Sunday, March 30, 2025

03/30 Links: Israel: an anti-colonial triumph; Understanding the Arabs' Religious War Against the Jews; BBC refused antisemitism training

From Ian:

Israel: an anti-colonial triumph
By early 1948, the catastrophe that was about to overtake the Arabs of Palestine was coming into view. Jordan’s prime minister, Tawfik Abu al-Huda, warned Britain’s foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin, in the spring of 1948 that while ‘the Jews had prepared a government which would be able to take power as soon as the mandate was terminated… the Palestine Arabs had made no preparations to govern themselves’. Huda told Bevin that the Jordanian Arab Legion, an army built up as a local militia of the British under lieutenant general Glubb, and part of the Arab Liberation Army, would cross over into Palestine and ‘occupy that part of Palestine awarded to the Arabs’. Bevin replied that ‘it seems the obvious thing to do’, but urged the Arab Legion ‘not to invade the areas allotted to the Jews’. In effect, the British foreign secretary was giving his blessing to Arab States to invade Palestine as Britain left, so as to ensure the province remained divided. Britain’s ambassador to Jordan, Alec Kirkbride, said that Jordan annexing Nablus and Hebron ‘was the logical solution’ (8).

The Arab Legion planned to attack the Jews once the British had left. Britain resupplied the Arab Legion’s munitions just before the attack on the Jews, with eight 25-pounder guns arriving in February 1948. ‘Each battery was commanded by a British officer’, joining those already seconded or directly serving in the Arab Legion, like brigadier Norman Lash and Glubb himself. Glubb thought that ‘the British regular officers were the keystone of the whole edifice’ (9). Britain had also armed the Egyptian and Iraqi forces and used British facilities to refuel the Egyptian aircraft, but with less enthusiasm (10). Britain also flew reconnaissance flights and risked being drawn into the war directly when the Israeli air force downed a Mosquito aircraft over Israel in November 1948. By contrast, the Zionists could only get their guns from the Soviet bloc – and even then, not directly from the USSR, but surreptitiously supplied through Czechoslovakia, or on the black market.

When the Arab Liberation Army attacked in May 1948, Glubb’s Arab Legion had a decisive impact on the fighting. On 18 May, the legion entered Jerusalem where 100,000 Jews were fighting their Arab neighbours. By 28 May, the Jews had surrendered their foothold in the Old Town. The rest of the Arab Liberation Army, including the Egyptian, Iraqi and Syrian forces, fought badly. ‘Seven Arab States declare war in Palestine, stop impotent before it, and then turn on their heels’, wrote Syrian diplomat Constantine Zurayk, in The Meaning of the Disaster (11).

The Arab Legion itself was undone when the British government, under pressure from the United Nations and the United States, ordered British officers seconded to it to step down. Renewed fighting saw the Israel Defence Forces, formed in 1948, reverse the Arab Legion’s successes in Judea and Samaria (as the West Bank was known then). When the fighting stopped in March 1949, Israel held more territory than had been allotted it in either the British or the UN partition plans, including West Jerusalem – but not the Old City, where Jews were excluded and synagogues desecrated, until Israel took it back in 1967.

Before 1948, Zionist attacks had mostly been directed against the British Army and police. After the Arab Liberation Army attacks in 1948, the Israelis succumbed to sectarianism, attacking Arab villages and driving out their residents. This was the peak of the Nakba, the disaster. At Deir Yassin, the worst massacre, Irgun guerillas killed 140 villagers. At the time, it was thought 400,000 were expelled. By 1956 the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) put the figure at 900,000.

Today, the estimates are even higher. The Nakba has been foregrounded by Palestinian nationalists and their supporters over the past couple of decades, a self-conscious attempt to both demonise Israel and to rival the Jewish State’s commemoration of the Holocaust. The disaster of 1948 is used primarily to suggest that Israel was founded in an act of violence against the Arabs of Palestine.

Yet, despite the frequent invocation of the Nakba, it is clearly not very well understood. The reason that there is an Israel and not a Palestine is not that Jews defeated the Palestinians. It is because the Jews defeated the British Empire in a war of national liberation, between 1946 and 1947. It was British imperialism that faced disaster in 1947, but it was the Arabs who paid for it in 1948, when Britain backed the Arabs, with arms and British officers.

Anti-Israel activists may today try to present Israel as a ‘settler-colonial state’. But its founding, forged in the heat of anti-colonial struggle, shows it was anything but.
Understanding the Arabs' Religious War Against the Jews
Idit Bar, 59, an Israeli expert on Arab society and culture, explained in an interview how the understanding of "two states" is totally different in Arabic and in the West.

"The Arabs repeatedly insist that for them, there can never be a Jewish state in the Middle East. When they speak of two states, they mean one Arab state that is cleansed of Jews, next to a state that is in no way a Jewish state. And they want to send the refugees to that state to change it into one with an Arab majority. This is not my analysis; this is what they say explicitly. We just need to listen."

"Take, for example, the slogan "from the river to the sea." That sounds nice in English, but the exact translation from the original source is 'Palestine is Arab from the river to the sea.' It's a declaration of ethnic cleansing. What is "Free Palestine"? Freed from what? From the Jews."

"When you pay attention to the Koranic verses that their leaders cite in their speeches, you can understand the cultural connection....The ideological aspect overcomes any other benefits. There is a goal and a vision, and that's the direction they are following."

"We're not willing to understand the nature of a religious war that's wrapped inside a political war. But we need to understand that Muslim fanatics cannot accept the fact that the Jew, who was always humiliated and discriminated against in Arab lands, has established a state in the heart of the Middle East. That is something they are not prepared to accept."

"Let it be clear: if elections were held in Judea and Samaria today, Hamas would win, and we need to act accordingly....Israel needs to open its eyes and recognize that they want to kill us and we need to prepare for that....The destruction in Gaza does not deter Hamas in Judea and Samaria, nor the local residents. They are prepared for any hardship, even to live in tents, as long as they can destroy us."
What convinced Douglas Murray that Hamas is a death cult
In this extract from Douglas Murray’s new book, the renowned author describes how Hamas cynically ignores the laws of war, using civilians as human shields and even stashing its weapons in children’s bedrooms.

As they accuse Israel of 'genocide' and 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza and scream for Intifada – holy war – pro-Palestine protesters have been heard to suggest that the young people whom Hamas terrorists so viciously slaughtered at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023 deserved it because 'the place where Zionists decided to rave was next to a concentration camp' – i.e. Gaza. Accusing the Jews of setting up a concentration camp has been a constant claim against the Jewish state ever since it withdrew from the Strip in 2005. But it is an absurdity.

