Hamas attack reveals danger of radical Islam throughout the West - opinion
October 7th proved that the notion of peace through economic cooperation and an embrace of the Western model of extreme acceptance is a myth which only increases and emboldens antisemitism.
A US SECRET Service member stands beside a White House gate, following a pro-Palestinian protest on Saturday, with ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Genocide’ written along with red handprints, symbolizing Palestinian deaths. (photo credit: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS)
The brutal pogrom of October 7 has been transformative. It has been a painful wakeup call for millions of Israelis, including our political, military, and intelligence leadership.
It has been an existential slap in the face for a great many on the Left who thought they were on the right side of history in supporting what they believed to be the peaceful nation-building aspirations of Palestinians in Gaza, only to realize that they were giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Or that they were supporting the wrong “team” – to use US President Joe Biden’s expression.
Finally, and perhaps ultimately most significantly, the pogrom has proven to be the catalyst for a worldwide coming-out party of hatred by the supporters of Hamas.
What was thought to be the presence of radical Muslims only banlieues in France, no-go zones in Sweden, and down at the heels cities in mid-England has become a visible, angry, and threatening presence in major capitals and cities throughout the West.
If the thought was that exposure to Western norms and civilization would transform the tribal and theocratically driven ways of many Muslims in cities among us, then we were all in for a rude awakening.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in London, 2021. (credit: REUTERS/HENRY NICHOLLS)
For some time now we have been exposed to shows-of-strength type of gatherings such as mass Muslim prayer sessions in the middle of crowded downtown streets, and attempts to build mosques in central places.
These have been muscle flexing efforts, designed to reflect the presence and the importance of the Muslim population in a particular city. Less noticed was any messaging besides presence, although it was always clear that the emphases of these efforts were the extolling of Islam, never integration.
What changed with October 7 has been the vehemence of the messaging.
Yes, of course, there has been the hateful messaging of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) with their incessant chanting of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Putting aside the nursery rhyme cadence, a brief moment’s thought makes one fully aware that the messaging here is simply genocidal. Palestine will be free… of Jews. The fact that this messaging has been tolerated, even celebrated, on campuses by a whole raft of progressive types, including Jews, has been the door opener to the type of hatred that we have been witnessing since October 7.
It has equated support for the Palestinians with a policy of expelling and undoubtedly killing, millions of Jews who happen to already live “from the river to the sea.” For, as anyone who knows anything about the Middle East knows, a “free” Palestine is a judenrein Palestine. Above all, it has made a “free” Palestine a “moral imperative.” Therefore, a full-throated defense of Hamas, brutality and all, is a logical outgrowth, and a hop, skip, and a jump from SJP’s imprecations.
After all, if defending Palestine is a moral imperative, then Hamas are freedom fighters, battling a war of liberation. This will inevitably blunt the impact and effect of the unspeakable massacre, rationalizing it as the inevitable expression of frustration and desperation borne out of the “occupation.”
What the Western embrace of Islam inevitably leads to
NOTICE WHAT is missing here: decency, humanity, and a visceral sense that perhaps something terrible was done, even if in the name of something necessary.
Now we move on to the next step, and that is massive and widespread presence. It is not just widespread, but it is provocative unto threatening. You have a community that feels the wind is at its back, that thanks to intersectionality and a bizarre obsession with a basically non-existent Islamophobia, the marchers can express their true feelings: Death to Jews, destruction for Israel, and doing whatever it takes to get there.
This, of course, is frightening in and of itself, but it is merely an opening gambit to what promises to be a future of hatred, rejection, and ultimately, usurpation.
Rest assured, as the old saw goes, what starts with the Jews, never ends with the Jews.
What these demonstrations will ultimately become will be anti-American, anti-Canadian, anti-name the host country expressions of hatred and rejection.
The shape of things to come in the US and Canada is being played out in the United Kingdom as I write these lines, with the Muslim community increasingly flexing its anti-Western muscles, while the authorities are reluctant and/or fearful to confront them.
In Europe, demographics are shaping up as a determinant factor, whereby Muslim populations continue to grow, while the non-Muslim majority is recording all time low birth rates.
