Thursday, July 18, 2024

07/18 Links Pt1: Melanie Phillips: A fighting chance for the West; Iran’s Deadly Election Meddling; The New Republican Party Is Sticking with Israel; Netanyahu visits Rafah

From Ian:

Melanie Phillips: A fighting chance for the West
This week, there has been a palpable feeling of tectonic plates on the move. Suddenly, the cultural elites who regard themselves as masters of the universe have paused disconcerted as they disbelievingly feel the ground cracking beneath their feet.

The impact of the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, his instant reaction and the iconic picture of that reaction, cannot be exaggerated. Those few seconds have changed American politics and maybe the world.

It was obviously beyond astounding that a rifle shot failed by a few centimeters to kill Trump.

Many religious folk regard this as a miracle. They believe that, after eight years of attempts to destroy Trump politically through constitutionally improper plots, legal actions and non-stop demonization—from all of which, astonishingly, he emerged even stronger—this close brush with death demonstrates he has divine protection to fulfil the role on earth for which he has been marked out.

Among those who regard all that as nonsense, many have nevertheless been deeply impressed by the presence of mind and strength of character Trump displayed by struggling to his feet, defiantly raising his fist and mouthing “Fight!” with blood streaming down his face.

We still don’t know what motivated the young shooter, who appears to have been a troubled and apolitical misfit.

However, we have all seen the reaction from the leftist and liberal classes. While no one side has a monopoly on demonizing rhetoric, the malice of the left was breathtaking. Many bemoaned the fact that the shooter didn’t succeed in killing Trump.

Even more telling was the stunning cognitive dissonance of the liberal media. CNN said Trump’s speech had been “interrupted by the Secret Service” and that he “falls at rally.” The Washington Post said Trump had been “escorted off the stage after loud noises,” while Sky News suggested he was partly to blame for his own attempted murder just by being Trump.

These media outlets simply couldn’t process the fact that Trump had become a heroic victim.

The media was doing what the left always does: Misrepresenting reality to deny any facts that will destroy its narrative about the world. In that narrative, “right-wing” populists like Trump are responsible for everything bad in the world. They therefore can never do anything good and can never be a victim. They are a force for evil and so deserve all they get.
Seth Mandel: Iran’s Deadly Election Meddling
Of course, part of the problem here is that, for the reasons listed above, Republicans will have to be the ones to make the conversation about Iran. They cannot count on relentless media focus and investigatory zeal from the political press or the White House. In 2016 and after, it was almost impossible not to be talking about Russia. It was a riptide; you stepped into the political discourse and got pulled out into the middle of the ocean. That simply won’t happen on its own with Iran.

But it is crazy that the constant stream of Iranian meddling and murder has to be forced onto the agenda. The breadth of the Iran threat, however, also offers a path to keeping it from falling by the wayside. That’s because Iranian meddling has been so successful that China and its allies have followed its lead and refocused some of their propaganda efforts away from pro-Beijing messaging and toward anti-Israel/anti-Jewish messaging. The Iranian model has now been adopted by America’s enemies all over the world.

As I wrote in May, a bright red line was crossed when Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was a featured speaker at a massively anti-American conference connected to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a designated foreign terrorist organization. “We have to bring down this empire with one million cuts,” said one speaker, referring to the U.S. And who was that speaker? As Eli Lake pointed out, it was Manolo De Los Santos, director of the People’s Forum, a prominent Chinese propaganda outfit owned by the American-born Neville Roy Singham. The Marxist Singham made a tech fortune and became a major funder of CCP propaganda. The People’s Forum also financially supported the conference and hosted the conference’s website. The People’s Forum has been involved in the pro-Hamas protest movement from the beginning.

Iran has been behind two multi-casualty attacks on Americans since October. Its propaganda has penetrated into grade-school lesson plans. Its activist network has paralyzed universities and brought lawlessness to the streets of major U.S. cities. It may have been caught planning out the murder of a presidential candidate. And it has China’s massive soft-power reserves behind it.

And we should not stop talking about it.
The New Republican Party Is Sticking with Israel
Donald Trump’s selection of J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential nominee says much about the direction of the Republican party over the next few years. It is thus reassuring that Vance, whatever his other faults or merits, has been unreserved in his support for Israel, although he has taken pains to place this position in the context of what he presents as a Trumpist or “America-first” foreign policy. In Vance’s view the primary feature of this approach would be to abandon Ukraine and seek reconciliation with Russia—a close ally of Iran and supporter of Hamas.

