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Monday, September 16, 2024

09/16 Links Pt1: For lasting peace, Hamas must be destroyed; Iran using Houthis’ Yemen as weapons ‘testing ground’; Trump defiant after 2nd assassination attempt

From Ian:

‘The world will respect Israel when it respects itself’
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman’s new book, One Jewish State: The Last, Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, currently being launched and distributed, presents a coherent political doctrine aimed at shifting approaches and perceptions.

In it, he argues that Israeli rule over the entire territory not only aligns with Israel’s historical, biblical right to the land but will also benefit all parties involved, both Jews and Arabs.

Friedman has drawn on his years of policy experience, which played a significant role in key actions such as relocating the American embassy to Jerusalem and securing U.S. recognition of the Golan Heights as sovereign Israeli territory, to write his book addressing a wide range of political, security, civil and economic issues. Friedman is well aware of the multifaceted challenges involved in such a political plan.

We held a three-way conversation about this topic with him and Knesset member Ohad Tal, a key figure in advancing President Donald Trump’s plan within the Israeli political arena.

At the outset, Friedman summarizes the main points of his plan, which views the application of sovereignty as a step towards achieving the political goal of securing two things.

“No. 1 to bring stability, safety, security, prosperity for the State of Israel. No. 2 is to be faithful to the will of God with regard to the way in which the Jewish people should hold the Land of Israel. These are achieved through sovereignty. But it’s not about achieving sovereignty. It’s about achieving these two goals.”

Friedman outlines the path to his goal in several stages. “I don’t think it can happen overnight. The most important thing is for the State of Israel, by a meaningful consensus, to decide this is the right thing for the State of Israel before any other country gets involved. The State of Israel has to decide that. And I think the State of Israel should decide that through a process, which is deep and robust and thoughtful. I mean, I think people really need to discuss it.”

Friedman cautiously adds that while he doesn’t mean to offend anyone, the discussion around such a move needs to be approached somewhat differently from the hasty manner in which the judicial reform was promoted “by a narrow majority that created a lot of dissension. This issue is much bigger and if it’s going to go forward, it must do so with the support of a significant majority of the people in Israel.”
For lasting peace, Hamas must be destroyed
Decisive victory is the breeding ground for lasting peace and stability. Take, for example, the end of World War II. When the war was over, Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan were utterly crushed, their regimes disbanded, and their capacity to wage war and genocide obliterated. When Allied forces released German and Japanese prisoners of war, there was no concern that they would rise again to rebuild the military might of their former nations. Why? Because those powers had been completely defeated. There was no Nazi war machine left to restart. Imperial Japan no longer had the resources to continue its brutal campaigns. It is unthinkable to imagine, say, a negotiated agreement with Nazi Germany where their army was left intact or their weapons were untouched.

This brings us to Gaza. Thousands of Hamas militants currently sit in Israeli prisons. If any number of those prisoners were released without the utter decimation of Hamas’s capacity to wage terror against Israel, what would stop them from rearming, regrouping and reigniting the same bloody cycle of violence? How could negotiating a settlement with Hamas in this stage of the war ensure that Israel can live without fear of Hamas terrorism? For there to be any hope of peace in Israel and Gaza, Hamas must be thoroughly dismantled and their infrastructure of terror obliterated so that they no longer have the means to fight.

In fact, Israel may need to go even further. A portion of Gaza itself may need to come under Israeli control for a set period—think of China ceding Hong Kong to the British for 99 years in the aftermath of the First Opium War, which ended in 1842. This model could allow for a new generation in the coastal enclave to grow up free from Hamas’s tyranny and radicalization, paving the way for a society that values peace, culture and economic prosperity.

Another historical model is that of the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage. Rome, recognizing Carthage as a continuous existential threat, ultimately decided that Carthage had to be destroyed. While the level of destruction used by Rome is not appropriate today (the Romans leveled Carthage and salted the ground), the lesson remains: Existential threats must be defeated so completely that they can no longer pose a danger. Gaza, under Hamas, remains a threat to Israel’s existence, and only through Hamas’s defeat can that threat be neutralized.

Additionally, we must understand the cultural dimension at play. In the Arab world, shame and honor are powerful forces. A thorough and humiliating defeat of Hamas would bring shame to the movement in the eyes of the Arab people—much in the same way that Germans still carry the weight of the Nazi era. Hamas must become an emblem of failure and disgrace, not resistance and heroism.

If Hamas were to be defeated, Gaza itself could have a future of prosperity. There’s no reason it couldn’t evolve into a cultural and economic beacon in the Middle East, akin to Tel Aviv. The people of Gaza deserve the chance to build a future free of terror. But for that to happen, Hamas must first be removed from the equation entirely.

