Sunday, February 16, 2025

02/16 Links: Trump’s question for Arab rulers; Western Countries Have Funded Palestinian Hostility toward Israel for Decades; The Moral Bankruptcy of the International Red Cross

From Ian:

Clifford D May: Trump’s question for Arab rulers
Though Trump is famously unpredictable, I wouldn’t be astonished – based on remarks he’s made over recent days—if he were to tell Sissi and King Abdullah something along these lines:

“You receive huge amounts of American aid along with vital security assistance. These are not entitlements.

“I’m trying to put an end to endless wars in the Middle East. That requires that Gazans not be ruled by Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, or the mullahs in Tehran.

“So, are you with me or against me? Are you an ally? Because I expect America’s allies to contribute to the collective security and give at least as much as they take. Is that you or not?

They should think hard before answering.
Ben-Dror Yemini: Western Countries Have Funded Palestinian Hostility toward Israel for Decades
Before we criticize Trump's Gaza Plan, we must also condemn Western countries which, for decades, have financed the Palestinian terrorists' ideology.

They have funded the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA and supported Palestinian NGOs that promote the destruction of Israel through the "right of return."

For decades, the Western approach toward the Palestinians has been one of dangerous appeasement that only fuels radicalization and obstinacy.

The Palestinians have rejected every proposal unless it calls for the elimination of Israel - that is, the "right of return."

The two-state solution is irrelevant as long as it is clear, with high probability, that any Palestinian state will become an Iranian outpost or a Qatari branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Change is possible; it has already occurred in parts of the Arab world such as the UAE, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.

There is a direct correlation between changes in textbooks in some Arab countries and an increased willingness to reconcile with Israel.

Not a single dollar should go to the Palestinian Authority as long as hate is being taught. Not a single dollar to NGOs that support BDS.

Anyone who wants peace must begin by fostering an atmosphere of reconciliation.
Amb. Alan Baker: The Moral Bankruptcy and Hypocrisy of the International Red Cross
The 1986 foundational Statutes of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) proclaim that it is "a worldwide humanitarian movement, whose mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found, to protect life and health and ensure respect for the human being, in particular in times of armed conflict."

For an organization whose sole purpose and mission is to help victims of wars and human rights violations, it is patently obvious that the ICRC has totally failed in its mission, as reflected in its mishandling of Israel's hostage crisis.

The ICRC failed in its most basic responsibilities to the more than 250 kidnap victims from some 20 nations taken hostage as part of Hamas's egregious invasion, mass murder, and rape. Moral and legal responsibility lies chiefly with the Swiss government under whose auspices the ICRC functions, together with the state's parties to the Geneva Conventions who finance its very existence and are in the position to monitor, direct, and influence the ICRC's functioning.

Why have they not impressed upon those elements influencing Hamas - chiefly Qatar, Egypt, the UN, and other Arab elements - that Israeli victims of terror and kidnapping are entitled to humane treatment?

How is it conceivable that the Swiss government and the ICRC have sat idly for more than 16 months while being openly manipulated and abused by the Hamas terror organization? Rather, they have passively accepted Hamas's refusal to allow the transfer of medications, and medical and humanitarian visits, to the sick and wounded and all illegally-held hostages.

Moreover, it challenges all semblance of logic and moral clarity that the ICRC can countenance images of armed, masked terrorists standing on ICRC vehicles displaying the Red Cross emblem and flag while such vehicles transport tortured, suffering, and ill Israeli hostages - and its representatives participating in "release ceremonies" with terrorist leaders.


JPost Editorial: Hamas's hostage theater is a display of desperate propaganda
Who is responsible for mainstreaming the idea of Gazans relocating to Egypt, Jordan, or even Saudi Arabia? Hamas. Who incites unrest in Arab capitals? Hamas. Who jeopardizes the key Arab government’s ties with the US? Hamas.

The same Hamas that, for the last few Saturdays, parades as a victor has brought only disaster upon its people. Now, it is also endangering Egypt and Jordan’s US alliances—as well as Saudi Arabia’s dream of a security partnership with Washington.

Hamas’ pathetic theater and its ridiculous posters do not fool anyone. Their implied threats of marching on Jerusalem do not scare Israelis but rather reinforce a national determination to prevent it. Their highlighting where they entered Israel does not intimidate Israelis but rather guarantees that every step will be taken to ensure it never happens again.

Hamas’ propaganda display is not a show of strength but rather the convulsions of a movement weakened tremendously, grasping at straws for significance.
Gaza hostage deal: Netanyahu orders Israeli team to head to Cairo for ceasefire talks
Phase two is more complicated
Earlier on Sunday, Witkoff told Fox News, “Phase two is more complicated than phase one, but it will definitely begin... We discussed the timing of phase two and the positions of the parties so that we can understand where we stand.”

The Israeli security cabinet will convene on Monday to discuss phase two of the deal, the Prime Minister’s Office stated.

