ISRAEL (IINO)
Tom Friedman’s Soft Jihad Against Israel by A.J. Caschetta
January 11, 2024 – The New York Times employs a diverse group of anti-Israel writers, such as Soliman Hijjy, who loves Hitler, and Raja Abdulrahim, who blames Israel for Palestinian suicide bombers. Occasionally their over-zealous anti-Zionists get carried away, like Jazmine Hughes and Jamie Lauren Keiles whom the Times fired in November after they signed a letter accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing,” “apartheid,” and genocide.”
But the Times‘ most effective anti-Israel scribe is not a raving, knuckle-dragging “river to the sea” enthusiast. Rather, it is Thomas Friedman, the Pulitzer prize-winning columnist whose polished anti-Israel rhetoric has done more damage to Israel than that of the Times’ hardcore Israel haters.
As William McGurn observed in comparing Barack Obama’s anti-Israel sentiments to those expressed by Rashida Tlaib, “Obama would never be so crude as to invoke river-to-the-sea language or actually come out and say that Israel is as evil as Hamas … his argument is smooth and sophisticated. That’s what makes it so pernicious.”
Likewise, Friedman’s appeal is his claim to have staked out a consistently moderate and objective approach to Middle East affairs. His soft jihad against Israel is more subtle and acceptable, making it dangerous precisely because it is entertained by rational people and policymakers, especially Democrats.
Friedman loves the PLO/PA
Ever since his college days at Brandeis University, where he was a leader in the so-called “Middle East Peace Group,” Friedman has been an Arafat fan.
Because Friedman has been around for so long, he knows all the players. In the 1980s, as chief of the Beirut bureau of the Times, he cozied up to the PLO. In the 1990s, he cozied up to the Palestinian Authority (PA). His solution to “the Palestinian problem” has been consistent for decades now: strengthen and trust the PA, even though the PA has long demonstrated that it is not trustworthy.
In the weeks following October 7, Friedman has criticized Hamas (though not as much as he criticizes Israel) while continuing to push the PA as the alternative to Hamas. But he hasn’t always objected to Hamas.
Friedman Doesn’t Understand Hamas
After years of denouncing President George W. Bush for neglecting the Palestinians, Friedman welcomed the Obama administration with advice in a column on January 24, 2009, suggesting that its top priority was to “make peace between Palestinians, and build their institutions.”
After nearly a decade of failed nation-building efforts, most Americans had tired of that dead end. But not Friedman, who advised Obama that “a peacemaker has to be both a nation-builder and a negotiator.” Surprisingly, he argued that “Job 2 for the U.S., Israel and the Arab states is to find a way to bring Hamas into a Palestinian national unity government.”
Talks on new hostage deal see some progress; Israel to allow 400 trucks into Gaza daily By Ariel Kahana
According to the proposal, senior Hamas officials would be exiled and all the captives would be released, but in stages. Under the terms of the proposed deal, the IDF would also withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
01-10-2024 22:00 – Israeli sources confirmed to Israel Hayom on Wednesday there was “movement” in the effort to negotiate a prisoner exchange deal. They noted that the progress was only compared to where things stood in the previous week.
Channel 13 News reported Tuesday that according to sources close to the mediators in Doha, a new Qatari proposal was presented to Israel and was to be discussed by the War Cabinet on Tuesday
According to the proposal, senior Hamas officials would be exiled and all the captives would be released, but in stages. Under the terms of the proposed deal, the IDF would also withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
Minister Benny Gantz spoke about the issue of the captives in his statement Tuesday, saying: “The most pressing thing is the return of the captives. This trumps any maneuver in the fighting. We are working on this through every possible channel.
Meanwhile, Israel Hayom has learned that Israel was going to allow the entry of 400 humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza per day this week (up from 200 daily). Israel Hayom has learned that the promise to further increase the number of trucks was given to US Secretary of State Blinken during his meetings in Israel on Tuesday. It should be noted that before the outbreak of the war, 800 trucks per day would enter Gaza. This means that soon the number of aid trucks crossing into the enclave will be about half of what it was in normal times.
