Friday, April 04, 2025

04/04 Links Pt1: We need a new name for what happened on 7 October; The renewal of Francesca Albanese’s mandate is a disgrace and a moral stain on the UN

From Ian:

John Spencer: Why the US is striking the Houthis in Yemen
On Oct. 31, 2023, the Houthis fired a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel. One of those missiles was intercepted just miles from Eilat, a southern Israeli port city. More disturbingly, U.S. officials confirmed that a Houthi-launched drone that same week passed over the Red Sea and came dangerously close to hitting an U.S. Embassy office in Tel Aviv.​

The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked U.S. Navy ships operating in international waters. Since December 2023, they have targeted American warships more than 170 times with drones, cruise missiles, and anti-ship ballistic missiles. The USS Gravely, USS Carney and USS Laboon — all guided-missile destroyers — have successfully intercepted waves of incoming projectiles, at times using dozens of missiles in coordinated defenses.

The level of sophistication in these attacks — simultaneous multi-axis threats combining drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles — is a testament not just to Iranian support, but to the serious intent behind it. These are not warning shots. They are attempted kills.

In response, the U.S. and its allies have launched precision strikes on Houthi radar sites, missile storage facilities and drone launch platforms inside Yemen. The goal is deterrence through degradation — destroying the capabilities the Houthis are using to destabilize an entire region. These operations are lawful under international norms of self-defense and consistent with the U.S. military’s obligation to protect its personnel, allies and the freedom of the seas.

Critics will argue that these strikes risk widening the conflict in the Middle East. That is a legitimate concern, since no one wants a broader war. But inaction is not a strategy. Allowing a terrorist organization to choke off international shipping, target U.S. forces with impunity, and strike at the heart of our ally Israel is not sustainable. Deterrence only works when there are consequences for aggression. And so far, the Houthis have faced few consequences.

The U.S. military has shown tremendous restraint — often intercepting incoming threats without immediately retaliating. But that calculus is changing, and rightfully so. Continued inaction would only embolden the Houthis and their Iranian backers. Strategic patience must be paired with credible force, especially when dealing with actors who don’t play by the rules of the international order.

The strikes in Yemen are not about starting another endless war. They are about upholding basic principles: the safety of international shipping lanes, the protection of American service members and the defense of our allies. If we do not act against the Houthis now, we signal to every other violent non-state actor that the U.S. is unwilling or unable to defend its interests. That’s a message we cannot afford to send.
We need a new name for what happened on 7 October
The UK’s 7 October Parliamentary Commission Report concludes that “The assault was driven by Hamas’ commitment to the destruction of the Jewish State, regardless of whether this was a realistic aim.” It cites one of the attackers, who – following his arrest – explained their instructions for the attack: “The mission was simply to kill…kill every single one you see”, “to kill and kidnap the ones we can”, and “to cleanse and conquer the Kibbutz.”

Beyond the difference of intent, the 7 October attacks had a completely different scale and methodology than classic terrorism. 6,000 men invaded Israel in the attacks, with thousands more providing logistical support.

Besides in the first hour or two of the assault, Hamas focused its efforts on maximising civilian casualties: 73% of the 1,182 people killed were civilians in their homes or at a party. Almost all were killed at close range via shooting, burning or suffocation.

49% of the 251 people kidnapped were women and children. The deliberate killing of civilians (from babies to Holocaust survivors) at close range; the large-scale use of sexual violence; the torture and starvation of hostages; the desecration of corpses – all in a controlled, organised and pre-meditated fashion – are more reminiscent of genocides than of classic terrorism.

While Hamas sought (and seeks) to eliminate a people, I also believe that the crimes of 7 October do not constitute genocide. While the fantasy of genocide stood behind them, the 7 October attacks (and eliminationist terror generally) cannot be considered genocide because they fall far short of the internationally recognised definition of genocide.

Raphael Lemkin, the Polish Jew who invented the term genocide, defined it as the “extermination of nations and ethnic groups” via “synchronised attacks” on the physical existence and on the political, economic and culture life of such a group.

Neither the Jewish people nor the Israeli nation were exterminated that day. The goal of eliminationist terror is not to obliterate a people in the immediate sense, but to pave the way to genocide by increasing hatred, normalising mass atrocities and inspiring future ones.

On the road to genocide, it is neither Wannsee or Auschwitz, but rather Kristallnacht.
Hamza Howidy: Anti-Hamas protests erupt in Gaza. Where are our pro-Palestine 'allies' now?
Last week's protests were a watershed moment for Gazans, when so many in Gaza finally understood the true meaning of fake solidarity ‒ that to the Western "pro-Palestine" movement, Palestinians are not seen as real people with real struggles but as tools to be used in their ideological battles.

Not only were the protests ignored by "allies" in the West, but so were the lives of the protesters and all they represent.

Hamas wasted no time in going after the leaders of the protests, threatening, torturing and even killing them. The family of Oday Nasser Al Rabay, 22, says the protester was tortured to death by Hamas simply for demanding a free Gaza ‒ free from Hamas and free from war.

Where was the outrage from the "pro-Palestine movement" activists? Where were the protests in Western capitals for Oday? Nowhere. Because he did not fit into their ideological framework because his killing was not useful and too inconvenient to their narrative.

Meanwhile, when a protester with a distinctly different profile ‒ Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student ‒ finds himself detained in the United States, the pro-Palestinian activists who claim to advocate for the oppressed wasted no time in flooding Western streets with protests calling for his release. His arrest became an emblem of resistance, sparking global campaigns to bring him home.

