Thursday, May 01, 2025

05/01 Links Pt1: Spencer: Hamas Is Not Just a Terrorist Organization; Unmasking the Palestinian Authority; Iran had imperial ambitions in Syria

From Ian:

John Spencer: Hamas Is Not Just a Terrorist Organization
If the 2023 attack was a military operation, an invasion by a terrorist army, then the attackers were “militants” or “fighters,” and their leadership is a belligerent regime, not just a group of terrorists in the narrow sense. And the battle now unfolding against this hostile army is not counterterrorism. It is war.

The difference is not merely semantic; it has operational consequences as well. The U.S. Department of Defense doctrine recognizes that different kinds of operations apply, respectively, to terrorism, insurgency, and war. Calling Hamas fighters “militants” more accurately reflects the reality of their battlefield role, which is governed by the laws of armed conflict—including the Geneva Conventions and customary international law.

Language also frames legitimacy. If Israel is perceived to be responding to terrorism with full-scale war, it can be accused of overreach. But if Israel is understood to be engaged in a defensive, existential fight against a hostile regime that invaded its territory, killed and kidnapped its citizens, and declares its intent to repeat the attack, then war—along with all the obligations and rules it entails—is the appropriate response, and absolute victory is a justified objective.

Unfortunately, the label “terrorist” has become a rhetorical weapon. It invites simplistic comparisons between Israel’s airstrikes and Hamas’s atrocities. It enables critics to say, “Israel is killing more people than Hamas, therefore it must be the aggressor.” But wars are not judged by symmetry in body counts. They are judged by adherence to principles: military necessity, distinction between civilians and combatants, proportionality, and humanity. Those principles only function if the conflict is properly defined.

None of this is to excuse Hamas’s conduct. Hamas has repeatedly violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and holding them hostage, using human shields, and placing military assets in protected civilian sites. But the nature and scope of how Israel carries out its right to defend itself under international law—and the perception of how it does so in the eyes of the public—depends in part on the type of conflict it is fighting. If the public continues to see the war through the lens of counterterrorism, it will not appreciate the scale or scope of Israel’s objectives or the existential risks associated with failure.

Precision in language supports precision in strategy, and aligns legal frameworks with battlefield realities. And it gives the international community a coherent basis for judging conduct—not by emotion or media framing, but by the standards of just war. It also means that, to win, the IDF must pursue the sort of conventional strategy it would apply at wartime, rather than resorting to the playbook it used effectively during the second intifada, and with less clear results during the numerous brief outbreaks of fighting with Hamas since 2007. Hamas may use terrorist tactics, but it is an armed force fighting in a war.

The semantics matter. They always have. But in war, they can mean the difference between legitimacy and condemnation, between clarity and chaos, between victory and defeat.
Unmasking the Palestinian Authority
April 22, 2025, may be remembered as a turning point in the history of Israeli public diplomacy—and rightly so. On that day, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs harnessed the power of social media to expose the Palestinian Authority as the enemy it is.

From the official @Israel account on X, a powerful statement was posted: “The Palestinian Authority isn’t educating children, it’s indoctrinating them. Maps without Israel. Teachers praising martyrdom. Textbooks that glorify terror. As long as they teach hate, there’s no hope for peace. Stop ignoring it. Stop funding education that leads to terror.”

By directly attributing responsibility for the deeply rooted antisemitism prevalent in P.A.-controlled areas to Mahmoud Abbas and his co-conspirators, Israel took a vital step toward challenging the dangerous myth that a Palestinian state would lead to peace.

Prominent French public intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy took to X and explained the tragedy that the so-called two-state solution would mean.

His post was quickly retweeted by @Israel. His message deserves to be quoted in full: “If there is a moment when the two states solution is not relevant, it is today! What do we want to tell? That we reward terrorism? That what could not be achieved through peace has been achieved with pogrom? That #Hamas has brought #Israel & the free world to its knees? Come on … .”

That these posts appeared during the week of Yom Hashoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, was no coincidence. More and more Israelis are acknowledging a painful reality: Whether they support Fatah or Hamas, Palestinians overwhelmingly agree that the Jewish state must be eliminated. Their only disagreements are over tactics, not goals.

What, beyond the P.A.’s institutionalized antisemitism, has prompted this new boldness from Israel on social media?

The reasons may never be fully known, but a series of alarming recent events likely played a role, many of which have gone underreported in Western media.
Planes from Cyprus, Croatia, Italy, France to provide support as firefighters
In the ongoing battle against the flames on Thursday, Israel is operating its "Elad Sqadron" as several aircrafts from abroad are en route to aid in its efforts.

An aid helicopter from Cyprus has already landed in Israel, and soon the plane from Croatia will also land. An additional two planes from Italy will also arrive later.

