Seth Mandel: Israeli Lives Aren’t Cheap
In the 2004 Israeli movie Walk on Water, a Mossad agent played by Lior Ashkenazi is tasked with tracking down and eliminating an aging Nazi in Germany. In trying to understand the decision to prioritize killing an evil but elderly man, he asks his boss: “Get him before God does?” To which his boss responds: “Yes, get him before God does.”Seth Mandel: If Haniyeh Can Be Killed, So Can Hamas
Ismail Haniyeh was not yet an old man, and his earthly punishment, too, has come before his heavenly penance. Israel’s reported assassination of the Hamas leader in Tehran last night will be mourned by the terrible people of the world. Media reaction has followed its predictable nature. Reuters called him a “moderate” in an article republished by Voice of America. Most other press reaction has consolidated behind the idea that the strike will sabotage ceasefire talks.
The more important lesson, however, is the one expressed in the Walk on Water scene above: Jewish blood is no longer cheap. There is a price to be paid for taking Jewish life. Most of the time, this is interpreted through the lens of Israel’s enemies—that is, as a threat. But more important is what this reality says to citizens of Israel. To them, it’s a promise.
This is the value of being a citizen of Israel, and it cannot be underestimated. It is the same value behind the constant search for a hostage deal. The Israel that took out Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran is the Israel that agrees to lopsided trades to bring its captives home, one at a time if necessary. No matter how communal its practices or collectivist its apportionment of responsibility for the rest of the nation, Judaism has never stopped valuing every individual life.
Those who worry about the fate of a ceasefire deal should be encouraged by Haniyeh’s date with destiny. There are different ways to protect Jewish life, and Israel takes each opportunity when it presents itself.
That does not just go for Jewish citizens of Israel, needless to say. The day before Haniyeh’s elimination, Israel killed Fuad Shukr in a targeted strike on Beirut. Shukr had two prominent claims to fame: He was responsible for the massacre of a dozen Druze children in northern Israel last week, and he was behind the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, an attack that killed 241 Americans. There was a $5 million reward on his head from the U.S. government.
Which means that 40 years and nine months after he helped kill 241 Americans, Shukr was still a wanted man. Four days after he helped kill 12 Druze, he was a dead man.
The implications of Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran will become clearer in the coming days, but it should finally bury one of the more absurd claims made by Israel’s critics—that there is no military solution to the problem posed by Hamas.Brendan O'Neill: Ismail Haniyeh was a monster, not a ‘moderate’
Sometimes this is phrased as: “Hamas is an idea, and you can’t kill an idea.” Sometimes we’re told those eliminated in targeted assassinations—and even battlefield routs—will be replaced by interchangeable cogs.
But the Haniyeh killing so defies that logic that it ought to prompt some reconsideration of this part of Israel’s strategy by its critics.
Start with why Haniyeh’s forced exit is such a game changer: He has been integral to the development of Hamas as an organization and a governing force.
Haniyeh was pulled into the inner circle of the group’s founder, Ahmed Yassin, in the late 1990s. Both Yassin and his deputy/successor were killed in 2004, quickly thinning out the ranks. In 2006, Haniyeh led Hamas’s slate of candidates in the Palestinian elections and won. Fatah head Mahmoud Abbas refused to recognize the terror group’s victory—this was after Haniyeh claimed Fatah had tried to assassinate him—and by early 2007 Gaza had become a civil war battleground.
A Saudi-brokered truce collapsed and the strip fell into anarchy. As COMMENTARY contributing editor Jonathan Schanzer wrote in his book Hamas vs. Fatah, “While Hamas and Fatah forces were killing one another, no one was policing the streets.” After Haniyeh and Hamas’s victory, public works projects were halted and infrastructure quickly degraded.
The disorder in Haniyeh’s early days opened the gate to Hamas’s “Talibanization” of the Gaza Strip. The fleeing of aid groups brought in under the Palestinian Authority left Hamas in total control of what came into the strip. Christian targets were repeatedly attacked by Islamist thugs. All of this violence and corruption brought Hamas into immediate tension with Gaza’s prominent clans.
What apparently made him a ‘moderate’ is that he was open to talks with Israel. He was cool with having backdoor channels with the Jewish State. Okay, but he was also cool with having underground tunnels from which the Jewish State’s demise was feverishly plotted by fanatics. He supported the fascist terror of 7 October. He cheered the spilling of Palestinian blood, too. ‘[The] blood of the women, children and elderly… we need this blood so that it will ignite with us the spirit of revolution’, he said. I can think of a word that begins with ‘m’ to describe a man who lived in luxury in Qatar while wallowing in the deaths of his own people in Gaza – it’s not moderate, it’s monster. Not only Israelis but Palestinians too are better off following the assassination of this creep.
The very circumstances of his death call into question the delusional view of him as ‘moderate’. He was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president. There are clips showing attendees chanting ‘Death to America, Death to Israel!’. I am going to go out on a limb and say that if you head up the political wing of a Jew-killing movement and bask in cries for the destruction of the Jewish State, you have forfeited your right to be called ‘moderate’. The West’s woke media really has lost the plot. They treat Trump voters as lunatics, brand JD Vance as ‘weird’ and damn the likes of Nigel Farage as deranged zealots, and yet they wonder out loud if Ismail Haniyeh was low-key agreeable.
There is a palpable fretting among the West’s political and media elites following the assassination of Haniyeh. Especially as it came just hours after Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr, in Lebanon. Oh no, the West’s talking heads cry, what will happen next? Might there be escalation? ‘Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is killed in Iran by an alleged Israel airstrike, threatening escalation’, says one headline, capturing the general commentariat dread in the aftermath of this killing. These are Orwellian levels of moral contortionism. It was Haniyeh and his movement that ‘escalated’ tensions in the Middle East when they green-lighted the rape, kidnap and murder of more than a thousand people in Israel on 7 October. Assassinating the racist killers of Jews is not escalation – it’s justice.
Western observers seem obsessed with ‘de-escalation’ in the Middle East. They want calm. But what is calm for them is potential catastrophe for the Jewish State. The ‘peace’ these people call for would be the peace of the grave for many Israelis. Hamas has promised to carry out more 7 Octobers. For Israel to leave such a movement intact would be risky in the extreme. The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh sends a clear message to the world, and it’s one that every true progressive ought to welcome: namely, that you cannot kill Jews with impunity anymore. Fascist violence has consequences now.
Seth Mandel: An Iran Crisis Demands a Full-Time President
Joe Biden emerged from hibernation to take a well-deserved victory lap today over the good news that American hostages taken by Vladimir Putin, including Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, are coming home in a prisoner swap. When he took a question from a reporter, we were reminded why he’s been so quiet lately, as he stumbled through a confused answer with a blank look on his face.US Senator Graham calls for military force against Iran over Hezbollah threats
If you want a measure of just how quiet he’s been, it’s this: We have more recently heard from Lloyd Austin, the elusive defense secretary, than the president on the matter of whether U.S. military personnel will be engaged in combat with the Iranian military in the coming days.
With Iran threatening direct attacks on Israel in the wake of the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Austin was asked yesterday, will the U.S. defend its ally just as it did the last time Iran spent an evening bombing Israel?
“If Israel is attacked, we certainly will help. And Israel, you see, you saw us do that in April. You can expect to see us do that again,” Austin told reporters. “But we don’t want to see any of that happen. We’re going to work hard to make sure that, you know, we’re doing things to help take temperature down and address issues through diplomatic means.”
Great. But who’s “we,” kemosabe?
I ask for two reasons. One, because this administration has not, in fact, prevented attacks in the Middle East or elsewhere. This White House’s record on deterrence reminds me of an old schoolteacher of mine who refused to give me a zero on a Bible quiz because, he said, the odds of getting all ten multiple-choice questions wrong unintentionally are too low—he could only assume I knew the answers and was being obnoxious.