But what about the young Palestinian from Gaza who, without the protection of international institutions, was tortured to death for his dissent? Oday was left to rot in obscurity, his brutal murder by Hamas nothing more than an inconvenient fact for the same movement that fervently defended Mahmoud.

This stark contrast is not only a failure of solidarity ‒ it's also an indictment of the hollow, opportunistic nature of the so-called pro-Palestine movement. Mahmoud, a student in the West, was elevated to the status of martyr. Oday, a young man from Gaza, was left to die at the hands of the very regime that Western allies refuse to confront. The hypocrisy is staggering.

If the pro-Palestinian movement is unwilling to stand with the Palestinians in Gaza ‒ those who are risking everything to break free from the shackles of Hamas ‒ then what kind of movement is this?

If the pro-Palestine movement cannot recognize the bravery, the sacrifices and the legitimate demands of those fighting to end the reign of terror in Gaza, to end this war and to rebuild their city free of Iranian influence, then it exposes itself as nothing more than a vehicle for political expediency.

It is a movement that uses Palestinian lives when convenient and discards them when they are inconvenient.

If this is the solidarity these "allies" offer, then it is an insult to the struggle for justice, an empty gesture that does nothing to advance the cause of true liberation.


Seth Frantzman: Congress members push to strengthen Abraham Accords
A new bipartisan effort in Congress could see support aimed at cementing the Abraham Accords via education and training. The Abraham Accords were signed in 2020 between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Other countries, such as Morocco and Sudan, have joined the accords over the last five years. However, the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, was an attempt to derail the process of regional integration and coexistence that the Accords helped foster. In addition, other countries that may want to join the Accords have been waiting for their chance.

Democrat Congressman Brad Schneider and Republican Congressman Abraham J. Hamadeh are supporting the “Peace Act to Strengthen the Abraham Accords,” according to a statement on April 3.

The text of the bill says it is “to promote education and training to United States diplomatic personnel relating to the Abraham Accords and other normalization agreements with Israel, and for other purposes.”

Arizona Congressman Hamadeh’s office put out a statement saying that he “is proud to reach across the aisle to work with Congressman Brad Schneider to introduce the Promoting Education on the Abraham Accords for Comprehensive Engagement (PEACE) Act, which will strengthen U.S. diplomatic engagement by institutionalizing training on the Abraham Accords and other normalization agreements at the U.S. State Department.”
Heritage Foundation acquires Abraham Accords Peace Institute
The Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank, announced on Friday that it acquired the Abraham Accords Peace Institute, which will be folded into Heritage’s operations.

The non-profit institute was founded by Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a key senior adviser in Trump’s first term.

An architect of the Accords normalization agreements between Israel and several majority-Muslim countries, Kushner stated, “I’m grateful for the excellent work the Abraham Accords Peace Institute performed to nurture and strengthen the Accords during a period when they were new and most vulnerable.”

“I am very excited to see what the team will accomplish at its new home,” he said.

The institute was created to support the implementation of the Accords and to help expand them to other countries. It has focused on the economic progress and opportunities that the pacts afforded.

The Heritage Foundation—under which Project 2025, the blueprint for governance created for Trump’s second term, was created—is a significant player in Republican policymaking.

The effort to fold the institute into Heritage could set the stage for a push for Israeli-Arab normalization to become a more central focus of Trump’s Middle East policy, which was defined in his first term by the success of the Accords, signed in 2020 by Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and the United States.

Aryeh Lightstone, the institute’s CEO, previously served as a senior adviser to David Friedman when the latter was U.S. ambassador to Israel. Lightstone is set to join the second Trump administration in a role supporting Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East.

“During the last four years, the Abraham Accords Peace Institute has successfully carried out its mission of solidifying and strengthening the Abraham Accords and setting the stage for its further expansion,” Lightstone stated.

“The early days of that effort—when these relationships were nascent and the Biden administration refused to recognize their significance or even call the Accords by their given name—were the most challenging,” he said. “Our team executed well and helped weave the Accords into the fabric of the Middle East, where the agreements have endured even amid regional conflict.”
Evangelical pastor to Trump: ‘Recognize sovereignty in Judea and Samaria’
A pre-Passover ceremony for leaders of Jewish towns in Samaria took place this week in Nofim, 18.5 miles east of Tel Aviv, attended by approximately 700 leaders from communities across the region.

Organized by the Samaria Regional Council, the event featured a presentation where council head Yossi Dagan and Rabbi Aharon Cohen, rabbi of Yakir and the Kana bloc, honored Pastor Larry Huch with a certificate of appreciation and Trump Victory Wine from the Har Bracha Winery.

Huch, recognized as one of the 10 most influential evangelical leaders in the United States and a confidant of President Donald Trump, was acclaimed for his steadfast support of the Jewish communities and his partnership with Dagan in advocating for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

During his visit to the region about a year ago, Huch was moved to tears at Joseph’s Lookout on Mount Gerizim, south of Nablus, when Dagan read from the Bible the verse, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse”—part of God’s promise to Abraham.

Standing above Joseph’s Tomb, Huch overlooked the area where, according to biblical accounts, Abraham first entered the Land of Israel and received divine assurance of inheriting the territory.

“My time here is one of the pinnacle moments of my life,” Huch remarked emotionally during the previous visit. “I bring every Christian I can here, to stand in the place where God said, ‘I will bless those who bless you’—the location for all blessings.”

Returning to Samaria this week as Dagan’s guest, Huch participated in the Passover toast ceremony and shared significant revelations about his interactions with Trump regarding Israeli sovereignty.

