Thursday, April 03, 2025

04/03 Links Pt1: The Gazan revolt; On Dresden and Gaza; SA accused of prior knowledge in Hamas attack; DEBUNKED: "More Journalists Died in Gaza Than WW2"

From Ian:

Melanie Phillips: The Gazan revolt
People in the West refuse to accept the implacable nature of Palestinian Arab rejectionism, and the murderous hatred of Israel and the Jews.

This is partly a refusal to face up to the reality of Islamic holy war. Partly, it’s due to widespread ignorance of the Middle East, Jewish history in the land and the spurious nature of Palestinian peoplehood—the fictitious identity that was cooked up in the 1960s to play the credulous West for the suckers they’ve turned out to be.

But what you hear over and over again in Western countries is that “something has to be done with all those Palestinians”—and what else could be done with them other than to give them their own state, which sounds so very reasonable?

This is a very strange attitude. There’s never been another conflict like this, where people who set out to exterminate another people and its homeland but lose that war then become the focus of global sympathy and can dictate the policies of the world.

In other conflicts, if aggressors lose the war of conquest they have waged, they are in no position to dictate to anyone. They may have to move or disperse. They may find themselves ruled in the same place by others. As aggressors, they have forfeited the right to have any say over their future.

Yet despite the fact that the Palestinian Arabs have waged a campaign of extermination against the Jewish homeland for the best part of a century, they’ve been treated with kid gloves and have dictated the global agenda.

Even more extraordinary, they’ve been treated as a discrete people on the basis of an utterly spurious designation as refugees that uniquely was passed down from generation to generation—a formula devised solely to turn them into a weapon against Israel’s existence.

They are indeed victims—not of Israel but of the lies with which their own Arab world has enslaved them to a cult of death and destruction.

We don’t know what the day after this war will look like on the ground. We hear reports that the Trump administration, Israel and Saudi Arabia are trying to broker a permanent settlement of the war against the Jewish state. We don’t know whether this is intended to result in a canton-style formula for the Palestinian Arabs in the disputed territories, their relocation to Egypt or Jordan, or some other kind of arrangement.

Whatever the outcome, however, if there is ever to be peace and justice in the Middle East, then it must be understood that the idea that there is such a thing as a Palestinian people and that they should have their own state of Palestine—the unthinking and unchallengeable orthodoxy in the West—is now over.
On Dresden and Gaza
Barely mentioned is that in sharp contrast to the historic events described above, the Israeli Defense Forces has gone out of its way to minimize civilian casualties while attempting to eliminate enemy positions from where rockets were being launched. These sites were mostly schools, hospitals and apartment buildings, making avoiding civilians impossible. Long before the bombings, the IDF made warning telephone calls directly to Palestinian homes notifying them to leave. They also dropped printed messages by airplane, advising people which buildings to evacuate, and even often dropped “cold bombs” as the last warning. Moreover, wounded Palestinian terrorists who were caught by the IDF were treated in Israeli medical facilities.

Israel has also erected special medical facilities at its northern border with Syria, where they treat Syrians wounded by their own government. Such efforts to protect civilians are unheard of in the history of wars of other nations. There were certainly no warnings for the residents of Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

Although this is all well-documented, what has the world’s response been? False accusations of genocide with barely any attention to the IDF’s behavior as compared to other militaries in recent history.

The Biden administration declared that Israel “should have taken all feasible precautions to prevent civilian casualties.” The United Nations condemned the Israeli response to Hamas’s missiles and mass murder of Israeli civilians as a “moral outrage” and a “criminal act.” Various European and American politicians have repeatedly criticized the IDF, with barely any attention paid to the atrocities of Hamas. The charge was even made that airstrikes against Gaza were “collective punishment.” Collective punishment for the people of Gaza is what can be charged against Hamas.

One might ask: What is the meaning of proportional response to the terrorist murderers who use their population as cover? What have we heard about the U.N. documentation of the deaths of more than 350,000 Syrians killed by their government, including using poisonous gas? Have there been widespread voices of rage from governments, local or national organizations—the very ones that go out of their way to condemn Israel?

The current civil war in Sudan has killed 150,000 people and forced more than 11 million from their homes, prompting the U.S. government to declare a genocide—this one perpetrated by the ethnic Arab militia known as the Rapid Support Forces against non-Arab Sudanese. Nevertheless, organizations and groups focused on the alleged wrongs of Israel have been conspicuously silent. Even the pope, who has been outspoken about the Gaza conflict, has remained fairly quiet regarding the brutal persecution of Christians and Uyghurs in China.

Perhaps, what I have described can be best explained by the words of two European diplomats. In 2013, then-Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans, who, obviously forgetting about Dresden and the long history of European atrocities against Jews, said: “Even if Europeans do not say so, they judge Israel by different standards than they would judge other (Arab) countries in this area. Why? Because deep down, Europeans see Israel as a European country. So, they judge Israel in the same way they would judge other European countries … It means you are part of a community of values, whether you like it or not.”

Similarly, Jesper Vahr, the former Danish Ambassador to Israel, had the temerity to advocate a European double standard applied to Israel when judging its actions against Palestinian terrorists. As he said, “I think you have the right to insist that we apply double standards and put you to the same standards as all the rest of the countries in the European context. … You are one of us.” Keeping in mind Nazi atrocities, Russian pogroms against Jews, the bombings of Dresden and Hiroshima, and Western countries’ campaigns against civilians in Africa and elsewhere, it is difficult to come up with greater duplicity.

One wonders if it has occurred to these two hypocritical gentlemen and their likes in Europe and the United States that after observing the “lofty” standards demonstrated by Western nations in Dresden, Hamburg, Hiroshima, Tokyo, Serbia and elsewhere around the world, Israelis lack the enthusiasm to become “one of them” or to rise to their “standards.” We might argue that Israelis—and Jews, in general—are better off sticking to the values of their ancient Bible.
The European Union’s unfair and unequal treatment of Israel
The European Union spent more than a billion dollars on the Palestinians from 2021 to 2024, and millions have gone to organizations that support the BDS movement against Israel.