This squadron includes American-made Air Tractor AT-802 planes. These planes can carry about 3,000 liters of fire retardant and are suited for complex, mountainous terrain. They are known for their precision and maneuverability, but are limited in the amount of material they can drop per sortie.

Israel is also using a converted C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with the MAFFS 2 system. This system allows the plane to carry about 12,000 liters of fire retardant and drop it accurately over fire hotspots.

Its main advantage is the ability to operate in poor visibility and at night. However, it requires a long runway for takeoff and landing and is not suitable for all types of terrain.

As part of international assistance, Croatia was the first to announce its support and is sending CL-415 aircraft, also known as “Super Scoopers.”

These Canadian-made planes can scoop water from natural sources like lakes and seas and carry about 6,000 liters per sortie. They are particularly effective in areas with accessible water sources but are less suitable for dry or mountainous regions.

French and Cypriot planes
France is expected to send Dash 8 Q400 aircraft converted for firefighting missions. These planes can carry around 10,000 liters of fire retardant and are known for their speed and ability to cover large areas. They are best suited for flat terrain but require proper runways for takeoff and landing.


Iran had imperial ambitions in Syria, secret embassy documents show why it failed
Iran had a grand plan for Syria – taken right from the playbook of a country it considers its arch-enemy.

Just as the United States solidified its global dominance by investing billions in rebuilding Europe after the Second World War, Iran would do the same in the Middle East by reconstructing a war-ravaged Syria.

The ambitious program, outlined in a 33-page official Iranian study, makes several references to “The Marshall Plan,” America’s blueprint for resurrecting post-War Europe. The US strategy succeeded: It made Europe “reliant on America,” a presentation accompanying the study says, by “creating economic, political and socio-cultural dependence.”

The document, dated May 2022 and authored by an Iranian economic-policy unit stationed in Syria, was found by Reuters reporters in Iran’s looted Damascus embassy when they visited the building in December. It was among hundreds of other papers they uncovered there and at other locations around the capital – letters, contracts and infrastructure plans – that reveal how Iran planned to recoup the billions it spent saving President Bashar al-Assad during the country’s long-running civil war . The Syria-strategy document envisions building an economic empire, while also deepening influence over Iran’s ally.

“A $400 billion opportunity,” reads one bullet point in the study.

These imperial hopes were crushed when rebels hostile to Iran toppled Assad in December. The deposed dictator fled for Russia . Iran’s paramilitaries, diplomats and companies beat their own hasty exit. Its embassy in Damascus was ransacked by Syrians celebrating Assad’s demise.

The building was littered with documents highlighting the challenges facing Iranian investors. The documents and months of reporting reveal new insight into the doomed effort to turn Syria into a lucrative satellite state.

Reuters interviewed a dozen Iranian and Syrian businessmen, investigated the web of Iranian companies navigating the gray zones of sanctions , and visited some of Iran’s abandoned investments, which included religious sites , factories, military installations and more. Those investments were stymied by militant attacks, local corruption, and Western sanctions and bombing runs.
Saudi normalization harmed, but still possible with win over Iran or Hamas
Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s playing field to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia has been significantly slowed and harmed, there are still at least two surprising pathways to that crown jewel of Israeli-Arab normalization, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Top Israeli sources acknowledge that the classic and easiest pathway to normalization has been and remains an end to the Israel-Hamas War, placing a reformed PA in charge of Gaza – along with moderate Arab allies – and progress toward a two-state vision, even if falling short of an actual two-state new reality.

But they argue that there are two other potential paths that are more in line with Netanyahu’s current regional vision that could also lead to normalization with Riyadh.

Surprisingly, one of the pathways is a complete defeat of Hamas in Gaza.

Although this would require continuing the war for some substantial additional time and many defense officials believe such a goal is unattainable given various constraints, others argue that both the Saudis and Egypt (unlike Qatar and Turkey) want Hamas removed from Gaza, given that they view the terror group as an extension of the Muslim Brotherhood which has threatened their countries as well.

Really, the objection of many moderate Arab regimes who loathe Hamas is that Israel has been unsuccessful in removing Hamas for over 18 months, and if it continues to fail, then continuing the war is pointless and only undermines their stability and the stability of the region.

But in a theoretical scenario in which Israel could remove Hamas in a “reasonable” amount of time, they might view it as such a positive game changer toward greater future stability against the Muslim Brotherhood in the region that they might move toward normalization.

Israel would still likely need to make moves toward increasing trends of Palestinian self-determination, but even Jerusalem might object to this less if, in fact, Hamas was removed.

The second distinct potential pathway surprisingly has nothing to do with the Palestinians but with Iran.

In public, the Saudis currently oppose an Israeli strike on Tehran’s nuclear program and favor a new nuclear deal being negotiated by US President Donald Trump.

Unlike in 2015, when Riyadh opposed the Obama administration’s nuclear deal, in 2025, the Saudis are ready to sign on to Trump’s pact, even if it has holes.

