Douglas Murray: Gaza must reject terror of Hamas for war to end
Is there a chance that this population that so enjoys terrorizing Jewish girls could suddenly become a lovely, pluralistic group of people? I’d say not.Danny Cohen: The released Palestinian prisoners are not hostages – they are terrorists
The best postwar plans that anyone has been able to come up with seem to include the Palestinians being allowed to start all over again in Gaza. Which means the same thing happening again and again.
It will take many years to rebuild Gaza, whoever is there. It will take years not just because of the devastation — which I have seen with my own eyes — but because to even start to rebuild the Gaza Strip, you would have to fill in the hundreds of miles of tunnels that Hamas used Western taxpayer money to construct all these years. There isn’t an area in Gaza that hasn’t got a tunnel system underneath it, built by Hamas to move around and store weapons in.
How long will it take to remove all the bombs and boobytraps that Hamas has stockpiled in Gaza? How long will it be before anyone could be persuaded to put money into the area?
And in the meantime, where should the population go?
Trump has floated the idea that the Gazans could go to Egypt or Jordan. But I would like to extend that offer. Why not offer them to Ireland, Canada, Pakistan, and all those other countries that profess to care so much for the Palestinians? If they want these terrorist supporters so much, why shouldn’t Dublin, Toronto and Islamabad benefit from their presence? I’m sure the Palestinians will help these countries boom. In their own traditional ways.
Perhaps at some point, they could return to Gaza when they have learned how to govern themselves or be governed by someone else.
But here’s the thing: The citizens of Gaza mainly supported Hamas when Hamas started a war to annihilate Israel. And while Hamas has mostly lost — it has not yet lost completely.
Yet it must lose — completely. And if that means that they are no longer allowed to live in their enclave of terror, then so be it. There is no law of war that says you are allowed to keep waging wars, keep losing them, and then be allowed to do it all over again.
In fact, if you start a war that you then lose, you usually also lose all or most of the territory you started it from. That is not only right, but the only language that these terrorists and their masters understand.
And isn´t it just the best possible rider that all those losers on American college campuses who supported Hamas might now have their student visas withdrawn and so see the consequences of their actions first-hand, perhaps for the first time in their lives.
It’ll be a learning curve and a life lesson.
The lesson being that there are consequences to backing the losers. And for being them.
It is impossible to imagine what the Israeli hostages have been through since the October 7 attacks. Yet even on their release their suffering has been cruelly exploited.Brendan O'Neill: Why are ‘anti-racists’ silent about Arbel Yehud’s terrible ordeal?
The release of the hostages has become a sickening ritual, carefully choreographed by the terrorists of Hamas as a shameless propaganda spectacle.
Last week, when four female hostages were released, Hamas forced the women to wear ill-fitting army uniforms and made them wave and smile from a specially-constructed stage. They were made to thank their captors, terrorists who had taken them from their beds, exploited and imprisoned them. With a final flourish of mocking cruelty, the women were presented with goodie bags of farewell gifts and certificates of captivity. It was simply grotesque.
The hostage exchange that followed a few days later took on a greater edge of menace and danger. 29-year-old Arbel Yehud was forced to make her way through baying Palestinian crowds before reaching safety. Alongside her, 80 year-old Gadi Moses somehow composed himself with unthinkable dignity before the hate mob.
Hamas wants these ugly scenes to be projected around the world, to reach us all via our TV screens and phones. They intend to project power, control and the promise of future terrorist violence. Their masked fighters strut and brandish guns for the cameras to warn they are ready to inflict genocidal terror attacks again if they are given the chance.
You could argue that all media organisations providing live coverage of the hostage releases are giving a platform to terror. Yet this is perhaps unavoidable in our era of rolling news.
What is unforgivable is the false equivalence made by so many news’ organisations – including the BBC – between Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. This has distorted the story in a manner that will have delighted Hamas.
News outlets across the globe have repeatedly referred to the Palestinians to be released as “hostages”. They have equated the victims of a terrorist attack with violent murderers who seek to kill civilians and erase Israel from the map.
Here’s my question, though: why didn’t today’s events shake the Western conscience too? Where’s our wrath at the sight of a Jewish woman being mobbed by Jew-hating men just three days after Holocaust Memorial Day?
The left’s usual craven excuse-making for Hamas’s seizing of hostages – where they point out that some of the hostages are serving members of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) – doesn’t work in this case. Ms Yehud is a civilian. She was kidnapped because she is a Jew. She was jeered at by a crush of irate men today because she is a Jew. And yet you will search in vain for condemnation of this modern-day Jew-shaming from the West’s so-called progressives.
