Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Friday, February 14, 2025

Sorry, "Climate Justice Alliance." You lost $50 million of taxpayer money used to attack Israel and the US.

On Thursday, [EPA Administrator Lee] Zeldin also announced the cancellation of a $50 million grant to a group called the Climate Justice Alliance, citing its pro-Palestinian messaging on its website.

The CJA said on Wednesday it would sunset its $50 million UNITE_EJ grantmaking program because it had not been able to access the funding that the Biden EPA had obligated to the group but not yet disbursed.

We looked at the $50 million meant to be given to the Climate Justice Alliance last June. They have a webpage saying "Free Palestine is a climate justice issue."

As we showed then, the CJA funds other groups, some of which are explicitly antisemitic and anti-American.

Not to mention, celebrating October 7.

A lot of the news stories about the programs that DOGE is eliminating are highlighting how these programs are stupid, wasteful, or aligned with a far Left ideology.

That's bad enough, but it is remarkable how much federal money went to go to causes that are in direct opposition to US policy.

Perhaps not quote as remarkable is how the same people who say that the $3 billion the US invests in Israel on an average year could have been used to feed poor people, but are now silent on the wasteful programs that the Republicans are finding and eliminating that dwarf the amount given to Israel. I don't know if it is accurate, but the US Debt Clock site says DOGE has already saved the US government some $94 billon annually.

Buy EoZ's books on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan Shakes Hands With A Terrorist (Daled Amos)

In the search for justice, the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan apparently makes house calls.

Last month, Mr. Khan visited Syria and shook hands with Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's new leader. Why? According to France 24, Khan's office announced that the purpose of the visit was to see how the office of the prosecutor.

can offer its partnership in support of the efforts of Syrian authorities towards accountability for alleged crimes committed in the country.

This would be a major change in the UN Security Council's policy. For years, the UN Security Council has been deadlocked on whether to refer the devastation of Syria to the ICC. In 2014, China and Russia blocked a Security Council resolution to refer Syria to the ICC.

Khan's new friend, Ahmed al-Sharaa, used to be known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani when he founded and led Jabhat al-Nusra in 2012 when it was the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda.

Al-Nusra rebranded as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (JFS) in 2016 and claimed to have cut its ties to al-Qaeda. Then, in 2017, JFS merged with other Islamist groups to form Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Abu Mohammad al-Julan remained the leader of HTS.

When he met with Khan, he was using the name Ahmed al-Sharaa, in part to distance himself from his terrorist past.

Al Nusra / HTS was designated as a terrorist group for a reason:

o  June 2015: Fighters from Syria's al Qaeda branch, the Nusra Front, killed at least 20 Druze villagers, raising fear among Syria's minorities.

o  July 2016: Amnesty International reported that “In Aleppo and Idleb today, armed groups have free rein to commit war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law with impunity. Shockingly, we have also documented armed groups using the same methods of torture that are routinely used by the Syrian government." One of the groups cited was al Nusra.

o  March 2017: Al Nusra claimed responsibility for a twin bombing in Damascus that killed at least 40 people, the majority of them Iraqi Shia pilgrims.

Back in those days, Ahmed al-Sharaa did not wear a suit:

Because of this history, the US, the EU, and the United Nations designated HTS as a terrorist organization:

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an armed group designated as a terrorist organization by the UN Security Council, has emerged as the dominant force in Syria, following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

This article on UN News is noteworthy because it contains an interview with Kiho Cha, a senior political affairs officer at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Cha describes a workaround that allows for cooperation with terrorist groups:

Until recently there were some questions as to whether humanitarian actors would even be able to operate in Syria. However, there is now a carve out to the assets freeze measures against HTS, specifically for humanitarian organizations.

This carve-out allows humanitarian organizations to operate without being cited for sanctions violations.

The question is: how far can these exemptions go?

UN News: Are there similar carve outs to allow international negotiations to take place?

Kiho Cha: Yes, there are generally procedures by which a petitioner, usually an individual, would seek an exemption for a variety of reasons. For example, members of the Taliban who say that they need to travel outside of Afghanistan for political facilitation. But it could be for other reasons, such as medical needs. Petitioners can also apply for exemptions to the asset freeze.

Did Khan have something like this in mind to justify shaking hands with the terrorist?

Israel might want to know.

According to the Kurdish news site Rudaw, Israel was outraged with the ICC chief prosecutor's Syria visit, and Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's foreign minister posted online:

Recall that Khan took the odd step to first announce the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant during an interview with Christiane Amanpour.

