Saturday, August 31, 2024

08/31 Links: Kemp: The US should sanction the ICC; America 2024: Is antisemitism “the point?”; IDF working to identify bodies found in Gaza, possibly of hostages

From Ian:

Martin Sherman: America 2024: Is antisemitism “the point?”
Antisemitism as “a point”
Thus, while it is true that the Convention did not permit a Palestinian Arab speaker to address the Convention, this was overshadowed entirely by the fact that the Jewish members were compelled to assemble in hiding to conduct Jewish-related affairs for fear of disruption by anti-Jewish mobs.

One can only wonder in troubled bewilderment what departing president, Joe Biden, had in mind when he conceded that the pro-Hamas hooligans, demonstrating outside the Convention hall, “had a point”—as they raucously expressed their “outrage” at the IDF response to the murder and mutilation, the ravages and rapes of seniors and of infants, of men and of women that comprised the peaceful population of the towns, villages and agricultural communities in the Gaza Envelope.

Indeed, two aspects underscore the gravity of the unfolding metamorphosis: The one is the timing; the other is the substance.

With regard to the timing, this shift in sentiment seems particularly incongruous, coming as it does when the Palestinian Arabs seem more worthy than ever of censure and sanction, rather than support and sympathy. Indeed, this is all the more astounding since this emerging hostility comes hard on the heels, not only of the unspeakable barbarity and brutality on the part of the Gazan Arabs, but also the joyous embrace with which the appalling atrocities were celebrated by the vast majority of Palestinian Arabs, in general.

Crucible, not victim
Moreover, it is difficult to separate out between the moral culpability of the general populace in Gaza and their elected leadership. Indeed, contrary to popular belief, the overall population in Gaza is not the hapless victim of its radical Hamas leaders. Rather, it is the crucible in which Hamas was forged and the incubator from which it emerged.

Thus, Hamas is not an unwelcome imposition on an otherwise placid population, but an authentic reflection of the innermost desires of an inherently savage horde.

But rather than side unreservedly with Israel, the Democratic party and the Biden administration have chosen to take unprecedented measures against the elected government of a friendly nation.

Thus, with unspeakable impudence, and cynical exploitation of his Jewish origins, Democratic Senate leader, Chuck Schumer, purported to know better than the Israeli electorate itself what is good for it. In a desperate attempt to kowtow to his party’s increasingly assertive radical wing, he accused the elected Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of being an “obstacle to peace”, calling for new elections to replace him—despite the fact that, even today, he is the most popular politician in the country. This, of course, is something Schumer would never have presumed to do with any other democratic ally of the US - or even any non-democratic adversary. Thus, somehow, Schumer found no reason to urge the removal of any member of the brutal Iranian regime in Tehran. Go figure.

Pompous pretentiousness
Arguably even more perturbing is the initiative by the Biden State Department to impose punitive sanctions on rightwing Israeli citizens—and to threaten sanctions on duly-elected senior ministers(Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir). Stunningly, none of the sanctioned individuals or organizations have been accused—never mind, convicted--of any current transgressions by Israeli law-enforcement agencies. With unmatched audacity, the Administration pompously proclaimed: "The United States remains deeply concerned about [Jewish] extremist violence and instability in the 'West Bank', which undermines Israel’s own security” neglecting of course any mention of how Arab extremism might impact Israel’s security.

Then, with breathtaking arrogance, it announced that if Israel does not act in accordance with its wishes, the US will take it upon itself to deal with “recalcitrant” Israeli citizens—with no commensurate intentions regarding lawless Arabs, who regularly stone, firebomb, and shoot at Israeli citizens: "We strongly encourage the government of Israel to take immediate steps to hold these individuals and entities accountable. In the absence of such steps, we will continue to impose our own accountability measures."

One can only imagine the outcry that would ensue should Washington threaten to intervene and supersede the functioning of the national law enforcement authority in any other country—especially if US citizens were not directly impacted by the action or inaction of that authority within the area of its jurisdiction.

Perverse and paradoxical
Furthermore, in terms of substance, Democratic support for the Palestinian Arab cause seems highly incongruous. After all, for anyone who ostensibly embraces progressive liberal values, there should be little attraction in the establishment of any Palestinian entity, especially a theocratic tyranny, such as a Hamas-ruled enclave in Gaza. Indeed, why would the party endorse establishing (yet another) homophobic, misogynistic Muslim-majority tyranny, whose hallmarks would be the suppression of women, the oppression of homosexuals, and the repression of non-Muslims and political opponents?

