Pages

▼

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

03/12 Links Pt1: Normalize Normalization!; Ignore the negotiations sideshow: Hamas must leave Gaza or be destroyed; Anti-Israel commentator tapped as a deputy DNI

From Ian:

Seth Mandel: Normalize Normalization!
The run of normalization agreements were an acknowledgement that Israel and increasing parts of the Arab world share the same reality: Their maps of the world actually match now, ending a bizarre parallel existence.

The agreements also normalized the idea that normalization could be part of future Israeli-Arab agreements and maybe even the goal of negotiations. Israel has a peace treaty with Egypt and one with Jordan and now mutual recognition with several other states, suggesting that one day it might be considered abnormal to not have normalization between an Arab state and Israel. Could normalization become the new norm?

It’s a good sign that, depending on who you ask, the idea of normalization is on the table between Israel and Lebanon. There have always been factions in Lebanon who support diplomatic relations with Israel. But the rejectionists had the backing of imperial Tehran and its Syrian satrapy. So the rejectionists always won.

For a time it seemed as though the window for normalization had passed, in part because it was starting to look like Lebanon’s time as a country had passed. Its borders with Syria were blurred, its capital was controlled from Iran, and its parliament was colonized by Hezbollah.

Now that Israel has substantially weakened Hezbollah, Lebanon has a chance to make its own decisions. The election of Joseph Aoun as its new president was a further blow to Hezbollah. Israel is treading carefully, having released Lebanese prisoners as a goodwill gesture and asking nothing in return. Aoun will use that gesture to argue to the Lebanese public that it would be beneficial to the country to improve relations with Israel.

The Lebanese deny that normalization is on the table, of course. Recognition of Israel is never on the table until it is close enough to avoid being sabotaged by rejectionists.

But Lebanon can’t avoid negotiations with Israel, so the only question is what they are negotiating. Israel and Lebanon have been working on a maritime boundary and now share the daunting task of keeping Hezbollah from rebuilding its ministate in South Lebanon, for example.

Normalization isn’t yet near. But that’s the funny thing about normalization: It exists before it is formally brought into being. Talking about normalization is a kind of normalization all its own. After that, it’s only a matter of time.
NYPost Editorial: Ignore the negotiations sideshow: Hamas must leave Gaza or be destroyed
The key point of this war has always been destroying the Oct. 7 perpetrators and ensuring no such horror can ever happen again.

Yes, Hamas is enjoying a de facto cease-fire without releasing any more hostages, even though it’s shown no willingness to lay down its arms, surrender or even remove its fighters from Israel’s border.

Meanwhile, someone on Team Trump sent clueless Adam Boehler off to talk directly with Hamas.

That mission not only broke a longstanding practice of not negotiating directly with terrorists, it infuriated many Israelis by suggesting Washington was acting naively behind Jerusalem’s back, creating daylight between the two allies.

Even President Joe Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken admits that when Hamas sees daylight, it only hardens its position.

Worse, Boehler actually called the Hamas negotiators “pretty nice guys”; he had to tweet to clarify, “they are BY DEFINITION BAD people.” Ouch.

Israel is stepping up pressure on Hamas by cutting off aid and electricity to Gaza, but it’ll likely take more than that to dislodge Hamas.

Fortunately, Team Trump (unlike Biden’s crew) seems to know it.

If Jerusalem believes it has something to gain by holding off military action for now, fine.

But either way, it knows what it (with US help) must ultimately do: End Hamas’ rule in Gaza once and for all.
Seth Mandel: Time To Stop Playing Games with the Houthis
The Houthis announced that they plan to resume their attacks on merchant ships traveling through the Red Sea and Suez shipping lanes. The Yemen-based, Iranian-sponsored junta makes two claims: that they will only attack Israeli vessels and that they are doing this in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza.

Both are false. In reality, every ship will be vulnerable to attack, and the Houthis are testing a model of 21st-century piracy that, if successful, will be made permanent and likely copied by others, throwing the global economy (and global security) into turmoil for which it is unprepared.

The Houthis can and should be stopped, but it would require Western leaders to confront the consequences of their atrocious miscalculation of the Houthi threat. Meanwhile, the Houthis’ fan base in Western progressive activist circles should be seen for what they are: cheerleaders for economic terrorism that, if left unchecked, will cause a chain reaction of death and destruction across the region and beyond.

