Monday, March 31, 2025

03/31 Links Pt1: Stop Ignoring Hamas’s Anti-AmericanismThe silence of the so-called pro-Palestinian crowd; Why Israel must end US military aid; Do Not Be Fooled by the 'Anti-Hamas' Protests

From Ian:

Seth Mandel: Stop Ignoring Hamas’s Anti-Americanism
The protests on campus and in major U.S. cities in support of Hamas were explicit about their support for “anticolonialist” actions against the U.S. as well. The people tearing down hostage posters weren’t differentiating between American hostages and others. And these were American institutions being vandalized, occupied and covered in Nazi graffiti on behalf of Hamas’s cheering squad in the U.S.

Now, obviously many of the people ignoring this are doing so purposely, so I can’t say I was surprised to see Glenn Greenwald call Brianna Wu an “Israel loyalist” and a “freakish authoritarian pig” operating on behalf of a “foreign country on the other side of the world that you worship” for supporting the detention of someone the administration claimed was “engaged in activities in support of Hamas.”

Of course, maybe the administration is wrong! Perhaps the suspect was not, in fact, engaging in support of Hamas. But only one type of person believes anything done in America’s name by Americans is actually the result of foreign Jewish puppeteers. Similarly, there is the contention by the Nation’s Jeet Heer that Columbia has appointed as its new acting president Claire Shipman “in order to protect a vicious client state from criticism,” because Shipman apparently attended an AIPAC conference.

The belief that American Jews aren’t actually Americans but constitute a disloyal, foreign subnation is an old idea and not a surprising one to encounter, of course. But we should still point it out when we see it.

The specific problem here is not that anti-Zionist lunatics will behave like anti-Zionist lunatics but that they will shame people with normal, functioning brains into believing Israel is too toxic to support by convincing them that Hamas and anti-Semitism have nothing to do with Americans.

Billy Binion, a smart, fair, and principled writer for Reason magazine, was outraged by a video of ICE detaining a woman who says she never supported Hamas but only wrote an anti-Israel op-ed once. I would expect the traditional libertarian response to be something like: If she is telling the truth, then she did nothing to materially support a proscribed terrorist organization. Instead, Binion posted: “I’ve always considered myself pro-Israel. But if that now means arresting, jailing, and deporting someone whose only ‘crime’ we know of was writing a pro-Palestine op-ed, then count me out.”

Since ICE field agents aren’t taking orders from Jerusalem, I think it’s still safe to consider oneself pro-Israel by this particular, previously unknown standard. This is simply a case of Americans carrying out American policy. But the whole thing is a sign that even good, honest people are getting fooled into thinking that the terror group holding Americans hostage isn’t America’s problem.
Stephen Pollard: The silence of the so-called pro-Palestinian crowd
It's been well remarked that last week’s protests mean there have now been more demonstrations against Hamas inside Gaza than anywhere else in the world. Here in Britain, as elsewhere, the so-called pro-Palestinian marches have rightly been labelled hate marches, from the very first protests on October 9, 2023 in front of the Israeli embassy and the first big march a few days later – planned as the October 7 massacres were still unfolding.

The supposed rationale for these marches, and the routine description of Hamas as “freedom fighters” and “resistance”, has been concern with the human rights of Palestinians in the face of Israeli military action.

But the reaction to the murder of Odai Naser Saadi by Hamas from many of the most prominent supporters of the marches – indeed of the Palestinian cause more generally – should pull the rug from under the feet of anyone who might have been taken in by the marches, who has seen them as a valiant call for peace, and for an end to suffering on all sides. The reality, of course, is the opposite. They are not about Palestinian suffering. They are not about Palestinian rights. They are about the Jews – I’m sorry, I mean the Zionists. Oops, that should be Israel.

Because there has been no reaction that I have been able to trace, on social media or elsewhere. The murder of a Palestinian for no reason other than his objection to being ruled by Hamas has been met with utter silence from the usual suspects of Palestinian human rights defenders. If they have criticised Hamas, they somehow managed to keep it out of the news.

The social media accounts of the likes of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, the Green Party, Stop the War, the independent “pro-Gaza” MPs, Jeremy Corbyn, Zara Sultana, Francesca Albanese and – of course – Gary Lineker are full of tirades against Israel over the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza. Some “pro-Palestinian” accounts have even posted statements from clan and tribal elders in Gaza against the anti-Hamas demonstrations, statements that come across as just one step removed from those of captives forced by their captors to say how well they are being treated.

