider terminating Qatar’s major non-NATO ally designation lightly,” Budd said in a statement. “It is not where I started on this relationship, but it is a reflection of where we are today and the warnings that members of Congress have repeatedly given to Qatar about the liability of continuing to host Hamas.”

Budd said that Qatar’s “failure to take action against Hamas is beginning to look like tacit support for a foreign terrorist organization designated by the United States,” describing Doha’s actions as “unacceptable.”


Coons to Qatar: You need to do more to pressure Hamas
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) has pushed Qatari officials to increase pressure on Hamas to reach a deal to release the hostages held in Gaza, the lawmaker told Jewish Insider on Tuesday.

“I have reached out directly to the ambassador, to the sheikh, to the foreign minister, to say, ‘You need to do more to pressure Hamas to get to the table, to get a hostage deal.’ I know our president has applied more pressure,” Coons told JI.

Coons signed a bipartisan joint statement last month saying that Qatar should expel Hamas leadership if negotiations fail, indicated he found a new bill, which calls for a review of Qatar’s status as a major non-NATO ally, premature.


U.S. lawmakers call for possible sanctions against Turkey in response to new trade restrictions against Israel
Multiple senators said on Tuesday that the U.S. should consider retaliatory measures, including potential sanctions, against Turkey in response to its decision this week to impose trade restrictions on Israel.

The move from Ankara came after Israeli officials rejected Turkey’s attempts to participate in Gaza aid drops. Turkey has said the restrictions will remain in place until a cease-fire is reached in Gaza, and would apply to products including construction materials, fertilizer, construction equipment and jet fuel.

The decision from Turkey, which is sparking retaliatory moves in Israel, is the latest blow to the Israel-Turkey relationship which, alongside Israel’s other relationships in the Arab world, has suffered public setbacks since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks and ensuing war.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denied that Hamas is a terrorist group, sparking backlash from some U.S. lawmakers already wary of the often-unreliable NATO ally. A number of top Hamas officials, including Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed in Lebanon in January, have lived in and operated out of Turkey in recent years.

Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) said the U.S. “should consider putting sanctions on Turkey, in response” to the move. Asked whether Ankara’s NATO status should be in question, Ricketts said that relationship should allow the U.S. to have greater influence over Turkey and make the case for Israel.

“Israel is fighting for the good of civilization here to destroy a terrorist group, and that’s what we need to be focused on,” Ricketts said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he also thought U.S. trade restrictions could be an “appropriate” response to confront Turkey’s behavior.
The Fox News Rundown: Evening Edition: Are Israel Defense Forces Facing Valid Criticisms?
Israel is facing growing criticisms from allies, including President Biden, of not doing enough to protect Gaza's civilians from harm as they conduct military operations against Hamas. The criticisms have increased following an Israeli drone strike that killed seven aid workers, a mistake the IDF quickly admitted to and apologized for. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the offensive into Rafah 'will happen and there is a date' for the operation.

FOX’s Eben Brown speaks with John Spencer, the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies with the Madison Policy Forum, who says Israeli Defense Forces are doing better job keeping innocent civilians safe than the world thinks.


Outrage over J'lem hospital’s treatment of Hamas terrorist

Dozens of protesters swarmed the halls of Hadassah Mount Scopus Medical Center in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning after news got out that the hospital was treating a member of Hamas’s “Nukhba force.”

The Nukhba terrorists were one of the leading participants in Hamas attacks and atrocities on Oct. 7 in southern Israel, during which some 1,200 people were murdered, thousands were wounded and 253 were taken as hostages.

Following calls on social media for people to mobilize in protest, Hadassah closed the entrance to its intensive-care unit, covering the glass door with an Israeli flag in an attempt to prevent protesters from locating the terrorist.

“I am on my way to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital, which is committing a heinous act and has forgotten the horrible massacre and what these despicable terrorists have done to our daughters and the Israeli people,” tweeted Herzl Hajaj, whose daughter was killed in a 2017 terrorist attack.

“We will not forget and not be silent,” wrote Hajaj, who represents Choosing Life, a forum of Israeli terror victims and bereaved families.

In video footage of the incident, Hajaj can be seen arguing with medical staff and security outside a hospital room, which is guarded by at least two armed soldiers, before being escorted off the premises.