Together with the recitation of a prayer for the release of Israeli hostages at the Republican National Convention, Vance’s positions are evidence of what David Weigel recently termed the “new anti-Israel right’s failure to launch.”

To the extent there’s been a debate over Israel within the right, it overlaps significantly with a separate internal fight over whether to purge fringe activists who have expressed anti-Semitic or white nationalist views. A study of voter opinion by the political scientist Michael Tesler found opposition to Israel aid within the GOP was heavily concentrated among voters who also view Jewish people unfavorably.

But the movement has gotten no serious traction inside the GOP. One reason: good, old-fashioned negative polarization. The Israel question divides Democrats, not Republicans. . . . The anti-war movement is overwhelmingly organized by left-wing activists whom Republicans already dislike, especially on campus. . . . That disgust has strengthened the already-robust Republican support for Israel, which has long united both religious conservatives and national-security hawks.

“A few years ago, any candidate—Republican or Democrat—could get on stage and say, ‘I stand with Israel’, and it was an automatic applause line,” said Sam Markstein, the Republican Jewish Coalition’s national political director. “These days, if you did that as a Democrat, you’d be booed.” Markstein predicted that his party wouldn’t budge: “Republicans know Israel must be given the time, space, and support it needs to win this war of good versus evil—Democrats, unfortunately, have totally lost the plot.”

It’s notable, as an aside, how much Weigel absorbs the distorted language and thinking of so much reporting on Israel: the war begun by Hamas is “Israel’s war”; the passage above refers to those calling for Israel’s annihilation as the “anti-war movement”; and the continuation of the conflict depends largely on whether the U.S. pressures Israel to “end” the war, presumably something distinct from winning it.


JPost Editorial: Poll numbers in US show Israeli Jews are deterred by White House Middle East approach
Former president Donald Trump has been enjoying an outpouring of support and positivity in the United States since his assassination attempt less than a week ago. He has also become a national hero, celebrating his strength at the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin. At the same time, while President Joe Biden is losing support among his party members, a similar shift in Israel has already occurred:

A survey published on Wednesday by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) found that most Jewish Israelis prefer Trump over Biden in the upcoming presidential election. The July 2024 Israeli Society Index revealed that 51% of Jewish Israelis favored Trump, compared to 35% who supported Biden and 14% who were undecided.

This preference was reflected in the broader context of Israeli opinions on the current US administration’s support for Israel. The survey indicated that a significant portion of Israelis believed Biden’s support for Israel had waned since the onset of the ongoing conflict. While 34% of Jewish Israelis acknowledged that Biden strongly supported Israel at the beginning of the war and continued to do so, there was a pervasive sentiment that his support had diminished.

Among voters of the coalition parties, Trump’s support was overwhelmingly strong. A staggering 82% of Likud voters, 94% of Shas voters, and 87% of Religious-Zionist voters expressed their preference for the former president. In contrast, centrist and left-leaning Israelis presented a more balanced view, with many still favoring Biden.

This divide in preference underscored broader concerns about Israel’s security and foreign policy. The JPPI survey also revealed profound disillusionment with Israel’s leadership, with only 26% expressing confidence in the government and a mere 27% in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This declining trust in domestic leadership likely influenced Israelis to look outward, favoring a US leader perceived as more supportive of Israeli interests.

Trump’s appeal among Israelis can be attributed to several factors. His administration was perceived as highly supportive of Israel, with significant actions such as the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries.
Kustoff: Biden’s handling of antisemitism could lure Jews to back Trump
Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN), one of two Jewish Republicans in the House, suggested in an interview on Wednesday that former President Donald Trump will draw meaningful support in the November election from Jewish voters who say they are disenchanted with the Biden administration’s handling of antisemitism provoked by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The Hamas attacks of Oct. 7 were “a big reset” for Jewish Americans and their “perceptions of the political parties, especially among the Democrats,” Kustoff told Jewish Insider on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention, which concludes on Thursday night.

“For a number of American Jews who traditionally vote Democrat, I think that they look and see that there’s not enough pushback on antisemitism,” he said of President Joe Biden, predicting that such feelings will “translate to more support for Trump.”

Even as the GOP’s newly approved platform has faced criticism from Republican leaders who say its section on countering antisemitism lacks substance, Kustoff, who has prioritized efforts to counter rising anti-Jewish prejudice, said he was “not concerned” by the limited scope.

While the Tennessee congressman acknowledged that the platform — at just 16 pages — is short on specifics, he otherwise voiced approval of what he described as Trump’s commitment to confronting antisemitism.

“While we don’t know who will be in the administration yet,” he speculated, “I have full confidence that they’re going to stand strong in condemning antisemitism” and “supporting Israel.”

