ISRAEL (IINO)
Ezra Yachin 95-year-old Reservist
It’s Like Déjà Vu: Germany Vows to Arrest Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu on ICC Orders By Jim Hᴏft
May 23, 2024 2:00 pm – The German government has confirmed its willingness to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue a warrant. This statement comes amidst ongoing investigations by the ICC into alleged war crimes during Israel’s military operation, Swords of Iron.
Steffen Hebestreit, spokesman for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, confirmed on Wednesday that Germany would comply with any such ICC directive, asserting, “Of course. Yes, we abide by the law.”
This announcement has sparked a fierce backlash from Israeli officials. Avi Hyman, a spokesman for Prime Minister Netanyahu, criticized the German government’s position, drawing historical parallels that resonated deeply.
Speaking to Fox News, Hyman recalled Chancellor Scholz’s recent comparison of Hamas to the Nazis and condemned the inconsistency in the German stance.
“I am old enough to remember the German leader coming here days after October 7, and stating the Hamas are the new Nazis. They seek a genocide against the Jews. Many in the world need to check their moral compass and be on the right side of history,” Hyman said.
In a preemptive comment made prior to Hebestreit’s declaration, Israel’s Ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, wrote on X, “This is outrageous! The German ‘Staatsräson’ is now being put to the test—no ifs or buts. This contrasts with the weak statements we hear from some institutions and political actors. The public statement that Israel has the right to self-defense loses credibility if our hands are tied as soon as we defend ourselves.”
The International Criminal Court on Monday filed an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
“On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Benjamin NETANYAHU, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav GALLANT, the Minister of Defence of Israel, bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 8 October 2023:
- Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(b)(xxv) of the Statute;
- Wilfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health contrary to article 8(2)(a)(iii), or cruel treatment as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i);
- Wilful killing contrary to article 8(2)(a)(i), or Murder as a war crime contrary to article 8(2)(c)(i);
- Intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as a war crime contrary to articles 8(2)(b)(i), or 8(2)(e)(i);
- Extermination and/or murder contrary to articles 7(1)(b) and 7(1)(a), including in the context of deaths caused by starvation, as a crime against humanity;
- Persecution as a crime against humanity contrary to article 7(1)(h);
- Other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity contrary to article 7(1)(k).”
In a video statement released Monday, Netanyahu lambasted ICC prosecutor Karim Khan for the direct assault on the sovereignty of Israel, a democratically elected government.
“The outrageous decision by the ICC prosecutor to target the leaders of Israel will leave an indelible stain on the international court,” Netanyahu said.
He emphasized that Israel is engaged in a legitimate battle against Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization responsible for horrific attacks on the Jewish people on October 7th.
Netanyahu drew sharp analogies between the ICC’s actions and historical injustices, comparing the warrants against Israeli leaders to hypothetical moral equivalencies between U.S. President George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden post-9/11, or between FDR and Hitler during World War II. “What a travesty of justice, what a disgrace,” he added.
He further criticized Khan’s actions as undermining the foundational rights of democracies to defend themselves against terrorism and aggression, stating that the charges against himself and Gallant were an attempt to strip Israel of its right to self-defense.
“Eighty years ago, the Jewish people were defenseless against our enemies. Those days are over. We have a state, and we have an army,” Netanyahu said.
The father and son Hamas rapists – Terrorists describe going house to house carrying out sex attacks and murder: ‘One screamed and cried… father raped her then I did then my cousin did then father killed her’ By NICK PISA and NATALIE LISBONA
- Jamal Hussein Ahmad Radi, 47, and his son Abdallah, 18, were captured by IDF
- They told Israeli captors of their heinous crimes against civilians on October 7
08:20 EDT, 23 May 2024 – An evil father and son have revealed to Israeli investigators how they killed and raped innocent civilians after taking part in the Hamas invasion.
Shameless Jamal Hussein Ahmad Radi, 47, and his son Abdallah, 18, were captured by IDF forces in Gaza and questioned about the atrocities they committed in a kibbutz close to the border.
In video footage of their confession obtained by MailOnline, the men chillingly describe murdering innocent civilians in their homes, kidnapping others and brutally raping women they found and shooting them once they had finished their evil acts.
Details of the horrific sexual-related violence carried out emerged in the weeks after the invasion which left more than 1,200 people dead and has sparked a fierce retaliation by Israeli forces in Gaza.
