Monday, September 01, 2025

09/01 Links Pt1: What a pathetic bunch of cry-bullies Israel’s enemies are; US imposes blanket ban on PA visas; Greta's Gaza flotilla forced back by storms

From Ian:

Brendan O'Neill: What a pathetic bunch of cry-bullies Israel’s enemies are
Ansar Allah – the official name of the Houthis group – is a profoundly racist and regressive movement. Its very flag dreams of Jew murder. ‘Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam’, it says. It has made good on its medieval loathing of the Jews by firing its Iranian-sponsored bombs into the heart of the Jewish nation. Maybe the people who are agog that Israel has had the temerity to take out the Houthi leadership didn’t get the memo: You can’t kill Jews with impunity anymore. You can’t just go around plotting the death of Jewish people. It’s not 1492. Or 1942, for that matter. Violent anti-Semitism, fascistic intrusions into the safety and sovereign rights of the Jewish people, has consequences now. Radical, I know!

Boil it down – really boil it down – and what the Houthis and their suicidal sympathisers in the West are saying is that the Jewish State should let itself be attacked. It should never respond to the menaces of its enemies. An avowedly Jew-hating militia is firing ballistic missiles at you? Big deal. Suck it up. They wouldn’t say this about any other nation. If anti-black racists were firing on the people of Botswana, they’d say that was bad. If a Japanophobic militia was launching assaults on Tokyo from inside China, they’d recognise the need for action. Only Israel is expected to put up with military onslaughts from its bigoted foes. Only Jews are implicitly instructed: ‘Don’t fight back – who the fuck do you think you are?’

Has Earth ever had such a gathering of pathetic cry-bullies as we now see in the anti-Israel movement? Hamas carried out the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust and then wailed ‘War crime!’ when those Jews fought back. Hezbollah rained missiles on northern Israel for two years, causing mass destruction, forced displacement and the deaths of Druze kids, and then cried ‘Barbarism!’ when Israel responded with the pagers operation to take out Hezbollah’s top dogs. The Houthis say ‘We hate the Jews and we want to kill them’ and then act all affronted when the Jews say ‘Nah, not today’. And Iran sponsors all this apocalyptic agitation against the Jewish State and then goes blubbing to the UN when the Jewish State takes out its leading military men.

What a toxic mix of Islamist intolerance and depthless self-pity. What a foul combination of violence and victimology, where even as you’re raping a Jew or bombing Jews from their homes you somehow manage to convince yourself that you’re the real victim. And every step of the way, this nauseating Islamo cry-bullying has been flattered and further inflamed by the Israelophobes of the West, who seem to think it’s ‘war’ when you kill Jews and a ‘war crime’ when Jews fight back. I can’t believe this needs to be said, but if you start a war, you should expect war. As a passionate believer in the sovereign rights of nations, and the right of Jews to live in peace in their homeland, I support Israel’s swift, strong strike against its vile tormentors in Ansar Allah.
Jake Wallis Simons: This is the UN's next move
In June 2024, in a brazen attempt to leverage his organisation against Israel, the head of the World Food Programme wrongly claimed that there was a “full-blown famine” in Gaza. At the time, however, the UN grudgingly concluded that it was “unable to endorse” that conclusion.

Nonetheless, the BBC duly reported that there were “catastrophic levels” of hunger in the Strip, and the Guardian ran an article headlined “The starvation of Gaza is a perverse repudiation of Judaism’s values”.

You could see where all this was heading. Fast-forward to 2025, and Jerusalem realised that something had to be done to break up the UN-Hamas complicity that was using aid to keep the terror group in power.

The result was the American-Israeli Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has delivered millions of meals. Enraged, the UN downed tools and did all it could to exacerbate hunger in the Strip, which it blamed on Israel. So the world was led to believe that Israel was both enforcing a policy of starvation and expending huge resources to provide the Palestinians with food.

As George Orwell famously observed, “one of the marks of antisemitism is an ability to believe stories that could not possibly be true”.

Which brings me to the notorious famine classification. This relied on some very dodgy data indeed. A detailed analysis of just how dodgy can be found here. But the clearest and most egregious element was the way the UN dealt with the famine mortality threshold.

According to its own rules, 180 excess deaths every day in Gaza City would have been needed to declare a famine in the city. The actual reported figure was six excess deaths every day, across the entire Strip, not just in the capital.

How did the UN deal with this inconvenient truth? By suggesting that many deaths might not have been counted. In other words, the respected organisation allowed itself to assume, without any evidence, that 30 times the recorded excess deaths had taken place.

Like I said, a new low. But Israelophobic lies are like Pringles: once you pop, you can’t stop. So we arrive at the next step in the UN’s rapid descent into depravity, by which it is trading its institutional credibility for pressure on Israel.

On Friday, the Guardian reported that hundreds of employees of the UN’s leading human rights agency, the New York-based Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), backed an internal letter telling its leadership to declare Israel’s offensive in Gaza a “genocide” and to call on UN member states to suspend arms sales to Israel.

The 1,100-word letter, signed by about a quarter of the 2,000 staff, alleged that the Israeli offensive in Gaza met the legal threshold of “genocide” and so “arms sales, transfers and related logistical or financial support to Israeli authorities” constituted a breach of international law.

OHCHR employees told the paper they were frustrated with the failure of agency’s head, Volker Türk, to “move beyond condemning Israel”. Well, unless the war in Gaza comes to an end very soon, there will be no prizes for guessing what’s coming next.


Genocide scholars say IDF committing genocide in Gaza; Israel: ‘Based on Hamas lies’
The world’s leading genocide scholars’ association passed a resolution saying that the legal criteria have been met to establish that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, its president announced Monday.

“Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide,” as well as crimes against humanity and war crimes, according to the resolution passed by the International Association of Genocide Scholars.

Eighty-six percent of those who voted among the 500-member association backed the three-page resolution declaring that “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide” according to the 1948 United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The organization did not release the specifics of the voting.

The Foreign Ministry rejected the declaration as “disgraceful,” declaiming it as “an embarrassment to the legal profession and to any academic standard.”

“It is entirely based on Hamas’s campaign of lies and the laundering of those lies by others,” the ministry said in a statement, asserting that genocide allegations should instead be leveled against Hamas for its October 7, 2023, attack. Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza Strip move with their belongings along the Sea Road, near Wadi Gaza on August 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

“For the first time, ‘Genocide Scholars’ accuse the very victim of genocide — despite Hamas’s attempted genocide against the Jewish people, murdering 1,200 people, raping women, burning families alive, and declaring its goal of killing every Jew,” said the ministry.

The ministry further accused the organization of not verifying any information it considered before making its designation.

The resolution holds that Israel is carrying out “deliberate attacks against and killing of civilians including children; starvation; deprivation of humanitarian aid, water, fuel, and other items essential to the survival of the population; sexual and reproductive violence; and forced displacement of the population.”

In Gaza, Hamas welcomed the resolution. “This prestigious scholarly stance reinforces the documented evidence and facts presented before international courts,” said Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office.


Trump: Israel is losing the war of public relations, congressional support shrinking
US President Donald Trump said that he was surprised that Israel lost its control over Congress in a Monday interview with the Daily Caller.

When asked by journalist Reagan Reese if he was concerned over declining Republican support for Israel in Congress, Trump said that he was amazed at the way the Jewish State's reputation had changed.

"Israel had the strongest lobby in Congress of anything or body, or of any company or corporation or state that I’ve ever seen. Today, it doesn’t have that strong a lobby. It’s amazing," Trump told the Daily Caller.

"Israel was the strongest lobby I’ve ever seen. They had total control over Congress, and now they don’t, you know, I’m a little surprised to see that."

Reese noted that a March Pew Poll found that 53% of US adults had an unfavorable view of Israel, compared to 42% in 2022. She went on to tell Trump that, additionally, half of Republicans polled by Pew now view Israel unfavorably.

Israel is losing the war of opinion, Trump says
Trump added that though the IDF needed to finish the war in Gaza, he believed that it was harming Israel's international reputation.

"They’re gonna have to get that war over with. But it is hurting Israel. There’s no question about it. They may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the world of public relations, you know, and it is hurting them."

Trump also said that he believes that people "forgot about October 7," which led to growing unfavorable public opinion towards Israel.

He also asserted that "nobody has done more for Israel than I have, including the recent attacks with Iran, wiping that thing out."

Netanyahu says Trump opposes partial hostage deal
This report follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's allegation that Trump opposes a partial hostage deal.

"Forget the partial deals. Go in with full force. Finish it," Netanyahu quoted US President Donald Trump as saying, adding that Israel’s window of legitimacy from the international community is limited, and that pausing for a partial deal would harm the effort to destroy Hamas.

"Our impression is that Netanyahu's opposition is genuine. He will not agree to a partial deal," ministers said.
Israeli officials claim Trump administration not opposed to West Bank annexation
Israel’s Security Cabinet convened on Sunday evening to discuss the possibility of applying sovereignty over areas of the West Bank, in response to France’s planned recognition, along with other countries, of a Palestinian state during the upcoming UN General Assembly at the end of September in New York.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, along with other ministers, is demanding that sovereignty be applied as a direct response to the French move. Smotrich has insisted in discussions and meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on “a significant and not merely symbolic application of sovereignty.”

Several Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post that the possibility of applying sovereignty “to certain areas” is being seriously considered, but Netanyahu has yet to make a final decision on the matter.

In recent weeks, senior US officials have conveyed to their Israeli counterparts that “the decision on sovereignty lies in Israel’s hands,” according to two sources familiar with the discussions. These sources added that while the message was not a full green light for any move, it also wasn’t a red light. One official said, “The Americans are telling Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials: first decide what you want – then talk to us.”

In August, US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson—considered third in line in the American government hierarchy – visited the West Bank on a trip organized by Yesha [West Bank] Council Chairman Israel Ganz and the US-Israel Education Association.

During his visit, Johnson met with Netanyahu and said, “Judea and Samaria are part of Israel. We are working to eliminate the use of the term ‘West Bank’ in the administration, in Congress, and in the federal government.”


US imposes blanket visa ban on PA travel document holders
The Trump administration has issued broad additional restrictions on visa applications by holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents, The New York Times reported on Sunday, citing four American officials.

The measures, said to have been announced in an Aug. 18 cable sent to all U.S. diplomatic missions, would prevent Palestinians from Samaria and Judea from entering America, including for medical treatment, university studies, visits to friends or relatives and business travel.

The new policy reportedly goes beyond the suspension of all visitor visas for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, which was announced on Aug. 16.

The new restrictions cover anyone holding only a P.A. travel document. They do not apply to Palestinian Arabs with dual nationalities who use their other passports, or those who have already obtained a U.S. visa.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed to the Times on Sunday that it had ordered embassies and consulates to enforce the restrictions, saying that Washington was taking “concrete steps in compliance with U.S. law and our national security in regards to announced visa restrictions.”

To deny visas, the Trump administration is reportedly invoking section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which is usually applied narrowly to request additional documentation from applicants.

On Friday, the State Department announced that it had decided to deny new visas and revoke old ones for individuals associated with the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority ahead of the United Nations General Assembly annual debate in September.

