ISRAEL (IINO)
Smotrich to INN: I believe that we are close to taking action in Judea and Samaria Uzi Baruch
Finance Minister on the security escalation: This is a reality that cannot continue. I believe significant action is imminent.
Jun 21, 2023, 2:06 AM (GMT+3) – Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich gave an interview to Israel National News on Tuesday, hours before the murderous attack near Eli, in which he discussed how Israel is dealing with the security escalation and said that he, too, is asking why a real military operation is not being carried out to stop the security escalation in Judea and Samaria.
Smotrich said that there are a variety of considerations that he is unable and unwilling to elaborate on publicly, partly so as not to provide the enemy with information about Israel’s intentions.At the same time, he stated that “this saga will not continue much longer”.
“We cannot afford to have entire areas without governance, where dangerous nests of terrorism develop that harm IDF soldiers and endanger the residents, and it is very close to reaching other areas in Israel,” said Minister Smotrich, who recounted his conversations on these issues with both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense. In his assessment, “We are very close to a very significant action.”
“We are seeing processes of ‘Lebanonization’ in Jenin and Shechem and not only there. This is not a situation that can be allowed under any circumstances. It is not a process that can be allowed to expand and then everything becomes much more complex,” said the Minister, who is convinced that at the end of the day there will be no escape from an operation that eliminate the centers of terrorism.
Yair Lapid -Thinking the unthinkable Dr. Martin Sherman
When the official reasons given for the Oct. 2022 gas deal with Lebanon unravel, who can be blamed for allowing “heretical” alternative explanations to creep into one’s mind
Jun 18, 2023, 7:09 PM (GMT+3) – We will divide up the region. Israel will return most of the ‘West Bank’, and the Palestinian flag will fly on public buildings in East Jerusalem – Yair Lapid,Der Spiegel, May 8, 2008.
Jerusalem is not a place; it is the constitutive concept of Israeli identity and our most fundamental ethos…We will not divide Jerusalem. No matter what happens. If that eventually means that there will be no resolution [of the conflict] then there will be no resolution – Yair Lapid, Walla, December 27, 2014.
This week, the leader of Israel’s opposition, Yair Lapid, appeared in the Jerusalem District Court as a prosecution witness in the trial of his primary political adversary, incumbent Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.As before with a string of previous prosecution witnesses, his testimony ended up strengthening the case for the defense rather than for the prosecution.
Opinions as tools to fulfill ambitions
But beyond that, his performance on the stand underscored just how little credibility the man has, and Lapid does not have an opinion on anything. All he has, it seems, is an ambition and opinions are merely tools for fulfilling that ambition—and can be changed at will.
How little store can be placed on anything he says. Indeed, it would be difficult to find any topic on which Lapid has expressed an opinion that, elsewhere, he has not expressed a diametrically opposite one.(For example, see the introductory citations regarding his position on Jerusalem.
No less striking is Lapid’s breathtaking about-face on judicial reform. Whereas today he is a vociferous opponent of the changes in Israel’s legal system proposed by the current coalition, just a few years earlier, he endorsed the very same measures he now purports to reject as imperiling Israeli democracy.
Yesha Council Chairman: We cannot continue to absorb these blows
Gush Etzion Mayor, and Yesha Council Chairman, Shlomo Ne’eman, responded to the deadly terrorist attack near Eli in Binyamin.
Jun 20, 2023, 5:58 PM (GMT+3) – Gush Etzion Mayor, and Yesha Council Chairman, Shlomo Ne’eman, responded to the deadly terrorist attack near Eli in Binyamin.
“Evil beasts opened fire today, murdering four people”, Ne’eman said, “We send a warm embrace to the families of those murdered during this difficult time and pray for a speedy recovery for the wounded.”
“The enemy which once again raised its head, must be eliminated”, he added, “We cannot continue to absorb these blows and hope the wave of terrorism will just pass. [Emphasis added] We demand that the government launch a broad [military] operation. The IDF must remove its gloves because terrorism can only be dealt with using a heavy hand, alongside the continued building and development of Jewish life in Judea and Samaria, which will bring quiet to the region.”