In the footage the men – dressed in grey tracksuits and with handcuffs – are seen sitting in front of an Israeli flag as they are questioned by an Arabic speaking member of the Shin Bet security service at a secret location.
[Ed.: The term ‘innocent civilians’ is an oxymoron.]
BIDEN AIDING HAMAS: NONE of 569 Tons of Aid Delivered Via $320M Biden-Built Pier in Gaza Made It to Palestinians By Pamela Geller
May 22, 2024 – As if this wasn’t foreseeable. Of course Hamas is looting it.
JNS reports: According to Israeli estimates, Hamas has been stealing up to 60% of the aid entering the Gaza Strip, and a Channel 12 report last week revealed that the terrorist organization has made at least $500 million in profit off humanitarian aid since the start of the war on Oct. 7.
Gaza aid from US-built pier stolen – JNS.org
Pentagon Says None of Food Aid Moved Through Gaza Pier Has Made It to Palestinians
U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) use a rope to stabilize humanitarian aid while it is lifted by a crane aboard the MV Roy P. Benavidez at the Port of Ashdod, Israel, May 14, 2024. The soldiers are supporting the construction of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore system off the shore of Gaza. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley)
By Konstantin Toropin, Military.com May 21, 2024:
The Pentagon said Tuesday that it believes none of the hundreds of tons of aid delivered over several days via a military-built pier in Gaza has made it to Palestinians.
The pier, erected by the U.S. Army to ease the humanitarian crisis amid the Israel-Hamas war, was secured to the Gaza shoreline Thursday, and trucks began dropping off pallets of food ashore on Friday. But the United Nations reported difficulties moving the aid once it reached the shore, including an apparent ambush that reportedly turned deadly.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Tuesday that more than 569 metric tons of aid had been delivered to Gaza via the pier, called a Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore operation, or JLOTS, but that it did not appear that any of it had actually been delivered to the starving residents of Gaza.
“Here Are the Girls Who Can Get Pregnant…You Are So Beautiful!”- Hamas Monsters Line Up Bloodied Female Israeli Soldiers Against Wall While Threatening to R*pe and Kill Them (SHOCK VIDEO) By Cullen Linebarger
May 22, 2024 6:40 pm – Sickening bodycam footage has emerged showing a group of Hamas terrorists cruelly taunting captured female Israeli soldiers as they are handcuffed and pressed against a wall.
The shocking video was shared today on Israeli television and first released by The Hostages and Missing Families Forum. As Reuters reported, the video was shot inside the Nahal Oz base’s bomb shelter on October 7, but it was withheld until now.
The Israeli government posted the footage on its X page, complete with English subtitles. Please be warned what you are about to read is extremely disturbing.
In the sickening video, five young female Israeli soldiers in their pajamas are being tormented by Hamas soldiers. They are seen bloodied, presumably from being beaten by the medieval scumbags.
One of the Israeli soldiers pleaded with the savages to find someone who could speak English with her, while another told them that she had friends in Gaza. Their cries fell on deaf ears, however, as the savages demanded they sit down.
“Our brothers died because of you!” one terrorist yells in Arabic. “We will shoot you all!”
One of the terrorists then gleefully announces the group’s plans to r*pe the soldiers.
“Here are the girls who can get pregnant,” one of the Hamas soldiers boasted. “You’re so beautiful!”
Another gunman hurls sexist insults toward the females and threatens to physically assault them.
“You are dogs! We will step on you, dogs!” he shouted.
“Here, these are the girls who can get pregnant.”
This is video footage depicting the horrific kidnapping of 5 female Israeli hostages: Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniela Gilboa and Naama Levy.
They have been held hostage by Hamas terrorists for more than 230 days… pic.twitter.com/zFo9eB77uC
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) May 22, 2024
After the monsters stopped to pray, they violently throw the young women into the back of a car with the sound of gunfire in the background. Several of the females struggle getting to the vehicle while the Hamas terrorists scream at them to leave their friends behind.
The footage concludes with the women packed in the back of the car as it drives off.
The hostages were identified as Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy. They have been held hostage since October 7.
WATCH: Hearing goes off the rails as Ted Cruz accuses Biden official of funding Hamas attack on Israel [VIDEO 9:28] by Brandon Gillespie
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz blasted Secretary of State Anthony Blinken for failing to crack down on Iran’s sanctions avoidance
May 21, 2024 7:05pm EDT
Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz pulled no punches while questioning Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a heated Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday.