“I’ve been to Israel 49 times, but this visit moves me especially,” Huch said. “Five years ago, when the U.S. president was considering a peace plan, I told him, ‘Don’t give up an inch of Judea and Samaria’ and suggested recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Two days later, Trump announced it.”
For Israel, Peace in Ukraine Means Opportunity To Stop Iran
Israel's approach to Russia has long been one of strategic caution. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, Jerusalem has stopped short of formally joining Western sanctions or supplying weapons to Kyiv. That reluctance stems from three primary concerns: the need for continued military deconfliction with Russian forces in Syria; the risk that openly confronting Moscow could escalate its support for Israel's adversaries; and the welfare of the Jewish community still residing within Russia.

But as Moscow's partnership with Iran deepens, Israel's calculus may need to change. While Jerusalem values its ability to operate freely in Syrian airspace—thanks in part to the deconfliction mechanism with Russian commanders—that arrangement cannot come at the cost of allowing Hezbollah to build an arsenal capable of overwhelming Israel's defenses.

That's why Israeli officials are urging the Trump administration to go a step further. If and when a broader Ukraine ceasefire is formalized, it must address Russian behavior in the Middle East. A sustainable peace in Europe should not enable Moscow to bankroll war against Israel. Any deal that eases sanctions or normalizes Russia's global standing should come with an end to weapons transfers to Iran and Syria and a cessation of military cooperation that enhances Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

Such demands may be seen as peripheral by people focused on Ukraine. But for Israel, they are central. The country is engaged on two fronts—Gaza in the south and Lebanon in the north—with a third, more existential threat looming in the east.

The impact of those Israeli officials' message appeared recently in the readout of a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the White House, the two leaders discussed both Ukraine and the Middle East, agreeing in principle on the need to prevent further conflict and to ensure Iran can never threaten Israel's existence.

If Western leaders wish to secure lasting regional stability, they must recognize this linkage. Ending the war in Ukraine without addressing Russia's entanglements in the Middle East would be a strategic error—one that allows Hezbollah to rearm, Iran to advance, and Israel to remain trapped in a cycle of escalation.

Because in the Middle East, peace is never just about ending one war. It's about preventing the next.


Israel in talks with ‘several countries’ to realize Trump relocation plan for Gazans
Israel is in “serious talks with several countries” to relocate large numbers of people out of the Gaza Strip, a senior diplomatic source told JNS and other media outlets during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary.

“We are not giving up on Trump’s vision of voluntary migration,” the source said.

He said Israel was discussing the matter with a number of countries simultaneously, although he declined to name them. “They’re willing to do it as part of an exchange, not necessarily money,” he said.

Polls show that Palestinians in Gaza want to leave, the source noted. “Even before Israel restarted military action, 60% said they wanted to leave—40% of those don’t want to come back, and another 20% want to go but with the option to return. That’s more than 1 million people who say they want to leave,” he said.

Civilians in Gaza are saying this while still afraid to speak freely due to fear of retaliation from Hamas, he noted, suggesting the number of those eager to depart is still higher.

Fear of Hamas may be diminishing. Hundreds took to the streets on March 25, calling for an end to the conflict and for the terror group to relinquish control of the Gaza Strip.

U.S. President Donald Trump first called for “permanently” resettling Palestinians in Gaza in early February during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

“Gaza is not a place for people to be living, and the only reason they want to go back—and I believe this strongly—is because they have no alternative,” the president said.
Tariff pushback spurred Trump to invite Netanyahu to DC, Israeli source says
President Donald Trump invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington to discuss new U.S. tariffs on Israeli products, a source in Netanyahu’s delegation to Budapest told Jewish Insider on Friday.

Trump, Netanyahu and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had a joint phone call during a meeting between the latter two in Budapest on Thursday, in which they discussed Hungary’s exit from the International Criminal Court.

Netanyahu brought up the new tariffs, according to the source, and Trump responded that he is dealing with questions on the topic from dozens of world leaders.

Trump then invited Netanyahu to Washington in order to discuss the situation in-person, and the Israeli prime minister accepted, the source said.

Later, outside Air Force One, Trump said of Netanyahu: “I spoke to him today and I think he’s going to be coming to our country sometime in the not too distant future, maybe next week.”

Contrary to some Israeli media reports, Netanyahu does not plan to go straight from Budapest to Washington, and is unlikely to visit the White House next week, multiple sources in his delegation said.

However, the trip may take place in the coming weeks.

The U.S. placed a 17% tariff on Israeli goods on Thursday, despite Trump administration statements that the White House is seeking reciprocity in trade relations. A day earlier, Israel had removed all remaining tariffs from American goods; 99% had been tariff-free since the countries signed a free-trade agreement in 1985.
U-turn: Brussels won’t arrest Netanyahu, Belgian PM says
In a turnabout from the policies of Belgium’s previous government, Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Thursday said his country would ignore a warrant for the arrest of his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu.

“To be completely honest, I don’t think we would either,” De Wever told a journalist from the VRT broadcaster who asked him about Hungary’s decision to ignore the warrant. The International Criminal Court issued it in November against Netanyahu and his then defense minister Yoav Gallant on suspicion of war crimes, charges Israel has denied.

“There is such a thing as realpolitik, I don’t think any European country would arrest Netanyahu if he were on their territory. France wouldn’t do it, and I don’t think we would, either,” he said.

France, Hungary and Poland are among the countries that said they would not act on the arrest warrant. Germany and Italy criticized the warrant without explicitly saying they would ignore it. The Netherlands and Austria are among the countries that criticized it but said they would act on it.

“The prime minister’s words represent a major shift in policy,” Michael Freilich, a lawmaker from De Wever’s party, told JNS. “Slowly, we are seeing positive changes, also regarding the fight against antisemitism and the protection of Jewish institutions.”

