| DAILY ALERT |
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 |
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told senior presidential adviser Amos Hochstein on Monday that "military action" was "the only way" to end months of Hizbullah rocket fire at Israel. Gallant said Israel needed to change the security situation on the northern border. Since the start of the Gaza war in October, Hizbullah has been launching rocket attacks that have driven tens of thousands of Israeli civilians from their homes. As Israel scales down its assault against Hamas in Gaza, it has freed up more of its forces for a possible offensive against Hizbullah. Gallant said he had told Hochstein that the window for reaching a diplomatic solution to the conflict was drawing to a close. "The only way left to return the residents of the north to their homes is via military action." Earlier on Monday, Gallant said he had delivered the same message to American Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin in a phone call. After meeting with Hochstein on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "while Israel appreciates and respects the support of the U.S., it will ultimately do what is necessary to safeguard its security and return the residents of the north securely to their homes." (New York Times) See also Necessity of Conflict with Hizbullah Gains Traction among U.S. Defense Officials - Inon Shalom Yttach Israeli sources say more U.S. defense officials are convinced that a wider conflict in the north is necessary to solve the security equation with Hizbullah. U.S. Central Command commander Gen. Michael Kurilla visited Israel's Northern Command last month where he received a situation assessment. He viewed the need for action himself and understood the urgency to bring back the residents evacuated nearly a year ago from northern Israel. The aim is to deny Hizbullah's capabilities close to the border and the threat of tunnels located near the border. (i24News) Hamas senior official Khaled Meshal, who served as Hamas's political chief for more than two decades, told the New York Times in an interview in Qatar that Hamas is winning the war in Gaza. "Hamas has the upper hand," he said, and has brought the Israeli military into "a state of attrition." Hamas's reasoning is that winning simply means surviving and, at least for now, the group has managed to do that, even if it is severely weakened. Meshal made clear that Hamas officials are not in a rush to conclude a ceasefire with Israel at any price, and will not give up on their main demands for an end to the war and an Israeli withdrawal. Yet Hamas's definition of success may no longer be valid if Israel succeeds in taking out much of Hamas's remaining firepower, according to Palestinian analysts. Meshal said the initial U.S. stance was talking about "the day after Hamas." Now, he said, the U.S. is saying, "We're waiting for Hamas's response. They're practically recognizing Hamas." Meshal said he was confident that the group would play a dominant role in Gaza following the war. "Assuming Hamas won't be in Gaza or influencing the situation is a mistaken assumption." (New York Times) The U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., has charged Isabella Giordano, 20, with destruction of federal property at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station on July 24, 2024. "Politically motivated violent and destructive behavior, regardless its motivation, is a crime - not protected speech," said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. "Those who engage in politically motivated violence and destruction in the District of Columbia should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We anticipate more charges in connection with the criminal conduct that occurred on July 24, 2024." Footage posted to X showed Giordano using red spray paint to write "Gaza" on the Columbus Fountain. She also spray-painted the base of two of the flagpoles in Columbus Circle. (U.S. Department of Justice) News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
A Bedouin Israeli Arab stabbed and wounded an Israeli Border Police officer on Sunday evening at Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. Other Border Police officers then shot and killed the assailant, Ziad Abu Subeih, 33, from a Bedouin town near Beersheba. (Times of Israel) A ground-to-ground missile launched by the Houthis in Yemen on Sunday was immediately tracked by the Arrow missile defense system's radar. An interceptor struck the target, but without completely destroying it. The missile broke apart in mid-air, and parts of it landed in an open area close to the central Israeli city of Lod. Typically, intercepts result in the full destruction of the target. The IDF has indicated that air defenses are never entirely foolproof. (Ynet News) A Houthi source confirmed the arrival of Houthi fighters from Yemen to Syria, after a Syrian source told i24News that the Houthis were on their way to Israel's border with Syria in the Golan Heights "to open a new firing front - using drones against Israel." The Yemeni armed group claimed that "this is a prelude to a new phase of escalation against Israel." The Syrian source also revealed that weapons are being smuggled from Syria to Jordan through tunnels guarded by the Iranians. Their purpose is to deliver the weapons to the West Bank and to undermine the government in Jordan. (i24News) On July 19, a Houthi explosive drone breached Israeli air defenses, murdering Yevgeny Ferder, 50, in Tel Aviv and injuring eight others. In response, Israel retaliated the next day against the main Houthi-controlled port of Al-Hodeidah. Eran Efrat, an entrepreneur who tracks shipping routes and cargo ships, said, "Back then I claimed that following a bombardment of a fuel terminal, assuming that pipelines and fuel tanks were damaged as well, a long time would be needed