The British journalist, William Norman Ewer, wrote during the early part of the 20th century: “How Odd of God to Choose the Jew”. His comment sparked a multitude of replies, but the one that best appear to have responded to his comment was the reply from Cecil Browne: “But Not so Odd as Those who Choose A Jewish God But spurn the Jews“.
From a purely literary point of view, it would be obvious that Browne’s comment was the successful retort to Ewer. Nevertheless, the “anti-Jew” comment of Ewer continued through the 1900s until the end of World War II. Some believed that anti-Jewish sentiment faded to a large extent with the historical end of the Holocaust and the establishment of the nation of Israel. But, we see in the events of the present time that such antagonism only lingered in the recesses and backroads of people’s minds and memories and is now, once again, evident in places great and small throughout this circular sphere that we call Planet Earth.
To recite and enumerate the multitudes of events, chants, demonstrations and political actions that are targeted against Jews, and against the Jewish State, Israel, would appear to be superfluous. Every day brings with it another protest, another call for exclusion, punishment and for death to the Jews and to Israel, referred to be some segments of society as the “Little Satan”, as well as calls for the death of the “Big Satan”, the United States. Even many who preach sermons mix politics with Bible from their pulpits. Some sing “Go down Moses … and Let my people go.” But then, the condemnation comes that Israel’s response is not proportionate to the attack that it suffered.
These events are particularly egregious at this time, on this day, when most Jews throughout the world celebrate the Feast of Passover – a time of remembrance of the release of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The historical event, which appears in the Book of Exodus and has both physical and spiritual lessons for us all, is referred to throughout the Older and Newer Testaments. It is an event that is to be told and re-told from generation to generation. Clearly, that event has considerable significance for us today.
This post is not intended to be a Sermon from Mount Carmel, in Haifa. Nevertheless, there are some details of the story of the exodus from Egypt that cannot be disregarded on this 200th day of Israel’s war against Hamas. Jumping past God’s prophetic declarations to Abraham, we read that Moses, the one called to lead the children of Israel to freedom, told Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt: “Let my people go”. Pharaoh refused. God sent plague after plague upon the Egyptians, affecting water, plants, livestock and daily life and eventually, bringing about the death of multitudes of Egyptians and finally, the military might of Egypt. Each plague was progressively worse than the preceding ones. Egyptians suffered and groaned and complained, but their leader refused to free the children of Israel until the leader of Egypt, the Pharaoh, that represented the power and might of his nation and who was treated as a god of the people, was affected by the personal loss of his first born son.
Apparently, the suffering of the Egyptians that was brought about by the God of the children of Israel was not enough to move Pharaoh, as he remained adamant in his steadfast refusal to release those whom Egypt held captive and whose lives existed at the whim and fancy of Pharaoh. It’s interesting that none of the neighboring countries or tribal communities attempted to intercede when the Egyptians were suffering and none of them asked Moses or the children of Israel to provide camel caravans of deliveries of humanitarian aid to the citizens of Egypt. Of course, there was no internet at that time and no social media, nor were there institutions intended for “higher learning” that would allow for rebellion and violence under the guise of free speech, or any Middle East organization that was to oversee the camel deliveries of aid and assistance to the suffering Egyptians. It was only when the ultimate price was paid, the price of human life and the loss of the firstborn of every Egyptian household, that the cry went out throughout the land to let the Hebrews go. And they did go, with gifts from the Egyptians who were only more than happy for them to leave. Once they were freed, Pharaoh tried to capture them again and bring them back to Egypt. At that time, however, God brought an end to their efforts once and for all.
The leadership of Israel today has called for the release of the hostages being held by Hamas, by the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad and by the riff-raff, all of whom are holding some of those taken captive on October 7th. We won’t discuss whether they were right-wing or left-wing in their ideology, because that did not enter into the thinking of the terrorists. The Hamas leadership of Gaza doesn’t care about the suffering of the people that it is supposed to care for. And they, in turn, according to most information polls, overwhelmingly supported Hamas in its actions and would even vote for Hamas, again, if elections were to be held today.
I’ve read far too many articles of those who call for Israel’s total withdrawal from Gaza and for its unilateral ending of the war, so that all of the remaining hostages could be released. It is regrettable that most of those condemning Israel’s actions against a vicious, totally immoral and death-idolizing enemy do not live here. They live in their political ivory palaces, condemning from afar what they, themselves, would be unwilling to tolerate if they were the direct victims of terror.
Passover is definitely a celebration of freedom and this year’s observance was made extremely difficult because some of our people are still being held hostage – a fact that seems to have been forgotten, overlooked or simply ignored by many who condemn Israel’s actions against Hamas. In exchange for the release of hundreds of prisoners, many of whom are guilty of murder, the number of hostages being offered by Hamas at this point is only 20. They want a six-week moratorium on the fighting so that they, Hamas, can try to locate the remaining hostages, as they admit they don’t know where all of the hostages are at this point. Israel still doesn’t know how many are alive or what their condition is. Nevertheless, it amazingly continues to try to negotiate with representatives of evil, so that they would “let our people go”.
The Dry Bones Blog – 19 April, 2024
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7), including Hamas. Israel was called of God to be a light to the nations, not because of our “greatness”, but because we were “the fewest of all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:7). There is a demonic movement spreading throughout the world that seeks to extinguish that light, but it will not succeed and those who curse Israel will find themselves “fighting against God” (Acts 5:39). “Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: ‘If this fixed order departs from before Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever’.” (Jer. 31:35-36)
Every offer of peace that Israel has made towards its enemies has been rejected. As former Prime Minister Golda Meir once stated: “We’re the only people in the world where our neighbors openly announce they just won’t have us here. And they will not give up fighting and they will not give up war as long as we remain alive. Here.“
And in a “60 Minutes Interview” that took place during September, 1973, Golda said to then Senator Joe Biden, “Don’t look so sad, Senator, we have a secret weapon in our battle against the Arabs. Senator, we have no place else to go.”
The war against Hamas can end today, Passover 5784. All they need to do is “Let Our People Go!”
One could easily say that this past week was truly a difficult one. But, as we look back over it, we see that we made it through and are pressing on.
As everyone knows by now, during the early morning hours between Saturday night and Sunday of last week, Iran launched hundreds of missiles towards Israel. The numbers vary, but it is conceded at the very least, there were 320 missiles. Some reports indicated 350. While others indicated at least another 100-150 were launched, but never made it outside of Iran. On the Israeli side, it was aerial warfare with Israel achieving a resounding success rating of 99%. Some were quick to say that Iran’s unsuccessful efforts to exact vengeance on Israel for the killing of a very senior member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was attributable to Israel’s military prowess. Others said that training and coordinated efforts from different countries contributed to Israel’s successful aerial defense. No matter how one wants to look at it, a miracle happened here a week ago.
When the aerial warfare was over and the world was in shock over Israel’s military and technical success – with the help of a few countries, rumors began to circulate that the U.S. “negotiated” the scale of Iran’s attack upon Israel. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, during an interview that took place on April 15th on the New York City-based radio show, “Sid & Friends in the Morning”, responded to the comment by Sid Rosenberg, the program’s host, who said that he believed President Biden was “behind the whole thing”. Friedman stated: “I was kind of skeptical, but as the stories are coming out … Look, if this ends up being true, this will be an absolute outrage and a scandal the likes of which I haven’t seen before.”Here, at minutes 5:20 – 7:00. John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council Spokesman, said, in part: “I’ve also seen this speculation about messages passed back and forth and warnings…We did receive messages from Iran. And they received messages from us, too. But there was never any message to us or to anyone else on the timeframe, the targets, or the type of response.” (my emphasis) So, was it “speculation”, or was it fact?
According to Reuters, the planned Iranian attack was discussed between official representatives of the U.S. and Iran, through the intermediary of the Foreign Minister of Turkey, Hakan Fidan. The unnamed, Turkish diplomatic source that conveyed the above information, said that in a meeting between Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, “Iran informed us in advance of what would happen. Possible developments also came up during the meeting with Blinken, and they (the U.S.) conveyed to Iran through us that this reaction must be within certain limits.” (my emphasis)
On the Friday before the attack, President Biden said that he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” but warned Iran not to attack Israel, with the simple message, “Don’t”, while underscoring America’s commitment to defend Israel. In light of these conflicting reports, what are we to believe? It’s obvious that “Don’t” was not a real threat to the Iranians. Instead, the message that Iran apparently walked away with was that its “reaction must be within certain limits”. Were those “limits” conveyed? Was the message understood? A day and a half after President Biden said “Don’t”, the Iranians “did”.
Three days ago, on April 18th, during an interview with Biden, he made what appears to be a geographical blunder, while responding to a question about how he planned to regain pro-“Palestinian” voter support, in light of the Israel-Hamas war. His response was that he was meeting with them, “that we have to vastly increase the amount of food, water, healthcare going into Gaza.” But, then he added: “And I made it clear to Israelis – don’t move on Haifa. And he immediately went on to say, “It’s just not … I mean, anyway, I just, look what we did recently when Israel was attacked.” See here.
But, if we take Biden’s statements together – “Don’t”, “Don’t move on Haifa”, “look what we did…when Israel was attacked”, and then link them to the instruction to Iran that its reaction against Israel must be within certain limits, then maybe, in Biden’s mind, he jumped to the thought that he gave Iran instructions not move on Haifa. Is this a possible understanding of all of the statements and actions attributable to the U.S. and the President during the last week and a half?
Look at the map that was attached to the last post and is re-inserted here. It shows the areas of air-raid warnings that were triggered during Iran’s missile attack on Israel (displayed in red).
Take note that Haifa (in the northwest along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea) not only was not attacked (for which we are exceedingly thankful), but there wasn’t even a single siren that was triggered. For those familiar with the area, it immediately becomes clear that Haifa is a militarily strategic location. Yet, it was not targeted, not by Iran and not by the Hezbollah. That would add credence to the claim that the U.S. gave a limited “green light” to Iran to attack Israel, but not to go after a strategic target that would trigger a major response and cause the entire Middle East to become engulfed in flames. Just thoughts. But, given what we do know, is it possible?
Following the Iranian missile strike against Israel, the question that kept floating around international circles was whether Israel would respond militarily. Israel was strongly encouraged to just “take the hit” and not retaliate. Then, the claim was widely circulated that Israel would not attack Iran, in exchange for receiving “permission” to go against Hamas in Rafah (Rafiah). Arguments for and against both propositions were everywhere, in the halls of government, as well as on the streets of Israel. Everyone had an opinion on the matter. But, on Friday morning, the question was resolved. An air base in Iran was attacked and radar installations were destroyed. The attack was precise and limited. Israel remained silent, while Iran tried to downplay the attack, even claiming that the attack was by drones from inside the country. Most official reports inside Iran denied that there was serious damage, while others did not mention Israel at all. Like almost everything else that has taken place here in recent days, the extent of the damage caused to Iran varied, according to the source of the information. But, we need to remember that only the side being attacked, as well as the side doing the attacking, know exactly what was attacked and the damage that was caused. Everything else is cheap speculation.
Still, Israeli silence spoke volumes. As expected, that silence was meant to be broken, and it was.
As The Times of Israel pointed out: “It’s important Iran understands that when it acts against us, we have the ability to strike any point and we can do enormous damage – we have a capable air force and the US on our side,” former national security adviser Eyal Hulata told Army Radio…The Israeli response was thought to have been tempered by international pressure to make sure that the reply did not further escalate tensions… ‘Nobody wants war with Iran right now,’ Netanyahu confidant Natan Eshel was quoted saying by journalist Ben Caspit. ‘We proved to them that we can infiltrate and strike within their borders and they weren’t able to inside ours. The messages are more important than the grandstanding. We currently have more important tasks both in Gaza and Lebanon’.” (my emphasis)
Although much of the news this past week related to Iran’s attack and Israel’s retaliation, the war against Hamas continued. Negotiations for the release of the hostages stalled, as Hamas continued to change and increase its terms for a hostage release/prisoner exchange/ceasefire. Its latest terms include a willingness to release up to 20 hostages, in exchange for hundreds of prisoners in Israeli jails and a 6-week ceasefire, that being the time that Hamas says is needed for them to locate the remaining hostages. There are additional terms, but it should be clear to any objective observer that the constant hardening of its conditions reflects an unwillingness to seriously negotiate to bring an end to this war. In reality, it is hoping that international pressure will force Israel to unilaterally end all military action in the Gaza Strip, leaving Hamas intact and still retaining Israeli hostages. At this point, there are “guesstimates” that most of the hostages either died in captivity, or were killed. We STILL don’t know who is alive or the condition of their health.