Blinken told senior Israeli officials with whom he met that heavy pressure is being exerted on him and the administration regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza. He emphasized that he and the administration are committed to the goal of destroying Hamas, but said increasing aid would ease pressure on the administration.
High-stakes legal battle begins at ICJ as South Africa accuses Israel of ‘genocide’ i24NEWS
The session will kick off with preliminary discussions, during which South Africa will lay out its case against Israel
January 11, 2024 at 05:22 AM – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is preparing to host a crucial session on Thursday, where South Africa will present its allegations of “genocide” against Israel.
The judges presiding over the ICJ, appointed by the United Nations General Assembly and approved by the Security Council, include 15 jurists.
The panel includes American Joan Donoghue, known for her history of delivering rulings free from political influences. German Kirill Gevorgian has expressed opinions in favor of Iran, while Lebanese judge Nawaf Salam has notably argued that the court could reverse the burden of proof. Notably, Israel has selected Aharon Barak, a revered figure in the country’s legal landscape, to join the panel of international judges. Barak, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor and former chief justice, brings a wealth of legal experience and a unique personal perspective to the deliberations.
The session will kick off with preliminary discussions, during which South Africa will lay out its case against Israel. The next day, Israel will have the opportunity to respond to the accusations.
South Africa has presented various pieces of evidence to support its accusations, incorporating quotes from Israeli figures, ministers, deputies, and even lyrics from singers like Eyal Golan and Kobi Peretz. The trial’s complete document encompasses statements by politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who drew parallels with the biblical story of Amalek, Israel’s hereditary enemy. Minister Amihai Eliyahou’s proposal to drop an atomic bomb on the Gaza Strip is also mentioned, along with a section addressing the “rhetoric of genocide in Israeli society,” quoting Israeli singer Eyal Golan’s controversial call to “wipe out Gaza and leave no one there.”
The international community closely monitors these legal arguments, recognizing the potential far-reaching implications for both nations involved. The outcome of these proceedings may set essential precedents in international law.
[Ed.: The pot is calling the kettle ‘black’! While we’re all together and convened at the IJC discussing ‘genocide’, we might as well bring up the topic of South Africa’s practice of killing South Africa’s white farmers, while the people living in glass houses are throwing stones…]
Blinken surprises War Cabinet with decision on Gaza Israel National News
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shocked the Cabinet ministers by announcing a decision regarding aid to Gaza that they had not made themselves.
Jan 11, 2024, 10:39 AM (GMT+2) – A moment of confusion took place Wednesday during the War Cabinet meeting held with the participation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
According to Channel 12 News, Blinken announced to those present the decision to allow flour to be brought into Gaza, despite the ministers having never made such a decision.
“It was a bizarre and confusing moment,” said a senior official. “The decision was made in a way that circumvented the Cabinet, either by Netanyahu to Biden or by Minister Dermer at Netanyahu’s request, without consulting the Cabinet.”
On Wednesday, it was reported that Israel will double the amount of trucks allowed into Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, which aroused significant public opposition and anger.
Related articles:
- Victory is more important than US support
- Blinken ‘welcomed’ in Ramallah by protesters
- ‘US hopeful that Hamas will resume negotiations’
- Claim Israel committing genocide meritless, galling
Public diplomacy activist Yosef Haddad commented, “Allowing 150 trucks full of flour to Gaza, knowing that Hamas will take control of all supplies coming in and while the hostages are still receiving perhaps half a pita per day in the best case, is a shame and disgrace, it is weakness, it is an outrage. We will not defeat Hamas like this.”
“Wake up and understand that we live in the Middle East, and change the mindset that brought us to this situation.”
[Ed.: Blinken thinks that he is in charge! Is he? Who is?]
Jonathan Pollard: Replace Netanyahu [27:02] Machon Shilo 1/10/24
Netanyahu: Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza Israel National News
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarifies in video statement: Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law.
Jan 10, 2024, 11:29 PM (GMT+2) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening released a video statement in which he stressed that Israel is fully complying with international law in the war against Hamas in Gaza.
