Friday, March 14, 2025

03/14 Links Pt1: Israel: Hamas offer to free hostage, four bodies is ‘psychological warfare’; It’s time to abolish the UN’s pro-Hamas bureaucracy

From Ian:

Bernard-Henri Lévy: ‘The war against Hamas and Russia is one battle against the same evil’
The greatest French-Jewish intellectual of our time has been trudging through the snow of Pokrovsk, an under-fire city near Ukraine’s eastern front.

It’s a dangerous place to go. But big thinkers, and Bernard-Henri Lévy is certainly one of those, know how to rise above the fear. And in the interview, it becomes clear that the conflict and its implications for Israel and the newly fractured West is at the top of his mind.

For Lévy – who was in Ukraine to chair a film festival, visit the front line and write it up for French and US newspapers – Israel’s war against Hamas and Kyiv’s struggle against Russia are two sides of the same coin: it is the free, democratic world against tyranny and evil. For this reason, he says, he is “terribly worried. You have here two fragile democracies. Two twin fights that should be fought together.

“That worries me: the fact that the US is separating the two struggles. They are thus playing into the hands of our common enemies.”

Lévy, who has been one of the key European voices speaking up for both Ukraine after the 2022 invasion and for Israel in the wake of October 7, has a bleak assessment of the direction of travel for European security.

“We know that Donald Trump’s America will not protect us if one of our countries is attacked. The comfort of the post-Second World War [era] is over. We must defend ourselves and build a European army.

“Europe may have done ‘a lot’ to support Ukraine. But has it done enough? No. Because doing ‘enough’ would have been to help Zelensky defeat Putin. We helped him resist, not win. We ensured that Ukraine was saved without, however, trying to bring about the collapse of Russia.”

What is more, for Lévy, Judaism – as a foundation stone of Western values – may well be in Vladimir Putin’s sights.

“He will destabilise Europe. Ukraine is, for him, only a step on a long road that ends in the weakening of Europe. That is not in doubt. Personal vengeance against countries deemed responsible for the collapse of the USSR? Hatred of Judaism and Latin Christianity? Hatred of the liberal model that remains an ideal in this part of Europe? All of this is part of the long-term war Putin has declared on the European Union and its values.”
Netanyahu compares Purim story to fight against today’s ‘Persian axis’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated in the traditional reading of the Book of Esther during the holiday of Purim at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, on Thursday evening.

Addressing the police officers, the prime minister drew a comparison to the story of Purim, in which the Jewish people were saved from annihilation in Persia, now present-day Iran, to the modern Jewish state’s conflict with the Islamic Republic.

“Two thousand five hundred years later an enemy of the Jewish people arose in that land. He, too, wants to destroy and annihilate the seed of the Jews from the face of the earth,” Netanyahu said.

“Heroes like you have arisen—the heroes of our people. And with stratagem, heroism and courage we turned the tables upside down, and we are breaking the Persian axis,” he said, referring to Iran.

“That’s what’s happening these days. If history repeats itself, at least the people are the same people. This is the new miracle of Purim. This miracle is thanks to you; thanks to our heroic soldiers, our heroic fighters, the policemen and women, who stopped the disaster with endless heroism, and fought back,” he said, referring to the actions of the police on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists invaded the western Negev.

“We won our state; we won it with you. I am sure that each and every one of you will do your duty in performing the new miracle of Purim in our days. Happy Purim to all of you,” Netanyahu said.
It’s time to abolish the UN’s pro-Hamas bureaucracy
We are currently experiencing the worst surge of antisemitism in living memory. But that realization shouldn’t lull us into thinking that the world prior to October 2023 was a relative bed of roses for the Jewish people. From the end of the Second World War until the Hamas massacre in Israel, there were myriad episodes and events which underlined that hatred and suspicion of Jews as a collective did not die out with the Nazis.

Later this year, we’ll mark the 50th anniversary of one of the most heinous of those outbursts, whose fallout we are still living with: the passage by the U.N. General Assembly of Resolution 3379 of Nov. 10, 1975, which determined that Zionism, the national liberation movement of the Jews, was a form of racism.

Israel and its allies have eight months to decide whether that anniversary will be marked as a posthumous victory or as a day of mourning.

Sure, one could argue that victory already came in 1991 when, in the wake of Iraq’s expulsion from occupied Kuwait and the consequent U.S. attempt to convene regional peace negotiations, American diplomacy—which, in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, was without a serious rival—secured the General Assembly’s repeal of its 1975 resolution. But that, sadly, was a fleeting victory for two reasons.

Firstly, the anti-Zionist ideology underpinning the resolution persists. Orchestrated by the Soviet Union, Resolution 3379 denounced Zionism as a “threat to world peace and security.” It drew an explicit linkage between Israel and the former white minority regimes in South Africa and Zimbabwe to demonstrate its charges of “racism” and “apartheid.” Those charges will sound eerily familiar to Jewish college students now weathering the pro-Hamas onslaught, all born long after 1975.