BDS seeks to isolate Israel economically and politically, a goal that directly conflicts with the European Union’s claims of fairness. If the European Union continues funding organizations with clear political agendas, it cannot claim to be an impartial force for good.

The European Union has also used economic pressure to hurt Israel’s economy. In 2022, it enforced a rule requiring products from Israeli areas in Judea and Samaria to be labeled as being from an “Israeli settlement.”

As a result, exports from these areas dropped by as much as 20%, harming businesses and workers. Instead of promoting cooperation and peace, these actions created more division. When an institution that claims to support fairness enacts policies that harm a nation’s economy, its credibility is severely damaged.

The European Union’s selective criticism is not limited to economics. It also affects international politics. It condemns Israel for defending its land and people, but the organization stays quiet about far greater violations elsewhere. If the European Union were committed to justice, then it would hold all nations to the same standards. Its failure to do so weakens its position as a fair and neutral global actor. To be seen as fair and responsible, it must change its approach and start treating all nations equally.

This debate is not just about Israel. When an institution repeatedly ignores certain injustices while exaggerating others, its credibility is in serious danger. Like any sovereign nation, Israel has the right to protect its people, defend its land and grow its economy. Yet the European Union’s unfair economic and political pressure makes these tasks harder. If it continues its biased policies, the European Union risks losing the trust of people who believe in true justice.


SA accused of prior knowledge in Hamas attack
Justin Lewis, a representative of the UK-based judicial rights group Casisa, has written to Leo Brent Bozell III, the US Ambassador nominated to South Africa, calling for sanctions against the country.

In a letter dated March 27, 2025, and seen by IOL, Lewis, who leads a human rights advocacy group, claimed that South Africa's legal actions against Israel are part of a broader Hamas strategy.

Lewis is currently involved in an investigation into alleged corruption within South African banks linked to UK tax havens. He asserts that the investigation aims to expose legalised "court-approved" international money laundering.

The tensions stem from South Africa's December 2023 claims that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians following an attack by Hamas in October 2023.

During this attack, Hamas gunmen crossed from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israeli civilians and the abduction of 252 hostages.

In retaliation, Israel launched military operations in Gaza, which have reportedly led to over 50,000 Palestinian deaths, including many children.

Lewis alleged that evidence exists demonstrating that the South African government was aware of Hamas' planned attacks before their occurrence in October 2023.

He claimed that elements within the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) actively supported Hamas' political strategy by facilitating access to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which Hamas, as a non-signatory, could not access otherwise.

“As part of a political strategy, preparations were made before the October 7 atrocity against Israel to set mechanisms in place for approaching the ICC and ICJ for protection from Israel's anticipated response,” Lewis stated.

He likened this situation to “assisting a neighbour to burn his house down, then rushing to court to claim insurance protection from your insurer.”


The Consequences of Accepting Hamas's Terms for a Hostage Deal
Paying "any price" for the Israeli hostages' release effectively means accepting Hamas's continued effective control over Gaza, accompanied by the lifting of the blockade and the extensive release of Palestinian terrorists from prison.

Hamas would be able to portray such an outcome as a significant achievement and as proof of the legitimacy of the jihadist project. This message will bolster support for Hamas and its methods within the Palestinian arena and throughout the Muslim world.

Israel has already released more than 300 prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment - more than were released in 2011 in the Gilad Shalit exchange (280 prisoners serving life sentences). Some of these murderous terrorists are viewed as the elite of Palestinian society: individuals who successfully planned attacks, evaded capture, found accomplices who would not betray them, and coolly executed their terrorist acts.

For example, Israel freed Abd al-Nasser Issa (born 1969), one of the founders of Hamas's military wing, considered a natural successor to Mohammed Deif as the next commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

To gauge the meaning of the release of such prisoners, recall the importance of those released in the Shalit deal in the execution of the Oct. 7 massacre. They included Yahya Sinwar - the chief architect of Oct. 7 - along with at least ten senior Hamas political and military leaders.

Hamas's true objective now is to rebuild its leadership and senior command ranks by drawing from this substantial and high-caliber pool of released prisoners.
Sa’ar: Israel could end Gaza war ‘tomorrow’ if Hamas frees hostages, exits Strip
Israel is ready to end the war in Gaza “tomorrow” in exchange for the release of hostages and an end to Hamas’s presence in Gaza, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Thursday after meeting his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot in Paris.

“The way is very simple,” Sa’ar said, “hostages back, Hamas out.”

“We are still giving a chance to negotiations to extend the ceasefire and release our hostages on the basis of [US special envoy Steve] Witkoff’s proposal, but it is not open-ended,” he warned, referencing a proposal that would secure the release of five Israeli hostages.

Terror groups in the Gaza Strip are still holding 59 hostages, including 58 of the 251 abducted by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, 2023. Among them are the bodies of at least 35 hostages who have been confirmed dead by the IDF.

Israel restarted intense bombing of Gaza on March 18 and then launched a new ground offensive, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire in the war with Hamas.

According to the terms of the January 19 ceasefire deal, the sides were to launch negotiations over the second phase a few weeks into the first, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to do so, insisting that the war would not end until Hamas’s governing and military capabilities had been demolished. Meanwhile, Hamas rejected a series of offers to extend the first phase while continuing to gradually free hostages.
Hamas rejects Israel’s US-backed ceasefire counter-proposal
Hamas has rejected Israel’s recent counter-offer concerning a truce in Gaza, instead reaffirming its commitment to a proposal developed with mediation by Egypt and Qatar, an official from the terrorist group told Reuters on Wednesday.