“Is this where the terrorist son of a bitch is hospitalized? Is the terrorist hospitalized here?” he shouts, asking security guards to “take the terrorist out of here, not us.”
Hamas’ Strategy Behind the Gaza Tragedy
Hamas intentionally stores rockets, weapons, and even hostages in residential areas. Meanwhile, the world accuses the IDF of targeting civilian areas in Gaza, yet fails to ask why these areas have become military targets to begin with. Hamas’ use of civilian areas for terror is no coincidence. In fact, using Palestinian civilians as pawns is all a part of Hamas’ deliberate and twisted strategy.


Three sons of Hamas leader Haniyeh killed in Israeli airstrike
Three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh were killed in an IAF airstrike in Gaza on Wednesday, an anonymous senior Israeli diplomatic official said, while at the same time there were widespread denials that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz knew about the attack.

It was unclear if the later denial was legitimate or if Netanyahu or some other officials may have known about it, but decided afterward that the cost of the attack to the hostage negotiations or with being rebuked by the US was too high to take credit. In general, the IDF has been careful in such situations, especially with hostage talks ongoing, to clear top level of attacks with the political echelon.

All three sons were part of Hamas’s so-called military wing, Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, and Israel is ready to go after any member of Hamas involved in violence, the official said.

The airstrike was initially reported by Hamas-affiliated news agency Shehab, with The Jerusalem Post also receiving indirect confirmation, before the senior diplomatic official confirmed the report.

Al Mayadeen, a Beirut-based news channel aligned with Iran, quoted Palestinian sources as saying the strike had also killed several of Haniyeh’s grandchildren who were in a vehicle in Gaza City’s Al-Shati refugee camp.

Haniyeh later confirmed that three of his sons and three of his grandchildren had been killed in the airstrike.

“All of Gaza’s citizens paid a price with the blood of their children, including me,” he was quoted as saying.


IDF strikes Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Syria
The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday night struck Hezbollah military infrastructure in Syria.

“The IDF holds the Syrian regime accountable for all activities which take place within its territory and will not allow for any attempted actions which could lead to the entrenchment of Hezbollah on the Syrian front,” the military said.

At the same time, the IDF said that it had struck Hezbollah observation posts and infrastructure in Southern Lebanon.

Throughout the day on Tuesday, IDF artillery fired across the border to remove threats in the areas of Dhayra and Tayr Harfa in Southern Lebanon.

The Israeli Air Force overnight Monday attacked terrorist infrastructure belonging to the Syrian Army in the area of Mahajja, the Israeli military announced on Tuesday.

In addition, Israel Defense Forces artillery struck a military post in southern Syria on Monday night.

According to the latest IDF war data, as of April 2, a total of 3,100 launches from Lebanon and 35 from Syria have crossed into Israeli territory since the start of the war on Oct. 7.

In the northern arena, more than 3,300 targets have been attacked from the ground and another 1,400 from the air. Also, around 30 commanders and 330 terrorists have been killed.


Hamas Pervades Every Aspect of Life in Gaza, and Is Preventing the Distribution of Aid
The question that needs to be examined is what led to the rapid and total breakdown in governance in Gaza? The answer lies in the style of Hamas rule in the enclave; a lethal authoritarian terror regime that pervaded every aspect of civilian life in Gaza.

Hamas ruled Gaza unchallenged after it took over the enclave in a violent coup in 2007. The bureaucracy, aid organizations, and police were all dominated by the terror organization. Not surprisingly, Hamas was the biggest employer in Gaza in 2023 with a reported 50,000 public sector workers on its payroll.

Hamas was also deeply embedded in the business of humanitarian aid distribution. According to Israel, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) — the UN organization that for over seven decades has provided a litany of services to Palestinians that in normal circumstances would be the responsibility of their government — employed approximately 1,200 staff that were active members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Israel also said that at least 12 took part in the horrors of October 7.

The European Council on Foreign Relations describes the Civil Police Force in Gaza as being made up of members of the armed wing of Hamas and other factions in Gaza. Accordingly, Israel has targeted the police and they have fled underground. Without Hamas to enforce the rule of law, civilians in Rafah have formed loosely organized vigilante groups that police the streets with assault rifles or crude batons, and claim their job is to prevent price gouging by Gazan merchants.

Israel reportedly asked clan leaders to assist with distributing aid to the more isolated Gazans in the center and north. The reports elicited a statement from Hamas, warning Gazans that anyone that cooperated with Israel would be dealt with harshly. Since October 7, Hamas has repeatedly targeted Gazans who have defied the regime, and have a history of meting out death penalties and summary executions.

