Thursday, August 08, 2024

08/08 Links Pt1: Netanyahu apologises to Israeli people for October 7; What can be learned from the famine myth in Gaza; Harris Open to Discussing Israel Arms Embargo

From Ian:

Netanyahu apologises to Israeli people for October 7 for the first time since terror attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologised to the Israeli people for the October 7 attacks for the first time.

During a rare hour-long interview in Jerusalem with Time Magazine’s national political correspondent Eric Cortellessa, Netanyahu said, “I am sorry, deeply, that something like this happened,” referring to the massacre in which over 1,200 Israelis were murdered by Hamas terrorists and more than 250 were kidnapped to Gaza.

Netanyahu made the apology with some prompting from Cortellessa, who questioned why the heads of the IDF and Shin Bet had all issued apologies for the failures that allowed the atrocities of October 7 to occur, but the PM's only public apology since the attack was to military and security officials whom he initially blamed for it.

“I've said that following the end of the war, there'll be an independent commission that will examine everything that happened before, and everybody will have to answer some tough questions, including me,” Netanyahu said, according to the full transcript provided.

“Will you do it right now? Will you apologise?” Cortellessa pressed.

Netanyahu then conceded, apologising to the Israel people and adding: “You always look back and you say, could we have done things that would have prevented it? You'd have to be—how could you not?”

Netanyahu also discussed the possibility of a multi-front war with Iran and Hezbollah, his handling of the conflict with Hamas, US-Israel relations, and the future of Israel and its neighbours in the Middle East.

Cortellessa inquired about some of the criticisms against Netanyahu's leadership, including that he is intentionally escalating regional tensions to prolong his time in power and that he has emboldened the Israeli far-right, but the PM dismissed these claims. He also denied that 40,000 Gazans have been killed since Israel began its campaign in the Strip, as has been cited by international media outlets, and estimated the number of casualties to be closer to 20,000.

Cortellessa asked if Netanyahu believes there is still a chance for a hostage deal following the assassinations of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and the PM answered in the affirmative, adding that a deal may be even more likely now that “the more extreme elements that oppose the deal are no longer with us.”

When Cortellessa mentioned polls showing that nearly three quarters of Israelis think Netanyahu should leave office now or right after the war, Netanyahu responded:

“I will stay in office as long as I believe I can help lead Israel to a future of security, enduring security and prosperity.”


Time: Netanyahu at War Former Israeli PM Bennett: Oct. 7 ‘epic colossal failure’ of Israeli government
The Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack was an “epic colossal failure of the State of Israel,” former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told a crowd of more than 500 college students last Sunday at the Israel on Campus Coalition’s three-day National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.

“Nothing worked” in Israel when Hamas infiltrated and murdered more than 1,000 people, Bennett said. “Intelligence, operational and subsequent total meltdown of institutional and governmental Israel. We failed at our most fundamental mission, which is that Jews will never again experience a pogrom.”

The former prime minister called for Israel’s leadership to be “clear-eyed about the failure.”

Simultaneously, out of Oct. 7 came a “remarkable story of the people of Israel,” Bennett said.

“While the government and institution of Israel failed, the people of Israel rose,” he said. “Thousands of young men and women from all over Israel got in their cars and drove down into the inferno … to go and save lives of people they don’t know.”

Tens of thousands of protesters in Israel who have taken to the streets in recent months to call for a hostage deal have also demanded a state commission of inquiry into the security and intelligence failures surrounding Oct. 7 as well as for an election to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
What can be learned from the famine myth in Gaza
For months, we have been hearing reports about starvation in Gaza and even the claim that Israel is using hunger as a war strategy. Israel has vehemently denied this accusation, pointing to the work of COGAT (Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), which facilitates the entry of hundreds of trucks of aid into Gaza daily. According to Israeli experts, the food delivered to Gaza “exceeded international nutritional standards and should have provided sufficient nutrition for the entire Gaza population.”

Recent research by the Institute for National Security Studies has demonstrated that UN reports have knowingly created a distorted picture of the situation and led to unfounded accusations against Israel of intentionally causing starvation. An inaccurate picture of the aid entering Gaza

Since the start of the war, the UN has been releasing reports and updates about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, showing a dire picture of a shortage of humanitarian aid, a severe nutritional crisis, and even the spread of famine in the area. A close examination of these reports, based on the UN’s own clarifications, shows that they portray an inaccurate and partial picture of the aid entering the Gaza Strip. The reports are based on incomplete data from sources in Gaza and disregard significant portions of aid shipments entering the Strip, as well as the complex situation on the ground. These reports have been used as a basis for allegations that Israel is preventing the entry of humanitarian aid in order to starve the population of the Gaza Strip, along with severe accusations of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and even genocide.

In short, the UN figures do not account for all the aid entering Gaza. UNRWA collects data only on aid entering the Strip via two land crossings (Kerem Shalom and Rafah) and only on trucks that they observed and registered while present at the two locations.

Their data does not include aid that was airdropped into the Gaza Strip or aid arriving by sea through the US floating pier (JLOTS). It also does not include aid received through the Erez crossing in the north, where UNRWA representatives are not stationed. Additionally, it ignores aid received at the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings that is collected by other aid organizations when UNRWA representatives are not present at the crossings. Thus, the data omits a significant amount of aid, including aid supplied by UN agencies, NGOs, and countries, as well as goods from the private sector, deliveries by the World Food Program (WFP), and flour deliveries to bakeries in northern Gaza. Supplies of gas and fuel are also not included in UNRWA figures. Furthermore, in May, the private sector supplied a larger volume of goods. These goods are included in the COGAT data but not in the UNRWA data, which only includes aid received by UN agencies and aid organizations that use its services.

The international community, it seems, uncritically accepts data presented by UNRWA, even though the organization’s neutrality in the Gaza war has been severely compromised. Some UNRWA staff were among the terrorists who committed the brutal 7 October attack on Israel. The Wall Street Journal reported that out of 12,000 UNRWA employees, 1,200 (10% including 23% of all male employees) are ‘operatives’ of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and about half of the employees have close relatives who belong to these terror groups.