“Following Monday’s security cabinet discussion, the team in Cairo will receive instructions for the continuation of negotiations regarding the second stage of the hostage deal.”

Israeli and US officials have been working in recent days to shorten the period during which phase one hostages will be released and to try to add more hostages to be released in this stage, in addition to the original number of 33.Two sources told the Post that mediators do not believe Hamas will agree to change the deal.

“Even if some kind of new Israeli leverage comes up, it’s hard to see that happening. It’s not impossible, but it’s not going to be easy.”
Israel in ‘full cooperation’ with Trump, say Netanyahu, Rubio
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working closely with President Donald Trump, according to a joint statement released on Sunday with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“Contrary to what is being reported, President Trump and I are working in full cooperation and coordination,” the prime minister told Rubio, according to the statement.

“We have a shared strategy, which cannot always be detailed to the public—including when the gates of hell will open. And they will open if all our hostages are not returned, every last one of them,” it continued.

According to a statement from his office on Saturday, Netanyahu will convene the Security Cabinet “soon” to discuss Jerusalem’s response to Trump’s call for the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza to release all of the hostages it is holding.

Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to securing the release of all hostages, dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities and eliminating the threat from Gaza.

For his part, the top American diplomat stressed at a press conference alongside the Israeli premier that the Jewish state has had no stronger ally in the White House than Trump.

Rubio emphasized that the hostages must be released and reiterated that Hamas cannot continue as a military or governing force in Gaza, saying that the terrorist group “must be eliminated.”

On Syria, he stressed that replacing one destabilizing force with another is not the solution. With regard to Lebanon, he stated that “we share the same goal: a strong Lebanese state capable of disarming Hezbollah.”

Rubio maintained that the ayatollahs’ regime in Tehran is the source of all the instability in the Middle East, saying that this must be addressed and stressing that Iran must never have nuclear weapons.

He praised the Jewish state, saying, “Founded after a horrifying crime against humanity, Israel stands as a beacon to the world. More nations like Israel in the Middle East would make the world safer,” adding that “Israel seeks peace but won’t be intimidated by its enemies.”
Full remarks: Netanyahu and Rubio presser in Jerusalem

UKLFI Review Finds Reports of Famine in Gaza were Erroneous
Conclusions:
The analysis reveals a pattern of overestimation and misrepresentation in famine reports concerning Gaza. Key issues include:
– Reliance on incomplete or inaccurate data
– Inconsistent application of methodological standards
– Failure to adequately revise projections in light of new data
– Potential bias in interpretation and presentation of findings

These errors have led to an exaggerated portrayal of the food security situation in Gaza, which has been used to influence international opinion and policy. While the humanitarian situation in Gaza requires aid and attention, the evidence does not support claims of famine or emergency as defined by international standards. Future assessments should strive for greater accuracy and objectivity to ensure that international responses are proportionate and based on factual realities.

Recommendations:
Greater transparency in data collection and analysis methods used in famine reports.
Independent review of IPC and FEWS NET methodologies and their application in conflict zones.
Clearer communication of the differences between current assessments, projections, and worst-case scenarios.
Increased scrutiny of famine reports by courts, policy makers and media before using them as a basis for decision-making or reporting.

Documents:
The Full Report by UKLFI Charitable Trust is available HERE
https://www.uklfi.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Review-of-Famine-Reports-Final-14-2-25.pdf

An Executive Summary, Glossary of Key Terms and Acronyms are available HERE
https://www.uklfi.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Executive-Summary-Glossaries-and-Acronyms-27-1-25-final.pdf
Jordan: Arab states to propose Gaza rebuild without migration
Arab countries are formulating a plan to rehabilitate Gaza without displacing its population, Jordan’s foreign minister said on Friday, in remarks contrary to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call to relocate Gazans to other states in the region.

Ayman Safadi said that his country “cannot afford” any more Palestinians as refugees already comprise 35% of its population, according to Reuters.

“They don’t want to come to Jordan and we don’t want them to come to Jordan,” he stressed at the annual Munich Security Conference.

“We are working on an Arab proposal that will show that we can rebuild Gaza without displacing its people, that we can have a plan that will guarantee security and governance,” Safadi said.

“Israelis also have to think long-term,” he continued. “For it to live in peace and security, its neighbors need to live in peace and security.”

Last week, Jordan’s King Abdullah II traveled to Washington where he announced his country was willing to take in 2,000 severely ill Gazan children and their families.

However, the king did not embrace Trump’s plan, saying that he and other Arab leaders would meet in Saudi Arabia soon to discuss an Egyptian counter-proposal to the Trump resettlement and redevelopment idea.

The Hashemite monarch informed Trump that the Arab plan would be “cheaper and faster” than the president’s proposal, a proposition the American leader apparently did not dismiss, Reuters cited two Europeans with knowledge of the meeting as saying.