In the end, wars end with victory or defeat, and for peace to flourish in Gaza and Israel, Hamas needs to be soundly, unequivocally defeated.
Trudeau Liberals buying Hamas 'lies': author/soldier John Spencer
John Spencer, the world’s foremost expert on urban warfare, has choice words for the Trudeau government: “Do your homework.”

At a lecture at a Toronto synagogue late last week, he said that the federal Liberals, “believe lies” coming from Hamas, and “base their policies on them,” including withholding weapons from Israel needed to fight the terror group. (Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly announced on September 10 that Canada suspended about 30 permits for arms shipments.)

A 25-year veteran of the U.S. Army, Spencer has been on fact-finding missions in Gaza three times since last December, where he was embedded with the Israel Defense Forces.

He claimed that “you have national leaders just repeating the talking points of Hamas,” including their casualty numbers, and the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing in Gaza City on Oct. 17, 2023, that turned out to be an errant rocket from Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Contrary to the reports coming from Hamas – believed by NGOs and many world leaders – Israel is not exercising disproportionate or excessive force, and takes “every step possible” to avoid civilian casualties, he said.

Their enemy is doing the reverse: “That’s called human sacrifice, not human shields, when Hamas wants its entire population getting in the way of battle.”

When asked by moderator Amir Epstein, director of Tafsik, whether there was a genocide in Gaza, Spencer’s simple answer: no.

The International Court of Justice, which called on Israel to “take all measures” to prevent a genocide of the Palestinians, “did not make a ruling to tell Israel, in the meantime, stop the operation,” Spencer said. The UN’s definition of genocide, he continued, includes a list of specific criteria – including intent to systematically erase a culture, identity, nationality and people – which Israel is not guilty of. This is clear, to him, everywhere from the aid flowing in, “a flood of vaccinations,” and Israel “doing everything it can to avoid innocent casualties,” he said.

The Associated Press has reported that Israel’s offensive following the Oct. 7 attack has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. The war has caused widespread destruction, forced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents to flee their homes, AP reports.

South Africa last year accused Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention. Israel has strongly rejected the claim and has argued that the war in Gaza is a legitimate defence against Hamas for the attack that killed around 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.

Spencer served two tours in Iraq, advised four-star generals and Pentagon officials, and serves as a colonel in the California State Guard as director of urban warfare training. He is also chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point.

It is his belief that “international pressure had caused Israel to slow down,” the counteroffensive, similar to past campaigns in Gaza, where the Jewish State was “not allowed to win wars.”

But once Hamas is defeated, the next step is deradicalization, that could take “a decades-long” process. “But it cannot start until you get the radicalizer out.”

One of those purges should be United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), that to his mind is anti-Israel. “There is enough data” to show how the NGO and Hamas have a symbiotic relationship. “You can’t have someone working in Gaza without Hamas accepting it,” he said, also noting how UNRWA schoolbooks preach incitement against Jews.

With the discovery of Hamas tunnels beneath UNRWA facilities, including a substantive data centre, “that alone – UNRWA has to justify it. Explain how a number of employees were involved in Oct. 7. Explain the number of UNRWA facilities where Hamas has turned into military headquarters.”


Israel's UN ambassador slams world body, says UNRWA taken over by Hamas terrorists in Gaza
Israel’s ambassador to the world body, Danny Danon, issued a scathing indictment of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), declaring Hamas terrorists are running the organization in the Gaza Strip.

Danon’s remarks came after last week's Israeli air strike that hit the UNRWA al-Jaouni school in a Gaza refugee camp. Danon questioned, "How long will the U.N. continue to bury its head in the sand and ignore the fact that Hamas terrorists have taken over UNRWA? Those who were killed yesterday (Wednesday) in the IDF strike were nine terrorists with blood on their hands, and some of them participated in the barbaric massacre on October 7. In case there are still any doubts, there are the names of the Hamas terrorists who were at the school compound disguised as ‘local UNRWA employees."

The school, which was not operational, was being used as a Hamas command and control center, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Danon listed the names of the Hamas terrorists who were affiliated with UNRWA on his X post, while noting "UNRWA-Gaza is a terrorist organization whose members participated in the October 7 massacre, and whose members abducted and murdered innocent Israeli civilians. It is time to shut down UNRWA."

Just last month, Fox News Digital reported that UNRWA was forced to fire nine employees because of their likely involvement in Hamas’s slaughter of nearly 1,200 people on Oct. 7 in southern Israel.

When approached by Fox News Digital, Juliette Touma, a UNRWA spokesperson, claimed "The Israeli authorities have not requested UNRWA officially to provide them with the list of staff killed in yesterday’s attack on the UNRWA school." She added, "The names that appear on today’s statement from the Israeli Army have not been flagged to us before by the Israeli authorities in previous occasions prior to today."

She complained, "We always find out about these very serious allegations in the media. After the event." Schools in Gaza have not been in session since shortly after Israel waged war on Hamas in reaction to the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel.