In other words, it’s time to stop playing games with the Houthis.

Let’s take the first lie first: that only Israeli ships are in danger. Just one example of several, via Noam Raydan and Farzin Nadimi: “when the Marshall Islands-flagged oil/chemical tanker Ardmore Encounter (IMO 9654579) was attacked in December 2023, it was owned by Ireland-based Ardmore Shipping and had no clear links to Israel. Two weeks later, a report by TradeWinds untangled the case of mistaken identity—the strike was seemingly driven by the belief that Israeli shipping magnate Idan Ofer had a stake in the company, but Ofer’s shares had been sold off months before the attack.”

The Houthis also expanded their targets to those from countries allied with Israel, especially the U.S. and U.K. Between the number of ships under those flags and the exponential possibilities for mistakes, shipping through that route was soon dominated by Russia and China because Western firms were steering clear. Yet, as Raydan and Nadimi notes, “the Houthis have attacked a few vessels linked to Russia’s oil trade, once again based on inaccurate data. Even two Iran-bound bulk carriers were attacked in the Red Sea in February and May 2024.”

Russia and China are the main beneficiaries of the Houthi attacks, though nobody is truly safe.

Now let’s go to the second lie: that this is merely additional Gaza “resistance” and therefore poses no wider threat. To understand the full extent of this one, it’s worth reviewing the widespread damage that the Houthis’ Red Sea terrorism has caused, the benefits to the Houthis themselves, and what both tell us about future uses of these tactics.
Israeli FM Sa’ar: Hamas not ready to disarm
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Tuesday dismissed the idea that the Hamas terrorist organization is prepared to lay down its arms.

“I don’t see any indication that Hamas is ready to disarm,” Sa’ar said in an interview with ABC News chief national correspondent Matt Gutman.

Sa’ar emphasized that if Hamas were to disarm, it would significantly alter the current conflict. “That would be a huge development—one that could change the entire equation. But up until now, they have been very clear and decisive that they will not disarm,” he said.

Instead, Sa’ar said Hamas appears to be considering an alternative approach modeled after Hezbollah in Lebanon. “They are looking at a different approach, something similar to the Hezbollah model—allowing someone else to handle the ruins they left behind in the Gaza Strip while they remain the most powerful military force there. Their goal is to continue the war against Israel,” he said.

This, he continued, “is totally unacceptable. For us, there is no way to guarantee our security without the complete disarmament of the Gaza Strip—Hamas, Islamic Jihad, all of them.”

The Israeli government has repeatedly defined the dismantlement of Hamas’s military capabilities as a key war goal.


Anti-Israel commentator tapped as a deputy director of national intelligence
Daniel Davis, a senior fellow at the isolationist Defense Priorities think tank with a record of strident criticism of Israel, has been tapped as a deputy director of national intelligence, three sources with knowledge of the selection told Jewish Insider. Davis has also lambasted U.S. support for the war in Gaza as a moral and strategic mistake.

He has opposed military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, and suggested that it is only U.S. and Israeli policy and actions that are pushing Iran toward pursuing a nuclear weapon.

Three sources told JI that Davis, a retired military officer and early critic of the Afghanistan war, has been offered and accepted the position of deputy DNI for mission integration, one of the top jobs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence under DNI Tulsi Gabbard, and is waiting on the completion of his background check.

The mission integration role “serves as the DNI’s principal advisor on all aspects of intelligence,” according to the DNI website, and does not require Senate confirmation.

Davis joins a growing series of appointees in key positions across a number of national security agencies who fall far outside of the mainstream on Israel and Middle East policy, several of whom, including Michael DiMino, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, and Dan Caldwell, a Pentagon senior advisor, are also alumni of the Koch-linked Defense Priorities.

As recently as Jan. 12, Davis called U.S. support for the war in Gaza a mistake.

“On a practical level, we give away enormous leverage and credibility globally to hold *anyone* accountable for acts of w[a]nton violence, bc we not merely turn a blind eye to it, we cheer it on and supply the means to do more,” Davis wrote on X. “On a moral level this is a stain on our character as a nation, as a culture, that will not soon go away.”

Davis has suggested Israel is pursuing “ethnic cleansing” of Gaza and compared Gaza to a “prison.”

He has argued that the conflict did not begin on Oct. 7, 2023, with the Hamas attacks, echoing narratives that seek to push blame for the attack and the ensuing war on Israel.

