| DAILY ALERT |
Sunday, November 10, 2024 |
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters were the target of violence in Amsterdam on Thursday as videos on social media showed multiple fights in the streets. The Embassy of Israel to the U.S. posted a graphic video of the violence. "Hundreds of fans of the @MaccabiTLVFC soccer team were ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game against @AFCAjax. The mob who targeted these innocent Israelis has proudly shared their violent acts on social media." (Fox News) See also How Pro-Palestinian Mob Organized via WhatsApp to "Hunt Jews" across Amsterdam - Gordon Rayner A pro-Palestinian demonstration had coincided with a European soccer match between Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax, the local team. Videos posted on social media showed fans of the two teams being punched, kicked and humiliated as pro-Palestinian marchers shouted anti-Semitic slurs at them. Now it has emerged that the attacks on the Jewish soccer fans were planned in advance and coordinated using WhatsApp and Telegram. A group chat posted on Wednesday, the day before the match: "Tomorrow after the game, at night, part 2 of the Jew Hunt." Footage posted online after the Thursday attack shows a man who had jumped into a canal in a desperate attempt to escape his attackers. A pursuer shouts: "Say Free Palestine, and we'll let you go." Another video shows a man who appears unconscious on the street being repeatedly kicked. A third film shows a young Israeli fan cornered in a narrow alley where his assailants knock him out with a punch to the head. (Telegraph-UK) The U.S. Justice Department on Nov. 9 announced federal charges in a thwarted Iranian plot to kill Donald Trump before the presidential election. According to court documents, Iranian officials asked Farhad Shakeri, 51, in September to focus on surveilling and ultimately assassinating Trump. Shakeri, an Afghan national residing in Tehran, is still at large in Iran. This is a newly disclosed plot and marks yet another attempt on Trump's life by the Iranian regime. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday, "The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran's assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump....There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran." (CNN) See also U.S. Charges Man with Ties to Iran with Plot to Assassinate Trump - Sadie Gurman A Pakistani man with ties to Iran was charged with plotting assassinations of former President Donald Trump and other politicians, law-enforcement officials said on Aug. 6, 2024. Asif Merchant traveled to New York in April to recruit hit men to carry out his scheme but was foiled when one of the people approached reported him to the FBI and became an informant, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said. Merchant was arrested before he could fly out of the U.S. on July 12. (Wall Street Journal) Qatar agreed in recent weeks to kick Hamas out of its country following a request from the U.S. to do so, capping months of failed attempts to get Hamas - whose top leaders reside in the Qatari capital of Doha - to accept a ceasefire and hostage release deal, U.S. and Qatari sources told CNN. U.S. officials informed Qatar two weeks ago that they must stop giving Hamas refuge in their capital; Qatar agreed and gave Hamas notice a week ago. "Hamas is a terrorist group that has killed Americans and continues to hold Americans hostage," a senior administration official told CNN. "After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner." (CNN) See also Hamas Leaders Deny Qatar Ordered Their Expulsion A senior Hamas official said, "We have not received any request to leave Qatar," where its political office has been based for years. (Times of Israel) The U.S. carried out a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen late Saturday, targeting numerous storage facilities housing advanced conventional weapons used to target ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. (CNN) The U.S. has awarded Israel's Elbit Systems a $127-million follow-on contract to supply Iron Fist Active Protection Systems (APS) for its Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). The Iron Fist APS provides 360-degree protection for light and heavy armored platforms against anti-tank rockets, anti-tank guided missiles, and drones. (Defense Post) Just before Tuesday's presidential election, the Biden administration quietly waived mandatory terrorism sanctions on the Palestinian government. The State Department, in a non-public notice to Congress, determined that the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) are not complying with agreements to curb terrorism against Israel and end the "pay-to-slay" program, which rewards imprisoned terrorists for committing acts of violence. Those violations should trigger American sanctions, but the administration used its executive power to enable the Palestinian government to duck American sanctions for another 180 days. Congress passed a law in 2018 prohibiting economic aid unless payments to families of prisoners and "martyrs" are ended, but the administration has skirted the law, enabling millions of dollars to flow into projects bolstering the Palestinian government. The administration simultaneously pumped millions of dollars into Hamas-controlled Gaza. (Washington Free Beacon) News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