Clearly then, there is nothing that corresponds with the values to which the Democratic party professes to subscribe and the support for gender discrimination, gay persecution, religious intolerance, and political oppression that would characterize any self-governing Palestinian political entity.

So, if the new surge of support for Hamas and Gaza is antithetical to values allegedly dear to the Democratic party, but is manifestly detrimental to the Jewish state and by association, Jews who identify with it, what could be the motivation behind this malign shift?

Antisemitism certainly seems a highly plausible answer.
Richard Kemp: The US should sanction the ICC
We know of no other country that has been treated anything like this. For example Australia and the UK conducted war crimes investigations that took many years and were not plagued with intervention by the ICC. Israel, though, must apparently be subjected to special treatment. Arrest warrants were demanded by Khan seven months after the start of the conflict which triggered his intervention.

An ICC inquiry is one thing. Issuing arrest warrants against national leaders is something entirely different. In his latest submission to the ICC, Khan justifies his request solely on the basis that arresting Netanyahu and Gallant ‘could avert further harm to the victims who remain in Gaza and to those who were forced to leave but continue to suffer physical and mental harm’. That is manifestly absurd and Khan’s application should be immediately dismissed on that ground alone.

Does he expect Israel will arrest and hand over its Prime Minister and Defence Minister because he says so? Or perhaps he thinks the ministers will travel to the territory of a member state that will incarcerate them and send them into his clutches. Obviously neither would happen, but if it did, does Khan actually believe their replacements would end the war (read: surrender to Hamas)?

Khan must know none of this is realistic, and therefore his so-called justification is entirely without merit. The truth is that his arrest warrants are nothing other than a performative charade, intended to insult Israel and undermine its sovereignty and legitimacy.

We said earlier that this whole episode is not just a danger to Israel but to the world. Of course the inclusion of Hamas terrorists in Khan’s warrant application is yet more theatre, intended to pretend to the world that the ICC is ‘even-handed’. No extremist group or despotic regime has ever been or is ever going to be in any way deterred by the grandly-gowned justices at The Hague. Quite the reverse. Hamas and its kind will be emboldened by the knowledge that their enemies are vulnerable to legal action by the ICC while by definition they themselves remain inviolate. Khan pretty much confirmed this by not even bothering to adduce any justification for the Hamas arrest warrants, such as preventing further atrocities against Israel.

Like it or not, the only way to deal with such bloodthirsty terrorist gangs is by military force, not by lawsuits handed down with fanfare by the ICC. Paradoxically, Khan’s ill-judged machinations serve to deny effective military action by intimidating democratic national leaders who need to use force for the legitimate defence of their countries.

If the ICC’s ironically unaccountable judges succumb to Khan’s demand, we will have further confirmation that they are driven by a political agenda lacking legal logic or reason. Only the US can do anything about that. President Biden and Secretary Blinken both condemned Khan’s arrest bid in May but seem unwilling to go beyond words. Previously, the US sanctioned ICC officials for attempting to bring their countrymen before the court. In June, the US House of Representatives voted to pass legislation sanctioning the ICC for its action against Israel. Negotiations with the Senate to get that bill passed should be renewed with urgency. As with so much else in this anti-western political warfare campaign, Israel is the canary in the coal mine. If this precedent is allowed to stand, US political and military leaders will be back on the ICC’s menu and the world will be a more dangerous place.
Debunking the myth: Inside the IDF's efforts to minimize civilian casualties
The Israeli Air Force was a pioneer in integrating computers into bombers, drastically improving the precision of airstrikes. By the 1990s, these computers became small enough to be installed directly into bombs, leading to the development of precision-guided munitions (PGMs). The IDF has increasingly adopted this technology, particularly since the mid-1990s, to minimize collateral damage. For instance, during the First Gulf War in 1991, the U.S. used smart weapons in just 8% of strikes, but by later conflicts like 2008's Operation Cast Lead, nearly 100% of the munitions used were smart bombs. In the current war, Israel has not only employed smart bombs to target terrorists embedded within civilian populations—a Hamas war crime in itself—but has also integrated new technologies to enhance the accuracy of ground troops and artillery.

