Wednesday, February 19, 2025

02/19 Links Pt1: The Hamas baby killers and a broken global moral compass; Trump Freezes Funding to PA 'Security Forces'; GOP Senators Put Red Cross on Notice

From Ian:

Jonathan Tobin: The Hamas baby killers and a broken global moral compass
For generations, decent people have wondered how it was that the citizens of what was arguably the most civilized and scientifically advanced society in Europe—Germany—behaved as they did during the Holocaust.

The answer was that they didn’t believe in the humanity of the Jews. Ordinary Germans looked the other way as their Jewish neighbors were taken away and sent to their deaths. The best and brightest of their young men fought to preserve the Nazi regime and/or took part in the slaughter of 6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children, and millions of other victims.

The point being is that if you cheer for or justify these Hamas baby killers, it isn’t just that you’re mistaken about the origins and causes of the post-Oct. 7 war or have been misled by the misinformation about it spread by the Palestinians. It means you are no different from those ordinary Germans who stood by with indifference or actually facilitated the Holocaust.

During World War II, the people of the Allied nations instinctively understood that there was no moral equivalence between those murdered by the German Nazis and their collaborators and civilians killed as a result of military actions that led to the liberation of Europe. But that wise understanding of the nature of war is not shared by much of liberal and leftist elite public opinion today. Instead, they have accepted the big lies about Israel committing “genocide” and Hamas terrorism being justified “resistance.”

This sort of broken moral compass is to be found among so many of those who consider themselves good people and can be discerned in many ways. It’s evident among those who think that democracy can only be preserved by trashing its basic values through censorship of dissent against leftist orthodoxies. It’s also present among those who have come to reject the canon of Western civilization because it doesn’t conform to divisive woke ideas about race.

But at the core of the argument are those who take the side of the Hamas baby killers and spread hatred for a moral and democratic Israel, as well as for the Jewish people. Not for the first time in world history, antisemitism has provided a justification for the murderers of Jewish children.
Herzog: This is a wake up call, we are facing absolute cruel evil, we must stand together
President Isaac Herzog addressed the Great Synagogue of Rome on Wednesday evening as the names of the slain hostages to be returned on Thursday - Oded Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas, and Kfir Bibas - were announced.

Herzog concluded his official visit to Italy on Wednesday with an address at a historic gathering of the Jewish community at the Great Synagogue of Rome.

"These days are a wake-up call—not just for our nation, but for the entire family of nations. In the face of this evil—led by the evil Iranian regime—we must stand together, resolutely, firmly, and courageously," he told the congregants.

He thanked them for their support and solidarity with the Israeli people and addressed their deep concerns for the difficult days ahead.

Pain and sorrow
“Yesterday, it became apparent to all of us that the days ahead will be especially heart-wrenching."

"They will hold both pain, grief, and sorrow—as the bodies of hostages are returned to us tomorrow—but also relief and even hope, as living hostages, our brothers, are freed on Shabbat."

"These heart-wrenching, overwhelming days also highlight two absolute truths."

"The first: it is our highest duty to bring every last one of our hostage brothers home. Every moment that they are in the hands of the terrorist monsters is a direct threat to their lives. We must use every means and every measure to bring them home urgently. Every single one of them."

"The second is the understanding that we really are dealing with absolute and cruel evil. An evil that murders, tortures, and kidnaps mothers and babies, motivated by a murderous jihadist ideology. An evil that butchers whole families. An evil that is continuing its crimes against humanity at these very moments."
Orange-haired angels gone too soon: Bibas family to return to Israel
The interminable, excruciating wait is over. After more than 500 days of not knowing, prayers, and unbearable suffering, Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir, will at last be brought back to Israel. But this is no relief, no closure — just the searing stillness of a nightmare that never really ends.

For nearly a year and a half, the faces of Shiri, Ariel, and baby Kfir — the youngest hostage taken on October 7 — haunted all of us. We saw that heart-tearing photo: Shiri hugging her two redheaded boys, her eyes wide with fear as armed men closed in around them. We imagined their anguish, their fear, their innocence shattered by brutality.

We posed impossible questions: Was baby Kfir learning to walk? Did he begin to speak? Did he comprehend Hebrew or just the tongue of his kidnappers? Could Ariel play with toys, or was childhood taken from him entirely?Now we know they were killed. The precise details are still unclear, but does it make a difference? Their brief lives were extinguished in Gaza — victims of a massacre, of hate, of a war that has broken so many hearts and homes. The world mourns. The color orange, which was selected to represent the bright red hair of the Bibas children, has turned into an international symbol of shared sorrow. Israel and the world will wear orange in their memory, not only as a mark of bereavement but as a summons to humanity.

