Tuesday, April 16, 2024

04/16 Links Pt1: Benny Morris: Iran Contra Israel; The “Don’t” Doctrine; IDF has decided on type, not timing, of counter-strike on Iran; All Hamas needs to do is survive

From Ian:

Benny Morris: Iran Contra Israel
While everyone understands that actual American military power remains robust, there is a perception of America’s weakness of resolve and reluctance to use force, rooted in two pre-Biden episodes. The first took place under President Obama in 2013, when Biden was vice-president, when Obama warned Syria’s President Bashar Assad not to use chemical weapons against his opponents in the Syrian Civil War. Despite Obama’s warning that this was a “red line,” Assad went ahead and used chemical weapons anyway and Obama refrained from doing anything in response. The second episode took place in September 2019. In a kind of preview of the recent assault on Israel, Iran launched cruise missiles and drones against Saudi Arabia’s oil installations, causing major damage, yet President Trump did nothing to help America’s ally. (In the 14 April assault, the Iranians launched more than 10 times as many missiles: at least 110 ballistic missiles, 30 or so cruise missiles, and more than 170 drones.)

To this catalogue of incidents highlighting American irresolution and lack of resolve, we should add Washington’s striking reluctance to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighters and various advanced munitions and, of course, America’s unsuccessful wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, culminating in the shameful retreat from Kabul. This is not how Great Powers behave.

In the context of the current Middle East war, Biden said “don’t” back in October, in the hope of deterring Iranian and Hezbollah involvement, just after Hamas’s savage assault on southern Israel. Washington even sent a naval task force to the region. Nonetheless, Hezbollah and the Houthis, obviously directed or at least authorised by Tehran, went ahead and launched their wars of attrition against northern Israel and in the Bab al Manad straits—and the two groups have persisted in, respectively, launching daily rockets at Israeli military positions and communities and in launching rockets against both Israeli and non-Israeli shipping in the Red Sea. Indeed, the day before their missile strike against Israel, the Iranians, in defiance of international law, brazenly hijacked a Philippines ship in the Straits of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. Clearly, Tehran does not fear Washington’s wrath.

How exactly the Iranian attack of 14 April and its frustration will affect the war in Gaza is unclear. The Iranians may have wanted to signal their support to Hamas—even though the attack appears to have been mainly motivated by Iranian calculations regarding their own position in the Middle East. Since launching its assault on Israel’s southern border communities on 7 October, Hamas has hoped to widen its war with Israel and ignite a regional war, involving Iran and its other proxies, who might rain down missiles on Israel from the north, east and south. The mini wars of attrition Hezbollah is waging from Lebanon and the Houthis from Yemen have only partly fulfilled Hamas’s hopes. Perhaps the Hamas leaders see the Iranian missile strike on Israel as a further token of regional support for their war.

On Israel’s part, the country has certainly drawn comfort from the fact that Jordan helped to block the Iranian strike (the Jordanians reportedly shot down several Iranian drones), and Washington certainly views Jordan’s cooperation as a sign that its plans to consolidate an Arab Sunni bloc to impede Iran’s ambitions to dominate the Middle East are bearing fruit. We should expect an improvement in Israeli–Jordanian relations over the coming weeks.

But the key question is whether Israel will agree to join the emergent bloc, which Biden has been advocating since 7 October, even if it entails accepting a two-state peace settlement with the Palestinians (which would imply eventual Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank and perhaps East Jerusalem) and allowing the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to take over the Gaza Strip after Israel completes its withdrawal when the war with Hamas comes to an end.

So far, Netanyahu has agreed to neither of these conditions and is unlikely to agree to them in the future, given his desire to maintain his right-wing coalition government. This is a major reason why Washington—together with Israel’s liberals and left-wingers—is seeking Netanyahu’s ouster as quickly as possible. The problem is that Netanyahu’s ruling coalition controls 64 seats in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset (parliament) and, unless a handful of coalition members defect, there is no way to unseat Netanyahu and his coalition before the general elections scheduled for 2026. Hence, Biden’s geopolitical plans are out of synch with internal Israeli politics.

Meanwhile, Israel has withdrawn most of its forces from the Gaza Strip, has allowed tens of thousands of Gazans to move from the southern end of the Strip back to their homes in the north, seems undecided about conquering the town of Rafah and its environs—the last piece of Gaza still under full Hamas control—and has reached a dead end in the negotiations for the return of the remaining hundred or so hostages whom Hamas abducted from Israel on 7 October. So far, Hamas has refused any deal and insists that Israel must definitively end the war and pull all its forces out of the Strip before Hamas will even contemplate an exchange of hostages for Palestinian terrorists (or “freedom fighters”) in Israeli prisons.
The “Don’t” Doctrine
This capitulation to aggression against a key ally embodies the flaws of Biden’s “don’t” doctrine: words followed by minimal action toward adversaries, and pressure on allies not to respond to attacks. It’s an approach that recalls the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the tepid response to Houthi terrorist-pirates attacking American-owned vessels and destabilizing crucial shipping lanes. Thanks to the “don’t” doctrine, Iran has established a new status quo: it can fire scores of rockets and drones at an American ally and emerge materially unscathed.

The only saving grace of the “don’t” doctrine, and the associated capitulation to Iranian aggression, is that it inadvertently highlights an important truth often overlooked by the U.S. government, media, and punditry: that the Iranian regime is fundamentally responsible for the ongoing chaos in the Middle East and the deaths in Israel and Gaza.

Moreover, the situation underscores the potential of the Abraham Accords, the series of agreements seeking to normalize Israel’s relations with Arab states. Jordan’s and Saudi Arabia’s participation in the joint defense effort against Iran’s attack demonstrates how security cooperation between Israel and Arab states can enhance regional stability—a potential nearly derailed by the Biden administration’s initial reluctance to embrace the accords.

The U.S. urgently needs a shift in strategy. Biden must abandon his ineffective “don’t” doctrine and adopt a more assertive regional posture. This does not mean deploying American ground troops, a move widely opposed in the U.S. and Israel alike. It does, however, mean rallying Democratic support for unconditional defensive weapon sales to Israel, allowing Israel to strike back at Iran, reinstating the embargoes on Iranian drones and missiles that expired in 2020, and initiating a broad international sanctions regime to isolate Iran further.

Unfortunately, the G–7 summit convened by President Biden to address Iran’s attack resulted only in a strongly worded statement condemning the Tehran regime. The administration needs to do much better than this.
Aviva Klompas: Biden said 'don't,' but Iran attacked anyway. How should Israel respond now?
Biden wants diplomatic response to Iran attack
The question is, now what?
President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States won’t support a counterattack on Iran, according to a White House official. In a statement released Saturday night, Biden said the United States seeks a “diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.”

But what message does that send Iran?

Understandably, nobody wants to spark a regional war or, given the tinderbox that is the Middle East, the next world war. For that reason, Israel has until now withheld from directly confronting Iran.

At the same time, a tepid response to this weekend’s large-scale assault reinforces the message that there are no real consequences for Iranian aggression. The regime already assessed as much when it decided to launch a direct attack.

Iranian leaders have seen Israel’s allies repeatedly backtrack on their “unwavering” commitment to Israel.

The ayatollahs have watched in recent days as the United States allowed the United Nations to pass a cease-fire resolution that didn’t tie the end of hostilities to freeing hostages. They have seen the calls on Capitol Hill to halt military aid to Israel spread beyond the left-wing fringe.

And they’ve taken note that Canada and Sweden resumed funding the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees despite that group’s ties to terror.

On Friday, when Biden was asked about Iran’s plans to attack Israel, his response was: "Don’t.”

But Iran did.

