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Wednesday, July 15, 2026

07/14 Links Pt1: Arabs, not Jews, are the real colonizers in the Middle East; The Manufacturing of an "American Doctor"; Royal Commission, Royal Omission

From Ian:

Arabs, not Jews, are the real colonizers in the Middle East
The Jewish people, returning to their ancestral homeland after centuries of exile and persecution, represent the reclamation of indigenous rights in the face of repeated conquests. Jews maintained an unbroken presence in the land, however small, and their national revival drew on deep historical, religious, and archaeological ties – connections that predate Arab arrival by millennia.

Nowhere is this distortion more evident than in the construction of a distinct “Palestinian” identity. I’m not the first to posit that the notion of a separate Palestinian nationality serves primarily tactical purposes. It functions as a strategic tool to sustain opposition to the Jewish state and advance broader Arab cohesion, rather than reflecting an ancient, organic peoplehood distinct from the surrounding Arab world.

This ideology emerged in modern times as a mechanism to delegitimize the sole sovereign Jewish entity in the region, framing Jewish self-determination as an alien intrusion.

Consider the visual reality of any regional map. Vast Arab-majority countries surround tiny Israel, home to the Jewish people. The contrast is stark: a constellation of Muslim-majority states, products of historical expansion, arrayed against the Jewish homeland.

This is not a case of a powerful empire oppressing a minority indigenous group, but rather the opposite: the world’s smallest, most unique native civilization defending itself against the lingering impulses of one of history’s greatest imperial forces.

The greatest feat of rhetorical sleight-of-hand has been convincing much of the globe that this expansive legacy represents a vulnerable underdog fighting for liberation, rather than a continuation of efforts to extinguish Jewish sovereignty.

This imperial Arab history provides essential context for today’s debates over indigeneity and justice. The Jewish return to Israel, far from colonialism, is decolonization, the restoration of a people to their biblical and historical cradle after successive foreign dominations, including Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Crusader, Ottoman, and British periods.

Israel’s success as a vibrant democracy, technological innovator, and refuge stands in sharp contrast to the challenges faced by many neighboring societies still grappling with the aftereffects of authoritarian legacies and rejectionism.

The Palestinian cause, in this light, appears less as a pure liberation movement and more as an extension of historical patterns of denial toward Jewish rights. By insisting on a narrative that erases Jewish indigeneity while promoting a fabricated national story for tactical gain, it perpetuates conflict rather than seeking genuine coexistence.

True peace would require acknowledging the Jewish people’s ancient ties, the realities of regional history, and the right of Israel to exist as the fulfillment of self-determination for an indigenous nation.

The real colonial dynamic in the Middle East stems from those expansive conquests that reshaped identities and suppressed diversity across North Africa and beyond. Israel, by contrast, embodies resilience and revival, the Jewish people’s determination to reclaim and rebuild in their eternal homeland, contributing to the region while defending against ongoing threats.

They are the colonizers. Recognizing this truth does not diminish legitimate aspirations for peace or prosperity among all peoples, but it demands intellectual honesty. Only by confronting historical realities can we hope for a future where the Jewish state is accepted not as an anomaly, but as the rightful, indigenous presence it has always been.
Eitan Fischberger: The Manufacturing of an "American Doctor"
“American Doctor,” opening in theaters August 14, presents Feroze Sidhwa as a neutral American physician with no personal stake in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That framing doesn’t survive contact with his own record:
Sidhwa has told MSNBC he has no connection to the conflict whatsoever, yet his own writing going back to 2007 describes decades of activism rooted in what he himself has called a Zoroastrian religious duty to oppose Israel, alongside years spent editing books and essays for Hamas-sympathizing academic Norman Finkelstein.

He has repeatedly and specifically denied ever seeing Hamas inside Gaza’s hospitals, telling the BBC that in his account no one who has ever set foot in Gaza has witnessed it. The record at every hospital where he has volunteered says otherwise.

At European Hospital, where Sidhwa insists he saw no trace of Hamas, the IDF says it found a Hamas tunnel running directly beneath the building, the same tunnel where senior Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar was killed in a May 2025 strike, along with the bodies of other terrorists and a cache of weapons and intelligence material.

At Nasser Hospital, Sidhwa himself confirmed on Democracy Now that one of two people killed in a March 2025 strike on a recovery room was Ismail Barhoum, the man the IDF identifies as Hamas’s prime minister in Gaza, and argued the strike was illegal anyway. Freed Israeli hostages say they were held inside that same hospital, and Hamas’s own Interior Ministry ran policing operations out of it.