When Israel handed over Gaza, its population was around 1.3 million. By 2023 it was more than 2 million. That would make it the first concentration camp in history in which the population actually grew. There was no population boom in Auschwitz in the 1940s.

So why the claim? It was for the same reason that Israel is so glibly accused of being 'Nazi-like' in its actions – to wound and hurt the Jewish state as deeply as possible by smearing it with the most powerful terms in Jewish history.

The 'concentration camp' claim was supposedly based on the fact that Israel imposed carefully controlled border checks on Gaza and that supplies were sometimes unfairly kept out. But these were necessary precautions because, from the very start of Hamas taking full control of Gaza, it was stockpiling weapons to attack Israel, bringing them in under the guise of food and provisions.

Any and all trade was a means to transport weapons or anything else that would further Hamas's war aims. When, for example, the Israeli authorities tried to crack down on building supplies entering the Strip, knowing that much of this material was being used by Hamas to build its tunnel network, they were condemned by the international community and accused of denying the people of Gaza their rights.

But the truth is that while Hamas's paymasters and mouthpieces in the region and across the West were proclaiming that Gaza was a concentration camp, it was a place that much of the rest of the region would envy.

Even in 2010, while Western media talked about Gaza as constituting one great humanitarian catastrophe, it boasted fancy restaurants, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and shopping malls. The Lonely Planet guidebook noted that at the Roots Club in Gaza you could 'dine on steak au poivre and chicken cordon bleu'.

Reconstruction was under way thanks to input from Qatar. In 2020, a Hamas leader acknowledged publicly that people who came to Gaza could not believe that this was Gaza, because it was so beautiful, with promenades and restaurants and so forth.


Seth Frantzman: Donald Trump’s Middle East policy faces crucial tests over coming month
The decision to use force against the Houthis could be a test for what comes next. If the Houthis are not deterred, then will Iran be deterred? Initially, Iran distanced itself from the Houthis, but the US airstrikes have not prevented Houthi attacks on Israel.The Houthis have been targeting Israel almost every day for the last two weeks, using ballistic missiles. Recent indications point to them using a liquid-fueled missile, and they said they aimed the Zulfiqar missile at Ben-Gurion Airport. This is believed to be a variant of the Iranian-made Qiam family of missiles.

The overall challenge for the Trump administration is seeing if they can get a deal on any of these fronts. Hamas, for instance, let the first phase of the ceasefire deal expire on March 1. The terror group assumed Israel wouldn’t call its bluff, and indeed, Israel waited until March 18 to carry out limited strikes and ground operations in Gaza.

Israel is relying on the Trump administration for the parameters of a new deal with Hamas. Steve Witkoff, who the White House tapped for talks with Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, has many things to do now.

Can he focus on the pressure needed to get a deal between Israel and Hamas? Hamas wants a long ceasefire and wants to only release a few hostages. Israel says it has countered this with demands for more hostages to be released.

This is why April is so important for the Trump doctrine in the region. The bombing campaign on the Houthis, the Gaza ceasefire, the Iran talks, and the Russia talks are all up in the air. The administration is juggling many things at once.

Some of these deals are connected. Iran backs Russia and Hamas. Iran and Qatar have an amicable relationship, and Qatar hosts Hamas. Therefore, it’s possible that a grand bargain could take place that brings together many interests.

For instance, Russia, China, and Iran recently met in Beijing about Iran’s nuclear program. Saudi Arabia, a key US partner, has played a role in hosting Russia and Ukraine to work on the talks with the US. Meanwhile, the White House is also in talks with Turkey, and Ankara may want certain things from the US. Ankara could offer to help with Hamas or other cases, such as a new grain deal in the Black Sea.

There are other things afoot. The US administration may be considering what to do next with the US forces in eastern Syria and Iraq. The US has forces at Tanf Garrison in Syria near the Jordan-Iraq border, meaning America has an interest in the new Syrian government.

The new government in Damascus also has ramifications for Lebanon, which has also promised the US that it will crack down on Hezbollah and stabilize the country. Israel has made it clear it will not tolerate any threats from Lebanon or Syria and has stepped up bombing in both countries.

Turkey wants to back the new Syrian government, leading some people to believe that this sets up a potential clash between Israel and Turkey, something the Trump administration would not desire. This means that there is much to discuss regarding Syria, and the White House might be listening to Ankara’s concerns.

With so many moving parts in the region and globally, April will be a crucial month for the Trump administration.


How the U.S. Hindered the Hostage Release Negotiations with Hamas
In an interview with the New York Times, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken placed the blame squarely on Hamas for delaying the hostage release negotiations. While this is true, Blinken's assessment overlooks a critical failure of U.S. strategy: at several pivotal moments, American mediators - through their public rhetoric and diplomatic approach - inadvertently strengthened Hamas's position and hindered a speedier resolution to the hostage crisis.

Hamas sought to minimize Israeli military incursions into Gaza by leveraging global calls for de-escalation. The Biden administration's strategy unknowingly aligned with Hamas's goals. On Feb. 8, 2024, President Biden publicly criticized Israel's offensive as "over the top." White House officials also repeatedly warned Israel to halt its planned military operation in Rafah, saying that such an escalation would be unacceptable.

For Hamas, these statements confirmed that time was on its side. Rather than make concessions, Hamas interpreted U.S. pressure on Israel as a sign that it could hold firm, delay negotiations, and wait for Washington to force Israeli withdrawals. A Hamas official reportedly told an Arab media outlet at the time: "If the Americans push Israel hard enough, we won't need to concede anything." Threats from Washington to withhold military aid reinforced Hamas's belief that Israel would ultimately be forced to back down.

The turning point in hostage negotiations was not diplomatic pressure but military action. Only after suffering significant territorial and operational losses did Hamas shift its position, paving the way for an eventual deal. The lesson from this episode is that any diplomatic effort that pressures Israel without demanding immediate concessions from Hamas will only prolong crises - not resolve them.

A surge in Israel's offensive in the spring of 2024 could have brought Hamas to a breaking point and led to a breakthrough in the negotiations. Instead, in direct contravention to Israel's combat doctrine which calls for a quick and offensive approach, Israel was forced to pull back as American pressure and diplomatic considerations limited Israel's room to maneuver. The Biden administration failed to recognize how its approach shaped Hamas's strategy.