The plan-in-the-works is reportedly spearheaded by Riyadh, which will host a summit on Feb. 20 with Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, ahead of an Arab League meeting in Cairo a week later on the same issue, France 24 reported.
King Abdullah II, take back your citizens
As I viewed the recent press conference with Jordanian King Abdullah II and President Donald Trump, I couldn’t help but reflect on the history of Jordan and the king’s namesake and great-grandfather, Abdullah I.

After Jordan illegally conquered Judea and Samaria, including the eastern portion of Jerusalem, in 1948, it sought to legitimize its conquest of these areas, which it proceeded to rename the West Bank of Jordan.

On Dec. 1, 1948, it organized a conference in the town of Jericho that was attended by representatives of numerous constituencies within these areas. Among them were the mayors of Hebron and Bethlehem, and together with the other attendees adopted what became known as the Jericho Resolutions. The proposals confirmed the desire of the Arab residents of the so-called West Bank to be immediately annexed to Jordan. Subsequent conferences occurred in Ramallah and then Nablus, which declared their support for the resolutions.

Thus, instead of seeking to have an independent state in the areas Jordan conquered and occupied, the Arab residents ceded any rights they may have had to Jordan. The Arab (not Jewish) residents of these areas were granted Jordanian citizenship, including voting rights, in December 1949. Indeed, Jews were forcibly expelled from these areas, their homes were seized and synagogues demolished.

The Arab residents of the so-called West Bank participated in the Jordanian Parliamentary elections of April 1950 and were equally represented in the parliament. On April 24, 1950, the newly elected parliament, noting it represented both the eastern bank of the Jordan as well as the western one, formally approved the annexation of the areas of Judea and Samaria conquered by Jordan, including the eastern part of Jerusalem. It unified them into the single state of Jordan, as confirmed by the then-king of Jordan, Abdullah I.

The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) recognized Jordan’s sovereignty over these areas. It expressly provided in Article 24 of its original Charter of 1964 that it exercised no sovereignty over the West Bank that belonged to Jordan. Interestingly, it also expressly declared it exercised no sovereignty over Gaza. Its professed twin goals were Arab unity and the destruction of Israel.
The Gaza Drama Is Putting Egypt's Peace with Israel under Strain
Egypt's behavior in allowing its common border with Gaza to be used for the smuggling of weapons, money, and material to Hamas built the problem that exploded on Oct. 7. Hamas could arm only to the level that Egypt enabled it. Rather than help Israel fix the problem it enabled, Egypt manufactured tensions with Israel to divert attention from its own culpability.

After Oct. 7, for Israel to allow Palestinian agency so close to its heart became too dangerous, a threat to Israel's existence. Resurrecting the status quo, even dressed in some modification, was no longer feasible. Egypt began to reinforce its border - not to stop smuggling, but to stop the potential outflow of Palestinians. Cairo recently began to deploy armor and troops nearby, in violation of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. The demilitarization of Sinai is the essence of the treaty.

The Arab world's proclivity to export its problems outward for someone else to deal with rather than directly resolve or erase them consistently comes home to roost. So, the Palestinian/Gaza problem returns to haunt Egypt. Egypt's policy of appeasing the Palestinians under the assumption it is Israel's problem has finally come home for Egypt itself.
Israel: Egypt Building Bases in Sinai for Offensive Operations
"Egypt is in very serious violation of our peace agreement in the Sinai. This is an issue that is going to come to the fore because it's not tolerable," Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told a Zoom briefing with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Jan. 28. "We have bases being built that can only be used for offensive operations, for offensive weapons, that's a clear violation. For a long time, it's been shunted aside, and this continues. This is going to be an issue that we're going to put on the table very soon and very emphatically." Video footage from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula in recent weeks shows a massive build-up of troops and tanks.

Leiter also said, "We have to start talking about Qatar. The game that they're playing - buying everybody out and then buying quiet and buying toleration for their support of terror - is just not tenable. We have to call their bluff and say...'You're also supporting terror organizations.'...The first thing is to speak truth to their financial power....It was difficult [to criticize Qatar until now] because Qatar played a role in the release of the hostages....We had to - in very undiplomatic language - suck it up. Nevertheless, we're going to start talking about the truth behind the role Qatar and Turkey are playing."

Leiter said Turkey has become "verbally belligerent" toward Israel and has allowed "Hamas leaders and other Muslim Brotherhood contingents to operate from Turkish territory." He also accused Ankara of funding organizations that have sought to exacerbate tensions on Jerusalem's Temple Mount.


Pakistani Sufi Leader in Historic Visit to Israel
Pakistani Sufi leader Peer Syed Mudassir Nazar Shah, chairman of the global Sufi Council, visited Israel for the first time in January. His visit was arranged through the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA).

According to Shah, Sufis constitute 75% of the population of Pakistan, the world's second-largest Muslim country.

Despite their large numbers, they traditionally don't strive for political power nor propagate a global agenda but rather focus on their local communities and traditions.