The personal website that now anchors Sidhwa’s media career, complete with a press kit, went live on the exact day his New York Times op-ed was published in October 2024, suggesting the “reluctant-witness” persona was a planned rollout rather than an accident of timing.
Israeli think tank urges tougher measures against Turkish consulate, limiting diplomatic presence
A new policy paper published by the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy called on the Israeli government to take a series of steps to reduce the Turkish consulate’s activity in Jerusalem and limit the status of its representatives.

Among the recommendations are revoking diplomatic benefits, canceling work visas, restricting freedom of movement in Israel, removing immunity from diplomatic vehicles, and reexamining the activity of Turkish institutions operating in the city.

The paper, written by retired ambassador Ran Yishai, who heads the center’s research division, includes 10 policy recommendations. According to the author, their purpose is to reduce what he defines as hostile Turkish influence in Jerusalem and strengthen the implementation of Israeli sovereignty in the city.

At the center of the document is the claim that the Turkish consulate in Jerusalem does not function as an authorized representative office to the State of Israel, but rather as a body operating mainly with the Palestinian Authority. For that reason, the paper argues, there is no justification for Israel to continue granting its representatives the full range of benefits normally extended in diplomatic relations between states.

Yishai says that for years Israel allowed the Turkish consulate to operate in Jerusalem in a manner that went beyond its official status. In his view, the consulate serves as a central hub in Ankara’s policy in the city and acts in a way that denies Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.


Kassy Akiva: What Ro Khanna Didn’t Mention About His ‘Detention’ In Israel
The council cited an eyewitness who said Palestinian activists and anti-Israel groups had repeatedly attempted to enter Khirbet Zanuta in recent weeks and had been turned away because of the area’s status as a closed military zone.

According to the eyewitness, two IDF reservists who also serve as local security volunteers approached the group and informed them they were in a restricted area. The group’s security guard allegedly responded that they would wait for the IDF and police to clarify the situation.

“At no point did the residents block the vehicles or assault anyone,” the eyewitness said. “A few minutes later, an IDF patrol arrived. At that point, the residents left the area and allowed the military to handle the situation.”

The IDF also disagreed with Khanna’s characterization of events. According to the military, troops were dispatched after receiving reports that Israeli civilians were blocking vehicles carrying foreign nationals and journalists. The IDF said soldiers dispersed the civilians and reopened the road, adding that soldiers “did not take part in blocking the road.”

“This should be an outrage to any American citizen,” Khanna said.

Kahn called Khanna an agitator and rejected that his status as an American congressman entitled the group to special treatment after entering a restricted military area.

“In any normal country, people who violate the law and trespass are blocked from entering, and are detained (at the very least). They are then arrested, arraigned, and either held over for trial or released on bail. Foreign agitators are either deported and banned re-entry, or sent to prison if there is no treaty with his or her home country.”

She added that “Khanna should have been treated to far less courtesy and hospitality.”

The confrontation was not the only aspect of Khanna’s trip that generated controversy.

During his visit, the congressman met with Hebron Mayor Tayseer Abu Sneineh, a Palestinian official convicted for his role in a deadly 1980 terrorist attack.

Abu Sneineh was one of the gunmen involved in an attack on Jewish worshippers returning from Sabbath prayers near Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs. Six people were murdered and 16 wounded in the shooting. Among those killed were two American citizens and a Canadian national.

An Israeli court sentenced Abu Sneineh to life in prison for his role in the attack. He was released three years later as part of a prisoner exchange between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization and later returned to the West Bank following the signing of the Oslo Accords.

During the Fox News interview, Khanna accused Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Leiter of lying about the trip.

Leiter had previously said Israeli officials encouraged Khanna to meet with survivors of the October 7 Hamas massacre, visit Israeli border communities, and hear from families affected by the war. According to Leiter, Khanna declined those opportunities and instead chose to coordinate his itinerary with Palestinian activists.

“We suggested he visit with survivors of the October 7 massacre,” Leiter said. “He ignored that and he decided to coordinate his trip not with Israel, but with Palestinian activists.”

Khanna rejected the characterization, insisting Israeli officials had been informed of his travel plans and saying he specifically wanted to participate in a Palestinian-led tour because he had already visited Israel multiple times and heard the Israeli perspective.
Ro Khanna’s shameless West Bank stunt — followed by fundraising emails
Ro Khanna’s recent trip to the Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta was a masterclass in cynical political marketing. The California congressman traveled to the West Bank under the banner of a righteous fact-finding mission, arriving with a full media entourage ready to film a highly predictable confrontation.

The primary purpose of the trek was to inject fresh media fuel into his not-so-secret presidential ambitions. Khanna intentionally brought The New York Times along to ensure the cameras captured every second of the inevitable standoff.