“The Trump administration has been clear: It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and P.A. accountable for not complying with their commitments and for undermining the prospects for peace,” read a memo. “Before the PLO and P.A. can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism, including the Oct. 7 massacre, and end incitement to terrorism in education.”


'Israel wants to destroy all of Palestine, ' Abbas tells Arab media
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath that Israel "wants to destroy all of Palestine" in a Monday interview.

"Netanyahu does not want a fully-fledged Palestinian state," he said, adding that the prime minister is "determined to continue the genocide of the Palestinian people."

"We recognized Israel since 1988, yet it [Israel] still prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state."

He went on to say that the PA is "ready to take over Gaza’s governance and we have the capabilities for it. We have no objections to Arab or international partnerships in managing Gaza," he added.

He mentioned that several countries across the globe intend to recognize a Palestinian state.

"One hundred and forty-nine countries have recognized the Palestinian state. Several heads of states have told me they intend to recognize Palestine."

These statements were made ahead of a United Nations General Assembly meeting scheduled for later in September, from which Abbas and several other Palestinian officials were barred from attending by the United States.

Before the US revoked the visas, Abbas said that he was considering unilaterally announcing the transformation of the PA into a state.

In the Monday interview, he told Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath that he is aiming to "go to the UN for full membership for Palestine."
Now Is Not the Time to Recognize a Palestinian State
At the UN General Assembly in September, governments around the world intend to recognize a Palestinian state. The idea of a two-state solution is not new. In November 1947, the General Assembly voted to partition the British Mandate of Palestine into two states: one Arab, one Jewish. The Jews agreed. The Arabs did not.

What is new about the current push for recognition of a Palestinian state is the backdrop against which it is due to happen. Governments, including Britain's, have decided to recognize a Palestinian state, seemingly without tying that commitment to any reciprocal commitment on the part of Hamas to release the hostages it took at gunpoint on Oct. 7, 2023, and have held in inhumane conditions ever since.

Right now, with Gaza in ruins, the decision by Hamas to launch an unprovoked invasion of Israel does not look like it has delivered anything but disaster for the Palestinian people. But recognition of a Palestinian state at this time offers Hamas the opportunity to justify the horrors of Oct. 7 because it will say its actions delivered. It will say that Hamas alone delivered international recognition of a Palestinian state.

Moreover, if Hamas can achieve an outcome no other Palestinian group or leader could, and can do it while committing to nothing, why would it release the hostages?

The writer is the author of From the First World War to the Arab Spring: What's Really Going On in the Middle East?
French President Macron Rewards Terrorism, Whips Up Slaughter
So, Macron actually regards these views -- approving the October 7, 2023 massacre of Jews and continuing terrorism to displace Israel -- as "legitimate aspirations"? Good to know.

Macron's calls for an immediate ceasefire could save Hamas from destruction -- exactly what Hamas and Qatar want.

France, the UK, Canada and Australia have to see that the terrorist state they are about to recognize has no borders, no internationally recognized territory, and meets no criteria of any kind as required in the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (1933) for a state to be recognized.

"Article 80 of the UN Charter... preserves intact all the rights granted to Jews under the Mandate for Palestine, even after the Mandate's expiry on May 14-15, 1948.... As a direct result of Article 80, the UN cannot transfer these rights over any part of Palestine... to any non-Jewish entity." -- Howard Grief, Esq., Algemeiner, September 22, 2011.

France, the UK, Canada and Australia also realize that Israel cannot stop the war without the return of all the hostages. What would they do if their citizens were held hostage? Or are they already?

If France, the UK, Canada and Australia are so committed to the creation of a Palestinian State, surely they will be happy to donate some of their plentiful land for it.

[A]pproximately 1,000 trucks were blocked for days because the United Nations refused to distribute the aid, leaving it to rot in the sun, even after Israel offered the UN military protection.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The ICC accused them -- not Hamas which stole most of the food -- of crimes against humanity.

Hamas is an organization with straightforwardly unhidden genocidal goals:....

This continual demonization of Israel has sadly led to an increased hatred of Israel, a tiny country that, ironically, is fighting to protect the very countries defaming it. A thank you would be nice.

What is at stake now is not only Israel's survival but the need for democracies to understand the central danger confronting them, and finally to start combatting it.

During the Second World War, all those grateful for the hard-won freedoms of the democratic world saw that the only way out was not compromise and submission, but the full destruction of the Third Reich -- not giving it a "state."


Lammy says the UK WILL recognise Palestine later this month unless ‘breakthrough’ with Israel
David Lammy has said the UK WILL recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly later this month, unless the Israeli government announces a ceasefire in Gaza, and commits to conditions on aid and settlements.

In a statement in the Commons on Monday, the Foreign Secretary rejected claims that recognition rewarded Hamas and put Israel’s security in danger telling MPs:”It does neither”.

He added:”Recognition is rooted in the principal of a two-state solution which Hamas rejects.

“We have been clear that any Palestinian state should be demilitarised….

“We see no contradiction between the two-state solution and our deep commitment to Israeli security.”

Security, added Lammy, “comes from stable borders, not indefinite occupation”.

Lammy also repeated the findings of the UN-backed IPC who said on August 22nd that there was a famine in Gaza City.

“This is not a natural disaster,” he told MPs. “It’s a man-made famine in the 21st century”.

“I am outraged by the Israeli government’s refusal to allow sufficient aid,” he added.

Lammy told MPs that the UK continued to hope diplomacy would work in the Middle East as he called for Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a Gaza ceasefire, increase aid into the region, and halt settlement expansion in the West Bank.
Andrew Fox: Labour’s latest blunder on Israel imperils Britain’s security
The message to Hamas, Hezbollah, and their supporters in Tehran is clear: continue the violence, and international pressure will do your work for you. The losers will be ordinary Israelis and Palestinians, who are pushed further from a sustainable peace, while Britain secures a propaganda victory for rejectionists.

