Pages

▼

Monday, July 21, 2025

07/21 Links Pt1: Israel rejects calls from 26 countries to end war in Gaza immediately; What Israel owes the Druze; What Really Happened at Taybeh’s Church?; The Forgotten Origins of the Keffiyeh

From Ian:

What Israel owes the Druze
One cannot forget the heroism of soldiers like Col. Kamal Kheir a-Din, who served with distinction in elite combat units and whose funeral drew thousands of mourners from all sectors of Israeli society. Or border police officer Amir Khoury, a Christian Arab who died while stopping a terror attack in Bnei Brak in 2022. Though not Druze, his sacrifice mirrors the shared sense of duty found among Israel’s loyal minorities.

Today, as Israel faces threats on multiple fronts—from Hezbollah in the north, Hamas in the south, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iranian proxies embedded across the region—the contribution of the Druze community has become even more critical. During the ongoing war on multiple fronts, Druze soldiers have continued to serve, and the community has once again borne tragic losses.

The feeling of blood brotherhood of the Israeli Druze to their brethren in Sweida is almost palpable. What began as an ethnic dispute between Bedouin tribes in the Druze-dominated center has resulted in more than 1,100 fatalities. Women were taken hostage and raped. Babies were slaughtered, dropped into vats of boiling water. Men were humiliated, having had their mustaches—a sign of honor among Druze men—shaven off. Many were abused and murdered. Some 1,000 Israeli Druze crossed the border into Syria to assist their Druze brothers.

This was their Oct. 7. Their loyalty is not born of compulsion, but of a deep, mutual sense of destiny woven over decades of shared struggle. In villages nestled among the hills of the Galilee and the slopes of Mount Carmel, Druze families raise children with the expectation of service—not only to their own people but to the country as a whole. Tales of bravery and solidarity are passed down from generation to generation, forming the backbone of an Israeli identity that transcends faith or ancestry.

The relationship between the Druze and the State of Israel, however, is not without its tensions. The pride felt in military uniforms is sometimes shadowed by frustration as promises of equality remain somewhat unfulfilled and recognition lags behind sacrifice. The Druze know the price of loyalty and pay it willingly, but their commitment demands a reciprocal respect—a covenant that goes beyond ceremony and commemoration.

In 2018, the passage of the controversial Nation-State Law, which defines Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people, sparked deep hurt and feelings of marginalization among Druze Israelis. They felt, understandably, that a nation they had fought and died for was telling them they would never be truly equal.

To be clear: Israel is, and must remain, the national home of the Jewish people. But it can and must also be a state that honors and uplifts those who defend it, regardless of religion or ethnicity. That is not only a moral imperative; it is a matter of national unity and survival.

Former Israeli President Reuven Rivlin once described Israel as a “shared home” for four tribes: secular Jews, religious Jews, ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arabs. The Druze, he has always said, are the glue—binding together the complex mosaic of Israeli society with their service, loyalty and quiet dignity.

Israel owes the Druze more than gratitude. It owes them policies that reflect their contribution: equal funding for Druze municipalities; expanded access to quality education; full recognition of their villages and land rights; and a greater role in national decision-making.

To walk through the rows of graves in Shefa-Amr is to walk among heroes. Their sacrifice demands not only remembrance but justice. Israel has many allies, but few as devoted, brave and steadfast as the Druze. We must honor that loyalty—not just in words, but in deeds.
When Carrots Empowered Chaos: How Samantha Power's USAID Strategy Reshaped the Middle East and Syria
Between 2021 and 2025, under the leadership of Samantha Power, USAID underwent a radical transformation. Power, a former U.N. ambassador and a passionate advocate of "moral foreign policy," envisioned development as an instrument of strategic statecraft. Her reforms aimed to fuse humanitarian goals with geopolitical outcomes, particularly in fragile regions like Syria. But in practice, Power's "carrots-first" approach—prioritizing localized aid, rapid deployment, and reduced oversight—unleashed a cascade of unintended consequences that contributed to today's broader regional chaos.

I. Economic Statecraft Redefined
Power reimagined economic statecraft as a way to compete with authoritarian actors such as China, Russia, and Iran. Instead of punitive sanctions or conditionality-heavy aid ("sticks"), Power emphasized "carrots": direct support to civil society groups, local NGOs, and community-led infrastructure. The intent was to build grassroots resilience and loyalty in contested regions.