But look for a mention, let alone condemnation, of the death of any of those murdered in recent days by Hamas for taking part in demonstrations against its rule and you will search in vain.

To many of these pro-Palestinian voices, it appears the deaths of Palestinians killed by Hamas are an irrelevance because they do not comply with the ideology that Israel is the evil imperialist coloniser and that those who “resist” Israel are "freedom fighters." The only dead Palestinians that matter to them are those who have been killed by Israel.

To anyone who has been studying the pro-Palestinian movement this will be one of the least surprising revelations ever. The Palestinians have never been anything other than a tool with which to attack Israel as part of a wider campaign. But much of their support is soft, based on the vague idea promoted relentlessly across the media that the Palestinians are the victims of Israeli aggression.

It is likely a vain hope, but maybe, just maybe, this obvious indifference to the murder of Palestinians by Hamas might prompt some re-thinking.
Douglas Murray: Why do the West's most privileged students always side with the terrorists of Hamas against a democracy fighting to survive?
In part three of the Mail's exclusive serialisation of On Democracies And Death Cults, renowned author Douglas Murray asks how some of the most prestigious universities in the West allowed themselves to become tools of Hamas and its plan to blame Israel for the murder of its own citizens.

In June 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) performed a daring and successful rescue mission for four of the Israeli hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023.

They included Noa Argamani, a young woman snatched from the Nova festival. Footage of her being driven off on the back of a Hamas motorcycle, screaming in terror, became one of the formative images of the day.

When the IDF rescued her and the other three hostages they found out one of the people who had been holding them was Abdallah Aljamal. During the war Aljamal had filed many articles about the humanitarian suffering inside Gaza.

One of the news sites that he had contributed to was Al Jazeera. And it turned out that while filing these articles, he had failed to tell his readers that he was holding Israeli hostages in his own home, where they were being tortured daily.

Yet details like this were lost all the time. The world seemed so pleased to be able to throw its attentions onto the conflict in Gaza that any and every claim could be made about Israel's actions.

Almost every time, these were presented in the worst possible light. If anyone pointed out that the death tolls in other conflicts in the 21st century were far larger than Gaza, they were told that they were trying to deflect attention from the latter.

If they pointed out, as did Major John Spencer, the chair of urban warfare studies at West Point's Modern War Institute, that the IDF had implemented more precautions to prevent civilian deaths than any military in history – far beyond what international law requires – they were dismissed as mouthpieces of the Israelis.


'We do not need to live in America’s pocket': Why Israel must end US military aid
I propose a five-year phased plan to reduce US aid to zero. Gradually. Respectfully. Strategically. This would give the defense establishment time to adapt, force long-overdue reforms, and send a clear message to the world: Israel stands on its own two feet.

We would still collaborate with the US on joint weapons development. We would still buy American systems when it makes sense. But we would do so as free partners, not dependent clients.

Some will say this is risky. That it sends the wrong signal. That we’re giving up a safety net. But influence that is bought can be taken away. Influence rooted in strength, clarity, and courage is lasting.

Others will say this is symbolic. That it won’t change much. But sometimes symbols matter. This is about pride. About purpose. About projecting confidence to our people and to the world.

Some in the security establishment will resist. Change is uncomfortable. But we’ve seen what happens when bureaucracies grow too comfortable. This plan will force us to cut waste, prioritize spending, and modernize.

And for those in Congress who claim Israel is a burden – this move takes that false weapon from their hands. They won’t be able to say we’re a drain, because we won’t be taking a dime.

On October 7, Israel faced its worst day in 76 years. And we didn’t ask for foreign troops to fight our war. Israelis, young and old, ran toward the front lines. No one waited for permission. No one waited for funding.

That is who we are.

It’s time for our national policy to reflect our national character. Israel doesn’t wait. Israel acts. The Jewish people are no longer guests in someone else’s empire. We are builders of our own.

We love America. We thank America. But we do not need to live in America’s pocket.

It’s time to walk forward – together, side by side, not hand in hand. It’s time to choose strength. It’s time to choose dignity. It’s time to choose independence.
Israeli FM warns world: Don’t buy Palestinian claim ‘pay for slay’ ended
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has been warning his counterparts not to believe the Palestinian Authority’s claim that it ended its payments to terrorists and their families, his office confirmed to Jewish Insider on Sunday.

When Sa’ar met with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas last month, he showed her a video of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at a Fatah Revolutionary Council in which he said of those who carry out terror attacks against Israelis: “Even if we only have one cent left, it will be for the prisoners and martyrs … They are more precious than all of us combined.”