IDF completes all October 7 probes, will start presenting them next week
After lengthy delays, the Israeli military announced on Sunday that it had completed its investigations into its failures during the lead-up to the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, and would begin to present its findings next week.

The probes are aimed at drawing operational conclusions for the military and will not look into the policies of the political leadership, avoiding a fight with government leaders who have insisted that investigations must wait until after the end of the war against Hamas.

The IDF said that there would be no personal conclusions for officers at this stage. Such decisions regarding individual officers may be made by Halevi’s successor, incoming IDF chief of staff Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, at a later date.

The investigations — by units seen as having had a role in the failure to notice Hamas preparations or adequately ready themselves for the terror group’s onslaught — were carried out concurrently amid the war. Initial investigations began in November 2023, with outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi ordering all units to begin them in March.

Some of the probes have been ready for months, but the Israel Defense Forces decided that all of them should be concluded and packaged together before being presented to the public.

Thousands of hours were spent by officers on the investigations — collecting material, conducting interviews, and compiling the information. Halevi alone spent over 230 hours going over the investigations, military sources said.

Defense Minister Israel Katz in December set a January 31 deadline for Halevi to hand over the probes. The military has since presented many of the investigations to Katz over the past few weeks, and he will see all of them before the public does, according to the IDF.

The probes are focused on a timeframe from the March 2018 Hamas-led Gaza border riots until October 10, 2023, the point when Israeli troops reestablished control of southern Israel following the attacks.

Some 3,000 Hamas-led terrorists from the Gaza Strip burst into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, carrying out a murderous rampage of unprecedented intensity and breadth. The IDF struggled to mount a response, with bases closest to the border overrun and the chain of command seemingly broken amid the chaos.

The attack claimed the lives of some 1,200 people in Israel, with another 251 people kidnapped and much of the area devastated. Most victims were civilians.
The real test begins: Can Israel make the Hamas, Hezbollah ceasefires hold?
The Hezbollah and Hamas ceasefires have collectively brought some relative quiet and normalcy for the last month from Gaza and the last nearly three months from Lebanon.

But neither of these ceasefires has crossed beyond the critical tipping point into the all-important 2.0 stage of the ceasefires so as to know whether or not they will hold and whether Israel will end up being safer years down the road than it was on October 7, 2023, or whether after all of the fighting, we will eventually end back in a similar position.

So far, Israel has received 19 out of 33 of the hostages due to be received back from Hamas in Phase I of the Gaza ceasefire.

However, the much bigger question has always been whether and how the ceasefire might ever be extended to Phase II.

Likewise, with Lebanon, Hezbollah has not fired into Israeli territory and, to date, has not succeeded in returning any sizable force into southern Lebanon.

But the much bigger question there has always been whether Israel could prevent Hezbollah from returning to southern Lebanon and rearming itself (like it did after the 2006 Second Lebanon War) once the IDF withdraws from southern Lebanon.

Most Israelis view the hostages as not only being important to return ethically, but as having strategic value in upholding the social contract that the military protects and never deserts its citizens.
Israeli Air Force hits terrorists near troops in southern Gaza
The Israeli Air Force struck several armed terrorists advancing toward Israeli forces in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to the military.

The Israel Defense Forces reiterated its call for Gaza residents to follow its instructions and avoid approaching forces stationed in the area.

Palestinian sources in Gaza reported that two Hamas-affiliated police officers were killed, and three other people wounded, in the attack.

In addition, the IAF fired warning shots to “repel suspicious vehicles moving north from the center of the Gaza Strip on a route that is not approved for vehicle traffic, without passing through the inspection route,” according to an IDF statement published Sunday afternoon.

The IAF on Wednesday targeted two terrorists who were attempting to recover a drone flown into southern Gaza from Israel, the IDF said.

Israel is reinforcing forces deployed in Gaza and mobilizing reservists to prepare for the possibility of the ceasefire with Hamas collapsing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene the Security Cabinet “soon” to discuss Jerusalem’s response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza to release all of the hostages it is holding.

Trump congratulated the three hostages freed on Saturday as part of the ceasefire agreement, but made clear that their release fell short of his call to free all the captives.
US shipment of 2,000lb bombs arrives in Israel after Trump breaks Biden freeze
A shipment of MK-84 2,000-pound bombs from the US has arrived in Israel, the Defense Ministry announced on Sunday, officially ending an approximate nine-month freeze by the Biden administration, which US President Donald Trump’s administration reversed upon taking office.

The shipment came in as the IDF has been considering renewing the war in Gaza in the coming two weeks should Hamas cease delivering hostages according to the phase one deal schedule or should the sides fail to reach a deal for continuing hostage releases in phase two.

On May 6, 2024, the IDF invaded Rafah after a three-month debate with the Biden administration over whether the invasion would take place and, if it would, using what kinds of tactics (the US wanted a more gradual invasion to give months for Palestinian civilians to evacuate).