One such innovation is the Dagger sight by Smart Shooter, which uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to ensure that every shot is precise, effectively turning each soldier into a sniper and significantly reducing the risk of hitting unintended targets.

Another game-changing technology is the Iron Sting mortar, developed by Elbit. Unlike conventional mortars, which are generally imprecise, the Iron Sting is accurate to within meters. It relies on inputted coordinates rather than electro-optical imaging, significantly reducing collateral damage and the likelihood of civilian casualties.

Throughout the war, there were several well-known instances where Israel targeted terrorists in schools, with international media echoing Hamas propaganda by claiming that Israel killed many civilians during these strikes.

For example, on August 10, Israel targeted terrorists at Tabeen School. The Guardian reported: “At least 80 people have been killed in Israeli missile strikes on a school compound in Gaza City, according to the territory’s civil defense service.” In reality, the IDF targeted 20 terrorists, causing minimal damage to the school, and provided evidence demonstrating that the inflated number of casualties was highly unlikely. The IDF even posted the names and photos of those killed in the attack.

The Tabeen School strike is just one example of numerous propaganda attempts by Hamas and their allies to tarnish Israel’s image and further their strategy of maximizing civilian casualties to pressure Israel on the world stage.

A comparative perspective
These practices have enabled the IDF to achieve remarkable success on the battlefield while minimizing civilian casualties. The IDF reports that it has eliminated over 14,300 terrorists. Even if we accept the inflated figures from the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which are based on numbers provided by Hamas, the civilian death toll would be around 24,000. This results in a ratio of approximately 1.5 civilians killed for every one combatant. In comparison, the Soviet-Afghan War had a ratio of 10 to 1, and the Biafran War had a ratio of 15 to 1.

When we consider the total civilian death toll, which stands at around 26,000 (including Israeli civilians), this conflict is far less deadly for civilians than other recent wars. For example, the war in Yemen has resulted in over 367,000 civilian deaths, the Syrian Civil War has claimed over 617,000 lives and the Liberian Civil War left more than 200,000 civilians dead.

The IDF's efforts to avoid civilian casualties stand in stark contrast to these conflicts, demonstrating a commitment to minimizing harm even in the midst of intense warfare.


IDF working to identify bodies found in Gaza, possibly of hostages
During combat in the Gaza Strip, Israel Defense Forces troops located several corpses that may belong to abducted Israelis, the military said on Saturday night.

“Forces are still operating in the area and working to extract and identify the bodies, which will last several hours,” the IDF said.

The military called on the public not to spread rumors.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces rescued a hostage alive from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip. Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, a father of 11 from the Bedouin city of Rahat in the Negev, was rescued from a tunnel in southern Gaza in a “complex operation.”

Upon leaving Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva on Wednesday, Alkadi expressed the desire to see his mother and daughters, adding, “Whether you’re Arab or Jewish, everyone has a family waiting for them. They all want to celebrate. I hope and pray this will end.”

“I wouldn’t wish my experience on anyone,” said Alkadi, who spent nearly 11 months in captivity. “I even told the Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] to put an end to this. It’s hard for everyone, Jewish and Arab alike.”
FDD: NATO Member Turkey Hosts Conference With Hamas Leader Calling for Suicide Bombings
Latest Developments
NATO member Turkey hosted a conference on August 28 that featured Hamas leader Khaled Mashal’s call for Palestinians to conduct suicide attacks targeting Israelis. “We want to return to martyrdom operations. This is a situation that can only be addressed by open conflict. They are fighting us with open conflict, and we are confronting them with open conflict,” Mashal said in a video address to the “Eye on Jerusalem” conference organized by the Al-Quds International Institute — an organization sanctioned by the United States. Mashal added that the “responsibility and the sharia is to unleash all the [fighting] fronts against” Israel. Following his speech, the Turkish state-funded Arabic language outlet TRT Arabic promoted Mashal’s statements on its social media accounts.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has intensified his long-standing belligerent stance against Israel in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 atrocities, pursuing economic and legal warfare against the Jewish state and even threatening military action.