Effective negotiations with terror organizations are not built on goodwill. They require the consistent application of leverage - primarily through sustained military pressure and credible threats of escalation. Without such pressure, diplomacy risks becoming an empty gesture, allowing adversaries like Hamas to dictate the terms.
Ignoring rockets from Lebanon, Macron blasts Israeli response
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned last week’s Israeli Air Force strikes in Lebanon and called them “unjust,” omitting the fact that they were in response to rockets fired into Israel.

Macron, who last year halted security exports to Israel and has accused it of “sowing barbarism” in Gaza, spoke on Friday during a joint press conference with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Paris.

Unusually, Macron also said he would speak with U.S. President Donald Trump about the issue.

“Today’s strikes and the failure to respect the ceasefire are unilateral actions that betray a given promise and play into Hezbollah’s hands,” he said. “No activity justifies such strikes,” added Macron, who called for respecting the ceasefire that “Today was unilaterally not respected by Israel.”

Israel attacked Hezbollah targets in Beirut on Friday after terrorists fired two rockets toward Kiryat Shmona. One rocket hit short in Lebanese territory and the IAF intercepted the other one. This was the third time that rockets were fired into Israel from Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27.

Hezbollah denied that it fired the rockets. Israel has said that it holds Hezbollah accountable for any rocket fire by terrorists into Israel, along with any other group carrying out such attacks.

Simon Weinberg, a prominent independent journalist and pundit, wrote on X about Macron’s remarks: “Not a word about Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure. Not a sentence about the armed group’s daily ceasefire violations. Double standards are becoming a diplomatic pillar.

“Israel will always be guilty no matter what it does for Emmanuel Macron,” Weinberg wrote.
‘May Allah destroy Israel,’ Erdoğan says in Eid al-Fitr prayer
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan prayed for the destruction of Israel on Sunday, the country’s Türkiye Today online outlet reported.

“We see and know what is happening in Palestine,” Erdoğan said as he led Eid al-Fitr prayers marking the end of Ramadan at the Çamlıca Mosque in Istanbul, according to a translation by Türkiye Today.

“May Allah, for the sake of his name ‘Al-Qahhar,’ destroy and devastate Zionist Israel,” the Islamist Turkish president continued. “And may we all, witnessing what is happening there [in the Gaza Strip], stay united, strong and resilient as brothers; may Allah keep our unity everlasting.”

Al-Qahhar is one of the names of God in Islam and is often translated from Arabic as “The Conqueror,” “The Vanquisher,” or “The Subduer.”

In separate English-language remarks posted to Ankara’s official social media channels earlier on Sunday, Erdoğan wrote that “particularly the genocide taking place in Gaza is constantly reaching a more alarming dimension, with scenes that will tear out the heart of anyone who has even a little piece of conscience, morality and reason.

“As Türkiye, we take a clear stance against this atrocity and work to heal the wounds of our brothers and sisters through our aid,” Erdoğan wrote in the statement, adding: “The upcoming period will Inshallah [‘God willing’] lead to an awakening on this issue all across the world.”

Responding to Erdoğan on Sunday evening, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that “the dictator has revealed his antisemitic face.

“Erdoğan is dangerous to the region, as well as to his own people, as is being proven in these very days,” Jerusalem’s top diplomat wrote on X. He added, “Let’s hope that the countries of the NATO alliance will understand this—and preferably sooner rather than later.”
UAE rabbi’s killers sentenced to death
The United Arab Emirates has sentenced to death three Uzbek nationals who killed UAE Chabad Rabbi Zvi Kogan in late November of last year, according to social media reports.

The three are suspected of having carried out the killing at the behest of Iran.

The murderers are believed to have tracked the rabbi, monitored his daily activities, and ultimately kidnapped and killed him. Following the abduction, Kogan’s car was discovered with evidence of violence and blood.

Kogan was an emissary for the Abu Dhabi Chabad branch and ran a kosher supermarket in Dubai, where he lived.

Chabad is one of the largest religious Jewish organizations in the world, with branches in scores of countries.

In a conversation posted on X between one of the murderers and his mother, the murderer tells her of his sentence, Arutz 7 reported.

Kogan was last seen alive in Dubai on Nov. 21, 2024. His body was found three days later in Al Ain, near the border with Oman, by UAE intelligence and security services.

On Nov. 25, 2024, security authorities identified the suspects as Olimpi Toirovich, 28, Makhmudjon Abdurakhim, also 28, and Azizbek Kamlovich, 33.

The three men had fled to Turkey and were extradited to the UAE.
UK gov't adviser: BBC refused antisemitism training on multiple occasions
Lord Mann, the UK's independent adviser on antisemitism, said the BBC's director-general refused antisemitism training for the broadcaster on more than one occasion. This was first reported by The Telegraph on Saturday.

Mann claimed that he had visited the BBC's leadership on three occasions after assuming the role in 2019 and that each time, they had refused the offers of antisemitism training. Among the BBC bosses was the director-general, Tim Davie, who, according to The Telegraph, turned down the offers despite growing Jew-hatred within the organization.

The Telegraph reported on Mann's strong condemnation, saying that the "arrogance at the top" of the BBC meant it failed to take allegations of antisemitic and anti-Israel bias seriously.

Mann also called for the firing of top executives who green-lighted the controversial documentary Gaza: How to survive a war zone.

The documentary created an uproar after it was revealed that the narrator was a child of a senior Hamas government official.

"Heads should roll," Mann told The Telegraph. "And the heads that roll shouldn’t just be the little heads. You know that’s always the danger with organizations the size of the BBC. Let’s get rid of some at the top."

“Someone at the top should carry the can," he added. "It’s not acceptable, and I’ve been in there several times. I’ve offered them training, and they’ve never accepted it. I think there’s often an arrogance there.”

He told The Telegraph: “Tim Davie and others who I’ve met, they’ve had those offers. And I challenge and question why they have not accepted it. More fool them. They haven’t done it. They should have done.”
Wikipedia Editors Place Moratorium on Controversial Sentence in Zionism Article
Wikipedia editors decided to place a one-year moratorium barring anyone from editing or discussing the controversial sentence in the lead of the Zionism Wikipedia page: “Zionists wanted to create a Jewish state in Palestine with as much land, as many Jews, and as few Palestinian Arabs as possible.”