“I want to make a few points absolutely clear: Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population,” he stated. [Emphasis added]
“Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law. The IDF is doing its utmost to minimize civilian casualties, while Hamas is doing its utmost to maximize them by using Palestinian civilians as human shields,” added Netanyahu.
“The IDF urges Palestinian civilians to leave war zones by disseminating leaflets, making phone calls, providing safe passage corridors, while Hamas prevents Palestinians from leaving at gunpoint and often, with gunfire,” said the Prime Minister.
“Our goal is to rid Gaza of Hamas terrorists and free our hostages. Once this is achieved Gaza can be demilitarized and deradicalized, thereby creating a possibility for a better future for Israel and Palestinians alike,” he concluded.
Related articles:
- Netanyahu orders halt to home demolitions
- ‘Hezbollah made a mistake in 2006 and again now’
- Prime Minister Netanyahu considering closing small ministries
- Why are weapons taken from Judea & Samaria 1st response teams?
The video statement comes a day before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is scheduled to convene to hear South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.
The South African government announced on Tuesday that its delegation will be joined by senior political figures “from progressive political parties and movements across the globe”, including former British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak has been selected as the Israeli-appointed judge to sit on the panel of judges at the hearing.
[Ed.: IINO “has no intention of occupying Gaza” after we conquer it, and purge it from enemy forces. Once we do that, we intend to return it to the Arabs, “according to International law.” (Really??) We have zero interest in winning the war, and keeping the inheritance that our God has given us! Instead, we intend to lose the war, and spill as much Jewish blood as possible before this entire fiasco is over with. (Jewish blood is cheapest in the land of IINO!) We are team players, and want nothing more than to be considered ‘a nation amongst nations’! We just want the world to love us! You know how some people can’t step on the lines in the sidewalk? IINO just won’t win a war against Arabs who are attacking us… How’s that for a hyperbolic mouth fart?]
Obama, Hamas and ‘Complicity’ By Elliot Kaufman, WSJ
The former president seeks to shift the blame for the attack on Israel. He ought to look in the mirror.
Nov. 6, 2023 – Even Barack Obama supported Israel in dismantling Hamas, a senior Israeli official was eager to tell me early in the war. The former president said so in a 73-word statement on Oct. 9.
But on Oct. 23, in a 1,130-word statement, Mr. Obama called for Israeli restraint. Now, on the “Pod Save America” podcast, Mr. Obama counsels “an admission of complexity.” In a part of the interview released Saturday, Mr. Obama says: “What Hamas did was horrific and there’s no justification for it. And what is also true is that the occupation and what’s happening to Palestinians is unbearable.” To get to the full truth, “you then have to admit nobody’s hands are clean, that all of us are complicit to some degree.” He adds: “As hard as I tried—I have the scars to prove it—but there’s a part of me that’s still saying, ‘Well, was there something else I could have done?’ ”
Only a part? Mr. Obama sent Iran $1.7 billion in cash, released some $100 billion in frozen assets and unshackled Iranian industry. His plan to extricate the U.S. from the Middle East was suitably complex: find a rapprochement with Iran that would empower it to stabilize the region for us. Predictably, Tehran used the money to build up each front—Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, Syria, Iraq and Yemen—in today’s war on Israel.
The rest of Mr. Obama’s policy paved the way. In August 2012, he drew a “red line.” The U.S. would respond militarily if Syria used chemical weapons. When Syria did a year later, Mr. Obama blinked and then let Russia bail him out by pretending to remove all the chemical weapons. Russia never left Syria, and propping up Bashar al-Assad solidified its alliance with Iran. The Journal reports that Russia plans to give Hezbollah better air defenses in Lebanon, and Syria is a key Hezbollah staging ground and transit point for Iranian weapons.
Mr. Obama pulled out of Iraq in 2011, only to see Iran-backed militias fill the vacuum. Once ISIS, which the president had dismissed as the “JV team,” established itself, reluctance to commit further to the region led the Obama and Trump administrations to work with the Iranians to defeat the group. This elevated Tehran’s Iraqi proxies, which have been attacking U.S. forces almost daily to pressure the U.S. to constrain Israel.
