Sunday, May 18, 2025

05/18 Links: Hamas docs: Oct. 7 aimed to block Israel-Saudi peace; Eurovision fans’ glorious f-you to the Israel haters; BBC Verify – publicly funded Hamas propaganda

From Ian:

We Expect Our Allies to Support Our Right to Destroy Our Enemies
As the war continues, voices condemning Israel grow louder across Europe as antisemitism has soared to heights unseen in recent years. Yet the accusations leveled by Europeans can be easily refuted.

We possess damning evidence not only against Hamas's military but also against the cooperation of the so-called "uninvolved" Gazan population in acts of murder, looting, rape, and actively hiding our hostages in residential homes.

As German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told the Bundestag in October 2024: "Self-defense means, of course, not just attacking terrorists, but eliminating them....We will not back down [from supporting Israel]. I made it clear to the UN that civilian facilities can lose their protected status when terrorists exploit them. This is Germany's position and our understanding of Israel's security."

This should be our core message to all our allies. We are not asking them to support our right to self-defense and, of course, neither Israel's right to exist. We expect them to support our right to destroy our enemies.

Fortunately, we live in an independent Jewish state, accountable for our own fate. We will not live next to barbarians whose raison d'etre is the murder of Jews. If you are unhappy with that, then we must agree to disagree.

Numerous violent conflicts rage worldwide, yet Europeans elevate the plight of Gazans above all. Why? Because they happen to be fighting Jews. Muslims killing Muslims doesn't attract global concern. But Jews fighting and defeating their enemies - that demands a reckoning.

Israel contributes significantly to Europe's security. We are the modern embodiment of an ancient civilization on which the West was built. We are fighting for our survival in a long and complex battle that requires both patience and resolve. This war is not about the right to defend our lives, it is about eliminating the terrorists and uprooting the threat. Just as no rational person would live at the foot of a volcano that erupts every few years, Israelis will not return to normal life as long as the barbarians remain just a few kilometers away.

Dear Europeans, you fail to see the threats you face. In the 1930s, you ignored Churchill's warnings about Hitler. You thought it would end with the Jews. You learned nothing; after us, it will be your turn.
The Fighting Isn't Over, but Israel Has Already Won
In the regional arena, Israel has already won the war that started on Oct. 7, 2023. While the fighting is not over yet, the balance of power in the Middle East has shifted dramatically in favor of the Jewish state and its de-facto Arab allies. The radicals have never been more humiliated, isolated, vulnerable and intimidated, while the moderate Arab regimes are surreptitiously grateful for the Israeli resolve in fighting their common enemies.

Since Oct. 7, Israel has devastated in Gaza the only Arab state-like entity controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood. The IDF also reduced Hizbullah from an intimidating strategic threat to a major nuisance, fighting a rearguard battle for its position in Beirut and southern Lebanon. And Israel's Air Force exposed the supreme vulnerability of Iran's most-defended sites.

In Cairo, Amman, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Rabat, Arab leaders know that sustainable Israeli resilience, strategic power, determination and tenacity in the struggle against common radical enemies are indispensable for their own regional welfare, sometimes even their existence. Whereas America is immeasurably more powerful, Israel, in their experience, is an infinitely more trustworthy and dependable partner.

The Middle East has taken a major turn for the better in the last year and a half. Israel is exhausted, but much safer, and even the Americans are somewhat more realistic. A lot depends on containing Iran, but the chances to avoid a catastrophe are better than they have been in a long time and everybody recognizes Israel's indispensable contribution.
Hamas docs: Oct. 7 aimed to block Israel-Saudi peace
One of Hamas’s motivations for launching its Oct. 7, 2023 invasion of Israel was to frustrate U.S.‑brokered talks to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to documents published Sunday by The Wall Street Journal.

According to the minutes of a meeting recovered by Israeli troops from a hidden Hamas command tunnel in Gaza, terrorist leader Yahya Sinwar had told senior commanders on Oct. 2 that only an “extraordinary act” could wreck the fast‑advancing deal. If Riyadh signed, he warned, “most Arab and Muslim governments would line up behind it,” sidelining Hamas.

The minutes say the assault, in which about 6,000 Hamas-led Gazan terrorists stormed the Israeli border, murdered some 1,200 people and abducted another 251, had been under preparation for two years as part of a broader campaign to “shift the strategic balance” and pull other members of the so‑called Axis of Resistance into the fight.

A companion memo—also found in the tunnel—advised accelerating attacks in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem for the same purpose and dismissed any Saudi pledge to defend Palestinian interests as a bluff. Hamas even circulated a “help wanted” notice for a university‑educated operative to coordinate anti‑normalization work, the cache revealed.

The prospect of Saudi‑Israeli talks had advanced further in 2023 than in any previous effort: draft U.S. security guarantees for the kingdom, U.S. approval of civil nuclear technology and a roadmap for Palestinian self‑governance were all on the table, according to the Journal.

Hamas saw the moment as existential. An August 2022 internal briefing cited in the files states it was the movement’s “duty” to derail the “wave of normalization sweeping the Arab world,” which already included the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan—the cosignatories of the 2020 Abrahams Accords led by U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term in office.


Eurovision fans’ glorious f-you to the Israel haters
All the usual suspects dusted off their old open letters. They claim this is about the war, even though they’ve been calling for a boycott for decades. That Eurovision is organised by broadcasters, not by governments, never seems to phase them. It seems that all Israelis must be held accountable for the alleged misdeeds of their government – particularly for having the gall to defend itself and its people from genocidal Islamists.

On the night, ‘pro-Palestine’ protesters clashed with police on the streets of Basel. Because nothing says ‘I’m not anti-Semitic’ like forming a mob to rage against a young Jewish woman being allowed to sing in your city. Inside the arena, as Raphael performed her ballad, ‘New Day Will Rise’, two fuckwits from ‘Youth Demand’ tried to storm the stage and throw red paint in the direction of a woman who, only a few years ago, was having to play dead under a pile of bodies to ensure a marauding gang of Jew-hating pogromists didn’t murder her, too. This is what Israelophobia does to people’s moral compass.