Middle East historian Asaf Romirowsky, who heads Scholars for Peace in the Middle East and the Association for Study in the Middle East and North Africa, has previously told me that this sentence in the Wikipedia page is “false” because “there are [an] abundance of diplomatic correspondents of looking to find ways for coexistence and the fact of the matter is that all those Arabs who stayed in the land and became the Arab Israelis … they became naturalized citizens because of that earlier desire for coexistence between the population of the land.” My previous reporting highlighted how the sentence resulted from anti-Israel editors primarily citing anti-Zionist historians and appearing to take a passage from one of renowned Israeli historian Benny Morris’ books out of context.

The moratorium was implemented on Feb. 21; a recent report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) cited the moratorium as an example of Wikipedia’s anti-Israel bias. The moratorium came about after the editor “Bob drobbs” started a discussion on the Zionism talk page on Jan. 27 suggesting alternative phrasings to the sentence to make it more neutral. Bob drobbs was immediately met with opposition from anti-Israel editors who noted that a Request for Comment (RfC) — a formal discussion in which a closer (an uninvolved Wikipedian in good standing) renders a verdict on the discussion based on numbers and strength of the arguments as they pertain to site policy — had been closed on Jan. 4 finding that the sentence, as written, adhered to Wikipedia’s neutral point of view (NPOV) policy and should remain in the article. These editors argued that while Wikipedia policy acknowledges that consensus can change, it was too soon to launch a new discussion on the matter and is thus considered “disruptive.” Bob drobbs contended that the previous RfC left wiggle room for improvements to the sentence to be discussed, while anti-Israel editors claimed that Bob drobbs’ suggestions would have broken the consensus derived from the previous RfC.

Others pointed out that the previous RfC had been dominated by two anti-Israel editors who have since been topic-banned, but the editors in favor of keeping the sentence argued that even without those two editors (and one pro-Israel editor since topic banned), the numbers would have come out in favor of not changing the sentence. These editors also argued that bringing up the fact that those editors were topic banned would be “gravedancing,” Wikipedia argot that is defined as “insults/accusations/other behavior directed at editors who are now blocked or banned,” or “behaving as though a consensus is no longer valid simply because a blocked or banned editor contributed to it” or “nominating articles for deletion based solely on a blocked/banned/retired editor being the one who started them or contributed to them.” The essay defining gravedancing explains that “the work of a blocked, banned or retired editor should be treated respectfully as it may still have some value.”
Toby Dershowitz: Al Jazeera Challenged by the Gaza Street
A political earthquake shook Gaza this week. Its tremors continue to reverberate. Protests demanding the end of Hamas’s governance of Gaza and holding it responsible for the destruction of the enclave began in Beit Lahiya and have expanded to Khan Younis, where former head of Hamas Yahya Sinwar lived, and beyond.

While Hamas, which Gaza’s protestors called terrorists, was the primary target of the protests, those who took to the streets did not hold back on their ire at what they see as Hamas’s media mouthpiece: Al Jazeera.

“No no to Al Jazeera. The people are the truth,” protesters called out in Gaza City.

Hamza Howidy, a Palestinian human rights advocate, proclaimed in a tweet, “Not only did Al Jazeera not report our people’s demands, protests, and how they risked their lives for it, but they are now attempting to shift the narrative and the protestors’ demands, just like they did with the ‘We Want to Live’ protests in 2019, desperately trying to hide the reality about Gaza, that we’re done with Hamas and we no longer want them to rule us or for this war to continue.”

The protesters, who chanted “down with the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood,” see Al Jazeera as a promoter of the Brotherhood, a standard-bearer for Islamist groups around the world.

The State of Qatar launched the state-backed media network in 1996 when regional players had hoped it would become a truly independent news outlet. Those hopes have been dashed, even while the channel seeks to portray itself as the “BBC of the Middle East.”

Critics underscore that Al Jazeera is beholden to the Gulf emirate’s journalistic wishes by pointing to Qatari law that expressly prohibits the network from criticizing the emir, Qatar’s head of state. Al Jazeera is widely seen as the soft power tool the wealthy emirate uses to boost and empower Islamists — namely, the global Muslim Brotherhood, including its Gazan branch, Hamas.

Al Jazeera has previously faced protests and bans for its support for the Muslim Brotherhood. In Egypt, protests against Al Jazeera occurred after the 2013 coup as it was accused of backing the ousted Brotherhood government, leading to office closures and journalist arrests.

In 2017, when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt had a diplomatic fallout with Qatar, they presented 13 demands to Qatar, including a major shift in Al Jazeera’s pro-Islamist editorial line. The countries banned Al Jazeera.
High Court says petitioners ‘not even close’ to showing Israel starving Gazan civilians
The High Court of Justice ruled unanimously on Thursday that Israel has taken a variety of steps to provide for the humanitarian needs of Gaza’s civilian population during the current war with Hamas, and that there was no cause for the court to order the government and the army to take any additional action.

Critically, the court stated that the human rights groups which petitioned the court over the humanitarian situation in Gaza had “not even come close” to showing that Israel had violated legal prohibitions on starving a civilian population as a tool of war or as a form of collective punishment.

The court also ruled against the petitioners’ claim that Gaza is now under what is known as a “belligerent occupation” by Israel, which would apply heightened responsibilities for Israel to Gazan civilians.

The court found that at least two out of the three conditions for establishing a belligerent occupation have not been met by Israel, in particular that the IDF still does not have effective control of the territory and is unable to exercise governing authority.

Additionally, the court asserted that Hamas and other terror groups have deliberately hidden among the civilian population during the war; carried out terror activity from the Israel-designated humanitarian zone including from inside civilian facilities such as hospitals and schools; and seized humanitarian aid destined for civilians for its own use, to the detriment of the civilian population.

It also stated that the Palestinian terror groups in Gaza were responsible for civilian suffering in the war-torn territory, although the court added that Israel was not permitted to ignore that suffering.
Security cabinet greenlights separate road for Palestinians in contentious E1 area
The security cabinet Saturday night approved the construction of a Palestinian-only bypass road in the Jerusalem area in a bid to separate Israeli and Palestinian traffic and entrench Israel’s presence beyond the Green Line.

Hailing the move, the Prime Minister’s Office said that it will reduce congestion between the capital and Ma’ale Adumim and boost Israeli construction in the highly contentious E1 area in the West Bank, located between the two cities.

Plans for the so-called “Fabric of Life” road were initially approved in 2020, after several years of intense lobbying by former Ma’ale Adumim mayor Benny Kashriel. After five years, the government is now moving forward with construction and earmarked some NIS 335 million ($91 million) for the project.