This mediated plan, originally framed on Jan. 17, proposes a 50-day halt in hostilities and a step-by-step process for exchanging Israeli hostages and Palestinian security prisoners. Under the terms of this framework, Hamas would release five Israeli hostages, including American-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander, in several phases. In return, Israel would free approximately 250 imprisoned Palestinian terrorists along with 2,000 terrorist suspects detained following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

The initiative also includes a pause in Israeli military actions and the reopening of border crossings to allow for the import of aid.

Israel’s proposal includes demands such as the full disarmament of Hamas and does not guarantee a complete military withdrawal from Gaza. It also calls for the immediate, unconditional release of Alexander among 10 to 12 live hostages, as well as the return of the bodies of deceased captives.

This demand aligns with a broader framework supported by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who is actively engaged in shuttle diplomacy to advance the talks. However, Hamas has rejected these conditions as unacceptable and has declined to consider them as a basis for negotiation.


UK police arrest two over suspected Hezbollah ties
British counter-terrorism authorities arrested two men in separate London neighborhoods over suspected ties to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist group outlawed in the United Kingdom since 2019.

A 39-year-old was taken into custody in North London on charges that include suspected involvement in a proscribed organization, terrorist financing and the planning of terrorist acts. A second man, aged 35, was arrested in West London on suspicion of belonging to the same banned group.

The investigation involves activities in the U.K. and abroad, and authorities have stated there is no imminent threat to public safety. Both suspects have been released on bail and are expected to report in mid-July.

The arrests come amid renewed scrutiny of Iranian proxy networks in Europe. There are growing international concerns about Hezbollah’s financial and logistical operations on the continent, particularly in light of rising tensions between Iran and Western countries.

Spanish security forces on Tuesday launched an operation targeting a Hezbollah cell in Barcelona.

The U.K. designated the entire Hezbollah organization a terrorist entity in 2019, closing a legal loophole that outlawed only its “military” wing.


More Countries Will Leave 'Corrupt' ICC, Netanyahu Says After Hungary's Exit
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán announced that his country is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court over its prosecution of Israeli leaders—and more countries will follow, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday.

During a joint appearance with Orbán in Budapest, Netanyahu praised Hungary's decision to pull out of the ICC and called Orbán "the first and, dare I say, not the last to walk away from this corruption, this rottenness," according to Jewish Insider.

"There is zero tolerance in Hungary for antisemitism," Orbán said.

The ICC in November issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity for leading Israel's war against Hamas terrorists. More than 100 nations are legally obligated to arrest Netanyahu if he enters their territory, though many countries, including Germany, France, and Italy, have indicated they will not comply. Neither Israel nor the United States is a member of the ICC.

Netanyahu on Thursday urged "all democracies to stand up to this corrupt organization."

Instead of arresting Netanyahu, the Hungarian government rolled out a red carpet and welcomed the Israeli prime minister with full military honors at Buda Castle, Jewish Insider reported.

"You and your leadership have done remarkable things for Israel and the Jewish people," Netanyahu told Orbán. "You stand with us at the EU and the U.N. You took a principled position on the ICC."


Israel: Hungary, Unlike South Africa, Had Good Reason to Leave ICC
He said that Hungary’s gesture differed from that of South Africa, which attempted to withdraw from the ICC after it refused to arrest Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir on a visit to South Africa in 2015, despite an ICC arrest warrant.

(Ironically, South Africa has now championed the ICC against South Africa and the United States, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently publishing an op-ed attacking Trump for re-applying sanctions to the ICC).

In the South African case, Mencer pointed out, Sudan was carrying out an actual genocide of hundreds of thousands of Africans in Darfur, not fighting a war of self-defense against terrorists who had attacked it without provocation.

“Israel has condemned South Africa’s support for Hamas, and it politically motivated actions at the ICC, which have ignored Israel’s right to self-defense against a terrorist organization that targets civilians,” Mencer told journalists.

He also noted “South Africa’s growing alliance with Iran” and other powers that “destabilize the region and global security.” The contrast between Hungary’s leadership and South Africa’s conduct, he said, “couldn’t be clearer.”
ICC prosecutor Khan accused of retaliation for sexual misconduct allegation, sources say
UN investigators examining allegations of sexual misconduct by International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan are also looking into alleged retaliation for the accusations, five sources briefed on the matter have told Reuters.

The allegations being examined are that Khan retaliated against staff who reported allegations of sexual misconduct towards a female lawyer reporting to him or were critical of his handling of the matter, said three sources with direct knowledge of the UN investigation.

The five sources, all of whom asked not to be named due to concerns of reprisals, said Khan, who is British, had demoted at least four staff in his office.

In a written statement, Khan's attorneys rejected all allegations of wrongdoing and said he "looks forward to cooperating fully and transparently with the external investigation."

"We refer you to what our client has said previously in this regard, including his firm denials. You will appreciate that our client cannot be expected to provide a running commentary on these matters," law firm Carter-Ruck said.


DEBUNKED: "More Journalists Died in Gaza Than WW2"

Former diplomat claims UN is ‘haemorrhaging with antisemitism’
Robert Wood, who recently retired after nearly 40 years in the US foreign service, including most recently as deputy ambassador to the United Nations in the Biden administration, has claimed that Washington’s next envoy to the global body will have to swim upstream to curb what he suggested is institutional Jew-hatred.

“One of the first things that the next permanent representative will need to focus on is ridding that building of antisemitism, because the entire building is haemorrhaging with it,” Wood told JNS.

The diplomat, who served in Brussels, Berlin, Mexico City and Islamabad, among others, claimed that a core reason for the US to remain engaged with the UN is that it “is going to take a very, very strong effort by the entire team in New York, with, of course, backing in Washington, to get rid of that antisemitism”.

“It’s just flowing through the veins of that organisation right now,” he went on, sating: “So you’re going to need somebody who’s going to want to fight that, be willing to do it.”