Secondly, while the General Assembly annulled Resolution 3379, the pro-Palestinian bureaucracy created within the United Nations at exactly the same time also persists. As a result, the world body still behaves as though “Zionism is racism” remains on the books. If the November anniversary is to carry any message of hope for Israelis and Jews, then it’s imperative to tackle and dismantle that bureaucracy, and its associated propaganda operation.

In the 18 months that have lapsed since the Hamas pogrom in Israel, we have seen that bureaucracy in action. UNRWA—the agency originally created in 1949 to deal with the first generation of Arab refugees from Israel’s War of Independence—has been a mainstay of anti-Israel messaging, unphased by the unmasking of dozens of its employees as Hamas operatives. The U.N. Human Rights Council, which dedicates an entire agenda item to Israel alone at its thrice-yearly deliberations while ignoring serial violators like Russia, Iran and North Korea, last week released a litany of fabricated accusations in the guise of a “report” that amounted to what Israel called a “blood libel.” One of the more noxious Israel-haters on the scene, Francesca Albanese, continues to serve as the U.N. special rapporteur on the “Occupied Palestinian Territories.”


Israel: Hamas offer to free hostage, four bodies is ‘psychological warfare’
Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office on Friday rejected a Hamas offer to release Edan Alexander, 21, in an effort to jump-start stalled ceasefire negotiations.

“While Israel accepted the Witkoff plan, Hamas persisted in its refusal and did not move a millimeter,” the Prime Minister’s Office said, referring to Trump administration special envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire.

“At the same time, [Hamas] continues to employ manipulation and psychological warfare,” the Prime Minister’s Office added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his ministerial team on Saturday night to review a detailed report from its negotiating team, and decide on the next steps in obtaining the release of the hostages from Gaza, the statement said.

Earlier on Friday, Hamas said in a press statement that in response to a proposal from mediators to resume negotiations, it had agreed to “release the Zionist soldier Edan Alexander, who holds American citizenship, in addition to the bodies of four other dual nationals.”

It said it would make the release without ceremony. Hamas has been criticized by Israel and the U.S. for making propaganda spectacles of the prisoner releases.

Witkoff told press on March 6 that the U.S. wants Hamas to free Alexander as a show of goodwill.

Alexander, 20, from Tenafly, N.J., is the only one of five American hostages in Gaza believed to still be alive.
Witkoff warns time is not on Hamas's side as terror org. makes impractical demands
US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff dismissed on Friday Hamas's claim that it would release Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander in addition to the remains of four other American hostages.

In a joint Friday statement with the US National Security Council, Witkoff warned that the organization could no longer play for time with a ceasefire and hostage deal.

"Unfortunately, Hamas has chosen to respond by publicly claiming flexibility while privately making demands that are entirely impractical without a permanent ceasefire," the statement read.

"Hamas is making a very bad bet that time is on its side. It is not. Hamas is well aware of the deadline, and should know that we will respond accordingly if that deadline passes."

What is the 'bridge' plan?
The United States proposed a "bridge" plan to extend the ceasefire in Gaza into April beyond Ramadan and Passover and allow time to negotiate a permanent cessation of hostilities, the White House said.

The Jerusalem Post previously reported that Witkoff presented the updated proposal in Doha on Wednesday. A source involved in the negotiations said that the proposal discussed by Witkoff included the release of five living hostages and several deceased hostages in exchange for extending the ceasefire in Gaza for a few weeks.

As such, Hamas's proposal is markedly different from the US's "bridge" proposal. The Prime Minister's Office noted on Friday that Hamas "continues to enact manipulations and psychological terror" on hostages and their families and that the terrorist organization "refuses to budge a millimeter" in negotiations.

The US's Friday statement noted the differences between the proposals.

"Through our Qatari and Egyptian partners, Hamas was told in no uncertain terms that this 'bridge' would have to be implemented soon — and that dual US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander would have to be released immediately," it added.
Lee Smith: The ‘Realists’ Try and Fail—for Now—to Steal MAGA’s Skinsuit
Making an official who has consistently publicized his opposition to the president’s own policies responsible for the president’s intake of intelligence is a mistake best caught early. Read More

And that’s what happened when, on Wednesday, a story in Jewish Insider reporting Davis’ appointment and showcasing his policy ideas set off alarm bells throughout the America First movement. All morning, Trump allies on Capitol Hill, prominent media and social media figures, as well as donors, had questions for the White House. By midafternoon the plug had been pulled on Davis’ appointment, apparently by the commander-in-chief himself. “Thanks goes to President Trump,” author and broadcaster Mark Levin posted on X regarding Davis’ dismissal.