According to Barak Ravid, Khan backed out of an agreed-upon trip to discuss the investigation with Israeli officials:

We recently posted that in November, Ynet News reported that Khan had been using a pro-Palestinian law firm in connection with the case, raising questions about his impartiality:

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan's engagement of Bindmans, a law firm linked to Palestinian advocacy, raises conflict of interest concerns, potentially undermining his impartiality in pursuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant

Bindmans represents several Palestinian organizations that have urged Khan to issue arrest warrants against senior Israeli figures. Notably, Tayab Ali, a partner at the firm, is the director of the "International Center of Justice for Palestinians," a London-based organization actively involved in international legal actions against Israel. Another partner, Alice Hardy, represents the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, headquartered in Ramallah.

These two Palestinian organizations, closely associated with Bindmans, have submitted multiple notices to the ICC regarding Palestinian issues.

Over and over, the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has shown a decided lack of professionalism and respect for proper procedure. All things considered, a representative of the International Criminal Court shaking hands with the leader of a recognized terrorist group might just be business as usual.

Buy EoZ's books on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

Since 2008, with the Doha Agreement, Hezbollah has had the ability to veto any Lebanese government actions, making it essentially the most powerful force in Lebanese politics.

Israel's military victory over Hezbollah has now officially changed all that. Hezbollah has lost much of its political legitimacy and power. within the new Lebanese government, formed last Saturday, Hezbollah and its ally Amal are unable to control government actions, and they cannot form a blocking third coalition.

Lebanon's government is weak and fractious. But even in that dysfunctional environment, Hezbollah cannot find a toehold, and it is fighting for its political life. Remember also that the 2008 agreement that gave Hezbollah vast powers was a direct result Hezbollah military actions and threats of a civil war within Lebanon.

In short, Hezbollah's political power is directly connected to its military might. Israel defeated Hezbollah's army; the Lebanese people defeated Hezbollah politically (at least for now.)

But contrast this with the Palestinian political scene.

Like Hezbollah, Hamas has been severely militarily weakened. But there is little to suggest that it has lost political power. It still controls Gaza, and unlike in Lebanon, the Palestinians in the West Bank still largely support the jihadist group. The Palestinian Authority may not like Hamas but it refuses to publicly oppose it or assert dominance.

After receiving billions in aid from the the West and Arab countries to strengthen it, the Palestinian Authority has proven to be worthless. It utterly failed the one test it has been given: to show that it can control the territories.

It cannot even control the West Bank. Its attempt to confront lawless areas of Jenin in December did not succeed, and the Palestinian public did not show support for the operations.

It isn't that Israel didn't defeat Hamas militarily. It is that the Palestinian Authority, and Palestinians altogether, do not have enough of a desire to translate its military defeat into a political defeat. On the contrary, in the West Bank its prestige is still higher than it was before October 7.

They still allow Hamas to have its own veto power over everything they do. In fact, they encourage it.

Even the announcement that the PA will stop paying terrorist families is not framed as a forceful rejection of terror but of Mahmoud Abbas' inability to meet his budget. The response from the Palestinians isn't "good, we need to leave terror behind" but "look how weak Abbas is."

After 30 years, the PA has still not given its people a vision of what a future state would look like. Its rhetoric still supports and lionizes terrorism and its most glorious historic events are of murdering Israelis.

The Lebanese response to Hezbollah's defeat showed that the Lebanese people are willing to fight to take back their country. The Palestinian response to Gaza is the opposite: frame Hamas as victorious, pretend the homeless Gazans who are barred from leaving as exhibiting steadfastness, and allow Hamas to retake Gaza with no opposition whatsoever.

The PA enjoys unprecedented worldwide political and financial support but it has next to no domestic support, while jihadist terrorists are Palestinian role models.

The contrast with the Lebanese response to the opportunity given to them by Hezbollah's defeat could not be clearer.

This is the best proof of what a thorough failure the "State of Palestine" experiment has been.

Buy EoZ's books on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

Fact check for Massachusetts educators: "Does the US give more federal aid to the average Israeli citizen than to the average American?"

The Free Press reports:

Inside the Massachusetts statehouse on Monday, State Representative Simon Cataldo displayed the image of a dollar bill folded into a Star of David in front of a packed audience of teachers, activists, and staffers. They were there to attend a hearing on the state of antisemitism in Massachusetts public schools.

“You’d agree that this is antisemitic imagery, correct?” Cataldo, who co-chairs the state’s Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism, asked Max Page, the president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA)—the largest union in New England, representing 117,000 members.

“I’m not gonna evaluate that,” Page responds calmly.

Cataldo pressed him. “Is it antisemitic?”