“Let me say before anyone else brings it up: to those who would scream ‘October 7th!’ let me reply. The history of this conflict did not begin on that day. In the summer PRIOR to 10/7, the IDF was on a brutal fight against Palestinians,” Davis wrote. “And of course this goes back *decades* of repression and the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip being effectively incarcerated, with limited or no freedoms, and no path to a future and a hope.”

Davis shared an article claiming that casualties in Gaza are 40% higher than those reported by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, and lambasted “Western skeptics who ridiculed the Palestinian health ministry.”

Those skeptics would include the former director of national intelligence under the Biden administration, who said that the administration did not trust or rely on that data.

In an episode of his YouTube show in January, he described the Oct. 7 attack as “in some regards convenient” for Israel to give it a justification for it to begin military operations in Gaza.


New US envoy to Kuwait denied Oct. 7 sexual violence, holds anti-Israel views
United States President Donald Trump on Monday appointed Hamtramck, Michigan, Mayor Amer Ghalib as the next U.S. ambassador to Kuwait. Ghalib, 45, a Yemeni-born Muslim immigrant, has been outspoken in his criticism of Israel. Just hours before his appointment he liked a comment on Facebook that described Jews as "monkeys."

Ghalib made history in 2021 when he became the first Muslim mayor of Hamtramck. Since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, he has led several anti-Israel initiatives in the city, including a council vote to boycott companies that do business with what he called “Israeli apartheid.” Following the decision, he stated that “Palestine is fighting for a just cause” and claimed that “the only ethical option for Israel is to admit defeat and leave the land.”

Ghalib also supported renaming a city street “Palestine Street” as an act of solidarity and cast the deciding vote in favor of the measure. He refused to condemn a local council candidate’s social media post comparing Israel’s actions to the Holocaust and dismissed reports of Hamas militants beheading and sexually assaulting victims on Oct. 7 as “lies spread by the Biden administration to justify its support for Israel’s crimes.”

In an open message at the time to then-President Joe Biden, he said :You fueled (these) kind of hate crimes and Islamophobia by spreading false information and lies (e.g. beheaded babies and raped women)." Ghalib continued: “You make us feel unsafe by trying to justify your support for the criminal and unethical attack on the civilians of Gaza using lies and made up stories. Be a man and apologize for your moral and historic downfall, otherwise the blood of thousands of children and innocent people will be a curse that will follow you to your grave.” Ghalib also has previously referred to Saddam Hussein, who invaded Kuwait in 1990, as a "martyr."


'My heart is Palestinian': From detention in Israel to the secret advisor of Trump’s envoy
Bashar Masri, a 64-year-old Palestinian-American, who previously was one of the central figures in the development of the city of Rawabi in Samaria, currently serves as a 'secret advisor' to President Trump’s envoy, Adam Bohler.

Masri, who previously was held in administrative detention in Israel for participating in protests against Israel, now holds American citizenship and is considered a respected figure among the American administration.

According to journalist Ben Caspit’s report, Masri currently resides in Brazil but has made his personal plane available to Bohler for several months. The plane is used by Bohler for flights to Doha, Cairo, and other cities in the Middle East, as part of the negotiations for the release of hostages and also other diplomatic efforts.

Masri is the nephew of the Palestinian billionaire Munib Masri, 91, who lives in a luxurious villa on the summit of Mount Gerizim. The Masri family is known for being unassociated with any of the factions in the Palestinian Authority, and family members have avoided involvement in local politics over the years.
New Jersey Gubernatorial Hopeful Speaks at Rally Featuring CAIR Leader Who Justified Oct. 7
New Jersey gubernatorial candidate and Newark mayor Ras Baraka (D.) spoke Tuesday at an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement rally that featured the Council on American-Islamic Relations New Jersey (CAIR NJ), an anti-Semitic group that justified the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Rallygoers gathered outside Delaney Hall, the Trump administration's newly commissioned illegal immigrant detention facility in Newark, to protest its June opening. Several far-left groups participated, including the New Jersey Working Families Party, Make the Road New Jersey, and CAIR NJ, which has characterized Hamas's attack as a prison break, calling it "inevitable" and "not unexpected."

"When ICE came and raided the fish market in the city of Newark, they asked people for their papers under the guise of looking for criminals," Baraka said at Tuesday’s rally. "But I have to tell them they don’t have to go too far to look for criminals. They just need to go to the Oval Office."

