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Saturday, October 26, 2024

10/26 Links: Murray: The profundity of evil; Israel hits multiple targets across Iran in retaliatory strikes; How Wikipedia’s Pro-Hamas Editors Hijacked the Israel-Palestine Narrative

From Ian:

Douglas Murray: The profundity of evil
Before I conclude, I should like to point to one other aspect of the damage that Arendt has wrought. And to underscore it, I should like to return once again to the work of Bettina Stangneth.

One of the things Stangneth’s work gives the reader is the opportunity to understand one particular aspect of what Eichmann wrote in the 1950s. It is one that deserves far wider attention. In Die anderen sprachen, jetzt will ich sprechen! Eichmann turns his attention to the recent Suez Crisis. (How extraordinary it is to think of Eichmann commenting on the Suez Crisis!) Here is one passage from that work:

And while we are considering all this—we, who are still searching for clarity on whether (and if yes, how far) we assisted in what were in fact damnable events during the war—current events knock us down and take our breath away. For Israeli bayonets are now overrunning the Egyptian people, who have been startled from their peaceful sleep. Israeli tanks and armored cars are tearing through Sinai, firing and burning, and Israeli air squadrons are bombing peaceful Egyptian villages and towns. For the second time since 1945, they are invading. . . . Who are the aggressors here? Who are the war criminals? The victims are Egyptians, Arabs, Mohammedans. Amon and Allah, I fear that, following what was exercised on the Germans in 1945, Your Egyptian people will have to do penance, to all the people of Israel, to the main aggressor and perpetrator against humanity in the Middle East, to those responsible for the murdered Muslims, as I said, Your Egyptian people will have to do penance for having the temerity to want to live on their ancestral soil. . . . We all know the reasons why, beginning in the Middle Ages and from then on in an unbroken sequence, a lasting discord arose between the Jews and their host nation, Germany.

There then follows an extraordinary and important passage. For Eichmann goes on to say—only a few years before being taken to face trial in Jerusalem, mind you—that if he himself were ever found guilty of any crime, it would only be “for political reasons.” He even tries to argue that a guilty verdict against him would be “an impossibility in international law,” though he admits that in any case he could never obtain justice “in the so-called Western culture.” The reason for this is obvious enough: in the Christian Bible, “to which a large part of Western thought clings, it is expressly established that everything sacred came from the Jews.” Western culture has, for Eichmann, been irrevocably Judaized. And so Eichmann looks to a different group, to the “large circle of friends, many millions of people” to whom his manuscript is aimed. This is part of what he writes:

But you, you 360 million Mohammedans, to whom I have had a strong inner connection since the days of my association with your Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, you, who have a greater truth in the surahs of your Koran, I call upon you to pass judgment on me. You children of Allah have known the Jews longer and better than the West has. Your noble Muftis and scholars of law may sit in judgment upon me and, at least in a symbolic way, give me your verdict.

Eichmann in exile was, perhaps unsurprisingly, an enormous admirer of Israel’s neighbors—something that, perhaps unsurprisingly, turned out to run in the family. After Eichmann’s abduction, his relatives apparently became concerned about his second son. According to a police report, “As Horst was easily excitable the Eichmann family was afraid that when he heard about his father’s fate, he might volunteer to fight for the Arab countries in campaigns against Israel.” As Stangneth notes, “Eichmann had obviously told his children where his new troops were to be found.”

And as Stangneth concludes,

Eichmann refused to do penance and longed for applause. But first and foremost, of course, he hoped his “Arab friends” would continue his battle against the Jews who were always the “principal war criminals” and “principal aggressors.” He hadn’t managed to complete his task of “total annihilation,” but the Muslims could still complete it for him.

How strange it is that as we try—and largely fail—to recognize and stand up to the enemies of civilization in our time, one of the people who seems to have stripped us of our ability to do so should have been a German Jewish philosopher, who sat for a few days in a room with evil in its most concentrated form and decided to define it by everything it was not.
Col Kemp: Netanyahu needs an American president who will let him finish the job against Iran
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, knows only too well that a decisive strike is required. But his military actions have to be calibrated according to what will be tolerated in Washington. Fighting a war on seven battle fronts, plus a hugely important eighth front — political warfare fought in the UN, international courts, and capitals around the world — Israel is heavily dependent on continued US support.

To say the least, that is already patchy. Yes, the White House directly assisted Israel’s defences against Iranian missile attacks and has recently deployed THAAD air defence systems and the troops to man them. But when it comes to offensive operations, vital to defence, it has been positively obstructive, including withholding essential munitions supply.

The administration has also been unduly restrained in providing diplomatic cover for its ally’s necessary and legitimate military actions, not least by failing to respond aggressively to the obscene accusations of genocide in the International Court of Justice and the disgraceful demand by the International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders.

It is only too clear that the decisions made by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris since this war began has been directed by their overriding desire for appeasing two fronts. Domestically, they have calculated that the strong and growing anti-Zionist influence amongst the Democratic electorate can just about tolerate supporting Israel’s defence but won’t stretch to overt backing of offensive actions. It will always tempered by “Israel has a right to defend itself, but…”

Internationally, the administration’s Middle East policy is dominated by dangerous empowerment of Iran, including desperation to restore Barack Obama’s fundamentally flawed nuclear deal and fuelling its regional aggression by releasing billions of dollars of frozen assets. Both of these considerations account for the White House falling over itself to deny any involvement in this morning’s Israeli strikes.

That means Netanyahu has little choice other than to bide his time until after the presidential elections before he can deliver the necessary decisive blow against Iran. Despite the IDF’s remarkable success so far against Hamas and Hezbollah, the “ring of fire” of terrorist proxies intended to suffocate the Jewish state can only be extinguished by a bullet in the head of the brain that controls and funds the whole pernicious strategy. But Israel is acting not just in defence of itself, but of the entire region and the world.

The Islamic Republic’s watchwords are not only “death to Israel” but also “death to America”. Its intention is to subjugate the Sunni world. Even if the current administration in Washington does not take that seriously, the Arab countries certainly do. That is why most of them, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are fully behind Israel in its efforts to eliminate the threat.

Thanks to Biden’s pusillanimity and misjudgement over the last four years, Iran is on the threshold of becoming a nuclear power. That must be prevented at all costs. Israel awaits a president who will have the courage to join, or at least back, the military action necessary to do so. The IDF has announced that its current strikes have been completed, but we should expect a much stronger resumption in the coming months.
Israel strikes inside Iran
Israeli Air Force fighter jets conducted precision strikes on military targets in Iran overnight Friday, nearly one month after Tehran launched a massive ballistic-missile attack on the Jewish state.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, dozens of aircraft, including refuelers and spy planes, conducted “waves” of attacks over the course of a few hours across several regions of Iran, located some 1,600 kilometers from Israel. The targets included missile and drone manufacturing facilities and launch sites, as well as air-defense batteries.

The state-run SANA news outlet reported simultaneous Israeli strikes against military targets across central and southern Syria, amid Tehran’s decades-long effort to entrench itself in that country.

The IDF named the operation “Days of Repentance.”

“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel. We conducted targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran—thwarting immediate threats to the State of Israel,” said IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.

“The Israel Defense Forces has fulfilled its mission. If the regime in Iran were to make the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation, we will be obligated to respond. Our message is clear: All those who threaten the State of Israel and seek to drag the region into wider escalation will pay a heavy price,” Hagari continued.

“We demonstrated today that we have both the capability and the resolve to act decisively, and we are prepared—on offense and defense—to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the overnight attack from the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, where he was later joined by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Mossad head David Barnea and Israel Security Agency leader Ronen Bar.

“The regime in Iran and its regional proxies have been relentlessly attacking Israel since [Hamas’s] Oct. 7th [massacre of 1,200 people]—on seven fronts—including direct attacks from Iranian soil,” the IDF said. “Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and duty to respond.”

The military was conducting an ongoing situation assessment, and there were no immediate changes to Home Front Command directives for civilians.


'Days of Repentance': Israel hits multiple targets across Iran in retaliatory strikes
The Israel Air Force struck around 20 military sites in three waves in a retaliatory strike on Iran on Saturday morning.

The attacks focused on disabling Iran’s air defenses and damaging its long-term ability to develop additional ballistic missiles, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

There were no indications that the IDF’s over 100 aircraft and drones struck the Islamic Republic’s existing ballistic missile supplies, which would likely have required strikes at underground sites.

Operation “Days of Repentance” was declared over by 5:45 a.m., just as the sun began rising over Tehran.

Axios and The New York Times also reported hits on Iran’s drone production facilities, but the Post has learned that this was less of a focus than ballistic missile production.

Iran told AFP that it had not received any reports of injuries from the strikes.

The Post understands that the operation was significantly targeted at weakening Tehran’s desire to use up additional ballistic missiles, knowing that they may be several months or more away from being able to restore future ballistic missile production.

Also, the Post understands it was targeted at eliminating air defenses over critical military bases, including around Tehran, to send a message to the ayatollahs that if they attack the Jewish state again, they will be defenseless against the next Israeli airstrikes.

The IDF said its counterattack operation against Iran was complete, following two Iranian attacks on Israel: one in April and one on October 1.

All mission goals had been achieved, with all planes returning safely home, the army said.

In the strike on Iran, the IAF hit missile manufacturing sites that produced the missiles Tehran fired at Israel over the past few months.


A historic humiliation: Israel’s precision strikes leave Iran defenseless
As dawn broke over Tehran on Saturday, it wasn’t the usual hum of a busy city greeting the morning.

Instead, the reverberations of precision strikes echoed across Iran’s strategic landscape. You could almost picture the startled faces behind closed doors in Iran’s power centers, scrambling to understand how Israel managed to pull off an operation so audacious, so brazen, and, yet, so meticulously calculated.

For more than three hours, Israel struck with unprecedented precision, unmasking a simple truth: Tehran, for all its bluster, isn’t untouchable.

You can almost feel the tectonic plates shifting under Iran’s feet, as the “regional power” finds itself reeling, looking a lot less like the force it projects to the world and a lot more like Hezbollah, scrambling to avoid the light.

Imagine the dilemma for Iran’s leadership – retaliate and risk a spiral that might burn everything it’s built, or stay silent and let Israel’s quiet triumph ring louder.

Either way, Iran is backed into a corner of its own making.

A response would almost certainly turn Tel Aviv into a potential target, but after late Friday night, Iran knows that Israel can just as easily reach Tehran.

This isn’t a vague threat; it’s a promise that’s landed, with clarity and force, right on their doorstep.

