Tuesday, August 06, 2024

08/06 Links Pt1: Israel’s Spectacular Missions Are Necessary for Its Survival; Sinwar to replace Haniyeh; 19 wounded, one critically, as Hezbollah attacks Western Galilee

From Ian:

Seth Mandel: Israel’s Spectacular Missions Are Necessary for Its Survival
The boundaries with which Israel was born invited immediate invasion. The armistice lines demarcating positions after the Israeli victory were not much better and invited low-level war and then major war again in 1967. Amazingly, Israel was lectured for decades after that about how it didn’t need to hold on to land it won in that defensive war because it also won the war in 1948 and therefore its original boundaries were “defensible.”

This argument continued until the Oslo years of the 1990s and the outbreak of suicide terrorism as a main strategy of Palestinian Arabs against Israel. At that point, the new lecture was that there really was no such thing as defensible borders in the Israeli-Palestinian element of the conflict, because the violence was coming from inside land controlled by Israel, not outside.

That indefensibility argument only increased with the second intifada, launched by Yasser Arafat after he rejected an offer of Palestinian statehood in 2000. Israel was burning up from within, its critics said, and therefore the only solution was a diplomatic one that forfeited Israeli sovereignty and security. But it turned out there was a military solution to the violence: Israel undertook a campaign of targeted assassination that made a continuing campaign of organized terrorism impossible for the time being.

There was also a way for Israel to protect, rather than surrender, its borders and its sovereignty. In 2002, Israel began building its security fence to prevent infiltration from the West Bank. By 2004, areas protected by the fence had seen fatalities from West Bank-originating terror attacks drop to zero. Construction of the fence continued, and so did its security benefits.

Case closed on defensible borders? Hardly. The advent of the rocket wars brought a return of the lectures that Israel could not have defensible borders. The idea was that the nature of war had changed, the contours of the conflict were different now, and Israel needed to think about appeasement as a path to survival.

That brought about the efforts to build the Iron Dome missile shield, which has kept Israel generally safe and sovereign during this most recent phase of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

We may be coming to a new era. Iron Beam, the next generation of missile interception using lasers, is in development but likely won’t be ready for deployment until next year. Iron Dome’s interceptor missiles are expensive, and anyway the system wasn’t designed to stop thousands of missiles and rockets and drones per day, which is what could happen if war breaks out with Hezbollah in the north. Israel’s recent demonstrations of its capabilities inside Iran may not prevent that war. But they are a signal to Iran—and to the world—that the Jewish state has more up its sleeve. Only if Israel’s capabilities cease to match its worst-case scenarios will its borders cease to be defensible.
Seth Mandel: Arrest and Prosecute the UN Workers Caught Aiding Hamas on Oct. 7
Now that even a UN review gritted its teeth and admitted the truth, it’s worth revisiting the allegations. In February, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed the identities of twelve UNRWA workers who “actively participated” in Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

“In addition to these 12 workers,” Gallant said at a briefing at the time, “we have significant indications based on intelligence, that over 30 UNRWA workers participated in the massacre, facilitated the taking of hostages, looted and stole from Israeli communities, and more.” According to Gallant, “1,468 workers are known to be active in Hamas and [Palestinian Islamic Jihad]. 185 UNRWA workers are active in the military branches of Hamas and 51 are active in the PIJ military branch.”

Turns out this wasn’t all some Israeli fever dream, as many critics had hoped (and claimed). The agency really is shot through with Hamasniks. Some hostages were held by UNRWA employees in Gaza. The organization is unsalvageable and should be dismantled for parts.

And this feint of “accountability” is another reason that the agency can’t be saved. Firing these employees should be the beginning, not the end, of the disciplinary action.

Every single person that even the UN admits participated in a monstrous campaign of war crimes should be in custody. They deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Everyone who worked with them in the field should be investigated and the higher-ups at the UN—who will feign ignorance unconvincingly—should have their turn in the dock as well.

Indeed, UNRWA was as much a mobile mercenary group as it was an aid organization. The internal review looked at 19 employees, but Israel gave the UN the documentation of over 200 active terrorists in its ranks and 1,500 who are affiliated with Gaza-based terror groups in one way or another. Sounds like there should be close to 2,000 investigations. When can we expect those?

Even if you pretended to believe the absurd excuse that high-level agency workers and UN officials didn’t know all this, none of them should still have a job. Most likely, there is real criminal liability there, but at the very least, the UN should be tripping over itself to cut loose anyone with supervisory responsibilities over these thugs.

In what other case would a person caught on camera carrying the corpse of a murder victim not be on trail for that person’s murder? How could anyone justify sending a penny to this organization under these circumstances? Indeed, why should it even be legal to do so?

The devaluing of Jewish life has reached a shocking level when a taxpayer-funded global body like the UN provides automatic immunity for murderers and terrorists—and that fact alone isn’t cause for outrage in every corner of the civilized world.
The West's Fear of Escalation Is Not Helpful
The many calls for restraint by Israel are not very useful. These pronouncements that express genuine reluctance to use force are seen by most people in the Middle East as weakness. In many situations, climbing the escalation ladder is probably the best way to put an end to violence.