Fox News Digital asked the Israel Defense Forces about Touma’s statement. An IDF spokesman said "From what I understood, it’s pretty clear in Gaza who belongs to who. I don’t think this is a surprise at all to anyone in UNRWA, just an attempt to shift the discussion and blame." The IDF spokesman stressed that the UNRWA spokeswoman’s comment "Sounds like a diversion from talking about the important issue - terrorists working for the organization and using UNRWA as a cover."

Hillel Neuer, executive director of U.N. Watch, told Fox News Digital. "This was a precision strike targeting terrorists who embedded a command and control center within a compound that had previously served as a school. The U.N. should be condemning Hamas for using civilian buildings for military purposes, which is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. Instead, they rushed to condemn Israel."




US still working on revised proposal for Gaza ceasefire deal, says State Dept
The United States is pushing forward with a new proposal that would bridge the differences between Hamas and Israel on an agreement for Phase One of the May 31 hostage deal, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington on Monday.

“We continue to engage with our partners in the region, most specifically with Egypt and Qatar,” Miller said.

He spoke just two weeks after a high-level meeting took place in Doha, led by CIA Director William Burns, but failed to achieve any tangible results.

Hamas’s execution of six Israeli hostages had also created a sense of despair.

Low-level negotiations, however, have contended on the first stage of a three-part deal that would last for six weeks, and see the return of up to 32 hostages out of the remaining 101 captives.

Qatar and Egypt have been the main mediators for a deal, with the support of the US.

US is working expeditiously
Miller said he didn’t “have a timetable,” and added that “we are working expeditiously to try to develop that proposal, try to find something that would bring both the parties to say ‘yes,’ and to formally submit it.”

US negotiators, including Burns, have said that 90% of Phase One is agreed upon, that the difficulty was in securing the remaining 10%.

Miller confirmed that the two main sticking points remain the details of how many Palestinian security prisoners and terrorists held in Israeli jails would be freed in exchange for each captive.

During the talks in Doha, there had been an agreement that some 800 Palestinian prisoners would be freed.

US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew told the Haaretz National Security Conference on Monday, “We are pressing as hard as we can, from the president down through the entire team to reach an agreement on a [Gaza] ceasefire and a hostage release.”

Among the complications, he said, is that Hamas is not a government and has no direct relations with Israel or the United States, Lew said.

The negotiations are taking place through mediators, he said.

“We don’t know what Hamas is willing to accept, and we’re pressing for Israel, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to bring together, as close as we can, one position in the end, to force a decision by Hamas,” he said.
Seth Frantzman: On Abraham Accords anniversary, Iran pushes Gulf ties
Iran's symbolic timing
Iran believes in symbols and timing and has worked to reconcile with Saudi Arabia in a deal brokered by China, to use reconciliation against possible Israel ties. Iran also wanted the Houthis free to attack Israel, and it has used Saudi ties to guarantee that. Riyadh, meanwhile, is not pleased with the Houthis being pumped up on steroids by Iran.

BUT IT is also not ready yet to derail reconciliation. Iran has reached around behind Saudi to Cairo to increase ties. Along with Turkey, Iran hopes the Arab League will also work to condemn Israel and isolate Jerusalem.

Pezeshkian used his first trip abroad to go to Iraq, which is keen to help normalize Syria-Turkey ties and played a key role in normalizing Iran-Saudi ties. Pezeshkian sees Iraq as a gateway to the Gulf.

Iran already has close ties with Qatar and Oman. Kuwait, which suffered in the Iran-Iraq role in the 1980s, is keen to stay out of any crisis this time. Kuwait is also very hostile to Israel. As such, Iran already has inroads in Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, all while working with the Houthis in Yemen.

“The geographical proximity, bonds, and commonalities between the eight Persian Gulf countries provide a suitable ground for dialogue and consultation, and it is necessary for them to have continuous cooperation and coordination on issues of interest,” Ravanchi indicated, according to IRNA.

“By enumerating some common issues between the Persian Gulf littoral states such as economic cooperation, transit, environment, shipping, combating drug trafficking, coast guard, Takht Ravanchi said all these countries have the same views on these issues, and therefore, need constructive dialogue and consultations,” the report added.

Meanwhile, Pezeshkian’s trip to Iraq opened a new “chapter,” IRNA said in a separate report. Iran also wants to work on ties with Europe and to get around US sanctions. Ravanchi also talked up support for “resistance” against Israel in light of the Iraq trip. Iranian militias constantly operate in Iraq and use it to threaten Israel; militias operate in Syria as well.