Baraka has the highest favorability among the six Democratic candidates jockeying for the governor’s mansion, according to a March 5 Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, though the Newark mayor describes himself as an "underdog." He has dug his heels into the progressive lane, advocating for policies such as a public option for health insurance and supporting sanctuary cities—even as Republican voter registration closes a gap with Democrats, though the GOP still faces a more than 830,000 shortfall.

CAIR NJ executive director Selaedin Maksut, who in March called Israel’s war in Gaza a "genocide," also spoke during Tuesday’s protest.

"Today, our CAIR New Jersey office stands in unity and solidarity with our brothers and sisters who stand against the oppressive and inhumane immigration policies of the Trump government and say ‘No!’ to the Delaney Hall here in Newark," he said.


Power Cut: Debunking the Media’s Narrative of a Gazan Energy Crisis
A Media Blind Spot
Returning to Gaza, even international aid organizations estimate that Hamas has enough fuel to run generators for approximately 45 more days. This estimate, however, should be taken with extreme caution, given these organizations’ repeated failures to provide reliable data on famine, their lack of serious efforts to assist Israeli hostages, and their documented links to Hamas.

But even if we assume their numbers are accurate, the real question remains: What would a humane government that genuinely cares about civilians do to avoid the dire consequences of running out of energy in 45 days? And what about the civilians themselves—those who truly care about their lives and the lives of their children?

There is only one answer: They would release the innocent hostages who have now been held for over 500 days. Now think about a government that prioritizes holding 24 live hostages and 35 bodies over providing its own population with food and clean water.

Paraphrasing Golda Meir: The core problem is not that Israel does not care enough about civilians in Gaza. It is that people in Israel care so much about their civilians, they’re ready to release thousands of murderers. In stark constrast, Hamas and its supporters, who constitute a significant part of their population, care much more about destroying Israel than about the wellbeing of their civilians—including children.

And that is how trustworthy media should present it.
OMISSION AND INACCURACY IN BBC REPORTING ON GAZA ELECTRICITY CUT OFF
Donnison and Clarke-Billings however fail to inform their readers that generators and solar panels were wide used before the current war, with their choice of wording even suggesting that their use is due to the current conflict:

“Gaza’s coastal territory and its infrastructure have been largely devastated by the war, and generators and solar panels are used for some of the power supply.”

Notably, they have nothing to tell their readers about the fact that, as in previous conflicts, multiple power lines were damaged by Hamas rockets early on in the war.

The written report goes on:

“Talks to prolong the fragile ceasefire, the first phase of which ended on 1 March, are expected to resume in Qatar on Monday.

Israel wants Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire.

But Hamas wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire’s second phase, which would see the release of the remaining hostages from Gaza, withdrawal of Israeli forces and a permanent end to war.”

Donnison likewise touted the notion that Hamas wants a “permanent end to the war” in the ‘Global News Podcast’. As previously documented here, that claim has been repeatedly promoted in recent BBC content but, like so many of their colleagues, Donnison and Clarke-Billings failed to inform BBC audiences of the statements from various Hamas leaders concerning the intention to resume hostilities at their convenience.

As we see, the misleading presentations and multiple omissions in these written and audio reports mean that BBC audiences did not receive an accurate and impartial account of the story. They did however find a reference to “collective punishment” in the written report and a mention of “war crimes” in Donnison’s audio report.


Atop Mt. Hermon, Katz says Syrian leader will see indefinite IDF deployment
After an hour-long flight from the relative warmth of central Israel, freezing air rushed into an Israeli Air Force helicopter as Defense Minister Israel Katz, deputy military chief Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai and a group of journalists landed on Tuesday morning at one of Mount Hermon’s snowy summits on the Syrian side of the border.

Due to the harsh weather conditions and difficult terrain, the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion — known in Israel as the Yasur — helicopter that took us to Syria from an IAF airbase could not land at the strategic peak of Mount Hermon, located 2,814 meters (9,232 foot) above sea level, and 14.5 kilometers (9 miles) from Israel’s border.

To reach the peak, where the Israeli military has established a post at the site of a former Syrian army position, we needed to travel another hour in cramped snowcats with almost no room to move in.

The fully treaded snowcats made light work of the icy mud and thick snow covering the route to the top of Mount Hermon.