De Wever’s center-right government, led by his National Flemish Alliance party, was sworn in on Feb. 3. It replaced a left-wing coalition where the Socialist Party was the largest partner, which pursued polices hostile to Israel.

Under the previous government, Belgium joined South Africa’s lawsuit at the International Court of Justice—a U.N. tribunal that is unrelated to the ICC—against Israel for alleged genocide in Gaza.
How the Red Cross Is Facilitating Palestinian ‘Pay-for-Slay’
The International Committee of the Red Cross continues to facilitate rewards to imprisoned Palestinian terrorists, thus playing a central role in providing an “economic incentive” for terrorism.

Last week, the PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs alerted families of Palestinian terrorist prisoners about the need to obtain Red Cross documentation to prove the terrorists’ eligibility for Pay-for-Slay salaries.

What is shocking is that when the terrorists’ families approach the Red Cross for the document, the Red Cross knows that the sole purpose of this document is to enable the terrorists to receive their terror rewards. And yet the Red Cross cooperates.

The following is the announcement that the Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs posted on its Facebook page:
Posted text: “The period of financial aid for the prisoners [i.e., terrorists] whose names appear below ends in March 2025.

The families of the detainees among them must bring a document from the [Red] Cross or the most recent court session for those who have not been issued a Red Cross document.

As for the administrative detainees, they must bring the administrative extension together with the [Red] Cross document, if it was issued.

This is [to be done] by April 5, 2025 at the latest.

[PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs, Facebook page, March 20, 2025]
‘Negotiations just to negotiate are pointless,’ Israeli official says as Trump weighs Iran talks
The nuclear negotiations that President Donald Trump is pursuing with Iran are likely to be fruitless, a senior Israeli official told reporters traveling with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Hungarian capital on Friday.

“We want Iran not to have nuclear weapons. Is there a way with talks? Maybe, I doubt it. It happened in Libya and Ukraine … I think it won’t happen, realistically,” the senior official said.

“There is no point in having negotiations just to negotiate,” the source added. “It’s pointless to have these discussions.”

Asked if Trump could be falling for a ploy by the Iranians to buy time while they regroup following the wave of Israeli strikes in Iran last year and the fall of their proxies in Lebanon and Syria, the source acknowledged the concern that Tehran may rebuild its air defenses.

However, he said “I’m sure President Trump is aware of all the possibilities. I don’t have to tell him.”

Reacting to the new 17% tariff the Trump administration levied on Israel, the source said that Israel plans to enter discussions with Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative.

”I think it’s mostly solvable. We want to get rid of it, of course,” he said.
Anti-Israel Bloc in Senate Declines from 19 to 15 as Sanders Arms Embargo Fails
A proposed arms embargo proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) against Israel failed in the Senate on Thursday, with just 15 votes — all from Democrats — in favor, down from 19 votes for a similar proposal in November.

Sanders has been one of the most vocal opponents of the Israeli government in Congress. Though he acknowledged the horror of the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, and said Israel should be able to defend itself, he has also pushed for an arms embargo that would prevent Israel from doing so.

In November, as Breitbart News reported, the Senate voted down three proposals by Sanders to block arms sales to Israel, with as many as 19 anti-Israel votes.

On Thursday, the Senate — now controlled by Republicans — defeated Sanders’s proposals even more soundly.


Anti-Israel UN investigator keeps mandate despite push for removal by US, EU lawmakers
Francesca Albanese, a UN investigator into Israel with a history of antisemitism and vitriol against the Jewish state, can remain in office until 2028 despite efforts by US and European lawmakers and Jewish groups to dislodge her, a special session of the UN Human Rights Council confirmed on Friday.

The UNHRC did not address any of the complaints during the hearing in Geneva, Switzerland, meaning Albanese can continue in office until 2028.

Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, has been condemned by Jewish groups, Israel, the US, Canada, France, Germany and others.

Lawmakers in the US, France, the UK and the Netherlands, and leading US Jewish groups, came out against her appointment in recent weeks.

Albanese’s opponents argue her conduct should disqualify her from the position, which the UNHRC says requires impartiality, integrity and objectivity. Albanese has called the criticism a smear campaign, and her supporters view her as an outspoken champion for the Palestinians.

Albanese, an Italian lawyer, is a scholar at Georgetown University and a former staffer for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for the Palestinians, which has itself been accused by Israel of pushing anti-Israeli narratives and harboring terror operatives as employees.

She was appointed to her UNHRC post in April 2022. Her opponents issued a raft of complaints against her ahead of a UNHRC session on Friday scheduled to approve rapporteurs, who are mostly appointed to three-year terms.


Gadi Taub: Netanyahu Takes On Israel’s Deep State
Behind Bar’s self-image as a “gatekeeper” is a worldview, shared by the rest of Israel’s woke elites, which consists of two complementary elements: an almost religious attachment to the “peace process” and the so-called “two-state solution,” and a concurrent contempt for democracy which inherently distrusts the patriotic masses and the politicians they elect. The elites, our betters, are here to save the prospect of peace from the warmongering jingoistic hordes and their irresponsible political representatives.

The consequences of this view of Israel’s internal politics hardly stops at Israel’s borders, though—the result being a complete inversion of the observable realities of our region. Bar imagines our politicians as reckless, dangerous hawks, which also more or less requires him to imagine Hamas to be strategically moving to greater pragmatic moderation. He thinks of our government as wild and irrational, a view that is premised on imagining Hamas leaders as rational actors susceptible to economic incentives. Therefore, Bar could not imagine them starting a war, and his assessments in the months preceding the war consistently reflected that bias, even as he was haunted by the specter of Israel’s government starting one.