Similarly, the White House’s attempts to establish deterrence have failed every test they have faced.
The second reason I ask is because the question should also be taken literally: Who is we?
Ever since he dropped his reelection candidacy, Biden has been backstage. But he has made a point of not resigning from the presidency itself. Doing so would officially make this Iran crisis, and related matters, Not His Problem.
Any escalation by Hezbollah against Israel that leads to a major confrontation should be viewed as an attack carried out and executed by Iran, according to a resolution South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham introduced on Wednesday.
According to the resolution, the Senate “asserts that efforts to deter Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic of Iran are most credible when the President keeps all options on the table, including military force.”
The resolution holds Iran and Hezbollah responsible for “any adverse impacts on the people of Lebanon that result from an attack on the State of Israel by Hezbollah” and also urges Congress and the President to use “all diplomatic tools and power projection capabilities” to hold both Iran and Hezbollah accountable.
Graham also introduced an Authorization for Use of Military Force which would permit the use of US Armed Forces against Iran for threatening the national security of the US through the development of nuclear weapons.
According to Graham, the resolution would be triggered if the president determines that Iran possesses uranium enriched to the weapons grade level of a nuclear warhead and possesses a delivery vehicle capable of delivering a nuclear device against Israel, other allies or the United States.
“Iran will keep going until somebody tells them to stop,” Graham told reporters during a news conference he called on Wednesday afternoon. “It is time to put red lines on their nuclear program.”
Graham said he believes “it is a certainty” that if the US doesn’t change course, Iran will possess a nuclear weapon within weeks or months.
Graham called the Director of National Intelligence’s report on the status of the Iranian nuclear program “unnerving.”
“Their ability to enrich to weapons grade is now a matter of weeks, not months,” Graham said. “Their ability to weaponize the material has advanced, and it is now time for Congress to lend their voice to the proper response.”Not only should Israel hold Iran accountable for any escalation by Hezbollah, the United States should do the same, according to Graham, with vital facilities like oil refineries on the target list.
This is a shocking revelation by @LindseyGrahamSC:
— Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) August 1, 2024
“After having viewed the DNI report, I believe it is a certainty that if we do not change course, Iran will, in the coming weeks or months, possess a nuclear weapon.” pic.twitter.com/shz5ZCqrGa
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) July 31, 2024
Seth Frantzman: Ismail Haniyeh’s Killing in Iran Brings Israel Closer to Victory
It was Haniyeh who led Gaza down the road of becoming a springboard for ever-larger attacks on Israel. Hamas acquired longer-range rocket technology with Iran’s backing, transforming its short-range Qasam rocket arsenal into a colossus of long-range rockets that could hit Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Haniyeh also helped secure more funding via Doha, propping up Hamas in Gaza. With the funding, Hamas was able to build hundreds of miles of tunnels and position its rockets in a more sophisticated manner so it could fire barrages of more than 100 rockets at a time.Bret Stephens: Israel's War for Security
By the time Sinwar had fully transformed Hamas into the twenty-four battalions of fighters that launched the October 7 attacks, Haniyeh was ensconced in Doha. By this time, the day-to-day tactics of Hamas were in Sinwar’s hands. However, strategic planning was in Haniyeh’s hands. He was the one who galvanized support for Hamas after October 7. He reached out to Turkey. He sent a Hamas delegation to Russia and China. When Beijing hosted fourteen Palestinian factions in China, Haniyeh played a key role. In fact, Haniyeh met a Chinese envoy to Qatar in March 2024 to pave the way for China’s role in trying to reconcile Palestinian groups.
Israel has waged almost ten months of war in Gaza. This has been a tactical success, grinding down Hamas battalions and eliminating numerous Hamas members. Israel estimates that around 14,000 Hamas members have been eliminated. Hamas has also run out of most of its rockets during this war and lost control of the southern Gaza border with Egypt. Hamas still controls a swath of Gaza, mostly because Israeli forces carry out sweeps of neighborhoods and then leave. The war is dragging on, and there is no clear strategy to end it. Endless ceasefire and hostage talks have not been fruitful. Haniyeh drove a hard bargain in these talks, seeking a long-term ceasefire and a slow release of hostages that would go on for months or years. This would benefit Hamas because a trickle of hostage releases would let it celebrate its success each week as Israel was forced to release detainees in exchange. This would enable Hamas to increase its influence in the West Bank, with its eyes set on a Palestinian unity government brokered by China.
If a unity government is formed in Ramallah, it is likely Hamas will be part of it, either officially or informally. Haniyeh would have seen this as an opportunity to return to the West Bank and swoop in, emerging again as the Palestinian prime minister almost two decades after losing the job in 2007. If he’d returned, he would have come back to a changed region, one where U.S. power is much reduced and where China, Russia, Iran, and Turkey are backing Hamas. Israel also faces much larger threats today than in 2007. In 2007, Hezbollah was weakened by the 2006 war. Now, it is strong. Haniyeh would have understood this. Instead of returning to the West Bank, though, he is now off the political map permanently. Haniyeh’s killing in Iran could thus lead to a fundamental recalculation in the region. Israel, following a tactical victory over Hamas in Gaza, could now be on the verge of a strategic victory over Hamas’ plans for the day after the war.
The war Israel is now waging against Hamas and its allies in Gaza and the West Bank, Hizbullah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iran itself is about security. Israelis want to be able to live safely in their homes without fearing they could be rocketed, pillaged, killed or kidnapped with barely a moment's warning.Why Netanyahu has now decided to escalate attacks
The threat of a major escalation on Israel's northern border has turned entire cities into ghost towns and displaced more than 60,000 Israelis from their homes. That's the proportional equivalent of two million Americans forced out of their homes. Those who condemn Israel now for its allegedly disproportionate response to the attacks by Hamas and Hizbullah would be more intellectually honest if they asked themselves what they would demand of their own governments if they were in the same situation.
Israel's most strident critics insist that the current conflict is about Palestinian existence, but that's a dishonest claim. Israel agreed to a Palestinian Authority in 1993, offered a Palestinian state in 2000 and vacated Gaza in 2005. When campus protesters at Princeton chanted, "We don't want no two states, we want '48," they weren't asking for Israel to accept a Palestinian state. They're demanding Israel's abolition. They are also adopting the views of Hamas, Hizbullah, and Iran.
Netanyahu knows from his recent meetings in Washington that if Harris becomes president, she is likely to be much tougher on Israel than Biden, who continually refers to himself as a Zionist—irrespective of whether his policies have been supportive of Israel or not.The threat from Hezbollah is existential for Israel
By contrast, Harris would put major pressure on Netanyahu to abort military offensives.
While Trump is liable to give stronger backing, as he did during his previous term, he is not seeking to start or expand wars. On the contrary, he wants to restore order and end conflicts. Thus, there is no guarantee that he would give the green light to Israel to launch a major offensive against Hezbollah or Iran.
That said, if a major conflict does emerge, Trump stands to do whatever he can to support Jerusalem, both militarily and diplomatically, to help end the conflict as quickly as possible in an Israeli victory.
Trump thoroughly understands that Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror. He sees that Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis are all Iranian offshoots, that not only threaten Israel but also Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the Emirates.
The latter two nations have already normalized relations with Israel—with Trump as the broker—and others are likely to do so in the future.
On the flip side, Iran has destabilized Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Gaza.
Netanyahu is coming off of a display of force with his speech to Congress, where he called for the formation of a NATO-style defense alliance to counter Iran.
The recent assassinations further strengthen Israel’s image and position in the region.
The Jewish state may now be in the best possible strategic position to seriously degrade Hezbollah’s terror army while neutralizing Tehran’s malign influence across the Middle East.