Along the way, an Israeli military truck used to transport ammunition was seen embedded in ice. It had broken down during a snowstorm. Army officials said that they would wait until the summer to extract it, once the ice had melted, indicating that Israel intends to stay inside Syria for the foreseeable future.

Once the reporters arrived at the Israeli army post and a nearby lookout position, it was clear why the military captured the area back in December. An Israeli Air Force helicopter prepares to land in the Mount Hermon area in southern Syria, March 11, 2025. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)

The Israel Defense Forces took the Syrian side of the strategic Mount Hermon, along with a buffer zone that has existed between the countries since the 1970s, following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Since then, the IDF has established nine military posts inside Syrian territory, including two atop Mount Hermon. Three IDF brigades, under the 210th Bashan Regional Division, are deployed to the area.
IDF accuses Hamas of ‘cynically’ sending 4-year-old boy to IDF post in Gaza
Hamas sent a 4-year-old boy to approach an Israeli military outpost in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday — after soldiers there repeatedly opened fire on Gazans who approached the soldiers, officials say.

The Israel Defense Forces spotted the child walking towards them at a security buffer zone overnight.

The soldiers took the boy in and worked with international groups to return him to his family. The IDF accused Hamas of sending a 4-year-old boy to a security post overnight.The IDF accused Hamas of sending a 4-year-old boy to a security post overnight. IDF/X

“In a conversation with the soldiers, the child said that he was sent to the post by the Hamas terrorist organization,” the IDF said in a statement.

“Hamas does not hesitate to use any means to cynically use and exploit civilians and children to advance its terrorism,” the military added.

The IDF did not elaborate on what Hamas’ goal would be in deploying a child to the post, but the Israeli military has previously fired at individuals who have approached the buffer zone during the uneasy cease-fire with the terror group.


‘October 8’ Review: Disturbing Documentary Surveys Surge in Antisemitism After Hamas Attacks
October 7, 2023, marked the largest massacre of Jews to take place since the Holocaust, with 251 hostages taken by Hamas as well. Wendy Sachs’ documentary isn’t about that horrific event, although it includes disturbing footage from the infamous day and harrowing testimony by survivors. Rather, it concerns what happened immediately afterward, namely the precipitous rise in antisemitism that manifested itself in demonstrations on college campuses, on the streets and in social media. For those concerned about this growing problem — and everyone should be — October 8 is mandatory viewing.

There is certainly a strong case to be made against Israel’s longstanding mistreatment of Palestinians, as well as against the morality and legality of its ongoing military response in Gaza. But there was something truly perverse about the way in which anti-Israel sentiment came to a fever pitch in the immediate aftermath of the massacre, and the manner in which it morphed into antisemitism. Protests erupted on college campuses throughout the country, with Jewish students verbally attacked and, in some cases, physically assaulted. Dozens of university student organizations put out statements blaming Israel for Hamas’ actions, and even some faculty members joined in the outcry. One Cornell University professor went so far as to refer to the Hamas attack as “exhilarating” and “energizing.”

The film includes footage of the congressional testimony of several university presidents who had trouble explaining why they failed to sufficiently protect Jewish students from the harassment that had been directed at them — and whether calls for the genocide of Jews violated their code of conduct.

“What does it mean that the future leaders of the most important democracy in the world are chanting for revolution and intifada?” asks journalist Bari Weiss, referring to the students. “What is the country going to look like a decade from now?”

Several university students who did attempt to counter the anti-Israel hatred are profiled, including the student body president of University of California at Santa Barbara, who put out a statement supporting Israel and received a barrage of hate messages and threats as a result.

October 8 seeks both to explain the reasons behind the rise in hatred and condemn the relative lack of organized response to it. It points to the SJP, or Students for Justice in Palestine, a controversial group estimated to have some 200 branches across the country.

Another problem is that young people largely get their news not from traditional media outlets but rather from such social media sites as TikTok, where bad actors like Iran, North Korea, China and Russia are easily able to foment disinformation.

The film also decries the relative lack of vocal condemnation from celebrities and politicians about the hostage-taking by Hamas, as compared to, say, the outrage expressed after the abduction of school girls by Boko Haram in Nigeria. Hollywood figures have been largely silent, with conspicuous exceptions including actors Debra Messing (an EP on this film) and Michael Rapaport, both featured prominently in the documentary.
‘We are lionesses’: Julia Haart and Nova Festival survivor share strength and survival
Julia Haart, the self-made businesswoman, bestselling author, and star of Netflix’s My Unorthodox Life, joined an influential group of voices at Migdal Ohr UK’s International Women’s Day Lunch on Monday to honour the strength and resilience of Israeli women.

