Friday, May 24, 2024

05/24 Links Pt1: IDF: 'Rafah op. doesn't contradict ICJ ruling, we will continue,'; Netanyahu requests release of 43-minute Hamas atrocity film; Three US soldiers hurt on pier

From Ian:

'Rafah op. doesn't contradict ICJ ruling, we will continue,' Israel says
The IDF intends to push on with its military operation in Rafah to defeat Hamas, Minister-without-portfolio Benny Gantz told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, after the International Court of Justice’s demand that it halt any campaign in that area to destroy the Palestinian people.

“The State of Israel is committed to continue fighting to return its hostages and promise the security of its citizens - wherever and whenever necessary - including in Rafah,” Gantz said in a statement he issued late Friday after the ICJ ruling.

Gantz is both a former Defense Minister and IDF Chief-of-Staff and is a member of Israel’s small war cabinet. Both in his statement to the public and in his conversation with Blinken he stressed the importance of continuing the campaign to defeat Hamas and to ensure the return of the remaining 125 hostages kidnapped on October 7 and held in Gaza.

The National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry also stressed Israel's intention to continue with its Rafah operation, noting that the military campaign was designed to target Hamas, not Palestinian civilians.

It noted that the order issued by the ICJ, in which it stated that Israel must “halt its military offensive and any other actions in the Rafah Governate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”

The Israeli declaration said that the IDF has not and will not carry out military activity in the Rafah area that would destroy the Palestinian people, and was in compliance with international law.

“Israel will continue its efforts to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip and act, in accordance with the law, to reduce as much as possible the damage to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip,” the declaration stated.

“Israel will continue to keep the Rafah crossing open, allow continuous humanitarian aid to enter from the Egyptian side of the crossing, and prevent terrorist organizations from controlling the crossing.”

Israel in its statement took issue with the larger context of the ICJ ruling, which was issued as the tribunal is adjudicating South Africa’s claim that it is committing genocide against the Palestinian people and is therefore in violation of the 1948 genocide convention.

It stressed that “the accusations of South Africa against Israel at the ICJ in The Hague regarding "genocide" are false, outrageous and disgusting.” Hamas and PA applaud ICJ decision

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority welcomed the ICJ ruling. Hamas official Basem Naim said, “We believe it is not enough since the occupation aggression across the Gaza Strip and especially in northern Gaza is just as brutal and dangerous.

"We call upon the UN Security Council to immediately implement this demand by the World Court into practical measures to compel the Zionist enemy to implement the decision.”

Palestinian Authority spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said, the ruling “represents an international consensus on the demand to stop the all-out war on Gaza.”
‘Hamas responsible for prolonging Gaza war’
Hamas started the war with Israel and is responsible for perpetuating the conflict by refusing to lay down arms and release the hostages, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Thursday.

“Hamas started this war on Oct. 7. Hamas is choosing right now to continue this war by refusing to release our hostages, continuing to attack Israel and vowing to continue to do so as long as it can,” said Hagari in a rare English-language video statement.

While the IDF is doing everything it can to cause “minimal harm to those Gazan civilians Hamas is hiding behind,” the Palestinian terrorist group wants noncombatants to get caught in the crossfire, stated Hagari.

“We’re protecting Gazan civilians in Rafah from being a layer of protection for Hamas, by encouraging them to temporarily evacuate to humanitarian areas like we’ve done with around one million civilians in Rafah until now, who have moved out of harm’s way,” he said of the IDF’s ongoing military operation in the terrorist stronghold along the border with Egypt.

“We’re not smashing into Rafah; we’re operating carefully and precisely,” Hagari reiterated. “The IDF is committed to operating in accordance with international law and will continue to keep that commitment.”

Israel took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on May 7, as tanks from the 401st Armored Brigade rolled right up to the station.

A day earlier, Jerusalem’s War Cabinet decided unanimously to “continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to promote the release of our hostages and the other goals of the war.”

The Rafah operation, which Israel estimates will last some two months, is being carried out in phases as opposed to a full-scale invasion. The phased nature of the operation allows for it to be paused should a hostage release deal be reached between Israel and Hamas.

Hagari said of the battle in Gaza’s southernmost city, “Hamas is in Rafah; Hamas has been holding our hostages in Rafah, which is why our forces are maneuvering in Rafah. We’re doing this in a targeted and precise way.”
Can Hamas Be Defeated?
Opponents of the IDF’s campaign in Gaza often appeal to two related arguments: that Hamas is rooted in a set of ideas and thus cannot be defeated militarily, and that the destruction in Gaza only further radicalizes Palestinians, thus increasing the threat to Israel. Rejecting both lines of thinking, Ghaith al-Omar writes:

What makes Hamas and similar militant organizations effective is not their ideologies but their ability to act on them. For Hamas, the sustained capacity to use violence was key to helping it build political power. Back in the 1990s, Hamas’s popularity was at its lowest point, as most Palestinians believed that liberation could be achieved by peaceful and diplomatic means. Its use of violence derailed that concept, but it established Hamas as a political alternative.