In other words, our chief of the internal secret service had everything exactly backwards. In the face of accumulating intelligence, Ronen Bar and Herzi Halevy were busy saving us from ourselves, not from Hamas. They were eager to prevent an escalation which they thought could be triggered by “miscalculation” on the part of their civil bosses. “Miscalculation” has become their watchword to refer to the danger of overreaction to raw intelligence data, which may plunge us all into a war they assumed nobody wanted—save perhaps those evil messianic, Kahanist, proto-fascists in our own cabinet.

Based on this bias, says former Shin Bet officer Yizhar David, the late-night meetings Bar convened at Shin Bet headquarters concluded that Hamas was raising its own level of readiness out of fear of an impending Israeli attack. It’s not hard to see why a self-appointed gatekeeper would want to keep such information out of the wrong hands. Why let a deplorable, warmongering prime minister interfere with the efforts by responsible adults to delicately defuse a possible “miscalculation”?

And here, says David, lies the answer to the most nagging question of all: Why did the chiefs not raise the level of alert, or at least quietly inform the soldiers of the possibility, however remote, of impending danger? Astoundingly Bar’s message to the IDF was a recommendation to leave the theater quiet, lest raising the level of alert would reinforce Hamas’ fear of an imminent attack and lead to accidental escalation. They kept the raw intelligence from the IDF units around the fence for the same reason they kept it away from the cabinet: to prevent escalation.

Bar’s bid to stay on as head of Shin Bet, in defiance of the law and the cabinet, and despite his colossal failure, is wholly reliant on the antireform coalition of gatekeepers. But not only has the gatekeeping philosophy taken a massive hit, the constellation that composed it is also falling apart: the flow of money to the protest movement from the Biden administration has been replaced by the new administration’s inquiry into the use of this money by the anti-Netanyahu forces; the widening of Netanyahu’s wartime coalition has made this government more stable; the need a wartime prime minister has for a head of Shin Bet he can trust is obvious to most Israelis; there’s a new IDF chief of staff, general Eyal Zamir, and a new chief of police who will not let the anti-Netanyahu permanent protest disrupt public life in the middle of a war. And here is one more sign of the new times: Nadav Argaman who threatened Netanyahu on TV with disclosing secret information has been summoned by the police for questioning on suspicion of attempted extortion.

There is still the confrontational, all-powerful attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, and, of course, the Supreme Court. They may succeed in fomenting more chaos, but they can’t rewind the clock to the pre-Oct. 7 status quo. Baharav-Miara is herself operating on borrowed time, and even the Supreme Court, the most important bastion of the juristocracy, is now being challenged—in a minor way, to be sure, but still symbolically important. The Knesset has passed a law that changes the composition of the committee that appoints judges, slightly augmenting the power of elected politicians at the expense of the lawyers’ guild.

Perhaps more important than all these changes is Netanyahu’s decision to lead the charge against the deep state. In doing so, he is now attempting to correct what was perhaps the greatest miscalculation of his long political career. For years he thought that he could make do with the defiant upper echelons of the security establishment, including insubordinate heads of security services, and with the imperial Supreme Court, with its juristocratic auxiliaries in the executive, including a politicized prosecution. That calculation proved detrimental to Israel’s democracy, to the right’s ability to govern, and to Netanyahu’s personal fate as a target of a politically weaponized criminal prosecution. He has now made the decision to tackle the problem at its roots, rather than skirmishing with the tentacles of the deep state over specific issues on an ad hoc basis.

Whether Netanyahu will succeed in reestablishing democratic sovereignty in Israel is dependent, to a large extent, on the outcome of the war. As things now stand, victory over the Iranian axis of evil has become the precondition for any new birth of freedom for Israel’s citizens.
Qatargate: Explaining the suspicions and possible criminal acts roiling the PM’s office
Fraud and breach of trust is a broad criminal violation, but is based on the idea that a civil servant is placed by the state in a position of trust and in which he has certain powers and authorities that are supposed to be used for the public good.

Having a conflict of interest is a classic example of how the crime of fraud and breach of trust may be violated.

For Urich and Feldstein to be doing work to advance Doha’s image in Israel specifically regarding its role in hostage negotiations — when Qatar has also been a primary funder of Hamas and hosts senior Hamas leaders, and during an ongoing war with Hamas — while at the same time working as media advisers to the prime minister of the state of Israel, would ostensibly be a conflict of interest.

This charge would take on greater weight if, according to investigators, Urich and Feldstein released statements to journalists which included pro-Qatar messaging in the name of “senior political officials,” a term which Netanyahu’s media advisers are known to use in reference to the prime minister when they don’t want a quote to be attributed to him directly.

Meanwhile, a possible charge of “money laundering” against Urich may stem from the manner in which Feldstein appears to have been paid through Birger.

Last month, Birger said Footlik approached him to give the money to Feldstein, explaining that he was asked to make the payment for tax reasons.

Whatever the exact reasons and motivations for having Birger, not Footlik, pay Feldstein, hiding a source of money or concealing the parties transferring the money is considered part of the crime of money laundering.

The form of bribery charge that might be taken against Urich or Feldstein is not currently clear.

In addition to these possible crimes. Urich is suspected of passing classified information to Footlik, which would constitute the crime of transmitting classified information to unauthorized individuals, a crime for which Feldstein has already been indicted in the classified documents scandal.

Feldstein was already under house arrest when he was detained in connection with the Qatargate investigation on Monday.