A US military base in Kharab al-Jeer, located in the northern suburbs of eastern Syria, has reportedly come under rocket attacks. Lebanese TV network Al-Mayadeen on Sunday night, citing sources, said “several rockets were fired at the American military base in Syria’s Al-Hasakah Governorate,” IRNA reported on Monday. It is likely that Iran will increase threats to the US in Iraq and Syria as part of its wider regional game plan.
Iran using Houthis’ Yemen as weapons ‘testing ground’
Israeli air defense officials are reviewing the performance of Air Force detection and interception capabilities on Sunday, hours after the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen fired a surface-to-surface missile that set off sirens across central Israel.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, at 6:21 on Sunday morning, the missile was launched from Yemen towards Israeli territory, and it likely fragmented mid-air, according to preliminary findings.

The attack triggered several interception attempts by Israel’s Arrow and Iron Dome defense systems, the IDF said. These attempts, and the effectiveness of the interceptions, are under review. Warning sirens were sounded in accordance with protocol.

IDF Lt. Col. (res.) Michael Segal, an expert on Iranian strategic issues who is today chief information officer at the Tel Aviv-based Acumen Risk intelligence and risk management consultancy, told JNS that in recent years, Yemen has served as Iran’s largest testing ground for various types of weapons.

“During the Saudi coalition’s operations in Yemen, following the Houthi takeover of parts of the country during the Arab Spring, the Houthis fired a wide range of missiles, drones, and rockets at strategic sites in Saudi Arabia, including oil facilities and airports. Yemen, where active fighting continues in various regions, offers Iran an opportunity to test a variety of weapons, from roadside bombs, sniper rifles and anti-tank weapons to ballistic missiles and drones,” Segal said.

“These weapons are transferred to the Houthis either as complete systems or in parts and are assembled in Yemen,” he continued.

Since early September, the Houthis have downed two American MQ-9 Reaper drones, likely using Iranian 358 surface-to-air missiles, which are also likely in the possession of Hezbollah in Lebanon and pro-Iran militias in Iraq.

Iran’s strategy of integrating the Houthis into the “axis of resistance” proved successful after Hamas’s Oct. 7 mass murder attack, when the Houthis joined the campaign in the Red Sea, disrupting Israeli shipping routes and severely damaging Egypt’s revenue from the Suez Canal, Segal noted.
Germany delays selling weapons to Israel but continues sales to Qatar, sparking criticism
Germany’s federal government continues to ignore Israeli requests to purchase weapons, according to a Sunday report in the mass circulation daily Bild.

The paper wrote that “However, sales of heavy weapons systems to the Emirate of Qatar – one of the most important supporters of the terrorist group Hamas – were approved.”

According to Bild, “Last year, the Israeli government had already requested the purchase of several thousand pieces of ammunition for its main battle tanks, and there were further requests for other types of armament.”

The Bild journalist Björn Stritzel, who authored the report and has solid contacts with security sources in Germany, wrote, “For the Jewish state, which is currently fighting on several fronts against the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, the purchase of certain military equipment from abroad is particularly important.”

Stritzel noted, “In the first half of 2024, the federal government approved arms sales worth just over 100 million euros to the rulers in Doha, who are probably the most important supporters of the terrorist organization Hamas.”

According to BILD information, Qatar will receive ”The modern RCH 155 wheeled howitzers. The system is based on the self-propelled howitzer 2000... The main advantage of the system: It can fire precisely while moving.”

The head of the American Jewish Committee office in Berlin, Remko Leemhuis, told Bild about Germany selling weapons to Qatar instead of Israel that “It should also be remembered once again how these people celebrated the antisemitic mass murder on October 7 in Qatar.”

He added, “Everyone should have this process in mind the next time German politicians invoke the raison d’être and emphasize the special German responsibility for Israel’s security.”


Trump defiant after 2nd assassination attempt: ‘I will never surrender’
Following a second assassination attempt on Donald Trump on Sunday, from which he emerged unscathed, the former President released a statement voicing his determination to continue despite the personal risks.

“My resolve is only stronger after another attempt on my life. I will never slow down. I will never give up. I WILL NEVER SURRENDER! I thank God every day for having supporters like you on my side. On November 5th, WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump said in the statement.

While the former president was playing golf at the at Trump International Golf Club in South Florida, U.S. Secret Service agents, checking ahead for possible threats, identified a man pointing a AK-47 style rifle with a scope through a fence.

The Secret Service agents fired at the man.

The man dropped the gun and fled in an SUV. He was apprehended by police from the Martin county sheriff’s office on I-95, an interstate highway.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the gunman also had two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera and that he was about 400 to 500 yards from Trump, AP reported.

The shooter was identified as Ryan Wesley Routh. Routh, 58, has a lengthy criminal record, having been convicted of numerous felony offences in Guilford County, North Carolina between 2002 and 2010.

Routh frequently posted in favor of Democrats and against Trump, echoing the anti-Trump rhetoric used by Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. President Joe Biden, The New York Post reported.