to fix everything," since rebuilding the oil and gas infrastructure is very difficult. According to ship tracking tools, there are "no listed tankers transporting fuel or liquefied gas in Al-Hodeidah....In addition, the port has issued an official notice to ships, telling them not to arrive." (Jerusalem Post) Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told the Security Council on Monday, "The UNRWA workers who were killed last week are Hamas terrorists....UNRWA-Gaza has become nothing more than a cartel, fostering hatred and prolonging misery in Gaza." Israel has provided more than 100 names of terrorists who were Hamas military operatives employed by UNRWA, "yet some here continue to fund this agency as if it were neutral, as if it were part of the solution and not part of the problem." "The root of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not a shortage of food or medicine - it is that Hamas continues to hold its people hostage in service of their evil ideology....It is time for this council to acknowledge the truth: the humanitarian crisis in Gaza...stems from...the grip of a terror organization that values death over life. The defeat of Hamas is not only an Israeli interest - it is a humanitarian imperative." (i24News) Of the estimated 17,000 Hamas terrorists killed since the beginning of the war, the identities of 10,000 have been conclusively confirmed. (Israel Hayom) Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
The Gaza War After the Hamas execution of six Israeli hostages, the U.S. said that "Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes." But this was not followed up by any concrete moves to impose "full accountability" on Hamas, such as supplying Israel with more and better arms to crush Hamas, instead of agonizing over the deaths of Hamas supporters and pontificating about armament restrictions. It may also be time to rethink the "humanitarian train" for Gaza which provides enormous quantities of fuel and food, which everybody knows has been hijacked by Hamas to preserve its governing capabilities. According to Ehud Yaari of Israeli TV Channel 12, Hamas has earned over half a billion dollars by seizing and then selling to Gazans almost every supply truck sent into Gaza over the past year. This allows Hamas to prolong the war in every way: prolonging the suffering of Gazans whom Hamas continues to exploit as human shields, prolonging the painful price paid by IDF soldiers on the battlefield, and prolonging the hostage torment. Instead, the U.S. slaps sanctions on Israeli civil protest organizations that call for a change in this policy - a policy to aid an enemy that is without precedent in the annals of warfare. Furthermore, it is time to consider adopting a penalization policy against Hamas that involves the loss of territory. Moreover, there should be a recalibration of the American obsession with establishing a Palestinian state. Blabbering at this moment about a Palestinian state is the very picture of victory for Hamas terrorism and constitutes encouragement for more acts of massacre. Instead of expressing "pain" when Hamas perpetrates outrages while expressing "outrage" when Israel acts uncompromisingly to crush its enemies, it is time for "full accountability" demands from the U.S. that can help Israel win the war. The writer is a senior fellow at Misgav: The Institute for National Security & Zionist Strategy. (Israel Hayom) Despite claims of goods shortages in Gaza, a video obtained by French journalist Jonathan Serero on Sunday shows fresh fruits, soaps, perfumes, sweets, snacks, soft drinks, and more in the market in the center of Gaza. A resident was heard saying, "In Gaza, during the war, you can get everything at the stalls." He showed the PlayStation5 game console that cost him only 700 shekels ($188); the current retail price on the Sony website is $500. (Jerusalem Post) See also Meat and Eggs Plentiful in Gaza - Einav Halabi Recent images from Gaza-based bloggers show that large amounts of food, including meat and eggs, have recently entered the territory. Gaza resident Hassan Raslan posted: "UNRWA agencies began distributing large packages of meat, chicken, eggs and vegetables some time ago." Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced this week that "over 50,000 aid trucks and nearly a million tons of aid have been sent to Gaza since the start of the war." (Ynet News) See also 90% of Gazan Children Received First Dose of Polio Vaccine (Reuters) Israeli Security The hostage deal proposal being promoted by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar does not promise long-term de-escalation in the Middle East. Sadly, the deal would not even lead to the release of all Israeli hostages. Iran and its allies will not abandon their goals, while providing an opportunity for Hamas and Hizbullah to regroup and recover. It's essential to recognize that this is not just another chapter in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Iran is spearheading a much broader regional campaign to encircle Israel with hostile forces. The whole campaign has shifted toward a war of attrition against Israel on various fronts. Israel cannot afford to face Iran and its proxies alone. Strong coordination with the U.S. and other Western allies is essential to confronting both the immediate threats posed by terrorist groups and the longer-term challenge of Iran's regional ambitions and nuclear threat. After the massacre of Oct. 7, Israel cannot afford to live under the constant threat of terrorism on its borders. The international community, for its part, cannot afford to see the Iranian radical axis spread its dark and fanatical vision across the Middle East, and beyond. The writer is founder and president of the Alma Research and Education Center, which specializes in Israel's security challenges on its northern borders. (Jerusalem Post) The Houthis in Yemen