But then came the results. And they were delicious. While Israel ultimately lost out to Austria’s operatic entry, ‘Wasted Love’ by JJ, Raphael cruised into second place off the back of the audience vote, which she won handily. Brits gave her the maximum of 12 points, along with more than a dozen other countries. Even viewers in Ireland – whose national broadcaster threw a hissy fit over Israel’s inclusion this year – gave Israel 10 points. Not for the first time in Europe of late, a secret ballot has given Europeans a chance to disappoint their cultural betters. And they grabbed it with both hands.

Whether Eurovision fans wanted to express their solidarity with Israel or just liked the song, it’s clear ordinary people are refusing to go along with the idea that the Jewish State is a uniquely evil, irredeemable pariah whose citizens must be shunned and demonised at every opportunity. They know bigotry when they see it. And they are having none of it. We can only hope this silent majority will grow a little more vocal. Then we might have a shot at confronting the new Jew hatred that risks dragging Europe back to a truly dark past.
We’re big in Europe: Why Israel won the Eurovision audience vote
This is the third year in a row that popular votes for Israel vastly outstripped the number of votes it received from the national juries.

The disparity is not at all surprising when you look at the context. In commentary during the Eurovision final, public broadcasters in Europe criticized Israel because of the war it is fighting against Hamas in Gaza. Spain even broadcast a title card saying, in Spanish and in English, “When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and Justice for Palestine.”

Ireland and Spain’s public broadcasters called for discussion about whether to allow Israel to take part at all prior to the competition, or in other words, wanted to discuss barring Israel. Seventy former Eurovision participants called for Yuval Raphael to be banned from competing as the competition kicked off last week.

But music lovers around the world felt very differently, as was apparent from their votes for Israel. The story was similar last year, when Eden Golan’s “Hurricane” came in second in the audience voting but only placed fifth overall due to low votes from the national juries.

The international audience shows support for Israel
Audiences in Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Australia, Portugal, and the United Kingdom all gave Israel “douze points,” or their highest score. Israel also got 12 points from the “Rest of the World” voters.

The message is crystal clear: While the elite staff of the public broadcasters may despise Israel, audiences around the world either enjoyed the song, were touched by Raphael’s story of survival, or both.

As author and commentator Hen Mazzig put it on X/Twitter: “#Eurovision public vote is saying: social media is not real life.”

This is an important fact to keep in mind. While certain sectors of the population of European countries may despise Israel, hundreds of millions of voters put their money where their votes were – and chose Israel.
Yuval Raphael's Story - Nova Music Festival Massacre Survivor - JIJ October 7 Survivors Project

Voters turned out in droves for Israel at Eurovision, but the juries… not so much
If one thing was proven at the 2025 Eurovision, it’s that the online chatter ahead of the competition is mostly dominated by a fringe group of those who are obsessed with the contest but often doesn’t reflect the actual result of the show watched by more than 100 million people.

That isn’t to say that all Eurovision viewers love Israel. It’s clear that there was a concerted effort among pro-Israel supporters to drum up votes from those who don’t traditionally watch the show. The loud anti-Israel hate focused on Raphael also likely fueled some voters unhappy with such sentiments in Europe. And perhaps some people just really liked the song.

With 26 finalists in Saturday night’s show, it is also much easier for the public to rally around an artist it likes than to vote against one that it doesn’t. Without a clear alternate pick for those voters who were angered by Israel’s participation, their voice was unlikely to make a major impact.

The same way we can’t prove what motivated the public voters, we can’t say with any certainty what was driving the jury votes. Raphael had neither the best nor worst vocals of the night, and the song, while emotional, was not a huge standout among the 37 entrants; indeed, the initial Israeli reaction when the song was rolled out was very mixed.

Israel only received the top jury points from one country, Azerbaijan, and didn’t get 10 or eight points from any nation. It did, however, receive seven jury points from France and, surprisingly, Ireland, one of the strongest critics of the Jewish state, whose public broadcaster had called for Israel to be barred from the contest.

Israel did not receive a single jury point from 22 of the countries taking part in this year’s Eurovision. Then again, Ukraine didn’t receive any jury points from 20 of the participating countries, and Estonia, a big public favorite, was snubbed by 15 countries’ juries. The public and the jury votes often don’t line up — this year Switzerland came second overall in the jury vote with 214 points, and dead last in the public vote with 0 points.
Thank you, JJ: For Israel at Eurovision, first would have been the worst
Giving Israel hosting duties would turn the loud — but apparently unrepresentative — anti-Israel sentiment at the contest from a side show into the main act, giving it the very oxygen Israel seeks to deprive it.

Would Israel soldier on, trying to hype up a half-hearted display that attracts the likes of Molvania’s Zlad? Would it waste a year and untold energy trying to sell itself as worthy to host a song contest that once gave a trophy to these guys? Happily, nobody has to find out. Finnish group Lordi celebrate after their victory in the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens, Greece, May 21, 2006. (AP/Petros Giannakouris)

The tribulations of 2019 — the last time Israel hosted — seem quaint when compared to the state of Israel today, but that year saw no shortage of controversies, which would only have been magnified by a second Israel win in seven years.

Perhaps in the spirit of Eurovision’s tradition of ultimately pointless displays, Israel’s government at the time made a show of insisting that the contest be held in Jerusalem, only to cave to demands that it move to Tel Aviv.

Across Europe, anti-Israel protests became the norm at national contests held to pick entrants. Even Madonna got in the act, using her guest performance as protest material. Days earlier, as rehearsals began, Hamas and Islamic Jihad began lobbing rockets from Gaza into Israel, briefly putting the whole shebang into doubt and perhaps making some visitors think twice about Israel as a safe destination.