The retired diplomat also said, echoing the approach that the Department of Government Efficiency has taken under Elon Musk, that there must be “a thorough review of the entire UN system to make sure that it is getting the taxpayers’ money’s worth.”

Many think that “the UN isn’t living up to what it was supposed to be and it is just kind of a waste of taxpayer money,” he explained. But he thinks that Washington must commit to reforming the global body rather than abandoning it, after President Trump significantly cut financial commitments to the organisation and some Republicans called for the US to withdraw altogether.
My Chat with Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch We discuss the inner workings of the United Nations along with its rampant anti-Israel sentiments, as well as various instantiations of Jew-hatred.

US deems Albanese unfit to serve as UN Special Rapporteur due to 'virulent antisemitism'
The United States mission to the United Nations sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday stating that it opposes the renewal of Francesca Albanese's role as UN Special Rapporteur due to her "virulent antisemitism, which demonizes Israel and supports Hamas," the mission confirmed on X/Twitter.

"She has clearly violated the UN’s code of conduct and is unfit for her role," their post continued.

"Her reappointment would show the UN tolerates antisemitic hatred and support for terrorism," the post concluded.

On Tuesday, Rep. Brian Mast - the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee - sent a letter to the UN President of the Human Rights Council expressing objection to Albanese's term renewal, which would involve a second term of three years.

Mast wrote that UN Special Rapporteurs have a duty to uphold the code of conduct as written in Council Resolution 5/2, which states that they must act in an independent and impartial capacity.


Germany’s outgoing Foreign Minister is Practicing For Her New United Nations Role
Germany’s outgoing Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, has once again proven why she is unfit for high-level diplomacy. Her latest controversy? Expressing outrage that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not arrested during his visit to Hungary. This bizarre, inflammatory remark isn’t just another gaffe—it’s a clear signal of how she will wield her newfound power at the United Nations. Given the UN’s deeply entrenched hostility toward Israel.

Baerbock’s reckless statements come as she orchestrates a breathtakingly audacious career move. After losing her domestic political standing, she has orchestrated a self-serving leap to the United Nations, snatching away a coveted diplomatic role, President of the United Nations General Assembly from veteran diplomat Helga Schmid for the 2025/26 period. Baerbock is expected to take up the post in New York in June 2025. Baerbock’s appointment looks less like a fresh diplomatic chapter and more like an extension of the organization’s long-standing bias.

Why was she nominated? Because the Greens lost big in the February 2025 elections, and Baerbock was left without a job. Instead of gracefully stepping aside, she secured herself a golden parachute at the UN, trampling Schmid’s years of hard work in the process.

The president of the general assembly is regarded as the second-most important position in the United Nations after the general secretary. The president organises and directs the meetings of the assembly and has to watch that all members can have their say as well as organize majorities behind the scenes ahead of important votes.

For nearly a year, Helga Schmid—a 64-year-old veteran diplomat and former Secretary-General of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)—had been laying the groundwork for the prestigious role of President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). She met with over a hundred UN ambassadors, built relationships, and was seen as the natural choice for the job. Then, in a stunning act of political opportunism, the German government unceremoniously yanked her nomination and handed it to Baerbock instead.

Helga Schmid career faced a significant controversy in 2016 when Spain's Fiscalía Anticorrupción (Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) sought a 7.5-year prison sentence for her alleged involvement in embezzling funds from the Palau de les Arts opera house in Valencia. Schmid was accused of malfeasance, including misappropriation of funds, prevarication, and falsifying commercial documents during her tenure as the opera house's director. The prosecution alleged that she, along with other officials, engaged in externalizing services with inflated costs, leading to financial harm to public funds.

Despite these allegations, Schmid continued her diplomatic career, culminating in her leadership role at the OSCE. In 2025, she was considered the leading candidate for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly. However, the German government unexpectedly nominated Annalena Baerbock for the position.


Nicaragua walks back request to join ICJ genocide case against Israel
Nicaragua on Tuesday told the International Court of Justice it is withdrawing its request to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.

The court issued a press release on Thursday confirming the withdrawal.

No reason was offered for the move.

It came less than two months after Nicaragua requested to join the case in early February. It also followed the country’s claim before the court last year that Germany violated the genocide convention for selling arms to Israel.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar praised Nicaragua’s withdrawal on Thursday, posting on X, “Better late than never.”

“Nicaragua has withdrawn its morally repugnant intervention in the baseless and outrageous case that was filed by South Africa against Israel at the ICJ,” he wrote, after a similar tweet in Hebrew.

“Others that made the same mistake should follow suit,” he concluded.


Report: Iran pulling forces out of Yemen amid intensive US airstrikes on Houthis
Iran has reportedly ordered its military personnel to leave Yemen and is pulling back its support for the Houthis amid extensive US airstrikes on the rebel group.

The British Telegraph newspaper cites a “senior Iranian official” saying that Tehran is scaling back its support of its regional proxies to focus on the direct threats emanating from the Trump administration.

The official also says that the pullback from Yemen is designed to avoid the possibility of escalation if an Iranian soldier is killed in US airstrikes there.

Tehran is focusing its efforts instead on how to respond to US President Donald Trump and his litany of threats, and “none of the regional groups we previously supported are being discussed,” the official is quoted as saying.
Seth Frantzman: After two weeks of war, Houthis show no sign of surrender
The Houthis say they are continuing their attacks on US warships in the Red Sea. Their claims come more than two weeks after the US began attacking the Houthis on March 15.

The US has demanded that the Houthis stop attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis have shown no interest in ceasing their attacks. In fact, they escalated their strikes against Israel over the past two weeks, launching around a dozen ballistic missiles.

The question now is what comes next? The Houthis are not showing any signs of stopping and are trying to put a brave face on their efforts.

The reality is that they do not have a huge arsenal, and they don’t seem to be able to damage the US warships.

Their ballistic missiles fired at Israel have been intercepted, and some have disintegrated during the 2,000-km. flight from Yemen.