Israel changed the game
Israel has done more than just attack military installations here. It has rewritten the rules of the game, showing that it has both the nerve and the know-how to reach where it needs to and disrupt what it must.

This isn’t just an exercise in military might – it’s a statement.

Israel has stripped Iran of some of its military edge in a single night, leaving the so-called “regional power” scrambling for control over its narrative, like a magician left with empty hands in front of a disappointed audience.

What we’re witnessing isn’t just military strategy but also a glimpse of a new regional dynamic. Israel has drawn a line that will be felt in power corridors well beyond Tehran.

It’s a lesson in calculated defiance, one that sends a message to Iran and its proxies: Israel is ready to protect its own, to reach into even the most fortified of regions if it means safeguarding its people.

The reverberations of Saturday morning’s strike won’t fade quickly – they mark a turning point, a shift that might just reshape the balance of power for years to come.
'Backbone of Iran's missile industry' destroyed by IAF strikes on Islamic Republic
The Israel Air Force struck a dozen targets in Iran that were used to produce solid fuel for long-range ballistic missiles as part of its retaliatory military action against the Islamic Republic, severely harming Tehran's ability to replenish its inventory, Israeli media reported on Saturday night.

The targets struck were sophisticated equipment that Iran could not produce on its own and had to be purchased from China, Walla reported. The targets were a critical component of Iran's ballistic missile program, Walla cited three anonymous Israeli sources as saying.

Israeli sources also stated that four S-300 air defense batteries were attacked that were in strategic locations that protected nuclear and energy facilities in Tehran during the operation. A factory for the production of drones and a facility in the Parchin military complex were also attacked, the latter of which saw in the past research and development activities for nuclear weapons.

Additional reports of attacks
The Arabic independent online newspaper Elaph reported Israel targeted a secret ballistic missile factory in Iran, destroying a large number of heavy fuel mixers used to power Kheibar and Haj Qasem missiles - both of which were fired by Iran at Israel at the beginning of the month. The report also claimed that the S-300 air defense batteries that were attacked were Russian-made and destroyed radars that feed these systems and others in Syria and Iraq.

The report said that the ballistic missile factory was completely destroyed. One source told Elaph that it was the "backbone of Iran's missile industry" and that Israel had "put it out of service," also reporting that each heavy fuel mixer destroyed was estimated to be at least two million dollars and about twenty mixers of this type were destroyed.

While Walla reported that production to restore such equipment would reportedly take at least one year, informed sources on the Iranian missile industry told Elaph that it would take at least two years to return the destroyed factory to service.

Overall, more than 100 Israeli aircraft participated in the attack on Iranian targets, Ynet reported, stating that their mission was to hit the most advanced anti-aircraft systems of the Islamic Republic and develop air superiority there for any possible upcoming IAF operations - in such a way that Israeli fighter jets would be able to fly even at a relatively low altitude in the skies of Tehran itself in the future.


How Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt quietly back Israel on Iran
In a region where alliances are as complicated as ever, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have responded to Israel’s latest military strike on an Iranian base with words that speak volumes – not for what they say, but for what they leave unsaid.

This wasn’t the usual wave of condemnations aimed squarely at Israel; instead, these responses were notably measured, almost neutral, hinting that a quiet shift may be underway among these regional powers.

Each country – while referencing “sovereignty” and “de-escalation” – chooses to avoid condemning Israel outright, instead placing the emphasis on the broader threats to regional stability. The UAE’s balanced caution

The United Arab Emirates issued a statement condemning “the military targeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran” and calling for “utmost self-restraint.” But the UAE’s choice of words here is as telling as the statement itself. Rather than lambasting Israel, the UAE highlights “the importance of dialogue and adherence to international law,” subtly steering the response toward diplomacy rather than confrontation.

This phrasing aligns with the UAE’s broader diplomatic philosophy and its recent steps toward economic and security cooperation with Israel through the Abraham Accords.
The Arab states are giving up on the Palestinians
For decades, Arab countries have fought wars alongside the Palestinians against Israel. However, in the recent Israeli-Hamas conflict, which is considered the deadliest for both Israelis and Palestinians, Arab leaders have not provided military support.

When I watch an Arabic-speaking news channel about the conflict in Gaza, I often see Palestinians crying a lament against Arabs. They ask “Where are you?” and “Aren’t you going to do something to stop our suffering?” The answer?

I’ve concluded that many Arabs are tired of fighting wars with Israel on behalf of the Palestinians.

Today’s silence of Arab leaders contrasts sharply with the historical stance taken by leaders like former Egyptian President Jamal Abdel Nasser, considered the godfather of Arab Nationalism. Nasser succeeded in framing the struggle against Israel as a central unifying cause for all Arabs. This led different Arab states to fight numerous wars with Israel from 1948 to 1973. But the humiliating defeats suffered made many Arabs realize that the more they fought Israel, the more land they lost.

It was then that Anwar El Sadat, the president of Egypt, made a dramatic change. He chose the pathway to peace in the volatile Middle East. Addressing the Israeli Knesset in 1977, Sadat argued that it was necessary to coexist with Israel, recover the Sinai Peninsula, and ensure peace in the region. He understood that dragging his country and his people into wars with Israel was bringing misery to Egypt. Sadat’s move, which most Arab leaders opposed and saw as humiliating, is now seen as necessary not only for peace but also for mutual economic and regional interests.
France and Iran Shamelessly Decide the Fate of Lebanon
In his interview published in France’s Le Figaro on October 15th, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf was quoted as saying his country would be ready to “negotiate” with France to implement United Nations Resolution 1701. That resolution calls for southern Lebanon to be free of any troops or weapons other than those of the Lebanese state.

We aren’t the only people who noticed the bizarre absence of the actual Lebanese side in those supposed negotiations.

On Friday, October 18th, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in a startling moment of bravery, called those remarks “blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to establish a rejected guardianship over Lebanon.” He also emphasized that such negotiations fall under the authority of the Lebanese state.

Mikati instructed Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib to summon the Chargé d’Affaires of the Iranian embassy in Beirut in response to Ghalibaf’s statements.

It’s worth mentioning that Mikati made no demands towards the French ambassador in Lebanon, although the logical assumption would be to summon him as well and make inquiries as to what exactly made both countries feel so bold as to decide the fate of Lebanon tete-a-tete. Especially considering the fact that Mikati had a meeting with the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, on October 16th.

Both the French Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran behave towards Lebanon like it is not an independent state with its own government, but a colony of either of them.

On October 13th, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the escalating crisis in southern Lebanon via phone call. According to Tehran Times, a regime-affiliated media outlet, Pezeshkian noted that Iran held back its efforts, despite the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

This turn of phrase is an admission, of sorts, of Iran’s involvement in the Middle East conflict du jour. Iran generally avoids any direct involvement in regional or world conflicts, using a net of proxies instead, but the current war against Israel has been different.


Holocaust survivor rips Kamala Harris for boosting Trump-Hitler comparisons, says ex-prez is ‘a mensch’
A Holocaust survivor has denounced Vice President Kamala Harris in a Trump campaign video for endorsing claims that former President Donald Trump is a “fascist” akin to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

“Adolf Hitler invaded Poland when I was 9 years old. He murdered my parents and most of my family,” 94-year-old Jerry Wartski says in the clip exclusively obtained by The Post and set to be released Friday.

“I know more about Hitler than Kamala will ever know in a thousand lifetimes,” adds Wartski, rolling up his shirtsleeves to reveal his Auschwitz prisoner number.

“For her to accuse President Trump of being like Hitler is the worst thing I ever heard in my 75 years living in the United States,” he goes on, adding that Harris “owes my parents and everybody else who was murdered by Hitler an apology for repeating this lie.”

Asked by an off-camera questioner why the Jewish people should back Trump, Wartski responds: “Because he’s a mensch.”

“I believe that President Trump is definitely going to be good for Israel because everything that he’s done up until now was in [its] favor,” he continues, saying Trump “never double-crossed anyone and he never showed any weakness.”

Wartski, who serves as honorary president of the Israel Heritage Foundation, met Trump when the Republican nominee marked the anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack to offer prayers at the Ohel of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson for the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

“Why should President Trump pray for the hostages at the Ohel and … spend time with so many?” Wartski asks in the video, before answering: “He has always stood with the Jewish people and the state of Israel.”

The video was taped one year after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.


How billionaires fueled anti-Israel activists boosting Democrats this election
This election cycle, a sprawling network of anti-Israel groups connected to left-wing megadonors has worked overtime to boost Democrats while amassing tens of millions of dollars in war chests, federal records show.

The sizable funding illustrates the scope of progressive-led efforts to back Vice President Kamala Harris and lawmakers who the left-wing activist groups are calling on to accuse Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza. Following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state, the activists have ramped up likening Israel to an “apartheid” state — hoping to pressure officials to adopt the same position.

The activists also, according to Federal Election Commission records and tax returns filed with the IRS, receive large checks from billionaire Democrats and organizations reaping their vast fortunes.

“The ascendant far-left of the Democratic Party should terrify every pro-Israel voter in America,” said Sam Markstein, the spokesman for the Republican Jewish Coalition, a group supporting former President Donald Trump and other 2024 GOP candidates.

Since Oct. 7, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has reinvigorated ideological tension within the Democratic Party, whose top brass must navigate the challenges of not alienating the majority of the country that is pro-Israel while catering to younger voters who sympathize with the Palestinian cause. Harris, for example, recently faced scrutiny for describing views from an anti-Israel protester heckling her at a University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, event as “real,” though her team sought to walk back the comment soon after.

At the same time, the 2024 election has seen left-wing groups targeting Israel and funded by Democratic megadonors, such as George Soros, the Rockefellers, and other top philanthropists, raise and spend substantial sums to boost political candidates. The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Harris dodges answering if she'd be more pro-Israel than Trump in CNN town hall
In a live town hall Wednesday night with CNN held outside of Philadelphia, Vice President Kamala Harris swerved around a direct response to the question if she’d be more pro-Israel than former president Donald Trump, who’s casting himself as the protector of the Jewish state.

Harris faced carefully choreographed back-to-back questions on Israel and antisemitism, starting with a question from an undecided voter on how she would ensure no more Palestinians die due to bombs funded by US tax dollars.

“So I will say, and I think this is to your point, far too many innocent Palestinian civilians have been killed. It’s unconscionable,” Harris said.

“And we are now at a place where, with Sinwar’s death, I do believe we have an opportunity to end this war, bring the hostages home, bring relief to the Palestinian people, and work toward a two-state solution where Israel and the Palestinians in equal measure have security, where the Palestinian people have dignity, self-determination, and the safety they so rightly deserve.”