In the meantime, Kustoff — who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee — indicated that “there is going to be a push to delve further” into antisemitic activity on college campuses “and look for possible remedies,” though he did not share details.


Jonathan Tobin: Understanding the importance of J.D. Vance
Vance’s own life story was an inspiring rags-to-riches tale. He survived a difficult childhood with a mother who was an addict, to go on to service in the Marines, then college and Yale Law School, and a successful career as a venture capitalist before winning an Ohio Senate seat in 2022.

In 2016, Vance was a strong critic of Trump but, like a lot of other conservatives, he changed his mind about him. That was due to his performance as president and he way the left and the D.C. establishment demonstrated that they would do virtually anything to destroy someone who was neither part of their elite clique nor one of the “experts” in the governing class.

This is now put forward by his critics as a sign of his insincerity and ruthless ambition. Though, as is true for anyone in politics, ambition may have played some role in his conversion (interestingly, he underwent a religious conversion during this same period, becoming a Catholic in 2017), it seems primarily rooted in a recognition that the policies of those who purported to lead the conservative movement were not actually conservative. If they were, they wouldn’t be indifferent to the way global economics and illegal immigration destroys lives and communities and undermines traditional American values.

Nor would he, as the Bush-era Republicans did, stand by and allow the collapse of the manufacturing sector and the enrichment of China that undermined America’s national security.

More to the point, and unlike other leading politicians, Trump seemed to get it. Imperfect and inconsistent though he may be, he cared about those who were hurt by globalist policies and his economic, trade and foreign-policy positions were essentially sensible. And he was opposed to the woke ideological policies that sought to divert Americans from the real economic problems faced by working people to divisive fake concerns about racism.

At 39 (he turns 40 on Aug. 2) and with less than 2 years’ service in the Senate, Vance has yet to be tested on the national stage. But he is an articulate spokesman for a movement that is putting forth a version of conservatism that is more in tune with the needs of ordinary voters.

It is also in stark opposition to the leftist ideology and its woke catechism of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) that has taken over our education system, culture, the media and, thanks to Biden, the federal bureaucracy, which is in desperate need of reform. This leftist orthodoxy is the animating force behind the current surge in antisemitism. And far from abetting Jew hatred, the new conservative populism is the only force that stands a chance of resisting and rolling it back.

Vance’s opposition to continuing the funding of an endless war in Ukraine which is eating up resources that might better be spent on aiding Israel, stopping Iran and deterring China is disqualifying for some on the right who are still obsessed with Russia. They wrongly believe that putting so much of our resources into Ukraine will magically strengthen Israel and Taiwan. But his critics have no answer to his arguments about the need for America to pick and choose its fights carefully in an era when its capacity to produce arms is no longer unlimited.

Assuming Trump wins in November, we don’t know how Vance will fare in the second slot, as there will be plenty of opportunities for him to stumble or to displease the president. But what makes him both interesting and dangerous to the D.C. establishment is that he provides the intellectual muscle for a new conservative vision for the country.

It isn’t the same conservatism of Reagan and Thatcher, and that’s hard for an older generation of Republicans to absorb. But the challenges America, Israel and the world must now deal with are not the same as those that faced the West in the 1980s, when the “evil empire” in Moscow still threatened the world with Communism.

Yet with his nomination, Vance is now poised to ensure that this turn toward national conservatism is no passing phase that will be erased by a comeback of Never-Trump Bush-era Republicans who still dream of taking the GOP back from the “deplorables.” If he succeeds, the decision to tap him for the vice presidency may turn out to be among the most consequential of Trump’s decisions.


Father of Hamas captive at RNC: Trump told me he ‘stands with the American hostages’
Addressing the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Wednesday night, the father of an American-Israeli hostage held in Gaza said former US president Donald Trump had told him that “he stands with the American hostages.”

“President Trump told us personally right after the attack when Omer was taken captive. We know he stands with the American hostages,” said Ronen Neutra, who addressed the RNC alongside his wife Orna.

Trump has not offered extensive comment on the hostage component of the Israel-Hamas war, but he has several times expressed his belief that many of the captives are no longer alive.

The crowd of thousands greeted Ronen and Orna Neutra with chants of “Bring them home.”

Orna began her remarks by sharing a little bit about her son, Omer.

“He was born in New York City, one month after 9/11. Eight months pregnant, I walked across the Queensborough Bridge toward home that day. And here we are 23 years later, and he’s the victim of another vile terrorist attack,” she said.