Abbas’ comments, which were reported by JI, referred to the PA’s “Martyrs’ Fund,” nicknamed “pay for slay” by its critics. The PA has paid monthly salaries to terrorists in prison and the families of terrorists killed by Israel for decades, paying over $1 billion from 2018-2024.

The PA announced on Feb. 10 that Abbas was “revoking the [laws] … related to the system of paying financial allowances to the families of prisoners, martyrs and the wounded.”

While there were news reports that the “pay for slay” policy was ending as a gesture to President Donald Trump, a closer read of the announcement indicated that it was a change in the payment system, which would be taken over by the Palestinian National Foundation for Economic Empowerment, which is “managed by a board of trustees appointed by the president.” The PA previously adopted a similar accounting trick in 2014, amid Western pressure to stop paying terrorists.

Sa’ar said in an interview published in Hebrew weekly Makor Rishon that Abbas “told his people that they are continuing to pay, and in practicality, they are continuing to pay in a different way, and trying to fool the international community.”

“In the beginning, right after the PA’s announcement, I heard responses from European countries like Germany who praised it,” Sa’ar added. “Today they are not repeating what they said.”


IDF plans to take more of Gaza if Hamas rejects U.S. hostage and ceasefire deal
The IDF has drawn up plans to significantly expand its presence in Gaza in the coming weeks in an effort to increase pressure on Hamas to free the remaining 59 hostages, a senior Israeli defense source said on Monday.

Residents of Rafah, in southern Gaza, received notices from the IDF on Monday to evacuate the area and move north of the city.

The notices were part of the Israeli military’s plan, presented in a press briefing on Monday, to gradually evacuate Palestinians from more areas in Gaza and drastically widen the buffer zone between Israeli towns and Gazans in all directions in the coming weeks, with an emphasis on the north and south of the Strip.

If Hamas does not agree to a hostage deal, Israel will call up large numbers of reservists and return to a full-scale ground war, the source said.

Responding to anti-Hamas protesters in Gaza last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a message to Palestinians there that the terror group “is endangering your lives and will lead you to lose your homes and more and more territory will be made part of Israel’s security zone … Demand that Hamas leave Gaza and immediately release all of the Israeli hostages. That is the only way to stop the war.”

Israel believes that its current military operations in Gaza will increase pressure on Hamas to free the hostages, and the defense source posited that they were already seeing results in the indirect negotiations with the terrorist group.

According to Israeli Channel 12, Hamas on Monday rejected the most recent proposal by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel accepted, according to the defense source, that would have Hamas release all of the remaining 59 hostages in Gaza over the course of a 40-day ceasefire.

In the initial days of the deal, Hamas would release Edan Alexander, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, as a gesture to the U.S., and 10 other living hostages would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

On the fifth day of the deal, Hamas would provide information about all of the remaining hostages. On the 10th, the terrorist group would return the bodies of 15 hostages.

By the end of the ceasefire, all hostages, both alive and deceased, would be released.

The deal would not be contingent on the war ending or a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza, and Israel would insist on remaining in the buffer zone along the enclave’s perimeter, as it did in the previous ceasefire that began in January.

Hamas seeks an end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in any future agreement.


Netanyahu expected to withdraw Shin Bet chief choice who criticized Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer expected to appoint former Israeli Navy commander Eli Sharvit as the next chief of the Shin Bet following pushback in the governing coalition as well as a public rebuke from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) over Sharvit’s past comments criticizing President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu announced early Monday that Sharvit was his choice to head the internal security agency — pending a Supreme Court case relating to the prime minister’s firing of Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.

However, by Monday evening, sources close to the prime minister said Sharvit is unlikely to get the job.

Within hours of his appointment being announced, Cabinet ministers and Likud Knesset members came out against Sharvit, because, after his retirement from the military, Sharvit had participated in protests against Netanyahu’s policies.

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu wrote in a post on X that “the main difficulty with Ronen Bar’s conduct is not the persona but the Kaplanist [anti-Netanyahu protester] worldview … Replacing a person with a Kaplanist worldview with another person with a similar worldview does not solve the problem but only perpetuates it.”

Hours later, Graham provided Netanyahu’s base with another reason to oppose Sharvit: He once recently spoke out against Trump.

Sharvit published an op-ed in January lambasting the 47th president’s environmental policies as short-sighted and profit-driven rather than focused on addressing climate change. “We live in an era where the public demands more accountability from governments and corporations. Trump’s choice to ignore these demands sends a message to the world that the United States is shirking its global leadership,” Sharvit wrote in the Jan. 23 piece, published in Calcalist.

