Tuesday, October 21, 2025

10/21 Links Pt1: As Hamas Sows Fear in Gaza, the Western Appetite for Involvement in Demilitarization Is Decreasing; The remains of Gaza hostages Tamir Adar, Arie Zalamanowicz are identified

From Ian:

As Hamas Sows Fear in Gaza, the Western Appetite for Involvement in Demilitarization Is Decreasing
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and another was wounded when Palestinian militants launched an anti-tank missile at an army vehicle in Rafah on Sunday, the Israeli military said. Israel called it a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement. Hamas officials were quick to disavow the attack.

Hamas distanced itself from the Rafah attack, even divulging that it had lost contact with its fighters in Rafah in March and did not know whether any of them were still alive. That admission laid bare the ceasefire's fragility: If Hamas is indeed unable to control one of its fighting units, it may be unable to fully enforce its side of the ceasefire, making it less likely that Israel will fully withdraw.

The return of all the living hostages has also freed the Israeli military to retaliate against Hamas harder, whenever and wherever it chooses to strike, with no more fear of harming its own citizens, said Tamir Hayman, a former head of Israeli military intelligence who now leads the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

Hayman said that Hamas was trying to sow fear and reestablish its dominance in Gaza, pointing to the executions by Hamas militants of eight rivals on a crowded Gaza City street last week. "By doing that, they're stronger, and it creates much more difficulties when you're trying to demilitarize them. The appetite by Arab or Western countries to be deeply involved in demilitarization is decreasing by the hour."
We Are Not Fooled by You, Hamas
"Hamas is not just at war with Israel. It is at war with Jews, Christians, and the very foundations of civilization itself.... This is not politics, this is a religious war. Its purpose is to replace Judaism and Christianity with radical Islam. If the world does not understand this, everyone will pay the price." — Mosab Hassan Yousef, eldest son of Hamas founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, JNS, August 17, 2025.

Notwithstanding peace treaties or a tenuous cessation of hostilities between Israel and its neighbors, much of the Islamic world remains at war with the West, especially with many dedicated activists, such as Qatar, Turkey and the Palestinian Authority in its midst.

Their leaders, perhaps not wishing to get into a scrape with Trump, as well as seeing the delicious prospect of being in charge of the future Gaza chicken coop -- refuse to acknowledge this reality.

Many leaders in the West also would possibly prefer not to admit the risk, even though their societies are precipitously at risk of being overwhelmed by the mass immigration of Muslims -- who boldly practice a competing faith founded on displacing all other faiths. Western leaders appear to wish to placate the Islamist voters in their midst, despite the harm being inflicted on their citizens -- with more expected in the offing.

With the release of some 2,000 terrorists from Israel's prisons as part of the Trump peace plan, Hamas's forces received a timely reinforcement of their depleted ranks from this event, "None are expected to take up careers in high tech or humanitarian relief," writes Professor Thane Rosenbaum.

While Israel may have substantially defeated Hamas militarily in the Gaza campaign, it can fittingly be said, as by columnist Dan Schnur, that "Hamas won its war against Israel in the eyes of the rest of the world". Any success of the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic mass media can be attributed to their lies about Israel and Jews.

The escalating social and political turmoil in nations such as France, Britain, Australia, Spain, Italy and Canada can be directly attributed to domestic Islamist agitation, Muslim demographic explosion, and the spread of religious Islam throughout the infrastructure – which most leaders would rather appease than confront. With mosques being built at a rapid rate, complete with public calls to prayer over loudspeakers, and special Sharia courts, councils and schools, Islam has come to significantly dominate the landscape in the major cities of western Europe. In the UK and France, for instance, certain street scenes are reminiscent of the Muslim cities from where immigrants originated.
MEMRI: Growing Criticism of Hamas in the Arab World and Calls to Hold It Accountable for Gaza Tragedy
Around the second anniversary of Hamas's Oct. 7 massacre, the Arab press published numerous articles sharply criticizing Hamas and its decision to carry out the terror attack, which led to extremely severe consequences for the Palestinians. The writers accused Hamas of carrying out a horrific massacre, including against women, children and innocent civilians, and of embarking on an irrational and reckless "military adventure." Some even claimed that Hamas had brought a "second Nakba" upon the Palestinians.