Collective pain
During these harrowing months, the Bibas family represented collective sorrow. Their plight had resonance abroad, and attempts at raising awareness transcended continents. Protesters numbering hundreds gathered in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square on Kfir's first birthday in January 2024. "We wanted to mark the birthday he couldn't with us," a family member explained. "He should have been here, smashing cake with his little hands, learning to walk.".

So we let orange balloons up into the air, hoping he would sense our love. In August 2024, the Redhead Days Festival in Holland — a festival for people with red hair — paid tribute to the Bibas children. Orange ribbons and signs reading, "Where are Ariel and Kfir Bibas?" were held up by thousands of red-haired festival-goers. A representative of the family said at the festival, "We don't have language or country in common, but we have humanity in common. And humanity requires that these innocent children be brought back." Ariel and Kfir's lovely red hair served as a metaphor for their innocence and the world's hope for their safe return. Red hair has been associated with intense emotions, passion, and, most of all, intensity in Jewish tradition for centuries.Redhead biblical heroes

Esau is described in the Torah as having been born with red hair:
"The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak; and they called his name Esau." (Genesis 25:25)Red hair here is most commonly observed to indicate a passionate, fiery, and occasionally tumultuous disposition. The tale of Esau prompts us to consider that external attributes can reflect internal strength — strength we envisioned in young Ariel and Kfir as they responded to captivity.

Yet red hair is not solely a sign of strife. Israel's most famous warrior and poet, King David, was also said to have a ruddy, reddish appearance:

"He was ruddy-cheeked, having beautiful eyes and good-looking in appearance." (I Samuel 16:12)


GOP Senators Put Red Cross on Notice After 'Neutral' Aid Organization Participates in Hamas Propaganda Ceremony
When Hamas gunmen paraded emaciated Israeli hostages across a stage in Gaza earlier this month, they were flanked by two representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), an aid group that boasts of its neutrality. The agency’s participation in the choreographed propaganda display—as well as its failure to visit the hostages as they struggled in captivity—is now drawing scrutiny on Capitol Hill, with GOP lawmakers questioning the Red Cross’s objectivity and care for those still held in captivity.

The most shocking scene to date unfolded two weekends ago, when Hamas militants forced three severely malnourished Israeli captives—Ohad Ben Ami, 56; Eli Sharabi, 52; and Or Levy, 34—to make a speech to a crowd of Gazans before their release. Standing beside the masked gunmen were two Red Cross officials identified by the Washington Free Beacon as Nour Khadam and Stephanie Eller, both of whom have been featured in the ICRC's online materials.

Footage from the hostage release shows Khadam shaking hands with a Hamas militant as Eller stands behind him, and a masked Hamas soldier snaps photographs. Like other Red Cross officials present at these stage-managed events—reportedly produced by an Al Jazeera journalist—Eller and Khadam signed documents and stood on hand while the terror group forced the hostages to thank their captors. Photos taken on the day show the Israelis holding certificates provided by Hamas as they are interviewed next to gun-touting militants.

The Red Cross's involvement in the Hamas propaganda ritual came more than a year after the terror group kidnapped 251 people, including Americans, in its Oct. 7 attack. During the hostages' time in captivity, the Red Cross did not fulfill its mandate to visit them and assess their health, as the group routinely does in traditional conflicts.

The scenes have drawn outrage in both Israel and the United States, with President Donald Trump likening the hostages to "Holocaust survivors" and casting doubt on the ceasefire’s durability. On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, lawmakers have taken note of the Red Cross’s participation in these ceremonies and said the aid agency is jeopardizing its image as an unbiased actor. While the United States has long been the committee's top funder, senior Senate sources say there is talk of reassessing American funding to the ICRC while GOP officials examine its ties to Hamas.

"Where was the Red Cross’s increasing concern for the safety and well-being of the hostages these last 493 days?" Sen. Ted Budd (R., N.C.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the Free Beacon. "Participating in Hamas’s propaganda ceremonies definitely calls into question their supposed neutrality. Seems like the ICRC is more concerned about their public image than actually fulfilling their mission to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict."

The pictures of starving hostages that have emerged over the past month, a senior Senate adviser said, raise serious questions about whether the Red Cross is living up to its lofty mandate. In its mission statement, the ICRC calls itself "neutral, impartial, and independent," a description that seemingly runs counter to images of Red Cross officials standing alongside Hamas militants.