Held at Home Grown in Marylebone, the lunch gathered prominent female figures from the Jewish community, with award-winning Sunday Times columnist Sarah Jossel serving as host. The event aimed to raise funds for Afikei Ohr, Migdal Ohr’s programme supporting at-risk young women in Israel.

Haart, known for leaving the ultra-Orthodox community and building a path as a business leader, spoke passionately about gender equality and the systemic barriers women face: “When a man is successful, he’s a captain of industry, an innovator. What do they call successful women? Something far less respectful.”

Since the October 7 attacks, Haart has been outspoken in her support for Israel, making a visit to witness the devastation first hand. “I never had an emotional connection to Israel before. And then, in one instant, it all changed. I was enraged. How dare they mess with my country, my people?” she said, recalling her time in Gaza with an active unit.

Beyond activism, Haart continues to challenge industry norms, using fashion as a tool for empowerment. “Fashion is something I’ve loved forever. I think I drew my first handbag when I was five,” she said. But for her, clothing is about more than aesthetics; it’s about freedom.

Frustrated by the limitations of traditional shapewear, she asked, “Why is shapewear always beige, black, or white? Why can’t it be something you actually want to wear?” Determined to change this, she created garments with built-in support that allow women to feel comfort and confident in everyday clothing. “The fabric we create, it’s insanely comfortable. It feels like velvet.”

The event also featured a harrowing testimony from Natalie Sanandaji, a Nova Festival survivor and Public Affairs Officer at the Combat Antisemitism Movement. She described the moment that the attack unfolded: “Imagine Coachella, but instead of music, there are rockets overhead, and no one panics. That’s Israel’s reality.”
Freed hostage says he saw Avinatan Or alive in captivity, marking first sign of life
One of the recently released hostages told Israeli authorities that he saw fellow hostage Avinatan Or alive while they were in captivity, Israel’s Channel 12 reported Wednesday, marking the first public sign of life since he was taken into captivity.

The 32-year-old is one of the 24 hostages whom Israel believes remain alive in the Strip, including 22 Israelis, one Thai and one Nepali. The network did not specify when the freed hostage came into contact with him.

All are young men who would go free in the current hostage-ceasefire agreement’s second phase, however, discussions for the next phase fell flat, leaving the truce between Israel and Hamas in a fragile state.

Or, 32, was abducted from the Nova festival and separated from his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, who was rescued by Israeli soldiers in June 2024.

Later that day, a Hamas video of Or and Argamani was posted on Telegram, showing Argamani on an all-terrain vehicle, as she called in fear, crying, “Don’t kill me!” reaching out her arms to Or, who was being marched away from her, surrounded by at least three terrorists.

After the report was published, Argamani, who has campaigned relentlessly around the world for the hostages, posted on Instagram, that “until Avinatan comes back, my heart is in captivity.”


Ex-hostage says he always knew when truce talks failed because captors would beat him
Freed hostage Omer Wenkert said Tuesday that although he was cut off from the outside world throughout his 505 days in captivity, he always knew when talks for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas had fallen through or when a senior Hamas operative was killed, because his terrorist captors would take it out on him.

“Every deal that fell through would bring up a lot of frustration, rage and anger,” Wenkert said of his captors in an interview with Channel 12 news, his first since returning from Gaza on February 22. “Not to mention when one of their fathers was killed, or their families, or when their senior officials were assassinated. You feel it. You know exactly what happened.”

He said that in those instances, his captors would beat him, spit on him, and force him to do strenuous physical exercise.

“I was very weak physically,” he said, adding that his captors’ goal was “humiliation.”

Asked if he felt humiliated at the propaganda ceremony Hamas held for him before his release, Wenkert responded: “It was victory for me. I finished the struggle. It didn’t humiliate me. I fought, fought, fought, fought, and won. I was smiling from ear to ear.”


