Lonny's War Update- October 218, 2023 - May 11, 2024 (cont)
Day 218 (cont) that 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
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), Terror Attacks, and Death Announcements
Hostage Updates
- After publishing a short video of the hostage Nadav Popplewell, 51 from Kibbutz Nirim, Hamas claimed that he was killed in an Israeli airstrike. This announcement comes amid a number of similar announcements from Hamas since the start of the war and most of them have been pure psychological terrorism. This claim, like others has not been confirmed by Israel. As I have written before, in most of the cases that Hamas has announced that a hostage has been killed, the video they release shows the hostage alive at the beginning of the video and then shows the dead body of the hostage. In those cases, the Israeli confirmation of death came within a few days. In the latest instances of Hamas' claims, the videos only showed the hostages alive. We can only hope that they are still alive.
Nadav Popplewell "Oren said goodbye to her father and saw him for the last time": The story of Yossi Sharabi z"l who died in Hamas captivity::
Yossi and Eli SharabiYossi Shaabi lived in the same neighborhood as his brother Eli in Kibbutz Be'eri. On the morning of 7/10, militants broke into their homes. Yossi was taken captive along with his brother, his daughter Yuval's partner Ofer Engel, and the teenager Amit Shani. In an act of bravery, Yossi's wife managed to save their daughters. Eli's family was massacred. After 102 days, the family received another tragic update: Yossi, who was also kidnapped, was no longer alive while in Hamas captivity. His niece, singer Rotem Shaabi, collaborated with singer-songwriter Dudu Levi on a special creation called "Ribon'o Shel Olam" - a music video for an Israeli prayer song performed by 18 artists together. As part of the "Libchot Lachem" project, the video was premiered at the Ynet studio - in memory of Yossi Sharabi z"l and the Sharabi family members massacred, and with a prayer for Eli Sharabi's speedy return from Hamas captivity.
Yossi Sharabi z"l, 53, was married to Nira and the father of three daughters - Yuval, Ofir and Oren. On the morning of October 7th, militants broke into the shelter where the family was staying in Kibbutz Be'eri. Yossi asked that they take him and leave his children alive. He was kidnapped to Gaza along with his daughter Yuval's partner Ofer Engel, 18, and teenager Amit Shani - the two were released after 54 days in captivity. His brother Eli, 51, who lived in the same neighborhood, was also kidnapped. Eli's wife Lianne and daughters Noya and Yahel were murdered in the massacre. After 102 days in captivity, the family received another bitter update: Yossi was also no longer alive while in Hamas captivity.
"The last message from the family came at 11am: 'We're in the shelter, everything is okay,'" Rotem Shaabi, Yossi and Eli's niece, recounts of that dreadful day. "When Shabbat ended, we understood from Nira, Yossi's wife who survived with her daughters - that Eli's wife Lianne had written to her when the militants were outside their home: 'They're at our place, Nira, call for help.'"
Meanwhile, the militants also reached Yossi's home in the same neighborhood. "They managed to break through the shelter door, brought everyone down to the grass along with a few other families, tied up Yossi and Ofer Engel, his eldest daughter Yuval's partner, and simply planned to kidnap the rest of the family too. But there was no room in the truck. Yuval managed to tell Ofer she loved him, and Oren said goodbye to her father Yossi - that was the last time they saw him." After the two brothers were taken, Nira, Yossi's wife, realized she had to take action. "She went into a house that had already been 'dealt with' and was half-burnt, broke the window and brought all the families inside," the niece describes. "There was no shelter in this house, nothing. That's how they sat for 12 hours - until the IDF arrived." For several weeks, the family did not know what became of the brother Eli, whose family was murdered. "Only after the funeral did we understand that he was actually kidnapped," Rotem recounts. "But we also didn't know about Noya and Yahel, the daughters, and his wife Lianne. Those were really a few weeks of rumors from the kibbutz. They said they saw them shot on the sidewalk." To this day, the family members are not certain about exactly what happened inside Eli's home, with no one left in his family to testify about the events of that day while he himself remains in Hamas captivity. **"I am certain Eli will return from captivity."**
Eli Sharabi was taken captive on October 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists while his wife Lianne and their two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were killed (Courtesy)The Sharabi brothers grew up in Tel Aviv and moved to Kibbutz Be'eri about 30 years ago to experience communal living. They lived side-by-side in the same neighborhood. Yossi worked as the marketing manager of the Be'eri printing press. The family describes an introverted man with a big heart. Ofer and Amit, who were with him in captivity, said he was like a father to them and shared what little food he had.