"It’s shameful that the Red Cross is enabling propaganda of terrorists after they took no action over the last year to even visit the hostages," the source said. "Congress needs to reassess the U.S. relationship and stop any funding for any groups that have aided and abetted Hamas atrocities."
Trump Admin Freezes Funding to Palestinian Authority 'Security Forces' Behind Terror Attacks on Israelis
The Trump administration froze funding for the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF), a group that purportedly aims to crack down on terrorism in the West Bank but employs terrorists who have carried out attacks on Israelis.

The move, part of the administration's broader global aid freeze, comes as the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, jockey for control of post-war Gaza. The Biden administration pushed to make the PASF a central player in its future plans for the war-torn strip, showering it with tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer cash even as it acknowledged that the aid could boost Hamas. Some of that money, issued just before the administration left power, allowed the PASF to conduct "firearms and ammunition" training, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

The Washington Post, which first reported the funding freeze, described the PASF as "the linchpin to the Palestinian Authority's ability to maintain law and order" in both Gaza and the West Bank. The outlet did not mention the scores of attacks off-duty members of the forces have carried out against both Israeli soldiers and civilians.

An investigation released last year by the watchdog group Palestinian Media Watch documented at least 55 such attacks since 2020. In February 2024, for example, a first lieutenant in the PASF opened fire on Israeli troops at a checkpoint near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Another member of the forces, Capt. Ahmed Abdullah Abu Shalal, was a terrorist leader with the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, an internationally designated terror group. He was killed in an Israeli airstrike after carrying out an April 2023 shooting in East Jerusalem that wounded two Israeli civilians.

Before the freeze, Abbas reportedly sought more than $680 million in U.S. taxpayer funds to "ramp up security operations" in the West Bank and Gaza. The request came in mid-December, after President Donald Trump won the presidency but before his inauguration. His administration appears increasingly unlikely to grant it.

In Israel, Trump’s decision to halt the PASF’s funding drew applause.

"For years, it has been widely acknowledged that the Palestinian Authority educates, glorifies, and finances terrorism," said Meir Deutsch, director of the Regavim movement, a group that has monitored the PASF’s ties to terrorism. "Over the past three years alone, numerous police officers and officials within the Palestinian Authority's security forces have been directly involved in lethal attacks against Israeli civilians."

Trump, Deutsch said, recognizes "the true nature of the Palestinian Authority, which shares the same ambitions and objectives as Hamas."
Seth Mandel: The Egyptian Plan for Gaza Takes Shape
Egypt and Jordan have gotten the message. The two Arab states that share borders with Palestinian territories want President Trump to know that they are making progress in coming up with an alternative to his “Riviera on the Mediterranean” plan for Gaza.

Trump’s refusal to rescind his threat to have the U.S. take ownership of the Gaza Strip, clear the enclave of its residents, and build a world-class development project in its place was aimed at convincing Arab states, especially Egypt, that they needed to provide a tangible plan of their own. Just saying “no” to taking in displaced Palestinians wasn’t going to cut it. Nor would it be sufficient to make vague declarations about how they’re thinking about discussing the possibility of considering the development of an alternative plan.

Now it appears the Egyptian-led plan is taking shape.

According to reports, it would not require depopulating the enclave. Instead, the plan is likely to propose establishing safe zones for temporary internal displacement, similar to those the IDF has established during the war.

One obstacle regarding the wartime humanitarian zones was that Hamas operated from within them, using the Gazans in those zones as human shields. Not to worry, say the Egyptians: Hamas isn’t invited to remain in any position of power.

While it’s unclear so far how the coalition implementing this plan would keep Hamas out, Egypt will at least have skin in the game and plenty of incentive to prevent sabotage: According to the Associated Press, Egyptian firms expect to participate in the rebuilding.

They wouldn’t be the only ones: the Emiratis are expecting Trump to be receptive to the plan in part because of the estimated $20 billion the Arab states would contribute. “Trump is transactional so $20 billion would resonate well with him,” Emirati academic Abdulkhaleq Abdullah told Reuters. “This would benefit a lot of U.S. and Israeli companies.”

As for who would run the enclave, the AP reports: “Central in Egypt’s proposal is the establishment of a Palestinian administration that is not aligned with either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority to run the Gaza Strip and oversee the reconstruction efforts, according to the two Egyptian officials involved in the efforts.”

That’s accords with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stated opposition to the Palestinian Authority’s participation in postwar governance.