"We’re not just building roads—we’re building sovereignty." — Samantha Power, CFR Address, 2023

She mandated that 25% of all USAID funding go directly to local organizations by 2025, bypassing traditional U.S. contractors and the extensive compliance mechanisms they brought. The goal was agility, empowerment, and legitimacy. But this decentralization came at a high cost.

II. The Oversight Collapse
Multiple reports from USAID's Office of Inspector General (OIG) from 2021 onward flagged major vulnerabilities in Syria aid programs:
- 2021 OIG Audit: Found USAID lacked a structured fraud-risk framework for Syria. Monitoring visits were limited, implementers lacked vetting, and risk assessments were infrequent.
- 2018-2023: Aid was repeatedly diverted to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a designated terrorist group. OIG confirmed 27 workers were terminated for enabling food kit access to HTS fighters. Over $4.3 million in suspended contracts resulted.
- Procurement scandals: USAID partners were caught engaging in bid rigging, counterfeit medical supply chains, and duplicate invoicing. $10.5 million in grants were clawed back.

The removal of traditional oversight processes, once handled by third-party contractors and federal compliance officers, created space for fraud, infiltration, and extremist co-option.

III. Syria: A Case Study in Strategic Backfire
Syria became the most vivid example of how Power's new development doctrine collided with the brutal realities of civil war and extremist governance. Her intent was to fund humanitarian relief and support civil society in non-regime-controlled zones. In practice, these zones, especially Idlib and parts of Aleppo, were heavily influenced or outright controlled by HTS.

USAID aid under Power's structure entered these areas with dramatically reduced vetting requirements and minimal on-the-ground monitoring. As a result:
- HTS operatives posed as civilians to receive food and cash assistance.
- Clinics and schools funded by USAID were taxed, staffed, or co-opted by HTS affiliates.
- Local implementing partners were often compromised or under duress from armed factions.

In 2022, the Office of Inspector General suspended several cross-border aid contracts after confirming that over $4.3 million was misdirected in HTS-controlled regions. Further investigations uncovered systematic procurement fraud involving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, leading to the recovery of $10.5 million and multiple debarments.

Strategically, the failure to secure aid routes not only prolonged the suffering of civilians but also allowed extremist factions to consolidate power, run shadow governance systems, and claim legitimacy through U.S.-funded services.




The Benjamin Netanyahu Interview | NELK BOYS

Israel rejects calls from UK and 25 other countries to end war in Gaza immediately
Israel has rejected a call issued by 26 countries, including the United Kingdom, to end the war in Gaza “immediately” – claiming their statement was “disconnected from reality”.

Foreign ministers from countries, including the UK, Japan and France, had published a joint statement on Monday urging the Israeli government to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life-saving work safely and effectively.”

They also condemned the “inhumane killing of civilians” seeking aid through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid sites.UK joins 25 international allies demanding ‘immediate, unconditional, permanent Gaza ceasefire’

But Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded to the statement, saying, “All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it.

“The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation,” it added.

“Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides. At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind.”


Anti-Israel Jordanian envoy to be sworn in this week as UN court judge
Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud, the former Jordanian ambassador to the United Nations who has said that Israel is at war with the “people of Gaza,” is slated to be sworn in as a judge of the International Court of Justice on Wednesday, the court said.

Based in The Hague, the court is the main judicial arm of the United Nations.

Hmoud ran unopposed for the seat on the court and will serve out the term of Nawaf Salam, who resigned in January to become Lebanon’s prime minister.

On Oct. 30, 2023, less than a month after the Oct. 7 attacks, Hmoud told the U.N. Security Council that Israel was guilty of “ethnic cleansing” and “war crimes.”

“The killing will not stop as long as Israel continues to hear justifications from some for its crimes,” he said. “It has been covered and protected without having to show any accountability. Regrettably, so long as that continues and its actions continue to be met with silence, Israel will be emboldened and will continue committing such acts without being deterred or held accountable.”

He added that “while throughout history there have been countries that have committed grave atrocities in the countries they occupied, until now I had never heard of an occupying state playing the victim, as Israel is doing today.”


Burning Questions: What Really Happened at Taybeh’s Church?
When a 1,500-year-old church in the village of Taybeh caught fire on July 14, the world watched—and quickly accepted a narrative blaming Jewish settlers. Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, joined by Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and diplomats from 20 countries, immediately pointed fingers at “radical Israeli settlers.” The vatican news blamed “settler terrorism.”

