Monday, December 23, 2024

12/23 Links Pt1: When Turkey becomes Iran; The Pager Plot’s Most Remarkable Detail; 2024 Men of the Year: Real Americans Against Hamasniks

From Ian:

Caroline Glick: The war of resurrection
In a special cabinet meeting marking the first year since the Palestinian invasion on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a draft decision to his ministers to rename the war, which until then had been dubbed “The Iron Swords War” by the Israel Defense Forces, the War of Tkuma. Tkuma is one of those Hebrew words that taps the ancient chords of Jewish memory. Its literal translation in English is “rebirth” or “resurrection.”

Netanyahu’s draft decision passed unanimously.

Why did he pick that name? Why resurrection? What had we died from?

On the surface, it could simply refer to the 1,200 Israelis who were murdered on Oct. 7. Israel arose from the ashes of that one-day Holocaust to destroy the enemy who perpetrated it.

But there is a deeper meaning to tkuma that speaks to the cause of that day. The deeper meaning refers to the spiritual or ideological disposition of the nation of Israel. What lay dead in the ashes on Oct. 7 wasn’t only the men, women and children killed that day, but a 50-year doctrine of dependence.

The day Hamas led the Palestinians of Gaza on their orgy of mass murder, torture, rape and abduction, the Israel they entered was marking not only the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War but the 50th anniversary of Israeli strategic dependence on the United States. Similarly, they entered an Israel that had recently entered its 32nd year of dependence on the Palestinians.

In the days and months that followed that invasion, as Israelis recovered from the initial shock, the delusions that had directed Israel’s strategic policies for two generations were exposed for what they were. The first that fell by the wayside was the delusion that Israel could peacefully coexist with a group of people who defined themselves by their collective goal of annihilating the Jewish people.

That idea had already been discarded by 65% of Israelis when Oct. 7 rolled around. But even though a mere 35% of Israelis still supported Palestinian statehood on that Black Shabbat, Israel’s national policy was still to enable Hamas to run a terror state in Gaza and for the Palestinian Authority to run terrorist enclaves in Judea and Samaria.

The reason that was the case was America.

In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the United States saved Israel from destruction by airlifting desperately needed weapons to the IDF after initial supplies were all but exhausted. In the years that followed that war, Israel’s security brass gradually embraced strategic dependence as their guiding light. For these generals, whose dominance in the ranks increased over the decades, national independence and strategic freedom were dangerous concepts.

They didn’t believe that the indomitable will of the Jewish people, the courage of IDF soldiers, the ingenuity of Israeli scientists and the power of the Israeli economy (not to mention the God of Israel) were the forces working to procure Israel’s survival. Over time, they came to believe that it was the largesse of the U.S. State Department, coupled with America’s foreign and defense policy establishment, that secured the existence of the Jewish state. As they saw it, if Israel didn’t subordinate its strategic policies to U.S. preferences, it would endanger its very existence.

The strategic dependence on America that Israeli generals and their cohorts in the media developed and cultivated began as a psychological side effect of their near failure to save Israel in October 1973. But over time, it became apparent that their doctrine of dependence served the ideological and political interests of the Israeli left. And once that became clear, their psychological dependence was presented as responsible strategic wisdom.
When Turkey becomes Iran
Ironically, there was a time in the last century when Israel enjoyed the friendship of both Turkey and Iran. Both nations were moderate, pro-Western states resisting the attempts of radical clerics to impose religious rule.

But in 1979, Iran fell to the Ayatollahs, who transformed it into a radical Islamic republic. In recent months, Iran has faced repeated failures in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. These external setbacks are compounded by ongoing domestic failures in governance and the economy, fueling sharp criticism on the Iranian street. Disillusionment with the regime has led many to believe that its downfall is inevitable, though it may take months or even years.

While Iran seems to be counting down to the end of the Ayatollahs' rule, Turkey is moving in the opposite direction, increasingly Islamized. Bernard Lewis's observation from years ago—that "Iran will become Turkey, and Turkey will become Iran"—appears to be coming true, with one country moderating and the other transforming into a backward, radical Islamic republic.

It is too early to determine whether Turkey will achieve its grandiose aspirations in Syria and the Middle East. Even before that, it remains to be seen whether al-Julani can solidify his rule in Syria and turn it into an Islamic theocracy.

What is certain is that al-Julani's rise to prominence in Damascus under Turkey's sponsorship has created tension in many Arab states, foremost among them Jordan. While Israel fears the spillover of terror from Syria, Jordan worries about the infiltration of radical Islamic revolutionary ideas into its already fragile society.