Finally, tomorrow evening is the begining of Passover. The gathering for the evening meal will include a recitation of the release of the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Notwithstanding that Passover is an historical milestone for the people of Israel, still, even this is the subject of debate. Some say that we should not celebrate the Feast of Passover and our freedom from slavery, while Hamas is still holding some of our people hostage. Others say that celebrating the Feast is a moral imperative, to show that notwithstanding our adversaries and our circumstances, we remain strong as a people and as a nation.
In his annual Passover message to the nation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alluded to the story of Passover, while hinting at the action that will soon take place against Rafah (Rafiah), stating, in part that just as “Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to allow the Jewish slaves to leave Egypt…[so] Hamas was ‘hardening its heart and refusing to let our people go’…Therefore, we will strike it with additional painful blows – and this will happen soon’.”
May you all have a blessed Passover, with good health and thankfulness. And, despite the difficulties of these days, remember to bless, and you will be blessed to be a blessing.
No, last night was not Hanukkah. It was a night in the life of Israel. Truly, last night was quite surrealistic. After the television news media informed about the launch of missiles from Iran towards Israel, most of the country sat up and waited for the missiles to arrive. The announcement of the launch was said to be of “suicide attack drones”, but that statement was soon followed by another one saying that a second launch would follow with ballistic missiles and then, finally, by a third launch of cruise missiles. The threat was such a major concern that once the news of the first launch was announced, it was enough to cause the dispersion of the crowds that gathered for one of the major, nightly demonstrations against the present government and their unceasing call for an immediate deal to release the hostages being held by Hamas, whatever may be the price that Israel will be requested to pay.
“There’s nothing like a dose of existential dread to turn the People of the Book into the People of the Meme.” In typical Israeli fashion, once they are confined to their homes, they seek to alleviate the emotional pressure by posting different forms of humor over the internet. Last night, they included poems, limericks, drawings of Mullahs on missile-driven Persian carpets and a straight-forward announcement that the missiles were the “First direct flights to Israel from Iran since 1979”, as posted by British Journalist Matthew Kalman on Facebook.
The different types of missiles were given different names, as if one was ordering a food delivery from a restaurant and listing alongside estimated delivery times, ranging from 12 minutes to 2 hours to 12 hours, depending on the type of “delivery” to be anticipated. The first expected to arrive was the ballistic missiles, while the last to be expected was the “suicide attack drones”, with the cruise missiles making the journey in only about two hours. These extended time periods (except for the ballistic missiles) allowed time to organize both a ground and aerial defense. To their credit, television news teams remained at their posts, reporting on areas of the heaviest missile traffic and on-the-scene photo-journalism that captured the tracking, intercepting and downing of some 350 Iranian missiles having a combined weight of close to 50 tons of explosive material. Sirens blared as the night sky was lit up and the in-coming missiles were tracked and eliminated by a combination of Israel’s Iron-Dome Defense System, David’s Sling anti-missile system, the Israeli Air Force and Fighter Jets from the United States, the United Kingdom, Jordan, France and others. By mid-morning, an assessment was made that some 99% of all of the missiles were destroyed, which was confirmed by the IDF Spokesman and that no drones or cruise missiles entered Israeli airspace . A 7-year-old girl suffered serious shrapnel injuries, but there were no other reports of physical injury. No matter how ones looks at it, a great miracle happened here last night.
The areas of “Red Alert” sirens are shown in the attached photo.
Also attached is a photo of an Iranian ballistic missile that was shot down. It has a range of 1,700 kilometers, carries an explosive warhead of 750 kilograms (1,650 pounds) and is accurate to within 50 meters.
Iran claims that only “strategic areas” were targeted, including the F-35 (Phantom Jet) Air Force Base, in southern Israel, which suffered minimal damage and continues to function as usual. But, despite its claims, it is clear that its missiles were also directed at civilian locations, as air-raid alarms were set off through most of the center and eastern areas of the country.
Iran’s attack on Israel was widely condemned, including by G7 leaders, who said: “With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided.” While Israel is the last country that would want to cause “regional escalation”, the events of last night cannot be ignored, particularly in its dealings with a soon-to-be nuclear powered Iran.
Following last night’s missile attack against Israel, which was a military failure and an embarrassment to the Iranian regime, it became necessary for Iran to fabricate a success story in a blatant effort to “save face” in the Middle East and, particularly, vis-a-vis its proxies in the region. As reported by Iran International : “In the face of the humiliating failure of Iran’s first ever direct hit on Israel, Hossein Salami, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard chief commander, also alleged that the attack had been a success ‘beyond expectations’.” Iran also claimed that it has evened the score for the alleged Israel air strike on the Israeli consulate in Damascus at the beginning of the month that killed a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The Guardian reports that: The chief of the general staff, Gen Mohammad Bagheri, claimed that an Israeli intelligence centre close to the Syrian border and an airbase had been destroyed ‘to a significant extent and put out of operation…We see this operation as a result, and in our opinion, as over and there is no intention to continue it, and if the Zionist regime takes action against us, either on our soil or in the centres belonging to us in Syria, or another country does, our next operation will be bigger’. He said the operation could have been 10 times larger.” The threat contained in these statements is that any action against Iran or Iranian personnel or interests in the Middle East will result in a far-greater Iranian military response. This is intended not only as a warning against Israel, but against the U.S. and any U.S. or Israel-military ally. So, far from being over, the events of last night are actually an attempt by Iran to flex its military muscles and to try to maintain “face” in this region and towards other Shiite entities. It needs to be remembered that in this region, if one is not emphatically shown to have lost, then he is considered to have won.
Israel needs to be careful and not be carried away by its achievements in the missile attack against it. Nor should it deceive itself into thinking that it has achieved a strategic “win” over Iran, but needs to exercise wisdom, discernment and patience in analyzing yesterday’s events and outline her actions for the immediate and not-too-distant future. In this regard, the Op-Ed of David Horowitz, appearing today in The Times of Israel, is helpful and provides eight insights into the events of Iran’s missile attack upon Israel and how Israel should deal with it. The article is a worthwhile read.
For the time being, this was the day that was.
We are thankful for answered prayer and continue to encourage you to bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
We are at day 190 of the Gaza War. The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 260. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 604. We still don’t know how many hostages are still alive or who they are.
As a result of the present situation in Israel, today’s post will briefly highlight matters, rather than attempt to provide analysis or offer suggestions.
Israel remains on high alert today following threats of attack by Iran or its proxies. Reports circulated widely yesterday in all of the news media of anticipated attack on Israel within 24 to 48 hours. Foreign governments issued travel advisories, cautioning their citizens against travel to Israel, and even within Israel, due to the threats, which were being taken seriously. Iran said that it succeeded in its “psychological warfare” against Israel, meaning that it is causing widespread concern throughout the country. The IDF Spokesman says that Israel is prepared for any scenario, not only defensive, but offensive as well. Much can be understood from that short statement about what might be Israel’s response to the threats from Iran.
The U.S. reported movements of missiles and drones inside of Iran. It needs to be remembered that Iran does most of its dirty work through its puppets, whom it supports and supplies, in Lebanon (Hezbollah), Rafiah, Gaza (location of last stronghold, Hamas and Islamic Jihad), Jenin (terror base in Judea and Samaria [i.e., the West Bank]), Iraq (Shiite Militia and pro-Iranian government), Syria (Shiite Militia and ally of Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria).
Earlier this evening, the Home Front Command issued a statement to the effect that ALL educational activities, from camps during the Passover holiday up to an including universities, throughout Israel are cancelled. Gatherings are being limited to no more than 1,000 people in any location.
Commandos from Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a ship, with partial Israeli ownership, in the Gulf of Oman. Iran says that the seizure of the ship is not related to its planned retaliation for the killing of several IRGC commanders, including two Generals.
Freed Israeli hostage tells how she was captured and then “sold” by civilians from Gaza, who accompanied Hamas, and drove her to the border of the Gaza Strip. She was then transferred to a car at the border and taken to Khan Yunis, where her captors “sold” her to Hamas. From there, she was taken to a tunnel, where she recognized some others from her kibbutz (Nir Oz). The group of captives in the tunnel were divided into smaller groups, included one for elderly and one for sick. She was an emergency-room nurse by profession and her “help” was what kept her alive until she was released on November 30, 2023.
Hamas issued a statement that “it is sticking to its original demands for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the entirety of Gaza, the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and other areas, a surge in humanitarian aid and the start of the Strip’s reconstruction.” Stated differently, it wants Israel to surrender to its demands, which Israel has rejected in the past.
For an interesting and clear picture of the present situation facing Israel, I am attaching a link to the article by Majid Rafizadeh, appearing today in Gatestone Institute, entitled: “Israel: Standing Alone Against Multifaceted Threats, Thanks to the Biden Administration”.
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come?My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever. (Psalm 121)
For thus says the LORD of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.” (Zechariah 2:8)
Thank you for praying for Israel. May you have a healthy and an encouraging week and remember:
This will be brief. The headlines that filled the tabloids and news media in Israel throughout the week was the threat of Iran to “punish Israel” for the death of Iranian general Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who was killed in Syria earlier this month. He was the commandeer of the al-Quds force and the highest-ranking Iranian military officer to be killed since Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated four years ago by an attack from a United States drone.
According to most media sources in Israel, as well as abroad, including the United States, it is expected that Iran will attack Israel within 48 hours. The reports vary, as they all are based on gathered intelligence, but without a specific day and hour. As a result, Israel’s military is on highest alert, while the public is being inundated with media “guesstimates” as to when and how the attack will take place, whether directly from Iran and/or through its proxies in the region, most notably, from the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon. Sources from the U.S. believe that the attack will take place within the next 24 hours.
A short while ago, missile barrages were launched from Lebanon and it is reported that those missiles were directed at military targets in the area of the Golan Heights. There is no doubt that the intention will be to strike strategic locations, meaning power sources, military bases and communication systems. The IDF Spokesman just gave a brief announcement, indicating that it is prepared for whatever scenario might develop.
I won’t get into speculation and certainly do not want to generate any sense of panic, or unnecessary anxiety. But, this is being sent out now, requesting that the recipients of this blog who have the privilege to pray and to petition before the Throne of Grace, would do so and that you would ask others to pray as well. If power stations will be attacked, there will not be any opportunity to send out a post. Please also remember our youngest son, who is stationed in the north.
We continue to pray that we will be kept under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91:4) and that no weapon formed against us would prosper (Isaiah 54:17).
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 256. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 600.
We’re six months into Operation Sword of Iron. An in-depth analysis of the war will not be undertaken in this post. There are numerous articles that have presented pluses and minuses of the events since October 7th and have expressed various viewpoints, which are often at odds with each other, throughout the course of the war. Some things, however, are clear.
Following the massive invasion of Hamas and other terrorists into the southern communities in the Gaza Envelope, the brutal massacre of over 1,200 individuals, most of whom were civilians, and the abduction of over 250 men, women and children of all ages, both civilians and members of the IDF, Israel set out to eliminate Hamas, dismantle its ability to pose a threat to Israel, and to locate and return the hostages. The goals were and remain noble, but ended up being in conflict with each other. As a result, the repeated promises of “total victory” expressed by the Israeli government have up to now fallen far short of being accomplished.
After 183 days, Hamas has been weakened, but it still continues to exist and to fight. The same is true of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza. And, of course, there are the “unaffiliated” Gazans who participated in the events of October 7th and took some captives for themselves. While some of the hostages were released and returned to Israel as a result of a deal worked out between Israel and Hamas, and while the IDF succeeded to free 3 who were taken captive, the difficult realization is that as of this date, we still don’t know how many hostages remain alive, who they are and where they are being held. Tomorrow will be six months since October 7th.
There is no doubt that Israel’s military response to the events of October 7th has seriously impaired the operational ability of Hamas, as well as resulted in the elimination of a multitude of its operatives, including no small number of Hamas’s upper echelon. At the same time, it has taken control over a large area of the Gaza enclave. Nevertheless, for an extended period of time following the ground offensive, Hamas continued to fire missiles into Israel, necessitating the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents, causing them to become refugees in their own land. During the early days following the terrorist onslaught and the sadistic murder, sexual molestation, dismemberment and burnings of those in the southern communities, as well as those attending an outdoor festival, there was a broad showing of public support for Israel to pursue the twin objectives of doing away with Hamas and returning the hostages. Regrettably, neither of those objectives has been accomplished. Great expectations that have, as yet, to be accomplished.