The REAL REASON the Gaza war hasn’t restarted | Israel Undiplomatic w/Mark Regev & Ruthie Blum
In this episode of Israel Undiplomatic, Mark Regev and Ruthie Blum unpack the modern-day threats facing #Israel—how history is repeating itself and what it means for our future.
πŸ”₯ Topics Covered:
πŸ”Ή The Purim story & its modern-day Haman—Iran's ongoing threats 🚨
πŸ”Ή Unity vs. division in Israel—Can we overcome internal polarization?
πŸ”Ή The Hamas hostage crisis—Should Israel prioritize hostages or total victory?
πŸ”Ή IDF Chief Eyal Zamir—Why his leadership signals a shift in military doctrine πŸŽ–️
πŸ”Ή Israel on multiple fronts—Hezbollah, Houthis, Iran, Syria, & the West Bank 🌍
πŸ”Ή Netanyahu’s dilemma—Can Israel balance war and diplomacy?
πŸ”Ή The media’s role in shaping the conflict—What’s real vs. political spin?

Can Israel afford to wait? Should the IDF go all-in against Hamas or hold back for diplomacy? Let us know in the comments!


Why this may be the end of the Iranian regime w/Dr. Harold Rhode | True East
What’s REALLY happening inside #Iran? This week on True East, IDF Spokesperson (Res.) Doron Spielman sits down with Dr. Harold Rhode, a distinguished senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute, to break down exclusive, secretly recorded footage from inside Tehran, and the shocking reality it exposes.

πŸ”₯ Inside the episode:
πŸ”Ή Iran’s crumbling economy vs. the ruling elite’s lavish lifestyle
πŸ”Ή Why Iranians sent this footage to #Israel (and not the U.S. or UK)
πŸ”Ή The Iranian regime’s biggest fear and how it could collapse
πŸ”Ή Is Israel’s strength emboldening Iranians to rise up?
πŸ”Ή What happens after the regime falls? Will Iran become a failed state like Syria?
πŸŽ₯ With Iran funding terror across the Middle East while its own people suffer, the cracks in the regime are showing. Could this be the beginning of the end?
πŸ’¬ What do you think—Is Iran on the verge of collapse? Let us know in the comments!


US hostage envoy PANNED for last ditch negotiation tactics | Jerusalem Minute
Welcome back to Jerusalem Minute on JNS TV! In this week’s episode, JNS CEO and Jerusalem Bureau Chief Alex Traiman and JNS Middle East Correspondent Josh Hasten break down the biggest stories shaping #israel and the Jewish world.

πŸ”Ή Trump’s Final Warning to Hamas: After meeting with Israeli hostages, President Trump issues a last ultimatum to Hamas: Release all hostages or face the consequences. What does this mean for U.S.-Israel policy?
πŸ”Ή Hamas Rejects Trump's Demands: Will Israel escalate military action in Gaza? The latest on hostage negotiations and Israel cutting power to Gaza.
πŸ”Ή U.S. Directly Negotiating with Hamas?: Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer pushes back on reports of U.S. talks with the terror group. Is the Trump administration shifting its approach?
πŸ”Ή Israel’s Military Plan for Gaza: With a new IDF Chief of Staff and top military changes, Israel gears up for a potential full takeover of Gaza.
πŸ”Ή Iran on Edge: Trump warns of possible military action against Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Will sanctions work, or is a strike inevitable?
πŸ”Ή Syria in Chaos: 1,000 massacred under the new regime, yet the world stays silent. Why no outrage?
πŸ”Ή Trump Cracks Down on Anti-Israel Hate on Campus: $400M cut from Columbia University and pro-Hamas agitators deported. Will this change the campus climate?
πŸ’¬ Comment below: What do you think of Trump’s ultimatum? Should Israel escalate military action in Gaza?


Hamas tunnels, Ukraine and city warfare | John Spencer and Robyn Curnow
Urban Warfare expert John Spencer says the conflict in Gaza is unlike any other. Spencer tells Robyn Curnow about his four trips into Gaza with the IDF since the October 7 massacre. As a combat veteran, national security and military analyst, he has served as an advisor to Pentagon to the U.S. Military Academy. Israel's fight in Gaza is unique in modern warfare, he says. "Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza was the first one I've studied where the underground was more important than the surface."

He says in other wars, tunnels are used by civilians to seek refuge.

But Hamas uses them as an underground network to base their operations. They're
→ where the fighters are
→ where the hostages are
→ their primary means of conducting operations

Hamas initially were able to use them to slow IDF operations.
But the fighting changed when Israel brought their fight into the tunnels too.




