🎗️Lonny's War Update- October 442, 2023 - December 21, 2024 🎗️
🎗️Day 442 that 100 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!!!”
We’re waiting for you, all of you.
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
A deal is the only way to bring
all the hostages home- the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation.
#BringThemHomeNow #TurnTheHorrorIntoHope
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), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*3:45am - Missile fired from Yemen explodes in south Tel Aviv, lightly injuring 16IDF says interception attempts failed; sirens send millions rushing to shelters throughout central Israel in the middle of the night, in second Houthi attack in as many days
A missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis exploded in a public park in south Tel Aviv overnight Friday after attempts to intercept it failed.
Medics said 16 people were lightly injured by shattered glass, including a three-year-old girl, while 14 were bruised while rushing to shelters. Footage from the park showed a crater where the missile had impacted.
The missile launch caused sirens to sound throughout central Israel at 3:44 a.m., sending millions rushing to shelters from their beds. video of the hit and explosion
*2:55pm - south - Gaza Envelope - hostile aircraft - Talmei Eliyahu, Gvulot, Ein Habasor
A missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis exploded in a public park in south Tel Aviv overnight Friday after attempts to intercept it failed.
Medics said 16 people were lightly injured by shattered glass, including a three-year-old girl, while 14 were bruised while rushing to shelters. Footage from the park showed a crater where the missile had impacted.
The missile launch caused sirens to sound throughout central Israel at 3:44 a.m., sending millions rushing to shelters from their beds. video of the hit and explosion
*2:55pm - south - Gaza Envelope - hostile aircraft - Talmei Eliyahu, Gvulot, Ein Habasor
Hostage Updates
Families of hostages have recently received signs of life from their loved ones | Exclusive Report
The signs of life were received after an extended period during which families were not updated on the condition of the hostages • Families were told that initial understandings could be reached within a week: “There is a convergence of circumstances enabling effective negotiations” • However, it was clarified that Hamas might “stall” the deal and not advance it.
Several families of hostages have recently received signs of life from their loved ones, as reported this evening on Ulpan Shishi.
The signs of life were received after a long period during which there were almost no signs, apart from videos published by the Hamas terror organization.
Some families of hostages received these signs of life, though their identities will not be disclosed to protect their privacy. However, there are families who have not received any signs of life for many months.
The message given to families of hostages by sources knowledgeable about the matter was that negotiations for a hostage deal are ongoing. Families were told there has been significant progress and that initial agreements could be reached within a week to ten days.
According to sources who spoke with the families, military pressure is positively influencing Hamas’s position in the negotiations. Despite this, it was emphasized to the families that Hamas could “stall” the negotiations at any moment.
The families were told: “The overall regional situation, American influence, and the status of the campaign – all these and more have created a convergence of circumstances promoting the possibility of effective negotiations. However, it is important to clarify that while conditions have improved, there is still a long way to go and challenges ahead. We are working and hoping for a breakthrough.”
The Emerging Deal and Existing Obstacles
Regarding the developing deal, the understanding is that the list of prisoners to be released in the first stage of the deal has already been agreed upon, and this stage will be purely humanitarian. It was previously reported that during the humanitarian phase, only women, elderly individuals, and sick hostages would be released.
Despite the optimistic tone at the start of the week, officials in Jerusalem now say it appears Hamas is still not ready to advance. The terror organization is not providing the lists required to facilitate a breakthrough, partly due to gaps between Hamas leadership abroad and in Gaza. link
- Hamas: Possibility to reach a deal closer than ever if Israel stops setting new conditions
Delegations of leaders from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine met yesterday in Cairo to discuss the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
In a readout of the meeting, Hamas says the possibility of reaching a deal “is closer than ever if the enemy stops setting new conditions.”
All three terror groups are believed to be holding hostages throughout Gaza.
The factions “stressed everyone’s keenness to stop the aggression against our people,” the Hamas statement says, apparently referring to its demand for a permanent ceasefire.
The nature of the ceasefire deal is the main issue of contention in the talks, with Hamas demanding a permanent end to the fighting, while Israel is seeking a temporary pause during which some of the hostages would be released followed by a resumption of its fighting in order to finish dismantling the terror group’s military and governing capabilities, an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel earlier this week.
Israel has sought to have the agreement refer to the ceasefire as one that “end[s] the military operation,” while Hamas is insisting that the text states that the ceasefire will “end the war.”