Where are our anti-racists? Where are those people who will brand you an ‘Islamophobe’ if you so much as scuff a page of the Koran or a ‘fascist’ if you criticise mass immigration? We live in an era in which tabloid criticism of Meghan Markle is denounced as lunatic white supremacy while the mobbing of a Jew by members of a terror group founded to kill Jews is shrugged off as normal.
Where are our feminists? Where are those well-paid columnists who write pained screeds about how sexist it is for the waiter to give the bill to their boyfriend rather than to them, yet who seemingly have nothing to say about the public tormenting of a woman whose only ‘crime’ is her Jewishness? Where are those feminist crusaders who spent last year demanding access to the men-only Garrick Club so that they might quaff wine with princes, judges and thespians? They really have nothing to say about a member of their sex who was forced for 16 months to break bread with the men who slaughtered a thousand of her co-religionists?
It isn’t the behaviour of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad that is shocking. Of course these armies of anti-Semites and misogynists will gleefully persecute a Jewish woman. What’s shocking is the indifference of the West’s intellectuals. Too many of them failed to make a full-throated condemnation of the atrocities of 7 October, and now too many look the other way as a Jewish woman is made into a spectacle of hate and derision. This should worry us all, for if our cultural elites will turn a blind eye to this, they’ll turn a blind eye to anything.
Hamas names three hostages to be released tomorrow as Ofer Kalderon, Keith Siegel and Yarden Bibas
Hamas has named the three Israeli hostages set to be released from Gaza tomorrow.
Ofer Kalderon, Keith Siegel and Yarden Bibas will be freed by the terror group following 483 days in captivity.
Siegel, an American-Israeli, was taken from his home in kibbutz Kfar Aza during the October 7, 2023 terror attack along with his wife Aviva, who was released that November.
Similarly, Kalderon was kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz together with his two children, Erez and Shahar, who were freed during the same pause in fighting as Aviva.
The inclusion of Bibas, though, has deepened concern for his wife Shiri and his two young sons, who remain in Hamas’ hands.
Under humanitarian rules, it would be customary to release women and children before their male relatives, barring a pressing medical need.
Hamas has thus far refused to clarify the status of Shiri, five-year-old Ariel and two-year-old Kfir despite pressure from Israeli negotiators.
The group has reportedly confirmed that eight of the hostages due for release in this phase of the ceasefire are dead, but has not revealed their names.
"I also do have news on the hostage front, which I am very surprised nobody asked about this."
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) January 31, 2025
Ha! Well done @karolineleavitt
She continues: "The President remains committed to the release of all remaining hostages. And they should never have been taken by the brutal terrorist… pic.twitter.com/c8d89OwrBt
According to Channel 12 news, Israeli officials believe Hamas will not agree to release all living hostages in the second phase of the ceasefire deal, as they view them as the only leverage to survive.
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) January 31, 2025
The same officials believe that once the first phase of the deal ends, Israel… pic.twitter.com/HPsDDD6xLc
Congressional Republicans Finalize Bill Recognizing West Bank as ‘Judea and Samaria’
Republicans in the House and Senate are finalizing legislation that would formally recognize the West Bank as "Judea and Samaria," applying Israel’s official term for the region to all American government communications, according to a copy of the bill obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
Led by Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R., N.Y.), the Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act would prohibit government use of "West Bank" when referencing the territories around Jerusalem. Israel, which annexed the area in 1967, refers to it as the biblical Judea and Samaria, though the United States and international community avoid this term, viewing the region as home to a future Palestinian state.
The bill from Cotton and Tenney, then, would upend decades of U.S. foreign policy and is reminiscent of the Trump administration’s first-term push to recognize both Jerusalem and the Golan Heights territory near Lebanon as belonging to Israel. Congressional Republicans widely supported those declarations after pushing—and failing—for years to formalize similar policies through legislation.
While it is unlikely that the Senate version of the bill will clear the 60-vote threshold needed for approval in the upper chamber, congressional sources argued that its unveiling could influence the Trump administration to champion the policy, particularly at Foggy Bottom. Cotton, who chairs the Senate Republican conference, worked closely with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Senate, and the two share similar views on foreign policy.
"The Jewish people’s legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria goes back thousands of years," Cotton told the Free Beacon. "The U.S. should stop using the politically charged term West Bank to refer to the biblical heartland of Israel."
The legislation would erase the term "West Bank" from all government communications and laws, such as the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
The United States would only "refer to the land annexed by Israel from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War by its historical names of ‘Judea and Samaria,’ with the land south of Jerusalem being considered ‘Judea’ and the land north of Jerusalem being considered ‘Samaria,’" the bill states. The term "West Bank" would be erased from all "official government materials."