CNN’s Anderson Cooper, moderating the town hall, followed up by asking Harris what she would say to third-party voters or people considering not voting at all because of the Biden administration’s support for Israel in its war in Gaza.

“Listen, I am not going to deny the strong feelings that people have. I don’t know anyone who has seen the images who would not have strong feelings about what has happened, much less those who have relatives who have died and been killed,” Harris said.

Harris said she “appreciates that” but also knows that for many people who care about the war in Gaza, they also care about other issues like the price of groceries, abortion, and democracy.

A Jewish woman, wearing a yellow pin for the hostages, posed a question to Harris on how she would combat the growing trend of antisemitism and protect Jewish college students.


Biden-Harris Admin Promotes Pentagon Employee Tied to Iranian Influence Network
The Biden-Harris administration has promoted the senior Pentagon employee who was outed as a member of an Iranian government-run influence operation, Politico reported.

Ariane Tabatabai is now a deputy assistant secretary of defense within Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's office, where she will lead its force education and training division. Tabatabai, according to Politico, was offered the promotion last month. She previously served as chief of staff for the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict.

Tabatabai became a public commodity after a 2023 Semafor report outed her as a member of an Iranian government propaganda group known as the Iran Experts Initiative. The affiliation saw Tabatabai report back to Iran’s foreign ministry and communicate with senior officials in the hardline regime.

Tabatabai's promotion comes at a curious time for the Biden-Harris administration. Over the weekend, classified U.S. intelligence on Israel's military preparations for a strike on Iran leaked in a "deadly serious breach," which the administration is investigating. While the leaker has not been publicly identified, the situation has raised concerns about a host of Biden-Harris administration officials, including Tabatabai, who want to increase diplomacy with Iran at the cost of the historically close U.S. alliance with Israel.

News of Tabatabai's affiliation with the Iran Experts Initiative sparked multiple congressional investigations, with Republicans raising concerns about Tabatabai’s ability to obtain a top-secret security clearance. The Pentagon and State Department, where Tabatabai formerly worked, have vocally defended her, saying there was nothing in her background that would have disqualified her from accessing classified information.

"Dr. Tabatabai was thoroughly and properly vetted as a condition of her employment with the Department of Defense," a Pentagon spokesman told the Washington Free Beacon in September 2023, after lawmakers raised concerns about her connections to Iran. "We are honored to have her serve." One month later, the Pentagon confirmed to lawmakers that Tabatabai would keep her security clearance.
Biden-Harris administration pressed to sanction Palestinian terrorism-tied groups
A coalition of pro-Israel watchdogs is pressing the Biden-Harris administration to sanction a network of groups that the coalition warns are fronts for Palestinian terrorist factions, according to a letter.

The letter, sent on Wednesday to the Treasury Department and its top official, Janet Yellen, singled out several entities that the Israeli government designated in 2021 as proxies for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist group. It comes one week after the Treasury Department’s designation of the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, one of those Israeli-designated terrorist groups, as an “international fundraiser” for the PFLP.

“It is now time for the Remaining PFLP terror proxies as well as any Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions affiliate that operates in a similar manner to also be designated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control as Specially Designated Nationals,” the watchdogs said in the letter, which was led by a think tank called Zachor Legal Institute and over a dozen groups aiming to fight antisemitism.

“The Samidoun Designation was only the tip of the terror support iceberg and without further action to disrupt support to designated foreign terror organizations it is guaranteed that the activities once conducted by Samidoun will end up being shifted over to the Remaining PFLP terror proxies as well as other elements of BDS,” the groups continued in the letter.

News of the further pressure comes on the heels of pro-Israel groups celebrating the Biden-Harris administration’s sanctioning of Samidoun, which was at the center of a Washington Examiner investigation over the last two years into terrorism ties in the United States. Samidoun has long been housed at a nonprofit group in Arizona called Alliance for Global Justice, which was booted from payment processing platforms such as PayPal due to reporting from the Washington Examiner.

Samidoun, the Treasury Department said in a press release in October, claims to provide humanitarian support overseas but is, in actuality, funding terrorists. Samidoun is notably behind protests across the world, including in the U.S., in favor of Hamas after the terrorist group’s Oct 7. attack last year on Israel that killed over 1,200 people.
Samidoun issues cease-and-desist to Trudeau, Poilievre, LeBlanc
Samidoun, the anti-Israel advocacy group based in Vancouver that was recently added to Canada’s terror list, is threatening to sue Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for “recklessly and maliciously” accusing Samidoun of being a terrorist entity.

The letter also threatens to sue Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s public safety minister, and demands a retraction and apology from each of the three politicians.

“The Liberals cannot legislate away our right to free speech. If they contend we are terrorists, let them prove it in court,” said Charlotte Kates, one of Samidoun’s founding members, in a statement.

Kates herself has been under a Vancouver police hate-speech investigation for months, although no charges have been laid, following a speech in which she praised the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

“The mask has been ripped off, and now they are trying to desperately put the genie back in the bottle,” said Michael Westcott, the CEO of Allies for a Strong Canada, a group founded to stand against rising antisemitism in Canada.

“They are reaping what they have sown. And if they don’t like that, perhaps they should have considered that before calling for the destruction of not only our allies, but of Canada as well.”

The letter, sent by Toronto lawyer Stephen Ellis, is a cease-and-desist notice to Trudeau, Poilievre and LeBlanc, warning them that they may face a libel lawsuit if they continue to call Samidoun a terrorist group. Ellis, a co-founder of the Legal Centre for Palestine, also represented former Ontario NDP MPP Sarah Jama, who threatened libel action against Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said

Last Tuesday, the Canadian government added Samidoun to its list of terrorist entities, where it joins groups such as the Proud Boys, the Islamic State, Hamas and al-Qaida. The United States also announced that it was designating Samidoun a terrorist entity and Khaled Barakat, who is married to Kates, has been designated a terrorist by the United States’ government and identified as a member of the leadership of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

In a statement posted to X, Trudeau called Samidoun “a front organization that acts in association with terrorist groups like the PFLP” (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) and notes that it “is now a listed terrorist entity in Canada and the United States.”
Hamas-Al-Jazeera-Qatar ties exposed in new IDF documents, online
Following the exposure of the involvement of six Al Jazeera correspondents who took part in Hamas’s terrorist activities, the IDF spokesperson in Arabic, Col. Avichay Adraee, revealed a series of documents that point to the depth of the close cooperation between Hamas and the Qatari channel, including Hamas’s directive to prevent any mention of criticism of the terrorist organization, through covering up failed rocket launches, and even the establishment of a secure communication line between Hamas and Al Jazeera.

One document from 2023 shows Hamas instructing to set up an “Al Jazeera telephone line” – a secure line that would allow the terrorist organization to communicate secretly with the channel in emergency situations.

In another document from 2022, Hamas is seen as giving Al Jazeera clear instructions regarding how to cover a failed rocket attack by the Islamic Jihad in Jabalya, which killed a number of civilians, including calling to refrain from describing the incident as a “massacre,” minimizing the display of images from the incident, and not allowing guest analysts to criticize Hamas. This directive of silencing criticism of Hamas on Al Jazeera, which brought many Gazans to exploit live broadcasts to sound their criticism of Hamas, was covered in the past by The Jerusalem Post.

A final document from the same year reveals Hamas’s instructions to correspondent Tamer Almisshal regarding covering the activities of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad within the framework of Operation Breaking Dawn (2022) in his program “What is Hidden is Greater,” which was to support the “resistance” in the Strip and not to allow criticism of the missile capabilities of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad despite the number of failed launch incidents, a field which caused much tension between Hamas and the PIJ, as reported by the Post. Exploitation of the media

“The documents indicate how Hamas controls the press coverage on Al Jazeera to suit its interests while depriving the residents of the Strip and the entire world of the right to know the truth about the crimes it is committing against the people of the Strip,” said Adraee.

Interestingly, a viral video circulated last month showing a masked militant in the Gaza Strip demanding and receiving a press vest from a journalist, an incident which further stressed the exploitation of the media and its prerogatives by armed militants in Gaza.

In the same context, Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, head of the Qatar Foundation and mother of the current Emir of Qatar, published a tweet in Arabic and English implicitly eulogizing former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.


How Wikipedia’s Pro-Hamas Editors Hijacked the Israel-Palestine Narrative
A coordinated campaign led by around 40 Wikipedia editors has worked to delegitimize Israel, present radical Islamist groups in a favorable light, and position fringe academic views on the Israel-Palestine conflict as mainstream over past years, intensifying after the October 7 attack

Six weeks after October 7, one of these editors successfully removed mention of Hamas’ 1988 charter, which calls for the killing of Jews and the destruction of Israel, from the article on Hamas The group also appeared to attempt to promote the interests of the Iranian government across a number of articles, including deleting “huge amounts of documented human rights crimes by [Islamic Republic Party] officials”

A group called Tech For Palestine launched a separate but complementary campaign after October 7, which violated Wikipedia policies by coordinating to edit Israel-Palestine articles on the group 8,000 member Discord

Tech For Palestine abandoned its efforts and its members went into a panic after a blog discovered what they were doing; the group deleted all its Wiki Talk pages and Sandboxes they had been using to coordinate their editing efforts, and the main editor deleted all her chats from the group’s Discord channel


Wikipedia Editors Place a Near Total Ban on Calling Gaza Health Ministry “Hamas-Run”
Wikipedia editors have decided to impose a near total ban on the use of the “Hamas-run” qualifier in articles citing the Gaza Health Ministry’s numbers.

A formal discussion known as a Request for Comment (RfC) was launched in July; in RfCs, editors put in their “!votes” supporting their stated position on a contested issue and a closer (an uninvolved Wikipedian in good standing) renders a verdict based on the numbers and strength of the arguments in regards to site policy. Because Wikipedia articles are supposed to reflect what reliable sources say, editors sparred over whether or not sources use such a qualifier when citing the ministry’s numbers and if sources view the ministry’s numbers as reliable.

Editors also argued over if it would be a violation of Wikipedia’s neutral point of view (NPOV) policy to include the qualifier, with those against the use of the qualifier contending that doing so would violate NPOV because it would suggest that Hamas directly influences the numbers and casts doubt over the numbers when the ministry is widely viewed as reliable. Editors in favor of the qualifier contended that it would be more neutral to include the qualifier on first mention because Hamas is a belligerent to the conflict and has been designated as a terror organization by several Western countries. There was also a question of redundancy, as editors against the qualifier opined that it’s implied that Hamas runs Gaza and noted that Wikipedia doesn’t refer to the Israel Defense Force (IDF) as the “Israel-run” or “Netanyahu-run” IDF or the State Department as the “Democrat-run State Department.” Those in favor of the qualifier contended that Wikipedians should not assume that the readers knows that Hamas, a terror organization, runs Gaza.