[Ed.: Here is my favorite picture of Obama with a black eye and broken fingers the day after he had his chef Tafari Campbell ‘drowned’ (Obama is left-handed):
Biden Promised Gaza Aid Wouldn’t Go To Hamas. He Lied. by Daniel Greenfield
January 10, 2024 at 4:00 am – A week after the horrors of October 7, when the Biden administration first convinced Israel to open up the siege of Gaza and allow in international aid, it promised Hamas would not get it.
“If Hamas in any way blocks humanitarian assistance from reaching civilians, including by seizing the aid itself, we’ll be the first to condemn it. And we will work to prevent it from happening again,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged.
The problem with such a promise was obvious once Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer struggled to explain to CNN how it would stop Hamas from taking the aid.
“How is the United States going to ensure that none of that ends up in the hands of Hamas?” a CNN anchor asked.
Finer claimed that “this was a primary focus of the president’s diplomacy” and that “it involves securing an understanding among Hamas fighters who control the checkpoints on the other side of the border”.
The Deputy National Security Advisor assured that “the president was quite clear that if this assistance goes in, it cannot be misappropriated, it cannot be taken by Hamas fighters and so we are going to be watching that very closely.”
If anyone is watching, there’s been plenty to see as armed Hamas fighters have hijacked aid convoys in videos taken both by the IDF and civilians in Gaza. In video after video, Hamas terrorists seize aid and assault civilians who, in some cases, respond by hurling abuse and stones.
[Ed.:
Victory is more important than US support CAROLINE B. GLICK
January 10, 2024 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers must remember that Israel is not an American vassal state.
At his press conference Tuesday evening, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken showed that contrary to popular belief, the Biden administration is not Israel’s ally. It is the greatest obstacle to Israel’s victory.
Blinken began his remarks by drawing a moral equivalence between the suffering of Israeli hostages and their families and that of the Palestinians in Gaza. The Palestinians in Gaza, who overwhelmingly support Hamas, are just as innocent as the hostages, Blinken insisted.
Blinken said nothing about the torture, rape, mutilation and deliberate starvation of the hostages carried out by Hamas terrorists and its civilian accomplices alike. Instead, Blinken spoke of the “acute food insecurity,” that Gazans suffer from—and blamed that “acute food insecurity” on Israel.
… Since entering office, the Biden administration has treated Israel with colonialist contempt. Rather than respect Israel as an independent ally, Biden and his aides have acted like imperial overlords barking orders at a backwater, troublesome province.
Despite the pressure, Netanyahu and his ministers must remember that Israel is not a vassal state. We are a successful regional power. It is Israeli power, not U.S. charity that has sustained us to date. And it is Israeli power, not U.S. largesse that will bring us victory in this war for our survival. If forced to choose between support from Washington and victory, the choice is an easy one.
[Ed.:
IDF Chief of Staff during Judea and Samaria visit: ‘We will be at war all year’ Israel National News
LTG Herzi Halevi said that the war would also hold the other arenas, certainly Judea and Samaria, to a certain state of alertness.
Jan 7, 2024, 9:47 PM (GMT+2) – IDF Chief of Staff LTG Herzi Halevi held a situational assessment in the Judea and Samaria Division, together with the Commanding Officer of the Central Command, MG Yehuda Fox, and the Commanding Officer of the Judea and Samaria Division, BG Yaki Dolf, and the commanding officers of the division’s regional brigades.
“The year 2024 will be challenging; we will be at war in Gaza. I don’t know if it will be all year long; we will be fighting in Gaza all year, that’s for sure, and this will also hold the other arenas, certainly in Judea and Samaria, to a certain state of alertness,” Halevi stated.
“The willingness to carry out terror attacks, and it will be very much in our hands how we succeed in preventing this, how we succeed in thwarting this. What is our role? Maximum determination in fighting, in thwarting, in fighting terrorism, in entering a residence, in killing the terrorist, maximum determination and values,” the Chief of Staff added.