The bill also prohibits federal funds from being spent on any "policy, guidance, regulation, notice, executive order, materials, briefing, press release, communications, or other work product that refers to Judea and Samaria as the ‘West Bank.’"
🔴📰WATCH: US Secretary of State Rubio layout the Trump ME: “As long as there is an organization called Hams whose goal is the destruction of the Jewish state and is prepared to commit atrocities against civilians and hold hostages for a year and a half, it is a threat to the… pic.twitter.com/zz5QuJsxT4
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) January 31, 2025
Rejecting President Trump’s request that Jordan absorb Gaza refugees, Jordan’s foreign minister claims that “Jordan is for Jordanians and Palestine is for Palestinians.”
— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) January 27, 2025
Only one problem with that logic: Jordan IS Palestine. It was formed from 72% of the land constituting…
President @realDonaldTrump,
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) January 27, 2025
We already have a two state solution:
- There's a country with Jewish majority, it's called Israel 🇮🇱
- There's a country with Palestinian majority, it's called Jordan 🇯🇴
Just like Israel admits all Jews, Jordan must admit all Palestinians.
_ pic.twitter.com/HGH3i4Uq7A
“Unlike empires that recognize only large numbers, the Jewish people understand the only truly great and true number, is one—the one in man, the one of man, and the one of each saved life, which, as Maimonides suggests, is worth all the Sabbaths in the world." ~ @BHL https://t.co/DOc1jBnCmh
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) January 31, 2025
🤔 If the Gazans are refugees, why is it wrong to relocate them to a better place?
— Hamas Atrocities (@HamasAtrocities) January 31, 2025
🤔 If, on the other hand, they are already on their land, why do they insist on being called refugees?
It is weird that the same people who think that allowing Gazans escape their Hamas-run regime is ethnic cleansing also insist that it is mandatory for the U.S. to take in people escaping every unfortunate country in the world.
— Eugene Kontorovich (@EVKontorovich) January 31, 2025
Former hostage says she was held with Yarden Bibas in Hamas tunnels
Adina Moshe, who was freed in the hostage deal after spending 49 days in Hamas captivity, shared Thursday that she saw hostages Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon from Kibbutz Nir Oz held in cages while she was in a tunnel under Gaza.
"There were cages there. I approached, and it was completely dark. I asked, 'Why are you in a cage?' and they said they didn’t know. When I asked if they had confronted Hamas, it turned out they had. During the abduction, they had confronted Hamas," she recalled in an interview with Army Radio.
"I took a few steps backward, slowly, thinking: 'Let's see if the Hamas guards look away for a moment.' Ofer and Yarden told me their story. I immediately started thinking about what I could do with this information later on," she added.
Two days later, Moshe said she approached the commander of the unit guarding them. "I told him I heard people speaking Hebrew and that they were from Nir Oz. He asked, 'From Nir Oz? How do you know?' I told him to bring them to join us. Two days later, he brought them to us for an hour, then returned them to the cage. The next day, he brought them back for two hours."
When asked if Yarden Bibas knew what happened to Shiri and the children during the abduction, she explained: "He said he left the safe room and confronted the Hamas terrorists. Shiri and the children stayed inside. He told us, 'I really hope they didn’t get to them, because the terrorists in my house captured me and took me to the meeting point at the kibbutz, and from there, they took me to Khan Younis.' He believed that for a long time. At some point, I asked Hamas if Shiri and the children were with them. They told me it would take time to find out. I established a good and fair relationship with Hamas from the beginning, understanding it would be in our best interest."
The Bibas family has come out to ask the world for some privacy in the coming days.
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 31, 2025
Given all they have been through, I think it's the least they are owed. pic.twitter.com/uqcGauqI2g
Keith Siegel (65)
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) January 31, 2025
Keith was kidnapped with his wife, Aviva, from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7th, 2023. Aviva was released in the November 2023 hostage-ceasefire deal. Keith has two daughters, one of whom has postponed her wedding, holding onto hope for his safe return.… pic.twitter.com/78yRTUfDt6
'Hamas held Emily in UNRWA facilities,' Emily Damari's mother tells British prime minister
Former hostage Emily Damari's mother, Mandy, spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday, and told him that Hamas held Emily in UNRWA facilities while she was in captivity.
"Hamas held Emily in UNRWA facilities and denied her access to medical treatment after shooting her twice," Mandy told Starmer. "It's a miracle she survived, and we need to get aid to the remaining hostages now."
UNRWA employees have been accused of acts of murder, abduction, and the taking of hostages on October 7.