The latest war between Israel and Hezbollah started on 8 October, the day after the Hamas pogrom in southern Israel. Nasrallah openly declared it himself. This largely unrecognised war in Israel’s north has exacted a heavy toll. Since October, Hezbollah has launched over 5,000 high-trajectory and direct-fire projectiles against Israel. The result is that at least 30 people, including 19 soldiers, have been killed and dozens injured. Over 60,000 Israelis have also been evacuated from the northern border in case Hezbollah attempts a direct assault. At times, as a result of Hezbollah’s bombardment, the whole area has literally been in flames. Yet none of this devastation has received much attention in the Western media.US airlines cancel flights to Israel
Of course, the assassinations of Haniyeh and Shukr are by no means the end of the threats Israel faces. The Yemen-based Houthis – whose motto is: ‘God Is great, death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory to Islam’ – have attacked Israel over 200 times since 7 October. Shia militias based in Iraq have also launched over 100 missiles and drones against Israel over the same period.
Then, of course, there is Iran itself, the force behind the so-called axis of resistance. Like its proxy forces, the Islamic Republic has openly pledged to destroy Israel many times. In the view of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the Jewish state is a ‘cancerous tumour’. This year, Tehran also established the dangerous precedent that it can attack Israel directly with relative impunity.
It should also not be forgotten that influential forces in the West are, at the very least, appeasing Iran. As part of its broader geopolitical strategy, the Biden administration has, among other things, given Iran access to substantial funds. It is also reluctant to draw too much attention to Iran’s key role in backing Hamas. In addition, Iran has received substantial moral support for itself and its allies from anti-Israel campus protesters in America. Ali Khamenei returned the favour with a letter in May, thanking them for their support. In it, he congratulated the protesters for becoming part of the ‘resistance front’.
The next time someone refers to the ‘Israel-Gaza war’, or even the ‘Israel-Hamas war’, it is worth remembering that neither are truly accurate descriptions. Israel is certainly not engaged in a war against the people of Gaza, who are being cynically used as human shields by Hamas. And this is not a war solely against Hamas, either. In truth, many of Israel’s neighbours want to wipe it off the map. The threat it faces is existential.
United and Delta Airlines announced on Wednesday the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv due to escalating security tensions in the Mideast.Khaled Abu Toameh: Ismail Haniyeh's Place in Palestinian Politics
The decision by the two American legacy carriers follows the back-to-back assassinations of a top Hezbollah leader in Lebanon and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, which again leaves Israel’s flagship carrier El Al as the only airline offering direct service to and from the United States.
“Beginning with this evening’s flight from Newark Liberty to Tel Aviv, we are suspending for security reasons our daily Tel Aviv service as we evaluate our next steps,” United Airlines said in a statement sent to JNS.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation and will make decisions on resuming service with a focus on the safety of our customers and crews,” it added.
The statement did not specify when flights would resume.
Delta Airlines said it was suspending its daily New York flight to Israel through Aug. 2 “due to the ongoing conflict in the region,” but noted that the flights can be rebooked on partner airlines El Al and Air France.
At least five other carriers—Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air India and FlyDubai—also canceled flights to the Jewish state.
Most foreign carriers suspended service to Israel following Hamas’s terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 and the ensuing war, but then slowly resumed service this spring.
For both Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas's "political bureau," Ismail Haniyeh, has long been a political rival whose departure from the Palestinian political arena will not be missed.A Wake-Up Call for Iran
Public opinion polls conducted by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research over the past decade have consistently shown that Haniyeh is the only Hamas leader who could defeat Abbas in a Palestinian presidential election. Abbas and the PA leadership were also concerned about Haniyeh's success in the diplomatic and international arena, where he was often received during visits to Arab and Islamic countries as a legitimate leader of the Palestinians.
Haniyeh was one of several Hamas leaders who left Gaza in the past few years. According to Palestinian sources, they did not feel comfortable in the presence of Yahya Sinwar, especially after he - together with Mohammed Deif and slain Hamas operative Saleh Arouri - took complete control of Hamas's armed wing. Sinwar and Deif did their utmost to marginalize and humiliate Haniyeh. According to some reports, Sinwar and Deif were unhappy with how Haniyeh and the outside leadership of Hamas were conducting the ceasefire negotiations.
Killing Hamas’s top leader in Tehran would have been hair-raising at any time. Coming in the midst of Israel’s cease-fire negotiations with the group on one hand, and an ever-escalating exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah on the other, the assassination will naturally send a shiver down many spines. Is this a prelude to the broader regional war that so many observers have feared these many months?Israel's Actions in Beirut and the Alleged Operation in Tehran Were Taken after Careful Deliberation
Ayatollah Khamenei has already called for “a harsh revenge.” Pezeshkian has promised to “make the terrorist occupiers regret their cowardly act.” And yet, many commentators in Iran are calling for prudence. A well-known hard-line activist suggested that Israel had carried out the killing in order to hurt Pezeshkian and disrupt possible Iran-U.S. talks. He called on his supporters to refrain from attacking Pezeshkian on this account.
Call me a cautious optimist, but I think a major escalation can likely be avoided. Iran has few obvious ways of responding proportionally to this attack, and it is well aware that a broader conflagration will put Iran itself at unacceptable risk. Many in Hezbollah will press for further attacks on Israeli territory, and the exchange of fire on the Israel-Lebanon border will continue. The danger of this leading into something bigger is always present, especially as long as a cease-fire hasn’t been reached in Gaza. But both sides have strong motives to avoid an all-out war, which would likely be the toughest conflict in either of their histories.
Pezeshkian has just had about the worst first day in office possible. He probably rose in the wee hours today to chair a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council, tasked with responding to these events. His inauguration speech to Parliament yesterday promised good neighborly relations and constructive engagement with the West—even while it also pledged full support for the Axis of Resistance, as Tehran calls the regional network of anti-Israel militias that it funds and arms to the teeth. Haniyeh was sitting in the front row for that speech, alongside leaders of other Axis forces, such as Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthis, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Pezeshkian’s verbal attacks on Israel led the chamber to break out in chants of “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.”
The new reformist president and the broader Iranian establishment have just gotten a stark reminder that their declared program—of improving ties with the region and the West while simultaneously waging war against Israel—rests on a contradiction. They might have to pick one.
The preemptive targeting of Hizbullah military leader Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh are a direct challenge to Iran and its proxy strategy. If Israel indeed stands behind Ismail Haniyeh's killing, Israel's security officials and intelligence community can claim a brilliant military and intelligence achievement in both cases.On The Ground In Gaza: The Reality Of Israel’s Military Operations
Israel is telling Iran and its proxies that if they don't stop, it won't hesitate to head into a full-scale war not only with Hizbullah, Hamas and the Houthis, but also with Tehran itself. In such a scenario, the home front will become the main front and will be subject to missile and kamikaze drone attacks launched not only from Lebanon and Yemen, but mainly from Iran.
Israel will also likely face an Iranian attempt to deploy armed Shia fighters from Iran, Iraq and Syria into the conflict, and perhaps even Houthis from Yemen who will be transferred to Syria or join Hizbullah in Lebanon in attempts to carry out raids on the northern border.
The Iranians correctly assume that Israel consulted with the U.S. before targeting Fuad Shukr. They assume that Washington approved this operation against someone who was partly responsible for the massacre of U.S. Marines in Beirut and was on the U.S. most wanted list. The Iranians also assume, probably correctly, that if they attack Israel as they did on April 14, they might face a U.S.-led coalition as a result.
The Iranians prefer that a war take place when Iran already has operational nuclear weapons in hand. Then, it and its proxies would enjoy immunity like North Korea. Iran knows that the U.S. will be less likely to rush to Israel's aid once it has nuclear weapons. However, building a nuclear explosive device that can be mounted on a missile won't be ready for at least a year to a year and a half. Therefore, the timing for a full-scale war isn't convenient for Tehran right now.
The targeting of Ismail Haniyeh deals a severe blow to Gazans and the Palestinians in general. It also proves that Tehran is, to a large extent, a paper tiger compared to Israel's intelligence, technological and aerial power. The same is true for the operation in Beirut.