Yossi Sharabi was killed by Hamas while in captivity
"Yossi embodied goodness in my eyes," says Rotem. "A Zionist, patriotic man. He also loved surfing, loved extremes and traveled the world to do the most dangerous things." The brothers and families maintained close ties despite their many differences. "We're families of extremes: religious, secular leftists, right-wingers, everything and anything, but it never hurt our togetherness, quite the opposite. I think the strongest thing here was the love of humanity." Despite the many tragic blows the family has received, Rotem still holds onto hope and is convinced her uncle Eli will return: "I don't know if I'm naive or living in a movie, but it's really clear to me. I know a person doesn't get something they can't handle. They may be able to break him physically, take his family away, but his spirit will prevail. We will see him and he will get up and recover."
The singer and creator Dudu Levi connected with Rotem's hope. He met Sharabi, a student at Rimon School and a singer, after one of her performances with Dudu Tasa and asked to involve her in a special project he had created during that time - a music video for an Israeli prayer song called "Ribon'o Shel Olam" (Master of the Universe).
"These are lyrics written by a dear friend in the period before October 7," the singer recounts the creation's origins, with lyrics by Avi Rosenblum. "It was a time of peak division among the people, and when I saw this text I heard it as a prayer. It was clear to me it needed to be a song of many, that many people needed to sing it and they needed to be from all the voices and hues of Israeli music." Levi realized his dream and managed to bring together 18 artists from across the spectrum of Israeli music. It was important to him that lesser-known singers also be included, and after hearing Rotem it was clear to him she needed to be part of the project, though he had reservations.
"At first I didn't know if it was okay," the creator explains. "When I look at the families of the hostages, I feel it's sacred. I feel the situation they're in is so impossible, I don't know how they breathe, how they eat, how they get dressed... I also don't know what such words, some of which speak of bereavement in an unclear way - are they alive, are they dead? What's happening there, what will it do?"
But Levi's hesitation dissipated, and Rotem agreed. "It's powerful lyrics and melody," she explains. "When I practiced, I hummed it at home and it caught my ear." Levi decided to premiere the creation as part of the "Libchot Lachem" project of the Yedioth Ahronoth group in partnership with Mifal HaPayis, which connects bereaved families with artists whose loved ones they admired. The creation is being broadcast just before Memorial Day, and Yossi and Eli Sharabi's niece feels there is no better timing than this. "I think our power is in our unity, and the message this song conveys is so powerful," she says, "and it's beyond the many artists who really rallied with an open heart and faith."
**In memory of Yossi z"l and the murdered members of the Sharabi family, and with hope for Eli Shaabi's speedy return from Hamas captivity, Dudu Levi dedicated his creation - the music video for the song "Ribon'o Shel Olam" - at the Ynet studio.** Link
Demonstrators are convening at Democracy Square in Tel Aviv to protest against the government and call for early elections, as well as for the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The protest is being organized by Change Generation, a movement founded after the October 7 onslaught to demand the release of hostages and a change in Israeli leadership.
Police have barricaded off chunks of Begin Street and Kaplan Street to contain the demonstration, as well as nearby exits to the Ayalon Freeway to prevent protesters from blocking traffic, as they often do.
Tonight’s speakers include Izhar Shay, a former science minister whose son, Yaron, was killed while fighting Hamas on October 7; Dr. Eli Golan, a doctor from Kfar Azza who was seriously hurt during the attack while escaping from terrorists with her family; Noga Friedman, who lost her husband Ido Rosenthal on October 7; and Ayelet Bergor, one of the protest movement’s leaders.