UN Watch found widespread support for the October 7 atrocities among UNRWA teachers in Gaza. Screenshots of 249,000 Telegram messages show murderers and rapists being praised as “heroes,” the glorifying of the “education” the terrorists received in UNRWA, the gleeful sharing of photos of dead or captured Israelis, and the exhortation of their execution.

We’ve known for years that the UNRWA schools use a curriculum that cultivates hatred of and violence toward Jews.

The famine myth is only one of many false claims that have emerged during this war. Media outlets have been quick to report unverified incidents, such as the alleged Israeli bombing of a hospital, in which it was claimed that 500 people died. This was a complete fabrication. An Islamic Jihad rocket had misfired and hit the adjacent parking lot, resulting in a much smaller number of casualties.


Amb. Michael Oren: Will the U.S. Have Israel's Back If It Needs to Preemptively Strike Iran?
With Iran and its proxies threatening to launch a massive attack against Israel, the Americans are poised to help defend our skies. But will the U.S. stand behind Israel if it decides to strike preemptively?

The indications are by no means encouraging. U.S. policy today is almost unrecognizable from what it was on Oct. 7. In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack, President Biden offered Israel immediate and unlimited support to fulfill its twin goals of rescuing the hostages and destroying Hamas. Biden dismissed Hamas's casualty figures as exaggerated and stressed the difficulties Israel faced in fighting an enemy hiding behind its own civilians.

Two months later, much of the initial American position had changed. The administration began claiming that "too many Palestinians had been killed," that Israel was bombing indiscriminately in Gaza, and that its reaction to the Hamas attacks was "over the top." President Biden went from impugning Hamas statistics to citing them repeatedly. Soon, the supply of American munitions to the IDF was delayed.

Recent weeks have seen yet another major shift in American policy. No longer seeking the destruction of Hamas or even guaranteeing that it will never be able to launch another Oct. 7, the White House wants to secure the release of the hostages and put an end to the war. These goals are to be achieved at almost any price, including Hamas's survival and Israel's forfeiture of control over the Philadelphi route between Egypt and Gaza.

Biden's position stands at odds with the Israeli government's longstanding determination to prevent Hamas from once again smuggling arms from Egypt into Gaza and to eliminate the terrorists as a political and military force.

For all its dangers, the present crisis offers a unique opportunity to deter Iran and strengthen the regional alliance against it. America can emerge with its reputation as a reliable ally and formidable superpower restored by staying the course and acting in effective concert with Israel against Iran.


Harris as president could be a disaster for Israel and the Jewish people
The Iranian threat is not hypothetical; it is a clear and present danger that requires a firm and decisive response from the United States. Any wavering in support or indications of weakening resolve could embolden Iran and its allies, leading to further escalation and instability in the region. Harris’s track record, including her support for rejoining the JCPOA, raises concerns about whether she will take the necessary steps to counter this threat effectively.

Let’s add to the fact that earlier this week, Harris’s selection of Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro as her running mate sparked significant controversy and added to the concerns about her stance on Israel and antisemitism. According to JTA, critics have suggested that Harris’s decision to bypass Shapiro was influenced by progressive elements within the Democratic Party who opposed his strong pro-Israel stance, labeling him “Genocide Josh.” Republicans have used this decision to paint the Democrats as antisemitic. Despite the Harris campaign’s rejection of these accusations and her husband’s Jewish identity, which they argue negates such claims, the episode underscores the growing divide within the party and the increasing influence of anti-Israel sentiments.

Kamala Harris’s track record in Israel raises serious concerns about her potential presidency. Her willingness to entertain an arms embargo, her alignment with progressive critics of Israel, her support for the Iran nuclear deal, and her soft stance on anti-Israel rhetoric suggest a drastic shift in US policy that could jeopardize both Israeli and American security interests. Harris’s failure to unequivocally support a prominent Jewish candidate like Shapiro only adds to the fears that her presidency could further alienate American Jews and weaken US-Israel relations.

American Jews need to understand definitively that anti-Zionism is antisemitism, and the allies they thought they had within the Democratic Party aren’t as supportive as they once believed. If Jews care about the survival of Israel during this tumultuous period, they must recognize that voting for Harris is not an option.

This election is not just another political choice; it is a life or death decision that can literally affect the existence of the Jewish state. The stakes could not be higher. Harris’s presidency could lead to policies that embolden Israel’s enemies and weaken the US-Israel alliance, posing an existential threat to the Jewish state.

In stark contrast, while Donald Trump is unpredictable and controversial, his track record regarding Israel was consistently strong: he facilitated the Abraham Accords, acknowledged the Golan Heights as part of Israel, and moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. His actions have strengthened Israel’s position and security in the region.

Harris, by contrast, could be a disaster for Israel and the Jewish people. This is a pivotal moment in history, and the choice made at the ballot box will resonate far beyond American borders. Consider this carefully before casting your vote. The future of Israel and the safety of the Jewish people depend on it.
Israel Eyes Iran's Vulnerable Targets
Iran and its proxies have amassed a considerable capability to fire missiles and drones at Israel, but it is expected that their attack will be measured and not very destructive.

This assessment is based on the knowledge that if the Israeli home front were badly hit, Israel would be easily able to target at least 30% of Iran's oil industry.

Israel will also quite easily destroy Iran's dams, causing not only drought but a shortage of drinking water.

Iranian ports, the country's lifeline to the world, are large and more vulnerable than the ports of Haifa and Ashdod.

Moreover, not all of Iran's nuclear facilities are underground and its military production sites, including its drone production plants, are known to Israel's intelligence and are also susceptible to attack.

In addition, Israel and the U.S. forces have a multi-layer air defense system with a proven ability to intercept incoming threats, as demonstrated during the April Iranian attack on Israel.