Expert Analysis
“Khaled Mashal’s call for a resumption of suicide attacks is a sign of desperation from a terror organization whose own atrocities have led to the destruction of Gaza. On October 7, Hamas’s hope was that Iran’s proxies would unite to finally defeat Israel. But it didn’t happen on October 7, and despite the toll of this war on Gaza and the skirmishes that Israel has fought with Iran and its proxies, Israel has all but destroyed Hamas’s military capabilities in Gaza and decapitated most of its leadership.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

“With this development, Turkey has crossed another line. The state broadcaster is a taxpayer-funded entity that has no business advocating for any cause, let alone augmenting the aspirations of a terrorist organization. Hamas’s desire to commit murder and acts of terrorism should not be given a platform on Turkish national television and is another example of the country’s lack of institutional governance. The Turkish state is 100 percent under Erdogan’s thumb, and all agencies have become his mouthpiece, projecting his Islamist worldview.” — Sinan Ciddi, FDD Non-Resident Senior Fellow


Doubling previous numbers, report says 6,000 Gazans – including 3,800 trained Hamas terrorists – broke into Israel on Oct. 7
Twice as many Gazans breached the border into Israel on October 7 than previously reported, Channel 12 says, citing data compiled by the IDF’s Gaza Division.

The report says some 3,800 trained and armed Hamas terrorists smashed through the border fence, among a total of 6,000 Gazans who crossed into Israel that day.

Hitherto, figures made public indicated that some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists participated in the invasion, massacre and hostage-taking that day.

The TV report also says that the border was breached in 119 places — again, about double the hitherto widely cited figure of 60 breaches in the Gaza-Israel fence.

Additionally, 1,000 terrorists inside Gaza were involved in firing rockets at Israel that day, the report says, meaning that a total of some 7,000 Gazans took part in the onslaught.

Some 5,000 rockets were fired at Israel that day, 3,000 of them in the first four hours of the onslaught.
Soldier killed in Jenin, bringing IDF death toll since Oct. 7 to 705
An Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed and three others were wounded on Saturday during clashes with Hamas terrorists in Jenin in northern Samaria.

The slain man was named as St. Sgt. Elkana Navon, 20, of the Bislamach Brigade’s 906th Training Battalion, from Petach Tikvah.

Bislamach is an acronym for the School for Infantry Corps Professions and Squad Commanders—the IDF body responsible for training all infantry squad commanders and platoon sergeants.

Israel launched the large-scale operation in the Jenin and Tulkarem areas overnight Tuesday, involving hundreds of soldiers and air support. Troops were also active in the Far’a camp in Tubas.

According to an IDF investigation, troops conducting a counterterror raid in Jenin engaged in a firefight with two high-ranking Hamas members, killing both of them. Four soldiers were struck by the gunfire, including Navon.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held an assessment in Jenin with senior officers earlier on Saturday.

The goal of the ongoing operation is to hit as much terrorist infrastructure as possible in northern Samaria and the Jordan Valley, with an emphasis on neutralizing explosives and locating terrorist operatives.

Israel’s United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon on Thursday morning responded to Secretary-General António Guterres’s call for a halt to IDF activity in Judea and Samaria.

“Since Oct. 7, Iran has been working vigorously to introduce into Judea and Samaria sophisticated explosive devices that are intended to detonate in the centers of Israeli cities,” Danon tweeted.

“The State of Israel cannot sit idly by and wait for the spectacle of buses and cafes exploding in city centers. The activity of the IDF forces in Judea and Samaria is intended for the clear purpose of thwarting terrorist attacks and acts before they are carried out under Iranian direction.”


Hamas hails ‘heroic’ car attacks that hurt three in Gush
The Hamas terrorist group on Saturday hailed the previous day’s “double heroic operation” after car bombers wounded three Israelis in the Gush Etzion region of Judea.

While stopping short of claiming responsibility for the attacks, Hamas described them as “a clear message that the resistance will be prolonged and sustained so long as the brutal occupation’s aggression and targeting of our people and land continue.”

In the first attack, a car bomb was detonated at a gas station near the Gush Etzion Junction, prompting the Israel Defense Forces to dispatch troops to the scene. The terrorist opened fire on the soldiers, who then killed him.

One soldier was moderately wounded and an officer was lightly hurt in the exchange, the military said.

Twenty minutes later, a Palestinian terrorist rammed his car through the entrance to the nearby community of Karmei Tzur.

A member of the local security team drove after the terrorist and crashed into his car, before getting out and shooting him dead. Shortly thereafter, the terrorist’s car exploded.

The guard was lightly injured in the crash.

The IDF believes that the Palestinian terrorists, both from Hebron, coordinated their attacks.


