Wednesday, February 12, 2025

02/12 Links Pt1: Eugene Kontorovich: Next, Defund the United Nations; Jordan and Egypt Are Repeating Abbas’s Mistake; How USAID Funded Hamas

From Ian:

Eugene Kontorovich: Next, Defund the United Nations
If an America-first approach means anything, it should be that the U.S. won’t pay international bureaucrats to do what it forbids its own employees to do. Most federal workers are at least U.S. citizens, voters and taxpayers. Employees at international organizations generally aren’t, and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency should seek to cut U.S. contributions to these agencies by significantly more than it cuts the federal bureaucracy. Only about a sixth of U.S. spending goes to mandatory membership dues to organizations. The rest is voluntary.

DOGE should begin by ending voluntary contributions to agencies that have adopted DEI or gender ideology agendas. Federal law already requires defunding U.N.-affiliated international organizations that accept Palestine as a member state. The failure, since the Obama administration, to enforce this law has undermined American credibility at the U.N.

It is impossible to quit entities like Unrwa, which Mr. Trump defunded this week, because they are U.N. subsidiaries rather than free-standing entities. While defunding them is necessary, past aid cuts have been reversed by subsequent Democratic administrations. Such agencies can ride out a liquidity squeeze.

Durable reform involves ending the U.S. relationship, as Mr. Trump has already done with the World Health Organization. Because these are treaty organizations, rejoining would be subject to congressional approval. DOGE and the State Department should review U.S. membership in these organizations with the same determination to make permanent cuts that they have shown domestically. Take one example: The International Labor Organization has been around since the League of Nations, despite massive changes in the global economy and labor relations. But the ILO has kept up with the times by embracing DEI and LGBT issues.

The Trump administration can also cut U.S. contributions to the U.N. peacekeeping system. Peacekeeping is one of the biggest parts of the U.N.’s budget, and the U.S. pays the lion’s share. Unlike other U.N. programs, peacekeeping operations must be regularly reauthorized by the U.N. Security Council, and the U.S. can veto them. Missions to be vetoed should include the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, which has shielded Hezbollah, and the U.N. Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, whose function has been made moot by U.S. recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.

Peacekeeping is the jewel in the crown of the U.N. system, evoking nostalgia for the original vision of the U.N. as an army that stops bad guys around the world. Starting by canceling a few of these missions may be one of the few ways the Trump administration could show the secretariat that there will be consequences for failing to reform.
Seth Mandel: Jordan and Egypt Are Repeating Abbas’s Mistake
It’s worth taking a brief walk down memory lane here. In the last year of his first term, Trump proposed a demilitarized Palestinian state without requiring Israel to disband its settlements in the West Bank. Instead, land swaps inside Israel would make up for the lost territory. The plan included massive investment in the Palestinian economy and “transportation links” connecting Gaza to the West Bank.

It was the first time an offer to the Palestinians was worse than previous offers. Abbas’s decision to walk away from a 2008 offer from Israel that gave the Palestinians everything they wanted came at a cost. Until Trump came into office, the Palestinian Authority had been rewarded for turning down statehood in 2000 and 2008. Now, Abbas was horrified by both the plan and the concept of his actions having consequences. “We say a thousand times over: no, no, no,” was his response.

It is now five years later and Abbas seems to realize that if he doesn’t do something soon, the next Trump statehood offer is going to make the 2020 plan look like—well, look like the generous 2008 plan he walked away from. So he wants to go back in time.

It is hard to overstate just how much Trump has shaken up the Mideast status quo. The old process went something like this: The U.S. and Saudi Arabia and Egypt would ask the Palestinians’ permission to do something that shouldn’t have required the Palestinians’ permission. The Palestinians would say no, and so no one would do anything.

Trump had no patience for it. He moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem because it was American property on Israeli territory and therefore had nothing to do with the Palestinians.

In the past, no regional deals could move forward unless the Palestinians were at the center of negotiations. But this time, when the Palestinians told Trump they weren’t interested, he moved on. The Abraham Accords with Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE were signed eight months after Abbas declared his “thousand” no’s.

Egypt and Jordan ought to think about how this history might be a precedent for their current stalemate with the president. Mahmoud Abbas rejected deals without offering a counter-proposal, and he paid dearly for it.

Trump wants the Arab countries in the Middle East to play a constructive role in figuring out what to do with Gaza. Egypt is the recipient of billions in U.S. aid and a poor relationship with high-ranking Democrats in Congress, especially the Senate. Jordan is unlikely to elicit much sympathy from Trump. These countries may not like Trump’s opening bid here, but as Mahmoud Abbas can tell them, the alternative is to wake up one day five years later wishing you’d at least engaged with it.