Perception Warfare as Both Threat and Opportunity in Israel's Post-October 7 Existential War
Hamas's cognitive war against Israel since the October 7 invasion has been a significant weapon. Perception warfare leaves a lasting impact on the international public and has led to a surge in antisemitism globally.

Under Iran's guidance, Hamas and other terrorist groups use social and mainstream media to portray themselves as legitimate political entities and "freedom fighters." This strategy shapes perceptions among various audiences, including Israelis, Palestinians, and U.S. political circles.

After the October 7 attacks, Hamas successfully weaponized classic Palestinian propaganda themes. Their disinformation campaign portrayed their barbaric mass terror assault as noble "resistance," altering global perceptions and garnering sympathy even from moderate Muslims and the international community.

The global perception shift caused by Hamas propaganda positioned a radical Islamic terror organization against a democratic state.

Israel must enhance its soft power capabilities to influence various audiences, including its enemies. Israel's enemies must perceive the loss and despair of a long war against Israel.

Learning from historical examples (Soviets, Nazis, Chinese Communist Party, and Iran), Israel should educate its citizens to recognize enemy perception warfare and proactively use civilian soft power to shape foreign opinion.
Eugene Kontorovich: Biden's Unconstitutional Sanctions on Supporters of Israel
While the Biden administration has been easing sanctions on Iran over the past year, it is using a recent executive order to impose unprecedented sanctions on Jews in Israel who disagree with the administration's policies. The sanctions violate the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens in Israel and their supporters in America.

This week an American Christian Zionist nonprofit, Texans for Israel, and several American Jews living in Israel filed a lawsuit in federal court in Texas challenging the sanctions regime on free-speech, due-process and equal-protection grounds.

Biden's executive order permits the imposition of sanctions on anyone the administration regards as involved in undermining "peace" or "stability" in the West Bank - even if there is no allegation of criminal conduct or violence. This directive is far-reaching because the administration deems Jews merely living in the West Bank as "obstacles to peace." An internal administration memo described the sanctions as targeted at those who "disrupt or prevent efforts to achieve a two-state solution."

When the U.S. government imposes sanctions on an individual, his bank accounts and those of his immediate family will be frozen. Anyone who provides any "funds, goods, or services" to them may in turn be subjected to sanctions as well. These are harsh measures typically reserved for terrorists and dictators. A different administration down the line could freeze the bank accounts of Americans who support left-wing Israeli groups simply by deeming their activities bad for peace and stability in the West Bank. Sanctions have never been used to silence policy disagreements like this.

Palestinian terror is rampant in Judea and Samaria. In the first half of 2023, Palestinians murdered 28 Israelis and wounded 362. Violent acts by Jews are a tiny fraction of those committed by Palestinians against Jews, and they are almost overwhelmingly property crimes. Yet no Palestinian terrorists have been sanctioned under this order.
Biden’s morally reprehensible sanctions on Israelis
For decades, Hamas has routinely diverted and misappropriated aid meant for civilians to build tunnels, acquire weapons and maintain its grip on power. It continues to do the same thing today. This misuse of humanitarian assistance directly contributes to the cycle of violence, prolonging the conflict and causing unnecessary loss of life on all sides.

If the Biden administration genuinely cared about saving lives in Gaza, it would advocate measures that protect civilians rather than inadvertently supporting Hamas’s agenda. Encouraging countries to provide sanctuary to Gazan civilians fleeing the conflict zone would be a step towards humanitarian justice and peace.

By sanctioning Reut Ben-Haim for exercising her fundamental right to free speech and protest, the Biden administration reveals its misplaced priorities and moral compromises.

The sanctions on Reut Ben-Haim send a chilling message: Dissent against policies that inadvertently aid terrorists will not be tolerated, even when motivated by humanitarian concerns and the desire to save lives. The sanctions undermine the principles of free speech and humanitarian ethics, casting a shadow on the administration’s claim to promote human rights and international justice.

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his recent speech to Congress, felt he had to focus on the positive support from the Biden administration, no doubt for political reasons, it must be noted and said out loud that the Biden administration’s decision to sanction Reut Ben-Haim is not just an attack on her rights but a betrayal of the principles the administration claims to uphold.

It is time for the international community to recognize that blindly funneling aid into Gaza without addressing Hamas’s control and manipulation of that aid only perpetuates the conflict. Saving lives requires courage and moral clarity, qualities that Reut Ben-Haim embodies in her protest against aid that inadvertently supports terrorism.
Smotrich clarifies Gaza remarks after US slams ‘disturbing’ suggestion of conditioning aid
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday clarified remarks he made earlier this week about humanitarian aid to Gaza after Western nations slammed him for implying that Jerusalem should halt aid until Hamas frees the 115 captives still held in the enclave after more than 300 days.

“My statement emphasized the necessity of providing humanitarian aid, acknowledging that the international community would not permit the withholding of essential supplies from Gaza’s population,” Smotrich said.

“However, I also proposed that, from a moral standpoint, we should implement a reciprocal humanitarian approach,” he told Israel Hayom.

“This would entail conditioning our aid on the return of our hostages. While our captives endure harsh conditions in underground tunnels, we continue to pamper Gaza with resources. In my assessment, this imbalance raises significant ethical concerns and fails to serve the principles of justice,” the Religious Zionism Party leader explained.

Speaking on Monday at the annual Katif Conference, which deals with current issues in Israeli society, Smotrich told attendees that Jerusalem has “no choice” but to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.

“Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to succumb to hunger, even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned,” he said. “Humanitarianism in exchange for humanitarianism is morally justified—but what can we do?”

According to a January survey, 72% of Israelis believe that aid should be suspended until the hostages are freed, with 21% of respondents wanting it to continue. A separate poll of Israel Defense Forces soldiers found that 90% of reservists were against allowing aid trucks into Gaza.
Israel cancels Norwegian diplomats’ status: ‘Attack us and pay a price’
Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz informed Oslo on Thursday that he was canceling the diplomatic status of eight Norwegian representatives operating out of the country’s embassy in Tel Aviv whose sole role was to represent the Scandinavian nation to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.

