Lonny's War Update- October 215, 2023 - May 8, 2024
Day 215 of 132 of our hostages in Hamas captivity- **There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
There is no victory until all of the hostages are home!אין נצחון עד שכל החטופים בבית
My brother's interview on CNN - 'It's not done until it's done,' former hostage negotiator warns about ceasefire deal -Bianna Golodryga speaks to Middle East Director of the International Communities Organization, Gershon Baskin, after Hamas said it had accepted a deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar. https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2024/05/07/amanpour-gershon-baskin.cnn
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks
*The Iraqi Pro-Iranian Militia claimed it launched an explosive UAV to Eilat last night which would explain the Iron Dome shooting down an aerial object
*11:00am- north - rockets Even Menahem, Zra'it, Shtula - An anti tank shell hit open area near Metulla
*11:35am- north - rockets Mantzura, Shlomi
*3:15pm- North- hostile aircraft intrusion Golan Heights and Western Galilee
*3:25pm- north- heavy rocket barrage Western Galilee
*4:15pm- north - hostile aircraft intrusion Western Galilee
*The police announced the death of a Special Forces Policeman who died of injuries he incurred in operations in Tulkarem in the West Bank. Segeant Yeteb Lev Halevi. May his memory be a blessing
Hostage Updates
- Today is Keith Siegel’s 65th birthday. On April 27, Hamas released a video of Keith and another hostage Omri Miran as the first sign of life since his wife Aviva was released in the hostage deal in November after 51 days in captivity. Aviva and Jeith (an American citizen, originally from North Carolina) were kidnapped from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7. They , along with their neighbor and her 2 children were driven to Gaza in Keith’s car by the Hamas terrorists.
- Burns Arrives for Visit in Israel - Disappointed by Kirby's Remarks: "We Had Hoped for a Different Message". CIA Director William Burns is arriving today (Wednesday) for a lightning visit to Israel to advance a prisoner exchange deal, against the backdrop of the operation in Rafah and Hamas' announcement the day before yesterday about "agreeing" to the outline. In parallel, the Israeli delegation that left for Cairo yesterday is continuing the negotiation talks. Israel is pessimistic about the possibility of reaching a deal, and very disappointed by Kirby's remarks last night that "it is possible to bridge the gaps." In his comments, the U.S. National Security Council spokesperson was referring to Hamas' announcement and called it a "revised text for the deal, from which it appears the sides can be bridged," according to him. Israel had hoped the Americans would clarify that Hamas' proposal may not close the door, but certainly deviates from the understandings reached with the mediators. And that is not the message coming from Kirby's remarks. Behind the U.S. National Security Council spokesperson's words lies the American assessment that this is an opportunity that cannot be missed. That is why Burns is coming to the country and investing everything into this issue. From Israel's perspective - even this morning - the gaps are such that it is doubtful they can be bridged. Gaps within the War Cabinet. Within the War Cabinet there are differing approaches between Gantz and Eisenkot on one side, and Netanyahu and Gallant on the other. Gantz and Eisenkot want to take a more active approach even now. In their view, Israel should "leave no stone unturned" in trying to maximize the chances of reaching a deal. In contrast, Netanyahu and Gallant believe that merely "participating in the game" with Hamas constitutes surrender. This is because in their view, Israel has already gone a long way, and all Hamas is trying to do is mock Israel and the mediators. Professional officials consider Hamas' proposal absurd but emphasize: "There is something to talk about." Yesterday we reported on the "Mahadorah Hamerkazit" newscast that there were very tense talks between senior American and Israeli officials after Hamas' announcement. The Biden administration conveyed a message that the proposal should be treated as a "counter-proposal." Senior Israeli officials told the Americans: "Do not publicly support this deal that Hamas is proposing, it's a deception." Nevertheless, the Americans did not really accept the message and claimed this evening that it appears the gaps can be overcome. The Concern over the U.S. Response, and the Gaps between Hamas' Proposal and the Mediators' OutlineWith Hamas' announcement the day before yesterday, for several hours there was great concern among the highest Israeli officials over the U.S. response. Israel was concerned that the U.S. had agreed to provide some sort of guarantees to Hamas through the mediators just to "keep the ball rolling." However, hours after Hamas' announcement, the White House admitted that the outline they "agreed" to was different from the outline formulated by the mediators and which Israel had agreed to. Indeed, in the outline Hamas agreed to, there are several significant gaps compared to the one Israel supported. At the top of these gaps is the number of captives to be released in the first stage. Hamas is not committing to release 33 living captives in the first stage, but rather "living or dead." Israel insists that the terror organization is capable of releasing 33 living captives. Here