The regime is dangerously emboldened, having already destabilized Iraq and Syria and empowered its terror proxies to exert power in Lebanon, Yemen and Gaza. Iran has learned there are no red lines. Not for financing and directing terror groups. Not for disrupting maritime trade in the Red Sea. Not even for killing three American soldiers in Jordan earlier this year.

How will Iran be reined in after latest aggression?
Where, then, is the red line?
Iran will continue to foment unrest and destabilize the Middle East unless there are consequential repercussions for its aggression.

Now is the time to finally show resolve and deliver a morally unambiguous lesson that the ceaseless war fomented by Iran and its radical Islamist proxies is neither normal nor acceptable.
How Biden helps Iran pay for its terror by refusing to enforce current sanctions
President Biden has spent his three years in office making it clear to Tehran’s terrorist regime that America won’t make it pay a price for attacking our allies, bankrolling Hamas and expanding Iranian nuclear capabilities.

In fact, by refusing to enforce sanctions already on the books, Biden is helping Iran foot the bill for its aggression, including the first direct attack on Israel in the regime’s 45 years in power.

Each year since Biden took office, Iran has steadily increased oil exports — its most lucrative revenue source — following a historic collapse of sales during the Trump administration’s maximum-pressure campaign.

The increase is no accident. “U.S. officials privately acknowledge they’ve gradually relaxed some enforcement of sanctions on Iranian oil sales,” Bloomberg revealed last year.

This month, Iran boosted oil production to an estimated five-year high of 3.4 million barrels per day — primarily for China, which buys the commodity at a discount.

From oil alone, the regime has earned upwards of $100 billion — and a handy cushion from the consequences of its own actions.

Another source of Tehran’s revenue is liquified petroleum gas, which the regime has started to export in record quantities, rendering it the top seller in the region.

In public, the administration denies it is going easy on Iran. Accordingly, the sanctions it should be enforcing are still on the books: specifically, regulations requiring the administration to sanction individuals and foreign financial institutions that trade in Tehran-origin commodities.

The administration has also left in place Executive Order 13846, issued by Donald Trump, which provides a toolkit to penalize anyone involved in the “purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing” of regime petroleum.

So why isn’t the administration acting?

In a word: appeasement.

Team Biden — populated by many Team Obama veterans — believe dogmatically that they can keep the Middle East quiet and finally pivot to Asia by paying Iran to behave.

The Oct. 7 massacre proved otherwise — Hamas depends on Tehran’s reliable provision of funding, training and weapons.

The administration’s flawed ideology has also led Washington to pull its punches across a spectrum of Iran-backed threats: the regime’s advancing nuclear program; dealing with Hezbollah and other Iran-backed militias; the Houthis’ attacks on global shipping; and the unprecedented arming of Russia with missiles and drones for use against Ukraine.

Tehran is more capable of attacking the United States, Israel and our allies thanks to its windfall from US sanctions nonenforcement.


IDF has decided on type, not timing, of counter-strike on Iran
The IDF has decided how it will counter-strike Iran and its proxies but has not yet settled on the timing; multiple sources told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.

Because the timing is still variable and because of all the necessary complex preparations, the current decision could change.

However, the very development of a decision shows the severity and determination of Israel’s leadership to strike back, though all indications are that Jerusalem still seeks to tamp down the attack to avoid spiraling into a regional war.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi hinted that the timing of the attack was not very imminent during a visit to the Arrow air defense battery of Battalion 136.

He said, “We are enabling a home front policy to at least give citizens this Passover week to live almost like normal because we completely trust you and your readiness.”

It is also possible that Halevi, Home Front command policies, and other officials keeping their regular schedules are part of a clever fake-out to get Iran and its proxies to lower their guard.

But at least the plain reading of the relevant signals suggests that a major attack is not imminent in the coming days and could even be postponed for longer.
Ranked: All of Israel’s options for retaliation and the risks they carry
Israel’s war cabinet has been locked in discussions inside the Kirya, or “The Campus”, over how to respond to the Iran attacks.

Talks are thought to be focused on the timing and scale of Israel’s response. An immediate response was reportedly called off after pressure from Joe Biden. There’s also the question of whether Israel will be forced to act alone, as the US – its staunchest ally – has said it will not support a direct attack on Iran. Analysts believe Israel will be weighing up whether to respond according to Iran’s intent or impact – after its attack – which largely failed to hit any targets. “The question now is: What is the right policy? What would deter? What would cause less harm to those who are uninvolved? Who would support [Israel] and who would be part of the action?” Micky Aharonson, former senior director for foreign policy on Israel’s national security council, said.

Here’s a look at Israel’s possible options and their level of risk.

Inside Iran
Israel and Iran have been engaged in a shadow war for decades. Until now, both have always chosen to strike at each other via indirect means, with Israel attacking Iranian assets abroad, and Iran supporting regional militant proxy groups to threaten Israeli targets.

But now, experts say the floodgates have opened after Iran launched a direct attack from its soil against Israel.

“The magnitude [of the Iranian attack] was the surprise; not the fact that they did it,” said Yaakov Amidror, a fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America in Washington.

The “Iranians have opened a new opportunity for us regarding the legitimacy of Israel to destroy targets in Iran, including the nuclear program,” he said. “This is one option: Iran, directly, kinetically, without any hesitation.”

Within Iran itself, Israel has no shortage of potential targets to hit, particularly ones in the military realm linked to its feared Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), responsible for executing on threats against Israel.
JPost Editorial: In a decisive moment like this, Israel has to reaffirm its strength by striking back
While retaliation is costly, the cost of inaction is higher
The risks of escalation are real. Iran’s sophisticated air defenses and the potential for retaliation highlight the gamble inherent in military strikes. Yet, the cost of inaction might be higher, given Iran’s continued aggression and the progress in its nuclear program. Israel’s past reluctance to escalate conflicts could shift, considering the current threats that extend beyond its borders to include significant global implications.

Israel’s response to the April 14 assault by Iran must be contextualized within a larger framework of strategic defense and geopolitical signaling. This reaction must be interpreted not merely as a response to an isolated provocation but as a cornerstone of a comprehensive strategy aimed at maintaining regional stability and actively deterring future acts of aggression from Tehran.

This strategy is about protecting national borders and upholding international norms and the laws of armed conflict, which underscore the legitimacy of a nation’s right to defend its sovereignty against external threats. As Iran continues to challenge regional security, Israel’s military and diplomatic maneuvers must be meticulously calibrated to reinforce its position without escalating conflicts unnecessarily.

The events of April 14 should serve as a decisive moment for Israel to reaffirm its strategic imperatives and underscore its commitment to national and regional security. The necessary response from Israel should be robust and multi-dimensional, designed not only to neutralize the immediate threats posed by Iranian aggression but also to project an unambiguous message to both Iran and the international community. This message must articulate that Israel, along with its allies, is fully prepared and capable of confronting and overcoming any threats to its security and stability. Such a stance is vital for deterring future conflicts and reinforcing the integrity of emerging diplomatic relationships in the Middle East.
Seth Frantzman: Twenty Years of Israel-U.S. Air Defense Investment Pays Off
Then came the unprecedented test on the evening of April 13-14. In the wake of the success, IAI noted that it “congratulates the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) for intercepting the many threats launched last night from Iran. This unequaled degree of performance was achieved thanks to the multilayered defense systems developed by Israel’s defense industries.” IAI radar and intelligence collecting systems also played a vital role in the evening’s successful interdiction of so many missiles and drones. Arrow utilizes the Green Pine radar, which is made by IAI’s subsidiary, Elta. David’s Sling and Iron Dome air defense systems use Elta radar as well. Amir Peretz, a former Israeli Defense Minister and now IAI’s Chairman of the Board, said following the attack, “I am proud of and grateful to the men and women of IAI who were today partners in the successful defense of the State of Israel.”