As things stand now, though, it’s unlikely Israel would have hosted even had it won. With international airlines continuing to stay away and war in Gaza ongoing, the EBU would have been expected to shift hosting duties elsewhere, as it did when Ukraine won in 2022.

Yemen’s missile-happy Houthis are already riding high after fighting the most powerful military in the world to a stalemate and seemingly outlasting every major sortie Israel throws at it.

Keeping Israel from being able to host would just prove the effectiveness of its supposed “air embargo” on the country.

To be sure, it’s hard to say unequivocally that winning would have been an unmitigated calamity. It would have likely been a nice pick-me-up and could have focused fresh attention on the hostages (though Hamas and Israel’s own hardliners might not be swayed by the be-sequined purveyors of European glam-pop).

Perhaps a year from now, with the living hostages home to their families and the slain hostages safely interred by their loved ones, with the north being rebuilt, reservists back home and contributing to the economy, and Hamas and the Houthis but a memory, Israelis will turn on their TVs as some Austrian pop star in a bewildering get-up welcomes millions of viewers in German-accented English and think “that could have been us.” Such are the dreams Eurovision is made of.
The Media Painted Israel’s Eurovision Entry as ‘Divisive’. Viewers Made Her a Star.
So after all the noise, what happened?

Israel came first in the audience vote.

Yuval Raphael placed second overall in the competition, with 357 points. Austria’s winner received 436 points. But here’s the key detail: Israel scored 297 points from the public, compared to just 60 from the jury. Austria, by contrast, received 178 from the public and 258 from juries.

In other words: if the public alone had decided, Israel would have won.

Israel earned the maximum 12 points in the public vote from the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Australia, and Portugal — all of whose juries gave her zero. In Ireland, where the broadcaster led the charge to discuss Israel’s participation, the public gave Israel 10 points, and the jury gave 7.

For all the media’s insistence that Israel’s presence was unwelcome, millions of ordinary viewers voted otherwise.

And yet, even as the final aired, broadcasters continued to undermine Israel. Spain’s RTVE ignored warnings from the European Broadcasting Union and allowed its presenters to recite unverifiable casualty figures: “The victims of the Israeli attacks in Gaza now exceed 50,000, including more than 15,000 children, according to the United Nations.” (The UN has issued no such definitive number.) Before the broadcast began, RTVE aired a message: “In the face of human rights, silence is not an option. Peace and justice for Palestine.”

Will Spain face disqualification next year for politicizing the contest on-air? Don’t hold your breath.

Even the BBC’s Graham Norton seemed to join the pattern of omission, describing Yuval Raphael as a newcomer who only began singing in 2023 after appearing on Israel’s Rising Star. He neglected to mention she is also a survivor of the October 7 massacre at the Nova music festival — where she hid under the bodies of others who were murdered.

Let’s be honest: much of the media wasn’t reporting on Eurovision — it was campaigning within it. The press wanted to make Israel’s participation look controversial. They wanted Yuval Raphael to lose. That, for them, would have been the ultimate verdict: a musical referendum on Israel.

But they failed.

The audience saw through it. The public voted. And Israel’s Yuval Raphael sang — and soared.


Mossad seizes 2,500 document Syrian files on executed spy Eli Cohen
The Mossad announced on Sunday that, in a special operation inside Syria, it had seized the 2,500 document secret Syrian files on executed Israeli spy Eli Cohen.

According to the Mossad, Syria had kept the files in a highly secret and secure location and it took time for the Mossad to locate and plan to take the files even after the Assad regime collapsed on December 7-8.

Within the files, the Mossad found Cohen's original forged passports, his apartment keys, and messages and assignments he received from the Mossad.

Further, the files contain Syrian surveillance of Cohen as he met with top Syrian officials.

In addition, the files contain an original copy of the last will and message which Cohen wrote before his execution, which until now was only available to the public as a copy of the content.

The files also include cassette recordings relating to Cohen.

Further, the files have a wide range of information about the public campaign which Cohen's wife, Nadia, made to foreign leaders as well as to top Syrian leaders to plead to spare Eli Cohen's life.

Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea met with Nadia and reiterated earlier promises to find Cohen's body.


Why Trump’s tour de force should bear good news for Israel
Not only did Trump not turn his back on Israel, he used the occasion to advance his vision for the new regional security architecture, one that perfectly aligns with that of Israel. He urged Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, forging an American-Arab-Israeli alliance that presents a unified front against Iran. Trump went a step further by extending the same offer to the once-jihadist Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and shocking the world by removing U.S. sanctions against that country, saying he wants to “give them a chance at greatness” and that “it’s their time to shine” while urging al-Sharaa to normalize ties with Israel. This could be a bridge too far, but with Trump, surprises are an integral part of routine.

Inasmuch as the trip took place in the Middle East, Trump also on his part kept his eye sharp on the Far East and his adversary in Beijing. Over the past decade, China has ramped up its investments in the region, taking advantage of an American disinterest and disengagement from the region. In 2022, China’s total bilateral good trade volume in the Middle East and North Africa reached $368.4 billion, more than double than the United States’ $144 billion. America cannot play second fiddle to China, and Trump is leaving the region with pockets full of cash and an avalanche of companies signing deals, much to Beijing’s dismay.

Trump articulates a purely pragmatic, common-sense mercantilism that aligns with his utilitarian worldview—embracing prescriptions that work, rejecting premises that fail and giving a chance for money to speak. His optimism and economic investment are far from being reminiscent of those of the European Union, in comparison. The E.U. has long embraced economic power and cultural allure as tenets of foreign policy, yet failed to deliver pragmatism, project military power or sustain a reliable economic infrastructure, with untold debt, painfully slow growth and crippling regulations. Trump complemented his optimism with the clear commitment of a superpower, and an unprecedented $1 trillion defense budget.