Page continued to sit stoically, before breaking into a smile. “You’re trying to get away from the central point,” Page said, “which is that we provide imagery, we provide resources for our members to consider, in their own intelligent, professional way.”

In fact, this image is referenced in materials recently made available to Massachusetts educators for teaching about the Middle East. Entitled “Resources on Israel and Occupied Palestine,” the union’s Training and Professional Learning Division developed the framework “for learning about the history and current events in Israel and Occupied Palestine, for MTA members to use with each other and their students.” Last December, the union published the resource document on a webpage accessible only to MTA members.

Let's take Max Page's statement at face value. Let's set aside that the image of a dollar folded into a Star of David is obviously antisemitic. Let's pretend that the Massachusetts Teachers Association really provides materials like this just as resources for teachers' information about the conflict for them "to consider, in their own intelligent, professional way."

If all that is true, then you would expect the editor of the collection of graphics to do at least a modicum of fact checking, wouldn't you? After all, what honest educator would purposefully provide lies for teachers? And you would expect that by now one of these intelligent, professional teachers would have checked the numbers and verified them, right?

So let's do some fact checking using that most esoteric of skills - arithmetic.

The poster was created in 2007. If we assume that the amount of total aid to Israel plus interest from 1948-2007 really is $133 billion, that would mean that in the average year, about $2.2 billion was given to Israel. (In fact, US aid was quite small before the 1970s, but since then it has averaged over $3 billion a year.)

But for the purposes of anti-Israel propaganda, we want to inflate the amount of aid the US gives Israel as much as possible while being truthful. To make this more interesting, let's use the numbers from 2024.

In 2024 the US gave far, far more aid to Israel than ever before. In the 12 months between October 2023 and October 2024, the US gave Israel nearly $18 billion, about 500% more than usual. So if we want to make Israelis look like the biggest beneficiaries of US aid per capita in the world, we should definitely use 2024 numbers.

Given Israel's population of 9.7 million, that comes out to about $1,855 per person in that year from the US.

Now, how much does the average American citizen get from the US government?

If we only include social programs that directly benefit citizens, like social security, Medicare, Medicaid, education, housing, SNAP (nutrition assistance) and so forth, that adds up to $4.7 trillion. That's about $14,000 per citizen.

If we add more indirect expenditures, like paying interest on the national debt and the defense budget, that comes out to closer to the total US budget of $6.5 trillion, which comes out to about $19,000 per citizen. (Keep in mind that nearly all US aid to Israel is military aid, so it would not be fair to exclude the US defense budget if we want things to be equivalent.)

To compare apples to apples: the total amount the US spent on US citizens is about $6.5 trillion, which is $19,000 per citizen, over ten times more than Israelis received.

So even in a year where Israel received much, much more aid than ever before, the amount the US spent on Israel per capita is far less than what it spends on US citizens per capita. In fact, the US per capita defense budget expenditures alone (about $2,500) is higher than what Israelis received for military aid per capita in 2024 ($1,855) in an extraordinary year where Israel was fighting on seven fronts at the same time.

There is no way to massage this data to make the statement that the US gave more federal aid to Israeli citizens per person than to Americans.

If we would choose the year 2007, the year the poster was made, and compare US budget expenditures with the amount it gave Israel and their respective populations at the time, the difference is even starker: $8,300 per US citizen vs. $340 per Israeli citizen. That is a multiple of 24 times.

Conclusion: the poster is knowingly false.

This would be a good math exercise for the Massachusetts teachers to give their students. After all, basic arithmetic can be used to disprove sophisticated propaganda. Learning to think critically about information people receive from the Internet and from the news media is a crucial skill that all students should be familiar with.

But that is not a lesson that the Massachusetts Teachers Association wants its students to ever learn. No, the very people who should be qualified to fact check this antisemitic poster instead spread its lies.

This post, which can be taught to the average high school student in an hour, is more educational and more important to students' futures than any given lesson ever taught in any Massachusetts classroom on any given day.

Go ahead, MTA members - prove me wrong.

Buy EoZ's books on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

02/13 Links Pt2: Melanie Phillips: 'The Jews are central to Western civilisation'; How Australia became such a haven for antisemitism; Nurse who boasted about killing Jews led a 'martyr's prayer'

From Ian:

Seth Mandel: Julio Frenk’s Family Fled the Nazis. He Doesn’t Fear Student Hamasniks.

Sures was targeted because he is Jewish and has been outspoken in defense of Jewish rights on campus and supported a UCLA resolution to institute political neutrality on university websites, a rule opposed by Hamas’s supporters on campus.