The successful interception of so many drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles would appear to be an unprecedented first of its kind in warfare. Russia has launched numerous drones and missiles at Ukraine, but it appears the Iranian barrage was unique and was certainly unique to the Middle East. The challenge was also more complex than in Ukraine because the drones and missiles flew over multiple countries. Jordan, for instance, downed drones crossing its airspace. The projectiles also overflew Iraq. Iran also said that it targeted Israel from four directions, including over the Red Sea from Yemen and from Syria and Iraq, as well as Lebanon.

In addition, “the destroyers USS Arleigh Burke and USS Carney in the eastern Mediterranean Sea took down between four and six ballistic missiles, officials said. Meanwhile, an Army Patriot missile battery deployed to Irbil, Iraq, shot down a ballistic missile headed from Iran toward Israel,” Stars and Stripes reported. This illustrates another layer of complexity in a duel over the skies of the Middle East, stretching for thousands of miles from the Eastern Mediterranean to Yemen to Iran and involving a half dozen countries in the region, as well as support the United States, UK, and France.

Iran’s attack on Israel risks further inflaming the region. Iran claims the attack was retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in Damascus on April 1 that hit a building adjoining the Iranian consulate, killing three senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders. The Iranian attack has illustrated the importance of the investment over the last three decades by Israel and the United States in air defense systems. Israel’s multilayered integrated air defense is some of the most sophisticated in the world, and its airspace is likely the most well-defended in the world, considering the country’s small size and numerous external threats. The interceptions over the Middle East also illustrated the importance of the United States and Israel working closely with partner countries in the region, such as Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and other states, on more integrated approaches to air defense and general security.
How the U.S. Forged a Fragile Middle Eastern Alliance to Repel Iran's Attack on Israel
Gulf countries feared being seen as coming to Israel's aid at a time when relations are badly strained by the war in Gaza and many details about the role played by Saudi Arabia and other key Arab governments are being closely held.

Israeli and U.S. forces were able to intercept most of the Iranian drones and missiles in part because Sunni Arab countries quietly passed along intelligence about Tehran's attack plans, opened their airspace to warplanes, shared radar tracking information or, in some cases, supplied their own forces to help, officials said.

In March 2022, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, then the top U.S. commander in the region, convened a secret meeting of top military officials from Israel and Arab countries to explore how they could coordinate against Iran's growing missile and drone capabilities. The talks, held at Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, marked the first time that ranking Israeli and Arab officers met under U.S. military auspices to discuss countering Iran.

Cooperation between Israel and Arab government on air defense with the U.S. as an intermediary has become common, even with Saudi Arabia, which still hasn't established diplomatic relations with Israel. In recent weeks, in talks with the U.S., the UAE and Saudi Arabia agreed privately to share intelligence, while Jordan said it would allow use of its airspace by U.S. and other countries' warplanes and use its own aircraft to assist in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones.

Two days before the attack, Iranian officials briefed counterparts from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries on the outlines and timing of their plan for the large-scale strikes on Israel so that those countries could safeguard airspace. The information was passed along to the U.S., giving Washington and Israel crucial advance warning. The Pentagon took the lead in coordinating defensive measures between Israel and Arab governments, according to a senior Israeli official.

Arab countries offered help in defending against the Iranian attacks because they saw the benefits of cooperating with the U.S. and Israel, as long as it remained low profile, said Yasmine Farouk, a nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Gulf countries know they still don't have the same level of support that Israel gets from the United States and see what they did [Saturday] as a way of getting it in the future."

The Iranian missiles and drones were tracked from the moment they were launched by early warning radars in Persian Gulf countries linked to the U.S. operations center in Qatar, which transmitted the information to fighters jets from several countries in the airspace over Jordan and other countries, as well as to warships at sea and missile-defense batteries in Israel.
WSJ Editorial: Iran's Ominous Attack on Israel
Iran's drone and missile assault on Israel Saturday night is an open act of aggression. It's an escalation of the war Iran has been waging against Israel for months through its Middle East proxies. The difference now is that Iran's imperialistic face is in the open rather than in the shadows, and that should change calculations in Washington.

Iran's weekend attack should be clarifying to Western leaders about Iran's malevolent intentions. Iran's bombardment wasn't discriminate or limited to military targets, unlike Israel's precision strike that killed the IRGC generals.

President Biden had warned Iran not to attack after U.S. intelligence detected signs of preparation in Tehran. "Don't," Mr. Biden said. But Iran went ahead anyway. White House theories of escalation management don't work against a regime that thinks a U.S. president fears escalation more than Iran does. U.S. restraint since the Oct. 7 massacre has encouraged Tehran to see how much more it can get away with.

Imagine how Iran would behave if it acquires nuclear weapons. It is also a messianic regime bent on spreading Shiite revolution. Such a regime might be all too willing to risk Armageddon to destroy the Jewish state.

"Take the win," Mr. Biden reportedly told Mr. Netanyahu. But is it a win if Iran can directly attack Israel without consequences? Israel shouldn't have to wait in a defensive crouch until Iran decides to attack again. Israel is justified in attacking Iran's assets, including military targets in Iran.
Dershowitz: Israel Is Entitled by Law to Act Against Iran
Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz told Ynet on Monday that Israel is entitled by law to act against Iran.

"Iran had declared war on Israel officially. Israel is entitled to respond disproportionately in any possible way."

"Israel is also free to act because, in the early 1990s, Iran attacked its embassy, not some consulate building, not some building with military people, but the actual embassy building in Buenos Aires, killing some 23 people, so Iran cannot say that Israel acted improperly by attacking the building that was being used to house the generals from Iran."

"Ultimately the world will recognize that it was a disastrous failure to allow the Iranian regime to continue." He likened it to the failure of Britain and France to act against the Nazi regime in the 1930s ahead of WWII.

"The failed attack by Iran on Israel provides a complete legal and moral justification for regime change and, unless regime change occurs, there will be no peace in the Middle East."

If regime change were to occur, that would mean the end of Hamas, the end of Hizbullah, and the end of the Houthis, he said.
Institute for the Study of War: Iran's Attempt to Hit Israel with a Russian-Style Strike Package Failed
The Iranian missile-drone attack on Israel was very likely intended to cause significant damage. The attack was designed to succeed, not to fail. The strike package was modeled on those the Russians have used repeatedly against Ukraine to great effect. The attack caused more limited damage than intended likely because the Iranians underestimated the tremendous advantages Israel has in defending against such strikes.

The 170 drones were launched well before the ballistic and cruise missiles, very likely in the expectation that they would arrive in Israel's air defense window at about the same time. The purpose is to have the slower cruise missiles and drones distract and overwhelm air defenses in order to allow the ballistic missiles, which are much harder to shoot down, to reach their targets. The Iranians likely hoped that a significantly higher percentage of the ballistic missiles would hit their targets.

Israel also benefits from the 1,000 km. separating its borders from Iran. Israel and its allies used that distance to intercept all of the incoming drones and cruise missiles with ground-based air defense and combat aircraft before they even came within Israel's own missile-defense umbrella.

The lessons that Iran will draw from this attack will allow it to build more successful strike packages in the future. Israel and its partners should not emerge from this successful defense with any sense of complacency.
Telegraph Editorial: Britain Must Stand with Israel
Iran launched a major drone attack on Israel on Saturday night. Footage showing Iranian weapons passing low through Iraqi airspace indicated that they were the same weapons deployed to such devastating effect by Vladimir Putin's forces in Ukraine.

The regime in Tehran has cast a long shadow over the world. From its direct funding of the evil of Hamas in Israel, to the proxies it uses to assault shipping in the Red Sea, to its assassination plots on British soil, it has constantly sought to undermine the global order. With the launch of a direct assault upon Israel, it has crossed into outright, explicit and undeniable attacks upon the West.