The readout says that the sides expressed appreciation for the Egyptian effort to strike a reconciliation deal between the various Palestinian factions — an initiative that has once again stalled due to disagreements between bitter rivals Hamas and Fatah.
The delegations agreed to hold another meeting as soon as possible.
Hostage Updates
Families of hostages have recently received signs of life from their loved ones | Exclusive Report
The signs of life were received after an extended period during which families were not updated on the condition of the hostages • Families were told that initial understandings could be reached within a week: “There is a convergence of circumstances enabling effective negotiations” • However, it was clarified that Hamas might “stall” the deal and not advance it.Several families of hostages have recently received signs of life from their loved ones, as reported this evening on Ulpan Shishi.
The signs of life were received after a long period during which there were almost no signs, apart from videos published by the Hamas terror organization.Some families of hostages received these signs of life, though their identities will not be disclosed to protect their privacy. However, there are families who have not received any signs of life for many months.
The message given to families of hostages by sources knowledgeable about the matter was that negotiations for a hostage deal are ongoing. Families were told there has been significant progress and that initial agreements could be reached within a week to ten days.
According to sources who spoke with the families, military pressure is positively influencing Hamas’s position in the negotiations. Despite this, it was emphasized to the families that Hamas could “stall” the negotiations at any moment.
The families were told: “The overall regional situation, American influence, and the status of the campaign – all these and more have created a convergence of circumstances promoting the possibility of effective negotiations. However, it is important to clarify that while conditions have improved, there is still a long way to go and challenges ahead. We are working and hoping for a breakthrough.”
The Emerging Deal and Existing Obstacles
Regarding the developing deal, the understanding is that the list of prisoners to be released in the first stage of the deal has already been agreed upon, and this stage will be purely humanitarian. It was previously reported that during the humanitarian phase, only women, elderly individuals, and sick hostages would be released.Despite the optimistic tone at the start of the week, officials in Jerusalem now say it appears Hamas is still not ready to advance. The terror organization is not providing the lists required to facilitate a breakthrough, partly due to gaps between Hamas leadership abroad and in Gaza. link- Hamas: Possibility to reach a deal closer than ever if Israel stops setting new conditions
Delegations of leaders from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine met yesterday in Cairo to discuss the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
In a readout of the meeting, Hamas says the possibility of reaching a deal “is closer than ever if the enemy stops setting new conditions.”
All three terror groups are believed to be holding hostages throughout Gaza.
The factions “stressed everyone’s keenness to stop the aggression against our people,” the Hamas statement says, apparently referring to its demand for a permanent ceasefire.
The nature of the ceasefire deal is the main issue of contention in the talks, with Hamas demanding a permanent end to the fighting, while Israel is seeking a temporary pause during which some of the hostages would be released followed by a resumption of its fighting in order to finish dismantling the terror group’s military and governing capabilities, an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel earlier this week.
Israel has sought to have the agreement refer to the ceasefire as one that “end[s] the military operation,” while Hamas is insisting that the text states that the ceasefire will “end the war.”
The readout says that the sides expressed appreciation for the Egyptian effort to strike a reconciliation deal between the various Palestinian factions — an initiative that has once again stalled due to disagreements between bitter rivals Hamas and Fatah.
The delegations agreed to hold another meeting as soon as possible.
Gaza and the South
- Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry issues an urgent appeal for medical and food supplies to be delivered to Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, near Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza while the hospital director describes dire conditions.
The ministry says in a statement that there is continuous gunfire and Israeli shelling near the hospital.
“Shells have struck the third floor and the hospital’s entrances, creating a state of panic,” the ministry says. It is unclear if they are referring to fresh shelling today.
Hospital Director Dr. Husam Abu Safiyeh says the facility is “facing severe shortages.”
He says the World Health Organization delivered 70 units of blood, but that the hospital requires at least 200 units to meet urgent needs. He says 72 wounded people were being treated at the hospital.
The shortages extend beyond medical necessities. “Food is very scarce, and we cannot provide meals for the wounded. We are urgently calling on anyone who can provide supplies to help us,” he says. “The staff is working around the clock, yet we cannot even provide meals for them.”
The area has been the site of an intense IDF operation aiming to stop Hamas from regrouping in northern Gaza.