One of the strange aspects of the response to pro-Hamas mob harassment has been the tendency to excuse the actions of large groups when those same actions, if performed by a single person, would result in immediate legal intervention to protect the target. If a random person trapped Sures’s wife in her car, vandalized his house, and made unmistakable death threats against him in the process, this would be understood as the psychotic behavior of a dangerous and violent person. The fact that psychotic, violent behavior is practiced by large groups of people in support of a terrorist organization currently holding Americans hostage should be understood as an exponentially larger threat.

And it should also be understood as a monumental failing of any institution with which those lunatics are associated. Perhaps because of his family’s personal experience with SJP’s tactics as practiced nearly a century ago by the Nazis, Frenk took action immediately.

“I know that no one can promise a society free of violence,” Frenk said. “But as your chancellor, I can commit to you that whenever an act of violence is directed against any member of the university community, UCLA will not turn a blind eye. This is a responsibility I take most seriously.”

Unlike other university leaders, Frenk wasn’t fooled by protestations that physical violence is free speech. “At UCLA, there is always room for discourse and for passionate debate of different points of view,” he said.

In fact, there is no evidence that groups like SJP, which exist to shut down participation in public discourse, have any interest in speech and debate at all. Tentifada camps organized with the help of PFLP-affiliated officials and which instruct their participants not to respond to questions are manifestations of authoritarian tendencies that are employed in place of speech. This is not surprising: There is no serious or sane argument in favor of Hamas and Hezbollah, which these groups exist to support. Shutting down debate is the only plausible method of maintaining the illusion that they are involved in something useful or noble.

Violence and the threat of violence are the only recruiting tools these organizations have. Let’s not flatter them by pretending there is any coherent intellectual aspect to their activism whatsoever.

Prof. Phyllis Chesler: The New York Times is still at it

I have been documenting the anti-Israel biases in the New York Times for a long, long time. I am so glad that others have taken up this truly tedious task. But I cannot keep totally quiet.

For example, today, here is their lead headline on page A1, occupying the rightmost column.

"Israel Threatens to Renew Combat In Hostage Crisis: Vowing to End the Truce Unless the Release of Captives Resume."

Have the editors been living on a far distant planet? Do they not remember that it was Hamas who violated the cease-fire agreement many, many times and that it was Hamas that has just refused to send the next promised batch of hostages?

Are the remaining hostages even alive? Are they even worse off than the three men whom Hamas returned in exchange for more than eighty Arabs with blood on their hands? And is that the reason for the halt in freeing the next group. The three Israeli male hostages looked like concentration camp survivors. The Arab prisoners being returned to Gaza looked fleshy, healthy—as did the crowds who greeted their buses.

Where is the alleged genocide of Gazans? Where is the alleged starvation of Gazans?

Are the journalists at the NYT blind, dead, and dumb? What anti-reality playbook are they following? Have they utterly forgotten about all the Iran-backed Arab terrorist attacks against Israelis and about what really happened on 10/7?

How Australia became such a haven for antisemitism

Why It matters This isn’t just about the Jewish community. Jew hate is a symptom of a deeper problem—a threat to Australia’s democratic values, diversity, and social cohesion. A country that prides itself on tolerance cannot afford to let hatred fester unchecked. If Jew hate is allowed to grow, it risks eroding the very fabric of the nation. Australia is still a far safer place for Jews than many other locations, and yet – this relative safety cannot be taken for granted.

For Israel, this is also a critical moment. Jewish communities worldwide are under pressure, and allies like Australia must step up to show that they stand unequivocally against antisemitism. Failure to act decisively could send a dangerous message: that hatred can flourish unchallenged. Nathan JoelNathan JoelPhoto: Courtesy of Center for Jewish Impact Australia must rise to this challenge, addressing not only the immediate crisis but also the long-term cultural shifts needed to ensure that all minority groups feel safe and valued. Now is the time for action, not rhetoric. Australia must make it clear: Jew hate has no place in the lucky country.

02/13 Links Pt1: Top Arab Diplomat Sees No Alternative to Trump's Gaza Plan; Hamas confirms hostage release for Saturday; Reckoning with the Red Cross

From Ian:

Seth Mandel: Bibi the Good Cop?

Let’s cut to the chase: How many hostages can Hamas release this Saturday without inviting pitiless retribution?

There are 76 remaining in Gaza. Trump’s comments didn’t seem to leave much wiggle room, so Saturday’s noon deadline would mean Hamas must release 76 hostages.