With regards to the northern front, Halevi stated: “Hezbollah decided to enter into this war, we are exerting an increasing cost from Hezbollah all the time, they paid yesterday with seven killed, they paid yesterday with two very important targets, and we are increasing the price that they are paying. It will end with us having a responsibility, a duty, to return the residents of the north in security, not under duress, safely to their homes. It will come either by the pressure we are now applying, which is rising, and will do the job and we will create a completely different reality, or we will get to another war.”
The Chief of Staff concluded: “We will do it, we will do it with excellence; even though we are after a long battle already and challenges in many arenas, we will know how to do it excellently. To achieve the war goals, we have a long way to go, and therefore, this will take time.”
IDF Chief of Staff LTG Herzi Halevi held a situational assessment in the Judea and Samaria Division, together with the Commanding Officer of the Central Command, MG Yehuda Fox, and the Commanding Officer of the Judea and Samaria Division, BG Yaki Dolf, and the commanding officers of the division’s regional brigades.
“The year 2024 will be challenging; we will be at war in Gaza. I don’t know if it will be all year long; we will be fighting in Gaza all year, that’s for sure, and this will also hold the other arenas, certainly in Judea and Samaria, to a certain state of alertness,” Halevi stated.
“The willingness to carry out terror attacks, and it will be very much in our hands how we succeed in preventing this, how we succeed in thwarting this. What is our role? Maximum determination in fighting, in thwarting, in fighting terrorism, in entering a residence, in killing the terrorist, maximum determination and values,” the Chief of Staff added.
With regards to the northern front, Halevi stated: “Hezbollah decided to enter into this war, we are exerting an increasing cost from Hezbollah all the time, they paid yesterday with seven killed, they paid yesterday with two very important targets, and we are increasing the price that they are paying. It will end with us having a responsibility, a duty, to return the residents of the north in security, not under duress, safely to their homes. It will come either by the pressure we are now applying, which is rising, and will do the job and we will create a completely different reality, or we will get to another war.”
The Chief of Staff concluded: “We will do it, we will do it with excellence; even though we are after a long battle already and challenges in many arenas, we will know how to do it excellently. To achieve the war goals, we have a long way to go, and therefore, this will take time.”
[Ed.: Reading between the lines, we should be horrified that the plan is to not win the war and decimate the enemies. Instead the plan is to manage the war until ‘who knows when’. This is disgraceful!! Where is Judah the Maccabee when you need him!]
Widespread demolition of Jewish homes in Gush Etzion
[T. Belman. What the fuck!!!]
Civil Administration forces raided numerous Israeli homes in Gush Etzion this morning, confiscated mobile phones, and demolished several buildings.
Jan 9, 2024, 9:53 AM – Israel National News – Civil Administration forces demolished a number of buildings on homesteads near the town of Pnei Kedem in Gush Etzion on Tuesday morning. Six houses have been destroyed so far, including one with a family living in it.
The demolition was secured by significant forces of Border Police, whom the residents claim confiscated their phones to prevent them documenting the incident.
During the demolition, a closed military zone order was issued for the entire region, including the access road to Pnei Kedem. Residents who were on their way to work were blocked by police for lengthy periods of time, and were allowed to continue only after extensive questioning.
After approximately 2 hours, MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism), who lives in Pnei Kedem, passed through the area and convinced the officers to allow residents to travel the road freely.
“We are still having trouble digesting what happened this morning. While many of the residents of the homesteads here are in reserve duty, and have been since the beginning of the war, the General of our region has decided to send hundreds of officers on an uninhibited crusade of destruction against the settlement while our best men are fighting on the front now and just this past night one of them was killed in action in Gaza. We have no words to describe this disgrace. How is the General not ashamed to commit such a crime as this?”