The articles criticized Hamas's attempt to claim victory. Saudi journalist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed wrote in Asharq al-Awsat that Hamas exaggerated the gains of the war, noting that the Palestinian cause has returned to the spotlight, that squares all over the world thronged with protesters, that Western media is criticizing Israel. But "these achievements are small and temporary compared to the harm caused by the war to the [Palestinian] people and the political losses that have changed the map in Israel's favor."

The articles called on the Palestinians and the Arab world to hold Hamas accountable for the disaster, and to disarm this movement and prevent any possibility of its remaining part of Gaza's political future.


The remains of Gaza hostages Tamir Adar, Arie Zalamanowicz are identified
Israel has completed the identification of the remains of hostage Tamir Adar and Arie Zalamanowicz, the Prime Minister’s Office announced Wednesday.

The remains have been escorted out of the Gaza Strip by the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and transferred to the National Center of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir for identification by Israel Police officers.

Hamas announced that it would release the remains of two hostages shortly after US President Donald Trump stated that he would send forces into Gaza to "straighten out Hamas" if the terror group did not abide by the ceasefire agreement.

In a statement given with US Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner stated, "We are making progress on getting bodies of deceased hostages out of Gaza."

"It is the focus of everybody here to get those bodies back to their families for proper burial," Vance said, adding that retrieving the remains would take time, as many of them are buried underground.

US-brokered Gaza deal According to the US-brokered Gaza deal, which Israel ratified on October 9, Hamas would have 72 hours to release all the hostages, both living and deceased.

The remains of 15 hostages continue to be held by Hamas in Gaza nearly two weeks later.


Body of hostage Tal Haimi, murdered defending his Kibbutz, returned to his family
The body of Sergeant Major Tal Haimi, 41, was returned to Israel by Hamas on Monday night after 745 days in captivity.

A third-generation member of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the Negev, he loved to work on its dairy farm and was also a mechanical engineer.

A commander of Nir Yitzhak’s rapid response team, he fell in battle defending his home against Hamas terrorists on the morning of 7 October, 2023 and his body was taken into Gaza.

He leaves behind his wife Ela, four children – Nir, Einav, Udi and Lotan, who was born in May 2024, seven months after Tal was killed – his father, and a sister. Tal Haimi and his wife Ela.

In a statement, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said: “Tal Haimi z”l, a third-generation descendant of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak and a fourth-generation resident, was the son of Zohar and the late Esti, and the brother of Or. He was married to Ela and the father of four children, one of whom he would never have the chance to meet.

“Tal worked as a mechanical engineer and was a member of the Nir Yitzhak emergency response team. He loved taking his family on trips in nature and camping outdoors. An avid tool enthusiast, he was known for always finding a solution to any problem that arose.

“On the morning of October 7, Tal went out to defend his community, fighting against dozens of terrorists at the gates of Nir Yitzhak. He and his team fought with extraordinary courage for several hours. During the battle, Tal was killed and taken to Gaza.

“Initially, his family believed Tal was alive, but two months later they received the devastating news that he had been abducted after being killed.”
Smiles, hugs abound as Witkoff and Kushner meet with released hostages
About half of the hostages who were returned to Israel last week met on Tuesday morning in Tel Aviv with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and top White House adviser Jared Kushner, who were instrumental in securing their release from Gaza.

The former captives at the meeting were Omri Miran, Gal Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kuperstein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, and Eitan Horn, all of whom were recently released from the hospital.

Each of the released hostages spoke privately with Witkoff, some handing him a gift to show their appreciation, others hugging him.

“This is my husband,” said Lishay Miran Lavi, introducing her freed husband Omri Miran to Witkoff, as the three laughed.

During the gathering, the former hostages urged Witkoff and Kushner to help bring back the bodies of all 15 deceased hostages remaining in Gaza, while Witkoff reaffirmed the United States’ steadfast dedication to the mission and expressed his confidence in the ability to carry it out, according to a Hostages Families Forum statement from the meeting.