Some 14 terrorists killed as IDF, Hamas exchange fire in Jenin after Gush Etzion attacks
St.-Sgt. Elkana Navon was killed as the army battled with terrorists in Jenin, the IDF announced on Saturday.

In the battles, 14 terrorists were also killed as explosions were heard in the al-Damj neighborhood, according to Maariv.

A source in Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades leadership told Qatari state-run media giant Al Jazeera that the terror organization has prepared itself for long days of confrontations with the IDF.

“We reassure our people that the resistance, with all its formations in the West Bank, is in the best stages of coordination,” the source said.

Walla reported that the IDF is increasing the amount of force in the area. Apache helicopters were flying over Jenin, according to Arab media. Enlrage imageEnlrage image

The IDF has also operated in Tulkarm in recent days, where five terrorists were killed and six wanted individuals were arrested.

Explosives planted on the roads by terrorists were also destroyed by Israeli forces. They also located weapons in a suspicious vehicle near the government hospital in Tulkarm.


FDD: IDF Kills Terrorists Who Hijacked Gaza Aid Convoy
Expert Analysis
“It certainly appears that the IDF did its best to protect a humanitarian convoy from being hijacked by terrorists without putting the convoy at risk. By now, everyone on the ground knows that the IDF is watching to prevent Hamas’s diversion of aid — armed individuals unexpectedly seizing control of a lead car would quite obviously trigger a response.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor

“Terrorist groups and criminal organizations have systematically exploited humanitarian organizations’ goodwill for their gain. Hamas and its allies have stolen aid to bolster their fighters, while criminal enterprises have peddled this assistance on the black market at inflated prices. Meanwhile, it is Palestinian civilians who suffer from the consequences of these criminal actions.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Anera Says Gunmen Were Not Vetted
In a news release following the strike, Anera said that shortly after its aid convoy left the Kerem Shalom crossing on its way to deliver food and fuel to the Emirati Red Crescent hospital in Gaza, “four community members with experience in previous missions and engagement in community security” with Anera’s transit company, Move One, “stepped forward and requested to take command of the leading vehicle, citing concern that the route was unsafe and at risk of being looted.”

The organization added that the four “were neither vetted nor coordinated in advance, and Israeli authorities allege that the lead car was carrying numerous weapons.” Anera said that the “coordinated and cleared transport plan called for unarmed security guards in the convoy” and that it was conducting a thorough review of the incident.

Hamas Gunmen ‘Steal’ From Gazans
On May 2, the U.S. State Department reported that Hamas had hijacked a major humanitarian aid shipment. The IDF has repeatedly filmed Hamas terrorists taking over aid trucks entering Gaza since October 7. Last December, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit released a video “in which Hamas terrorists are shown stealing food and humanitarian aid from civilians in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighborhood and assaulting them.”


FIFA delay again review of Palestinian call to suspend Israel
World soccer's governing body FIFA has delayed again its decision on a Palestinian bid to have Israel suspended from international soccer over the war in Gaza.

FIFA said late on Friday it would now consider the Palestine Football Association's (PFA) proposals against the Israel Football Association (IFA) in October.

The PFA had submitted a proposal to suspend Israel in May, with FIFA ordering an urgent legal evaluation and promising to address it at an extraordinary meeting of its council in July.

FIFA said last month the legal assessment would now be shared with its council by Aug. 31.

The Zurich-based body said it had now moved the assessment back to October.

"FIFA has received the independent legal assessment of the Palestine Football Association's proposals against Israel," FIFA said.

"This assessment will be sent to the FIFA Council to review in order that the subject can be discussed at its next meeting which will take place in October."

FIFA declined to give further details of the assessment, or when in October the meeting would take place.

The PFA did not respond to requests for comment.
Assailant attacks Jewish students at University of Pittsburgh with glass bottle
A group of Jewish students were attacked by an individual holding a glass bottle at the University of Pittsburgh campus on Friday night, the institution reported on Saturday.

Two of the students received medical attention at the scene after being struck by the bottle. The suspect behind the attack was arrested by Pittsburgh police, and the university said that the suspect has no affiliation with the institution.

The attack reportedly happened near the campus's Cathedral of Learning.

The university stated that after the attack, it contacted the Hillel University Center and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh to offer support.

"Neither acts of violence nor antisemitism will be tolerated," the university said. "Local and federal partners are supporting Pitt Police in this ongoing investigation."