The Israeli public was motivated to put politics behind them and to be united behind the government and the IDF. But, within a short period of time, it became necessary to decide which of the dual goals would take priority. The release and return of the hostages became the rallying cry of families and friends of those taken captive. Throughout Israel, from Metula to Eilat, in every public location, inside public buildings, on billboards, on lampposts, in windows and balconies, in newspapers and television news programs, among other places, there were slogans indicating that “together we will win” and similar words to that effect. Alongside the encouragements and calls for the nation to be unified in our efforts, there were posters, advertisements, tee-shirts and a multitude of other items that were quickly disseminated throughout Israel and to a multitude of other countries. In the same locations where signs for unity were posted, there were the banners, posters, advertisements, and other items, such as dog-tag-like necklaces enscribed with “Bring them home, NOW!”, or “We need to get them out of hell”, and various statements along those lines.
The urge for the desired unity quickly evaporated, as the conflict of priorities entered the picture: Rescue of the hostages vs. protection of the nation from a well-armed and well-organized terrorist organization. The division grew over the course of the war and now, there are organized demonstrations throughout the country calling for a hostage deal ‘at any price”, which not so gracefully slid into “new elections now”, “you’re the head, you”re gulity”, “go home, now” (referring to P.M. Netanyahu). The demonstrations against the government, which were carried on for long months before October 7th, have returned, only with a different excuse – or maybe with the same excuse that was hidden behind a convenient alternative.
What did we accomplish? We confirmed that it is not possible to live side by side with a terrorist organization that rules the Gaza Strip. By the same reasoning, and given the involved fighting in Judea and Samaria (“the West Bank” – of the Jordan River), we can’t live side-by-side with the entity known as the “Palestinian Authority”. What did we learn during this time? We learned that Islamic fundamentalism will not tolerate the continued existence of the State of Israel, whose existence prevents the coming of the Islamic Messiah, or Mahdi, and the re-establishment of an Islamic Caliphate headed by Shiite Moslems.
Added to the failure to accomplish Israel’s military goals set at the outset of the war, and to the internal divisions among the population, as well as in the government itself, is the pressure placed on Israel to unilaterally bring about a ceasefire, in order to effectuate a hostage deal AND to enable increased humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza. The unverified casualty figures announced by the Gaza Department of Health, which is under the control of Hamas, have been accepted by governments near and far, not the least of which include our “friends”, the United States, Canada, England and others. They have dictated to us what our priorities should be: protection of civilians and supply of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
There is a blindness that has affected our “friends and allies”. If what took place in Israel on October 7th had taken place in their countries, they would have pursued the terrorist organizations with a vengeance, just like they did after September 11th when they pursued Osama bin Laden and when they went after and fought against ISIS. I won’t even discuss the bigoted United Nations – a totally useless organization when it comes to being an effective, impartial peace keeper.
Are their victims of terrorism? Yes. Are there casualties of war? Yes. Are mistakes made in war? Yes. Should the casualties of war be a reason to stop pursuing the terrorists who slaughtered the victims and generated the need for the surviving victims to pursue their attackers? Definitely not!!!
Think of it a different way. Terrorists break into YOUR home, rape YOUR women, cuts off the arms and legs of members of some members of YOUR family, they destroy YOUR home and burn to death some members of YOUR family. Then, they kidnap other members of YOUR family and take them to where the terrorists came from and are hiding. It’s YOUR home, YOUR family members. You have both a right and an obligation to pursue them and bring the members of YOUR family back. Nobody is going to do that for you. Israel is a sovereign nation. Terrorists broke through OUR borders, raped, murdered, destroyed and kidnapped OUR people. We not only have the RIGHT TO PURSUE them, BUT THE OBLIGATION TO PURSUE THEM AND TO BRING OUR PEOPLE BACK. In the process of doing so, the terrorists hide behind civilians, set up military operations in hospitals, public buildings, business areas and residential communities. You want the non-combatants to get out of the way, but the terrorists continue to put them between you and them and the civilians become victims of their own terrorist leadership. And then, your close friends tell you that your primary concern should be to protect the people behind whom the terrorists are hiding and that if you don’t listen to them, they’re not going to encourage and support you any more. Now, it’s YOUR decision. What are you going to say? What are you going to do? Is this a fair comparison? Definitely!
And so, our “fair-weather friends” not only condemn us, while threatening not only to vote against us in the U.N., but also to cut off military aid, unless we do as we are told. “United States President Joe Biden said Friday that Israel was heeding his demand to let aid into Gaza, a day after he warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a sharp shift in policy. Asked as he left the White House whether he had threatened to stop military aid to Israel in the call with Netanyahu, Biden replied: ‘I asked them to do what they’re doing’…In a tense call on Thursday, Biden warned Netanyahu that US policy on Israel was dependent on the protection of civilians and aid workers in Gaza, following an Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers.” The call to stop weapons deliveries from the United States to Israel “is increasingly becoming mainstream among Democrats“.
And while there is also an effort in England to get the British government to cease supplying arms to Israel, there is the voice and light of reason from former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who said that “banning arms sales to Israel would be ‘insane’.”
With a keen understanding of the larger picture, Johnson published a “scathing column” in the British “Daily Mail”, noting that imposing an arms embargo on Israel would give a victory to Hamas, that is not concerned about humanitarian law. He wrote: “If you want an example of the death wish of Western civilisation, I give you the current proposal from members of the British establishment that this country should ban arms sales to Israel. If you want evidence of government madness, it appears that Foreign Office lawyers are busily canvassing the idea — which has not, as far as I can tell, yet been rejected by the Foreign Secretary himself. He seems to have gone into a kind of purdah on the subject…[adding] More alarming still, we are told that an Israeli arms ban is the subject of an active row in Cabinet, with only a handful of ministers positively sticking up for Israel. The contagion has spread pretty wide, and very fast. The proposed embargo is now supported by MPs on all sides, by the former head of MI6, by some former Supreme Court Justices, and by about 600 members of the legal profession, all of them clamouring for us to turn our backs on the only democracy in the Middle East…Let us be clear what it would mean, to ban arms sales now, when Israel is under a greater existential threat than at any time I can remember. If we ban the sale of arms ourselves, it surely follows that we do not think any self-respecting country should be arming the Israelis…And if we are willing everyone, including the U.S., to end their military support, be in no doubt what that means. There is only one logical conclusion. We are willing the military defeat of Israel and the victory of Hamas. Remember that in order to win this conflict, Hamas only has to survive. All they need at the end is to hang on, rebuild, and go again.” [emphasis mine]
While not ignoring the suffering of the people of Gaza, Johnson noted in his article the tactics of Hamas: “They [Hamas] wanted to evoke global feelings of repulsion about events in Israel, and, of course, they wanted to provoke the Israelis into a violent response, because they knew that retaliation would inevitably forfeit sympathy for Israel around the world…That’s why they took the hostages: to give Israel no choice but to fight. That’s why they refuse to give the hostages back. That’s why they prepared so carefully for the war, cynically designing their very defences so as to provoke the greatest loss of Palestinian life, and the greatest possible loss of Western support for Israel...That’s why they built 400 miles of tunnels, and that’s why they made sure to conceal themselves beneath mosques, hospitals, schools and other civilian targets. They are actively using the death and suffering of their own citizens, maximising their pain and grief so as to rally international opinion against Israel — and we are falling for it.“ [emphasis mine] Thank you, Mr. Johnson! At last, there is a clear expression of understanding that seems to have escaped many “leaders” in the Western world, who continue to bury their heads in the sand, while making outrageous demands upon Israel and asserting that the establishment of a so-called “Palestinian” State will solve the long-existing religious war and bring about a lasting peace.
Where do we go from here? Continue to fight with the goal of destroying the military capacity of Hamas (even if their leaders survive), or capitulate to internal and external pressure and make a series of disastrous deals with a thoroughly evil terrorist organization to return all of the surviving hostages, knowing that we will return and fight another day, as if October 7th never happened?
Then there is the threat of Iran to retaliate against Israel for the death of Brigadier General Mohammad Rez Zehdi, a senior military commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, who was the head of the ground operations of Iran in Syria and Lebanon. That is a genuinely worrisome and developing story. The Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, will take place on Wednesday of this coming week. It would be reasonable to think that Iran will try to carry out its threat against Israel around that time, either alone (which is possible, but doubtful) or together with the Hezbollah, which has over 100,000 missiles pointed in the direction of Israel. May it be that their threats are like clouds without water.
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 253. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 597. We still don’t know how many hostages are still alive or who they are.
On Monday, March 25th, the United States abstained from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. As a result, the Security Council finally achieved what it has been trying to do since the Israel Defense Forces entered Gaza over 5 months ago, namely: demand a ceasefire – at least for a limited period of time.
Earlier attempts by the Security Council to pass ceasefire resolutions were vetoed by the United States. Due to increasing tensions between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the way in which the war should be conducted, and resolved, the U.S. sought a way to be able to abstain from the vote. A week ago, it was the United States that put forward a ceasefire resolution that was tied to the release of the hostages taken by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and “non-affiliated” Gaza civilians on October 7th. That resolution was vetoed by Russian and China.
Speaking of the present resolution, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that despite the inclusion in the latest proposed resolution of some of the edits requested by the U.S., still, Washington “did not agree with everything” and so it could not vote “yes” to the resolution, opting to abstain instead. The interesting thing to note about the excuse offered by the United States is that since it could not give an affirmative vote, it chose not to veto the resolution as it had done in the past, but allowed it to pass. The excuse to abstain is lame and places Israel in the position of a political and international pariah. Thomas-Greenfield’s additional comment is instructive and reveals the hypocrisy of the U.S. decision to abstain from the vote, instead of vetoing it: “A ceasefire could have come about months ago if Hamas had been willing to release hostages…Any ceasefire must come with the release of all hostages.”
The position of the U.S., as stated by its representative, was clear: release the hostages, get a ceasefire. If that is the case, then the pressure should have been applied against Hamas during all this time, not against Israel. Once again, the ac-cent’ is being placed on the wrong syll-a’-ble.
“Because the final text does not have key language we view as essential, notably a condemnation of Hamas, we could not support it. This failure to condemn Hamas is particularly difficult to understanding coming days after the world once again witnessed the horrific acts terrorist groups commit.”
So, looking just at the above two excuses of the U.S., we see that failure to condemn Hamas and the failure to link a ceasefire with the release of the hostages, combined to convince the U.S. to abstain, rather than veto the resolution. Are we really expected to believe that those excuses are sufficient to betray a friend, with whom an “unbreakable bond” is supposed to exist? A friend that is fighting to survive the onslaught of a relentless, totally immoral enemy that lacks even the semblance of a conscience of what is right and wrong. Enter power politics and personality issues – exit practical efforts to release the hostages being held almost half a year – a release that would be the catalyst to bring about a ceasefire. Enter cracks in an “unbreakable bond” between the United States and Israel.
The Dry Bones Blog – 28 March, 2024
The text of the U.N. resolution demanded “an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire.” And, while the resolution also demanded the release of the hostages, it did not make the ceasefire dependent on them being freed. Following the vote, applause broke out in the chamber of the Security Council. Who were they applauding for? Certainly not the hostages, nor the families of the more than 1,200 who were killed in the south-west of Israel on October 7th.
As expected, Hamas and the “Palestinian” Authority cheered the resolution, while the Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan criticized the decision for failing to condition the ceasefire on the release of the hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the U.S. of abandoning its policy in the UN, of giving hope to Hamas of a ceasefire without having to give up its hostages, and of “harming both the war effort and the effort to release the hostages”.
Israel Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, said that Israel would continue fighting until the hostages were released: “We have no moral right to stop the war until we return all the hostages to their homes. If we don’t reach and clear and absolute victory in Gaza, it could bring a war in the north closer.”
A look behind the scenes: Hamas and the Hamas controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza cite unconfirmed numbers of civilians casualties. That narrative has been accepted by the President of the United States and by the vast majority of members of the U.N., who have displayed their anti-Israel bias long before the present Gaza war. The reason for the war has been ignored. The more than 1,200 murders of Israelis and over 240 hostages being held, abused, ill-treated and killed by terrorists whose ideology calls for worldwide Islamic Jihad and the subjection of all nations and religions to Islam, has been ignored. The continued threats to carry out additional October 7th atrocities has been ignored. The only thing that is of importance to the nations that condemn Israel is the number of casualties in Gaza.
We should not expect much from the U.N. that has seen fit to condemn Israel more than all other countries combined. But, from the U.S., our friend, we did expect a realistic appraisal of the situation that Israel is facing, fighting on seven different fronts at this point, not the least of which is in Gaza and facing a serious threat from the Hezbollah in Lebanon. We hoped for a demand for proof of numbers before blindly accepting the Hamas narrative of the number of deaths. “Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) reacted to claims that 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war — a claim that has been repeated by President Joe Biden — by stating that number includes a huge number of Hamas terrorists and also said that the war could end immediately if Hamas would surrender and release the hostages…And then we’re talking about now there [are] 31,000 Palestinians that were killed, and, well, you’re not talking about, well, 13,000 or more are actually Hamas fighters on that. So, why aren’t you breaking that out as well, too? And then, if you do, and talk about the casualty ratio, it’s actually very clear that this isn’t a genocide or that the Israelis are targeting civilians. In fact, the only ones that [target] civilians, that’s Hamas.”