The time for appeasement is now over. Britain must stand in full behind Israel and its right to defend itself. The Iranian proxies threatening shipping in the Red Sea must be utterly defeated.

Western leaders who proclaimed their solidarity with the Jewish state in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 pogrom have begun to lose their stomach for the defense of the ideals they professed so strongly to hold. As Israel set about neutralizing the genocidal threat posed by Hamas, and ensuring the safety of its people, this support began to ebb away, even as antisemites took to the streets in Western capitals, baying for blood.

It is time for us to remember who our friends are, and where our interests lie. The Iranian regime is an autocracy that threatens all our values. Britain must stand with Israel to the last.
Andrew Neil: If 300 Missiles and Drones Hit Britain, Would We Be Sitting on Our Hands?
Within hours of Iran's mass missile and drone attack on Israel on Saturday night, the consensus of the global commentariat was that Israel should refrain from retaliation. It is quite remarkable advice for a country which has just been the target of more than 150 Iranian drones armed with explosives, 30 cruise missiles and 120 ballistic missiles. If so many weapons of destruction had rained down on Britain, would we be agreeing that it would probably be best for all concerned if we just sat on our hands?

There would be an overwhelming national demand for a robust response to show we cannot be attacked with impunity - and that those who think they can should pay a terrible price. We'd expect our allies to stand alongside us, offering every possible assistance.

It's clear that Iran, by sending so many drones and missiles at once, hoped to overwhelm Israel's defenses. That it failed should not be a factor in determining Israel's response. You do not launch 300 missiles and drones on another country unless you're aiming to cause a lot of death and destruction. Iran has attacked Israel directly from its own territory. That is reason enough why Israel can hardly look the other way.

The command center that Israel hit in Damascus was a major base for the IRGC's Quds Force, which arms, trains and finances Iran's proxy militias across the region, including Hamas and Hizbullah, which have brought so much misery to Israel. The general killed was a pivotal link with the proxies. So it was a legitimate target.

Israel has every right to respond to the mass attack. There is too much loose talk about it leading to World War III if it does. This is designed to intimidate Israel into doing nothing.
Biden’s moral equivalency between Israel and the Palestinians will result in failure — again
Despite all these contortions at the United Nations, the United States cannot have it both ways on Israel. In 1923, the pioneering Zionist Ze’ev Jabotinsky wrote in his essay "The Iron Wall" that until the Palestinians accept that Israel is not going away, and engage in legitimate negotiations, the only way a Jewish state could survive is through impenetrable defenses that would render the inevitable future attacks futile.

If the Iranian attack on Israel and Oct. 7 have taught us anything, it’s that Jabotinsky was correct. Given the Biden administration’s reluctance to unequivocally support Israel’s self-defense, it stands with Congress to do so — and just as failure on Israel policy has been bi-partisan, success can be so as well.

In other words, this UNSCR turns a blind eye to Hamas terrorism and opens the door to the group getting a ceasefire while keeping the hostages — and the United States let it pass.

Late last year, a stand-alone, paid-for request for emergency funds for Israel passed the House of Representatives, and similar legislation could be passed again on Monday. Pro-Israel senators on both sides of the aisle should then insist it be taken up and passed immediately to demonstrate that American support for Israel is indeed ironclad.

What is needed in the current crisis is not Biden’s default to the uni-party failures of the past, but rather a fresh appreciation for Jabotinsky’s clarity. President Donald Trump understood this wisdom, and his administration’s unabashed commitment to the U.S.-Israel alliance resulted in the first peace deals with Israel and the Arabs in a quarter-century, not the grinding misery and violence we see today.

Any future American administration that values the U.S.-Israel alliance should make it clear Israel isn’t going away because America won’t permit it to be destroyed. Only when the Palestinians — and the Iranians — accept that as an incontrovertible fact will there be any hope that they might finally lay down their arms and sue for a just and lasting peace. Until then, only a joint U.S.-Israel Iron Wall will suffice at the U.N. and beyond.


All Hamas needs to do is survive
I hope our generals have learned enough from history not to repeat it.

They should be looking at George Washington and the Viet Cong. What did they have in common?

As leader of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, Washington lost more battles than he won. He was often outgunned and outmaneuvered by the British generals, and his army suffered from low morale, supply problems and inexperienced leadership.

Yet Washington’s overall strategy was to keep the army intact and the population loyal, and avoid big, decisive battles. In the end, after six years of fighting, this strategy wore down the British army, and they were surrounded (with a little help from the French fleet) and surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781.

While Washington won some battles, the Viet Cong did even worse in direct confrontations they had with the American army in Vietnam. But General Vo Nguyen Giap said that he won the war despite losing battles, as long as the Viet Cong survived to fight another day. The Viet Cong used an extensive system of tunnels and booby traps.

Even though the Americans had superior firepower, Giap’s guerilla warfare was able to break the will of the U.S. government to continue the war. The will of the fighters, he stressed, was a more important factor in winning than weapons.

I read somewhere that after the war, Giap was told by an interviewing journalist, “But you realize that in every major battle with the Americans, your army lost.” Giap answered (I paraphrase), “That is a matter of complete irrelevance.”

Henry Kissinger had this to say about Vietnam: “In the process we lost sight of one of the cardinal maxims of guerrilla war: The guerrilla wins if he does not lose. The conventional army loses if it does not win.”

Where does all of this leave us? It’s pretty clear. Hamas has entered the phase of fighting a guerrilla war against us. All they need to do to win is to survive. If the IDF does not defeat them thoroughly and decisively, we will lose.


Revealed: Exclusive images of Bedouin girl, 7, hit by Iranian missile in Israel
These are the first pictures of Amina al-Hassouni, the seven-year-old Arab Bedouin girl left seriously wounded when an Iranian missile hit her home in southern Israel on Saturday night, as her father voiced his fury with the Islamic Republic.

Amina, who remains in a grave condition, suffered a serious injury when shrapnel from an intercepted ballistic missile struck her family home during Iran’s first ever direct attack on Israel.

Overnight on Saturday, Iran fired over 350 drones and missiles at Israel.

In one of the images shared with the JC by Amina’s father, Mohammed al-Hassouni, the schoolgirl, who loves to sing and dance, can be seen with her hair in pigtails, while another photo shows her gazing at the camera outside on a sunny day.

“When it all started, there were alarms and missiles. One fell on our house and Amina was hit in the head,” al-Hassouni, 49, told the JC.


U.S. Details Pentagon's Role in Defending Israel from Iranian Attack -
A senior U.S. military official said the USS Carney and USS Arleigh Burke, destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, shot down between four and six ballistic missiles in the Iranian attack. U.S. troops manning the Patriot missile defense system in Irbil, Iraq, took down another missile. "There's virtually no infrastructure damage to Israel at all," he said, despite Iran's intent to cause "significant damage and deaths in Israel."

Retired Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, who oversaw U.S. forces in the Middle East before retiring in 2022, said on Sunday that Iran expended a lot of resources in the attack that will affect its ability to carry out anything similar soon. McKenzie said that Iran has more than 3,000 missiles scattered across the country, with a little more than 100 in western Iran, where they can target Israel. "Based on what the Israelis are saying, I believe they fired most of those weapons at Israel....Iran could not replicate last night's attack tonight, if they had to."

McKenzie called the attack a "maximum effort," and said there was "nothing moderate" about it. Iran used its "most important capability," ballistic missiles, in the assault, and it still failed, he assessed. "So I think Israel this morning is now much stronger than they were yesterday, and Iran is relatively weaker than it was yesterday."