Trump’s worldview is no big mystery, but this trip highlighted it in bright letters. He offered a “strong and steady hand” to the Saudi crown prince and spoke with American troops next to the banner “peace through strength”. He exhibited American leadership against the backdrop of those who still believe he is based on isolationism. President Trump offered a golden tray of opportunity, dreaming of “the dawn of the bright new day that awaits for the people of the Middle East” and giving rogue regimes the chance to “shine.” But unlike the appeasing leaders of the past who made promises of a “new Middle East,” Trump carries the cadence of command.

America’s presence now comes with demands, albeit implicit. This renewed American footprint in the region will alienate China, pull Arab countries to America’s orbit, cement the unified front against Iran and design the security architecture that Israel has been advocating for. If Trump succeeds in making good on his promise to deny Iran of nuclear weapons, cut a peace deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia with no significant perks to the Palestinians, and fundamentally change the security reality in Gaza, he will go down in history as the president who reshaped Israel’s strategic posture in the region. Time will tell.


Israel’s role in Trump’s vision for the Mideast
Two major misconceptions continue to distort the conversation about the Middle East, Israel and the war in Gaza.

The first item concerns U.S. President Donald Trump’s stance toward Israel, especially his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Commentators increasingly portray Trump as a jilted lover, scorned by Netanyahu’s supposed disloyalty.

But the reality is far more strategic than emotional. Israel continues to play a central role in the MAGA vision for the Middle East.

Understanding this requires looking past Trump’s flamboyant tour from Riyadh to Doha to Abu Dhabi, and ignoring the theatrical moments—such as his referring to Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former terrorist, as “an attractive young man,” or gushing that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is “someone I like very much,” while signing $142 billion in weapons sales.

Yes, Trump’s team negotiated directly with Hamas to secure the release of American hostage Edan Alexander. And yes, the United States struck a side deal with the Houthis to prevent attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. But at the core of Trump’s Middle East policy remains a strategic call for Saudi Arabia and the broader Arab world to join the Abraham Accords. And those accords cannot exist without Israel.

This brings us to the second misconception steering the conversation. According to Netanyahu’s strategic doctrine, Israel’s role is to provide regional security by defeating Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Without that, any regional architecture involving the Saudis, Emiratis, Egyptians and Jordanians risks collapse. Just last week, Israel buried Tzeela Gez, murdered on her way to the hospital to give birth, in one of more than 2,200 terror attacks against Israelis launched or thwarted between January and March alone.

In an interview on Friday with Bret Baier on Fox News, Trump renewed his praise for Netanyahu, describing him as justifiably “angry” about the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, 2023—calling it “one of the most violent days in the history of the world”—and as someone who “fought hard and bravely.”
Trump: Israel not sidelined, no frustration with Netanyahu
Donald Trump is not frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the U.S. president said, addressing a question from Fox News anchor Bret Baier during a May 16 interview following his tour of three Arab Gulf states.

Trump told Baier that it was important to keep the Arab states “in our fold. … They’re back loving the United States again. That was a full embrace.”

The trip, which skipped the Jewish state, had been characterized in the media as “shrugging off” or “sidelining” Israel, particularly as Trump appeared to ignore Israeli concerns about Qatar, a funder of Islamist groups, and met with Syria’s new leader, President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom Netanyahu’s government said is a “jihadist.”

However, Trump expressed empathy for Netanyahu in the wide-ranging interview with Baier, saying Israel’s prime minister is dealing with a difficult situation.

“[Netanyahu] is an angry man, and he should be because of October 7. And he’s been hurt badly by that. But in another way, he’s been sort of helped because I think he’s fought hard and bravely,” Trump said.

Trump had already attempted to allay fears that his Mideast trip meant a change in the U.S.-Israel relationship.

On Air Force One from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, Trump told reporters he wasn’t shunting Israel aside. “No not at all,” he said. “This is good for Israel, having a relationship like I have with these countries, Middle Eastern countries, essentially all of them.

“You have to remember, there was an October 7 that everyone forgets. It was one of the most violent days in the history of the world, not the Middle East, the world. When you look at the tapes, and the tapes are there for everyone to see,” Trump told Baier, referring to video of the massacre filmed and distributed on social media by the Hamas terrorists.


‘You’re an American, we love you, your parents are incredible’: Video shows Trump’s call with Edan Alexander
A newly released video of hostage Edan Alexander’s phone call last week with Donald Trump shows the captive thanking the US president for obtaining his freedom, with Trump admitting that Alexander’s mother had been “pushing him around” to get her son freed.

Alexander was released from the Gaza Strip last Monday in what was described as a goodwill gesture from Hamas to Trump ahead of the president’s visit to the region.

The following day, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who played a key role in negotiations to secure his freedom, visited Alexander in the hospital, and initiated the call with the US president on his phone.

In the clip, Witkoff told Trump, “I have with me a very special person who just told me ‘Thank God for President Trump’ because he wouldn’t be here without you.”

Witkoff then introduced Alexander to Trump and handed the phone to the former, who appeared moved by the moment, holding the device in one hand and his head in the other.

“Mr. President,” Alexander said.

“Edan,” responded Trump, who was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the start of a visit to the region.

“I’m very nervous talking to you, because you are a much bigger celebrity than I am,” Trump was heard saying. “Edan is the hottest celebrity in the world right now.” US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, right, and freed hostage Edan Alexander, second right, speak by phone to US President Donald Trump, alongside Alexander’s family from Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center on May 13, 2025. (Office of the Special Envoy to the Middle East/X)

“But that’s no way to become a celebrity, right?” he added, referring to the 584 days Alexander spent in Hamas captivity in Gaza. “And we’ll do it a different way next time.”

“We’re very honored, it’s crazy,” the president said.


Netanyahu instructs Israel's negotiating team to 'exhaust all efforts to release our hostages'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Israel’s negotiating team to remain in Doha for talks on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal to “exhaust all efforts to release our hostages,” an Israeli source stated Saturday night.