The Houthis don’t necessarily have to do much to survive the US bombing campaign. Air power is not always a magic wand for winning wars.

The Houthis can hide underground in caves and bunkers, and it’s not clear how they will be defeated in the long run. They could choose to sue for peace and agree to stop their attacks. But it’s not clear if that wouldn’t be an embarrassment for them.

The Houthis successfully fought the Saudis from 2015-2022. Riyadh had intervened in Yemen to back its government against the Houthis.

The Houthis fought the Saudis to a standstill and also made gains in Yemen. They receive backing from Iran, and this was part of Iran’s proxy war on Riyadh. Nevertheless, it shows that bringing the Houthis to heel may not be so easy.


IDF names 4 Hamas operatives it says were killed in Gaza strike on UNRWA clinic yesterday
The IDF and Shin Bet announce that a strike yesterday against a Hamas command center in northern Gaza’s Jabalia killed at least four operatives, including a terrorist who participated in the October 7 onslaught.

The strike, according to Palestinian media, hit a UNRWA clinic and killed at least eight people.

According to the military, among those killed in the strike was Shadi Diab Abd al-Hamid Falouji, a member of Hamas’s East Jabalia Battalion, who invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and participated in the onslaught.

Additionally, the IDF says the strike killed Mohammed Sharif, a member of Hamas’s general security mechanism, who was involved in the release ceremony of hostage soldier Agam Berger; Mohammed Hani Atiya Daour, a Hamas operative who headed a rocket and mortar squad; and Mohammed Issa Mahmoud Askari, member of a rocket unit in Hamas’s Northern Brigade and a member of the general security mechanism.

The military says it was able to confirm their deaths “following an intelligence review.”


Seth Frantzman: Can Israel pivot to confront Turkey while managing other wars?
Israeli airstrikes in Syria overnight between Wednesday and Thursday were aimed at striking “military capabilities that remained at the Syrian bases of Hama and T4, along with additional remaining military infrastructure sites in the area of Damascus,” the IDF reported.

Nevertheless, many Israeli media reports indicated that the strikes were also meant to send a message to Turkey. Ankara may be eyeing the T-4 base and other sites to play a larger role in Syria.

It increasingly appears that Israel would like to preempt any attempt by Turkey to put down roots in Syria. In addition, this can serve as a way to deter Ankara and prevent further escalation.

The question is whether it will work. Israel likely waited too long to confront Iran in Syria. Tehran moved forces into Syria during the Syrian civil war. Hezbollah and Iraqi militias followed.

Iran then used a land corridor via Syria to move weapons to Hezbollah. This entrenchment was a threat to Israel.

A pivot from confronting Iran in Syria to potentially confronting Turkey has many potential pitfalls. First of all, Turkey’s current presence in Syria is limited to the north and consists of some bases and posts.

Turkey backs the Syrian National Army, a group of proxy militias. Now that Syria has a new government, the SNA is expected to be integrated into the new Syrian army.
Seth Frantzman: Syria condemns Israel’s recent airstrikes
The importance of Tasil
The IAF airstrikes overnight on April 2-3 came as the IDF and Syrian forces clashed in Tasil, southern Syria, in an area near Dara’a and the Jordanian border.

Another clash took place on March 25, when several Syrians were killed in clashes with the IDF in Koya (Kuwaya), which is on the Jordanian border, less than two kilometers from the Golan Heights buffer zone the IDF controls. This is a triangle of land in what is known as the Yarmouk River basin.

Tasil is above the basin and is an important town. During the Syrian civil war, it changed hands several times. An ISIS affiliate, Jaysh Khalid, ran it from 2016-2017. It was pushed out by Syrian rebels in 2017 but continued to control areas near the Golan border.

Tasil had a strategic site near it called Tel al-Jamu, which apparently was a Syrian regime site. Rebels had tried to take it early in the rebellion in 2011-2012. The Syrian regime had brutally killed Syrians in the town.

In 2018, the whole area in Dara’a and near the Golan fell to the Syrian regime, as the rebels were defeated near the Israeli border. Last December 8, things changed again as the rebels seized power.

Israel once had positive ties with the Syrian rebels near the Golan. Israel even facilitated the evacuation of the White Helmets from Syria in 2018, when the regime took over areas near the Golan.

Now, things have changed. Israel has pushed into the buffer zone along the Golan, and clashes have taken place in areas near the border.
Israeli forces clash with armed terrorists in southern Syria
The Israel Defense Forces reported a firefight with armed terrorists during operations overnight Wednesday in the southern Syrian town of Tasil.

The operation, according to the IDF, was aimed at locating and dismantling terrorist assets in the area. During the encounter, soldiers responded to gunfire and reportedly neutralized several combatants, both through direct engagement and air support.

Tasil is situated near the demilitarized zone along the Syria-Israel frontier—an area where the Israeli military has been operating since the Assad regime lost control of the region late last year.

In a related development, the IDF confirmed launching a wave of airstrikes on Wednesday night on multiple military facilities across Syria. Targets included the Hama military airport and the T-4 airbase, where strikes were said to have damaged fuel storage areas, radar equipment and runways.

Additionally, Israeli aircraft carried out strikes near Damascus. Syrian state media reported that one of the locations hit was the Barzeh research facility on the city’s outskirts, a site previously scrutinized in international discussions on weapons development.


Second Gaza clan accuses Hamas of killing a relative, during fight at food warehouse
A clan in the Gaza Strip has publicly accused Hamas of killing one of its members, marking the second such accusation in Gaza in less than a week. The allegation, which included a demand for justice, is a rare event in Hamas’s 18-year rule over the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, an announcement from the Hassanein clan, based in Gaza City, was broadcast on the Saudi channel El-Shark, describing the alleged murder unfolding at a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warehouse in the city.

