ISRAEL (IINO)
WATCH: IDF PREPS TO INVADE RAFA Micha Gefen
April 21, 2024 – For weeks, Israel has pushed and made the case about the need to go into Rafah and finally finish the war against Hamas. After Bibi traded a far more extreme retaliation against Iran for America essentially looking the other way on Rafah, Israel’s invasion of Gaza’s southern most city is set to begin.
Rafah. Prepwork before the ground invasion – watch
An indication that the IDF is prepping to go into Rafah, Israel’s Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi approved the next stage of the ground war in Gaza today. Israeli jets have been pounding the city and softening defenses through precision bombing runs.
In a pre-Pesach speech, Prime Minister Netanyahu seemed to allude that the defeat of Hamas in Rafah was coming soon: “Hamas has refused all proposals that we offered it.’ According to him, the only thing preventing a hostage deal is Hamas. Instead of backing down from its extreme positions, Hamas is building division between us, it draws encouragement from the pressure on the Israeli government. As a result, it only tightens its conditions to release the hostages. It hardens its heart and refuses to let our people go, and therefore, we will send it additional and painful plagues – and it will happen soon. In the coming days, we will increase the military and diplomatic pressure on Hamas since that is the only way to free the hostages and achieve victory,”
Will the IDF invade on Seder night and thus free us from Hamas’ terror once and for all? Don’t be surprised.
Residents protest after Al-Mughayyir attack Israel National News
Dozens of East Binyamin regional council residents protest outside village of Al-Mughayyir after attack, stating that, ‘There is no difference between Al-Mughayyir and Gaza.’
Apr 21, 2024, 5:18 PM (GMT+3) – Dozens of residents in the eastern Binyamin region protested on Sunday at the entrance to Al-Mughayyir, after the terrorist attack earlier today on the nearby Alon road, in which an IDF reservist was lightly injured.
The residents also hung Israeli flags along the entire length of the outside Al-Mughayyir, where the terrorists hung a PLO flag this morning, that disguised the explosive device.
The residents attacked the incompetence of the security forces and called on the IDF to close off the area and launch a comprehensive military operation to take full control over this village and the nearby villages.
“We stopped cleaning and cooking for the upcoming Passover holiday, and we came here today with a clear statement: we have had enough of the weak security forces,” said Yehuda Rahamim, a resident of Kochav Hashahar who participated in the protest. “Today there is absolute lawlessness here. For the past week, we have seen the security forces at every junction, preventing Jewish construction and stopping protests against terrorism, but in the most indignant way, they were not here today to protect the Jewish commuters.” [Emphasis added]
Rahamim added: “Only last week we buried Binyamin Achimeir, the young boy who was murdered a short distance from where the explosives were detonated this morning. For those who have not yet understood, we are at war. This is a war for all intents and purposes against Nazis, who are no different from the Nazis in Gaza. We demand that the security forces close off the villages and launch a comprehensive military operation to take full control over Duma, Al-Mughayyir, and Kfar Malek, from where terrorists recently embarked on terrorist attacks. There is no difference between Al-Mughayyir and Gaza.”
“The village from which the terrorists left this morning should look like Khan Yunis after an IDF attack. If the security system does not wake up and make some changes, the result will be harsh and bloody,” Rahamim said.
Earlier this morning, Israel Levy, a 25-year-old IDF reservist from the Binyamin region, was lightly wounded, after he tried to remove a booby-trapped PLO flag near the town of Kochav Hashachar.
The attack is what is referred to as a luring attack since the bomb was hidden under the PLO flag and it exploded when the soldier tried to take down the flag.
“I saw a flag on the side of the road. We stopped to take it down, I kicked it – and the flag exploded on me,” Levy told Ynet. “This was a large explosive, but luckily I kicked it and it exploded on the side, and not on me. I was injured by a spray on my hands and that’s it. The charge was buried in the ground.”
He added: “After the explosion, I came to my senses, called the IDF hotline and reported the incident. I was very lightly injured. This did not scare me. We will catch those who did this and ‘tear them apart.’” In response to the question if he will be cautious of flags from now on, he replied: “Certainly, this is a lesson I’ve learned.”
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- Illegal waste site in Ramallah chokes residents of Jewish town
Israelis who searched for murdered teen arrested Orly Harari
Near 4:00 AM, the police raided the homes of eight people who helped search for Binyamin Achimeir. In the last hour, the police started releasing them, some under conditions.
Apr 21, 2024, 1:11 PM (GMT+3) – The police arrested tonight (Sunday) eight people who took part in the searches for Binyamin Achimeir, may his memory be blessed, last Saturday.
Near 4:00 AM, the police raided the homes of these eight individuals at various locations–Yitzhar, Rehovot, Shilo, and Havat Gilad. In the last hour, the police started releasing them, some under conditions.
The detainees, most of them married and with families, rushed to the field last Saturday to assist in the searches for the boy Binyamin Achimeir. They participated in searches and roadblocks as part of the search and out of concern for abduction.