Davis’ allies pounced. “Mr. President this is genuinely your loss,” wrote Kelley Vlahos, in a post on X now deleted. Vlahos is editorial director of Responsible Statecraft, the online magazine of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. A nominally centrist foreign policy think tank started in 2019 by Charles Koch and progressive megadonor George Soros, Quincy is best known in the D.C. foreign policy world for its pro-Iran regime posture. The organization’s Executive Vice President Trita Parsi played a key role selling the Barack Obama administration’s 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to legalize the terror state’s bomb. Its board includes Iranian American magnate Francis Najafi, who funds several prominent left-wing anti-Israel groups; Katrina vanden Heuvel, longtime editorial director of The Nation; and Stephen B. Heintz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, among others.

Vlahos called the Jewish Insider article a “smear job over Gaza, Iran”—though even a cursory scan of the piece shows that the JI reporter simply cataloged the positions that Davis has repeatedly expressed on social media and in his own podcast, Deep Dive. Vlahos wrote that Davis “is the kind of America First guy that the administration needed. He is a Christian conservative with a stern moral compass and had been hopeful for the new administration and its early foreign policy moves.”

In a podcast Thursday, Davis’ friend (ret.) Col. Douglas Macgregor said that the reason Davis lost his job before he started is because “he’s willing to stand up to those who are doing things that he thinks are wrong. What he’s done that has deeply offended the people that control Washington is that he has said he cannot support what the Israelis are doing in Gaza, that this is inhumane and it is beyond the pale for him as an American and as a Christian to support this. That’s unacceptable today in Washington, D.C. Everyone in Washington, D.C., with very few exceptions, has decided for personal reasons that they are going to support whatever Mr. Netanyahu’s government wants to support, regardless of how many deaths that means among the populations of Gaza, or for that matter the West Bank, or ultimately anywhere else in the region, unconditional support for whatever he wants to do. That’s something that Dan can’t publicly do.”

Macgregor must be referring to the American president who cashiered Davis, for there is no one in Washington, or Jerusalem for that matter, who has taken a more hardline stance on Gaza than Trump. He’s said he wants Gaza evacuated, cleared not just of Hamas, but of all Gazans. In a recent post on Truth Social he warned that if the residents of Gaza did not return all the hostages in their keeping that they, like the terrorists they elected to lead them, would pay a terrible price for their cruelty and bloodlust.

Thus, even Davis’ allies underscore his fundamental differences with Trump foreign policy. That Davis nonetheless sought a foreign policy job in the Trump administration that would routinely put him in the same room with the president and give him the opportunity to shape intelligence collected and assembled expressly for the president lends weight to the concern that Davis planned to undermine Trump.

A further danger is that the Davis affair is being used by some to argue that there is a split inside MAGA—between a “realist” or isolationist contingent, and a more traditionally forward-leaning Reaganite faction.

While gaining traction on social media, this conceptualization of the White House is wrong. It’s premised on the flawed assessment that Trump is beholden to a coalition that helped elect him and thus he must accordingly balance competing interests. In reality, no one helped Trump get elected, just as no one else was subjected to a campaign of lawfare purposed to impoverish and imprison its target, nor was anyone else in the crosshairs of two assassins while on campaign. There are no real divides within MAGA because Trump, and he alone, is the president.

What we’re seeing rather is an external faction trying to attach itself to MAGA in order to strangle Trump’s America First foreign policy. And the reason why has little to do with Israel, the Middle East, or the Jews.
Andrew Fox: Misinformation Strategy and Media Bias in the Gaza War
Distortions such as those outlined above are not just academic concerns—they have real-world implications, influencing public opinion, political decisions, and international policy. Wartime casualty figures are powerful tools in shaping narratives; their misuse can perpetuate misunderstandings and deepen polarization. Addressing these systemic issues is essential for restoring balance and integrity in conflict reporting. The global media must reexamine its standards, ensuring accountability and providing audiences with an accurate and nuanced understanding of complex conflicts like Gaza.

This conflict underscores the complex interplay between violence, information dissemination, and media narratives. The integration of military operations within civilian areas and the challenges surrounding casualty reporting have significantly shaped public perceptions of the conflict. These dynamics complicate efforts to assess the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved and their compliance with international law.

The challenges associated with casualty reporting—such as discrepancies and the reliance on unverified figures—contribute to a misrepresentation of the conflict’s realities. The emphasis on civilian casualty statistics without sufficient scrutiny of their sources or context can lead to an incomplete and skewed narrative. Media coverage that fails to critically evaluate data or provide diverse perspectives risks oversimplifying the situation, thereby limiting a nuanced understanding and informed decision-making.

To address these issues, it is crucial to ensure rigorous evaluation of data, balanced media representation, and adherence to journalistic standards. Accurate reporting and critical analysis play a vital role in fostering an informed global discourse on the Gaza conflict. Developing a comprehensive understanding of the conflict’s complexities is key to supporting informed dialogue and exploring pathways toward sustainable solutions.
For our future defence, we need a reset with Israel now
Europe’s decades-long holiday from history has come to an abrupt end. London, Paris, Berlin and the rest of the continent now have to contemplate the sobering reality of detering and, failing that, fighting Russia – possibly without full US support.