are the main gaps: The negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of the focused operation the IDF launched in southern Rafah. The day before yesterday, the IDF officially announced it had begun the operation, and as of yesterday IDF tanks had taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, almost without resistance from Hamas. Defense Minister Gallant said Israel will end the operation in Rafah either with the return of the captives or the collapse of Hamas. —the most basic differences between Gantz/Eisencott and Netanyahu/Galant is that Gantz wants everything possible done to bring the hostages home-“leave no stone unturned”, whereas Netanyahu is more concerned about pride and appearance of “giving up”. The lives of the hostages are the most important thing, not pride, not appearances. There is no winning this war in either side. We are all losers and the only way to make something positive is first and foremost, to get the hostages home and to have a strategic plan for the future of Gaza, neither of which is a true priority for Netanyahu. https://www.mako.co.il/news-diplomatic/2024_q2/Article-48c2912dcd65f81026.htm
- "We Were Not Allowed to Cry, Express Ourselves or Show Emotions"
Moran Stella Yanai was released from captivity in Gaza after 54 days and is now working toward the release of the 132 remaining captives: "As human beings, we don't even think about basic things like showering, washing our faces and hands, getting up from the mattress and walking five steps across the room. There, you don't have that option, a person has no ability to exist. After 54 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza, Moran Stella Yanai, who was abducted from the party in Re'im, returned home - but the horrors she endured and the sights she was exposed to came back with her and haunt her to this day. Nevertheless, she is active in working to return the 132 remaining hostages and last night participated in a major event in New York focused on calling for the hostages' release.
"I can say I'm 'okay', but we say that because there is really no word to describe the situation now," Yanai said. "It's not that I'm in rapid recovery but also not in any neglect. I'm taking care of myself, supporting myself and being there for myself. Only when everyone returns home will we all have a long recovery process." "It's been half a year out and it's inconceivable. We have a responsibility as human beings not to let history repeat itself again. On Holocaust Day, we juxtaposed photographs from the Holocaust with events in Nova, and it's sad to see history repeating itself. We're trying to strengthen the families and citizens as much as possible so we can continue to act as strongly as possible for the return of the captives home."
**Try to describe what you went through in captivity.**
"I left Gaza and I'm trying to come to terms with those images and not revisit them every moment. I have the right to deal with it right now; the hostages still don't. They constantly have to look the terrorists in the eye and even when they close their eyes, they still see them. They don't know if they'll live or die, if they'll have food and water. As human beings, we don't even think about basic things like flushing toilets, showering, washing our hands and faces, getting up from the mattress and walking five steps across the room. There, you don't have that option. We were not allowed to cry, to express ourselves as human beings, to show emotions. That's the most basic thing a person needs to have. When a person doesn't have that option, they have no ability to exist. I want to believe that this will end for them soon and that we are truly doing everything we can to get them out."
**What is your message to Israelis?**
"I call on the people to stand by our side and show the love that I experienced when I returned home. I couldn't believe that's what I was seeing. I need the strength to keep fighting for them wherever I stand. We have someone to fight against. This is a war that won't end even after the captives return home. It's a war that will continue for a long time after that. I ask my people to choose good, to exist, to be humane, to come and stand by our side."
**Do you feel public support has waned?**
"I'm not here to put anyone on trial, but to reach out to my people and remind them that what brought some of us back was the unity we had. I strongly believe that in silence there is much more noise. That's my agenda, that's how I operate. I know how to take care of myself, take responsibility for myself and try to inspire as many people around me as possible. I see the positive feedback and positive response. I will continue to call on my people to give that love, to be together, to come to the rallies, to stand there and show solidarity with us. That's all we're asking for, that it not be forgotten." https://www.mako.co.il/news-israel/2024_q2/Article-5274c7b2b965f81027.htm?sCh=31750a2610f26110&pId=173113802 - CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to arrive in Israel today (Wednesday) and meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Chief Dadi Barnea, against the backdrop of talks in Cairo on Hamas' response to a deal for the release of captives and a ceasefire, in parallel to the IDF's ground operation in Rafah. Burns is coming to Israel after visiting Doha and the Egyptian capital, where he continued his efforts to advance the negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal.