Hizbullah continued to fire dozens of rockets on Saturday at Israeli cities including Acre, Haifa, and Tiberias. The IDF said most of the rockets were intercepted or fell in open areas. (Ynet News) A Hizbullah rocket struck a home in Kafr Yasif, an Israeli Arab village in Western Galilee, causing heavy damage. "Fortunately, there were only minor injuries this time," said local resident Ibrahim Jeris. Abed al-Rahim, whose home was narrowly missed, recounted that he had just been in the area moments before the strike. "I wasn't a casualty by sheer luck," he said. (Ynet News) A shipment of 134 D9 bulldozers, which Israel ordered and paid for, has been awaiting export approval from the U.S. State Department for several months, according to two security sources. The bulldozers often lead combat teams, clearing areas from explosive charges intended to detonate against Israeli infantry and armored troops, helping to save soldiers' lives. Forces on the northern front are required to clear thousands of acres of dense thickets, which Hizbullah uses to conceal bunkers and weapons depots close to Israeli towns. Additional delays involve a frozen shipment of heavy munitions and Israel's urgent request for additional Apache attack helicopters. However, the Americans have approved a dramatic increase in the acquisition of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) to replace older armored personnel carriers. (Ynet News) Israel rejected on Saturday a warning on Friday by the independent Famine Review Committee, a group of global food security experts, who said there was a "strong likelihood" of imminent famine in parts of northern Gaza, as the military let in aid trucks in areas cut off by fighting. "Unfortunately, the researchers continue to rely on partial, biased data and superficial sources with vested interests," the IDF said. On Saturday, the IDF said it had delivered 11 humanitarian aid trucks to Jabalia and Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza two days earlier. In the past month, aid has continuously reached other areas of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, the IDF said. (Times of Israel) See also Israel to Open New Gaza Crossing to Improve Aid Delivery - Jacob Magid Israel has informed the U.S. that it plans to open a new aid crossing into central Gaza at Kissufim in the coming days, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed Thursday. Miller also highlighted Israel's progress in reopening critical aid routes into northern Gaza. (Times of Israel) Republican Party spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko was asked by Israel's Channel 12 on Nov. 6 if President-elect Trump expects Israel to end the war against Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Pipko responded, "I would say he expects them to end it by winning it, 100%; that's how he always talks about ending wars. He wants the war to end as soon as possible, like all rational people do, but he wants it to end with a decisive victory." (Times of Israel) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday tapped Dr. Yechiel Leiter to serve as Israel's next ambassador to the U.S. beginning on Jan. 20. "Yechiel Leiter is a highly talented diplomat, an eloquent speaker, and has a deep understanding of American culture and politics," Netanyahu said. Leiter served as chief of staff to Netanyahu when he was finance minister, deputy director-general of the Education Ministry, and director-general of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. His son, Maj. (res.) Moshe Leiter, was killed fighting Hamas in Gaza on Nov. 10, 2023. Netanyahu told the story of the fallen soldier during his speech to the U.S. Congress in July. (Times of Israel) Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
Iran President-elect Donald Trump plans to drastically increase sanctions on Iran and throttle its oil sales as part of an aggressive strategy to undercut Tehran's support of violent Mideast proxies and its nuclear program. Trump took a dim view of Iran during his first term and imposed a "maximum pressure" strategy. Trump's approach to Iran is likely to be colored by the knowledge that its agents tried to assassinate him and former top national security aides after they left office, former Trump officials said. People briefed on Trump's plans and in touch with his top advisers said the new team would move rapidly to try to choke off Iran's oil income, including going after foreign ports and traders who handle Iranian oil, re-creating the strategy that the former president adopted in his first term. "You are going to see much more, both diplomatically and financially, they are trying to isolate Iran," a former White House official said. "Iran is definitely in a position of weakness right now, and now is an opportunity to exploit that weakness." (Wall Street Journal) Hizbullah Israeli officials say they have degraded Hizbullah's command structure, killed thousands of its fighters, and dismantled its infrastructure along the border. But Israeli soldiers on the ground say Hizbullah is still putting up a fight, leaning into guerrilla tactics to inflict losses on the Israelis and keep the war going. Since Israel began a ground operation against Hizbullah in Lebanon last month, 35 of its troops have been killed. Israel has limited most of its ground operations to about 3 miles into Lebanon, while Hizbullah sends around 100 rockets a day toward northern Israel. Organized in small self-governing units, Hizbullah fighters are lying in wait inside homes and tunnels. They stay hidden for days or even weeks before launching hit-and-run attacks on Israeli troops. "Hizbullah are much, much stronger, much more trained, and the geographical conditions are much harder than Gaza," said an Israeli reservist. (Wall Street Journal) The Gaza War More than a year after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to view the Iran-backed Islamist movement as a legitimate partner. Last week, representatives of the PA's ruling Fatah faction (headed by PA President Mahmoud Abbas) and Hamas held talks in Cairo to discuss establishing a joint administration to rule Gaza. By negotiating with Hamas about the future of Gaza, Abbas is legitimizing the terror group and sending