“American leadership on climate and the environment failed under the previous Trump administration, and now it is our responsibility to ensure that it does not fail again,” Sharvit continued.

Graham wrote on X on Monday morning that Israeli leaders should rethink Sharvit’s hiring, which he described as “beyond problematic” because of the former naval commander’s past criticism of Trump.
GOP Lawmakers Eye Expansion of ICC Sanctions as Court's Top Officials Turn to Europe for Relief
The Trump administration and its Republican allies in Congress say they will fully enforce sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and are prepared to expand them in response to recent efforts from top ICC officials to evade the measures.

Earlier this month, Judge Tomoko Akane, the ICC’s president, petitioned the European Union to invoke what is known as the blocking statute, a legal maneuver that shields EU members from sanctions issued by third-party countries such as the United States. Akane told the EU’s parliament "it is obvious the court cannot survive alone," warning them that "the time to act is now" by invoking the blocking statute, which would allow European companies to provide services to the ICC without fear of penalties.

President Donald Trump slapped sanctions on the ICC in February, making good on his promise to hold the court accountable for efforts to prosecute U.S. military members and close allies like Israel. The court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year, making it difficult for him and other officials to travel throughout Europe.

The U.S. sanctions on the court are now causing similar headaches for the ICC’s top judges, including chief prosecutor Karim Khan, according to Akane.

"When more persons are designated, when all the judges are designated, or when the court itself is designated, it will then be too late," the ICC president griped this month. Akane’s remarks drew immediate support from prominent members of the European Parliament, which said in a subsequent statement that Trump’s "sanctions complicate and damage the practical work of the ICC in various areas such as banking, insurance and IT." The measures, the parliament added, "make it impossible for U.S. companies to provide services to the court and complicate these companies’ cooperation with their European partners."

The Trump administration, in comments to the Washington Free Beacon, said this is exactly the intent—and that pressure will not ease until the ICC is fully "held accountable" for targeting U.S. allies. With both sides showing no sign of backing down, a wider diplomatic confrontation between the Trump administration and EU could erupt in the coming months.

"The ICC’s corruption knows no bounds," White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in response to Akane’s comments. "The Trump Administration will enforce our sanctions to ensure perpetrators are held accountable."

In Congress, GOP leaders expressed a willingness to further refine and expand the ICC sanctions in response to Akane’s bid to invoke the EU’s blocking statute.

"The Trump administration and Senate Republicans have made clear that the International Kangaroo Court has no business targeting Americans or our allies, and that anyone who assists in efforts to do so will be punished and sanctioned," Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), a lead backer of recent legislation targeting the ICC, told the Free Beacon. "Any attempt to circumvent these clear guidelines will be dealt with swiftly in line with the president’s executive order."

Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas), another key legislative ally for the Trump administration, said that any European who helps the ICC evade U.S. sanctions could find themselves included in future designations.

"The U.S. should treat anyone who helps the ICC or its officials evade those sanctions accordingly," Cruz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the Free Beacon. "Sanctions against the Court were long overdue, and it is vital that they be enforced."
UN Human Rights Council slated to renew mandate of antisemitic special adviser
Paul Empole Efambe, the Congolese ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva and a vice president of the U.N. Human Rights Council, gave the floor to Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, during a March 26 council meeting.

“Mr. Chair,” Neuer began, “history will record that on this day we came here to fight for the conscience of the United Nations,” noting that the council was “days away” from renewing Francesca Albanese’s term for another three years as special rapporteur on Palestinian rights.

Some 35 seconds into Neuer’s remarks, Efambe called a point of order, during which Ibrahim Khraishi, the Palestinian “observer” to the global body in Geneva, asked the body’s vice chair to stop Neuer from speaking. He added, without evidence, that Neuer is “affiliated with the Mossad and he should not be allowed even to take the floor in this council and to attack the special rapporteur.”

“The speaker is, in fact, authorized to represent the NGO in question, which is accredited with the Economic and Social Council,” Efambe said of Neuer. He gave the floor back to Neuer, but some 50 seconds into Neuer’s subsequent remarks, the Palestinian observer interrupted again. This time, the U.N. agency vice president did not yield the floor back to Neuer, even though he said Neuer had a few more seconds left on his time, instead calling for “tolerance” and avoiding “disrespectful” comments.