On the Israeli side, there is anger and disappointment over Burns' conduct in the negotiations, with suspicions that he knew in advance about Hamas' proposal and pushed for its presentation to prevent the talks from collapsing. Meanwhile, the War Cabinet will convene this evening to discuss the negotiations for a deal. An Israeli official told Reuters news agency yesterday that the proposal conveyed by Hamas is "unacceptable to us." According to him, Hamas "changed the proposal conveyed to it on April 27 to an extreme unacceptable level." However, an Israeli delegation went to Cairo yesterday - and has since returned. "It went out to examine whether it is possible to move Hamas from its positions," the official said before its departure.
The delegation that stayed in Cairo consisted of Mossad, Shin Bet and IDF personnel, and it went to the Egyptian capital amid great pessimism in Israel after receiving Hamas' response. The team, Israeli sources said, would be able to listen and ask questions, but not really negotiate - since it did not receive a new mandate, and is relying on the previous mandate it received about two weeks ago.
In recent days, Israel has said that the chances of a breakthrough are not high and depend on Hamas' room for maneuver. "It is hard to believe that they will embark on the same path as us, Hamas' proposal was intended to mislead and portray Israel as the rejectionist," an Israeli source said. The War Cabinet will convene today to discuss the negotiations after receiving a briefing from the team sent to Cairo. Hamas issued a statement in the afternoon, hours after the IDF confirmed it had taken control of the Rafah crossing, saying: "The invasion of the occupation army into the Rafah crossing is a dangerous escalation against a civilian facility protected by international law. The raid is intended to exacerbate the humanitarian situation in the Strip by closing and preventing the flow of emergency aid through it."
The New York Times published new details yesterday about Hamas' response - which, according to the report, includes changes that are unacceptable not only to Israel but also to the United States. Despite that response from Hamas, and the IDF's ground operation in which the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing was captured, the Times notes that there is still room for negotiation, and that White House officials believe the moves by both sides, Israel and Hamas, are not as dramatic as they may appear from the outside, and are more intended to bolster their positions around the negotiating table. The American officials, as reported in the Times, believe that the counterproposal Hamas submitted the day before yesterday does not constitute an "agreement," as the terror group claimed, to the original proposal that received the blessing of Israel and the United States. At the same time, although they say Hamas' response is unacceptable in itself - it still represents a sign of progress in the negotiations.
CNN also reported that Hamas' response is in fact a counterproposal and not an agreement to the deal. Two sources quoted in the report, who are familiar with the details of the negotiations, said that in recent days the mediators have made changes to the proposal that Hamas responded to, and according to the sources, the goal was to find ways to circumvent obstacles from Israel's perspective. One of those mediators who worked on changing the wording of the proposal is CIA Director Bill Burns, who will meet with Netanyahu and Barnea today as mentioned. https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/h194nhuzc#autoplay - Alma left the hospital 5 months after being released from Hamas captivity: "Feeling wonderful"
She was kidnapped on October 7 from her home in Nahal Oz, and returned after 51 days in Gaza disoriented and with a body temperature of 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 farenheit). After doctors at Soroka Hospital saved her life, Alma Abraham (85) left the hospitalization with a smile on her face. The message to leaders regarding the captives left behind: "They need to be released now." - Maya was released after 55 days in captivity, after being kidnapped from the party in Re'em. In an interview at the "People of the State" conference of Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, she talked about the hell of captivity: "You don't know if it's day or night. I thought about life after, about getting married, otherwise I would have broken mentally." Her mother Karen: "There are families who haven't been able to breathe for over half a year."For 55 days, Maya (22) was held captive by Hamas, after being kidnapped from the party in Re'em and considered missing for days. Moreover, she was the first to appear in a video released by the terror organization showing Israelis in captivity. In the interview ,Maya, along with her mother Karen, spoke today (Wednesday) about the hell she was in and returned from - and called on decision makers: "Bring the hostages home - and fast."At the start, Maya said: "At some point there, in captivity, I stopped expecting anything. I know what goes through their minds there, counting the days. I couldn't think that I wouldn't get out, because that would have broken me mentally. I thought about life after, imagined myself getting married, flying, that's what kept me sane there. But clearly there are moments of breaking down, when you say: 'Wow, there's a chance I won't get out, that I'll remain here.'"Maya described life in captivity: "There's not much to do there, just think. All day you think about everything, mostly about the day I'll get out. Time doesn't pass. Every minute is like an eternity, there's no sense of time. You don't know anymore if it's day, night, morning. There's no notion of what's happening