Israel, along with Jordan, Egypt, and the Gulf states, is closely monitoring the situation and exploring avenues for cooperation to address this new border threat. Yet, it is important to remember that this challenge pales in comparison to the threat Iran still poses—a threat that remains as significant as ever.
Is Moscow losing its hold on the Middle East?
The rise of a new Syrian regime could push the country closer to the West or result in efforts to curb Russian influence, jeopardizing Moscow’s regional sway. Although Russia has historically allied with the Assad family, it may now be forced to negotiate with the rebels to preserve its interests.

Western analysts argue that warm-water ports are a cornerstone of Russian foreign policy aimed at competing with NATO and the United States. The primary concern is that vacating these bases could create a power vacuum that could potentially be filled by Western or even Chinese forces, further diminishing Russia’s ability to safeguard its interests.

Logistically, the Khmeimim and Tartus bases have been crucial for transporting goods and arms to Africa, particularly to nations like Libya, Mali, Niger and Sudan. Abandoning these facilities could compel Russia to find alternative infrastructure, increasing costs and complicating its influence in Africa.

Amid its prolonged war in Ukraine, which has resulted in more than 200,000 Russian military casualties in the last two years, any withdrawal from Syria could be perceived as a retreat from global influence. While Russia’s military remains the world’s second-largest with 1.5 million troops, Moscow is acutely aware of the demographic and strategic toll of its ongoing conflicts. A retreat from Syria could reinforce perceptions of Russia as a declining power on the international stage. President Vladimir Putin is likely to make every effort to extend his country’s presence in the Middle East to safeguard its critical interests.

Anonymous sources in Moscow, Europe and the Middle East confirm ongoing negotiations to maintain operations at Tartus and Khmeimim. Russian officials claim to have “unofficial understandings” with the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham regarding continued access to these strategic facilities.

Nevertheless, reports indicate that Russia is withdrawing at least 400 troops from the Damascus area in coordination with Syria’s new authorities. The implications of this withdrawal extend beyond military presence, potentially affecting Russia’s security, economic and strategic interests in the Middle East, Africa and even Southern Europe.

Aware of these risks, Russia appears determined to prolong its military presence in Syria. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has described the bases as subjects of “serious discussion” with Syria’s new leadership, emphasizing that all necessary precautions are being taken to secure Russia’s interests.

Should an agreement with the new regime prove elusive, a full withdrawal could reshape the global balance of power, diminishing Moscow’s influence in the Middle East and beyond for years to come.


Seth Mandel: The Pager Plot’s Most Remarkable Detail
One of the few universal rules with no known exceptions is that the surefire way to get wall-to-wall coverage of your conflict is to have the Jews as your enemy. A real genocide in western China or in Ethiopia can never compete with an imaginary one invented by Westerners to tarnish Israel’s reputation.

But there’s another reason to prefer Israel as your enemy in battle, as the current war demonstrates.

Over the weekend, CBS’s 60 Minutes ran a feature on Israel’s pager attack against Hezbollah in September, in which thousands of Israeli-detonated beepers held by Hezbollah operatives exploded simultaneously.

“Using dummies, Mossad conducted tests with the pager in a padded glove to calibrate the grams of explosive needed to be just enough to hurt the fighter, but not the person next to him,” Lesley Stahl says as viewers see a demonstration of such a test on the screen.

It’s no surprise that the plot, which unfolded over a number of years and required creating and marketing a new product and then enticing Hezbollah to buy it, was precise in every detail. “Mossad also tested these ringtones to find a sound urgent enough to compel someone to take it out of their pocket,” Stahl reports, as a medley of beeper tunes plays. “And they tested how long it takes a person to answer a pager—on average, seven seconds.”

But the fact that that precision included shielding civilians from thousands of blasts miles away is remarkable. As security-camera footage of some of the pager explosions shows on the screen, Stahl says: “Watch the man on the left. Those standing next to him were unscathed.”

This level of care and precision was on display in late July as well. When Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated by an explosive device planted in his room in Tehran, his next-door neighbor—the head of fellow Gazan terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad—was unharmed.

The salient point is that this care is standard practice for Israel. On the same day that CBS ran its feature on the pager plot, Jewish News Syndicate published a story by Yaakov Lappin on how Israeli military planners have rearranged aid routes into Gaza to help the convoys avoid looters.
Mossad’s deception: The pager mission that crippled Hezbollah
In an extraordinary “60 Minutes” broadcast on Sunday, former Mossad agents pulled back the curtain on one of Israel’s most sophisticated covert operations, targeting Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

According to the CBS News report, the intelligence agency spent a decade infiltrating Hezbollah’s supply chain with weaponized communication devices that ultimately helped turn the tide of war in Lebanon. In a devastating moment for the organization’s leadership, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was reportedly forced to witness the deaths of his own security detail inside his bunker as their compromised communication devices detonated.