What’s Behind Hamas’s Threat to Stall the Release of Hostages, and How Israel Should Respond
Hamas declared yesterday that it won’t release more hostages “until further notice.” Given the timing and wording of the announcement—several days before the release was supposed to take place, and speaking of a delay rather than a halt—Ron Ben-Yishai concludes that it is a negotiating tactic, aimed at “creating a temporary crisis to gain leverage.” Therefore, writes Ben-Yishai, “Hamas may reverse its decision by Saturday.” He adds:

Israel cannot afford to concede to Hamas’s demands beyond what is already outlined in the agreement, as doing so would invite continuous extortion throughout the negotiation process, further delaying hostage releases.

The group sees the public outrage and growing calls for action following the release of hostages in severe medical condition as an opportunity to extract more concessions. These demands include not only a rapid start to negotiations on the next phase of the deal and an end to the war but also smaller, immediate benefits, particularly improved conditions for displaced Gazans.

Beyond these tactical objectives, Hamas has another goal—one that Israelis do not always recognize: inflicting psychological pain on the Israeli public. The group benefits from, and perhaps even draws strength from, the anguish and emotional distress in Israel, as well as the testimonies of freed hostages detailing the abuse they endured. Hamas wants these stories to be heard—not only to pressure the Israeli government but also because, in the eyes of its supporters, Israel’s suffering is its ultimate victory.


Hamas will not release all Gaza hostages on Saturday, spokesman says
Senior Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri spoke to Al Jazeera on Wednesday evening and stated that Hamas is "committed" to implementing the previously agreed schedule of the hostage deal and that they will not release "all" Israeli hostages on Saturday.

Abu Zuhri's comments likely came as part of a larger statement to Al Jazeera regarding Hamas's views towards the potential breakdown of the ceasefire agreement.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that if Hamas does not release the Israeli hostages by Saturday, all hell will break loose.

This referenced US President Donald Trump when he said, "If all the Gaza hostages aren't returned by Saturday at 12 p.m., I would say cancel the ceasefire. Let all hell break loose; Israel can override it," on Tuesday.

"But as far as I'm concerned... I would say cancel it, and all bets are off," he added. "All of them, not in drips and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two," Trump added.


How USAID Funded Hamas
The money has kept flowing, as the U.S. has distributed $2.1 billion in Gaza since Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages on October 7, 2023. But the warning signs predate October 7. The USAID’s Inspector General—now raising the alarm about Trump’s shutdown of the agency—has consistently voiced concern over lax vetting mechanisms and inadvertent terror funding in the region.

The watchdog community has echoed these concerns. In December 2024, the group NGO Monitor highlighted USAID’s lack of transparency, reporting that it allocated $200 million to “miscellaneous foreign awardees” operating in the West Bank and Gaza. USAID identified neither the recipients of these funds nor their local partners. In 2021, NGO Monitor warned that alterations to USAID’s anti-terror vetting practices made the group “vulnerable to engagement with grantees and/or partners linked to terrorist organizations, or with groups that support, glorify, or excuse violence.”

Such misuse of taxpayer dollars could not have happened without significant failures of oversight from the State Department, which needs its own reckoning. The State Department should have more strictly supervised and prevented the agency’s corruption. Instead, department staffers were busy enacting soft coups from within by pushing back against former President Joe Biden’s Middle East policy, which they absurdly deemed too pro-Israel.

These subversive trends were mirrored within USAID itself. As revealed this week by the Washington Free Beacon, “USAID staffers went as far as to urge the Biden State Department to end military aid to Israel.” In 2021, then-USAID Administrator Samantha Power refused to meet with Israel’s ambassador unless Israel reached a ceasefire with Hamas—in direct contradiction to the plans of the White House National Security Council.

The absurdity here is as staggering as the implications are disturbing. For years, a contingent within USAID has actively subverted American foreign policy and greenlit aid to terror-tied entities without properly vetting them or, worse, vetting them and greenlighting anyway. We are only now scratching the surface of what’s happened.

The solution isn’t just closing USAID. A full investigation, led by newly confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, must be launched into the State Department’s role in these failures. The American people deserve answers—not just about USAID’s missteps, but about a State Department that let this happen on its watch.
Report prompts allegations of ‘vast’ USAID funds for Hamas
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Monday accused the United States Agency for International Development of providing “vast and secret” funding for Hamas following new revelations about USAID’s practices vis-à-vis Israel and the Palestinians.

On X, Cruz accompanied his allegation with a link to an exposé published Monday by the Washington Free Beacon that detailed cases of alleged funding by USAID of Hamas and terrorist-affiliated entities and the agency’s record of hostile lobbying against the Jewish state.