Contrary to widespread claims, video evidence reviewed by TPS-IL shows local Jewish residents—not perpetrators—rushing to extinguish the flames. Several young men from a nearby Jewish farm appeared on the scene equipped with firefighting gear and reflective vests, actively fighting the fire. One teen, wrongly accused on Palestinian social media of starting the fire, was actually grazing sheep nearby when the blaze began. He alerted his employer and attempted to smother the fire despite facing hostile aggression from Palestinians emerging from the cemetery.

More broadly, TPS-IL confirmed multiple brush fires in adjacent grazing fields on July 7, 8, and 11—days before the main fire. The nearby Jewish farmer lodged official complaints with Israeli police each time, backed by time-stamped records. Yet church representatives interpreted these same fires as deliberate attacks on the church, alleging “settler violence.”

The Israel Police have opened a formal investigation by a Special Unit and are seeking public assistance in resolving the case.

The stark divergence between on-the-ground evidence and public accusations raises uncomfortable questions about political motivations behind the claims.

Amit Barak, a long-time advocate for Christian integration in Israeli society, told TPS-IL: “Instead of being leaders of truth, these church leaders have become players controlled on the board. They are pawns. In the past, people blamed the Jew. Today, they blame ‘the settler.’” Barak highlighted that several churches in Israel have close ties with the World Council of Churches, which recently issued statements calling for sanctions against Israel and investigations into alleged war crimes—moves he sees as heavily politicized.


The Internal Hamas Squabbles That Are Making Negotiations Harder
Western analysts examining Middle Eastern regimes and movements love to identify “moderates” and “hardliners,” often producing explanations that obscure more than they reveal. Nonetheless, Ehud Yaari argues, Hamas indeed has competing, loosely defined factions—although they have little disagreement about their goal of destroying Israel and their enthusiasm for terror. In Qatar, the two factions are led, respectively, by Khaled Meshal, who served as Politburo chief from 1996 to 2017, and by Khalil al-Hayya, who has been jointly leading the organization with Meshal since the death of Yahya Sinwar in October.

The split between “pragmatists,” who are prepared to accept a phased process of IDF withdrawal, and “radicals,” who insist on the IDF’s complete withdrawal, has produced frequent obstacles in the bargaining and caused shifts in Hamas positions and tactics.

Meshal had always been skeptical of the alliance with Hizballah and Iran. He vehemently objected to Hamas’s fateful decision to support the Assad regime and its Iranian patrons in the Syrian civil war that erupted in March 2011. . . . Meshal argues that Hamas is no longer capable of ruling over the impoverished, displaced two million people living in the rubble of Gaza.

The other faction, represented by al-Hayya, angrily rejects these proposals. It argues that playing the “hostages card” smartly will allow Hamas to achieve the full withdrawal of the IDF and ultimately to maintain its exclusive control over Gaza. It believes that Qatar, Turkey, and many non-governmental donors will devise ways to provide significant aid to them, with Iran doing its best to help. Furthermore, they say that the Palestinian Authority is very fragile and there is no benefit in accommodating it.

Meshal’s plan—for Hamas to bide its time and rebuild while the Palestinian Authority rules Gaza—also poses a threat to Israel, although it seems that, if Yaari is right, it would be better in the short term were Meshal’s faction to win out. Here the U.S. could easily help by demanding that Qatar arrest or extradite al-Hayya.
Source: Hamas negotiators unable to reach group’s Gaza leaders, slowing hostage talks
Hamas’s negotiators in Doha have been unable to reach the terror group’s leaders in Gaza since late last week, preventing talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal from moving forward, a source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Monday.

Last week, Israel submitted updated maps showing its proposed redeployment of troops during the 60-day truce under discussion. The maps had mediators bullish about the chances for an agreement as they envisioned Israel coming down from previous demands to remain in control over larger swaths of Gaza territory, Arab diplomats told The Times of Israel at the time, adding that they expected Hamas to approve the Israeli maps.

But Hamas deliberations on the updated Israeli proposal have continued since Thursday without a response, the source said Monday, lamenting the daily loss of Palestinian lives in the Gaza Strip that have taken place in the interim.

