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Saturday, June 29, 2024

06/29 Links: John Spencer: ‘Israel is measured by double and triple standards,’ does more than anyone to prevent civilian harm; Noa Argamani: 'Because of Arnon, we are here'

From Ian:

‘Israel is measured by double and triple standards,’ does more than anyone to prevent civilian harm, US warfare expert says
“Israel is being measured by double and triple standards” in its fighting in Gaza, a standard “that does not exist anywhere in the world,” said John Spencer, head of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point, at a recent “War Room” briefing in collaboration with the Jerusalem Institute for Public and State Affairs (JCPA).

Spencer, the world-renowned urban warfare who served for 25 years as an infantry soldier and did two tours in Iraq, has publicly and repeatedly defended and praised the Israel Defense Forces' performance during the Gaza War in recent months.

“The IDF uses tactics that no army has ever seen to prevent harm to civilians and still fulfill its mission,” Spencer told the JCPA after visiting the soldiers of the IDF’s 98th Division in the field.

He also stridently rejected international accusations that Israel was using starvation as a weapon, bombing indiscriminately or committing genocide.

“It’s all a lie,” Spencer declared, noting that if the standards currently applied to Israel were applied to Western countries in the future, it would make anti-terror warfare almost impossible.

Such standards include requiring the massive evacuation of a population before entering an area, not using heavy “bunker-buster” bombs to reach enemies hidden away underground, and the demand to prevent any and all civilian casualties.

“It’s impossible and unimaginable,” Spencer stressed.

“When ISIS ruled Iraq, it held the territory for about two years and built up its defenses. In the battles against the terrorist organization, the number of dead ranged from 10,000 to 40,000 people, and the numbers were reported only after a year,” Spencer said, criticizing the use of unreliable Hamas casualty numbers to determine the proportionality of Israel’s actions.

“No one posed a question to the United States then, how many civilians were killed? And no one asked ISIS that question. It’s simply impossible.”

“This imaginary standard of zero civilian casualties in a war where Israel is required to meet a new standard is very problematic,” Spencer emphasized.

He has made this point repeatedly over the past months. In an article in Newsweek in March, Spencer brought up the IDF’s operation at Al-Shifa Hospital as an example of the lengths the army goes to prevent civilian harm in Gaza.

“Israeli media reported that doctors accompanied the forces to help Palestinian patients if needed. They were also reported to be carrying food, water and medical supplies for the civilians inside,” Spencer wrote.

“None of this meant anything to Israel's critics, of course, who immediately pounced. The critics, as usual, didn't call out Hamas for using protected facilities like hospitals for its military activity.”
From the Battle of Badr to Military Defeat: Changes in Hamas Perceptions of the Gaza War
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023 was quickly characterized by Hamas as fulfillment of a prophecy about the destruction of Israel. Hamas cast the invasion as a Palestinian version of the Battle of Badr, a battle in which a small force of Muslim believers under the command of the Prophet Muhammad succeeded in defeating a large force of Quraysh and Makkah who had opposed his prophecy. The battles of October 7 were labeled a divine victory by believers over the enemies of Allah, and many verses in this spirit were broadcast. However, more recent articles published on the Hamas website suggest that its view has undergone a transformation. Hamas has apparently shifted from extolling its “divine victory” on October 7 to admitting that it has been defeated in battle again and again. The great suffering Hamas has inflicted on the Gaza Strip has put it in the position where it must now explain to the Palestinian public why it started the war in the first place, why it did not expect a massive military response from Israel to its atrocities and attempt at genocide, and why the suffering of the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip is not in vain.

To faithful Muslims, the Battle of Badr marks the victory of a small group of believers of the Prophet Muhammad over a far superior force. The battle was held in Ramadan in 624 AD between Muhammad’s group of warriors, numbering about 300 men, and an expeditionary force of Meccan men numbering about a thousand. The battle was held near the Badr Springs; hence the name.

In a preliminary battle, Hamza, Ali, and Ubaydah Ibn Harth fought three of Quraysh’s warriors. They lost, and Ubaydah suffered mortal wounds and died a martyr. At the Battle of Badr, the Muslim force was organized, determined, and acting under unified leadership. The Meccan force was larger, but fought in a decentralized manner and without a central command. Surat al-Anfal (The Spoils) in the Qur’an describes the battle. After the victory, Muhammad revealed that angels had participated alongside the Muslim army. In a famous hadith by al-Bukhari, it is claimed that the angel Gabriel himself fought on his horse against the people of Quraysh and killed many of them.

On October 7 and throughout the waiting period until the beginning of the ground operation in which the IDF forces entered Gaza, many comparisons were made between the success of Hamas on October 7 and the famous Battle of Badr. A small military force of about 3,500 men was able to overcome deployed IDF formations along the border and breach a formidable barrier consisting of an elaborate fence, multiple firearms and tanks. The photos of the bulldozer destroying the fence and of destroyed IDF tanks became images of the victory Hamas had purportedly achieved by divine inspiration.

The website of the Al-Palestinian Center for Information gives us a glimpse into changes that seem to have taken place in the view of Hamas operatives. Where they once gushed words of praise for the rare victory over Israel, they are now admitting their military failure in the confrontation with Israel.

Consider, for example, the following article published by Dr. Muhsen Saleh, a senior researcher at the Zitouna Center in Lebanon. The article, entitled Tofan Al-Aqsa – Coping with the day after the operation, was an early response to the Hamas invasion:

The Al-Aqsa Flood operation carried out by the Al-Qassam Brigades on October 7, 2023 was a qualitative historical blow to the Zionist entity. It had not had such a [defeat] since [Israel’s] establishment 75 years ago. The operation combined the elements of military surprise, an incredible security and strategic move. [The resistance] invaded a significant area of ​​Palestine that was occupied in 1948, causing the largest number of dead, wounded and prisoners (that is, kidnapped) compared to all the battles the Palestinians have fought since the [1948] war, in which the entity [Israel] was established. This is the highest even in relation to most of the Arab-Israeli wars.

The Israeli occupation [at the time] looked confused and shocked and felt humiliated when it saw with its own eyes the shattering of [its] security theory and the collapse of the walls of physical and psychological deterrence. [The occupation] also saw with its own eyes how the men of al-Qassam broke into 20 settlement sites (towns and kibbutzim) and 11 military sites in a matter of hours. The occupation realized that it had failed to subdue the Palestinian people and crush their resistance.