“The full story of funding Hamas is vast, and much of it was done in secret,” Cruz wrote. “Before and after October 7, [2023], USAID flowed uncountable hundreds of millions of dollars toward Hamas that enabled it to launch the attack and keep battling Israel afterwards. They lied about the nature of that aid in public databases, refused to disclose what groups were getting the money, and gave tens of millions in American cash to be distributed without American supervision.”

Internally, Cruz added, USAID “admitted the aid would benefit Hamas, and even exempted themselves from anti-terrorism laws, but in public issued denials.”

The exposé referenced a report published last month by NGO Monitor, a Jerusalem-based watchdog, which showed funding in 2023 to the tune of $9 million by USAID to Mercy Corps, a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Mercy Corps worked to distribute the money among households in Gaza with the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Social Development, according to U.N. documents revealed in the report.

USAID has earmarked $36.7 million for Mercy Corps projects in Judea and Samaria and Gaza since 2021, beyond the $9 million project in 2022, the report showed.


If Jordan Doesn’t Want to Accept Displaced Palestinians, It Has to Come Up with a Better Plan for Gaza
Yesterday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II met with President Trump at the White House, and announced that he has agreed to bring 2,000 Gazan children to his country for medical treatment. Ghaith al-Omari wrote, just prior to Abdullah’s visit:

Politically, the Gaza war spurred the resurgence of the Muslim Brotherhood [in Jordan], who mirrored Hamas’s talking points and leveraged the public outcry over Israel’s military operations to their benefit. Amman bears part of the blame for this trend. Jordanian officials have harshly criticized Israel during the war, arguing that this approach was needed to contain public anger. Yet by riding the wave of popular discontent, they also fed that wave, reinforcing the Brotherhood’s message. . . . In the West Bank, growing instability could eventually spill over into Jordan—a threat that is further complicated by Amman’s very tense political relations with Israel.

And then yesterday Abdullah sat through a press conference while the president spoke of his commitment to the depopulation of Gaza. Al-Omari explains why Jordan objects to the plan, and how it should respond:

Trump’s proposal poses genuine threats to the kingdom’s national security. . . . One thing is clear: transferring Gazans to Jordan would inevitably help Hamas reestablish a foothold in the kingdom, which authorities have been diligently combating since expelling the terrorist group’s leaders in 1999.

What is needed is a detailed, practical, coordinated approach by likeminded Arab governments, and Trump’s proposal has put the ball squarely in their court to come up with alternatives. What the king can—and should—do is present practical ideas for what he is willing to do in Gaza, consistent with Jordan’s modest capabilities.
Jordan's Abdullah visibly shaken while commenting on Trump's Gaza plan
International media highlighted the tense demeanor of Jordan’s King Abdullah II during his meeting with US President Donald Trump. The king appeared nervous, concerned and embarrassed, frequently blinking in tension as Trump presented conditions that seemed more like orders than proposals.

CNN reported that while Abdullah, seated beside Trump, did not directly reject the president’s idea, his discomfort was evident. He hinted that alternative proposals for Gaza would soon be introduced.

"This is not a complex thing to accomplish," Trump told Abdullah in the Oval Office. "And with the United States controlling that piece of land—a rather large piece of land—you will have stability in the Middle East for the first time."

Abdullah responded cautiously, emphasizing regional considerations. "I think we have to remember, there is a plan from Egypt and the Arab states," he said. "I think the point is, how do we make this work in a way that is good for everyone?" Later, he added, "Let’s not get ahead of ourselves."

Al Jazeera noted the king’s diplomatic approach, noting that he avoided direct confrontation with Trump while subtly pointing to an Egyptian-led alternative. Multiple international media outlets highlighted that Trump’s statements made Abdullah visibly shift uncomfortably in his chair and blink profusely as he underscored the importance of an Arab plan for Gaza.

"I must consider the best interests of my country," he stated, suggesting that any decision should wait until Egypt’s proposals were presented. Abdullah seeks to ease tensions

In an effort to ease tensions, Abdullah announced that Jordan would accept 2,000 sick children from Gaza for medical treatment—an initiative that Trump praised. However, the president continued to push his vision of transforming Gaza into a coastal resort with hotels and housing for people from across the Middle East.

Yoni Ben-Menachem, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, analyzed the meeting, describing the king’s response as a strategic concession.

"The king ultimately made a small retreat. He came very well prepared to this meeting to avoid a direct confrontation with Trump," Ben-Menachem said. He added that the decision to accept 2,000 Gazan children was a calculated move to sidestep conflict, one that Trump readily embraced.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi later reinforced Amman’s stance on Jordanian television, affirming commitment to the Arab plan for Gaza’s reconstruction without displacing its residents and stressing the importance of a Palestinian state.