His traveling party featured progressive activist Cameron Kasky, a Parkland school shooting survivor known for aggressive television grandstanding and hyperbole, who once suggested that the sight of Sen. Marco Rubio felt like staring into “the barrel of an AR-15.”

It’s a rather odd partnership, but it underscores the mission’s true nature. Khanna curated his delegation for maximum media exposure. Regional diplomacy was a secondary concern.

The mechanics of the physical standoff reveal deliberate provocation. The confrontation occurred precisely in an area where residents maintain their own armed civilian security patrols.

Khanna chose to press directly into this space without notifying local security or coordinating his itinerary with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) beforehand. His convoy engineered a confrontation; at no point, however, was there any kind of violence. The army and police arrived to sort things out.
The Times of Israel: Haviv Rettig Gur: Why is Israel still the first campaign stop for wannabe US presidents?
Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with The Times of Israel's senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur.

With the sudden death of US Sen. Lindsey Graham this week, Rettig Gur is asked to expound on the loss of this staunchly pro-Israel politician who was able to rally both sides of the aisle.

We then turn to the recent visits of two Democratic wannabe presidential candidates -- Rahm Emanuel, most recently the US ambassador to Japan, and US Rep. Ro Khanna.

We hear how both politicians came with distinct messages and very different goals.

And finally, as America turns 250, we learn about Anglo Jewry's inability to foresee the new phenomenon of antisemitism hitting the US's teeming shores. Does the vilification of Israel change their hypothetical plans for escape?


National Review: Why Did Ro Khanna Lie About a "Violent" Detainment in Israel?
Congressman Ro Khanna just flew to the West Bank on what he calls a “trip to Palestine.” He claims violent Israeli settlers with American-made M4s “detained” him. He’s demanding arrests, he’s calling the Israeli government liars.


Khanna pressed to support Oct. 7 attacks in Drop Site interview
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), fresh off a trip to the West Bank where he alleges he was unjustly detained by Israeli settlers and Israeli military forces, faced a barrage of criticism in a Drop Site News interview on Tuesday for refusing to endorse Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Khanna, in spite of his condemnations of Israel over the incident — which the Israeli government claims he has misrepresented — and demands for consequences for those involved, has faced pressure and condemnation from the far-left flank of the Democratic Party during his media tour following his return to the U.S.

Such pressure reached a fever pitch in Khanna’s Tuesday interview with Drop Site, an outlet that launched in July 2024 with an 8,000-word interview with two senior Hamas leaders. Since then, the outlet has gained a reputation of credulously reporting on Hamas’ claims and repeating the group’s propaganda.

In the lengthy exchange, Drop Site co-founderJeremy Scahill repeatedly questioned Khanna, a 2028 presidential hopeful, on why he would not express support for Hamas attacks on Israeli soldiers. Scahill framed the Oct. 7 attacks as primarily targeting Israeli military bases and soldiers, despite the fact that the group attacked many civilian communities and fired thousands of rockets at civilian centers.

“I think the Oct. 7 attack was a terrorist attack,” Khanna said when pressed if Palestinians have a “right” to kill Israeli soldiers. “I’m not going to say that Hamas had a right to attack Israeli soldiers or kill Israelis. I don’t think that advances peace or advances Palestinian statehood.”

Further angering Scahill, Khanna said he believed Israel had a right to go after Hamas terrorists “who killed the civilians” on Oct. 7, “but not in the way they went about it, which I said is genocide.” Scahill accused him of holding an unfair “double standard.”

“I am baffled as to how you can say that Israel had a right to drop a single bomb on Gaza in response to Oct. 7,” Scahill said. “But Palestinians, according to you, have no right whatsoever to ever kill an Israeli.”


Israeli envoy accuses Rep. Khanna of staged provocation
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter accused Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) of orchestrating a “cheap, anticipated provocation,” after the congressman was briefly stopped in a restricted military zone.

In a statement posted to X late Monday, Leiter said Khanna ignored offers to thoroughly coordinate his visit with the Israeli government and the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. The ambassador stated that the Israel Defense Forces had no prior knowledge of the congressman’s whereabouts when IDF soldiers halted his unfamiliar vehicle in a suspected closed military zone.

Leiter noted that Khanna was traveling with local activists, journalists from The New York Times and a representative from the group J Street. According to the ambassador, the group was free to go as soon as Khanna’s identity was verified, and he firmly denied allegations that soldiers or armed civilians threatened the congressman’s party.

“To add insult to injury - the Congressman used this instance as an opportunity to tout ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid’ libels to the press, propelling himself to the center of yet another anti-Israel media frenzy,” Leiter wrote. “The facts don’t lie - this was a cheap, anticipated provocation, that could, and should have been avoided.”

Leiter concluded his statement by extending an invitation to host Khanna at the embassy to “discuss his grievances in depth.”