“We continue to strengthen the security of Israel’s citizens and to develop our settlements,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement on Sunday. He further claimed that the road stands to ease traffic flow and enhance security by providing a “strategic transportation corridor connecting Jerusalem, Ma’ale Adumim and the Jordan Valley.”

Vertically bisecting the West Bank, the hotly contested E1 area is considered strategically important for the territorial contiguity of a prospective Palestinian state. Though Israel has long sought to step up construction in the region, its efforts were partly stifled by immense international pressure, including from the US.

The planned bypass road will allow for Israel to expand construction in the settlement bloc, which critics decried as a “fatal blow” to Palestinian communities in the area.
No Other Land Sequel: Oscar-Winning Palestinian Director’s New Acting Role?
“Beaten bloody.” “Attacked by a group of about 15 armed settlers.” Assaulted with “brass knuckles and the butt of a rifle to his head.” And later, struck by Israeli soldiers who supposedly “beat him with the butt of their rifles.”

These were just a few of the claims—or variations of them—breathlessly relayed by The New York Times, Sky News, CNN, The Guardian, and the BBC—based entirely on accounts from so-called “activists on the scene.”

And at the center of the chaos was none other than Hamdan Ballal, one of the Palestinian activist-filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land.

According to the media, Ballal was the helpless victim of a brutal settler assault near his home in the West Bank village of Susya on Monday night.

But the reality—once again—is most likely far from the cinematic version.

What appears to have occurred is now backed by evidence. And it matches what the IDF said from the start: Hamdan Ballal was in the vicinity of a group of Palestinians who were throwing rocks—not at Israeli soldiers, but at Israeli civilians.

The IDF confirmed a confrontation then broke out between local Israelis and Palestinians, prompting the arrival of soldiers attempting to break up the violence. One Israeli had to be evacuated for medical treatment. As security forces tried to intervene, Palestinians began hurling rocks at them as well.

Three Palestinians were arrested, including Ballal, as well as one Israeli involved in the violence. The IDF facilitated medical treatment for all three Palestinian detainees after one requested evaluation. All were questioned on suspicion of rock-hurling, property damage, and endangering public safety, then released the next day under conditions restricting contact with others involved. The investigation remains ongoing, with further arrests expected.

Not only is this account supported by IDF reports, but it’s also reportedly backed up by video footage posted on social media. Although it cannot be confirmed if Ballal appears in one clip, it does, however, show Palestinians hurling rocks around sunset; another shows a later clash with a group of Israelis.

And then there’s the video of Ballal himself, exiting the detention facility the following day.

For a man allegedly struck unconscious with a rifle butt to the head, he did not look as though he had sustained serious injuries. There were no visible marks on his skull. The only real sign of “trauma” seemed to be a pronounced limp as he walked out of detention—directly into the waiting arms of eager Western journalists who had camped out for the big moment.


Israel appoints director to oversee 'voluntary emigration' of Palestinians from Gaza
Defense Minister Israel Katz appointed Col. (res) Yaakov (Kobi) Blitstein, currently Defense Ministry deputy director-general, as the head of the Directorate for the Voluntary Emigration of Gaza Residents, the ministry announced on Sunday.

Blitstein previously served as director-general of the foreign ministry and energy ministry, respectively, acting director-general of the finance ministry, head of national infrastructure at the finance ministry, and deputy director-general for planning and infrastructure development at the transportation ministry.

Blitstein holds a BA in economics, political science, and sociology from Bar-Ilan University, a second BA in law from Ono Academic College, and an MBA from Tel Aviv University. He is also a licensed attorney.

The directorate, which was established a week ago, will operate under the authority of the defense minister and is authorized to coordinate with international organizations and other relevant bodies, as well as all relevant government ministries.

The directorate's task is to prepare for, and facilitate the safe and supervised "voluntary emigration of Gaza residents to third countries, including securing their transit, establishing a designated pedestrian route and checkpoint infrastructure in Gaza, and coordinating the necessary infrastructure for land, sea, and air exits to destination countries," the ministry clarified.

Israel Katz statement
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated, "We are determined to realize the vision of US President Donald Trump to enable the voluntary emigration of Gaza residents who wish to relocate to various parts of the world."

"Our assessments indicate that at least 40% of Gaza's population wants to emigrate," Katz added.

"The appointment of Kobi Blitstein as head of the directorate will provide organizational momentum for all necessary actions, alongside significant diplomatic efforts to identify destination countries—already underway with the US administration and directly led by a team under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” Katz expanded.
22-year-old Palestinian tortured, killed by Hamas after joining Gaza protests against terror group
Hamas operatives kidnapped, tortured and executed a 22-year-old Palestinian who participated in last week’s protests wave of protests against the terror group, according to his family.

Oday Nasser Al Rabay’s body was left in front of his family’s home over the weekend.

Many dozens were filmed participating in Rabay’s funeral procession earlier today, shouting “Hamas out!”

Hamas has reportedly been threatening Palestinians who participate in the protests against the terror group, but this appears to be the first time that anyone has been killed in connection with them.

The protests were held for three straight days last week, but none were held over the weekend.


Gazans chant ‘Hamas out!’ at funeral of protester
Hamas may have executed Palestinians who participated in rare protests against the group’s governance in the Gaza Strip.

One of the individuals allegedly killed was 22-year-old Oday Nasser Al Rabay. According to his family, he was detained, subjected to physical abuse, and later died in custody. His remains were returned to his relatives over the weekend.

Footage from Al Rabay’s funeral appears to show attendees chanting slogans critical of Hamas, including calls for the group’s removal from power. These demonstrations—some of which occurred in Beit Lahia and the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City—reflect rising discontent amid the ongoing war and worsening humanitarian conditions in the Strip.

International human rights organizations have raised concerns about Hamas’s response to dissent, citing reports of arbitrary detentions, intimidation and use of torture against political opponents.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) recently translated Arabic-language footage capturing the public dissent in northern Gaza. During a protest in Beit Lahia, residents voiced strong opposition to Hamas rule and the humanitarian crisis.

One protester declared, “The multitudes in Beit Lahia have taken to the streets against the Hamas rule. What is happening in the Gaza Strip is a catastrophe. The citizens here demand that [Hamas] release the [Israeli] prisoners so that they can stay alive.”