To Saleh and other writers on the site, the operation began and ended on October 7 with a decisive Palestinian victory for the Hamas organization. It was a divine victory, as described by Dr. Khaled Qaddoumi (Hamas’s representative in Iran) in an article entitled: “Hamas is making history” that he published the day after the war broke out:

… we must prepare ourselves for this campaign (against Israel) with all the means at our disposal, including sanctification and strengthening the truth and justice for the Palestinian people. We must support comprehensively and in all areas the battle for liberation until the true promise is fulfilled.
The Obama and Biden Administrations: Paving the Way for a Nuclear-Armed Iran
America's "diplomatic efforts," instead of putting a stop to Iran's nuclear program, have only resulted in a series of concessions that have empowered the Iranian regime. The lack of stringent enforcement and verification measures, and especially lifting secondary sanctions -- by which any country that does business with Iran is prohibited from doing business with America -- have allowed Iran to accelerate its nuclear activities "under the radar."

Iran's continued development of ballistic missile technology and its persistent test firings of missiles, both in clear violation of UN resolutions, were largely overlooked. In addition, the growing bellicosity of Iran's huge militia, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as the nuclear program itself, were apparently never addressed with the seriousness they warranted -- thereby allowing Iran to expand its military capabilities and regional aggression unchecked.

The Iranian regime strategically allocated these funds to support and expand its own proxy presence throughout the region, including, among other spots, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Mali, Burkina Faso and the Gaza Strip.

The Trump administration implemented a "maximum pressure" policy aimed at curtailing Iran's economic capabilities by particularly focusing on reducing the country's oil exports, and, most importantly, establishing "secondary sanctions" that banned any country doing business with Iran from doing business with the US.

The Biden administration's passive approach of trying to use what might look like "protection money" to try to bribe Iran into compliance has simply backfired. Iran took the billions and, unsurprisingly, appears to have fungibly used them to finance several wars in the region -- Hamas and Hezbollah's war against Israel, the Houthis' war against Israel and the US, and Iran's own April 13 missile- and drone-attack against Israel -- as well as Iran's nuclear weapons program.

The Biden administration, sadly, seems to have been the enabling factor in Iran's continued regional assertiveness and nuclear advancement. The administration's series of policies favorable to Iran significantly strengthened the regime to the point where Iran and its proxies are now actively engaged in a comprehensive war against Israel, the Sunni Arab Gulf States and, since October, more than 150 attacks on US troops in the region.


Seth Frantzman: The US presidential debate shows Middle East is not in focus
The US presidential debate between former US President Donald Trump and current president Joe Biden has led to many takeaways. For those focused on the Middle East and Israel, the debate illustrated how the region is not a major focus.

Despite a specific question about Palestinian statehood and some focus on Iran and the Gaza war, both candidates appeared to eschew a deep dive into the region.

It’s clear that Biden is interested in underlining his attempt create a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza. Trump compared his opponent to a Palestinian and drilled down on the fact that Iran is emboldened, and accused Biden of failing in the Afghanistan withdrawal.

In essence, Trump’s point was that if Biden had handled Afghanistan better, then Russia would not have been emboldened to invade Ukraine and Hamas would not have been emboldened.

Biden has often run on his historic record regarding foreign policy and decades of experience on the global stage. However the debate was a disappointment for some Democrats who saw Biden’s performance as stumbling.

The big question in the wake of the debate is whether the Middle East is actually in focus now. Biden has been dragged into focusing on the Middle East by the Gaza war, but it was not something he wanted to focus on.

The problem for the US is that its ally, Qatar, hosts Hamas. This was supposed to make Hamas more moderate and prevent massacres like October 7, instead Hamas has become more powerful under backing by Doha, Tehran, Ankara and Moscow.

Two US allies back Hamas; Qatar and Turkey. It was the Obama administration that asked Doha to host Hamas. Israel also worked with Doha to enable funding for Hamas. This policy appears, in retrospect, to have been disastrous. However, none of the candidates appear to care much about this.

Trump’s main focus is in discussing Iran, and beyond that his main manifesto is that exhibiting a kind of America first strength will deter adversaries.


US said rewording truce-hostage offer to revive talks, as families set to rally for deal
The United States has proposed new language for parts of the proposed hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in an effort to reach an agreement, a report said Saturday, as relatives of those still held captive in Gaza protested on Saturday night to urge the government to secure a deal.

The Axios news site reported on Saturday, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the talks, that the US, with fellow mediators Qatar and Egypt, was focused on amending Clause 8 of the hostage-truce deal, concerning negotiations to be held during the six-week ceasefire stipulated by the agreement’s first stage. Clause 14, which deals with the transition between stage one and stage two of the deal, is also being reexamined, Channel 12 reported on Saturday evening.

“The US is working very hard to find a formula that will allow reaching a deal,” one of the sources was quoted as saying, while another predicted that the agreement could be sealed if Hamas okays the changes.

Under the proposal’s current provisions, the deal’s first phase would see the fighting in Gaza cease for six weeks, during which Hamas would release the remaining living female, elderly and sick hostages.

In tandem, the sides would hold talks to secure a second six-week truce during which Hamas would release the remaining living hostages, including young men and male soldiers.

However, if Hamas were found to violate its commitments under the deal, Israel could resume fighting.

Hamas reportedly wants talks during the agreement’s first phase to address only how many and which Palestinian prisoners will be released in return for the living male hostages; Israel, on the other hand, also wants to discuss the demilitarization of Gaza, among other matters.

According to partial leaks of the Israeli proposal earlier this month, Clause 8 reads: “No later than day 16 [of phase one], the commencement of indirect negotiations between the two sides to agree on the conditions for implementing stage two of this agreement, including those relating to the keys for the exchange of hostages and prisoners (soldiers and remaining men), and this should be concluded and agreed upon before the end of week five of this [first] stage.”

Clause 14 reportedly states: “All procedures in this stage including the temporary cessation of military operations by both sides, aid and shelter effort, withdrawal of forces etc., Will continue in stage 2 so long as the negotiations on the conditions for implementing stage 2 of this agreement are ongoing. The guarantors of this agreement shall make every effort to ensure that these indirect negotiations continue until both sides are able to reach agreement on the conditions for implementing stage 2 of this agreement.”

The fate of the proposal was unclear earlier this week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with the right-wing Channel 14 on Sunday that he was willing to temporarily withdraw the army from the Gaza Strip in return for a “partial deal” that would see some of the hostages returned, but would then “continue the fighting” until Hamas is destroyed.