Within days, then-president Joe Biden threatened a full arms freeze and instituted a partial freeze, including of the MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, to show discontent with the IDF invasion and to wield a threat of harsher measures should large numbers of Palestinian civilians die.

The Jerusalem Post has learned that the partial freeze started even before the Rafah invasion.


IAF kills Hezbollah drone force commander
An Israeli Air Force strike in Southern Lebanon on Saturday night killed Hezbollah operative Abbas Ahmad Hamoud, who was responsible for overseeing the Iranian-backed terror group’s aerial force.

Hamoud was targeted after repeatedly violating the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, including by launching UAVs toward Israeli territory, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

“The IDF continues to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel and will operate to prevent any attempt by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to establish itself, which is contrary to the understandings reached between Israel and Lebanon,” added the statement.

During the war, Hezbollah’s aerial forces, known as Unit 127, repeatedly fired explosives-laden drones into Israel. Overnight Thursday, IAF fighter jets attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley after the Iranian-backed terrorist organization dispatched a surveillance drone over the Jewish state.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday described the launch of the drones at the Jewish state as “a red line” and “a blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement.

“As I warned, if there are drones, there will be no Hezbollah,” said Katz.


'I played dead, drenched in blood, as they dragged me across the fields into Gaza'
The horrifying accounts of the October 7 massacre in the Gaza Strip persist, with residents sharing their chilling experiences. Naamit Dekel-Chen, 63, survived the onslaught in Kibbutz Nir-Oz, but her son Sagi remains missing. In a bone-chilling monologue, she recounts the unfolding events, detailing how she barely escaped being murdered or abducted to Gaza.

"Amid half an hour of relentless red alarms, messages flooded in from all sides, indicating that terrorists were prowling the kibbutz", she recalls. "My son, Sagi, who still remains missing, messaged that there were two terrorists walking near the clinic. Later, he sent another message about two terrorists riding a motorcycle. Sagi advised me to lock the house, which I did, before retreating to the secure room alone. I could hear people speaking Arabic all around; they invaded my house and vandalized everything.

"Fearing for my life, I hid inside the linen box under the bed, and my daughter-in-law informed me that the terrorists were at their house. I responded that they were also at mine. We learned from other kibbutz residents that the terrorists had begun to set homes on fire, prompting us to dampen towels and spread them throughout the house".

"After they departed, I hurriedly ventured out to fetch a bottle of water and hurried back to the secure room. I hid beneath the bed, but smoke began engulfing the room swiftly. Desperately, I opened the window of the secure room, only to find the entire pergola above consumed in flames. I shut the window, but soon the secure room was inundated with smoke. I had no choice but to leave the secure room and start running. I saw one of the neighbors, who had shot two of the terrorists. I believed this was my chance to escape, but I was mistaken. I was captured".

"I decided to play dead, and astonishingly, they ignored me completely. They went on to kidnap the three girls, the parents of the twins, and anyone still alive, taking them all to Gaza. After I feigned death, another group of terrorists passed by, laden with the loot they had plundered. An IDF helicopter hovered above me. I tried to signal that I was alive, attempting to move forward cautiously. Each time the terrorists approached, I resumed my act, lying still with my body stained with blood".
Hostages' families to hold 500-minute fast to mark 500 days since October 7
To mark 500 days since the October 7 massacre, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced that Monday will be a fast day.

The fast day will last for 500 minutes, from 11:40 AM to 8:00 PM, or alternatively, from sunrise to sunset, in order to advocate for the release of the remaining 73 hostages still held captive in Gaza.

Tel Aviv's Hostages Square will be open for tours throughout the day. Businesses will operate in an adapted format, specialized lessons will be taught in schools, and various exhibits by the families of hostages will be held.

Additionally, several events will take place at different locations across the country, including an early morning march to the Knesset with families of hostages and a main assembly event at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square to conclude the fast.

Hostage release
Since the beginning of Phase One of the hostage deal, 19 Israeli hostages have been released.

On Saturday, three male hostages were released from captivity after Hamas announced earlier in the week that it was canceling the release of hostages until further notice due to an ‘Israeli violation.’

In response to Hamas's threat, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that the hostages be released, or else Israel would return to war.

"If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will resume intense fighting until Hamas is decisively defeated," Netanyahu said on Tuesday, adding that the decision had been reached unanimously by cabinet members.
Milei welcomes return of Argentinian-Israeli hostage Iair Horn
Argentinian President Javier Milei released a statement welcoming former Gaza hostage and Argentinian citizen Iair Horn after almost 500 days in captivity on Saturday.

In his statement, the president praised US President Donald Trump for his work pushing the current ceasefire and reiterated his stance demanding the release of all the remaining hostages, including Iair's brother, Eitan Horn.