“Our martyred son, Saadi Sakhr Hassanein, went to the UNRWA warehouse to collect a food parcel,” it began. “While he was there, a crowd gathered. This led to a violent reaction from the security forces at the scene, whose identities are known to us. According to information and eyewitness accounts, one of the security personnel present began shooting at those in the area.”

“This same individual shot the victim in the leg and then fired another shot directly at his lower chest area, intentionally targeting him. As a result, he immediately died as a martyr,” the statement charged.

“We hold no hostility toward any governmental or organizational entity in general,” the family said, referring to Hamas.
Al Jazeera analyst calls on Hamas to deal with protesters, Fatah members as ‘traitors’
“Anyone who opposes or protests [against Hamas] should be treated not as a political rival but as a traitor – to be dealt with under the Palestinian revolutionary law,” according to Al Jazeera political analyst Saeed Ziyad.

In a post on his X/Twitter account on Wednesday, he referred to Hamas’s 2007 coup in Gaza, during which dozens of Palestinian Authority personnel were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists on their way to remain the sole ruler in the Gaza Strip.

Ziyad rejected the “chaos and incitement to civil war taking place in the Gaza Strip,” echoing comments by Hamas leaders over the past couple of weeks, which attempted to paint any rejection of Hamas as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause and identity.

Those opponents of Hamas, “along with the unprecedented societal division surrounding the effectiveness of armed resistance, are laying the foundations for a period that bears striking resemblance to 2007, a year of chaos that ended in a swift military resolution within days,” he wrote.

Some major differences exist between the two periods, Ziyad said, including that no other Palestinian military force exists in the Gaza Strip today, which is “a huge power gap in favor of the resistance [i.e., Hamas].”

The current “incitement” is not based on a political dispute but rather on the very topic of the “weapon of resistance,” he said, meaning Hamas’s armed rule in Gaza “This grants the resistance greater societal legitimacy for decisive action, which imposes on the resistance the duty to deal with every instigator and participant on the basis of treason, not political disagreement, in accordance with Palestinian revolutionary law.”

Ziyad also accused Fatah of carrying out the “central nucleus of the incitement.” Fatah was not targeted in 2007 but rather only the “positions of the [PA] and its militias,” he said.


IDF okayed Nova music festival, but didn’t inform troops deployed at border, probe finds
On the morning of October 7, 2023, more than 100 Hamas terrorists stumbled upon the Supernova music festival, an outdoor rave taking place near the Gaza border community of Re’im, where they brutally massacred and abducted partygoers, in what became the single deadliest terror attack in Israel’s history.

More than 3,000 partygoers were attending the overnight rave, along with some 400 staff and 75 unarmed security guards.

In all, 344 civilians who attended the Nova party and 34 security personnel were murdered or killed amid the attack, which, according to testimonies, included sexual crimes and other brutal acts. The terrorists abducted another 44 to the Gaza Strip.

As far as is known, Hamas had no prior knowledge of the party when they launched the attack and happened upon the large festival. And while some in the Israel Defense Force’s chain of command were aware that it was taking place, that information was not relayed to troops stationed nearby until it was too late, according to a military probe published Thursday that identified a number of missteps that left those at the rave virtually defenseless.

The investigation into the massacre and fighting that took place at the Nova festival is the latest of a series of detailed investigations the IDF is carrying out into some 40 battles that took place during Hamas’s October 7 attack, when some 5,600 terrorists stormed across the border, massacred some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza.

The probe, carried out by Brig. Gen. (res.) Ido Mizrahi, focused on the military’s preparations for the party; the process by which the party was approved by authorities despite its proximity to the Gaza border; the chain of events during the attack on October 7; and the conduct of troops in the area of the party.
Nova music festival massacre probe: IDF missed warning signs, one cop saved hundreds
An internal investigation into the October 7 Hamas massacre at the Nova music festival near Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip reveals that critical security failures, delayed military responses and poor coordination between the IDF and police contributed to the deaths of 378 people and the abduction of 44 others.

The findings, presented to the IDF high command, as well as to the families of victims and hostages taken from the desert rave, expose what commanders described as a systemic collapse in identifying, communicating and responding to the deadliest single attack on civilians in Israeli history.

The Nova festival was held in a forest clearing near Kibbutz Re’im, just four kilometers from the Gaza border, and drew approximately 3,500 revelers for a weekend of music and celebration. Although the festival was approved by the IDF only two days prior, concerns had been raised in advance by the commander of the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade, Col. Haim Cohen, over the lack of available troops during that weekend.

Despite that, Southern Command overruled the objections and issued final authorization. However, according to the investigation, no IDF units in the area were informed about the event, and no military personnel were assigned to secure it or to the police command post on site.

On the morning of October 7, Hamas launched its unprecedented cross-border assault. At 6:29 a.m., Chief Superintendent Nivi Ohana, the commander of the Ofakim police station, recognized the unusually heavy rocket fire and immediately ordered the festival to be shut down and attendees evacuated. His swift decision is credited with saving hundreds of lives.

By 7:00 a.m., Ohana had left to help defend his city. Meanwhile, officers on site improvised evacuation routes on Route 232. Unbeknownst to them, they were being approached by a heavily armed Hamas Nukhba force—around 110 terrorists traveling in 14 trucks and two motorcycles—which had strayed from its original target, the city of Netivot.
Noa Tishby launches national tour with her new nonprofit, Eighteen, bringing Oct. 7 survivors to U.S.
As Jewish students continue to feel the impact of the Israel-Hamas war on campus, Israeli activist Noa Tishby’s nonprofit media company, Eighteen, is bringing survivors of Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attacks to campuses across the country in a six-stop tour — dubbed “Voices of October 7th.”

With featured speakers including Moran Stella Yanai, a former Israeli hostage who was released during the first ceasefire in November 2023, and Noam Ben David, a Nova Festival survivor, the tour aims to provide education about Oct. 7 and the ongoing impacts of the war, through the lens of those who experienced it most directly. Most of the events are being hosted by the local university Hillel.