The tense clash between the two began with Cruz blasting the Biden administration’s “worst foreign policy disaster of modern times,” referencing its handling of Iran and the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, and culminated with the senator accusing the White House of indirectly funding the attack.
“Mr. Secretary, you have presided over the worst foreign policy disaster of modern times,” Cruz began. “When Joe Biden became president, he inherited peace and prosperity in the world. We now have two simultaneous wars waging: the worst war in Europe since World War II, and the worst war in the Middle East in 50 years. Both, I believe, were caused by this administration’s consistent weakness.”
“Your foreign policy is precisely backwards from what a rational American foreign policy should be to our friends and allies. This administration has consistently undermined, weakened and attacked them,” he added. “And to our enemies, this administration has shown constant appeasement and indeed has flowed billions of dollars to the enemies of America who want to kill us.”
The two clashed over the Biden administration’s effort to prevent Israel from attacking Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip, as part of its efforts to root out Hamas terrorists from among the Palestinians, with Cruz demanding to know whether they offered Israel intelligence on the terrorists if they would hold off attacking.
Blinken denied any such action was taken and attempted to expand on what he said was President Biden’s support for Israel, but Cruz stopped him, saying he wasn’t interested in a “campaign speech.”
Cruz continued to press him, but Blinken called the notion “misleading and wrong,” and said the U.S. government shares intelligence if it’s available.
⚫ Wed afternoon May 22, 2024 11:31 am Eastern – ISRAEL REALTIME – Connecting to Israel in Realtime
❗️HEZBOLLAH SOURCE.. “The joint operations room is active and there is full coordination with the resistance.” MEANING, as the IDF fighting and successes in Rafah is growing, there will be more actions from Hezbollah.
▪️VIDEO (it’s ugly and scary WARNING).. with permission from the families, the IDF has released a hostage taking video of the 7 female soldiers, bloodied, tied up, some partially stripped (blocked out in the video). It has been edited to remove some of the more disturbing images, including the multiple bodies. https://www.mako.co.il/news-military/2024_q2/Article-62a2c15a5b0af81026.htm
▪️EVACUATED SAMARIA SETTLEMENTS – RE-ENTRY ALLOWED.. Defense Minister orders to allow Israelis to enter disengaged areas in Samaria, says the step will lead to “the development of settlement and provide security to the residents of the region.” The disengagement law repealed last year, but military orders remained.
.. Peace Now condemned the step.
▪️FIN MINSTER – HALTS ALL TRANSFER TO PA.. “I would like to inform you (to the PM) that I do not intend to transfer the (tax refund) funds to the PA, from now until further notice, I do not intend to extend the indemnification to the correspondent banks at the end of next month (allowing PA banks via the Israeli system without being sued for terror financing).”
.. He also requests from the PM a series of measures to strengthen and grow Israeli towns in Judea-Samaria, and punitive steps such as cancelling all PA VIP passes through Israeli checkpoints.
.. The Financial Times: from senior officials: We warn of an economic catastrophe in the (Palestinian) West Bank if Israel does not renew the indemnity to the banks. In that case, the Israeli banks will stop working with the Palestinian financial institutions.”
▪️THE LEGAL SYSTEM SAYS: “Announcement from the Legal Adviser.. and State Attorney: Israel went on the 7th of Oct to the war that was imposed on it. Israel .. fights terrorism and protects its security while adhering to the .. legal rules and out of a deep commitment to the law.
The security forces, and the IDF as a whole, fight with a full commitment to the rules of international law.
The … State Attorney’s Office of the State of Israel thoroughly investigate any serious claim of violation of the law by any of the authorities of the State of Israel…
As Israel has made clear over the years, the (ICC – International Criminal Court) court lacks authority to conduct any investigation into any matter (in Israel).”
▪️A HERO SOLDIER HAS FALLEN.. Israel Yodkin, xx, from Kfar Chabad. May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d AVENGE HIS BLOOD!
Kfar Chabad says: “The village together with the residents stand by the family in these difficult times and pray together for victory of Israel over the enemies and for the return of all the hostages.”
▪️WHEN GOVT DOES POORLY.. Auditors: Min of Health published the report on COVID vaccine side effects allowing side-effect claims – – AFTER the 3 year deadline required for filing vaxx side effect claims.
▪️BANK EMPLOYEES – TOP PAY.. (Calcalist) Bank employees enjoy top 3% salaries in Israel – 5,000 employees earn more than NIS 50,000 a month, 743 receive more than NIS 83,000 a month ($22,600 per month). The average monthly wage in Israel is NIS 12,900.