North America is seeing some of the same trends, with the critical difference being that there is not the significant Muslim presence that has characterized Europe for the past couple of decades. Nevertheless, the situation is bound to deteriorate, certainly for Jews, and ultimately for those who cherish the values that have defined, until recently, Western civilization.
Woke-ism has been a primary midwife of the ascension of a Muslim population filled with hatred for Western values, without Westerners understanding that when circumstances warrant it, they will join the list of victims.
THERE IS no alternative but to shake off the torpor of acceptance that defines Western countries’ attitude towards increasingly radical and rejectionist Islam.
What could be telling is the current example of Israel.
We have been shaken out of a mindset that was mimicking the Western model of focusing on peace through economic development and opportunities to cooperate, only to realize that none of that mattered to a Hamas that has maintained a focus on Israel’s destruction despite head fakes to the contrary.
Today, Israel is experiencing born-again deterrence.
This much-needed change in attitude will not revert once Hamas is removed from power because there will continue to be the genocidal forces of Hezbollah on our northern border, as well as the Iranian-directed Syrian forces, as well as the concerns of the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.
The wool has come off our eyes, and the same needs to happen throughout the West. Our democracies were not intended to be suicide pacts.
We must be willing to protect that which we cherish and do so with clarity and strength.
The writer is the chairman of the board of Im Tirtzu and a director of the Israel Independence Fund.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HonestReporting Tells All in Bombshell Report
Netanyahu Demands Answers from CNN, NYT, AP, Reuters, on Embedded Hamas Photographers
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration is demanding answers from several prominent news agencies after criticism emerged of their photographers appearing to have been embedded with Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attack.
As Breitbart News reported Wednesday, the Associated Press said that it had no foreknowledge of the attack, even though its photographers appeared alongside Hamas terrorists from the first moments that they broke through the Gaza border fence.
Palestinians transport a captured Israeli civilian, center, from Kibbutz Kfar Azza into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo)
The pro-Israel media watchdog organization brought up ethical concerns Wednesday, noting that media photographers seemed to have known about the attack and were quite at ease among the terrorists, who were shooting every other civilian they found
Later, photographs emerged of one of the photographers posing for selfies with the local Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.
In a statement, the National Public Diplomacy Directorate of the Prime Ministers’s Office demanded action by news agencies:
The National Public Diplomacy Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office views with utmost gravity that photojournalists working with international media joined in covering the brutal acts of murder perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on Saturday October 7th in the communities adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
These journalists were accomplices in crimes against humanity; their actions were contrary to professional ethics.
Overnight the Government Press Office issued an urgent letter to the bureau chiefs of the media organizations that employed these photographers and sought clarifications on the matter.
The National Public Diplomacy Directorate demands that immediate action be taken.
Israel’s Government Press Office (GPO), which regulates press access in Israel, also issued a statement demanding explanations:
GPO Director Nitzan Chen demands explanations from the bureau chiefs of AP, Reuters, CNN and The New York Times regarding the disturbing findings in the Honest Reporting report on the involvement of their photographers in the events of October 7th, which crosses every red line, professional and moral.
Four photographers who work for these networks documented the horrors perpetrated by the Hamas terrorists after they broke through border fence with Israel. They filmed the murder of civilians, the abuse of bodies and the abduction of men and women.
News agencies have faced criticism in recent years for using photographers or local “stringers” who have sympathy for anti-Israel terrorist groups. Often, these are the only photographers that groups like Hamas and Hezbollah will permit to work in the area.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
Int'l law expert: Why is the UN anti-Israel? Antisemitism, it's always been antisemitism
Human Rights Voices President Anne Bayefsky speaks to Arutz Sheva about the UN's failure to condemn Hamas, campaign to destroy Israel.
Prof. Anne Bayefsky, president of the Human Rights Voices NGO and director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights, spoke to Israel National News - Arutz Sheva Wednesday about the United Nations responses to the Hamas massacre of over 1,400 Israelis on October 7 and the subsequent war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization.
Prof. Bayefsky, whose Human Rights Voices organization monitors the UN, called the UN's response to the October 7 attacks, the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Nazi Holocaust, "simply obscene."
"I did a review of what happened in the first two-three days from the United Nations because I knew what was going to happen. And even at the time that the full details were emerging, the bodies were still largely unidentified, and even the numbers were very much unknown, Israel was still trying to secure the barrier with Gaza, facing a three-front war potentially, the United Nations was gearing up to excuse and deny even the facts," Bayefsky said.