"The Argentine Republic hopes for a prompt resolution to the conflict with the absolute defeat of the terrorist group responsible for the worst attack against the Jewish community since the Holocaust," the statement said.
Co-Founder of "Nurses & Midwives for Palestine" Works at Bankstown Hospital
A co-founder of Nurses & Midwives for Palestine (nandm4palestine) is employed as a Registered Nurse (RN) at Bankstown Hospital, according to a tip-off I received from a trusted source. You heard it here first.

Bankstown Hospital recently made international headlines after two of its nurses, Ahmad 'Rashad' Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, were suspended for making death threats against an Israeli influencer and boasting about having murdered Israeli patients in the past. This latest revelation from the anonymous source comes just one day after a vial of morphine was found in Nadir’s personal locker.

My source alleges that the co-founder of nandm4palestine has been influencing staff at Bankstown Hospital with her radical ideology.

I want to make it clear that I am not accusing any of the founders of nandm4palestine (including the RN allegedly employed at Bankstown) of being involved in any criminal activity or claim that they endorse the views of Nadir and Lebdeh, or influenced the two radical nurses. On 12 February, nandm4palestine issued a statement on its Instagram page condemning the remarks made by the two Bankstown nurses.

However, I urge authorities to investigate the founders of this organisation and every healthcare professional associated with it to determine whether they have broken any laws or violated regulations that would make them unfit to work in the healthcare profession since the organisation’s founding on 7 October 2023.

Of particular concern is the following
Promoting calls for Israel’s destruction and Intifada (Terrorism against Israelis) - On 24 March, nandm4palestine participated in a protest attempting to block the Israeli ship”ZIM” from docking in Sydney. On the same day, the organisation uploaded a video from the event to its Instagram account (see video and screenshot below), in which a prominent speaker called for Israel’s destruction, shouting:
"Israel will be destroyed by the power of the people!"
As the crowd chanted:
"There is only one solution—Intifada revolution!"
"Long live the Intifada!"

A screenshot of a March 24 2024 Instagram post from NADM4Palestine, featuring a video calling for a Destruction of Israel and terrorism against Israelis "Israel will be destroyed by the power of the people! There is only one solution: Intifada revolution!"
Visegrad24: The Propaganda Empire You’ve Never Heard Of
This video investigates the alleged global influence network connected to tech millionaire Neville Roy Singham and activist Jodie Evans. Their financial and activist networks have been linked to the dissemination of pro-Chinese Communist Party messaging across multiple continents. The story delves into accusations of funding disinformation, coordinating protests, and embedding political activism within Western institutions—all under the guise of progressive advocacy.


Thousands march in London against Trump Gaza plan
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators on Saturday attended one of the largest anti-Israel rallies in London since 2023, themed around opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for relocating the residents of the Gaza Strip.

Police made several arrests, including of a man who allegedly performed a Nazi salute toward participants of a smaller, pro-Israel counterprotest, The Standard reported. Others arrested were suspected of causing criminal damage, showing support for a proscribed organization and breach of the conditions of the rally, according to the report.

The protesters carried signs such as “Trump, get your filthy hands off Gaza” and “Free Palestine, exist, resist, return.”

Prominently placed at the rally, which began with a march through London, members of Neturei Karta—a small, radically anti-Israel Jewish Haredi group—held signs reading: “Judaism condemns the State of Israel and its atrocities” and “Stop Israel.”

The march ended with a rally outside the U.S. Embassy in London, where several speakers, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, expressed opposition to Trump’s relocation plan.

Stop The Hate, a pro-Israel group, staged the counterprotest on the junction of Grosvenor Road and Vauxhall Bridge. The rally was the 24th mass event in support of Gaza and in opposition to Israel that has taken place in London since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

In recent weeks, Trump spoke on several occasions about plans to have the roughly 2 million residents of Gaza leave while the area is being rehabilitated.
'Zionist pig' shouted by thousands of pro-Palestine marchers at London rally
“Zionist pig” was just one of the antisemitic insults hurled at Israel supporters by tens of thousands of London pro-Palestine demonstrators on Saturday, The Telegraph announced.

According to The Telegraph, the pro-Palestine marchers started shouting, "Khaybar, Khaybar, oh Jews, the army of Mohammed will return," which is believed to be a threat to Jews and Israelis.

The rally cry was directed at Stop the Hate, a Jewish activist group.

One of the pro-Palestinian marchers made a Hitler salute at the Israel supporters, resulting in his arrest by the Metropolitan Police. The man, aged 79, was taken to a police station on suspicion of a public order offense.

"Nazi salute in full view of officers and directed at Jews," said Stop the Hate on X. "How many more instances like this do Jewish Londoners have to endure before you do something to stop these hate marches?


Toronto school board accepts antisemitism report after contentious meeting
The Toronto District School Board adopted a new antisemitism report following a meeting that saw fierce debate about antisemitism in Canadian education, anti-Zionism, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion projects.