In an April 22 post on X, he said, “DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose.”

He said Trump wants to “make Americans slaves against master.”

Statements on his X account, suspended on Sunday, indicate he was a Trump supporter in 2016 but turned against the president in 2020.

He was passionate about supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia and even visited the country.

He also posted pro-Palestinian messages, the BBC reported.


The UN’s New Durban Resolution Is Reinforcing Racism
As the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) convenes in Geneva, a new “Durban” resolution ostensibly aimed at combating racism and discrimination will be put to a vote on October 9, just days after the one-year commemoration of Hamas’ massacre against the State of Israel.

The first World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in Durban in 2001 was a hate-fest as the only Jewish state was singled out, and antisemitism was erased from the conference agenda. This upcoming resolution will continue the trend from 2001 by further weakening global anti-racist advocacy efforts because Hamas’ October 7 massacre against Israel and the increased antisemitism that has followed the attacks are not mentioned in the resolution draft. If adopted, this resolution will likely further promote antisemitism while also exposing an underlying bias that could fundamentally distort the global fight against racism.

The glaring omission of antisemitism and the October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians and many other foreign nationals from the draft raises profound concerns about the intention and credibility of the Durban Resolution. Hamas’ massacre was not just an isolated incident of violence; it was an unprovoked, ideologically driven attack targeting Jews. By excluding it from a resolution to combat racism, this vote sends a message that Jewish lives are less worthy of recognition and protection than others. This itself is a form of institutionalized racism, where the suffering of one group is selectively minimized, dismissed, or ignored in the international arena.

Why the Omission?
Why would the drafters of the Durban Resolution omit the growing problem of antisemitism? The answer lies in a disturbing trend where certain political narratives are prioritized over a genuine commitment to human rights. While the resolution focuses on anti-apartheid and anti-colonial rhetoric, it neglects the plight of Jewish communities, which have been and continue to be subject to discrimination, violence, and hatred. This selective approach is part of a broader strategy to shape international opinion and policy to isolate and delegitimize Israel. The proposed resolution ignores antisemitism and contributes to it.

The UN’s historical bias against Israel is well-documented. Resolutions condemning Israel have consistently outnumbered those targeting any other country despite other regions experiencing constant, severe human rights abuses. The refusal to mention antisemitism in the Durban Resolution further reinforces the perception that the UNHRC is prejudiced and concerned with advancing certain political agendas over others. It also eliminates UNHRC’s credibility and effectiveness in global human rights advocacy.
Israel MFA: The Third IPC Report on Gaza (June 2024)
Executive Summary
The third Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report on Gaza, published on 25 June, concluded that, for the "current" period (1 May–15 June), all of the Gaza Strip is classified in phase 4 ("emergency") of the IPC Acute Food Insecurity scale. It further found that 95% of the population is classified in phase 3 ("crisis") or above. The report claimed that 15% of the population was currently in phase 5 ("catastrophe", the highest IPC phase) and defined the situation in the whole of Gaza as "catastrophic" with "a high and sustained risk of Famine".

This paper will review the main indicators and other information that were used by the IPC Analysis Team in its "Special Brief" (henceforth: SB), and later endorsed by the Famine Review Committee (FRC) in its "conclusions and recommendations" report (henceforth: FRC), to arrive at the above conclusions. Unless specified otherwise, references to "the IPC report" apply to both documents.

The third IPC report contains the same methodology and transparency issues which were identified in the review of the second IPC report on Gaza from March 2024 and detailed in a document published by Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 25 May. The IPC never responded to the findings in that document, but rather repeated the very same deviations from its standards and guidelines in the subsequent report.

Divergence Between the Report's Evidence Base and Conclusions
A key finding in this analysis is that the evidence the IPC report provides, particularly on the IPC's direct indicators for the Acute Food Insecurity classification, point to far less severe levels of food insecurity than the conclusions it offers. This divergence is explained in detail in Part 1.

Table 1 illustrates the gaps between the indicators and the phase classifications of the three areas of Gaza: 1) Northern Gaza, 2) Rafah, and 3) Dir Al-Balah and Khan Younis. The divergence is particularly notable in the latter where, according to the IPC, 78% of Gaza's population is currently located.


Table 1: Main IPC Acute Food Insecurity outcome indicators and the IPC's "current" phase classifications

Despite the wide divergence between the outcome indicators and phase classification, the FRC endorsed the Analysis Team's recommendation, and attempted to bridge the gap in two main ways:

Misrepresenting the direct outcome indicators: this was done in various ways as explained in Part 1, including depicting indicator results as more severe than they are by deviating from the IPC guidelines.