The tour also serves as a launch event for Eighteen, the nonprofit that Tishby, formerly Israel’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, started last year to “combat antisemitism, defend Israel, and inspire Jewish pride,” according to a press release. Eighteen has already been behind a number of content creation projects, including during Hanukkah in December, when Tishby lit candles alongside celebrity friends, including Gwyneth Paltrow, reaching a combined following of over 161 million social media users over the holiday in what the Jewish Journal said was likely the most-viewed menorah lighting of all time.

This tour is an opportunity to align the activism with the organization, said Tishby.

“We’ve already launched. This is the first time we’re talking about it, because we’re so busy doing the work,” she said.

Among many reactions to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks, was a rise in the relevance of “Jinstagram” — or Jewish Instagram — at least for legacy Jewish organizations. Jinstagram has existed for a number of years, growing rapidly in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, alongside many other facets of online activism. It’s a one-stop shop where Jewish influencers, or those aspiring to be, react in real time to global events affecting the community, “combat antisemitism,” and attempt to appeal to younger Jewish audiences. As antisemitic content permeates social media, Jinstagram’s rising stars have become a mainstay of Jewish communal institutions, with the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federations of North America leveraging their platforms at conferences and galas in an attempt to build connections with the younger generation on social media by association.

Tishby, a leading figure in the Jewish social media sphere in terms of both following and reach, has operated in the space for years. With Eighteen, she wants to be the bridge between the younger generation of Jews and more time-tested Jewish institutions. With data and knowledge of social media algorithms, Tishby and her team can act nimbly and quickly, she said, responding to events before even the first wave of press releases land in Jewish journalists’ inboxes.


Parents of captive IDF soldier Matan Angrest release photos of his abduction
The parents of kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldier Matan Angrest, 22, who has been held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza for 545 days, released never-seen-before photos of his abduction on Thursday night.

The pictures, which were reportedly recovered from the Gaza Strip by the IDF, show Angrest being forcibly taken from his tank near the Nahal Oz military outpost and subsequently beaten by a Palestinian crowd.

The family said they would release video footage later on Thursday.

Angrest, the last remaining Israeli soldier who served at Nahal Oz, is believed to be alive but has not been freed in a deal or rescue mission.

He was taken, wounded, but alive, with the corpses of his comrades IDF Capt. Daniel Perez, 22, from Yad Binyamin, and Staff Sgt. Itay Chen, 19, from Netanya. A few days later, the body of Sgt. Tomer Leibovitz, 19, from Tel Aviv, was recovered inside their tank.

“We are forced to release footage of my son Matan from the moments of his abduction—being lynched, beaten by a mob,” his mother, Anat Angrest, said earlier on Thursday. “I avoided watching this video, which only my husband, Haggai, had seen until recently, but I realized we have no choice.”

“I must set aside my own feelings and think only about what I need to do to prove … that there are people buried underground, in immediate life-threatening danger—and they can still be saved,” Angrest’s mother stated.


Episode 8: Prof. Alexander Yakobson on what it means to "decolonize Palestine"
Is Zionism colonialism? Are Jews an authentic people, or merely a religion? What about Palestinians? What are Zionism’s moral costs, and what are those of opposing Zionism?

I asked one of my teachers, Hebrew University historian Prof. Alexander Yakobson, some of the great questions now being advanced in Western academic and progressive discourses about Israel.

Alex has that special fearlessness of an intellectual who takes the other side's position seriously. It makes his answers all the more valuable.




US/Israel-Iran TENSIONS ESCALATING: What comes next? | Israel Undiplomatic
Is a U.S.-Israel military strike on Iran's nuclear program closer than ever?

In this episode of “Israel Undiplomatic”, JNS Senior Contributing Editor Ruthie Blum and former Israeli Ambassador to the UK Mark Regev break down the most urgent national security issue facing Israel and the West: the Islamic Republic of Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. This timely and unfiltered conversation also tackles the failures of Western appeasement, the media’s distraction from Iran, and the legacy of Oct. 7 in shaping Israeli defense policy.

Broadcast from the JNS studios in Jerusalem, this hard-hitting show covers:
Major shifts in U.S. policy toward Iran, including Trump’s bold two-month ultimatum
America’s military build-up in the region and what it signals
Israel’s October 2024 strikes on Iranian air defenses and their strategic implications
Whether Israel can (or should) act alone if the U.S. doesn’t strike
The role of deterrence, the Begin Doctrine, and lessons from past preemptive Israeli strikes in Iraq and Syria
The rising internal unrest in Iran and what it means for regime vulnerability
Intelligence, diplomacy and military options—what’s realistic, what’s urgent

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Overview of Current Events
01:21 Iran's Nuclear Threat and U.S. Policy Changes
05:35 Coercive Diplomacy: The U.S. Stance on Iran
10:52 Israel's Military Strategy and Regional Dynamics
14:14 The Case for Preemptive Action Against Iran
19:24 Home Defense and Anticipating Iranian Retaliation
22:59 The Complexity of Targeting Iran's Nuclear Facilities
30:53 Conclusion: The Future of Iran's Nuclear Program


An Update on the Israel-Palestine War by Dan Schueftan (Full Interview)
In this interview, psychologist and writer Pamela Paresky speaks with Dr. Dan Schueftan, a prominent Israeli political scientist and national security expert. Dr. Schueftan has advised multiple Israeli prime ministers and is known for his deep insights into Middle Eastern geopolitics, security strategy, and regional diplomacy.

Their conversation explores Israel’s resilience in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, the importance of defeating Hamas, and the shifting alliances in the Middle East—particularly growing cooperation between Israel and Arab nations. Dr. Schueftan critiques the influence of ideological extremism on Western liberal democracies and calls for a return to a more balanced, civic-minded liberalism.