The three Middle East countries that are most closely affiliated with Hamas (not including Iran, that is feeding it and encouraging it) are Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. None of them has made any serious effort to help the citizens of Gaza or to exert pressure on Hamas. Egypt, which actually has a border with Gaza, is building a walled area near its border to prevent Gazans from entering (unless they have enough money to buy their way out of Gaza and into Cairo). Lebanon, which is in large measure controlled by Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy and a co-belligerent with Hamas, joined the fighting against Israel from the outset of the Gaza War. Jordan, which could rightly be said to be the place where so-called “Palestinians” should reside, only condemns Israel, without lifting a finger to pressure Hamas to release the hostages or offer displaced Gazans an option to move to Jordan and start their lives over. But, as the Hamas narrative becomes increasingly more acceptable, more countries seek to isolate Israel. And the latest proposal is to impose an arms embargo on Israel. And, as one commentator noted: This war is exactly what Hamas wanted.
“[As] fiercely contradicting narratives about the conflict have seized the global imagination — so much so that they may be changing the course of elections in the United States and United Kingdom — it’s worth reminding the world that Hamas is not a friend of the Palestinians. Instead, it’s a militia of fundamentalists whose primary goals are to prevent a two-state solution [not that such a solution is desired, realistic or even a solution – my addition] — the realization of which would involve a verboten acknowledgment of Israel as a legitimate state — and to spread Islamic theocracy. The dismaying truth of these aims has been lost in progressive spaces, where Hamas is often portrayed as a force of Palestinian resistance. Those on the left should understand that Hamas is not trying to achieve a Palestinian state or justice for Palestinians. Instead, it aims to prevent those very outcomes by moving Israelis to the political right through terrorist attacks.”
It is no wonder that The Economist ran a front cover last week declaring “Israel Alone”. But, when viewed from the hindsight of history, we see that we have, in essence, always stood alone – alone from the point of view of involvement with nations, but never alone from the watchful eye and protective cover of the God of all creation, who has designated Israel as the “apple of His eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10; Zechariah 2:8). Indeed, Dror Eyder, in his article in Israel Hayom: “3000 years of solitude: A response to The Economist Cover”, noted that the prophet Balaam, who was hired by King Barak of Moab (southern Jordan today) to curse Israel, refused to do, and referred to Numbers 23:9. “With his immortal words, Balaam shows himself to be a prophet who saw thousands of years into the future right up to the cover of the Economist and thousands of years beyond that: ‘As I see them from the mountain tops, Gaze on them from the heights. There is a people that dwells apart, Not reckoned among the nations.’ Not regular isolation, for we have ties with the nations of the world, we contribute and we benefit. Rather it is a special isolation that only someone taking a bird’s eye perspective of history (from mountain tops and heights) could have been able to see this from our beginning as a people: A people who for all our efforts to be accepted into the community of nations and to be treated equally, will never be counted as a normal nation. We will never belong to the family of nations, even if our contribution to humanity is priceless. And if, God forbid, we shall no longer be here, we will not be mourned as a family member. Not only in the synchronic sense do we not belong, but also in the diachronic; in other words, it is not only is our existence in the present different from that of all other nations, but we also travel along a different historic path to other nations.”
Only one verse earlier, Balaam asked: “How shall I curse whom God has a not cursed? And how am I to curse him whom the LORD has not cursed?” (Numbers 23:8) The nations of today do not ask that question. If they did, they would have to acknowledge that “The Keeper of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4) and that He who created Israel and formed us, and called us back to this tiny stretch of desert sand, says that we are not to fear, because He has called us by name and we are His! (Isaiah 43:1).
The community of nations is tredding on thin ice, if it thinks that it can unite to condemn Israel and succeed. “Those who do not fail to learn from history, are condemned to repeat it”. (George Santayana – 1905). Mark Twain, in his essay “Concerning the Jews” (published 1899) understood that. We can ask whether the community of nations today understands that our calling extends for around 3.5 millennia and that no decision from the United Nations will diminish that calling. We can ask ourselves whether we understand that as well. We have been instructed not to put our trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation, but to hope in the LORD our God (Psalm 146:3, 5).
As we look at the situation facing Israel today, we realize that the war that we have been fighting has been in existence for far longer than just six months. The world must come to an understanding that our fight against the terrorism of Hamas and similar entities, is a fight not only against an enemy determined to destroy Israel, but against an enemy that seeks to subjugate the other nations and religions of the world under an Islamic caliphate. The conclusion of Dror Eyder is appropriate in this context:
“Israel’s war against Hamas is not merely a localized affair. It is the war of the entire free world against tyranny that seeks to enslave the world in the name of faith in a pagan death cult. The moral perception of the nations that preach to us not to enter Rafah and finish off the job, stems from a confusion between private morality and political morality. We are not fighting individuals – as miserable as they may be – but a nation whose unifying core is the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews wherever they may be. As far as they are concerned, the Jews are the spearhead of all Western (Judeo-Christian) civilization. For them Israel is only the outpost of this civilization; our enemies believe (and they have stated as much thousands of times) that we are the gateway to the collapse of the entire West. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the West not to leave Israel alone, but to strengthen it and hasten reinforcements. We’ve got you covered.
Is Israel isolated? Perhaps. There is nothing new in that. As always, we will survive and win. The God of Israel did not bring us back to Zion after thousands of years in exile, in order to toy with us. The question is, will the West understand that its long-term existence lies in the balance? Remember the words of the old prophet Balam. Learn from him and act in accordance.”
On another note, it appears that the creators of the calendars this year have once again placed the cart before the horse, by designating a celebration of Resurrection Day (referred to erroneously by some as “Easter” or “Pascha”, an early Middle English term for “Easter”) long before the date for the Feast of Passover. If we try to draw a parallel with the present Gaza War, we see that a reversal of facts and events tends to be the trend in modern thinking. Then again, tomorrow is another day and the beginning of a new week. The cares and concerns of this day are passing away. So, hope springs eternal and there is always a renewed cause for optimism.
Despite our situations, may we still bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
My post on Purim was originally posted on 20 March, 2019. It is being re-published below, with minor modifications.
For many years, Israel has been dealing with missile attacks launched from Gaza into residential communities. There were also numerous terrorist attempts to infiltrate into locations in the southwest of Israel. And then, on October 7, 2023, everything exploded, with missile attacks that served to cover a massive invasion of terrorists from Gaza, who committed murder, rape, bodily dismemberment, burning and other atrocities in a multitude of communities surrounding the Gaza enclave and took hundreds of hostages back to Gaza. Israel responded by force and the IDF entered Gaza some three weeks later, with the dual goals of eliminating the terrorist organization and releasing the hostages. The war that began in October continues to this day and the stated goals have only been minimally achieved. Israel has learned much since the outset of the war. It has learned, among other things, that the enemy that attacked us five months ago is relentless and that its plans include repeated attacks such as that which took place on Black Saturday, until Israel is totally removed from Middle East land and that the physical war against the Jews is an outworking of the spiritual war to kill all the Jews. Along with that, Israel’s eyes were opened to see who are its friends in need and in deed and who are its fair-weather friends. There are “friends” who stand with us, support us and encourage us and there are those who claim to be friends, but dictate to us and demand compliance with their views of how Israel should defend itself and even demand that our priorities should be in line with their priorities. Some foreign nations and leaders even try to interfere in Israel’s internal political system.
The Dry Bones Blog – 13 March, 2024
Despite being immersed in an ongoing war against a vicious, hate-filled, totally immoral and evil enemy, despite dealing with the displacement of over 100,000 Israelis from their homes, despite the existence of clouds of political uncertainty that continue to hover over the nation and a looming financial crisis and despite our “fair-weather friends” threatening to abandon us, among other things, there is always a reason to be thankful. Even if we are forced to stand alone against the world, we don’t need to sit in rooms of gloom. How we, as Israelis, view our circumstances can make or break us. We often see only the dark cloud, but forget that we have a history tied to this land for millennia. Sometimes, we forget to be mindful of the fact that the God of all creation is mindful of us and, despite the difficulty of our circumstances, He will never leave us, nor forsake us.
And so, we are involved in the longest war of Israel’s modern history. We are supported by some and condemned by many. Some understand the horrors and atrocities that took place on October 7th and the need for Israel to pursue her enemies and put an end to them, at least to some of them. Others forget what prompted the present war, or try to downplay what triggered it, or even attempt to justify it, adding insult to injury and pointing an accusing finger at Israel, focusing on the extent of Israel’s retaliation and the alleged suffering of “innocent, non-combatants”.
When our friends tell us they support our goals in war, but threaten to withdraw their support if we don’t prioritize their concerns, rather than our own, we come to realize, once again, that we stand alone and that we have always stood alone, except for One who has stood with us throughout the millennia. He raises up people who are willing to trust Him and the consequences of one man’s faith can affect the future of our nation. Sometimes, we see history repeating itself and the need to do what we need to do, even if we need to stand alone. Once such incident took place 42 years ago. And, if we pay attention to current events and statements emanating from our “friends”, we see that the more things change, the more they remain the same.
“On June 22 1982, Joe Biden was a Senator from Delaware and confronted then Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin during his Senate Foreign Relations committee testimony, threatening to cut off aid to Israel. Begin forcefully responded,
“Don’t threaten us with cutting off your aid. It will not work. I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid.”
“Senator Biden reportedly banged on the table with his fist, and Begin retorted,
“This desk is designed for writing, not for fists. Don’t threaten us with slashing aid. Do you think that because the US lends us money it is entitled to impose on us what we must do? We are grateful for the assistance we have received, but we are not to be threatened. I am a proud Jew. Three thousand years of culture are behind me, and you will not frighten me with threats. Take note: we do not want a single soldier of yours to die for us.”
Israel’s history is replete with incidents where she has stood alone. And there are some stories, like true vintage wine, that take on added significance and become better with age. One of them is the story of the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. We are commanded to tell the story from generation to generation. It reveals the presence of God, His might, His power and His holiness and ability to save the people whom He has chosen (Deut. 7:7-8). These attributes of God are also present, and He remains mighty to save, even when He is not in the forefront of the action, but in the background and even when He is not referred to or mentioned by name. This is the situation in the Scroll of Esther (Megillat Esther). It reveals the presence of Him Who is invisible.
We know the story and it is a great one. It is a story of absence – absence from the country where the sons of Jacob were to shine, to prosper, to worship God in the majesty of His holiness, to be blessed and to be a blessing. It is a story of the absence of a national leadership amongst the captives from Judea and Samaria who were taken first to Babylon during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, some of whom were later brought to Persia (modern-day Iran) and who were living during the reign of King Ahashverush (Ahasuerus). It is a story where the absence of God in the lives of the captives stands out by the failure to refer to Him. It is a story that serves as the background for the complaint of the people, as revealed in the explanation of the vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel, namely, an absence of hope: “Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off”.'” (Ezekiel. 37:11) But, even in the blatant absence of specific reference to Him, still, the Holy One of Israel continues to exercise His sovereign control over all the fortunes and misfortunes of the people, whom He referred to as “the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8).
This comment is being written on the 13th day of the Hebrew month of Adar. It was on this day, “when the king’s command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them”. (Esther 9:1)
We look at the story with the benefit of hindsight. It is written for us and we can see how the pieces that seem disjointed all fit together and reveal the Hand of God and His unseen presence among His people, during one of the lowest times in the history of the nation of Israel. The major players are Mordechai, his niece Hadassah (whose name in exile was changed to Esther), King Ahashverush, who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia and Haman, to whom the king gave exceedingly great authority. The king commanded that all of his servants, who were at the king’s gate, were to bow down and pay homage to Haman. But, Mordechai did neither.
From a political perspective, we see a “situation developing”. One man, who was at the king’s gate (i.e., was part of those who were close to the seat of power and who were able to come in and go out of the court without a special permit), defied the command of the king and would not bow down before Haman. It is recorded for us that Mordechai was living in the citadel of Susa. He was a descendant of Kish, who was a Benjamite and part of the upper class families who were taken captive and exiled along with King Jeconiah of Judah. (Esther 2:5-6)Another famous descendant of Kish was Saul, Israel’s first king, who disobeyed the Lord’s instructions given through Samuel the prophet, to strike and totally destroy Amalek. King Saul defeated the Amalekites, but allowed their king, Agag, to live – an act of disobedience that resulted in the Lord rejecting Saul from being king. Ultimately, the prophet Samuel killed Agag.