Once Hamas is no longer a threat to Israel or Gazans, new figures may emerge that are willing to partner with Israel and the international community and could play a leadership role in rebuilding the enclave. However, until Hamas is crushed, pragmatic Gazans are understandably cautious; all the more reason for Israel to pursue a total victory.
Israel and UN disagree over Gaza aid figures
Aid agencies, including UN agencies, have urged Israel to do more to let in food and other humanitarian aid, and to facilitate its distribution around the Gaza Strip.

While Israel said 419 trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Monday, the main UN agency there, UNRWA, said only 223 trucks had come in on that day.

Both COGAT, the Israeli military branch responsible for aid transfers, and UN agencies have said the discrepancy in numbers results from different ways of counting. COGAT vs. UN claims

"The UN's incorrect numbers are a result of their flawed counting method. Rather than counting the actual number of trucks that enter the Gaza Strip, in an attempt to conceal their logistical distribution difficulties, they only count the trucks that they have picked up from the Gazan side of the border," COGAT said in a statement.

On Tuesday, Jens Laerke, the spokesperson for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, said the Israeli count was for trucks that were only partially filled to comply with its military's screening requirements.

"COGAT counts what they screen and send across the border. We count trucks that arrive in our warehouses," Laerke said.

"Trucks that go in, screened by COGAT, are typically only half full. That is a requirement that they have put in place for screening purposes. When we count the trucks on the other side, when they have been reloaded, they are full," he said.

Other Israeli restrictions mean the trucks often do not move through the border and into warehouses in a single day, further complicating a clear count, Laerke said.

"Egyptian drivers and trucks can never be in the same area at the same time as Palestinian drivers and trucks. That means there is not a smooth handover. First everything has to come in, has to be offloaded, everybody has to go out, before a new set of trucks from inside Gaza with Palestinian plates, with vetted Palestinian drivers, can go in and pick it up," he said.


Community united at vigil outside Downing Street for the hostages six months on
Rabbinical leaders from across the community were united in their call for the return of the hostages as six months since October 7 was marked by a vigil outside Downing Street.

They were joined by over 1,000 Jewish people, Israelis and supporters at the rally for the 133 hostages still held captive in Gaza.

UJIA chief executive Mandie Winston introduced the evening, saying: “Tonight, after 186 days, we saw that enough is enough; that time has already run out. We are here to call on all people in positions of power and influence to act on our demand that the hostages are led from captivity to freedom.”

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirivs said: “From here we declare our promise to the hostages and to their families, we will not rest. We will not be silenced until every single one of them comes back home.”

He added: “Unlike Hamas, which celebrates the rape, the torture, and the murder of innocent civilians, our tradition commands us to respect all life and to hold all life sacred, as the result of which we regard the loss of every single innocent civilian as being a tragedy and that includes innocent Palestinians who have died in Gaza.

“This Passover, regardless of the intentions of Hamas and of a rise in antisemitism, and all the hatred and all the lies that exist out there, we know that: Am Yisrael Chai, the Jewish people will live on forever.”
‘No choice but to stay hopeful,’ father of US hostage says after meeting with VP
Family members of U.S. citizens Hamas terrorists kidnapped and took to Gaza on Oct. 7 held a “very productive meeting” at the White House on Tuesday with Vice President Kamala Harris, Rachel Goldberg-Polin said, according to the pool report.

“We are thinking of all 133 souls who are being held” in Gaza, added Goldberg-Polin, whose son is the American Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin. (Hersh’s father, Jonathan Polin, also attended the meeting.)

“We want results,” Goldberg-Polin said.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of American Israeli hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, put the onus on Hamas, which has repeatedly rejected deals that Israel has offered in Cairo.

“We are waiting now and the world waits for Hamas to get to yes,” Dekel-Chen said, per the pool report. “It is in their court.”

“We have no choice but to stay hopeful,” added Jonathan Polin.

Per the White House, the other relatives of hostages who met with the vice president were Adi and Yael Alexander, parents of Edan Alexander; Ruby and Roy Chen, father and brother of Itay Chen; Liz Naftali, great-aunt of released hostage Abigail Mor Edan; Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of Omer Neutra; Aviva Siegel, released hostage and wife of hostage Keith Siegel; Elan Tiv, daughter of hostage Keith Siegel and released hostage Avivia Siegel; and Andrea Weinstein, sister of hostage Judy Weinstein and sister-in-law of hostage Gad Haggai.