Khanna, who is facing backlash at home after supporting a Maine Senate candidate with a Nazi tattoo who dropped out after being accused of rape, said on Saturday that he had been detained by “settlers” during a trip to Israel.

“Israeli settlers, brandishing American made M4s, detained me and other Americans on my trip to Palestine,” he said. (The United States does not recognize an independent state of “Palestine.”)

“When the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers and continued our detention,” Khanna said in the social media post, in which he shared a four-second video. “They made a huge mistake. You will be hearing more soon.”


Royal Commission, Royal Omission
Just one day after ABC Editorial Director Gavin Fang fronted the Anti-Semitism Royal Commission and asserted the national broadcaster’s high standards of accuracy, verification and attribution, the ABC continued to churn out the exact opposite.

Here’s one the latest examples. In this report — “Judge hands down verdict in Jayson Gillham and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra trial” — the ABC presented as fact a tally of dead alleged journalists compiled by Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) in Gaza, operating under and as an arm of Hamas, and subsequently parroted by an unquestioning International Federation of Journalists(IFJ). The claim is that “268 journalists and media workers” have been killed in the current conflict. Here’s how, gratuitously in the context of a report on a Victorian employment-law court case, the ABC slipped in Hamas’ propaganda, attributing the claim not directly to Hamas but two sympathetic groups:
At least 268 journalists and media workers have been killed in the war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the International Federation of Journalists, an independent organisation that promotes press freedom.

The Gaza Ministry of Health estimates more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 1,000 since the beginning of the ceasefire in October.

Figures originating from Hamas always need to be treated with extreme skeptism, but in this instance the ABC brought us yet another example of its consistent failure to verify purported ‘facts’. Instead of exposing the source of the claim as that of a combatant with a barrow to push, the ABC used the obfuscation of layered attribution to hide its provenance.

This report was published precisely one day after Fang’s appearance at the Royal Commission, where he referred straight-faced to the importance of verification, attribution and accuracy. Yet this article, is another failure of all three: (1) The numbers are not verified. (2) The article actively hides the original source, and (3) the numbers aren’t accurate, with the ABC overstating the number by 140%.

As cited, the number of dead journalists is straight-up Hamas propaganda and includes at least 157 dead Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and other assorted terrorists. That’s 60% of the 268 ‘journalists’ ABC quotes. The figures I’m using are from the publicly accessible, Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute, which lists each of the 157 names and which terror organisation they belonged to with full supporting evidence. Quadrant‘s Tony Thomas came to much the same conclusion in early 2024 when reporting the analyses of claimed journalists’ deaths by British researcher David Collier. It is extremely disturbing that the ABC continues to present without qualification the elimination of terrorists as tragedies, despite so much open-source evidence deflating the claim.

This is where I strongly disagree with Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal, who grants the ABC the benefit of the doubt and does not see the mistakes as intentional. To my mind, repeating the same mistake is evidence of — take your pick! — ideological intention or reckless incompetence. Either way, it’s a poor dividend for the $1.3 billion a year the ABC extracts from taxpayers’ pockets. Segal spoke about the ABC marking their own homework — an analogy supported by the broadcaster’s in-house ombudsman’s extensive record of not finding the broadcaster at fault even when the evidence of bias and unbalanced reporting is undeniable. Perhaps Segal errs on the side of generosity because I don’t see evidence of anyone doing their homework.


Universities must rise to the challenge of tackling antisemitism
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, sitting in Melbourne this week, is hearing testimony on the effects of antisemitism at universities. It is learning of the devastating impact antisemitism has had on Jewish students and staff, the extent to which it has insinuated itself onto campus and how universities have responded.

The hearings are part of a series that began in February, one that has continued through May, June and now July, examining aspects of antisemitism following the Bondi massacre in December 2025.

This week, the commission has heard from several voices that illustrate and crystallise the challenges universities face in protecting the physical and mental wellbeing of Jewish students.

Liat, a student at the Australian National University, and spokesperson for the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, said that before the Hamas massacre in October 2023, antisemitism on campus had a “low-level hum”, but after it and Israel’s attack on Gaza, “pervasive fear” had developed. She now hid her identity; being a Jew on campus had been “exhausting”, and walking past a protest encampment at the university was an ordeal. She had felt “physically unsafe”. The AUJS in its submission to the commission warned that Jew hatred had become a “normalised feature of campus life”.

The commission also heard from Yasmine Johnson, who is Jewish and is a co-convener for Students for Palestine and a protest organiser. After her evidence, she told the media the idea that campus protest “creates a dangerous atmosphere, fear for people, is farcical”, but in her evidence before the commission she also said violence was an acceptable tactic in freedom movements. She would not say if she believed Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel had been a legitimate use of that violence.