Related articles:
- Civil Administration demolishes farm in Binyamin, 3 arrested
- Samaria council head demands government protect Joshua’s Altar
- A sober assessment of Israel’s geo-political constraints
- A new Judea and Samaria policy will promote security
“Around us there are hundreds of illegal houses built by Arabs with a single goal – to create the infrastructure of a Palestinian state in this area. The General does not touch them, because his goal is the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria, and the ones preventing the advancement of that dangerous vision of his are the Jewish homesteads on the front lines.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s office stated: “The demolition this morning was carried out against the directions of the Minister. Following the Minister’s directions not to carry out any demolitions, the General elected to classify the incident as an urgent security incident and so circumvented the authority of the Minister to receive the approval of the Defense Minister.”
Smotrich’s office also noted that “The General does not see it as urgent to demolish the illegal Bedouin houses in the same area, nor to prevent Arab construction in eastern Gush Etzion, or indeed any of Judea and Samaria.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir commented: “On this painful morning, as we count our dead, as our soldiers are in Gaza and our nation is united, Minister Gallant is demolishing settlements. Instead of arresting and demolishing the illegal Palestinian takeover in this area, he has chosen to betray the settlers and soldiers. This is a continuation of the misconception and turns friends to enemies and enemies to friends.”
***
Defense Minister defends Gush Etzion demolitions
Defense Minister Gallant responded to criticism of the demolition of Israeli homesteads in Gush Etzion this morning, saying that it should be directed at him instead of the IDF.
Israel National News Jan 9, 2024, 12:31 PM
[Ed.: You sure don’t want to be the wrong kind of Jew in Israel!
In 2001, Daniel Bernard came to public attention when, as French Ambassador to the United Kingdom, he was quoted as saying: “All the current troubles in the world are because of that shitty little country Israel.”
I don’t know about “all the troubles of the world,” but with regard to Israel’s structure of government, our not-so “Supreme Court,” and the way they treat Jews, he was spot on.]
Why Benny Gantz is very afraid of an *effective* commission of inquiry Yossi Baum, X
January 7, 2023 – Yossi Baum tweeted this question with the following response:
Because such an investigative committee may ask him embarrassing questions on several topics. Here are some of them, at the tip of the fork:
1. As the Minister of Defense collected weapons from the standby units in the Gaza Envelope and in the north. The commander of the Southern Command at that time was an unknown named Hertzi Halevi, by the way.
2. As the Minister of Defense approved the bringing of tens of thousands of Gazan laborers to Israel. It is highly probable that at least some of them passed important information to Hamas in preparation for the massacre on October 7.
3. As the Minister of Defense, the US has approved the transfer of hundreds of thousands of shells from the reserves in Israel (which Israel ‘builds‘ on during an emergency) to Ukraine, without immediate equipping accordingly.
4. As Chief of Staff, he cut 600 tanks from the army (General Brik, see previous tweets)
5. The thesis “I risked the lives of soldiers in the Golani for ‘moral’ reasons” and its implications for the fighting spirit in the IDF and the ability to deter may also be examined.
[Ed.: If Benny Gantz the shwantz replaces Bibi Netanyahu in the next election, as current polls indicate, Israels’ military leadership will move from bad to worse. Judah the Maccabee he isn’t.]
Action Item/NETFLIX ANTISEMITIC BLOOD LIBEL FILM FARHA
Netflix is going to release an antisemitism film depicting the IDF as monsters. Please see below, sign and most importantly share In less than 8 hours there were another 3K signatures We need to reach as many people as possible – Thank you
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Netanyahu approves Aharon Barak as Israeli-appointed judge at hearing in Hague Israel National News
Retired President of the Supreme Court, Aharon Barak, will represent Israel at hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Jan 7, 2024, 6:33 PM (GMT+2) – The 16th judge in the hearing. Former Israeli Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak has been selected as the Israeli-appointed judge to sit on the panel of judges at the hearing of South Africa’s petition against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Minister Gideon Sa’ai responded, “In a moment of truth, the incitement, the defamation, and the delegitimization gave way to international status, to the reputation that has been acquired over decades, to professionalism. I congratulate the Prime Minister and the State Attorney for their correct and accurate decision.”