The head of Norway’s legation was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on Thursday and handed a diplomatic letter stating that “the Ministry hereby informs the Embassy that the State of Israel will no longer facilitate Norway’s representation to the Palestinian Authority.”

The diplomatic status in Israel of the Norwegian officials will be revoked seven days after the date of the letter. Their visas will be valid for another three months.

The ministry’s move was in retaliation for anti-Israel actions by Norway since the Hamas invasion on Oct. 7.

“There is a price for anti-Israel behavior,” said Katz, in a statement released by the Foreign Ministry.

“Instead of fighting Palestinian terrorism after October 7 and supporting Israel fighting against Iran’s evil axis, Norway chose to award the rapists and murderers of Hamas in the form of recognition of a Palestinian state,” he said.

Katz also cited Norway’s stand against Israel with the International Criminal Court, “one-sided” anti-Israel statements by Norwegian officials, and Norway’s independent moves regarding the P.A.
Norway warns Israel of harming diplomatic ties with Oslo
Oslo warned Israel that ties between the two countries would be harmed by Jerusalem’s decision to revoke the diplomatic status of Norwegian officials who were working with the Palestinian Authority.

“Today’s decision will have consequences for our relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin’ Netanyahu’s government. We are considering what measures Norway will take to respond to the situation that the Netanyahu government has now created,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said on Thursday.

He called Israel’s decision “extreme,” explaining that it “primarily affects our ability to help the Palestinian population.”

It’s important to ensure that Israel and Norway maintain “well-functioning diplomatic channels” particularly in light of the significant regional tensions, Eide explained.

“Norway is and will always be a friend of Israel and the Israeli people. At the same time, Norway has been clear in its criticism of the occupation, the manner in which the war in Gaza has been conducted, and the suffering this has caused the Palestinian civilian population.”

He spoke up after the Foreign Ministry informed the Norwegian embassy that diplomats posted to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah cannot reside within sovereign Israel, including Tel Aviv.


Jake Wallis Simons: Stop Funding the UN's Hamas Sympathizers
Last week, Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, was heckled while giving a speech in Lausanne, Switzerland. "UNRWA kidnapped my son," an anguished Israeli woman shouted from the audience. Ayelet Samerano's son, Yonatan, was murdered on Oct. 7. His body was then dragged into Gaza by ghoulish UNRWA staff.

Ten months later, as his mother held up his picture during the UNRWA speech in Switzerland, a member of the audience snatched it from her hands and shoved it into a nearby bin. There could be no better metaphor for the contempt with which the UN seemingly holds Israel and Jews.

In Gaza, UN facilities are regularly used by Hamas. In February, a subterranean terrorist command center was found directly underneath the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City.

Why do the Palestinians need their own dedicated refugee agency? All other refugees in the world are serviced by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Refugees from other parts of the Middle East and Africa lose their refugee status when they settle permanently elsewhere. Under UNRWA, however, Palestinians are classed as refugees even when they become full citizens of other countries. A Palestinian born in the U.S. who becomes wealthy will, under UNRWA's terms, be classed as a "refugee" in perpetuity.
Now that UN admits employee involvement in Oct. 7, it’s time to end UNRWA
The United Nations has found little evidence of Hamas infiltration of UN bodies in Gaza — conveniently enough, after investigating itself.

This is a whitewash.

On Monday, the UN’s internal oversight arm released a report that found nine employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, took part in terrorist activities on Oct. 7 and in its aftermath.

That admission is awful enough — but the greater scandal is that investigators ignored evidence indicating that hundreds or even thousands of UNRWA employees are Hamas operatives.

The purpose of this charade is to protect UNRWA’s funding, but Congress should not be fooled.

Rather, it should permanently ban UNRWA from receiving US taxpayer dollars and impose terrorism sanctions to cut off the agency’s remaining sources of income.

Like the United Nations itself, UNRWA does not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization.

This opens the door to pervasive infiltration in an area controlled by Hamas and dependent on local hires.

Of UNRWA’s approximately 13,000 employees in Gaza, Israeli security documents revealed that 440 are active in Hamas’ military operations, 2,000 are registered Hamas operatives, and another 7,000 have an immediate family member who is a Hamas terrorist.

In July, Israel sent the relief agency a list of 100 UNRWA employees who were active in Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad — including UNRWA teachers who participated in the massacres and held Jews hostage in their homes.

UN admits nine UNRWA staffers ‘may have been involved’ in Oct. 7 attack on Israel

Israel has also found several UNRWA facilities being used by Hamas.

But despite the overwhelming evidence of the agency’s outright collaboration with the terrorist organization, the UN’s investigative shop chose to investigate just 19 people accused of complicity in the Oct. 7 massacre.

Of those, the UN determined that only nine may have taken part in the attack — just may — while effectively giving UNRWA a clean bill of health on terror finance at an institutional level.

UNRWA, however, is more than nine bad apples — it is rotten to the core.

UNRWA was established after Israel’s founding as a relief agency for Palestinian refugees, but in practice, it has helped perpetuate the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Today, its employees teach millions of Palestinians to internalize a false narrative that they will one day push the Jews into the Mediterranean and reclaim their land.

Multiple investigations of UNRWA schools and their staff have found widespread dissemination of antisemitism, support for terrorism and even praise of Hitler.
Concerns mounting over UNRWA agency following investigation
Concerns have mounted over the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees following an investigation which found nine employees were involved in the October 7 attack.

UNRWA has over 30,000 employees working to provide services such as human development and humanitarian services, according to their website.

Sky News host Gabriella Power was joined by UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer to discuss UNRWA’s investigation.