The prime minister was in communication throughout Saturday with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, as part of efforts to “dissuade Hamas from its refusal” in negotiations, the source stated.

"The prime minister gave the team full freedom of action," an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday night, regarding the claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not grant a sufficient mandate to the Israeli delegation in Doha.

"There is only one framework on the table, which the US also supports - the Witkoff proposal."


Inside the courtroom: Experts weigh in on Al-Haq’s legal battle with UK government - interview
This week, a Palestinian human rights group took the UK government to court over its role in supplying parts for the F-35 fighter jet. The case, Al-Haq v. Secretary of State for Business and Trade, began at the High Court on Tuesday and will finish on Friday. The Jerusalem Post spoke to two lawyers with knowledge of the case to explain the impacts inside and outside the courtroom.

If Al-Haq's case succeeds, the British government may have to reverse its September decision not to include F-35 parts in its license suspensions, a move which affected 30 other arms exports to Israel but not the fighter jet itself.

Anne Herzberg, a human rights expert and the legal adviser to NGO Monitor, is sitting in the courtroom for the four days of the hearing. She told the Post that Al-Haq brought dozens of lawyers to the first day, and that the room was packed with pro-Palestine supporters.

According to Herzberg, Al-Haq's primary argument is that the UK government should have considered, but failed to consider, whether the remaining arms licences should have been suspended because of the evidence of genocide.

In other words, the claim is that "the UK had the obligation and the responsibility to do everything it can to prevent what's going on in Gaza."

Herzberg said the legal arguments presented were weak, and there was no mention of Israel's perspective or its need for arms, no mention of the hostages, and also no discussion of Iran, Qatar, and Hamas.

Banning F-35 parts would affect UK's economy and security
The government's central defense is that banning the export of F-35 parts would have a significant detrimental impact on the UK's security, something which Herzberg said Al-Haq provided no answer to.

"It was all about the UK's obligation to Palestinians but not to Israel or the hostages," Herzberg told the Post. "The message was that UK security doesn't matter, only Palestinian security."

Herzberg said that the UK government did a good job of exposing the holes in Al-Haq's case during the third day of the trial.

"One of the more dramatic moments was when the government made reference to October 7, and the judge said, 'this is the first time we've heard about October 7.'"

"The position in international law is that States Parties to the Genocide Convention must employ all means reasonably available to them so as to prevent genocide so far as possible," Chief Executive of UK Lawyers For Israel Jonathan Turner told the Post.

"In our view, given Hamas's threats to repeat the genocidal atrocities of October 7, 2023 again and again, this means that Israel has an obligation to employ all reasonably available means to ensure that Hamas is not able to do this - i.e. more or less the opposite of Al Haq's position."
Conservative media targeted by Qatari foreign influence operations
After President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, foreign agents working on behalf of the Qatari government appear to have shifted their focus to right-wing media, fueling speculation that the terror-linked Gulf state is attempting to win influence among conservatives.

Between January 1, 2024, and election day, just over 10% of communications sent by Qatari foreign agents to the media were directed to conservative outlets or commenters, according to a Washington Examiner review of Department of Justice records. Since Republicans won control of the White House and Congress on election day, the proportion of messages sent by Qatari operatives to conservative outlets and commenters has surged to more than half of their total correspondence with the media.

Perhaps Qatar’s biggest victory in its post-election right-wing media campaign thus far was securing an interview between Tucker Carlson and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in March. The interview, which has raked up nearly six million views across X and YouTube, was friendly, with Carlson praising the country.

Qatar paid top dollar to ensure this interview took place. Foreign Agents Registration Act records show that Lumen8 Advisors LLC, a legal consulting company for which very little public information is available, helped facilitate between Carlson and the Qatari dignitary. The Embassy of the State of Qatar pays Lumen8 Advisors $180,000 per month “to provide media and communication coaching and consulting services.”

“Qatar wants to further cement ties with Trump and allies for many reasons, including to defend itself against Republican attacks for its relationship with Hamas and Iran,” Anna Jacobs, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, said of the Carlson interview.


David Collier: BBC Verify – publicly funded Hamas propaganda
It now looks likely that Israel successfully eliminated Mohammed Sinwar and other leaders of Hamas in a targeted strike last week. Which leaves the BBC flagship unit ‘BBC Verify’ looking increasingly like an anti-Israel disinformation machine.

The BBC Verify video on the ‘Gaza hospital strike’
On Tuesday afternoon (13 May 2025) Israel targeted key figures of the Hamas leadership who were hiding in a command centre beneath hospital grounds in Gaza. By Wednesday afternoon BBC Verify had turned the event into another opportunity to spread pro-Hamas propaganda.

The video the BBC Verify team published was all about how terrible Israel is – and carried footage showing how some civilians were almost certainly killed in the Israeli strike. But nothing at all in the video is really disputed at all – so just what did BBC Verify need to mobilise to check?

War is an awful thing – and having a clip of civilian casualties from the deadly strike as the Israeli ‘bunker-busting’ weaponry struck through at ground level near the entrance to the hospital was certainly worth covering in a news bulletin as *PART* of the wider story of Hamas turning hospital grounds into legitimate military targets. But it is not *THE STORY*. Because if Israel is right about Hamas leadership hiding underneath – and it looks as if Israel was right – then that changes EVERYTHING.

The obsessive, amateur activists of BBC Verify
We rarely get a more blatant misuse of BBC resources than this. There was only one issue about the Israeli strike that needed open source ‘verification’. And that is whether Mohammed Sinwar and / or other Hamas leaders were using hospital grounds as cover, or not.

If they were, then the only story in town was about Hamas being caught committing war crimes, removing the ‘do not touch’ exemptions from the hospital, and placing innocent civilians at risk.