"You heard from UN actors that they questioned the atrocities and you heard from the Secretary-General as early as October the 9th - I think it's important to put his reaction in context - two days after it began ... he talked about a 'vicious circle of bloodshed.' He analogized Hamas to Israel. They began to talk across the board at the United Nations in terms of things like 'appealing to both sides to adhere to international humanitarian law. This was nothing short of an obscenity from the beginning," she explained.
Prof. Bayefsky condemned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his statement that the Hamas massacre "did not happen in a vacuum," a remark which has been widely seen as justifying the atrocities which were committed on October 7.
"The reality is that the United Nations apparatus has been appropriated by Israel's enemies to destroy the Jewish State for the last 75 years," she said. "Two days after the horror of October the 7th, the Pakistani ambassador, on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said at the Human Rights Council, the UN's highest human rights body, that this was a 75-year occupation (meaning that Israel's existence is an occupation).
"Only a few days ago, last week, the highest-ranking human rights officer at UN headquarters, a man named Craig Mokhiber, who has since 'retired,' said that the solution is a one-state solution. It's clear that this is an attack on the very existence of a Jewish State," she said. "He appropriated the language of human rights and he perverted it, and he said there should be equality between Muslims, Christians, and Jews in a single state. So what does that mean? It means there should be 56 Islamic states, there should be 21 Arab states, and there should be zero Jewish states, in the name of 'equal rights.'"
"There are other things to know about the reaction of the United Nations," she added. "A woman by the name of Navi Pillay, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the current head of this commission of inquiry dedicated to the destruction of the State of Israel and the perversion of international law, so-called. She has twice in the last month spoken about the legitimacy of armed struggle against the State of Israel. What is that? It's enabling terrorism."
Bayefsky said that the war against the State of Israel's right to exist "was always a two-front war: on the ground, in the field, and at the United Nations."
She explained that the UN "to this day has no definition of terrorism" because Muslim states have sought to ensure that the killing of Jews is never defined as terrorism.
"The UN has never condemned Hamas by name, never," she noted. "No major UN spokesperson, to this day, has said categorically: Israel, as a full equal member of the United Nations, has the UN charter right to inherent self-defense, none of them."
In the last few weeks, several UN officials have questioned or even denied outright that Israel has the right to self-defense against Hamas on the basis that Article 51 of the UN charter allegedly only allows the right to self-defense against other states.
In recent years, Israeli officials have claimed that while the UN was still inherently anti-Israel, the Jewish State's standing at the organization was improving. The fact that only 14 nations voted with Israel in a General Assembly resolution which called on Israel to stop retaliating against Hamas and neither the Security Council nor the General Assembly has been able to condemn the Hamas massacre at all would seem to disprove this, and Prof. Bayefsky agrees.
"At the United Nations, nothing is getting better, it's getting worse," she said. "October the 7th was quintessential antisemitism. And yet, no UN actor has called it antisemitism. There is this fiction that antisemitism, ok, it happens on college campuses as a result of the war, but it's not the killing of Jews in Israel in the here and now. They don't understand what antisemitism is, they're endeavoring to divide Israelis from Jews outside of Israel."
"Why is it getting worse? Because they've commandeered international law. They pervert it, invert it, misrepresent it, talk about proportionality without understanding that one side targets civilians and the other side seeks to avoid targeting civilians. Hamas not only targets Jewish civilians, they put their own civilians in harm's way to avoid harm to themselves.
"So we have two very different actors here. It should be patently obvious. And yet, you have these artificial UN so-called appeals to both sides to adhere to international law. One side, it's very raison d'etre, it's purpose, is to violate international law, is to target civilians. So what are these appeals?" she asked.
When asked where this anti-Israel bias at the UN comes from, Bayefsky declared that "it's simply antisemitism. It's always been antisemitism."
"Since 1947-48, it's been a single-handed effort to eradicate the Jewish State. And the question is, really for Israelis and for Americans and for others, to what extent are we going to continue to allow the UN to be the leverage, the political hammer to destroy the State of Israel and the Jewish State? I worry, honestly, that the United States is making a very dangerous calculation. The UN General Assembly adopted an incredible resolution, an emergency special session. Everybody is there. And what do they do? They don't condemn Hamas and they don't say Israel has the right of self-defense. And what happened to that resolution? The Germans abstained, the French voted for it with Iran."