“The application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria will crush the enemy’s hope and remove any question marks over our future in Israel” Ne’eman concluded.
[Ed.: Shlomo Ne’eman is right, but alas, we most certainly will “continue to absorb these blows and hope the wave of terrorism will just pass.” That is exactly what we are going to do! Our People wandered in the desert for forty years. We’ve been doing precisely that while living in IINO now for 75 years…]
Jun 20, 2023, 11:31 PM (GMT+3) – Minister of National Missions and Settlement Affairs Orit Strock (Religious Zionist Party) on Tuesday visited the scene of the terrorist shooting attack near Eli, in which four Israelis were murdered.
“This is a very serious and difficult incident. It is inconceivable that it would be possible for terrorists to enter and murder, in cold blood, people who were simply having hummus at a restaurant or stopping to fuel their car at the gas station,” said Strock.
“How is it possible that a vehicle, with armed Palestinians, arrives at the one main road on which thousands of Israeli citizens who live in this area travel, and they do not have another road to take. This is unreasonable, irresponsible and immoral, inconceivable and intolerable,” she added.
[Ed.: Minister Strock is totally correct. If it was a true State of Israel and not ‘Israel In Name Only’ (IINO,) these kind of incidents could never happen, and Jews would be safe and secure in our homeland. The problem preventing a true State of Israel is our fakakta structure of government. Arabs are supposed to kill us! It’s who they are! It’s their “religion”! It’s what they do! We have only ourselves to blame for their access to us.]
Victims identified: Nachman, Elisha, Harel & Ofer were murdered in deadly attack
17-year-old boys among the victims of deadly shooting attack near Eli.
Published: Jun 20, 2023, Updated:11:12 PM – he names of the four victims of Tuesday’s terrorist shooting attack near Eli have been cleared for publication.
One victim was identified as Harel Masoud, a 21-year-old resident of Yad Binyamin. Another was named as Elisha Antman, a 17-year-old resident of Eli. A third was identified as Ofer Fairman, a 60-year-old resident of Eli. The fourth was identified as Nachman Shmuel Mordoff, a 17-year-old resident of Ahiya.
The Nahal Sorek Regional Council said in a statement: “It is with a heavy heart and great pain, we were informed at this moment that in the severe attack that took place today in the settlement of Eli, Harel Masoud, a resident of Yad Binyamin, was murdered. Harel is the son of Gil and Yael Masoud, and was only 21 years old at the time of his murder.”
Watch: IDF releases helmet camera clips from Jenin raid
Helmet cameras of the Israeli soldiers who operated in Jenin today show the stealthy beginning of the raid and the gunfight that followed.
Jun 19, 2023, 9:20 PM (GMT+3) – The IDF and Israel Police have published the GoPro footage from the security forces that operated in Jenin today. The helmet camera footage shows the forces advancing quietly under cover of night at the beginning of the operation
A later part, filmed during daylight, shows the forces exiting their armored vehicle under fire and trading shots with the terrorists.
Along with the film from the soldiers, a GoPro recording was released from working dog Daggoo, who accompanied Israeli forces into Jenin during the operation today.
Daggoo was in a Panther armored vehicle that was disabled by an IED. Seven Israeli soldiers were injured by the blast, and were airlifted to hospital care. Daggoo was taken along with them and examined by the veterinarian from the IDF’s elite Oketz canine unit. He was diagnosed with internal bleeding and a pelvic fracture.
First Time in 21 Years: IDF uses attack helicopters in battle with Jenin terrorists David Rosenberg
For the first time since the 2nd Intifada, IDF uses attack helicopters to engage terrorists in Samaria.
Jun 19, 2023, 11:49 AM (GMT+3) – The Israeli military deployed attack helicopters to the skies above Jenin Monday morning, marking the first use of helicopters for direct combat with terrorists in Samaria in over two decades.
Israeli attack helicopters were spotted over the combat zone in Jenin Monday, with footage on social media showing the aircraft opening fire on terrorists with missiles and machine guns.
The IDF has not used attack helicopters in a combat situation in Judea and Samaria since 2002, Channel 12 reported.