Israel’s security cabinet at first simply said it supported Trump’s position but did not specify what that position was exactly. Then, as the Times of Israel explained, an Israeli official said that “all” the hostages meant all nine hostages on the list for the first stage of the ceasefire who are still alive (that would be nine out of 17).

After that, an official said that the prime minister’s position was the same as Trump’s: “all of them.” But, in classic talmudic fashion, saying “all of them” instead of “all of our hostages” was viewed as leaving room for interpretation.

Finally, Wednesday evening saw reports that Israel has privately communicated to Hamas that if it releases the three hostages as per the original agreement on Saturday, the ceasefire will hold. This seems to be Israel’s way of embracing its new role as the good cop.

But that doesn’t fully end the drama. What if Hamas releases three hostages on Saturday? Israel might accept that. But will Trump?

On the one hand, Trump is unlikely to do anything that would blow up the ceasefire deal if both sides are still committed to adhering to its terms. He’s proud of the deal and doesn’t want the war to resume if he can help it.

On the other hand, in this scenario, Hamas’s threat to suspend the deal would go unpunished. Further, while we can assume Trump and Netanyahu are privately communicating over their messaging, that messaging remains vague—and that could just as easily confuse Bibi and Trump as it could Hamas.

The closer it gets to the weekend without any breaking news, the more likely it becomes that the hostage releases will continue as originally scheduled. If Trump’s threats are seen as the reason the ceasefire gets back on track, it should be enough of a victory for the president to claim. And he’ll have made Netanyahu look like the more reasonable one in the process.

Prof. Efraim Inbar and Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser: Trump's Gaza Proposal Shifts the Diplomatic Landscape

President Trump's proposal to relocate Gaza's Palestinian population points to the price that the Palestinians will have to pay for their decision to carry out the terrible terror attack of Oct. 7. Israel paid for its unreadiness with many lives and the freeing of a large number of terrorists as part of the hostage release agreement. It is evident that under the current leadership, the reconstruction of the area will not be possible.

To enable the realization of the U.S. president's proposal, first, Hamas will have to be removed from power in Gaza. At least in the first stage, this would mean Israeli military control of the territory.

Second, assuming that there is no intention of forcibly evacuating the Palestinian population, based on surveys, it appears that a significant number of Gazans would be willing to emigrate.

Third, Arab nations and other countries would need to cooperate in absorbing Gazans and funding the project. At present, such a move runs counter to their interests. Moreover, it is doubtful that the people of the region can be convinced to abandon their fundamental concepts.

Nevertheless, the Trump proposal for the first time challenges conventional wisdom. The proposal makes it clear that after Oct. 7, the approach to the Palestinian issue must change fundamentally. Moreover, it acknowledges for the first time that the "two-state solution" is not the only possible solution.

Even if Trump ultimately fails to secure the conditions for implementation of the plan, the very fact that it has been put on the table will force the Palestinians and Arab countries to propose practical alternatives to deal with the difficult reality in Gaza, and to do so in a way that is acceptable to both Israel and the U.S.

Amb. David Friedman: The Trump Plan for Gaza Offers a Realistic Chance to Bring Peace

The President's plan for Gaza signals a long overdue rejection of the "two-state solution." Back in 2005, when Israel removed its entire civilian population and military presence from Gaza, the Bush administration told the Palestinian Authority that this was its chance to prove to the world that it could create a working model of peaceful coexistence that could be extrapolated to Palestinian statehood. The experiment failed almost immediately, but its death knell occurred on Oct. 7.

President Trump's plan would allow the civilian population of Gaza to leave the demolished enclave, something refugees have done from every war zone in history. Some had argued that removing the civilian population from Gaza is a war crime. This is false: Gaza is unlivable, and moving the civilian population out of Gaza represents the best of humanitarian intentions.

Most civilians in Gaza were desperate to leave long before the latest war began, for the simple reason that living under Hamas rule was a nightmare even before Gaza was turned to rubble. It is nothing but a smear to suggest that allowing desperate civilians to voluntarily leave a war zone is a crime; it is Gazans' leaders who have committed war crimes.

Many of the people of Gaza elected Hamas, and many supported and cheered Hamas when it kidnapped, murdered, raped, burned, and tortured Israeli civilians. From a moral perspective, they have forfeited the right to the land which they have destroyed.

As an additional important benefit, when the Islamic world sees that Hamas has lost its hold on Gaza and that the nightmare of Hamas has been replaced with a new reality of peace and prosperity, the suicidal psychosis of radical Islam will suffer a crushing blow.