Still, the coalition envisions some role for PA head Mahmoud Abbas: “The proposal also calls for a Palestinian police force, mainly made up of former Palestinian Authority policemen who remained in Gaza after Hamas took over the enclave in 2007, with reinforcement from Egyptian- and Western-trained forces.”
Trump admin giving Arab states space to formulate their own Gaza plan
The Trump administration has yet to get the sense that any pan-Arab plan for Gaza is coming together, and it believes that the matter will become clearer after a five-nation meeting on the subject on Friday, JNS learned.

Saudi Arabia is set to host Egyptian, Jordanian, Qatari and Emirati leaders on Friday to work toward a plan for Gaza’s reconstruction while ensuring that Gazans aren’t relocated.

Several Arab countries reacted angrily to U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement earlier this month that he envisioned a U.S. takeover of Gaza to revitalize it after its destruction in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Trump demanded that Egypt and Jordan absorb nearly 2 million Gazans and has acknowledged that they may not be able to return to the Strip.

The Trump administration believes that the Saudis, Jordanians and Egyptians have ideas to bring to the table in offering an alternative to Trump’s plan, which the U.S. president said he would welcome. The White House aims to give the Arabs space to formulate their plan before weighing in further, JNS learned.

The Trump administration believes that there would be no shortage of funders to foot the bill for reconstruction in Gaza under a potential, Arab-formulated Gaza plan. There are many construction companies, engineers and other experts who could handle the large task, the administration thinks.

The biggest sticking point by far, JNS learned, is who would control Gaza. The Trump administration thinks that another war would be inevitable absent a realistic plan to remove Hamas from power.
Khaled Abu Toameh: Why Trump Must Insist on Removing Hamas From Power
One of the group's senior officials, Osama Hamdan... also threatened that Hamas would not allow any non-Palestinian party to enter the Gaza Strip.

Iran's ruling mullahs have already lost their strategic ally with the collapse of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. Losing the Gaza Strip would therefore be another severe blow to the Iranian regime, whose declared goal is to annihilate the "Zionist entity."

Similarly, Hamas's longtime patrons and funders in Qatar will do their utmost to ensure that the terrorist group remains in power.

Hamdan's statements are a clear indication that Hamas intends to maintain its control of the Gaza Strip at any cost. They are also a sign that Hamas is determined to continue its terror attacks against Israel.

Any deal that allows Hamas to remain in power would be disastrous for Israel, the Palestinians, and Arab states threatened by the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance."

It would also undermine the Trump administration's credibility in the eyes of many in the Middle East. The Trump administration will appear as if it is only good at making empty threats.

There should be no reconstruction of the Gaza Strip as long as Iran's proxies remain in power. The idea of allowing the Palestinian Authority to return to the Gaza Strip as a civilian body that pays salaries and funds projects should be rejected by the Trump administration.

Even if the PA is permitted to deploy its own security forces in the Gaza Strip, it does not mean that they would be able to disarm Hamas and other terrorist groups. The PA did not do so when it was in control of the Gaza Strip between 1994 and 2007, and the assumption that it would do so now is catastrophically wrong.
Israeli Citizen Spokespersons' Office: Hamas must be destroyed no matter hostages’ fate

Seth Frantzman: Hamas is acting as if Israel is no longer what it used to be
Hamas today assumes Israel is incapable of removing it from Gaza because Hamas thinks that Israel’s leadership fears the Palestinian Authority more than Hamas.

As such, Hamas assumes today that it is in Israel’s interests to keep the ceasefire. This is not only because Israel wants all the hostages home. It is also because Hamas knows Israel needs to say that it also won the war. If both Hamas and Israel can declare victory, then both have an interest in keeping the deal going.

Hamas says it is working with Qatar and Egypt to make sure that the agreement is implemented. Hamas is expecting that heavy machinery will enter Gaza so that it can begin to move rubble and rebuild.

This is in contrast to US President Donald Trump’s statements about how Gaza is a demolition site and people should leave. Hamas wants to do the work and keep the people in Gaza. Hamas has done this before after previous wars.

Hamas is set to release more hostages this week. Some of them are deceased and Hamas knows that Israel will be less inclined to keep going with the ceasefire if Hamas hands over mostly bodies.

Therefore, Hamas will try to make sure that it is able to keep moving forward while not forcing Israel to continue fighting. The first phase of the ceasefire will end on March 1 according to how it was structured. Then a new phase is supposed to begin.

It’s possible there may be some changes and flexibility in this regard on both sides.