Brig.-Gen. (res.) Eran Ortal: It's Not a Border, It's a Front
The key lesson to be learned from Oct. 7 is the failure of a defensive strategy that allowed the terrorist armies to build up major strength on our borders without hindrance. Israel's flawed border strategy rested on the false assumption that Hamas and Hizbullah could be tamed through withdrawals and understandings, and that they could be deterred by the threat of Israeli air power.

Every military expert knows that there is no chance of stopping a significant attack on a border line that has no depth. Under conditions in which an enemy is constantly present and ready, there is no chance for early warning. The defense forces will always be surprised.

The border turned from a political line into a military conceptual fixation. Military thought became enslaved to the division between "our territory" and "their territory." Our forces have to know what is happening across the border and must be able to prevent evolving threats.

The front should benefit from good intelligence and air support but should not be dependent on them, especially not in surprise scenarios. Intelligence gathering should rely on mobile capabilities and unmanned aircraft, because cameras mounted on masts are too easy a target.

Sustainable defense cannot be based on an obstacle and light forces. It should be built from the presence of significant reserve forces at the front. Training facilities close to the border will allow this. A border is a political concept, not a military one. It is necessary to remove the misperception of the border. From now on, call it a front.
Mission Brief: The Official Podcast of the Israel Defense Forces: The Ongoing Conflict in Northern Israel
What’s Happening on Israel’s Northern Front? Tune in and dive into the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah and learn what life under nonstop rocket attacks looks like.

Our guest for this week’s Mission Brief is an experienced operations officer who has been living and serving in reserve duty along the northern front for the past 10 months—LTC Razili.
Sinwar completes Hamas ‘coup’ with new role as political chief
Unlike Haniyeh, Sinwar will not be able to jet from a luxury suite to meet with foreign ministers, presidents and ayatollahs in Moscow, Ankara and Tehran to shore up international support for Hamas and work on getting funds and weapons to Gaza and the West Bank.

While other Hamas officials could take over the travel, Abu Toameh said they “have been deemed irrelevant. If Sinwar is the head of the politburo, then what is the point of talking to the guys outside? And good luck talking to Sinwar in the tunnels.”

Abu Toameh also questioned Sinwar’s ability to manage Hamas’ finances, another responsibility in the political leader’s purview, while ensconced underground.

“There are many unanswered questions about how things will work,” he said.

Sinwar’s inability to travel could mean that Hamas may try to negotiate “a cease-fire agreement that includes a provision allowing Sinwar to exit Gaza and reside abroad,” Truzman noted. “Such a change could enable him to fulfill his responsibilities as Hamas’ overall leader and build on his predecessor’s achievements.”

“Whether Israel would consider such a proposal remains an open question,” he added.

Milshtein said there is a theory among some analysts that Qatar wanted Sinwar to be named political bureau leader to draw him out of Gaza and bring about an exile that would end the war.

Milshtein called this speculation “an interesting thesis, but I don’t think that Sinwar would agree. He didn’t fight to this point in order to live in the Four Seasons in Doha. He’s not the type … And Israel won’t let it happen; we want his head.”

Qatar benefits from this dynamic even if Sinwar remains in Gaza, Abu Toameh explained, as they may face less pressure to deport the Hamas leaders who remain in Doha if the center of power has moved entirely to Gaza.

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told Al Arabiya after Sinwar’s promotion that “there’s only one place we are designating for Yahya Sinwar, and that’s right next to Mohammed Deif” — whom Israel killed — “and all the other terrorists who are responsible for October 7. It’s the only place we are preparing and designating for him.”

As such, Truzman called Sinwar’s appointment a “misstep,” pointing out that his “tenure may be fleeting. The Israeli military and intelligence services are diligently pursuing him, and it is unlikely they will relent until he is apprehended. Time could be against him, limiting his ability to achieve any strategic objectives for Hamas.”

Appointing a man nicknamed “the butcher of Khan Younis” as Hamas’ overall head could also hurt the organization’s alliances with left-wing activists around the world and hurt its reputation as “freedom fighters,” Truzman said. “The organization might be betting that the international sympathy it garnered following the events of Oct. 7 – particularly from specific Western societal sectors — will overshadow Sinwar’s controversial past.”

The risks and obstacles in having Sinwar serve as head of the political bureau indicate that the decision is out of character for Hamas, Milshtein said.

“Hamas is an organization that considers its steps carefully. Something seems strange when they’re taking such an unserious step. They announced the decision was made by consensus, but I’m not sure. Decision-making in Hamas could have been knocked off balance by all the assassinations,” he said.
IDF kills Hamas official who directed Judea and Samaria ops
A senior Hamas official involved in directing terror operations in Judea and Samaria was killed in Gaza late last month, the Israel Defense Forces revealed on Thursday.

Nael Sakhl was targeted on July 24 in a joint IDF and Israel Security Agency operation, according to the military. His death was confirmed several days later.

“For over a decade, [Sakhl] operated in Hamas’s ‘West Bank Headquarters,’ an organization responsible for directing terror activities in Judea and Samaria,” the IDF said.

Sakhl was also involved in financing and supplying weapons to terrorist cells in Judea and Samaria.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003 for involvement in a suicide attack in Israel and in 2011 was released along with current Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as part of the Gilad Shilat deal, according to Ynet.
IDF reinvades Khan Yunis for third time after only 8 days
The IDF started moves on Thursday for a third invasion of Khan Yunis, eight days after it concluded its second invasion on July 30.

In early December, the IDF invaded Khan Yunis for the first time, fighting heavily with Hamas until achieving operational control in early February.

On April 7, the IDF withdrew from Khan Yunis for the first time, only to return until July 22, when it said Hamas was trying to reconstitute itself, including having fired dozens of rockets into southern Israel.

On Thursday, the IDF renewed its calls to Palestinians in Khan Yunis to evacuate to the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone. It was the shortest amount of time by far in which the military decided to return to an area it had just invaded.

Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, published a list of the zones that need to be evacuated alongside the latest announcement. They include the Khan Yunis suburbs of al-Qarara and Bani Suheila, the Abasan neighborhoods, and the town of Khuza’a.

The IDF would “forcefully operate” against terrorist groups in the Khan Yunis area, Adraee said.

IDF sources declined to explain why the military had radically altered its method of operation by reinvading so soon after withdrawing. Until now, essentially all of about 10 reinvasions of portions of Gaza took place only several months after the IDF had withdrawn from the area in question.


Israel estimates Hezbollah will strike before Iran
Israel remains on high alert for potential attacks by Iran and its regional terror proxies, with the security establishment assessing that Hezbollah will strike first.

Both the Islamic Republic and its Lebanese terror army have vowed revenge for the targeted killings last week of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and senior Hezbollah official Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

Israel’s Channel 12 News reported on Wednesday that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah could see a window of opportunity to initiate an attack in the coming days. A large-scale intelligence effort is underway to identify the timing and nature of the response, according to the report.

Nasrallah said in a speech on Tuesday that the terror group will retaliate for the Shukr assassination. Several hours before the speech, Al Akhbar, a pro-Hezbollah newspaper in Beirut, published a front-page article suggesting that Hezbollah would likely target Tel Aviv.

The newspaper’s editor-in-chief Ibrahim al-Amin wrote that Nasrallah believes there is maneuvering room in terms of Israeli civilians because civilians were killed during the Shukr strike in southern Beirut.

“If Hezbollah can choose targets, it is possible that it will target Tel Aviv and civilians might be harmed on the margins. The effective thing will be to hit a significant center of the organization that made the decision about the assassination [of Shukr] and took part in it,” he wrote, as quoted by Axios on Wednesday.

There are several sensitive sites in the Tel Aviv area, including the headquarters of the Israel Defense Force and the Mossad, as well as several key military bases in the northern part of the city. The bases are all close to or within civilian neighborhoods.


Israeli film about released hostages nominated for International Emmy
A film from Keshet 12's investigative newsmagazine program, Uvda (Hebrew for Fact), with Ilana Dayan, has just been nominated for an International Emmy Award.

The segment by Yoram Zak, "Brother & Sister in Captivity,” presented an in-depth and riveting interview with siblings Maya Regev and Itay Regev, who were kidnapped from the Nova festival to Gaza on October 7 and returned from Hamas captivity in the hostage deal in late 2023.

The nominees in the News & Current Affairs categories were announced in New York on Thursday.

Both Regev siblings were shot in their legs and were operated on without anesthesia by medical staffers who threatened to kill them if they cried out during the surgeries.

Maya, whose injuries became infected and who still faces a long road to recovery, posted a video Wednesday on her Instagram account showing her taking her first steps since October 7 with the aid of crutches.

The Regevs’ close friend, Omer Shem-Tov, is still held in Gaza. The siblings recounted how Shem-Tov helped them stay silent during these medical procedures that were carried out to cause maximum pain.

This is the second year in a row that Uvda has been nominated for the International Emmy Award since Itai Anghel's film about the war in Ukraine was nominated last year.

Recently, another feature from Uvda garnered international attention, as Ben Shani's “Table for Eight” (also known as “Abigail”) was nominated for an award at the Monte Carlo International Television Festival.


Information Warfare | Jonathan Conricus on Israel's 8th Front.
Former IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus joins Eylon for a deep dive into Israel's strategic challenges on the communications front. Conricus shares his inside perspective on Israel's approach to information warfare, public diplomacy, and the evolving military strategy against Iranian proxies. He candidly discusses the IDF's tactical successes, the shortcomings in Israel's strategic planning, and the urgent need for a more coherent national strategy against Iran's growing influence. Conricus also offers insights into how Israel can improve its international messaging and why it's crucial to prioritize global public relations in the ongoing conflict. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on the complexities of modern warfare and the future of Israel's national security.

00:00 Coming Up
00:46 Monologue
02:29 Main Titles
02:43 Introductions
04:03 Comms strategy vs military strategy
12:00 Inside the IDF spokesperson unit
21:38 Conflicts of messaging to domestic, international, and enemy audiences
27:47 How UN and NGOs betrayed Palestinians
34:44 Is Israel losing the information war
39:11 Jonathan's plan for Israel public dipolomacy
49:30 Media bias
54:25 Iran strategy
04:33 Abba or Aba?


Caroline Glick: The Coming Kamala Calamity & Israel
Prepare to be rattled by the harsh realities Israel must confront to emerge victorious from the current crisis.

American foreign policy specialist David Wurmser joins "The Caroline Glick Show" today for a full 360-degree assessment of the threats facing the United States and Israel across the globe.

Together with JNS senior contributing editor Caroline Glick, Wurmser examines what a Harris/Walz victory could look like and how the Jewish state should strategize for possible outcomes.

Chapters
0:00 Kamala’s VP choice
5:45 American deployment in the Middle East
9:20 Implications for the U.S.
15:30 What happens if Kamala wins
17:50 Why isn't Israel preemptive attacking?
24:40 Lessons from Haniyeh assassination/deterrence
36:00 Realistic strategy for Israel
43:30 Looking at Egypt
56:00 Strategic environment today (Iran)


Peirs: “You’re SUCH A Shameless Liar!” Israel-Iran Debate & Naftali Bennett
The world collectively holds its breath a massive attack on Israel is anticipated by the Islamic Republic of Iran. This comes after the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital city of Tehran. The international consensus is that the conflict between the two countries is going to get much much worse.

Piers Morgan brings together veritable experts on the region; speaking first to former Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett. Naftali puts the blame for the violence squarely on the shoulders of Iran, and says Israel’s efforts indirectly defend the West from harm. Then, Piers moderates a blazing row between political scientist Norman Finkelstein and Israeli historian Benny Morris. The two trade barbed words over what the assassination of Haniyeh and what it could lead to. The most frightening contention; that Israel may resort to nuclear weaponry.