It should be noted that the murderers of the boy have not yet been arrested. The detainees were investigated for various offenses including arson and property damage.
Lawyers Daniel Shimshilashvili and Nati Rom from the Honenu legal aid organization, arrived at the police station and provided legal assistance to the detainees. After their investigation, some of the detainees were released.
[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.]
Smotrich aims to legalize 68 outposts in Judea and Samaria
Some 25,000 Israelis reside across the communities.
(April 21, 2024 / JNS) – Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich aims to legalize 68 outposts in Judea and Samaria and has instructed various ministries to prepare to provide them with public services.
Smotrich is also a minister in the Defense Ministry with broad authority over civilian issues in the disputed territories.
“We welcome the progress on the approvals for 68 ‘young communities’ in Judea and Samaria. These are communities established years ago and sanctioned by the country,” Yesha Council Chairman Shlomo Ne’eman said.
The council is the umbrella organization for Israeli municipal authorities in Judea and Samaria.
“This is definitely a strategic move for the entire enterprise of Judea and Samaria and an important step towards correcting the injustice for thousands of residents who have been living in these communities for years without proper infrastructure. This is an important answer, especially at this time, to those who don’t want to see us here,” Ne’eman added.
The coalition agreement between Smotrich’s Religious Zionism Party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud calls for the legalization of these “young settlements” and connecting them to the electricity and water grids.
Smotrich has also instructed ministries to plan to establish educational institutions in the outposts, construct roads leading to them and open state-funded clinics therein.
The outposts were built in the 1990s and early 2000s with the assistance of ministries but without formal government approval.
Some 25,000 Israelis reside across the 68 communities.
Biden Regime To Announce Sanctions Against IDF Unit By Pamela Geller
April 20, 2024 – The Biden regime is expected to announce sanctions against IDF unit for human rights abuses. This is a punishing break with our most devoted and stalwart ally, all while continuing to fund Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terror and it’s vicious jihad proxies in Gaza (Hamas), Syria and Lebanon (Hezb’Allah) and Judea, Samaria (‘Palestinian’ jihad) in their genocidal jihad against the tiny Jewish nation.
It beggars belief, too gruesome to contemplate. The United States of America is rewarding savage jihad terrorists unimaginable bounty for the most unspeakable massacre and monstrous atrocities against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
The message the Biden regime is sending to jihad terrorists is clear. We will break with and punish our allies and you will reap untold wealth and legitimacy for the most monstrous brutality and obscene savagery against the Jewish people.
Benjamin Netanyahu:
Sanctions must not be imposed on the Israel Defense Forces!
In recent weeks, I have been working against the imposition of sanctions on Israeli citizens, including in my conversations with senior American government officials.
At a time when our soldiers are fighting the monsters of terror, the intention to impose a sanction on a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low.
The government headed by me will act by all means against these moves.
Passover Guide for the Perplexed 2024 Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger
April 17, 2024
1. Passover (April 22-30, 2024) is a Jewish national liberation holiday, highlighting the Exodus, the Parting of the Sea, the Ten Commandments, the 40-year-wandering in the desert, and the reentry to the Land of Israel 3,600 years ago.
2. The Abolitionist and human rights movements were spurred by the Passover Exodus. For example, in 1850, Harriet Tubman, who was one of the leaders of the “Underground Railroad” – an Exodus of Afro-American slaves to freedom – was known as “Mama Moses.” Moreover, on December 11, 1964, upon accepting the Nobel Prize, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “The Bible tells the thrilling story of how Moses stood in Pharaoh’s court centuries ago and cried, ‘Let my people go!’” Furthermore, Paul Robeson and Louis Armstrong leveraged the liberty theme of Passover through the lyrics: “When Israel was in Egypt’s land, let my people go! Oppressed so hard they could not stand, let my people go! Go down Moses, way down in Egypt’s land; tell old Pharaoh to let my people go….!”
3. The US Founding Fathers were inspired by the Exodus, in particular, and the Mosaic legacy, in general, shaping the Federalist system, including the concepts of (anti-monarchy) limited government, separation of powers among three co-equal branches of government, featuring Congress, as the most powerful legislature in the world. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense – “the cement of the 1776 Revolution” – referred to King George III as “the hardened, sullen-tempered Pharaoh of England.” And, the Early Pilgrims considered their 10-week-sail in the Atlantic ocean as “the modern day Parting of the Sea,” and their destination as “the modern day Promised Land” and “the New Israel.”
4. The US Founding Fathers deemed it appropriate to engrave the essence of the Biblical role model of liberty (the Passover-related Jubilee) on the Liberty Bell: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof (Leviticus, 25:10).” The Jubilee is commemorated every 50 years, and the Liberty Bell was installed in 1751 upon the 50th anniversary of William Penn’s Charter of Privileges.