Palestinian women and girls struggle to reach for food at a distribution center in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
The ministry says in a statement that there is continuous gunfire and Israeli shelling near the hospital.
“Shells have struck the third floor and the hospital’s entrances, creating a state of panic,” the ministry says. It is unclear if they are referring to fresh shelling today.
Hospital Director Dr. Husam Abu Safiyeh says the facility is “facing severe shortages.”
He says the World Health Organization delivered 70 units of blood, but that the hospital requires at least 200 units to meet urgent needs. He says 72 wounded people were being treated at the hospital.
The shortages extend beyond medical necessities. “Food is very scarce, and we cannot provide meals for the wounded. We are urgently calling on anyone who can provide supplies to help us,” he says. “The staff is working around the clock, yet we cannot even provide meals for them.”
The area has been the site of an intense IDF operation aiming to stop Hamas from regrouping in northern Gaza.
Palestinian women and girls struggle to reach for food at a distribution center in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Northern Israel - Lebanon/Hizbollah/Syria
West Bank and Jerusalem and Terror attacks within Israel
- Air Force probe finds several interceptors were fired at Houthi missile, but failed to knock it down
According to an initial probe in the Israeli Air Force of the overnight Houthi ballistic missile attack, several different types of interceptor missiles were launched at the target.
The interceptors all failed to knock down the missile, which ultimately struck a park in Tel Aviv, causing damage to nearby homes and wounding 16 people.
The IAF continues to investigate as to why the interception attempts failed.
According to an initial probe in the Israeli Air Force of the overnight Houthi ballistic missile attack, several different types of interceptor missiles were launched at the target.
The interceptors all failed to knock down the missile, which ultimately struck a park in Tel Aviv, causing damage to nearby homes and wounding 16 people.
The IAF continues to investigate as to why the interception attempts failed.
Politics and the War (general news)
- Sara Netanyahu said to have ordered protest against neighbors whose pilot son died in war
Texts quoted in TV report also show PM’s wife, son ordering late secretary to dig up dirt on premier’s rivals, intimidate key actors in his graft cases, sic police on protesters
Text messages published Thursday purport to show that Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was instrumental in efforts to combat those perceived as enemies of the family, going so far as to instruct her husband’s secretary to send activists of his Likud party to hurl obscenities at their neighbors, the parents of a fallen military pilot, who were active in demonstrations against the premier.
The correspondence of Benjamin Netanyahu’s late aide Hanni Bleiweiss, published by Channel 12 investigative program Uvda, indicated that the premier’s wife and son were active in efforts to dig up dirt on his political rivals; intimidate key actors in his corruption trial; and sic law enforcement on protesters against him, while seeking the promotion of police officers who complied with the request.
The Netanyahus were apparently aware of the potential damage of Bleiweiss’s correspondence with the PM’s wife and others were it to fall into the wrong hands: people present at Bleiweiss’s 2023 shiva — the Jewish seven-day mourning period — were cited in the TV report as saying that when Yair Netanyahu, the premier’s son, came to pay his respects, he was especially concerned over the whereabouts of Bleiweiss’s phone. It was unclear if Yair Netanyahu retrieved the phone.
The correspondence appeared to contradict Yair Netanyahu’s denial, in 2020, that the prime minister’s family had anything to do with a controversial demonstration outside the home of their neighbors, Anat and Doron Farkash, whose son, helicopter pilot Cpt. Tom Farkash, was killed in the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
Protesters, spearheaded by Likud activist Orly Lev harangued the bereaved family for hosting anti-government activists at their Caesarea home. Lev denied at the time that she had received instructions from the premier’s office, and told Uvda she never knew Bleiweiss — a lie, according to text messages aired by the program.
Lev, according to Uvda, shared personal information about the Farkash family with Yair Netanyahu, who reportedly answered that the matter was being “handled.”
Sara Netanyahu, according to the report, wanted to force the neighbors to stop hosting protest meetings and said in a message to Bleiweiss that “[we must] condemn the disgusting Farkashes and respond to the awful things they are doing.”
When Bleiweiss objected that the police and Shin Bet could not order demonstrators out of a private home, Sara Netanyahu was said to respond: “So [have them] curse at them, yell at them.” When Bleiweiss said that, too, was impossible, Netanyahu reportedly told her to bring in “Likudnik people, someone who’s not [a] security guard.”