Unlike in their appearances at events on the RNC sidelines earlier Wednesday, the Neutras did not call, in their convention speech, for the adoption of the hostage release and ceasefire deal currently on the table. That deal, backed by US President Joe Biden, wasn’t mentioned at all in their primetime remarks in front of Trump, the thousands at the Fiserv Forum arena and the millions watching at home.

Instead, Ronen used his remarks to stress how Hamas’s October 7 onslaught was just as much a domestic issue as it was a foreign policy issue for Republicans.
WATCH: Parents of Omer Neutra speak at 2024 Republican National Convention | 2024 RNC Night 3



Kassy Akiva: Jewish Harvard Grad Who Faced Harassment on Campus Addresses RNC to Thunderous Applause
A recent Harvard graduate suing the school for enabling antisemitism received thunderous applause at the Republican National Convention Wednesday evening as he condemned the radicalism that has swept the Ivy League university and campuses across the country.

Shabbos Kestenbaum, who graduated from Harvard Divinity School this spring, recounted his unexpected journey to the frontlines of the fight against antisemitism after Hamas massacred more than 1,000 Israelis on October 7.

“When I planted 1,200 Israeli and American flags on campus, they were all vandalized within 24 hours,” Kestenbaum said. “I was harassed by my peers merely for being a Jew, and have received death threats online.”

Kestenbaum recalled how Harvard “students and professors have openly called for Hamas-style attacks against the United States.” Eventually, he said he realized that he was immersed in a culture “that is anti-Western, anti-American, and anti-Semitic.”

Although he registered as a Democrat when he turned 18 and once voted for Bernie Sanders, Kestenbaum said the Democratic Party has become “ideologically poisoned.”

“I now recognize that the far left has abandoned not only the Jewish people, but the American people,” Kestenbaum said. “This corruption…is infecting too many young American students.”

Kestenbaum encouraged the crowd to vote for a president who will “instill patriotism in our schools,” “confront terrorism and its supporters,” and one who understands that “Jewish values are American values, and American values are Jewish values.”

Kestenbaum told The Daily Wire shortly before his speech that he was nervous but excited to address “tens of thousands of patriots, including the former President of the United States,” Donald Trump.


Megyn Kelly: How Elise Stefanik Changed the College Anti-Semitism Conversation in America With Tough Questions
Megyn Kelly is joined by Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York's 21st Congressional District to discuss the state of antisemitism on college campuses in America today, how Stefanik handled the now-iconic Capitol Hill hearings with university presidents, new details emerging about the assassination attempt on Trump, what we know now about the shooter, and more.


UNC fraternity brothers who held U.S. flag up at Gaza protest high five adoring Republican fans as they pledge to 'keep it flying'
Several fraternity brothers from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill who defied pro-Gaza protestors by banding together to keep the U.S. flag from touching the ground received a loud and warm welcome from RNC attendees Wednesday.

The fraternity brothers became a viral sensation overnight for their patriotic heroics in defending the Old Glory from protestors who had torn it down off a campus flag pole in late April this year.

When the group took the stage at the RNC Wednesday one could have believed a battalion of war heroes had just returned from service overseas, but that reception was not for the military but for the fraternity brother's militant defending of the flag.

The brothers emerged in a procession carrying American flags to the convention floor - again flying the American flag pride.

'When a mob tried to take down the American flag on our campus we knew we couldn't let that happen,' one of the students said to roars of approval.

'We stood guard, we held it up and did not let it fall,' he added before an even more rapturous outburst of approval from attendees.

'It was all about respect,' he continued. 'Not just for the cloth but for everything the flag stands for.'

'Too many people have sacrificed everything for it. The least we could do is keep it flying.'

'And tonight we are proud to honor our flag again.'

Then, with some audience members tearing up, the crowd exploded once again in praise for the fraternity brothers.

After, the brothers once again lined up and walked off of the floor to cheers and salutes.


Netanyahu: Fighting Hamas ‘does not delay the deal—it advances it’
The Israel Defense Forces’ ongoing operations against the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip will help advance a hostages-for-ceasefire deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Thursday.

“The military pressure they are exerting right here, at Hamas’s throat, along with standing firm on our just demands, helps us advance the hostage deal,” Netanyahu said during a visit to Rafah in Gaza.

The continuing military campaign in the coastal enclave will help realize “our demand to release a maximum number of hostages already during the first stage,” Netanyahu said in remarks following the visit, adding, “This double pressure does not delay the deal—it advances it.”

The premier toured parts of Gaza’s southernmost city together with his chief of staff Tzachi Braverman, military secretary Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman and Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Rafah in the Gaza Strip, July 18, 2024. Photo by Avi Ohayon/GPO.