The bulk of the RfC occurred during a short timeframe in July; a closer did not render a verdict on the discussion until Sept. 24.

“This discussion resulted in a consensus that the name of the Gaza Health Ministry should not be qualified with ‘Hamas-run’ or similar, unless the connection is otherwise discussed and relevant,” the closer ruled. “The numbers are pretty clear on this (about 3:1). Evaluating the arguments provided, there is no policy basis to assess the consensus differently; those in favor of using the qualifier mainly rely on a numerical argument about sources, but this has been criticized on several points and is far from overriding enough to carry the RFC, considering the numerous well-reasoned [opposition].”

One editor told me that they believe that “the Hamas-run qualifier” should be used “anytime the Gaza Health Ministry numbers were used and I’m not even sure the Gaza Health Ministry numbers should ever really be considered reliable at all given the concerns that some third parties have had about their accuracy, and the multiple revisions they’ve gone through, and the way that combatants vs non-combatants are counted.” However, the editor acknowledged that given how lopsided the numbers were against the use of the qualifier, such a close is “hard to overturn.” The editor added that they believe sources “generally do refer to it as the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry” and that “the qualifier should be used for NPOV. A terrorist group shouldn’t be treated as equal to a real country.”
Ad for Israel Book Canceled Because ‘Customers Might Complain’
A prominent trade publication refused to advertise a new book because it feared the word Israel in its title might upset its audience, The Free Press has learned.

This month Melanie Notkin, an author and communications consultant, tried to place an advertisement for Bernard-Henri Lévy’s new book, Israel Alone, in Shelf Awareness, a trade publication for publishing professionals including booksellers and librarians. The book, published in the U.S. last month by Post Hill Press imprint Wicked Son, is about Lévy’s experiences in Israel post–October 7, 2023.

On October 9, a representative from Shelf Awareness told Notkin her ad was approved for the price of $2,300, and would run on November 1 in its weekly newsletter, which is sent to more than 600,000 readers.

But two days later, Matt Baldacci, the publisher for Shelf Awareness, emailed Notkin to tell her the magazine was “canceling” it. When Notkin asked why, Baldacci agreed to speak to her over the phone that same day.

Listen to Baldacci and Notkin’s conversation on the call here:

In audio of that phone call exclusively obtained by The Free Press, Baldacci told Notkin the ad was rejected because the book would cause too much controversy. “Why did we cancel the ad?” Baldacci said to Notkin. “We have a responsibility to our 250 independent bookstore partners, and it’s our feeling that running that ad in their publications, for some of those partners, is going to cause them trouble that they haven’t asked for and don’t wish to have.”

“For certain stores, an ad for Israel Alone will cause the employees to go to the management and say, ‘We don’t support this. Why are you doing this?’ Now we can debate, you know, whether they’re right or they’re wrong, but the point is, it will happen.”

He went on to note that “customers will complain,” too. “We can debate about the rightness or the wrongness of those customers complaining, but the fact is that they will, and our partners trust us to protect them from those kinds of situations. So we had to make the difficult decision not to accept the ad.” Baldacci did not reply to several requests via phone and email for comment from The Free Press.

Notkin told The Free Press she “was in shock” after the phone call. “And I thought to myself, you know, they don’t fire employees for antisemitism. Instead, they cancel the ad with Israel in the title. If the book were titled Black Alone, Gay Alone, Palestinian Alone, I’m hedging this wouldn’t have been a problem.”
Magazine that Rejected ‘Israel’ Ad Promoted ‘Antisemitic’ Book
On Wednesday, I reported that a trade magazine that promotes books refused to run an ad for Israel Alone because “customers might complain.”

Matt Baldacci, publisher of Shelf Awareness, said an ad for Bernard-Henri Lévy’s book about Israel post-October 7 could give booksellers “trouble they haven’t asked for and don’t wish to have.” The ad was originally scheduled to run on November 1 in the outlet’s weekly newsletter, which goes out to 645,000 general readers.

Since then, I’ve learned a June 14 newsletter from Shelf Awareness, which went out to more than 37,000 publishing professionals, contained an ad for P is for Palestine, a children’s book that has stirred controversy for promoting an “antisemitic” ideology. P Is for Palestine was written by Iranian-Swedish activist Golbarg Bashi and was first published in November 2017 by PM Press, a self-proclaimed “independent, radical publisher.”

P is for Palestine runs through the alphabet, presenting colorful illustrations and words that represent each letter. In the book, the letter I stands for intifada, which it defines as “Arabic for rising up for what is right, whether you are a kid or a grown up!”

Intifada, in fact, translates to uprising or shaking off. The word is mainly used to describe two eras of violent Palestinian protest against Israel: The First Intifada, from 1987 to 1990, led to the deaths of dozens of Israelis and more than 1,000 Palestinians, and the Second Intifada, from 2000 to 2005, culminated in the deaths of 1,000 Israelis and 4,000 Palestinians.

Jany Finkielsztein, a senior education analyst for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis, said that “P is for Palestine serves as a tool of indoctrination rather than simple storytelling. For instance, ‘I is for intifada’ portrays violent uprisings in a favorable manner, conveying a harmful narrative to impressionable young children.

“Books that prioritize indoctrination aren’t literature.”
PMW: UNRWA partners with org. named after terrorist arms smuggler
Bishop Hilarion Capucci was a convicted terrorist who exploited his status as Greek Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem to smuggle weapons to the PLO terror organization. He was arrested in 1974 and sentenced to 12 years in prison but served only 3 years due to the Vatican's intervention.

That did not stop UNRWA from signing a "cooperation agreement" with "the Bishop Capucci Campaign" - a Lebanese relief group for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and Lebanon:

Was this just ignorance or intentional UNRWA endorsement of a convicted terrorist who smuggled weapons to be used for murdering Israeli civilians?

This endorsement follows Israel's exposure that UNRWA employees were actively involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre in Israel.

In addition, Palestinian Media Watch has disclosed that UN Secretary-General António Guterres shamelessly met with top PA official and outspoken terror supporter Jibril Rajoub.

Also in Lebanon, Chairman of UNRWA's Teachers' Union in Lebanon and Principal of UNRWA's Deir Yassin School in El Buss refugee camp in Tyre, Lebanon, Fateh Sherif, turned out to be leader of Hamas in Lebanon:
Report: Warrants for Israeli leaders a smokescreen for ICC prosecutor's sex scandal
The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday published new details regarding sexual harassment allegations against International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, which he links to what he calls a "smear campaign" against his efforts to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

According to the report, Khan’s aggressive push for these arrest warrants is seen as an attempt to divert attention from the accusations against him. The Journal has called for an investigation into the matter, citing troubling details.

The report describes growing concerns within the Hague-based court over Khan's handling of the Israeli cases. The Journal claims that Khan's intense efforts to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders may serve to distract from internal allegations of harassment. It warns that before the ICC's judges consider issuing such warrants, an internal investigation into the prosecutor himself should be conducted.

According to the article, Khan's focus on Netanyahu and Gallant, while excluding political rival Benny Gantz—who was also a member of Israel's wartime cabinet—raises suspicions of bias. The Journal suggests that anti-Israel bias may explain the prosecutor's actions.

The investigation also reveals that Khan had promised Western leaders a thorough probe into the Israel-Gaza conflict. He reportedly assured a group of U.S. senators that he would not rush to judgment before hearing Israel’s side, even scheduling meetings in Israel for May 20. However, instead of visiting Israel, Khan appeared on CNN to announce his intent to pursue arrest warrants.

The Journal attributes Khan's sudden shift to allegations of sexual harassment that surfaced weeks before his announcement. According to the report, the ICC remained silent on these claims for over five months, until an anonymous social media account brought them to light last week. The alleged victim, a junior staff member in Khan’s office, reported repeated harassment, including being locked in his office and subjected to inappropriate physical contact.
Johnson pressures Schumer to bring up legislation sanctioning the ICC
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to bring legislation sanctioning the International Criminal Court for pursuing arrest warrants against Israeli officials up for a vote “as soon as the Senate returns.”

Johnson expressed his concerns about the bill’s continued delays in the upper chamber, despite it passing the House in a bipartisan fashion in June, in a letter to Schumer obtained by Jewish Insider. The memo, dated Wednesday, points to comments from Schumer himself and President Joe Biden condemning the ICC for pursuing such charges and notes the New York senator’s public commitment to negotiating a sanctions package.

“In a bipartisan vote, the House passed H.R.8282, The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, to sanction employees of the ICC. President Biden condemned the ICC, and you yourself called the ICC’s decision “reprehensible” and promised to negotiate on a sanctions package,” Johnson wrote. “Unfortunately, after five months, neither your statements nor those from the Biden-Harris White House have materialized into action.”

“Now, even after [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar’s death, [ICC lead prosecutor] Karim Khan and the ICC are still pursuing baseless warrants against Israeli officials, and effectively punishing Israel for Hamas’ barbarism. The ICC will continue to do so without strong, unified intervention by the United States,” he continued.

“The ICC tried to justify its illegitimate action by also issuing a warrant for Hamas’ leader, Yahya Sinwar. Republicans and Democrats in Washington recognized the ICC’s despicable false equivalency and called out its warrant as an attack on the very idea of state sovereignty,”


The Times: The Times view on the Brics summit: UNworthy
When South Africa hosted a meeting of the Brics powers in August last year it was missing one of the main players. Vladimir Putin was nowhere to be seen, except on video. The reason was simple: as a signatory to the statute establishing the ­International Criminal Court, South Africa would have been duty bound to arrest Mr Putin, who is accused by the ICC of war crimes in Ukraine. It was a powerful reminder of symbolism in ­international politics: the great dictator reduced to the role of skulking fugitive. Hardly surprising, then, that the venue for this year’s gathering is Kazan, safely buried in Mr Putin’s vast domain.

Still, the summit would carry little weight if leaders queasy about associating themselves with a warmonger pleaded diary clashes and stayed away. Unfortunately, the attendance of Xi Jinping, the president of China, was hardly in doubt, and neither was that of Narendra Modi, prime minister of India, despite a real clash with the Commonwealth summit. But it is a Portuguese politician who has made Mr Putin’s day. António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, is in Kazan too, lending his legitimacy to a tyrant.