"The UN has become a terror enabler," she declared, saying that the US "is trying to figure out, just how much are we going to allow Israel to try to win this war? At what point are we going to say, 'well the UN Security Council made me do it,' as President Obama did at the end of his term in office? I worry that without a very considerable unified, or if not unified, a vast majority of Americans need to stand up and to reject the obscene moral equivalence and the use of the United Nations to somehow carry on with its 75-year war to destroy the State of Israel."
Bayefsky dismissed the attitude expressed by Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, who famously declared "Um-Shmum" in dismissal of the UN's constant condemnations of Israel as meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
"It's been a terrible mistake for decades. I still get "Um-Shmum," I still get, 'well, ok, but you know how much of it is really antisemitism. There's a larger war, there's a context.' That's the UN game. 'There's a context.' The context is the effort, not even the effort, the actual killing of Jews in the here and now, the refusal to recognize what antisemitism looks like. And antisemitism is the global effort by people like Navi Pillay and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to put atrocities against Jews, the effort to have a one-state solution - which i genocide against the Jewish people - and to put it into some kind of fake 'context,' to deny the reality of what we see on the ground, to lie about what international law entails.
"For us to somehow diminish the extraordinary ramifications and ability of the UN to pervert our moral compass, is a terrible mistake. And all you have to do is look at the Germans abstaining on a UN resolution which didn't say Israel has a right of self-defense or condemn Hamas and the French voting for Iran, and the United States now playing around at the Security Council to see how far they can push it to try to impose a so-called 'humanitarian pause.'
"Where's the humanity in pausing for one second the effort to release every single hostage," she asked.
Despite the antisemitism at the UN, Prof. Bayefsky said that she is not ready to "give up" on Western nations who have abstained or voted in favor of recent anti-Israel resolutions that failed to condemn Hamas, including the UK, Germany, France, and Canada.
"The center of the ability of Israel to fight back is happening in Washington and New York. The Americans have to make it very crystal clear to this government that the UN has no moral compass, that it doesn't speak for the majority of Americans, that it is an obscenity for it to be paid for largely by Americans, and that we have to hold out against this global progrom, which is what it is. It's on the ground, and it's at the United Nations," Prof. Bayefsky concluded.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sanctioning Jew-hatred doesn’t conflict with the First Amendment
Rep. Rashida Tlaib and those cheering for Hamas have the right to say what they want. But institutions should treat them the same way they would neo-Nazis or Klan members.
(November 8, 2023 / JNS)
Members of the congressional “Squad” are always at their best when playing the victim. In that light, Nov. 7 was a banner day for Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) as she tearfully assumed the mantle of martyrdom when the U.S. House of Representatives voted to censure her for statements “promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.”
The ramifications of the censure vote extend far beyond the halls of Congress. A growing chorus of anti-Semitic invective is being heard on America’s streets and on college campuses. Similar efforts to call out those who call for Israel’s destruction and in favor of terrorist atrocities against Jews are being resisted by those who claim that doing so is an unconstitutional and unethical effort to silence free speech or to enforce a pro-Israel version of cancel culture. Some assert that the anti-Israel protests—even those that clearly cross over into antisemitism—must not only be tolerated but that any effort to punish or subject to public opprobrium those who engage in such vicious behavior is evidence of intolerance of legitimate political opinions. That includes those individuals who feel more than comfortable tearing down posters with the images of men, women and children being held captive in the Gaza Strip by Hamas.
Would they tolerate support for lynching?
Nobody is repealing anyone’s First Amendment right to freedom of expression, no matter how hateful. But the right to say whatever you want—as long as it’s not a direct incitement to violence—doesn’t mean that the rest of society is obliged to treat those engaging in open antisemitism as respectable members of society. We have every right to censure or call them out for doing so. And in the wake of Oct. 7, as expressions of hatred for Jews and Jewish safety are becoming so widespread, it is more important than ever that those who are behaving in this fashion are treated in the same way society disdains neo-Nazis or avowed racists like members of the Ku Klux Klan.