The helicopters were observed targeting a building in Jenin where a number of terrorists are currently holed up in part of an ongoing gun battle with IDF forces.
The Israeli army and Border Police are continuing their efforts to extract forces deployed to the Palestinian Authority-administered city in northern Samaria, after Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists ambushed IDF armored vehicles during an arrest operation.
Multiple bombs were hurled at the vehicles, leaving at least one damaged, injuring five Border Police officers.
A massive gun battle broke out during the arrest operation, which involved a number of undercover Border Police officers.
In total, seven Israeli personnel were injured, including two IDF soldiers and five Border Police officers. One of the soldiers is in moderate condition, the second in light condition.
Two of the Border Police officers are listed in moderate condition, three more in light condition.
The Palestinian Authority mouthpiece WAFA reported that four Palestinian Arabs have died in the firefight, with 45 more wounded.
Two wanted terrorists, Assem Abu al-Haija, and Mussab Hassan al-Barmaki, were arrested during the operation.
The gun battle is ongoing, an IDF spokesperson said late Monday morning.
6 hurt in terrorist shooting attack in Eli
At least 2 in critical condition after multiple terrorists open fire at gas station in Binyamin region
Jun 20, 2023, 4:30 PM (GMT+3) – At least six people have been injured in a terrorist shooting attack at a gas station near the city of Eli in Binyamin Tuesday afternoon.
The IDF stated that multiple suspects approached the gas station and opened fire, wounding several people. Security forces returned fire and struck one of the terrorists.
Magen David Adom (MDA) EMTs and Paramedics are evacuating two victims in critical condition, including a 20-year-old male to Shaare Tzedek Medical Center and a 38-year-old male to Beilinson Hospital. Four further victims, including three who are unconscious, are being treated on scene.
Towards Gimmel Tammuz -aspiring to a new world order Rabbi Yehoshua S, Hecht
The Rebbe spoke of a new world order vs. the chaos of globalism. It.is actual, attainable, and increasingly relevant to our generation..
Jun 20, 2023, 7:21 AM (GMT+3) – Chabad hassidim and Jewish communities throughout the world will mark the 29th YAHRZEIT (day of passing) of the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, on Thursday the third day of the month Tammuz, corresponding to June 22nd.
The Rebbes clarion call and directive for a new world order with the advent of the Messiah, ignites the minds and hearts of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people, the world over, to think about the transformation and elevation of our world, which is suffering from an acute lack of leadership and vision.
Wherever one looks, be it the USA or the countries that make up the so-called western world, there is a crushing lack of moral and ethical vision and leadership. From the White House to number ten Downing Street, from the Elysée to the EU in Brussels, the absence of moral clarity and cooperation is troubling and alarming.
The Rebbe’s call that we work towards a new world order that is under the sovereignty of G-D and His righteous Messiah, the scion of the house of King David of blessed memory, is actual, attainable, and increasingly relevant to our generation
Urgent help is needed: Wave of Ukrainian refugees seek shelter at Chabad in Poland
Just before Shabbat, (June 9), Chabad of Poland extended a warm welcome to a new wave of Ukrainian refugees seeking refuge
Jun 19, 2023, 9:38 PM – The situation demands urgent assistance.
In the aftermath of the dam breach, Ukrainian Jews have been forced to hastily board buses and flee their country in search of safety in Poland. Responding to their plight, Chabad of Poland has made preparations to receive and provide shelter to this group in Warsaw, their arrival coinciding just before the onset of Shabbat.
The collapse of the Kakhovka dam has inflicted severe damage on homes and critical infrastructure, exacerbating an already war-ravaged region. Local authorities have cautioned against consuming water from the affected river and eating fish, while both sides of the conflict have warned of the potential movement of landmines due to the floods. Furthermore, concerns loom over the risk of a possible meltdown at Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which relies on the dam for stability.
To contribute to the relief efforts or obtain additional information, please visit
India’s Bnei Menashe community in crisis as synagogues torched and displaces hundreds Jordyn Haime, JTA
Hundreds of Bnei Menashe crypto-Jews in India displaced as synagogues torched amid ethnic clashes.