♦️IDF AIRSTRIKES UNRWA SCHOOL.. that had anti-tank Hamas fighters, mortars, weapons and ammunition. Significant secondary explosions.
♦️IDF CAPTURES.. rocket launcher stations literally on the Egyptian border.
♦️KUWAITI HOSPITAL.. being evacuated, on the western side of Rafah. Known for extensive Hamas activity.
♦️WSJ SAYS 70%.. from Egyptian officials: The IDF controls about 70% of the Philadelphi axis on the border between Gaza and Egypt.
⭕ HEZBOLLAH fires ROCKETS at Ghajar.
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Nearly 70% of Gaza Aid from US-Built Pier Stolen by Joshua Marks
May 22, 2024 at 5:00 am – Close to three-fourths of the humanitarian aid transported from a new $320 million floating pier built by the U.S. military off the Gaza coast was stolen on Saturday en route to a U.N. warehouse, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Eleven trucks “were cleaned out by Palestinians” on the journey to the World Food Programme warehouse in Deir El Balah in the central Strip, with only five truckloads making it to the destination.
“They’ve not seen trucks for a while,” a U.N. official told Reuters. “They just basically mounted on the trucks and helped themselves to some of the food parcels.”
According to the United Nations, no aid was delivered to the warehouse from the U.S. military’s pier on Sunday and Monday.
The United Nations said that 10 truckloads of food aid from the pier arrived at the warehouse on Friday, its first day of operation. It was transported by U.N. contractors.
“We need to make sure that the necessary security and logistical arrangements are in place before we proceed,” said the U.N. official.
According to Israeli estimates, Hamas has been stealing up to 60% of the aid entering the Gaza Strip, and a Channel 12 report last week revealed that the terrorist organization has made at least $500 million in profit off humanitarian aid since the start of the war on Oct. 7.
The pier was pre-assembled at the Israeli port of Ashdod before being anchored to a beach in the coastal enclave on Thursday. No American troops went ashore during the installation of the pier, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Some 1,000 U.S. soldiers and sailors helped build the floating pier.
The Israel Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit announced on Saturday that “hundreds of pallets of humanitarian aid” and more than 160,000 liters of fuel had entered via the pier.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, deputy commander of CENTCOM, said that the goal is for 500 tons of humanitarian aid, or 90 trucks, to pass into Gaza through the pier daily, eventually increasing to 150 trucks a day.
[Ed.: Innocent Gaza civilians are ‘starving’!]
There Are No Coincidences: [1:05]
An Iranian man discusses the rapid turns of events in his home country over the past day.
After our people came together davening so hard for a poor Iranian Jew (Arvin Nathaniel Ghahremani) who was sentenced to be hung earlier this week, God completely flipped the switch and killed the Iranian president (who was sentencing this Jew)
Our prayers have so much power, in just under a week so much good happened to our nation! 🇮🇱
𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗔𝗘𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 https://chat.whatsapp.com/HmFryRORm1j3IlZh9dLLSQ
[Ed.: Yes, this is VERY similar to the story of Purim!!]
Palestinians Threaten to Attack US Troops by Bassam Tawil
May 20, 2024 at 5:00 am
- [The Palestinians] seem confident that if the Biden administration is rewarding them for malign behavior, it is clearly working, so why not keep it up?
- The Palestinians are hoping to scare the Americans and prevent them from cooperating with Israel on the future of the Gaza Strip after the war.
- The Biden administration did not, it seems, even demand that, in return for the humanitarian aid, the hostages be released or that the terrorists stop launching rockets into Israel.
- Apparently, the Biden administration did not even request assurances that the aid would not be seized and diverted by the terrorists.
- Hamas has earned at least $500 million from the aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war in October 2023, according Ehud Yaari, an Israeli expert on Arab and Palestinian affairs.
- [The Palestinians] consider the presence of US troops in the region as another form of “occupation” and an unwelcome intervention in the internal affairs of the Arabs in the Middle East.
- As long as supplies are getting into the Gaza Strip, Hamas will not stop fighting or free the hostages.
- Because of the Gaza pier, the Biden administration has made it immensely harder to free the hostages and end the war.
More than $300 million has been spent by the Biden administration to construct a floating pier on the coast of the Gaza Strip to aid the local Palestinian population. Rather than expressing gratitude to the US, the Palestinians have publicly denounced the Biden administration and warned Arabs and Palestinians not to cooperate with the project.