Hamas today thinks it got away with October 7. It knows that Israel thrives on the slogan “never again” and it feels it was able to commit another massacre of Jews. It is increasingly self-assured in its statements.

This is reflected in many ways that Hamas behaves in Gaza and the propaganda videos it makes of the hostages. It doesn’t fear any repercussions. It feels it has support internationally and also in various places such as among human rights NGOs that do not condemn its treatment of the hostages.


‘Entire nation is torn,’ Netanyahu says ahead of release of dead captives
The heart of the entire Jewish nation is torn, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday evening ahead of Thursday’s release of the bodies of four hostages killed in Hamas captivity in Gaza.

The slain hostages expected to be returned for burial are Shiri Bibas (32 when taken) and her young sons, Ariel (4 when he was taken) and Kfir (9 months old when he was taken), as well as Oded Lifshitz (83 when taken), the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed after officially informing the families. They were kidnapped and dragged into the Gaza Strip during the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“Tomorrow will be a very difficult day for the State of Israel,” the video statement by the Israeli premier opened. “A wrenching day, a day of grief. We are bringing home four of our beloved hostages, deceased.

“We embrace the families, and the heart of the entire nation is torn. My own heart is torn. So is yours,” stated Netanyahu. “And all of the world’s heart should be torn because this demonstrates who we are dealing with, what we are dealing with—with such monsters.

“We are grieving, we are in pain, but we are also determined to ensure that such a thing never happens again,” concluded the premier.

The Israeli health-care system and the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv are preparing to receive the deceased hostages, while mental-health organizations are gearing up to address the emotional impact on the families of the captives and the public.

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross are expected to take custody of the bodies from Hamas at a designated transfer point and hand them over to Israeli soldiers early Thursday morning. A military ceremony will be conducted inside the Strip by a rabbi, who will recite Psalms and recite the Kaddish mourning prayer.

They will then be airlifted to the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv, where experts are set to examine the remains to confirm identification and determine the cause and time of death.


Sen. Bernie Moreno to host Oct. 7 orphans at Republican Senate meeting
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) will host 12 Israeli orphans who lost parents in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel at the Senate Republican Conference’s lunch meeting on Thursday, Jewish Insider has learned.

“We must never forget the unimaginable suffering depraved Hamas terrorists inflicted on innocent Israeli families during the October 7th attacks and I’m proud to play a small role in honoring those lost,” Moreno said in a statement to JI. “Hamas started this war and is solely responsible for the death [and] destruction.”

“Today will send a message that the Republican Senate Conference will always stand with Israel and stand ready to assist them eradicate Hamas,” Moreno continued.

The group was organized by Hagiborim, a group supporting Israeli orphans, and the visit was coordinated by the Falic family and former Bal Harbour, Fla., Mayor Gabriel Groisman.

Senate lawmakers gather weekly for private lunch conversations with most members of their party and sometimes featuring guest speakers.


'Identification may not be feasible,' says forensic chief ahead of slain hostages' return
The identification of the slain hostages who have been held in captivity for a long time may not be feasible, Dr. Chen Kugel, director of the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir, said on Wednesday.

His comments came ahead of the expected return of four bodies as part of the hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas, which the terror group has held for over 500 days since the October 7 Hamas attacks in 2023.

The Institute of Forensic Medicine will receive the remains directly from the border, where they will be examined to achieve identification before being released for burial.

Kugel will lead the identification process together with a globally recognized forensic expert and a team of specialists, including pathologists, DNA analysts, anthropologists, radiologists, and forensic technicians.

“Identification is conducted using multiple scientific methods, all of which involve comparing data from the slain with records from when they were alive,” Kugel explained.

“We can use X-rays, weight data comparisons, dental records, and DNA analysis. We will do everything possible, but for the slain hostages that have been held for an extended period, identification is not always feasible,” he added.

The process will begin with a CT scan to create a detailed internal image. Radiology specialists will analyze the scans and compare them with previous medical records.

An autopsy will follow, with DNA samples sent for laboratory testing. Forensic dentists will assess dental features and compare them to existing records, if available.

The full identification process is expected to take up to two days, and once confirmed, families will be notified, and depending on their wishes, the public may also receive updates.
Israel waits for hostage bodies with bated breath | Israel Undiplomatic w/Mark Regev & Ruthie Blum
#Hamas’s upcoming release of the bodies of four dead #hostages has all of #Israel on edge. Hamas announced that three of those bodies will be of abducted children, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, along with their mother, Shiri. Israeli authorities have yet to confirm this claim. Whether or not this is just another cruel psychological game being played by Hamas remains to be seen. Regardless, Israelis are forced to once again face the harsh reality of where they are living and the challenges they continue to face in this ongoing war.