For years, Israel preferred to absorb many rocket attacks and refrained from a strong response that could lead to escalation. This only gave time to Hamas to build its military capabilities and acquire the might to withstand an Israeli offensive now in its tenth month.

Similarly, Israel's reluctance to preempt in Lebanon allowed Hizbullah to build a formidable missile arsenal. Hizbullah grew to become a monster that since Oct. 8 has conducted, undeterred, a war of attrition against Israel. The continued existence of over 100,000 missiles in the hands of Hizbullah is an intolerable situation for Israel. Only an escalation intended to eliminate the missile arsenal can put an end to the war of attrition. The "diplomatic solution" the Americans and the French are pushing for in Lebanon is a mirage. Hizbullah cannot be trusted to abide for long by any agreement.

Being perceived as having a predilection for escalation helps deterrence. Deterrence must be maintained over time by the occasional use of force. Restraint may be construed as weakness and invite aggression. This is the way the bullies read things in the Middle East. In the final analysis, the only effective persuasion is the use of force. This requires willingness to escalate the struggle to defeat the Islamist radicals.


A call for global action
The silence from presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers and ambassadors regarding the hostages held by Hamas has been and continues to be increasingly deafening with each passing day. We call upon all to demand of Hamas and its terrorist leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, to release the hostages.

Other democracies—including the United States, Canada, France and Australia—have never and would never tolerate the mass murder, maiming and kidnapping of their citizens by a designated foreign terror organization or its operatives. They, too, would respond with force and determination to seek justice for their citizenry.

Hamas must be held fully accountable for its taking and treatment of the hostages and its unconscionable attack upon the people of Israel. It must also be held accountable for its inhumane treatment of the residents of Gaza in usurping their humanitarian aid and repurposing it to initiate and perpetuate a violent conflict, as well as Hamas’s unconscionable placing of civilian lives in danger as human shields.

The U.N., ICC and ICJ must be castigated for their selective prosecution, sham proceedings and other grave miscarriages of justice, law and order, and the threats they pose to democracy. By having singled out Israel for multiple decades, they have played right into the hands of Iran, the worst sponsor of terror in the world that continues to directly attack Israel, the world’s only Jewish state.

Only months ago, the Islamic Republic of Iran launched hundreds of rockets and drones in a direct attack upon the sovereign State of Israel and surely will strike again, this time more forcefully. Iran continues to advance its nuclear capabilities; magnify its sponsorship of terror through its proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis; repeatedly threaten to annihilate the people and the State of Israel; promote and illegally practice economic, academic and multi-pronged diplomatic boycotts of Israel; and support demonstrations in the U.S. and around the world to rally fervor against Israel and the Jewish people. The silence of the world on Iran’s innumerable crimes is dangerously deafening.

The global community and leaders of the Jewish community itself must use their strong voices, express their vision and assert their leadership in support of the strongest democracy in the Middle East. For decades, Israel has demonstrated its just commitment to international human and legal rights, including those of the Jewish people, whose proud tradition deserves praise and protection, not scapegoating.
Telegraph Editorial: The West is too soft on Iran
America's decision to deploy additional jets and warships to help defend Israel from a possibly imminent major attack by the Iranian regime is welcome and necessary. But this renewed crisis is largely due to the West's cowardice and inconsistency in dealing with the Middle East. America, Britain and Europe have been far too soft on the Iranian regime for well over a decade, and have increasingly proved reluctant to fully support Israel after it fell victim to barbaric Hamas terrorists last year.

Following the atrocities of Oct. 7, the West signaled that its support for Israel was ironclad. It has proved anything but. Regrettably, in mooting a ban on arms sales to Israel and refusing to challenge the arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the new Labour government is also proving itself to be an unreliable ally of the region's only pro-Western democracy. A lasting peace in the region will only ever be possible if Iran is finally contained properly and Hamas and Hizbullah effectively dealt with.
Hamas plans for Sinwar to replace Haniyeh, terror org. announces
Yahya Sinwar will replace Ismail Haniyeh in Hamas' operations, following his assassination in Tehran, the terror group announced in a statement on Tuesday night.

"The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces the selection of Commander Yahya Sinwar as the head of the political bureau of the movement, succeeding the martyr Commander Ismail Haniyeh, may Allah have mercy on him," the movement said in a brief statement.

Sinwar spent half his adult life in Israeli prisons and was the most powerful Hamas leader left alive following the assassination of Haniyeh.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the assassination of Haniyeh, but it has said it killed other senior leaders, including Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed in Beirut, and Mohammed Deif, the terror group's military commander.

Sinwar has remained an elusive figure since the onset of the October 7 massacre, of which he was the primary mastermind and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war. He is reported to be hiding in tunnels in the Gaza Strip. In February, the IDF released footage of Sinwar walking through a tunnel in Khan Yunis.

Previous reports emerged of the chaos in Hamas due to questions over who would succeed Haniyeh, including speculations that Khaled Mashal could be his replacement, Ynet reported.