They also discuss how transparency in modern governance can sometimes undermine effective leadership, and why supporting minority communities like the Druze holds strategic and moral significance. The interview touches on concerns about uncontrolled immigration in Europe, and how it may challenge social cohesion, as well as the need for meaningful and sustainable progress in social issues like gender equality.

00:00 – Israel’s War Perspective
02:25 – Modern Warfare Challenges
06:16 – Middle East Power Dynamics
10:22 – Regional Alliances and Security
15:24 – Bad U.S. Policy and Global Strategy From Biden
19:30 – Changing Global Attitudes
24:16 – Academia and Global Elites
28:24 – Israel’s Internal Politics
31:09 – Resilience in Conflict
38:24 – Israel and U.S. Relations
42:13 – Global Organizations and Alliances, Dan Schueftan on Ukraine
46:00 – Hostage Negotiation Dilemmas
57:57 – Immigration and Cultural Shifts
01:09:46 – Israel’s Strategic Outlook
01:26:52 – Post-Gaza Security Concerns
01:31:07 – Alliances with Druze
01:37:52 – Democratic Leadership Challenges
01:47:33 – Strategic Social Progress


‘Absolutely biased’: 60 Minutes host’s ‘disgusting’ question towards former Hamas hostage
Podcaster and commentator Rochel Leah has lashed 60 Minutes host Lesley Stahl for her “disgusting” comments towards a former hostage of Hamas.

The 60 Minutes host asked the ex-hostage whether the terrorist group starved him because they didn’t have enough food.

“She came into that interview absolutely biased,” Ms Leah told Sky News Digital Presenter Gabriella Power.


Filmmaker interviews Palestinians on the 'barbary' of October 7
Filmmaker Ami Horowitz discusses his recent interviews with Gazans on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the "barbary" of the October 7 attacks.

"Do you want to continue the policy of Hamas here in the West Bank and do you want to have more October 7," Mr Horowitz said.

"They all said they were willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of their own people in order to kill more Jews."




Haaretz is a Major Source for International Antisemitic Propaganda
I spoke at the Ministry of Diaspora's Ambassadors of Truth International Conference For Combating Antisemitism. The conference was notable for extending invitations to rightwing parties, never before invited officially by the State of Israel, for their major contributions to the struggle against antisemitism (only parties recognized by Israel were invited).




15 Democrats vote for Bernie Sanders-backed resolutions blocking U.S. aid to Israel
Support for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) efforts to block aid to Israel shrank among Senate Democrats, with just 15, including Sanders, voting in favor of a pair of resolutions to block $8.8 billion in weapons sales to Israel.

That final total was down from the 19 Democrats who supported similar resolutions from Sanders last year.

Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Angus King (I-ME), who supported some or all of the three Sanders resolutions the Senate voted on late last year opposed both of the resolutions before the Senate on Thursday.

Of the six new Democrats in the Senate, only Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) voted for one of the two resolutions.

Sanders and Kim were joined by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Tim Kaine (D-VA). All of them voted for all three of Sanders’ resolutions in the previous Congress.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) again voted present.

Kim said in a lengthy statement, “I voted for these Joint Resolutions because while I support providing tools critical for Israel’s defense, I do not believe that these systems, which include those that can level entire city blocks and that have been used in incidents with disproportionate civilian casualties, achieve the primary objectives I’ve outlined” including freeing the hostages — naming New Jersey resident Edan Alexander — and achieving a durable peace that removes Hamas from power in Gaza. “In fact, their use will make it harder.”

Kim said he continues to support air and missile-defense systems to protect Israel from the “real and existential” threat from Iran. “Israel needs these tools and others that ensure it retains its Qualitative Military Edge because it is surrounded by actors who seek its demise, and that the history of the State of Israel is one founded on the assurance of continued existence.”

The New Jersey senator said it was wrong for the Israeli government to resume military operations in Gaza and block humanitarian aid from entering the Strip. He also attacked President Donald Trump’s plans for the U.S. to take control of Gaza and accused him of trying to bypass Congress and ignore safeguards.

Kim, who was just elected to the Senate last year, is already facing criticism from New Jersey’s sizable Jewish community for his votes.


Former US pres. candidate claims 400,000 Gazans died in war without evidence
Former US presidential candidate Ralph Nader claimed that over 400,000 Gazans have been killed by the IDF, without evidence, since the start of the war in October 2023, in a Monday article on the left-wing online magazine CounterPunch.

In his article, titled "The Vast Gaza Death Undercount," he says that Gaza's civilian population would not "withstand over 115,000 tons of bombs, plus artillery, grenades, and snipers targeting civilians, with uncontrollable fires everywhere." He also makes the claim that "five thousand babies a month are born into the rubble."

Nader had run in the US presidential elections on four separate occasions, but never as a Democrat or a Republican. In 1996 and 2000, he ran under the Green Party, with the latter year acting as the party's nominee for the presidency. In 2004 and 2008, he ran as an Independent.

Arguments over Hamas's reporting of casualties
Nader's estimate is also nearly eight times the amount of what the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported as the death toll, which they claim has passed 50,000 last month. However, he rebutted Hamas's numbers, claiming that the terror group is reporting lesser numbers "to lessen the ire of its people for not protecting them."

His argument for the death toll reaching 400,000 also includes indirect deaths and mentions higher estimates than Hamas's numbers, which were made by UN agencies and The Lancet, the latter of which claimed in a publication last July that the death toll was around 186,000, but is less than half of the number that the former presidential candidate claimed.

Nader also wrote that the terror group "Hamas counts only names of the deceased given by hospitals and mortuaries."

The day after Nader's piece was published, non-profit organization Honest Reporting's Salo Aizenberg told The Telegraph that the terrorist organization had quietly removed the names of thousands of Palestinians it had previously alleged were killed during the war after looking at the terror groups' casualty updates from last month, which.




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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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