Jun 20, 2023, 2:57 PM (GMT+3) – For the past several years, life was good for Lalam Hangshing as president of the Bnei Menashe Council, the governing body for Jewish communities in the Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram.
While living at his parents’ house, he and his wife enjoyed the clean air and beautiful scenery of Manipur, a state in northeast India home to close to 3 million people. Miles away, Hangshing rented out a newly-built four-story home to a film production company.
Everything changed on May 3, when rioting broke out between the ethnic majority Meiteis and the tribal minority Kukis, a violent conflagration that had been building up for years. Local groups say Meiteis began targeting Kuki institutions and razing homes to the ground, and Hangshing — also the general secretary of a Kuki-led political party — feared his house was next.
“When the problems started on the third of May, with military precision, the mobs went straight to [Kuki] houses,” Hangshing said. “They ransacked them and vandalized them and they burned each and every house in Imphal city within one and a half days.”
Allow Palestinian Arabs to obtain Israeli residency status and dismantle the PA Yakov Nedlin
What is the use of the “differential” solutions that already exist on the ground (such as checkpoints, cameras, military presence, Shin Bet, etc) if there is no overarching political “integrated” move to deal with the root of the problem? Op-ed.
June 19, 2023 – It’s no secret that the Israeli economy benefits from the Palestinian Arab workforce, especially in the real estate domain. Broad consensus supports this arrangement, with only a few extreme parties on either side opposing it.
Tens of thousands of Palestinian Arab workers cross what I call the “Israel-Israel” border every day to earn a living or visit their lucky relatives in Israeli Arab villages. This reality often invites security problems. However, the Israeli leadership is adept at lowering the level of concern to swiftly return to the routine of these workers.
Leaders often chest-beat, shouting regarding the on-duty terrorist: “We will soon have our revenge.” But in practice, the axis of interests between the real estate tycoon and politician is clear – the winning value is always the fastest return to freedom of movement for Palestinian workers.
Confrontation Between Jews and Christians at Temple Mount Over Accusations of Proselytizing ADAM ELIYAHU BERKOWITZ
“I will bring them to My sacred mount And let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices Shall be welcome on My mizbayach; For My House shall be called A house of prayer for all peoples.” – ISAIAH 56:7 (THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
MAY 29, 2023 – The ongoing initiative bringing millions of Christians to pray for Israel came to an ugly nexus when hundreds of Christians praying in Jerusalem were confronted by an equal number of Jews who denounced Christianity’s two millennia of proselytizing. The confrontation brought to the forefront the major issue preventing the prophetic House of Prayer for All Nations in Jerusalem.
Hundreds of Christians who came to pray at the Davidson Center Archaeological Park adjacent to the southern wall of the Temple Mount on Sunday were shocked when hundreds of religious Jews came to protest, some reacting violently to their prayers. The Christian prayer event was part of a three-week global initiative called “The Isaiah 62 Fast,” in which millions of Christians worldwide join in praying and fasting for Israel.
Jerusalem’s Deputy Mayor Aryeh King was filmed shouting, “Missionaries go home!” In a statement about the incident, he praised the protesters and criticized the government organizations that allowed “Christian missionaries to hold a Christian worship and ceremony designed to prepare a missionary effort directed at Israeli residents,” he wrote. “It is a dignified and just protest against a government company that allowed this and against the missionaries. As far as I’m concerned, let every missionary know they are not welcome in the Land of Israel.”
The protest was also attended by Rabbi Zvi Tau, head of the Har Hamor Yeshiva, Rabbi David Cohen, and Rabbi Avigdor Nabnetzel.
While the Isaiah 62 Fast does not explicitly call for proselytizing to Jews or working to convince Jews to leave Judaism by accepting Jesus as their Messiah or “Savior,” The International House of Prayer, which organized the event, wrote precisely that in its online Israel Mandate:
“Our mission is to mobilize an international prayer movement that would pray 24/7 for the nation of Israel to receive their Jewish Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). Jesus promised the nation of Israel an unusual visitation of His presence at the end of the age when the Jewish leaders will recognize Him as their true Messiah and deliverer.”