outside." When she was released and arrived in Israel, she recounts, she had an epileptic seizure. "Everything was bottled up inside, so when I arrived in Israel it all came out. You can't understand it, no matter how much I tell. It's madness, time doesn't pass there. There are people there who have been twice as long as me, I don't know what condition they're in, mentally and physically. I can only imagine what's going through their minds.""The injury to my hand is the smallest thing," Maya said when asked about the rehabilitation process she's undergoing since being released from captivity. "Suddenly triggers pop into my head, it's not simple. I won't crumble, but it's a process, because my whole life has changed. I'm back, I'm here and I'm alive, and I'll keep living."Her mother Karen also referred to the hostages still there, and their families: "When Maya came back I could breathe again. There are people here, families, who can't breathe, who have been constantly short of breath for over half a year already. I can't think about the mothers, fathers, siblings, who are still in the place I was in. They can't breathe. They can't breathe. The worry, the uncertainty, the testimonies that come. There was an outrageous failure here. We were abandoned. And today they must, they must be here. It's not logical that thousands of people are walking around here who can't breathe."She added: "The families of the hostages have become some concept, some poster. We're in very difficult trauma. We, the families, the hostages who returned, the parents who lost children, as long as we have people there we're bleeding and can't breathe and can't move on." Karen spoke about the wounded soldiers she saw in rehabilitation at Tel Hashomer, and added: "You can't rehabilitate when we're still in the midst of war, and in the midst of these inhumane situations. You can't rehabilitate. The state and its citizens won't be able to rehabilitate. Everyone must be here, this must end."Karen was asked if anyone from the government had contacted her, and she replied: "Not when she was in captivity, and not when she's here. I saw Macron a few times and many other political figures around the world, but not here. It's a bit strange." Maya responded: "No one reached out to me, no one wanted to hear or know. It's infuriating, I was abandoned on October 7. We called and no one was there. We were alone. People don't understand what it's like to be there, held in the most terrible place in the world."In conclusion, she called on the decision makers and cabinet members: "Stop for a moment, bring them home, that's the most important thing." https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/syt5gp00mc
Gaza Fighting
- Amid heavy international pressure to minimize the operation in Rafah as much as possible - and the already materializing American threats to halt weapons shipments to Israel, the political leadership instructed the reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing - three days after the barrage from Rafah in which four soldiers were killed.
- The crossing opened this morning (Wednesday), among other reasons at the request of the U.S., after a call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden, and despite the continued mortar fire towards Kerem Shalom over the past day. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories emphasized that "all humanitarian aid enters after thorough security inspection by border crossing authority security guards at the Defense Ministry." In parallel, an IDF spokesman updated that according to the situation assessment, it was decided that today there will be no agricultural work adjacent to the border fence with the Gaza Strip. "Activities in areas outside communities within up to four kilometers from the border will be carried out with the approval of the regional brigade," it was reported. "There is no change in the home front instructions."
Meanwhile, the bombardment in Rafah continues today, and many Gazans continued to leave the southern city in the Strip, which is now the focus.
Footage from the Strip shows Palestinians moving on trucks and vehicles. The attacks over the past day have focused mainly on Rafah, where the evacuation of the population began earlier this week, and IDF forces have already entered the eastern part of the city and taken control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. - Meanwhile, in Hamas' "last bastion," preparations are underway to expand the operation, and the Abu Yusuf Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah has been evacuated of patients and staff. In parallel, the Al-Qassam Brigades - Hamas' military wing - claimed to have engaged in "exchanges of fire and fierce battles" with IDF forces east of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza Strip. Hamas' Crossings and Borders Authority reported that this morning as well, despite American statements that the crossing would soon open as Israel promised, the Kerem Shalom crossing has been closed to the entry of aid for the third consecutive day. UNRWA called "to reopen the Gaza crossings without delay," noting that vital supplies for the residents of the Strip can only be brought in through them. "We reiterate the call on the UN Secretary-General to strive for the long-awaited ceasefire agreement in Gaza," it was reported. https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/r17artdfc#autoplay
- While the attacks are focusing on Rafah, particularly the Al-Janeina neighborhood in the east of the city, they are not limited to there. Over the past day, terror targets were also struck in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City - where IDF forces maneuvered in the first months of the war - as well as in Beit Lahiya and the Central Camps of Nuseirat.