The reasons for this change are complex, but the primary Saudi position currently is to support a diplomatic resolution to the Iranian nuclear crisis.

However, as with Gaza, there are other less likely scenarios that could lead the Saudis to switch sides and even normalize with Israel without a full change of the picture on the Palestinian front.


Waltz out as national security advisor, Trump taps him for UN post
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is nominating Mike Waltz, the U.S. national security adviser, to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Trump did not say explicitly that he was firing Waltz, which was widely reported in the press, but said that Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, will also serve as interim national security adviser.

A former Florida congressman, Waltz has been under fire since it emerged in March that he inadvertently added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, to an internal group chat of the national security council’s principals committee. In the chat, members of the Trump administration discussed planned U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

“From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and as my national security advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our nation’s interests first,” Trump stated. “I know he will do the same in his new role.”

Trump repeatedly declined to answer shouted questions about Waltz on Thursday from the White House press pool. (JNS sought comment from the White House.)

As a congressman, Waltz was noted for being a hawkish opponent of Iran and a staunch supporter of Israel. Trump had previously told reporters that he intended to stick by his national security advisor after the revelations about the Yemen group chat.

“Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man,” Trump told NBC in March.

Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, congratulated Waltz, whom he called “a true friend of the State of Israel and of the Jewish people.”

“We will stand together against the forces of lies and hatred at the United Nations,” Dannon stated. “Israel and the United States are allies, who share common values and who also share common threats. Our alliance is stronger than ever, especially in the face of the hypocrisy and moral decay that characterizes several U.N. institutions.”
Trump's cabinet reshuffle: Good for Israel at UN, not so clear on Hamas, Iran
Why Secretary of State Marco Rubio?
Rubio, once a fierce Trump critic during the 2016 campaign, has reinvented himself as one of Trump’s most loyal foot soldiers, especially on foreign policy. He has been a vocal hawk on China, Iran, and Latin America, and has deep ties to the conservative Cuban-American base in Florida.

His appointment raises two possibilities: either Trump genuinely trusts Rubio to run both sides of foreign policy himself, or Rubio is a placeholder, and someone else, perhaps real estate mogul and longtime Trump advisor Steve Witkoff, is already serving as the de facto national security consigliere.

Indeed, Witkoff’s name has circulated in Trumpworld as a quiet operator with growing influence, particularly in matters of national security. He’s denied interest in the official role, but sources suggest he has been advising Trump informally since the beginning of the term.

Implications for Israel and beyond
The shakeup could have implications for Israel. Waltz heading to the UN could mean a more assertive pro-Israel voice in an arena often hostile to the Jewish state. Rubio’s elevation also means Israeli officials will be dealing with someone who understands their concerns well and is unlikely to change course on issues like Iran, Hamas, or intelligence cooperation.

But it also raises concerns. A less structured US national security apparatus—especially with two major roles held by one man—means more unpredictability in moments of crisis. And with Israel still engaged in a multi-front regional struggle, the clarity and stability of its closest ally’s foreign policy machinery matter more than ever.

The Bottom line
Trump’s move is bold, but also risky. The merging of two distinct foreign policy roles into one could work for short-term optics, but may prove unsustainable in practice. As history has shown, consolidating power doesn’t always lead to coherence. Sometimes, it leads to chaos.


Belgian PM rejects ‘genocide’ claim, cautions against recognizing Palestinian state
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever pushed back on Wednesday against a journalist’s assertion that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and said it is too early to recognize a Palestinian state due to unresolved complexities.

His remarks signal a notable policy shift in Brussels. Under Belgium’s previous government, which was led by the Socialist Party, the country had been one of Israel’s most outspoken critics in the European Union.

During an interview with VRT, the Flemish public broadcaster, journalist Goedele Devroy asked: “On recognizing Palestine: I hear that the majority [in parliament] is working on a resolution to sharpen the tone against the genocide that’s happening there by Israel.”

De Wever challenged the premise of the question. “Your line of questioning is extremely dubious,” he told Devroy. “You’re already operating under the assumption of genocide—that is something for the International Court of Justice to determine.”

He went on to caution against premature recognition of Palestinian statehood, citing significant unanswered questions: “What territory are we recognizing? Which authority? Is it democratic, legitimate? Is it committed to recognizing Israel, to the demilitarization of Hamas and to providing security guarantees, with broader implications for the Arab world?”

De Wever, leader of the conservative New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), took office in February after his party won the largest share of votes in Belgium’s 2024 general election. He now heads a center-right coalition whose members have reportedly agreed to set aside differences on Israel policy.
Seven Irish EPP congress delegates refuse to call for Hamas hostage release
Resolution calling for release of hostages snatched during Hamas' October 2023 attacks on Israel was among several emergency motions passed at Valencia congress, but seven delegates declined to support it.