Jonny Gould PodCast: Rachel Moiselle: Haters try to steal my national and religious identity. So I'll convert to Judaism.
Rachel Moiselle is a young woman born and bred in Dublin. She’s a PhD. student who calls herself a city girl. She loves the place she grew up in - but the feeling among her people isn’t much reciprocated.

Since October 7th, Rachel’s found out the hard way about antisemitism. She’s been shunned, cancelled and lost friends.

But she wouldn’t change a thing - oh except one. Brought up a Catholic, she’s fully converting to Judaism, her father's background.

Rachel gives her first ever interview to Jonny Gould about the public life she's been thrust into since October 7th.




Trump slams Chuck Schumer as ‘not Jewish anymore’: ‘He’s a Palestinian, as far as I’m concerned’
President Trump said Wednesday that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is “not Jewish anymore” — building upon his prior taunts that the Brooklyn Democrat had morphed into a “Palestinian” by his strident criticism of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Schumer is a Palestinian, as far as I’m concerned. He’s become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore. He’s a Palestinian,” Trump, 78, said in the Oval Office during a bilateral with Irish Taoiseach MicheΓ‘l Martin — part of a far-ranging denunciation of congressional Democrats.

Schumer, 74, staunchly supported Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks that killed about 1,200 people — going so far as to visit the Jewish state and return with lists of weapons that Israeli officials requested, vowing to help provide “everything they need.”


IDF is the ‘most ethical army’ in the world: Ami Horowitz
Data shows that the Israel Defense Forces are the “most ethical army in the world”, according to filmmaker Ami Horowitz.

Mr Horowitz released a short documentary with PragerU which looks at whether Israel has done enough to save Gazans in its war with Hamas.

“People forget, Israel for months every day was being rocketed by Hamas from Gaza into Tel Aviv, into Jerusalem, into all these population centres,” Mr Horowitz told Sky News host Rita Panahi.

“The only reason why there wasn’t massive amounts of death is because Israel has the technology, Iron Dome, to shoot these things down in mid-air.”


‘Play stupid games, win stupid prizes’: Ami Horowitz backs deportation of ‘terrorist supporter’
Filmmaker Ami Horowitz has ripped into a Columbia University student activist for being an “active supporter” of Hamas.

Democrats have doubled down on their support for Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil after the Trump administration ordered his deportation.

“Mahmoud – you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes,” Mr Horowitz told Sky News host Rita Panahi.

“They can’t get behind a 13-year-old with cancer, but they can line up behind this terrorist supporter? This is why you lost the election.”




US-Based Nonprofit "Eyewitness Palestine" to Host Webinar With Palestinian Terrorist
On March 12, the U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit Eyewitness Palestine is set to host a webinar featuring Hussam Al-Zaanin, an apparent member of U.S.-designated terrorist organization, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Al-Zaanin was imprisoned for 11 years for attempted murder and weapons offenses. He was released in January 2025 as part of a negotiated exchange that freed Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel.

The webinar will also feature Jenna Abuhasna, the International Advocacy Officer for Addameer, a Ramallah-based NGO designated by Israel in 2022 as a terrorist organization operating as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)—also a U.S.-designated terror group.

Al-Zaanin’s Ties to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
An Investigation by Jewish Onliner has confirmed Al-Zaanin's affiliation with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Fatah party. The Martyrs Brigade played an active role in the October 7th massacre and is responsible for multiple attacks, including the kidnapping and murder of Israeli-American citizen Avraham (Avi) Boaz in January 2002, among others. Palestinian media outlet Quds News Network has referred to Al-Zaanin as a member of the Brigades who assisted “resistance fighters,” and a website affiliated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades posted his image on an “honor roll” alongside other members.

The Eyewitness Palestine webinar will also feature Jenna Abuhasna, the International Advocacy Officer for Addameer, a Ramallah-based NGO. In addition to Israel’s official designation, the NGO Monitor research institute has extensively documented how current and former employees of Addameer, as well as some of its lawyers, have links to the PFLP.

Interfaith Peace-Builders
Eyewitness Palestine goes by the name Interfaith Peace-Builders for its tax filings with the IRS, and its identification Number (EIN) is 03-0598184.

A 2016 investigation by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs found that the organization “claims to have led more than 60 delegations to the Palestinian Authority” and that it “houses its participants in the homes of PFLP terrorist operatives and encourages them to participate in violent demonstrations against Israel.”




Buy EoZ's books  on Amazon!

"He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024)

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

    
 

 

at