Reckoning with the Red Cross

The ICRC failed to ensure the safety and well-being of the hostages. They failed to advocate for them. Not once did the ICRC work to ensure that hostages were receiving medical care or that they were being properly treated and fed. Indeed, the ICRC didn’t see a single hostage during their time in captivity. For many fortunate enough to have been freed, the first time they saw the International Red Cross was at their release. In short, the ICRC played the role of a glorified Uber driver, taking released hostages from Gaza to Israel. And even here, they failed.

On Jan. 25, four Israeli female hostages were released. Before they were loaded into Red Cross vans, Hamas forced the women to walk onto a podium and thank their captors before a baying crowd. The hostages were given gift bags, a framed “certificate of completion” and a key chain with a Palestinian flag. As the Red Cross looked on, these women were forced to smile and have their picture taken while holding their “certificates of completion.” The whole spectacle is as gruesome as it is outrageous. Many female hostages endured sexual abuse and rape from their captors, and some were allegedly drugged before their release.

The square arranged for the spectacle, filmed by an Al Jazeera journalist working with Hamas, was festooned with Arabic and English slogans proclaiming “Palestine: The victory of the oppressed people vs the Nazi Zionism.” Palestinians attempted to attack the Israeli women while they were being loaded into vans. As a further insult, the windows of the Red Cross vans were uncovered, ensuring that the women could see their tormentors as they drove away from Gaza.

The ICRC has claimed it couldn’t advocate for the hostages without shedding its role as a “neutral intermediary.” Yet the organization’s timidity is tellingly one-sided; the ICRC hasn’t shown a reluctance to criticize Israel during this conflict.

The United States is the largest contributor to the ICRC, contributing roughly a quarter of its budget. The press should note the ICRC’s failings. And Americans should ask themselves whether they want to fund glorified Uber drivers for Hamas.

Community Puzzled Over Lack Of Tunnels, Arms Storage Space In Plans For Rebuilt Gaza Mosque (PreOccupied Territory)

Our weekly column from the humor site PreOccupied Territory.

Check out their Facebook and Substack pages.

Community Puzzled Over Lack Of Tunnels, Arms Storage Space In Plans For Rebuilt Gaza Mosque

Jabalia, February 13 - Residents of this rubble-strewn area returning to it after months of fighting between Israel and Hamas voiced surprise and confusion today upon discovering that a blueprint to reconstruct their house of worship contains none of the familiar features of such a facility, such as underground passages for fighters, or places to keep weapons - not even anywhere to hold hostages.

Some of the last bouts of military confrontation between IDF soldiers and - primarily - guerrillas from Hamas in this northern Gaza Strip city before a ceasefire took effect last month resulted in widespread destruction of buildings and infrastructure, almost all of which contained or concealed some target of military value. Many of the buildings that did not have Hamas positions or stockpiles nevertheless were festooned with booby traps laid against Israeli troops attempting to take positions there. Residents finally allowed back into the erstwhile combat zone began to salvage their possessions, assess the damage, and make plans to rebuild - but found themselves in shock at the first drawings to show such rebuilding: the Sheikh Marwan Mosque, leveled in December when Hamas fighters blew it up in an attempt to kill IDF soldiers they thought were inside, will contain only prayer, classroom, office, toilet, and rudimentary kitchen facilities, without the tunnels, weapons-caching, and hostage-storing units that everyone had assumed were an integral element of a mosque.

"I don't get it," remarked Faisal Masri, 49. "Who drew up these plans? They must be incomplete."

"Where's the tunnel system access?" wondered Shuruq Fadi, 48. "Every mosque has that. Every building, in fact. This will never get past any official approvals."

The puzzlement spread beyond those returning to the immediate vicinity of the mosque-to-be. "That can't be," stated Imam Aifuq Kamel, whose Anas Baqar Mosque, or what remains of it, lies about half a kilometer away. "I know the Imam of that mosque - well, he was killed in a bombing, with about seven fighters, so technically I 'knew' him - and he would never serve in a building without at least a hiding place to keep captive Jews. It's basic. I find it hard to believe this is an actual building plan. It's not credible."

Officials from Hamas, which still governs the territory of the Gaza Strip, were unavailable for comment. A relative of one mid-level operative disclosed that final decisions and approvals on reconstruction might not be issued for months, if ever, in light of the prospect of renewed fighting, and the possibility that Trump might prompt large-scale departure of the area's residents to greener, or at least less rubble-strewn, pastures.

Buy EoZ's books on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

Until today, I did not know this fact from The Free Press:

The biggest environmentalist craze of my generation started in 2011 with Vermont 9-year-old Milo Cress cooking up an arbitrary number for how many plastic straws Americans used daily. This 9-year-old figured it was so many. He says he called up straw manufacturers and calculated 500 million a day. Boom, big number, good number. The mainstream media was off to the races. That 500 million a day number was cited in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Suddenly the most important thing we could do for the environment—for our children!—was ban plastic straws.