Seven Fine Gael delegates at the European People’s Party's Valencia congress on Wednesday refused to put their names to a motion condemning Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel and calling for the release of remaining hostages.

The resolution on ‘‘the urgent need to release all hostages held by Hamas’’ was one of several emergency motions on the second day of the congress, and was tabled by Sweden’s Christian Democrats and Austrian People’s Party delegations.

The resolution condemned, "in the strongest possible terms, the despicable [7 October 2023] terrorist attacks committed by the terrorist group Hamas against Israel”, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken by the terrorist group Hamas and for the bodies of deceased hostages to be returned.

The motion was approved by the congress but seven delegates abstained on a show of hands.

Two sources familiar with the voting in the room confirmed to Euronews that the abstentions were from Ireland's Fine Gael delegation. The congress procedure did not record the identities of delegates who voted by lifting white slips in the darkened conference room.

During the congress Fine Gael member Mairead McGuinness, who previously served as European Commissioner for financial services and as an MEP, was elected as a vice president of the EPP.
Francesca Albanese reappointment ‘invalid,’ UN watchdog says
The three-year extension of Francesca Albanese’s role as a U.N. special rapporteur is “invalid” and “without any legal effect,” Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, wrote on Monday to António Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general.

Albanese, who has a long history of anti-Israel bias, began her second and final three-year term on Thursday. Neuer wrote to Guterres that the global body didn’t follow the proper process to extend Albanese’s mandate.

Jürg Lauber, the president of the U.N. Human Rights Council, failed to present letters from the Argentine, Hungarian and Israeli governments, and from Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to the council, which is responsible for Albanese’s appointment. In the letters, the countries and the congressman opposed her reappointment, stating that she had repeatedly violated the terms of her mandate.

Per the Human Rights Council’s rules, the council president “will convey” any information that he or she is provided, including from states, “concerning cases of persistent non-compliance by a mandate-holder” before that person’s mandate is renewed, Neuer noted.

The council’s procedures call for it to “consider such information and act upon it as appropriate,” Neuer added. Only “in the absence of the above-mentioned information, the terms in office of the mandate-holders shall be extended for a second three-year term by the council,” the council’s rules state.

Lauber abdicated his responsibility by sharing the letters opposing Albanese’s reinstatement only with the special procedures office, but not with council members. (The special rapporteurs and independent “experts” in the special procedures office stated last year that Albanese was falsely accused and denounced her accusers.)

JNS asked Lauber about the allegations during a U.N. press briefing on April 25. “If there are allegations, they go to the coordination committee,” he told JNS. “The coordination committee looks into it, and if the coordination committee again concludes that there is persistent non-compliance with the code of conduct, there will be a communication through the president to the council to see whether the council wants to take any measures upon this conclusion.”

The special procedures office hasn’t said publicly—nor has any other U.N. entity—that it forwarded the letters to the council for consideration.

Neuer also wrote to Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, stating that Albanese’s reappointment was “illegally carried out in violation of express U.N. rules requiring investigation of her misconduct, rendering her term renewal null and void.”

Albanese “holds no U.N. mandate, no immunity and can be sanctioned and denied entry,” he wrote.


Hints of Israel’s long-term Gaza strategy emerge
Indicators of Israel’s longer-term strategy for the Gaza Strip, aimed at dismantling Hamas’s terror regime and military capabilities and making sure it never again rules the Strip, have been emerging in recent days.

An initial pillar of the approach involves fundamentally altering the flow of humanitarian assistance to bypass Hamas.

Hamas has been systematically stealing the aid and using it to maintain its political regime, exploiting resources meant for civilians, while feeding and fueling its terror operatives.

Diverting the aid away from Hamas is only the first step, according to Brig. Gen. (res.) Hanan Gefen, former commander of signals intelligence Unit 8200 in the Israel Defense Forces’ Intelligence Directorate.

Gefen told JNS that a new approach had been under consideration in Israel for months. He explained that while Hamas anticipates a ceasefire that would allow it to regroup, Israel envisions a drastically different future for Gaza.

“Israel sees a completely different picture. Israel does not see Hamas in power. Hamas still doesn’t understand what this means from Israel’s perspective. It means something very similar to the situation in southern Lebanon, where Hamas will not be able to carry out any action without an Israeli response,” said Gefen.

To help achieve this, Israel is focusing on the separation of Hamas from the Gazan populace, beginning with aid, and moving on to the entire economic situation, which Hamas will not be allowed to be a part of, said Gefen.

“The Israeli government, together with regional partners headed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the United States, want to cause all of these issues—the construction, and humanitarian aid, and medical aid, and then continuous fuel and water assistance, to be carried out using different mechanisms—away from Hamas. And importantly, to do this for years. This is not a three to four-month operation,” he added.