But the prime minister appeared to walk back the statement the following day, insisting that he was still “committed to the Israeli [ceasefire] proposal welcomed by [US] President Biden. Our position has not changed.”
Israeli FM: If Hezbollah doesn’t hold its fire, we’ll act against it
Iran warned Israel of an “obliterating war” if it embarks on a military ground campaign in Lebanon against Hezbollah, as regional alarm grows over the prospect of a third Lebanon war.

“Albeit Iran deems as psychological warfare the Zionist regime’s propaganda about intending to attack Lebanon,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations wrote in a post on X.

“Should it embark on full-scale military aggression, an obliterating war will ensue. All options, [including] the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table,” it stated.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded on Saturday night, saying, “If Hezbollah does not cease its fire and withdraw from southern Lebanon, we will act against it with full force until security is restored and residents can return to their homes.

“A regime that threatens destruction deserves to be destroyed,” he stated.

How long would it take to take down Hezbollah?
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant toured the northern border on Friday after returning from a trip to Washington, where he met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

They discussed both diplomatic and military options to restore calm to the North after nearly nine months of cross-border violence between the IDF and Hezbollah, which broke out immediately after October 7 and has occurred concurrently with the Gaza war.

Washington had hoped that a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal would open the door to a diplomatic resolution, but as that kind of an arrangement has remained elusive, the possibility of a third Lebanon war has grown.

“We are not looking for war but we are ready for it,” Gallant told IDF soldiers.

“We will reach a junction... both for ourselves and the enemy. If it [Hezbollah] chooses to go to war, we will know what to do. If it chooses to go for a diplomatic arrangement, we will respond to this option.”

“I hope that this [a diplomatic arrangement] is where things will come to, but you never know,” he said.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati placed the onus for the violence squarely on Israel, calling on it to halt its military activity against both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the country’s state media reported.

“We are always advocates of peace, and our choice is peace and the implementation of Resolution 1701. Israel must stop its repeated attacks on Lebanon and stop the war in Gaza,” the Lebanese prime minister stated.
US, Europe warn Hezbollah against war: ‘You’re not as capable as you think you are’
American, European and Arab mediators are pressing to keep stepped-up cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group from spiraling into a wider Middle East war that the world has feared for months.

Hopes are lagging for a ceasefire in Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza that would calm attacks by Hezbollah and other Iranian-allied militias. With the stalled talks in mind, American and European officials are delivering warnings to Hezbollah — which is far stronger than Hamas but seen as overconfident — about taking on the military might of Israel, current and former diplomats say.

They are warning that the group should not count on the United States or anyone else being able to hold off Israeli leaders if they decide to execute battle-ready plans for an offensive into Lebanon. And Hezbollah should not count on its fighters’ ability to handle whatever would come next.

On both sides of the Lebanese border, escalating strikes between Israel and Hezbollah, one of the region’s best-armed fighting forces, appeared at least to level off this past week. While daily strikes still pound the border area, the slight shift offered hope of easing immediate fears, which had prompted the US to send an amphibious assault ship with a Marine expeditionary force to join other warships in the area in hopes of deterring a wider conflict.

It’s not clear whether Israel or Hezbollah have decided to ratchet down attacks to avoid triggering an Israeli invasion into Lebanon, said Gerald Feierstein, a former senior US diplomat in the Middle East. Despite this past week’s plateauing of hostilities, “it certainly seems the Israelis are still… arranging themselves in the expectation that there will be some kind of conflict… an entirely different magnitude of conflict,” he said.

The message being delivered to Hezbollah is “don’t think that you’re as capable as you think you are,” he said.
Arab League Rescinds the Classification of Hezbollah as a Terrorist Group
The Arab League no longer defines Hezbollah as a proscribed terrorist group, an official said on Saturday.

Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based Shiite militia and a proxy of the Islamic regime in Iran, boasts the world’s largest rocket arsenal of any non-state actor. It is animated by the antisemitic ideology of jihad and is committed to the destruction of Israel.

“In earlier Arab League decisions, Hezbollah was designated as a terrorist organization, and this designation was reflected in the resolutions,” Hossam Zaki, the assistant secretary-general of the Arab League, was quoted in Arab media as saying.

“The League’s member states concurred that the labeling of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization should no longer be employed,” Zaki said, adding that the regional body “does not maintain terrorist lists and does not actively seek to designate entities in such a manner.”

Hezbollah has unleashed numerous rockets, mortars and drones on northern Israel in the past eight months starting on October 8, a day after the Jewish state suffered the worst antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust at the hands of the Palestinian jihadists of Hamas.
Turkish opposition leader publicly terms Hamas terror organization,
There was anger in Turkey over opposition leader Ugur Ozel, who said in a TV interview on Saturday that Hamas is a terrorist organization, a stance he has also previously voiced.

Ozel stated, "Hamas rains bombs on innocent people in the middle of the night, with balloons, drones, and I don't know what else."

He further argued that accusing fingers are pointed at him when he makes these statements, yet he also stated, "You must see that this issue started there [with Hamas]. What Hamas did was an act of terror. Hamas fired bombs at sleeping Jews in the middle of the night."

Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP,) elected Ozgur Ozel as its new leader in November 2023, replacing Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the Associated Press reported shortly after the elections that year.

According to the report, Ozel secured 812 out of 1,366 delegate votes, marking a significant leadership change following the party's electoral setback. Vision for Turkey's future

Following his elections, Ozel vowed to strive for a better political future and “to make people smile,” AP cited the Turkish opposition leader.

Following Turkey's economic challenges and the aftermath of the February 2023 earthquakes, dissatisfaction grew within the CHP as the party missed the opportunity to defeat Erdogan in May's elections that year. Pre-election expectations had suggested strong support for former leader Kilicdaroglu, seen as the opposition's best chance to unseat Erdogan since 2003.


Serbian cop wounded in crossbow attack outside Israeli
A Serbian police officer on Saturday shot dead a man who had fired a crossbow at him outside the Israeli embassy in Belgrade.

The officer was wounded in the neck by an arrow but was able to return fire.

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said the officer was conscious and being treated at a hospital.

Authorities have opened a probe into the incident, added Dačić.

“Today, an attempted terror attack occurred in the area of Israel’s embassy in Belgrade. The embassy was closed, and no staff were hurt,” according to an Israeli Foreign Ministry statement.

Earlier this month, a man threw a Molotov cocktail at the Israeli embassy in the Romanian capital Bucharest. There were no injuries or damage from the attack and the 34-year-old suspect, apparently of Syrian origin, was immediately arrested.