00:00 - Introduction
01:40 - Naftali Bennett on 'imminent' Iran attack
11:20 - Norman Finkelstein and Benny Morris debate Iran/Israel
17:30 - Who's escalating conflict: Iran or Israel?
23:00 - Does Israel have nuclear weapons?
32:55 - Why Finkelstein trusts Iran over Israel
38:10 - Latest on war in Gaza
41:30 - "Is this ethnic cleansing?"
54:40 - Piers says goodbye until September




Israel Advocacy Movement: Exposing Britain's Secret Betrayal of Israel

Kamala Harris Open to Discussing Israel Arms Embargo
Kamala Harris has said she is prepared to meet with activists to discuss an arms embargo on Israel, according to reports.

The Uncommitted National Movement – a pro-Palestinian, anti-war organization – said its founders spoke with the vice president and Governor Tim Walz at their campaign rally in Detroit on Wednesday, sharing their concerns about the U.S. "supplying weapons for Israel's war and occupation against Palestine."

They also requested a meeting with Harris to discuss their demands for an arms embargo on Israel and a permanent ceasefire, according to the organization. Fighting continues in the Gaza Strip after Israel responded to the October 7 Hamas attacks last year with air strikes and a ground invasion.

"The Vice President shared her sympathies and expressed an openness to a meeting with the Uncommitted leaders to discuss an arms embargo," the organization said in a statement.

A Harris campaign spokesman told the New York Times that the conversation was a "brief engagement" and "reaffirmed that her campaign will continue to engage with those communities."

The Uncommitted National Movement mobilized more than 100,000 people to withhold their votes from Joe Biden in the Michigan primary over the U.S. government's support for Israel. They all marked a box labeled "uncommitted" rather than Biden, who went on to win with 81 percent of the vote despite this show of resistance.

During Harris' exchange with the group, co-founder Layla Elabed broke down in tears and told her: "I'm a Palestinian, I'm a founder of Uncommitted. Michigan voters want to support you, but we need a policy that will save lives in Gaza right now.

"I meet with community members every day in Michigan who are losing tens and hundreds of family members in Gaza. Right now, we need an arms embargo."

Another co-founder, Abbas Alawieh, said: "I'm a DNC delegate and I appreciate your leadership. We want to support you, Vice President Harris, and our voters need to see you turn a new page on Gaza policy that includes embracing an arms embargo to save lives."

Harris has frequently repeated her position that Israel has a right to defend itself, but she has also been vocal about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Harris reportedly open to discussing arms embargo against Jewish state with anti-Israel activists
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) wrote that “Kamala Harris won’t speak with press. But she will speak with pro-Hamas radicals and suggest she’s open to a full arms embargo against Israel.”

“If the group in line with Harris was pro-life and asked for a meeting about banning abortion, she would forcefully say ‘no.’ Don’t tell me it means nothing she said she’s open to an arms embargo on Israel when radical Hamasniks got in line,” wrote Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

When anti-Israel protesters interrupted Harris during one of her rallies, the vice president told them, “You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking.”


White House: Harris opposes arms embargo on Israel
Vice President Kamala Harris’ national security advisor asserted on Thursday that Harris does not support an arms embargo on Israel, in response to a statement issued by anti-Israel activists who met with Harris the day before and suggested she may be open to the idea.

Harris “has been clear,” Phil Gordon, her top foreign policy advisor, wrote on the social media site X. “She will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. She does not support an arms embargo on Israel. She will continue to work to protect civilians in Gaza and to uphold international humanitarian law.”

Before a campaign rally in Michigan on Wednesday, Harris spoke briefly with the national leaders of the Uncommitted movement, which sought to rally Democrats to vote against President Joe Biden over his support for Israel. They approached her in a photo line at the event.

According to a statement issued by the Uncommitted organizers, Harris “shared her sympathies and expressed an openness to a meeting with Uncommitted leaders to discuss an arms embargo.”

Harris’ team threw cold water on that idea on Thursday.

“She met them briefly in a photo line in Detroit. The assertion that she agreed to a meeting about an arms embargo [is] inaccurate,” an aide to Harris told Jewish Insider. “She said her campaign will remain in touch, and reiterated her standard positions on the conflict.”

On Wednesday night, the Harris campaign released a statement about the meeting but did not at first address the arms embargo question.


Kamala’s Visit to Terror U
A year after Richard Lakin, a 76-year-old retired Connecticut elementary school principal, was brutally murdered, Senator Kamala Harris visited the terror university that had honored his killer.

After being shot in the head and stabbed in the face while riding a bus in Jerusalem, Lakin, a beloved educator and grandfather, lay in the hospital for weeks before his death, and visiting American politicians had paid a call to his bedside. Kamala would not be one of them.

Instead, when Kamala went to Jerusalem next year, she visited Al Quds Bard College.

2,500 students at Al Quds University had taken part in a ‘chain’ in honor of Richard’s killer: Bahaa Alyan. Mohammed Alyan, the killer’s father, gloated, “Today I have over a thousand Bahaas- the students who continue his path.” He claimed that all Arab Muslim settlers in Israel had become “seekers of martyrdom” which is the Islamic euphemism for terrorists.

Al Quds students then wrote letters to ‘soul’ of the monster who had sliced open an elderly man’s chest and cut open his intestines. After his fellow Hamas terrorist ran out of bullets, the attacker had shouted “Allahu Akbar”, picked up Alyan’s knife and went on stabbing Richard until the weapon broke off and remained stuck inside the beloved teacher’s body.

Al Quds University has a long history with terrorism and has produced terrorists including a cell plotting mass casualty suicide bombings in Israel. It had a monument “inscribed with the names of Al Quds alumni killed while murdering Jews.” It also hosted a “campus group called ‘Sisters of Dahal Mughrabi’ which celebrates the Muslim terrorist who led the massacre in 1978 of 37 Jews including 13 children as well as Gail Rubin, the niece of Senator Abraham Ribicoff.” Bilal Abu Ghanem, the other Hamas terrorist that carried out the bus massacre, was linked to the head of the Islamic Bloc at Al-Quds University.