The TDSB held a meeting on Wednesday with almost 100 delegates discussing the merits of the “Update: Affirming Jewish Identities and Addressing Antisemitism and the Combating Hate and Racism Strategy” report, which detailed the result of consultations with Jewish students, parents, and community groups about antisemitism in the school system and recommended ideas of how to combat anti-Jewish sentiment.

Adding to the experiences detailed in the report, some of the parents emphasized at Wednesday’s meeting how their children had been subject to antisemitism in the schoolyard. Canadian Women Against Antisemitism’s Revi Mula said that her children had experienced antisemitism from students, staff, and teachers.

Her children allegedly endured swastika graffiti on the school grounds and students raising Nazi salutes. One student reportedly told her child to remove their Star of David necklace, and while she was told that the student would be spoken to, she was distrustful of the past disciplinary processes taken by the school district.

Jewish parent Joanna Barsky, who said she was representing a few dozen other Jewish families, said her eight-year-old son witnessed children playing a Pro-Palestinian-themed war game in which the participants roleplayed attacking Jews. She also claimed the child had seen student artwork of a Palestinian figure with a weapon, stating they would win.

Community member Melissa Tapper referenced a September incident reported on by the Toronto Sun in which seventh- and eighth-grade students went to participate in a Grassy Narrows First Nation protest, which saw the use of anti-Israel slogans.


Seth Frantzman: Iran navigates regional changes amid rising tensions in Lebanon and Syria
Iran is weighing its response to changing events in Lebanon and Syria. In Lebanon, pro-Hezbollah rioters sought to block a road to an airport after flights from the Islamic Republic were halted, as the terror group wants to resupply itself with the money and backing of Tehran.

In Syria, Iran has lost its influence and is looking to claw some of it back. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Rajji, in a telephone conversation, where they “discussed bilateral ties and regional developments, including ways to resolve the issue of passenger flights between the two countries,” Iran’s IRNA state media said over the weekend.

Araghchi and Rajji “stressed the necessity for Iran and Lebanon to expand their ties in political, economic, trade, and cultural sectors based on mutual respect and in the best interest of both nations.”

It is clear that Tehran is worried it will lose out in Lebanon and that it will not be able to supply Hezbollah as easily. It has already lost its land route via Syria. The Islamic Republic is playing nice for now – on the surface. “Araghchi congratulated Rajji on his election as the new foreign minister of Lebanon and wished him and the new Lebanese government success. Iran and Lebanon have been at odds ever since an Iranian flight to Beirut was halted after the Israeli regime accused Tehran of using civilian aircraft to send cash to the Hezbollah resistance movement,” the report noted.

Meanwhile, in Syria, Iran has called for wider participation in the political process. It is not clear what exactly this means, but the Islamic Republic is angling to restore its influence.

“Given the special status of Syria in the Middle East, Iran believes that the Syrian future should be shaped by its nation. A senior Iranian official says the Islamic Republic urges all political parties in Syria to play a role in the future of the Arab country,” IRNA noted.

“Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani, the Iranian foreign minister’s special envoy for Syrian affairs, said on Saturday that Tehran attaches importance to the stability in Damascus. He made remarks on his visit to Moscow on Friday, where the envoy held talks with Russian officials regarding Syrian developments.”

This is significant since Moscow and Tehran are close allies, and both have interests in Syria.

“Iran opposes any foreign intervention in Syria’s fate,” the report said. The Islamic Republic had, until recently, been intervening in Syria and using it as a conduit for weapons trafficking and drug smuggling. Tehran’s comments are thus a bit ironic.


European rise in antisemitism a result of Islamic migration, Diaspora minister says
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli (Likud) explained his “no” vote on the ongoing hostage deal at the start of the 50th annual Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem on Sunday.

In a one-on-one conversation with The Jerusalem Post’s editor-in-chief, Zvika Klein, in front of the crowd, Chikli said that before he entered that government meeting, he had not made up his mind, but that during the meeting, after hearing the assessments from various security officials, he decided to oppose it.

The reason for my opposition was that I understood who the prisoners were that we were releasing in exchange for our hostages. This deal includes the release of 700 terrorists - terror experts with records of dozens of attacks that killed hundreds of Israelis and wounded thousands. These are the same terrorists responsible for the Second Intifada and for other severe attacks.

For me, this deal is reminiscent of the Shalit deal. It's a problematic deal because it empties our prisons. I'll give an example: The commander of Hamas’s attack on Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 was a terrorist released in the Shalit deal. You cannot fix a bad deal with an even worse one," Chikli said.

Chikli added, "I'm stating here and now that I will also be unable to support the second stage of the deal. For me, it will actually be even simpler. I cannot vote in favor of the next victims—whether in Gush Etzion, Megiddo, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Afula, or anywhere else."

Chikli continued, "This deal we made projects weakness. If we had applied more military and international pressure, we could have reached a much better deal months ago. In my view, before we proceed with the second stage of the deal, we need to go back to applying effective pressure on Hamas, which would then lead to a far more reasonable agreement.