The event’s timing was significant as it came immediately following the Biblical Shavuot feast. According to Jewish tradition, the Jews made an exclusive and eternal covenant with God at Mount Sinai and received the Torah.
The event also preceded Pentecost, which, according to Christian tradition, is the birth-day of the Church as recorded in the second chapter of the Book of Acts. It commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the early followers of Jesus. According to the New Testament, this occurred fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus, during the Shavuot holiday. This epiphany bestowed upon them the mandate to spread the Gospel to the world, which many Christians understand to mean the requirement to convert Jews to Christianity.
David Nekrutman, the Executive Director of The Isaiah Projects and an Orthodox Jewish theologian, explained how the Pentecost fit into Christian replacement theology, which requires the conversion of Jews and makes it impossible for Judaism and Christianity to coexist.
“For mainstream Christians who subscribe to Replacement Theology, Jesus not only replaced the Temple, but he also replaced the Land,” Nekrutman explained. “For Christians, Jesus also replaced the Torah. For those in the Replacement Theology camp, the Torah was simply a band-aid approach until Jesus arrived to replace it. Even a biblically based Shavuot would no longer be relevant since these laws have been fulfilled in Jesus.”
Nekrutman commented on the events saying, “If one is praying for the Jewish people, then it should be prayers that advocate Jews to be more committed to Judaism as well as the hope that all Jews see the importance of holding an Israeli passport.”
Should Jewish conservatives stay Republican? IRIT TRATT
“You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that Hashem your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice.” DEUTERONOMY 16:18 (THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
JUNE 14, 2023 – In New York, this week’s deadline for submitting changes to individual voter ballots is renewing pressure on Jewish Republicans to switch their party affiliation.
New York is one of 12 “closed primary” states in which primary voting is limited to those registered with a specific political party.
New York’s reputation as a bastion of deep blue liberalism leaves many conservatives struggling to explain the logic behind backing candidates whose chances of winning, particularly in left-leaning enclaves, are slim at best.
Jewish Democrats regard the state’s reflexive ideological leanings as an opening to consolidate power by encouraging conservatives to adjust their political preference. They claim that the certainty of a Democratic victory renders voting for Republicans pointless. Thus, it is prudent to vote strategically in order to stave off progressive challenges to more moderate Democrats.
While well-intentioned, attempts to subordinate the New York GOP are, at best, a stopgap. It only temporarily fends off the threat from Democrats whose sympathies are increasingly with the Palestinians and against Israel.
Moreover, rewarding Democrats’ lack of action on stemming antisemitism within party ranks with more Jewish votes is a misguided strategy. It will only undermine Republican lawmakers who are often the first to oppose anti-Israel policies.
Israel’s government to advance part of judicial reform
The premier accused opposition leaders of not taking talks on a compromise seriously.
June 18, 2023 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that parts of his coalition’s judicial reform initiative will move ahead this week.
“We will meet this week and begin practical steps in the legal reform,” Netanyahu told Cabinet members gathered at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem for their regular weekly meeting.
Jews and the Land of Israel: Part XV: The Attempt to Convince the Arabs of Palestine that Jewish Settlement Would Greatly Benefit Their Lives By Alex Grobman PhD.
29 Sivan 5783 – June 18, 2023 – *Editor’s Note: This is the fifteenth installment in the most recent series of articles from Jewish Press Online contributor, Alex Grobman, PhD
Attempts to assure the Arabs they had more to gain materially by embracing the efforts of Jews to immigrate and settle the land of Israel was an ongoing process. Zionist historian Yosef Gorny notes that in 1907, Yitzhak Epstein, an intellectual and teacher, declared that the Arabs “must, for its own good let the Jews into the country, for it is powerless to improve its situation and to extricate itself from its poverty and ignorance by its own efforts; only our people can provide for their needs.” It was to be a win-win situation. The Jews would reclaim their homeland and the Arabs would be able to improve their lives. This would hasten “the renaissance of two ancient and gifted Semitic people with great potentialities, who complement each other.” [1]
Mass protests against judicial reform enter 21st week
The passing of the new budget could grant some stability to Israel’s government. However, it also appeared to fuel the protesters’ views that Netanyahu appeals to his religious allies rather than address the wider economic woes of the broader society.