The source added that Israel’s decision to enter the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah for the first time since the start of the war may further harm efforts to reach Hamas leaders when seeking a response to developments in the Doha negotiations.

With frustration growing from mediators over the perceived foot-dragging by Hamas, the source indicated that Hamas would likely issue a statement declaring that it is still conducting internal deliberations on the Israeli proposal in a positive manner.

While talks in Doha have stalled, a separate track of negotiations has been taking place in Cairo between Israeli negotiators and Egyptian officials that have focused on advancing a new mechanism for aid distribution during the ceasefire under discussion.


Israeli military uses drones to strike Houthi targets in Yemen
The Israeli Air Force attacked Houthi targets in Yemen on Monday, acting after repeated missile and drone fire by the terrorist group against the Jewish state.

An Israeli official confirmed to JNS that drones were used in the strikes.

“The IDF has just struck terror targets of the Houthi terrorist regime at the port of Hudaydah and is vigorously acting against any attempt to restore the terror infrastructures that were previously attacked,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

“As I have clarified—the same rules apply to Yemen as to Tehran. The Houthis will pay a heavy price for launching missiles toward the State of Israel. We will continue to act at all times and in all places to defend the State of Israel.”

The Israel Defense Forces provided further details on the operation, saying that among the targets struck were engineering vehicles used to reestablish the port’s infrastructure, fuel containers, naval vessels and boats in the maritime zone adjacent to the port. The IAF also attacked additional Houthi terrorist infrastructure.

According to the military, the port has been used to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime for attacks on Israel and its allies. The IDF said it acted after detecting Houthi efforts to rebuild its terrorist infrastructure at the port.


IDF announces death of St.-Sgt. Amit Cohen in southern Gaza
Staff-Sergeant Amit Cohen was killed while fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF announced on Monday.

St.-Sgt. Cohen, 19, from Holon, served in Battalion 13 in the Golani Brigade.

Cohen was posthumously promoted from sergeant to staff-sergeant.

"His bravery, determination, and courage will always guide us," Shai Keinan, the Mayor of Holon, wrote on Facebook following the announcement.

"The entire city of Holon mourns this great loss and embraces his family and loved ones."

Cohen left behind his parents and two younger siblings.


The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s Thankless Task
The Associated Press published an investigation into violence at GHF distribution points. That investigation relied on unverified sources to claim that GHF contractors were shooting at or near crowds of Palestinians approaching aid sites. The AP cited the sound of gunfire on video as evidence. But after reviewing footage, GHF said “at no point were civilians under fire at a GHF distribution site. The gunfire heard in the video was confirmed to have originated from the IDF, who was outside the immediate vicinity of the GHF distribution site. It was not directed at individuals, and no one was shot or injured.”

Then Reuters reported that GHF proposed “humanitarian transit areas” for Palestinians in Gaza. It claimed the group proposed a multi-billion-dollar plan to build relocation camps for Palestinians in Gaza. Reuters later retracted its claim.

Meanwhile, MSNBC was forced to issue an on-air correction on Morning Joe after Middle East correspondent Matt Bradley wrongly claimed Palestinians were killed while waiting for GHF aid.

Bradley spoke about GHF’s “controversial aid sites” and said, “We’re still seeing massive numbers of casualties every single day. And actually, a lot of those folks are killed, and have been killed, waiting in line for much-needed food being distributed by a U.S.-backed organization that has attracted a lot of criticism and a lot of scrutiny.”

“This effort just had its bloodiest day two days ago, when around 60 people were shot dead while waiting in line,” he claimed.

However, Bradley was left to issue a correction the next day: “Yesterday we reported on the deaths of around 60 people who were fatally shot while waiting for food in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. We should clarify that those people were waiting for food rations that were arriving from U.N. convoys, not those that were distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).”

GHF says it has delivered more than 80 million free meals directly to the Palestinian people. Meanwhile, other aid from the U.N. and other humanitarian groups has been looted by Hamas or criminal gangs.

GHF, for its part, has called for collaboration with the UN.

“GHF was never meant to meet the needs of the population alone,” Fay told reporters on Monday. “It is not enough. That is why we have routinely and from the beginning pushed for the U.N. and others to operate alongside us in Gaza.

He refuted “false reports” that the U.N. is not allowed to operate in Gaza and that just four GHF sites have replaced 400 U.N. access points.