Had a member of Congress expressed open racism against African-Americans, Hispanics or Asians, as well as supported violence against these groups, there would be no hesitation within either party about not just censuring but expelling them.
Elsewhere, the fact that some people openly sympathize with the cause of those advocating for the mass murder of Jews is an unfortunate fact. There is no doubt that universities would expel students or fire professors who supported the lynching of African-Americans or some other act of mass murder. And no law firm, corporation or mainstream publication would hire someone with that on their record. Nor would there be any movement within college administrations to help such people make their way in life, let alone be guaranteed the success that a degree from an elite school can bring.
But when it comes to those engaging in antisemitism, it appears any thought of public ostracism is controversial. This testifies to the mainstreaming of hatred for Jews not so much in the fever swamps of the far right or far left, but in the very institutions of academia, journalism and business that are the loudest in opposing racism against anyone else.
Indeed, mainstream institutions are slow even to acknowledge how this atmosphere has led directly to violence against Jews, including the apparent killing of a 69-year-old Jewish man in California by a pro-Hamas demonstrator. That publications like The New York Times were reluctant to label this as murder or a hate crime, even after they rushed to assert that the killing of a Muslim boy was the result of Islamophobia, is more evidence of the double standard at play here.
And that is the true scandal about post-Oct. 7 America.
Tlaib crosses a line
Tlaib’s attacks on Israel and President Joe Biden for his support for the Jewish state, in which she embraced the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”—a call for the elimination of Israel and those who reside in it—led to the censure. Her smears of Israel as an “apartheid state” and false charges that it is committing “genocide” against Palestinians (which, in context, was clearly intended as a defense of Hamas “resistance” efforts) motivated Republicans to move ahead with the measure.
While Tlaib has disingenuously claimed that the “river to the sea” slogan is “aspirational” and merely an appeal for freedom, she is a supporter of the antisemitic BDS movement and has repeatedly called for Israel’s elimination.
The vote in favor of censure was 234-188 with 22 Democrats breaking party discipline and crossing the aisle to vet to condemn Tlaib while four Republicans bucked their party to oppose it. Three other Democrats and one Republican merely voted “present.”
Given the failure of past attempts to shame Tlaib in this manner, it’s a significant step for the House. Censure has become a largely partisan tool in which both Republicans and Democrats condemn each other’s outliers more to stoke partisan fundraising than any actual outrage. This vote matters because it labels her behavior as being so abhorrent that it forced at least some in her own party to treat it as beyond the pale.
Still, most Democrats didn’t vote for censure. And only 67 signed on to a letter condemning the use of the “from the river to the sea” slogan as an obvious call for genocide of Israel’s Jews, though without naming Tlaib.
The reason for this was partly partisan since in the current political environment, party labels mean far more to most politicians than principles. But according to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who is a popular figure among liberal Jewish Democrats, the real issue was “freedom of speech.”
That’s a similar theme being sounded by those who disagree with efforts to punish students and professors who express support for Hamas and echo Tlaib’s anti-Semitic libels while also intimidating Jewish students. Similar arguments are heard in defense of those who march in the streets in support of Hamas’s genocidal agenda or who tear down posters with the images of Israelis who have been kidnapped and dragged across the border to the Gaza Strip, where they are being held by Hamas.
Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism
As New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg, another avowed anti-Zionist, wrote this past weekend, as far as many on the political left are concerned, the question is: “When it comes to Israel, who gets to decide what you can or can’t say?”
But the misnomer here is the false claim that Tlaib or students chanting for an “intifada” are engaging in “criticism” of Israel’s government. If it were merely criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or his policies, there would be no issue. But the anti-Zionists don’t want a different Israeli government or a Jewish state with alternative policies or borders. They want to “decolonize” Israel, which is to say, destroy it, evict or kill its Jews and replace it with a Palestinian state. And that state would—inevitably, like every other majority Muslim nation in the region—be one where adherents of other religions would, at best, be a discriminated-against minority whose safety would be subject to the whims of Islamists.