I believe we are the only country in the world that has stepped back from the battlefield to make a hostage deal. My conclusion from all of this is that we need to be much tougher with our enemies," Chikli said.
Steve Fulop says he would not sign New Jersey IHRA legislation
New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop, the Jersey City mayor, said at an event this week — and later reaffirmed on social media — that he opposes pending legislation in New Jersey that would codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and cast doubt on the definition itself.

Fulop, who is Jewish and has touted his efforts to fight antisemitism in Jersey City and his support for Israel, has also recently come under scrutiny for campaigning with anti-Israel figures in the state.

“I’ve done lots of reading about this to come to the conclusion why I think that specific definition is counter-productive,” Fulop said on social media. “I say this in the context of someone who is Jewish, as someone who has a Jewish education, as someone who is a descendent of Holocaust survivors. As someone who is [a] continued supporter of the NJ-Israel Commission and someone that opposes BDS legislation.”

If elected, he said that he would not sign the IHRA bill, and said he had expressed that in a meeting with the American Jewish Committee recently.

“I oppose the bill because I think it will at best not have any effect on antisemitism and at worst increase it,” he continued.

Fulop said he believes the legislation is unnecessary because New Jersey already has broad hate crimes legislation in place, and said that having a definition of antisemitism but not any other forms of hatred “will only further anti-Semitic sentiment.”

He also suggested the legislation would infringe upon free speech and criticism of the Israeli government, and said that “you can’t legislate your way out of anti-[semitism] or hate. It gives us false hope that we can somehow solve this with laws.”
Cops detain man who posted about storming NYC synagogue
Police in New York detained a man at the Lincoln Tunnel on Friday in connection with his alleged threats to shoot up a prominent Manhattan synagogue, ABC reported.

Luis Ramirez from Utah had been stopped earlier in Kansas City, where police discovered a firearm in his possession, according to police sources.

Ramirez was unarmed when Port Authority Police agents stopped him in New York, ABC quoted officials as saying. He had made threats online after he had, in an earlier post, appeared to target Central Synagogue on Lexington Avenue, according to the report.

“Unfortunately, this incident underscores that Jewish communities around the world and even here in New York are under threat in 2025 and now require dedicated Jewish security organizations to keep them safe,” Mitch Silber, executive director of UJA’s Community Security Initiative, told ABC.

“What began as a terrible anomaly in Pittsburgh in 2018 at Tree of Life Synagogue with an attack targeting a Jewish house of worship, has become a regular facet of Jewish life in America,” Silber added.

Jews were the targets of 54% of hate crimes in 2024—more than all other minority groups combined—according to data published last month by the New York Police Department.

The 354 antisemitic offenses recorded last year constituted a 7% increase from 2023, when 323 such crimes were reported to the NYPD.
Scientists aim to turn pencil lead into memory chips
For centuries, alchemists pursued the dream of turning copper into diamonds, unaware that such a transformation requires a nuclear reaction. But wouldn’t it be nice if the graphite tip of a pencil could be turned into diamond? After all, they are both composed entirely of carbon atoms.

The main difference between pencil lead and the sparkling gem, which are allotypes (different forms) of carbon atoms, lies in how these atoms are arranged.

Converting graphite into diamonds requires extreme temperatures and pressures to break and reform chemical bonds, making the process impractical. A more feasible transformation, according to Prof. Moshe Ben Shalom, head of the Quantum Layered Matter Group at Tel Aviv University (TAU), involves reconfiguring the atomic layers of graphite by shifting them against relatively weak van der Waals forces.

A study describing this has just been published in the prestigious journal Nature Review Physics under the title “Sliding van der Waals polytypes.” Led by Ben Shalom and doctoral students Maayan Vizner Stern and Simon Salleh Atri of the university’s Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, the team included post-doctoral students from India and South Korea who were not deterred by the Israel-Hamas War here.

In molecular physics and chemistry, these forces involve a distance-dependent interaction between atoms or molecules, unlike ionic or covalent bonds. These are weak electrostatic forces that attract neutral molecules to one another. Particles in liquid or air vibrate and move constantly. Thus, they collide with other particles, including the media’s particles such as water molecules. The bonds between them refer to the weakest type of bonds between covalent molecules, such as in gases, liquids, and polymers, hold molecules together loosely, and determine the stiffness and strength of materials.

IN AN INTERVIEW with The Jerusalem Post, Ben Shalom said that this technique won’t really create diamonds – which are also used for industrial purposes and have many uses in manufacturing processes.

If the switching process is fast and efficient enough, the conversion of graphite and similar “van der Waals” materials could serve as tiny electronic memory units (memory chips) that are in huge demand around the world and produced mostly in China and Taiwan. The value of these newly engineered “polytype” materials could then exceed that of both diamonds and gold.




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Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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