- Protests Across the Country Calling for Release of hostages and Early Elections
Yael Adar, mother of the hostage Tamir Adar z"l, at the central rally for the release of the hostages in Tel Aviv: "Our only request is to return Tamir and all the murdered soldiers for burial, here in the land they loved." Meanwhile, former Minister Yizhar Shai, whose son was killed on October 7, spoke at the anti-government protest at the Kaplan Interchange - and attacked Netanyahu: "During your watch we received destruction, torture and horrors. You are a coward and weak."While the IDF expands its ground operation in the Strip, and ahead of Memorial Day occurring the day after tomorrow, protests calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and for early elections are taking place across the country this evening (Saturday). At the central rally of the Hostages' Headquarters in Shaul HaMelech Street's Museum Square, Yael Adar, mother of the hostage Tamir Adar z"l, spoke: "31 Saturdays since I parted from my firstborn son, Tamir, and I did not know that we were parting forever. 90 days we fought for his return alive, 90 days of hope that Tamir would return to us to the family's embrace, a hope that was shattered with the news that he is no longer among the living. Since then, our only request is to return Tamir and all the murdered soldiers for burial, here in the land they loved."Michal Rovner, the international award-winning Israeli artist, inaugurated a temporary birch installation, "Temporary like the absence of burial for the hostage-soldiers," and spoke: "When I was asked to make a temporary monument, I thought of birches that are associated with cemeteries, but it is also a monument that has life in it. Each of you has been uprooted from your place and distanced from us. At this time, when you have not yet been returned and have no place for eternal rest, these birch trees have come to express their presence, your absence and the urgency to return you, and to give you a place in your land to be gathered unto."**Protest Calling for "Elections Now" at Kaplan Interchange**Parallel to the rally for the release of the hostages, an anti-government protest calling for elections is taking place at the Kaplan Interchange. Former Minister Yizhar Shai, whose son Yaron was killed on October 7, spoke at the protest: "The pain and sorrow flow in the blood, along with the piercing questions about everything that brought us to this terrible disaster.""Mr. Prime Minister, during your watch we received destruction and torture and horrors and fire and the smell of death everywhere. We suffered a resounding military failure the likes of which have never been seen before, we lost our sense of personal security across the country," Shai attacked.The former minister further accused PM Netanyahu: "Seven months that Israeli civilians and soldiers are locked in dark tunnels in mortal danger. And your ministers openly calculate the price of human life. They threaten the integrity of your coalition and you are a coward, weak, extortable and lacking a backbone." link
Gaza Fighting
"We Need an Alternative to Hamas": IDF Forced to Return to Jabaliya as Well | The Significance of Indecisiveness::
The forces are required to return again to areas in northern Gaza Strip where we have already maneuvered, due to Hamas' attempts to renew its terror activities in Jabaliya, Zeitoun and other hotspots. In the shadow of the limited operation on the outskirts of Rafah, the IDF clarifies: "Even if we finish operating in the entire city, Hamas will remain there without a decision on the 'day after'. There are no magic solutions."
The IDF began today (Saturday) a widespread evacuation of residents from the Jabaliya area in the northern Gaza Strip in preparation for a renewed raid there, following Hamas' attempts to resume operations from the area. Between 100,000 and 150,000 residents currently live in Jabaliya. In parallel, the raid in the Zeitoun neighborhood in southern Gaza City continues, to which the IDF has also returned - already for the third time. The raid there focuses on locating large amounts of weapons, mainly in schools, and finding additional combat tunnels that have not yet been destroyed.The decision to re-raid Jabaliya, Zeitoun and other places in the northern Strip where the IDF has already maneuvered in recent months, comes alongside the focused operation east of Rafah that is ongoing. The expanded evacuation from additional neighborhoods, announced earlier by the IDF Arabic spokesperson, stems from intelligence about Hamas' infrastructure in the area. However, the IDF now explains, as the operation in Rafah is still defined as "limited" despite the Cabinet's decision to expand it, there is critical significance to making a decision on the "day after" issue - and they detail the implications of the political echelon's freeze on the matter.
"Even when we finish in all of Rafah, if there is an operation there, and after this raid, Hamas will remain there, including with infrastructure," the IDF says. "There is a vast area in the Gaza Strip with 2.2 million residents. To influence Hamas, you need an alternative to it, whether a military rule with huge economic implications or someone else to replace it. There are no magic solutions. The most important thing is to decide - and indecision perpetuates the current reality."
So far, about 300,000 Palestinians have already left Rafah since the evacuation of the city's population began just a few days ago, according to IDF data. A day after the evacuation of Rafah began, as part of what was defined as a "limited operation" in the city, IDF forces took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing.