Rejoining IDF, Ex-Envoy Michael Oren Warns: ‘We’re Fighting the Wrong War’
Israel’s former Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren has traded his diplomatic credentials and suits for a dog tag and combat uniform by joining an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) rapid response counter-terrorism unit in a northern kibbutz, warning that the fall of the embattled north would pose the most significant threat to Israel’s central heartland.

Oren recently returned from Washington, DC, where he accompanied a delegation of displaced Israelis from the north for a series of talks and high-level meetings in the US capital. The former envoy criticized Biden administration officials for lacking adequate answers for the evacuees they met with, implying they expected the evacuees to simply accept living in close proximity to a terror threat.

“No one is going to go back to living, say, in Metulla, which is literally a war zone with 150 houses destroyed and with Hezbollah on the other side of the fence,” he said, referring to the powerful Iran-backed terrorist organization in Lebanon. Oren cited army estimates that as much as 40 percent of Israel’s evacuated north, numbering some 80,000 people, would not return home in the event of a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza.

“We now know what terrorists on the other side can do to Israelis,” he added.

Oren asserted that Israel was misdirecting its focus with the fighting in Hamas-ruled Gaza to the south, investing its manpower and resources against the wrong enemy. “We’re fighting the wrong war. We should focus our main energy on the north, which is a strategic threat. Hamas was and is a tactical threat. It’s not going anywhere.”

Hezbollah, which wields significant military and political influence across Lebanon, has been firing drones, missiles, and rockets at northern Israel daily since October, when the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began. The onslaught has forced Israelis living near the Lebanon border to flee to other parts of the country for safety.

Oren assailed the response by world leaders and global press to last week’s targeted assassinations of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas terror chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and rejected claims that the killings would make hostage negotiations tougher and foil the chances for regional quiet.

“The reaction of the world was extraordinary. By eliminating two mass murderers, they’re saying Israel has jeopardized peace. You can’t make this stuff up,” Oren said. “What foils the chances for a hostage agreement [with Hamas] and for regional stability is not standing up to terror and not fighting.”

“Leaders of the United States and the world should thank Israel for eliminating the murderer of not just Israelis, and of Palestinians, but the murder of Americans,” he added.

Oren rejected claims that Israel was not operationally or logistically prepared for a full-scale war with Hezbollah, asserting that Israel had untapped resources ready for deployment. “We have conventional means that we’ve never used before, and we could use them now, like our submarine force,” he said, declining to elaborate further.


Sen. Lindsey Graham: Ways to Confront Iran
Iran and its proxies have intensified their attacks on Israel and on U.S. interests in the Middle East, beginning with Hamas's barbaric incursion of Oct. 7. For too long, the U.S. has at best played defense when it comes to Iran. It's time to go on offense.

To that end, I propose a terrorism tariff. If a nation buys oil or gas from Iran, the U.S. would levy a tariff on all imports from that country. By buying cheap Iranian oil, China, India and others are enriching the ayatollahs and blatantly violating sanctions. Make these countries choose between cheap Iranian oil and normal business with the U.S.

A second proposal is a resolution declaring that any Hizbullah attack on Israel is an Iranian attack on Israel. Iranian oil refineries should be on the target list if Hizbullah or other Iranian proxies continue to attack Israel.

A third proposal lays out definitive red lines for Iran's nuclear program. If Iran crosses these lines, the U.S. would be authorized to use military force against Iran. When the ayatollahs chant "death to Israel" and "death to America," they mean it - and we should take them seriously.

It is hard to imagine a worse disaster for the world than if the ayatollahs acquire nuclear capability. If it is determined that Iran holds uranium enriched to weapons-grade level, possesses a nuclear warhead, or has obtained a delivery vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that threatens the national security interests of the U.S., then the president would be authorized to take military action.
Pakistani national charged with alleged plot to assassinate Donald Trump, federal prosecutors say
A Pakistani national with purported ties to Iran was arrested last month on charges he plotted to assassinate former President Donald Trump and multiple other public officials, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court.

While the criminal complaint does not mention Trump by name, multiple sources familiar with the case told ABC News one of the intended targets of the alleged plot was Trump.

After spending time in Iran, Asif Merchant flew from Pakistan to the U.S. to recruit hitmen to carry out the alleged plot, according to a detention memo. The person he contacted was a confidential informant working with the FBI, according to the criminal complaint.

Merchant, 46, is charged with murder for hire.
Gil Troy: The U.S. Owes Israel $5 Million
Israel killed Fuad Shukr, a leader of Hizbullah's Jihad Council who orchestrated the Beirut Marine barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. servicemen in 1983.

The State Department subsequently offered a $5 million reward for information on him and listed him as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist."

America should now cut Israel a $5 million check.

Negotiating with jihadists telegraphs weakness. Americans should stop demanding ceasefires and trying to mollify the perpetrators of terror.

Only by projecting power, unifying the West behind Israel, and intimidating Iran and its lackeys can the U.S. restore global stability.

America owes Israel a debt of gratitude for taking the lead - plus $5 million.


Iran receiving Russian air defenses ahead of possible war with Israel, report says
Iran has requested advanced Russian air-defense and radar systems following a visit to the Islamic Republic by a top Moscow official and shipments are already on their way, The New York Times reported on Monday.