Haman was said to be “the son of Hammedatha the Agagite”. So, the consequences of Saul’s disobedience had future consequences for the nation of Israel. The descendants of Agag came to distant lands and some of them, like Haman, ended up in the service of the king of Persia. And so, once again, a descendant of Kish meets up with a powerful Amalekite.
However, as mentioned above, not only is Mordechai a descendant of Kish, he is also a Benjamite. Benjamin was the last son of Jacob. He was born after Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, after Jacob crossed the Jabbok and after he and all of his household bowed down before Esau. (Gen. 32-33, 35:16-18) Therefore, Benjamin, who was the only son of Jacob who was born in the land of Israel, did not bow down before Esau. And, his descendant, Mordechai, stood his ground, as well, and did not bow down before Haman. When questioned by the king’s servants why he refused to bow, his answer was that “he was a Jew”. (Esther 3:4) The refusal of Mordechai to bow down before Haman “filled [Haman] with rage”. When he was told “who the people of Mordechai were … Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordechai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahashverush (Ahasuerus)”. (Esther 3:5-6) Lots (Pur-im) were cast to determine the day that this would take place.
Haman’s understanding went beyond the simple fact that there are a people under the king’s rule who have a different religion. The issue was not the existence of a different religious belief, which could be tolerated, but rather, the Jewish people, whose existence would not be tolerated by the descendant of Agag, the Amalekite. Even though only Mordechai refused to bow down, the entire nation was going to suffer the consequences of his act of defiance.
The rest of the story continues, with Haman convincing the king to issue an edict that the Jewish people be destroyed. Haman was even willing to pay money into the king’s treasury if the king would agree to his request. Mordechai publicly demonstrated against the king’s edict and enlisted his niece, Hadassah (i.e., Esther, after whom the Scroll is named) to appeal to the king. Esther was chosen to replace the deposed Queen Vashti, when the latter refused to appear before the king and his drunken friends, who had been partying for seven days. Esther explained to Mordechai that her life would be endangered if she came into the presence of the king without being summoned. Mordechai wisely explained the situation in a clear and unequivocal manner: “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14) Things don’t get much clearer than that. Esther understood the gravity of the situation and that it was not her life only that was at risk, but those of the Jewish people who were under the rule and reign and authority of the king – her husband.
She requested that all of the Jews in Susa fast (and impliedly, pray) for her and not eat or drink for three days. She and her maidens would do the same and afterwards, she would go to the king, contrary to law, and, as she said: “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16) And she and they did so and on the third day, the fate of Esther and the Jewish people was decided. The sentence of death had already been passed. Now, would the sentence of death be carried out, or will there be life? The golden scepter was extended to her and with it, life for her and eventually, life for the Jewish people. She chose the manner of presenting her petition to the king and the timing of it. In the meantime, the king had a bout of insomnia and instructed that the chronicles of the kingdom be read to him. It was then that he learned that Mordechai discovered and informed about a plot to kill the king, who now decided to publicly honor and reward Mordechai by dressing him in royal garments and having him paraded through the city square on a horse, on which the king himself had ridden. Haman was appointed to do this for Mordechai and to proclaim before all the people: “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desire to honor.” (Esther 6:10-11) This further enraged Haman.
When Esther revealed to the king what Haman had done, the king issued another edict that gave permission to the Jews to defend themselves, inasmuch as by law, he could not cancel his own decree. Haman was the recipient of the king’s wrath, as he and his ten sons were hanged on the gallows and what had been meant for evil was turned around for good. (Esther chpt. 9)Mordechai recorded the events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces under the authority and rule of King Ahasverush (Ahasuerus), obliging them to annually celebrate the 14th (today) and 15th days of the Hebrew month of Adar, “because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday … for Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them…Therefore they called these days Purim after the name Pur…So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants…The command of Esther established these customs for Purim and it was written in the book.” (Esther 9:20-32)
At the end of the story, Mordechai was exalted to a position of power and authority, second only to the king himself. He was “great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation.” (Esther 10:3)
There is much that this story reveals and many aspects of it have significant, and indeed, eternal ramifications and applications for nation of Israel and for the Jewish people, as well as for the whole world. We see how the Hand of God was moving behind the scene, using the drunken feast of the king to embarrass the then queen, who was removed because of her disobedience to the command of the king (by the way, there was significant reason for that refusal); the choosing of Esther to replace her; the positioning of Mordechai as one who was at the king’s gate and his overhearing the plot to kill the king; his being of the descendants of the tribe of Benjamin; his refusal to bow before Haman the Agagite; the unsuccessful attempt to destroy the Jewish people and Mordechai’s being exalted with power and authority, second only to the king himself.
Our God reigns! “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” (Prov. 16:33) What the enemy of our souls meant for bad, God used for good.
Israel sorely needs men like Mordechai today. He was the godly remnant amongst a people who believed that God had forsaken them. He represented the hope of a national restoration, when there had not yet been any experience with exile. Living outside the land, away from the Temple service, away from the place where God commanded the blessing, was all that the people knew. Yet, one man stood in the gap. He said “no”. He would not bow down to man and certainly not to a descendant of those who sought to destroy the Jewish people. Today, we see and experience that once again, the nations conspire together against God and against His people, saying, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation that the name of Israel be remembered no more” (Psalm 83:4). The Lord God of the universe, creator of heaven and earth, knows if you and I are alive “for such a time as this”.
Looking at the situation today in Europe, in Asia, in the Middle East and even in North America, we cannot fail to see that the Hamans of this world abound and have multiplied. Some have even been elevated to positions of power, giving them a platform from which to curse and condemn the Jewish people. They accuse us, insult us, bring us before the International Criminal Court, while giving support and encouragement to our enemies, some of whom are only a stone’s throw away (literally). They are more concerned about the people whom our enemies claim to represent than about us. They would be thrilled if the State of Israel would cease to exist – exactly as Hamas has sworn to bring about. Despite this, some of our political leaders are prepared to bow down to them, figuratively, and are willing to try to negotiate with an enemy that has no moral compass and are willing to make decisions on a national level that will affect our entire country.
Under the rule of Ahashverush, an edict went forth authorizing a day when the Jews throughout the empire were to be killed. It was necessary then to obtain permission to defend against the Persian Empire (now known as Iran). Today, the threat continues and attempts have been made to follow through with what Haman failed to accomplish. The main difference between then and now is that we don’t need anyone’s permission to defend ourselves against our enemies. We are doing so and we will continue to do so, even if no one stands with us and even if their representatives tell us that our self-defense will isolate us among the community of nations and even if their tabloids proclaim that Israel already is alone. There is One Who stands with us, Whose mighty arm will save us, because He is committed to completing His program through us.
Where are the Mordechais? We need to be people who are willing to proclaim who we are, as we face the plans and pursuits of nations around and enemies within, who seek to divide this land and scatter God’s people. God doesn’t change. He remains the same yesterday, today and forever! A little faith can move mountains. And God is not removed from us, even though we do not see Him physically, but only with the eyes of faith. He is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.” (Psalm 125:2)
“I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse.” (Gen. 12:3) The nations need to take heed. There is a day of reckoning coming when their destinies will be determined on the basis of how they relate to the Jewish people. Their failure to believe that God is true to His Word will be at their peril.
So Bless, be blessed and be a blessing. Happy Purim!
“What can we expect from an American administration under the presidency of Joe Biden? We cannot ignore the fact that he was the Vice-President under the Obama administration, which was one of the most, if not the most, anti-Israel administrations in U.S. history. That’s eight years of influence that he would bring with him to the White House.
“In all likelihood, an attempt will be made to resurrect the so-called “two-state solution” to the Israeli-“Palestinian” conflict, which many political pundits considered to be a dead policy. Of necessity, that would mean that the U.S. would oppose any increased settlement activity in Judea and Samaria. Without question, unilateral annexation of territory in those areas is no longer viable – an opportunity missed by the Netanyahu government in favor of normalization agreements with certain Arab countries. Notwithstanding that Biden and Netanyahu have known each other for over 30 years, it is doubtful that such acquaintance would develop into such a friendship that the Biden administration would continue relations with Israel where the Trump administration leaves off. In all likelihood, it would revert to the perspective of the Obama administration and try to dictate to Israel how things should be worked out, namely, through a “two-state” solution. This would also entail re-establishing diplomatic ties with the “Palestinians” that seriously deteriorated under the Trump administration. This would also fulfil a Biden campaign promise to renew relationships with the “Palestinians”, which could well mean that Biden would direct the reopening of the “Palestinian” mission in Washington that was closed by Trump. Things could be somewhat different, as Biden is not Obama. This remains to be seen. Much will depend upon the politicos in the Senate and House of Representatives.” [The Week That Was: A Joe Biden Presidency – What Can Israel Expect? – November 7, 2020]
And here we are, three and a half years later, in the midst of a war with a brutal, vicious, blood-thirsty, Israel-hating terrorist organization and another U.S. presidential election looming in the not-too-distant future. And what do we hear from our friend, our ally, the one who has repeatedly stated that there exists between us an “unbreakable bond”?: Conduct your war the way WE want you to conduct it. Prioritize the safety of civilians in Gaza. Don’t fight to defeat your enemy; work out an agreement that WE think is the right one to end your war and bring home all of those taken hostage by a totally immoral group of terrorists, who use their own people as human shields and who execute their own people who disagree with them. Don’t expand your settlements in Judea and Samaria; Consent to give your enemy international recognition as a sovereign state that will exists both sides of your heartland with a shared Jerusalem as the capitol of both states, as the only way that you will both have enduring peace (a two-state solution). And if you don’t want to, we’ll go ahead and recognize your enemy as a sovereign state without your consent. By the way, we think the proposed deal with Hamas is a good one. Go for it. If you don’t listen to what we tell you to do, we’ll consider putting a few chinks into our “unbreakable bond” with you. That latter demand, to close the deal with Hamas, is the epitomy of hypocrisy. The United States doesn’t want to negotiate with terrorists, but it wants Israel to do so.
On Thursday, March 14, 2024, Chuck Schumer, the U.S. Democratic Senate Majority Leader, gave a speech explaining his views of the present war and giving his opinion how to live in peace and harmony with people sworn to Israel’s destruction. The full text of Senator Schumer’s speech can be viewed here.
If my count is correct, he referred in his speech to a “two-state solution” 21 times and to the term “Palestinian” 66 times. If something is repeated often enough, the one making the statement expects that it will become internalized by those who hear it and they, themselves, will begin to believe it and maybe pass it on. He said that Israel should call for new elections and refers to P.M. Netanyahu one of four obstacles to peace (the other three being Hamas; radical right-wing Israelis in government and society; “Palestinian” Authority President Mahmoud Abbas). He ignores reports that the vast majority of the people in Gaza voiced support for Hamas and its actions of October 7th. He also said, in part: “We should not let the complexities of this conflict stop us from stating the plain truth: Palestinian civilians do not deserve to suffer for the sins of Hamas, and Israel has a moral obligation to do better. The United States has an obligation to do better.” Well, Senator Schumer, the civilians in Gaza (not “Palestinians”) elected Hamas. That turned out to be a major mistake on their part and they are suffering the consequences of their actions. As for Israel having a “moral obligation” vis-a-vis the civilians in Gaza, it should be understood that Israel’s “moral obligation” is first and foremost is to its own population, to defend against and to fight an enemy bent on Israel’s destruction. The problem is that this enemy hides in civilian population centers and uses those civilians as human shields. The United States and its allies in WWII should first and foremost apologize for their failure to prioritize the safety of the civilian population in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in Dresden and in a multitude of other locations that were bombed to oblivion and not to point a moralizing finger at Israel, who is seeking to eliminate a ruthless enemy and ensure that there will not be a repeat of October 7th – an event that Hamas has publicly announced that it plans to pursue over and over again.
One of the problems with Senator Schumer’s speech is his apparent failure to understand that the present situation is a continuation of a religious war against Israel and the Jewish people, that is based on an ideology that demands, in part, the total elimination of Israel from the area of the Middle East. The Qur’an and Islamic traditions support and nurture an ideology of hatred towards the Jews, whose destiny, as determined by Islam, is one of absolute and total slaughter. Qur’an, Sura 5:64, makes clear that there will be “enmity and hatred” against the Jews until the end of the present age. This position has been inculcated in Islamic teaching for well over a thousand years old. So, the call for the final slaughter of all Jews is not based on the present war with Hamas, or even upon the establishment of the State of Israel. Yet, it continues today with even greater force than in previous years. Speeches by modern-day Imams confirm the call of the “Palestinians” to take the lead in the war against the Jews and that irrespective of how many agreements are signed or how many treaties are ratified, the Islamic call is to annihilate the Jews, as well as those who support them. If the United States thinks that it is exempt from the ultimate call of the Qur’an and its related Hadiths, to subject the entire world to an acceptance of Islam or be killed, then it is in for a very rude awakening. It should take a look at what has happened in France, in the countries of Scandinavia, in England and in other democratic countries, as well as take a good and long look at the demonstrations taking place in the streets across the U.S. and the statements made by elected officials in its own government.