The IDF Spokesperson updated today that following the IDF's activity in the eastern Rafah area and in accordance with political echelon approval, and in light of Hamas' terror activities and firing from the area, the IDF has called on the population in additional areas in eastern Rafah neighborhoods to temporarily evacuate to the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi. According to the Spokesperson, the evacuation actions are being carried out through leaflet drops, SMS messages, phone calls and Arabic media broadcasts. Yesterday, on a day of intense fighting in Rafah, Israeli tanks took control of the main road separating the eastern and western halves of the city, effectively surrounding the entire eastern side of the city in southern Gaza Strip. Tanks had already flanked eastern Rafah from the south with the start of the operation, taking control of the Rafah crossing between the city and Egypt. Link - There is nothing new in this article. Gaza needs an alternative to Hamas and Netanyahu has fought that since the beginning of the war. The Army top brass and the heads of all the security services have been pushing Netanyahu on this issue which is intricately tied to an overall strategic plan for Gaza which is also something that Netanyahu has prevented. On the first point of having an alternative, he is finally allowing discussion and some actions on this. Unfortunately, it is already very late and there is nothing concrete. He wants the alternative to be almost anything but the Palestine Authority or Fatah to be leading that effort, but there is no real alternative to them. Without an alternative and an overall strategic plan for Gaza, we are going to be going through the same cycle that we have already been seeing these last couple of months. Everywhere that the IDF leave, Hamas comes back and takes over municipal services control including policing and security. 7 Months of a horrible war with heavy death and destruction, we are not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel: we still have 132 hostages held in Gaza, there is no alternative leadership in Gaza to replace Hamas. more soldiers killed and injured, masses of Palestinians killed and injured, and we still see Hamas leaders in Gaza and the Diaspora still governing Gaza and calling all the shots on hostage negotiations, and unbelievably, we still have launches of rockets out of Gaza to Israel in the southern areas. And all of that is just in the south. I haven't touched on here about the North, the West Bank, the Iranians, Houthis and the Iraqi Pro Iraning militias. link
- As a result of the Rafah Operation, Egypt has stopped the flow of all humanitarian aid from the Egyptian side which will bring about a much worsening humanitarian situation which then could force a change for the military operation::Egypt has halted deliveries of aid to the Gaza Strip in protest of the IDF’s takeover of the Rafah Crossing, according to Hebrew media reports.
Walla news site reporter Barak Ravid quotes an Israeli official as saying that Egypt is refusing to send trucks ferrying aid through the Kerem Shalom Crossing between Gaza and southern Israel until the IDF withdraws from the Rafah Crossing, leading to a significant drop in the amount of humanitarian assistance entering the enclave.
Unnamed senior American officials assert that Jerusalem did not properly coordinate with Cairo prior to the operation at Rafah, but say they are pressing the Egyptians to resume the aid deliveries through Kerem Shalom.
A similar report by Channel 12 news says that Israeli officials are concerned that if the aid shipments don’t start up again in the coming days, there could be a serious shortage of goods in Gaza that will lead to fresh international pressure on Israel.
“This is a tough blow. Israel is interested in bringing in humanitarian aid, but without Egyptian cooperation it’s simply impossible,” an Israeli source tells the network. “The Egyptians know this and are relying on the international pressure that will require Israel to stop.” link
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative who participated in the October 7 onslaught was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza City neighborhood of Zeitoun, the military says. It publishes footage of the strike. Troops of the 99th Division launched the pinpoint raid in Zeitoun in recent days after the IDF identified Hamas regrouping there. So far, soldiers have killed numerous gunmen destroyed sites belonging to terror groups and captured weapons, the IDF says. link to video
Palestinian media outlets are reporting a series of Israeli strikes in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya. This morning, the IDF issued an evacuation warning for the area, ahead of a planned operation against Hamas. link to video
IDF chief said to tell PM that army fighting again in parts of Gaza due to lack of strategy:
“We are now operating another time in Jabaliya. As long as there isn’t a diplomatic move to develop a governing body in the Strip that isn’t Hamas, we’ll have to act again and again in other places to dismantle Hamas’s infrastructure,” Halevi is quoted as saying by the network. “It will be a Sisyphean task.”
The report says other senior IDF officials urged political leaders to make decisions and formulate a strategy, without naming them. Additionally, cabinet members reportedly warned Netanyahu the past few weeks that Israel’s conduct and lack of decision-making was “just risking lives.”
Separately, Channel 12 news reports that Netanyahu also recently tussled with Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar over the issue of strategic planning, after the latter told him that he met with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for talks “that took into account all the fronts and considerations.”|
“What?! You are holding strategic deliberations with the defense minister?” Netanyahu reportedly responded while interrupting Bar.
“What kind of a question [is that]? Of course,” Bar was said to answer.
The report says Netanyahu then noted that both the Shin Bet and Mossad are subordinate to him, not Gallant, who in turn hit back at the premier.
“You are preventing the defense minister from holding strategic deliberations? Who else will hold them if not us?” Gallant is reported to have said.
According the report, Netanyahu said strategic deliberations “are only held here,” prompting another heated response from Gallant.