The terror university encouraged even children to kill Jews by sponsoring a dance competition for 5th graders held at the school where “one of the children portrayed the corpse of a masked martyr lying on the ground” while other children “vow to follow in his footsteps.”

Education at Al Quds worked differently than it had back in Lakin’s days at Hopewell Elementary School. Lakin had tried to promote co-existence by teaching Muslim students in Israel, but his efforts at coexistence did not prevent his murder, and did nothing to stop local Muslim colonial educational institutions from celebrating the brutal butchery that took his life.

When Kamala visited Al Quds Bard, she made no mention of this violence and hatred. Instead, accompanied by her Jewish husband Doug Emhoff, her foreign policy adviser Halie Soifer, who now heads the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) and organized ‘Jewish Americans for Kamala Harris’, she stopped by Terror U to listen to the students denounce the Jewish State.

Then Senator Kamala Harris praised the terrorist university for its “incredible education”.
Rashida Tlaib shares fake poll claiming half of Israelis support rape of terrorists
US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib reposted on Wednesday a doctored poll claiming that 47% of Israelis believe IDF soldiers have a right to rape Palestinians. It was tweeted by Noura Erakat, who later admitted on X that it was fake.

Erakat posted a doctored image of an N12 poll on Wednesday, stating, “When you tell a society they have a right to commit genocide, surely they believe they have a right to rape,” suggesting that 47% of Israelis believe that it is justified to rape a handcuffed terrorist.

In her post, which has since been deleted, Erakat shared an image with the poll’s title completely changed. Originally, N12’s poll illustrated the Israeli public’s stance regarding the claims that the Israeli government relies on terrorism supporters.

However, the doctored image which Erakat shared on X claims that 47% of the Israeli public “agree that a soldier is allowed to rape a Palestinian.”

Michigan congresswoman Rashida Tlaib shared Erakat’s post, contributing to the spread of anti-Israel propaganda.

However, shortly after Tlaib shared the post, American journalist Yasher (Alex) Ali posted on X, stating, “Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has retweeted the tweet on the left which contains a digitally altered image.”

He further noted that "the authentic poll... was from 2022.


Terrifying details revealed in Taylor Swift terror plot as suspects found to be working for venue security
The teen suspects arrested for plotting an ISIS-style “bloodbath” terror attack at one of Taylor Swift’s Austrian concerts this week had planned to drive a bomb-filled car into the crowd to kill “as many people as possible” and had reportedly just been hired by the venue to work security.

Terrifying details of the foiled suicide-bombing attack emerged after authorities revealed that two men, ages 19 and 17, had been taken into custody in Vienna on Wednesday — resulting in Swift’s three sold-out Eras shows in the city being canceled.

The two suspects, who investigators say had become radicalized online by ISIS, had allegedly wanted to carry out the attack outside the Ernst Happel Stadium — killing fans with self-made explosives and machetes, security officials said Thursday.

“The suspects actually had very specific and detailed plans … to leave a bloodbath in their wake,” Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said.

The alleged ringleader, a 19-year-old Austrian with North Macedonian roots, had chemical substances and technical devices stashed inside his home when it was raided by authorities, according to officials.

He had allegedly also made progress in building the bomb he planned to strap to the car, they added.

Meanwhile, the second suspect — a 17-year-old Austrian citizen with Turkish and Croatian roots — was nabbed by special police forces near the stadium where the concerts were supposed to take place this week.

The second suspect had only just been employed a few days ago by a company providing services at the venue during the concerts, officials said.

Sources told German news outlet Kurier that he’d been hired to work there as security.


Billboards in Los Angeles and Philadelphia ask, ‘Who’s behind this chaos’?
In a sign of the times, billboards have been placed along highways in Los Angeles and Philadelphia to address the rising tide of antisemitism in the United States.

“Who’s behind this chaos?” reads one. Another says, “Did you miss your flight when this airport was shut down by an anti-Israel mob?”

Three billboards were put up in Los Angeles during the last week of July, and two in Philadelphia were erected the first week of August. Both are scheduled to stay in place through most of the month.

The nonprofit US Forum for Israel is funding the bicoastal signage with support from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, or ISGAP, also a nonprofit. The two entities coined the term the “Hate Brigade,” which appears on the billboards.

Charles Asher Small, executive director of ISGAP, says the message is to stand up for the nation’s values. “We are trying to raise awareness and bring attention to who’s behind the chaos—the anti-Democratic and hate-filled chaos,” he told JNS. “These are very un-American things.”

He said anti-American forces have spilled from the college classroom to tent encampments and onto the streets—and that’s where the message needs to be sounded.
'Another attempt to intimidate our community': Investigation launched into anti-Israel posters at Bondi Junction Coles
Coles is currently investigating a series of anti-Israel posters which were displayed on trolleys at the Bondi Junction store in Sydney.

The posters were discovered on the handles of trolleys full of groceries on Tuesday afternoon.

Images of the posters show the trolleys filled with Kellogg's, Nestle, Huggies and Coca-Cola products, as well as Israeli couscous and Gatorade.

The signs read: “Take Action Against Israeli Genocide.”

“Boycott these products.

“Free Palestine.”

The poster also urged fellow shoppers to download the “No Thanks” App.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin told SkyNews.com.au the tampering with products at a supermarket where hundreds of Jewish Australians shopped was not “legitimate protest”.

“It is yet another attempt to intimidate our community, make us feel alone and attacked, thereby driving a wedge between us and our fellow Australians,” Mr Ryvchin said.

“It is bad enough they have drained our state budget with weekly pro-Hamas marches, degraded our universities and hijacked our cultural institutions. Now they’re targeting families shopping in supermarkets.

“We must all respond to this low bigotry by standing together and sending a message to the extremists that this nonsense does not belong in our peaceful country."




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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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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