Neuer noted in the few remarks he was able to deliver that the U.S., French, Canadian and German governments have denounced Albanese’s antisemitic remarks. Special rapporteurs, which the United Nations considers “independent experts,” are unpaid, and they are appointed by the Human Rights Council without accountability to the broader U.N. body or its member states.

JNS has frequently sought comments from the U.N. secretary-general about Albanese’s antisemitic remarks and has been told that the U.N. cannot and does not police her speech, nor do her remarks represent the global body.

Albanese’s three-year term, to which she was appointed on April 1, 2022, and which she began on May 1 of that year, is up for approval this week and requires tacit approval of the 47-member council but not an outright vote.


120 terrorists invaded Erez Crossing, adjacent base on Oct. 7, as troops made brave stand
On the morning of October 7, 2023, some 120 Hamas-led terrorists stormed into the Erez border checkpoint with the Gaza Strip and an adjacent military base in two waves. The troops stationed there were unable to defend the facility, and it quickly fell to the terrorists, who killed nine soldiers and abducted three others.

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces presented its probe into the Hamas attack on the Erez Crossing and the adjacent base, which houses the Coordination and Liaison Administration to the Gaza Strip, a unit that is part of the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. The unit is staffed by IDF soldiers.

Before the war, some 18,000 Gazans had work permits to enter Israel via the Erez Crossing. The checkpoint was largely destroyed by the Hamas terror group during its October 7 onslaught, and all work permits have been revoked.

The Erez attack probe was part of the IDF’s detailed investigations of some 40 battles that took place that day. The investigation highlighted colossal failures in the military’s ability to defend a military site near a border, as well as the heroism of some troops who fought that day, and the successful use of the Israeli Air Force to prevent many more terrorists from invading the base.

The Erez Crossing and Gaza liaison base were among many IDF facilities that were attacked in Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, during which some 5,600 terrorists stormed across the border, massacred some 1,200 people, and took 251 hostages to Gaza. Most victims were civilians.

The probe, carried out by Col. Gidi Kfir-El, covered all aspects of the fighting in the checkpoint and base that day. Hamas terrorists attack an army base next to the Erez Crossing, on October 7, 2023, in footage released by the terror group. (Screenshot: Telegram)

Kfir-El and his team spent hundreds of hours investigating the battle at the Erez Crossing and Gaza liaison base, reviewing what the IDF said was every possible source of information — the IDF’s radio communications, surveillance cameras, the soldiers’ WhatsApp messages, footage taken by the Hamas terrorists and interrogations of captured terrorists. Kfir-El also interviewed soldiers who survived the attack and made visits to the scene.

The probe was aimed at drawing specific operational conclusions for the military. It did not examine the wider picture of the military’s perception of Gaza and Hamas in recent years, which was covered in separate, larger investigations into the IDF’s intelligence and defenses.

Kfir-El’s team stated that “the IDF did not succeed in its mission to protect the base.” However, the investigators said that “the engagement by the troops in the first hour aided in saving many lives and preventing more extensive harm.”

“Additionally, Air Force strikes neutralized the infiltration of dozens more terrorists,” the team added.
Israel Orders Mass Evacuation in Rafah Ahead of 'Intense Operations' Against Hamas
The Israel Defense Forces on Monday ordered the mass evacuation of residents in the Gazan city of Rafah, citing the need to eliminate Hamas terrorists in the city after Israel restarted military operations in Gaza.

"The IDF is returning to intense operations to dismantle the capabilities of the terrorist organizations in these areas," the IDF's Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, wrote on X, according to a translation by Fox News. "For your safety, move immediately to the shelters in Al Mawasi."

The evacuation order comes as Israeli forces move to retake control of Rafah, a city near the Egyptian border that Israel considers critical to stopping the smuggling of weapons to Hamas.

While the Israeli military had withdrawn from Rafah as part of January's ceasefire agreement, Israel on March 18 resumed military operations in Gaza after Hamas failed to release 59 remaining hostages, including 24 who are believed to be alive.

The Trump administration has backed Israel's offensive, with National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes saying that "Hamas could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war."
Military Expert on Reality of Urban Warfare inside Gaza | John Spencer Pt. 1
Dive into an in‑depth conversation with John Spencer as he delivers an inside look at Israel’s government communication strategy and its evolving approach to urban warfare. In this episode of Israel: State of a Nation, John—chair of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point and a renowned military analyst—breaks down the shifting battlefield dynamics, the double standards of international law, and the challenging questions about hostages, ceasefires, and the future of Gaza.
Key Topics Discussed: • How Hamas’ tactics and the “moral trap” shape modern urban warfare
• The political stakes and international pressures influencing Israel’s strategy
• The role of advanced IDF tactics—including tanks, drones, and infantry innovations—in fighting an enemy entrenched in tunnels
• The hostage crisis, failed ceasefire negotiations, and the dilemma of international aid
• Lessons from historical battles and how they inform today’s conflict
If you’re looking to understand the complex interplay between military strategy, international law, and government messaging during wartime, this episode is a must‑listen.