They seem confident that if the Biden administration is rewarding them for malign behavior, it is clearly working, so why not keep it up?
The Palestinians are hoping to scare the Americans and prevent them from cooperating with Israel on the future of the Gaza Strip after the war.
The US move coincides with the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group is continuing to hold hostage more than 120 Israelis who were abducted from Israel on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched its cross-border invasion from the Gaza Strip.
Based on the responses of Hamas and other terrorist groups, the pier will not help end the war or free the hostages.
The Biden administration did not, it seems, even demand that, in return for the humanitarian aid, the hostages be released or that the terrorists stop launching rockets into Israel.
Apparently, the Biden administration did not even request assurances that the aid would not be seized and diverted by the terrorists.
[Ed.:
Smotrich: If Hezbollah doesn’t withdraw from border, IDF must take southern Lebanon
After Gantz’s ultimatum to Netanyahu, far-right leader issues his own demands to PM, including for military to establish a ‘permanent presence in the entire Gaza Strip’
May 19, 2024 4:37 pm Times of Israel – Israel should not shy away from launching a military takeover of southern Lebanon if Hezbollah does not withdraw from the border, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared Sunday, becoming the latest minister to publicly challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the handling of the conflict on Israel’s northern and southern borders.
Speaking at a faction meeting of his far-right Religious Zionism party held, unusually, in northern Israel, Smotrich demanded that Netanyahu make a clear announcement of a plan to deal with the Iran-backed terror group, saying that if necessary, Hezbollah must be dealt with through military action.
“A public ultimatum must be issued to Hezbollah that they completely stop firing and withdraw all forces to beyond the Litani River,” said Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry.
Promoting a plan reminiscent of Israel’s security zone in southern Lebanon in the years following the First Lebanon war in 1982, Smotrich warned, “If the ultimatum is not fully met, the IDF will launch an assault deep in Lebanese territory to defend the northern communities, including ground entry and Israeli military takeover of the southern Lebanese area.”
“The way to bring the [evacuated] residents home to the north is through a military decision with a devastating assault on Hezbollah, its infrastructure and the destruction of its power,” he said.
Israel should not shy away from launching a military takeover of southern Lebanon if Hezbollah does not withdraw from the border, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared Sunday, becoming the latest minister to publicly challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the handling of the conflict on Israel’s northern and southern borders.
Speaking at a faction meeting of his far-right Religious Zionism party held, unusually, in northern Israel, Smotrich demanded that Netanyahu make a clear announcement of a plan to deal with the Iran-backed terror group, saying that if necessary, Hezbollah must be dealt with through military action.
“A public ultimatum must be issued to Hezbollah that they completely stop firing and withdraw all forces to beyond the Litani River,” said Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry.
IDF finds footage of 8-year-old hostage in Gaza
IDF soldiers in Gaza in recent days located a video showing 8-year-old Ela Elyakim a few days after she was abducted from her father’s home in Nahal Oz during the October 7th massacre.
May 19, 2024, 9:08 PM (GMT+3) Israel National News – IDF soldiers in Gaza in recent days located a video showing 8-year-old Ela Elyakim a few days after she was abducted from her father’s home in Nahal Oz during the October 7th massacre.
In the footage, Ela is seen standing in front of the flag of Hamas’ military wing the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and says: “I’m Ela Elyakim, the daughter of Noam, and I’m eight years old. And I ask that someone frees us from Hamas captivity.”
In addition, the IDF published a photo of Ela with her 15-year-old sister, Dafna, who was abducted together with her.
The two were released in the previous hostage deal, after 51 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza.
IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari commented on the video, stating: “The video, which is being released today for the first time, was intended to be used by Hamas for psychological terror.
“But Ela’s family asked us to share it with the world to expose Hamas’s terror, to expose Hamas’s cruelty, to expose Hamas’s barbarism.”
He added: “8-year-old Ela Elyakim told us that Hamas terrorists forced her to read from a script, forced her to change her clothes, and forced her to re-film this terrifying scene over and over and over again.”
He concluded: “Our hearts go out to Ela, her family, and all the hostage families. Please help us respect the wishes of Ela’s family by sharing this video far and wide. We will continue doing everything in our power to bring our hostages back home.”