Britain’s global standing is already fragile. Post-Brexit, allies and rivals alike are assessing whether London still has the strategic influence to shape outcomes. Defence exports and security partnerships are among the few areas where the UK genuinely retains influence. Labour’s plan would squander that.

The Gulf states, whose cooperation is crucial for energy security and counter-terrorism, will notice that Britain is aligning itself with the most strongly anti-Israeli positions in Europe. Israel itself remains a key partner in intelligence and innovation. It will be entirely justified in quietly reducing cooperation. Washington, always attentive to signs of wavering allied support for Israel, will doubt whether Britain can still be trusted.

All for what? A headline at home, another clear sign that Labour is running scared of sections of its domestic voter base, and applause from activists who mistake gesture politics for statecraft.

Foreign policy involves tough choices, not moral vanity. If Labour is genuinely committed to supporting a two-state solution, it should focus on rebuilding trust between Israelis and Palestinians, fostering security cooperation, and supporting moderates on both sides who still believe in compromise rather than endlessly rewarding Hamas. If it is truly committed to defending Britain, it must ensure our armed forces and allies have access to the best technology and best security partners.

Banning Israeli officials from DSEI serves no purpose. It compromises Britain’s security, erodes our alliances, and further hampers the chances for peace. It is the worst form of symbolic politics: loud, self-congratulatory, and strategically damaging. Britain deserves a foreign policy grounded in reality, not one written to please Labour’s flagging electorate.
Downing Street defends appointment of former Columbia University chief who oversaw ‘ground zero for campus antisemitism’
Downing Street has defended appointing the former president of Columbia University to a key new economic role, despite her overseeing what one Democratic Senator referred to as the “ground zero for campus antisemitism”.

Sir Keir Starmer appointed Baroness Shafik – an economist who has previously served as the deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), vice president of the World Bank and deputy governor of the Bank of England – as his chief economic adviser during an overhaul of his advisory staff

But Shafik’s tenure in charge of Columbia University in New York was marred with controversy over the university’s handling of chaotic anti-Israel protests, during which some Jewish students and staff were threatened and intimidated, in the aftermath of October 7.

Then-US President Joe Biden denounced the “harassment and calls for violence against Jews” that took place at the college and the “blatant antisemitism” during some of the protests.

During her time in office, Shafik made clear that she personally abhorred antisemitism: “Antisemitic language, like any other language that is used to hurt and frighten people, is unacceptable and appropriate action will be taken.”

On Monday, a Downing Street spokesperson told reporters: “We've always been very clear, there's no place for any hatred or antisemitism anywhere. And that was echoed by Baroness Shafik in her statement at the time.”

The spokesperson went on to defend her appointment: “Baroness Shafik is someone with over 30 years’ experience in public service, in academia, in the World Bank, in the IMF… what's very clear is her exceptional record when it comes to her economic expertise, and the prime minister is delighted to have someone with that experience join his team to drive forward our economic agenda.”

However, Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice expressed concern about Shafik’s new Downing Street role.

He told the JC: “Let’s hope she is better at economics than she was at dealing with antisemitism when she failed at Columbia University”.


Trump is on a collision course with Ireland – and it could spell economic disaster
Eugene Kontorovich, a professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School in Virginia, says the laws have “far broader” reach than the Irish government appears to realise. “They prohibit adhering to, complying, facilitating, or in any way accommodating oneself to a foreign boycott,” he said. “If you are complying with the [new Irish] law and you in any way signal that to the government, you are violating federal law.”

It would, says Kontorovich, be “impossible for an American company to be located in Ireland and not commit some level of violation of this law”, if the Occupied Territories Bill were enacted.

The penalties for US firms breaching America’s anti-boycott laws are severe, including federal investigations, fines starting at $250,000 (£185,000) per offence, and even potential criminal liability. “No CEO will want to face that,” he says.

Earlier this year, Irish officials even feared the annual St Patrick’s Day reception at the White House might be cancelled over the bill, according to a source in contact with civil servants at the time. Behind the scenes, diplomats scrambled to reassure Jewish organisations in Washington that it was neither anti-Semitic nor ill-intentioned.

“There was great anxiety” that Trump would raise the issue when he met Martin in the Oval Office in March, the source says.

“But the meeting went well. They came out feeling they’d got away with it – in their heads there were no adverse consequences in the States to what they were doing.”

The meeting was overshadowed days later, however, by the guest of honour at the Oval Office on St Patrick’s Day itself. Conor McGregor, the former mixed martial arts fighter seeking to become the president of Ireland, swaggered into the White House press room, where he accused the Irish government of overseeing an “illegal immigration racket”.

Government ministers pared back their statements on Israel ahead of the Oval Office meeting, according to one source, only for the cabinet to press ahead with the Occupied Territories Bill once the hour-long sit-down with Trump had occurred.

Why, then, risk a clash with Ireland’s largest trading partner at a moment of acute economic tension?

One explanation is domestic politics. “The Gaza situation has struck Irish consciousness,” says Brendan Scannell, Ireland’s ambassador to Israel between 1996 and 2001. “There’s a groundswell of people who see what’s happening as reprehensible. You see images of Gaza every night on our news, and politicians need to act and show leadership. It’s not going to achieve an awful lot.”

Others argue that the government is fuelling the public mood. Alan Shatter, the former Irish defence and justice minister and board member of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations, accuses ministers of “further inciting emotive reactions” through their anti-Israel rhetoric, including in social media posts.