505 Days in Hamas Captivity: A Former Hostage Speaks Out
Eight months into Omer Wenkert's captivity in Gaza, one of his guards turned violent. He opened the door to the underground concrete dungeon where Wenkert, 22, was being held - less than 6 feet tall and around 3 feet wide - and kicked Wenkert three times in his head and twice in his back. He told Wenkert it was punishment for looking at him. The next day, his captor demanded he do push-ups, sit-ups and squats - what felt like hundreds, he said. At some point, Wenkert collapsed from exhaustion. His captor spit on him and began screaming insults. "Say you are a son of a bitch, say you are a dog."

After Wenkert thought he was finally alone, he lifted his head, only to realize the guard was still there. "Why are you looking at me?" his captor screamed, as he brought a crowbar down on Wenkert's head, shoulders and legs.

The recently released hostages have just begun telling their stories - about being held underground with no light or fresh air; being held in chains with no medical treatment for the wounds they suffered on Oct. 7; being subject to starvation, beatings and humiliation. Many of the male hostages in particular emerged looking like a shell of their former selves. When Wenkert returned to Israel in February, he had lost more than 80 pounds.

Wenkert was kidnapped from the Nova music festival near the Gaza border. He ran into a mobile bomb shelter along the road along with about 40 others. Only 12 would emerge alive. Palestinians started to throw grenades into the packed shelter. Wenkert covered himself with dead bodies. Then the Palestinians started pouring in gasoline and set it on fire. Wenkert climbed out from under the bodies and ran through the fire. The Palestinians were waiting for him. In Gaza, he was taken underground into Hamas tunnels. He wouldn't come out for 505 days.
Hostages Evyatar David, Guy Gilboa-Dalal chained, starved, kept in dark – report
Hostages Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa-Dalal are being starved and kept in chains with bags over their heads while in captivity in Gaza, their families told Hebrew media on Saturday.

David and Gilboa-Dalal, who are best friends, are being held together in inhumane conditions, suffering physical and psychological torture daily, according to information received by their families, which they provided to Channel 12 news.

The report said that Gilboa-Dalal suffered extreme dehydration in captivity and could not talk for a month due to the discomfort. He has also lost his hearing in one ear. David, meanwhile, is unable to see as he is without his glasses.

The captives’ legs and hands are chained, they are provided with food in complete darkness so they can’t see what they are eating, and are only allowed to shower with a bucket once a month, according to the report.

The two were seen for the first time since their kidnapping on October 7, 2023, in a Hamas propaganda video released last month, being forced to watch a group of hostages get released, an act widely panned as cruel psychological torture.

The footage showed the two men in a vehicle, close to a stage, watching a handover ceremony for Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen, and Omer Wenkert in the central Gaza district of Nuseirat and pleading for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure their release.

The two best friends were seen in the video looking from inside the vehicle toward the stage where the ceremony was being held. They repeatedly covered their faces with their hands.

“Save us please,” the two repeated several times over the course of the two-minute video, their expressions and exaggerated displays of dismay widely thought to have been the result of coaching from their armed captors, some of whom could also be seen in the footage.


Echoes of History: Dr Phil interviews Jonathan Sacerdoti

Erin Molan reveals what inspires her to fight media misinformation | The Quad
Erin Molan, award-winning Australian journalist and broadcaster, has emerged as a courageous global voice, unafraid to speak out against terrorism, antisemitism and media misinformation. Erin joins Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Israel’s Special Envoy for Innovation, for a powerful and unfiltered conversation recorded in Jerusalem.

From her deep personal connection to Indonesia's Muslim majority to her moral clarity following the October 7 Hamas massacre, Molan opens up about her upbringing, her late father’s legacy as an Australian Major General and MP and the cost of speaking truth in today’s polarized media landscape.

📌 In this episode, we cover:
The global threat of Islamic extremism and the importance of moderate Muslim voices
The media’s biased coverage of the Israel-Hamas war and how it fuels antisemitism
Australia’s political response to Oct. 7 and the cultural shift toward appeasement
The role of critical thinking in an age of narrative manipulation
The dangers of “woke” ideology, media gaslighting and Marxist infiltration of education
Erin’s plea for common-sense leadership, both in Australia and globally
The challenges and importance of evolving your views in response to new information
Why support for Israel aligns with humanitarian values—and why opposing Hamas is essential for peace

This episode goes beyond headlines, offering rare honesty and insight into how modern democracies are being subverted from within. Molan’s balanced yet bold voice is a must-hear for anyone seeking clarity in a world of confusion.

Chapters
00:00 The Threat of Islamic Extremism
02:46 Personal Influences and Moral Courage
05:31 Australia's Cultural Shift and Political Landscape
11:52 Media Narratives and Public Perception
20:55 The Role of Moderate Voices in Islam
23:43 Education and Radicalization
26:00 Woke Culture and Critical Thinking


The West needs to ‘get behind’ Palestinians demonstrating against Hamas
Sky News host Rowan Dean has commended the “brave individuals” in Gaza who are protesting Hamas’ rule in the region.

Footage has emerged from Gaza showing thousands of Palestinians marching through the streets and chanting – calling for an end to the terrorist group’s reign.

“The West needs to be getting behind these people if it’s legitimate and encouraging any kind of dissent against Hamas,” Mr Dean said.


‘Come back without police’: Pro-Palestine group threatens Immigration Minister, raising safety concerns on campaign trail
Education Minister Jason Clare has warned against political intimidation tactics on the election campaign trail following threats and heckles from members of the public.

It comes after Immigration Minister Tony Burke was forced to cancel a Muslim prayer event in Western Sydney due to concerns over security.

Protesters had gathered ahead of the event, voicing opposition to the Immigration Minister’s presence, with messages urging people to "show them they are not welcome."

The Immigration Minister was later threatened to come back to the location without police.

In the video, obtained by Sky News, an individual representing the Australian pro-Palestine Muslim organisation threatened Mr Burke.

“Tony Burke, I want you to know that you're not welcome within our community,” the man said.

“And to every single politician who is silent or complicit in the genocide in Gaza, don't you dare show your faces in front of us.

“Because wallah, you won't be made to feel comfortable within our community. And this goes for Jihad Dib as well.

“And for any politician and any journalist who thinks that they can cover up for genocide, then come to speak to us. And I hope that you struggle to sleep at night.”
‘Not how democracy is done’: Threats against Tony Burke slammed



Pro-Palestine protester assaults activist against antisemitism in Berlin
A pro-Palestine protestor physically assaulted a German anti-antisemitism campaigner Karoline Preisler during a demonstration on March 18, Berlin Police confirmed.

Preisler, who has regularly demonstrated against antisemitism since October 7, 2023, arrived at a pro-Palestine demonstration in Mitte, Berlin, to confront the protestors.