- Last night, a senior Biden administration official confirmed that the U.S. has already delayed a weapons shipment to Israel last week. He said that "a shipment of munitions was stalled in order to signal U.S. opposition to the operation in Rafah." His comment comes a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. is holding up a $260 million arms package for Israel that includes some 6,500 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) tail kits that turn regular air-dropped bombs into precision-guided munitions, according to sources familiar with the delay.
- It was also reported that since March, the Biden administration has not advanced the transfer to Israel of additional military equipment worth around $1 billion in deals that include tank munitions, military vehicles and mortar rounds. According to American sources, these potential deals included a $700 million transfer of 120mm tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and less than $100 million in 120mm mortar ammunition.
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah
- The IDF is carrying on wide spread attacks in Lebanon. The IDF announced that fighter jets of the Air Force struck overnight military buildings belonging to the Hezbollah organization in southern Lebanon in the areas of Kafr Kila, Aita al-Shaab, Al-Hiyam and Maroun al-Ras. Additionally, the organization's terror infrastructure was struck in the areas of Hula and Aitroun.
- Within minutes of a heavy rocket barrage of tens of rockers and UAVs to the north, the IDF attacked 20 Hizbollah terror sits in Southern Lebanon
West Bank
Politics and the Region
- U.S. Military Announces: We Intercepted 2 out of 3 Ballistic Missiles Fired by Houthis in Yemen** Coalition forces intercepted two out of three ballistic missiles that the Houthis in Yemen fired yesterday over the skies of the Gulf of Aden, according to the U.S. military. Additionally, the Houthis also launched a ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden. There were no casualties and no damage was caused.
U.S. Halted Weapons Shipment Over Concerns of Military Operation in Rafah. American media outlets are reporting: A senior Biden administration official said that the U.S. halted a weapons shipment to Israel last week to express concern that it was preparing for a large-scale operation in Rafah. According to the report, the weapons shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 weighing 900 kg and 1,700 bombs weighing 225 kg. As reported yesterday in the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. halted a shipment of JDAM guidance kits for "dumb bombs." Additionally, Politico reported that the U.S. halted an additional shipment of SDB bombs. The same White House official emphasized this morning that the U.S. was concerned Israel would use the larger weapons in the densely populated Rafah area, which is even more crowded now in the shadow of the war.
Publication of Report Determining if Israel Violated International Law Postponed According to Politico, the comprehensive report by the U.S. State Department, which was scheduled to be published tomorrow and determine whether Israel violated international law in the war in Gaza, has been postponed indefinitely.
The Government Press Office spokesperson for foreign media in the first six months of the war said at the "People of the State" conference hosted by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth that he was not briefed by the state before making statements: "We are in a free fall in terms of our legitimacy." He took a jab at the Prime Minister's Office: "When there is a report against Netanyahu, they respond immediately. It has to be the same for public diplomacy."
Eylon Levy, who served as the government spokesperson in the first six months of the war, leveled harsh criticism this morning (Wednesday) regarding the state's conduct on the public diplomacy front. "We are in a free fall to the depths in terms of our legitimacy - and therefore I can no longer bite my tongue," he said. He took a jab at the conduct of the Prime Minister's Office and attacked: "The State of Israel declared 'complete failure' in the propaganda war. I do not say this, God forbid, as criticism of the excellent people on the front lines dealing with this work, I am speaking at the state level. Public diplomacy is a war, and the state simply did not define this war as strategic with the necessary ammunition, protective equipment and manpower, and we see the results."
According to him, it is not too late to fix things: "Now I don't want to continue pointing out mistakes, what was not done properly. What is sad is that we could have done it differently. What is encouraging is that it is still possible to save the situation." He proposed three solutions to resolve the crisis - and said that when the Prime Minister and his people want to, they know how to respond immediately when it comes to his personal affairs.