Speaking through masks and using pseudonyms, two retired senior agents described to CBS correspondent Lesley Stahl how they transformed walkie-talkies and pagers into precision weapons.

“A walkie-talkie was a weapon just like a bullet or a missile or a mortar,” explained the agent identified as Michael, describing the operation’s first phase. When Stahl pressed for details about the device’s construction, Michael revealed that “inside the battery, there is an explosive device,” which was “made in Israel” at a Mossad facility. Lebanese Hezbollah members carry the coffin of their comrade Hussein Amhaz during his funeral in Baalbek, in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley, on Sept. 19, 2024. Hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon in unprecedented attacks that spanned two days, killing 32 people and wounding more than 3,000 others. Photo by AFP via Getty Images.

The ingenuity of the operation lay not just in the technical execution but in the elaborate deception campaign that accompanied it. Through a network of shell companies and fake business entities, Mossad managed to sell more than 16,000 explosive-laden devices to Hezbollah over several years, “60 Minutes” reported.
'Don’t mess with us': Mossad details Israeli pager attack on Hezbollah on 60 Minutes
On September 17, 2024, at 3:30 p.m., Mossad remotely activated the explosive pagers across Lebanon. According to CBS News, those carrying the devices received an encrypted message instructing them to press two buttons, triggering the explosion. "If they didn’t push the buttons, it would still explode," Gabriel said.

The coordinated blasts caused mayhem, with hospitals overwhelmed by thousands of injured fighters. "People were afraid to turn on their air conditioners the next day because they thought they might explode," said Michael, emphasizing the psychological toll.

The day after the pager explosions, Mossad activated walkie-talkies that had been dormant for over a decade. Some went off during funerals for those killed by the pagers. Altogether, the operations injured approximately 3,000 Hezbollah operatives, killed 30, and left the organization demoralized. "The aim wasn’t to kill," Gabriel told CBS News. "It was to leave Hezbollah with thousands of wounded, proof of our superiority."

The operation marked a turning point in the war. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah appeared subdued in a speech days later. "His soldiers saw a broken leader," Gabriel claimed. According to 60 Minutes, Nasrallah’s bunker was bombed just ten days later, resulting in his death.

Wider regional implications
The fallout extended beyond Lebanon. CBS News reported that the operation weakened Iran’s influence in the region by crippling Hezbollah, its most potent proxy. The operation also destabilized Syria, contributing to the collapse of the Assad regime. "Hezbollah is looking around and realizing they are isolated," Michael said, noting that the operation had ramifications for Gaza as well.

While the operation bolstered Israel’s strategic position, it raised ethical concerns. "What about Israel's moral reputation?" asked CBS News correspondent Lesley Stahl. "There is a prioritization," Gabriel responded. "First, you defend your people, then you worry about reputation."

The operation underscored Mossad's ability to wage psychological warfare. "We can’t use pagers again," Gabriel admitted, "but they’ll have to keep guessing what’s next."

The 60 Minutes report highlighted the lasting impact of the operation. "These wounded fighters are walking proof of our superiority," Gabriel stated. For Israel, the operation restored its sense of security and sent a powerful message to its adversaries: "Don’t mess with us."
60 Minutes: How Israel's Mossad tricked Hezbollah into buying explosive pagers
Pagers exploded across Lebanon in September. Retired Mossad agents, key to the operation, tell 60 Minutes Israel's plot started years ago with getting Hezbollah terrorists to buy walkie-talkies.




60 Minutes: How Hezbollah's losses have weakened Iran
Lebanese journalist Raghida Dergham and former Mossad analyst Sima Shine spoke about Iran's waning power after the decimation of Hezbollah and the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.




Will a Weakened Iran Make a Run for Nuclear Weapons? | Caroline Glick In-Focus
All across the Middle East, the Biden administration continues to demonstrate its lack of understanding of the region.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says that a weak Iran makes the world a more dangerous place; Washington pledges $5 billion to Egypt even as it violates the peace treaty with Israel; and the Biden administration warms up to Syria’s jihadists.

All this and more on Caroline Glick’s "In-Focus!"


Israel sells Slovakia advanced air-defense system in $580 million deal
Israel and Slovakia have sealed their largest-ever defense deal, amounting to approximately 560 million euros ($580 million), Israel’s defense ministry stated on Monday.