Ever since, the use of force and violence has been an integral part of Hamas’s strategy. . . . Indeed, one lesson from October 7 is that while Hamas maintains its military and violent capabilities, it will remain capable of shaping the political reality. To be defeated, Hamas must be denied that. This can only be done through the use of force.

Any illusions that Palestinian and Israeli societies can now trust one another or even develop a level of coexistence anytime soon should be laid to rest. If it can ever be reached, such an outcome is at best a generational endeavor. . . . Hamas triggered war and still insists that it would do it all again given the chance, so it will be hard-pressed to garner a following from Palestinians in Gaza who suffered so horribly for its decision.


After ICJ ruling, Israel says it ‘has not and will not’ carry out Rafah operations that could destroy civilian population
Israel’s National Security Council and Foreign Ministry issue a joint statement responding to the International Court of Justice’s ruling ordering Israel to halt Rafah operations that risk the destruction of the civilian population in the southern Gaza city.

The Israeli statement says the charges of genocide brought by South Africa against Israel at the ICJ in The Hague are “false, outrageous and morally repugnant.”

It adds: “Following the horrific attack against the citizens of Israel on October 7th, 2023, Israel embarked upon a defensive and just war to eliminate Hamas and to secure the release of our hostages. Israel is acting based on its right to defend its territory and its citizens, consistent with its moral values and in compliance with international law, including international humanitarian law.

“Israel has not and will not conduct military actions in the Rafah area which may inflict on the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part,” the statement says, echoing language used by the court in its operative clauses.

“Israel will continue its efforts to enable humanitarian assistance and will act, in full compliance with the law, to reduce as much as possible harm caused to the civilian population in Gaza.

While the statement stresses Israel’s commitment to prevent terror organizations from retaking the Rafah Crossing, Jerusalem says it remains committed to allowing aid to be delivered through the gate.

“Israel will continue to enable the Rafah crossing to remain open for the entry of humanitarian assistance from the Egyptian side of the border, and will prevent terror groups from controlling the passage.” the Israeli statement says.

Egypt has refused to reopen the crossing since Israel took over the Gaza side on May 7.


ICJ’s selective justice: How bias skews Rafah ruling against Israel
Imagine a courtroom where justice is served with a selective spoon. In 2018, the ICJ refrained from imposing immediate measures on Myanmar, despite clear evidence of a genocidal campaign against the Rohingya. Fast forward to 2024, and the same court swiftly orders Israel to halt its military operation in Rafah, disregarding the complex security challenges posed by Hamas. This glaring inconsistency exposes a troubling hypocrisy in the ICJ's handling of international conflicts.

Israel was handed an impossibly short timeframe to defend itself against South Africa's urgent request for provisional measures. This expedited process left Israel's legal team scrambling, undermining the fairness of the proceedings. As Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan lamented just recently, "the short notice for the court hearings meant there wasn't enough time for sufficient legal preparation." In stark contrast, when Nicaragua accused Germany of facilitating genocide in Gaza through arms exports, the ICJ allowed Germany ample time to prepare its defense, avoiding immediate measures. This selective urgency begs the question: Why the rush to judgment against Israel?

Dismissal of self-defense argument
The ICJ's ruling seemingly ignores Israel's argument that its actions in Rafah are a matter of self-defense against Hamas, a terrorist organization responsible for numerous attacks on Israeli civilians. This oversight fails to recognize the real and present security threats Israel faces. The court's reluctance to acknowledge Israel's self-defense claims stands in sharp contrast to its handling of Bosnia and Herzegovina's case against Serbia, where it acknowledged the complexities of self-defense while issuing provisional measures in January 2024. Is the ICJ's judgment clouded by bias, or is it simply a case of selective blindness?

South Africa's allegations of genocide against Israel, lacking substantial evidence, appear politically motivated. Using such severe accusations without concrete proof not only distorts the legal definitions but also diminishes the gravity of genuine genocides. In previous cases, such as The Gambia's accusation against Myanmar regarding the Rohingya crisis, the ICJ issued measures aimed at protecting the population without immediately halting military operations, reflecting a more balanced and cautious approach. The ICJ’s orders were clear that Myanmar must "take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of the Genocide Convention" but did not mandate an end to military actions (UN News, March 28, 2024). Why does Israel not receive the same nuanced consideration?

The ICJ emphasizes the need for unimpeded humanitarian aid but fails to fully consider the operational challenges Israel faces. Ensuring aid does not support Hamas remains a significant concern. Israel has facilitated alternative routes for aid, such as the West Erez Crossing, demonstrating efforts to balance humanitarian needs with security considerations. Despite this, the ICJ’s ruling demands that Israel "ensure the unimpeded access of humanitarian aid" without addressing these security concerns. Is it fair to demand the impossible?

The ICJ's decision places a heavy burden on Israel to ensure humanitarian access and protect civilians, without imposing similar obligations on Hamas. This imbalance is a glaring double standard, holding Israel to higher accountability standards while not equally scrutinizing Hamas's actions. The court’s orders did not demand any reciprocal actions from Hamas, thereby placing a disproportionate responsibility on Israel. Why does the ICJ turn a blind eye to the other side of the conflict?