The protestor hit Preisler on the hand with a wooden flagpole carrying a Palestinian flag, Berlin Police confirmed.

In a video posted by Preisler following the incident, shortly after the hit, the protestor is separated from Preisler by Berlin Police.

The woman attempted to hit Preisler again, but Berlin Police blocked the hit and told the protestor to step back.

The video cuts to the protest leader calling on the police to, according to her translation, "Remove (from the protest) this dirty rat! Remove this dirty rat!"


The media is hiding the truth about the Georgetown Hamasniks
The arrest, detention and pending deportation of Badar Khan Suri, an “academic” at Georgetown University, illuminates a disturbing reality. No, not about U.S. immigration policy. Rather, the situation is exposing the mainstream media’s extraordinary failure.

Consider the narrative consistently advanced in major western media outlets.

“Having a view of the ongoing conflict is not a crime,” reads one quote at the BBC. “He is being punished because of the suspected views of his wife,” reads another from Politico. “To his defenders, Khan Suri is an accomplished scholar whose research focuses on peacebuilding,” writes CNN. “Suri was detained because of his wife’s Palestinian heritage and the couple’s political beliefs about U.S.-Israel policy,” his lawyer claims in a Washington Post article. His arrest is part of “efforts to expel foreign nationals who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations,” asserts The Guardian.

The gist? Khan Suri and his wife are being unfairly targeted merely for pro-Palestinian speech.

The problem? Just a few minutes of basic research uncover facts that upend the entire narrative. Yet not one of these major outlets, nor the dozens more covering the story, bothered.

In 2010, Khan Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, was a part of Hamas’s Committee to Break the Siege in Gaza. Yes—Mapheze was herself a member of the internationally designated terrorist organization, providing them with her services, a fact of which she makes no secret in Arabic media outlets. Notably, the committee happened to be chaired by her father, Ahmed Yousef, a senior official in Hamas’s “foreign ministry” and adviser to Hamas’s former leader, Ismail Haniyeh.

Mapheze’s role involved at least two tasks. First, she welcomed organized groups of “solidarity convoys” to the Gaza Strip. Second, she was tasked with maintaining communication with members of those convoys so as to continue feeding them Hamas propaganda.
UKLFI: Illegal Flier at Manchester University urges boycott of Tel Aviv University partnership
A flier distributed to academic staff at Manchester University has been branded unlawful and contrary to the University’s dignity at work policy. UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has warned that the flier, which urges staff to boycott a joint research fund with Tel Aviv University, constitutes and incites discrimination, harassment and bullying.

The flier describes Tel Aviv University (TAU) as a “Beacon of Ethnic Cleansing” amid red hand prints and red drips. It says “Dear Colleague – Don’t disgrace yourself and your reputation by applying for the UoM-TAU joint research fund. It is a partnership soaked in Palestinian blood”.

Those distributing the flier, produced by UOM Staff 4 Palestine, apparently tried to avoid it coming to the attention of Israeli staff members. This suggests they are aware of its problematic nature.

UKLFI has pointed out to Professor Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility, that the flier is highly offensive and disrespectful to University staff, who are exercising their academic freedom to carry out research with colleagues from TAU under a programme endorsed by the University’s Senate. It also makes highly misleading allegations about TAU, which actively promotes diversity, tolerance, peace and human rights.

UKLFI explained that the flier appears to be a flagrant violation of the University’s Dignity at Work and Study Policy which emphasises that “everyone has the right to be treated with respect at The University of Manchester”. Under Clause 1 of this Policy, “All members of the University community, whether staff or students, are required to treat each other in a friendly, courteous and dignified manner.”

UKLFI added that the flier constitutes and incites discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation against staff who participate in the programme with TAU in breach of Clause 2 of the Policy and also of the Equality Act 2010 as noted in Clause 3.


Harvard cleans house at Middle Eastern studies department
Two heads of Harvard University’s Center for Middle Eastern studies were let go from their roles on Wednesday amid intensive scrutiny of the field from congressional leaders and the Trump administration.

The center’s director and professor of Turkish studies Cemal Kafadar, and its associate director, history professor Rosie Bsheer, were both removed from their posts, The Harvard Crimson reported on Friday. Global health professor Salmaan Keshavjee — the center’s interim director while Kafadar was on leave — will remain in his position.

A 2024 report from the Harvard Jewish Alumni Alliance took aim at the center for broadcasting the view that “the Palestinian people are innocent victims of Jewish (white) oppression and that known terrorist groups are simply ‘political movements.’”

The report stated that Kafadar and Bsheer, who both will remain in their faculty positions, curated a list of roughly 60 resources for students with the expressed purpose to “offer analyses and histories of expulsion, occupation, settler colonialism, forced evictions, home demolitions, and annexation that situate the current struggle as part of the ongoing Nakba of 1948 and in relation to the Naksa of 1967.” An anonymous student quoted in the report singled out Kafadar for allegedly telling his students to attend pro-Palestinian teach-ins.

Derek Penslar, a historian and the director of Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies — who shortly after Oct. 7 sparked controversy for comments he made minimizing concerns over antisemitism at Harvard and accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing — has remained a faculty affiliate of the Center for Middle Eastern studies.

Before the firings were announced, Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, who leads Harvard Chabad, told Jewish Insider on Thursday: “Heading an academic center is a privilege and responsibility which they have demonstrated by their own actions and rhetoric that they are simply unworthy of or qualified for.”


Trump warns Iran of ‘bombing the likes of which they have never seen’
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action against Iran in a recent interview with NBC News, warning that if Tehran fails to reach an agreement ensuring it will not produce nuclear weapons, “there will be bombing—and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”

The full interview was set to appear on Sunday’s Meet the Press program.

The president’s comments come amid ongoing tensions with Iran, which have escalated since his return to office in January. The administration has been pushing for a new agreement to replace or strengthen the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from during his first term.

He recently sent Iran a letter urging Tehran to agree to his new deal, reportedly allotting it two months to comply, and warned that the consequences for failing to do so would be dire.


Toronto man: 'I'm going to plant a bomb in every synagogue in Toronto'
Canadian Jewish groups and politicians have expressed outrage over the recently revealed threats made by a Toronto man who was convicted for threatening to plant bombs in every local synagogue and kill as many Jews as he could.

A Global News report last week highlighted the ruling, which hadn’t received much coverage.