The reason why anti-Zionists are anti-Semites, regardless of whether some can claim Jewish ancestry, is that they advocate for treating Jews differently than any other people on the planet. They say that only Jews have no right to life and sovereignty in their ancient homeland, and as such, should be denied the right to self-defense against those seeking to slaughter them. That is what those demanding a ceasefire in Gaza so as to allow Hamas to survive and win the current war are doing, and it’s nothing but discrimination. And let’s be clear: Discrimination against Jews is anti-Semitism.
This is why the Jewish community has every right to demand that those who call for Israel’s extinction be correctly labeled as anti-Semites. It is equally hateful to claim that anti-Semites should be tolerated or treated better than those who advocate for discrimination or violence against other minorities.
The awful atrocities of Oct. 7 were deeply traumatic for all Jews. But that injury has been compounded not just by the indifference of much of the world, including those who publicly comment about any tragedy, but by the way the mass slaughter of Jews has actually encouraged the spread of antisemitism throughout the world.
The problem for Jews is that a percentage of Americans support an ideology—left-wing intersectionality—that is squarely behind such discrimination and ready to rationalize, if not openly back, violence against Jews. We can see how this has already led to violence and the creation of an atmosphere in cities and colleges where Jews have good reason to fear for their safety.
That means that it is incumbent on institutions—whether they are universities, corporations or Congress—to demonstrate that while people who hold such views have every right to speak, march or publish, they do not have a right to be tolerated or treated as a respectable member of society. As long as they are being told by the arbiters of public opinion, like The New York Times, that their advocacy for violence against Jews is something that everyone should accept as legitimate and even acceptable discourse, Jews aren’t safe in America … or anywhere else.
Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS (Jewish News Syndicate). Follow him: @jonathans_tobin.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Israel’s 33rd Day of War
By Sherwin Pomerantz
33 days into the war and heavy ground operations in Gaza continues. To date 31 of our soldiers have been killed since we began the invasion. Most of those have been from attacks by Hamas troops popping out of tunnels or firing from other concealed positions.
The Israeli army has been advancing faster than its own commanders anticipated in encircling Gaza City and reaching Hamas headquarters, but accomplishing the goal of eliminating the group’s political and military leadership will take time. Israel’s vision of a knockout victory includes killing or capturing Hamas’ entire military and political leadership, killing all the planners and perpetrators of the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, eliminating all Hamas arsenals and firepower, and denying its ability to run Gaza or maintain its sovereignty there.
Three IDF divisions are currently operating in Gaza with artillery, helicopter gunships, drones and fighter jets backing up their advance. Hamas has so far avoided confronting the Israeli troops head on, opting to exploit its advantage in ambushing and attacking from tunnels, and booby-trapping their route. The IDF estimates that between 1,500 and 2,000 assailants have been killed, including 15 officers at tactical command levels. The number of Israeli casualties, as of now, is at the low end of the preliminary estimates.
The Gazan authorities claim that their death toll exceeds 10,000 with more than half of those children. Although there are many people who dispute those figures, there have, for sure, been huge amounts of casualties.
Israel is doing what it can to minimize civilian casualties. There is now an established safe passage route in place protected by Israel for those residents of North Gaza who want to go south. Aerial surveillance shows large numbers of people carry white cloths walking south on that path. Where they go when they get to the south is, of course, yet another problem.
Regarding addressing the daily needs of civilians in Gaza, the IDF is continuing to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. As of yesterday, a total of 665 (double trailer) trucks have entered Gaza, with deliveries of vital humanitarian aid. Specifically, (a) over 3,000 tons of food; (b) over 1,720 tons of medical equipment; and (c) over 600 tons of equipment for temporary shelters have been brought from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing. Israel does not permit fuel to be brought in as we know it will be immediately requisitioned for use by Hamas to power their war machine, even though we also know that they have 200,000 liters of fuel stored in fuel tanks which they control.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has reiterated Israel’s position that there will be no truce, no cease fire and no fuel shipments until the 240+ hostages are returned to Israel.