MK Tally Gotliv responded, “With all due respect, I do not agree that retired President Aharon Barak should be the judge on behalf of the State of Israel at the Hague Tribunal, and even more so at the request of Prime Minister Netanyahu. The one who came out against the government last year and presented it in such a negative light is the one who now represents the country? And this has been done under the auspices of a right-wing government. It is too awful for words.”
The hearing will take place this Thursday in a lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. South Africa is claiming that Israel is “committing genocide in Gaza.”
Israel, which unusually decided to appear at the Tribunal, can be represented at the hearing by up to four representatives. One has already been selected – Prof. Malcolm Shaw, a 76-year-old British Jewish-Zionist jurist. The Ministry of Justice hired the services of Shaw, who is known as a longtime expert in international law.
[Ed.: Aharon Barak will be remembered by his famous last words: “Everything is justiceable,” and “One man’s pornography is another man’s art.” Before he retired as President of the Supreme Court, he thought of himself as the God of Israel. …Mon Dieu! ]
Israel’s President Herzog Shares Documents Revealing Hamas Indoctrinates Palestinian Children at Terror Summer Camps in Gaza (Video) By Margaret Flavin
Jan. 7, 2024 3:40 pm – Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press on Sunday and revealed a document alledging Hamas terrorists use summer camps for Palestinian children as a method of “promoting the resistance and Jihadi culture.”
The secret document, written in July by Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades, details the terrorist group’s self-proclaimed goals for the summer camps held across the Gaza Strip.
Among the goals listed in the document are to” promote the culture of resistance and the values of Jihad among the children” as well as provide “spiritual, mental and physical preparation of children to serve the resistance in the future” and “to contribute to the militarization of society through training.”
Activities at the camps included shooting practice with simulations of terror attacks and tours of Hamas terror tunnels.
Herzog claims the camps were held inside Hamas-controlled military sites.
Herzog told NBC, “The document clearly shows the spread of the values of ‘jihad’ and ‘resistance’ just means terrorism. It shows how to turn a summer camp into a military exercise…this is taking place all over the Gaza Strip.”
Adding, “We all know summer camps and their goals – we want to give a special experience for children and teens, allowing them to become citizens with freedom, happiness, and joy.”
[Ed.: Terrorist training camps for kids! Isn’t THAT the cat’s meow! Jewish kids instead, learn The Torah that teaches us how to live, and how to handle the decimation of our enemies. They want to die for Allah, and the Jews instead, want to live for Hashem, our Creator. Both of us are Semites. So, either way you cut it, you can only be half-antisemite one way or the other. Which kind of antisemite am I (your Ed.)?]
Hezbollah Threatens Israel with ‘Fighting Without Limits’ by Bob Unruh
Jan. 7, 2024 12:40 pm – Warns of ‘tens of thousands of fatalities within the enemy entity in retaliation’
As the war the Gaza-based Hamas terrorists launched against Israel rages on, with the Israel Defense Forces promising to wipe out that group so its threat does not recur, the Lebanon-based Hezbollah organization is threatening Israel with “fighting without limits.”
The words were documented by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
The threat came in an article by Ibrahim Al-Amin, board chairman of the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar.
He threatened if Israel initiates a war against Lebanon, Hezbollah will use unconventional weapons.
The comments followed by one day a speech by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, and warned, “if the enemy is thinking of starting a war against Lebanon, our fighting will be without any limits, rules or constraints.”
Al-Amin charged, “[Nasrallah] did not hide the existence of a serious possibility that the situation on the Lebanese front will deteriorate into a extensive war…
“What has happened in practice is that the rules of the conflict that prevailed before October 7 have collapsed. The enemy is trying to impose new rules, and it is doing so [by means of action] on the ground, not through diplomacy, and based on its perception – which is apparently shared by its American and European allies and even by some Arabs and Lebanese – that the resistance is deterred, otherwise it would have entered the war with all its force from the very first day…”
He continued, “When [Nasrallah] threatened the enemy that, if it started a war against Lebanon the resistance would launch a war on the broadest possible scale, he was in fact telling the enemy, honestly and clearly, that the Lebanese resistance rejects the new rules of the conflict… If the enemy foolishly retaliates against the response of the resistance, it will find itself involved in this extensive war. In this case, [the war] will not have limits of any kind, even if the [Israeli] war on Gaza ends or will be close to ending. For the resistance in Lebanon, whose role is [also] connected to what is happening in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and all the way to Iran, will have the last word.”