Birger himself has been questioned as a suspect in the affair, while a former aide to Netanyahu, Yisrael Einhorn, is also thought to be connected to the Qatargate scandal.
The arrest of ‘Jerusalem Post’ editor sheds light on legal system’s failures
The alleged scandal does little to soil Netanyahu. Israel’s prime minister has proven he can withstand nearly any pressures and allegations to the great disdain of all his political enemies. Rather, the Qatargate scandal is meant to anger Qatar. By angering Qatar, the negotiators and backers of Hamas, the Israeli legal/intelligence system is banking that negotiations will suddenly become more difficult.

This begs the question: Did the organizers behind the Hostages Forum protests seize on the hostage crisis because they recognized from the beginning that it was unlikely Netanyahu could bring them all home?

After all, the hostages are not in Netanyahu’s care. They are being held by a brutal terror organization, Hamas, in heavily booby-trapped underground tunnels. Even the slogan, “Bring them home,” is meant to put the responsibility on Netanyahu, instead of on the hostage-takers.

Over the last six years, we have seen the legal system, the attorney general, the state prosecution and the opposition violate the law and the rights of its citizens over and over again. They have launched absurd investigations and indictments of the prime minister with no validity. They illegally leaked cherry-picked details of those cases on the eve of elections to affect voter outcomes. They have negated the will of the majority of Israeli voters by installing their own prime minister, Naftali Bennett, who 95% of the country did not vote for. And they have been shutting down key junctions and functions across the country for years.

That is just a short list.

The case against Zvika Klein is the latest high-profile foul-up and affront to Israeli citizens’ rights to determine their own destiny by this legal system. But sunlight is the best disinfectant. Hopefully, the piece Klein wrote about what happened—one the best he’s ever written—will bring to light that the current system is willing to do anything and everything to cling to its waning power.

It’s an ugly reality, but one that can be corrected if Israelis internalize what is happening before their eyes and take action.
'I received nothing': 'Post' editor Zvika Klein breaks silence after release from arrest
When I was asked to give an open testimony to the police, I complied, as a law-abiding citizen. I thought I could be helpful – nothing more. But then everything turned upside down.

During my testimony, I was informed that I was now being questioned under caution. My phone was taken without a warrant or explanation. I was interrogated for about 12 hours, alone, without contact with my wife – who was abroad – and without being able to speak to my children for many hours. The conditions were harsh. When leaks from the investigation began to emerge – and they are still emerging as I write these lines – I couldn’t respond. I was prohibited from speaking to the media. My good name was damaged, even before the truth could come out.

Only after several days of silence did a public outcry begin. Colleagues, journalists, editors, media professionals, asked: How could it be that in the State of Israel, a journalist is detained and interrogated for doing his job? Thankfully, I was fully released on Thursday without restrictions. It was my legal argument - that I could not publish anything as long as the investigation was ongoing – that convinced the investigators to let me go.

The time will come when the full story can be told. But it was important for me to speak to you – the readers – now, and say: I am here. We are here.

As editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, we operate according to the highest journalistic standards. For 92 years, this paper has pursued truth, sought access, and delivered exclusive and original stories. That is what I’ve brought with me since the moment I became a journalist – and that’s how I’ll continue.

This case will not intimidate me. It will not intimidate my dedicated team. It will not intimidate any journalist working with integrity and courage. We are not beholden to anyone, do not serve foreign interests, and owe nothing to anyone.

The only ones we owe anything to are you, our readers. The public’s right to know is our duty. I am proud of our newspaper, proud of our team, and proud to be an Israeli journalist in a democratic country. I only hope that the law enforcement authorities remember that, too.


IDF, Shin Bet Kill Hamas's propaganda hostage video producer
The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) announced the elimination of Hamas terrorist Mahmad Salah Mohammad Bardawil on Friday.

Bardawil served as Hamas's propaganda and psychological warfare operative and was a central figure in its propaganda apparatus. He was killed during an operation this week.

He also took part in filming hostages for propaganda videos.

IDF, Shin Bet strike Gaza city
The IDF and Shin Bet strike an area of Gaza city on Thursday killing Hamas terrorist Saeed Ahmad Abed Khudari, they announced in a joint statement on Friday.

Khudari was a key member in Hamas's financial facilitator as the money exchanger. He was the head of the 'Al Wefaq Co.' fund and was directly involved in funneling money to terrorist entities.

IDF, Shin Bet kill terrorists
The IDF and Shin Bet announced the elimination of three senior Hamas officials on last week Sunday.

One terrorist was in Hamas's political bureau and was killed in a strike in southern Gaza.

He headed the terror group's planning and development office, the IDF noted, adding that in the framework of his role, the terrorist led Hamas's strategic and military planning.


IDF says it killed terrorist who led Bibas abduction, was likely involved in their murders
The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet on Friday said a terror operative who oversaw the kidnapping and likely was also involved in the murder of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza.

The military and security agency also announced the killings of a Hamas propagandist involved in the production of hostage videos and an official central to funneling money to the terror group’s armed wing.

The IDF and Shin Bet on Friday said Muhammad Hassan Muhammad Awad, a senior member of the Mujahideen Brigades, a relatively small terror group in the Strip, had been targeted and killed in an airstrike in northern Gaza earlier that day.

In a joint statement, the IDF and Shin Bet said that Awad had invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught and led the abduction of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas.

The IDF said Awad was “likely involved in their murder” during the early weeks of the war.

According to assessments by Israeli officials issued after her body had been identified, Shiri Bibas was “brutally” murdered by her captors in November 2023, alongside her sons, who were killed with “bare hands.” The assessments after a forensic investigation were contrary to Hamas’s claims that the three were killed in an Israeli airstrike.