Arriving at the summit yesterday, this latter-day Chamberlain was filmed by gleeful Russian state media as he sampled local dishes. His spokesman promised that, in an address today, the secretary-general would reaffirm his commitment to a “just peace” for Ukraine respecting that nation’s territorial integrity. But with Mr Putin, it is action not words that count. Through his mere presence Mr Guterres provides comfort to a leader who, for his continuing violations of international law, deserves to be ostracised by the nations that make up the UN. The secretary-general’s attendance represents a slap in the face for Ukraine also. In June, Mr Guterres missed a peace summit ­convened in Switzerland by President Zelensky. Having snubbed the victim he now courts the ­aggressor. More respect was paid to the ICC: Mr Guterres took the trouble to inform the court that he was dropping in on one of its Most Wanted.


UN Watch calls for sanctions against Francesca Albanese over antisemitism and terrorism support
A report by United Nations Watch on Wednesday is urging democratic nations to impose sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian human rights, accusing her of promoting antisemitism, supporting terrorism, and spreading misinformation.

Titled "Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Why Democracies Should Sanction UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese," the report was presented to the UN Human Rights Council on October 23, 2024.

The report calls for Albanese's removal, citing a series of statements and actions that violate UN impartiality standards and promote hatred against Israel and the Jewish people. UN Watch, a Geneva-based human rights group, demands swift action to terminate her mandate.

The report identifies numerous instances in which Albanese has been accused of using antisemitic rhetoric. In a 2014 Facebook post, Albanese claimed, “America is subjugated by the Jewish Lobby,” a classic antisemitic trope suggesting Jewish control of governments. In another incident from February 2024, she downplayed the atrocities of the October 7 Hamas massacre, dismissing it as a “reaction to Israel’s oppression,” even after Hamas targeted Jewish civilians in the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust. France called her remarks "scandalous" and "a disgrace," while Germany condemned them as "appalling."

The report also cites Albanese’s frequent comparisons of Israel to Nazi Germany. In July 2024, she reportedly compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. In another instance, she described Gaza as “the largest and most shameful concentration camp of the 21st century,” which UN Watch notes is a textbook case of antisemitism under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield condemned Albanese, declaring, “It is clear she is not fit for this or any position at the UN.” The US Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, also called out her statements as “blatant antisemitic rhetoric.”

In addition to her antisemitic rhetoric, Albanese has openly supported terrorism, the report states. At a 2022 Hamas conference, she told the audience, “You have a right to resist,” an endorsement of violent resistance, according to the report. She has repeatedly justified Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, framing them as legitimate responses to Israel’s actions. Albanese is quoted in the report as saying, “The Palestinians have no other room for dissent than violence.”


Rep. Andre Carson to bring UN’s Albanese to Capitol Hill for staff briefing
Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) has invited Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, whom the Biden administration has repeatedly condemned as antisemitic and unfit for her position, to Capitol Hill to brief congressional staff next week.

Albanese has a long track record of statements and comments that the Biden administration and lawmakers have described as antisemitic. The administration has also accused her of excusing and justifying the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

An invitation for the event, scheduled for next Tuesday, circulated by Carson’s office on Friday and obtained by Jewish Insider, says that Albanese “will address the current human rights landscape in the Palestinian territories, sharing findings from her recent reports and discussing urgent areas for action.”

The invitation says the “briefing offers congressional staff an invaluable perspective on conditions affecting the Palestinian people, highlighting specific civil rights issues, limitations on movement, and humanitarian access challenges.”

Albanese was condemned by Biden administration officials as recently as Oct. 15, over comments comparing Israel to the Nazi regime.

“Antisemitism has no place at the UN, especially from those tasked with promoting human rights,” Michèle Taylor, the U.S. permanent representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council, said in a statement. “Francesca Albanese’s recent remarks, including evoking Nazis, show yet again that she is unfit for any role at the UN. The U.S. has never supported her mandate, and her conduct is unacceptable.”

In July, responding to comments from Albanese comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, “it is clear [Albanese] is not fit for this or any position at the UN,” and accused her of antisemitism.

Taylor said that Albanese’s “comparison of Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler is reprehensible and antisemitic​. There should be no place for such dehumanizing rhetoric. Special rapporteurs should be striving to improve human rights challenges, not inflame them.”

In February, Albanese denied that the Oct. 7 massacre was motivated by antisemitism, saying, “The victims of 7/10 were not killed because of their Judaism, but in response to Israel’s oppression. France & the international community did nothing to prevent it.”

Taylor responded that Albanese has a “history of using antisemitic tropes” and that Albanese’s comments “justifying, dismissing and denying the antisemitic undertones of Hamas’ October 7 attack are in and of themselves antisemitic.”


Seth Frantzman: IDF Golani Brigade: Fighting terrorism from Gaza to Lebanon
The Golani have had so much experience this year that the spirit of the unit and its morale is high. Soldiers have been promoted and changed jobs over the last year.

Bargon compares the unit to a lion that has been kept in a kind of cage in the North, waiting to get out and fight Hezbollah. This is because the IDF had to spend most of the year on the defensive against Hezbollah as the Iranian-backed group attacked northern Israel with rockets and drones.

Bargon now plays a key role in aiding the unit to bring in fire support and direct communications. He wants to stay in the army. “I feel a responsibility for my nation, and I think that this time I can’t go out. The army and nation need us, strong people, to do their job. At least in my small area of responsibility that I need to do, I think it’s important to bring out the information from this war to the next generation and educate them [about] our enemies.”

He says the IDF has done a good job supporting soldiers throughout the past year. That means mental and emotional support, as well for units like this, which have seen the harshness of this war and suffered losses. “I and my soldiers have the opportunity to see a psychiatrist and get the medical treatment they [we] need every time,” he says.

Bargon spoke to me briefly when he was out of Lebanon after the first week of fighting. Now he and his comrades will continue to play the key role in the battle against Hezbollah. In the early days of the war, the IDF said that in a joint operation, the Golani Brigade and the Israeli Air Force struck a military structure housing Hezbollah terrorist organization commanders.

“In another strike, the forces identified suspicious enemy movement in a military structure. The forces directed aircraft activity, and within minutes the structure was struck and the terrorists were eliminated,” the IDF said on October 3.

Days later, the unit raided and dismantled a weapons storage facility and terrorist infrastructure embedded inside civilian homes.

“Inside the storage facility, the soldiers found weapons, observation equipment, launchers, and intelligence documents belonging to Hezbollah,” the IDF said. On October 4, the commander of IDF Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, met with the head of the Golani Brigade, Brig. Gen. Adi Ganon.

“From where we stand, we can see the [Israeli] communities along the border. Our ground activity here is a significant step toward safely returning the residents of the North to their homes, toward a better year than the previous one,” Gordin said.

By October 8, the Golani had taken control of a Hezbollah compound in the village of Maroun El Ras in southern Lebanon. As the unit moved forward, it also found large quantities of Hezbollah weapons. In one site, soldiers uncovered “Kornet missiles, numerous AT-3 Sagger missiles, and over 100 mortars,” the IDF said. The Golani continued to suffer losses, though. A Hezbollah drone struck Golani soldiers at a training base near Binyamina, and Golani soldiers have been casualties in Lebanon.

On October 18, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi spoke to Golani commanders in southern Lebanon. “We estimate that there are around 1,500 eliminated Hezbollah operatives; this and the fact that they are surrendering – these are very important achievements,” he said. He was conducting a field visit with the Golani and 188th Brigade, as well as the 36th Division.

With soldiers like Bargon in key aspects of the operation, the Golani are moving forward and dismantling Hezbollah as they dismantled Hamas in parts of northern Gaza. 


Under a Lebanese border village, IDF finds huge Hezbollah base primed for invasion
Under the cover of darkness and strict security, the Israeli military earlier this week led The Times of Israel and other reporters from an army post near Kiryat Shmona into southern Lebanon.

Traveling in a convoy of open-top humvees, we were being taken to a village several kilometers from the border, where Hezbollah had constructed a massive underground military base that the Israel Defense Forces says was to be used by the terror group in a planned invasion of Israel.

Members of the press were instructed to put their phones on airplane mode, not to turn on their screens throughout the drive, and to be as silent as possible, amid fears that Hezbollah operatives could spot us and launch anti-tank missiles at the convoy during the drive in enemy territory.

The humvees turned their headlights off as the convoy approached the border, and upon crossing it, the soldiers cocked their weapons.

Intermittent sounds of gunfire and explosions from artillery shelling were heard around us as we drove along a dirt path, the humvees kicking up dust. The soldiers leading the convoy were using night vision to see their way in the pitch black.

Upon arriving at the village, which the army asked us not to name in our reporting, and with just the moonlight to illuminate our way, the soldiers led us to the yard of a home. There, next to a tree, was a hole in the ground.

A small jump down and we were greeted with a long staircase running dozens of meters down. From there, the soldiers directed us on the correct pathway, taking us to the tunnel network’s main hallway.

But calling the passages tunnels fails to capture the scale of the subterranean system.

In all, the underground site — dug into a mountain — was some 2 kilometers in length. It reached depths of around 40 meters in some areas, and the hallways themselves were more than two meters high. In fact, it was the largest tunnel found by the army in southern Lebanon to date.

The Hezbollah site dwarfed even the most impressive Hamas tunnels uncovered in the Gaza Strip. Those are far more claustrophobic, with many requiring ducking and even crawling in some areas, and have limited ventilation.

“This isn’t a ‘tunnel,’ it’s an underground combat site, extremely significant, which the enemy constructed over years for the purpose of an invasion of Israel — we estimate targeting the northern towns,” said Brig. Gen. Guy Levy, the commander of the 98th Division, as he gave us a tour of the complex.

The military estimated that the tunnels were built by Hezbollah over the past 15 years.
Explosion of Lebanese weapons depot activates earthquake alerts in North
Earthquake warnings were mistakenly activated on Saturday morning across 284 communities in northern Israel and the West Bank due to an explosion at a Lebanese site containing a large amount of explosives.

The IDF confirmed the explosions as a result of IDF activities, saying, "Over the past few minutes, explosions were heard in northern Israel following IDF operational activity in southern Lebanon. There is no indication of a security incident."

The Geological Institute confirmed the details, explaining that the alerts were mistakenly triggered due to a detection error. “Following a significant controlled explosion in the north this morning, the alert system identified the explosion as an earthquake, and the alert was distributed accordingly,” they said.