Bleiweiss also dismissed objections as to the optics of the move. “The Farkashs’s son fell in Lebanon in 2006,” Bleiweiss reportedly pointed out during the exchange with Sara Netanyahu.
“I know their pilot son was killed,” the premier’s wife was said to reply. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
Protesters showed up at the Farkash home soon after, Uvda said.
picture of Bleiweiss and Netanyahu on Netanyahu's official Twitter account link
According to Thursday’s report, this was not the only time Sara Netanyahu appeared less than charitable to Bleiweiss, who was battling cancer. (Bleiweiss died in March 2023.) During Benjamin Netanyahu’s brief tenure as opposition head, in 2021-2022, his wife was said to have ordered Bleiweiss to chauffeur her from Caesarea to her husband, in Tel Aviv.
Bleiweiss, Uvda said, drove the hour-and-a-half from her home in Jaffa to the Netanyahus’ private residence in Caesarea, where she waited another hour for Sara Netanyahu to show up — only to be told that Benjamin Netanyahu would return soon and Bleiweiss’s chauffeur services were unnecessary. Notwithstanding, Sara Netanyahu was said to tell the ailing secretary that she would be needed “tomorrow.”
The rise of Israel’s current top copWhile apparently willing to send agitators to the private home of her bereaved neighbors, Sara Netanyahu was unhappy with the protests outside her own home in Caesarea and the prime minister’s official residence on Jerusalem’s Balfour Street, the TV report said.
In one instance, during a protest outside the Netanyahus’ Caesarea home, Sara Netanyahu was said to order Bleiweiss to bring in Likud activists to stage a counter-protest. Bleiweiss reportedly went the extra mile, saying that she had asked then-interior security minister Amir Ohana to make sure the anti-Netanyahu protesters were handed NIS 1,000 ($275) fines for violating COVID-19 restrictions.
Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Balfour Street, near the premier’s official residence in Jerusalem, September 20, 2020. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
In another message cited by Uvda, Bleiweiss bemoaned the fact that then-Tel Aviv police chief Daniel Levy could not deal with the Balfour protesters in Jerusalem.
“Look at Tel Aviv,” she reportedly wrote, praising how Levy had “picked up the leftists and used violence” in dispersing protests.
At Sara Netanyahu’s request, Bleiweiss reportedly forwarded the praise to Ohana. “This is Tel Aviv police chief Danny Levy, unscrupulously dispersing and arresting protesters with his own hands,” read the message quoted by Uvda. ” These are the type of people we need. Encourage him.”
Ohana was said to reply: “Done.”
Levy was made police commissioner earlier this year by Ohana’s successor, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Report alleges intimidation in response to political, legal challenges
The Uvda report came two weeks into Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his corruption trial, during which he said his wife had become a target of the media’s “character assassination.” Meanwhile, the prime minister’s top aides currently face growing scrutiny over allegations that they tampered with government records and leaked military intelligence to support the premier’s prosecution of the war in Gaza.
The report showed Netanyahu spokesman Jonatan Urich — who has been questioned, but not charged, in the intelligence leak case — urging Bleiweiss in 2017 to launch a smear campaign against Likud power player Israel Katz, after the then-transportation minister (now defense minister) expressed faith in law enforcement amid the allegations that Netanyahu had accepted luxury goods and positive press coverage in return for political favors.
“Katz is trying to stick a knife in Netanyahu’s back. There is no room for subversive elements in the Likud,” was the message Urich reportedly drafted to Bleiweiss.
“Please make it public via a third party. Not from us,” he was said to add.
Sara Netanyahu also reportedly ordered Bleiweiss to help smear the prime minister’s political rivals, asking her to look up “traitor, loser” ex-Likud minister Gideon Sa’ar’s “skeletons of sexual harassment reports in the closet”; publicize the “treasons, the trips to Russia and Belarus” of Moldova-born Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Lieberman; and tell supporters of Aryeh Deri and Yaakov Litzman what “traitors” the ultra-Orthodox leaders are, given their perceived alliance with former justice minister Ayelet Shaked, an arch-nemesis of the premier’s wife.
Still more vitriol was reportedly reserved for leading figures in the corruption cases against Benjamin Netanyahu: prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari, who oversaw the investigations; former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who served the premier’s indictments; and Hadas Klein, former secretary to Netanyahu benefactor Arnon Milchan, and a key witness in the case alleging Netanyahu illicitly with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cigars, champagne and jewelry — much of it allegedly at Sara Netanyahu’s request.