Karabakh, Ukraine, Gaza: from military point of view. John Spencer, Liam Collins | Toptalk
On a special Toptalk episode, Rusif Huseynov hosts two guests, military experts from the United States:
Col. Liam Collins, founding director of the Modern War Institute at West Point
Col. John W. Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute.

The American experts discuss their field research in Karabakh in March and share their expertise on the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.


The Truth About Hamas’ Tactics & Civilian Shields | John Spencer Pt. 2
In Part 2 of our conversation with John Spencer, we dive into the brutal complexities of Israel’s war against Hamas, the impossible choices Israel faces, and the international double standards being applied. Topics include:

Legal Reality vs. Moral Expectations: Is Israel legally obligated to provide aid to Gaza while Hamas controls it?
The Dilemma of Hostages: Can military pressure force Hamas to release them, or does negotiation only drive the price up?
Hamas’ Human Shield Strategy: How the terror group weaponizes civilians to manipulate international law.
Lessons for the West: What democratic nations must learn from Israel’s military innovations and experience in urban warfare.
The Broader Conflict: The Iranian-backed Houthi threat and the broader implications of Israel’s war for the free world.

00:00 - Introduction and Overview
01:27 - International Law and Humanitarian Aid
09:08 - Hostage Crisis and Negotiation Strategies
21:00 - Houthi Pirates and Iranian Proxies
29:22 - Lessons from Urban Warfare
38:24 - Conclusion and Broader Implications




Quillette: The War on Israel: Gadi Taub (Full Interview)
On 9 March, Pamela Paresky sat down with Gadi Taub in Tel Aviv to discuss the war in Gaza, the failures of Israel’s security establishment, and the ideological forces—both inside Israel and across the West—that have undermined the country’s ability to defend itself. Their wide-ranging conversation covers everything from 7 October and the erosion of Israeli deterrence to the rise of postcolonial ideology, the crisis of liberalism, and the battle for narrative power in a media-saturated world.


Erin Molan: '60 Minutes' Using Traumatized Hostages is a NEW Low —Erin Molan RIPS Apart!
Get ready for Episode 11 of Bat Beep Crazy with Erin Molan! This week, Erin unleashes on 60 Minutes for exploiting Israeli hostages to push Hamas lies—a disgraceful new low. But that’s not all: Hungary tells the ICC to sod off, Hamas admits their casualty stats were fake, and Adam Bandt blames Israel for everything (again). From Cory Booker’s 25-hour snoozefest to the silent majority waking up, Erin’s got the raw truth you won’t see on mainstream news. Watch now and join the fight against the insanity!

Timestamps:
0:00 - Hungary Rejects the ICC
2:37 - Silent Majority- New Polling on Israel Support
3:35 - Hamas "Revised" its numbers
5:00 - Gaza Protests Ignored
6:08 - Adam Bandt’s Green Party Absurdity
7:48 - 60 Minutes Hits Rock Bottom
9:00 - Sen. Cory Booker’s Pointless Stunt
11:09 - Purple Hair Person Powerful DECLARATION




Hawley Unloads On Code Pink Activists: ‘You’re Awash in Blood And Dirty Money’

Jasmine Crockett branded a hypocrite for taking $370K from PACs, business trips to Hamas-supporting Qatar: records
Liberal firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) took almost $400,000 from political action committees, despite claiming otherwise, documents seen by The Post reveal.

A 2020 tweet sent by the 44-year-old congresswoman — recently blasted for referring to disabled Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, as “Hot Wheels” — claimed she had accepted “zero dollars” from corporate PACs while her opposition had taken $192,000.

However, campaign finance disclosure data for the period between July 5 and Dec. 31, 2020, show a different picture. Disclosures from when she ran for state representative of District 100 in the Dallas area show 22 different entries from donors described as PACs, giving between $500 and $5,000 to her campaign.

They include telecoms company AT&T, various teaching associations, a wholesale beer PAC, a Texas trial lawyers PAC and others.

Prof. Matthew Foster, a lecturer on government at American University, told The Post: “What’s controversial about [PACs] is people fundamentally see it as an issue of buying one’s support.

“Democrats are more sensitive to this. They know people look at their contributions and use them against them. Candidates and campaigns may avoid accepting them because of the optics as the average person fundamentally finds this very icky and sleazy and corrupt. It’s a visceral reaction.

“Clearly [Crockett] thinks that issue is a big deal and a way to resonate with voters — so if what they put out there was false, it’s a great opportunity for the opposition to run on that.”

Crockett, who previously practiced as a lawyer, draws a $174,000 annual salary as a member of the House of Representatives. She appears to have fully embraced traditional PACs in the years since her tweet.
Liberals drop Edmonton candidate who praised Hamas, Hezbollah in video
The Liberals have revoked the candidacy of Edmonton-area candidate Rod Loyola after National Post asked about a video in which he praised the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah at a 2009 anti-NATO protest.

National Post had sent the video to the Liberal campaign on Thursday seeking its response to the comments. After multiple requests for a response over several hours, the campaign finally responded Thursday evening that Loyola was out.

“Mr. Loyola is no longer our candidate for Edmonton Gateway,” wrote Liberal campaign spokesperson Isabella Orozco-Madison in an email.

Loyola, then a rapper with a group called People’s Poets, said in the 2009 video that Hamas and Hezbollah, both listed terrorist organizations in Canada, should be lionized, not condemned.

“Organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas really are trying to stand up for their people and that needs to be recognized. These are movements for national liberation, not terrorists,” said Loyola — under the stage name Rosouljah — at the start of the set.

He and a bandmate were performing on the steps of Edmonton’s Churchill Square, for a “Canada out of Afghanistan and say no to NATO” rally marking the military alliance’s 60th anniversary.