“The cabinet should stop humanitarian aid trucks” Ben Gvir says
This statement follows a weekend incident where militants attacked a truck in central West Bank mistakenly believing it was delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza
May 19, 2024 at 11:12 AM i24NEWS – National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has condemned recent attacks on trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza by extremists, while expressing support for the protesters’ demands to halt these aid shipments until all Israeli hostages are released by terrorist groups in Gaza.
In an interview with Army Radio, Ben Gvir articulated his position clearly. “We are in a democratic country and I am in favor of the freedom to demonstrate.
“They have the right to demonstrate,” he said. “I am against the fact that they attack and burn trucks,” he added. “It is the cabinet which should stop the trucks.”
This statement follows a weekend incident where Israelis attacked a truck in central West Bank mistakenly believing it was delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, and assaulted its driver. This attack is part of a larger pattern of violence that began last month, when Israel agreed to widen the aid route from Jordan to ensure more humanitarian supplies reached Gaza.
The Tzav 9 group has been at the forefront of these protests, organizing numerous demonstrations in the West Bank and within Israel, aiming to prevent aid trucks from reaching Gaza. They argue that no aid should be sent while Israeli citizens remain captive.
“The protesters’ frustration is understandable, but violence is not the answer,” said Ben Gvir. He reiterated his stance that the decision to halt aid should come from governmental authorities, not through vigilantism. “The cabinet needs to take a firm stand on this issue,” he added.
The situation has sparked a broader debate within Israel about balancing humanitarian aid obligations and national security concerns. Many Israelis support the idea of providing humanitarian aid but are conflicted given the current hostage situation. The government’s decision to increase aid routes was initially seen as a humanitarian necessity but has faced backlash from groups demanding a tougher stance against Hamas.
A spokesperson for the Tzav 9 group stated, “Our goal is to ensure that no aid reaches Gaza until all Israeli hostages are released. We will continue to protest peacefully, but we understand the anger and frustration driving these attacks.”
🟢 May 19, 2024 9:35 am Eastern Sun late afternoon – ISRAEL REALTIME – Connecting to Israel in Realtime
▪️IRANIAN PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTER.. missing, crashed, hard landing, was hit, being rescued, emergency landing in a mountainous area during poor weather. Various reports indicate the Iranian presidents helicopter went down during a trip home from Azerbaijan, where he inaugurated a new cross-border dam.
The helicopter was carrying the President, Imam Juma of Tabriz, Foreign Minister Hossein, the Governor of East Azerbaijan and several other.
Actual situation not known, of the helicopter or the president of Iran. Rescue reported to be problematic.
New reports have arrived saying president ok, but other reports conflict that rescue has not yet been able to arrive.
One source says fake info – the president is traveling by land, the reports of crash put out by Iranian opposition websites.
Missing for 1 hour so far.
Absolute fog of war situation – no solid info.
▪️20-YEAR OLD IRANIAN JEW SET FOR EXECUTION IN IRAN.. execution delayed for 1 month.
▪️AID.. “Humanitarian aid” in Rafah: Nutella chocolate, snacks and cola cans on video (not shared here). And cigarettes.
.. Aid that entered through the American floating pier loaded onto trucks, was looted before reaching its destination.
🔥FOREST FIRE.. Har Huma neighborhood in Jerusalem. Firefighters are working to extinguish the fire and prevent its spread. An elementary school, a kindergarten and a number of houses on the nearby street were evacuated. This could be fire-terrorism.
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[Ed.: Each update about the 20-year old Irani Jew’s execution differs from the previous ones! I cannot find any information about this elsewhere. Getting accurate news from Iran is very difficult, and not always even possible. We must keep praying for him!]
May 18, 2024 8:37 Eastern – Miracle in Iran: The Jewish man condemned to death by hanging was not executed over Shabbat due to growing international pressure to have his sentence reduced. Another hearing is scheduled for Monday.
Please continue to pray for the life of Netanel ben Sonya!
𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗔𝗘𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 https://chat.whatsapp.com/KNkVfZGi6bC7w7UcuiRrCt
INNER STRIFE: Is the Israeli Defense Minister Rebelling Against Netanyahu [36:52] Caroline Glick
May 16, 2024 – Defense Minister Gallant goes behind the Prime Minister’s back and joins forces with Biden to end the war. Netanyahu fires back. Is this just political bickering or is there something bigger taking place? Should the Netanyahu government fall, what is at stake?
[Ed.: Israel’s “Defense Minister” Gallant is a State Department lacky. He should have been arrested for treason six months ago! But now he’s parroting US threats and ultimatums. Why? Because he/they/them wants Netanyahu out. Isn’t that the cat’s meow!]