“Every time you hold strategic deliberations we come prepared. It’s my duty to hold meetings in order to come here prepared. The problem is that you don’t hold these deliberations.” -- Everything said here by the Chief of General Staff, The Defense Minister and the Heads of Shin Bet and Mossad is what I have been posting since almost the beginning of the war. They, too have been saying it and begging from response but all their talk, statements, begging have fallen on the deaf ears of the person responsible for this entire monumental disaster. link
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah
An apparent explosive-laden drone struck an area near the northern community of Beit Hillel, close to the Lebanon border, a short while ago. Sirens had warned of a suspected drone in the area amid the incident. Hezbollah takes responsibility for the drone, claiming it targeted a military base and Iron Dome battery in the area.
West Bank
Politics and the Region
- CNN Opinion Piece: Netanyahu and his extremist allies are endangering Israel’s long-term security::
President Joe Biden appropriately spoke out forcefully about the need
to combat the surge in antisemitism in the US, the importance of supporting
Israel’s security and not forgetting the brutality of the October 7 terrorist
attack by Hamas during his speech at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual
Days of Remembrance ceremony at the Capitol on Tuesday.
“My commitment to the
safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as
an independent Jewish state is ironclad. Even when we disagree,” he said. But if we are
to fight against antisemitism, promote the long-term security of Israel and
remember the horrors of the October 7 Hamas attack we must also recognize and
speak out against a dangerous failure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
his government.
That failure
is his inability to understand one of the basic requirements to establish
long-term security for any society: those living there need to believe they
have a stake in that society and can enjoy its benefits. If they do, they will
want it to be as safe and secure as possible. If, however, many believe that
they have no stake in a society and that they have no real hope of sharing in
its success, then turning to violence to create a place in which they believe
they can meaningfully participate is far more likely.
If Netanyahu
understood this principle, his government would not include dangerous
extremists and would not pursue policies involving the significant
expansion of West Bank settlements and the recognition of illegal
settlements which deny Palestinians hope for a better future. We also would
not have to deal with the reality that efforts to support the long-term
security of Israel, combat the scourge of antisemitism and address
Gaza protests on campuses both in the US and abroad have been
made more difficult by the extremism of the Netanyahu government.
Netanyahu, an outspoken
critic of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords, has spent his years as prime
minister promoting the expansion of settlements within the West Bank
and making it clear that Palestinians have no hope of anything like their
own state.
According to
the New York Times, he even went so far as to voice no objection to various
Arab countries providing aid to Hamas as part of demonstrating that Israel had
no realistic negotiating partner. But he reached a new low when in 2022 he
brought into his government the most extreme anti-Palestinian participants in
Israeli politics. Their inclusion sent the clear message to Palestinians that
there is no hope of a better future for them in any Israeli-controlled-land.
Netanyahu invited Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir to join his government.
The former was appointed finance minister and was given responsibility for West
Bank settlements. He has, however, suggested during a debate on an immigration
bill it was a mistake in 1948 not to expel all Arabs from Israel; has
asserted that “there is no such thing as a Palestinian people;”
favors all of the West Bank being incorporated into Israel; and says he
supports the voluntary moving of Palestinians out of
Gaza.
Ben Gvir, who has
been given a national security portfolio, is arguably even worse. He has been convicted
of inciting racism against Arabs and was an alleged member of
a terrorist group; has idolized the killing of
Palestinians; publicly threatened then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
before his assassination in 1995; and claimed that his
right to travel in the West Bank was more important than the
Palestinians’ right to travel. And, just late last month he reportedly
questioned the Israeli Defense Forces why they were taking so many
Palestinian prisoners instead of killing them (which would be a
violation of international law).
After the
October 7 terrorist attack, Netanyahu had an opportunity to remove Smotrich and
Ben Gvir from their posts when the first offer from the opposition for a unity
government involved their elimination from the cabinet. Seemingly focused on
not disturbing his coalition and staying in power, Netanyahu refused.
Consequently, his unity government today still gives a platform to these
extremists. It also gives license to followers of these extremists to, as we
have seen, attack Palestinians in the West Bank and even to attack a Jordanian
aid convoy.
There is no
doubt that a robust military response by Israel was justified. And there also
is no doubt that Hamas’ embedding its fighters and military infrastructure
within the civilian population has inevitably increased the dangers civilians
face in Gaza. But as has been widely reported, the military tactics adopted by
Netanyahu’s government have led to massive civilian casualties, including
of international aid workers. Its approach to assistance to Gaza has
led to a historic humanitarian crisis.