Gantz speaks to Blinken after ICJ ruling, says Rafah operations will continue
Following the the International Court of Justice’s order to halt military operations in Rafah, the war cabinet minister’s office announces that Minister Benny Gantz is speaking with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on the phone from IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Israel must “continue fighting,” Gantz says in a subsequent statement.

“The State of Israel embarked on a just and necessary campaign after a brutal terrorist organization massacred our citizens, raped our women, kidnapped our children and fired missiles at our city centers,” he says, insisting that the Jewish state is “obligated to continue fighting to return its hostages and ensure the safety of its citizens, at any time and place — including in Rafah.”

“We will continue to act according to international law in Rafah and wherever we operate, and make an effort to avoid harming the civilian population. Not because of The Hague tribunal but first of all because of who we are,” he says.

In the call with Blinken, Gantz’s office says the pair also discussed “the efforts to ensure the return of the hostages and the prospects of advancing with a normalisation agreement with Saudi Arabia.”

Gantz insists that this is possible but has all but rejected Riyadh’s main condition of establishing a pathway to a future Palestinian state.


Israeli, international figures react to ‘antisemitic’ ICJ ruling
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, fellow members of Knesset, and Jewish organizations around the world expressed their shock and disappointment following the ICJ's ruling on Friday, demanding the IDF halt all operations in Rafah.

Israeli reactions
In response to these rulings, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said: "The irrelevant order of the antisemitic court in The Hague should have only one answer: the occupation of Rafah, the increase of military pressure and the complete destruction of Hamas - until the complete victory in the war is achieved."

Strategic affairs Minister, Ron Dermer, said, "That Jews are treated differently is not a new story but a more than 2,000 year old story that is based on ancient hatred. Every year, the Human Rights Council passes more resolutions against Israel than all the other countries in the world combined."

"What the ICJ prosecutor has done will fuel the fires of antisemitism, which is raging across the world, because people will assume the charges carry weight. But the charges are totally false and the prosecutor didn’t even bother to learn the facts," Dermer stated.

Dr. Charles Asher Small, Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), issued the following statement in response to the ICJ ruling: "The ICJ's ruling is a stark reminder of how South Africa, which has become a hub for extremist activities across the African continent, continues to embrace antisemitic ideologies and support state-sponsored terror."

Small continued to say, "Maintaining close ties with and acting on behalf of Iran, Qatar and Hamas, South Africa has become a leading voice for terror. By bringing this case against Israel and in favour of Hamas, South Africa further positions itself as a bad actor on the global stage. The time has come for the international community to recognize and address South Africa's alarming connections with terror-supporting states and entities."

Former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "Hamas is holding 125 hostages, presumably many in Rafah. The ICJ has just told Israel it’s not allowed to try to save them and must relinquish military leverage. This is not justice. This is a travesty of justice."


Hamas welcomes ICJ order on Rafah, but says ruling doesn’t go far enough
The Hamas terror group welcomes the International Court of Justice’s order for Israel to halt military operations in Rafah that would risk the destruction of the civilian population sheltering there.

However, the Gaza-based terror organization tells Reuters that the ruling fell short of recognizing the ongoing fighting in other parts of the enclave.

“We believe it is not enough since the occupation’s aggression across the Gaza Strip, especially in northern Gaza, is just as brutal and dangerous,” senior Hamas official Basem Naim says.

Hamas calls on the United Nations Security Council to implement the International Court of Justice decision, he says, adding that the terror group welcomes the court’s request to allow investigation committees to reach the Gaza Strip to probe allegations of genocide against the Palestinian people.

Israel has strongly denied it has carried out acts of genocide in its war against Hamas in Gaza, which is now in its eighth month.

“Hamas pledges to cooperate with the investigation committees,” Naim tells Reuters.


Noah Rothman: The Fantasy World of the International Criminal Court
These are debatable assertions. As German legal scholar Michael Boothe, one of the world’s foremost experts on international humanitarian law, observed, cutting off electricity — a commodity with as much use to a hostile armed force as to civilians — to a wartime adversary is accepted practice according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. “Indeed, it would be paradoxical to say that a state is permitted to destroy the enemy’s electric plants, but is required to supply its own electricity to the enemy,” he wrote.

Moreover, the ICC does not allege that Israel cut off all humanitarian assistance to Gaza, because it did no such thing. Jerusalem did cut off the water it provides to the Strip — accounting for less than 10 percent of the Strip’s peacetime water supply — on October 9, 2023, but resumed regular pre-war transfers before the end of October. Food and medicine, too, have made their way regularly into the Strip despite the risks to Israeli forces overseeing their distribution and the regularity with which Hamas fighters commandeer those transfers. To date, the Israeli government maintains that nearly 550,000 tons of aid have been introduced into Gaza since the onset of the war. If this is evidence of genocidal intentions, Israel’s commitment to that course is half-hearted.