Israel war cabinet member Gantz threatens Netanyahu with ultimatum about Gaza plan [9:24]
May 18, 2024 #CNN #News – Former Israeli defense minister and war cabinet member Benny Gantz is demanding that the cabinet lays out a plan for the war against Hamas by June 8, threatening to withdraw from the government if his demands are not met. Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) weighs in on the ultimatum and what he thinks Netanyahu should do.
Dr. Phil & Yair Pinto Examine the Devastation on the Gaza Border After Oct. 7th [14:54] Yair Pinto
May 18, 2024 TBN – Israel’s Yair Pinto reports on the Israel-Hamas War. Dr. Phil joins Yair Pinto in Israel to survey the damage and destruction inflicted upon innocent civilians on Oct. 7th. Yair recounts the events of that morning, while speaking with survivors of the Hamas terror attacks. Stay up-to-date with the latest developments here on TBN Israel.
❗️Sat Night after Shabbat – ISRAEL REALTIME – Connecting to Israel in Realtime
May 18, 2024 1:56 pm Eastern – We normally start the week with a Shavua Tov – good week blessing. But we start with difficult news.
❗️OFFICIAL IDF STATEMENT
Besides the previous 3 hostage bodies recovered from Gaza, 1 additional hostage body has been recovered and identified:
Ron Binyamin. The family have been notified.
May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d AVENGE HIS BLOOD!
❗️STRONG RUMORS are an additional 11 bodies have been recovered and are still being identified. Apparently the condition is making identification extremely difficult.
▪️ISRAEL POLITICS – War Cabinet / National Unity leader MK Gantz gives PM Netanyahu an ultimatum:
“While the IDF soldiers fight bravely, some of our leaders behave cowardly. War is won with determination and strength on the battlefield, but war is also won with a strategic compass.
In order for us to fight shoulder to shoulder, the War Cabinet must adopt an unequivocal strategy by June 8:
1. Return the kidnapped.
2. Destroy Hamas
3. Not Israeli control of Gaza the day after.
4. The return of all residents of the north by September 1
5. Rehabilitation of the southern settlements.
We will give the people of Israel a horizon of hope, restore Israeli strength and prepare all the necessary military systems.
We will have to resign from the government if Netanyahu does not choose the path of unity and strength.”
(Amit Segal) The conditions that Gantz lays out for the strategic plan:
1. To return home our hostages.
2. To topple the rule of Hamas, manage the Gaza Strip and ensure Israeli security control.
3. Along with maintaining Israeli security control, establish an American-European-Arab-Palestinian administration that will civil manage the Strip and lay the foundation for a future alternative that is not Hamas or Palestinian Authority/Abbas.
4. Return the residents of the north to their homes by September 1 and restore the Western Negev.
5. Promote normalization with Saudi Arabia as part of a comprehensive move that will create an alliance with the free world and the Arab world against Iran.
6. Adopt a service outline that will result in all Israelis serving the state and contributing to the national effort.
♦️COUNTER TERROR BATTLE IN JENIN.. IDF airstrike by jet and helicopter! “Terror squad “Jenin Regiment” attacked where there were terrorists who wanted to carry out an attack in the immediate time frame.”
♦️GOT ONE, TARGETED ASSASSINATION in LEBANON.. leader of al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, Hamas says it was one of their leaders.
▪️A HERO SOLDIER HAS FALLEN.. Ben Avishay, 20, from Manhariya, fell in battle in Gaza. May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d AVENGE HIS BLOOD!
▪️US NAT SECURITY ADVISOR.. Jake Sullivan will arrive in Israel on Sunday and meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
▪️AID – KEREM SHALOM CLOSED.. Kerem Shalom cargo terminal is closed to aid entry (following multiple attacks by Hamas).
( More to come! )
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⚫Sat Night after Shabbat – ISRAEL REALTIME – Connecting to Israel in Realtime
May 18, 2024 2:45 pm Eastern – 2nd after-Shabbat edition
♦️RAFAH.. heavy fighting and artillery fire continues.
▪️THE RECOVERED MURDERED HOSTAGES.. recovered by the military in a special operation late Thursday, were found in a tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip.
▪️WAR CABINET TO MEET AT 22:00.. though after MK Gantz’s public ultimatum how is that going to work?