Heavy reliance on indirect circumstantial indicators: those include a wide variety of "contributing factors" related to damage, displacement and hardship caused by the fighting, yet with no clear method to determine how they are indicative of IPC phase classifications. Furthermore, much of the data cited has transparency and methodological issues as explained in Part 2 of this paper. Projections Detached from Actual Trends on the Ground

The IPC's projections from the period between June and September are based on the claim that the positive trends seen in March and April were reversed since May, therefore the situation is likely to deteriorate in the coming months. As explained in Part 3 of this paper, this "trend reversal" thesis is based on false or flawed analyses of information and a recurring failure by the IPC to adequately predict (or reluctance to acknowledge) the expansion and improvement of Israel's humanitarian response in Gaza in cooperation with its international partners.


UN experts censure Western support for Israel since Gaza war
UN human rights experts criticized Western states on Monday for continuing to support Israel despite what they described as a genocide in Gaza, which might turn Israel into a "pariah" nation.

The situation in Gaza has prompted questions about Western states' long-standing political and military support for Israel, including from the United States and Britain.

"Shockingly, in the face of the abyss reached in the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories)...most member states remained inactive at best, or actively aiding and assisting Israel's criminal conduct," Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the OPT, told a press conference in Geneva, repeating allegations of genocide.

Israel denies the allegations and says it takes steps to reduce the risk of harm to civilians and that at least a third of the Palestinian fatalities in Gaza are terrorists.

Albanese, an Italian lawyer, said she was referring to Western states as well as some Gulf nations and others.

"I think it's unavoidable for Israel to become a pariah in the face of its continuous, relentless, vilifying assault of the United Nations, on top of millions of Palestinians," she said, citing verbal and military attacks on UN facilities in Gaza.

She also questioned Israel's right to a seat at the United Nations, which was acquired in 1949. "Should there be a consideration of its membership as part of this organization which Israel seems to have zero respect for?" she asked.

In response to her comments, Israel's permanent mission to the UN in Geneva criticized Albanese. "She is not fit to hold any position at the United Nations, and this has been made clear by many," it said.


Time to avert war with Hezbollah running out, Gallant tells US
Amid fresh rocket fire from Lebanon, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday told his American counterpart Lloyd Austin that time was running out for an agreed-upon de-escalation with Hezbollah.

“The possibility of a settlement in the north is passing. Hezbollah continues to tie itself to Hamas. The direction is clear,” Gallant told Austin in an overnight phone call, Israel’s Defense Ministry said.

The call follows an escalation in the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, which have exchanged fire since Oct. 8, when Hezbollah began offensive action in solidarity with Hamas’s invasion of the northwestern Negev. Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Sunday and more rockets on Monday. Israel struck terrorist targets in Southern Lebanon both times.

The Defense Ministry’s report on the call did not include quotes by Austin, whose U.S. Department of Defense did not immediately provide a readout of the conversation.

The call between Austin and Gallant, who have spoken dozens of times by phone since Oct. 7, comes at a time of tension between Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, according to reports in the Israel media, is interested in firmer military action in Israel’s multi-arena conflict.

On Sunday, Netanyahu pledged to not allow a continuation of the status quo vis-à-vis Hezbollah. Austin has called repeatedly for regional de-escalation, including in his conversation with Gallant last week.

The defense minister reiterated in his latest call with the secretary of defense Israel’s commitment to dismantling Hamas and returning the hostages from Gaza “in any way possible.”
IDF’s 5th Brigade deployed to Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor
The Israel Defense Forces’ 5th Infantry Brigade has been stationed in the Netzarim Corridor that splits the Gaza Strip between north and south, the army announced on Monday.

It is the second time the reserve soldiers have operated in the coastal enclave since IDF troops entered the territory on Oct. 27, as part of the war the Hamas terrorist group started when it led a bloody assault on the northwestern Negev on Oct. 7.

The brigade’s first tour of duty entailed protecting Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip in the first days of the war and ridding them of terrorists before months of combat in the areas of Beit Hanun and Kherbat Ahzaa, and the central corridor.

The infantry brigade falls under the command of the 252nd Division, which in recent months has been operating against Hamas and working to expand the axis dividing the northern and southern Strip.

“In the last few days, the brigade’s fighters completed a series of training and exercises at the Ground Forces Training Center (GTC). The forces carried out training and exercises in warfare in open and built-up areas and raised their operational competence in preparation for their mission in the center of the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said.

“In addition, the forces completed logistical preparation and held mobility, supplies and immediate medical response training in preparation for the fighting.”


Sinwar congratulates Houthi leader on missile attack, says Hamas ready for long war
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar congratulated the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen for their missile attack on Israel, in a letter published by the Hamas website Monday.

The Houthis, who control northern Yemen, fired a ballistic missile at central Israel on Sunday morning, triggering sirens from the east of Tel Aviv to Modiin.

In his letter, Sinwar congratulated Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi on his “success in reaching the depth of the enemy entity,” referring to Israel.