In this precarious new landscape, no ally offers more strategic value than Israel (as former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps explains).

The Jewish state’s dominance in key weapons systems critical to our national security as well as its invaluable battlefield experience and intelligence prowess could mean the difference between life and death for British and European soldiers, as Andrew Fox explains opposite.

But forging this alliance requires a reset of our relationship with Jerusalem, one where we first become better allies to the embattled Jewish state.

Following the October 7 massacres, the West pledged full support for Israel’s right – indeed obligation – to defeat the terrorists who invaded the country. The European Parliament, hardly known for martial rhetoric, twice demanded Hamas must be “eliminated”. But this understanding quickly melted away under the pressure of Hamas-sourced casualty figures, hostile media coverage, wild accusations by NGOs and the biases of politicised international organisations.

The Labour government, citing its commitment to international law, reversed its predecessor’s legitimate objections to the International Criminal Court’s investigation of Israel and suspended arms licenses based on unsubstantiated human rights claims. This reflects a peculiar contradiction: while scrutiny of domestic institutions is considered essential for our democratic order, questioning international bodies is treated as an intolerable threat to the global order.

Thus, just last month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer felt comfortable to robustly denounce a decision by a British judge as “wrong”, yet accepted the ICC’s arrest warrants against Israeli leaders without question. Despite serious legal concerns about jurisdiction and substance, Downing Street’s response was merely that “we respect the independence of the ICC”.

Likewise, Britain and other European nations routinely vote in favor of or meekly abstain from the UN’s obsessive, one-sided condemnations of Israel –undermining not only the Jewish state but also the credibility of the UN itself. The organisation’s own charter commits it to “the principle of the sovereign equality of all its members,” yet Israel remains a second-class participant in an institution ostensibly dedicated to impartiality.

Upholding the international order does not mean blindly accepting judgments from bodies that have proven themselves politicised or morally compromised. When the West helped establish these institutions and granted them tremendous power, it also assumed an equally tremendous responsibility to scrutinize them. Failing to do so is the opposite of upholding the international order. These organisations must not be treated as infallible; rather, we must ensure they apply their rules universally – not selectively against the world’s only Jewish state.

Standing up to the false accusations against Israel is not only an act of diplomatic justice. It is also essential in the fight against the dramatic rise of violent antisemitism in this country and across the West, which is often linked to the demonisation of the Jewish state.
Andrew Fox: Israel has all the hardware to make Britain battle-ready
Modern Russian anti-tank weapons have devastated armoured vehicles in Ukraine. Israel’s Trophy active protection system provides a battle-tested solution to keep tanks operational. Mounted on a tank, Trophy detects and intercepts incoming anti-tank missiles or rockets mid-flight. On Israeli Merkava tanks, Trophy has achieved over 90% success, intercepting hundreds of projectiles aimed at vehicles – and no Trophy-equipped tank has been lost to enemy fire. Equipping this system on Britain’s Challenger tanks and other vehicles would similarly neutralise Russia’s Kornet missiles or RPG ambushes, significantly enhancing crew survival. Notably, Trophy can even intercept loitering kamikaze drones that threaten armour. It's no surprise that the US and Germany have rushed to install Trophy on their Abrams and Leopard tanks – Britain should take similar action.

Small drones have become a serious threat on the battlefield, and here, too, Israeli technology is leading the way. The British Army has started deploying the Israeli Smart Shooter sight to assist soldiers in shooting down drones. This AI-assisted sight automatically locks onto a moving drone and fires only when a hit is certain, meaning even ordinary riflemen can take down small UAVs with much greater ease. By equipping troops in Eastern Europe with significantly more Smart Shooters, Britain greatly enhances its front-line defence against the kind of inexpensive spy drones and bomb-dropping UAVs that Russia uses.

Drones are not just targets; they are also weapons that Britain must wield. Israel pioneered loitering munitions (also known as “kamikaze drones”) like the Harop, which can roam overhead and then dive onto targets with lethal effect. During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Israeli-made Harop drones helped destroy dozens of enemy armour and air-defence units, tipping the balance of that conflict. If the British Army acquires similar proven loitering drones and advanced Israeli surveillance UAVs, it would gain the ability to locate and strike high-value enemy targets (such as artillery batteries or air-defence radars) from afar. In a potential clash with Russia, possessing an arsenal of battle-tested drones for both ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) and precision strikes would provide British forces with a decisive advantage.

UK–Israel defence ties also provide critical know-how. Israeli F-35 pilots and British RAF pilots have already flown side by side in exercises, and the UK has hosted Israeli officers at its Staff College. These officers bring a wealth of expertise in integrated air defence and counter-drone operations. Deepening this cooperation – through liaison officers, briefings, and joint drills – would ensure that Britain gains the full benefit of Israel’s combat experience when using Israeli-made systems. Learning directly from the IDF’s battlefield lessons will assist British commanders in refining their tactics for employing this equipment on Europe’s frontlines.