Islamic Jihad says it will release body of hostage Oded Lifshitz on Thursday
The Islamic Jihad terror group has said it will release the body of 84 year-old Israeli hostage Oded Lifshitz on Thursday.

Lifshitz was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of October 7 as the Hamas terror group attacked.

British-Israeli daughter Sharone, who has campaigned tirelessly for the release of her father,and the other hostages, said in January “miracles do happen”, when asked if she believed her father was still alive.

Yizhar, his son, said last month there was a “grave fear” for his father’s life after more than 16 months in captivity.

He was initially taken with his wife, Yocheved, 85.

“I know that the chances for my dad are very slim. He’s an elderly man, but miracles do happen,” Sharone told the BBC in January.

“My mum did come back, and one way or another, we will know. We will know if he’s still with us, if we can look after him. We will know… My father didn’t deserve this.”

On October 23, Yocheved was freed with another captive, Nurit Cooper.

The couple, who were among the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, were peace activists and regularly transported patients from Gaza to receive medical treatment in hospitals across Israel.


Hamas proposes release of all phase two hostages at once
Hamas has submitted a new proposal that would involve releasing all remaining hostages at once in phase two, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem announced on Tuesday night.

Qassem stated that this could be made possible should Israel agree to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

He added that Hamas doubled the number of hostages to be released at the request of mediators, claiming they had proven their commitment to honoring the ceasefire.

”Israel’s demand to remove Hamas from Gaza is laughable, a mere psychological tactic. The resistance will not leave, and disarmament is out of the question,” he said.

“Any future arrangements for Gaza will be decided through national consensus.”

Israel has not yet agreed to the second phase
On Monday, Israel’s security cabinet meeting ended with no vote or decision regarding the second phase of the hostage-ceasefire deal, granting no authority to the Israeli delegation in Cairo to hold talks on the issue.
The Bibas Family Fate: Media Parrot Hamas Propaganda From Beginning to End
As Israel awaits the release by Hamas of what might be the remains of two little children and their mother on Thursday (February 20), the media are dancing to the tune of the terror group as they did when the Bibas family was abducted.

The image of the terrified mother, 33-year-old Shiri Bibas with Ariel, now aged 5, and Kfir, now 2, has become a symbol of the October 7 atrocities. But it wasn’t distributed out of the blue — it was captured by a Gaza journalist working side by side with Hamas whose story was featured in respectable media outlets like The New York Times.

HonestReporting exposed this unethical connection a month after the war broke out, and we are republishing highlights of our expose below so that news consumers won’t forget who is responsible for the fate of the Bibas family.

Sadly, this reminder is all the more important as media outlets parrot Hamas propaganda that Israel is to blame for their death. Abduction Documented, Reporter Glorified

On October 9, 2023, two days after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel and despite plenty of other sources to rely upon, The New York Times published a piece putting front and center a Gaza reporter who broadcast live from the massacre.

The piece described how Muthana Al-Najjar filmed the kidnapping of the Bibas family, painting him as a brave reporter.

The author of the piece, Yousur Al-Hlou, attempted to humanize Al-Najjar by including sentences like: “The person filming, Muthana Al-Najjar, a 39-year-old from Gaza, can be heard asking the gunmen not to harm them.”

Yet Al-Najjar, an independent Gaza-based journalist who operates a Telegram channel with over 200k subscribers, was working side by side with the terrorists.

He entered Israel on October 7 to document the butchering of Israelis by Hamas. His stand-up to camera from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, as gunshots are heard in the background, shocked many Israelis that day. He did not wear a press vest or a helmet to make him identifiable as a member of the press. He clearly did not feel under threat from the Hamas terrorists in his midst. He also shared a picture showing two of the terrorists triumphantly stepping on the body of a murdered Israeli, with a comment translated from Arabic: “Their dead under the feet of the warriors of al-Qassam Brigades.”


The moment freed hostage Eli Sharabi learned Hamas had murdered his wife and daughters
The brother-in-law of Eli Sharabi has described the moment the newly freed Gaza hostage learned that his wife and two daughters had been murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7th.

Steve Brisley, who flew to Israel from his home in Wales to be reunited with Sharabi after he was freed on February 8th, told BBC Wales:””It wasn’t until he was in the Israeli army vehicle being transferred from Gaza into Israel that he asked ‘are Lianne and the girls waiting for me?’