0:00 - Introduction: The War Israel Must Win
5:06 - Hamas’s Strategy: Sacrificing Civilians for Victory
14:05 - The Double Standard: Why Israel Can’t Win By Playing By the Rules
27:51 - Occupation or Anarchy: Israel’s Impossible Choice
34:38 - Israel's Approach to Fighting in Unimaginable Terrain


Israel Advocacy Movement: Rare Footage Reveals How Israel Identifies and Eliminates Threats

US deploys B2 bombers (Israel/Iran & what’s likely to happen next) w/Jonathan Conricus | True East
Will Israel or the U.S. strike Iran first? As tensions between Israel and Iran reach dangerous new heights, “True East” dives into the heart of the region’s most critical security dilemma. Host Doron Spielman, IDF Spokesperson (Res.), sits down with Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and former international spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces.

With U.S. B-2 stealth bombers reportedly deployed to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and President Donald Trump warning of a devastating response if Iran refuses to halt its nuclear program, this episode unpacks the real possibility of imminent military action and what it would mean for Israel, the U.S. and the Middle East.

Topics covered include:
Iran’s nuclear program and current weaponization stage
The strategic implications of U.S. support under Trump
The Abraham Accords, regional realignments, and Saudi–Iran dynamics
The potential for Hezbollah or proxies to escalate conflict
Civil unrest in Iran and the regime’s weakening grip
Scenarios for a post-strike Middle East

Lt. Col. Conricus brings decades of security insight, battlefield experience and global diplomacy to the conversation. Go behind the scenes and learn what’s really happening!

Chapters
00:00 Escalating Tensions in the Middle East
03:07 The Role of Military Strategy and Diplomacy
06:04 Iran's Nuclear Ambitions and Regional Implications
08:54 Saudi Arabia's Position and the Abraham Accords
12:11 The Palestinian Dilemma and Future Prospects
17:23 The Shift in Palestinian Representation
20:31 The Evolution of Nuclear Discussions with Iran
22:50 Iran's Nuclear Weaponization and International Oversight
25:47 The Unknowns of Iran's Nuclear Capabilities
28:42 The Global Response to a Nuclear Iran
30:08 Israel's Defense Strategies Against Nuclear Threats
33:44 The Urgency of Action Against Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
34:26 US Support and Iranian Resolve
35:23 Brinkmanship and Nuclear Negotiations
35:51 Potential Iranian Responses to Strikes
37:36 Hezbollah's Current State and Capabilities
40:00 Iran's Regime Survival Post-Strike
42:02 Contingency Plans for Iranian Civil Unrest
45:02 Hope Amidst Uncertainty
49:34 Strength in Future Generations


Jonathan Conricus on Iran on the brink of a nuclear weapon — 69 X Minutes
Jonathan joins 69 X Minutes to break down Iran's nuclear capabilities and how Israel has been preparing for this moment.




Israel nabs Samaria terrorist cell Hamas ran from Turkey
Israeli security forces foiled a terrorist plot to carry out attacks in Judea and Samaria that was directed and funded by Hamas headquarters in Turkey, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said on Monday.

The Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet, and the Judea and Samaria District of the Israel Police recently arrested seven Palestinian members of a terrorist cell from Nablus in Samaria that planned to carry out attacks against security forces and other targets in the region, the Shin Bet and Israel Police said.

The joint operation, which took place during January and February, led to the confiscation of an M16 rifle and tens of thousands of dollars, as well as to the uncovering of a bomb planted near the Jit Junction, six miles west of Nablus, the statement added.

The explosive device was removed using a loader and was detonated in a controlled manner by bomb disposal experts.

During the first arrest of three terrorist suspects on Jan. 29, Israeli forces confiscated the assault rifle and some $40,000 in cash. Another suspect was apprehended later that day and handed another $20,000 to the forces.

The rest of the suspects were detained during February.

The military prosecution filed statements against the suspects last week, and requested to extend their detention until the end of legal proceedings, the Shin Bet and the police said.