Iran's Attack Exposes Close Cooperation between Israel and Jordan
Jordan's King Abdullah II wasn't seen, his voice was not heard, and all of the military activity carried out by the Jordanian Air Force pilots on Saturday night seemed to have taken place without his involvement.

However, the king, the supreme commander of Jordanian security and intelligence establishments, was acting behind the scenes.

Even before the Iranian attack on Israel, the king made it clear he would not allow the Iranians to operate in Jordanian territory as they do in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

According to reports, Israeli Air Force fighter jets and sophisticated electronic equipment targeted the Iranian UAVs in Jordanian airspace.

Meanwhile, Jordanian aircraft flew to intercept Iranian drones making their way to Israeli territory.

Sunni Muslim Jordan decided to take action against Shiite Muslim Iran in order to avoid becoming a puppet state like Iraq and to prevent the IRGC from roaming freely in its territory.
Jordanian FM: We would have acted the same if the attack came from Israel
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told CNN on Monday that Jordan seeks to de-escalate tensions in the region following Iran's drone and missile attack on Israel.

Safadi said that Jordan's response to Sunday's attack, which saw the Jordanian air force down several Iranian drones over its airspace, would have been the same whether the threat had originated from Iran, Israel, or elsewhere.

Citing statements made to the Al-Mamlaka TV channel, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported that Safadi also said that Jordan's response to the attacks is "an ongoing policy to intercept anything that endangers Jordan because our top priority is defending Jordan, the lives and property of its people and the country's security and stability."

Additionally, Safadi said on Tuesday during a press conference with the German Foreign Minister that the international community should halt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from drawing attention away from the ongoing Gaza by escalating matters with Iran, Reuters reported.

Despite these statements, Jordan summoned the Iranian ambassador to Amman on Sunday immediately following Iran's attack on Israel.

CNN asked the official if Jordan had any warning from Iran prior to the attack, to which the foreign minister said that "it was no secret" to the region that Iran would retaliate in some form following Israel's strike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force Commanders.


Bolton: Biden ‘An Embarrassment To The U.S.’; Israel Must Hit Iran Or Attacks Will Get Worse
Former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton slammed President Joe Biden over the weekend for encouraging Israel not to respond to Iran’s attacks on Saturday, saying that he was an “embarrassment to the United States.”

Bolton made the remarks during a Sunday CNN interview after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that included 185 one-way suicide drones, 110 surface-to-surface missiles, and 36 cruise missiles.

“And unless Iran sees a powerful response, that risk will continue,” Bolton said. “And the way to reestablish deterrence is not proportional. That’s academic talk. The way you establish deterrence is by telling your adversary, if you ever try that again, the price you will pay will be so much higher than any gain you think you can get, you shouldn’t even think about it.”

“So I think Israel has a wide range of potential targets. You start by flattening Iran’s air defense capabilities,” he continued. “Next, you might go after headquarters of the regular military and the Revolutionary Guard. You could consider going after their oil infrastructure, the oil fields, the distribution pipelines, the export port facilities.”

“And, most importantly, I think Israel should be looking at this as an opportunity to destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons program, which is the existential threat that Israel faces,” he added. “I don’t know what they will do. I can’t predict it. But I will tell you this. If Joe Biden, as some press reports have it, is urging the Israelis not to retaliate at all, he is an embarrassment to the United States. This is an American interest to make sure that Iran, which is the principal threat to international peace and security in the region, is, at a minimum, put in its place to spare Israel, to spare the Gulf Arabs, to spare us from the threat that they pose.”


Democrat senators quash Republican effort to force immediate vote on House-passed $14 billion in aid to Israel including billions to replenish the Iron Dome that saved the country from an assault of Iranian missiles
Democratic senators killed a standalone Israel bill's chances of quick passage in the Senate on Monday night.

Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., requested unanimous consent to quickly pass a House-passed $14 billion aid package - offset by cuts to the IRS - and another $17 billion measure (that failed in the House) for the embattled U.S. ally, but Democrats objected.

The bills include some $4 billion to replenish Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, which intercept '99%' of Iran's drone attacks over the weekend.

It comes as the White House has made clear President Joe Biden does not support a package with aid for only Israel, but Speaker Mike Johnson has said he will put Ukraine and Israel on the House floor separately.
House Moves To Sanction Iranian Terror Proxies
A coalition of 60 Republican House lawmakers on Monday filed legislation that would impose sanctions on 11 Iranian terrorist proxy groups operating across the Middle East, according to a copy of the bill obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.

Rep. Greg Steube (R., Fla.) and a coalition of his GOP colleagues filed the sanctions bill Monday evening following a weekend missile strike by Iran on Israel. Many of the missiles and drones fired by Tehran were launched by its allied militant groups in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

Steube’s legislation targets several of the most dangerous Iranian allies, and will require the Biden administration to formally classify them as designated terror organizations. Currently, Iranian-controlled groups operating in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria are not formally classified as foreign terrorist organizations, allowing them to do Tehran’s bidding while moving money and weapons across the Middle East.

"Iran has long utilized proxy forces to execute their terror agenda throughout the region. Iranian proxy forces have American blood on their hands dating back decades," Steube said in a statement provided to the Free Beacon. "In addition to this weekend's unprecedented attack directly from Iran on Israel, we’ve seen ramped up, repeated proxy attacks on U.S. troops and our other allies in the Middle East."

The legislation targets groups like the Houthi rebels in Yemen and other militant offshoots operating in Iraq, where attacks on U.S. positions, including the American embassy, have increased since Hamas launched its Oct. 7 war on Israel. Around a dozen Iran-affiliated groups in total would be sanctioned under the provisions written into the bill, forcing the Biden administration to take concrete action that it has avoided in recent months.

"Washington has failed to designate most of the Iranian-backed militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. No more excuses. We must combat terrorism with boldness and strength," Steube said.

As part of the bill, Secretary of State Antony Blinken would have to apply sanctions on Iran’s terror proxies, including those that aid Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attack American outposts in the region.


Walter Russell Mead: Israel Shouldn't "Take the Win" Against Iran
"Take the win," President Biden reportedly advised Prime Minister Netanyahu after Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attacks against Israel sputtered. It would be national suicide for any Israeli prime minister to do so.

If the U.S. hopes to step back from a front-line role in the Middle East, it must foster an alliance that can check Iran's unrelenting and fanatical drive for hegemony. Iran has become so powerful, and America's reputation as a source of reliable support so weak, that only resolute American backing of our allies can turn the tide.

Israel sees the common fight against Iran as part of its own fight for survival. It will be a reliable ally because it has no choice. Moreover, Israel offers the mix of strength and relentlessness without which Iran cannot be stopped. People fighting for their survival against an utterly amoral opponent will do what they must.
Israel: Iran Must Pay a Price for Its Aggression
On Saturday night, a large-scale and unprecedented attack - consisting of hundreds of UAVs, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles - was launched by Iran against the State of Israel. The attack, which originated from Iranian territory, was supplemented by additional attacks by militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen and Hizbullah in Lebanon.

This attack proves once again what Israel has been saying for years: Iran is the one behind the terrorist attacks in the region, and is also the greatest threat to regional stability and world order. Iran attacked Israel, and it has attacked the Gulf states in the past, threatens Jordan, threatens the U.S., dispatches weapons for use in the war on Ukraine, and endangers world peace. This is precisely why Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons.

Iran must pay a price for its aggression. The initial price must be the immediate recognition of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps - which launched the attack - as a terrorist organization. Painful sanctions must be imposed on Iran, including, but not limited to, the field of missiles.
Israeli FM calls on world leaders to sanction Iran

Israel: Declaring IRGC as terrorists is ‘initial price’ Iran must pay
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he was leading a “political attack” on Iran, with the opening salvo being a letter sent to the leaders of 32 countries urging sanctions on Tehran’s missile program.