Public opinion appears to be shifting. A recent Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll found only 20 per cent of voters wanted the bill passed quickly; 38 per cent said the consequences should be examined first. When the issue was last polled, in April, a small majority said the bill should be introduced as soon as possible.
Israel moves bond approval process out of Ireland as Dublin pushes to reject ties
Israel has moved the process of securing EU approval for its Diaspora bond prospectus from Ireland to Luxembourg amid increasing opposition in Dublin to its central bank’s role in approving the program on behalf of the European Union.

Irish lawmakers and pro-Palestinian campaign groups have called on the central bank to stop facilitating the sale of the bonds over the last year due to Israel’s nearly two-year military campaign against the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

Israel’s Diaspora bonds — an instrument used by some countries to fundraise among expats — are relatively small and sold mainly in Jewish communities around the world to help supplement the state’s bond sales that finance its budget deficit, which has risen due to the war sparked by Hamas’s onslaught in October 2023.

Non-EU countries must choose one EU member state to apply to for approval of a prospectus where securities are traded in the EU and Ireland’s central bank had been asked to approve Israel’s Diaspora bond program each year since 2021.

A joint committee of Irish lawmakers recommended in August that the government seek to amend EU regulations so as to allow each individual European central bank to refuse to act as the competent authority for such bond prospectuses.

Protesters have also demonstrated outside the central bank’s offices.
Jewish Agency chair delays South Africa visit amid arrest risk
Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman IDF Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog recently postponed a visit to South Africa following an “assessment of the general situation,” a spokesperson confirmed to JNS on Sunday.

According to Kan Reshet Bet radio, the decision to cancel the trip came amid fears that Pretoria would issue an arrest warrant for the chairman.

The Jewish Agency “works around the world to strengthen the connection between Jewish communities and Israel. Jewish Agency envoys work routinely in 66 countries, and agency heads meet periodically with community leaders,” a spokeswoman told JNS.

“Following a recent assessment of the general situation, a planned trip to South Africa by Chairman Doron Almog has been postponed,” she said. “The Jewish Agency’s activities in all communities will continue to strengthen their mutual ties and their bonds with Israel.”

Based in Jerusalem, the Jewish Agency for Israel is the world’s largest Jewish nonprofit organization. It has helped more than three million Jews to immigrate to the Jewish state since the country’s rebirth in 1948.

Almog, who served as head of the Israel Defense Forces’ Southern Command from 2000 to 2003, suffered personal losses in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led cross-border terrorist attacks from the Gaza Strip.

His brother‑in‑law Nadav Goldstein‑Almog, and his eldest niece, Yam, were murdered in their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, while Nadav’s wife, Chen, and their younger children—Agam, 17, Gal, 11, and Tal, 9—were abducted by Hamas terrorists and held in Gaza for more than 50 days.

In November 2023, Israel withdrew its ambassador from South Africa after Pretoria did the same, and Knesset members passed a resolution recommending the closure of Israel’s mission until the Swords of Iron war ended.
Anti-Israel flotilla to feature terror group ‘coordinator’
An international anti-Israel flotilla to Gaza will feature at least one member of Samidoun, the group said on Saturday. Samidoun is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and Israel and has been banned in Germany.

An international movement that’s focused on the welfare of Palestinian prisoners, including terrorists, in Israeli jails, Samidoun announced on X that Jaldia Abubakra, which it identified as the coordinator its network in Madrid, Spain, will join the flotilla, that’s due to arrive next month.

Samidoun did this on its official account, sharing a post referring readers to the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement, which Abubakra founded. The text, titled “Jaldia Abubakra: Returning to Palestine with the Global Sumud Flotilla,” contains her title with Samidoun.

In October 2024, the United States and Canada issued joint statements listing Samidoun as a terrorist entity. The United States called Samidoun a “sham charity that serves as an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization” and described Samidoun head Khaled Barakat as “a member of the PFLP’s leadership” who played a “critical role in external fundraising for the PFLP.”

The same month, the Dutch Parliament passed a resolution calling on the government to designate Samidoun as a terror organization. The organization has been banned in Germany since 2023.

The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail on Sunday from Spain, heading for the Gaza Strip. It comprises dozens of vessels carrying activists from 44 countries. Israel has intercepted and redirected previous so-called flotillas and deported their passengers, and it is expected to block the Sumud flotilla as well.
Gaza flotilla with Greta Thunberg forced back by storms
A Gaza-bound flotilla of dozens of boats, including one carrying Swedish anti-Israel activist Greta Thunberg, was forced to turn back to port in Barcelona due to stormy weather, organizers said on Monday.

The Global Sumud (“steadfastness” in Arabic) Flotilla posted a statement to its Telegram channel that mission departure was “delayed to prioritize safety amid strong Mediterranean winds.”

“We conducted a sea trial and then returned to port to allow the storm to pass. This meant delaying our departure to avoid risking complications with the smaller boats,” adding that the vessels were facing 30 knot winds (35 mph, or 56 kph).

The organizers did not say when the journey would resume.

Thunberg and hundreds of other anti-Israel activists departed from Spain and other countries on Sunday, in what Reuters described as the largest Gaza flotilla to date, in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade of the Strip.

It is the second protest flotilla for the Swedish climate activist, who has pivoted to anti-Israel extremism since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. She is joined by far-left Portuguese parliamentarian Mariana Mortágua, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, who has supported a cultural boycott of the Jewish state, and activists from 44 countries, who departed from Barcelona, Sicily, Greece and Tunisia.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is described by the Barcelona Radical Book Fair, which broadcasted the departure live, as “history’s largest international civil humanitarian movement to break the siege on Gaza, open a maritime humanitarian corridor and denounce the genocide against the Palestinians.”