According to the Shin Bet, the investigation found evidence of cooperation between the cell and factors abroad, as well as the method of transferring funds to conduct their terrorist activities.

On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan prayed for the destruction of Israel, 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.”

Turkey has long hosted Hamas officials under the rule of Erdoğan.


Bassam Tawil: Do Not Be Fooled by the 'Anti-Hamas' Protests
Those who are rushing to celebrate the protests in Gaza need to consider that they are most likely nothing but a show by the Iran-backed Hamas to fool the world into thinking that there is an uprising against the terrorist group.

After all, this is the same Hamas that kept signaling to everyone, years before its terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, that it was not interested in another round of fighting. Then it murdered and brutally tortured 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 251.

What would Norway or Denmark do if ISIS or Al-Qaeda were on its border, seeking to destroy it?

According to some reports, Hamas members have been spotted leading some of Gaza's demonstrations.

Last year, Israel tried to encourage anti-Hamas clans to play a role in managing the Gaza Strip -- without success. Regrettably, several clans have, over the past year, issued statements expressing support for Hamas as the "sole representative of the Gaza Strip."

The current protests are taking place for one reason only: Hamas is conspicuously losing the war... The protesters are just angry that Israel retaliated so hard.

All Hamas would have to do for Israel to stop is to free the 59 remaining hostages, only 24 of whom possibly remain alive – but all of whom are victims of a kidnapping that should not have happened in the first place.

Sadly, there is no alternative to the complete removal of Hamas.... [T]here is no difference between Hamas's political wing and its military wing. Hamas's political wing, in fact, requires the military wing, to be able to stay in power.

If the West falls for Hamas's latest ploy, the terror group will simply soon be able to take control of the Gaza Strip with a rebranded name. Hamas's primary goal, after all, is to remain in power.

It is time to stop projecting Western values and aspirations onto Islamist societies. The protests in the Gaza Strip are not a shift toward peace. Instead, they are a symptom of the Palestinians' failure, once again, to achieve their goal of murdering Jews and eliminating Israel.

Make no mistake: Once the Palestinians recover from the war, they will continue their jihad against Israel. Many of the "anti-Hamas" protesters will then reappear, this time complete with masks, weapons and military gear.
Why I and thousands of my fellow Gazans say Hamas’s tyranny must end
Since Friday, Hamas murdered six leaders of the demonstrations against its rule. According to his family, one of the key members, Odai Nasser Saadi, was tortured for several hours before his body was dumped in front of their house. While protests, which according to some reports had drawn thousands, have petered out since the crackdown, scores of Gazans attended Saadi’s funeral procession yelling “Hamas out!” and firing guns into the air. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian critic of Hamas living in the West, has suggested that Hamas has begun floating cease-fire proposals (involving the release of a mere five hostages) so that it can focus on suppressing internal opposition. At present, Hamas fighters have trouble operating in the open without becoming targets of the IDF. It would seem, therefore, that the protests might be aided by continued Israeli military pressure.

Moumen Al Natour, who was arrested and tortured by the terrorist group for his involvement in similar demonstrations in 2019, writes:

The message of our movement is clear: the people of Gaza want to live, so Hamas must go, the hostages taken from Israel must be released, and this war must then finally come to an end.

Some in the West will doubtless be confused to see Palestinians taking to the streets in Gaza and openly calling Hamas terrorists, after nearly eighteen months of many protesters in Western cities openly supporting not just Palestinians, but Hamas as well. Take it from someone who has lived under Hamas since age eleven: to support Hamas is to be for Palestinian death, not Palestinian freedom. Hamas is killing us—through war, poverty, and extortion—not liberating us.

On top of its oft-employed strategy of using civilians to shield its fighters and launching rockets next to our shelters, Hamas has, throughout this war, systematically stolen and resold humanitarian aid, profiting from our hunger.

Hamas’s cruelty over the past eighteen months is merely the culmination of eighteen years of its brutal regime. . . . If our movement succeeds, not only will it end this war—but it will also prevent the next one.


Douglas Murray: Putin, Zelenskyy, Trump, Israel, Netanyahu, Hamas & Gaza | Lex Fridman Podcast #463
Douglas Murray is the author of On Democracies and Death Cults, The War on The West, and The Madness of Crowds.