According to an Israeli Air Force probe, the Houthi missile was hit by an interceptor missile, but not completely destroyed, breaking apart in the air and causing slight damage due to falling shrapnel.

The Houthis claimed the missile was hypersonic, but the Israeli probe found that it was not.

On Monday, the group published an almost two-minute video of it they said was the launch of the missile, again claiming it was “hypersonic” and calling it “Palestine 2.”


IDF hits another Hezbollah weapons depot, observation post, buildings used to target Israel
Another Hezbollah weapons depot, along with an observation post and other buildings used by the terror group were struck by Israeli fighter jets in southern Lebanon, the IDF says.

The strikes were carried out in Rab al-Thalathine, Houla, Maroun al-Ras, and Blida.

Meanwhile, a projectile launched from Lebanon struck the border community of Metula this evening, causing damage to a building.

A barrage of another 10 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Ramot Naftali area, setting off sirens. The IDF says some of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses, and others impacted the area.

There were no injuries in the attack.


A law to permanently commemorate October 7 to be discussed this week in Israel
A law to commemorate the October 7 massacre annually is to be discussed this week in Israel during a meeting of the Knesset’s Education Committee, but MKs fear legislation will not be ratified before the commemoration date arrives.

Over 80 MKs from all parties, with the exception of the Arab parties, have signed the bill to commemorate the massacre, but the Knesset has yet to approve the law due to alleged pressure exerted by a senior figure in the Prime Minister’s Office.

The bill, which was backed by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and received wide consensus in the Knesset, will look to establish a national memorial authority, and set 24 Tishrei as the state memorial day each year, during which commemoration events will be carried out such as educational programmes and the lowering of national flags.

MKs now fear the law will not be approved by the Knesset before the anniversary date arrives.

The legislation has been stalled for months due allegedly to the opposition of Yossie Shelley, Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office, who prefers the legislation pass through a government bill – as opposed to a private proposal – and is exerting pressure to that end.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office referred to the bill to establish a national commemoration corporation for the events of October 7 and Operation Swords of Iron as of “supreme national importance for the restoration of the Gaza border communities, strengthening national resilience, and ensuring the transfer of the values of the heroism of the fallen and their memory to future generations.”

However, the statement added, “according to the decision of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, which discussed the private bill on the matter, the private proposal will be attached to the government bill when it is brought up for discussion in the Knesset to ensure that the submitted law will be inclusive and exhaustive.”

Shelley is, according to the statement, “promoting, together with the Tekuma (rebirth) Administration teams and the relevant parties, an updated and optimal version that meets all needs, which will give a broad envelope to the commemoration.”
Pope: I stand with Rachel Goldberg-Polin
Pope Francis said Sunday that he stands with the family of Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whom Hamas terrorists kidnapped on Oct.7 and murdered in late August.

The pontiff has maintained a policy of neutrality during the war triggered by the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, repeatedly decrying victims from both sides.

“I pray for the victims and continue to be close to all the families of the hostages,” Francis said before singling out the mother of the American-born hostage who was among six executed last month. “Rachel’s humanity struck me.

“I think of the mothers who have lost sons to war, how many young lives have been cut short,” he added. “I stand with Rachel during this time.”

The pope again called for the end of the war and the release of the approximately 100 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

Last week, Francis had condemned the killing of Palestinian children in an Israeli attack targeting Hamas terrorists in Gaza as “ugly.”


Caroline Glick: Escalation: Houthi Missile Hits Central Israel
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi terrorists launch a missile into central Israel unstopped by air-defense systems; the situation on the Jewish state's northern border escalates further with Hezbollah shooting dozens of rockets deeper and deeper into the country; and Israel’s left and the Biden administration join forces to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Chapters
00:00 Escalating Tensions in Northern Israel
02:56 The Complexities of Gaza Control
06:11 Iran's Influence and Nuclear Concerns
09:01 U.S. Policy and Its Impact on Israel
11:57 The Role of Hezbollah and Regional Threats
15:11 Domestic Political Dynamics in Israel
18:03 The Intersection of U.S. and Israeli Leftist Movements
20:51 International Legal Challenges and Sanctions
24:03 The Future of Israeli Governance and Security
26:48 Concluding Thoughts on Israel's Survival


Netanyahu Promises 'Heavy Price' for Houthi Missile
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed that Yemen's Houthis will pay a "heavy price" after the Iran-backed terrorist organization fired a ballistic missile into central Israel on Sunday morning.

JNS CEO and Jerusalem bureau chief Alex Traiman and Middle East correspondent Josh Hasten discuss what sets this attack apart from previous ones, as well as the wider implications for the region.