Netanyahu said that seeing the troop’s achievements in Rafah reinforced his “understanding that their massive action, above and below ground, is essential for Israel’s security.”

He also said the visit helped strengthen his position that Jerusalem should retain control of the Rafah Border Crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor, using the IDF’s name for Gaza’s 8.5-mile border with Egypt.

“Next week, I am going to the United States to address both chambers of Congress. I am going to present Israel’s righteousness, but I am also going to show the Israeli heroism that I see here,” said Netanyahu.


Israel's Undercover Forces Operate in Gaza's Battlefield
The Israeli commandos who rescued four hostages in Gaza drove a pair of battered white trucks - one displaying a soap advertisement, the other bearing a mattress and furniture on the roof.

They were armed, but their main weapon was disguise, blending into a Hamas stronghold.

The June rescue mission was the most prominent example of Israel's undercover units on the battlefield in Gaza, a dangerous foray into territory that its forces once found nearly impenetrable.

Undercover operatives were in the neighborhood for weeks before the rescue.
How Israel Targeted a Top Hamas Militant
Israel had tried - and failed seven times - to kill Hamas's top military leader, Mohammed Deif. So when intelligence emerged he was hiding in a compound in southern Gaza, Israel struck with overwhelming force, hitting it with eight precision-guided, 2,000-pound bombs, people familiar with the operation said. The blast reduced the target to a smoldering crater. The attack was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Brig.-Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi, a former deputy commander of the IDF's Gaza division, noted that in 2003, Israel missed a chance to kill a group of Hamas leaders that had gathered in a single apartment in Gaza. There was a debate about using a 2,000-pound bomb, but ultimately the group was targeted with a smaller one to prevent damage to nearby buildings filled with civilians. The intelligence about which floor the Hamas commanders were on turned out to be wrong, allowing them to escape. This time, Israel chose the bigger bombs.


IDF intel. releases recordings of Gazans praising Deif’s killing, wishing Sinwar's death
The IDF on Thursday night released multiple recordings obtained by IDF intelligence of Gazans praising Israel’s assassination strike on Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif. The Gazans on the recordings also express hope that the IDF will kill Gaza Chief Yahya Sinwar in the near future, which will then hopefully bring an end to the war. IDF Spokesperson for Arabic Media Avichay Adraee published the recordings on X, saying these are, "The authentic voices from Gaza testify to the feelings that the residents of the Strip have towards Hamas’ leaders and their hope that they will all be eliminated so that the war will end." The transcript of one recording reads:
Palestinian 1: They have assassinated Deif.
Palestinian 2: God willing they will also kill Sinwar. What will I do with them? Congratulations to them!
Palestinian 1: God willing, god willing, I wish.
Palestinian 2: If only we can finally rest, its enough already.

The transcript of the second call reads:
Palestinian 3: They have assassinated Mohammed Deif.
Palestinian 4: (Repeating to a third person/Palestinian 5) – They have assassinated Mohammed Deif. (Then turning back to Palestinian 3) Is it true?
Palestinian 3: Yes.
Palestinian 4: Things will be good. I wish, and then the war will end.


(Then there is a discussion to avoid going to the beach which might be unsafe).

Palestinian 4: Soon this should happen to Sinwar, god-willing.


IDF: Fighter jets strike Hamas operatives gathered at UNRWA site in Gaza City
A group of Hamas operatives gathered at a United Nations facility in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood were struck by a fighter jet a short while ago, the IDF says.

According to the military, the UNRWA site was used by Hamas as a command center.

The IDF says it carried out “many steps” to mitigate harm to civilians, including using aerial surveillance and “precision munitions.”

In recent weeks, more than 50 airstrikes have been carried out against Hamas sites embedded within schools and other sites used as shelters for civilians, according to the IDF.
IDF kills Islamic Jihad naval chief in Gaza; Hamas attacks troops securing aid route
The commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s naval forces in the Gaza City region, Anas Murad, was killed in a recent drone strike, the Israel Defense Forces said Thursday.

In a separate drone strike, the military said it killed Ahmed al-Masri, an Islamic Jihad member who participated in the October 7 onslaught on Israel led by the Palestinian terror group Hamas, which started the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF said al-Masri was also responsible for the firing of a large number of rockets from Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood at communities in southern Israel.

Another recent airstrike killed a Hamas sniper who killed an Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip, along with some 20 more terror operatives, the IDF and Shin Bet security agency said Thursday.

According to the IDF, the drone strike killed around 20 members of Hamas’s Shati Battalion, including members of the elite Nukhba force, snipers, and operatives who would observe Israeli forces.