Two Iranian officials confirmed that Iran made the request and Russia has started delivering radars and air-defense equipment, according to the Times, citing Iranian media.

The request came following a day-long visit to Tehran by head of the Russian Security Council and former Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, on Monday.

Iran wants the air-defense systems in preparation for its promised revenge strike against Israel over the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last Wednesday.

Curing a meeting with Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, Shoigu described Iran as a key strategic ally of Russia’s in the region, according to Iran’s Press TV.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is in no way seeking to expand the scope of war and crisis in the region, but certainly this [Zionist] regime will receive a response for its crimes and audacity,” Pezeshkian said, calling the assassination of Haniyeh a violation of international law.

Shoigu also met with Iranian armed forces commander, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, who is reportedly planning the military strikes on Israel.

Bagheri told Shoigu that Russian-Iranian ties were “deep, long term and strategic” and would only expand under Iran’s new government, according to the Times, citing Iranian media.

Shoigu also met with Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian.

“We are ready for full cooperation with Iran on regional issues,” Shoigu said.
Pakistan announces intention to supply arms to Iran at OIC meeting - report
Several Arab sources reported Tuesday that if the conflict between Iran and Israel escalates, Pakistan plans to supply Iran with Shaheen-III medium-range ballistic missiles.

An emergency meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), requested by Iran and Pakistan, took place yesterday in Saudi Arabia, with Iran examining its response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The meeting in the coastal city of Jeddah included discussions on "the crimes of the Israeli occupation" and "the assassination of Haniyeh," said the Saudi OIC representative. The Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran said that Iran requested the meeting alongside Pakistan.

The OIC, representing 57 Islamic countries, sees itself as the voice of the Muslim world. Unlike the smaller Arab League, it also includes influential non-Arab countries, including Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey.

American officials said that since the weekend, they have observed Iran moving missile launchers and conducting military exercises as part of Tehran's preparations for an attack aimed at Israel in the coming days, according to a report published Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal.

Furthermore, according to the report, US officials still don't know what the attack might look like or the exact timeframe. An Iranian source is also quoted saying that the attack might occur "immediately," meaning within the next 48 hours.


Austin, Gallant: Attack on US base in Iraq a ‘dangerous escalation’
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant agreed in a phone call on Monday that an attack by Iranian proxies on American troops at an Iraqi airbase marked a “dangerous escalation.”

Austin also reiterated the “unwavering U.S. commitment to Israel’s security in the face of threats from Iran, Lebanese Hizballah, and other Iran-aligned militia groups,” according to the Pentagon.

At least five U.S. personnel were wounded, one seriously, when two Katyusha rockets were fired on Monday at the Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing U.S. officials. An Iraqi official said that the rockets fell inside the base. A picture taken shortly after the nighttime attack appeared to show smoke rising from the facility.

“Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant agreed that today’s Iran-aligned militia attack on U.S. forces stationed at Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq marked a dangerous escalation and demonstrated Iran’s destabilizing role in the region,” according to the Pentagon readout of the call.

Some 2,500 American troops are stationed in Iraq, while some 900 are stationed in Syria.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were updated on the Al-Asad strike during a meeting in the Situation Room on Monday with the White House’s national security team.

“They discussed the steps we are taking to defend our forces and respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing,” according to a White House statement.

The Pentagon on Friday announced a series of measures it was taking to boost the U.S. military posture in the Middle East region to defend Israel against expected retaliatory strikes by Iran and its proxies.


FDD: Nine UNRWA Staff Dismissed for Possible Ties to October 7 Atrocities
Latest Developments
United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini announced the dismissal of nine of the agency’s employees for their potential involvement in the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on October 7. In a statement on August 5, Lazzarini explained that findings from an investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the UN’s internal oversight body, provided sufficient grounds to terminate the contracts of the individuals suspected of participating in the atrocities. “In the case of these remaining nine staff members, I have decided that they cannot work for UNRWA,” Lazzarini said. Some of the nine employees were already included among both the 12 staff members terminated and the seven placed on administrative leave over the allegations, Juliette Touma, communications director for UNRWA, later clarified.

However, Lazzarini refrained from assigning guilt to the dismissed employees, stating that the evidence, “if authenticated and corroborated – could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the attacks of 7 October.” The same investigation concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support allegations against 10 other UNRWA staff members accused of being involved in the October 7 atrocities carried out by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel.

In response, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, condemned the OIOS investigation as “a disgrace.” Erdan pointed out that the agency only probed 19 UNRWA employees, even though Israel had supplied the United Nations with “detailed information” regarding over 100 employees whom Erdan asserted were affiliated with Hamas.