For many years, the media repeated this "500 million straws a day" number without doing a basic fact check of the calculations of a nine-year old boy. That source only received wide coverage starting in 2018.

A couple of marketing firms did try. It turns out it is harder to count straws than one might think. Many are imported, for example. But there aren't that many plastic straw manufacturers in the US. It shouldn't be that difficult to find a better number (which, according to those firms, stands at somewhere between 180 million and 350 million daily.)

Why didn't the media bother to check this big, fat, round number?

Because they wanted to believe it. It fit in with their politics and their instincts.

It was, as journalists sometimes say, too good to check.

And that is how we get to Hamas' bogus casualty numbers.

People like me have shown that their numbers - for total people killed, for women and children killed, for injuries, for missing people under the rubble, and others - did not add up. Multiple sources of data were incompatible with each other. They were lying, and they continue to lie.

And yet the very people whose jobs are supposed to be to dig out the truth - reporters, medical researchers, NGOs - treat the Hamas numbers as legitimate.

The same way they trusted the plastic straw estimate of a nine year old boy.

There were two separate but related problems here: believing and reporting the original statistics as absolute truth, and continuing to do so over time without even checking.

Just as nearly no editors asked for a verification of the original numbers, so did almost none of them show any desire to review the statistics as more information becomes available over time. The reason is that they don't want to admit that their original assertions were wrong. Government agencies continue to use the 500 million number.

And we will continue to see Hamas' made up numbers for years to come. from sources that people trust.

The media isn't going to change. Hopefully media consumers can learn to be more discerning about what they believe.

Buy EoZ's books on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

From the UK Government website:

Senior Muslim and Jewish denominational leaders in the UK have signed [11 February] a landmark agreement, The Drumlanrig Accord.

The accord establishes a structured framework for sustained Muslim-Jewish collaboration, fostering deeper understanding and shared responsibility.

Signed at Spencer House, the faith leaders subsequently presented a copy of the accord to His Majesty The King at Buckingham Palace.

The initiative represents a deep and enduring commitment from the UK’s Jewish and Muslim communities to strengthen relationships, promote understanding, and work together for the common good. It is the outcome of a yearlong series of high-level meetings convened by Imam Dr Sayed Razawi, culminating in a retreat in January at Drumlanrig Castle, hosted by the Duke of Buccleuch. The Scottish Secretary joined the delegates at the event remotely.

I found a copy of the agreement - and couldn't get past the first page.

It says:

The basis for reconciliation and mutual respect exists within both Jewish and Islamic sacred texts, which stress shared values of monotheism, compassion, and justice. The Torah emphasises that every human being is made in the image of God (Genesis 5:1).

The Qur’ān instructs Muslims to invite People of the Scripture to come together on a ‘common word’ (Qur’ān 3:64), emphasising the importance of dialogue and reconciliation.

When one looks at the Quran 3:64 and its context, one sees that it is not as accepting of other viewpoints - or even of what the "common word" might be.

Here is what it says:

64. Say, “O People of the Book, come to terms common between us and you: that we worship none but God, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that none of us takes others as lords besides God.” And if they turn away, say, “Bear witness that we have submitted.”

65. O People of the Book! Why do you argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him? Will you not reason?

66. Here you are—you argue about things you know, but why do you argue about things you do not know? God knows, and you do not know.

67. Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a Monotheist, a Muslim. And he was not of the Polytheists.

68. The people most deserving of Abraham are those who followed him, and this prophet, and those who believe. God is the Guardian of the believers.

69. A party of the People of the Book would love to lead you astray, but they only lead themselves astray, and they do not realize it.

70. O People of the Book! Why do you reject the revelations of God, even as you witness?

71. O People of the Book! Why do you confound the truth with falsehood, and knowingly conceal the truth?

...
75. Among the People of the Book is he, who, if you entrust him with a heap of gold, he will give it back to you. And among them is he, who, if you entrust him with a single coin, he will not give it back to you, unless you keep after him. That is because they say, “We are under no obligation towards the gentiles.” They tell lies about God, and they know it.
...

78. And among them are those who twist the Scripture with their tongues, that you may think it from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture. And they say, “It is from God,” when it is not from God. They tell lies and attribute them to God, knowingly.