Muhammad Abu Hatab, a sniper and a platoon commander in the Shati Battalion, was among those killed. Sgt. First Class Tal Lahat, of the IDF’s Maglan commando unit, who was killed during fighting in central Gaza on July 9, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

According to the IDF, Abu Hatab carried out several sniper attacks against Israeli troops in Gaza, including an incident near the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City on July 9, killing Sgt. First Class Tal Lahat, 21, of the Maglan commando unit.

Another terrorist killed in the strike was Ismail Shakshak, who the IDF said was a member of Hamas’s Nukhba force who participated in the October 7 onslaught.


IDF soldier dies of wounds from Hezbollah drone attack
An IDF soldier who sustained severe wounds in a Hezbollah drone attack in the Golan Heights late last month and had been hospitalized at a Haifa hospital succumbed to his wounds, the army said on Thursday.

Sgt. Maj. (res.) Efraim Ben Amram, 25, from Yesud HaMa’ala in the Hula Valley, served in the 188th Armored Brigade’s 53rd Battalion and was seriously wounded in the June 30 drone attack that targeted troops stationed in the Kibbutz Merom Golan area.

Three additional soldiers were wounded in the attack and sustained light to moderate shrapnel wounds, Rambam Medical Center said at the time.

Hezbollah has attacked Israel’s north nearly every day since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, firing thousands of suicide drones, rockets and anti-tank missiles at Israeli border towns, killing more than 20 people and causing widespread damage. Tens of thousands of Israeli civilians remain internally displaced due to the ongoing violence.

Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Southern Lebanon overnight Tuesday after the Iranian-backed terrorist army fired 15 rockets across the border.

The IAF hit terrorist sites in the areas of Yarine, Ayta ash Shab and Aalma El Chaeb. Additionally, Israel Defense Forces artillery fired to remove a threat in the area of Majdal Zoun.


Soldier’s killer among 20 Hamas terrorists eliminated by IDF
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Thursday afternoon that a Hamas sniper who murdered Sgt. First Class Tal Lahat was among 20 terrorists eliminated in a joint operation with the Israel Security Agency.

Muhammed Abu Jattab was a platoon commander and sniper in Hamas’s Al-Shati Battalion, according to the IDF.

The dead include Nukhba terrorists, engineers and snipers.

The IDF named another of the terrorists killed in the strike as Ismael Shaksha, a Nukhba terrorist who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre.

Abu Jattab carried out many sniper attacks throughout the war, including the incident on July 9 that killed Lahat during a targeted raid to dismantle terror infrastructure at the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City, according to the military.

Lahat, 21, from Kfar Saba, was a member of of the Maglan commando unit.


Seth Frantzman: The rise and fall of the US-built floating Gaza pier
The IDF prepared for the pier in April by clearing a 67-acre site near the shore in Gaza. Concrete walls were put in place and the site was made ready to house aid that would then be trucked inland. When the pier was put in place on May 16, it only functioned for less than ten days before high seas forced it to be towed to Ashdod. In the process, several parts of the pier, technically a tug portion of it, came loose, and one of them grounded on a beach in Ashdod.

The US had to send a landing craft (LCM 8558) to pull the piece off the shore and then LCM became grounded. The Matamoros then had to tow the pieces off the shore.

Although the pier was re-attached in June, it faced scrutiny following an Israeli raid to rescue the hostages Noa Argamani, Shlomi Ziv, Almog Meir Jan, and Andrey Kozlov. Anti-Israel extremists claimed that the pier was somehow linked to the rescue, which it was not. In the end, the pier had pleased no one. Some thought that the Biden administration had ordered it built to get support from voters in the US. It was mocked for costing more than $200 million and potentially putting 1,000 American military personnel in harm’s way. It also did not deliver very much aid, despite being in place, off and on, for almost two months.

By the time the pier was operational in May, Israel had shifted its policies in northern Gaza, opening a new crossing called Erez West and also moving to reopen the Erez crossing and it was transporting trucks via the Netzarim corridor as well. When the US informed Israel that it would end the pier project, Israel said aid would flow through Pier 28 in Ashdod instead.

The end result of the floating pier project is likely a study of good intentions gone awry. It took a lot of time to put it in place and it was ineffective. Easier options, such as moving ships from Cyprus to Ashdod and offloading aid onto trucks, made more sense.

A floating pier like this might work in a place where there are no other alternatives. Critics of the pier came from all sides of the American political spectrum. Pro-Palestinian voices condemned it, as did critics of the Biden administration on the Right.