- Moreover, there are 50 States in the United States, whose Hebrew name is “The States of the Covenant” (Artzot Habreet –ארצות הברית ). Also, the Exodus is mentioned 50 times in the Five Books of Moses; Moses received (on Mount Sinai) the Torah – which includes 50 gates of wisdom – 50 days following the Exodus, as celebrated by the Shavou’ot/Pentecost Holiday, 50 days following Passover.
- 5. According to Heinrich Heine, the 19th century German poet, “Since the Exodus, freedom has always spoken with a Hebrew accent.”
- 6. According to the late Prof. Yehudah Elitzur, one of Israel’s pioneers of Biblical research, the Exodus took place in the second half of the 15th century BCE, during the reign of Egypt’s Amenhotep II. Accordingly, the 40-year-national coalescing of the Jewish people – while wandering in the desert – took place when Egypt was ruled by Thutmose IV. Then, Joshua conquered Canaan when Egypt was ruled by Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV, who were preoccupied with domestic affairs to the extent that they refrained from expansionist ventures. Moreover, as documented by letters which were discovered in Tel el Amarna, the capital city of ancient Egypt, the 14th century BCE Pharaoh, Amenhotep IV, was informed by the rulers of Jerusalem, Samaria and other parts of Canaan, about a military offensive launched by the “Habirus” (Hebrews and other Semitic tribes), which corresponded to the timing of Joshua’s offensive against the same rulers. Amenhotep IV was a determined reformer, who introduced monotheism, possibly influenced by the ground-breaking and game-changing legacy of Moses and the Exodus.
7. Passover aims at coalescing the fabrics of the Jewish family and the Jewish people, commemorating and strengthening Jewish roots, and enhancing core values such as faith, humility, education, defiance of odds, can-do mentality, optimism, and patriotism, which are prerequisites to a free and vibrant society.
[Ed.: Passover begins at sundown Monday, April 22, 2024, and ends at sundown Tuesday, April 30, 2024. For additional details about Passover see: https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/default_cdo/jewish/Passover-Pesach.htm]
[7:37 PM, 4/20/2024] +972 52-272-5969: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken clarified regarding the sanctions: “The decision has been made and will be implemented in the next few days, in accordance with the Leahy law preventing military aid to foreign armies that violate international law. This is an important law that we apply universally. The investigation took a long time, and was conducted extremely carefully.
Several Israeli officials have denounced the intention to sanction an IDF battalion.
* Prime Minister Netanyahu: ‘This is the height of absurdity and a moral low point.
* Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich: ‘The American decision to sanction the IDF while Israel is fighting for its existence is completely insane.’
* Minister Benny Gantz: ‘Netzach Yehuda is an inseparable part of the IDF. Sanctions against it send the wrong message to our enemies.’
* National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir: ‘If the Defense Minister does not support Netzach Yehuda against the sanctions, I will ask that they be transferred to the Border Police under my control. We will welcome them as heroes.’
𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗔𝗘𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 https://chat.whatsapp.com/LItu5WXwPOh8yYbWwbsKha
[Ed.: All the rest is pretense. (But) pretense is a double-edged sword.]
Latma – Stayin’ Alive (CNN’s version of The Exodus) [1:44] Latma
April 18, 2024 – Breaking news: The real story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt by CNN
Israel’s ESCAPE From Egypt & The Biblical Parallels Today | Passover 2024 | Yair Pinto | TBN Israel [14:04]
Apr 20, 2024 – Join Yair Pinto as he travels to the Red Sea to tell the biblical story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt by God’s hand. Learn why this story from the Book of Exodus has been a source of hope for the Jewish people through millennia, and the parallels this story has to today. How is God protecting Israel as it fights enemies on all fronts?
US official: Israeli strike targeted air defense radar system for Natanz nuclear facility Elad Benari, Canada
US official tells ABC News that three missiles were fired from Israeli fighter aircraft outside of Iran in Friday morning’s very limited strike.
Apr 19, 2024, 8:11 PM (GMT+3) – Three missiles were fired from Israeli fighter aircraft outside of Iran in Friday morning’s very limited strike, a senior US official told ABC News.
The Israelis were targeting an air defense radar site near Isfahan that’s part of the protection of the Natanz nuclear facility, the official said.
The first assessment is that the strike took out the site, but assessment hasn’t been completed, added the official.
The strike was intended to send a signal to Iran that Israel has these capabilities, but was not looking to escalate the situation, according to the official.
An Israeli official told The Washington Post earlier on Friday that the strike on Iran “was intended to signal to Iran that Israel had the ability to strike inside the country.”
The strike was carried out in retaliation for Iran’s Saturday night launch of 350 drones and missiles towards Israeli territory. A full 99% of the launches were intercepted, only five fell in Israeli territory; only one person, a Bedouin child, was injured.
An intelligence source told CNN that that initial estimates are that Iran will not respond to the attack on its territory. Despite this, reports in Israel said that the Israel’s aerial defense system is at peak readiness.
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- ‘No comment on reports of Israeli strike in Iran’
- IAF fighter jets intercept UAV that approached Israel
- Jordanian Foreign Min. attempts to draw attention back to Gaza