Israeli legations around the world have been on high alert since the Hamas-led invasion of Oct. 7.
Seth Frantzman: Northern fire: The Artillery Corps battalion defending the North
The basic concept of artillery hasn’t changed for hundreds of years; however, the technology today is able to bring more digitization to this process. The enemy’s threats against these types of IDF positions are increasing because Hezbollah is now using drones, and Hezbollah has improved its rockets and anti-tank missiles.

For the men, this has been their life now for eight months, first near Gaza in the South and now up here in the North. They suffered through the cold winter months. Now the weather is such they can even sleep out in the open. Some men have brought out thin mats to sleep on. One soldier has even constructed a kind of small tent.

The IDF is proud of the work that units like this are doing. This is not an intense war yet, but artillery is useful in eliminating enemy terrorist infrastructure across the border.

The IDF is also going to roll out a new type of artillery soon, called the Roem. Units like the 405th will receive it in the coming year or years. It’s completely different than the current M109, which dates from the Vietnam era. The Roem is on wheels, which makes it faster to deploy and more flexible. It requires fewer soldiers per vehicle; and the loading and firing are automated, meaning you don’t need men in the cabin of the back of the vehicle lifting shells and placing them in the breach of the gun. It’s going to be a brave new world.

I asked the men about it. These young guys like the old system they were trained on. It’s more intimate, feeling the shells and the ammunition and delivering the fire physically.

'No other option than to win'
BACK AT Gillis’s office, he spoke about the changes he has seen since he joined in 2008.

Processes have become faster to be able to bring artillery fire to support troops in the field. The ability of an M109 to bring more precise fire, and more effectively in a short period of time, is important. It’s also important that they have good communication with the fighters they support, so that the shells can be placed close to troops in the field but not injure fellow soldiers. In this war, the IDF has been accomplishing much closer fire missions, bringing down shells close to tanks, combat engineers, and infantry at the front.

Gillis spoke animatedly about his soldiers and the passion he sees in their eyes, as well as the just cause the IDF has today in defending the homeland. “Despite the challenges, we have worked with the spirit of victory, and we have no other choice. We have no other option than to win,” he said.

The importance of this war is clear to him. On one wall of his office is a small drawing that depicts the Holocaust. It shows his grandfather seeing his great-grandmother for the last time. Israelis understand the task ahead.

From the men in the field, getting ready to bed down for the night, to their commanders, like Gillis, this is a transformational war that is not yet complete. It will go on, and units like the 405th will play a key part.


Two soldiers killed as IDF pushes back into Gaza City’s Shejaiya
Two Israeli soldiers were killed during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, the military announced Saturday, as troops pressed on with an operation against the Hamas terror group in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood.

The slain troops were named as Staff Sgt. Yair Avitan, 20, of the Paratroopers Brigade’s 890th Battalion, from Ra’anana; and Sgt. First Class (res.) Yakir Shmuel Tatelbaum, 21, of the 7th Armored Brigade’s 77th Battalion, from Ma’ale Adumim.

The soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Shejaiya on Friday, where the military launched a new pinpoint operation against Hamas a day earlier. The Israel Defense Forces said the operation, carried out by the 98th Division, came after it identified Hamas operatives regrouping in the area.

Avitan and Tatelbaum were the IDF’s first fatalities in the new Shejaiya operation.

The IDF first operated in Shejaiya during the initial months of the ground offensive against Hamas, announcing that it had dismantled the terror group’s local battalion there in December. It last returned to the Gaza City neighborhood in April, as the military shifted its operations in the Strip to intelligence-based targeted raids.

The soldiers’ deaths brought the toll of slain troops in the ground offensive against Hamas and in operations on the Gaza border to 318. The toll includes a police officer killed in a hostage rescue mission. A civilian Defense Ministry contractor has also been killed in the Strip.




UN workers begin removing aid stuck on US Gaza pier after security fears
Humanitarian workers have started moving tons of aid that piled up at a United States-built pier off the Gaza coast to warehouses in the besieged territory, the United Nations said Saturday, an important step as the US considers whether to resume pier operations after yet another pause due to heavy seas.

It was not clear when the aid might reach Palestinians in Gaza, where experts have warned of the high risk of famine as the war between Israel and Hamas is in its ninth month. This is the first time trucks have moved aid from the pier since the UN’s World Food Program suspended operations there due to security concerns on June 9.

Millions of pounds of aid have piled up. In just the last week, more than 10 million pounds were moved ashore, according to the US military.

A WFP spokesperson, Abeer Etefa, told The Associated Press this was a one-time operation until the beach is cleared of the aid and was being done to avoid spoilage. Further UN operations at the pier depend on UN security assessments, Etefa added. The UN is investigating whether the pier was used in an Israeli military operation last month to rescue three hostages.

If WFP trucks successfully bring the aid to warehouses inside Gaza, that could affect the US military’s decision whether to reinstall the pier, which was removed due to weather Friday. US officials said they were considering not reinstalling the pier because of the possibility that the aid would not be picked up.

Even if the UN decides to keep transporting aid from the pier into Gaza, lawlessness around humanitarian convoys will be a further challenge to distribution. The convoys have come under attack in Gaza. While most aid deliveries come by land, restrictions around border crossings and on what items can enter Gaza have further hurt a population that was already dependent on humanitarian aid before the war.


'Because of Arnon, we are here': Noa Argamani thanks IDF, urges return of Hamas hostages
"Because of Arnon, we are here," Noa Argamani said in a video released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Saturday evening.

In the video, Argamani thanked the IDF and urged the return of the remaining 120 individuals in Hamas captivity.

"I am Noa Argamani, I was kidnapped to Gaza on the seventh of October. I was in Hamas captivity for eight months before being rescued by the security forces on June 8," Argamani began.

"As an only child and as a child to a mother with a terminal illness, my biggest worry in captivity was for my parents. It's a great privilege to be here after 246 days in captivity," she continued.

"It is a great privilege to be by my mother’s side after eight months of uncertainty. It's a great privilege to see my parents surrounded by so many good people. I want to thank the security forces, our army, the soldiers, reservists, special forces and everyone who took part in the rescue operation and risked their lives so that I could return home," she said.

Noa mourns with Arnon's family
"I mourn with the family of Arnon Zamora, who fell during the rescue operation of myself and three other hostages. My heart is with his family. Arnon is the hero of Israel, and because of him, we are here," she added.

Ch.-Insp. Arnon Zamora, 36, was part of the National Counterterrorism Unit (Yamam). He was fatally wounded the hostage operation Argamani was rescued in, along with tree others. He was survived by his wife and two children.

The Yamam unit of the Israel Police performs counter-terrorism operations and has been active throughout the war. The government and armed forces overwhelmingly praised Zamora for his heroism following his death.