“That is just not true,” he said. “The World Food Program themselves acknowledged there are no restrictions on the aid they can bring in. They and others have tens of thousands of pallets of aid sitting inside Gaza rotting just out of reach of those who need it. You don’t see this on the news. The media isn’t reporting it.”


GHF says UN agencies refusing offers to work together to bring more aid into Gaza
A spokesman for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says that the US- and Israeli-backed initiative is willing to deliver food to Palestinians for the United Nations, which he says “has given up distribution altogether.”

“We can get their aid into Gaza safely and securely and have offered to help repeatedly, but they continue to reject our offers,” says GHF spokesman Chapin Fay in a media briefing.

The UN has argued that it will not cooperate with the GHF, as its distribution mechanism has placed Palestinians at risk by forcing them to walk long distances and cross IDF lines in order to pick up aid.

After a steadily improving situation, “desperation levels” in Gaza are rising, says Fay, as the other aid organizations cut back operations, and looting is widespread.

Fay says he was on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing yesterday, and saw tons of aid from UN organizations sitting on the ground undelivered.

“What I saw was disturbing,” he says. “Desperately needed flour rotting on the side of the road. Rice from Jordan that has been sitting, baking for over 90 days. Already expired medical supplies. We spoke with drivers for other aid operations who described harrowing experiences of trucks being overrun and all their cargo looted, their trucks being destroyed.”

He says the driver asked if the GHF could provide security.

“We can provide security,” says Fay. “We can help them deliver aid. The fact that tens of thousands of pallets of aid are sitting inside Gaza, out of reach of starving civilians, is unacceptable.”

“GHF is ready, willing, and able to help the UN and any other aid organization in Gaza deliver aid,” he says.

In the coming days, he says, the GHF will start its “community distribution program,” which 370 individuals and groups have signed up for.

The UN says Israel restrictions and permit rejections are the reason for the mounting stockpiles of aid at the crossings, as aid organizations are regularly barred from transferring aid to warehouses and distribution sites.

Moreover, international organizations say that Israel’s refusal to name a viable alternative to Hamas has created a Somalia-like situation on the ground where the chaotic and desperate situation has significantly marred aid distribution.


Qatari-Backed #GazaIsStarving Campaign Reveals Coordinated Disinformation Effort
Al-Jazeera has amplified a widespread social media campaign using the hashtag "#GazaIsStarving," but new analysis reveals a coordinated disinformation operation primarily driven by Arabic-speaking countries to influence English-language discourse. Despite generating considerable digital engagement, the campaign's starvation claims appear questionable given that over 700 aid trucks currently await distribution within Gaza, while Israel has facilitated approximately 4,500 truck deliveries in recent weeks.

An analysis by Jewish Onliner reveals the campaign has generated over 22,200 posts, 70,600 interactions, and reaching an estimated 81.1 million users in just 24 hours.

However, the research exposes the foreign-driven nature of this English-language campaign, with nearly half of all posts written in Arabic and originating from users across the Middle East, suggesting a coordinated effort to manipulate English-speaking audiences through cross-linguistic influence operations.

Cross-Platform Mobilization Strategy
According to Al-Jazeera's own reporting, the Arabic version of the hashtag appeared in more than 227,000 posts on X (formerly Twitter) by Sunday, where it topped the platform's trending list. The Arabic version has also been used in more than 5,000 posts on Instagram, indicating a multi-platform approach designed to maximize reach across different demographic segments while simultaneously targeting English-speaking audiences through coordinated cross-linguistic campaigns.

Geographic Distribution Analysis Targeting English Audiences
The Jewish Onliner analysis reveals the international scope of the English campaign's digital infrastructure. The predominance of Arabic-language content (47% of posts) within the English hashtag combined with significant participation from Saudi Arabia (21%), Yemen (10.7%), Qatar (3.5%), and Turkey (3.4%) indicates a concerted effort to bridge Arabic-speaking social media communities with English-language platforms.

This geographic distribution pattern suggests coordination that extends beyond organic grassroots engagement and represents a deliberate attempt to influence English-speaking audiences through foreign-originated content.

Additional accounts promoting the English hashtag include influencers based in Yemen, Oman, and Dubai, further emphasizing the foreign-driven nature of the English-language social media campaign. This geographic spread raises questions about the organic versus coordinated nature of the digital movement specifically targeting English-speaking social media users.