And if that could not be verified at the time – and it couldn’t – then the only thing BBC Verify has shown by prematurely addressing the action, is that the unit is staffed by immature hacks who are more interesting in childish propaganda than acting in a professional manner. They had obviously seen (in an IDF post about the incident they claim is errant, along with the footage of the civilian damage) enough for them to string together a demonising post about Israel – which is what their entire piece is about.

But that is not what BBC Verify is supposed to be doing. BBC Verify is meant to be a fact-checking unit. And so it comes back to this – the ONLY fact that matters here is whether the Israelis are right or wrong about the Hamas command post. Did BBC Verify address this and answer that question? No, they did not.


IDF downs missile from Yemen; Houthis claim to target Ben Gurion Airport
A ballistic missile launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen was successfully intercepted by air defenses, the military said early Sunday morning.

There were no reports of direct injuries or damage in the attack, though the Magen David Adom emergency service said one person was lightly injured while dashing to a shelter.

Sirens had sounded across central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, and the Shfela and Sharon regions, sending nearly a million residents scrambling to bomb shelters. Preceding the sirens by some five minutes, an early warning was issued to residents, alerting civilians of the long-range missile attack via a push notification on their phones.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree later said the group targeted Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv with two ballistic missiles, vowing to carry on with the strikes until the “siege is lifted” on Gaza, where Israel has been fighting a 19-month war against Hamas.

The Israel Defense Forces said air defenses successfully intercepted a missile at around 2 a.m. The reason for the discrepancy in the number of missiles was unclear, but suggested that one had fallen short.

Takeoffs and landings at the airport were briefly paused during the attack, a normal protocol, according to the Israel Airports Authority.

Video shared on social media purported to show the interception.
Two rockets launched at Israel from central Gaza; IDF intercepts one
Palestinian terrorists fired two rockets toward Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on Sunday amid the expansion of Israel Defense Forces ground operations in the coastal enclave, the IDF confirmed.

Following the alerts that were activated in Kissufim, two launches were identified from the central Gaza Strip toward Israeli territory. One was intercepted and the other fell in an open area,” the military stated.

“There were no casualties,” the IDF added.

The attack from Gaza activated air-raid sirens in Kibbutz Kissufim, an Israeli agricultural community near the border of some 300 residents.

Israel’s Magen David Adom medical emergency response group also announced it received “no reports regarding impacts or casualties.”

The rocket attack on the Jewish state came shortly after the IDF announced it had launched extensive ground operations as part of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots” against Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

“Over the past 24 hours, forces of the IDF’s Southern Command, both regular and reserve, have started a large-scale ground operation across the northern and southern Gaza Strip as part of the beginning of Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” the army said in a statement.

“So far, the forces have eliminated dozens of terrorists, destroyed terrorist infrastructure both above and below ground, and are now taking control of strategic areas within the Strip,” the IDF continued.

The military noted that over the past week, the Israeli Air Force attacked more than 670 Hamas terror targets across the Strip in an attempt to “disrupt enemy preparations and support the ground operation.”
Katz: Rising indications that Mohammed Sinwar is dead, IDF yet to confirm
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that there are rising indications that Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar is dead.

Katz made his statement just as IDF sources on Sunday told The Jerusalem Post that it did not recognize foreign reports that Sinwar’s body had been found with around a dozen of his aides, including Rafah Brigade commander Mohammed Shabana.

It appears that the IDF will wait either for Hamas to officially announce him as dead or its own intelligence regarding his body.

Despite the restraint in officially declaring him dead, IDF sources had already told the Post last week that he was very likely dead, and Katz had also hinted the same in recent days.

On Tuesday, the IDF dropped a large number of bombs on a tunnel hideout under a hospital in Gaza in order to target Sinwar.

Mohammed Sinwar has been the leader of Hamas, and in control of the remaining 58 Israeli hostages (around 21 of whom are believed to be alive), since mid-October 2024 when his brother, October 7 architect Yahya Sinwar, was killed by military forces in Rafah.

IDF targets new Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar
Shabana would have been one of the two main candidates to succeed him as Hamas’s military leader.

This would leave only Gaza City Brigade commander Az-adin-al-Hadad alive from the prewar original five Hamas brigade commanders, which defense sources have told the Post would make him Hamas’s next military chief.

Reports from the Gaza Strip stated that Zakaria Sinwar, the brother of Yahya and Muhammad Sinwar, was killed along with his sons following an airstrike on a tent sheltering them in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.


Revealed: Documents prove October 7 photographer was Hamas operative
The JC has been given documents proving that the Palestinian photographer Hassan Aslih, who infiltrated into Israel to document October 7, was a Hamas operative.

Aslih, who was killed during a strike on a Hamas command centre in Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza last week, is named in a Hamas military document obtained by the IDF and passed to this newspaper.

The document lists members of the “Third battalion of the Khan Yunis Brigade”. Next to the full name of the photojournalist, Hassan Abdel Fattah Mohamed Aslih, appears his military identification number. The document also notes his media role.

Reporting the death of Aslih on May 13, the BBC described him as “a well-known Palestinian photojournalist” who was “targeted in what witnesses described as a drone attack”.

Aslih infiltrated Israeli territory on October 7 and documented and uploaded footage of looting, arson and murder to social media.

He had previously worked for CNN but was fired due to his connections with the Hamas terror organisation.

In the past, he had also published a photo of himself alongside slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, in which Sinwar is seen kissing him.


StandWithUs: Special Briefing with defense expert Yaakov Katz, Colonel Richard Kemp
The latest news, insight and analysis direct from Israel: Join StandWithUs TV for a Special Briefing featuring a war update from defense expert Yaakov Katz and in-depth analysis with Colonel Richard Kemp, Former Commander of UK Forces in Afghanistan


Ask Haviv Anything: Episode 14: Should Israel give up on international law ? A conversation with a former IDF lawyer
If the requirements of international law mean that Israel is effectively prohibited from defeating its enemies or protecting its borders, should Israelis turn their backs on international law? Why do we need "law?" Isn't it enough to just do our best to be as moral as possible?