After this, Argamani said that she wanted to remind those watching that 120 still remain in Hamas captivity, including her partner Avinatan Or, with whom she was abducted to Gaza.

"Although I am at home now, we cannot forget the hostages who are still in Hamas captivity, and we must do everything possible to bring them back home," she declared.

At the end of her video, she said, "I wish for all of us to have more peaceful days, quieter days, for us to be surrounded by family, friends, and good people. Most importantly, may we learn to love and not hate."


Call Me Back PodCast: Bonus Episode: Noa Tishby and Emmanuel Acho
Hosted by Dan Senor
Since October 7th, many of us have had uncomfortable conversations we could never have imagined having. October 7th sparked debates and discussions that got very awkward very quickly.

But what’s unique about our guests today is that they were having these conversations prior to October 7th. Not only were they having these conversations, they were working on a book that chronicled these difficult conversations. Their book is called “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew”. It’s by Noa Tishby and Emmanuel Acho.

Emmanuel is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and the host and producer of an online series called “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man”. Emmanuel was nominated for an emmy award for this series. He’s also a 2021 Sports Emmy winner, a Fox Sports Analyst. And, perhaps most importantly, Emmanuel is a former NFL linebacker.

Noa Tishby is the New York Times bestselling author of Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth. A native of Tel Aviv, she served in the Israeli army before moving to Los Angeles and launching a career in the entertainment industry. An award-winning producer, Tishby made history with the sale of In Treatment to HBO, the first Israeli television show to become an American series. She has had an extraordinary career in Israeli television and film.
Bill Maher: I Mock the Left More After Oct. 7 Hamas Attacks, ‘They’re Dumber Than They Used to Be’
HBO’s Real Time host Bill Maher says he makes fun of the left more than he used to, because “they’re dumber than they used to be,” particularly after the October 7 Hamas terrorists attacks against Israel.

“One of the issues I have with the left is that they — a lot of ignorance, I mean, people say to me all the time, ‘You make fun of the left more than you used to.’ Yeah, because they’re dumber than they used to be,” Maher told journalist Tina Brown at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

“And the right has gotten Dumber too,” Maher continued, adding, “If I had to find a reason why I thought I was right about doing this, it happened after October 7. I mean, people demonstrating for Hamas? For Hamas? It’s like rooting for the planes on 911.”

The comedian then looked out into the audience and said, “That’s a joke, for fuck’s sake, I mean, come on, lighten up white people!”

“The diversity of the crowd, by the way, I tell ya, Aspen has really done a great job with that — this fucking Klan meeting of a town,” Maher quipped.

After being asked which party he believes is “more dangerous,” Maher replied, “definitely the Republicans,” which elicited applause from the audience.

“We don’t have to make a rally out of it,” Maher said to the audience, before reiterating his previous point about the left.

“When they say, ‘You make fun of the left,’ well, yes, because they went nuttier,” Maher said. “Five years ago nobody was demonstrating for Hamas and stuff like that.”




Israel critic Dua Lipa makes her support for Gaza clear by running toward prominent Palestine flag during Glastonbury set that left fans divided over 'awful' sound - as some viewers accuse her of miming
Dua Lipa made her support for Gaza clear as she headlined Glastonbury last night by singing alongside a collection of Palestine flags in the crowd, to get them in camera shot.

Footage from her stunning performance yesterday showed her running out into the crowd to sing closer to a flag that read 'Glasto for Palestine', which social media users are claiming is a nod to her continuing support of the issue.

The Grammy award-winner has been one of the longstanding celebrities who have urged world leaders to help deescalate the crisis in Gaza and Israel.

Just last month the 28-year-old posted to her 88 million Instagram followers: 'Burning children alive can never be justified. The whole world is mobilising to stop the Israeli genocide. Please show your solidarity with Gaza.'


Rock band Idles lead Glastonbury crowd in chanting 'f*** the king', Damon Albarn discusses Gaza and sticks the boot into Joe Biden while Charlotte Church sings 'free Palestine' as festival turns political
Rock band Idles led the Glastonbury crowd in chanting 'f*** the king' as the festival turned political on Friday night.

The band's vocalist Joe Talbot also sang an 'anti-Farage song' while a small blow-up boat surfed the crowd in a pro-immigration protest.

Idles' politically-charged performance was just one of a number of statements made during the third day of the festival in Somerset.

Blur frontman Damon Albarn discussed Gaza and suggested Joe Biden was too old to be president during his surprise appearance at Worthy Farm.

It came as Welsh singer Charlotte Church also sang 'free Palestine' and wore a keffiyeh as she led an improvised number with the audience.


Another Attacker Indicted for Antisemitic Beating of Joey Borgen in New York
The district attorney’s office of New York City’s Manhattan borough has indicted a sixth man for participating in a May 2021 gang assault on Joseph “Joey” Borgen, a Long Island man who had been attending a pro-Israel demonstration when he was brutally attacked by men screaming antisemitic epithets.

Salem Seleiman, 28, faces several charges with hate crime enhancements, including assault in the second and third degrees and attempted assault in the second degree. Arraigned in court on Thursday, Seleiman pleaded not guilty. He remains detained pending his ability to pay a $50,000 cash bond set by the court.

“As alleged, Salem Seleiman disrupted a peaceful pro-Israel rally when he participated in a brutal antisemitic attack on a Jewish man,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement announcing the actions. “Seleiman’s alleged conduct was abhorrent and many of the other individuals who joined him have already been convicted and are serving state prison sentences.”

He added, “Violently assaulting someone because of their religion is unacceptable, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, community groups, and local leaders to address attacks on the Jewish community.”

Borgen was wearing a kippah while walking in Manhattan when Mohammed Othman, along with five other men, ambushed him without being provoked. They also shouted antisemitic slurs at and discharged pepper-spray into the eyes of the pro-Israel advocate, who suffered a concussion, wrist injury, black eye, and bruises all over his body during the attack. Two years after the attack, Borgen told The Algemeiner that the injuries he sustained that day, both physical and psychological, continue to diminish his quality of life.

On Thursday, Borgen expressed hope that Seleiman’s indictment “sends a strong message that antisemitic crimes, or any hate crimes for that matter, will not be ignored.”

He added, “Other cases right now are not being taken seriously enough, particularly the conduct of Columbia University protesters whom District Attorney Bragg let off scot-free despite their participation in unprecedented antisemitic riots at their school. It’s important that we continue to fight for justice.”
NYPD Hate Crime Task Force investigating NYC subway thug unmasked by Post
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is probing a masked thug who allegedly harassed Jews on the subway, The Post has learned.