Ditza Heiman, who was taken hostage during the October 7 Hamas attacks, was held captive by a UNRWA teacher for 53 days. She reported that her conditions were dire, with minimal food and no access to essential medication despite her health issues, including diabetes and thyroid problems. She described seeing the UNRWA logo on various items during her captivity, highlighting concerns about UNRWA's involvement in supporting Hamas activities.
Heiman also recounted seeing the UNRWA logo on notebooks, snack packages, and other items. He asked the UNRWA employee if he was a teacher, and he confirmed to her that he was.
She also shared that she ate only once a day and was given snacks with packaging marked with the UNRWA logo and labeled "not for sale," as it was given to schoolchildren.
Thank you @Keir_Starmer for calling us today and all your support in getting Emily home. Hamas held Emily in @UNRWA facilities and denied her access to medical treatment after shooting her twice. It's a miracle that she survived, and we need to get aid to remaining hostages now. pic.twitter.com/K5aZybh0K2
— Mandy Damari 🎗🤟 (@DamariMandy) January 31, 2025
Released hostage Liri Albag: ‘My nightmare is over’ thanks to the IDF
Israel Defense Forces soldier Liri Albag, who was released on Saturday after 477 days in captivity in Gaza, took to social media on Friday for the first time since being freed.
“The people of Israel, I want to thank you again for all your support, love and help,” Albag wrote in her first Instagram post since Hamas terrorists took her hostage on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Together, we are a force,” the IDF field observer wrote. “I want to thank the soldiers of the IDF and the security services, who risked their lives and fought for us and for our country! Not a morning passes that I don’t pray for their welfare.”
Addressing the families of slain troops and murdered civilians, Albag said she felt their pain. “Thanks to the heroes who fell during battle, my nightmare is over. I was finally reunited with my family!”
However, “our struggle is not over, and I will not stop fighting until everyone is home,” the former hostage added in the Instagram post.
Albag urged the Jewish people to remain united and strong, saying that “the unity and hope that we have scares all our enemies, amaze all those who love us and comforts the people in our midst.
“A sentence that used to accompany me was, ‘At the end of every night, the darkness disappears.’ And I hope everyone will be able to see the light,” her social media post concluded.
Albag, 19, was released by Hamas last Saturday alongside fellow IDF border lookouts Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, and Naama Levy, 20.
Albag’s family has emphasized that while she and the other female IDF hostages experienced “insane things that are hard to tell everything about” during their 15 months in Hamas captivity, they are afraid to speak due to the fact that dozens of hostages have yet to be freed.
“Dad, there are two million terrorists there, make no mistake. I sat with children aged 8 and 4 who were cursing ‘the Jews,'” Albag has been cited as having told her father since being released as part of the truce deal.
A message from Liri Albag, released from Hamas captivity in Gaza after 477 days:
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) January 31, 2025
"The people of Israel, I want to thank you once again for all your support, love, and help. Together, we are strong.
I want to express my gratitude to the IDF soldiers and security forces who… pic.twitter.com/BXqYKprUkR
Jewish women braid challah and hair to mark Agam Berger’s return
When four young Israeli soldiers were released in Gaza over the weekend, the first thing many people noticed about them was their defiant gestures in front of their Hamas captors.
The second was their braided hair.
Some close observers of the hostages concluded that the braids — also seen on some of the children released during a temporary ceasefire in November 2023 — were the handiwork of Agam Berger, who had become the only Israeli woman soldier left in Gaza.
Now, with Berger released Thursday after 482 days, her supporters are returning the gesture, crafting braids of their own to celebrate her freedom and inspiration.
Some Jewish day schools in the United States urged their students to wear braids on Thursday. At least one synagogue is holding a challah-braiding event. A wig store catering to Orthodox women braided all of its display models, while El Al said women who worked for the airline had all braided their hair on Thursday. And an array of “Braids for Agam” graphics have circulated on social media, in both Israel and abroad.
“This Thursday, in a show of solidarity with Agam and all the remaining hostages, let’s have all of our female students come to school wearing braids,” Fuchs Mizrachi School, an Orthodox day school in Beachwood, Ohio, posted on Facebook on Tuesday.
It added, “Yellow ribbons will be provided to tie in!”
The origins of the initiative, like many others associated with advocacy on behalf of the hostages, is unclear. Following the release of the four soldiers over the weekend, an account began circulating that characterised Berger as “the mystery braider” of Gaza. A news story to that effect was published, then deleted, amid concerns that amplifying Berger’s prominence could put her at risk on the eve of her release — especially after her family called on the public not to make her the center of attention.