The nine former hostages at the meeting were among the final 20 living hostages who were released last week under the ceasefire deal with Gaza. US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meet with released hostages Omri Miran, Gal Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kuperstein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, and Eitan Horn in Tel Aviv, October 21, 2025. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

While Hamas also agreed to release the remaining bodies of hostages killed and abducted during the terrorist organization’s October 7, 2023, onslaught on Israel or who died in captivity, it still holds 15 bodies, claiming that it needs time and special equipment to locate them.

Witkoff and Kushner were instrumental in securing the deal, meeting directly with Hamas leaders to convince them to sign it.

Following Monday’s meeting, one of the released hostages, Matan Angrest, also paid a visit to the so-called Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, which has been a focal point for the public campaign to bring back the hostages.


Hundreds greet released hostage Avinatan Or upon arrival in his West Bank town
Hundreds of Israelis on Tuesday gathered in the West Bank town of Leshem to welcome home the released Gaza hostage Avinatan Or after eight days in the hospital.

“We’re so moved to see you here in Samaria, a free Jew with your head held high. We’re here to win together! Am Yisrael Chai!” Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, told him.

Or, who lives in Shiloh, exited his car to greet the dancing crowd and thanked them for their support.

“This week I’ve heard from my whole family how every part of the people of Israel helped and stood with us, and I thank you. Our strength is in our unity, and I hope we continue in that spirit. No one can defeat us when we are together!” he said.

His brother Moshe Or and Moshe’s wife, Yael, thanked the residents of Leshem for the help and support they provided while Or was in captivity.

“Throughout these two years, while everyone faced their own hardships, you never stopped standing by us as a community, asking, offering help, supporting us in countless ways, and most importantly, reminding us we were not alone… Thank you for coming to greet him at the hospital and to rejoice with us. May we continue to stand together for one another, and only in times of joy!”

A loyal partner: Avinatan Or
Avinatan Or, partner of rescued hostage Noa Argamani, spent over two years in Hamas captivity after terrorists kidnapped him from the Nova Music Festival in Re’im.

The 32-year-old second-born of seven brothers was planning to move in with his girlfriend before terrorists snatched him from Argamani, who was dragged away on the back of a quadbike, crying “Don’t kill me!” while reaching for Or.


Jonathan Schanzer: The New Middle East and the Challenges to Israel
The Saudis are Trump’s ultimate prize. The American president had Riyadh on the five-yard line to join the Abraham Accords back in 2020, only to lose the election. Team Biden then promptly erased all of Trump’s progress by alienating the Saudi leadership over human rights concerns—only to come back to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, hat in hand, seeking energy guarantees after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Saudis demurred, but the prospects changed when Donald Trump returned to the White House. Still, MBS and the Saudis couldn’t take an open step toward Israel until the Gaza war ended. Time will take care of that. If Trump’s cease-fire holds, the Saudis could come to the table before the president’s second term ends.

In the meantime, one interesting normalization agreement may be coming sooner than anyone expected. The world’s most populous Muslim country is mulling a diplomatic pact. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto rose before the United Nations on September 23 and declared that the Middle East would never achieve peace until Israel’s security was vouchsafed. Unbelievably, he ended his speech with the word “Shalom.” Then, less than a month later, on October 13, just as the hostages were being reunited with their families, Israeli news began to report that Subianto was on his way to Israel. Those reports were soon denied by Jakarta. It may have had something to do with his visit coinciding with the holiday of Simchat Torah, during which the Israelis could not have possibly hosted him. We’ll see what Subianto’s next moves might be.

All these deals are possible now. But the odds that they come to fruition hinge on whether the region can maintain the quiet that Donald Trump brokered. And that depends on the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies, as well as Turkey, Qatar, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The regime in Iran is undeniably angling for another tussle with Israel. The 12-day war in June was a bitter defeat, punctuated by the painful destruction of the Iranian nuclear program, thanks to Trump’s remarkable surprise decision to participate. The regime is now working feverishly to reestablish its air defenses, rebuild its ballistic missile arsenal, and perhaps even rebuild its nuclear program. Israeli war planners quietly speak now of a possible need to head back to Iran as early as next year, to keep its most powerful enemy from growing any more powerful.