The “scoundrel” Klein, Sara Netanyahu reportedly wrote to Bleiweiss, had “smeared us for years, lied, slandered.” Language similar to Netanyahu’s message featured soon thereafter in social media posts against Klein, Uvda said.
“The great dictator Mandelblit,” Sara Netanyahu wrote Bleiweiss, according to Channel 12, was “killing the prime minister” by weighing a demand that the indicted premier resign. Sara urged a “war of tens of thousands” against the then-attorney general, whose home became a favorite target of right-wing protests.
In a message adorned with 47 exclamation points, Sara Netanyahu reportedly said Mandelblit would first oust the premier, “then do a trial with a preconceived sentence and find him guilty.”
Bleiweiss was said to have asked another, unidentified person to spread the word, requesting that he “please write from all kinds of cards” — indicating the prime minister’s aides’ regular use of fake social media accounts, according to Uvda.
Meanwhile, the premier’s allies set their sights on Ben-Ari, and discovered that a property that she owned was illegally divided. Likud activists proceeded to loudly demonstrate outside her house on a near-daily basis. Text messages published by Channel 12 showed Sara Netanyahu had asked Bleiweiss to organize those demonstrations.
Bleiweiss reportedly forwarded the request to Lev, the Likud activist made notorious for the protest against the premier’s neighbors.
“Listen,” Bleiweiss was said to write. “[You need to be] near that Ben-Ari’s house day-in day-out, day and night, she’ll get intimidated. You can’t move from Liat Ben-Ari, you have to be there every day.”
A hearing at the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court about the prosecutor’s request to issue a restraining order against Likud activist Orly Lev, who harassed the lead prosecutor in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial, Liat Ben-Ari, on December 1, 2022, in Tel Aviv. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
“Of course,” Lev was said to respond — belying her denial of any association with Bleiweiss. “I won’t let her go, Hanni, I swear.”
When Ben-Ari’s sister passed away, the protesters took a week off as the prosecutor sat shiva.
Bleiweiss, according to an exchange published by Uvda, informed Yair Netanyahu that she had sent Lev to protest elsewhere “until the whore Ben-Ari finishes the shiva,” after which the protesters would return to the prosecutor.
The premier’s son was said to answer: “Good.”
Channel 12 reported that neither the Prime Minister’s Office nor the Netanyahu family had provided a direct response to the program’s revelations and allegations. It quoted Netanyahu’s Likud party stating, “Uvda is not a journalistic program but a rather a tool to destroy the rule of the right by using lies, recycled material and anonymous testimony.” link Uvda is one of the most respected investigative news programs in Israel. It is no surprise that the PMO, the Netanyahu family and the Likud would try to besmirch the program and claim 'witch hunt' which is what tyrants always do when the truth comes out about what they really do behind the scenes.Witness in PM’s trial says probe should be opened into Sara Netanyahu for allegedly orchestrating harassment of rivals
A key witness in one of the corruption cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggests that an investigation should be opened following this week’s “Uvda” investigative report revealing that the premier’s wife Sara Netanyahu was apparently behind a coordinated social media campaign to attack those perceived as enemies of the family.
“Uvda” published text messages showing how Sara Netanyahu ordered the premier’s chief of staff Hanni Bleiweiss to smear the prime minister’s political rivals, asking her to look up “traitor, loser” ex-Likud minister Gideon Sa’ar’s “skeletons of sexual harassment reports in the closet”; publicize the “treasons, the trips to Russia and Belarus” of Moldova-born Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman; and tell supporters of Aryeh Deri and Yaakov Litzman what “traitors” the ultra-Orthodox leaders are, given their perceived alliance with former justice minister Ayelet Shaked, an arch-nemesis of the premier’s wife.
Still more vitriol was reportedly reserved for leading figures in the corruption cases against Benjamin Netanyahu: prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari, who oversaw the investigations; former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who served the premier’s indictments; and Hadas Klein, former secretary to Netanyahu benefactor Arnon Milchan, and a key witness in the case alleging Netanyahu illicitly received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cigars, champagne and jewelry — much of it allegedly at Sara Netanyahu’s request.
The “scoundrel” Klein, Sara Netanyahu reportedly wrote to Bleiweiss, had “smeared us for years, lied, slandered.” Language similar to Netanyahu’s message featured soon thereafter in social media posts against Klein, “Uvda” said.