He endorsed Nasrallah’s warning that, “[There is need] to prepare for a war without constraints and without limits.”
He said, “The equation will not be ‘a building for a building,’ but rather tens of thousands of fatalities within the enemy entity in retaliation for thousands of fatalities in Lebanon. … You have been warned!”
[Ed.: Take him at his word.]
Senior IDF officer asked: ‘Why weapons taken from 1st response teams in Judea & Samaria?’ Hezki Baruch
IDF representative to the cabinet explained that the reduction of weapons in the region is due to the release of IDF reservists.
Jan 7, 2024, 4:35 PM (GMT+2) – At the cabinet meeting today (Sunday), Orit Strock, Minister for Settlement and National Missions, queried IDF representative to the cabinet, Major General Eliezer Toledano, why weapons given to first response teams in Judea and Samaria are being taken away from them.
Major General Eliezer Toledano responded: “Some of the reservists are being released, and some of them have served in Judea and Samaria, and when they are released, they must deposit their weapons. So, there are fewer weapons in the regional defense area of Judea and Samaria. We can’t have the reservists on unlimited duty.”
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir said: “We must coordinate these moves so that the number of weapons in Judea and Samaria does not decrease. This is not synchronized with the Ministry of Defense.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed Strock and said: “This is an issue that must be dealt with. We must arm more people.”
Is Israel’s Supreme Court Going to Tear the Country Apart? [52:13] BY GADI TAUB AND MICHAEL DORAN
JANUARY 04, 2024 – The world of Israeli jurisprudence is so surreal that you have to pinch yourself to believe what you see. This week, the country’s Supreme Court first struck down a constitutional amendment, then declared judicial authority to remove a sitting prime minister. Michael Doran and Gadi Taub explain what the judges are up to, and what the consequences may be. Because apart from judicial theory, these decisions have political implications for the war: they threaten to throw Israel back into the controversies about judicial reform that tore the country apart before October 7.
Meanwhile the war may be widening in the north following the assassination of Hamas’s West Bank chief, Saleh al-Arouri. The hit was carried out in Beirut and is widely attributed to Israel.
If the assassination was done by Israel, it might be a message not just to Hamas and Hezbollah, but also to the United States, which is trying to retrain Israel on the northern front.
And finally: Mike and Gadi’s picks for the dumbest takes on the news.
Israel Dog Unit trains rescue dogs and handlers to save lives Israel National News
A special workshop on Friday introduced dog handlers to a series of fundamentals for the use of working dogs in several applications.
Jan 7, 2024, 12:59 AM (GMT+2) – On Friday morning, a special workshop was held at the Israel Dog Unit (IDU) base in Kfar Tapuah in Samaria for trainee trainers from Woof-Dogs Academy. The IDU, a nonprofit specializing in working dogs, shared their experience in canine security and rescue work, and taught the trainers learned how to handle rescue, detection, and cadaver dogs. The workshop included both theoretical and practical lessons.
As part of the theoretical lessons, IDU director Yekutiel Ben-Yaakov lectured on a broad array of topics related to the proper training and deployment of working dogs in the search for missing persons, correct methods to analyze and manage a missing person case, and proper care and training of working dogs from a young age.
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The practical section was held in the Samaria hills near the IDU base, and included demonstrations of working dogs in various roles by IDU volunteers.
Ben-Yaakov commented: “At this difficult time, we are working to train as many operational dogs as possible to respond to any national emergency. We are always happy to host professional trainers, apprentices, and certified handlers, and add them to the circle of rescue forces in Israel, with the aim of saving lives and locating missing people. We wish them success.”