Videos expose the Syrian regime’s ethnic cleansing of Druze
Videos by the new Syrian government’s soldiers and affiliated militants manifest the extent of brutality and barbarism that the Druze minority is facing now. The ongoing onslaught has been escalating for months. On May 1, a terrorist ambush executed by government security forces claimed the lives of 15 Druze citizens.

Hospitals in Sweida are stacked with an unbelievable number of casualties and corpses on the floor, as seen in this video posted on July 17. The Syrian government-affiliated security forces played jihadist songs on their way to storm the city of Sweida and its Druze majority population. The genocidal alliance of jihadists and militants was unabashed in recording everything on video.

Syrian Druze citizens were beaten to near death by Syrian government militias in a video shot by the assailants and posted to Telegram on July 15. Syrian Druze corpses resulting from the hideous operations were loaded on trucks and shipped to unknown locations. The militants shooting the video, which was posted to Telegram on July 14, are heard calling the dead “pigs and dogs.”

The campaign included looting Druze businesses and shops in the city amidst shouts of “Allahu Akbar” by the terrorist militias in a video posted to Telegram on July 14.

“In the name of God, Allahu Akhbar, these are the Druze pigs’ shops. Thank God, there are no war spoils. Thank God, everyone is gone and, in a few hours, inshallah, we will be in the house of [Druze religious leader Sheikh Hikmat] al-Hijri, the pig,” declared one pro-government terrorist in a video posted on Telegram on July 14.

Syrian government militias were creative in their mass murdering techniques. They are seen throwing their victims out of balconies or from rooftops and shooting while jumping on them in horrendous death scenes. The government militias had no qualms videotaping these crimes, as in the video posted on July 19.

In some cases, Syrian government militias are seen opening fire on unarmed victims, killing them on the spot after shouting, “Pigs,” and “Allahu Akbar.” Some families were slaughtered by Syrian Army forces inside their cars, their bodies left to rot.

A massacre documented and posted on Telegram on July 15 claimed the lives of nine Druze civilians in the Radwan guest house in Sweida. Syrian security forces opened fire on civilian buildings indiscriminately in this video posted on July 17.

Even toddlers were not spared from the barbaric onslaught of Julani’s forces, as can be seen in this video posted to Telegram on July 17.


Episode 30: How the Middle East broke, a conversation with Hussein Aboubakr Mansour
Hussein Aboubakr Mansour was born and raised in Egypt before fleeing to the United States and dedicating his life to understanding how the Arab world came to be defined by state failure, religious extremism and all the rest of the region's many crises.

His conclusions, laid out in a recent essay in the magazine Mosaic, are an extraordinarily innovative new path. It isn't a crisis of internal Islamic failure, as conservative thinkers argue, nor a crisis forged and sustained purely by Western imperialism, colonialism, capitalism and the other nefarious isms of the left-wing lexicon.

It is something stranger and more interesting: An imbibing into Islamic form and language of European romantic ideas about nation, history and revolution that went so deep as to almost replace (Hussein speaks of a kind of forgetting) the traditional Islamic sense of what Islamic and Arab culture once were.

In this longer-than-usual episode, we take a deep dive into Hussein's thesis, and then we try to apply it to the Jews.

This episode was co-sponsored by Tovit and Mike on behalf of their son Rafi and his unit, Battalion 202 of the Paratroopers and all of our brave IDF soldiers protecting our country and fighting our enemies.

“This episode was also co-sponsored by the family of Larry from Encino, California in in honor of his birthday. They asked to dedicate the episode to the IDF’s reservist pilots, who 10 -- even 20 -- years out of active service, with families and full-time jobs, continue to serve with incredible selflessness. Their achievements during the Iran war were nothing short of heroic.


The Druze War In Syria Explained And Why Did Israel Stop Saving them
The Druze of Syria are under brutal attack — tanks, artillery, and jihadist militias are advancing on their villages. At First, Israel stood by its promise, but then something happened.... they now find themselves abandoned in their darkest hour.

Why did Israel stop saving the Druze?
What role does Al-Julani’s regime play in this war?
Was the US involved?
And how close are we to witnessing a genocide ignored by the world?

This video breaks down the hidden war raging in Suwayda, the betrayal, and the silence from the international community. If you care about truth, loyalty, and justice… this is a story you must hear.


The Druze/Christian massacre is FAR WORSE than they want you to know [Syria update]
The Middle East is on fire…again.