Agam Berger, updated to remove the 🎗️ pic.twitter.com/DlAy347BIC
— S ilan block (@IlanBlock) January 30, 2025
among serpents pic.twitter.com/3DcJBcLBE2
— S ilan block (@IlanBlock) January 31, 2025
In Gadi Mozes, the octogenarian freed from Gaza, Israelis see an iconic ‘kibbutznik’
Thursday’s chaotic hostage release, which saw a crush of fighters push two captives through a restless crowd, shocked viewers and sparked a crisis in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
It also left Israelis with at least one lasting image: Hostage Gadi Mozes, 80, walking upright among the masked gunmen, with what appeared to be the faintest of smiles on his face.
To many Israelis, the photo symbolised not only the resilience of an elderly hostage after almost 16 months of captivity; it was also a testament to the particular Israeli way of life Mozes embodies.
Several of the posts emphasised that Mozes is a kibbutznik — a resident of the border community of Nir Oz who, before Oct. 7, 2023, was known for his potato farming. But to Israelis, the word “kibbutznik,” especially when applied to an octogenarian, connotes more than just an address.
While Israel’s kibbutz movement has declined over the past 40 years, in the early days of the country — Mozes’ youth — the kibbutz symbolised a pioneering ethos, a hardy work ethic and a communitarian spirit. In past decades, kibbutzniks comprised a disproportionate share of Israel’s military and political leadership.
To some of those who shared the photo of Mozes, that’s the message that came through.
“He’s the salt of the earth, a classic kibbutznik,” one Israeli posted on X.
“Wow Gadi Mozes, 80-year-old kibbutznik, made of humanity’s toughest stuff,” Ram Shefa, a former Israeli lawmaker, posted on Facebook above the photo. “Welcome back to the community of Nir Oz and Israel.”
“We have Gadi Mozes, an 80-year-old alpha male, a strong kibbutznik,” wrote another Israeli on Facebook. “Survived for a year and a half and returned a hero.”
Gadi Mozes pic.twitter.com/YY6wNHtzZi
— S ilan block (@IlanBlock) January 30, 2025
A promise kept. Yair Mozes vowed not to shave until his father, Gadi Mozes, was home. Yesterday, that moment finally came—Gadi returned, and Yair kept his word.
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 31, 2025
A powerful reminder of resilience, hope, and the unbreakable bond of family. pic.twitter.com/UZMq1jnPlu
The Moses family is in complete formation with Grandpa Gadi after his release from Hams's captivity at Friday Erev Shabbat dinner.🎗️ pic.twitter.com/vfO1wUXvrD
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) January 31, 2025
💥 According to @N12News, released hostage Gadi Mozes (80), was held at one point in a truck for 12 hours under @ICRC offices in Gaza. Mozes also had “mortal fear” during the release that he and Arbel Yehoud would be lynched by the mob around them.
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) January 31, 2025
Care to comment Red Cross? pic.twitter.com/Vlx65vNcWZ
Five Thai nationals and three Israeli hostages were released after 482 days in captivity, but you likely didn’t see the Thai hostages in the media.
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 30, 2025
Why?
Hamas didn't show them.
Parading foreign workers they brutally kidnapped doesn’t exactly fit their narrative. pic.twitter.com/QRpKPW0bT4
Hamas kidnapped these random non-Israelis after beheading one of their colleagues with a garden hoe, then held them hostage for 482 days. Israel helped negotiate their release and held a public celebration when they got out, complete with Thai food made by Israeli chefs. Twitter: pic.twitter.com/hd5qxJxHLz
— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) January 31, 2025
Actress Mayim Bialik on the Israeli hostages ordeal: “I don’t really sleep at night, I feel like it’s something I need to monitor, I want to see them, these are kids, some of the female soldiers have been on duty for two days before October 7th” ❤️🩹 pic.twitter.com/nNNxh8hV0k
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 30, 2025
The mother of a murdered hostage on faith & freeing the rest from H@mas… #israel #hostages #palestine #gaza #news #jews #jewish #faith #religion #president pic.twitter.com/4UXfXZZFWW
— Zach Sage Fox (@zachsagefox) January 31, 2025
When seeing the videos of Arbel walking through all those men in uniform… scary. Schokking. Lonely.
— Assita Kanko MEP (@Assita_Kanko) January 30, 2025
I wish I could read this in the press or in a press release of UN Women. Where are the women ? Where are the women in those masses of people around the hostages? pic.twitter.com/aXKB6T6Vz9
What we saw today was a sadistic spectacle – aided and abetted by a feckless Red Cross, a duplicitious “neutral mediator” in the form of Qatar (it was even produced by an Al Jazeera journalist!), and an indifferent “international community”. Me on @TimesRadio this evening. pic.twitter.com/qQNg89tJAS
— Adam Ma’anit 🎗️ (@adammaanit) January 30, 2025
Reminder: The @ICRC's international law lessons to Hamas didn't quite stick pic.twitter.com/EpE3oCNvZY
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) January 31, 2025
Israeli volunteer ambulance corp. pic.twitter.com/i6ydGF2y3e
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 31, 2025
2/2:
— Documenting Israel (@DocumentIsrael) January 31, 2025
Psalms 18:38 https://t.co/iJ0HeefseA
The rest of the Psalm says "I did not turn back till I destroyed them."