The deal, orchestrated by the ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT), involves the sale of Israel’s Barak MX Integrated Air Defense System.

The system, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, “is designed to counter current and future aerial threats, including ballistic threats,” and “its operational success in Israel and globally underscores its reliability and effectiveness, making it a valuable addition to Slovakia’s defense infrastructure,” according to a ministry statement. Israel’s Barak MX Integrated Air Defense System is designed to counter current and future aerial threats, including ballistic threats. Credit: Israeli Ministry of Defense.

“The expansion of Israeli defense exports during the war is a direct result of Israeli technologies proving themselves on the battlefield,” said Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, according to the statement.

“Defense exports are key to our security and economic strength. They enable us to keep developing the next generation of the world’s most advanced combat systems. On behalf of the defense minister and defense establishment, I want to thank the Slovak Defense Ministry for choosing an Israeli air defense system and I believe other NATO countries will follow their lead,” he added.

In recent years, Israel has developed a sophisticated, multi-layered air- defense system, protecting the country from a range of missile and drone threats.

International demand for Israel’s military technology has surged as European countries increase their defense budgets in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. While the Iron Dome is the best-known Israeli missile-defense system, the recent operational successes of the David’s Sling and the Arrow are drawing attention.


Irish politicians are positioning themselves as enemies of the West
This conduct by Ireland was predicated on two things – an irrational and adolescent anti-British stance (wherein whatever Britain supports must be opposed and whatever Britain opposes must be supported) and an apparently crude anti-Jewish stance, predicated on a simple medieval learnt hatred for those of the Jewish faith.

Yes it was 80 years ago, but really there are some stupidities that are so grotesque and infamous that they should echo through the generations – and expressing condolences for Hitler after he killed himself is surely one of them.

Now, in their latest manifestation of what has since become an extreme hostility to Israel, not only are Ireland’s actions openly called “antisemitic” by the Israeli government, but its actions are praised by Hamas. Yes, a savage terrorist entity which murders babies and rapes women, actually welcomed Ireland’s support last week.

To have a terrorist group which has viciously subjugated its own people praise you might be a cause for considered reflection in a well-ordered mind, given it is like Hannibal Lecter saying you’re really quite a good guy, or like getting a character reference from Jack the Ripper. But there are no such signs.

When the Iranian regime eventually falls, as it inevitably will do, its imprisoned citizens will doubtless remember how Ireland helped prop up that hideous regime by opening an embassy in Tehran, which Dublin has recently done.

A friend of Hamas and Iran is also a friend of the Houthis in Yemen and the other terrorist proxies in the region. And the Houthis have disrupted billions of dollars in American maritime trade in a way Trump is not likely to tolerate. To support the enemies of the West is anti-American as well as anti-Israeli.

The latest legally incontinent position taken by Ireland over the ICC case against Israel is that the definition of genocide must now be altered so that Israel can be found guilty of an offence it is clearly not guilty of. They seem to have forgotten that even if the definition were to be changed after the fact, we do not tolerate retrospective laws in a civilised society and they therefore would not be able to backdate their altered law to fix their latest obsession.

Ireland’s official diplomatic presence in Israel is now the equivalent of a viper in the nest. The Israeli government should kick them out. Let’s see then what the Trump administration makes of Ireland’s stance.

Sir Michael Ellis served as Attorney General for England and Wales


Ireland’s Taoiseach calls for Gaza ceasefire during call with Abbas, sparks Israeli criticism
Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris called for a ceasefire in Gaza and renewed humanitarian aid efforts during a phone call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday.

While Harris highlighted the humanitarian challenges faced by Palestinians, the conversation did not address the context of ongoing Hamas aggression against Israel, a point that has drawn criticism from Israeli officials.

Harris expressed concern over the loss of life in Gaza, stating, “The heartbreaking milestone of more than 45,000 dead was passed earlier this month, of which nearly 15,000 were innocent children.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have proved these numbers to be exaggerated. He added that families in Gaza “lack the most basic items, including food, clothing, shoes, mattresses, blankets, and kitchen supplies.” However, the Taoiseach made no mention of the continued rocket attacks on Israeli civilians or the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7, which marked the beginning of the multi-front war.

Israeli officials have criticized Harris for failing to acknowledge that Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization, bears significant responsibility for the situation in Gaza. “Statements like these, which omit the role of Hamas and its use of human shields, do little to foster a nuanced understanding of the conflict,” an Israeli diplomat told The Jerusalem Post.