At the same time,
Israel has continued with significant expansion of settlements on the
West Bank. The message being sent is clear. As far as the Netanyahu
administration is concerned, Palestinian lives do not matter, and there is no
reason for them to expect a better future. As a result, however much Hamas is
weakened, a new generation of terrorists is being created. And the brutality of
the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas and the plight of the hostages are
being drowned out. So what should those organizations and individuals who
believe in Israel and the need to fight antisemitism, whether it be on college
campuses or elsewhere, do? For their own efforts to be credible they must not
avoid legitimate criticism of Israel. They must condemn the participation of
Smotrich and Ben Gvir in the Israeli government. They need, as the United
States government is doing, to tell Israel there can be no more excuses. Israel
must do what is necessary to expand and simplify the process of sending
humanitarian aid to Gaza. They also need to be clear that Israel must change
its military tactics to dramatically reduce civilian deaths. And, as
challenging as it would be, they need to openly call for the end to the
expansion of settlements in the West Bank and for a path back towards a
two-state solution.
Ignoring the
extremism of the Netanyahu government and the horrible humanitarian disaster in
Gaza only undermines the credibility of those seeking to defend Israel and
fight antisemitism. Indeed, Netanyahu’s government and its actions risk adding
fuel to the dangerous fire of antisemitism. And tragically, for all too many
around the world, revulsion over what his government has become risks causing
them to no longer support the legitimacy of Israel itself. Link
President Joe Biden appropriately spoke out forcefully about the need
to combat the surge in antisemitism in the US, the importance of supporting
Israel’s security and not forgetting the brutality of the October 7 terrorist
attack by Hamas during his speech at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual
Days of Remembrance ceremony at the Capitol on Tuesday.
“My commitment to the
safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as
an independent Jewish state is ironclad. Even when we disagree,” he said. But if we are
to fight against antisemitism, promote the long-term security of Israel and
remember the horrors of the October 7 Hamas attack we must also recognize and
speak out against a dangerous failure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
his government.
That failure
is his inability to understand one of the basic requirements to establish
long-term security for any society: those living there need to believe they
have a stake in that society and can enjoy its benefits. If they do, they will
want it to be as safe and secure as possible. If, however, many believe that
they have no stake in a society and that they have no real hope of sharing in
its success, then turning to violence to create a place in which they believe
they can meaningfully participate is far more likely.
If Netanyahu
understood this principle, his government would not include dangerous
extremists and would not pursue policies involving the significant
expansion of West Bank settlements and the recognition of illegal
settlements which deny Palestinians hope for a better future. We also would
not have to deal with the reality that efforts to support the long-term
security of Israel, combat the scourge of antisemitism and address
Gaza protests on campuses both in the US and abroad have been
made more difficult by the extremism of the Netanyahu government.
Netanyahu, an outspoken
critic of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords, has spent his years as prime
minister promoting the expansion of settlements within the West Bank
and making it clear that Palestinians have no hope of anything like their
own state.
According to
the New York Times, he even went so far as to voice no objection to various
Arab countries providing aid to Hamas as part of demonstrating that Israel had
no realistic negotiating partner. But he reached a new low when in 2022 he
brought into his government the most extreme anti-Palestinian participants in
Israeli politics. Their inclusion sent the clear message to Palestinians that
there is no hope of a better future for them in any Israeli-controlled-land.
Netanyahu invited Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir to join his government.
The former was appointed finance minister and was given responsibility for West
Bank settlements. He has, however, suggested during a debate on an immigration
bill it was a mistake in 1948 not to expel all Arabs from Israel; has
asserted that “there is no such thing as a Palestinian people;”
favors all of the West Bank being incorporated into Israel; and says he
supports the voluntary moving of Palestinians out of
Gaza.
Ben Gvir, who has
been given a national security portfolio, is arguably even worse. He has been convicted
of inciting racism against Arabs and was an alleged member of
a terrorist group; has idolized the killing of
Palestinians; publicly threatened then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
before his assassination in 1995; and claimed that his
right to travel in the West Bank was more important than the
Palestinians’ right to travel. And, just late last month he reportedly
questioned the Israeli Defense Forces why they were taking so many
Palestinian prisoners instead of killing them (which would be a
violation of international law).
After the
October 7 terrorist attack, Netanyahu had an opportunity to remove Smotrich and
Ben Gvir from their posts when the first offer from the opposition for a unity
government involved their elimination from the cabinet. Seemingly focused on
not disturbing his coalition and staying in power, Netanyahu refused.