Katz said he had also spoken to dozens of counterparts from across the globe to demand that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be designated a terrorist organization.

“Iran must be stopped now, before it is too late,” said Katz.

The ministry has renewed calls to blacklist the IRGC and impose “painful” sanctions on Iran in the wake of the regime’s unprecedented missile and drone attack on the Jewish state.

“Iran must pay a price for its aggression,” tweeted ministry spokesman Lior Haiat on Sunday. “The initial price must be the immediate recognition of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps—which launched the extensive terrorist attack last night—as a terrorist organization.”

In addition, “painful sanctions must be imposed on Iran, including but not limited to the field of missiles,” he added.


Iran’s embassy warns of ‘crushing’ next steps against Israel
Sky News Australia has obtained a two-page statement from Iran’s embassy relating to the hundreds of missile strikes and drone attacks which were unleashed on Israel over the weekend.

The statement goes on to reiterate conversations the Iranian Foreign Minister had with his counterparts around the world, including Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Thursday.

The final line of the statement reads, “Should the rogue Israeli Regime commit another wrongdoing, I.R. Iran’s next steps will be more crushing and will give another unforgettable lesson to this heinous regime”.

The statement comes directly from Iran’s embassy in Canberra.

Iran’s full statement is set to be released shortly and Penny Wong is expected to prepare a response.
Iran Launches Largest Drone & Missile Attack In History | Caroline Glick In-Focus
Iran launched the largest combined missile and drone attack in history on Saturday (April 13th, 2024) against Israel. Now, it stands behind the effort to paralyze the global economy. All the details and analysis about what it means for Israel and the U.S. on Caroline Glick's In-Focus.


Seth Frantzman: A pawn in a dangerous game: Hezbollah's role as an Iranian proxy
Iran has backed Hezbollah for years, dating back to the 1980s; key Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members supported it. Things have now changed because Hezbollah is being used as an Iranian tool, meaning that it will have a harder time pretending that it is merely “resisting” in Lebanon.

Hezbollah has carried out more than 3,100 attacks against Israel since October 7. It is now expanding its usefulness to Iran as a proxy, but this very act could potentially harm its image in Lebanon, which can put pressure on the group to change course.

As Hezbollah’s true colors as a proxy are revealed, it is worth highlighting how it has been holding Lebanon hostage to the Iranian escalation in the region. Israel’s goal in the North is to establish enough of a secure border to allow the return of some 50,000 displaced citizens; this cannot be done if Hezbollah is on the border and its threats are so clear.

For that to happen, Hezbollah would have to be pushed back to a depth of more than 16 kilometers into Lebanon, or as far back as the Litani River. This would put Israel out of range of Hezbollah’s anti-tank missiles and its large short-range Burkan missiles, making it harder for Hezbollah to conduct an October 7-type of attack.

As some in Lebanon become frustrated with Hezbollah’s actions, there may be an opportunity to achieve this goal. Hezbollah is facing pressures that it hadn’t before, and it has now revealed its hand as working for Iran, which makes it harder for it to spread its propaganda about backing Gaza.

Many questions remain about what comes next in Lebanon. Israel and Lebanon signed a maritime deal in 2022 that was supposed to benefit both countries and ostensibly reduce tensions. Before the deal, Hezbollah threatened Israel and then escalated tensions in early 2023. This shows that it cannot be trusted.

It is unclear how Hezbollah will be deterred from its attacks on Israel. Time will tell if the Iranian-backed group will change course.
Iran-Israel Update | Tehran’s Strike Was Not Symbolic, and It Can Happen Again
Below Hudson Senior Fellow Can Kasapoğlu offers a military situation report about the Iran-Israel Conflict.

Executive Summary
Iran’s April 13 attack on Israel was not merely a symbolic strike. Tehran’s use of Shahed-baseline loitering munitions was intended to saturate and distract Israeli air defenses in preparation for follow-on ballistic missile salvos.
Israel and its strategic partners’ air defense capabilities prevented Iran from inflicting serious damage.
While Israel’s air and missile defense engagements were an operational success, the Islamic Republic’s ability to launch large-scale salvos to bleed one of the United States’ most important allies in a critical region demonstrates a severe erosion of US deterrence in the Middle East.
Even with high interception rates, drone and missile warfare operations favor the offensive party. Unless Tehran faces an offensive deterrent, it will have more freedom to employ its disruptive military capabilities.

What Happened and Why Was It Important?
Overnight on April 13, Iran unleashed a barrage of drones and missiles in an aerial offensive targeting Israel. Dubbed Operation True Promise, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) executed the campaign, and Tehran claimed responsibility. The strike marked the first time the mullahs have dared to attack Israel from Iranian territory, suggesting the worrisome weakening of United States–led deterrence mechanisms in the Middle East.


Israel WILL attack Iran for drone & missile barrage says expert as target list emerges
The world is holding its breath for Israel’s response to the attack on it by Iran.

Let us pray that there is no major escalation in hostilities.

The evil Iranian regime has been attacking Israel for years, through its many proxies.

Saturday’s barrage of missiles and drones was a whole new level of recklessness, but the effect has not been so different to the bombardment of Iranian weaponry rained on Israel via Hezbollah and Hamas.

Iran claims that, with one child injured and minor damage to an Israeli air-base in the latest attack, it has “achieved all it wanted to do”.

Its predictably ineffective attack was aimed at appeasing hard-liners at home and saving face, not provoking Israel into a devastating retaliation.




Two Gaza rockets strike open areas along border
Palestinian terrorists fired two rockets from the northern Gaza Strip at southern Israel on Tuesday afternoon, setting off sirens in Kibbutz Nir Am.

Both rockets struck open areas in Israeli territory, causing no injuries or damage, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

On April 4, Gazan terrorists fired a barrage of rockets towards the southern Israeli city of Netivot, sending more than 40,000 people running for shelter for the first time in nearly three months.

The same day, terrorists fired three rockets at the border community of Kfar Aza.

On March 25, Hamas fired eight rockets at Ashdod, marking the first such attack on the port city since Jan. 14.

More than 11,500 rockets have been fired at Israel since the start of the current war on Oct. 7.


IAF strike in Lebanon kills senior Hezbollah terrorist
An Israeli Air Force strike in Southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed a senior Hezbollah terrorist responsible for firing rockets and missiles at the Jewish state, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Since the Iranian terrorist proxy joined the war against Israel in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, Ismail Baz, who commanded Hezbollah’s coastal sector, “organized and planned various terrorist plots,” the IDF said.

The military added, “Ismail served in several positions as a senior and veteran official in the military wing of Hezbollah. His current rank is equivalent to the rank of brigadier general.”

The IAF strike on a vehicle in Ain Baal, near Tyre, came shortly after attack drones launched by Hezbollah lightly wounded three Israelis near Moshav Beit Hillel in the Eastern Galilee.

“Two explosive drones crossed from Lebanese territory towards Israeli territory and exploded in the area of ​​Beit Hillel. The incident is under investigation,” the IDF said.

No alarms were triggered during the incident. Beit Hillel, located three miles from Kiryat Shmona, has been largely evacuated since October due to the cross-border attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists.

In a statement, Hezbollah claimed it hit an Iron Dome missile-defense battery near Beit Hillel and that soldiers were killed and wounded.


US State Department calls Qatar 'close partner' on hostage negotiations, says talks continue
Qatar has been - and continues to be - a "close partner" in the hostage negotiation process and has done everything they can do to try to get the hostages home, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a news briefing Tuesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar.

Miller reiterated Hamas - not Qatar, Egypt, or Israel - is the impediment to the hostage agreement.