A restricted meeting was held Sunday at the official residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem to discuss operational strategy against the more than 200 people participating in the flotilla. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and security personnel participated.

Ben-Gvir propose to Netanyahu tougher measures as part of a deterrent strategy to prevent future flotillas. This strategy was reportedly formulated at a preparatory meeting hosted by the minister on Aug. 28 with top police and Prison Service personnel.

The strategy includes “detaining the activists in terrorist-level conditions at Ktzi’ot and Damon (for females) facilities—lacking television or radio, without superior-quality meals, and involving prolonged custody rather than merely overnight,” Israel Hayom reported.


Houthi terrorists detain 11 UN staff in Sanaa raid
Houthi terrorists detained at least 11 United Nations staff in a raid on the international body’s offices in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Sunday, Reuters reported.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the action in an X post on Monday, saying that the Iranian-backed terrorist group forcibly entered the World Food Programme and other U.N. sites and confiscated property.

“I reiterate my demand for the immediate & unconditional release of all personnel from the United Nations, international & national NGOs, civil society & diplomatic missions who have been arbitrarily detained today & in previous years,” wrote Guterres. “The personnel of the UN & its partners must never be targeted while carrying out their duties.”

The raid and detentions come days after an Israeli airstrike killed the Houthi prime minister and several of his Cabinet members. Jerusalem’s attack on the terror group’s leadership followed several strikes in recent months on infrastructure-related terror sites in Yemen, including Hudaydah port.

The Houthis started attacking the Jewish state in the wake of the Hamas-led invasion and massacre on Oct. 7, 2023. The Yemeni group said it had joined the war in an expression of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Before the attack on Sanaa, the Houthis fired, for the first time, a missile containing a new type of cluster sub-munition at Israel. The Houthis fired another missile on Sunday night which fell on the way, triggering no sirens.

The vast majority of the missiles and drones have been intercepted, but some have penetrated Israel’s air defenses, including a direct hit at Ben Gurion International Airport.


IDF chief Zamir warns Gaza plan could push Israel into military rule
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir addressed the government's plan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to a partial Gaza hostage deal during a cabinet meeting and stated, "You are heading toward military rule. Understand the implications."

Yossi Fuchs, the Cabinet Secretary, responded: "That's not true."

"Instead of military rule, we can encourage voluntary emigration," National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said.

After Zamr reiterated his warning, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told him: "We have made a decision."

In the meeting, Netanyahu told the security cabinet that the US administration also opposes a partial deal. "Forget the partial deals. Go in with full force. Finish it," Netanyahu quoted US President Donald Trump as saying, adding that Israel’s window of legitimacy from the international community is limited, and that pausing for a partial deal would harm the effort to destroy Hamas.

"Our impression is that Netanyahu's opposition is genuine. He will not agree to a partial deal," ministers said.

The discussion centered on the conquest of Gaza City, with the military presenting its plans. An Israeli official previously told The Jerusalem Post that the cabinet would not discuss the question of attempting to reach a partial deal or not.


Israel SILENCES Hamas mouthpiece (for good) - now what? [w/Yoseph Haddad]
Israel delivers a major blow to Hamas with the elimination of Abu Obeida, Hamas's masked mouthpiece and chief propagandist. What does his death mean for the war, the region and the battle of narratives? Find out in this explosive new episode of “The Quad” hosted by Israel innovation envoy Fleur Hassan-Nahoum.

Joining the panel is Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad, who offers powerful insights into the shifting mindset among Arab communities in Israel and the growing calls from Gazans themselves to be liberated from Hamas rule. The conversation also tackles the corrosive role of Al Jazeera and Qatari-funded propaganda in shaping global opinion, as well as the urgent need for media accountability.

The discussion delves into the hypocrisy of international institutions like the UN and UNRWA, whose double standards and blind spots continue to fuel misinformation and obstruct peace. From the use of children as human shields in Gaza schools to the moral corruption of terrorist regimes, our hosts don’t shy away from hard truths. They also spotlight the rise of extremism in Western capitals, questioning whether mass immigration without cultural integration is putting democratic values at risk.

Finally, they discuss whether targeted strikes on terrorist leaders, including the Houthis, can alter the strategic equation and how media bias continues to endanger Israel’s legitimacy on the world stage. As always, the show wraps with the team’s picks for “hero” and “scumbag” of the week, plus a sweet (and slightly spicy) side note involving...baklava.

Chapters
00:00 - Israel Eliminates Hamas Spokesman Abu Obeida
04:10 - The Power of Propaganda: Why Abu Obeida Mattered
08:20 - Gaza Reacts: Has the Tide Turned Against Hamas?
13:00 - The Houthis, Child Soldiers & Western Hypocrisy
17:25 - Can Gaza Ever Change? Education, UNRWA & Indoctrination
22:10 - UN Complicity & Western Media’s Double Standards
26:45 - “The Day After”: Arab-Israelis & Rebuilding Gaza
32:00 - Scumbags of the Week: From Erdogan to Hollywood
38:30 - Heroes of the Week: Luay Al-Mahna, Rubio, Israeli Intelligence
43:10 - Final Thoughts: Israel’s War, the West’s Wake-Up Call


October 7th's Hidden Crimes: The Fight to Rewrite International Law
In this “Basic Law" episode, Aylana Meisel and Dr. Ilya Rudiak pull the camera tight on Oct. 7, 2023 and argue it wasn’t just a massacre, it was the deliberate weaponization of the family itself.

They name the crime ‘Kinoside’ and trace six chilling patterns that repeat across the day: loved ones murdered before each other’s eyes, entire households erased, parents and children abducted as units, families torn apart by force, horrors live-streamed from victims’ own accounts and homes torched or desecrated as a final violation. Naming matters, they contend. Kinoside gives prosecutors a precise tool and gives victims the language to be heard.