Consequently, his unity government today still gives a platform to these
extremists. It also gives license to followers of these extremists to, as we
have seen, attack Palestinians in the West Bank and even to attack a Jordanian
aid convoy.
There is no
doubt that a robust military response by Israel was justified. And there also
is no doubt that Hamas’ embedding its fighters and military infrastructure
within the civilian population has inevitably increased the dangers civilians
face in Gaza. But as has been widely reported, the military tactics adopted by
Netanyahu’s government have led to massive civilian casualties, including
of international aid workers. Its approach to assistance to Gaza has
led to a historic humanitarian crisis.
At the same time,
Israel has continued with significant expansion of settlements on the
West Bank. The message being sent is clear. As far as the Netanyahu
administration is concerned, Palestinian lives do not matter, and there is no
reason for them to expect a better future. As a result, however much Hamas is
weakened, a new generation of terrorists is being created. And the brutality of
the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas and the plight of the hostages are
being drowned out. So what should those organizations and individuals who
believe in Israel and the need to fight antisemitism, whether it be on college
campuses or elsewhere, do? For their own efforts to be credible they must not
avoid legitimate criticism of Israel. They must condemn the participation of
Smotrich and Ben Gvir in the Israeli government. They need, as the United
States government is doing, to tell Israel there can be no more excuses. Israel
must do what is necessary to expand and simplify the process of sending
humanitarian aid to Gaza. They also need to be clear that Israel must change
its military tactics to dramatically reduce civilian deaths. And, as
challenging as it would be, they need to openly call for the end to the
expansion of settlements in the West Bank and for a path back towards a
two-state solution.
Ignoring the extremism of the Netanyahu government and the horrible humanitarian disaster in Gaza only undermines the credibility of those seeking to defend Israel and fight antisemitism. Indeed, Netanyahu’s government and its actions risk adding fuel to the dangerous fire of antisemitism. And tragically, for all too many around the world, revulsion over what his government has become risks causing them to no longer support the legitimacy of Israel itself. Link
- Assessment in Israel: The U.S. will send the delayed bombs - but prohibit using them in Rafah::
In Israel, they say that the Americans are looking for a way to "get down from the tree" after President Biden decided to delay a weapons shipment to it. The emerging solution: Washington will send bombs, but will prohibit the IDF from using them until Rafah is completely evacuated. The understanding in Israel is that the U.S. does not oppose its operation there - as long as the residents are evacuated effectively.
**Biden "getting down from the tree"?** Against the backdrop of the U.S. president's decision to delay the delivery of 3,500 bombs to Israel, and his statement about reviewing other weapons shipments, Israel estimates that the Americans will ultimately send it the bombs - but will prevent it from using them in Rafah before the southernmost city in the Strip is completely evacuated. According to reports in the foreign media, these involve one-ton bombs. Israeli officials say, based on talks with the Americans, that Washington is looking for a way to "get down from the tree" and stop the weapon delay, and the emerging solution is that Israel will receive the bombs from the U.S., which will prohibit it from using them before Rafah is evacuated.
**Our commentator Nadav Eyal** has already written the day before yesterday that the security establishment wants to believe that it is possible to limit the American weapons embargo only to the operation in Rafah - and this is the optimistic scenario that Israel is hoping for. A security establishment official estimated that while the weapons would be released to Israel, the Americans would prohibit their use in Rafah itself alone. According to the procurement agreements, Washington can do this.
The understanding in Israel is that the U.S. does not oppose action in Rafah, but expects an effective evacuation of the city's residents, as this morning the IDF announced that within six days, 300,000 Gazans have already been evacuated from it. In the city of Gaza in the northern Strip, by comparison, it took about a month to evacuate all the residents - when western Gaza was evacuated only after Israel set up checkpoints. In Israel, they hope that the presidential memorandum stating that it is complying with international law will be the U.S.'s ladder to get down from the tree regarding the delay in weapons shipments. Yesterday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, "There are things that have been lost in all the rhetoric in recent days - the president said we'll do everything we can to help Israel defend themselves, and they are defending themselves against a Hamas threat. We never said to them that they couldn't take out Hamas cadres in Rafah. We never said to them that they couldn't operate in Rafah. What we said to them is it matters how they do it. We said we wouldn't support an indiscriminate invasion of Rafah with large forces. I think it's crystal clear why we wouldn't support such an operation against Hamas, but taking out the Hamas threat - absolutely. Israel has every right to do that."