After all, the institutions of international law seem so unfair to Israel. Just this past year, Israel was made to stand in judgment, accused of genocide, before a judicial panel whose president hails from an enemy country (Lebanon) and then left half-way through the proceedings to serve as the prime minister of that country. That is, the top judge who sat in judgment of Israel was campaigning in the political system of an enemy state.

Then there are the many reports that accuse the ICC's prosecutor of rushing to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders without bothering with normal procedures because he was trying to cover for credible sexual assault accusations against him?

If the institutions cannot be trusted and the rules themselves are abused by every one of Israel's enemies, is this really a "law?" Can it ever be applied fairly?

I ask former IDF legal advisor Ben Wahlhaus, who spent 12 years as an international law officer whose duties included counseling senior officers on the legality of military operations, including during the Gaza war.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Sapir, the quarterly journal edited by Pulitzer-prize-winning commentator Bret Stephens. If you’re in the US, you can get this excellent journal sent to you absolutely free by going to http://sapirjournal.org/AskHaviv. Please use the link. It helps the podcast if they know we sent you.


Interview met schrijver Douglas Murray over Israël en Gaza



NYC mayoral candidate leads ‘BDS’ chant, bashes officials for traveling to Israel in resurfaced clip
Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani was caught on resurfaced video leading “BDS” chants in a push to boycott Israel while blasting officials for traveling to the Jewish State on taxpayers’ dime.

The democratic socialist candidate led the chants in favor of the “boycott, divestment and sanctions” movement during a May 11, 2021 pro-Palestinian rally across from the Israeli Consulate in Manhattan.

“We have elected officials paid for trips to Israel,” he said in the clip, which resurfaced Sunday — hours before the Salute to Israel Day parade in Manhattan. “They are going there paid for by your tax dollars.

“They show up at the Israel Day parade and they say, `We stand in solidarity,'” Mamdani goes on. “We want to let them know that there are three letters that we have as an answer to what is happening in Palestine. It’s BDS.”

He then leads chants of “BDS, BDS!” with the protesters, the clip shows.

Mamdani, a state Assemblyman who represents Queens, has been polling second behind ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the crowded Democratic Party primary for mayor.

During his remarks in the resurfaced clip, he also urges pro-Palestinian protesters in the video to “put pressure” on their local council members and state representatives to advocate for a “safe and free” Palestine.

The lawmaker had referenced his appearance at the rally in a May 12, 2021 Facebook post, which was reposted Sunday by political consultant Jason Curtis Anderson.

The Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish advocacy groups label the BDS movement as antisemitic, saying it seeks to delegitimize and destroy Israel..


Israel Advocacy Movement: Fascist Seig Heils A Jew… Instantly Regrets It

Protesters back Hamas, call for ‘intifada’ and hold up ‘Zionist puppet masters’ sign on London Nakba Day march
Pro-Palestinian activists backed terrorist groups, called for an “intifada” and compared the situation in Gaza to the Holocaust at the ‘Nakba Day’ march through central London yesterday.

On Saturday May 17, thousands demonstrated from Embankment to Westminster Bridge in a march organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) to remember Israeli Independence on 14 May 1948, which Palestinians call their “catastrophe” (“Nakba”).

The “Nakba 77” demonstration saw protesters display a variety of placards and posters, including calls for the UK government to de-proscribe recognised terror groups listed under the Terrorism Act 2000, including Hamas and Hezbollah.

Other placards compared Israel’s actions in the war in Gaza to the Holocaust.

“Belsen, Dachau, Auschwitz… Gaza,” one poster read.

“Gaza is the new Auschwitz! Free Palestine,” another said.

Other posters made comparisons between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Adolf Hitler, while one placard said: “One Holocaust does not justify another.”

Another poster depicted an image of the England football team performing the Nazi salute during a game against Germany on May 14, 1938.

“The UK enabled and supported genocide under Hitler,” the poster read. “The UK is enabling and supporting genocide across Palestine.”

Other posters referenced “Israel’s final solution” in reference to the war against Hamas.


Thousands of pro-Palestine supporters march from the city to St Kilda | 7NEWS
Melbourne pro-Palestine protesters have joined a global movement, marching from the Yarra River to St Kilda Beach. Police were out in force, forming a human shield between the activists and a counter Israeli protest.




Katz: Punish Arab-Israeli ‘terrorist’ who spat on IDF officer
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday called on law enforcement authorities to prosecute an Arab-Israeli man who was filmed spitting on a female Israel Defense Forces officer on a public bus.

“The despicable terrorist who assaulted and spat on a uniformed IDF officer must be punished to the fullest extent,” Katz wrote in a post on social media, adding, “We will not allow harm to come to our soldiers.”

“I trust the law enforcement authorities pursue him to the fullest extent of the law, so that it is clear: Anyone who harms IDF soldiers will pay a heavy price,” the defense minister said.

The IDF captain was spat on while traveling to the Manpower Directorate base in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan earlier on Sunday.

“Someone was sitting next to me listening to videos in Arabic. At some point, I moved to another seat because I was uncomfortable hearing that music,” the officer, identified as Capt. Tamar, told reporters.

“I feel like he spat on me just because I was in uniform. I’m disturbed by the audacity—that this can happen in the heart of the city, in broad daylight, on the way to base,” she said.


Why Haven’t More Palestinians Left Gaza?
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) allows Gazans to exit through just one border crossing, once a week, limited to 200-400 people per departure—officially not intended for permanent migration. For example, just days ago, 350 Gazans flew out of Eilat’s Ramon Airport—an effort akin to emptying the ocean with a teaspoon. As for the Shin Bet—it imposes extensive restrictions, presuming anyone leaving Gaza poses a security risk based on the traumatic events of October 7.

Consequently, most potential emigrants, despite no affiliation with Hamas, are prevented from leaving. Efforts to actively identify prospective migrants are nonexistent. Even when departures are approved, Israeli police frequently fail to provide adequate security for convoys, leading to last-minute cancellations.