This is what the Israeli government gets for playing the U.N.’s game on its terms. Despite its opposition to the ICC and the International Court of Justice, Israel dispatched representatives to the Hague earlier this year to defend itself against allegations of genocide. A lot of good that concession did the Israelis. Earlier this year, following “a series of near-unanimous votes,” the ICJ determined that Israel was acting “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” The allegations are not credible, not only because the evidence before our own eyes conveys the impression that Israel has not only opened and maintained humanitarian corridors but preserved, for example, the ongoing medical services practiced in the hospitals it seeks to liberate from Hamas control.

The U.N.’s judicial bodies are deaf to all this. Ensconced in their own echo chamber, they exist in a parallel dimension in which they enjoy legitimate jurisdiction over the conduct of Israel’s defensive war. In reality, however, the righteousness of the conduct of Israel’s war will be adjudicated by Israelis alone. The consequences its leaders face for their preservation of Israeli security both before and after the 10/7 attack are the province of Israelis alone. And the justice Hamas’s leaders deserve will be meted out by Israel alone.

We are under no special obligation to observe the contours of the alternate reality in which the United Nations’ bureaucrats choose to reside. Indeed, their solipsism only makes them easier to ignore.
The UK should pull its funding from the International Criminal Court
This week’s decision by the International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor Karim Khan to request arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant is a disgusting perversion of the principle of justice the court is meant to uphold. And to call for the arrest of Israel’s leaders at the same time as Hamas terrorists is an insulting disgrace.

How can people responsible for upholding international law draw an equivalence between the barbaric murderers, rapists and kidnappers of the terrorist group Hamas and the elected leaders of the Middle East’s only democracy?

There can never be any comparison between terrorists attempting genocide and a democracy defending itself.

How would we have felt if Britain’s leaders had been indicted alongside leaders of the IRA? If Churchill had been treated in the same way as Hitler?

Make no mistake: this is a propaganda victory for Hamas and a disgusting attack on Israel, simply for defending itself.

Number Ten were right to condemn the ICC’s warrants, but we are one of the court’s most significant donors and we should withdraw funding immediately in protest.
Argentina rejects International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Argentina's Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that Argentina rejected the International Criminal Court prosecutor's request for arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

On Monday, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan asked the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Deif.

The Argentinian Foreign Ministry condemned equating "The legitimate authorities of a democratic state" with the terrorist organization of Hamas.

The Foreign Ministry rejected this equation and said that the decision calls into question Israel's right to self-defense, which Argentina reaffirmed and upheld.

Argentina also criticized the decision as having overlooked the independence of the Israeli court system, which is supposed to be given the opportunity to act on the charges before the ICC issues arrest warrants.

"The Prosecutor seems to have overlooked the work of the Israeli courts in the investigations into the alleged acts, and he has not given the local judiciary the opportunity to carry out their function with all relevant guarantees."

Argentina expressed frustration at the Prosecutor's decision, describing it as unhelpful and saying it would not help release the hostages.

"The Argentine Government believes the Prosecutor’s behavior does not contribute to improving the situation, but rather further hinders the efforts to secure the release of the hostages still held captive by Hamas, to allow access to humanitarian aid, and to reach a long-term solution to the crisis."
Hungary says ICC being ‘used as a political tool’, vows not to enforce arrest warrants if issued
The International Criminal Court prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “unacceptable” and could not be enforced in Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff says.

Gergely Gulyas tells a news briefing that, although Hungary ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), it “was never made part of Hungarian law,” meaning that no measure of the court can be carried out within Hungary.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced earlier this week that he had requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes.

Representatives of both sides slammed Khan’s decision.

“This decision… is not a legal but a political decision, it is unacceptable and it discredits the International Criminal Court,” Gulyas says.

“It is wrong to use a court as a political tool, and it should not be forgotten what led to what is happening in Gaza, and that is a ruthless, dishonest and vile terrorist attack on Israel,” he says.


Noah Rothman: Which Palestinian State Have Ireland, Spain, and Norway Recognized?
Undermining the peace process doesn’t advance Palestinian interests, but it might irritate the Israelis. And that seems to be the only value proposition for Europe here — the catharsis afforded by the chance to jam their collective thumb in Israeli eyes.

But the Israelis shouldn’t be overly upset by this maneuver. If, all of a sudden, a Palestinian state was born into existence, it may afford Jerusalem even more latitude in its war of self-defense. The Europeans have made no distinctions between the disparate sovereignties governing the Palestinian territories, so why should the Israelis? If the 10/7 attack was instigated by a hostile sovereign power, Israel is within its rights as defined in the law of armed conflict to neutralize both the armed forces (uniformed and irregular alike) loyal to that hostile government and the infrastructure on which that regime relies.