The National Post sent a request to comment on the video to Loyola’s personal email address on Thursday morning, but didn’t get a response by the end of the day.

Loyola, an NDP member of Alberta’s legislative assembly since 2015, won the Liberal nomination for the new riding of Edmonton on March 26. He then announced he was leaving provincial politics to join Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s team.
Lib Dem MP calls for ‘two million Gaza hostages held by the murderous IDF’ to be freed
A Liberal Democrat MP has sparked anger after comparing the 59 hostages still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza with “the two million hostages in Gaza being held hostage by the murderous IDF.”

Speaking during a Commons debate on Gaza, Andrew George, the MP for St Ives, took issue with the government’s stance on Israel’s war on the terror organisation, as he criticised Middle East minister Hamish Falconer.

George said:”Of course, we all want the hostages to be freed, just as we want the two million hostages in Gaza being held hostage by the murderous IDF, which is treating them with disdain and starving them, to be freed.

“If the Minister is not prepared to make the statement that many of us wish for him to make, will he at least admit that the actions of the far-right Israeli Government can no longer be described as self-defence?”

The Israeli hostages Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Sasha Troufanov are handed over in Khan Younis, Gaza.

One Jewish Labour source told Jewish News the Lib Dem MP’s remarks were “shamefully simplistic”.

Earlier in Wednesday’s debate Minister Falconer had told MPs “of course Israel has the right to legitimate self-defence consistent with international humanitarian law.”

He added:” Concerns about the risk of a breach of international humanitarian law underpin our concerns. ”

Falconer added:” Hamas are a threat not just to Israel but to their own people, and I have been absolutely clear on that question on numerous occasions at this Dispatch Box. ”
Lib Dem councillor likened Hamas to Jewish fighters in Warsaw Ghetto
A Liberal Democrat councillor compared Hamas to Jews who resisted the Nazis during the Holocaust, according to messages shared in a party WhatsApp group.

The Jewish Chronicle reports that Cllr John Boyd, a former mayor of Thatcham, made the remarks in a group chat of West Berkshire party members after another participant questioned the sharing of a Hamas press statement.

Responding to concerns over circulating content from a proscribed terrorist organisation, Boyd wrote: “Who is the terrorist group? The occupational force committing genocide or the indigenous people fighting for their own land that’s systematically being taken from them one atrocity at a time?

“In World War II were the French resistance terrorists, or were they fighting for their own land? Were the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto the terrorists for fighting against an occupational force?” Messages shared in a WhatsApp group. Photo Credit: The Jewish Chronicle.

Boyd continued: “Just because the UK, through the Balfour agreement, is in part responsible for what is happening in Gaza doesn’t mean that we can’t accept mistakes have been made but endeavour to do the right thing… when we can see with our own eyes the Zionist game plan.”

Other members in the group offered mixed responses. One described Hamas as “an evil, racist, terrorist organisation” that had killed civilians “purely because of their ethnicity”. Another questioned whether refusing to engage with Hamas was justified, citing its 2006 electoral victory in Gaza.

Later, Boyd claimed, “Hamas is the product of the Israeli occupation, and I dare say if any of us were put in the same position, we would want somebody fighting for our side… I say Zionist because, of course, there are many Jews who are opposed to what is going on in Israel. It is not antisemitic to criticise a Zionist regime… committing genocide.”

A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “These comments are highly offensive as well as inappropriate and do not reflect the party’s position. We have been unequivocal in condemning Hamas’ atrocious terrorist attacks on 7 October.”


Dyke March Committee bans Zionists from attending march
The NYC Dyke March Planning Committee has stated that zionists are not welcome to attend the march, in a recent update on the organizations Instagram page.

The event's organizers have placed those who identify as both Jewish and LGBTQ+ in a difficult position, forcing them to choose between two integral aspects of their identity.

“You cannot exclude the majority of Jews and call yourself inclusive,” said the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in a post on X/Twitter. The ADL asserted that the committee “essentially equates Zionism with racism” in its latest statement.

The organization said that it is “proud to stand against ethnic cleansing, violence, and dehumanization.” It stated that it chose this theme because of the “violence faced by millions of persons across this world” and what the LGBTQ+ community has “experienced” this year.

The Dyke March Committee stated that it intends to dedicate its fundraising efforts to victims of genocide and fight for people’s humanity around the world.
Jewish protester cleared after accuser fails to show in court
A Jewish man accused of assault at a pro-Israel rally has been cleared after the case against him collapsed at City of London Magistrates’ Court.

Barry Hyams, a familiar face at community demonstrations, was arrested following a heated exchange at a protest in June 2024. Alex Taylor, known for attending and filming pro-Israel events, accused him of common assault after a confrontation in central London.

But on Friday, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) offered no evidence after Taylor failed to attend court – prompting the judge to formally dismiss the case.

Hyams, who often wraps himself in the Israeli flag at rallies, had maintained he acted in self-defence. His solicitor, Carl Woolf, said Taylor had repeatedly pushed his phone into demonstrators’ faces and ignored multiple warnings from both protestors and police to back off.

Six defence witnesses from Hertfordshire were in court, ready to testify on Hyams’ behalf. Supporters – described as “the Borehamwood Massive” – expressed frustration over the delay after the case was previously adjourned in December due to technical issues with a video link to Taylor’s home in Portsmouth.

Taylor had applied to give evidence remotely again but was ordered by District Judge Snow to attend in person. On Friday morning, he contacted the court to say he couldn’t travel due to childcare responsibilities for his son – an explanation the defence disputed.

“He’s turned up to loads of demonstrations,” Woolf told the court. “He usually brings a drum.”




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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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