The US may have learned from this initiative and the US Army and the Pentagon can also study how the pier was used. The fact that it did not work in any sea state higher than one meter shows how vulnerable it is. The coast of Gaza is not particularly complex in terms of currents, wind, and waves. Yet it had trouble remaining there for more than a week at a time.


NEVER Cower to the MOB: Producing “October 7th - The Play” | The Caroline Glick Show
When Phelim McAleer, Ann McElhinney, and Geoffrey Cantor set out to produce a play depicting the October 7th massacre, they knew it would create waves. But they never expected a “verbatim”, historically accurate, production to require in-audience security and actors to fear for their careers.

Nevertheless, they pushed forward with their mission and boarded a plane for Israel, determined to document survivors’ stories. What they discovered and recreated in their play is a story of hope and resilience - the story of Israel.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:00 Background of the play
7:00 Initial trip to Israel
13:00 Interviewing Shani, Nova survivor
15:00 A theme of faith
18:00 The writing process
23:15 Geoffrey Cantor on his experience
34:00 Handling hostility towards the production
44:00 Security of the show
51:50 Impact on non-Jewish audiences
54:00 Taking the play to the Ivy League & beyond
1:00:00 Parting words - making art from tragedy
1:10:38 Clip from the play


Left around the world becoming ‘very hostile’ to Israel
Sky News host Andrew Bolt says the left around the world are getting “very hostile” to Israel.

“The left in Australia, and in fact around the world, but the left here including Labor, including the unions, they are getting very hostile to Israel,” Mr Bolt said.

“Very pro-Palestinian, it is almost like a tribal thing, really.”




BBC presenter justifies Hezbollah's attacks on Israel
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has found itself at the center of yet another controversy, following comments made by one of its presenters during a discussion about the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

During a segment on BBC World News on Wednesday evening, presenter Martine Croxall interviewed author Yaakov Katz about the potential for escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The exchange has sparked accusations of bias against the public broadcaster.

The controversy arose when Croxall questioned Katz about allegations of Israel using white phosphorus. In response, Katz redirected attention to the actions of Hezbollah, stating, "The human rights watch, I'd love to hear what they have to say about the thousands of rockets being fired by Hezbollah."

Critics argue that Croxall's subsequent remarks appeared to defend Hezbollah's actions, by saying "We know that Hezbollah are acting out in this way because they are so concerned."

"Oh, so attacking Israelis with rockets is the way you show your concern for the deaths of other people? Martine, I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous." Croxall characterization of the Lebanon-based organization's motivations has drawn sharp rebukes not only from Katz but from various quarters.

The incident has reignited debates about impartiality in BBC's coverage of complex geopolitical issues, particularly those involving the Middle East. It comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region, with both Israel and Hezbollah exchanging threats of potential military action.


UNPRECEDENTED: Are Trump and His Opposition Unique? | Think Twice w/ Jonathan Tobin
Love him or hate him, Divine Providence is undeniably on the side of President Trump. While President Biden desperately tries to save his campaign, Trump’s power of personality has only grown more apparent these past few weeks.

In today’s episode featuring presidential historian Tevi Troy, Jonathan Tobin dives into the history of American presidential campaigns to explore Trump’s uniqueness and how he has shifted the trajectory of the GOP.

They also discuss previous presidential assassination attempts; the history of health worries and the 25th Amendment; Vice Presidential choices; the Jewish vote; and the changing relationship between business and politics.

Chapters
00:00 Unique Aspects of the 2024 Election
06:27 Historical Precedents of Attempts on Candidates' Lives
10:30 Impact of Israel and the War on Hamas on the 2024 Election
22:39 Changing Dynamics Between Big Business and Politics
37:52 Comparing Silicon Valley Moguls to Past Business Leaders


The Israel Guys: Why Hamas is About to Get 100 Million Dollars from America
Since October 7th, the Biden administration has given $774 million dollars to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. And now, they’re adding another $100 million to it! We saw the direct consequences of that this week in two different terror attacks here in Judea and Samaria.

Joe Biden also claimed that he was a Zionist right before saying he’s done more the Palestinians than anybody he knows.


Adidas criticised for collab with Bella Hadid on 1972 Olympics shoe
Adidas has announced Pro-Palestine activist and model Bella Hadid as the face of its revamped 1972 Olympics shoe.

The cult trainer was originally designed for runners in the Munich Olympics, where 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were killed in a terrorist attack by Palestinian group Black September.