The meeting was closed to the press. Family members of hostages met on Monday with Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security advisor.

The U.S. vice president “underscored” that she and U.S. President Joe Biden “have no higher priority than reuniting the hostages with their loved ones,” per a White House readout of the meeting.
Hostage family visit the community who have been praying for their uncle every week
Muswell Hill Synagogue has welcomed the family of their “adopted” hostage, Michel Nisenbaum.

The 59-year-old Brazilian-born Israeli, who was taken captive by Hamas terrorists, was “adopted” by the shul in February as part of the “adopt-a-hostage” scheme launched by the Board of Deputies.

The community has been saying prayers for the missing grandfather ever since. “It’s part of the tefillah [prayer service] now,” said Daniel Shaw, chair of the synagogue.

Sixth months on from his capture, Michel’s family stopped to look at a photo of him on the bimah, “It’s very emotional. It's a feeling of warmth to know you’ve ‘adopted’ Michel,” said Michel’s niece, Ayala Harel, 42.

“It’s like he’s part of the family,” Michel’s nephew, Shai Shojat, 44, remarked.

Over one hundred synagogues are taking part in the Board’s scheme. Muswell Hill Synagogue’s Board deputy Judith Prinsley said: “It’s imperative that the hostages are not forgotten” and that the scheme kept the “human stories” of the hostages at the forefront of the community’s mind. At Muswell Hill, a seat is left for Michel at all communal events.

Michel, an energetic grandfather of six, worked as a computer technician and tour guide. Ayala fondly remembers his frequent visits for coffee. He would pick up his grandchildren once a week and give them dinner and he loves the songs of Shlomo Artzi, she told the JC. In 2018, he stayed in Golders Green and visited national landmarks on a trip to the UK.


The Commentary Magazine Podcast: The 5 Percent Fantasy
Hosted by Abe Greenwald, Christine Rosen, John Podhoretz & Matthew Continetti
Joe Biden tells an interviewer Israel should do a unilateral ceasefire for six to eight weeks. Tom Friedman of the New York Times explains there’s a 5 percent chance for a Palestinian state and that we should focus on that 5 percent. People are yelling “Death to America” inside America and the president says nothing. What on earth is going on here? We try to explain.
Jonny Gould’s Jewish State: 142: Emily Schrader in London: "shocked at tolerance of antisemitism" and Benedict Spence: "happy days ahead for Bibi?"
Emily Schrader returned to London for a whistlestop tour of speaking engagements and appearances and attend street protests in solidarity with Britain's Jewish community, embattled by the unrelenting pro-Palestinian hate marches which seemingly never end.

Listen to how she deals with the antisemites on the streets of London and how she views the over tolerance of Islamofascism spreading fast across the West.

Emily appeared on my Talk TV early breakfast show alongside news commentator and foreign policy expert, Benedict Spence as we discussed fears of escalating tensions caused by Hezbollah from Lebanon, why they haven't started a full-scale war yet and why "happy days" could be ahead of Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

But can he survive until November to get there.


‘Dumb and dangerous’: Andrew Bolt blasts Penny Wong over Palestinian state call
Sky News host Andrew Bolt has unleashed on Foreign Minister Penny Wong for “making a fool of herself” with her call for a Palestinian state.

Addressing the ANU's National Security College on Tuesday evening, Senator Wong claimed a two-state solution was essential to sustain long-term peace in the region.

She also asserted there was “no role for Hamas” in a future Palestinian state.

“So let's sum up this idiotic Wong plan. She's given Hamas a propaganda triumph that makes it even more likely it will dominate the Palestinian state she wants, ensuring the new Palestinian nation will be run by terrorists,” Mr Bolt said.

“Yet she has no idea at all how to stop them taking over.”


‘It’s just a joke’: Penny Wong labelled ‘inept’ and ‘foolish’ amid support for two-state solution
Former NSW Labor treasurer Michael Costa says Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong is “inept” and being “foolish” with her call for a two-state solution in the Middle East.

The Foreign Affairs Minister has argued the establishment of a standalone Palestinian state is the only way to end hostilities with neighbouring Israel.

Addressing the ANU’s National Security College on Tuesday, Senator Wong outlined the Australian government’s vision for Palestine’s recognition as a country.