There is also the rest of the Iranian axis. So long as the regime maintains its ambition of destroying Israel, its proxies will do the same. This includes Hezbollah, Hamas, Shiite militias in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen. They continue to receive weapons, funding, and other support from the regime, albeit at far more modest levels. In other words, the “ring of fire” is not yet extinguished. This means that Israel must continue to attack them all, whether openly or in the shadows, to ensure that their strength does not return. This is the “Campaign Between the Wars” that Israel waged before October 7. It must continue to do so now, perhaps with even greater intensity.

And then there is the question of Turkey. The country with the second-largest army in NATO has openly called for the Islamic world to coalesce and destroy Israel. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a pugnacious figure with neo-Ottoman ambitions, may see an opportunity to fill a possible void left by the Iranian regime after its defeat this summer. The Erdogan regime’s key ally is the wealthy microstate of Qatar, which cannot offer Turkey much help on the battlefield. But it can certainly help fund Turkish ambitions, while offering support through the networks of Islamist adherents to the Muslim Brotherhood movement that Doha has quietly cultivated over decades. Indeed, a new enemy front may be forming.

The challenges and possibilities for Israel right now are enormous. Israel has an opportunity to wrestle with its domestic demons, secure the military wins it notched, and convert diplomatic possibilities into pacts. None of this would be feasible without the Gaza cease-fire, which was primarily the result of Israeli fortitude (and a fair amount of regional exhaustion). But this is no time for a breather. For Israel, after two years of a grueling war, a new kind of hard work begins.
Hamas Directed Al Jazeera's Coverage of Gaza, Instructing Outlet To Avoid Terms Like 'Massacre' After Terrorist Missile Landed In Gazan Refugee Camp
Hamas conspired with Qatari-funded news network Al Jazeera to downplay dissent within Gaza and avoid coverage that could damage "the image of the resistance," according to documents recovered from the strip and released by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

Hamas, for example, instructed Al Jazeera to avoid using terms like "massacre" to describe a Palestinian Islamic Jihad missile strike in Jabalia, Gaza, that landed in a refugee camp. Al Jazeera's "newsroom management" agreed to the directive, the documents show. Hamas also attempted to establish a direct line to Al Jazeera's office in Doha—where Qatar also houses Hamas terrorists—"to promote coverage in emergency situations and allow Hamas's military wing to send real-time instructions on what to broadcast and what to embargo," the Jerusalem Post reported.

Al Jazeera is known to use Hamas's preferred terminology, referring to living Hamas terrorists as "resistance fighters" and dead ones as "shaheeds," or "martyrs who died for Allah." It has also called Israeli hostages "prisoners."

Hamas has given Al Jazeera unprecedented access to its underground terror tunnel system, allowing the network to release a documentary on that system in 2014. In the wake of Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, Al Jazeera filmed Hamas terrorists rigging a tunnel with a booby trap.

It's unclear whether Al Jazeera will maintain such a tight relationship with Hamas going forward. Qatar, under pressure from President Donald Trump, reportedly pushed the network to reduce its "incitement" to terror throughout the Middle East as part of negotiations over Trump's Gaza peace plan.


Vance Warns Hamas: Disarm or Get ‘Obliterated’
Hamas must disarm or it is "going to be obliterated," Vice President JD Vance said during a Tuesday press conference in Israel, where he galvanized support for the freshly inked ceasefire pact and laid the groundwork for an international peacekeeping force to assume control of Gaza’s security.

"The terms of the 20-point plan that the president put out there is very clear," Vance said during a stop at the U.S.-Israeli ceasefire coordination center in Kiryat Gat, a southern Israeli town located near the Gazan border. "It's that Hamas has to disarm. It's that Hamas has to actually behave itself and that Hamas, while all the fighters can be given some sort of clemency, they're not going to be able to kill each other, and they're not going to be able to kill their fellow Palestinians."

Vance said he feels confident the peace will last, but noted, "If Hamas doesn’t cooperate, then, as the United States has said, Hamas is going to be obliterated."

The vice president’s comments echoed remarks from President Donald Trump during a Monday press conference at the White House. Trump lashed out at Hamas for conducting a series of bloody raids on opposition groups throughout Gaza, saying the terror group’s bid to reassert control over the coastal territory is doomed to fail.

"This is a very violent group of people, and they got very rambunctious, and they did things that they shouldn’t be doing," Trump said. "And if they keep doing it, then we’re going to go in and straighten it out, and it’ll happen very quickly and pretty violently. Unfortunately, we are going to eradicate Hamas."