The scary scene unfolded June 10 on an uptown train as White Plains lawyer Joshua Savitt rode home after attending a downtown Manhattan exhibit memorializing the victims of the Oct. 7 Nova Music Festival terror attack.

A man noticed two people vandalizing the train car’s window with the words, “Free Gaza,” and took pictures, prompting the vandals to allegedly confront him and call him a “Zionist, police said.

Savitt reported the incident to cops last week after The Post unmasked one of the rabble rousers as Christopher Khamis Victor Husary, a silver-spoon, bicoastal, perennial protester who still lives with parents in a $1.8 million California home.

A masked Husary allegedly taunted Savitt, telling him, “Bro, if you only knew who I was,” while wearing a Hezbollah shirt and demanding Savitt not photograph him.

Husary, 36, admitted to his encounter with Savitt after being confronted last week by The Post at his parent’s California home.

But Husary denied harassing Savitt, claiming the attorney was the aggressor.

There have been no arrests.

“It’s heartening to see the NYPD take harassing and threatening others on the subway seriously, and put in the work to hold people accountable. I’m glad I spoke up, and I encourage others to do the same,” said Savitt.
$30/Hour: Amnesty International 'Urgently Hiring' Paid Canvassers To Push for Israeli Ceasefire
Amnesty International is "urgently hiring" paid staffers for a "canvassing team" working to "demand a ceasefire in Gaza now," according to a new job posting.

The job listing offers recruits up to $30 per hour—plus health, vision, and dental insurance, a 401(k), and weekly and monthly bonuses—to go door-to-door in Seattle and drum up support for "an immediate ceasefire to end civilian suffering."

"The unparalleled escalation of hostilities between Israel, Hamas and other armed groups has taken a devastating toll on civilians," the listing reads. "We are demanding that Congress and the Biden administration call for an immediate ceasefire to end civilian suffering."

While Amnesty International purports to advocate for "human rights" worldwide, the anti-Israel nonprofit immediately blamed the Jewish state for Hamas's Oct. 7 terror attack, which killed scores of innocent Israelis, including women and children.

"Israel has a horrific track record of committing war crimes with impunity in previous wars on Gaza," the group wrote in an Oct. 7 statement, which referred to Hamas's attack as an "operation."

"The root causes of these repeated cycles of violence must be addressed as a matter of urgency. This requires upholding international law and ending Israel's 16-year-long illegal blockade on Gaza, and all other aspects of Israel's system of apartheid imposed on all Palestinians."

At the same time, Amnesty International's Harvard chapter signed onto a now-infamous statement that held the "Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence."

"The apartheid regime is the only one to blame," the statement read.

Amnesty International continued to rail against the Jewish state over the ensuing months. In February, the nonprofit's secretary general, Agnès Callamard, said Palestinians "have been living trapped and oppressed under Israel's brutal occupation, subjected to systemic discrimination."


Why there is no ‘pride’ for the LGBT community this year
Then there’s the war in Gaza and the Hamas attack on Israel last Oct. 7th.

Somehow, despite Hamas’ paper trail of anti-gay violence and anti-gay laws throughout the West Bank and Gaza, myriad queer groups have backed the Palestinian cause over Israel.

People attending the funeral of transgender activist Cecilia Gentili at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City, with a woman wearing a face mask and holding a sign with a picture of Cecilia.

Never mind that Israel has the most progressive LGBT laws in the Middle East, or that Israel offers state-sanctioned refuge to gay Palestinian asylum seekers.

As a transgender Palestinian poet and activist named Yaffa told the progressive publication Prism in February, “Palestine . . . is literally better than here” when it comes to LGBT rights.

By “here” she meant central Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage has been legal for more than two decades. (Try getting a similar license in Rafah or Ramallah.)

With leading LGBT groups such as ACT-UP echoing such silliness, the queer embrace of anti-Zionism is the most craven display of LGBT communal rot.

The most disheartening aspect of this farce is that Zionism and LGBT liberation actually share so much ideological DNA. Both are rooted in the demand for respect and self-determination — for nationhood by Jews, the freedom to love by LGBTs.

And both reject historical conventions that have left each minority group vulnerable to state-sanctioned violence and disenfranchisement.

Recognizing these commonalities would not only further the freedom of imperiled gays and lesbians, but the freedom of Palestinians as well.

This is the most tragic missed opportunity this past year — and our community’s most shameful sin of all.
Socialist NYC councilwoman claims ‘queer liberation’ is tied to ‘Free Palestine’
Socialist Queens Councilwoman Tiffany Caban bizarrely claimed at a Pride Month celebration that “queer liberation means ‘Free Palestine!'” — infuriating some LGBTQ+ and Jewish people.

The speech from the co-chair of the City Council’s LGBTQ+ caucus was met with cheers at Queens College’s Pridefest, according to sources. But others questioned what the 36-year-old Caban was thinking.

“One wonders how Caban ties queer liberation with calls for the establishment of a country that would have the death penalty for LGBTQ people,” said one outraged Jewish New Yorker.

Queens College, which has a 30% Jewish undergrad population, has a history of antisemitic incidents, including hateful “F–k Israel” and “Jews Suck” graffiti on campus in the months following Hamas’ horrific Oct. 7 attack on Israel.


University of Waterloo sues pro-Palestinian encampment for $1.5M
The University of Waterloo is suing the participants and organizers of the pro-Palestinian encampment on its main campus for $1.5 million.

The court document published on the University’s website says the school is seeking “damages in the amount of $1,500,000, including damages for trespass, damage to property, intimidation, and ejectment.”

The suit names “persons unknown” and seven specific people by name, and includes their email addresses.

The document calls on the encampment participants to stop camping and never do so again on campus.

Also it directs defendants to restore the school’s property to the way it was on May 12, including removal of all fences, tents, shelters, barriers, rubbish and more.

Participants of the encampment have also been told to stop interfering with the University’s Senate and Board of Governors meetings, and any other school meeting.

The document includes conditions for the court to allow Waterloo Regional Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, or any police service to remove the encampment and arrest the participants.

A social media post from the encampment says, “Incredibly shameful that @UWaterloo is choosing to sue their own student body protesting their university’s complicity in a genocide that’s 9 months in and has claimed the lives of over 40,000.”

The post goes on to say, “History will absolve us. But you admin, how will you be remembered?”


'Death to Israel': French universities saw uptick in antisemitic violence after Oct.7
France's Committee on Culture, Education, Communication and Sport, under Pierre-Antoine Levi and Bernard Fialaire, commissioned a report on antisemitism at French universities, which was released on Wednesday.