On Tuesday, the commission heard from Jewish professor Steven Prawer. In October 2024, 20 keffiyeh-wearing protesters entered his office at the University of Melbourne and told him he “could not hide from being guilty of genocide”. He said he didn’t know if it was a protest or terrorist attack. They left behind an inverted red triangle – replicating a symbol used by Hamas to identify Israeli targets. He had been shaken also by the words on a noticeboard stating, “Death to Israel. Death to the USA. Death to Steven Prawer.”

The university identified four students who had been involved; two were expelled and two were suspended. Prawer said he was left in the dark about the process. A petition signed by 150 university employees and affiliates said sit-ins were a legitimate form of protest and that by punishing students, the university was breaching academic freedom. The expulsions were overturned and replaced with suspensions.
Monash University students ‘filming TikTok dances at Auschwitz’, Royal Commission is told
Monash University students on a European study trip filmed TikTok dance videos at Auschwitz and complained about being too hungover to visit Jewish World War Two ghettos and concentration camps, a Royal Commission has been told.

Former Monash University student Paris Enten gave evidence to the anti-Semitism Royal Commission on Tuesday, and detailed how fellow students disrespected the sites of Holocaust atrocities during a trip in 2024.

“Every single day we were visiting camps and ghettos and memorials, going through this really emotionally intense few days. The behaviour of some, I dare say the majority, of the students on the trip was disgusting,” Ms Enten said.

“People were filming TikTok dances in the car parks of Auschwitz and concentration camps.

“People complained about having to go to visit camps and ghettos where people were mass slaughtered because it was too early in the morning, and they were still hungover from the night before.”

The granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, Ms Enten said her fellow students “made comments to the effect of, well, Jews weren’t really the main victims of the Holocaust, and the facilitators were brilliant”.


Reps. Lawler, Gottheimer introduce bill to dismantle and replace UNRWA
Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) introduced a bill on Tuesday that directs the State Department to work with U.S. allies to dismantle and replace the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

The “Replace UNRWA with Real Humanitarian Assistance Act” would give the secretary of state 180 days to submit a “comprehensive strategy, coordinated with international partners and allies,” to dismantle UNRWA, including a detailed timeline for the wind-down, identification of governmental or non-governmental entities responsible for taking over UNRWA’s portfolio, a funding plan and a transition plan.

The secretary would be required to begin implementing the plan within a year of submitting the strategy.

The legislation also demands oversight, accountability and neutrality mechanisms.

The bill requires that “no interruption of critical humanitarian services occurs” during the transition period.

“UNRWA has repeatedly failed to meet the basic standards of accountability and neutrality that the international community should expect from any humanitarian organization,” Lawler said in a statement. “Humanitarian aid must reach those who need it, not strengthen organizations that undermine peace and security. This legislation provides a responsible path to replace UNRWA with trustworthy partners while ensuring critical humanitarian assistance continues uninterrupted.”


ICC prosecutor Khan loses appeals on UK legal bar suspension
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan lost an appeal to lift his suspension as a barrister, Britain’s legal regulator said on Tuesday, as misconduct allegations against him continue to roil the court, Reuters reported.

The Bar Standards Board said Khan, 56, remains suspended from legal practice pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings. Khan has denied the sexual misconduct allegations.

Khan was suspended on June 8 by the ICC’s governing body, deepening a leadership crisis at the court, which is also facing U.S. sanctions tied to investigations involving the United States and Israel.

At Khan’s behest, the ICC in November 2024 issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes committed in the Gaza war following the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Reacting to Khan’s ICC suspension, Netanyahu took to social media to accuse the court of being corrupt and said the war crimes allegations against Israel were fabricated to deflect attention from the accusations against Khan.


Jonathan Spyer: Israel's Buffer-Zone Military Strategy
Israel's conquest of Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon from Hizbullah in May was one of the IDF's most complex ground operations in recent years. It involved capturing and destroying a complex system of tunnels, built on Hizbullah's behalf and at Iran's behest by North Korean engineers over the past decade. The IDF operation isn't finished. The June ceasefire between Hizbullah and Israel came with a few Hizbullah men still holed up in two tunnels outside the city of Nabatiyeh, a Hizbullah stronghold.

Israel's deployment in southern Lebanon is part of a larger strategy Jerusalem has developed since the massacres of Oct. 7, 2023. It involves establishing Israeli areas of control on borders with territory held by Islamist organizations. Behind the buffer zones now established in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria is a set of ideas that observe a grim reality and provide a concrete and practical response.

According to this thinking, Israel is at war against several states and state-backed organizations committed to related versions of political Islam. Where these states or their proxies rule, all diplomacy is an illusion, all politics a distraction. That is because there is no reconciling with these forces, which believe solely in their own advance and their enemies' destruction.