Vance arrived in Israel amid mounting concerns about the terror group’s willingness to adhere to the ceasefire’s terms. Hamas fighters attacked Israeli soldiers multiple times over the weekend in direct violation of the deal, and the terror group has continued to signal it has no interest in giving up its weapons.


US opens ‘coordination hub’ in Israel for Gaza aid
U.S. Central Command stated on Tuesday that it opened a Civil-Military Coordination Center, the “main coordination hub for Gaza assistance,” in Israel on Oct. 17.

“Bringing together stakeholders who share the goal of successful stabilization in Gaza is essential for a peaceful transition,” stated Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.

“Over the next two weeks, U.S. personnel will integrate representatives from partner nations, non-governmental organizations, international institutions and the private sector as they arrive to the coordination center,” Cooper said.

CENTCOM said that the center “is designed to support stabilization efforts” and that Americans won’t deploy in Gaza. Instead, they will “help facilitate the flow of humanitarian, logistical and security assistance from international counterparts into Gaza,” CENTCOM said.

The center will also “monitor implementation of the ceasefire agreement, featuring an operations floor that allows staff to assess real-time developments in Gaza,” CENTCOM stated.

Cooper said the center is “critical to enabling the transition to civilian governance in Gaza.”


Seth Frantzman: Hamas's two faces: Pledging peace to mediators publicly as it cements its power in Gaza
The German Press Agency reported: “Hamas is serious about extracting the bodies of all the detained Israeli prisoners... the efforts are still facing great difficulties due to the widespread destruction caused by the war in various areas of the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas wants to see more aid entering Gaza.

“Hamas is engaging positively with all international efforts aimed at consolidating the ceasefire and gradually restoring civilian life in Gaza,” Al-Hayya was quoted as saying.

Egypt and Qatar are both seeking to make sure the ceasefire continues.

“Al-Hayya’s statements are seen as an attempt to reassure international mediators and affirm Hamas’s commitment to the ceasefire agreement at a time when pressure is mounting to ensure continued calm and prepare the ground for the start of the reconstruction phase and the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip’s destroyed infrastructure,” Al Arabiya reported.

This is clearly a message by Hamas designed to make it seem it is committed to the US deal. In Gaza, however, Hamas continues to cement itself in power. It also appears unwilling to disarm.

On the other hand, it appears Hamas is also cutting down on public executions, seeking to portray itself as doing things normally. The attack on IDF soldiers on Sunday, October 19, is being portrayed as having been carried out by rogue elements.
Hamas secretly planning role in Gaza’s future government, despite ceasefire deal - KAN
In violation of the agreement to end the Israel-Hamas War and with the knowledge of Arab mediators, Hamas has been secretly planning to continue to take a role in the future leadership of the Gaza Strip, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported on Tuesday morning.

The terror group chose those who support the it and its principles when appointing half of the technocratic government anticipated to take over the Gaza Strip, KAN reported. Meanwhile the Palestinian Authority was allowed to choose the other half.

Mediators, Egypt notably among them, were reportedly presented with a list of future leaders by Hamas, which KAN noted would leave the terror organization with a grip on power in Gaza.

Holding off on reconstructing Gaza
The news comes only hours after KAN reported Israel had requested the US not begin reconstruction efforts in Gaza until it was clear that Hamas was ready to disarm.

In particular, Israel wants to see all Hamas’s tunnels throughout the Gaza Strip closed up.

A Hamas official told Reuters last week that the group could not commit to disarm.


The return of Hamas: With wave of executions, terror group reasserts control in Gaza
‘A death cult engaged in a massive human sacrifice’
Those speaking publicly in recent days about Hamas’s actions tend to be influential local figures, established families and elders. As Mohammad acknowledged, there is tremendous fear among Gazans about speaking out against Hamas since the ceasefire began.

“Many people started to reduce (their online presence) and don’t want to speak because of fear of the repercussions. This situation, of Hamas, militias and gangs, is not stable at all,” Mohammad said.