Dave Deptula: I currently am the Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and also a Senior Military Scholar at the Air Force Academy. I was the principal attack planner for the 1991 Operation Desert Storm air campaign;Col. Richard Kemp: 'Hamas is on its knees, Haniyeh's replacement may be more reasonable'
That is why a critical IDF operational objective is to locate, destroy, or otherwise seal off these tunnels. Hamas’ use of their tunnel city enabled them to set the conditions for the October 7th attack in a concealed fashion. By sealing off the terrorist tunnels, the IDF can force Hamas to move to the surface where they can more easily be corralled. It is slow and difficult work, as this is where Hamas is holding many of the remaining hostages. But the IDF is making progress. During my trip into Gaza, I visited an engineering unit tasked with finding and then physically confirming the exact location of the tunnels. Since going into Rafah, this unit locates, on average, two Hamas tunnels a day. Once located, they turn over the mission of destroying the tunnels to another unit with experts equipped to accomplish that task.
Once we arrived at the shore of the Mediterranean, next to a suburb of Rafah known as the Swedish village, due to the source of its aid funding, I had the opportunity to discuss IDF operations with a commander in the area. He has been fighting since ground operations began in late October 2023 in northern Gaza. He described the difficulty of the operational environment.
The commander was confident when asked about how long it would take to break Hamas, answering that, “it will take time, but it can be done.” He emphasized that this was a war—not a counterinsurgency operation. There is a lot to unpack in that statement. It became very evident during my visit that the IDF is competently integrating all available means to accomplish their objectives from all domains—air, sea, ground, space, and the electromagnetic spectrum.
As we talked, the commander pointed out an Israeli Navy ship about a mile and a half off the coast, mentioning how it was providing valuable support in the immediate fight. With machine gun fire echoing to the northeast of our position, we could still hear Israeli Air Force drones flying overhead, and occasionally fighter jets tied closely to the actions of the Israeli Army on the ground.
There are both lethal and non-lethal operations coordinated by each of the traditional armed services. How IDF actions are conducted are informed by an assessment that involves complex telecommunication operations, including the integration and distribution of the various means of data collected by intelligence organizations. The data is then translated into situational awareness, actualized by means across the electromagnetic spectrum. From my experience, it was evident that the IDF has achieved a level of integration and an authentic understanding of how to genuinely apply jointness—using the right force, at the right place, at the right time—regardless of the service components sourcing those forces.
While there are multiple alternatives proposals for how to end this war, one thing is certain: the IDF takes many precautions in an effort to reduce civilian casualties. Thousands of phone calls, texts, leaflets, as well as roof-knocking (dropping small munitions on top of buildings) are some of the warnings the IDF uses to notify civilians to evacuate Hamas-occupied structures. I visited an IDF control center, used to integrate information from a variety of sources, that closely monitors civilian locations and movements throughout Gaza. The data is continually updated to inform IDF operations to minimize unintended collateral damage, as well as to evacuate and separate the civilian population from combat operations to the greatest degree possible.
There is no “moral equivalency” as implied by the White House’s public statements, when comparing Israel’s “right to defend itself” with ending the war in Gaza to stop “the death of far too many innocent civilians,” at least, not before the IDF reduces Hamas’ military capabilities. There is no such thing as “immaculate war” where there are no civilian casualties. On the other hand, Hamas is only one element of an alliance of terrorist activities—Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi’s, radical Islamic militias all funded, in part, by Iran. Collectively these organizations are a threat to both liberal democracy and free trade. What I witnessed in Gaza impressed upon me that the sooner the people subjugated by these militant forces can be free of extremism, including Palestinians, the sooner the world can become a better place.
Colonel Richard Kemp, the former commander of the British military forces in Afghanistan, spoke to Israel National News - Arutz Sheva today about the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr in a Beirut suburb and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran this week.Caroline Glick: Israel sends message to Iran with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination: No haven for terrorists
Col. Kemp called the assassinations "very significant," because they show "Iran, Hezbollah and the other terrorists ranged against Israel that Israel can strike them whenever and wherever it chooses. This is particularly significant in Tehran which is heavily protected with advanced Russian air defence systems."
He explained why, in his opinion, Israel claimed responsibility for the assassination of Shukr but not for the assassination of Haniyeh. "Israel had to declare responsibility for Shukr to prove its readiness to retaliate against those directly responsible for murdering Israelis. That is why Israel took responsibility for the attack on Hudaydah port in Yemen after the Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv. But generally Israeli policy is not to comment on international operations. This can add to the confusion among Israel’s enemies and sometimes allow them to save face by not retaliating. In this case the timing and circumstances of the killing of Haniyeh does not allow that and Iran is likely to feel obliged to retaliate in some way."
Col. Kemp dismissed claims that Israel is causing an unnecessary escalation of the conflict with these assassinations. "It is not Israel that is escalating. Iran and its proxies started this war and the most recent major escalation came from Hezbollah in its murder of 12 Druze children. In this region restraint is provocation and encourages greater violence. The Israeli leadership understands the dynamics even though most Western leaders do not. They know that Israel’s survival has always depended on hard military power and the courage to use it when needed."
"The killing of Haniyeh may damage the hostage negotiations but where were they going anyway with Hamas’s intransigence and unacceptable demands?" he said. "On the other hand military pressure has in the past succeeded in getting hostages released. Hamas is in its knees now and it may be that the elimination of their top negotiator will force his replacements to be more reasonable."
The Biden administration, the EU, the UN and other major actors have obfuscated this state of affairs since Oct. 7.
Most of the media discourse regarding the consequences of Haniyeh’s assassination has revolved around its effect on the US-mediated hostage talks.
Most commentators argue that Haniyeh’s death will undermine the chance of reaching a deal.
But the opposite may well be the case.
To date, Haniyeh and his colleagues haven’t budged from their opening position that in exchange for the release of a small fraction of the 115 hostages still in Gaza, Israel agree to lose the war, removing its forces from Gaza and permitting Hamas to retain its political control of the terror mini-state and rebuild its forces.
Now that Haniyeh has been killed, Hamas’ surviving negotiators may opt for a more reasonable posture, to avoid a similar end.
The strategic implications of the operation in Tehran are arguably even more significant than its operational impact on Hamas, or the diplomatic fallout.
Assuming Israel is behind the hit, the operation demonstrated that the Jewish state has masterful intelligence and operational capabilities in Tehran.
The attack raises general awareness in Iran and across the region that the regime, hated by the vast majority of Iran’s citizenry, is weak and hollow.
It also showed that Israel is apparently capable of striking whatever and whoever it wishes, whenever it wishes to strike inside of Iran.
Iran on notice
Every Iranian official engaged in the war against Israel now knows he has a target on his forehead.
Israel’s decision not to claim responsibility for Haniyeh’s assassination adds to the tension and uncertainty.
With Israel’s operational and intelligence prowess inside Iran now clear, the regime must contend with the fact that its survival is on the line.
What do you think? Post a comment.
The regime aspires to regional hegemony.
But Israel is already a major regional power, and it is dead set on surviving and defeating Iran and its proxies in their war to destroy the Jewish state.
In light of what just happened, the regime may now realize that if it wishes to survive, its best bet may be to stand its terror armies down before it is too late.
As Israel braces for Iran’s retaliation, Citizen Spokeswoman @AshleyBakshi reminds us that Iran’s revenge is not self-defense, and that Iran must end its 7-front war. pic.twitter.com/pv1e005YLl
— Israeli Citizen Spox (@IsrCitizenSpox) August 1, 2024
By far the most important line of Netanyahu's speech last week was completely overlooked:
— Saul Sadka (@Saul_Sadka) August 1, 2024
"And one more thing: When Israel acts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons that could destroy Israel and threaten every American city—every city that you come… pic.twitter.com/KMk20LJw4W
FDD Morning Brief | feat. Aviva Klompas (Jul. 31)
FDD Senior Vice President Jonathan Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis on breaking news out of the Middle East on the deaths of top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, followed by a conversation with Aviva Klompas, Co-Founder and CEO of Boundless Israel and former Head of Speechwriting at Israel's Mission to United Nations.