This vision also includes the possibility of facilitating the departure of Gazans who wish to leave, said Gefen, though he expressed doubt that it would happen at the scale envisioned by US President Donald Trump.

“One of the things Israel is doing, and will increasingly do, is to open its borders via Ramon Airport. Another way is to enable Gazans to leave. Those who want to leave can leave. This is part of the pressure [on Hamas],” he stated.
IDF chief of staff: ‘We will intensify fighting in Gaza’
At an Independence Day award ceremony on Thursday honoring excellence in service in the Israel Defense Forces, Eyal Zamir, the chief of staff, announced an upcoming escalation in the fighting in Gaza against Hamas, which he said will receive a “decisive blow.”

The IDF, Azmir said at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, “is ready and prepared to [deal Hamas] a decisive blow. We will use all the strength at our disposal, increase the pace of operations, and intensify their power,” he said. “If necessary, we will do so soon with determination and confidence in the righteousness of our path.”

The speech was at the annual award ceremony for 120 outstanding IDF troops, who received the President’s Award for Excellence on Independence Day.

Alongside “significant achievements” in the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip that broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, Zamir stated that “we still face challenges: foremost among them, bringing our abducted brothers and sisters back to their homes in the State of Israel.”

Zamir referenced indirectly the issue of service by Haredi men in the IDF, which a majority of Israeli support. The Haredi parties largely oppose this prospect, despite High Court of Justice rulings that said that the practice of exempting Haredim was illegal.

“The saying that ‘all of Israel are responsible for one another’ expresses not only mutual responsibility but also a deep partnership in destiny,” Zamir said. He added that for the State of Israel, “this idea is essential to its existence and resilience, and no one is exempt from it—not individuals, not groups and not tribes.”

Zamir praised the perseverance and sacrifices of troops from diverse backgrounds during what he called a “long and complex war.”

He shared personal stories of several awardees, including a lone soldier, Dorian, who made aliyah two years ago and, despite language barriers, serves in the Intelligence Directorate; and another soldier, Oria, a survivor of the Re’im base attack; as well as a soldier whose grandfather was killed in Gaza, noting their ability to persevere through hardship.
Israeli soldier wounded in blast in Samaria
An Israeli soldier sustained serious injuries in an explosion in the town of Beita near Nablus on Wednesday, prompting the Israel Defense Forces to circle the locale in search of the culprits, the army said.

The soldier, a reservist, was part of an operational activity by his Battalion 9221, a patrol and reconnaissance unit belonging to the Ephraim regional division, the IDF Spokesperson’s unit said in a statement. The wounded soldier was transferred for treatment in Israel.

The IDF encircled and sealed Beita, a town of some 11,000 residents situated about three miles south of Nablus in the center of Samaria, and began searching for the terrorists responsible for the explosion.

According to the Palestinian Wafa news agency, forces also surrounded the nearby town of Udala.

On Wednesday, IDF troops conducted several raids in Nablus and Bethlehem, according to Wafa.

Israel increased the volume and intensity of its military activity in Judea and Samaria following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023. On that day, as many as 6,000 Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel, murdering some 1,200 people and abducting another 251 into Gaza, where 59 remain.


Over 90% of Hezbollah infrastructure in south dismantled by Lebanese
Over 90% of Hezbollah's infrastructure has been dismantled by the Lebanese army since the start of the November ceasefire, a security source said on Wednesday, according to French international news, Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"We have dismantled over 90% of the infrastructure in the area south of the Litani," the official told AFP.

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that the army has taken over control of over 85% of the southern part of Lebanon.

According to the ceasefire deal that was made in November, Lebanese troops and United Nations peacekeepers are the only forces in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah terrorists were to pull their fighters north of the Litani River, and dismantle any remaining infrastructure.

According to the source, the majority of the underground terror infrastructure was "filled and closed."
IDF strikes in southern Lebanon kill two Hezbollah operatives
The Israel Defense Forces killed two operatives of the Hezbollah terror group in drone strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, the military said in a statement.

The first strike in the village of Mays al-Jabal targeted a member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, the IDF said.

The second strike, in the same village, targeted a member of the terror group who was carrying out surveillance operations along the border, it added.

The military published footage of the strikes.

Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed the strikes, saying one killed a Lebanese national and wounded two Syrians, and that another person was killed in the other.

A November 2024 ceasefire ended more than a year of fighting, including some two months of open war, between Israel and the Iran-backed terror group.


Syrian Druze community pleas for int'l assistance as sectarian violence continues
Druze citizens living in Syria on Thursday sent a plea to the international community calling for help against recent attacks on the Druze community in Syria.

The plea came shortly after the reported murder of Hussam Warwar, the mayor of the Druze community of Sahnaya, and his son.