Int'l media is lacking empathy, even as the hostages come home
People who care about Israel around the world know that the effort to get positive – or even somewhat fair – coverage of the Jewish state in the international media can be a Sisyphean task.
The mythological Greek king Sisyphus was condemned by the gods to eternally roll an immense boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down every time it came close to the top. There was no mercy or empathy for Sisyphus. And there has been almost no mercy or empathy for Israel in the international media since the horrible attacks of Oct. 7, 2023 – with three notable exceptions.
Israel received positive coverage on Oct. 7 itself, until the IDF got its act together and started fighting back later that day. And the media was empathetic again when Iran launched its missile and drone attacks on April 13 and October 1, 2024.
This and favorable reports on Monday’s International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (except for shows such as Good Morning Britain on ITV that forgot its Jewish victims) proved the thesis of Dara Horn’s 2021 book People Love Dead Jews.
Those looking for empathy from the media over the past two weeks for the nine young Israeli women, and one elderly man, who finally returned to their loving families – and for the nation that prayed for them – were left largely disappointed.
The lead photo on the cover of The New York Times International on Monday, January 20, the day after Romi Leshem Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and UK citizen Emily Damari were released, was yet another picture of Khan Yunis with the headline “Gazans dreaming of home.” The regular American edition had a massive photo of the Jabalya refugee camp and a smaller one of Damari.
What a disgraceful display—this heartless BBC presenter is trying to lecture a hostage’s family member and “both side” it when he talks about his pain. And for what? To score points with an audience that already despises her? https://t.co/oewfQNn9RF
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 31, 2025
Is @CBSNews running PR for Hamas?
— CAMERAorg (@CAMERAorg) January 31, 2025
They label Kfar Aza—a kibbutz in internationally recognized Israeli territory which was brutally attacked on October 7th—as a “settlement”.
It’s no surprise that their Gaza-based producer, Marwan Al-Ghoul has made vile antisemitic remarks. pic.twitter.com/UtXEZtScA8
Ah look at this happy story on the @BBCNews site about a father reunited with his daughters after 22 years in jail.
— Nicole Lampert (@nicolelampert) January 31, 2025
The BBC was a little secretive about what exactly he was jailed for saying only Hussain Nassar ‘was arrested in 2003 for taking part in the second Palestinian… pic.twitter.com/bKFfptI8vM
Wow, the @nytimes spent more time correcting the spelling of Arbel’s name than misrepresenting that she was a soldier.
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) January 31, 2025
The NYT is truly a fake news outlet. I. pic.twitter.com/QCS2YfBSAt
Daniel Greenfield: Hamas Deal Puts U.S. Boots on the Ground
The Biden administration rolled Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's envoy, into signing off on their deal to save Hamas...
Witkoff admitted to Fox News that he had done nothing but agree to the Biden administration's May 27 protocol... and all he had done was to "speed up the process" by pressuring Israel into making every possible concession to Hamas. By getting Trump to accept the Biden deal, Witkoff and his allies in the Trump transition team, some of whom are associated with the pro-Iran Koch network, had also bound President Trump to a comprehensive nation-building project...
Trump is right to be skeptical. And he was right when he said: "You certainly can't have the people that were there. Most of them are dead. But they didn't exactly run it well. They run viciously and badly. You can't have that."
But the deal foisted on him by Biden, Qatar, Witkoff and his Koch network allies does just that. It saves Hamas and puts the terrorists back in power.
The Trump administration can exit the Biden deal and the sooner we do it, the easier it will be.
Any rebuilding will be to the benefit of Hamas. And will put billions into the pockets of Islamic terrorists, just the way that our reconstruction projects in Afghanistan financed the Taliban.
And having US veterans risking their lives to inspect terrorists moving around Gaza is senseless.
This piece of garbage is responsible for the death of 20 year old IDF soldier Staff Sgt. Liam Hazi
— Documenting Israel (@DocumentIsrael) January 31, 2025
Today the IDF killed him.
Look at the so called "innocent kids and civilians" who hang around trash like this.