Following the report, National Unity Chair Benny Gantz tweeted that the prime minister should apologize, particularly for sending Likud activists to protest outside the home of the parents of a fallen military pilot, who had been active in demonstrations against the premier.
“Benny, Are you for real,” Klein responds on X, blasting him for not taking a harder line against the Netanyahus.
“I expected that someone who sees himself as a leader and seeks to lead the country would come out in defense of its citizens and demand that an investigation be opened. Not to ask for a weak apology,” Klein says.
“It would have been better had you not written anything at all,” she adds.
- Poll: Just 22% trust the government, 75% have confidence in the IDF
A Channel 13 poll finds that only 22 percent of respondents expressed trust in the government, while 75% said they have confidence in the Israel Defense Forces.
Public trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands at just 29%, while 47% express confidence in IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. Confidence in the abilities of Defense Minister Israel Katz stands at just 24%.
Pollsters also asked respondents how they define victory in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip — 68% say it will only be achieved with the return of all the hostages, 12% say it will see the annexation of Gaza and the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over the Strip, 4% say border residents returning to their homes will be the definition of victory, 8% say it will see the establishment of a moderate Palestinian leadership in Gaza other than Hamas, and 8% say they don’t know. link. This poll is very consistent with other polls by other organizations. This government is not trusted by an overwhelming majority of the public and for good reason, and just slightly fewer have trust in Netanyahu for even better reasons. And the most important point is the constant strong majority who view the return of the hostages as the only way to claim 'victory' for the war in Gaza. It is known by the majority of the country that we cannot begin to heal from October 7 until the hostages, all the hostages are brought home. Unfortunately, our prime minister and his corrupt government don't give a damn about the will and need of the public.
Texts quoted in TV report also show PM’s wife, son ordering late secretary to dig up dirt on premier’s rivals, intimidate key actors in his graft cases, sic police on protesters
A key witness in one of the corruption cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggests that an investigation should be opened following this week’s “Uvda” investigative report revealing that the premier’s wife Sara Netanyahu was apparently behind a coordinated social media campaign to attack those perceived as enemies of the family.
“Uvda” published text messages showing how Sara Netanyahu ordered the premier’s chief of staff Hanni Bleiweiss to smear the prime minister’s political rivals, asking her to look up “traitor, loser” ex-Likud minister Gideon Sa’ar’s “skeletons of sexual harassment reports in the closet”; publicize the “treasons, the trips to Russia and Belarus” of Moldova-born Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman; and tell supporters of Aryeh Deri and Yaakov Litzman what “traitors” the ultra-Orthodox leaders are, given their perceived alliance with former justice minister Ayelet Shaked, an arch-nemesis of the premier’s wife.
Still more vitriol was reportedly reserved for leading figures in the corruption cases against Benjamin Netanyahu: prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari, who oversaw the investigations; former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who served the premier’s indictments; and Hadas Klein, former secretary to Netanyahu benefactor Arnon Milchan, and a key witness in the case alleging Netanyahu illicitly received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cigars, champagne and jewelry — much of it allegedly at Sara Netanyahu’s request.
The “scoundrel” Klein, Sara Netanyahu reportedly wrote to Bleiweiss, had “smeared us for years, lied, slandered.” Language similar to Netanyahu’s message featured soon thereafter in social media posts against Klein, “Uvda” said.
Following the report, National Unity Chair Benny Gantz tweeted that the prime minister should apologize, particularly for sending Likud activists to protest outside the home of the parents of a fallen military pilot, who had been active in demonstrations against the premier.
“Benny, Are you for real,” Klein responds on X, blasting him for not taking a harder line against the Netanyahus.
“I expected that someone who sees himself as a leader and seeks to lead the country would come out in defense of its citizens and demand that an investigation be opened. Not to ask for a weak apology,” Klein says.
“It would have been better had you not written anything at all,” she adds.
A Channel 13 poll finds that only 22 percent of respondents expressed trust in the government, while 75% said they have confidence in the Israel Defense Forces.
Public trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands at just 29%, while 47% express confidence in IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. Confidence in the abilities of Defense Minister Israel Katz stands at just 24%.