“Our young men are being arrested and tortured in ways that defy description. The abuse they’re enduring is brutal… beyond what any conscience can accept. The images we receive are too painful to share not out of fear, but out of respect for their dignity, which is being violated every day behind closed doors. But we can no longer remain silent,” a statement published on X/Twitter by user MiraMedusa, read.

The statement called for the Red Cross, the United Nations, journalists, activists, and members of the global Druze community to speak out and “act immediately to save those who remain and put an end to these ongoing atrocities.”

Hakmat Al-Hajeri, the spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community, issued a statement saying the community had lost trust in the new leadership.

"We no longer trust the body that calls itself a government. We do not trust the presence of its people among us because they are nothing but machines of murder and kidnapping, distorting the facts, with a sectarian mindset that deems other sects as infidels," he said.

The MiraMedusa account posted what they claimed was a “hostage-like video” of Warwar welcoming members of the new Syrian government, reassuring residents, and welcoming the forces into the area.

“But once the cameras stopped rolling, those very forces turned on him! Executing him and his only son in public, before everyone’s eyes. This is the true face of Islamist terror,” they said.


The Free Press: Douglas Murray on Joe Rogan, Hamas, and Moral Collapse in the West
Trump has been in office for 100 days. Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza for 570. And Russia and Ukraine, 1,160 days.

Douglas Murray has had a front-row seat to all three of these unfolding stories, bringing us reportage and analysis that have illuminated the most urgent issues of our time.

While we love Douglas, his reporting and willingness to call out bad actors across the world and the political spectrum has earned him his fair share of adversaries. Earlier this month, Douglas went on The Joe Rogan Experience—the most popular podcast in America—to debate both Joe and comedian-turned-pundit Dave Smith. They sparred for some three hours, with the debate earning millions of views and becoming its own viral news story.

The interview became so popular in large part because Douglas, as always, refused to pull a punch.

George Orwell once famously wrote that “to see what’s in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.” Nobody knows that better than Douglas who, unlike many of his contemporaries, never gets lost in excuse-making and needless ideological abstraction. He sees the world clearly and reports it back to us, which is a big reason why he’s such a unique and valuable voice in our era of dishonesty.


Ami’s House: What an ACTUAL Military Expert Thinks of the War in Gaza – Nick Freitas | FULL EP
In this episode, we sit down with Nick Freitas, military veteran, commentator, and former Green Beret, to break down what so many comedians like Dave Smith get dead wrong about warfare, combat, and the real-world consequences of conflict.

💥 When people with no battlefield experience talk geopolitics, it can sound insightful—but often, it's dangerously naive. Nick explains what’s missing from the conversation and why real-life experience matters more than hot takes when talking about war, Israel, and global conflict.

💬 We discuss:
🔍 The disconnect between internet commentary and boots-on-the-ground reality
🎖 Why military experience shifts your entire worldview
🎙 How comedians and influencers oversimplify war—and why that’s a problem
🇮🇱 What it means to take warfare seriously in the context of Israel and Gaza


Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam: Feeling Hopeful This Yom Haatzmaut with Haviv Rettig Gur
Celebrate Israel’s 77th birthday, as Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman welcome Times of Israel political correspondent Haviv Rettig Gur for a candid Yom Ha’atzmaut conversation. In this episode, recorded at the close of Yom HaZikaron and on the eve of Independence Day amidst national wildfires and an ongoing conflict, we unpack:

What it feels like to honor 59 hostages still held in Gaza while preparing to rejoice
How family rituals and neighborhood gatherings keep hope alive, even when the lights go out
Why shared sacrifice can unite a deeply divided society
If you’ve ever wondered how to balance grief and gratitude—how to celebrate under the shadow of war—this is the episode for you. Tune in for a moving, insightful journey into resilience, solidarity, and the true spirit of Yom Ha’atzmaut.


The Times of Israel Daily Briefing: Day 573 - Ben-Gurion's anguish upon the founding of Israel
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode on Israel's Independence Day.

Today, we will step back in time and attempt to get into prime minister David Ben-Gurion’s state of mind as the Jewish state is declared in 1948. We speak about the divided nation -- even as it was fighting for its mere survival against enemies on all fronts.

To understand how Ben-Gurion was thinking on that fateful May 14, 1948, we turn to two newly released images of his handwritten diary, which reveal the first prime minister’s anxieties as the newly born country headed to war against invading Arab neighbors.

We then discuss how a mere few weeks after the Declaration of Independence, one of the most painful episodes in Israeli history occurred -- the Altalena Affair. Rettig Gur explains this social turning point.

Finally, Rettig Gur expounds on the current Israeli moment and compares it to the prescient anxiety felt by Ben-Gurion and the profound test of leadership he faced so soon after the founding of the state.


Israeli netball team devastated after UK tournament cancelled over security threats
A European netball tournament due to take place in Cardiff next week has been cancelled after organisers cited “safeguarding” concerns amid a campaign to ban the Israeli national team.