Rep. Torres notes world silence on ‘machinery of death’ in Assad’s Syria
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) noted the double standards in international moral outrage against Israel as more and more is coming to light on the repression and human-rights atrocities committed by former Syrian President Bashar Assad.

“The Assad regime in Syria, sponsored by the Islamic Republic, ran a ‘machinery of death’ that systematically tortured and murdered more than 100k people,” Torres wrote. “Yet the international community has shown nothing approaching the moral outrage that it reserves for Israel.”

“The international outrage machine runs on an anti-Zionist algorithm: ‘No Jews, No News,’” he wrote.

Torres’ remarks follow the release of an NBC report on the recent uncovering of mass graves in Syria created under the Assad regime.

Stephen Rapp, former U.S. war crimes ambassador at large, who visited two of the mass graves in towns near Damascus, called what he saw “a system of state terror, which became a machinery of death,” likening what he saw to the Holocaust.

“We really haven’t seen anything quite like this since the Nazis,” Rapp said in the NBC report. “From the secret police who disappeared people from their streets and homes to the jailers and interrogators who starved and tortured them to death, to the truck drivers and bulldozer drivers who hid their bodies, thousands of people were working in this system of killing.”


October 7th Revealed That UNRWA Staff Were Complicit In Terrorism



Three soldiers killed in northern Gaza, upping IDF toll to 821
Three Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed in action fighting Hamas terrorists in northern Gaza, the military said on Monday night.

The soldiers whose deaths were announced were identified by the IDF as Capt. Ilay Gavriel Atedgi, 22, from Kiryat Motzkin; Staff Sgt. Netanel Pessach, 21, from Elazar; and Sgt. 1st Class (res.) Hillel Diener, 21, from Talmon. All three served in the Shimshon Battalion 92 of the military’s Kfir Brigade, the announcement noted.

Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center stated, “The Rambam family bows its head and embraces the Atedgi family following the death in Gaza of Capt. Ilay Gavriel Atedgi, the late son of hospital employee Eti Atedgi. We send our condolences to the family that lost their most precious in the war for Israel’s security. May they know no more sorrow.”

On Sunday, the military announced that forces of the Kfir Brigade had expanded its operations against the Hamas resurgence in Gaza’s north to the Beit Hanun area after wrapping up a raid in nearby Beit Lahiya.

Last week, two IDF soldiers were killed by terrorists during counter-terrorism operations in the Rafah area of the southern Gaza Strip.

The military death toll in Gaza since the start of the ground operation on Oct. 27, 2023—nearly three weeks to the day of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023—now stands at 389, while the official figure for all fronts since Oct. 7 is 821.

Additionally, Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, a member of the Israel Border Police’s Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit, was fatally wounded during a hostage-rescue mission in Gaza in June, and civilian defense contractor Liron Yitzhak was mortally wounded there in May.


Inside the Houthi bid to become Iran's favorite proxy
A significant portion of the latest speech by the Houthi leader in Yemen was dedicated to Israel's operation in Syria. Abdul-Malik al-Houthi spoke about the strategic importance of controlling Mount Hermon's peak. From that point, he claimed, the IDF could observe all of Syria. More importantly, he accused Israel of planning to create a corridor from the Golan Heights to the Euphrates River, where it would join Kurdish forces supported by the US. The conspiracy theory woven by Abdul-Malik appears designed to justify the Houthis' continued aggression, even in the case of a Gaza ceasefire.

This sentiment was echoed in statements by Yahya Saree, the terrorist organization's official spokesman. The pretext of "supporting Gaza" becomes just another item on a long list. Saree speaks about the need to protect Yemen from Israeli attacks, as if his organization hadn't done everything possible to initiate conflict. The organization blocked a major maritime route to Israel in the Red Sea, launched hundreds of missiles and drones at vessels, and Abdul-Malik himself declared open warfare. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a senior organization leader, reached peak absurdity when he accused Israel of "war crimes" in its strike. A classic case of attacking while playing victim.

It's important to understand that precisely at a moment of weakness in the pro-Iranian axis, with Hezbollah's defeat and the end of the Assad regime era in Syria, the Houthis see an opportunity to become Iran's favorite proxy.

After all, their geographical distance from Israel actually helps them while limiting Israel's response capabilities to aerial strikes. As a source in southern Yemen explained to me last week, even if senior Houthi military leadership is eliminated, without a massive ground operation, they will ultimately replenish their ranks.