“This is about internal ALP politics. It’s got nothing to do with solving the problems,” Mr Costa told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.

“It’s just a joke.”


Penny Wong’s ‘rogue’ Palestinian state proposal hands ‘massive victory’ to Hamas
Sky News host Peta Credlin warns Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s “rogue” Palestinian state proposal effectively rewards Hamas for its “barbaric assault” on October 7 and hands a “massive victory” to the terrorist group.

Addressing the ANU’s National Security College on Tuesday evening, Senator Wong claimed a two-state solution was essential to sustain long-term peace in the region.

Ms Wong also asserted there was “no role for Hamas” in a future Palestinian state.

Ms Credlin claimed the Foreign Minister has seized upon the tragic death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom as justification for giving the enemies of Israel a massive “propaganda victory”.

“Penny Wong’s intervention in this debate last night smacks of rank politics,” she said.

“And Wong’s intervention is not just about the politics of the hard left who have come to hate Israel but also the brutal politics of vote-chasing inside Labor where there is nothing they will not do, no principle they will not squander to get and hold power.”


Penny Wong’s comments on Palestinian statehood are ‘farcical at every level’
Former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger says Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong is “not entitled” to dictate to Palestinians who they should elect.

Senator Wong, during an ANU conference on Tuesday, signalled the Albanese government is considering recognising Palestinian statehood.

“It’s farcical at every single level,” Mr Kroger told Sky News host Sharri Markson.

“As we know, more than half of the Palestinian populations that have been surveyed support Hamas.

“This was a disgraceful speech by Wong; an utter disgrace.”




‘Not the time’ for Australia to be ‘lecturing’ Israel
Executive Council of Australian Jewry Co-CEO Alex Ryvchin says it’s “not the time” for Australia to be “lecturing” Israel.

Mr Ryvchin’s remarks come after Foreign Minister Penny Wong signalled that Australia is open to recognising a Palestinian state.

“This is not the time to be lecturing one of our key allies,” he told Sky News Australia.

“This is the time to be standing in solidarity and showing understanding.

“The very notion that we should right now be talking about a two-state solution, about statehood for the Palestinians just six months after one of the most unspeakable atrocities of modern times – it really rewards that kind of violence.”


Penny Wong ‘dangerously close’ to giving Hamas exactly what it wants: Rita Panahi
Foreign Minister Penny Wong is “dangerously close” to giving Hamas exactly what it wants, says Sky News host Rita Panahi.

Addressing the ANU's National Security College on Tuesday evening, Senator Wong claimed a two-state solution was essential to sustain long-term peace in the region.

Ms Wong also asserted there was “no role for Hamas” in a future Palestinian state.

The Albanese government has shown over recent weeks that ”they do not fully stand with Israel”, Ms Panahi said.

Ms Panahi is joined by Australia Israel and Jewish Affairs Council Joel Burnie to discuss the Foreign Minister’s recent comments and what impact they could have on the Israel-Gaza war.


Climate activists ‘teaming up’ with ‘extreme Palestinian activist groups’
GB News host Patrick Christys says Britain is seeing groups like radical climate activists “teaming up” with “really quite extreme Palestinian activist groups”.

Mr Christys said they are teaming up to “commit now just acts of vandalism on the streets” and to “take on political parties”.

“There is a problem with the younger generation here in Britain,” Mr Christys told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.

“That is because we’re not actually selling them a vision.”

“Is it any surprise really then when they rebel, and they are drawn maybe to more radical activists.”




Elissa Slotkin Under Fire for 'Weak Response' to Pro-Hamas Rally
Democratic representative Elissa Slotkin (Mich.), a candidate for U.S. Senate, is facing criticism for her "weak response" to a pro-terrorist rally in Dearborn, two months after she denied that the city was becoming a hotbed for anti-American radicalism.

Slotkin denounced "hateful language," four days after the "Al-Quds Day" rally on April 5 in the heavily Muslim city of Dearborn. At the event, activists chanted "death to America," "death to Israel," and praised the former supreme leader of Iran.

The congresswoman said that "hateful language has no place in our communities, no matter the cause," adding that the "statements do not reflect the views of Michigan’s communities."