The Sunni Islamist axis crystallizing around Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan includes the emergent Sunni Islamist regime of President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Syria. Unlike current U.S. policy, policymakers in Jerusalem look past the public-relations campaigns around the Syrian president. They see the more than 1,700 Druze slaughtered by government and pro-government forces in Syria's Sweida province in July 2025. They see veteran jihadists holding senior positions in the military Sharaa is building under Turkish tutelage. Keeping such power a safe distance from Israeli civilians underlies Israel's thinking and subsequent action.

Today, small independent jihadist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS pose little threat. What matters is state-led formations that profess loyalty to similar ideas, but are far stronger and more sophisticated. The Iran-led alliance is one formation. The emergent Turkey-led axis is another. Israel sees the rise, advance and goals of these formations and seeks barriers against them.

At Beaufort, an Israeli officer said: "Being here isn't an option, it's an obligation. Between any Israeli citizen and a terrorist there needs to be a fighter of the IDF." Critics say that leads to forever wars. But as in all wars, both sides get a vote. You may not want to engage in protracted conflicts, but if your enemy seeks your destruction, you should plan and act accordingly.
The Iranians Expect America Will Soon Turn Against Israel
The Iranians have no plans to negotiate an end to their nuclear program and are targeting countries ranging from Oman to Jordan. This isn't peace. It isn't even a ceasefire. The U.S. has believed for 80 years that ensuring the free passage of Middle Eastern oil and gas to world markets is essential to America's prosperity and security. President Trump is unwilling to give Iran control of the Strait of Hormuz.

We shouldn't underestimate the sense of joy and vindication that a global wave of anti-Zionism and Jew-hatred have given to the darkened hearts and minds of Iran's current leadership. Their resistance and defiance, they and their proxies in Lebanon and beyond believe, is turning the global tide against the hated "Zionist entity." They expect America will soon turn against Israel, and the holiest of holy wars can finally begin.

Mr. Trump may be feeling more confident and less risk-averse than the Iranian leaders believe. Iran's assassination threats are more likely to enrage than to cow him. He will likely find it easier to build support abroad and at home for a war to protect oil supplies by stopping Iran's blocking of the strait than he did for a preventive war against its nuclear program.
Starmer’s botched IRGC ban leaves Iran free to rain terror on Britain
Sir Keir Starmer fast-tracked legislation to “proscribe” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). But don’t be fooled – despite the Government’s spin, Labour has not suddenly got serious about the threat posed by Iran’s regime and the anti-Semitism it exports.

While the designation of the IRGC – the Iranian regime’s terror army – is a welcome move, we should be clear: this is not equivalent to full terrorist proscription.

The designation was made under the newly enacted National Security (State Threats) Act, which is far weaker than full proscription under the Terrorism Act – the usual legislation used to designate terror entities.

As a result, the designation will not counter the full spectrum of IRGC-linked activity in Britain – not least its ability to nurture home-grown Islamist radicalisation and anti-Semitism on our streets. This is because the National Security (State Threats) Act was designed to counter hostile activity emanating from conventional and non-ideological state actors.

The IRGC constitutes a unique hybrid terror threat in that, while it is a state actor, it is also an ideological actor that adheres to an Islamist extremist and jihadist ideology. Its modus operandi is closer to that of Hezbollah, Islamic State and Al-Qaeda than other hostile state actors such as the Russian or Chinese militaries.

This is because the IRGC combines both hostile state activity with asymmetric warfare and the promotion of a violent Islamist extremist and anti-Semitic ideology. It carries out, instigates, inspires, and encourages acts of ideologically motivated violence and terrorism. This reflects its official objective to eradicate Israel and, in the Iranian constitution’s own words, carry out an “ideological mission of Jihad in God’s way to extend sharia law throughout the world”.
You Can Run, but You Just Die Tired: Secretive Israeli Unit Has Killed Over 2,500 Oct 7 Hamas Terrorists
In the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre that left 11 Israeli coaches and athletes dead at the hands of Black September terrorists (bonus question: the Palestinians and which other nation were involved in "Black September?"), Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir unleashed Operation Spring of Youth, a raid on Palestine Liberation Organization camps in Lebanon that killed over 50 terrorists. She also went after the Munich massacre organizers. Operation Wrath of God unleashed Mossad hit squads on Black September terrorists cowering in Europe, under the illusion they were safe there. This operation continued until its final hit on February 14, 1988, in Cyprus. Between nine and 11 key Munich planners and facilitators were ultimately killed, with slop-over from the targeted hits bringing the score to around 20. The operation was marred by the Lillehammer Affair where the wrong guy was killed, but as Napoleon said, you can't make an omelet without whacking Arabs...I mean breaking eggs.