Host Emily Schrader breaks down the escalating crisis in southern Syria, where the Druze minority faces a brutal massacre, a collapsing ceasefire and deafening silence from the international community. What is Israel’s responsibility toward its Druze allies across the border and why has the world once again turned its back on victims of jihadist terror?

Joining Emily are a powerhouse panel: co-host Shoshana Keats-Jaskel, co-founder of Chochmat Nashim; Daniel Ryan Spalding, comedian and activist; and Ruthie Blum, JNS Senior Contributing Editor and host of Israel Undiplomatic. Together, they uncover the harrowing footage and reports emerging from Syria and debate Israel’s moral and strategic calculus.

The discussion then shifts to Gaza, where a surprising new development sees local clans turning on Hamas and aligning with Israel. Could this mark a major turning point in the region? The panel debates the risks of replacing Hamas with equally dangerous factions, and whether Arab partners like the UAE or Morocco could help steer Gaza toward stability.


The Information War Against Israel
More false stories about how Israel is killing the very Gazans it's trying to feed are suggestive of a new turn in the information war on the Jewish state—and how the fact that Israel is not finishing up its task in Gaza is having deleterious consequences. Also, a tribute to a great and modest figure who revolutionized the right in the United States.


‘Middle-class Israelophobes’: Palestine Action protesters posing as ‘martyrs’
Spiked Online Editor Tom Slater says Palestine Action protesters are being able to “pose as martyrs” after they get arrested by UK Police.

Mr Slater told Sky News Australia that the protesters are “middle-class Israelophobes”.

“Get to pretend they’re Nelson Mandela.”


Antisemitism envoy put in ‘pending pile’ as Labor wait on Islamophobia report
Sky News host James Macpherson discusses the Albanese government’s disregard for Jillian Segal’s antisemitism envoy.

“Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism should quit in disgust,” Mr Macpherson said.

“The Albanese Government's insistence that it cannot consider the recommendations of her report into antisemitism - until they receive a report into Islamophobia - is as absurd as it is shameful.

“It is now clear that the government-appointed envoy is being used by Anthony Albanese as a fig leaf to cover his intent to do nothing about attacks on Jews in this country.

“Instead of responding with urgency, the government has taken that report and shoved it into the pending pile.”


‘Really disgraceful’: Queer dance artist unfurls Palestine flag at Royal Opera House
Writer and broadcaster Esther Krakue discusses a dancer at London’s Royal Opera House unfurling a Palestinian flag at the end of a show.

“I think this is really disgraceful,” Ms Krakue told Sky News host James Macpherson.

“I’m pretty sure that queer dance artist is also now unemployed.

“These are the kind of things you are seeing … really just unsavoury things.”




Feds indict anti-Israel protester for burning New York City police cars
Federal prosecutors indicted an anti-Israel protester with felony arson charges on Monday for his alleged role in torching 10 police cars in June.

Federal and local officials said that Jakhi McCray, 21, was “dangerous” and “could have killed a police officer” in the attack.

“The arson attack against New York City Police Department vehicles in Bushwick, Brooklyn, was as cowardly as it was criminal,” stated Jessica Tisch, commissioner of the New York City Police Department. “The defendant in this case may have wanted to send a message, but all he did was mobilize the full force of the NYPD, the ATF and the FDNY to identify, locate and arrest him.”

McCray has reportedly been involved in anti-Israel protests since Oct. 7, 2023, with NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stating that he is also wanted for criminal mischief over the vandalism of a statue at Columbia University.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, McCray was recorded on surveillance video on June 12 entering an NYPD parking lot in Bushwick, and lit 10 cars and one trailer on fire over the course of half an hour.

Police officers later found a cigar lighter and a pair of sunglasses that allegedly had McCray’s fingerprints on them. Officers also found more than 30 fire starters under three undamaged vehicles.

The department noted that the arson took place two days before a June 14 protest, likely referring to the “Global March to Gaza NYC” demonstrations that weekend.

In a statement, McCray said he has been arrested 12 times before and blamed his indictment on state “repression” of the anti-Israel movement.


The Forgotten Origins of the Keffiyeh
How has the keffiyeh - originally a traditional garment shared by many cultures across the Middle East - become one of the most politically charged symbols in the world?




Buy EoZ's books  on Amazon!

"He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024)

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

    
 

 

at