Expert Analysis
“UNRWA is far more rotten than nine bad apples. The agency is fully penetrated by Hamas in Gaza, with clear evidence of widespread affiliations among its staff and collaboration with Hamas at an institutional level. Firing nine employees does nothing to change the fundamental problem here.” — Richard Goldberg, Senior FDD Advisor

“Lazzarini’s reluctance to assert that UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7 massacre underscores his commitment to shielding the agency, even in the face of compelling evidence of corruption within its ranks. It is evident that Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups have infiltrated UNRWA, a troubling reality that the organization and its leadership seem unwilling to acknowledge.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Hundreds of UNRWA Personnel Involved in Hamas Activities.
On February 22, the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv reported on an intelligence analysis presented to Israel’s war cabinet, which revealed that among the 12,000 employees of UNRWA in Gaza, 440 are actively involved in Hamas’s military operations. The report noted that around 2,000 more employees are supporters of Hamas but do not engage in its terrorist activities, while approximately 7,000 UNRWA employees have close relatives who are members of Hamas.

The United Nations does not classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. “Hamas is not a terrorist group for us … It’s a political movement,” Martin Griffiths, the UN’s under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, stated on February 14.


Not another penny for UNRWA, senator says
After an investigation found that nine employees of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East may have been directly involved in the Hamas terror attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) renewed calls for Washington to cut off the agency’s funding.

“We should never give another penny to antisemitic, terrorist-supporting UNRWA,” wrote the member of the Senate Committee on Finance.

Some 10 days after the Hamas attack, Blackburn co-sponsored legislation to defund UNRWA.

“It is clear that U.S. aid intended for the Palestinian people has repeatedly ended up in the hands of terrorists,” she stated at the time. “UNRWA teachers and educational materials call for the murder of Jews, and the Biden administration should immediately halt all funding for the agency. The U.S. government should not be funding terrorists.”


‘NYT’ mocked for saying UN half-empty of terrorists
The day after The New York Times drew criticism for warning that Hamas could get more radical, the publication was mocked for a headline suggesting that the terrorist glass was half-empty.

The initial headline of the article was “U.N. clears half the aid workers accused of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack.” It later changed it to “U.N. fires nine aid workers accused of taking part in Oct. 7 attack, but clears 10 others.”

The original headline might as well have been “Terrorists spare four of seven buildings at World Trade Center,” wrote Michael Brendan Dougherty of National Review.

Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, called the Times “a parody of itself.”


UKLFI: International Criminal Court warned of “wholesale inaccuracy” of Prosecutor’s allegations against Israeli leaders
Allegations of starvation and famine
The Prosecutor is asking the International Criminal Court (ICC) to order the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, on the ground that Israel has used starvation of Palestinian civilians as a method of warfare.

He claims that under their leadership Israel imposed a “total siege over Gaza that involved completely closing the three crossing points, Rafah, Kerem Shalom and Erez, from 8 October 2023 for extended periods”.

However, a group of NGOs – UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), International Legal Forum (ILF), Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), Bnai Brith UK (BBUK) and the Jerusalemites Initiative (JI) – have provided detailed information about the opening of the crossings, showing that the Prosecutor’s claim is simply not true.

They also point out that the Rafah crossing is between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, not Israel, so Israel can’t open it if Egypt insists on closing it, without going to war with Egypt.

The NGOs also dispute a series of other allegations by the Prosecutor, including a claim that famine was present in some areas of Gaza and imminent in others. The NGOs believe this claim is based on earlier reports that omitted to count a large part of the food and water supplies in Gaza and have since been officially classed as “implausible”.

The NGOs add that a report by a “panel of experts in international law”, including Amal Clooney, that agreed with the Prosecutor, is based on the same inaccurate material provided by the Prosecutor’s office.

The NGOs point out that if the Court proceeds on the basis of the false information, it would jeopardise the liberty of not only Netanyahu and Gallant, but also other Israelis, against whom arrest warrants could be issued secretly. This would restrict their ability to travel to many countries without fear of arrest.

The NGOs say that it would be a “disgraceful dereliction of duty” if the Court and the Prosecutor ignore the extensive information they have provided and the evidence they have cited. They consider that it would “call into question the integrity of the Court, its processes and its Prosecutor.”

Jurisdiction and Complementarity
UKLFI, ILF, BBUK and JI are also disputing the ICC’s jurisdiction and say that the Prosecutor is violating the foundational principle of complementarity, according to which the ICC will only intervene if national legal systems cannot or will not investigate alleged crimes.

These NGOs point out that Israel has a strong legal system with a track record of holding officials at the highest levels accountable for serious crimes. Israel’s independent Military Advocate General has already initiated 74 criminal investigations of alleged wrongdoing relating to military conduct since 7 October.

Instead of engaging with relevant officials in Israel so they could investigate his allegations, the Prosecutor abruptly cancelled a planned visit to Israel and announced that he was filing applications for arrest warrants at the ICC.


Top foreign military officials to ICC: Don't arrest Netanyahu, Gallant
The Higher Level Military Group has submitted a legal brief to the International Criminal Court seeking to convince the judges to reject a request by ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan for arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The specific legal group includes top former military generals and military legal officials from several North American and European countries who in July visited a wide variety of IDF bases and humanitarian aid sites at both higher and lower command levels throughout Israel and Gaza.

In the brief, the group addresses Khan’s two main thrusts for prosecuting Netanyahu and Gallant: charges of alleged starvation and charges of alleged deliberate killing of Palestinians by the IDF under orders.