According to Israeli media, Israel has killed no fewer than 2,561 of the around 3,000 terrorists who crossed from Gaza into Israel on October 7. About 1,000 of these were killed in traditional combat with the IDF. The remainder got their one-way trip to Hell courtesy of a secretive unit called Nili. Nili was formed shortly after the October 7 attack and given the mission of tracking down every single terrorist who invaded Israel on October 7. The name Nili is an acronym for a biblical phrase (1 Samuel 15:29) that translates as “the Eternal One of Israel will not lie.” It is composed of elements of Shin Bet, Israel's internal security and counterintelligence service, which operates directly under the Prime Minister, and the Israel Defense Forces.

According to reports, the unit uses facial recognition software to identify terrorists captured on film inside Israel. It also uses electronic surveillance and, probably the most important element: prisoner interrogations. Hamas (and Hezbollah) are not drawn from a warrior culture. They turn on each other at the first sliver of self-interest. That's why Israeli intelligence has deeply penetrated its enemies. To better understand this, consider the following from one of war correspondent Michael Yon's dispatches from Mosul in 2005, while embedded with a unit commanded by now-retired, former CENTCOM commander General Michael Kurilla.
Telegraph Editorial: The Iranian Regime Continues to Sow Chaos
The war in the Gulf that everyone thought had ended has been revived.

The critical Strait of Hormuz has become pivotal to the entire conflict with Iran, which is using its geographical proximity to force the strait's closure.

Iran has interpreted the memorandum of understanding as giving it carte blanche to dictate the progress of traffic when it stated that "Iran will use its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels."

Given the benefits that would accrue to Iran from the terms of the memorandum, the continued attacks on Gulf shipping confirm that we are not dealing with rational actors - and certainly not those who will adhere to any peace treaty that may be negotiated.
IDF General: U.S. Planes Nearly Exposed Israel's Opening Strike on Iran
Brig.-Gen. (ret.) R. commanded the Israeli Air Force control center on the night of the first strikes on Iran on June 13, 2025 - the start of the 12-Day War. He recalled, "The moment our aircraft took off toward Iran, U.S. planes routinely stationed in Iraq unexpectedly landed at their bases, clearing the skies. We could clearly see the Iranians saying to themselves, 'If the skies over Iraq have cleared, maybe the Israelis are coming for us tonight.'"

"The Air Force commander immediately called senior CENTCOM officers and asked them to take off again at once and restore the usual aerial picture. In the spirit of the excellent cooperation we have with them, they said, 'Whatever you need, we're with you. What do you need?' The Air Force commander told them, 'Do exactly what you did yesterday at this time.'"

By then, however, Iran had already realized that something was happening and targets began moving. "We instructed our aircraft to hold just minutes before releasing their munitions," R. said. Then, Israeli defense officials detected that the Iranian side was beginning to relax.

Fearing that the targets might disperse to different locations, then-Air Force commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar ordered personnel to "make a little noise so their suspicions would return." Not only did the senior Iranian commanders remain in place, but more officials arrived after being summoned for consultations.

"At 2:43 a.m., our first munitions struck their targets. We fired the opening shot with great success, and the entire Air Force took off. Its targets included command-and-control sites, surface-to-surface missile sites and air-superiority targets - everything we had defined in advance. From that point, the blitz began, wave after wave after wave, in a highly impressive manner."
'They don't want you there': Trump tells Netanyahu to pull IDF troops from Syria, Lebanon
US President Donald Trump allegedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should remove IDF troops from Syria and Lebanon during a phone call on Thursday, according to a Tuesday Axios report citing US and Israeli officials.

Trump claimed that the presence of Israeli military personnel in Syrian territory could create tension and may lead to escalation, one US official told Axios.

“They don’t want you there. You should redeploy,” Trump allegedly told Netanyahu, according to the official.

IDF sources told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday evening that the report took them by surprise and they were unfamiliar with the reported phone call.

The sources stated that there has been no change on the ground and that there were no indications that the situation would change imminently.
Iranian strikes cause 'massive' explosions in Kuwait, drones strike US military in Jordan
Iran struck a critical facility in Kuwait on Wednesday, causing multiple "massive" explosions and starting a fire, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-linked Fars News Agency.

Later on Wednesday, Kuwait's KUNA State News Agency reported that the blaze had been brought under control.

The report noted that six teams, backed by the army and National Guard, responded to the strike, with no injuries reported and damage limited to material losses.

The Kuwaiti army said later on Wednesday that its air defenses confronted Iranian drone attacks.