I rarely attach a link to a video in this blog. But, given the misguided and uninformed opinions of a multitude of politicians in the U.S. and around the world, I would urge them to view, “Israelis must listen to the Palestinians” . My first reaction to this was to consider it one more attempt to get us to compromise with the so-called “Palestinians”, again. But, when viewed, it becomes readily apparent that the content does not leave much room for misunderstanding. We are encouraged to really listen to how much we are hated, how different our perspectives are and how we, as a people, value life, while those with whom we are told should be given an independent state value death, and, particularly, Israel’s death. If you can, send this to your political leaders. Maybe it will open their eyes to what they want us to ignore.
Senator Schumer says that his name is derived from the Hebrew word “shomer”, which means “guard”, “guardian”, or “keeper”. He adds: “Of course, my first responsibility is to America and New York. But as the first Jewish Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in America ever, I also feel very keenly my responsibility as Shomer Yisrael – a guardian of the People of Israel.” But, Israel already has a Protector, the best there is, the Keeper of Israel, Who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 122:6 – Hineh, lo yanoom v’lo yeeshan Shomer Yisrael = same word).
There are dates and events in history that become etched in our memory banks. They are brought forth from time to time to remind us to remember them. Some events are international in their scope, such as September 11, 2001 (i.e., 9/11) and the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Some are national, such as the Exodus from Egypt on Passover and the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai; December 7, 1941 – the bombing of the U.S. Naval Base in Pearl Harbor, “… a day that will live in infamy forever”. Some events are regional, such as 70 A.D. – the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Roman General Titus. Some relate to individuals – the death of Messiah Yeshua as the Passover Lamb and His resurrection, both according to the Scriptures. But, there are other events that relate to a specific people, and the attempts to eliminate them from the face of the earth – Psalm 83:4 – “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.” This is actually a series of events and attempts by those who hate God, who have exalted themselves and who made and make shrewd plans against “Your people” (Psalm 83:2-3; Deuteronomy 7:7; see the Scroll of Esther). And to this list we now solemnly and painfully add “Black Saturday” – October 7, 2023.
The Passover Haggadah (the telling of the Passover story at the annual Seder meal, the night of the Passover) contains the following statement (translation from Hebrew): “In every generation they rise up against us to destroy us.” A reading of Biblical history confirms this – Pharaoh’s command to kill all newborn, Jewish males and Herod’s command to kill all Jewish males under the age of two years old. Persecution under the Romans – You cannot live here as a Jew; convert or die. The slaughter of over a million Jews during the time of the Crusades; the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal – You cannot live here. The pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe and, eventually, to the Holocaust, the planned “final solution” to rid the world of the Jewish people – You cannot live!
“In 1898, Mark Twain’s “Concerning the Jew” essay was published in Harper’s Magazine. When his comment about the Jews not serving in the military was later proven to be untrue, he issued a public apology. In the latter part of his essay, he wrote, in part:
“What has become of the Golden Rule?”
It exists, it continues to sparkle, and is well taken care of. It is Exhibit A in the Church`s assets, and we pull it out every Sunday and give it an airing. But you are not permitted to try to smuggle it into this discussion, where it is irrelevant and would not feel at home. It is strictly religious furniture, like an acolyte, or a contribution-plate, or any of those things. It has never been intruded into business; and Jewish persecution is not a religious passion, it is a business passion.
. . . If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world`s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?” (Mark Twain: Concerning The Jews, Harper’s Magazine, March, 1898).
“Indeed, the question of the ages has been “What is the secret of the immortality of the Jew?” Clearly, we are but human, fallible, given to every vice and virtue of almost every other people on the earth, whether presently existing or in ages past. We cannot over-simplify the answer, nor should we try. Yet, a question that relates to immortality can only be answered by reference to that which “immortal”, which lives forever, which defies logic and necessitates a reliance upon faith.
“We need to wake up to reality from a Biblical point of view. A time is coming, and it is not very far off, when the world will turn against this tiny stretch of desert land and its inhabitants and/or will idly stand by as nations gather together in an attempt to destroy us, so that the name of Israel would be no more (Ps. 83:4). Life for the Jew will be difficult beyond our imagination. Non-Jews who will come to faith in the Lord Yeshua, the Lord of Glory, the Holy One of Israel, during that time, will have their faith tested by the manner in which they relate to the Jew, as He stated (see Matt. 25:40): “…’to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” This statement was made by the Lord Yeshua before He went to the cross and died as the Passover Lamb that took upon Himself the sins of the world. His “brothers” were, therefore, according to the flesh, namely, the Jews. This is not the place to deal with the similarities or distinctions between the wars referred to in Psalm 83; Ezekiel 38:4-5, 10-12; 39:2 and Revelation 16. That is for another time.
“Israel as a nation and the Jews as a people, will continue to exist. “Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day, And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: ‘If this fixed order departs From before Me,” declares the LORD, “Then the offspring of Israel also shall cease From being a nation before Me forever.’ Thus says the LORD, ‘If the heavens above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,’ declares the LORD.” (Jer. 31:35-37). The wars seeking to eliminate Israel and the Jews are physical manifestations of the spiritual warfare taking place – the spirit of Islam against The Spirit of the Resurrected Messiah, Israel in the midst of a sea of her enemies, who seek to destroy her.
“What is the secret of the immortality of the Jew? Simply, God! He is sovereign in all His ways…This world, with all of the evil that is in it, is fading away. We have to hold on to that which is eternal and to the One who dwells in eternity. We need to see the whole picture.” [The Week That Was: The Immortality of the Jew – 29 September, 2019]
By the way, notwithstanding Senator Schumer’s claim that Jews around the globe are driven by “Tikkun Olam”, the call to “repair the world”, it should be clear that we don’t need to try to fix the world. Efforts to do that over the millenia have failed miserably and we, as a people, have paid the price. “Fixing the World” is not our job. It belongs to the Creator of the Universe, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, the One who has fashioned us in our mother’s wombs. He alone can channel the hearts of kings like water and turn them whichever way He wants (Proverbs 21:1).0
Lest one think that my criticism of Senator Schumer’s speech is an isolated one, I am joined by politicians from both sides of the Congressional political isle, although some from Schumer’s own party were more reserved in their responses. Some of those comments can be read here and here. In the words of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky), Schumer’s comments were not only “unprecedented”, but “grotesque and hypocritical”, as well. He added: “The Democratic Party doesn’t have an anti-Bibi* problem. It has an anti-Israel problem.” [* Bibi is the nickname for Benjamin Netanyahu.]
The present U.S. Administration should stay away from playing armchair-military strategists and leave the decisions about how to conduct warfare to the people who are best trained for it and who have life experiences that guide their decisions. In short, President Biden should take the advice of General Jack Keane (Ret.) and “Leave Israel Alone”. Gen. Keane, who was interviewed on Fox News, dealt first with the return of ISIS in Afganistan and then applauded Israel’s actions in the present Gaza War. He disagreed with President Biden’s comments and said that Israel should be allowed to achieve its military goal of eliminating Hamas: “I just wish frankly that the President and his teams would leave Israel alone here and let them conduct their military operation in accordance with their values and as they see fit. They have taken unprecedented moves to remove the problem that no other military has had in my memory of dealing with such a concentration of civilians that are actually in the combatant zone inside urban centers. When the sound of the guns come, people normally leave. Hamas doesn’t let them leave. The Israelis had moved them away, as best as they possibly can. And so it’s resulted regrettably in civilians casualties. But, the rose has to be pinned. The reason for those casualties is Hamas. We’ve got this thing twisted and blamed Israel for that. That’s not the case. Israel has to finish this…If we let Hamas live again because we don’t destroy the remaining batallions and their leaders, they’re going to rearm and re-attack and make the people of Israel vulnerable once again…They’re after [Israel’s] destruction and … the millions of Jews who are living there. They certainly trust their government and their security forces, until October 7th. And that trust will have to be renewed and regain the trust of the Israeli people so they’re not put further at risk by not destroying this force.”
I will repeat, and continue to say, that Western nations fail to understand the realities of the present situation of Israel and her neighbors. A “two-state solution” would add insult to injury, fuel the flames of antisemitism, and be a reward for terrorism. Nations may choose to abandon Israel because of the present Gaza War. Their choices will have consequences, either for good or for bad. If they do choose to forsake Israel, then we can rely on a statement from Mordechai to his niece, the Queen, in the Book of Esther: “For if you [fail to help Israel] at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place” (Esther 4:14).
A little longer than usual, but every now and then, we need to say what needs to be said.
Whatever your situation may be, remember: Bless, be blessed and be a blessing!
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 247. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 587. We still don’t know how many hostages are still alive or who they are.
Hostage negotiations stalled, again, and Hamas doesn’t know where the hostages are. During the last round of talks just over a week ago, Israel demanded that Hamas provide a list of the hostages that are still alive. The representatives of Hamas balked at the request. As a result, Israel refused to continue in the talks. But, this past Monday, there was suddenly an apparent willingness on Israel’s part to agree to the basic terms laid out by the Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. participants in the negotiations. What was needed was the consent of Hamas. And then came the bombshell! Basic Naim, a political official of Hamas, who was interviewed by the BBC, said that Hamas didn’t provide a list of living hostages because it doesn’t know who they all are and where they all are. In his words, “We didn’t until now submit any list. But first of all, technically and practically, it is now impossible to know exactly who is still alive and who has been killed because of the Israeli bombardment or who has been killed because of starvation because of the Israeli blockade…[adding that the hostages] are in different areas with different groups and therefore we have called for a ceasefire to be able to collect the data.” He repeated that Hamas would not agree to conclude a hostage release / prisoner swap without an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza. The rhetoric of Hamas officials continues to blame Israel for the deaths of hostages. The representative added a new, absurd claim, that hostages died from starvation “because of the Israeli blockage”. This is an insult to everyone with even half a brain, like the Hamasnikim. Why is it that only the hostages have died from starvation, but Hamas fighters and officials apparently never go hungry? Multitudes of humanitarian aid trucks have been pouring into Gaza, but they are taken over by Hamas terrorists, and others, at gunpoint. Lest we forget, there is no humanity exhibited by Hamas. Their concerns are from first to last the members of Hamas and the continuing existence of their terrorist organization. We should not be surprised that they don’t have any real concern for the well-being of the hostages, but use them as pawns for negotiation.
At 18:30 this evening (6:30 p.m.), Hamas announced that in addition to the three hostages who were reported to have been killed last week, another four male hostages were reportedly killed, with Hamas blaming their deaths on Israel. The numbers of hostages continues to dwindle, 2, 3 and 4 at a time. More statistics to be added to the massacre committed by Hamas on October 7th. One can only imagine what is happening with the 19 women and, particularly, the soldiers, who remain in Hamas captivity. Hamas has consistently refused to allow the International Red Cross to visit the hostages and to provide much-needed medical assistance to some of them. Although the families of the named hostages were informed by the IDF, Israel claims that the report of Hamas is psychological warfare and that there is no proof of the deaths that were reported.
In an article in The Times of Israel and in the Ynet News site in Hebrew today, Vice President Kamala Harris did it again, apparently parroting the present policy line of the Biden administration. She was interviewed today by the American CBS and was asked to differentiate between the government policy and the people of Israel, while being questioned whether Israel would be endanger if the U.S. ceased providing military aid to Israel. Her response was: “It’s important for us to distinguish or at least not conflate the Israeli government with the Israeli people. The Israeli people are entitled to security – as are the Palestinians. In equal measure…And our work as always as the United States is to do what we must, and what we always have, to stand for the security of Israel and its people, and also to do what we have done behind closed doors and in public around forcing a better path forward in terms of what’s happening currently in Gaza.” She added:“This conflict has to end as soon as possible, and how it does so matters. We need the hostages out, we need humanitarian aid to so in and ultimately we need a two-state solution.”The Hebrew site has minor variations of Harris’ comments.
The Dry Bones Blog – 8 March, 2024
There is a sense of single-minded blindness that has gripped the members of the Biden administration, who think that a two-state solution is really a solution that will bring about peace and harmony between Israel and so-called “Palestinians”, who are less interested in having their own state than they are about removing the State of Israel from the land of Israel. There is an old saying that “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” It is, indeed, difficult to try to force understanding on someone who chooses to remain ignorant.