Pollsters also asked respondents how they define victory in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip — 68% say it will only be achieved with the return of all the hostages, 12% say it will see the annexation of Gaza and the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over the Strip, 4% say border residents returning to their homes will be the definition of victory, 8% say it will see the establishment of a moderate Palestinian leadership in Gaza other than Hamas, and 8% say they don’t know. link. This poll is very consistent with other polls by other organizations. This government is not trusted by an overwhelming majority of the public and for good reason, and just slightly fewer have trust in Netanyahu for even better reasons. And the most important point is the constant strong majority who view the return of the hostages as the only way to claim 'victory' for the war in Gaza. It is known by the majority of the country that we cannot begin to heal from October 7 until the hostages, all the hostages are brought home. Unfortunately, our prime minister and his corrupt government don't give a damn about the will and need of the public.
The Region and the World
-
Personal Stories
"He came home, and this is not my child": Testimonies of mothers of soldiers with PTSD
They faced Hamas terrorists on October 7, endured harrowing sights, and some were injured. When they returned home, their parents struggled to recognize them. Over a year later, mothers whose sons and daughters suffer from PTSD bravely share how their lives were turned upside down in an instant. The crying, the rage, sleepless nights, and restless days. "But we are their anchor," they clarify, "you can’t rely on anyone else to do it."
When the attack began on October 7, Orna's son and his team were ambushed by terrorists near the border fence. "For three hours, he went on the radio asking for help," she describes. "When they were finally rescued, they moved to one of the kibbutzim and roamed among the bodies. To this day, he refuses to tell me what he saw there. He’s been living with that event ever since. His company commander was the first to notice his emotional struggle, seeing that he was isolating himself from everyone. I realized it when he called us from the assembly area and said, ‘Mom and Dad, I want you to come.’ He had never asked for anything in his life. We arrived and saw a child with empty eyes."
Four courageous mothers of those injured on the war’s first day speak about the immense challenges they face in the shadow of PTSD—the pain, the fear, and the decision not to lose hope. "We are their anchor," they say. "You can’t rely on anyone else to do it."
In the early days, Orna hoped it was a temporary struggle, but the situation worsened. "It took me a long time to accept that my son has PTSD," she recounts. "At that point, I thought they would shake off the black dust of battle and he’d return to who he was. At first, he slept all the time. If he talked, it was only about October 7. No matter what we discussed, he brought us back to 6:29 a.m. on that day. He couldn’t bear raised voices near him. There was a period of obsessive cleaning, and then came the shouting and the rage. To this day, he doesn’t sleep at night."
Orna adds, "He’s working hard to heal, but it’s hard for me. Today, it’s even harder than it was. As a mother, the most painful part is now. I have a child who can’t study, can’t work, and can’t get up in the morning. He calls me at work and asks, ‘Mom, help me.’ It breaks my heart."
In the same place
Nurit’s daughter was on duty at her base on October 7. "The terrorists infiltrated there," she recounts. "For hours, they hid while being shot at and grenades were thrown at them, and their friends were killed around them. She was injured in the gunfire."
Something is wrong
Liat’s son was just starting his military service when Hamas launched their attack. "At 7:30, he called to say goodbye," she says, struggling to hold back tears. "He told me, ‘Mom, I love you. We won’t see each other again.’ It was a brutal battle. The scenes they were exposed to were horrifying. When we spoke that night, he told me everyone was dead.
Since then, Liat feels she needs to learn how to raise her child all over again.
"It's like learning to walk again," she says. "Until October 7, he was a different child. I switched to working from home because I have a post-traumatized child, and I’m very worried. He stays up all night, and I wake up every hour to check that he’s okay. Then he falls asleep in the morning, and I hear his screams and shouts in his sleep. I’m afraid of what my son’s future will look like. Everyone understands we’re not in a normal situation, but ultimately, who deals with it? We, the parents, are their anchor. If we don’t help them, you can’t rely on anyone else to do it."
Returning to life
Naomi’s daughter was supposed to be discharged shortly after October 7. "She was a combat soldier," she recounts. "From 8:15, she stopped answering us. In hindsight, we know they were ambushed by terrorists and that she was injured by gunfire. Instead of going on the big post-army trip, she’s dealing with a massive injury."