Regarding the charges of starvation, the brief finds that Israel and the IDF’s humanitarian efforts were initially delayed by several days of fighting to expel the Hamas invasion, which went on for the greater part of the week after October 7 as well as another week of initial massive deployment efforts of around 100,000 troops to the Gaza front, many of whom also lacked proper food and supplies at times.

However, from October 21 onward, the group found that the IDF facilitated humanitarian aid convoys (initially via the Nitzana Crossing.)

Further, the group said that there is no war crime for first providing aid to one’s troops at a minimal level before facilitating aid to a foreign civilian population and that the delay was short-lived and did not lead to starvation given the food and supplies previously stocked up in Gaza.

NEXT, the group calls out Khan for implying that Israel closed the Erez and Rafah crossings when Hamas destroyed the Erez crossing, and the Rafah crossing has always been a mixed project between Israel and Egypt.


IDF Disputes CNN Report on Hamas Brigades in Gaza
In response to a CNN investigation claiming that most Hamas brigades in Gaza remain intact, the IDF said on Monday that intelligence and field findings indicate that most Hamas brigades in the Gaza Strip have been dismantled.

"The assessment is that most battalions are at a low level of readiness and can no longer function as a military framework," the army said.

The IDF criticized the report for undermining the achievements of Israeli forces, adding, "The claims in the article misrepresent the situation of Hamas in the Strip. IDF commanders and soldiers are working tirelessly to achieve war objectives and are making unprecedented gains against Hamas."
In response to a CNN investigation claiming that most Hamas brigades in Gaza remain intact, the IDF said on Monday that intelligence indicates that most Hamas brigades have been dismantled.

"The assessment is that most battalions are at a low level of readiness and can no longer function as a military framework," the army said.

"The claims in the article misrepresent the situation of Hamas."


Nineteen wounded, one critically, as Hezbollah attacks Western Galilee
Nineteen Israelis were wounded on Tuesday when Hezbollah launched attack drones towards the Western Galilee, according to initial reports.

A man in his 30s was listed in serious condition, a 30-year-old woman was moderately wounded, and others suffered light wounds, according to reports.

At least two drones were said to have been launched into Israel; only some were intercepted. One drone impacted the Arab town of Mazra’a, between Acre and Nahariya, after crossing the border from Lebanon.

Magen David Adom emergency service medics reportedly treated victims at three different scenes around Nahariya. The wounded were evacuated to the city’s Galilee Medical Center, according to MDA.

The Israel Defense Forces said that at least some of the casualties were apparently caused by an Israeli interceptor missile that missed its target.

“As a result of the fall, several civilians were injured, the incident is under investigation,” the military announced in a post on X.

MDA paramedics told Israel’s Channel 13 News: “We saw the man sitting in the car unconscious and suffering from a severe head injury from a shrapnel hit and another injured woman was near the parking lot where she is fully conscious and suffering from shrapnel injuries to her limbs.”

“We gave the man medical treatment that included resuscitation and medication and evacuated him in an MDA intensive-care vehicle to the hospital in very serious condition. Another injured woman was evacuated from the scene in mild-to-moderate condition,” they said.

Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, said that three drones infiltrated Israel in the latest wave of attacks. The Iran-backed terror group took credit for at least seven launches on Tuesday.

Rocket and drone alerts sounded in the Western Galilee. Footage posted to social media appeared to show a drone flying over Nahariya and Acre.


IDF and IAF eliminate 11 terrorists in Jenin, one soldier moderately wounded
In an operation led by the IDF in Jenin, 11 terrorists were eliminated in Israel Air Force (IAF) strikes and exchange of fire with soldiers, the IDF announced on Tuesday.

During the operation, an IDF soldier was moderately injured and taken to a hospital for medical treatment. His family was informed.

IDF soldiers also confiscated numerous weapons held by terrorists. The military noted that the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) had been operating since Monday afternoon in an operation to counter terrorism in Jenin and in neighboring villages in the West Bank.

Armed terrorists eliminated, including those planting explosives
During the operation, the IAF, under the direction of the Shin Bet and IDF, attacked and killed four armed terrorists in the Jenin area. IDF forces also killed seven terrorists in an exchange of fire and injured additional terrorists, including those who threw explosives and tried to plant explosives in the area.

The IDF destroyed several explosives that were planted to harm soldiers, arrested several wanted individuals, and confiscated an M16 rifle.

Other wanted individuals were arrested and transferred to security forces for further investigation.


Border Police officer wounded in terrorist attack near Bethlehem
A Border Police officer was lightly wounded on Tuesday in a stabbing attack on Route 60 near the tunnel checkpoint at the entrance to Bethlehem on the outskirts of Jerusalem, according to the Israel Police.

The 20-year-old woman was administered medical treatment and transported to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem with minor wounds, according to the Magen David Adom emergency service.

Border Police officers and Israel Defense Forces soldiers shot the assailant after he stabbed the victim with a screwdriver while she struggled to fend him off. The terrorist was later pronounced dead.

He was later identified as Muhammad Rezak Ebrahim Al-Mash, 27, from Dheisheh, a Palestinian camp just south of Bethlehem.