The report, titled “Antisemitism in Higher Education'' was carried out by Pierre-Antoine Levi and Bernard Fialaire, and presented findings on the prevalence of antisemitism and the response by local and public authorities.

The report detailed how “The events of 7 October and their aftermath have revealed the persistence of latent antisemitism in French higher education institutions, a very worrying collective dynamic which is fostering a climate of diffuse antisemitism which is causing difficulties for many Jewish students.”

The researchers said they were “alarmed by the resurgence, within many French institutions, of a climate of antisemitism whose modes of expression have evolved under the effect of the ideological polarization associated with student mobilizations in favor of Palestine.”

Additionally, the report acknowledged that isolated incidents of antisemitism have never gone away, especially among the far-right demographic, the “reactivation of antisemitism in higher education has been part of an extremely worrying collective dynamic for several months, fueled by an ideology that now also belongs to the far left of the political spectrum.”

“While taking advantage of the progress made in the fight against other forms of violence and discrimination that affect students, particularly sexist and sexual violence,” the report states “this fight must take into account the irreducible specificity of antisemitism, which constitutes the oldest of identity-based hostilities.”

The state of antisemitism in French higher education
The report begins by stating that antisemitism in higher education in France has been significantly underestimated and that it has sharply increased since Oct 7, both in universities and wider French society in general.

Since October 7, 67 incidents of antisemitism have been recorded in French Universities, twice the amount recorded in the entire 2022-2023 academic year.

These include the discovery of antisemitic inscriptions and swastikas at the University of University of Lyon and the University of Caen, the discovery of antisemitic graffiti ("Death to Israel, death to the Jews," "Death in hell suits them so well") in the library of the University of Paris 8, and antisemitic defacement at Nantes University.

The President of Strasbourg University, Michel Deneken, said “Since October 7, verbal and physical violence has crystallized.”

Deneken also said that antisemitic graffiti was a “daily" occurrence at Strasbourg University during January 2024.


Biased UK media influences the public causing anti-Israel stance
The role of the media is highly influential in shaping public opinion and political positioning. From Israel’s perspective, the United Kingdom is one of the most important and influential countries in the world, yet it is home to media outlets that often take a stance that is anti-Israel, if not downright antisemitic.

The Guardian daily is an example of vicious distortion in its treatment of Israel, despite being owned by the Scott Trust (Ltd.) whose aim, when created in 1936, was to “secure the financial and editorial independence of the Guardian in perpetuity, and to safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values ​​of The Guardian free from commercial or political interference.”

These worthy goals have become casualties of morally bereft and unreliable journalism. In recent decades, articles by several Guardian journalists ooze poison and display a callous disregard for the truth, preferring to spew torrents of antisemitic hatred.

Adam Levik of CAMERA’s UK MediaWatch has been examining articles in The Guardian since 2009. For years, the publication has influenced anti-Israeli and antisemitic consciousness in England, even going as far as to print antisemitic cartoons eerily reminiscent of Nazi propaganda.

It has also negated that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, replacing it with Tel Aviv in its reports. Six months after October 7 and the start of the war against Hamas in Gaza, The Guardian published an article claiming that the state of Israel was nearing its end.

Former Guardian columnist and associate editor Seumas Milne, Labour’s director of strategy and communications from 2015-2020 under the infamous Jeremy Corbyn, published articles in support of Hamas’s right to launch rockets at Israel, claiming that Israel does not have the right to defend itself.

According to The Economist, while a student at Balliol College, Oxford, Milne had affected speaking with a Palestinian accent and called himself Shams (“sun” in Arabic). After graduating, he worked for the Communist monthly Straight Left. The Daily Telegraph has described him as “an apologist for terror.”


Apple Store has Hamas radio station app for download
The Hamas-run radio station Al-Aqsa Voice is available for download from the Apple application store for iPhones and iPads.

The free application allows listeners to tune into broadcasts of the Gaza-based radio station.

The age rating for the app is +17 because of "Mild/moderate realistic violence."

Middle East analyst Eitan Fischberger, who originally discovered the application, questioned what internal review mechanisms Apple has in place to prevent terrorist organizations from exploiting its platform.

Demands for Apple to remove the app
"Apple should immediately remove the app and fix whatever led to this gross oversight," said Fischberger.

"How many susceptible American youths have tuned into Al-Aqsa radio through the App Store? How many have listened to the station as it aired speeches by [Hamas political leader] Ismail Haniyeh and [Hamas Gaza leader] Yahya Sinwar? Voice of Al-Aqsa has been one of Hamas's primary propaganda channels for years."

Al-Aqsa Voice advertises its Apple application on its website next to an option for an application on Google Play, however the Google version no longer appears to be available.

The Hamas-affiliated radio channel also has accounts on Soundcloud, X, and Facebook, but they haven't been updated since July, May, and October. The station's Telegram account also no longer appears available.


London Labour politician's office vandalized by anti-Israel activist
Labour candidate Stella Creasy's London campaign office was vandalized by an anti-Israel activist, an anonymous source in her party confirmed on Saturday.

Creasy's Walthamstow office window was smashed by a man with a hammer and spray-painted last Saturday night, and while the Labour candidate alluded to the motivation, she did not explicitly state the reason for the attack. The Metropolitan Police on Thursday told The Jerusalem Post that it wouldn't speculate to the motive, but confirmed that the incident was not being treated as a hate crime.

Waltham Forest Police released CCTV still images of the suspect on Sunday, urging the public to come forward with information if they had any.

"It is entirely unacceptable for the office of one of London's prospective candidate's to be targeted in this way," Waltham Forest Detectives Superintendent Dion Brown said in a statement.

Creasy said that she had always endeavored to make herself available for discussions with voters on controversial subjects, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but that the attacker has refused to take part in such discussions.

"What I will not do is give an inch to those people who do not care for the democratic process and use violence, intimidation, and harassment to try and express themselves, and make it unsafe for anybody to take part in our politics," Creasy said in a video message on social media.


Taliban delegation to attend women-free UN-led meeting in Doha
A Taliban delegation will be attending a women-free UN-led meeting on the Afghan crisis on Sunday and Monday in Doha, Qatar, the terrorist organization announced Tuesday.

The Taliban-run Afghani foreign ministry in Kabul said the chief Taliban government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, will lead the Taliban delegation.

The organizers of the meeting announced last week that women would be excluded from the meeting, a request made by the Taliban as a condition for their attendance.