Alkhatib said he senses the change even in private calls with family and friends: people felt more comfortable talking about Hamas during the war than now, during the ceasefire. “Because Hamas was underground, there was less of a chance of them coming after people.” Today, by contrast, even saying, ‘That’s what I saw, that’s what I encountered,’ it’s a risk right now. Everybody’s lowering” their profile.

The big question, of course, is how current events in Gaza, and especially the reemergence of Hamas, will shape the Strip’s future. Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza requires the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Strip. Hamas officials have indicated they will not give up their weapons. The hostage-ceasefire agreement signed by Israel and Hamas on October 9 does not cover the issue of postwar governance, which has yet to be negotiated.

Gazans interviewed by The Times of Israel offered divergent forecasts: some expect Hamas to resume its rule, others foresee Arab or international forces arriving in the coming months and displacing it.

Chamber of Commerce head Abu Ramadan said his primary fear is Israel, which he said views all Gaza residents as the enemy. “Israel demands security and peace but no one is demanding peace and security for us. Israel is still an occupying force in the Strip, and most of Israeli society thinks Gaza is the enemy and all its residents are enemies, and it would be better if Gaza disappeared.”

Nonetheless, he said that if Hamas retains power, “there will be no rehabilitation of Gaza, and that’s a very difficult issue for Gaza residents. And there will be no possibility to achieve peace.”

Alkhatib offered a bleak near-term forecast for Gaza under a militia-style Hamas presence: “It is going to be very grim. It will take three to five years, at minimum, to just stabilize things.

“I think it’s going to take a biblical miracle to try to really, truly transform that place,” he went on. “Not because it cannot be done, but because you have a [Hamas] death cult that is engaged in a massive human sacrifice and is holding two million people hostage. We got 20 Israeli living hostages out. Wonderful. But now we have two million Palestinian hostages.”


Comedy Cellar: Did Israel Win in Gaza? “Yes — Emphatically, and Tragically, No.” Ambassador Michael Oren.
With his son Yoav Oren (former IDF special‑forces soldier) Ambassador Michael Oren (historian; former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.) sits down for anunvarnished assessment of the war what “victory” actually means.

00:00 Intro
01:50 Did Israel “win”?
04:30 Gaza’s tunnels and the unique urban fight
06:10 Multi‑front picture (Hezbollah, Iran, Houthis)
07:45 From battlefield gains to regional diplomacy
08:50 Hostages and the “diplomatic shield”
12:50 Why Hamas released hostages (and why it mattered)
15:10 Will Israelis accept another ground push?
15:40 Surgical strikes vs. re‑invasion
16:30 Aid diversion and UN logistics
23:00 Doha strike debate
32:10 IDF conduct under fire; Yoav’s firefight
41:00 Rules of engagement, restraint, and misinformation
55:20 Psych support embedded with IDF units
59:00 USS Liberty — the case against conspiracy
1:09:10 Closing thoughts: victory, vigilance, and what comes next


Commentary Podcast: Getting on Board with Getting Hamas
Is the Trump administration's success in the Middle East going to have an effect on the way the more extreme elements of the right talk about Israel and Jews more broadly? And if podcasters continue to trash-talk Trump on this and other matters, will Trump take it lying down—or will he insist on a loyalty test for them too?


Ask Haviv Anything: Episode 53: Telling the Jewish story to the Arab world, with Elhanan Miller
Rabbi Elhanan Miller has half a million online followers, and almost all of them are Arabs. They tune in to his "People of the Book" project on YouTube and other platforms to learn in Arabic about Jewish ideas, customs and holidays, and to hear the testimonies of Jews from the Arab and Muslim worlds who now live in Israel or the West.

Elhanan has appeared hundreds of times on Arabic-language television networks throughout the Gaza war, where is asked to convey the views and experiences of Israelis.

He joins the podcast to talk about the unique and remarkable bridge that he's built between Jewish Israel and its Muslim Arab neighbors.