...
81. God received the covenant of the prophets, “Inasmuch as I have given you of scripture and wisdom; should a messenger come to you verifying what you have, you shall believe in him, and support him.” He said, “Do you affirm My covenant and take it upon yourselves?” They said, “We affirm it.” He said, “Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.”

82. Whoever turns away after that—these are the deceitful.

...
85. Whoever seeks other than Islam as a religion, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.

The Quranic idea of "dialogue" is a monologue. Jews who do not accept Mohammed as a prophet - according to the very same chapter cited - are deceitful and consigned to hell.

And this is the part of the Quran they use to claim they want dialogue with Jews!

The agreements themselves do not seem to be offensive. Their mention of "interfaith dialogue" gives me pause because of the verses above and previous examples of what Muslim leaders meant when they say they want "dialogue" - it is only in the direction of teaching others about Islam, not to teack Muslims about other viewpoints.

Buy EoZ's books on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

In November, a CIA analyst was arrested for distributing top secret intelligence about Israel's plans to attack Iran in October.

From the Department of Justice, January 17:

A former CIA analyst pleaded guilty today to retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information to people who were not entitled to receive it, information which was publicly posted on a social media platform in October 2024.

According to court documents, Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, was an employee of the CIA since 2016 and had a Top-Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).

Rahman pleaded guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for both counts in the plea agreement.

The crime of willful retention and transmission of classified information is a felony.

How about when the information is leaked to a left-leaning newspaper?

Today the Washington Post reported:

Israel is likely to attempt a strike on Iran’s nuclear program in the coming months in a preemptive attack that would set back Tehran’s program by weeks or perhaps months but escalate tensions across the Middle East and renew the prospect of a wider regional conflagration, according to U.S. intelligence.

The warnings about a potential Israeli strike are included in multiple intelligence reports spanning the end of the Biden administration and the beginning of the Trump administration, none more comprehensive than an early January report produced by the intelligence directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The report warned that Israel is likely to attempt a strike on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities in the first six months of 2025. Current and former U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence told The Washington Post that the finding derives from an analysis of Israel’s planning following its bombing of Iran in late October, which degraded its air defenses and left Tehran exposed to a follow-on assault. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss highly classified intelligence.

How are these two leaks different? How is leaking information about specific Israeli attack plans against Iran to social media any different than leaking it to mainstream media?

In general, newspapers are protected from prosecution for publishing leaked information. But the leakers themselves should be equally liable in both cases.

Also, this Washington Post story came on the heels of the Wall Street Journal publishing a much milder story with no specifics, so it is possible that the WaPo asked their sources in the intelligence community to share information beyond the WSJ story, which could in theory make them complicit in actively soliciting classified information or conspiring with people to steal or improperly disclose top secret information. It seems unlikely that the "officials" voluntarily contacted the WaPo only hours after the WSJ article, almost certainly the WaPo reporters contacted their sources, which sounds like active solicitation of classified information to me.

The mention of "former US officials" also strongly indicates that the leakers had been loyal Biden Administration intelligence analysts who want to stymie any Israeli attacks.

Beyond the legal issues, it is hypocrisy for the media to frame themselves as "whistleblowers" when they are effectively aiding and spying for an enemy of the US and actively trying to sabotage a US ally.

Buy EoZ's books on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)

UN quietly stops reporting Hamas lie "10,000 missing under rubble"

For months, the UN-OCHAOPT has faithfully reported Hamas statistics unless they were found to be completely bogus.

One of those statistics was the supposed 10,000 presumed dead Gazans missing or under the rubble, as this February 4 infographic says:

In its February 11 infographic, however, OCHA stopped reporting on that figure.

Others have also reported on the "10,000 buried under rubble" claim based on the UN quoting Hamas.

For example, the BBC on January 20:

I've been reporting that the "under the rubble" statistics were entirely made up for nearly a year now. But with the ceasefire now in its fourth week, and no impediments to recovering these thousands of bodies, the lie is more obvious every day - because the average number of bodies recovered daily keeps going way down.

Here are the numbers of bodies recovered, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, for each of the weeks since the ceasefire (current week extrapolated from the days counted):

Tuesday they recovered only two bodies.

It sure doesn't sound like there are 9,500 more bodies to be found.

The UN simply parroted what Hamas' Civil Defense said and publicized those numbers in other venues without question or caveat. Now, as it is increasingly clear that those estimates were simply made up to exaggerate the number of dead in Gaza, the UN has silently stopped quoting that figure.

But the numbers are still out there, quoted in the media and by NGOs.

Reporters should ask the UN about this sudden ceasing of transcribing Hamas lies.

Buy EoZ's books on Amazon!

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

PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022)