Ultimately, equipping the British Army with Israel’s battlefield-proven systems is about speed and certainty; the UK cannot afford to wait years for new capabilities or gamble on untested technology. Israeli defence solutions have proven their ability to save lives and outperform modern threats, now. At a time when conflict in Europe is no longer theoretical, and time is of the essence, Britain should seize every advantage that Israeli innovation offers.
Heritage Foundation report draft calls for ending U.S. aid to Israel
The Heritage Foundation has composed a new proposal calling for the U.S. to cut off aid to Israel by 2047 and require the Jewish state to increase its purchasing of U.S. defense materials, Jewish Insider has learned.

It was set to announce the report at an event on Wednesday, which has since been canceled, a source familiar with the situation said, after at least one of the headline speakers withdrew from participating.

A draft of the report obtained by JI recommends that Washington use the 2028 expiration date of the current Memorandum of Understanding — which requires the U.S. to provide $3.8 billion of security assistance to Israel annually and must be renegotiated in 2026 — as an “opportunity” to “forge a new relationship with the State of Israel.”

The plan laid out in the report advises initially increasing the amount of aid, called Foreign Military Financing (FMF), provided to Israel to $4 billion annually beginning in 2029, but decreasing it by $250 million annually starting in 2032 until the aid is stopped completely by the end of fiscal year 2047 (“to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Israel’s independence,” the report notes).

Conversely, beginning in 2039, Israel will be required to increase its purchasing of U.S. defense equipment, called Foreign Military Sales (FMS), by $250 million per year until it reaches $2.25 billion in 2047. This is less than the amount Israel currently purchases from the U.S. annually — since taking office, the Trump administration has already approved nearly $12 billion in defense equipment sales to Israel.
Pro-Israel Dems needle Republicans over Heritage report on Israel aid
Pro-Israel Democrats are pressing Republicans to disavow the Heritage Foundation’s report calling for the U.S. to phase out U.S. military aid to Israel over the next 20 years, arguing that a failure to do so would undermine their claims of supporting Israel.

“I’ll always oppose anti-Israel proposals, whether they come from the left or the right,” Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) said on X. “I hope my Republican colleagues will join me in denouncing this plan from their side of the aisle to fully cut off U.S. support for Israel, one of our closest allies.”

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said in a statement that “everyone — no matter their party — who claims to be a friend of Israel and the Jewish community needs to reject this report in the strongest possible terms.”

He said the report’s recommendations would undermine Israel and the United States, and that its very existence emboldens Iran and its terrorist proxies.

“Ensuring Israel’s security, and our own, is not a political issue,” Hoyer continued. “We must not let Heritage and the far right turn it into one.”

Robert Greenway, the director of the Allison Center for national security at Heritage, responded to Hoyer, saying “Your concerns are as gravely misplaced as your mischaracterization of our proposal,” and blasted recent Democratic presidents for having “throttled aid to Israel while appeasing our common enemies.”

Victoria Coates, the vice president of Heritage, added, “The only time a congressional Democrat will express support for Israel is when they think they can take a shot at Heritage.”
Trump was not wrong to call out Schumer
Chuck Schumer is an American Jewish politician who has led the Democrats in the US Senate since 2017. Earlier this week President Trump stated in a press conference that: “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.”

Strong words indeed. Trump is no stranger to creating a disruptive controversy with his comments. In his deft understanding of a mainstream media that has consistently treated him with a contemptuous bias, Trump knows the potential of a well-worded soundbite that may be ignored or misreported by the established news outlets, but which will go viral in the various channels of the world’s new media.

A committed supporter of former Presidents Biden and Obama, prior to last year’s presidential election, Schumer together with other prominent Democrats, had sought for America to flex its muscles.

Among other measures, Schumer proposed the restriction of military aid to Israel in the (ultimately frustrated) hope of on the one hand, influencing Israeli Government policy and on the other, (futilely) appealing to those in the US electorate who believed that Israel should be “reined-in” in its response both to Hamas’ atrocities and also the conflict that Hezbollah had opened up on Israel from the north, immediately following the Hamas attacks of 7 October. His stance drew criticism from many in America’s Jewish community which this week has only gained extra momentum. Jonathan Baz

Of course, Trump knows that Chuck Schumer remains a Jew. But what the president’s comments have thrown into very clear relief is that Schumer is a talisman to those Western Jews (and a fair number in Israel too) whose stance leads to a potential weakening of the Jewish state, gives succour to Israel’s enemies and ultimately earns the increasingly apt descriptions of “Israel-hating Jews” or perhaps more pertinently, “useful idiots”.
Trump's Irish golf course vandalized by pro-Palestinian group days after Scottish course marked
Scottish police arrested a 33-year-old man suspected of participating in the vandalism of US President Donald Trump’s golf course in South Ayrshire on Saturday, according to multiple media reports.