WATCH
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) August 1, 2024
US Senator Tom cotton:
The most important thing is not getting to a ceasefire or managing escalation. The most important thing is helping Israel defeat its terrorist enemies who are our enemies as well. Of course, Hamas is dedicated foremost the destruction of Israel,… pic.twitter.com/riXYyKiTed
🎧Senior Researcher @shaunsacks1 spoke to @HowardFeldman about NGO responses to the assassinations of terror leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Faud Sakur.@chaifm pic.twitter.com/lDM8rbeIuF
— NGO Monitor (@NGOmonitor) August 1, 2024
UNSC meets at Iran’s behest after killing of Hamas terror chief
An Israeli envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday chided the “rank hypocrisy” of the Security Council calling an emergency session at Iran’s behest, given the body’s silence over the Islamic Republic’s deadly terror activities throughout the region.
The UNSC met at the request of members Russia, China and Algeria, on behalf of Tehran. The session came in the wake of the assassination earlier in the day of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. No one has yet claimed responsibility, though Israel is thought to be behind the action, which came just hours after Haniyeh, an arch terrorist, met with Iran’s new president.
Several council members called for increased diplomatic efforts in order to avoid an all-out regional war.
Prior to the elimination of Haniyeh, an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, who Israel said was responsible for Saturday’s rocket attack in the Golan Heights, which killed 12 Druze children playing on a soccer field.
“This operation sends a clear message: We will defend ourselves and respond with great force against those who harm us,” Jonathan Miller, Israel’s U.N. deputy ambassador, told the Security Council of Shukr’s killing.
Demanding that the council designate Iran as a terrorist entity, Miller said he felt compelled to “stress the rank hypocrisy on display here today. This meeting has been called for by the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism, responsible for the most horrifying barbarism across the region and the globe.”
The UN Security Council has called an emergency meeting in response to the recent assassinations which the Undersecretary General described as “serious and dangerous.”
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) July 31, 2024
Was the slaughter of 12 Israeli children on Saturday not so serious? And the 120 hostages still held by Hamas?
Reminder: UN “human rights expert” Francesca Albanese argued for a militarized Hamas to rule Gaza https://t.co/rbcNf5N6VI
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) July 31, 2024
This was Kamala Harris's reaction when Trump took out Soleimani. https://t.co/qJmXATyGNL
— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) August 1, 2024
The mainstream media has disgraced itself by its coordinated fawning over Haniyeh. Compare the video of his genocidal antisemitic incitement to these ridiculous seven judgements.
— Alan Johnson (@Fathom_Editor) August 1, 2024
* 1. CNN: a "moderating force" and a "political leader"
* 2. The New York Times: "relatively… https://t.co/xuaWBRzorR
There would be peace in the Middle East if only Israel would let terrorists do whatever they want, says the professor of international relations and former State Department official. https://t.co/MGAy6UCA3z
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) July 31, 2024
This is brutal…
— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) July 31, 2024
Ismail Haniyeh: "Death to Israel!"
Karma: "Hiya!"
😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/JppCvmuCIf
They think you're naive enough to believe that Ismail Haniyeh was a moderate.
— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) August 1, 2024
Let's hear him in his own words… pic.twitter.com/Mf1xjGET2S
Meet Khaled Mashal, the incoming head of Hamas, who will replace Ismail Haniyeh pic.twitter.com/QxVoGds3ob
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) August 1, 2024
‘NYT’: Iran ‘embarrassed’ Haniyeh killed by bomb planted months earlier, detonated remotely
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a remote-controlled explosive device that was planted some two months earlier in the guesthouse where he was accustomed to stay when in Tehran, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen network, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, previously claimed that Wednesday’s assassination was “carried out by means of a missile launched from country to country, not from within Iran.”
The Times report, which cited Iranian, Middle Eastern and U.S. officials, did not elucidate how the explosive was smuggled into the building. Seven Middle Eastern officials told the paper that the planning of the killing likely took months and required extensive surveillance.
Iranian officials told the newspaper that the breach at the compound—which is used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps for secret meetings and to lodge prominent visitors—was viewed as a “catastrophic” intelligence failure and a “tremendous” embarrassment” for the IRGC.
The Iranian officials, members of the Guards, said the ingenuity of the bombing resembled the remote-operated machine gun that the Mossad allegedly used to kill nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in Absard, around 44 miles east of Tehran, in 2020.
The officials noted that while Wednesday’s blast shattered windows and caused the partial collapse of an exterior wall, the building sustained minimal damage, indicating that no missile struck the compound.
The Israeli government has not taken responsibility for the attack that killed the Palestinian terrorist organization’s “political” leader and his bodyguard.
Iran and Hamas accused Jerusalem of the assassination of Haniyeh, who was in Tehran for the inauguration of the country’s president.
Thursday’s report cited regional officials as saying that Israeli officials “briefed the United States and other Western governments on the details of the operation in the immediate aftermath.”
Israel's message to Iran?
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) August 1, 2024
The terrorist Haniyeh was eliminated 750 meters from the residence of the President of Iran 👀 pic.twitter.com/g1hoMUX2iO
Where's collateral damage when you need it? https://t.co/h3oMB8oNYk
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) August 1, 2024
If only we could Community Note this same pro-terrorist Islamic Regime propaganda when it’s published by mainstream media. 🙄 pic.twitter.com/4d7zDDfM8p
— The Persian Jewess (@persianjewess) August 1, 2024
Never deleting this app pic.twitter.com/zQeVezf1zw
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) July 31, 2024
JUST IN
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) August 1, 2024
Erdogan announced a day of mourning tomorrow in Turkey in memory of Haniyeh @N12News pic.twitter.com/6wiwr79hO9
Falling for Hebrew pun, Turkish media names ‘Haniyeh’s killer’
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on Wednesday by a shadowy Mossad agent by the name of Amit Nakesh, which sounds suspiciously like the Hebrew word hamitnakesh, or “the assassin” — at least according to Turkish media reports.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attack, which has lit a fuse under regional tensions. Soon after the strike, however, Israeli social media users fell back on a familiar practice: writing prank posts about the amazing exploits of made-up Israeli soldiers and Mossad agents and giving them punny names to match.
“After his military service, Nakesh joined the Mossad and has participated in high-profile operations,” wrote the Antalya-based Akdeniz Gerçek Gazetesi, apparently picking up joke Israeli social media posts as news. “An expert in assassinations and recruiting intelligence sources, Nakesh took part in several operations against elements whom Israel considers hostile.”
The newspaper speculated that Nakesh is a Jew of Indian origin given his first name, Amit, which it said is popular in India.
Though they were slow to catch on to the prank, Turkish outlets eventually scrubbed all mentions of Nakesh — but not before they caught the attention of Israelis on social media.
By Thursday morning, an X account attributed to Nakesh popped up.
“Hi friends, Mossad agent Amit Nakesh here — a friend of the pilot Eli Copter,” the account posted, sharing a picture of Turkish reports about the agent.
Mossad agent Eli Copter (“helicopter”) was behind the May 19 chopper crash that killed Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian — at least according to Israeli social media quipsters.
First Mossad Agent Eli Kopter (helicopter) and now his colleague Amit Nakesh (the assassin). Who is feeding all of these puns to anti-Israel media? Whoever it is, bravo. https://t.co/rUS64C5aT4
— Lahav Harkov 🎗️ (@LahavHarkov) August 1, 2024
Children hurt with pepper spray during Times Square protest, NYPD says
Multiple children were injured when a protester discharged pepper spray Wednesday in Times Square, police confirm.