The UN-led meeting aims to engage with the Taliban on a way to improve the lives of millions of Afghans and how to engage with the group moving forward, Reuters reported.

The strategy for the Doha meeting was discussed at a meeting chaired by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The meeting discussed international restrictions imposed on Afghanistan’s financial and banking system, the challenges the country faces in growing the private sector, and the government’s actions against drug trafficking, Arab News reported, citing the foreign ministry.

The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021 when US troops and NATO forces pulled out of the country after 20 years of war.

This meeting, which will also include envoys from some 25 countries, will be the third such meeting in Doha. According to Reuters, however, it will be the first attended by the Taliban, as they are not officially recognized by any government.
Houthis claim hits on 4 ships in Mediterranean, Red Sea amid contradicting reports
Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Friday claimed responsibility for attacking a Liberia-flagged vessel in the Red Sea that a maritime agency said had survived five missiles, while also saying they targeted three other vessels including two in the Mediterranean.

The Iran-aligned Houthis say their attacks on shipping lanes are in solidarity with Palestinians in the ongoing war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel.

Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, said in a televised statement that the group launched ballistic missiles at the Delonix, an oil tanker, and that it took a “direct hit.”

However, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) monitor said earlier in the day that the ship, which was targeted 150 nautical miles (172 miles) northwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, reported no damage and was heading northward.

The Houthis have exaggerated their claims in the past. The rebels have targeted more than 60 vessels by firing missiles and drones in their campaign, which has killed a total of four sailors. They seized one vessel and sank two since November.

Saree also said the Houthis attacked the Ioannis ship in the Red Sea, as well as the Waler oil tanker and the Johannes Maersk vessel in the Mediterranean.
Iran’s UN mission threatens ‘obliterating war’ if Israel launches Lebanon offensive
Iran’s mission to the United Nations said on Friday that if Israel embarks on a “full-scale military aggression” in Lebanon against Hezbollah, “an obliterating war will ensue.”

The warning came after the Israel Defense Force attacked several Hezbollah positions, in response to the Iran-backed terror group’s latest barrage on northern Israel hours earlier, amid escalating tensions on the Lebanese border.

Writing on X on Friday, the Iranian UN mission said that if Israel were to launch a war on Hezbollah, “all options, including the full involvement of all resistance fronts, are on the table.”

Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded Saturday on X: “If Hezbollah does not cease its fire and withdraw from southern Lebanon, we will act against it with full force until security is restored and residents can return to their homes.”

And, he added, “⁠A regime that threatens destruction deserves to be destroyed.”

Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” which includes Hezbollah, Hamas, Yemen’s Houthis, and other groups in Syria and Iraq, has been targeting Israel since October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.

Iran itself also launched an unprecedented missile-and-drone strike on Israel on April 14, two weeks after an alleged Israel airstrike near Tehran’s embassy in Damascus killed several senior officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Iranian strike was almost entirely repelled by Israel, the United States and other allies, though a 7-year-old girl was seriously injured in the attack.


GOP congressman Scott Perry shares antisemitic meme on social media
Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) approvingly shared an antisemitic meme on his campaign’s Facebook page earlier this week, underscoring a broader pattern in which the Pennsylvania Republican has espoused conspiracy theories and used inflammatory rhetoric while in office.

“Says it all…,” Perry wrote on Tuesday in a comment he posted above the meme, which invokes several antisemitic tropes. The image depicts a scheming cabal of stereotypically Jewish bankers with hooked noses and thick beards gathered around a Monopoly board that sits atop the hunching backs of a group of naked figures.

The meme is also framed by two ominous lines of text. “If the people stand…,” it states, “…the game is over.”

The Perry campaign removed the post on Friday afternoon after Jewish Insider reached out for comment. “After receiving your inquiry, learning the history of the image, and contacting several members of the Jewish community (some who were familiar with it and some who were not) out of grave concern that it is considered antisemitic — we removed it immediately,” the campaign said in a email to JI.

The image, which has long been widely denounced as antisemitic, originates from a 2012 wall mural painted in London by the Los Angeles street artist Mear One, whose real name is Kalen Ockerman. The mural, called “Freedom for Humanity,” set off an uproar when it debuted and was soon removed.

While Ockerman has denied that his painting relied on antisemitic imagery, he has acknowledged that “the banker group” portrayed in the mural “is made up of Jewish and white Anglos.”

The painting — a meme of which has circulated online for years — has continued to stir controversy in England as well as the United States.

In 2018, Jeremy Corbyn, the former British Labour Party leader who has faced accusations of antisemitism, apologized for defending the mural in a Facebook comment at the time of its removal, claiming that he “did not look more closely at the image,” which he described as “deeply disturbing and antisemitic.”


BBC re-releases archived interview with Otto Frank on decision to publish Anne Frank’s diary
Otto Frank, the father of famed diary writer and Holocaust victim Anne Frank, visited the BBC in 1976, where he explained his decision to have his daughter’s diary published.

Anne Frank’s diary was written, addressed to the fictional character ‘Kitty’, as the young Jewish child hid in an attic in her father’s factory from the Nazis occupying Amsterdam. She had dreams of being a writer, which were cut short when Nazis found the hiding family and transported them to concentration camps. Otto Frank was the only survivor.

In June of 1947, Otto Frank decided to publish his daughter’s diary - a text that later became a bestseller and is still used in Holocaust education in numerous countries today.

The diary, originally intended as an autograph book, had been a 13th birthday gift to Anne Frank. However, Anne Frank almost immediately repurposed it - writing "I hope I shall be able to confide in you completely, as I have never been able to do to anyone before and I hope you will be a great support and comfort to me."

Otto Frank told the BBC of his struggle to read the diary, let alone publish it. After some time, he explained, "I only learned to know her through her diary."

The diary was kept by his bedside at night while the family was in hiding, and Otto Frank had promised never to peek at the inner workings of his daughter's mind. It became a complex issue for him after learning that his family would never return from the camps.

“Anne's anxiety, aspirations and boredom, along with the routine frustrations of living so tightly cooped up with other people, were all laid out on her diary pages,” Otto Frank explained.

"After I had read the diary, I copied it, and I gave a copy to friends of ours who had known us all," he told the BBC in 1976. "One of them was employed in a publishing firm and he told me 'you have not the right to keep the diary as a private property, it's a human document and you should publish it'. And so I did."

Asked if he ever regretted publishing his daughter’s private thoughts, Otto Frank answered, "I didn't regret it because Anna wrote in one of her diaries, 'I want to go on living after my death', and in a certain way, through her diary, she is living on in many hearts."




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