That same distance transforms Yemen into Iran's testing laboratory for long-range ballistic missiles. True to form, Tehran prefers letting the local proxy bear the consequences of launching heavy missiles toward Israel, which test Israel's air defense systems. The Houthis claim these are hypersonic missiles breaking the sound barrier, but it's doubtful they possess capabilities matching those of a superpower like the US.

For now, the Iranians observe from the sidelines, evaluating performance without risking exposure. The experiment serves them in two ways. First, they see how Yemen too can become a fortress threatening Israel indirectly, should Israel want to destroy Iran's nuclear project. Second, they identify vulnerabilities in defense systems that they could exploit within that same project to destroy Israel.


Two US pilots shot down over Red Sea in ‘friendly fire’ incident
Two US Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea early Sunday in “an apparent case of friendly fire,” the US military said.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said later on Sunday they had “targeted” the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman a day earlier in an operation that led to “shooting down an F-18 aircraft” and thwarting “American-British aggression” against Yemen.

United States Central Command said late on Saturday that both US pilots were recovered alive but “initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries.”

This incident “was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway,” CENTCOM said.

The potentially disastrous mistake underscores the dangers of a mission the United States has been involved in for more than a year to counter Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, waterways vital to global trade.
IAF strike kills Hamas ‘security’ chief in northern Gaza
An Israeli Air Force strike killed Hamas terrorist Tharwat Muhammad Ahmed Albec, the head of the General Security Directorate within Hamas’s General Security apparatus, the military said on Monday.

Albec was targeted in a command-and-control facility housed in a former school building in the Daraj Tuffah area of northern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) stated.

The military said the slain terrorist led a directorate that was responsible for gathering intelligence to support Hamas’s decision-making, securing the terror group’s leaders and arranging hiding places for commanders.

On Sunday night, the IAF carried out a strike against a Hamas terrorist operating in the Khan Younis humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces emphasized that many steps were taken before the attack to minimize the risk to civilians.

“This is a further example of the Hamas terrorist organization’s systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure and the Gaza population in violation of international law,” the IDF said. “The IDF will continue to operate against Hamas in defense of the citizens of Israel.”

The IDF also announced on Sunday night that a reservist with the Harel Brigade’s 429th Battalion was seriously wounded earlier in the day during combat in central Gaza. The soldier was evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment and his family was notified.
Hamas concedes military capabilities lost, shifts to other tactics
Sources within Hamas admitted Sunday that Israel Defense Forces operations have successfully neutralized most of their military capabilities in Gaza, forcing the terrorist organization's fighters to adopt alternative tactics.

Speaking to the Saudi newspaper A-Sharq Al-Awsat, Hamas sources revealed that fighters on the ground are now making decisions independently without receiving direct orders from senior command. While they still attempt to update higher-ranking officials about their plans, these communications can take hours or even days to reach what remains of Hamas's leadership in Gaza.

Among the surviving senior Hamas commanders in Gaza are Mohammed Sinwar, brother of Yahya Sinwar, who has reportedly taken command of the military wing; Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, responsible for terrorists in northern Gaza; Mohammed Shabana, who served as commander of the now-disbanded Rafah Brigade; and Tawfiq Abu Naim, head of Hamas internal security apparatus.

The IDF's Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned over the weekend that Hamas is spreading falsehoods to maintain its fighters' morale. "Hamas and its minions are spreading news and rumors about fake heroic acts and operations in Jabalia, including claims about the use of knives and explosive belts, to boost the morale of their collapsing members. Don't believe these rumors and lies from the defeated," Adraee stated. In another post on X, he declared that "The East Jabalia Battalion has collapsed," adding that all Hamas can do now is spread false information.


Israel warns rebel leader it won’t accept jihadist groups in southern Syria
Jerusalem has warned Syria’s de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa that it will not tolerate jihadist groups establishing a foothold in southern Syria, Hebrew media reported overnight Sunday.

In the message, Israel stressed that it is prepared to keep troops positioned in the demilitarized Golan Heights buffer zone as long as is necessary to maintain border security, according to Ynet.

However, Jerusalem indicated that it might consider transferring control of the buffer zone to a stable and accountable Syrian government should such an authority emerge.

The leader of Syria’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the toppling of the Assad regime on Dec. 8, said on Dec. 16 that the rebel alliance in Damascus would continue to uphold the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement that ended the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

According to The New York Times account of an interview given in Arabic to a group of journalists, al-Sharaa also called on the international community to ensure that Jerusalem follows the agreement, criticizing the Israel Defense Forces’ deployment to the buffer zone and other areas of Syrian territory.