The IDF isn’t proactively engaging Gaza’s population, nor establishing reception centers within the strip to streamline the exit process. Israel’s current approach relies heavily on coordination with the World Health Organization, whose Gazan officials maintain close ties with Hamas, granting the group an implicit veto over who is permitted to leave.

Ultimately, Netanyahu and relevant ministers are responsible. Netanyahu himself admitted in discussions, “I could be doing more.” This time, however, words won’t suffice. Israel’s government needs to make a decision, or this rare, historic opportunity to alter the reality in Gaza will vanish amidst a bureaucratic funeral procession attended by officials as far as the eye can see.


Seth Frantzman: Iran eyes peace, trade, and drone deals in growing partnerships with Central Asia
Iran continues to increase its outreach to Central Asian countries, as part of its broader eastern strategy of knitting together ties to many of the countries between Iran and China and working with them. For instance, Iran has tried to work on Pakistan-India tensions to reduce the chances of war between the countries.

The country also recently hosted Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistan's acting foreign minister, who met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran. Iranian state media said, “Muttaqi’s Saturday trip to Iran is part of the Afghan caretaker government’s broader effort to strengthen diplomatic relations with countries worldwide.”

Afghanistan is also doing outreach to both Iran and China. Iran and Pakistan are both partners of China. Clearly, this illustrates how China is moving toward the Middle East while Iran looks east. According to IRNA, Afghanistan’s “discussions in Tehran and Beijing will focus primarily on key issues such as economic cooperation, Afghan migrants, regional projects, and political interactions. In recent months, both Iran and China have taken more active roles in addressing Afghanistan’s situation.”

At the same time, Araghchi also hosted his Tajik counterpart, Sirojiddin Muhriddin, in Tehran on May 17, 2025. “The foreign ministers of Iran and Tajikistan, pointing to the sensitivity of the current developments in the region and the existence of common challenges and concerns, have emphasized the need to continue close and continuous consultations at the bilateral level in the form of political consultation meetings, as well as in the regional and international organizations,” IRNA noted.

The Tajik foreign minister is leading a large delegation to Iran. Tajikistan already has an agreement with Iran to make Iranian drones. “Araghchi explained the Islamic Republic of Iran's positions in supporting the oppressed people of Palestine and condemned the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza and the West Bank,” IRNA added.


Florida Porsche dealership co-owner resigns over antisemitic text to customer: report
A co-owner of a luxury car dealership in Florida is reportedly resigning after he allegedly made an antisemitic remark in a text to a customer.

"I had my Porsche rep contact the factory to secure a spot at the paint to sample line for a special color before I had someone contact you," Pompano Beach Champion Motorsports/Champion Porsche co-owner Naveen Maraj allegedly wrote to a potential customer recently.

Maraj allegedly sent the text after a customer said he was going to a different dealer, according to a screenshot from BocaNewsNow.com.

"But as usual you behave like a spoiled Jew c--- who thinks you’re special but you’re not. You not buying a car from me is like a gift from god."

"This shocking display of antisemitism has no place in business and we urge clients to shop elsewhere," StopAntiSemitism wrote on X Saturday morning.

FOX Business has reached out to the Anti-Defamation League for comment.

A co-owner of a luxury car dealership in Florida is reportedly resigning after he made an antisemitic remark in a text to a customer. (Google Maps / Google Maps)

Champion General Manager Mike Peters told BocaNewsNow.com, which first reported on the incident, "At Champion, we are firmly committed to fostering an environment rooted in respect, professionalism and integrity. Incidents like this remind us of the importance of these values, and we will use this moment as an opportunity to reinforce them — both internally and in our broader relationships.

"In furtherance of those standards, Naveen Maraj has advised that he will resign from his employment with Champion and will step down from his managerial and leadership roles with the company effective immediately."

FOX Business has reached out to Champion for comment.

Elsewhere in the lengthy statement, Peters called Maraj’s comments "offensive and inexcusable" but said Maraj and the customer, John Wolff, have a personal friendship, and the "comment was not made with the intent to harm."

"Notwithstanding, we recognize that intent does not negate impact," he added. "The language used was inappropriate and does not reflect the standards of conduct or mutual respect that has been a part of the Champion culture for over 38 years."
NYC marks 77th annual Israel Day Parade
Fifth Avenue was covered in blue and white today as tens of thousands of New Yorkers gathered for the 77th annual Celebrate Israel Parade. With this year’s theme, “Hatikvah,” or “Hope,” the parade struck a more reflective tone than in years past, as marchers honored Israel’s resilience amid an ongoing and deeply personal conflict.

For blocks, 5th Avenue was lined with Israeli flags, posters, and chanting crowds as over 40,000 participants made their way from 57th to 74th Streets.

The marchers represented a wide array of institutions including day schools, synagogues, youth movements, college groups, and advocacy organizations, all unified in a shared purpose: to express solidarity with Israel during a time of uncertainty and grief.

The sense of community was visible in every detail: children on their parents’ shoulders waving small flags, others holding signs that read “Bring Them Home,” and entire school groups dressed in matching T-shirts featuring slogans about hope, unity, and peace.

Many marchers wore yellow ribbons, a gesture of support for the Israeli hostages who have now been held in Gaza for over 19 months. Their presence, on posters, pinned to jackets, and named in chants, reminded spectators that this year’s event was not only about celebration, but also remembrance and resilience.

“I feel it’s important to support Israel in the current political climate where some anti Israel voices are getting louder,” parade goer with the Yeshiva of Central Queens told The Jerusalem Post. “The parade has always been important to me but this year is different.”

“New York is the largest Jewish community outside of Israel- it’s crucial we show our support. Especially with the upcoming mayoral election, we need them to see there’s a large support of Israel within the city,” a Yeshiva University alumnus said.


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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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