Other top stories include Israel destroying a top-secret Iranian weapons facility in Syria; futher escalation in the north; and the potential end of major military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and conference updates
01:10 Escalation of attacks: The Houthi missile strike
02:58 Israeli operations in Syria: targeting Iranian facilities
06:11 The broader conflict: Israel, Iran, and regional proxies
08:04 IDF success in Rafah: Defeating Hamas terror
09:51 Hamas profiting from humanitarian aid
12:09 Negotiations and ceasefire: The role of hostages
13:56 International reactions: U.N. and Palestinian Authority pressure
17:13 Political dynamics: The Israeli government's strategy
19:06 Reflections on the Oslo Accords and their consequences
21:50 Hezbollah threat: Escalating attacks from the north
25:04 Debate highlights: Trump vs. Harris on Israel
28:13 Sanctions on Iran: A step forward or just symbolic?


Call Me Back Podcast: One Year Since October 7th – with Sam Harris
SPECIAL SERIES:
As we approach the grim one-year anniversary of 10/07, we are featuring a dedicated series in which we take a longer horizon perspective, asking one guest each week to look back at this past year and the year ahead. If you are listening to this episode on a podcast app, please note that this series was filmed in a studio and is also available in video form on our YouTube channel

For the second installment of this special series, we sat down with Sam Harris – philosopher, neuroscientist, bestselling author and podcaster.

Episode of Sam Harris’s “Making Sense” podcast, as referenced in this conversation: “Why Don’t I Criticize Israel?”


Ann Arbor police, University of Michigan probing suspected ‘bias-motivated assault’ of Jewish student
A Jewish student at the University of Michigan was attacked early Sunday morning in what the Ann Arbor Police Department described as “a bias-motivated assault.”

The 19-year-old student, who has requested that his identity not be disclosed, was walking near campus and in proximity to the Jewish Resource Center on Hill Street, at approximately 12:45 a.m. when a group of unknown males approached from behind and asked if he was Jewish, according to a police report. When the victim replied yes, the suspects reportedly proceeded to assault him. The suspects then fled the area on foot. The victim suffered minor injuries and did not require hospitalization.

The Anti-Defamation League announced it will offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects. “ADL is horrified to learn of an alleged antisemitic assault on a Jewish UMich student,” the group’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, tweeted.

Rabbi Davey Rosen, CEO of the University of Michigan Hillel, told Jewish Insider that Hillel staff met on Monday morning with detectives from the Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD) and is convening a joint meeting Monday afternoon with AAPD, the University of Michigan Police Department and additional Jewish organizations on campus and in Ann Arbor.

“These meetings follow recent antisemitic incidents that have targeted Jewish students and the Hillel community,” Rosen said.

Based on the rise of antisemitic incidents last year around Michigan’s campus, Michigan Hillel increased its security presence at its facility before the new academic year began. The added security measures, Rosen said, include “organizing walking groups and ride shares for students who do not feel safe traveling alone” and “encouraging students to reach out to the Hillel team for support and to report any concerns or incidents to the University Dean of Students office.”

“We take bias-motivated crimes very seriously and have assigned this incident to our hate crimes detective,” the AAPD said in a statement, adding that the department is asking for tips as there is currently “limited information on the suspects.”

AAPD Chief Andre Anderson said in a statement that the department has talked to the University of Michigan police staff, “and our goal is to discuss safety over the next few weeks.”
Palestinian extremist pleads GUILTY to assaulting Avi Yemini and Rukshan Fernando
In a disturbing display of violence at two anti-Israel rallies earlier this year, Mohammad Sharab, who identifies as a Palestinian from Gaza, has pleaded guilty to assaulting independent journalists.

The attacks on myself and Rukshan Fernando, both took place in the heart of Melbourne, with the incidents captured on camera. The first assault occurred in February outside the Melbourne Town Hall when Rukshan was reporting on a council motion regarding a Gaza ceasefire.

Despite police presence, Sharab followed him, hurling abuse, and ultimately assaulting him right in front of police. Shockingly, no immediate action was taken by police at the time.

Sharab struck again in April, this time against me outside Parliament. He physically threatened and assaulted me, making vile threats against my family, once again in full view of police.

At the time, Sharab was out on bail after being accused of involvement in a violent kidnapping, abduction and assault, tensions quickly escalated.

His lawyer claimed the attacks were driven by grief over the "loss of 50 family members in Gaza," but the court condemned this as no justification for violence.

Sharab’s legal defence centred around his emotional turmoil from the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, with his lawyer claiming that grief over the loss of family members in Gaza led him to 'lose his cool'.

Magistrate Brett Sonnet condemned the use of violence during protests, emphasising that grief and political grievances do not excuse unlawful behaviour.

Sharab was sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond without a conviction, despite the severity of his actions.

Despite the clear footage and multiple witnesses, it took months of public pressure and viral video evidence for the authorities to take significant action against Sharab.

Sharab remains behind bars as the magistrate denied his latest bail application on unrelated alleged kidnapping and torture charges.






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