"It is Hamas that refused to agree to the deal that is on the table, despite the fact that it would achieve much of the things that they have publicly claimed and repeated statements that they are trying to achieve," Miller said.


Delegation of US mayors visit Israel, talk to families of hostages
The mayors of cities in Massachusetts, South Carolina and Oregon returned last week from a four-day visit to Israel, where they met with political officials, business leaders, academics and regional experts.

The three U.S. municipal leaders—Jon Mitchell, the mayor of New Bedford, Mass.; Daniel Rickman, mayor of Columbia, S.C.; and Travis Stovall, mayor of Gresham, Ore.—also spoke with released hostages, their families and those working to see the return of the rest of the captives still being held in the Gaza Strip since the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7.

They further spent time in Sderot along Israel’s border with Gaza—an Israeli city with a population of about 27,000 that has stood on the frontlines of rocket attacks from Gaza since the turn of the 21st century.

Jon Mitchell, the mayor of New Bedford, Mass., said “although this is the USCM’s fourth mayoral delegation to Israel, the issues in the region today are more relevant than ever to Americans.”

He noted that the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip had widened “the political fault lines in our country, and I believe that it is important for mayors, as the leaders of their cities, to take opportunities like this to deepen their understanding of a situation that, as everyone can agree, is complicated and difficult.”

The trip was sponsored by a joint program between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the American Jewish Committee’s Project Interchange.
Nova survivors tell Knesset health committee: We are not getting enough treatment
Warning: This story describes deeply disturbing events and testimonials in graphic detail.

The Health Ministry does not know how many survivors of the Supernova music festival have taken their own lives, it said on Tuesday.

A statement released by the ministry on Tuesday read, “The data on the number of suicides and the number of hospitalizations among survivors of the Nova festival - are not known to the Health Ministry and the mental health system and are incorrect.”

Head of the mental health division at the Health Ministry, Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer, noted that "the rumors about the number of suicides and the number of hospitalizations among survivors of the Nova festival are not true.”

He further stated that based on an examination “conducted with the Nova community association, as well as with other parties that take part in the treatment of the Nova survivors, it emerged that such data is unknown."


Honestly with Bari Weiss: Iran Attacked Israel. What Comes Next?
Today, Michael Moynihan speaks with Michael Oren, the former Israeli ambassador to the United States about these questions—and what comes next in this unprecedented moment in history.

While the U.S. was instrumental in helping Israel defend itself over the weekend, Biden has been clear with Israel: he does not want Israel to respond. He is reported to have said to Netanyahu, “You got a win. Take the win.” But if Israel doesn’t respond, will that only embolden Iran further? Isn’t that the sort of appeasement that got us here in the first place? And if Israel is compelled to respond for the sake of its country, can it do so without American support?

As Michael Oren wrote for The Free Press: “The story of America can end only one of two ways: either it stands up boldly against Iran and joins Israel in deterring it, or Iran emerges from this conflict once again unpunished, undiminished, and ready to inflict yet more devastating damage.”
Israel will let Iran ‘stew in the technical failures’ of its attack
The Australian’s Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan believes Israel “will strike back” against Iran but they will let them “stew in the technical failures” of their attack for a while.

There are growing calls for restraint as the world reacts to Iran’s aerial bombardment of Israel.

It is Tehran’s first-ever direct attack on its neighbour.

Israel says more than 300 missiles and drones were fired by Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, but most were intercepted before entering Israeli airspace.

“I think Israel will strike back against Iran in due course,” Mr Sheridan told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.

“But they’re going to let Iran stew in the technical failures that it racked up for a while.”


Israel ‘will respond’ to Iran’s attack: Greg Sheridan
The Australian Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan says Israel “will respond” to Iran’s attack but will do so at a “time of their own choosing”.

There are growing calls for restraint as the world reacts to Iran’s aerial bombardment of Israel.

It is Tehran’s first-ever direct attack on its neighbour.

Israel says more than 300 missiles and drones were fired by Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, but most were intercepted before entering Israeli airspace.

“My sense is Israel will respond, but they’ll do so at a time of their own choosing,” Mr Sheridan told Sky News Australia.

“I think it’s likely to be a missile response rather than an air force response.

“I don’t think they’ll attack Iran’s nuclear facilities; I think they want to keep their own operational focus on Gaza at the moment.”


Hezbollah presents ‘existential threat’ to ‘future security’ of Israel
Strategic Analysis Australia Director Peter Jennings says Hezbollah presents an “existential threat” to the “future security” of Israel.

There are growing calls for restraint as the world reacts to Iran’s aerial bombardment of Israel.

It is Tehran’s first-ever direct attack on its neighbour.

Israel says more than 300 missiles and drones were fired by Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen, but most were intercepted before entering Israeli airspace.

“Israel is justifiably fearful of Hezbollah being able to do on a much larger scale what Hamas did down in the south,” Mr Jennings told Sky News host Peta Credlin.

“If Hezbollah attempts to do that in the north of the country that’s a large, populated area, it really does present an existential threat to the future security of Israel.”


The Commentary Magazine Podcast: Return of the Weathermen?
Hosted by Abe Greenwald, Christine Rosen, John Podhoretz & Matthew Continetti
Yesterday’s protests in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle suggest again that the pro-Hamas Left is moving into a new and more dangerous phase, one in which they are openly chanting “Death to America” and may be readying violent acts of “resistance.” The parallels to the 1960s are unmistakable. And things are only going to get more heated as Israel does what it has to in Rafah and against Iran.


Thomas L. Friedman: Iran Just Made a Big Mistake
There now needs to be a massive, sustained, global initiative to isolate Iran - to deter it from trying such an adventure again. There must be major diplomatic and economic consequences for Iran. When Tehran fired all those drones and missiles, it could not know that virtually all of them would be intercepted. Some were shot down over Jerusalem. A missile could have hit al-Aqsa Mosque. Another could have hit the Israeli Parliament or a high-rise apartment house, causing massive casualties.

We are talking about an escalation without precedent. Without a U.S.-led global initiative to impose sanctions on Iran and further isolate it on the world stage, Iran's behavior would be tacitly normalized.

Iran just showed the whole world that Israel and its Western allies have far superior antimissile capabilities than Iran has missile capabilities. Ha'aretz veteran military correspondent Amos Harel wrote Sunday: We are talking about "an unprecedented achievement in the history of Israel's wars - albeit with some help from friends - that largely takes away the main card held by Iran and the axis: drones and missiles."
“I'm Laughing In Your FACE” Cenk Uygur vs Emily Schrader On Iran-Israel
Piers Morgan speaks to the Crown Prince of Iran Rezi Pahlavi to get his response to Iran's attack on Israel, before hosting a debate on what should happen next in the Middle East with The Young Turks' Cenk Uygur, Israeli-American journalist Emily Schrader and former congressman Joe Walsh.

00:00 – Piers' monologue
02:37 – Crown Prince of Iran reacts to attack on Israel
07:05 – Should Israel now attack Iran?
11:45 – Panel debate starts between Piers, Cenk, Emily and Joe
12:30 – Should Israel be told to show restraint?
13:38 – How should Israel respond?
17:40 – ‘The Iranian regime is a disaster’
20:30 – Is this a deliberate goading of Israel?
22:25 – ‘Ignoring Iran is the only way to get to peace’
30:30 – Is Israel’s defence unnerving to enemies?
31:50 - “Israel has an obligation to deter them”
33:00 - Is appeasing Iran a pointless exercise?
34:50 - America doesn’t want to be dragged into this war’
37:00 - “We need a smarter approach to bring down this regime”




‘My southern Jewish … way of saying bless their hearts,’ says state rep, who buys trees in Israel for trolls
Esther Panitch was inspired when Renee Evans, of the World Jewish Congress, bought trees in Israel recently for Peach State legislators who voted in favor of a bill to codify into law the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s working definition of antisemitism.