Video from the scene appears to show a woman spraying something into the crowd. She is later seen being taken into custody.
Video also shows children crying in pain, with some having water poured over their eyes.
The New York City Police Department has not released how many children were hurt or the extent of their injuries. Pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian protesters gather in Times Square
Earlier in the evening, a former Israel Defense Forces official was scheduled to speak in Times Square at an event being advertised as "A Night to Honor Israel."
The event drew both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrators to the area of Seventh Avenue by 46th Street.
The NYPD was prepared for potential protests and had the block barricaded off with patrols at every corner.
Six people were arrested.
NOW: Israel supporters gather as pro-palestine protesters chant across the street. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and the World Values Network is hosting Fmr. International Spokesperson of the IDF Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus for a lecture and rally in Times Square.
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) July 31, 2024
Desk@freedomnews.tv to… pic.twitter.com/gwKP9sGoAj
NOW: Lights and sound went out at the Pro-Israel event honoring IDF in Times Square, as pro-palestine protesters continue to chant and set off smoke bombs across the street.
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) August 1, 2024
Israel supporters started singing without microphone with host eventually using bullhorn. Sound was… pic.twitter.com/uQp47YhsTr
"Stop funding Genocide!" - Pro Palestine protesters disrupt IDF support rally held in Times Square on Wednesday evening, after former IDF Spokesperson left the stage pic.twitter.com/hsGwrHaPyA
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) August 1, 2024
A passerby family's child got pepper sprayed as confrontation occurred between Pro-Israel and Pro-palestine protesters in Times Square. Protesters administered aid, blocking NYPD from approaching the family.
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) August 1, 2024
Child was eventually taken away in an ambulance. https://t.co/l9bo4QPs5n pic.twitter.com/cgqskhyqJx
Hamas flag-wielding anti-Israel protesters show off portrait of killed terrorist leader in shocking Times Square rally
Anti-Israel protesters held up a portrait of assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and waved a pro-terror flag during a shocking demonstration in Times Square on Wednesday afternoon.
The hateful mob chanted “Free Palestine” while one protester held up a flag representing Hamas. Another demonstrator held up a photo of Haniyeh.
The same demonstrator, sporting a mask and sunglasses, wore a hat with a yellow headband around it that represents the terror group Hezbollah.
Another protester also held up the portrait of Haniyeh as others waved Palestinian flags at the Crossroads of the World.
The demonstration of roughly 300 people apparently came in response to a speech former Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Jonathan Conricus gave in Midtown.
Hundreds of supporters of the Jewish state were on hand for the event — and about 50 remained into Wednesday night waving Israeli flags to counter the pro-Palestinian rally.
At one point, some of the pro-Palestinian protesters surrounded a pair of Israel supporters and appeared to throw liquid at them.
As a result, a woman with a pro-Israel shirt sprayed the group with an unknown substance, according to footage captured at the scene.
The man she was with told police the woman was “protecting herself” before cops separated her from the group, the video shows.
One Israel supporter said he feels sad that the pro-Palestinian protesters “chose violence.”
“He is a warmonger,” the Israel supporter said of Haniyeh.
NOW: Pro-palestine protesters waving Hamas flag and holding image of Ismail Haniyeh, one of Hamas political leader, killed yesterday. Other protesters holding signs with photo of leader of Hezbolah with missiles.
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) July 31, 2024
Protesters gathered in Times Square to disrupt Pro-Israel event… pic.twitter.com/A3t3MOhjFq
#NOW Pro-Palestine demonstrators burn an Israeli flag across the street from the Save Israel rally happening now in Times Square. pic.twitter.com/XeS9yTvMJb
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) August 1, 2024
NOW: Smoke Bombs cover crowds and tourists as Pro-palestine protesters light flares and NYPD push through the crowd outside of Pro-Israel event in Times Square NYC. pic.twitter.com/2MELMz7rlH
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) July 31, 2024
Iranian Jews forced to denounce Israel amid regime pressure over Haniyeh assassination
Israel’s leading expert on the dwindling Iranian Jewish community, Beni Sabti, said Tehran’s Jewish leadership is in a state of fear over the mullah regime retaliating against them for Israel’s alleged assassination of Hamas terrorist leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The Jerusalem Post obtained a shocking letter that was published by the Tehran Jewish community, in which the Iranian Jewish leadership lambasted Israel for killing of the US-designated terrorist Haniyeh.
According to the letter, “The Zionists killed him in Tehran.”
The letter also stated “The terror action against Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran was a crime and a terror attack and against international law. This martyr worked for freeing Jerusalem. He was under attack all his life and he lost some of his family. He is now a martyr for defending Gaza and the poor Gaza people.”
The anti-Israel letter from Iran’s largest Jewish community in Tehran added that the “The Jewish community pays condolences to the Palestinian hero, Ismail Haniyeh, and all the resistance warriors, including the Iranian leader. The Jewish community is waiting for a hard reaction against the terrorists who killed Haniyeh.”
Bullying Iranian Jews into submission
Sabti said the Iranian Jews “are so afraid of some regime groups, like Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij, who can attack the Jews so they have do this [publish an anti-Israel letter].”
He continued that ”This is most the humiliating message I ever saw. This is much worse than Al Quds Day and the demonstrations after October 7 [when a Hamas-led massacre of southern Israel Gaza border communities took place].”
The Persian language Iran International TV reported in April 2023 that the Islamic Republic ordered Jews to participate in the antisemitic al-Quds Day rally during the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, established al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day in Arabic) after the 1979 revolution in Iran as a mobilization event calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.
Sabti, who is a research fellow for the Institute for National Security Studies, said the head of the Jewish community in Tehran, Homayoun Sameach, who is also the Jewish community’s MP in Iran’s pseudo parliament, drafted a second letter with other religious minorities, Christian, and Zoroastrian, in the parliament to condemn the assassination of Haniyeh. The Post obtained a copy of the parliamentary letter against Israel.
Genocidal Rhetoric at Iran state TV
— Navid Mohebbi نوید محبی (@navidmohebbi) August 1, 2024
A TV host on 🇮🇷 state TV claims there is no such thing as ‘Israeli people’ and that when the regime attacks Tel Aviv, there is no need to be considerate of civilians, stating that everyone is a target.#IsmailHaniyeh
pic.twitter.com/MwTh6S5JYX
The dear guest is in hell now pic.twitter.com/1qZ3PvAZa7
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) July 31, 2024
IRAN EMBASSY IN AUST MOURNS TERROR LEADER
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) August 1, 2024
Disgusting support for a proscribed terror organisation, Hamas.
The terrorist funding extremist Islamic regime of Iran put this message on their social media:
"Half-mast flag of the IR at the Iranian Embassy in Canberra in honour and… pic.twitter.com/VLlrJ1X3ni
More than 20 groups mourned Haniyeh after Iran announced his death, per report
Linda Sarsour, executive director of MPower Change, and Zahra Billoo, executive director of CAIR’s San Francisco chapter, were among 22 groups and leaders that “couldn’t hold back their emotions and let their pro-terrorism flags fly” after Hamas senior leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed on Wednesday, per a Capital Research Center report.
“The outpouring of emotion for a genocidal mass murderer like Ismail Haniyeh, who himself mourned [Osama] bin Laden as a ‘martyr,’ shows a horrifying, large underbelly of antisemitism and extremism,” report author Ryan Mauro, told JNS.
The report looked at Instagram posts that mourned Haniyeh soon after Iran announced the Hamas “political bureau” chief’s death.