Afghanistan-born shwarma restaurant owner Waisuddin Akbari confided in car salesman Cameron Ahmad about the plot last March, according to the November Ontario Court of Justice ruling. Ahmad notified the police about the threats under the belief that Akbari was serious about the intention to commit a violent attack.

The 41-year-old Akbari had come to 26-year-old Ahmad’s dealership for an oil change and inquired about the possibility of upgrading to a new vehicle. Akbari allegedly expressed concerns about financing a new vehicle because he believed interest payments would be funneled to the Israeli government to finance a supposed genocide against Palestinians.

Akbari told the court that it was Ahmad who raised the issue and went further by claiming that it was not just Canadian finance that flowed to Israel but that Israel controlled all global finance – a claim that Ahmad denied.

Akbari said he had only raised the concern as a means to end the advances of the salesman, which Justice Edward Prutschi found to be “utterly bizarre” to say, considering that Akbari had admitted to seeking to discuss a new car and there were better methods to end the conversation than veering into a conspiracy theory.

The two discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas War, regarding which Ahmad told the court he was “on the side of the Palestinian state and the innocent civilians.” He had intoned as much to Akbari, but Ahmad reportedly became uncomfortable as Akbari allegedly went on to say that in response to a supposed genocide against Palestinian people, the Israeli state and Jewish people should also be subjected to genocide.

Akbari allegedly shared his belief that the Israeli government controlled the world and was trying to exterminate non-Jews to enslave the world and poison it. He further equated Israelis and Jews to roaches and insects who should be exterminated. Akbari claimed to the court that he could not pronounce the words “roaches” and “insects.”Ahmad was reportedly shocked and scared about how calm, clear, and concise Akbari was when making his comments.

“Before I go, I want you to remember my name and remember my face because the next time you see it, I’ll be on the news,” Akbari allegedly said before they parted ways. “I know when I’m going to die because I’m going to plant a bomb in every synagogue in Toronto and blow them up to kill as many Jews as possible.”
Jewish-owned Toronto cafe's windows smashed twice in one week
A Jewish-owned Toronto café’s windows were smashed twice in mid-March, Goldstruck Coffee said, the third time the coffee shop chain was vandalized this year.

The glass door of the café’s Richmond Street branch was broken on March 15, the shop said on Instagram.

The café had just finished repairing the damage last Sunday when the door was smashed again.

Security footage published by the café showed a hooded figure looking both ways before striking the door with a hammer and then running off.

“We work hard every single day to create a warm and safe space. Seeing it violated like this hurts deeply,” Goldstruck said.

The United Jewish Appeal Federation of Greater Toronto and Conservative Party deputy leader Melissa Lantsman said that a Star of David had been painted on the location of the chain’s future branch last month.

“We have a problem in the country. The hateful mob attacked another local Jewish business in Toronto,” Lantsman said on X/Twitter. “These thugs should face full consequences for their brazen lawlessness.”

MP Kevin Vuong also ascribed the vandalism to “antisemitic scum.”


Israel outperforms Germany, Spain in global ranking of 'safe countries'
Crime in Israel – Snapshot
To create the "Safety Index by Country for 2025," Numbeo researchers ranked countries based on overall crime levels. These rankings were derived from surveys conducted among website visitors. Survey participants shared their feelings of safety while walking during daylight and nighttime hours. They also expressed concerns about robbery, theft, car break-ins, physical assaults by strangers, harassment in public spaces, and discrimination based on skin color, ethnicity, gender or religion.

Additionally, researchers examined the prevalence of property crimes like burglary, theft and vandalism, as well as violent crimes such as assault, murder and sexual offenses. Each country was assigned a score on a scale from 1 (most dangerous) to 100 (safest).

"It’s important to note that Numbeo’s crime index is based on user-reported data and perceptions, which may differ from official government statistics," researchers explained. "The index serves as a comparative tool to evaluate safety levels between different cities or countries, enabling individuals to make informed decisions and understand the crime landscape in specific areas."

Israel's ranking
Israel ranked 34th, outperforming several notable countries like Portugal, Norway, Cyprus, Spain and Germany. The United States received a relatively low score, landing at 89th, just two spots behind the United Kingdom in 87th.

Iran, Israel’s primary adversary, ranked 93rd. Greece, a favorite travel destination for Israelis, ranked 77th. Egypt, Israel’s southern neighbor, ranked 81st, while Jordan, its eastern neighbor, ranked 53rd. Syria and Lebanon, Israel's northern neighbors, were ranked 140th and 78th, respectively.
Israeli delegation assists Thailand with search and rescue efforts after major quake
An Israeli delegation of experts landed in Thailand Sunday morning to assist in search and rescue efforts following a major earthquake in the region, the military said.

On Friday, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake and an aftershock measuring 6.4 rocked Myanmar and Thailand, destroying buildings, a bridge and a dam. As of Sunday evening, 1,644 Burmese and 17 Thai citizens were confirmed killed in the quake, with thousands more injured.

The joint military and Defense Ministry team consisting of engineers, doctors and rescue professionals is being led by Col. (res.) Yossi Pinto, the commander of the IDF’s reserve national search-and-rescue unit.

The IDF said the team of 22 experts landed in Bangkok Sunday morning and began to “build an intelligence picture” and give relevant information to Thai authorities.

The quake was the deadliest disaster to hit war-torn Myanmar in years, and prompted the head of the country’s military government to declare a state of emergency, requesting the aid of neighboring countries. China, Russia and India were among the largest nations to respond to the call for help.

In Thailand, the earthquake did significantly less damage, but still rattled buildings in the greater Bangkok area, home to around 17 million people, and other parts of the country. Many places in the north reported damage, but the only casualties were reported in Bangkok.

Of the death toll, 10 were killed in a high rise building that collapsed, while the rest were killed in seven other sites. Authorities in Bangkok said 83 people were unaccounted for.




Buy EoZ's books  on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

    
 

 



AddToAny

Printfriendly

EoZTV Podcast

Podcast URL

Subscribe in podnovaSubscribe with FeedlyAdd to netvibes
addtomyyahoo4Subscribe with SubToMe

search eoz

comments

Speaking

Speaking

translate

E-Book

For $18 donation








Sample Text

EoZ's Most Popular Posts in recent years

Search2

Hasbys!

Hasbys!

2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee

Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



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

Donate!

Donate to fight for Israel!

Monthly subscription:
Payment options


One time donation:

Follow EoZ on Twitter!

Interesting Blogs

Show All

Blog Archive

Copyright © Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News | Powered by Blogger
Blogger Templates