The “Teru’a” system, Israel’s national earthquake alert platform, is recognized as one of the world’s most advanced. When launched in Israel in 2022, a standout feature was its ability to differentiate between explosions and earthquakes.

However, the system was misled this morning, possibly because the explosion occurred near one of its sensors. even the European international monitoring network recorded the explosion as seismic activity.

The alert system, developed by the Geological Institute with several partners, comprises field sensors, computer communication, a control and monitoring center, and an emergency hub staffed around the clock. Its estimated cost is approximately NIS 45 million.


MEMRI: Sinwar's War, Or How The Magic Rebounded On The Magician
Some military historians have referred to the late Benito Mussolini as a kind of negative military genius, by whose intervention in the Second World War not only secured the defeat of his own country but that of his German allies. The idea is that, in 1941, Hitler having to intervene to save Mussolini in Greece delayed the German Invasion of Russia – Operation Barbarossa – by about six weeks, which meant that German troops would be stopped by the Russian Winter at the gates of Moscow.

Timing can be everything in war. When the military leader of Hamas Yahya Sinwar launched his terrorist invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, he initially achieved complete surprise and startling success. While this was, initially, a brutal and singular success, the plan was not unique. In fact, it was a copy. Hamas launching a massive rocket attack, cutting through Israeli lines, slaughtering everyone they could find and then retreating with hundreds of hostages while supposedly preparing a trap for the pursuing IDF was a copy of Hezbollah's plan for Northern Galilee.

The two groups had since 2021 shared a joint operations center in Beirut and both shared the same patron in Iran. Both were parts of the so-called "Axis of Resistance," that network of terrorist groups, militias, and governments Iran had forged in the region.

The network, on paper, made a lot of sense for Iran and had served it well until that date. It was a force multiplier that served as a substitute for Iranian troops on the ground. It gave Iran a certain amount of plausible deniability so that its proxies could strike Saudi Arabia and the UAE with missiles and drones or in the same way target American bases in Syria and Iraq. Still another member of the Iranian Axis, in Yemen, succeeded in crippling shipping in the Red Sea and Suez Canal. The network enabled Iran to exercise unprecedented influence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Iran could hit anyone but in return would – usually – not be hit itself.

The Gaza War begun in October 2023 was many things but it developed into becoming the Proof-of-Concept War for the Axis of Resistance, a test in seeing how successful this powerful tool would be. During the war, Israel would be struck not only from Gaza, but from Lebanon, from Syria, from Iraq, from Yemen, and even from Iran itself. The first ever "Battle in Outer Space" occurred when an Israeli air defense weapon destroyed a Houthi Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) launched from Yemen and downed from outside of the Earth's atmosphere.

But as widespread as the strikes against Israel have been, they have been haphazard and it is clear that Sinwar jumped the gun. Israel would have been hard-pressed indeed if Hamas and Hezbollah had simultaneously launched the same surprise attack on the country's southern and northern borders in October 2023. That did not happen. Perhaps Sinwar had expected to go even further into Israel, link up with the West Bank, and present his allies with a fait accompli in which they would have been compelled to join. But the moment had passed.


Jonathan Conricus on Iran rallying neighbors in its defense — Newsmax
Jonathan joins Newsmax to discuss Hezbollah's recent media tour, hostage negotiations, Sec. Blinken's trip to the Middle East, and more.


Former IDF spokesperson on Israel claiming a ‘sharp conclusion’ is possible with Hezbollah
Former IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus discusses the IDF chief’s recent remarks, saying Israel could reach a “sharp conclusion” with Hezbollah.

“That is what he’s offering,” Mr Conricus told Sky News Australia.

“That is what the IDF is seeking to make possible for the political echelon in Israel to establish through diplomatic negotiations.”


Comedy Cellar USA: Live from the Table: Brendan O'Neill on October 7, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation
Noam Dworman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by political writer and author Brendan O'Neill. His new book, After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation is an unflinching account of how the West failed the test of Hamas’s pogrom.




FreePress: NYT Conceals Source’s Hamas Affiliation—Why? with Olivia Reingold
The FP’s Olivia Reingold explains how The New York Times, NBC, Al Jazeera, and others have depended on a source in their coverage of the war in Gaza who is actually a Hamas-linked official.

Tune in next week for another installment with Michael, Batya, more Free Pressers, and other friends of the show to help break down the most important news of the day.


‘Beyond shocking’: SBS exposed for censorship of pro-Israeli content
Sky News host Sharri Markson investigates the “shocking censorship” of pro Jewish and Israeli content at the SBS.

The taxpayer-funded broadcaster has refused to publish, removed from online or edited interviews that they thought were too supportive of Israel.

“One was with a family member of a current hostage being held in Gaza – that interview was completed but it never went to air,” Ms Markson said.

“It is beyond shocking. Imagine silencing the family member of a current hostage ... there needs to be a federal government investigation into what has gone on here.”


‘Democracy vs terror’: Erin Molan urges leaders to stop ‘pandering’ to extremists
Sky News host Erin Molan calls out the “shameless hypocrisy” of Western leaders in the aftermath of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death.

“A lack of strong, clear, moral leadership has not only let Israel down – but the vast majority of us who see this for what it is,” Ms Molan said.

“Democracy versus terror, life versus death, good versus evil.

“The sooner those in power stop pandering to extremist minorities and woke, uneducated teenagers looking for a cause to latch onto ... the sooner all those in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran – including innocent children – will have the chance to taste peace and freedom rather than what they're currently being served up, which is endless terror and death.”


‘Anti-Jewish’ demonstrations taking place on Columbia University’s campus
Columbia University professor Shai Davidai says the Columbia University campus has a problem with “anti-Jewish” demonstrations.

Shai Davidai has been suspended from Columbia University for speaking out against antisemitism on campus.

A university spokesperson claims the suspension was due to Mr Davidai’s repeated harassment and intimidation of school employees.


Ami Horowitz: Hey Kamala! Throwing Israel Under the Bus Won't Win You This Crowd!
Kamala Harris has thrown Israel under the bus to curry favor with the pro Hamas crowd....did it work?


"Son of Hamas" Mosab Hassan Yousef | Lecture at Harvard College
Mosab Hassan Yousef is a Palestinian ex-militant and former intelligence operative for Israel's Shin Bet. The intelligence he supplied to Israel led to the exposure of many Hamas cells and the prevention of dozens of suicide bombings and assassination attempts on Jews. Yousef eventually converted to Christianity and later revealed his experiences in his memoir titled "Son of Hamas”.

This lecture was given on Thursday, October 10th, 2024 at Harvard College.




Microsoft fires employees who organized vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza
Microsoft has fired two employees who organized an unauthorized vigil at the company’s headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza during Israel’s war with Hamas.

The two employees told The Associated Press they were fired by phone call late Thursday, several hours after a lunchtime event they organized at Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington.

Both workers were members of a coalition of employees called “No Azure for Apartheid” that has opposed Microsoft’s sale of its cloud-computing technology to the Israeli government. But they contended that Thursday’s event was similar to other Microsoft-sanctioned employee giving campaigns for people in need.

“We have so many community members within Microsoft who have lost family, lost friends or loved ones,” said Abdo Mohamed, a researcher and data scientist. “But Microsoft really failed to have the space for us where we can come together and share our grief and honor the memories of people who can no longer speak for themselves.”

Microsoft said Friday it has “ended the employment of some individuals in accordance with internal policy” but declined to provide details.

Mohamed, who is from Egypt, said he now needs a new job in the next two months to transfer a work visa and avoid deportation.

Another fired worker, Hossam Nasr, said the purpose of the vigil was both “to honor the victims of the Palestinian genocide in Gaza and to call attention to Microsoft’s complicity in the genocide” because of the use of its technology by the Israeli military.

Nasr said his firing was disclosed on social media by the watchdog group Stop Antisemitism more than an hour before he received the call from Microsoft. The group didn’t immediately respond Friday to a request for comment on how it learned about the firing.

The same group had months earlier called on Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to take action against Nasr for his public stances on Israel.

Nasr, an Egyptian-raised 2021 graduate of Harvard University, is also a co-organizer of Harvard Alumni for Palestine.


Met Police officer who tweeted about 'dirty Zionists,' non-Muslims, dismissed from
Constable Ruby Begum, a London Metropolitan Police Officer, has been dismissed from the police after having been found guilty of making racist comments, such as using the words “dirty Zionists,” on social media.

The Met Police announced on Wednesday that PC Begum was dismissed following a misconduct hearing, which found her to have breached the standards of professional behavior. Begum is now barred from serving as a police officer.

Begum, a Muslim officer with the Territorial Support Group, was found guilty of gross misconduct, something which she denied, arguing that her comments amounted to simple misconduct.

Evis Samupfonda, the chairman of the investigation, said: “[The posts] are derogatory and abusive and also show a lack of tolerance for others who do not share the same characteristics as Ms. Begum.

“Misconduct would not be far enough. [The tweets] are racist, discriminatory and intolerant. The panel’s decision is gross misconduct.”

The investigative team reviewed some 25,000 tweets written by Begum before coming to their conclusion.

The investigation
Begum admitted that she used discriminatory language against Jewish people and non-Muslims while serving as a special constable.

This included the term “kuffar” meaning Muslim non-believers, and writing that people must be “stupid if [they] think [she’s] gonna do two mins silence for 9/11”.

One post, in 2014, referenced the beheading of Alan Henning at the hands of Jihadi John: “You lot saying free Alan Henning. Remember the Muslim brothers and sisters imprisoned by Kuffar.”

In another one in 2014, she wrote, “Israel have no limits. Scumbags I can’t wait for the day they get severely punished.”


TikTokker who mistook Greek flag for Israel’s in embarrassing viral blunder is charged with intimidation
What's white and blue all over?

Not just Israel, apparently.

A New Jersey woman has been charged with bias and intimidation after tearing down Greek flags from a Greek restaurant in a fit of rage after she mistakenly took them to be Israeli flags.

Amber Matthews, 23, who goes by “Ambamelia” on TikTok with over 12,000 followers, posted the video of her outrage at the restaurant’s supposed public display of support for Israel on October 15, several months after the incident took place.

The embarrassing blunder quickly went viral, amassing over 9 million views across various social media platforms.

In the video, Matthews approaches Efi’s Gyro restaurant in Montclair, New Jersey in broad daylight and proceeds to rip down Greek flag bunting and decorative lights from the establishment’s exterior while proclaiming “Free Palestine, b****”.

Police launched an investigation in March after the restaurant’s owner reported than an unknown woman tore down their string of flags while screaming there’s a “genocide going on,” according to local media.