According to the police account, a Jerusalem-bound passenger bus arrived at the checkpoint in the morning. The attack came when passengers disembarked to be inspected and ruled out as suspicious.


FDD Morning Brief | feat. Mark Dubowitz (Aug. 5)
FDD Senior Vice President Jon Schanzer delivers timely situational updates and analysis on headlines of the Middle East, followed by a conversation with FDD Chief Executive Mark Dubowitz.


Caroline Glick joins Rob Schmitt on Newsmax to discuss latest news on Iran and Israel.
Caroline Glick, former assistant senior foreign policy advisor to PM Netanyahu and senior contributing editor for the Jewish News Syndicate, joins Rob Schmitt on Newsmax TV to discuss Israel's heightened state of readiness in anticipation of a potential attack from Iran and other related topics. The interview took place on August 5, 2024.


Richard Goldberg on Israel bracing for an imminent attack from Iran — Fox News
Rich joins Fox News to discuss the imminent threat and implications of Iran or its proxies attacking Israel.




Fmr. Ambassador to Israel reacts to escalation in Middle East | Newsline
David Friedman, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, joins "Newsline" with Lidia Curanaj to discuss newest levels of escalation and volatility in the Middle East as attacks on Israel by Iran have been expected.


Hamas has ‘no regard for the life’ of Palestinians: Peter Dutton
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says Hamas has “no regard for the life” of Israelis or Palestinians.

“Hamas has no regard for the life of Israelis, nor does it for the life of Palestinians,” Mr Dutton told Sky News Australia.

“I think this is a test for our country to stand up for our values, I think it’s a test for the West, and I think when we see an ally under attack like we saw in the case of 9/11 or like we saw on the 7th of October in Israel, it’s our obligation to stand with somebody of shared values.”

This comes as nine UNWRA staff members have been fired over suspicion they may have been involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel.


Albanese government’s policies on the Middle East a ‘disgrace’: Andrew Bolt
Sky News host Andrew Bolt slams the Albanese government’s policies regarding the tension in the Middle East as a “disgrace”.

The United Nations has admitted nine employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees ‘may have been involved’ in the October 7 attack on Israel.

“The Albanese government's Middle Eastern policies have become a disgrace,” Mr Bolt said.

“I don't just mean how it won't properly call out Islamist hate preachers or won't lead in fighting Jew hatred.

“It has gotten worse.

“Funding terrorists – UNRWA, which is the United Nations body that looks after so-called Palestinian refugees … has just admitted it’s had at least nine staff in Gaza that evidence suggests may have taken part in the slaughter of 1,200 Israelis on October 7, and the kidnappings.”


'Utterly offensive': Australian taxpayer dollars should not have been sent to UNRWA
Shadow Affairs Minister James Paterson discusses the nine United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) staff that were sacked because they were allegedly involved in the October 7 terror attacks.

"The prime minister has nowhere to hide," Mr Paterson told Sky News host Peta Credlin.

"He was warned that his decision to increase funding of UNWRA while it was under investigation for its employees being complicit in the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust."

"It will be utterly offensive to most Australians the idea their hard-earned money is being sent to an organisation that employs terrorists in Gaza."


‘This is our money’: UNRWA employees alleged to be part of October 7 ‘massacre’
Herald Sun Senior Writer Patrick Carlyon discusses the latest “shocking” allegations against UNRWA.

Australia had temporarily halted funding for UNRWA amid allegations that nine staff members may have been involved in the October 7 attacks.

“This is our money, we need to know what it’s going towards,” Mr Carlyon told Sky News host Rita Panahi.

“They’ve been accused of being part of a massacre.

“It is shocking.”


The Israel Guys: When Will Iran Attack? UPDATE From Last 24 Hours in Israel
Iran has been vowing to attack Israel ever since the arch terrorist Ismail Haniyah was taken out by Israel in Tehran last Wednesday. Is an attack on Israel imminent? Or is Iran bluffing?

Here is the full breakdown of what has been happening in Israel for the last 24 hours.




'Jews for Palestine' get arrested outside of synagogue at anti-hate rally
On Friday's livestream, Sheila Gunn Reid and David Menzies discussed an encounter between a 'Jews for Palestine' group and the Toronto police last week.




LBC presenter apologises for praising video blaming ‘Zionist backers’ for far-right riots
LBC presenter James O’Brien has apologised for praising a video circulating on social media that blames “Zionist backers” for pushing an agenda that has fueled the violent riots against Muslim communities in the UK.

During his Tuesday morning radio show on LBC in which he discussed the recent far-right anti-Muslim and anti-migrant riots, O’Brien mentioned a “lovely clip” of a man in a balaclava “saying that he’d had enough as a young Muslim and he was going to throw a brick at a church, and he turns around and tears off his balaclava and says to the camera, ‘no, of course I’m not, because that’s what they want us to do. They want it to be turned into some sort of two sides nonsense.’”