Also on Wednesday, the IRGC claimed responsibility for an attack on Kuwait's Mina Abdullah oil refinery, saying the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the “end of America's evils.”

Overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, US military sites at Azraq base in Jordan were targeted twice by the Iranian military, Iranian state media reported.

Fars reported later on Wednesday that an Iranian missile had struck the base, citing Iraqi media.

The Jordanian military said late Wednesday that its air defenses had intercepted three Iranian ballistic missiles that entered the country’s airspace.
Trump announces ‘full blockade’ on Iranian shipping, drops Hormuz transit fee
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the United States will impose what he called a “full blockade” on vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports or carrying Iranian cargo, while abandoning a proposed 20% fee on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

“Oil is flowing like never before,” Trump wrote, crediting U.S. forces for securing the strategic waterway. “The Strait of Hormuz is open to all ship traffic except for Iran.”

Trump said he had decided, after what he described as productive discussions with Middle Eastern leaders, to scrap the proposed shipping and security fee on all cargo passing through the strait in favor of “trade and investment deals that the various Gulf states will be making into the United States.”

“Those investments will be massive but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future,” Trump wrote, adding that the agreements would bring “factories, plants and equipment pour into the United States at historic levels.”

Trump also reiterated his administration’s hard-line stance toward Tehran, writing that “the days of killing hundreds of thousands of people, including 52,000 protesters, are over,” and again declaring that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”


Palestinian teen arrested in Judea planned to stab IDF soldier, police say
A 16-year-old Palestinian arrested over the weekend while attempting to infiltrate the Jewish community of Neve Daniel in the Gush Etzion region of Judea had planned to stab a soldier, the Israel Police said on Tuesday.

The teenager, a resident of Nahalin near Bethlehem, was detained on Saturday night by a civilian security coordinator and Israel Defense Forces soldiers after approaching Neve Daniel, police said.

The suspect initially told security personnel he had been looking for water, but admitted during questioning that he had intended to attack the first IDF soldier he encountered and become a “martyr,” according to the statement. The teenager was said to have told interrogators that he “kissed his mother’s hand” before leaving home to carry out the assault.

Investigators said the suspect on Monday retraced the route he had taken and led officers to a kitchen knife he had discarded beneath a bench in the area.

The suspect remains in custody, with police saying they would request an extension of his remand during the investigation.

Palestinian terrorists targeted Israeli Jews in Judea and Samaria at least 5,051 times in 2025, according to figures published by the Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria) NGO.

The figures do not include the hundreds of violent attacks on Israeli security personnel occurring during ongoing counter-terrorism operations in Arab towns under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

Twenty-four Israelis were murdered in Judea and Samaria in 2025, and more than 400 others were wounded, per the group’s annual report.
IDF strike kills Hamas naval commander in Gaza City
The Israel Defense Forces eliminated a Hamas naval commander in a strike in the Gaza City area on Monday, the military said.

Osama Naim Hamdi Shamlakh commanded a terrorist cell and “operated to rehabilitate and reinforce Hamas’s Naval Array force build-up and advanced terror attacks in the maritime domain,” according to the IDF. He was killed on Monday.

In a separate strike in northern Gaza, the IDF eliminated three armed Hamas terrorists who tried to carry out attacks against Israeli soldiers operating in the Strip.

“The terrorists posed an imminent threat to the troops and were eliminated in precise aerial strikes,” the IDF said, adding that it took steps to prevent harm to noncombatants.

Soldiers remain deployed in the enclave in accordance with the U.S.-brokered Oct. 10, 2025, ceasefire agreement “and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat,” it added.

On Sunday, the IDF struck and killed a Hamas terrorist who attempted to smuggle military equipment into Gaza, in violation of the truce, the military said on Monday.


Commentary Podcast: War of Fog
Today we discuss the United States officially being back at war with Iran and the resumption of the American blockade in order to open the Strait of Hormuz, the new revelations surrounding Michigan senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed, and John recommends Christine Rosen's The Extinction of Experience.
spiked: Why Trump is trapped in Iran | Josh Hammer on the collapse of the ceasefire
Josh Hammer – editor-at-large at Newsweek and host of The Josh Hammer Show – is the latest guest on The Brendan O’Neill Show. Josh and Brendan discuss Trump’s failure to finish off the ayatollahs, how the ‘retard right’ turned against Israel, and why the US left is more dangerous and deluded than ever.

0:00 Intro
0:50 The resumption of the Iran war
4:08 Why the administration never defined its war aims
7:15 The problem with the MOU peace deal
11:36 Divergence between US and Israeli war aims
17:05 Israel's standing with the American public
22:27 Mamdani, Chevalier and the anti-Israel radical left
28:07 The genocide libel
33:29 Predictions for the midterms







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