He said it was no longer necessary for Israeli forces to be in the Syrian Golan Heights to protect the border zone, because the collapse of the Assad regime had removed the threat from Hezbollah and other Iranian terror proxies.

Since the fall of the Assad regime, Israeli troops have taken up positions inside and beyond the buffer zone, including the strategic Syrian side of Mount Hermon. The Israeli Air Force has also conducted hundreds of strikes on Assad military assets.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and other senior security officials reviewed Israeli troop deployments on the Syrian border on Dec. 17.

During the visit to Mount Hermon, Netanyahu “reviewed the IDF deployment in the area and set guidelines for the future,” according to the PMO statement.

“We are holding this assessment in order to decide on the deployment of the IDF in this important place until another arrangement is found that ensures Israel’s security,” the prime minister stated.


Ben Shapiro: The Trump Effect | Congressman Mike Waltz
This week, Representative Mike Waltz of Florida joins us to discuss America-first foreign policy as President Trump’s designation for National Security Advisor in the new administration. While Waltz is in the throes of planning for the transition, he shares his foreign policy priorities and proposes a vision for the revival of American strength abroad. Waltz offers his perspective on the fate of NATO, and why domestic American energy is an essential component of American foreign policy. He also discusses what Middle East diplomacy might look like after the Abraham Accords, and how outer space and cybersecurity are part of his policy calculus as well. Don’t miss this important conversation on this latest episode of The Sunday Special!


The Israel Guys: Netanyahu Faces Arrest at Auschwitz, and Israel Prepares Major Strike on Houthis
Due to the major escalation in Yemen’s attacks against Israel, the IDF is planning a MAJOR response to the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. Arab rebel terrorist groups in Judea & Samaria are fed up with the Palestinian Authority, and Poland just announced that they would arrest Netanyahu if he visits Auschwitz.


'Unbelievable': Jewish host axed from radio station
A Jewish host has been axed from a community radio station after covering up a Free Palestine sticker during her Latino music program.

The former radio host took to social media platform X on Friday to explain why she was fired.

Former radio volunteer Nicole has joined Sky News senior reporter Caroline Marcus to recount the story of her firing.

"I still can't believe that it happened the way that it happened," Nicole said.

"I am glad I made the video because now I have second guessed – can that even be what they told me is real because it's just unbelievable."


The Intel Forum presents Rawan Osman - 22/12/2024
I organized an event last night with Rawan Osman at the Friends of Zion museum in Jerusalem for members of my Intel Forum group.

Rawan is incredible!!

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro by Gedaliah Blum
00:43 - Introducing Rawan by Sasha Silber
03:45 - Rawan Osman speech and interview
47:08 - Audience Q&A
01:25:56 - Syrian Unity Song

Thank you to Daniel Voiczek, CEO of the Friends of Zion Museum for letting us use the venue and thanks to Rachel Moore (Moore Connected Communications) for sponsoring the food. Thank you to Aleksandra Sasha Silber for interviewing Rawan and thank you Gedaliah Blum for being an excellent MC for the night.


Erin Molan: My first reaction to visiting the sites of October 7 this week… much, much more to come.
Thank you for inviting me to present this monologue to open your news tonight ITLV 🙏




How the ousting of Syria’s dictator impacts the pro-Palestinian movement
Firstly, shortly after the ousting of Assad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine released a notice condemning Israel’s incursions into Syria and the “Arab silence” on this, calling for “a clear and deterrent position against this aggression.” It is interesting that the PFLP, notoriously a supporter of the Syrian Ba’ath Party, did not address Assad’s ousting in its first official statement and focused instead on condemning the Israeli military operations in Syria.

However, the PFLP message was shared by various European pro-Palestinian groups, including the Italian far-left group Communist Resistance Support Committee. CARC, though, added a statement of its own, claiming that pro-Palestinians in Italy and beyond who rejoice over the “fall of the regime” are wrong and cause confusion. According to the Italian group, these anti-Assad positions wink at those very imperialist groups that are the target of the pro-Palestinian and anti-imperialist demonstrations, therefore creating internal divisions and harming the cause.

In general, the far-left sees the ousting of Assad’s Ba’ath regime as an imperialist attack against an ally that played a historical role as a support and rear base for the Lebanese, and, therefore, also Palestinian resistance and military and political collaboration with the Russian Federation and Iran.

Tensions have been reported between pro-Hezbollah activists and anti-Assad Islamists in the United Kingdom who have shared the streets during anti-Israel mass rallies since Oct. 7, 2023. In addition, British pro-Palestinian Communist groups strongly criticized the fall of Assad, accusing Washington, Tel Aviv and Ankara of planning the regime change. The British section of the Revolutionary Communist Party also accused the United States, Saudi Arabia and Turkey of funding and arming the Islamist groups to break the alliance between Syria, Iran and Russia.

