DAILY ALERT |
Tuesday, November 26, 2024 | ||
In-Depth Issues:
Hizbullah's Terror Army Will Rebuild - Israel's Test Lies in First Breach - Ron Ben-Yishai (Ynet News)
As a Lebanon ceasefire nears, the problem with UN Resolution 1701, adopted by the Security Council at the end of the 2006 Lebanon War, was that none of the parties responsible for enforcing it on the ground actually did so. Hizbullah outmaneuvered everyone. Israel's natural right to self-defense does not require codification in any agreement. Israel's leadership needs the resolve to stop tolerating Hizbullah violations of Res. 1701 and to respond firmly. Under the emerging agreement, if Hizbullah "assists" Shiite villagers in rebuilding their destroyed homes by installing weapons depots, observation posts and firing positions beneath and within the structures, Israel would need to file a complaint with an international committee, led by a U.S. general and his peers from Britain, France, and an Arab state. The committee would demand evidence, forcing Israel to disclose its intelligence-gathering methods. Lacking its own enforcement mechanism, the committee would then turn to the Lebanese Armed Forces - many of whose soldiers and commanders are Shiites - and UNIFIL, asking them to compel Hizbullah to dismantle the violations identified by Israel. Only proactive Israeli military operations, with or without committee approval, can transform this deal into an effective arrangement.
Hizbullah Rocket Fire Wounds Four Italian Peacekeepers in Lebanon (AFP)
Four UN peacekeepers from Italy were wounded by Hizbullah rockets in Lebanon on Friday, Italian officials said. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the soldiers were "wounded following the launch of two rockets by Hizbullah." "Attacks against UNIFIL are a grave and unacceptable violation of international law and must stop," he said.
How Hamas Keeps Its Grip on Gaza's Aid - Neta Bar (Israel Hayom)
A different kind of conflict has emerged within Gaza in recent weeks. Hamas is now fighting crime families and mobs who dare to interfere with Gaza's primary source of power and revenue - international humanitarian aid. Hamas has a special unit called Saham (arrow in Arabic) to eliminate its opponents, and in recent weeks it has reportedly killed dozens of gang members. On Monday, two unit members were killed during a raid on a Jargoun area gang compound in Khan Yunis, where the gang was trading in smuggled cigarettes. Five gang members were killed in the raid, with footage of the confrontation spreading across social media. Saham operatives move in civilian clothes to avoid IDF detection, wearing masks. Unit members have been documented executing civilians, beating them with iron rods, and even firing RPG rockets at smugglers' vehicles. The attention given to the Saham unit underscores the struggle for control over Gaza.
Why Palestinians Will Not Have New Leaders - Bassam Tawil (Gatestone Institute)
Palestinian leaders have a long history of cracking down on their political rivals and opponents. For the past three decades, leaders of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas have systematically targeted political activists, journalists, social media users, students, professors and human rights activists as part of an ongoing campaign to silence critics and deter others from speaking out against the lack of democracy and freedom of speech. This abuse has transformed the PA-controlled areas in the West Bank and Hamas-run Gaza into Palestinian dictatorships similar to those that have long existed in most Arab countries. It has also resulted in the suppression of the emergence of new leaders capable of leading the Palestinians towards security, stability and prosperity. That is the main reason the Palestinians' only choice today continues to be the current Palestinian Authority and Hamas leaders. Those who are hoping that a new (and pragmatic) Palestinian leadership will take over one day are in for a disappointment. Even after 89-year-old PA President Mahmoud Abbas is gone, his cronies and inner circle will continue to run the show. In Gaza, no Palestinian will agree to play any administrative role as long as Hamas and its friends are still around. That is why it is necessary to eliminate Hamas completely.
The UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide Said Israel's Campaign in Gaza Wasn't Genocide - She Was Fired - Editorial (Wall Street Journal)
The UN's assault on Israel is hitting a new low. On Wednesday, the UN will refuse to renew the contract of Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the Kenyan who is the Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide. She is being dismissed because she has stood firm in her belief that Israel's war with Hamas isn't genocide. In 2022 her office issued a guidance paper on "when to refer to a situation as 'genocide'" due to "its frequent misuse." The paper explains that the term describes massacres of entire ethnic groups with the intention of eliminating them. That definition includes the Holocaust, the Hutus' genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda, and the Serbian slaughter of Bosnian Muslims. Establishing a pattern of violence as a genocide requires demonstrating intent. Israel's campaign of self-defense doesn't qualify. In its war against Hamas, Israel's strategy is intended to dismantle a terrorist regime, not eliminate an ethnic group. Israel has gone to great lengths to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties, even as Hamas uses civilians as shields so their deaths can be used as propaganda. Ms. Nderitu's refusal to endorse a lie in service of a political agenda has been a profile in courage.
Pro-Palestinian Activists Have Declared Cultural Warfare on Christmas - Catherine Perez-Shakdam (Daily Express-UK)
Pro-Palestinian protests targeting Christmas celebrations across Western cities are a calculated assault on Christian tradition, wielded as a weapon in a broader campaign of cultural warfare. In Melbourne on Nov. 10, protesters forced the cancellation of the opening of Myer's iconic Christmas window display, a beloved tradition since 1956. A similar spectacle unfolded in London on Dec. 23, 2023, as pro-Palestinian protesters descended on Oxford Street, turning one of the busiest shopping weekends into a scene of disruption as the festive atmosphere was replaced by confrontation and chaos. Christmas is co-opted into the narrative of grievance, as the activists aim to dominate and replace one narrative with another. Pro-Palestinian activists frame their struggle as a zero-sum game, where Western traditions must be dismantled to make room for their agenda. They do not seek coexistence or dialogue. It is a demand for submission. These protests are not about raising awareness; they are about coercion. They are an attack on principles like tolerance, mutual respect, and the freedom to celebrate one's own traditions without interference. Advocacy for the Palestinian cause becomes a battering ram against Western identity, with little regard for the broader consequences. |
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Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
Hizbullah The International Criminal Court Other Issues Observations: ICC Arrest Warrants: Iran's Hidden Hand in Targeting Israel - Aviram Bellaishe (Jerusalem Post)
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