We also tackle difficult questions of Islamic radicalism, alternatives to Hamas rule in Gaza, and whether peace is really possible in this deeply religious part of the world -- when religion itself often plays such a radicalizing force in politics and society.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Context of the Conversation
02:51 Rabbi Elhanan's Unique Role in the Arab World
05:49 The Journey of Learning Arabic and Cultural Exchange
08:46 The Impact of Social Media on Jewish-Arab Relations
11:50 Exploring Jewish Identity and History in the Arab World
14:54 The Complexity of Jewish-Arab Narratives
17:50 The Role of Education in Bridging Cultural Gaps
20:52 Reflections on Recent Conflicts and Media Representation
31:07 Modeling Democracy in the Arab World
34:36 The Future of the Arab World
41:06 The Role of Islam in the Conflict
50:55 Strategies for De-Radicalization
56:09 The Search for Alternative Narratives




Luxurious and Surrounded by Armed Guards, Zohran Mamdani’s Family Rental Is Steeped in Inequality
The cobblestone path winds upward through a garden that feels less like a front yard than a tangle of exquisite jungle — wild, deliberate, and expensive to maintain. Chickens dart through the undergrowth and tropical birds chatter above the palm trees like noisy ornaments.

By the time I reach the tall iron gates, sweat is already rolling down my back in the Ugandan sun. Two armed soldiers step forward, unsmiling, rifles slung casually across their shoulders — the casualness itself a kind of menace. They’re not police. They’re the real thing, the kind of protection usually reserved for politicians and generals.

This isn’t the State House or a foreign embassy. It’s an Airbnb.

Specifically, the Mamdani family’s Airbnb: five bedrooms, four baths, set on a hill above Lake Victoria. It’s a 20-minute drive from the bustle of downtown Kampala, but a world away in every other sense.

“They don’t allow filming or photos,” a caretaker explains, referring to the owners. “If you’re a guest, you’re there to stay, not to take videos.”

Inside, the gates swing open with a metallic groan and I step into an oasis — manicured gardens tumbling toward a private lap pool and badminton and tennis courts. Labradors sprawl lazily in the shade, and vines curl over stone walls that look as if they’ve stood here forever.

The neighbors? Uganda’s vice president, Jessica Alupo; President Yoweri Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who happens to be in charge of Uganda’s defense forces; and a roster of army brass. The neighborhood itself whispers of old money and new power — tree-lined avenues where every compound hides behind bougainvillea, high fences, and the low, steady hum of diesel generators.

Just beyond those fences, Kampala’s streets teem with boda-boda drivers, market women, and day laborers hustling for a few dollars. But here, you would never know it.


Stu Smith: Activists Want to Dismantle America’s Top Fighter Jet—by Any Means Necessary
These comments provide glimpses into a campaign that is national—indeed global—in scope. Activists have a clear picture of the F-35 supply chain and are looking for opportunities to disrupt it at every node.

Since the People’s Conference for Palestine in August—at which Nizar made the comment that attracted Cotton’s attention—the movement has escalated. Activists have targeted the Oakland Airport. Spain’s parliament approved an arms embargo on Israel, following massive street protests across Spanish cities. Similar demonstrations have erupted in Amsterdam, London, and Rome. Dutch foreign minister David van Weel even announced that the Netherlands likely will not send additional F-35 parts to Israel.

Over Columbus Day weekend, the F-35 boycott movement continued to surge. On October 19 in Houston, activists demanded a local arms embargo to block the shipment of F-35 wings from the port, aligning with the Mask Off Maersk campaign led by the Palestinian Youth Movement. The Democratic Socialists of America reaffirmed their support for both Mask Off Maersk and Labor for an Arms Embargo in their October 13 statement, “Until Palestinian Liberation.” Even the official page of the BDS Movement declared October 13 through 18 the “Week of Action Against F-35s” and called on supporters to “escalate pressure through peaceful disruptions, email storms . . . and/or mass protests against complicit ministries, members of parliaments and manufacturing companies.”

The timing of all this activity is unusual, given the recent ceasefire in the Gaza War. Yet—as the DSA’s Abdullah Farooq openly acknowledged—the campaign is meant to be long-term.

The effects are already being felt, as countries involved in the F-35 program are being challenged in court to distribute parts selectively, despite being formal partners. It’s not hard to imagine how American military preparedness could be negatively affected by an emerging arms embargo bloc driven by the far Left. If the anti-F35 movement is allowed to grow unchecked, it will pose a serious threat to national security.

Senator Cotton and Representative Luna’s calls for action only scratch the surface. Comprehensive action is needed to check this threat to America’s military future before it gains even more momentum.




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Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



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

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