The event, scheduled to run from May 7 to 11 at the Cardiff City House of Sport, was called off on Tuesday by Europe Netball, which suggested it was due to safety concerns.

In a statement, the organisation said: “The safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in our events – players, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans – is always our top priority. It is with regret that we announce the cancellation of our Open Tournament at Cardiff next week.

“This decision has not been made lightly but reflects our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our netball family and ensuring a positive experience for all.”

The move follows a campaign led by anti-Israel activists demanding the Israeli team’s exclusion.

The Israeli team’s coach alleged that there had been a “scare campaign” by a vocal minority to block its participation.

Speaking to the JC, national netball squad coach, Shan Berman, said: “The teams are devastated. It is horrible. Everyone has trained for such a long time and put in so much money and effort.”

Berman also criticised a “minority” of activists who “created a lot of noise and fear.”

The Israeli squad, composed of 12 players aged 17 to 30, had not received any direct threats, according to Berman, but she claimed that all of the netball teams slated to play had been concerned about protesters plans to “disrupt” the games.
Barrister representing Hamas says legal bid aims to “end Israel”
Franck Magennis, a barrister at Garden Court Chambers acting in a legal challenge to remove Hamas from the UK’s list of proscribed terrorist organisations, has said that the goal of the application is to “end Israel”.

Speaking on the Blood Brothers podcast hosted by 5Pillars founder Dilly Hussain, Magennis stated: “I hope to expand the consensus by a bit, so that we can think about what it would mean to end this genocide; to end Israel, which I think is what my client wants.”

The podcast was released shortly after London-based law firm Riverway Law submitted a 106-page appeal to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, requesting that the government revoke its terrorist designation of Hamas.

The group has been proscribed in the UK since 2001 and is also listed as a terrorist organisation by the US, EU, Canada and other countries.

In the interview, Magennis repeatedly referred to Gaza as a “concentration camp” and described Israel as an “apartheid state.”

He said: “You can’t understand that it’s a concentration camp without understanding that Israel is an apartheid state.”

Magennis also said: “Zionism is the ideology that there should be a Jewish state and the consequences of the emergence of that ideology in the form of the state of so-called Israel has been a catastrophe.”

Elsewhere, discussing the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, in which over 1,200 people were killed in Israel - including more than 700 civilians - host Dilly Hussain referred to the victims as “off-duty military personnel, active military personnel and others.”

On LBC earlier this month Magennis alleged that Zionism “illegitimately claims a mandate to speak on behalf of all Jews,” and described Israel as “an ethnostate that chooses to self-racialize and describe itself as the Jewish state”.
Exclusive: Green Party broadcast featured councillor who denied Hamas atrocities
A party-political broadcast released this month by the Green Party featured a councillor who had previously denied Hamas’s atrocities on October 7, the JC can reveal.

The clip, endorsed by the party and featuring its co-leader Carla Denyer, included an appearance from Mohamed Makawi, a Bristol councillor who apologised last year after it emerged that he shared a series of social media posts suggesting that Israel was to blame for civilian casualties sustained in the October 7, 2023 massacres.

In November 2023, Makawi shared a post on X which claimed that the “Zionist enemy police" believed the 360-plus people murdered at the Nova dance festival in southern Israel may have been killed by an “Israeli plane”, which the IDF has strongly denied.

Another said it had been confirmed “beyond a reasonable doubt” that “the Palestinian resistance... targeted Israeli military sites on the 7th of October, and that most of the dead Israeli civilians were killed by the Israeli army or during an exchange of fire”, and that talk of Hamas’s terrorist attack was just an "American-Zionist lie".

Again, Israel has denied that its own forces were responsible for the deaths of civilians and reports that around 800 of the 1,200 people murdered that day were not military personnel.

The Green Party refused to suspend Makawi at the time he made the remarks and said it had given him “social media training”. However, the party refused to specify what the training involved.

A spokesperson told the JC: "This is re-run of a story for which Mohamed Makawi apologised at the time. The Green Party abhors antisemitism, is clear that the Hamas attacks on 7 October were a terrorist atrocity and recognises Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide."

But the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, Lord Mann, had previously contacted the Green Party about Makawi and a number of other Green Party candidates’ social media posts.
UKLFI: Kneecap cancelled in Cornwall and Devon
Both Eden Sessions (at the Eden Project) in Cornwall and Plymouth Pavillions in Devon have cancelled shows by the Northern Irish group Kneecap, that were due to take place this summer. This follows letters from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) pointing out a long list of offensive and arguably illegal incidents involving the band.

Kneecap has already been stopped from performing in Germany at the Hurricane and Southside festivals this year.