Naomi says, "In the beginning, there was a lot of crying, anger, and impatience. They gave her sleeping pills because she couldn’t sleep. She’s diagnosed with PTSD, but at this stage, she’s less focused on that and more on the medical treatments and the scars left behind. Slowly, she’s returning to life, but she has setbacks and cries a lot, trying hard to remember and commemorate her friend who was killed. As a mother, I worry that this won’t ruin her future. She’s a beautiful and talented girl. She still has a long way to go before she can return to work and study."
The war in Gaza leaves many emotionally wounded
"The biggest challenge we see among parents is the need to reposition themselves," says Patricia Pasternak, a rehabilitation social worker in the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense. "They experience upheaval. Life is a continuum, and the injury disrupts the continuity of both life and the family. They are parents to an independent child, and this situation raises many questions. How much to restrict? How much to embrace? How much to let go, and when? These are questions no one prepares you for. With physical injuries, it’s clear what the person is capable of and what they’re not. With mental injuries, they see things they don’t know how to interpret. They need to learn what it all means."
To help families cope with the situation, the Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense runs unique therapy groups for parents of injured IDF soldiers as part of the rehabilitation process. These groups are held across the country and are facilitated by therapists and social workers.
"We provide a continuum of support to family members because parents are partners in the rehabilitation process," explains Irit Gur, head of the Social Services Division in the Rehovot District of the Rehabilitation Department. "The goal of the group is to create a framework of belonging and provide tools to better cope with the child and assist them in their recovery." link
Dark Legacy - The Abandonment of October 7th Hostages
PrioritiesBenny BarbashWriter and Screenwriter.
This is the bed. Bed linen on top. A satin sheet flawlessly stretched with neither stain nor crease. A pillowcase to match the fine eiderdown comforter. The pillows fluffed to the exact degree of firmness that will support the head crammed full of concern for the security of the nation of Israel and its future. On the dresser alongside the bed are several biographies. Churchill, Lincoln, and naturally, his own. "The Story Of My Life.” Sometimes, before he falls asleep, he leafs through the book he wrote about himself with satisfaction, dwelling on this or that paragraph. He revels in his accomplishments. Only a small stain unfairly mars the record of his achievements. October 7th. It’s been nine months of trying to rub off the stain that has stuck to him with the blood of his soldiers who, by their death, compel his continued rule, but there are defeatists who are not ready to pay the price necessary for complete victory.Next to the stack of books arranged on the nightstand is the dog tag for the families of the hostages. His advisor gave it to him and asked him to wear it around his neck for the meeting with representatives of the families. Just for the meeting, for the optics, for the photos. To create a good impression. This will convey care and empathy with these nudniks, explained the media consultant. He takes the dog tag from the dresser and looks at the metal plate. The Hebrew reads: "Our heart is captive in Gaza." Mine is not captive in Gaza, he thinks with satisfaction, my heart is here with me. With the pacemaker that watches over him, goes with him everywhere, with all his bodyguards, with the convoy of armored cars that speed through the traffic jams and disperses the cars that get in his way, as if they were cockroaches. He is safe. His wife is sleeping next to him. His children are far from the inferno. A sect of sycophants and a gang of robbers accepts his authority. He turns the disk over to its other side. In English it says: Bring Them Home Now. What do they think, that it is possible to say hocus-pocus just like that and bring them back now? There is no limit to their greed and lack of regard for the limitations he has to deal with. They put obstacles in his path to victory every step of the way. What is the matter, what is this holy rage of theirs. With these types of struggles you also need to know how to make sacrifices. Pay a price.The phone is ringing. His military secretary is on the line; he tells him of the death of three of the kidnapped men from rounds fired by our own forces. Such is life, he replies to the military secretary, thinking with satisfaction that this turn of phrase covers almost every situation. What can you do, when you chop wood, chips fly, he adds with a sigh.The hostages, with all due respect, should be a little more patient. A great leader has different priorities than a bunch of unfortunates who were captured because of the failures of the IDF and Shin Bet. The Rabbinate law needs to be passed. The law for dodging military service. Relations with the United States of America need to be sabotaged, and obviously “the complete victory” needs to be achieved. He pats the pillow, smoothes the velvety down comforter, turns off the light. He closes his eyes and falls into a sweet slumber.
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
Join my Whatsapp update group https://chat.whatsapp.com/IQ3OtwE6ydxBeBAxWNziB0
Twitter - @LonnyB58 Bluesky - @lonny-b.bsky.social
Twitter - @LonnyB58
Comments
Post a Comment