The video O’Brien refers to, posted on Monday by X account @luqmann_97, begins as an apparent attack on a church by a Muslim extremist, with the man in balaclava addressing the far-right agitators by saying to the camera: “Tommy Robinson, you’ve been targeting our mosques, now we’re going to target your church.” He then fakes the act of throwing a rock at the building behind him before removing the balaclava, as O’Brien explained during his radio show, and saying, “that’s exactly the kind of response that you’re looking for – you’re trying to push the Muslim community, you’re trying to agitate us, and we’re not going to give it to you.”

In an apology O’Brien posted on X several hours after his initial comments, he admitted that he did not watch to the end of the minute-long clip in which, less than halfway through, the speaker says: “Why is it that you’re targeting our mosques? Why is it that you’re targeting our Muslim women and our Muslim community? It’s because your Zionist backers, they’ve got a certain agenda that they’re trying to push.”

Making the money gesture with his fingers, the speaker goes on to compel British people to “wake up” and “understand the establishment are using Tommy Robinson as a little pawn to try and cause a division between the Muslim community and the rest of society.”

O’Brien reeled back on his approval of the clip, writing on X: “I referenced this clip on the show today while watching it live in the studio. I didn't watch it to the end. Obviously, the reference to 'Zionist backers' is obnoxious & anti-semitic. My apologies.”


Berlin woman fined for using slogan ‘from the river to the sea’ at banned gathering
A Berlin court on Tuesday fined a woman 600 euros ($655) for using the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” at a banned protest gathering in Berlin’s Neukoelln district on October 11.

The court concluded that the use of the phrase by the 22-year-old woman, named only as Ava M., so soon after Hamas’s brutal October 7 massacre meant it “could only be understood as a denial of Israel’s right to exist and an endorsement of the attack,” a spokeswoman said.

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” has been used by Palestinian nationalist movements for decades, including by the Hamas terror group, and pro-Palestinian activists say it is a call for liberation. Israel and Jewish groups view it as advocating Israel’s destruction.

The phrase was outlawed by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in November as part of a ban on Hamas activities.

However, the ban is legally controversial, and courts in different parts of Germany have handed down different rulings on cases involving the phrase, with many finding it to be permissible.

The phrase has also been condemned in congressional votes and investigated in multiple instances by the United States Department of Education.

Lawyer Alexander Gorski, who represented the woman in Berlin, said it was “a dark day for freedom of expression.”

“My client only wanted to express her hope for a future of democratic coexistence for all people in the region,” he told AFP, adding that his client would appeal the decision.

German police have cracked down on any kind of public or written statements that are antisemitic, anti-Israeli or glorify violence or terror in the wave of protests against the ongoing war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 7 onslaught on southern Israel.

Still, a report released in June by the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism showed an 80 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in Germany over the previous year, at an average rate of 13 cases per day last year. More than half of the 4,782 such incidents recorded in 2023 happened after October 7.
Leaked memo reveals Officeworks' DESPERATE attempt to deflect antisemitic incident
A leaked Officeworks memo has revealed the company's desperate efforts to damage control the fallout from a controversial incident where a Jewish man was denied service at an Elsternwick store.

The memo, titled "Talking Points", provides team members with a series of prepared lines to address the situation and mitigate damage to the try and salvage the company's tattered reputation.

The incident, which occurred in March 2024, involved a customer who recorded his interaction with a woke young staff member. The employee, wearing a rainbow lanyard, refused to laminate pages of the Australian Jewish News, citing her "pro-Palestine" stance.

Despite the customer’s calm and measured attempts to clarify the refusal, the employee insisted it was her right to deny service based on her personal political views.

In the memo, Officeworks expresses "disappointment" over the incident and outlines steps taken to prevent future occurrences. The document emphasises the company's policies against discrimination and highlights efforts to educate staff on respecting customers' political and religious beliefs.

However, the memo's main focus is on damage control rather than addressing the core issue of antisemitism has further inflamed tensions.

The leaked memo includes directives for team members to avoid discussing the refusal with customers, escalate situations to store leadership, and refer media inquiries to corporate contacts.

It also stresses the importance of not posting about the incident on social media as the company seeks to stamp out discussion about the incident.

The customer’s video has sparked widespread outrage, and many are calling for more substantial actions from Officeworks to address antisemitism and ensure such incidents do not happen again.


Anti-Israel activists protest London performance of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators targeted patrons near a performance of “Fiddler on the Roof” in Regent’s Park Open Air Theater in London on Monday, accusing the audience of being “Zionist.”

The show went on, despite anti-Israel protesters waving Palestinian flags at a musical set that replicated shtetl life in Russia. A spokesperson for the theater said the musical “went ahead as planned.”

“‘Fiddler on the Roof’ isn’t just a Jewish musical: It’s the family story of most Jewish families in this country. Holding an anti-Israel protest there is pure antisemitism,” said Dave Rich, director of policy for Community Security Trust.

“Pro-Palestinian protest at a performance of ‘Fiddler on the Roof in London’ tonight,” the Combat Antisemitism Movement stated. “The play has nothing to do with Israel. It has nothing to do with Zionism. Targeting a symbol of Jewish culture shows that these people hate Jews.”

The modern-day State of Israel was established in 1948. The play depicts the lives of a Jewish family set in the Pales of Settlement in Imperial Russia around 1905.




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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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