"The first thing is that the State of Israel must recruit an army of professional, committed spokespeople and explainers, on salary, with a proper contract, in all languages. Language is not just about speaking Norwegian and Swedish. It is also about understanding the culture of the place. These spokespeople must receive proper briefings, social media support, someone to cut and help push them out, so that in each language there is someone identified as an Israeli spokesperson. The second thing is that we must establish a public diplomacy system that is essentially a command center for crisis management. Not a PR office. You know who knows how to do this well? The Prime Minister's Office. Because there is no report that comes out against the Prime Minister that they do not respond to immediately until the end of the report. We need the same thing. And the third, perhaps the most important thing: to activate the Diaspora. Israelis tend to sometimes underestimate Diaspora Jews, but there is an amazing awakening of people there who want to help us, who understand that this is existential not only for us, but also for them."
According to Levy, during the first six months he served as the government spokesperson in English, he was not briefed by any official body before briefing foreign journalists himself. "I came on board as the 'Spokesperson for the Israeli Government to the Foreign Media'. I make a statement and hold a press conference on behalf of the government, that's how it was perceived when broadcast live. Many volunteers helped me."
**- You were alone? There was no team behind you to brief you, to explain things to you?**
"Yes, of volunteers who joined. From the state? No. No. And this has to change. We fed off press releases from the IDF Spokesperson, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Minister, the President, but all the spice, the real ammunition to fight beyond the general messages, that's something we had to initiate ourselves.
**So there was no strategy at all.** "I wasn't really exposed to behind-the-scenes information. If I needed to consult on specific issues, there were advisors I knew to turn to and check exactly what we wanted to say on that matter, but when I came on and held a half-hour press conference briefing on UNRWA, that was something I stayed up all night on the couch to actually write a statement on behalf of the government on UNRWA, and that has to change. It has to change."
**- If you noticed my face, I'm in shock like your face was.**
"So raise your eyebrows now." Israeli public diplomacy veteran Yossi Haddad said at the conference: "The whole issue of public diplomacy in Israel was perceived as something that was incidental. They looked at Israeli public diplomacy as something that was not essential. We said, 'We have the strongest army in the world,' 'We have the strongest state in the Middle East,' we don't need public diplomacy. While we were sleeping and dozing off, our enemies entered politics, academia, culture and sports and sowed this virus of terror everywhere."
Haddad, who noted that since the October 7 massacre he has invested hundreds of thousands of shekels of his own money in public diplomacy efforts, added: "For the first time there is a kind of recognition that public diplomacy is important, and therefore at the torch-lighting ceremony they also light torches that are Israeli public diplomacy figures, and this attests to the greatest change that has occurred in Israeli society's attitude toward public diplomacy. Once they would have said, 'Take it apart,' 'Close the budgets.' Now they say, 'No, we have to invest in public diplomacy, this is the other war that we simply abandoned.'"
Former beauty queen Noa Kochva, who was recruited to the public diplomacy front a few weeks after being discharged from reserve duty as a combat medic in the south, said at the conference: "I was burning to do something, so I just flew to the U.S.," Kochva recounted. "Suddenly I understood how much the Diaspora Jews need us, they need to feel this connection to Israel. We have the State of Israel as an anchor and they don't have that. They encounter anti-Semitism on the street and they hide their Jewish symbols, and here we can cling to one another."
Kochva added: "Everyone stopped their lives from October 7 because you really can't go back to routine, and from the moment I was discharged I felt I had to continue being active and just do everything I could, to leverage every platform I know in order to keep speaking to the country, to continue promoting the country, and it's just sad that people, really all of us here, are doing this on our own private time, a private initiative, we're really doing it all with our ten fingers." -- Israel used to have one of the best public diplomacy (hasbara) departments of almost any country. Every embassy and every consulate had people who were responsible all over the world. And many of the government ministries had 'hasbara' people to get the messages out to everyone, especially the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Aliyah and absorption, the Prime Minister's office and multiple others. I remember as a high school and college student involved in Zionist activities and organizations, there was such plentiful information always flowing especially in times of tension and war. Those budgets dried up over the last decades and the idea of public diplomacy was virtually abandoned by our government except, as Eylon Levy said, at the Prime Minister's office, but only when things pertain to Netanyahu personally. When that happens, there is no daylight between reports and response and counter attack. It would have been nice if that apparatus worked for the State of Israel and not for the person. https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/syhdlouzr#autoplay
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