Are their lives more valuable than the lives of our dear soldiers? https://t.co/3ib4x8hCD4 pic.twitter.com/sIzqtshWBA
Train stations in Israel are filled with stickers commemorating our fallen IDF hero soldiers! pic.twitter.com/KZu6BdhlkX
— Hamas Atrocities (@HamasAtrocities) January 31, 2025
IDF forces just took out over five explosives labs in Judea and Samaria during counterterrorism ops. pic.twitter.com/Ydb8FNL9Da
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 31, 2025
If Europe (🇪🇺) wants to "help", after decades of failed, counterproductive policies, @kajakallas @eeas etal must demonstrate fundamental changes - particularly in preventing terrorism vs Israelis.
— Prof Gerald M Steinberg (@GeraldNGOM) January 31, 2025
My 2020 article on the EUBAM fiasco highlights the reasons for skepticism:… pic.twitter.com/9I1PdW6WDc
Once again, .@UNRWA ‘s “humanitarian facilities” are exposed as terror hubs.
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) January 31, 2025
IDF forces conducting counterterrorism operations in Jenin found a stash of weapons inside of an UNRWA health center. UNRWA keeps claiming they are a humanitarian organization, yet their facilities… pic.twitter.com/11sBiShMUU
Dec 11, 2023
— The Mossad: Satirical and Awesome (@TheMossadIL) January 31, 2025
Large explosive devices were found inside UNRWA bags in a civilian home in Jabalya. pic.twitter.com/VGuhb5Emte
Was the Pager Operation in which Israel blew up thousands of Hezbollah terrorists a form of terrorism?
— Max Abrahms (@MaxAbrahms) January 30, 2025
NYU Law Professor @howserob argues the Pager Operation was terrorism.
I argue it was not.
Please watch & share our debate at Northeastern University.https://t.co/rwEzlUAIJe
An absolute scandal: Hamas is officially declaring that its military chief, Mohammed el-Deif, has been killed in Gaza during the war. An Israeli airstrike in July 2024 at the al-Mawasi safe zone in southern Gaza killed el-Deif, the military mastermind of October 7, along with… pic.twitter.com/JOw4oG7LTm
— Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib (@afalkhatib) January 30, 2025
At Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, worshippers held an "absentee prayer" for slain Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, the mastermind of October 7. https://t.co/ejIxB4Arek
— Khaled Abu Toameh (@KhaledAbuToameh) January 31, 2025
Quds News debunk their own lies…
— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) January 31, 2025
They claim 'genocide' in a post about 15 dead terrorists.
Genocides target civilians, not terrorists. https://t.co/42vnVJXVRu
A funeral took place today in Khan Yunis for 15 Hamas members killed in the war.
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) January 31, 2025
---
This I believe this is only a fraction of Hamas members killed in the war. pic.twitter.com/VVObQ4S48t
The same people who claimed Gaza was an "open air prison", now claim its ethnic cleansing if Gazans are allowed to leave of their own free will.
— Israel Advocacy Movement (@israel_advocacy) January 31, 2025
So wait… they actually want it to be a prison?
Hundreds of Egyptians protest near the Rafah border crossing, waving Egyptian flags and voicing their opposition to Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians to Egypt. Their concern is understandable; they don’t want violent terrorists in their country. But ultimately, they have no… pic.twitter.com/TZtutUJU9N
— Awesome Jew (@JewsAreTheGOAT) January 31, 2025
Humanitarian aid entry, second week of the hostage release deal:
— COGAT (@cogatonline) January 31, 2025
4,200 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip this week, carrying food, fuel, medical supplies, tents and shelter equipment.
This is in accordance with the terms of the deal for the return of Israeli… pic.twitter.com/BACk5w8gS4
Tikvah Podcast: Amit Segal on Israel’s 60-Year-Old Prisoner Dilemma
On January 15, Israel and Hamas agreed to a temporary cease-fire. About 30 Israeli hostages would be released, each one in exchange for some 30 to 50 convicted terrorists in Israeli prisons. Of course, this is a controversial arrangement that sets a terrible precedent to incentivize future hostage-taking.
At the same time, imagine if your mother or father or daughter or friend were among the hostages. Then you wouldn’t really care about that future risk when confronted with the chance to return your own loved one to safety. As many have said, it is a very bad deal, and it is easy to understand why Israelis would support it, even in full knowledge of the risk.
There have by now been many discussions and analyses of this deal and what it means. I recently hosted one of those discussions with the former U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, and the former American special representative for Iran, Elliott Abrams. Today’s conversation is meant to be a little different. It takes a broader, more capacious historical view of how Israel has dealt with this tragic dilemma over the last five decades.