05-27-2023 22:21 – Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered on Saturday for the relentless weekly protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government’s plans to overhaul the legal system in the country.
The mass protests entered their 21st week. This week’s rallies come days after Netanyahu’s coalition of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist parties passed a new two-year budget.
The main rally took place in Tel Aviv, drawing thousands of flag-waving protesters.
The passing of the new budget could grant some stability to Israel’s government. However, it also appeared to fuel the protesters’ views that Netanyahu appeals to his religious allies rather than address the wider economic woes of the broader society. Organizers of grassroots protests bill them as a movement to save democracy. They say the government’s plans to weaken the Supreme Court would destroy the country’s system of checks and balances and compromise Israeli democracy.
[Ed.: Rubbish. The mouse that roared.]
06-16-2023 09:10 – Ehud Barak, as has been revealed this week, is the de facto leader of the protests against judicial reform. His main motivation has nothing to do with the Supreme Court and everything to do with his own personal ego war against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. [Emphasis added]
1. Some years ago, Ehud Barak invited me to his home. He wanted to get to know me. We sat for about three hours talking about history and Talmud, philosophy and poetry, policy, and the army. Barak is highly impressive, with a broad perspective, the likes of which I have encountered in very few people.I told him that, in some ways, he had become the Shabtai Zvi of his camp. Barak was the Messiah who was designated as Yitzhak Rabin’s successor. He was destined to redeem his followers from Benjamin Netanyahu and resurrect the spirit of Oslo. And yet, it was Barak who coined the phrase that buried the hope of peace when he returned from Camp David and told the nation the truth: “There is no partner for peace” on the Palestinian side, despite the unprecedented concessions he offered them. It was an admission of the failure of the concept of “land for peace.” As far as many of his followers were concerned, this was an act of heresy that went against what for many years had been the raison d’être of his political camp. Barak’s confession was tantamount to the conversion to Islam of Shabtai Zvi who turned out to be a false Messiah. You too, I told him, have been marked as a false Messiah. He smiled faintly and agreed with me.
[Ed.:
Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger’s rebranded unconventional website
Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger’s rebranded unconventional website
Why is this website different from all other websites?
(Please share with me your critical feedback)
This website features my weekly articles and brief videos, which underscore “What’s in it for the US?!” rather than “what’s in it for Israel?”
This website – as well as my lectures, interviews and briefing of US and Israeli movers & shakers – does not preach to the choir.
This website challenges Western conventional wisdom on critical aspects of US-Israel relations, Jewish-Arab demography, Iran, the Palestinian issue and Middle East affairs, in general.
This website highlights:
*Israel’s contribution to the US taxpayer exceeds US foreign aid to Israel.
*Israel: from a misperceived burden to a force and dollar multiplier for the US.
*The 400-year-old roots of the unique US-Israel nexus.
*The debunked myth of the Arab demographic time bomb, while exposing Israel’s Jewish demographic momentum.
*The gap between Middle East reality and Western conventional wisdom.
*The inherent flaws of the US diplomatic option toward Iran’s Ayatollahs.
*Is the Palestinian issue the crux of the Arab-Israel conflict, a core cause of Middle East turbulence and a crown-jewel of Arab policy making?
*The proposed Palestinian state – advancing or undermining US interests?
The content of this website is based on my 50-year-experience in the areas of Middle East affairs, US-Israel relations and US policy in the Middle East in my capacity as a researcher, diplomat (Ambassador), writer, lecturer, media commentator and consultant to US and Israeli legislators.
Hopefully, this website adds value for your own endeavors.
Looking forward to receiving your critical feedback.
U.S. Fighter Jets Head to Middle East; Israel SLAMS Russia Over Iran Alliance [12:00] The Watchman with Erick Stakelbeck
On today’s Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck beaks down growing tensions between the U.S. and Russia in the Middle East. As the U.S. sends a squadron of F-22 fighter jets to the region to deter Russia, could things spiral out of control? Plus, Israeli leaders are expressing growing alarm over Russia’s military alliance with Iran. Is this a prelude to a coming prophetic showdown?