Suspect behind campus attack revealed
The suspect was later identified as Jarett Buba, CBS News reported on Saturday morning.

According to CBS, Buba was charged with "simple assault, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, and harassment."

Surveillance footage viewed by the city police said they saw him sitting at a table and then running across Forbes Avenue to assault the two students, the report said. He was taken to Allegheny County Jail after trying to resist arrest.


Oldest survivor of Mengele’s Auschwitz experiments calls to ban Candace Owens from Australia
Annetta Able, known at 100 years old for being the oldest survivor in the world of the experiments conducted by Nazi physician Josef Mengele at Auschwitz, has joined the Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) on Thursday to urge the Australian government to ban far-right political commentator Candace Owens from visiting the country.

Owens in early July said on her podcast that experiments performed by Mengele were "bizarre propaganda." She is slated to visit the country on a speaking tour.

“As a survivor of Dr. Mengele's inhumane experiments in Auschwitz, I feel compelled to speak out against Candace Owens' planned visit to Australia. Her recent statement dismissing the horrific experiments I endured as 'bizarre propaganda' is not just deeply offensive, it is a dangerous distortion of historical truth that I witnessed with my own eyes," Able said. "I still bear the physical and emotional scars of Mengele's cruelty.

"The pain, fear, and trauma I experienced were very real and to hear someone deny these atrocities is a fresh wound to my heart and an insult to the memory of those who perished. I urge the Australian government to deny Candace Owens a visa.”

Able, who is based in Melbourne, also joined her daughter Daphne in calling for the commentator to not visit Australia. Her daughter said that "Owens' visit will be a betrayal of Holocaust survivors and their legacy of educating future generations about the dangers of antisemitism and racism.

"As the child of a survivor, I inherited the responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive," she continued. "And I ask the Australian government not to let my mother’s and my aunt’s suffering - and the suffering of millions - be dismissed as 'propaganda' on Australian soil."

Comments by the ADC Chairman
ADC Chairman Dr. Dvir Abramovich said that his "message to Candace Owens is very simple: Stay Out! We don’t want you, your hatred and your antisemitism here. Australia should not put out the welcome mat and provide a platform to a serial bigot, to an individual who has engaged in Holocaust denial.

Abramovich also demanded that Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke not to grant Owens a visa into the country.

"At a time of skyrocketing antisemitism across our nation, the last thing we need is to have this hate-preacher whose presence will only normalize and mainstream antisemitism and Holocaust denial," Abramovich continued. "Words are bullets and they often escalate into real-life violence and when people are told that Jews are bad and evil, they feel emboldened to harass, demean, degrade and carry out attacks against us."
UKLFI: Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah continues to be investigated by the GMC
Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah, continues to be investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC) for his social media posts, despite a tribunal rejecting an application by the GMC to suspend him from practice.

Dr Abu Sittah is a plastic surgeon, who has spent time working in Gaza, and has also been elected Rector of Glasgow University. He decided to waive his confidentiality to release the news, several months after the event, that the Interim Orders Tribunal had decided not to immediately suspend him from practice. This decision should not be interpreted as meaning that Dr Abu Sittah has been completely vindicated by the (GMC).

Dr Abu Sittah also released the information that UK Lawyers for Israel had initiated the complaint to the GMC against him, as a result of his social media posts. UKLFI had not publicized anything about this complaint.

Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah’s Interim Orders Tribunal was held in private on 30 May 2024. UKLFI was not informed that the GMC had instigated the hearing, or that it was taking place, but was notified about the results of the hearing on 4 June 2024. UKLFI was also informed that details relating to the hearing are treated as confidential. However, Dr Abu Sittah decided to waive his confidentiality so that he could publicise the fact that he had not been immediately suspended from practice.

The GMC has confirmed that the disciplinary procedure against Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah is ongoing and he continues to be under investigation as a result of his social media posts and re-posts.


Francesca Albanese: Israel’s claim to self-defense in the West Bank
United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese claimed on social media on Friday that Israel had no valid claim to self-defense when it came to operations in the West Bank.

Albanese’s comments came less than a day before two attempted terrorist attacks wounded three Israelis in Gush Etzion in the West Bank.