Israel for many years has insisted that it would not negotiate with terrorists. It said that when planes full of Israeli hostages were taken in the late 1960s and it has developed a reputation for this tough-minded, hard-headed position. At the same time, it has always negotiated with terrorists, starting with the planes full of hostages taken in the late 1960s. In this its rhetorical position and its actions have always been at odds and remain so today. That’s the messiness of practical, prudential judgment in a democracy when the lives of citizens are at stake. To understand this history, and unpack the dilemma at its heart, Mosaic’s editor Jonathan Silver is joined by the Israeli journalist Amit Segal, who can be seen on Israel’s Channel 12 and whose work can be read in the pages of Yedioth Ahronoth.
Eli Lake of The Free Press joined Hugh to discuss the hostages released today and how the abuse of them may change the prospects for phase 2 of “the deal,” the new national security appointees of President Trump, and Eli’s new podcast “Breaking History.”https://t.co/VvAXRya7pe
— HughHewittShowLinks (@HHSLinks) January 31, 2025
Call me Back Podcast - with Dan Senor: Decoding Trump’s Foreign Policy - with Walter Russell Mead
As Israelis continue to observe the implementation of the hostage deal, we sat down with Walter Russell Mead for a conversation about U.S. foreign policy under the new Trump administration. How do we make sense of the president’s approach as he enters his new administration? What are the implications - both for the Middle East and other geopolitical hotspots? And, where does the hostage/ceasefire deal fit in this new and larger geopolitical context?
Walter Russell Mead is the “Global View” columnist at the Wall Street Journal. He is the Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at Hudson Institute, the Alexander Hamilton Professor of Strategy and Statecraft with the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida. He was previously the Henry Kissinger fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
He is also a prolific author. His most recent book is -- The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People.
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
04:17 What may be the rationale behind Trump’s foreign policy?
07:15 Trump’s presidency as a steady force rather than an aberration
09:42 Trump’s approach to Putin and the Russia-Ukraine war
15:21 Should we be surprised by Trump’s tone about China?
17:50 Trump’s use of provocations and the story of Greenland
24:09 Trump’s remark to “clean out Gaza”
29:34 What are the lessons from the fall of the Assad regime?
31:36 Israel’s strategic positioning post October 7th
38:10 Does the ceasefire symbolize the end of the war?
42:56 The importance of the hostage deal within regional geopolitics
Jonny Gould's Jewish State: 174: Ghaith al-Omari, Palestinian negotiator: "We need to reconstruct Gaza to support reasonable and moderate Palestinian voices"
Find the rest of Jonny's podcasts here and support him with a well-earned coffee here.Mayim Bialik and Hen Mazzig on the Hostage Release
I was in Brussels as the European Jewish Association gathered experts together from all backgrounds to discuss Middle East post October 7th.
In between sessions in the hotel conference centre, I found myself outside the entrance with Ghaith al-Omari, taking in the fresh air and we started talking.
Sporting a Prince of Wales Check suit, Bohemian ponytail and smoking what looked like a Gitanes, Ghaith and I drummed up a chat that moved onto the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which he was involved in.
As part of the Palestinian Authority, he advised the negotiating team during the permanent-status negotiations for two years from 1999, including the Camp David summit and the Taba talks.
It broke down, as we know, but then he helped draft the Geneva Initiative, an unofficial model aimed at a modified resolution.
He’s now a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute, where he continues to provide insights on Palestinian politics, Middle East diplomacy, and the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship.
With his easygoing manner, I felt I could ask Ghaith any question, which I did, as I wondered how big will the peace industry grow while we wait for the world’s most intractable war to finish?
My interview with the amazing @JlemDateline pic.twitter.com/eNyy8Ke6nl
— Tal Oran (@travelingclatt) January 31, 2025
POV: You're about to watch the worst two people on the internet salivate over Hamas terrorists pic.twitter.com/U29BYwDmyp
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) January 31, 2025
Info on EuroMedhttps://t.co/fo7Tga2Uk0
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) January 31, 2025
Pro Palestinians are SICK 🇸🇩🤮 pic.twitter.com/pgd2qcnt24
— Tal Oran (@travelingclatt) January 29, 2025
Your average pro-Palestinian. pic.twitter.com/bJIncXlSCF
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) January 31, 2025
Isn't that sweet. They've illustrated the article with the spitter. Such a fine comrade. https://t.co/FDwJnvSv6t pic.twitter.com/Q9wBNsUSNH
— habibi (@habibi_uk) January 31, 2025
Speaking to the average Pro Palestinian be like… pic.twitter.com/QpfUSJiW48
— Tal Oran (@travelingclatt) January 31, 2025
Buy EoZ's books on Amazon! "He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024) PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022) |
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