“One of the soldiers had to tell him that they had in fact been murdered on the 7th and were not waiting for him.”

Sharabi, 52, was taken by Hamas from Kibbutz Beeri on 7 October 2023, while unbeknown to him until his release from Gaza, his British-born wife Lianne and their two teenage daughters Noiya and Yahel were found murdered in their home.

Brisley had campaigned tirelessly for the release of his brother-in-law and all the hostages since October 7th.

Steve Brisley speaking at LFI annual reception

Lianne grew up in Staple Hill, on the outskirts of Bristol, moving to Israel as a volunteer on a kibbutz when she was 19.

She met Eli months after moving to Israel .Their two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, who were 16 and 13 when they were killed.

Eli’s brother Yossi, was also taken hostage on 7 October, but was later killed in captivity.

“I’ve spent 16 months speaking on his behalf because he didn’t have a voice, obviously now he’s out he will have his own story and his own truth to tell,” he told the BBC.

Sharabi was one of three hostages handed to the Red Cross by Hamas in another staged release in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.


'In Israel, swastika won't be drawn on our door': Jewish family leaves Australia amid antisemitism
For a decade, Ilan (whose full name is kept by the editorial board) and his family lived peacefully in Sydney, Australia. Living in the northern part of the city, in a Jewish neighborhood immersed in Australian society, he never imagined he would cease to recognize the birthplace of his wife and children as he knew it, leading to the family's return to Israel in December.

In the years before Oct. 7, 2023, Ilan and his family lived in a predominantly non-Jewish area in northern Sydney. "The Jewish area of the city is in eastern Sydney, where the large Jewish community is based. The city has about 50,000 Jews in total, half of all Australian Jewry. In our neighborhood, there were only a few hundred Jews altogether," Ilan explained.

"Every Jew who lives in the northern area of Sydney gravitates to Bondi Junction. It's the Jewish center of this entire area," he added. "However, Jews are very assimilated – young men might have non-Jewish girlfriends. It's not exactly a pilgrimage site for Jews."

Q: How was life in Australia before Oct. 7?

"For eight years, I saw only one antisemitic incident – someone with a swastika tattoo on their arm. I was shocked, I had never encountered anything like that in Australia at all. That was the only thing I saw – beyond that, there was no sense that people hated Jews or Israelis."

Having initially returned to Israel before Oct. 7, Ilan and his family then decided to go back to Australia after the war broke out, believing it would provide a safe haven until the situation stabilized. However, upon arrival, they encountered a drastically different environment than the one they had left behind. "We simply didn't recognize the place. I didn't know Australia like this. People walking around with keffiyehs everywhere, 'Free Palestine' everywhere, Hamas symbols, 'F*** the Jews,' 'Gas the Jews' – it was truly shocking."

On top of that, Ilan recounted a personal incident at his son's school that has made the family grasp the severity of the situation: "My wife picked up our child from school and found a paper on the ground with a swastika drawn on it and an illustration of Hitler. This was shortly after Oct. 7, and it made us feel that this was real, not just something we hear about in the news."
‘Beyond imagination’: James Packer reacts to Australia’s explosion in antisemitism
Sky News host Sharri Markson sat down for an exclusive interview with billionaire James Packer to discuss Australia’s antisemitism crisis.

Sky News Australia will broadcast a special event, the Sky News Antisemitism Summit, from 1pm on Thursday 20 February.


‘Barbaric’: Andrew Bolt on Hamas returning dead hostages to Israel
Sky News host Andrew Bolt has slammed Hamas as “disgusting” for returning dead hostages in exchange for live Palestinian prisoners.

The youngest hostages kidnapped by Hamas – Kfir and Ariel Bibas – and their mother have died and their bodies will be returned to Israel this week, Hamas said in an announcement.

“Kidnapping these children for a start, what kind of animals would do that?” Mr Bolt said.

“Killing them or letting them die ... not telling their relatives for months and months, they were dead, to at least spare them the frantic and desperate worry day in and day out – it’s so barbaric.”


‘Beyond evil’: Hamas to release bodies of Bibas family
Sky News host Peta Credlin reacts to the horrific news of Hamas returning the bodies of four Israeli hostages.

The youngest hostages kidnapped by Hamas – Kfir and Ariel Bibas – and their mother have died, and their bodies will be returned to Israel this week, Hamas said in an announcement.

“It's evil, utterly evil, that innocent civilians were butchered, let alone taken hostage.” Ms Credlin said.

“The psychological torture that's been inflicted on hostage families is beyond evil.”