For several months Police had no leads, until Matthews published her now-viral blunder online.


Iran is stirring up anti-Semitism on campus
A recent report led by the respected lawyer and academic Prof Anthony Julius revealed a 34 per cent rise in anti-Semitic abuse at UK universities since the October 7 2023 terrorist attacks by Hamas.

The report highlighted the impact this is having on Jewish students. Disturbingly, more than half of those surveyed reported being fearful of being on campus. Three quarters said they were uncomfortable being open about their Jewish identity.

Jewish students have faced threats of physical attack and rape. They have experienced racist slurs and blood libels. They have been intimidated by anti-Semitic chanting and calls from the pro-Palestine encampments for a new intifada.

One female second-year medical student reported: “I’m terrified. People are violent and lacking empathy or critical thinking. I’m hearing people state blood libel as fact. I never thought this could happen again. I’ve heard people state that ‘Jews aren’t human’.”

In one of the latest incidents, a protest group called Oxford Action For Palestine last week disrupted an important ceremony for new students at Oxford University, having marked the anniversary of October 7 with the slogan “One year of resistance. One year of genocide”.

Since the Hamas attacks, I have often wondered what is driving toxic behaviour in our universities. People are entitled to different views on the Israel-Hamas war and it is natural for students to hold passionate political opinions. Yet this democratic right does not extend to racist violence and the intimidation of a minority. It seems that a notable number of students hold strong views on racism, justice and equity except when it applies to Jewish people.

This Jew-hate has a number of causes. There are some who will wrongly feel that their anger at Israel’s prosecution of the war against its genocidal enemies is justification for the intimidation of British Jews. There are others who have found they have an appetite to revive the ancient hatred of Jews and are more than willing to use the current conflict in the Middle East to activate a new generation of anti-Semites.

Yet there is also something else going on, which a media appearance by Hezbollah representative Mohammad Raad has revealed.

In a recent television interview Mr Raad referred to the involvement of “Western students in the demonstrations in the West” and the opportunity this provides. “We should invest in the Western students,” he explains. “We need to enter into the heart of Western societies.”

The message of this is clear and chilling. It signals the existence of a funded influence campaign by Iran and its proxies targeted at some students in Britain, America and beyond. Its aim is to build an anti-Israel coalition in some areas of Western academic life, which is leading to the hatred of Jews and their increasing isolation on university campuses.
Revealed: British campuses where Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar who masterminded October 7 attacks is being hailed as a glorious martyr
The messages on social media were unequivocal in their praise for the dead Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar.

The terrorist butcher who, on October 7 last year, masterminded the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, was 'a leader, a fighter, a martyr', they declared. 'While all the global forces of evil demanded Yahya's head, he made them work for it.'

Warming to their theme, the posts continued: '[He launched] the blessed Flood [the October 7 terror attack] out of a deep love and care for his people. Through sacrifice, Yahya changed the world . . . Yahya, you live in every heart.'

These words of adulation appeared within days of Sinwar's assassination by a troop of Israeli soldiers after he was unexpectedly discovered in the war-ravaged wasteland of Rafah in southern Gaza.

But who was behind them? Fellow Hamas terrorists lamenting the loss of their murderous leader? Iranian ayatollahs, reeling following a major blow to their proxy forces?

No, the answer lies thousands of miles away on British university campuses where radicalised students and professors are sharing messages of condolence for the 61-year-old known by Israel as 'The Face of Evil'.

Specifically, these messages hailing Sinwar as a hero were shared on Instagram by the Student Federation for a Liberated Palestine (SFLP), which claims to represent 21 different student societies across Britain, including Cambridge, Bristol and Warwick universities.

Alongside these posts, the SFLP urges its supporters to buy Yahya Sinwar's book The Thorn and the Carnation, which proclaims his responsibility for the October 7 attacks, admiringly calling him their 'architect'.

The SFLP also urges people to follow the Resistance News Network through the Telegram messaging app, explaining that the network offers 'unbiased information . . . from the voices of the Resistance on the ground'.

Never mind that the Resistance News Network is a radically antisemitic English language news channel which frequently promotes the activities of proscribed terror groups including Hamas and the Houthis in Yemen.
Harvard student speaks about campus antisemitism at Shul of Bellaire Holocaust Torah dedication
Members and guests of The Shul of Bellaire will have the opportunity to hear keynote speaker Shabbos Kestenbaum for the shul’s Am Yisrael Chai Torah Dedication on Sunday, Oct. 27. This event is particularly meaningful as the shul dedicates a Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust in the month marking one year since Oct. 7. A year after the atrocities on Simchat Torah in Israel, the Torah symbolizes the resilience of the Jewish people.

The dedication also is an opportunity to gather as a community in reflecting not only on our past but also on how we can proactively live a proud and joyful Jewish identity in the face of today’s challenges.

Rabbi Yossi Zaklikofsky, co-director of The Shul of Bellaire, spoke to Kestenbaum about his experience as a student on the campus of Harvard University the night of Oct. 7, 2023.

“We [Harvard] had 34 student groups representing more than 1,000 students jump out of their beds to draft what they called “an emergency statement” to blame Jews for the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” Kestenbaum said. “The opening line of their statement literally said, ‘We hold the Israeli regime responsible for all violence.’

“The WhatsApp group I’m a part of at the Harvard Divinity School, with 3,400 students, saw a post that same night organizing a ‘Long Live the Palestinian Resistance’ rally. The response from my classmates and my friends was as casual as if they were planning a picnic in the park. ‘Can I bring my dog?’ ‘Is this open to community members?’ ‘Can I help out with signs?’

“Jewish students on campus did not have time to grieve but were immediately thrust into a defensive position. We had to articulate not only why the Jewish state had a right and obligation to defend itself, but why we, as Jewish students, had a right to be on our own campus.”

Subsequently, Kestenbaum and fellow Jewish students filed a lawsuit against Harvard.

“After Oct. 7, the Jewish world began fighting on all fronts – such as a military front fought in the Middle East and an ideological front being fought on college campuses,” said Kestenbaum. “Given that I was in a circumstance that was pervasive in its antisemitism, my attitude was that this is my battlefield.

“We did not, and still do not, want to do this, but we felt we had no other recourse. We cannot allow systemic discrimination against Jewish and Zionist voices on a college campus. When you have a university that is either unable or unwilling to protect its Jewish students, we must hold it accountable in the court of law.

“There is no more damning indictment on Harvard University than the fact that students have had to resort to legal measures to receive equity and justice. It’s inconceivable that any other minority group would be treated with such scorn, contempt and disdain.

“Ironically, antisemitism is bringing Jews back to Judaism. There’s a rebirth, if you will, among younger generations. I’m glad this is happening, but also sad that antisemitism is the catalyst.”


NYT’s ‘65 Doctors’ Essay Crumbles as Evidence of Embellished Testimony Mounts
The New York Times recently defended its guest essay, in which 65 medical professionals recounted their experiences working in Gaza.

The essay included graphic accounts suggesting that the IDF deliberately targets civilians, including women and children. It also featured X-ray images that were later scrutinized by medical experts for inconsistencies, casting doubt on their authenticity.

Six days after publication, amid growing questions about the credibility of these accounts and the evidence provided, The New York Times issued a statement asserting that the essay had been “rigorously edited” and standing by the contributors’ credentials. The statement further insisted, “Any implication that its images are fabricated is simply false.”

Despite this defense, more evidence soon surfaced, challenging the essay’s claims. In The Jurist, two physicians and medical ethicists described allegations that Israeli forces intentionally targeted children’s heads in Gaza as “highly implausible,” citing ballistic evidence, medical imaging analysis, and the realities of combat. They emphasized the ethical imperative for healthcare workers to provide impartial, fact-based accounts in conflict zones.

In addition to concerns about the X-rays, HonestReporting can now reveal inconsistencies in at least one of the accounts given by a doctor featured in the essay.

Dr. Khawaja Ikram, an orthopedic surgeon from Dallas, Texas, describes treating two children, aged three and five, who he alleges were shot in the head by an Israeli sniper as they returned with their father to survey their home in Khan Younis:

However, this is not the first time Ikram has spoken to a media outlet about his experience in Gaza.

In a February interview with NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, more than six months before the New York Times essay, Ikram recounted a strikingly similar story—though with several key differences. He described treating a man who arrived at the hospital carrying his five-year-old daughter, claiming she had sustained a “single bullet wound to the head.” According to Ikram, the father said, “We thought the troops were pulling back, so we went to check on our home. There were snipers waiting. My five-year-old daughter was shot. She’s my only daughter, please save her.”
In NY Times, Doctors With Credibility Issues
It might be the truth, but it’s clearly not a denial. Notably, Ahmed spent two weeks volunteering at Nasser Hospital — the same medical facility where Sharon Aloni Cunio, Ada Sagi, and many other former Israeli hostages were held captive.

The author of the New York Times essay, Feroze Sidhwa, has also given reason to question his credibility. While falsely insinuating that levels of hunger in Gaza are akin to those in Nazi concentration camps, Sidhwa pointed to a photo of an skeletal Palestinian he says he took in a hospital in Khan Younis — “and that was when Khan Younis was the safer part of Gaza,” he concluded.

The comment is disingenuous. As Sidhwa knows, the boy pictured in the photo, Rafiq Doghmosh, did not become malnourished in the “safer” city of Khan Younis, but rather in Gaza City, on the other side of the territory, where he was trapped in Shifa Hospital for two weeks during pitched battles between Palestinian militants and Israeli soldiers. In other words, Doghmosh isn’t proof that Khan Younis, or even Gaza City, is blighted by emaciating malnutrition. He certainly isn’t proof that Gazans are like Holocaust victims, broadly wasted from hunger. He is a tragic outlier case — one that Sidhwa effectively lied about.

Although he claims to be “no fan of Hamas,” Sidhwa has raised additional questions about his credibility by propagandizing in defense of the terror group. On social media, he suggested that Hamas would give the International Committee of the Red Cross access to Israeli hostages if only Israel would do the same for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. (Israel cut off ICRC access after the Oct. 7 attack.) It is an absurd claim. Hamas’s modus operandi was known long before Oct. 7, when it prevented the ICRC from accessing Israeli captives like Avera Mengistu, Hisham al-Sayed, and Gilad Shalit.