a message to the Palestinians and the rest of the world that he sees no problem with dealing with murderers and terrorists who committed the most horrific crimes against Jews since the Holocaust. Abbas should, instead, be condemning Hamas and distancing himself from the terror group. He should be holding Hamas fully responsible for the destruction of Gaza as a result of the war it started. Moreover, Abbas should be urging Hamas to relinquish control over Gaza instead of begging it to agree to form a joint committee to manage its affairs. Ever since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in wars they initiated with Israel. With the help of Europe, Qatar and Iran, Hamas transformed Gaza into one of the largest bases for Islamist terrorism in the Middle East. Hamas should not be permitted to play any role in Gaza after the war. This would allow the terror group to rearm and regroup and prepare for another Oct. 7-style attack on Israel. The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs. (Gatestone Institute) Antisemitism During World War II, Amsterdam police, at the behest of German officers, hunted Jews. Today, the children and grandchildren of Moroccan immigrants are doing so. Some news outlets described the violence in Amsterdam as a confrontation between soccer hooligans, but that isn't true. The day before the match, fans of both clubs gathered in Amsterdam's central square and sang the Jewish folk song "Hava Nagila." Since Oct. 7, 2023, these Moroccan youths have participated in weekly anti-Zionist demonstrations in Amsterdam. They learned which hotels Israeli fans were staying in by Telegram messages from taxi drivers, most of whom were also of Moroccan descent. Dutch society is shell-shocked. The violence proves that the Netherlands has imported the cultural-religious problems of North Africa and the Middle East. The writer is a political commentator for De Telegraaf-Netherlands. (Wall Street Journal) Anyone who thinks the rise of antisemitism in the West is overstated should pay attention to Thursday's ugly mob assault on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said men on scooters hunted for Israelis for "hit-and-run" attacks. Israeli Adi Reuben, 24, described to BBC how 10 men "shouted 'Jewish, Jewish, IDF, IDF,'" jumped him, then kicked him when he fell to the ground. The demonization of Israel since Oct. 7, 2023, plays a role. The International Criminal Court, that may soon indict Israeli leaders for their self-defense campaign in Gaza, is based in The Hague, only an hour's drive from the site of the mob attacks. (Wall Street Journal) Israel and the West Telling the truth about Israel is an urgent necessity after the Oct. 7 massacre and the unexpected wave of antisemitism that we witnessed afterward. For many years Israel's image has been polluted to the point of asphyxiation by a well-prepared set of lies that, over the decades, have become widespread - mindsets that fuel not only incitement to terrorism in the Arab world but also antisemitic hatred in the Western world. The resulting ignorance is an abyss of shame. The young people who take to the streets against Israel know nothing but myths and lies, while ignoring even the most basic facts of Israel's history and current events. In this little book, we offer our contribution to the truth facing the ten basic lies about Israel. The writer, a fellow at the Jerusalem Center, served as vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Italian Chamber of Deputies. (Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs) Jews in America Over the past 13 months, Jews in America have been harassed, threatened, and seen their ancestral homeland derided as a settler colonial genocidal state. They have seen Jewish kids mistreated on college campuses. They have heard the criticisms of Israel's efforts to defend itself, and have noted the refusal of college presidents to condemn the treatment of Jews and Jewish topics under their ambit. The initial evidence from the election is that there has been a significant shift in the Jewish vote from previous elections, though it's very hard to quantify such things. Early data from locales with significant concentrations of Jewish voters - such as Passaic County, N.J.; Palm Beach County, Fla.; Broward County, Fla.; and Nassau County, N.Y. - appear to reflect this shift. (Commentary) Other Issues In the aftermath of Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, hundreds of Israelis over age 45, many decades past their military service, voluntarily returned to uniform to defend their nation in its hour of need. The Har Zion 0710 Unit "was established overnight, with hundreds of people bringing their specialized all-terrain vehicles to the Gaza envelope area to assist in evacuating the wounded and fallen from the communities and the Nova festival site," Tamar Rein Fishburn, a member of the unit's command staff, explained. "We've developed capabilities for rapid deployment that can save lives....Our teams can access areas conventional military vehicles can't reach, allowing us to transport combat forces, facilitate rescue operations, and move essential equipment through challenging terrain." Beyond emergency response, the unit now supports humanitarian aid convoys and provides crucial mobility support across various operating theaters. The Har Zion Unit exemplifies Israel's civilian response to crisis, where age becomes irrelevant in the face of national need. When faced with existential threats, the distinction between civilian and soldier often blurs in Israeli society, replaced by a simple imperative to serve. (Israel Hayom) Observations: "President Trump Understands that the Chief Driver of Instability in Today's Middle East Is the Iranian Regime" - Brian Hook interviewed by Becky Anderson (CNN)
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