Kirby added: "Hamas continues to pose a 'genocidal' threat to Israel. The 'genocidal' intentions are Hamas's. We believe there are better ways to eliminate this threat. There are more cautious ways to do it and we expect every opportunity to convey that to the Israelis. We expect further talks in the future." Regarding negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal, a decision was made in the political-security cabinet the day before yesterday that the negotiating team should think about a new offer. However, in any case, there is currently no concrete offer - and even without that, the decision would not have had to be voted on in the cabinet for the Mossad chief, Dedi Barnea, and Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon to think about a new offer. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir opposed the decision. The decision effectively says that Hamas has a little more time to come around and reach a deal before Israel goes "with full force" on Rafah. The assessment in Israel is that when Hamas sees that it is not succumbing to international pressure and that it is getting closer to taking complete control of the Philadelphia route and not releasing the Rafah crossing - the terrorist organization may become more flexible.
According to a report submitted last night by the U.S. State Department to Congress, the U.S. does believe that Israel used American weapons in a manner inconsistent with international law - but not enough information was found on specific cases in which the law was violated to justify preventing the continued military aid from Washington. The report, which presents a detailed White House assessment of Israel's conduct in the Strip, states that it can be assumed that Israel used U.S.-made weapons in cases that "are inconsistent" with its international obligations.
However, the administration noted that it received assurances from Israel that it would use American weapons in accordance with international law and has no information confirming the use of weapons in specific cases that contradict the law. The harsh report stated that Israel did not share all the information that would make it possible to verify whether American weapons were used in specific cases that allegedly violated human rights laws. However, it was noted that the State Department believes that the assurances Israel provided that it would use weapons in accordance with international law are "credible and reliable," and therefore allow the continued flow of military aid. link Gantz urges PM not to present his Haredi enlistment law: ‘Don’t dismantle Israeli society’::
“Prime minister, while the soldiers of the IDF and their commanders are fighting and suffering, on the eve of Memorial Day, the most difficult since the establishment of the state, you are working to introduce a law that does not promote fair service in the country, [and that] will harm recruitment into the IDF, security and Israeli resilience,” Gantz, one of three voting members of the war cabinet, says in a video message.
“I urge you to stop and come to your senses. Bringing such a law is a big mistake at any time, [but] bringing it as you plan, 48 hours after we celebrate the heroism of our fallen will severely damage Israeli society and its resilience,” he continues. “Prime minister — Do not dismantle Israeli society during a war for political reasons.”
Last week, public broadcaster Kan reported that Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs is working on an ultra-Orthodox enlistment outline together with ultra-Orthodox parties allied with Netanyahu.
While details are scant, it appears the proposal is not in line with the demands of Gantz, who together with fellow National Unity member Gadi Eisenkot previously presented his own outline for Haredi recruitment and has stated that he “will not be a partner to exercises and tricks at the expense of the state’s security needs.”
Tomorrow evening is start of Israel Memorial Day and this Memorial Day will be unlike any we have ever had. Government Ministers and Knesset Members are always assigned to go to specific cemeteries throughout the country. This year, many of the bereaved families, new and old have requested that government ministers not be present at any of the cemeteries and if they do come, for them not to make any speeches.
Brigadier General (res.) Amal Asaad, who previously commanded Minister of Economy Nir Barkat, urged him today (Saturday) not to come to the military cemetery in Usfiya on Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel's Wars and Victims of Hostile Actions, which will be held on Monday. "Spare us further insult, because you, like all your colleagues in the government, are responsible for the situation we have reached in the country," he wrote.
Nir Barkat
Minister of Economy of the State of Israel
Do not come to the military cemetery in Usfiya on Memorial Day.
Do not come and do not give a speech and spare us further insult. For you have nothing to say.
Because you, like all your colleagues in the government, are responsible for the situation we have reached in the country.
You are responsible
And as someone who evacuated you wounded from the Shouf Mountains in the Lebanon War and knows that wounded are not abandoned, I tell you not to come because you abandoned us bleeding.
You, like your entire government, are responsible for the massacred, the murdered, and the fact that for seven months, 132 Israelis have been held captive rotting in Gaza's basements.
You and your government abandoned the State of Israel, the residents of the south and the north, and not to mention the captives.
You and your colleagues abandoned the youth of the Druze community to be crushed by the teeth of the racists and remained silent when we were sent demolition orders and fines in the hundreds of thousands of shekels.
You and your colleagues enacted laws that cast us out of the camp.
Spare us this, spare yourself this.
Allow us to commune alone with our loved ones, in the hope that a day will come when we can once again take pride in our Israeliness. LINK
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