Stop Antisemitism, a US-based organisation fighting antisemitism, criticised Adidas for their choice of celebrity. “Antisemite Bella Hadid was chosen by Adidas as the face for the 1972 Olympic shoe relaunch,” they shared on social media. “The same Olympics in which Jews were butchered by Palestinian terrorists”.

Bella Hadid has been accused of “fanning the flames of antisemitism” by spreading misinformation about Israel. She has accused Israel of being an apartheid “Jewish supremacist” state and claimed “Jesus was Palestinian”.

Stop Antisemitism called Adidas’ choice “on par” for the company, which has previously been criticised for its relationship with Kanye West. The company ended their creative partnership with the rapper over his “unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous” comments in October 2022.

Still, last year, Adidas Chief Executive said West “didn’t mean what he said” and that he wasn’t “a bad person – it just came across that way”. He described the end to Adidas’ creative relationship with the rapper as “very unfortunate”.

West has praised Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Speaking in an interview with Alex Jones, he said: “There’s a lot of things I love about Hitler”. He has shared violently antisemitic posts on social media, saying he was “going death con 3 on Jewish People”.

Adidas was founded by brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler in Germany in 1924. Both brothers were members of the Nazi party, and during the 1936 Berlin Olympic games, many German athletes sported Dassler shoes.


Palestine Solidarity Campaign activist praises Hamas’s ‘peaceful initiatives’
The brochure for last Saturday’s Durham Miners Gala included a statement by a Palestine Solidarity Campaign activist praising Hamas for its “many peaceful initiatives”.

Over four pages of the brochure for the 138th Durham Miners Gala, the article called for the “defeat of Zionism” and claimed Jews themselves needed to undergo “liberation” from the “racist ideology”.

Author John Metson, a leading figure in the PSC’s County Durham branch, also accused Israel of “unrelenting savagery” in the war against Hamas, and claimed there was no need to wait for the International Court of Justice’s judgment “to know that this is genocide”.

Jewish Labour groups reacted furiously after being shown the anti-Zionist rant, with a Labour Friends of Israel spokesperson calling on the PSC to make an “immediate apology” about the content of their statement.

Jewish News was alerted to the material by a group of trade unionists at last Saturday’s event, which was attended by Jeremy Corbyn.

One told us: “Thousands of copies of the brochure are posted and sold on the day. I will be lodging a complaint with my union Unite over the rubbish I was made to read.” The brochure for last Saturday’s Durham Miners Gala included a statement by a Palestine Solidarity Campaign activist praising Hamas for its ‘many peaceful initiatives’

The brochure for last Saturday’s Durham Miners Gala included a statement by a Palestine Solidarity Campaign activist praising Hamas for its “many peaceful initiatives”. Thousands of people attended the gala.

This year’s event was meant to mark the 40th anniversary of the miners’ strike and included in a lively parade. But in a move which angered some attendees, the PSC’s statement was a central feature of the £2 brochure.

“We could not believe what we were reading when we came to the section written on Israel and Palestine,” one attendee told Jewish News. “The Miners Gala never used to be dominated by such one-sided accounts on the politics of the Middle East. It used to be about celebrating the best of working-class culture in this country.”
EXCLUSIVELidia Thorpe's 'Hamas headband' story unravels: Shocking tweets fly in the face of firebrand politician's grovelling apology - and now the COPS are involved
Lidia Thorpe's story about why she posted a photo of herself wearing a Hamas-style headband has taken another turn, as it is referred to police and a second taunting tweet she deleted resurfaces.

The independent Victorian senator posted the provocative selfie to X on Tuesday, but deleted it just hours later, telling Daily Mail Australia she didn't realise the headband was linked to the terrorist group.

In the photo, Ms Thorpe - who openly supports Palestine amid the ongoing conflict with Israel - could be seen smiling while holding a mug and wearing a green headband that said 'I love chocolate milk' in Arabic script.

The caption, alongside two chocolate bar emojis, read: 'I wholeheartedly support this message. I hope you do too!'

One critic, activist Drew Pavlou, said: 'This is a dog whistle, the headband is a piss take about chocolate milk but it's designed to look exactly like the green headbands worn by Hamas fighters.'

Ms Thorpe's account posted two responses to Mr Pavlou before she blocked him - one featuring three chocolate bar emojis with no text, and a second reply taunting him: 'Or baiting predictable reactionaries like you?'

That message - which has now been deleted - appeared to fly in the face of Ms Thorpe's original explanation that the selfie was an innocent mistake. She has now claimed the inflammatory response to Mr Pavlou was actually written by a staffer.

Daily Mail Australia can also confirm the Australian Federal Police has received a 'report of crime' over the photo.




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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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