“Israel claims that what it is doing in the West Bank is justified under the law of self-defense. This claim has no validity,” Albanese wrote. “...As an ongoing unlawful use of force, Israel’s occupation of the [Palestinian territories] cannot be justified by any claim of self-defense.

“Israel’s perversion of the law on self-defense must be recognized for what it is: a brazen attempt to provide an imprimatur of ‘legality’ to the maintenance of its unlawful aggression against the territorial integrity and political independence of the State of Palestine.

“If Israel truly wants to achieve its claimed security, the best and most obvious way to do that would be to cease its colonization of another people’s land, withdraw from all of it, and make appropriate reparation for damage caused (as requested by the ICJ), while being sure to apologize to its victims on the way out.”

Albanese’s post on X, formerly Twitter, also shared comments made by Albanese a day earlier. On Thursday, Albanese had charged, “The world's failure to protect Palestinians echoes its failures with Bosnians and Tutsis, despite promises made after the Holocaust to prevent such atrocities.”


Judicial probe against antisemitic Flemish columnist
A judicial investigation has been opened into a column written by Flemish author Herman Brusselmans in which he wrote that the image of a Palestinian boy screaming for his mother lying under rubble infuriates him so much that he wants to “ram a pointed knife down the throat of every Jew he encounters.”

The public prosecutor of the East Flanders Province in Ghent confirmed the investigation into the article in the Humo weekly magazine to Belgian news agency Belga.

The investigation is a result of a civil complaint, which obliges the examining magistrate to conduct a judicial investigation. The complaint was filed by the European Jewish Association, a Brussels-based federation of Jewish communities across Europe, which announced earlier this month that it was taking legal action against Brusselmans for incitement to hatred and violence.

It had previously been announced that the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office had opened an investigation, but because of the new complaint, a judicial inquiry has been set up. As a result, the investigating judge has greater powers.

The European Jewish Association is cooperating in its complaint with the Forum of Jewish Organizations (FJO), Jewish Information and Documentation Center (JID), the Israelite Congregation of Antwerp Shomre Hadass and the Belgian League Against Antisemitism (LBCA).

Lawyer David Szafran, who is acting for EJA along with another lawyer, Sven Mary, confirmed that the complaint has been filed.

“The investigation is now in the hands of the investigating judge, who will determine what to do. Previously, it was indeed an investigation following Unia’s complaint. Our complaint was formulated on the basis of incitement to hatred or violence, but I cannot give details about the content.”

Unia, an anti-discrimination public service in Belgium, filed a complaint because Brusselmans violated the anti-racism law with his column and incited hatred or violence against persons of Jewish origin. Brusselmans has not yet been questioned in the case.


MEMRI: British Islamic Scholar Haitham Al-Haddad Interviewed By BBC As 'Highly Respected Imam' Has History Of Antisemitic, Anti-Democracy, And Pro-Terror Statements, Including Praising October 7th Attacks – Clips From The MEMRI TV Archive
British Islamic scholar and television presenter Haitham Al-Haddad, who said in a London sermon that far right riots in the UK are part of a Zionist agenda, was recently interviewed on BBC Radio London, where he was introduced as a "highly respected imam."[1] Al-Haddad's history of extremist and antisemitic statements was not mentioned.

Delivering a sermon at Greenwich Islamic Centre earlier this month, Al-Haddad said: "Some of them [rioters] have an agenda and some of them have - maybe that agenda is connected to Zionism at large. Yes, we know this. And we know that some of them may want to divert the attention of the Government from condemning what the Zionist-state Israel is doing and they want to stop arming Israel, so they want to attract the attention or divert the attention of the Government."[2]

In a Facebook post on October 7, 2023, Al-Haddad celebrated the Hamas-led attack on Israeli civilians which killed 1,200, writing: "O Allah, support the people of truth in Gaza, Al-Quds and Palestine – they have managed to cause confusion to the enemy's calculations with a new tactic. Grant them victory and aid them against their oppressors in their struggle for Justice and Truth."[3]

The following are MEMRI TV clips of Haitham Al-Haddad's past statements, in which he criticizes democracy and emphasizes the role of Muslims in shaping the future of Europe and introducing it to Islam.