The senior policy makers in the U.S., along with those in many other countries, either failed to pay attention in their classes that discussed the history of the Middle East, or they willfully choose to ignore such history and even try to deny it. Establishing a “Palestinian” state alongside Israel is doomed from the start. Israel will never willingly agree to cut away its heartland and give it to an enemy that is sworn to Israel’s destruction. Apparently, the U.S. and other countries that are pushing for the establishment of a “Palestinian” state totally ignore what the criteria are for recognition of a people group as a state, none of which exist regarding the people in Gaza or those living under the “Palestinian” Authority in the Biblical areas of Judea and Samaria, commonly referred to as “The West Bank” (of the Jordan River). This has been reported in previous posts and may be discussed again in future posts, but need not in this one.
From the “Palestinian” perspective, all of the land that constitutes the State of Israel is “occupied”. This ideology stems from the Islamic belief that any soil where Islam has placed its foot becomes holy to Islam, even if the Islamic presence is later removed. So, the chant “From the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea” is a call for the elimination of the State of Israel, which would, from an Islamic point of view, cleanse the land and make it ready for the appearance of the “Mahdi”, or the messianic savior in Islam.
The fantasy of a two-state solution will only serve to bring an enemy closer to our doorstep and give it legitimacy as a nation-state, with all of the privileges that such an entity would possess. To say that it would pose a greater danger to Israel than that presently existing would be an understatement. Ron Dermer, a member of the War Cabinet and Minister of Strategic Affairs, and former Ambassador to the United States, in an interview with Jewish News Syndicate, stated, in part: “Anybody talking about a Palestinian state right now is living on another planet because it will be the greatest reward for terrorism. That the international community will reward somebody for doing what was done on Oct. 7; would be a complete disaster. If tomorrow, there would be a Palestinian state, it would be a clear and present danger to the Jewish state.” The interview is worth reading.
The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is literally around the corner. Initial considerations for restricting access to the Temple Mount have fallen by the wayside. The government of Israel has caved into international pressure to allow the Temple Mount to remain open for worshippers, without “major” restrictions. Threats of an all-out holy war have, apparently, succeeded to convince Israel that the last thing we need right now is an expanded holy war with presently uninvolved players. This is clearly a reversal of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plans expressed last month, which were intended to put limitations on visitation to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In the words of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir: “Hamas’ celebrations on the Temple Mount = total victory”. He also indicated in a separate statement: “The decision to permit visits to the Temple Mount during Ramadan similar to past years, against the recommendation of the police and against my advice, shows that Prime Minister Netanyahu and the mini-cabinet think that nothing happened on the 7th of October. This decision threatens the security of Israel’s citizens.” Disruptions in and around the Temple Mount during Ramadan will clearly make a presently bad situation considerably worse, which appears to be one of the goals of Hamas.
We will soon see how this works out. Past experience shows that even in the best of times, the month of Ramadan is problematic and can easily become a spark that ignites the entire region.
Did you know that there is a UN sexual violence envoy? Apparently, the formal title is: “UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict”. Well, that representative, Pramila Patten, led a special mission team through Israel and reported that there was “clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment has been committed against hostages.” She called on Hamas to “immediately and unconditionally release all individuals held in captivity and to ensure their protection, including from sexual violence.” In presenting her findings to a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, Ms. Patten added that there are “’reasonable grounds’ to believe that such violence is still ongoing against those hostages still in captivity in Gaza.” The above article noted the response of Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN: “It took the UN five months to finally recognize the horrifying sex crimes that occurred during the Hamas on onslaught of October 7,” Erdan said in a statement. “Now that the report of the sexual atrocities and abuse that our hostages are going through in Gaza is being released, the shame of the silence of the UN — which is not even holding one hearing on the issue — is crying out to the heavens.” Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, voiced strong opposition to the failure of the Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, for the failure to call a meeting of the Security Council “to declare Hamas a terror group and place sanctions on its supporters”, adding that Guterres did not say even “one word” over the report of the sexual atrocities, concluding with: “Guterres, wake up.” The time has come for not only Guterres, but for the rest of the world to consider whether the UN has any socially-redeeming value in world affairs today.
I am aware that the news media in many locations fail to give an accurate account of what is happening here. So, for those who may still question whether or not the Hezbollah terrorist organization is actively engaged in military conflict with Israel, I am attaching a link to some of the fireworks that took place in the north of Israel this past Wednesday. The situation may soon get worse, as it was reported that the grandson of Hassan Narallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah, was killed in an Israeli strike in south Lebanon earlier this week. And Ramadan begins tomorrow night (Sunday, March 10, 2024) and will continue until Tuesday, April 9th. We certainly live in interesting times.
May your week be safe and remember: Bless, be blessed and be a blessing. Marvin
Kamala Harris went too far when she condemned Israel for not doing enough to provide aid to Gazans, who she said were “caught in the war between the Jewish state and the terrorist organization bent on its destruction.” Mr. Harris spoke at an event in Selma, Alabama, commemorating the anniversary of civil rights activists who were beaten by state troopers. Given the nature of the event where she spoke, it would be only natural for Ms. Harris to inject a few tidbits regarding other matters that in her mind are appropriate matters for discussion at that same event. But, she went beyond tidbits, focusing on crowd appeal and getting on Israel’s case.
I try not to get embroiled in U.S. politics or politicians. But, when either or both reflects upon events in Israel, it would be wrong for any of us to remain silent. In her castigation of Israel, she appears to have forgotten that we are in the throes of a war against a ruthless, totally immoral terrorist organization, whose sole raison d’être is to kill the Jewish people and eliminate the State of Israel from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. She asserted: “The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses. They must not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of aid…[and] must open new border crossings.”
It is clear that the perspective of the Vice-President of the United States, of what is happening thousands of miles away from where she lives, is removed from the realities here. Her comments included that Israel “must ensure humanitarian personnel, sites and convoys are not targeted.” Targeted by whom? The IDF denies without hesitation that it does not target any humanitarian aid sites. That leaves Hamas and the Gazans themselves. As far as protecting the “humanitarian personnel”, with all due respect to Ms. Harris, that is not Israel’s responsibility. It provides humanitarian aid and allows other nations to participate in that regard. For all intents and purposes, Israel does not need to help in the distribution of the aid that enters Gaza, nor to act as a bodyguard for “humanitarian personnel”, who are undefined. Maybe she is referring to UNRWA employees. In any event, others are responsible for the trucks, the personnel and for the distribution. But, if those others fail in their responsibility, or choose not to participate in such distribution because of fear of Hamas, or because the fighting poses potential danger to them, the blame for what happens because of the failure of others should not be placed at Israel’s doorstep.
Then Ms. Harris added that “Israel also needed to work to restore basic services and promote order so that ‘more food, water and fuel can reach those in need’.” So, now, in the midst of fighting, she wants Israel to restore/repair basic services for the Gazan civilians. Maybe she expects that Israel would send over a few plumbers, open up all-night grocery stores and set up fueling stations throughout the coastal enclave. She played to the crowd and got the response that she wanted … from them, at our expense.
It has been shown that when humanitarian aid shipments enter Gaza, Hamas is the primary beneficiary of those shipments, which are intended for the multitudes. That terrorist organization has no genuine concern for the civilians in Gaza, but only for its own survival, and it forcefully takes what it wants. A natural result of the lack of an orderly distribution of humanitarian aid could clearly lead to a crisis, which, in the opinion of Kamala Harris, would then be the catalyst that should result in “an immediate ceasefire…for at least the next six weeks, which is what is currently on the table. This will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid in…Let’s get a ceasefire, let’s reunite the hostages with their families, and let’s provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza.”
Her words give the impression that she is personally involved in either fighting this war or negotiating an end to it. “Let’s get…let’s reunite…let’s provide….” Apparently, Ms. Harris fails to grasp the realities of this war and the nature of the terrorist organization that is, and absolutely should be, responsible for everything suffering in the Gaza Strip since October 7th. When she says, “Let’s”, she really means that Israel should do what she stated: “get, reunite, provide”, as if these are magical words that merely uttering them will bring about the desired result. No, Ms. Harris. There are casualties in every war and Israel’s primary goal is to defeat its enemy and bring the hostages home, alive. It is not to placate the enemy, or to pull out all the stops to make sure that the people who put Hamas into power are not harmed and are treated well.
Israel makes every effort to minimize civilian casualties, but is not an insurance company that needs to compensate Gazans who suffer because of the evils brought about by the government of blood-thirsty terrorists that those Gazans empowered to rule over them.
“Let’s get a ceasefire.” War is not an electric outlet that can be turned on and switched off at whim, because some politician thinks there is too much alleged innocent suffering. What about the innocent suffering of the hostages? Where is the humanitarian aid that should have been given to them during the past 150 days, humanitarian aid that the world should have demanded be given to them. Does their suffering not count? Where are the medical supplies that some of the hostages desperately needed? Hamas refused to provide access to the hostages by the International Red Cross. What are the names of the hostages that are still alive? Hamas refused to give a list of names to Israel. Are our hostages treated well? Testimonies of released hostages reveal ill treatment of them by Hamas and abuse that is contrary to what international law would require. Israel says that 32 hostages have died or are declared dead. Hamas claims that 70 hostages have been killed due to Israeli attacks, but did not return the bodies for examination. So, how many are really still alive and will be able to survive another six weeks in Hamas captivity? I honesty believe that even Hamas doesn’t know, so it cannot provide a list.
“Let’s reunite the hostages with their families.” This should have been uppermost in minds of those who call themselves “friends”. But, it wasn’t. This call has been sounded loud and clear by the families of the hostages and has been exerted and felt both near and far. There is no guarantee that all of the hostages, whoever may still be alive, will be released. The “deal” that’s on the table is not a one-time hostage release in exchange for a ceasefire and a swap of 10 prisoners in Israeli jails for every 1 hostage held by Hamas. It is a staged release and at each stage, Hamas can back away, just like it did before, or it will turn up the heat and make its demands more severe, leaving members of the IDF as the last ones to be returned. “Let’s provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza.” Thousands of truckloads of humanitarian aid have entered into Gaza after Joe Biden’s visit to Israel following the massacre perpetrated by Hamas on the final day of the most joyous annual feast day here. The best and most appropriate “immediate relief” for the people of Gaza is for them to be rid of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
If Kamala Harris really wants the present situation to change, she should be making every effort to help Israel, America’s friend and ally, to rid itself of a deadly enemy and free the hostages. This will also allow the tens of thousand of Israelis to return to their homes, who have been displaced because of missiles launched by terrorist organizations, resulting in those who were displaced becoming refugees in their own country. The sooner we can take care of what we need to do, the sooner the war can end, families can be reunited, and displaced Israelis can return to their homes. Then, if the U.S. still has a mindset to do so, it can extend its hand of help to the people of Gaza.
It’s easy to condemn. It’s more difficult to take a stand for a friend during its hour of need. There are consequences to both choices. “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” (Gen. 12:3)This is as true today as it has ever been. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.” (Gal. 6:7)
May the rest of your week be one of blessing. Marvin
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 242. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 582. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is still estimated at around 130+, without knowing how many, and who, are still alive.To say that this was not an easy week for Israel would be a classic understatement.
The Gaza War remains one of the central news items for the world. Most people who like to refer to themselves as “journalists” continue to look for every opportunity to slam Israel for every evil under the sun. And, if they can’t find facts to back their claims, they’ll make them up. After almost five months of war against an immoral and heartless terrorist organization, most anti-Israel news sites have either completely ignored the events that triggered the fighting in the first place, or add a one or two-line summary about the day that witnessed the worst massacre perpetrated against Israel since its founding and the severest one-day slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.
But, we haven’t forgotten the events of Black Saturday, which have been so severe and created such a national trauma that we refer to matters as being either before, or after, October 7th. The Gaza War has seen significant Israeli military successes. Even if the cowardly leadership of Hamas managed to escape from the Gaza enclave via the massive tunnel infrastructure that has become a city under a city, still, if some sources are to be believed, Israel needs only a few more weeks to dismantle the operational ability of Hamas. The thought of continuing the fighting in Gaza for “a few more weeks” is causing much of the world community to take tranquilizers, in anticipation the Muslim month of Ramadan, which is set to begin on March 10th.
As usual, the pressure is on Israel to effectuate a ceasefire before the onset of Ramadan, either through reaching an agreement with Hamas, or unilaterally as a humanitarian gesture, to avoid anticipated mass riots around the Temple Mount area and elsewhere. Why isn’t there international pressure exerted against Hamas? Not so much to enter an agreement with Israel, but to return the hostages being held by it and by Islamic Jihad and various individual, “unaffiliated” Gazans, who are holding some of those who were abducted on October 7th. The finger pointing is against Israel.