We need only substitute “Israel” with “Ukraine” for that to become obvious. These European powers are not hostile toward Ukraine’s efforts to beat back Russian aggression. Indeed, Norway’s government chafes at the restrictions imposed on Ukraine’s defenders by the Western governments who fear the prospect of direct conflict with Russia. If Israel was attacked not by a stateless amalgam of terrorists but the armed forces loyal to a sovereign state, Jerusalem is obliged by Article 51 of the United Nations charter to deploy retaliatory force against the organs of that regime as well as preemptive force against it if it believes future attacks are imminent and preventable. The laws of war governing interstate conflict are far more clear-cut than the murky conventions that dictate best practices in a conflict with non-state actors taking place in legally nebulous geographies. Did these European governments think any of this through?

Probably not. This maneuver is the geopolitical equivalent of a temper tantrum. Its sole purpose is to communicate the displeasure these European governments have experienced watching the Israeli people defend themselves against the genocidaires on their borders. It is likely to appeal only to those who are so similarly overcome with emotion that they’ve subordinated their rational faculties to their pique. That’s a big audience, but it has no constituency in the internationally recognized, legally sovereign state of Israel. And that’s all that really matters.


Three US soldiers hurt, one critically, on pier
Three U.S. soldiers reportedly sustained non-combat injuries on the temporary pier off the coast of Gaza on Thursday.

The U.S. military didn’t comment on one of the soldiers, who was taken to a local hospital reportedly with critical injuries. The other two, reportedly, sustained a sprained ankle and a back injury.

“The ‘Gaza pier’ is an incredibly stupid idea by Biden and more Americans will get injured or killed,” wrote Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.).

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) wrote that “America should not be the port authority of Gaza.”

Earlier in the day, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) called the pier “a disaster and a waste of money.”

“Joe Biden is putting our troops in serious danger to please the pro-Hamas wing of his party,” Cotton wrote.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of Central Command, told reporters on Thursday that “one of the service members was on a ship” but “did not provide details on the other two,” the Associated Press reported.

The AP added that, per Cooper, “two of the troops had already returned to duty, while a third was receiving care at an Israeli hospital.”

Senior U.S. officials have said that no U.S. boots would be on the ground in Gaza as part of the operation. The pier reportedly cost $320 million.


In call with Biden, Egypt’s Sissi agrees to release Gaza aid via Israel amid continued Rafah closure
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi agreed with US President Joe Biden by phone on Friday to temporarily send humanitarian aid and fuel to the United Nations via Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing until legal mechanisms are in place to reopen the Rafah Border Crossing from the Palestinian side, the Egyptian presidency announces.

The announcement is a win for the Biden administration, which has been pressuring Egypt in recent days to take this step.

Aid has been piling up in Egypt since Israel launched an operation to take over the Gaza side of the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt on May 7.

Not wanting to be seen as complicit with Israel’s occupation of the gate, Egypt has refused to re-open Rafah until Israeli troops have withdrawn from the other side.

In the meantime, the US and Israel have urged Cairo to at least allow the growing amount of aid in Egypt to be transferred to Israel where it can be delivered into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom Crossing.

Egypt had to date refused, still deeming such a move as collaboration with Israel’s military offensive in the southern Gaza city.


Netanyahu requests release of 43-minute Hamas atrocity film
In the wake of the recent release of a video showing the abduction of female soldiers from the Nahal Oz base, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to release a modified version of the 43-minute video documenting the brutal events of the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7.

This video, which was shown around the world to journalists, politicians and diplomats includes graphic content of Hamas murders and torture. The short film is intended to be shortened and slightly censored for global distribution.

Following the directive from Netanyahu, the IDF is now working to “prepare” the video by seeking consent from the families of those killed and wounded who appear in the footage. This process involves navigating legal issues and respecting the fundamental rights of each family to decide whether their most difficult moments should be publicly viewed. The aim is to create a version that, while censored, still conveys the impact of the events.

At the end of October, members of Israel’s parliament were invited to view a compilation of video footage showing some of the atrocities. The screening, held behind closed doors, was organised following a request by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

This footage, which had previously been shown to the foreign press, included recordings from body cameras worn by Hamas terrorists, security cameras, dashcams, smartphones and social media accounts. Several MKs had to leave the screening early due to its graphic nature, and one fainted after watching the footage.

In early November, the Israeli Embassy in Washington screened raw footage of Hamas atrocities to over 30 U.S. lawmakers and foreign dignitaries. This screening marked the one-month anniversary of the massacre and featured the same 43-minute video.

Later in November, then-Foreign Minister Eli Cohen expressed outrage after Belgium’s Federal Parliament refused an offer from the Israeli Embassy in Brussels to screen the video compilation.
The stories of the women in the harrowing video
Agam Berger
Agam Berger, aged 19, is the twin sister of Li-Yam, born two minutes before her. She’s a gifted violinist, playing since she was 8. She had only been in the position for one day when she was kidnapped from IDF’s Nahal Oz Base.

Her mother, Mirav, said in March, “Agam was supposed to be stationed at the Kerem Shalom crossing. At the last minute, they changed her posting to Nahal Oz. On Thursday [Oct. 5], she went to the base. I sent her a video of us wishing her well. The very next day, just one day into being a field observer at Nahal Oz, she was brutally kidnapped.”