Her comments were more reserved than some other local community leaders. They come as Slotkin has called for an Israeli ceasefire and sought to placate Muslim voters in Michigan, who make up a large portion of the state’s Democratic voting bloc. Dr. Mahmoud Al-Hadidi, the chairman of the Michigan Muslim Community Council, said the rally chants "should be investigated as hate speech" and denounced them as "very dangerous," according to Fox 2 in Detroit.

Republicans and critics on social media slammed Slotkin’s comments as too little and too late, noting that she met with members of an Islamic center that blamed Israel for "spark[ing] the deadly violence" of Hamas’s terrorist attacks on Oct. 7.

"This you?" wrote Republican operative Steve Guest on Twitter, posting a headline about Slotkin’s meeting with the group.

"Took you long enough to come out with a statement," wrote another Twitter user. "Did you have to focus group test it first?"

Another user said Slotkin was allowing hate speech to "fester with a weak response like this. Pathetic."

Slotkin’s comments come days after she called on Israel to halt its military operation against Hamas, and two months after she rejected claims that Islamic radicalism is on the rise in Dearborn.


What the Hell Is Wrong With Tucker Carlson?
I used to enjoy the occasional Tucker Carlson monologue on Fox News. His content was usually pointed and amusing and delivered with a breezy charm. But I rarely bothered with a Tucker Carlson interview. As an interviewer, too often, I found him strangely incurious and glib instead of breezy.

But his interview on Tuesday with Reverend Munther Isaac was so much worse than merely glib or incurious.

Carlson chose to interview Isaac to find out how the Jewish State of Israel treats Christians. Isaac is a priest who neither lives nor works in Israel and who uses the loaded phrase "Occupied Palestine" as his location on his Twitter/X profile. He is a Palestinian Christian from Palestinian-controlled Bethlehem, where Christian ministers serve at the mercy of the Palestinian Authority.

These things would have been nice to know before, during, or after the interview. Barring providing context, Carlson could have conducted a second interview with a Christian priest who actually does live and work in Israel. Or he could have spoken to them both at the same time in a discussion/debate format. Or maybe Carlson could have at least asked Isaac more pointed and revealing questions.

But he did none of these things. Why not?

Breitbart's Joel Pollack wrote that Carlson "says he is concerned about Christians; I'll accept that. But there's no excuse for this."

For what it's worth, Palestinian Authority diplomat/propagandist Husam Zomlot endorsed the interview, calling it "an important interview and a powerful voice."

But there's more.

Did Carlson not know before he chose to interview Isaac that Bethlehem was 80% Christian before the Palestinian Authority took it over and that now it is 80% Muslim? Was Carlson unaware before the interview that the Arab world has been on a decades-long ethnic cleansing of Christians from their ancient communities in the Middle East and North Africa?

If he did know these things, why didn't he bring them up with his guest, or at least during his opening or closing remarks, to give his audience the necessary context?


'Houston to Gaza, globalize Intifada:' US Rally praises October 7
Activists praised the October 7 massacre and terrorists during a Friday Al-Quds Day rally in Houston, Texas, according to videos published by Syed Sarim.

“This annual event comes on the backdrop of the Al-Aqsa Flood from October 7, which effectively exposed the fallacy of the zionist security and intelligence,” one speaker said during the event, who explained how Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Palestinians, and Houston were unified by resistance to Israel.

The speaker said that acts of violence like “Gazan children flying incendiary balloons” and Hamas’s October 7 had crafted a “new path for freedom,” and extolled Hezbollah in Lebanon for joining the war to displace “hundreds of thousands of illegal settlers” in the north of Israel and for the Houthi blockade of the Bab al-Mandab Strait. During marches, some protesters waved Yemeni flags.

Protesters were led in a chant calling out in reference to the Hamas operational name of the October 7 Massacre, Al-Aqsa Flood.

“Flood Al-aqsa, Flood Al-Aqsa, we are with the Intifada,” said the demonstrators. “On the streets we will flood, honoring the martyrs’ blood.”

Activists spoke at the event with a banner of Jerusalem that proclaimed that “The flood of the free will liberate Al Quds [Jerusalem].” As seen in photographs uploaded to Instagram on Sunday by Palestinian Youth Movement Houston and Party for Socialism and Liberation Houston, many activists wore t-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “flood of the free.” The shirt included the red triangles used in Hamas propaganda to denote a target.

A woman in a red hijab in Sarim’s videos called to “Drown all the oppressors in the flood of the free,” and decried American leaders for supporting the so-called genocide by the “Illegal zionist entity.”




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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 20 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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