"Gaza Is Not For Sale" was painted on the club’s lawn, and red spray paint was used to deface the course’s clubhouse.

The suspect was released from police custody as investigations continue.

Investigations continue
A Police Scotland spokesperson said that "enquiries remain ongoing."

The group Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the vandalism. The controversial group has become known for property damage - including precious artworks, the Elbit factories, and banks with suspected ties to Israel.

A Trump Turnberry spokesperson said, according to Sky News, "This was a childish, criminal act, but the incredible team at Trump Turnberry will ensure it does not impact business."

The vandalism seemed to reference Trump’s Gaza relocation plan, which would require Palestinians to leave the Strip and have the land transferred to US ownership instead of Hamas control. The Strip would then be expected to undergo economic revitalization. This controversial plan was condemned by much of the Arab world.
Israel asks Tesla to bid on tender for top officials’ cars
Jerusalem has asked Elon Musk’s Tesla, Inc. to submit a bid on a tender to provide electric cars for the Jewish state’s top officials, a senior Israeli government source revealed to JNS on Thursday.

“We aren’t going to bow to woke trends,” the official said about the decision to invite Tesla to submit an offer, explaining: “A car is a car is a car. And a great car is a great car is a great car.

“Teslas are great cars and we look forward to studying their bid,” the official concluded.

Since Musk took on the position on Jan. 20 of de facto head of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is spearheading efforts to cut the U.S. government’s spending and workforce, there have been at least a dozen reported incidents of vandalism against Tesla vehicles, dealerships and charging stations.

Critics have accused Musk of performing a gesture likened to a Nazi salute at a presidential inauguration celebration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the defense of the Tesla CEO, saying on Jan. 23 that Musk was “being falsely smeared.

“Elon is a great friend of Israel. He visited Israel after the October 7, [2023], massacre in which Hamas terrorists committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” tweeted Netanyahu.

“He has since repeatedly and forcefully supported Israel’s right to defend itself against genocidal terrorists and regimes who seek to annihilate the one and only Jewish state,” added the prime minister.

Musk last month suggested that the ongoing corruption trial against Netanyahu was orchestrated by the Israeli “deep state.”

Last year, Musk attended Netanyahu’s July 24 address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress at the personal invitation of the prime minister.

Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, rode in a not-yet-released Tesla Cybertruck during a September 2023 tour of a Tesla factory in Fremont, Calif.
Sinwar documents reveal scenarios for Israel’s elimination
Captured Hamas documents found in Gaza reveal that following the IDF’s “Operation Guardian of the Walls” in May 2021, the terrorist organization came to believe that “the destruction of Israel” was “a goal that can be achieved in the near future.”

This change was also evident in a series of public statements by Hamas leaders, a report from the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center explains. These statements were apparently dismissed by Israel as empty boasts.

The report, written by Uri Roset of Sapir College, assesses that the severe blow suffered by Hamas and other elements in the pro-Iranian axis in the current war is likely to push back the “destruction plan” for Israel, reducing it to little more than a vision.

Nevertheless, the report warns that “if Hamas manages to recover and receives support from Iran, it cannot be ruled out that it will once again treat the idea of ‘destroying Israel’ as an actionable plan in the future.”

Hamas’s rejection of Israel’s existence was a given ever since the terrorist organization’s founding. However, the Islamist group was aware of its limitations. In recent years, however, a dramatic shift took place. The documents seized in Gaza show that over the past decade, Hamas began formulating a practical strategy to bring about the end of the State of Israel.

A document titled “The Movement’s Strategy 2013–2017” framed the confrontation with Israel primarily in defensive terms, addressing potential Israeli attacks from the air and sea. It advocated for “resistance” through a “realistic plan,” including an intifada in Judea and Samaria, an uprising among Israeli Arabs, and targeting Jews in international forums.

Building on this, in a letter dated June 5, 2021, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his senior cohorts Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa wrote to Quds Force commander Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani, stating their objective: “The great victory and the removal of the cancer,” referring to Israel’s elimination.

“We will never close our eyes, rest, or remain silent until we achieve this sacred goal,” they declared. They sought to acquire $500 million over two years.
ICJ to hold hearings next month on Israel’s aid obligations to Palestinians
The International Court of Justice will hold hearings next month on Israel’s humanitarian obligations toward Palestinians, amid an Israeli government freeze on letting aid into Gaza.

The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution in December requesting that the world body’s top court give an advisory opinion on the matter.

The hearings will open on April 28 at the court’s seat in The Hague, it said in a statement.

The resolution, submitted by Norway in October, was adopted by a large majority.

It calls on the ICJ to clarify what Israel is required to do to “ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population.”

Although the ICJ’s decision are legally binding, the court has no concrete means to enforce them. But they increase the diplomatic pressure on Israel.

Last July, the ICJ issued an advisory opinion stating that Israel’s control of Palestinian territory was “illegal” and must end as soon as possible.