The situation on the ground remains volatile, with no clear end in sight. Earlier today, the northern front saw its share of tension, with Hezbollah launching 20 rockets toward the Golan Heights and even as far south as Haifa. In spite of Nasrallah’s comments late last week that Lebanon has no interest in escalating the cross border activity, it would appear to some that we are inching ever closer to war with Hizballah as well
Additionally, Israeli security forces have just arrested 28 Palestinian suspects in the West Bank, 11 of whom are linked to Hamas
Across the world demonstrations in support of Hamas and against what we are doing here in Israel continue to grow. We heard this week that the pro Hamas, pro ceasefire movement is contacting the US Congress at a 6:1 rate against those supporting Israel. If those of you reading this update support Israel, we need your voice to be heard now!!!! Please take a moment and write to your representatives in Washington urging them to continue their support of Israel at this challenging time.
We continue our prayers that the war will end sooner rather than later and our troops will return home safely
Sherwin Pomerantz has lived in Israel for 40 years, is CEO of Atid EDI Ltd., a international business development consultancy. He is also the Founder and Chair of the American State Offices Association, former National President of the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel and a past Chairperson of the Board of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
American political campaigns take too much time, cost too much money and thus favor what the wealthy want. We have lost control of what "one man one vote means."
+++
Dear PragerU Supporter,
Whether or not you watched last night’s Republican debate, there’s something very important you need to know: elections alone cannot save America. We cannot simply put our faith in politicians to fix the deep-rooted issues that plague our great nation.
Do elected officials matter? Absolutely. Should our representatives stand up for our cherished values and principles? Without a doubt. However, it's essential to recognize that politicians, no matter how well-intentioned, cannot solve all the problems facing our country.
The late Andrew Breitbart wisely remarked, "Politics is downstream from culture." This simple yet profound statement holds the key to understanding the direction in which our nation is headed.
Help PragerU win back the culture and save America
For decades, the left has been relentless in infiltrating our social, educational, and cultural institutions. They understood that the path to reshaping society lies in the realms of the arts, media, education, and culture, and they've diligently pursued that mission.
But we must not simply stand by and watch as our cherished values are eroded. It's time for us to fight back, not only at the ballot box but also through the very avenues that shape the cultural landscape
This is where PragerU steps in
For over a decade, PragerU has been at the forefront of educating and influencing the next generation. We've been a beacon of truth in a sea of misinformation, reaching millions, changing minds, and making a real impact on culture. Our commitment to American values, truth, goodness, and liberty is unwavering.
Support PragerU
However, we cannot do this alone. We need you to stand with us, to join our cause, and to be a part of the change America so desperately needs
As America’s culture and economy spiral downward at neck-breaking speed, PragerU is feeling the effects. While we continue to grow, expand our content offerings, and reach millions of people with our patriotic, mind-changing videos, we are struggling to meet our fundraising goals.
Only through the generosity of goodhearted Americans who understand what we’re up against can we continue to make an impact in the lives of the next generation.
By making a tax-deductible donation to PragerU, you empower us to continue producing high-quality educational content that challenges the status quo and uplifts the values that have made our nation exceptional. Your support will help us create meaningful, lasting change in the hearts and minds of Americans across the country.
Don't underestimate the power of your contribution. Every dollar you donate to PragerU is an investment in the future of our nation, a future where American values and principles are upheld and cherished, regardless of who occupies the White House.
Donate to PragerU now, and together, let's ensure a brighter future for our beloved country.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Your PragerU team
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Why Antisemitism, Anger and Intolerance Have Infected America’s Ivy League Colleges – Part Two |
 |
We recently examined the alarming escalation in anti-Semitism seen on US college campuses — specifically at the Ivy League universities of Harvard, Yale, Cornell and Columbia — since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The world has tilted and the "evil doers" are winning. Why? Because without strong American leadership the "offset balance" of democratic deterrence is missing. Biden is both incompetent and apparently corrupt and we have allowed our nation to fall behind our adversaries. Odds always favor a strong democracy because "man" wants to be free However, when America projects weakness and is conflicted the necessary balance is missing. That is where we are and until American leadership is strong and our nation united the world will continue to proceed without boundaries. Meanwhile: In my own case, I am physically challenged but, mentally, I am mostly "with it. I am not good at remembering names and words but I can walk off the stage in the correct direction and no one pulls my strings. That said, I never had a desire to enter politics and could not endure the physical demands of the presidency- period! +++ Biden continues to protect our troops by bombing a tool shed. His response sends a powerful message he is a pathetic leader along with his primary Pentagon adviser, ie Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin. +++++++++++++++++++++++
|
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No comments:
Post a Comment