Chris Kenny tears up over ‘horrific news’ of Bibas family hostages
Sky News host Chris Kenny has held back tears after reading an announcement that Hamas will return four bodies of hostages – including members of the Bibas family.

The youngest hostages kidnapped by Hamas – Kfir and Ariel Bibas – and their mother have died and their bodies will be returned to Israel this week, Hamas said in an announcement.

“This is the horrific news we have been dreading since the very first hours of this trauma; this abomination, more than 16 months ago,” Mr Kenny said.




Anti-Israel protest erupts into mayhem in Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in NYC as agitators chant ‘Zionists go to hell’
An anti-Israel protest erupted into violence and mayhem as a swarm of demonstrators flooded a primarily Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

One person was arrested after dozens of agitators chanting “Zionists go to hell” and waving Palestinian flags descended on Borough Park to protest a real estate event, according to police and reports.

“How many kids did you kill today?” anti-Israel protesters chanted to the beat of a snare drum, as some flashed Jewish residents the middle finger, the Times of Israel reported.

The demonstration, organized by anti-Israel activist group Pal-Awda, gathered to protest what it claimed was Palestinian land being sold off to the Jewish state, the group shared in a post on X Monday afternoon.

Amid the chaos, the protest organizer yelled, “There is only one solution, intifada revolution” through a megaphone as others shouted, “Settlers, settlers, go back home, Palestine is ours alone,” the outlet reported.

Pro-Israel demonstrators, along with a crowd of locals, carrying Israel’s flag, also gathered in the area, with barricades separating the opposing groups.

At one point, the dueling groups converged, and a brawl ignited with screams in the background as police forcefully separated the sparring crowd, according to videos shared on X.

Local leaders condemned the protest Monday night when plans for the controversial event spread on social media, with many calling on the city and police to put a stop to demonstrators gathering in the Jewish neighborhood.
‘You need a bullet to take me down,’ Jew assaulted at Brooklyn protest says
The New York City Police Department arrested a 42-year-old man for assault during a protest in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., on Tuesday night when a 61-year-old man was attacked.

The demonstration began around 5:30 p.m. at 3614 14th Avenue and ended about 9 p.m., the NYPD told JNS. The address that the police department provided is in a heavily Jewish neighborhood, across the street from a synagogue, Jewish school and Judaica store.

“During the demonstration, police were informed by a 61-year-old male victim that he was punched in the face, with a closed fist, by an unknown male,” the NYPD stated. “The unknown male was taken into custody on the scene.”

Emergency medical services treated the victim on-site “for minor injuries to the face,” the NYPD told JNS. It added that Anthony Frausto, 42, of Brooklyn, was arrested for third-degree assault at around 7:40 p.m. (Third-degree assault in New York State is a class ‘A’ misdemeanor, which carries a prison sentence of up to one year.)

“Last night we saw protesters in Borough Park targeting Jewish New Yorkers with hateful rhetoric and antisemitic chants. This is unacceptable,” stated New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat. “We are grateful to the NYPD for their diligent work keeping all New Yorkers safe.” (At press time, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, had not commented publicly.)

“It should come as a shock to no one that the pro-Hamas mob targeting Jews and promising to ‘flood’ Borough Park has descended into violence,” stated Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.). “Violence is not a bug but a feature of the so-called ‘free Palestine’ movement, which has no desire to free Palestinians from Hamas.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) stated that “the vile and antisemitic rhetoric directed at Jewish residents in Borough Park is unacceptable and unconscionable.”

“We will not tolerate the egregious behavior on display that was clearly designed to intimidate and harass Jews in the Borough Park neighborhood,” Jeffries stated. “People of goodwill across our city and throughout the nation must continue to do everything possible to protect our Jewish brothers and sisters, who are under assault and fight the cancer of antisemitism with the fierce urgency of now.”

“Mask-wearing protestors chanting antisemitic slogans in the middle of the most Orthodox Jewish community in the city is all about provocation and not about free speech,” stated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). “I applaud the NYPD for keeping order and condemn in strongest terms those who used antisemitic language and symbolism at this event.”

The group Pal-Adwa organized the antisemitic protest, ostensibly against the sale of Israeli real estate. A flier advertising the protest stated that “Palestine is not for sale” and referred to stopping “the sale of stolen Palestinian land.”

“I strongly condemn this protest. This inflammatory rally, held at the center of our cherished Orthodox community of Borough Park, is designed to intimidate and harass Jewish people,” said Zellnor Myrie, a New York state senator who is running for mayor. “There is a time and place for peaceful protest—but this is not it.”




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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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