OUTLINE:
0:00 - Episode highlight
0:24 - Introduction
2:38 - War in Ukraine
6:24 - Trump and Zelenskyy
20:54 - Putin
41:47 - Peace
51:38 - Zelenskyy
1:06:17 - Israel-Palestine
1:17:04 - Hamas
1:31:37 - Corruption
1:34:47 - Gaza
1:55:25 - Benjamin Netanyahu
2:12:36 - Hate
2:37:06 - Iran
2:47:55 - Interview advice
3:02:19 - War




Prime Minister Anthony Albanese fails to commit to a single recommendation from the Sky News Antisemitism Summit despite Opposition pledge
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has failed to commit to a single recommendation from the Sky News Antisemitism Summit.

A month after the recommendations were first put forward, at the conclusion of the bipartisan summit by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry’s Co-CEO, Alex Ryvchin, Mr Albanese sent a letter to the organisation where he did not commit to a single suggestion.

Instead, he outlined the measures his government had already taken to combat antisemitism.

The Antisemitism Summit, held on February 20, brought the nation’s brightest minds together to come up with solutions to the crisis in social cohesion that has gripped Australia since October 7, 2023.

The outcomes were formulated with the input of current and former political leaders, law enforcement chiefs, policymakers, legal experts, and Jewish community leaders.

At the time, Mr Ryvchin said: “We are calling for this plan of action to be endorsed by both major parties and independent candidates, and for public institutions and the private sector to work with the community for its implementation.

“In this way, the fight against antisemitism can become a unifying mission.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has committed to implementing every single outcome delivered at the Sky News Antisemitism Summit that falls under the Federal Government Remit.

But in his three-page letter, Mr Albanese did not commit to a single outcome.

Instead, he thanked Mr Ryvchin for his letter, outlined the action his government had taken so far and concluded by saying: “I remain focused on listening to the concerns of Jewish Australian communities and to working across government and with community stakeholders to foster greater social cohesion, greater understanding and inclusion of all Australians.”
‘Grotesque’: Hamas execute protestors in Gaza as punishment for speaking out
Sky News host Sharri Markson discusses the protests in Gaza against Hamas.

Hamas has executed protestors as punishment for speaking out against the group.

Ms Markson said the events occurring in Gaza are “grotesque”.


‘Politics of policing’: Victoria Police lashed for doing ‘flat nothing’ to address protests
Sky News host Andrew Bolt discusses the “politics of policing” as police in Victoria do “flat nothing” against threats levied against pro-Israel protesters.

“To the politics of policing in Victoria … police did flat nothing when pro-Israel supporters at a rally in Melbourne last week were threatened by pro-Palestinian supporters,” Mr Bolt said.

Mr Bolt lashed the lack of attention drawn by police to the threats posed by anti-Israel protests in Australia highlighting how even Palestinians in Gaza are pushing back against Hamas.


‘Retaliation has begun’: Anti-Hamas protest leader tortured and executed by Hamas
Sky News host Chris Kenny discusses Hamas executing the leader of an anti-Hamas protest movement.

“Hundreds, possibly thousands of brave Palestinians in Gaza were protesting against Hamas, calling it out as a terrorist outfit, demanding it hand back the remaining Israeli hostages, surrender its weapons and give the people of Gaza a chance at peace,” Mr Kenny said.

“This was encouraging stuff … Sadly, as we probably expected and certainly feared, the retaliation has begun, firstly with the execution of a protest leader.”




Anti-Israel activist accused of torching Teslas with Molotov cocktails in Vegas also supported Luigi Mangione
A Las Vegas anti-Israel activist charged with torching a row of Teslas with Molotov cocktails is also a fan of accused healthcare assassin Luigi Mangione, sources told The Post.

Cinematographer Paul Hyon Kim, 36, had become such a radicalized leftist he called progressive streamer and commentator Hasan Piker a “sellout,” according to a former co-worker.

Kim was arrested last week by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department with the help of the FBI, a week after at least three cars were set ablaze at a local Tesla Collision Center.

Authorities previously said the attack – which turned into a raging inferno when one of the car’s lithium batteries exploded — had “some of the hallmarks” of terrorism.

Multiple cars also had their windows smashed, while slogans including “RESIST” were scrawled in red spray paint.

Anti-Israel activist Kim was also allegedly filmed using a rifle to shoot out security cameras in the vicinity of the crime scene, before allegedly turning the gun on the Teslas and bombing them with Molotov cocktails.

Numerous firearms and gun parts were found at his home, according to police.

A former colleague who worked on a reality show with Kim described him as a “nice guy” who was “passionate politically” and promoted pro-Palestinian causes on social media.

“We’re all surprised,” the source, who spoke to The Post on the condition of anonymity, said of Kim’s arrest.




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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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