.. Senior officials in Israel say: there are currently no contacts for the release of the hostages.
.. However – the Israeli negotiating team is expected to soon present to the war cabinet ministers a proposal to revive the negotiation.
▪️HAMAS THREATENS THE US AID PIER.. “We reject any presence of military force in our territory. This is not an alternative to opening all land crossings under Palestinian supervision.” Cost of the pier: US$ 400 million.
▪️US SAYS ON AID.. White House adviser John Kirby to the “Al-Arabiya” network: Israel is being pressured to deliver more supplies to the Gaza Strip (( while EGYPT has refused to allow aid through Rafah because Israel? ))
▪️UNWRA IS 1/2 HAMAS? UNRWA’s former legal counsel testifies before Congress: “I would not be surprised if half of the organization’s employees are Hamas operatives, it is not true that the organization has no replacement.”
▪️UNWRA CONFIRMS ISRAEL REPORT – RAFAH ALMOST EMPTY.. UNRWA confirms the Israeli report: almost 800,000 people have been evacuated from Rafah since the Israeli entry on May 6. (( That’s almost 70%. ))
▪️LARGE PRO-DEAL PROTEST IN TEL AVIV.. 75,000+ protestors demanding a deal (there is no offer on the table) and/or the government resign.
▪️MILITARY DRILL – KEDUMIM AREA.. “lively movement of forces” – it’s (probably) a drill through Sunday evening.
⭕HOUTHIS SHOOT AN OIL TANKER in the Red Sea carrying oil from Russia to China because Israel.
⭕16 HEZBOLLAH SUICIDE DRONE attacks at northern towns over Shabbat, several BARRAGES.
⭕2 HEZBOLLAH ROCKET attacks at northern towns over Shabbat.
⭕2 HAMAS ROCKET attacks on Ashkelon and Zikim over Shabbat and tonight.
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Palestine Fails the Test of Statehood By Antonio Graceffo
May 17, 2024 4:20 pm – There are four conditions for statehood; Palestine arguably meets one of them.
The most widely accepted definition of a sovereign nation is found in the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, which was adopted at the Seventh International Conference of American States in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1933. The Montevideo Convention lays out the criteria for statehood, including a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. These criteria are widely accepted as the basic requirements for statehood in international law.
- Defined Territory: The entity seeking statehood must have a clearly defined territory over which it exercises sovereignty. Palestine does not meet this criterion. The original mandate granted it the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. However, these territories are not contiguous, and the Palestinians are demanding more territory, including the whole of Jerusalem. Hamas, moreover, wants all of Israel. Thus, there is no clearly defined territory for Palestine, and even the Palestinians have not agreed on what their territory should be.
- Permanent Population: The entity must have a permanent population residing within its defined territory. This is the only criterion that Palestine more or less meets, as Gaza and the West Bank do have a permanent population. However, the phrase ‘within its defined territory’ suggests that the territory of Palestine would need to be clearly established first before it can be said to have a permanent population within that territory.
- Government: The entity must have a functioning government capable of exercising control and authority over its territory and population. Palestine fails this test. Power in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is divided among three entities: the Palestinian Authority, the terrorist organization Hamas, and the state of Israel. Generally, the Palestinian Authority exerts control over the West Bank, Hamas over Gaza, and Israel over both. Therefore, it cannot be said that Palestine has a functioning government.”
- Capacity to Enter into Relations with Other States: The entity must possess the capacity to enter into relations with other states, indicating its independence and sovereignty. Palestine does not have the authority to enter into international agreements or treaties. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), previously designated as a terrorist organization, represents Palestine at international bodies but does not hold memberships or voting rights in those bodies. For example, the PLO has permanent observer status at the UN.
These criteria are widely recognized as the fundamental requirements for statehood in international law. Most countries and international organizations adhere to the principles laid out in the convention. Additionally, the criteria specified in the convention are commonly used by governments, legal scholars, and international bodies to determine the statehood of entities seeking recognition as sovereign states. Therefore, the definition provided by the Montevideo Convention is broadly accepted by the international community.
UN members recently voted to recognize Palestine. According to the UN Charter, “States are admitted to membership in the United Nations by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.” However, as a member of the Security Council, the US exercised its veto power, preventing Palestine’s admission.
The United Nations (UN) does not have an official definition of statehood, as it is not explicitly defined in the UN Charter. Instead, the UN generally follows the criteria outlined in the Montevideo Convention. Additionally, the UN has three more requirements for membership.