“When Israel slaughtered Ismail Haniyeh’s children, he said: ‘The blood of my children is not more valuable than the blood of the people of Palestine and all the martyrs in Gaza are my children,’” Billoo wrote. “‘Never say that those martyred in the cause of Allah are dead—in fact, they are alive! But you do not perceive it.’ Tonight, we mourn Ismail himself but know his martyrdom is not in vain. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
“It’s not being understood that there’s an infrastructure that went into action and mobilized the current anti-Israel movement after the Oct. 7 attacks,” Mauro told JNS. “Almost all of the significant organizations are pro-Hamas and most are anti-American, to the point that they suggest the U.S. is, just like Israel, occupied land and the country has no right to exist.”
Mauro called the coalition of activist groups “a seditionist insurgent movement.”
“‘Anti-Israel’ is too limiting of a term to accurately capture what it is. It’s not ‘far-left,’ or ‘far-right.’ I’ve been calling it the seditionist movement or the seditionist insurgency because their ideologies and objectives are so much more than just wanting a ceasefire in Gaza as they portend,” he added.
Naturally, J Street is upset that Ismail Haniyeh was taken out. pic.twitter.com/iZNkibtx9j
— Shelley G (@ShelleyGldschmt) July 31, 2024
The fact that the @NIACouncil (NIAC Action), a lobbying organization that advocates for the Islamic Republic’s interests in America, is endorsing Kamala Harris is a clear signal to me as an Iranian that she is the wrong choice for foreign policy. They would never support someone… pic.twitter.com/Yo0nl0oMFD
— ثنا ابراهیمی | Sana Ebrahimi (@__Injaneb96) August 1, 2024
Deleted, but The List comes for all. pic.twitter.com/tU71sYPTLI
— The List (@ListComesForAll) August 1, 2024
Reminder - Samidoun is a leading org behind post-October 7 anti-Israel protests and antisemitic violence and intimidation. It is a registered non-profit in 🇨🇦 and solicits tax-deductible donations in the 🇺🇸 via @All4GlobalJust.
— NGO Monitor (@NGOmonitor) August 1, 2024
See our research on the PFLP-linked NGO:… pic.twitter.com/MRnN2efBqe
Nearly every single 'pro-Palestine' group is planning to protest in honor of Ismail Haniyeh.
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) August 1, 2024
You don't protest the death of the leader of Hamas unless you are pro-Hamas.
These are violent terror-supporting individuals who have no business in the US. pic.twitter.com/rTZvxzGQm3
This was shared yesterday at @UBS as trading desk ‘commentary’: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh SADLY was killed’.
— Tal Ofer טל עופר تل عوفر 🎗️ (@TalOfer) August 1, 2024
Is it official policy of UBS to be sad at the death of arch-terrorist? Was Mr Haniyeh a customer of the bank? pic.twitter.com/P7OgwBRaY9
So the leader of the racist terrorists who perpetrated the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust - and are committed to nothing less than genocide for the Jews - is a "hero".
— habibi (@habibi_uk) July 31, 2024
Most major trade unions strongly back the "Palestine Solidarity Campaign". pic.twitter.com/gEQ5NWP2Kb
There's nothing quite like kicking back for a few laughs with the leader of an unspeakably gruesome terrorist group, is there. Such jolly good chaps. pic.twitter.com/jwOTXFv6Tf
— habibi (@habibi_uk) July 31, 2024
Yesterday, this branch of the "Palestine Solidarity Campaign" called the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh a "hero".
— habibi (@habibi_uk) August 1, 2024
Today, it is pushing another message - Israelis are "subhumans". https://t.co/sgavh2nNRX pic.twitter.com/pfWDt9eKZe
Head of content strategy for Al Jazeera Digital just sharing photos of himself with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and praising him as a hero pic.twitter.com/GT2v2XWUC2
— Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@DrewPavlou) August 1, 2024
What do you think the appropriate context is for the government funded CBC to mourn the death of a genocidal terrorist?
— Melissa Lantsman (@MelissaLantsman) July 31, 2024
Insane. You’ve outdone yourselves. #DefundTheCBC #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/CV1DNfwQXA
Make sure to turn the lights off when you leave. pic.twitter.com/29Afc0CxWi
— The Mossad: Satirical, Yet Awesome (@TheMossadIL) July 31, 2024
Nasrallah: Battle against Israel entering ‘new phase’
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday said the war against Israel has entered a “new phase,” speaking at the funeral in south Beirut of his No. 2 man, Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike this week.
“We are facing a major battle that has gone beyond the issue of support fronts, whose battlefields include Yemen, Iraq, Syria and the Gaza Strip,” Nasrallah said in his address, which was broadcast via video link.
“I say to the enemy: Laugh a little now, but you will soon be crying a lot because you do not know which lines you have crossed,” he continued.
“We’ve entered a new phase, different than the previous phase, and the escalation depends on the behavior and reactions of the enemy,” the terrorist leader said. “Today, they are the ones who have to await the revenge of the honorable people of the Ummah [‘Islamic nation’].”
“The enemy and those who stand behind him must await our coming retaliation, which will be certain, Inshallah [‘God willing’]. There is no debate regarding this, and between us and you will be the days, the nights, and the battlefield,” vowed Nasrallah in his address.
If you missed it, #Lebanon's ruler Nasrallah delivered a speech today unprecedented in its threats to #Israel. Hezbollah TV also presented a new design to highlight Nasrallah's threats (see link). Long story short, now that Israel has granted Hezbollah chief of staff Fouad Shukr…
— Hussain Abdul-Hussain (@hahussain) August 1, 2024
Nothing to see here. Just your @SkyNews reporter @AlexCrawfordSky parroting Hezbollah talking points. https://t.co/XkmAs6lvdC
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) August 1, 2024
Today, Aug 1st is now known as;
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) August 1, 2024
“Resistance Leader Coffin Day”
Israel has now really humiliated Hezbollah, she really wasn’t worth it Fuad Shukr..
This man was responsible for the blood of 241 American Marines 🇺🇸 and many Israelis.
Rest in Piss pic.twitter.com/XXYQVC0XT9
HOW SAD!!!
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) August 1, 2024
Nasrallah shows up for his best friends funeral, from his BUNKER pic.twitter.com/Z5BB4OsTgw
Israel confirms death of Hamas terror chief Mohammed Deif
The Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency on Thursday confirmed that the head of Hamas’s terror army, Mohammed Deif, was killed in a joint operation in the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza on July 13.
“After an intelligence check, it can be confirmed that the attack killed Mohammed Deif, the commander of the military arm and number two in the terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza, which planned and carried out the murderous massacre on Oct. 7,” the IDF said.
Deif and Rafa’a Salameh, the commander of the terror group’s Khan Younis Brigade, were targeted in a building above ground close to the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone and the city of Khan Yunis.
The IDF confirmed the day after the attack that Salameh was killed.
Deif was the second in command in Gaza after Yahya Sinwar, the IDF’s top target after the two men led the planning and execution of the Oct. 7 massacre of over a thousand people in southern Israel. Deif, 58, the head of Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, was also responsible for planning several bus bombing attacks in the 1990s and 2000s.
“Muhammad Deif, the ‘Osama Bin Laden of Gaza,’ was eliminated on 13.07.24. This is a significant milestone in the process of dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authority in Gaza, and in the achievement of the goals of this war,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement on Thursday.
“The operation was conducted precisely and professionally by the IDF and ISA. This operation reflects the fact that Hamas is disintegrating, and that Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated. Israel’s defense establishment will pursue Hamas terrorists – both the planners and the perpetrators of the 07.10 massacre. We will not rest until this mission is accomplished,” Gallant continued.
In a world where you can be anything, Mohammed Deif chose to be a mastermind of terrorism. pic.twitter.com/8jeAtvW0Lv
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 1, 2024
🚨BREAKING🚨 AND NOW IT OFFICIAL!