The conversation maps immediate legal pathways: crimes against humanity, war crimes, elements within genocide, and torture—showing how courts could recognize kinocidal conduct today under the Rome Statute’s “other inhumane acts” and cruel or inhuman treatment.

Just as crucial, they draw a bright line between Kinoside and tragic but unintended civilian harm from lawful strikes. Finally, they chart the road ahead: judicial rulings, domestic codification and coalition-building among victims and scholars.


Shana Meyerson: Full Frontal
Pro-Hamas mobs crowding our live and virtual spaces are not rioting because of anything other than violent tropes and pervasive double-standards. Anti-Israel/anti-Zionist/antisemitic (take your pick) sentiment has become normalized and even celebrated. It is socially acceptable to call for death to all Jews, or a global Intifada, or the complete destruction of the Jewish State, and people are exploiting the thrill-of-loathing to justify demands that Israel quit now, lie down and die.

I’m sorry to say it again and again, but never again.

And after 23 months of brutal fighting, that includes no more partial deals. Never again negotiating with terrorists. Relentless pressure is the only thing that will end this war.

Yes, maximum pressure has not worked to date to accomplish Israel’s goals. But why?

Every time Israel has ramped up its offensive, it has brought Hamas back to the table. Let’s call that Exhibit A, because it is important evidence.

Exhibit B, every time Hamas comes to the table, Israel is forced/coerced into accepting a bad ceasefire agreement that compromises both its war aims and its long-term security.

Exhibit C, every time the pressure builds, the world forces Israel to release the pressure valve.

So, how do we know maximum pressure doesn’t work???

How does anyone know that a maximum pressure campaign won’t bring Hamas to the table once and for all to accept a full, comprehensive deal to end the war?

As we all know, one of the biggest challenges of a war on a genocidal death cult like Hamas is that they not only don’t care if they die in the process, they actually welcome death.

They welcome their own death as martyrs and they welcome the death of their own people as PR wins.

But here’s the fact: no matter how much Hamas loves death—the martyrdom, the virgins, all the things—simple survival is how they win this war. So, no matter what they say, they sort of love life, too....

But here’s the fact: no matter how much Hamas loves death—the martyrdom, the virgins, all the things—simple survival is how they win this war. So, no matter what they say, they sort of love life, too....

And on that premise, I firmly believe that when Israel finally takes over 100% of Gaza, Hamas will finally give up the fight and the hostages. It may very well happen before 100%.

Everyone can see that Hamas is already shaking in its boots as you read this. They are desperately playing their final card—the hostages—as a last-ditch attempt to save themselves.

As long as Netanyahu sticks to his guns and insists on nothing less than a full, comprehensive deal, Hamas will no longer be able to play their reindeer games, prancing around the diplomatic sphere at the expense of the hostages and the Jewish State. They will no longer be able to exploit international sentiment in order to manipulate a favorable outcome to this war that they started. When Hamas realizes that Israel is serious about ending them in order to end the war, they will have no choice but to finally accept Israeli terms, or die an ugly death.

Let me add that I am not naive about what this may mean for the fate of the hostages. I have been physically ill and breaking down both physically and mentally over them for 23 months. But I am also not naive about Trump, his amount of control over Israel, and the very real prospect of his patience running thin and forcing Bibi to end the war before the hostages are home.

The window for Israeli victory is closing and the only way to climb through it is by occupying Gaza and hoping Hamas cares if not about the survival of its citizenry, at least about the survival of itself. Personally, I think it is a gamble worth taking, as long as Israel doesn’t prematurely fold its cards…once again.




Greta Thunberg’s attempts to tie Gaza to “ecocide” demonstrate her total ignorance
The Global “Sumud Flotilla”, comprising around twenty boats loaded with food, medicine and other supplies, set sail from Barcelona on Sunday. Its leaders promised to defy Israel by delivering “lifesaving aid” directly to the Strip. But after only a few hours in the Mediterranean, the mission was over.

“Due to unsafe weather conditions, we conducted a sea trial and then returned to port to allow the storm to pass,” the group admitted in a statement. They cited “over 30-knot winds” and insisted the retreat was to “prioritise the safety and wellbeing” of participants.

Among those forced to turn back were Greta Thunberg, former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau, and councillor Jordi Coronas. The storm accomplished what the Israeli navy didn’t have to: sending the flotilla home.

The flotilla is part of a long tradition of publicity-driven attempts to “break the siege” of Gaza. They generate headlines, activist selfies, and angry hashtags. But while Greta and friends were bouncing back to Barcelona, real aid was moving into Gaza — not by yacht, but by truck, pipeline and logistics hubs.


‘Ill-informed’ Greta Thunberg slammed for not condemning Hamas
Sky News host Sharri Markson labels Greta Thunberg “ill-informed” for her lack of knowledge on Hamas as she sails off to Gaza.

“They all clearly believe Israel is not delivering aid into Gaza, and they want to save the day,” Ms Markson said.

“When she can't properly condemn Hamas, it’s a joke.”


‘Riviera of the Middle East’: Rumours of Donald Trump’s plans to turn Gaza into a resort
Sky News contributor Kosha Gada discusses the potential for the United States to turn Gaza into the Riviera of the Middle East.

“It feels … like a trial balloon,” Ms Gada told Sky News host Sharri Markson.

“It is a little bit of a tricky one … it does have flavours of Trump.”


Coldplay singer unwittingly calls Israelis onstage, also welcomes ‘people from Palestine’
Two women called onstage during a Coldplay concert Sunday night were met with boos from some of in the crowd, followed by an uneasy response from the British band’s lead singer, after they disclosed their Israeli identity.