Agam sent messages to her parents from captivity through the released hostage Agam Goldshtein, who was with her for a time. Goldshtein told the parents that their daughter observes Shabbat even in captivity. She described how Hamas terrorists ordered Agam to cook food, but she firmly refused to desecrate Shabbat. She even asked to wish her father a happy birthday, awaiting her return to him.

Two months ago, the family celebrated a bar mitzvah for Agam’s younger brother, Ilay. He then told Israel Hayom: “It’s very hard for me to celebrate without my older sister Agam. Even in the worst scenarios, I never imagined this important day would look like this. It’s very difficult for me, I’m very sad. We miss her, it’s just not the same without her.”

Liri Albag
Liri Albag celebrated her 19th birthday in captivity. Her sisters Shay, 22, and Roni, 25, say birthdays have always been among her favorite occasions. She is a joyful girl who always pays attention to every little detail: “She always gets the whole house going a month in advance for a big event with all her friends. She always makes sure everything is beautifully decorated and also has the food she loves prepared for the event.”

Her sisters hope to celebrate her 20th birthday together with her in Thailand.

Liri is an optimistic and strong young woman. People who returned from the first prisoner exchange deal and met Liri in captivity told her family about the conditions she is held in. They noted: “She told us she loves us, that she’s okay and misses us. We understood it was important for her that we know she’s alive. She knows our family and knows we won’t stop fighting for her. She asked us not to forget her and the other captives, to not stop fighting.”
Bethany Mandel: Say their names: With Biden mum on Hamas’ US hostages, Trump can champion their cause
Hersh. Keith. Sagui. Edan. Omer. Theirs should be household names across the United States. But they’re not, and the fault lies with President Biden.

Hamas terrorists kidnapped Hersh Goldberg-Polin from a music festival after half of his dominant arm was blown off in their attack.

Keith Siegel was abducted from his home in Kfar Aza, Sagui Dekel-Chen from his home in Nir Oz.

Edan Alexander and Omer Neutra were both snatched while they were serving in the Israel Defense Forces.

All are American citizens, and until this week, our sitting president had never mentioned any of them by name.

On Monday, after more than 220 days, Biden finally spat out the name Hersh Goldberg-Polin — but seemed confused and at first said the young man was “here with us today” at the Rose Garden ceremony where the commander-in-chief was speaking.

Recently, we learned that Hersh and Keith were both alive, thanks to videos that Hamas released.

Appearing pale and lacking a forearm, Hersh discussed missing the Passover holiday with his family. Crying, Keith begged for the nightmare of his captivity to end.

Sadly, there is no end in sight.

Negotiations among Hamas, Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt have stalled after months of stalemate.

One of the many points of leverage the United States holds, asking Qatar to expel Hamas leadership, has never even been requested by the Biden administration, according to the Qataris.

Every time negotiations have hit an impasse since November, when a temporary cease-fire allowed the release of dozens of hostages, the United States has exerted pressure on Israel, not on Hamas.

The terror organization has learned an important lesson: There is no incentive to negotiate for the release of hostages, not even American citizens.
IDF recovers bodies of three more hostages
Orión Hernández Radoux, 30, Hanan Yablonka, 42, and Michel Nisenbaum, 59, were killed on Oct. 7 and then abducted by Hamas terrorists from the Mefalsim region.

The bodies were recovered in Jabalia in northern Gaza during a joint operation between the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) based on “precise intelligence” analyzed in the past few days.

Last week, Israel recovered from the enclave the bodies of hostages Shani Louk, 22, Amit Bouskila, 28, Ron Benjamin, 53, and Yitzhak Gelerenter, 56.

Mexican-French national Hernández Radoux, the boyfriend of Louk, was at the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im along with Yablonka when it was attacked by invading Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.

Nisenbaum, a Sderot resident, had been driving to the IDF’s Gaza Division base near Re’im to pick up his granddaughter, who was staying with her father, an officer in the military.

The bodies were identified at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine (Abu Kabir), and the families have been notified.

“We bow our heads in deep sorrow and embrace the grieving families in their difficult time. We have a national and moral duty to do everything in our power to return our abducted—the living and the deceased—and that is what we are doing,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday.

“I praise the IDF and security forces who acted with great courage in the heart of enemy territory in order to return them to their families and for burial in Israel,” he added.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog extended his condolences to the grieving families and reiterated his “full support to the courageous men and women of the IDF and Shin Bet, who are working tirelessly to return the hostages.

“It is our duty to bring everyone back—those still alive and those we must bring for burial in Israel. May the memory of Hanan, Orión and Michel be blessed,” he said.


Nikki Haley to make solidarity visit to Israel
Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is scheduled to pay a solidarity visit to Israel next week.

Haley, who served as ambassador during Trump’s presidency, plans to tour communities near the Gaza border as well as in the north of the country during her visit, which is set to begin on Monday, according to former Israeli U.N. envoy Danny Danon, who is to accompany her. She is also scheduled to meet with Israeli leaders and senior security officials.

Haley’s visit comes after a group of former Trump administration foreign policy officials met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials on Monday.