fired an Iranian ballistic missile at Israel on Sunday from 1,200 miles away. The attack underscores that the Houthis are undeterred by American denunciations and pinprick responses to their assault on commercial shipping in the Red Sea region. The U.S. should long ago have taken stronger action against the Houthis, as well as against Iran for supplying missiles to Russia and the Houthis. The civilized world is losing its war with the Houthis and Iranians as Israel has to live with Houthi attacks while U.S. Navy commanders in the region play defense against Houthi assaults. Imagine what will happen when Iran gets nuclear weapons. (Wall Street Journal) The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020, are a result of a realization by the Arab signatories that their biggest threat is not from Israel but rather from Iran and its proxies - like the Houthis - and that normalized ties with Israel can help them counter those threats. The UAE and Bahrain have both been attacked in the past by Houthi drones and missiles. If the perception is that Iran and its proxies are able to defeat Israel, then they will be emboldened to challenge others in the region. The hegemonic designs of Iran also extend to the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and other countries in the region. The threat posed by Iran and its proxies, a threat concretized on Sunday by the ballistic missile launched at Israel from Yemen, is the powerful glue holding these accords together, despite the war in Gaza. (Jerusalem Post) Other Issues These days, witnessing the very same Western world I once regarded with such admiration cheer for the murderous marauders of Hamas, I - like Israel - feel more lonely than I have felt in a very long time. How could it be that American universities, once bastions of the free and unfettered exchange of ideas, are now awash with young men and women who wave the flags of Hamas and Hizbullah and readily repeat antisemitic lies without sense or compassion? How could it be that the United Nations, formed to help curb violence and aggression and promote justice and well-being to all, now watches its employees take part in deadly pogroms against Jews? How could it be that world leaders, themselves facing the challenge of grappling with homicidal Islamism, fail to support Israel as it stands up to the very same forces? But the person guided by love and faith and justice isn't afraid to bear the scorn of others because he knows that truth eventually prevails. The writer, a former political prisoner in the Soviet Union, former minister in Israeli governments, and former Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, is chairman of the advisory board of the Combat Antisemitism Movement. (New York Post) For all the incompetence and corruption of their leaders, the Palestinians have long been adept at exploiting guilt over colonialism and the long tradition of antisemitism in Western countries. Large numbers of Palestinians thumb their noses at the values our civilizations represent, from the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 massacre, when many danced in the streets and handed out candy in celebration, to the pogrom of Oct. 7. As pro-Israel advocates note, America's streets are empty of protesters when blood is shed in Ukraine or Sudan, but as soon as an Israel Defense Forces missile strikes a Hamas command center in Gaza City or Rafah, they pour out like rats from a sewer. The Taliban has just announced that women are forbidden from going to work or to school and are banned from speaking in public spaces; can only use public transport when accompanied by a male chaperone; and must fully cover their faces and bodies when in public. Yet the millions of people who have attended pro-Hamas demonstrations around the world don't give a damn. In Western policy circles, the Taliban's monstrous law is barely discussed. You wonder in vain why a Hamas rapist who gets what he deserves is reinvented as an innocent civilian murdered in a "genocide," while women in Afghanistan are transformed into slaves, and the silence around that is deafening. The writer is a senior analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. (JNS) The Polish state broadcaster Telewizja Polska (Polish Television) decided to make a drama about the events of March 1968, a seismic yet rarely dramatized moment in postwar Poland. The communist government of the time brutally clamped down on intellectual dissent and whipped up anti-Jewish sentiment. The authorities withdrew the citizenship of up to 16,000 Polish Jews, accusing them of being "fifth columnist" Zionists with dual loyalty to Israel. This led to forced migration on economic grounds. Veteran filmmaker Krzysztof Lang's drama depicts a shamelessly antisemitic Polish government crushing a student revolt via the harshest of measures. Polish "Zionists" - it was still too close to the end of World War II to be flagrantly antisemitic and use the word "Jews" - were stripped of their citizenship, making them ineligible for work in Poland. The only solution was to emigrate, but the authorities would only allow them to leave if they said they were relocating to Israel (even though most actually moved elsewhere in Europe or the U.S.). Why was Polish Television so accommodating? Lang says any criticism of the communist regime in '60s Poland would have been acceptable to the ruling Justice and Law party, sitting at the opposite end of the political spectrum to the government of Wladyslaw Gomulka, who was in office from 1956 to 1970. There are two separate works: the originally commissioned film, "March '68"; and a four-part series for television retitled "End of Innocence." (Ha'aretz) See also Video Trailer: End of Innocence (YouTube) Observations: U.S. Pushes Israel to Give Land to Hizbullah - Daniel Greenfield (Gatestone Institute)
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