In order to insinuate that Gazans have been uniquely malnourished for years, Sidhwa and Perlmutter wrote of arriving in Gaza and being “greeted by a sea of children, all shorter and thinner than they ought to have been.” The document they link to states that nine percent of Gazan children under five are stunted, a figure that isn’t atypical globally. In fact, it’s half the rate as in neighboring Egypt, nearly the same as in the Kingdom of Jordan, and lower than dozens of other countries including but not limited to Armenia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Albania, Oman, Colombia, Morocco, and South Africa.

Elsewhere, Sidhwa, Perlmutter, Ahmed and other medical professionals cited in the New York Times sought to suggest Hamas casualty figures dramatically undercount deaths, arguing in a letter that “The Gaza Health Ministry only reports deaths caused directly by violence that arrive at a hospital morgue. As noted above, these are typically the smallest number of deaths in any major and protracted conflict.” But the claim is demonstrably false.

Considering the wild accusations pushed in the New York Times essay, questions raised about the article’s presentation and the ethics, and the fact that most of the essay’s claims are unfalsifiable, first-person accounts that depend on readers’ trust, the credibility of the cited healthcare professionals cited in the piece matters. But the sampling of concerns cited above reveals it to be lacking.
The Dangerous Misinformation of Propagandist Doctors
Some of the most dangerous actors engaged in Hamas’ cynical propaganda campaign come from the ranks of medical professionals who have entered the Gaza war zone to care for the injured and sick. No doubt, some are motivated by humanitarian concerns and are disturbed by the medical emergencies, tragedies, and devastation that they witness. While some report on the injuries, deaths and difficulties in delivering medical care in a war zone, others motivated by anti-Zionist animus, willingly participate in Hamas’ propaganda war, spreading misinformation and falsehoods to demonize the Jewish state and foment hatred of its supporters.

Take, for example, Mark Perlmutter, a physician who travelled to Gaza on a Palestinian American Medical Association mission in April and who has since been actively engaged in Hamas’ propaganda war. Upon his return to the U.S., Perlmutter teamed up with Feroze Sidhwa, another participant in the mission whose anti-Israel activities long predate his becoming a physician.

Perlmutter and Sidhwa did not merely report about humanitarian suffering in Gaza. They launched a media campaign to defame the Jewish state with a salvo of accusations: Israel is guilty of genocide; Israel has committed crimes against humanity; Israel is responsible for the worst cruelty imaginable; the US is complicit in Israel’s crimes. In fact, the only party they did not blame for the situation in Gaza is the party that is responsible for it – Hamas and its affiliated terrorist operatives.

Perlmutter uses his Jewish connection – a Jewish father and surname – to feign expertise on Judaism and endorse tropes that are generally associated with the most vicious, antisemitic circles. For example, he equates Zionism, which is the idea of Jewish self-determination and an integral part of Judaism, with Nazism. From his X account:

Honesty and truth are cast aside as he spews his extremist, anti-Zionist bile. For example, to support his false claim that Israel deliberately targets innocent children as part of a genocide, Perlmutter minimizes the number of Hamas combatants, leaders and operatives in Gaza to a preposterous degree, declaring those affiliated with Hamas account for only 0.01% of the Gazan population— i.e. ~200 people!

He falsely casts the war against Hamas as the deadliest conflict for medical workers and journalists that has ever been recorded in history. But even were one to accept propagandistic casualty counts from pro-Hamas groups at face value, they are still far less than the numbers of medical professionals who were killed in other conflicts such as the Syrian civil war or World War II among others.
Double Standards as New York Times Accuses IDF of Using Palestinians as Human Shields
Replete with a headline designed to tarnish Israel’s entire military, The New York Times recently published an investigation alleging that IDF soldiers were using Gazans as human shields during operations in the Gaza Strip.

In order to make its case, The New York Times says it “interviewed 16 Israeli soldiers and officials who knew about the practice, as well as three Palestinians, on the record, who were forced to take part in it.”

While the small number of Palestinians are named, the Israelis are not. It is always problematic to present anonymous testimony in a story where we don’t know the motivations behind those who are talking to the journalists.

The Role of ‘Breaking the Silence’

Two of the Israelis, however, were connected to The New York Times through Breaking the Silence, whose motivations are very clear.

The organization, which was founded in 2004 by former IDF soldiers who are highly critical of Israel, claims to “expose the public to the reality of everyday life in the Occupied Territories” using testimonies that are purported to be “meticulously researched” while “all facts are cross-checked with additional eyewitnesses.”

However, as its critics have repeatedly alleged, the group appears to frequently rely on “either fabricated or exaggerated” testimonies from former soldiers — some of whom received a salary from Breaking the Silence — and are “motivated by financial and political concerns to further a pro-Palestinian agenda.”

Breaking the Silence also provided two photos to The New York Times for its story. Given the lack of context and the poor visual quality of both photos, it is impossible to confirm whether these images are evidence of anything let alone the captions that allege IDF misdemeanors.

It would be naive to suggest that every soldier in the IDF or any other comparable army behaves in an exemplary fashion.

Only this last September, The New Yorker published a database of what it said is the “largest known collection of investigations of possible war crimes committed [by the US military] in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11—nearly eight hundred incidents in all.”

Some of the alleged crimes include “the case of soldiers raping a fourteen-year-old girl and subsequently murdering her and her family; the alleged killing of a man by a Green Beret who cut off his victim’s ear and kept it; and cruelty toward detainees at Abu Ghraib prison and at the Bagram Air Base detention facility.”


CNN Breaks its Credibility Over Breaking the Silence Allegations
If CNN wishes to be treated as a serious journalistic outlet, it should engage in serious journalism. Unfortunately for the network and its audience, this is not what CNN’s Mick Krever, Jeremy Diamond, and Abeer Salman did for their latest story, “The Israeli military has used Palestinians as human shields in Gaza, soldier and former detainees say.”

Once again, CNN journalists make – in their own words – a horrific allegation against Israeli soldiers. Predictably, the allegation – that Israeli soldiers are using Palestinians as human shields – is short on credible evidence. Instead of acting like professional journalists, the authors act as partisan activists like the ones making the accusation.

Krever, Diamond, and Salman’s allegation relies largely on the testimony of a single, unnamed Israeli soldier and three pictures. The article also references “five former detainees” who were allegedly used as human shields, but the names and stories are provided for only three.

According to the soldier’s anonymous testimony, his unit was ordered by an intelligence officer to use two Palestinians as human shields. He also claims the practice of human shielding “was so common in the Israeli military that it had a name: ‘mosquito protocol.’”

Anyone curious as to the truth would immediately have several basic questions. Did CNN reach out to the rest of the soldier’s unit to verify his story? The soldier claims that “he and his comrades refused to carry on with the practice.” If he was not the only one uncomfortable with the practice, then surely other members of his unit might be willing to verify his claims.

On that note, why doesn’t CNN identify the soldier’s unit so other members can either verify or contradict his story?

Furthermore, if the practice is so common, did CNN reach out to any other soldiers who served in Gaza to ask about the “mosquito protocol”?

What about the mysterious intelligence officer mentioned? Who was he? What was his unit and rank? Why are no further details provided to assist the audience in determining the credibility of the story?

None of these basic questions are answered.


'Long live Palestine,' man screams before murdering tourist in front of her children
A Swiss tourist was murdered outside a cafe in Algeria’s Djanet in early October by a man who screamed “Allahu Akbar” and “long live Palestine,” according to international media reports on Thursday.

The attacker slit the woman’s throat, according to RTS, but she did not die instantly.

The Swiss woman did not survive the wounds she sustained during the attack, which happened in front of her three children, according to the Daily Mail. She reportedly died on October 11.

The attacker reportedly fled the scene of the attack and Algerian authorities deployed a significant manhunt to find him, using both helicopters and wanted posters to alert local residents.

The attacker, a man reportedly from the northern part of the country, was successfully apprehended after several days of searching. A second man was also reportedly arrested, according to RTS.

After murdering the woman, the Algerian man reportedly attempted to attack another group of tourists, but his attempts were thwarted. The tourists were later instructed to return to their hotel rooms, according to RTS.

Swiss response to the incident
Switzerland's Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday told the AP that it had been in contact with Algerian authorities about the “violent death” of an unnamed Swiss citizen on Oct. 11.

The three children, along with the friend accompanying the family, have since returned to Switzerland.

RTS criticized authorities for their silence on the attack, noting that it was the French newspaper Libération that broke the story.
Germany’s Eurovision Contestant Calls Out ‘So Much Hate’ Against Israeli Singer Eden Golan During Competition
Germany’s representative in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest shared his thoughts in a recent interview about the hatred and booing that Israeli singer Eden Golan received while competing on behalf of Israel in the international competition earlier this year.

“I can definitely understand why everyone was booing, but I think the Eurovision Song Contest says we are all ‘united by music’ and I didn’t see no unity,” German singer Isaak, 29, said in an interview with Irish blogger allthingsadam.ie, referring to the official slogan of the Eurovision competition. He further said of Golan: “It’s a young musician performing quite well and everyone f—ked her off. There was so much hate in this room, and hate shouldn’t be a place in the Eurovision Song Contest.”

Isaak finished in 12th place in the Eurovision finals this year in Malmo, Sweden, while Golan finished in fifth. The Israeli singer competed with a song called “Hurricane,” a reworded version of her original song “October Rain,” which was disqualified for being too political since it referenced the Hamas massacre in Israel that took place on Oct. 7, 2023.

Golan made it to the top five of the Eurovision contest despite being booed on stage by anti-Israel audience members, facing death threats, and having a Eurovision jury member refuse to give her points because of his personal feelings against Israel’s military actions during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Golan also said she had to conceal her identity outside her hotel room in Malmo because of the threats she received from anti-Israel activists angry about the Jewish state’s participation in the contest.

Isaak told Irish blogger allthingsadam.ie that he believes Golan was bullied during the competition. He then criticized people for wrongfully targeting Golan with hatred when they have issues with the state of Israel but not the singer herself. The German singer then said the animosity was misguided and it was wrong for Golan to face such abuse just for her affiliation with Israel. He said a personal experience like what Golan faced can deeply scar a musician

“Do you know how young she is?” Isaak asked about the 21-year-old Israeli singer. “This is your life goal and you wanna be part of Eurovision Song Contest and you’re going on that stage … just imagine Germany f—ks up in some point. And I’m German and I wanna be part of the Eurovision. And I’m just a random musician, I just wanna show them my music. I’m not the f—k president. I’m just a random musician, I just wanna make a small kid’s dream come true. And then I go on that stage and no matter how good I am, no matter how f—k amazing I can sing, the people just see my country and they just boo me out. I think that would be the most terrible thing that could maybe ever happen to me. I think that can definitely leave scars.”




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