Israel strictly controls all inflows of international aide vital for the 2.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip hit by a humanitarian crisis.
Anti-Israel ‘Hague Group’ requires scrutiny
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Feb. 25 article in Foreign Policy—co-written by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Colombia President Gustavo Petro and Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, a left-wing policy adviser and co-general coordinator of Progressive International—spreads misinformation about Israel while acting as a rallying cry for anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish sentiments.

Among the mistruths, the article claims that the deaths of “61,000 people” indicate a failed international system and are indicative of genocide—a claim that is far from the truth. The number of dead itself is already questionable, as it comes from the Hamas-run Gazan Ministry of Health, which has a perverse incentive to inflate the number of dead to condemn Israel. The number also doesn’t distinguish between genuine civilians and combatants.

The article also makes no mention of crimes undertaken by Hamas terrorists or the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for a now-late Hamas leader who helped execute the massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which kicked off this brutal war.

The article’s content is not surprising given that its writers are members of the Hague Group, which includes: Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa. Organizers say the group was founded to combat violations of international humanitarian law, but all of its focus has been on attacking the State of Israel.

The Hague Group has called for its member states and other nations to put an arms embargo on Israel and prevent vessels carrying military supplies to Israel from docking at their ports. Ramaphosa’s government, however, had no qualms about hosting Russian military exercises despite the country currently engaged in a brutal war of conquest over Ukraine. Additionally, while the South African government investigated and found itself not guilty of loading munitions and weapons onto the Lady R—a Russian vessel that was docked at a South African military base in 2022—accusations by the United States that the ship was transporting military equipment to Russia should not be ignored.

The South African government, and Ramaphosa in particular, have no right to claim adherence to international law as the country’s previous president, Jacob Zuma, refused to arrest Sudanese president and warlord Omar al-Bashir, who the ICC had issued an arrest warrant for in 2010 on charges of genocide with deaths predicted to be between 200,000 and 400,000. Ramaphosa was deputy president at the time.

The Hague Group itself also requires some further scrutiny.


‘We will serve again’: Three women who survived the Nova massacre and joined the IDF reserves
When asked what their main message would be, all three women highlighted the importance of the Jewish state and the special family-like bonds among Israelis.

“There will never be a better place for the Jewish people than the State of Israel,” Shani stated. “This is our home, and we will do anything to ensure that it remains [like that]. We are strong and resilient and interconnected. Where else in the world would you see citizens who risk their lives and rescue and help citizens they don’t know?

“One day after Oct. 7, some 400 psychologists got together and started calling all the Supernova survivors, completely voluntarily. Where else in the world would you see such unity? No matter where you go, you will always find an Israeli who would connect with you.”

Neomi’s word of choice is “continuity.” “On Passover, we say that in every generation, people attempt to exterminate us. We happened to be present in the largest terrorist attack in the history of the country, and, unfortunately, it will not be the last attack. But we are here to stay. This is the country in which I want to raise my children and grandchildren.

“History may repeat itself, but we are only evolving and getting stronger. The State of Israel is something unique, as all the contributions upon contributions from citizens to fellow citizens and soldiers can attest.”

Nastia also lauded the Israeli spirit. “We are the most loving, warmest, most embracing people there is, and that is also our strength. Despite what we’re going through, we continue to coexist as one people, and no one can break the bond that we have.

“We are already [more than] a year into the war, and we are still willing to do everything for the country. You see it in the smallest things. Distributing food and drinks to evacuees and soldiers, organizing donations, doing laundry for each other. In the smallest crisis, everyone mobilizes for each other.

“This unity doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.”


Defending Israel with David Harris: David Collier
David Harris is joined by David Collier, a prominent UK-based investigative journalist dedicated to exposing extremism, antisemitism, and efforts to demonize Israel, most notably in the BBC.


Chutzpa Productions' Igal Hecht: Documentary on Hamas's Massacre in Israel, October 7, 2023
"[T]hanks to Hatzalah, we obtained 50 hours of raw material from ambulance teams. These first responders documented everything. Every horror, every burned-out car, every bullet-ridden body, from the moment the attack began." — Igal Hecht, director of The Killing Roads, a documentary that investigates Gaza's jihadi pogrom against Israel on October 7, 2023.

"The average Canadian gets his information from a publicly funded broadcaster that pumps out anti-Israel propaganda daily, much like the BBC. These journalists take Hamas press releases as gospel and issue weak retractions only after the damage has been done. We've seen it repeatedly, from The New York Times parroting Hamas casualty figures to the BBC recently producing outright propaganda films." — Igal Hecht.

"If this unchecked immigration and tolerance for Islamist extremism continue, Canada will follow the path of the UK, France, and the Netherlands. In 10-15 years, we shall see the same no-go zones, the same normalization of antisemitism, and the same erosion of Western values. That is the trajectory unless people wake up." — Igal Hecht.