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) August 1, 2024
The IDF and the Shin Bet announced that in a joint operation by the IDF and the Shin Bet on July 13, 2024, fighter jets attacked the Khan Yunis area, and now, after an intelligence check, it can be confirmed that the attack killed Muhammad Deif,… pic.twitter.com/huQ92FdN7l
🔴ELIMINATED: Ismail al-Ghoul, a Hamas Military Wing operative, Nukhba terrorist and @AJEnglish journalist
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 1, 2024
As part of his role in the military wing, Al-Ghoul instructed other operatives on how to record operations and was actively involved in recording and publicizing attacks…
𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐈𝐃𝐅 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐈𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐥-𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐛𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝐭𝐡
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) August 1, 2024
I first noticed some oddities about the Ghoul back in March, specifically how his entire journalistic… https://t.co/eLgXyD0PGG
And this is what he posted in July 2017 https://t.co/qLx2dT9jtj pic.twitter.com/8kj5y5yGgs
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) August 1, 2024
IDF: Based on IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF struck terrorists operating inside a compound within the Dalal School in the area of Shejaiya in Gaza City. The compound was used by Hamas as a hideout for commanders and operatives and to plan terror attacks against the State of…
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) August 1, 2024
Since the start of the war, we facilitated the entry of over 70,000 tons of shelter equipment into Gaza. This includes over 280,000 tents enough for over 2 million people people to various aid organzaions in Gaza.
— COGAT (@cogatonline) August 1, 2024
Just today, 15 trucks carrying 4500 tents were offloaded on the… pic.twitter.com/XVOB042v7j
Winning a war that you didn’t want nor start is done by breaking your enemy’s will to fight, and only then negotiating. Sinwar now has a better incentive to make a deal, because the other option is to join the late Haniye. On @cnni with @ZainAsher and @biannagolodryga pic.twitter.com/t5aPYckUcj
— Jonathan Conricus (@jconricus) July 31, 2024
The @bbc asked me what Israeli strategy against Iran should be, after the successful elimination of Haniye.
— Jonathan Conricus (@jconricus) July 31, 2024
We need to put a price tag for Iranian direct and indirect aggression and force the regime to consider their consequences. That and more. pic.twitter.com/EdtpcRjboT
"How to Win the War on the West" w/@DouglasKMurray
— Gabriel Groisman (@GabeGroisman) July 31, 2024
In this episode 39 of Standpoint, Gabe interviews Douglas Murray, a prominent commentator, author, and journalist known for his incisive analysis on contemporary political and cultural issues. They discuss Murray's book, 'The… pic.twitter.com/G8GZB9qJZ4
I asked 100 Israelis in Tel Aviv who they thought was the better choice for Israel. Here’s what they said… pic.twitter.com/2bUDTlm6TD
— Lizzy Savetsky (@LizzySavetsky) July 31, 2024
Israel Advocacy Movement: Debunking John Oliver's LIES about Israel
Who Is Behind the Pro-Hamas Demonstrations in Washington
Last week at Union Station, in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, a crowd pulled down the American flags and hoisted Palestinian flags, burning the American flags to shouts of "Allahu Akbar!" by Muslim activists.Jewish man refused service by pro-Palestine staff member
I drove to Union Station and saw the graffiti: "End Israel. I Commend Hamas," "Death 2 Amrikkka," "A National Led by Muhammad Will Not Be Defeated."
As an American Muslim, I had received an email from American Muslims for Palestine and found the portal to get bus tickets for the Washington demonstration.
It was on the website of ANSWER, a coalition of self-described socialist, Leninist, and Marxist organizations, led by the cofounders of the National Party for Socialism and Liberation.
They are pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine, pro-China, pro-North Korea, pro-Cuba, and pro-Venezuelan socialism.
This wasn't an organic, grassroots, spontaneous event. It was coordinated and orchestrated.
A Jewish man was denied service at an Officeworks store in Elsternwick by a pro-Palestine staff member.
The man went to the store in March to have a page of the Australian Jewish News laminated, but the employee would not do it as she said she was “pro-Palestine”.
When the customer asked why she wouldn’t do the job, she said Officeworks could deny service. He argued about this, and the staff member threatened to call the police, so he left.
Officeworks managing director Sarah Hunter issued a statement regretting the incident and the distress caused to the customer.
“We learned of the incident in March 2024. We were deeply disappointed that it occurred and confirm that the customer’s job should have been performed by the team member. We confirm that we have taken this matter extremely seriously, investigated the matter at the time and took appropriate disciplinary action. The views expressed by the team member are not Officeworks’ views,” she said.
“At Officeworks, we do not discriminate against our customers on the basis of political views, religious beliefs, gender, sexuality or race.”
Hunter said Officeworks has provided ongoing training and education to team members so that they understand the importance of treating all customers with respect and dignity. “Arising out of this incident relevant team members received education through the Melbourne Holocaust Museum,” she said.
The AJN understands the staff member who refused service to the Jewish customer is still employed at Officeworks but has undergone training.
‘Shocking’: Jewish man denied service at Officeworks
Liberal MP Julian Lesser discusses an employee at Officeworks denning service to a Jewish man trying to laminate pro-Israeli news articles.
“It’s a shocking example; my grandmother grew up in Germany, and they left in 1936 because Jews at that point were being refused service in shops and to the family was the signal that it was time to get out,” Mr Lesser told Sky News host Chris Kenny.
“This isn’t government policy, but it is Officeworks policy the CEO should hang his head in shame.
“Too often we see antisemitism go unanswered by leaders in positions of authority."
AJA has been made aware of a second antisemitic incident at the same Officeworks when a Jewish customer attempted to print out photos.
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) August 1, 2024
A complaint was made and handled appallingly.
We were sent this message in January and the sender contacted us again today to say they believe… pic.twitter.com/wDR7u5rI4P
Former Real Madrid star Mesut Özil calls to eradicate IsraelWhy are the woke always the worst racists?
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) August 1, 2024
The management of Officeworks have behaved appallingly in this incident.
6 Months after the incident and 12 hours after it broke in the media, they still haven't sacked the woman responsible.
But they spent lots of money pushing the… https://t.co/8XZKwHGUnV
Retired soccer star Mesut Özil, once a top offensive midfielder in Europe and a star for Real Madrid, Arsenal and the German national team, ignited controversy on Tuesday with a provocative Instagram story featuring a crossed-out map of Israel and the word "PALESTINE" in its stead.
Özil, known for his controversial political statements and close ties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, faced significant criticism in Germany throughout his career.
Last season, he retired from professional soccer but recently made headlines for other reasons. Özil was photographed in a gym with his personal trainer, displaying a wolf tattoo, the symbol of the Grey Wolves movement, associated with Erdoğan.
The Grey Wolves, linked to Turkey's far-right Nationalist Movement Party, are known for their fascist and racist tendencies, advocating for a single Turkish state spanning from the Balkans to China and holding racist views against non-Turks, particularly Kurds, Albanians, Greeks, Jews and Armenians. During the recent Euro 2024 tournament, Turkish national team defender Merih Demiral was suspended for two games after performing a salute linked to the Grey Wolves following Turkey's victory over Austria.
Özil's most significant achievement was winning the World Cup with Germany in 2014. He made 92 appearances for the national team, scoring 23 goals. Özil retired from the national team after the 2018 World Cup amid criticism for being photographed with Erdoğan, saying, "I am German when we win, but an immigrant when we lose." His statement resonated with many Turks, who retweeted it with the hashtag #ME2.
After 4 antisemitic arson attacks in 3 consecutive days, @TorontoPolice just took the time to speak at the local synagogue to lecture the Jewish community on..... 🥁..... Islamophobia.
— The Mossad: Satirical, Yet Awesome (@TheMossadIL) August 1, 2024
Welcome to the new Canada. https://t.co/cpG6LYKtkm
A Toronto synagogue was vandalized a few weeks ago, so the community came together to their holy place for “An Evening of Solidarity Against Hate.”
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) August 1, 2024
FreePalestine protesters showed up to stand against the Jewish community, and support hate. pic.twitter.com/OX80P1VplR
Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism today at Amazon! Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. Read all about it here! |
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