UKLFI has also written to all the venues and festivals due to be hosting Kneecap this summer, pointing out the band’s history of abusive and unlawful behaviour and the legal issues that the venue may face if it hosts the band. These include Glastonbury, the Green Man in Wales, 2000 Trees, TRNSMT in Scotland, Finsbury Park, Wythenshawe Park and Wide Awake Festival.

There has also been general outrage about Kneecap’s behaviour, culminating in Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch demanding that the trio be prosecuted for allegedly calling for the death of Tory MPs, during a concert in 2023. Peter Kyle, the Science Secretary, and many others have suggested that Kneecap should be removed from the Glastonbury line-up. The First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, has been reported as saying that he backed calls for Kneecap to be axed from Glasgow’s TRNSMT music festival this summer.

Kneecap posted on X on 8 October 2023, just one day after the horrendous massacre of Israelis the previous day: “Solidarity with the Palestinian struggle”, along with a photo of the band, standing under a Palestinian flag.
Kneecap performed at the 02 Forum in Kentish Town on 21 November 2024, where a band member waved what appeared to be a Hezbollah flag and wrapped it around himself onstage. One of the group also seemingly shouted “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” and the band was reported to have led the fans in a chant of ‘Ooh-aah Hezbollah’.”
When Kneecap played at the Coachella festival in the USA on 18 April 2025, they were reported to have whipped up anti-Israel hatred amongst the crowd. They showed large screens on stage, with the slogans “f*** Israel, free Palestine” and “free free Palestine”, and led the audience in anti-Israel chants.

A spokesperson for UKLFI commented: “It is not acceptable to parade the support of evil, genocidal groups as terrorist chic in an effort to appear radical onstage. Nor is it legal in the United Kingdom.


Andrew Fox: Kneecap: selective accountability
The BBC: unable to say the word “terrorist” when describing the slaughter of Israeli civilians. Sky News: presenting militant propaganda with a straight face, always pushing the “both sides” narrative, no matter the facts. Al Jazeera: Qatari state media in Western dress, amplifying the voices of extremists while posing as objective journalists.

Since 7th October, this bias has not just been tiresome. It has been dangerous. It has contributed directly to emboldening a wave of antisemitism across the UK, Europe, and the USA. We have seen Jewish schools vandalised, students assaulted, businesses boycotted. When Jewish people try to speak up, they are told they are overreacting, or worse, accused of “weaponising antisemitism”.

Andrew Fox’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

There is a straight line from biased coverage to poisoned public opinion. From euphemisms on the news, to bricks thrown through synagogue windows. The refusal to call out terror clearly and consistently has given space for its justification, and in some cases, its celebration.

So how do we seek accountability?

First, by naming it, as people did with Kneecap. Shine a light on it. Do not let euphemisms pass unchallenged. Push media outlets to answer for their choices; not just in language, but in framing, in platforming, in omission.

Second, with pressure. Political, commercial, reputational. Why should public broadcasters receive taxpayer funding if they cannot even call the murder of babies what it is? Why should NGOs be allowed into Parliament when they launder support for groups that rape, massacre innocents, and use hospitals as weapons depots?

Third, through courage; because in the atmosphere that has been created, it takes courage simply to say clearly that Hamas is not just “complicated,” not just a “militant wing”, but a violent, psychotic death cult that should never be defended by anyone who claims to believe in human rights. Saying this on social media will draw legions of abuse in your notifications, but battles need bravery.

Kneecap were loud and stupid. That made them easy to handle. The harder, more important task is to confront the quiet collaborators: the ones who package terror in language polite enough for the BBC, palatable enough for polite society. They are the ones doing the most damage.

We must not let them keep getting away with it.


Anti-Israel protesters demonstrate against Gal Gadot’s stunt double during filming in London
After rumours spread that Gal Gadot was filming in central London today, two anti-Israeli protesters went to demonstrate – but found themselves protesting her stunt double instead.

The protest, promoted on Instagram and discussed in anti-Israel advocacy group messages, took place overlooking a canal in Camden, where a scene of The Runner was being filmed.

The Israeli actress is set to star in the film, an American action thriller by The Last King of Scotland director Kevin Macdonald, which also features renowned British actor Damian Lewis.

Gadot portrays a successful London-based lawyer who, after the abduction of her son, is forced into an intense chase across the city in a desperate bid to save him, according to Deadline Hollywood.

The Wonder Woman actress has been seen shooting for the film while running in Kentish Town on Wednesday.

But today, it was only her stunt double who was subjected to a couple demonstrators waving Palestinian flags.

Putting an “urgent call out” today on Instagram one organiser claimed Gadot would be attending the location at St Pancras Way. Commenters on the post included users who said, “this woman should not be allowed peace [in the UK]”, “I can’t make it, but I hope many megaphone drums and whistles do” and “You can’t support terror and genocide and expect to go unchallenged. Free Palestine”.




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Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



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

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