"The Sunni states are waking up to a simple truth: the main obstacle to peace is not Israel. Rather, it is the so-called Palestinians and their genocidal fantasies, like a perpetual cancer. Remove that factor from the equation, and Israel and the Arab world can thrive together. More Arab leaders are starting to see that. Hopefully, the rest of the world will, too." — Igal Hecht.

"Easter and Christmas in Israel serve as testaments to the reality that Christian minorities here can observe their holiest days without fear. This is something that is virtually impossible anywhere else in the Middle East." — Igal Hecht.


Why did Hollywood ghost a movie about antisemitism? - with Wendy Sachs & Lorenzo Vidino
Over the last 17 months, we have watched in shock as Ivy League campuses became hotbeds of support for terrorists and their ideology. A powerful new documentary that the Academy Awards refused to consider illuminates how - and more importantly why - college campuses became a pivotal front in the war against Israel.

“October 8” opens in theaters on Friday, March 14th, featuring a number of Call Me Back guests. The film is riveting, and revealing, examining the forces that enabled Islamist extremists to shape the minds of millions of well-meaning Americans.

We sat down with the filmmaker and one of the experts in her film, to discuss Hamas’s infiltration of academia, the entertainment industry, and other progressive spaces.

Wendy Sachs is an author, documentary filmmaker and Director and Executive Producer of October 8.

Lorenzo Vidino is Director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
03:51 The meaning behind the film's title, ‘October 8’
05:32 At what point did Wendy decide to document events post 10/07?
08:35 The dos and don’ts of making a film like this
12:11 Celebrations of 10/07 at Ivy League schools immediately following the massacre
19:53 The organization origins of college protests & encampments
28:01 How should one respond to those who say that anti-zionism is not anti-semitism?
30:41 Challenges distributing the film
41:31 Are there other films being made about this period of time from the pro-Palestinian perspective?
44:47 How will the story of 10/07 be remembered in popular culture?


October 8th Trailer

PragerU CEO: Fighting for truth & Western civilization | The Quad
In this powerful episode of The Quad, Israeli Innovation Envoy Fleur Hassan-Nahoum sits down with Marissa Streit, CEO of PragerU, to discuss the battle for truth in education and media. From the indoctrination of children in K-12 schools to the alarming rise of antisemitism after October 7th, this conversation exposes the threats facing Western civilization, free speech, and parental rights.

🚨 Topics Covered in This Episode:
✅ How PragerU grew from a kitchen table idea to 2 billion+ views
✅ The fight against woke indoctrination in American education
✅ How October 7th changed the Jewish and conservative awakening
✅ Why social media is the new battlefield for truth and misinformation
✅ The rise of AI, digital propaganda, and the war for minds
👉 Subscribe, like, and turn on notifications for more hard-hitting conversations on politics, culture, and the future of free speech!


Here I Am With Shai Davidai: "Coexistence on campus has become a radical idea." | EP 32 Sahar Tartak and Amitai Nelkin
Welcome to the 32nd episode of "Here I Am with Shai Davidai," a podcast that delves into the rising tide of antisemitism through insightful discussions with top Jewish advocates.

In this episode, Shai sits with Sahar Tartak (Yale) and Amitai Nelkin (Brown), two student fellows from Fight Hate (https://fighthate.org/), an organization combating anti-Semitism and hate on college campuses. Together, they explore the challenges Jewish students face in progressive spaces, the rise of hostility post-October 7th, and the importance of fostering understanding and coexistence.


The Misfit Patriot: The Daily Breakdown: Live with Ami Kozak

The Daily Breakdown: Live with Ami Kozak
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15 seconds

15 seconds



Muslim group linked to Hamas accused of ‘financial irregularities’ with $7 million taxpayer cash now unaccounted for
A Muslim charity with links to Hamas was awarded more than $7.2 million in taxpayer cash, which has now disappeared, according to a watchdog group.

An “immediate investigation” needs to be launched into The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) California chapter’s use of funds, according to the watchdog, who sent a complaint to the Department of Justice Thursday.

According to the Intelligent Advocacy Network (IAN), a California-based, non-partisan advocacy group, the money was given to the chapter to help re-settle impoverished immigrants in California between 2022 and 2024.

In what appears to be a sleight of hand, the money – $7,217,968.44 — was sent to CAIR-Greater Los Angeles and not to CAIR-CA, which was the only group eligible to receive it, according to the complaint.

The Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Muslim organization, which is not a registered non-profit and not eligible to handle charitable donations, received the entire pot of money according to the complaint, viewed by The Post.

“These sub grants from CAIR-CA to CAIR chapters raise serious legal concerns about whether CAIR simply shifted more money to itself,” the complaint said.

CAIR Los Angeles also appeared to divide the federal grant and “sub-granted” to other groups, including CAIR’s chapters in San Diego and San Francisco.

Those CAIR chapters were not registered with the IRS and once they receive cash, have no public responsibility to declare where it is spent, the complaint charges.




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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

    
 

 



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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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