US said to accept IDF request to remain in 5 south Lebanon posts after Feb. 18 deadline
The United States had reportedly authorized a “long-term” Israeli troop presence in southern Lebanon, as Israel is said to seek an extension to a February 18 deadline to withdraw its forces.

Under a truce deal brokered by Washington in November, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where they had waged a ground offensive against fighters from Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah since early October.

Hezbollah operatives were to leave the zone and Lebanese troops were to deploy in the area within the same period.

The initial deadline was already extended from January 26 until February 18. A Lebanese official and a foreign diplomat in Lebanon told Reuters on Wednesday that Israel has asked to remain in five posts in the south for a further 10 days, until February 28.

The Kan public broadcaster later cited senior officials in Israel’s security cabinet as saying that the US had granted Israeli troops permission to stay “in several locations” in Lebanon beyond February 18. It did not specify a new deadline.

Kan said that the IDF has begun establishing the five outposts where it would like to remain after receiving approval from Washington.

The request to remain in those five outposts came after the US rejected previous requests for the IDF to extend the deadline, Kan said.

While establishing the new outposts, IDF forces are withdrawing from nearby Shiite villages, including in southeast Lebanon and the Mount Dov area, according to Kan.

The withdrawals come as the Israeli security establishment has identified efforts by Hezbollah to reestablish its intelligence-gathering capabilities in southern Lebanon, the network said.


Proof of life emerges for hostage Omri Miran after 495 days in Gaza
A recently released hostage has provided the first confirmation in months that Omri Miran, 47, held captive in Gaza, was alive and in relatively stable condition as of July.

“We received confirmation of Omri’s condition through one of the returned hostages,” his brother Boaz revealed on Tuesday, speaking about Omri, who has now been in captivity for 495 days. “They shared that his condition was generally stable during their time together when they were being held in both tunnels and residential buildings.”

However, Boaz emphasized the dated nature of this information, noting that their last contact was in July, when Hamas separated the hostages.

“Everything we know is only valid until that point of separation. The situation could have changed dramatically since then, so while we’re grateful for any information, it doesn’t provide much comfort.

“We believe Hamas may have separated them because they fell into different categories of hostages, especially as there were negotiations underway at that time,” Boaz said.

The family is adamant about the need for immediate, comprehensive action.

“We’re demanding the simultaneous release of all hostages,” Boaz Miran said. “The current situation is untenable. Their physical condition is deteriorating, and they won’t survive another drawn-out, phased-release process. If we’re moving toward an agreement—even one that might be seen as a surrender—then it needs to secure everyone’s immediate return.”


Israel consul general buys Times Square ad to raise awareness of hostages
A Consulate General of Israel in New York billboard advertisement in Times Square in Midtown Manhattan raises awareness of hostages still being held captive by the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip.

It points out the subpar condition of those who have been released, showing images of the three Israeli men freed on Feb. 8, reminding the international community of “the immense threat that Hamas poses.”

The ad, which is slated to stay up for “at least a week” according to the consulate, states that “Hamas are savages.” It is accompanied by video footage of the emaciated men—Or Levy, 34; Eli Sharabi, 52; and Ohad Ben Ami, 56—after 491 days in captivity.

U.S. President Donald Trump likened their appearance to that of Holocaust survivors.

“Hamas are the successors of the Nazis. These images are clear and undeniable proof of that. Our forces found Adolf Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ in Hamas headquarters,” said Ofir Akunis, the Israeli consul general in New York. “Hamas, like the Nazis, openly calls for, and acts toward, the destruction of the Jewish people. The world must recognize this reality and fight Hamas on every front.”

“Hamas tortured, starved and brutalized the Israeli hostages. Their suffering is unimaginable,” Akunis wrote on its official Instagram account. “The world must know! ‘Never Again’ is now.”


BREAKING: Hostage Deal in Crisis | What's At Stake?
In this episode of Israel: State of a Nation, former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy speaks with Lishay Lavi, whose husband, Omri Miran, remains a hostage in Gaza. While Phase 1 of the hostage deal has brought some captives home, Phase 2 remains uncertain—leaving families like Lishay’s in limbo. As international pressure mounts, former US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the situation, calling for stronger action to bring the remaining hostages home.

This conversation examines:
🔹 The status of Phase 2 and what’s holding up negotiations
🔹 Why international pressure remains critical at this stage
🔹 How hostage families are advocating for continued action
🔹 The long-term implications of the ongoing crisis

As negotiations hang in the balance, this episode provides key insights into the complexities of the hostage situation and what must happen next.