British Islamic Scholar And Jurist Haitham Al-Haddad On Muslims In The West: When You Look Outside You Would Think You Are In A Second Afghanistan, But You Are In 'Londonistan'; You Are Not A Subjugated Minority – You Are The Leaders Of Humanity – February 2024
Haitham al-Haddad, a British Islamic scholar and jurist, the chair of the Fatwa Committee for the Islamic Council of Europe, said in a panel discussing "Muslims in the West" that the situation of Muslims in the U.K. and in the West is a lot better than it was 20 years ago. He said that if you go outside, you would think you were in a "second Afghanistan," but it is in fact "Londonistan." Al-Haddad said that Muslims in the West should not consider themselves a "subjected minority," because they are the "leaders of humanity."

The panel was part of the "Anchored by Quran" conference organized by the Michigan-based Miftaah Institute in Manchester and London during August 2023 and it was uploaded to the Miftah Institute YouTube channel on September 26. Two American Islamic scholars also participated in the panel, Yasser Qadhi, the dean of The Islamic Seminary of America and resident scholar at the Texas East Plano Islamic Center and Abdullah Waheed, co-founder and dean of the Miftaah Institute and Director of Islamic Affairs at Flint Islamic Center in Michigan.

Haitham Al-Haddad: "This brother was telling me: 'Sheikh, I don't see now that our situation is better than before.' I said: 'No, our situation in the UK in particular and in the West in general, is far better than our situation ten years ago.' I said to him: 'Look at the number of Quran memorizers now. Look at the number of mosques. Look at the number of Islamic institutions. Look now, who [would have] imagined that we [would] have Islam Channel, Eman Channel, Iqra TV, all in the U.K.

"This was not there 20 years ago, by the grace of Allah. Look at, mashallah… Our brothers and sisters, if you go outside you think that you are in a second Afghanistan, but you are in Londonistan. So it is really amazing, overwhelming. Don't ever, my brothers and sisters, look at yourselves as a subjugated minority. We are the leaders of humanity. We should look at ourselves as we have something to offer."
Le Devoir Cartoonist Eric Godin’s Anti-Israel Campaign
In recent weeks and months, the Le Devoir newspaper has published a series of outrageous cartoons by Eric Godin, a man who seems to be obsessed with Israel and a wholehearted, unquestioning embracer of every ridiculous claim of its detractors.

At least four times in recent months — including twice in August alone — Godin has penned cartoons which either make light of the horrific situation in the Middle East or which spread false and hateful propaganda about it.

An August 14 cartoon crudely depicted a large pile of human skulls, ostensibly representing suffering Gazans, while mockingly depicting United Nations leaders as being more concerned with their lunch plans than with resolving the issue. Aside from the distastefulness of making light of the victims of war and illustrating them in such an offensive manner, the suggestion that the United Nations — an already infamously anti-Israel organization which has routinely condemned every single action Israel has taken throughout its defensive war — is somehow to be attacked for not supporting the Palestinians enough is laughable and could never be taken seriously by any reasonable reader on any side of the political spectrum outside the extreme fringes of the anti-Israel movement.

An August 6 cartoon, meanwhile, condescendingly compared “last week in Paris” (showing an Olympic athlete being showered with flowers) to “another week in Gaza” (showing bombs falling on someone). Aside from the lack of clarity as to what one of these events has to do with the other in the slightest, or why this particular world problem is singled out in this way when, to our knowledge, Godin has never suggested that the Olympics should be put on hold while conflicts in Nigeria, Myanmar, Bangladesh, or Armenia are taking place, this cartoon shamelessly reinforced the idea that Israel is bombing people at random in Gaza when, in reality, Israel is conducting a precise, targeted campaign against a vicious terrorist group with one of the lowest civilian death tolls in the history of modern urban warfare.

On May 29, Godin painted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a liar trying to hide his culpability for a deadly fire in Rafah despite the fact that the evidence in that case suggests the fire was caused by Hamas munitions.
Paralympic swimmer Mark Malyar dedicates medal to IDF soldiers: ‘Thanks to them we can train’
Paralympic medal winner Mark Malyar dedicates his bronze medal in the men’s 100m backstroke to the IDF soldiers fighting to protect the State of Israel.

“I want to thank the soldiers and everyone who protects us, thanks to them we can train and we can get to this point, we’re able to live thanks to them,” he tells Israel’s Sport5 broadcaster shortly after his win.

“It felt great to see the flag go up, I feel amazing,” he adds shortly after the medal ceremony.

Malyar won three medals at the Tokyo Games, and is slated to compete in three additional races in Paris.




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