The group was headed by former national security advisor Robert O’Brien and included former U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates John Rakolta and former ambassador to Switzerland Ed McMullen, according to Reuters.

While according to the report the trip was not arranged by Trump, he will nevertheless likely be briefed on the conversations.
Activist for Iranian women also champions Israel’s human-rights cause
It was the day after the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, and British Jewry had organized a small event in support of Israel outside the Israeli embassy in London.

Elaaheh Jamali heard about the rally from some of her Iranian Jewish friends and, repulsed by the largest single-day attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, came with her mother, sister and brother-in-law expecting to see hundreds of Londoners in the crowd.

They were the only four non-Jews in the gathering of dozens of people.

The event was a life pivot for the 37-year-old London-based, Iranian-born human-rights and women’s activist, also known on social media as LilyMoo (“dark beauty” in Persian), who had risen to prominence over the last two years for her active role in the United Kingdom against the Iranian regime and its repression of Iranian women.

“Then and there, I knew this is just the beginning,” Jamali told JNS in an interview in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. “I felt that same sense of isolation and abandonment, and that these people are just as lonely as the Iranians are. It made me die inside a little bit, that people were just walking by looking at the Jews.”

From that day, the Persian fashion entrepreneur turned human rights activist has been speaking out nonstop for Israel despite death threat. A fatwa Islamic religious edict issued against her sent her into hiding for almost a month.

In November, the Jewish community asked her to speak at another event. She was considering whether to attend in disguise when her mother told her, “You are going yourself as a proud Iranian woman.”

“Everything else is history,” Jamali said.


Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus | IDF, Israel, October 7th, UN, UNRWA, Journalists and editors are lazy.
Jonathan Conricus is a senior fellow at FDD focused on the Middle East. He served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 24 years as a combat commander in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. He also served as a military diplomat, foreign relations expert, and international spokesperson. He recently retired as lieutenant colonel. Jonathan was the first Israeli officer to be seconded to the United Nations (UN), during which he provided military and strategic analysis for UN peacekeeping forces. He has directed social media and public diplomacy efforts and has extensive on- and off-camera experience from his years as a spokesperson.

Chapters:
00:00 The Israeli hostages and their families. Is enough being done?
09:00 What’s it like for the IDF soldiers on the ground, and how can they differentiate civilians from H*mas?
18:40 Israel offered Hamas a deal.
20:11 Hamas is evil. Similar to ISIS
22:09 Which is more important to Hamas: Destroying Israel, or killing the jewish people?
30:07 Hamas would win in a free election, even after October 7th
35:00 When a civilian starts behaving as a threat, they are regarded as an enemy combatant.
39:04 The death toll numbers. Editors and journalists are lazy.
49:40 The UN and UNRWA and UNIFIL
59:40 Will Israel survive?


Ben Shapiro: Annihilate Jews, Win a State!
Ireland, Norway, and Spain declare their recognition of a fake State of Palestine; Joe Biden continues to trail in the polls; and Nikki Haley endorses Donald Trump.


The Commentary Magazine Podcast: What College Presidents Have Learned
Hosted by Abe Greenwald, Christine Rosen, John Podhoretz & Matthew Continetti
The House grilled a new round of university presidents who seemed to have benefited from a kind of human machine learning. They avoided some previous mistakes but continued to bring shame on their institutions all the same. And Donald Trump was up to something very interesting in the Bronx. Plus a new AI song from Eli Lake.


Shocking Mistakes in Israel Advocacy Revealed – WATCH UNTIL THE END | The Quad Interviews
If you want to understand how to get the next generation to love Israel, you must watch!

With rising antisemitism and anti-Israel protests, the Jewish nation feels under attack. But is there a silent majority that supports Israel? Why are so many influencers and celebrities not supportive of Israel in its fight against Hamas?

Quad cohosts Fleur Hassan Nahoum and Vivian Bercovici interview brand specialist and the force behind Eden Golan's victory in Eurovision Joanna Landau. She reveals some shocking truths
- most people don't hate Israel and actually are indifferent and very open to being influenced.
- the pro- Israel advocacy world has misunderstood how influencers work
- the hyper-focus on facts and figures will not win over a younger generation that is focused on belonging and emotion




Johnson formally announces Netanyahu invitation, slams Biden in Israeli Embassy speech
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), speaking on Thursday at an event at the Israeli Embassy in Washington celebrating Israel’s 76th Independence Day, said that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu would soon speak to a joint meeting of Congress.

Johnson first floated the invitation months ago, in an apparent bid to pressure Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) after Schumer called for Netanyahu’s ouster. Schumer has said for months that he’s open to inviting the Israeli leader to speak.

Johnson publicly pressed Schumer to finalize the invitation earlier this week, and the expected address is already dividing Democrats, some of whom preemptively pledged to boycott the speech.

In his speech, the speaker also made a coded, but clear, dig at President Joe Biden, accusing him of wavering in his support for Israel.