Evans put Jewish National Fund tree certificates on the lawmakers’ desks. “I saw the certificate, and I was like, ‘Huh. This would be great if I could just name it in honor of a troll,’” Panitch, a Democrat who is the only Jewish state representative in Georgia, told JNS.

And so her “trees for trolls” approach was born.

“This is my southern, Jewish, pearl necklace-wearing, woman lawyer from Miami’s way of saying ‘Bless their hearts,’” she told JNS.

On April 11, Panitch posted on social media that she donated a tree in Israel in honor of the University of Georgia chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. “We should build a forest for all the trolls,” she wrote.

The trees cost $18 apiece—$10 each when purchased 10 at a time.

“It made me feel so good when I did it,” she told JNS. “It’s a great feeling. You can get back at the trolls in a way that helps Israel.”

Panitch grew up with a JNF pushke—charity box—near the Shabbat candles and kiddush cup. “For me, it was, ‘Oh. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael/JNF. It’s a win-win. Israel benefits, and the trolls get a little of their own medicine,” she told JNS.

“Doing something to help Israel during this time is great,” Panitch, who is also active in Hadassah, told JNS. “And if it means that I leaned into my petty side a little bit to do it, then that’s fine, too.”


Leaked Document Reveals IRGC’s Role In Global Anti-Israel Campaign
A highly confidential leaked document reveals the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC)’s role in directing an international campaign aimed at disrupting the world economy in protest against Israel.

Earlier today, Iranian opposition figure and activist Vahid Beheshti released a confidential letter signed by Brigadier General Majid Kazemi, head of IRGC’s Intelligence Security Organization. Kazemi was responsible for overseeing the IRGC’s operations, suppressing civil society in Iran, wrongfully arresting Iranian dissidents, including dual nationals, and overseeing the regime's brutal crackdown against protests across the country in response to the killing of Mahsa Amini in 2022, according US Treasury Department’s OFAC.

The letter from Kazemi, which is dated March 11, 2024 and titled “support and encouragement of Palestinian actions towards the political isolation of the Zionist regime," is addressed to Colonel Mohammad Sajedifar, the deputy of cultural and psychological operations of the IRGC Ground Force, and it states:

“Given the recent developments in the issue of Palestine and the psychological impact of the Al-Aqsa Storm operation on Palestinian communities in European and American countries, it was determined to implement significant support measures for April 15 and other rallies with the aim to achieve political isolation [of Israel].”

Alongside the letter, Beheshti shared the promotional video relating to the April `5 rallies, which Kazemi refers to in his letter adding:

“This video clip is the announcement of a collective movement aimed at disrupting the public order in Europe, USA, Australia and Asia all under the pretext of supporting Palestinians. This is a political movement intended to cause as much chaos and instability as possible, which are the exact goals of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The regime of the Islamic Republic has on multiple occasions, stated clearly that their goal is to destroy the modern society and build a global Islamic state.”

The video calls on the public to "block logistical hubs to stop the flow of capital worldwide”, to join the rally nicknamed A15, “a global economic blockade, answering the call from Gaza to fight for a liberated Palestine” on 15 April.


The April 15 Trade Blockade Around the World
On April 15, 2024, protests by anarchists and far-left radicals were scheduled around the world to blockade shipping activity at ports in the name of “a Free Palestine.” The action is labeled “A15.” The organizers vowed, “On April 15th, we will block logistical hubs to stop the flow of capital worldwide.”

The action represents the tolerance of global subversive actions in the name of the so-called “pro-Palestine” movement, which has the potential to turn Israel into a global pariah state for the purposes of global trade.

While A15 declares itself an independent movement, many longtime Palestinian activist groups are listed in actions planned for April 15.

Evidence presented by opponents of the Iranian regime suggests that the Revolutionary Guards “support and encourage Palestinian movements [to act] toward the political isolation of the Zionist regime.”

BDS supporters may find themselves at one with A15 actions. Despite the BDS movement’s official stance, BDS-aligned movements have shut down main thoroughfares in the West in recent months.

The intended collective punishment via the global economy that anarchists wish to exact in cooperation with pro-Hamas activists on April 15 is a pressure tactic that complements that of Iran’s unprecedented and massive drone and ballistic missile attack on Israel on April 14.
Left-Wing Dark Money Behemoth Behind Bail Fund for 'Free Palestine' Bridge Blockers
Scores of "Free Palestine" protesters across the United States took to the streets Monday to block major airports, highways, and bridges. Those who are arrested will receive bail money and legal support from a left-wing dark money behemoth funded by George Soros, an online fundraising page shows.

The protests, which took place in dozens of U.S. cities including San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia, were organized by A15 Action, a newly formed group that worked to "coordinate a multi-city economic blockade on April 15 in solidarity with Palestine." The group's website directs users to a "bail and legal defense fund" hosted through ActBlue, the Democratic Party's online fundraising juggernaut.

Those who donate to the fund, the ActBlue page says, are sending money to the Community Justice Exchange, which provides "money bail, court fees and fines" and other legal services to "community-based organizations … that contest the current operation and function of the criminal legal and immigration detention systems." The exchange is a project of the Tides Center, a left-wing dark money network funded by Soros and other liberal billionaires.

The protesters, who organized the global event under the title A15, targeted economic "choke points" with the express purpose of causing as much financial disruption as possible, according to their website.


Anti-Israel mob chanting 'death to America' lights US flag ON FIRE in downtown Manhattan as cops let suspects get away during raging protests following Iran attack
There were shocking scenes on the streets of New York City on Monday as Palestinian activists set fire to an American flag being held by Israel supporters while chanting 'Death to America!' right under the noses of the NYPD.

There were audible gasps as the Stars and Stripes being held by a pro-Israel counter-protestor was set alight and then waved in the air - as bright yellow flames could be seen coming from the flag.

Police officers stationed at the protest outside the New York Stock Exchange could be seen wrestling the flag and stamping out the fire as it was brought to the ground.

Moments later, a fellow protestor could be heard yelling 'Death to America'.

Police officers appeared oblivious to what was happening right in front of them and in video footage appears to have little drive to chase down the man who shouted the offending phrase.

The shocking sights were part of a day of planned protest across the country that saw activists block the Brooklyn Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and roads to the Chicago O'Hare Airport in a coordinated attempt to bring America to its knees and cause maximum inconvenience.

Outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, another protester burned an American flag to cinders amid cheers of jubilation on Monday. In the background, a man chants: 'America falls today. America falls now. America will forever fall.'

On Monday afternoon, more anti-Israel protestors took to the Brooklyn Bridge and were seen walking through traffic, chanting, banging drums and igniting flares.


Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down Golden Gate Bridge for hours
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested and blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge on Monday, with local reports in the Bay Area stating that vehicles in the area were blocked for nearly five hours before being reopened to traffic.

A pro-Palestinian protest also closed all the lanes on the I-880 in the city of Oakland near the Bay Area. ABC 7 News reported the event "as part of a worldwide economic blockade in solidarity with Gaza."

The report described protesters in Oakland bringing filled with concrete onto the highway and chaining themselves to the barrels, with police having to arrest the protesters only after they cut through the barrels. The Golden Gate protest was said to have backed traffic into Marin County north of the bridge.

Arrests made
About 28 people were arrested overall during the protests, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A report from the Bay Area branch of NBC stated that protesters exited their cars at 7:30 a.m. on the bridge, demanding that the US "stop stop arming and funding Israel in the war in Gaza," according to the protest's organizers. Helicopter footage documented protesters holding a banner saying, "Stop the world for Gaza."




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