00:00 Coming Up
00:21 Monologue
04:44 Welcome
10:25 Life Since October 7th
17:50 Phase 2 Negotiations
21:30 The Fight for Omri’s Life
30:55 The Day After
46:00 Outro


Free hostages or destroy Hamas: Which way for Israel? | Israel Undiplomatic,Mark Regev & Ruthie Blum
President #Trump has once again changed the rules of the game by demanding that #Hamas free all the remaining hostages in #Gaza by Saturday, February 15th. However, Prime Minister Netanyahu must now decide if the IDF will follow through with Trump’s ultimatum. It remains to be seen how Israel will approach the impossible choice between freeing more hostages or destroying Hamas.

Join JNS senior contributing editor Ruthie Blum and Mark Regev, former Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom—both former advisers at the Prime Minister’s Office—for an in-depth discussion of this difficult decision facing Netanyahu.


Commentary Podcast: The Man Who Sat in the Oval
As liberals continue to criticize and make fun of Donald Trump's Gaza clearance plan, it still stands as the only proposal on the table—so it's more likely to constitute a roadmap for the future than anything else is right now. The inability of Trump's enemies even to answer his ideas is the overarching theme of today's podcast.
Erin Molan: 'All Hell Breaks Loose': Molan blasts world leaders for their failure after Trump/Bibi ultimatum!"
Join Erin Molan in this explosive breakdown of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 'Bibi' Netanyahu’s bold response to President Donald Trump’s high-stakes ultimatum to Hamas! As tensions soar in the Middle East, Trump has set a Saturday noon deadline for the release of all Israeli hostages, warning that 'all hell will break loose' if Hamas fails to comply. In this gripping episode, Erin dives deep into Netanyahu’s historic decision to rally his cabinet in unanimous support of Trump’s plan, while facing fierce backlash from protesters and regional leaders. With exclusive insights, expert analysis, and fiery commentary, Erin unpacks the global implications of this dramatic showdown. Will this ceasefire hold, or is the region on the brink of chaos? Don’t miss this critical update on one of the most pivotal moments in the Israel-Hamas conflict! She also blasts other world leaders for their failure to act!!!


Jonny Gould: 176: Tal Hartuv: "Evil never made me cry, but kindness makes me weep"
There’s a higher consciousness and awareness about Tal Hartuv.

She's grounded but spiritual, realistic but also optimistic.

Because Tal’s very existence since 2010 is an improbable miracle.

She makes one imagine the dead returning to recount the experience of their murder.

In December of that year, she was brutally attacked by Hamas terrorists while hiking the hills around Jerusalem alongside her friend, Kristine Luken, an American Christian.

Kristine was murdered next to her, but Tal survived by playing dead despite severe injuries, including 18 machete wounds and numerous broken bones.

Tal describes in disturbing detail the attack itself (don’t look away) and then reflects on how its changed her, what she was like before and after it, what she thinks of the current 🎗️deal and being labelled a victim when she’s anything but.

The attackers who harmed her and killed Kristine are supposed to serve long sentences, but one of the murderers is released in a terrorist-for-hostage-swap agreement.

But how does she manage her survivor's guilt when her friend didn’t make it?

Her multiple wounds cause pain when she moves and is a constant visceral reminder of what happened.

How does that impact her life, physically and emotionally?

And after October 7th, she unpacks what peace actually means!

This is a truly captivating interview and I hope you appreciate it listening to it as much I did making it.


‘Captain America’ premiere starring Israeli Shira Haas draws protest
Anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside the Tuesday night Hollywood premiere of “Captain America: Brave New World,” calling for a boycott of the film, which features Israeli superhero Ruth Bat-Seraph, or Sabra, played by Shira Haas.

In a Hollywood Reporter video posted on social media, protesters could be seen chanting, “Free, free, free Palestine” and “Sabra, Sabra, what do you say, how many kids did you kill today?”

They also held signs that read “Sabra has got to go,” “Disney supports genocide,” “Boycott ‘Captain America’” and “Pray 4 Princess Jasmine.”

In the original Sabra appearance in an issue of “The Incredible Hulk” published by Marvel Comics in the early 1980s, Sabra was Jewish, a mutant, and the first superhuman created to serve the Mossad.

In the film version of the comic, Haas plays Sabra, an Israeli character who is not a mutant or associated with the Mossad but works for the US government.

“While our characters and stories are inspired by the comics,” Marvel said in a statement to Variety, “they are always freshly imagined for the screen and today’s audience, and the filmmakers are taking a new approach with the character Sabra who was first introduced in the comics over 40 years ago.”




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