“Some leaders who have previously been proud to stand with Israel and and even some who have made statements of solidarity following October 7, and suddenly began to backpedal on that support,” Johnson said. “On one day, they tell us that we can give no safe harbor to hate, but on the next they demand that Israel must give safe harbor to Hamas. They tell us they support Israel but they give cover to antisemitism.”

The remarks seemed to be a dig at Biden who, after expressing strong support for Israel in his Holocaust remembrance speech, threatened the following day to cut arms shipments to Israel over its operations in Rafah.

Israeli Ambassador Mike Herzog, in his own remarks, offered thanks to Congress, but didn’t directly mention President Joe Biden.


Florida mayor praised for ‘courage, character’ after apology for supporting permanent ceasefire
During a May 8 city council meeting in Doral, Fla., the city’s mayor, Christi Fraga, sponsored Resolution 24-120, “Peace and security for all innocent civilians in Israel and Palestine.”

She soon came to regret that decision.

“As the title reflects, my actions were well intended. However, the process I followed and final wording of the resolution, which was unanimously adopted by my colleagues on the City Council, was naive of me, fundamentally flawed, and has resulted in unintended consequences and a misunderstanding of my true stance on this international and local issue,” Fraga stated on May 16.

“I am very sorry for all the turmoil it has caused in our city and state,” she added.

The resolution, penned by anti-Israel lawyer Zohra Mehdi Khorashi, called for “an immediate and permanent end to all hostilities.”

“The Hamas terror organization started this war on Oct. 7, 2023, that has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and enormous suffering, and revealed some divisions in the United States,” the city mayor stated on May 16. “To be clear, Israel has a right to defend its citizens and its existence. The war and collateral damage suffered by Gazans can end now as soon as Hamas releases all hostages and surrenders unconditionally.”

The mayor added that she was sponsoring a replacement Resolution 24-120 that “accurately portrays the current war in the Middle East and the sentiment of the City of Doral.”

“Unlike my political opponents, when I make a mistake, I take responsibility, own it, learn from it and atone for it,” she said. “Thank you for your consideration, understanding and forgiveness.”


Airsoft grenades thrown at Israeli embassy in Belgium
An investigation has been launched after a man threw two airsoft grenades at the Israeli embassy in Brussels, Belgium on Friday morning, according to local media reports.

"At about 05:30 on Friday morning, an unknown man reportedly threw an airsoft grenade in the direction of the Israeli Embassy in Uccle," a spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor's Office told Belga News Agency.

"The investigation is ongoing and in the interest of this, the Prosecutor's Office will not communicate further on this matter," they added.

While airsoft grenades do not explode like normal grenades, they use compressed air to expel pellets in all directions in a less deadly imitation of a real grenade, according to The Brussels Times.

The office later confirmed, according to VRT News, that "The police went to the scene and informed the duty prosecutor. Officers from the Federal Police lab and bomb disposal experts from DOVO attended the scene. The investigation is still ongoing and in the interest of the investigation the prosecutor’s office will be releasing no further information."

Israel's ambassador to Belgium posted on X "Early this morning two airsoft grenades were launched at my Embassy. The Embassy of Israel in Brussels We are all ok. No one was hurt and there was no damage. The Belgian authorities along with our Embassy security are investigating the event."
Sydney bakery battered for Hamas-themed birthday cake
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described the photos as “horrifying,” stating: “Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. Kids’ parties should be innocent and fun, not hateful.”

Robert Gregory, CEO of the Australian Jewish Group, condemned the bakery.

“Dressing a child up as a terrorist, including with what appears to be a Hamas headband, is reprehensible and a form of child abuse,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “Islamic extremism and radicalization of youth is not just a problem for the Jewish community. It’s a threat to all Australians.”

Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, lambasted those glorifying terrorist groups, calling it “a rare kind of psychosis to want to teach infant children that Hamas terrorists are to be admired and emulated. If this is what is happening in some Sydney homes, we should prepare for a generation of violent extremists.”

While initially receiving praise from some for the cake, the bakery soon faced backlash, prompting it to delete its Instagram and Facebook pages.

Australian Federal Police are investigating the incident, which has sparked concerns about the radicalization of youth and the normalization of terrorist imagery within certain communities.


Dave Chappelle tells Abu Dhabi audience that there’s a ‘genocide’ in Gaza
American comedian Dave Chappelle said Thursday a “genocide” is striking the Gaza Strip amid the Israel-Hamas war to cheers during his performance in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, while urging Americans to fight antisemitism so Jews don’t feel like they need to be protected by Israel.

Chappelle’s comments come as Abu Dhabi has maintained its diplomatic relations with Israel even as it has increasingly criticized its conduct in the seven-month war.

Meanwhile, while pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel marches have swept across the wider Middle East since the war was started by Hamas’s devastating October 7 attack, protests and speech remains tightly restricted in the Emirates, a federation of seven sheikdoms on the Arabian Peninsula.

Even before coming on stage, the full crowd at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena cheered as DJ Trauma, who accompanied Chappelle on the trip, played the song “My Blood is Palestinian” by the Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf. The thousands there agreed to place their switched-off mobile phones in locked pouches for the performance — a standard feature of Chappelle’s shows.




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