The Spanish Communist party also spoke against Assad’s ousting in a public statement saying, that “the capture of Damascus by an Islamist terrorist group means the fall of the Syrian government and the disappearance of a multi-confessional state with a secular government, a key ally in the anti-imperialist resistance in the Middle East.”

On the other hand, the Sunni Islamists supporting the Palestinian cause are cautious regarding the position to take on Syria. The most common line seems to be to congratulate the Syrians for ousting a dictator while citing the issue as an internal Syrian affair and expressing hope for support against Israel.

In Italy, the Islamist website “Annur News,” with known pro-Turkish positions, accused Arab regimes, whether they call themselves Ba’athist, Socialist, pro-American or Sunni monarchies claiming descent from Mohammad, of doing nothing and using their armies to repress their people and secure Israel, therefore indicating that the liberation of Palestine must come through the liberation from tyrants. The website also praised Turkish military support and the political-religious direction embedded in the forces that marched on Damascus, which, according to the author, is “balanced” and “in line with the prophetic example. All of this is in line with a pro-AKP, Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, narrative.

The fall of the Assad regime has not only created chaos on the Middle Eastern front but also risks creating internal divisions within the pro-Palestinian movement in Europe, causing tensions between the far-left, the socialist-inspired Palestinian groups and the Islamists. Whether or not the hatred towards Israel, which is the common denominator that unites these groups, will enable them to place divisions aside remains to be seen. The alternative could be an inner division or split that would harm the movement. Much depends on what will happen in Syria with the new leaders, and this is quite difficult to predict.


Chief Rabbi accuses Met of failing to protect Jews from pro-Palestinian protests
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has accused the Metropolitan Police of failing to ensure British Jews feel safe after the force permitted pro-Palestinian protests to take place near London synagogues.

Speaking to The Times, the spiritual leader of central Orthodoxy in Britain said the Met had failed in its duty to keep the Jewish community safe by allowing a forthcoming demonstration to occur near two synagogues under his jurisdiction, Western Marble Arch and Central, on Saturday, January 18.

He spoke out after months of talks with the force failed to achieve an assurance that protests would not come close to local synagogues. Talks are ongoing, but Rabbi Mirvis said the Met's current stance is inadequate and especially disappointing as the protest is set to be held on a Saturday when many will be going to synagogue.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) chose the route in order to rally outside the BBC’s headquarters at Broadcasting House in Portland Place in protest at the broadcaster’s coverage of the war in Gaza.

One of the synagogues, Central, is a couple of streets away from Portland Place. Besides Western Marble Arch, also in the vicinity is the country’s oldest Reform Synagogue, West London.

Rabbi Mirvis said: “The Metropolitan Police are responsible… for upholding the right to peaceful protest and for ensuring that Jewish Londoners feel safe. There can be no justification for not making a clear commitment that the routes of Pro-Palestinian marches will not come anywhere close to local synagogues.

“It is hard to see the absence of such a commitment as anything other than a failure of the Met’s duty to members of Jewish communities who no longer feel safe walking to and from their synagogues on the Sabbath.”


2024 Men of the Year: Real Americans Against Hamasniks
Americans are tolerant people. We grudgingly accept many things that would horrify other civilized societies: brat summer, Cybertrucks, "pit diapers."

But our tolerance has its limits. And one of those limits is cheerleading for terrorists.

A mob of pro-Hamas student protesters learned this the hard way last spring when they stormed a Columbia University building in the middle of the night, ransacked the place, and barricaded themselves inside—along with several innocent maintenance workers.

Unfortunately for the pro-terrorist gang, one of the trapped janitors was Mario Torres. And he wasn’t going to sit back and tolerate their nonsense.

In a scene straight out of Scooby Doo, Torres pinned the rioters’ masked ringleader against the wall and ripped off his Columbia hoodie—revealing him to be creepy, 40-year-old trust fund baby James Carlson. Carlson, who was neither a student nor a staff member at Columbia, was later charged with trespassing and arson related to the protests.

At the University of North Carolina last spring, a group of patriotic Pi Kappa Phi brothers also had enough when they saw Hamas-loving activists attempt to seize the Stars and Stripes from a campus flagpole and replace it with the Palestinian flag.

The fraternity brothers encircled the American flag for hours, protecting it from touching the ground, even as anti-Israel protesters taunted them with obscenities and threw rocks and water bottles at them.




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