Frontman Chris Martin invited the two, named Avia and Tal, to come onstage during the British band’s performance at Wembley Stadium in London.

He asked the women where they were from, to which they replied, “Israel.” They were met with a mixed response of both jeers and applause from the audience, while Martin appeared ill at ease at the piano.

“Okay, well listen — I’m very grateful that you’re here as humans, and I am treating you as equal humans on earth, regardless of where you come from or don’t come from,” said the singer.

“Although it’s controversial maybe, I also want to welcome people in the audience from Palestine because… out of the belief that we’re all equal humans,” he added, and was met with cheers from the crowd.

“Thank you for being here, I’m very happy to see you, look at your beautiful green eyes,” he told one of the women.

In an interview with the Kan public broadcaster after the fact, one of the two women confessed to having doubts about going up and revealing her Israeli identity to the large crowd.

“There was a split second that we considered saying we are from Malta, and then I said ‘Israeli,’” she said in the interview. “We couldn’t and didn’t want to lie. It was a bit scary that 90,000 people know we are from here, but we said it.”

Since the start of the war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, Coldplay’s performances — especially those in Europe — have at times become charged with discourse surrounding the conflict.


High-profile Aussie doctor makes wild claim about antisemitic attacks
A leading Sydney cardiologist has spread a bizarre conspiracy theory that Israeli intelligence agency Mossad was behind two alleged antisemitic arson attacks in Melbourne and Sydney.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced last week that ASIO had linked the Iranian government to the December 6 firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne and the October 20 attack on Lewis' Continental Kitchen in Bondi Beach.

The announcement led to the expulsion of Iran's ambassador to Australia.

But Professor Peter Macdonald, a cardiologist at St Vincent's Hospital and world-renowned heart transplant pioneer, told a public forum he was deeply sceptical of the official account.

'I thought it was a no brainer that these were Mossad-engineered events,' Professor Macdonald said.

'Am I being totally naive, or has the lobby taken over ASIO as well?'

His remarks were met with applause from sections of the audience.

Professor Macdonald is one of Australia's most prominent cardiologists.


Pro-Palestinian activist throws red paint on Israeli singer at concert in Warsaw
An anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian activist disrupted Israeli singer David D’Or’s concert in Warsaw, Poland, on Sunday night, throwing red paint on the musician during his performance.

D’or, a renowned classical singer, was performing at a Jewish festival in Warsaw when a woman carrying a Palestinian flag tried to storm the stage, shouted “Free Palestine,” and threw red paint on him.

The woman was quickly apprehended by security, and was removed from the auditorium.

After the concert, D’or posted a clip of the incident on his Instagram page, and said: “In the middle of the prayer, Our Father, our King, when I pray for a good year and peace in the world, I closed my eyes, when suddenly I felt a splash on my face, I opened my eyes to see a strong red color, resembling blood.

D’Or said the paint was “on my clothes, on my face, on the stage and the other musicians,” saying it was as if “the song list was stained with blood.”

“It brought me back to the horrors of October 7,” he added, referencing the deadly massacres of Israelis during Hamas’s 2023 attack on southern Israel, during which terrorists killed some 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages to Gaza, sparking the ongoing war.

Speaking to the Ynet news site after the show, D’or said: “It was very difficult, very sad.”

“The audience, of course, was all scared and I tried to calm them down. I asked them to sing together and we prayed together,” he added.

“The girls in the orchestra were very scared, all their fancy dresses were filled with paint stains that looked like blood,” he said. “I hope better days will come.”


Pro-Palestine protesters arrested after blocking crucial Webb Dock shipping port in Melbourne
Police have arrested eighteen pro-Palestine protesters who blocked vehicles from entering a crucial port in Melbourne.

More than twenty activists sat along a pedestrian crossing on Webb Dock Drive in Port Melbourne, fixing barrels, a sound system and a stationary car brandished with ‘Stop The Death Toll’ to the crossing.

The protest blocked all vehicles from entering the Webb Dock port facility, causing significant disruptions.

Members from the Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance set up the blockade shortly after 11.30am, with several protesters locking themselves to the terminal’s entrance gate with bike locks.

Other members handcuffed themselves to the barrels placed on the pedestrian crossing.

WACA called the disruption a “people’s embargo”, designed to halt container trucks “that enable and support the genocide being perpetrated by Israel in the occupied territories of Palestine,” as per Baird Maritime.

Shipping companies Maersk, Toll and Zim were the central targets of the blockade, according to WACA.

Police attempted to forcibly remove some of the protesters throughout the afternoon after they resisted a move on direction.

Police have successfully towed the brandished car from the site.
Melbourne port protest causes traffic chaos | 7NEWS
Eighteen activists are blocking the gates at Melbourne's port with multiple vehicles, causing major traffic disruptions with queues stretching back to Todd Road. One protester has locked themselves to a gate while police are currently moving in to disperse the demonstration.






Buy EoZ's books  on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

    
 

 



AddToAny

Printfriendly

EoZTV Podcast

Podcast URL

Subscribe in podnovaSubscribe with FeedlyAdd to netvibes
addtomyyahoo4Subscribe with SubToMe

search eoz

comments

Speaking

Speaking

translate

E-Book

For $18 donation








Sample Text

EoZ's Most Popular Posts in recent years

Search2

Hasbys!

Hasbys!

2019 Nobel Peace Prize nominee

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.

Donate!

Donate to fight for Israel!

Monthly subscription:
Payment options


One time donation:

Follow EoZ on Twitter!

Interesting Blogs

Show All

Blog Archive

Copyright © Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News | Powered by Blogger
Blogger Templates