In the midst of trying to eliminate Hamas control over Gaza and to dismantle its military capability, a disaster took place in Gaza that could only be described as a nightmare for Israel. In the early hours of this past Thursday, dozens of Gazans died while trying to get to trucks delivering humanitarian aid to the enclave. Hamas was quick to accuse the IDF of massacring over 100 civilians, which Israel claimed that dozens died by trampling each other. The IDF said that the 30 or so aid trucks were driven by private contractors, who ran over some of the Gazans. The IDF fired warning shots in the air and shot at the legs of some of those who were moving towards Israeli troops, and estimated that fewer than 10 of the casualties were the result of Israeli fire. An aerial view of the event can be seen here.
As with all of the figures reported by Hamas, or the Gaza Health Department that is controlled by Hamas, the alleged figures could not be independently confirmed. There is little doubt that the event could affect the continuation of the present hostage release / ceasefire talks. CNN referred to the event as “one of the worst single tragedies to occur during Israel’s war with Hamas … after scores of Palestinians were killed trying to access food aid in Gaza City…” Note that the article says that they “were killed”, not that they “died”. There is a world of difference between the two expressions. The news site referred to figures issued by the “Palestinian Ministry of Health”, notwithstanding that CNN was not able to independently confirm the numbers. The article concluded with a comment by U.S. President Joe Biden, who said that “there are two competing versions of what happened” and that his administration was looking the matter. When asked whether the incident would complicate negotiations, Biden’s response was, “Oh, I know it will”, but he still was optimistic that a hostage release / ceasefire deal could be reached soon.
It didn’t take long for the members of the UN Security Council to consider a resolution drafted by Algeria to blame Israel for the events that resulted in Thursday’s deaths. Of the 15 member states comprising the Security Council, 14 of them voted in favor of the resolution. The 15th is the United States, who vetoed the Resolution. Robert Wood, the Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. was quoted as saying: “We don’t have all the facts on the ground – that’s the problem.” The implication in the last three words are that the U.S. might have voted in favor of the Resolution , which called for the members of the Security Council to “express deep concern on reports stating that over 100 individuals have lost their lives, with approximately 750 others sustaining injuries due to opening fire by Israeli forces”. According to the same JNS site, “Drone footage of the incident shows a large rush of Gazans swarming the convoy, which was attempting to deliver needed aid under challenging circumstances.”
A news feed from Sky News a few hours earlier todayreported, “Israel and Hamas have agreed on the duration of a truce and hostage and prisoner releases, they told Reuters. The sources said talks are due to resume in Cairo tomorrow. That leaves mediators a week to try to secure a deal before 10 March, the start of Ramadan – a date by which Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said the IDF would launch an offensive in Rafah if Hamas did not release its hostages.”
Notwithstanding reports that negotiations are to resume tomorrow, a senior Israeli official reported today that “no Israeli delegation will participate unless Hamas provides the names of the hostages still alive.” Such a demand should have been made by Israel at the outset of the first set of negotiations. We still are allowing a terrorist organization to dictate terms of the hostage release, ceasefire and prisoner release, which be conducted in stages. This war could have ended a long time ago if all of the hostages were released at one time. We could have pursued Yahya Sinwar at any other time. The price that Israel is willing to pay for partial releases of the hostages is exorbitant. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Egyptian Foreign Minister said, in part: “We cannot say that we have reached an understanding in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas yet.” The article added that Egypt was insisting on “sticking to the course of the deal agreed upon in Paris, which includes a 40-day pause in all military operations and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages at a ratio of 10 to one.” The draft of the Paris deal also states, in part, that “Hamas would free 40 Israeli hostages, including women, children under 19, elderly over 50, and the sick, while Israel would release around 400 Palestinian prisoners and will not re-arrest them.” And so, the devil continues to dictate terms and Israel continues to give in to them. There is something egregiously wrong with this picture. We are succeeding on the battlefield, despite the loss of lives of members of the IDF, but we are compromising at the negotiating table. Hamas just needs to sit and wait it out for international pressure to force Israel to unilaterally end the war.
Also, earlier this week, the government of the “Palestinian” Authority resigned and its resignation was accepted by the present President, Mahmoud Abbas. This move, apparently, is intended as an initial step towards the establishment for a new “Palestinian” government to comes into place “the day after” the war ends. According to The Wall Street Journal, “The move falls short of changes Western and Arab governments have pressured the Palestinian Authority to make, including replacing longtime career politicians with a technocratic team and for Mahmoud Abbas, the authority’s unpopular, 88-year-old president, to step aside and invest a new prime minister with some of the president’s powers.”
However, as noted by Khaled Abu Toameh, writing for the Gatestone Institute: “The sole way to “revitalize” the Palestinian Authority is to insist that it rid itself of every leader who has failed his people and who remains in power, disregarding the will and interests of the people. That is hardly likely, at least not in the foreseeable future. No one is willingly going to forego perks and power. There is no way that Abbas or any of his senior aides are voluntarily going to step down….Only a new and fresh leadership committed to reforms, democracy, and transparency has a chance of leading the Palestinians towards a better life. Sadly, leaders with such a portfolio are hard to come by in the West Bank and Gaza Strip….Any leader who comes through the US or Israel will be accused by Palestinians of being a traitor and collaborator with the enemies of the Palestinian people….The assumption that 88-year-old PA President Mahmoud Abbas will step down or agree to share power with others is a non-starter. Abbas, who was elected in 2005, is now in the 19th year of a four-year term. He has already proven that he does not care what others say about him. Recent public opinion polls have shown that up to 80% of the Palestinians want him to resign. So what? The polls have also shown that a majority of the Palestinians believe that the PA is corrupt. So what? Abbas has also proven that he prefers to consult only with two or three of his loyalist officials. Since he came to power, Abbas has been controlling the Palestinian Authority as if it were a private fiefdom.” And THIS is what the U.S. and Western nations expect will become part of the new government of the so-called “Palestinian” people when the Gaza War is over? Truly, what is needed is not new governments, but new leaders, with new mindset.
The Dry Bones Blog – 27 February, 2024
While writing this post, a report came in that an additional 3 members of the IDF were killed, and another 14 were wounded, when a device exploded in a booby-trapped building in Khan Younis, bringing the IDF death toll since the Gaza ground operation to 245. More young lives (19, 19 and 20) lost, more military funerals, more grieving families, more wounded, 4 of them seriously, meaning that they may have lost one or more limbs or organs. These soldiers faithfully served to eliminate the continuing terrorist threats to Israel and to find and release the remaining hostages. Y’hee zihram’ baruch! (May their memories be blessed!)
The news this week was filled with different opinions on a variety of different subjects: There were calls for “no more ceasefires”; calls for a “one-state solution”, with “Palestinians” being made permanent residents of Israel, but having no right to vote in national elections; challenges to the figures cited by the U.S. Secretary of Defense, who relied upon numbers from the Gaza Health Department that is controlled by Hamas; claims that the U.S. is showing weakness via-a-vis the Houthis, which emboldens them and allows them to act with impunity; terror attacks on Israelis inside Samaria; and that the Hamas invasion of October 7th was actually stolen from the plans of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon. There is, of course, the “bad news”, of wars, threats of wars and rumors of wars. There is also ongoing news about the upcoming U.S. elections, with the possibility of a Biden-Trump rematch. Is America ready for that? Is the world ready for that? Noting that a recent Reuters polls showed that 2 out of 3 Americans wanted someone new, one writer suggested that if we are looking for an ideal candidate, we should consider Moses for President. But, can such a person be found in America? The author concludes: “So, as tempting as it may seem to fill out a protest write-in ballot for Moses, we will only have ourselves to blame should our troubled world take a turn to even greater upheaval. Still, it sure would be nice if whoever gets elected tries to emulate Moses, who enduringly models the noblest traits of leadership.” May it be true for the U.S. May it be true for Israel. May it be true for the rest of the nations.
Against all this, we cannot lose hope. One day, one greater than Moses will rule and reign. Isaiah said that:“He will judge between the nations, and will mediate for many peoples; and they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.” (Isaiah. 2:4)Now THAT will, indeed, be “good news” that everyone will be able to rejoice over and appreciate. But, until then …
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 238. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 577. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is estimated at around 134.
After last week’s disclosures that the United States was working together with a number of “partners” to effectuate the establishment of a “Palestinian” state – without Israel’s involvement, the Knesset [Israel’s Parliament] earlier this week voted overwhelmingly against imposing such unilateral recognition on Israel. In what can only be described as a rare, historical moment, 99 of 120 Members of Knesset agreed to the declaration. Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, commented in an “X” post (formerly Twitter): “This landmark vote underscores our collective resolve: We will not reward terrorism by unilateral recognition in response to the October 7 massacre, nor will be accept imposed solutions. This strong stance sends a powerful message to the world: Peace and security for Israel will be achieved through negotiations, not through unilateral actions. Today, we stand united more than ever.”
Given such a stance on the part of Israel’s law makers and leadership, one would have to ask why foreign governments still speak about recognizing what is unrecognizable, a so-called “Palestinian” state. Maybe because there are still politicians who hold to the same point of view of Ahmed Tibi of the Ta’al Party, one of Israel’s most outspoken Arab Members of Knesset, who said, during the plenum debate on the proclamation: “A Palestinian state will be established Ras Ben Ami [Arabic slang for “in spite of his opposition”].”
Michael Freund, who served as deputy communications director under P.M. Netanyahu’s first term of office, wrote an Opinion piece appearing in The Jerusalem Post this evening (February 24th) entitled “Palestine is dead: No one will ever be able to make a Palestinian state”. In the article, he pointed out certain realities that Western politicians, such as UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French President Emmanuel Macron, who “floated [the] suggestion”, notwithstanding the continuing Gaza War, that the time has come to give the “Palestinians” an independent state, “even in the absence of a negotiating process.” Freund cogently points out that what these, and other statesmen, fail to understand is that “the very idea of a Palestinian state is no longer geographically viable, morally acceptable, or even politically tolerable to the overwhelming majority of Israelis. Simply put, the idea of “Palestine” is dead and buried, and no matter how hard they may try, Western politicians will never be able to revive it.” He noted that a recent poll released last month revealed that a considerable majority of Israelis are opposed to such a move, which is doomed to failure for a number of different reasons, among which is the national trauma of October 7th, that will prevent such a grant of “a massive and unprecedented reward to terrorism”. He concludes that “In light of the realities on the ground…it is time for people such as Cameron, Macron, and like-minded loons in the US State Department to take a dose of some reality pills.”
If anyone reading this post has access to such “loons”, you might want to send them a copy of Freund’s article.
In the midst of the ongoing Gaza War, Israel chose to send representatives to Paris for the renewal of talks that would lead to another hostage release / cease-fire. The Israeli delegation returned to Israel a few hours ago, with a new and updated outline for negotiations, with the major question being whether Hamas would agree to the new framework. There were, as usual, conflicting reports regarding any real progress in the talks, as the discussions in Paris focused on various demands of Hamas, including the complete withdrawal of the IDF from the northern Gaza Strip, which Israel opposed. The same news source indicated earlier today that the Israeli delegation returned from Paris “with no significant breakthrough, stating there are plans for follow-up talks in the future.” There is no denying that pressure has been mounting on Israel to reach a deal with Hamas to prevent a planned move by the IDF against the City of Rafiah in the southern region of Gaza, and particularly, for such a deal to be made before the onset of Ramadan. According to a report in Sky News, a Hamas political official said that Israel’s position was making it difficult to reach an agreement. Particularly, the official said “the Israelis had refused the main demands put forward by Hamas to ’stop the aggression, to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, to return displaced people to the north [of Gaza], and to make a real reciprocal deal’ on exchanging the Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israel … [adding that] his group [Hamas] is sticking to these demands.” P.M. Netanyahu’s response was that the demands of Hamas are “delusional”.
The leftist-leaning news site, Haaretz, reports this evening that broadly speaking, the outline/proposal calls for a six-week lull in the fighting, during which around 40 hostages would be released, including women, elderly and those in poor health, humanitarian aid and the release of prisoners being held in Israel. But, Israel will not commit to ending the war. The Guardian adds that Hamas is demanding the release of 500 “Palestinian” prisoners for each Israeli soldier being held in Gaza, along with its other demands. From a realistic point of view, if Hamas is holding a dozen Israeli soldiers, such a demand would result in Israel having to release 6,000 prisoners, which, in essence, was the original demand of Hamas. Even this demand would be a possibility, however far-fetched it might be. But, an immediate end to the war is a non-starter.
We are back to the point that is left unresolved from the outset of the Gaza War, with two seemingly irreconcilable goals: Ending the power and influence of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the safe return of the hostages. Both goals demand an all-out resolve on Israel’s part.
The multitude of demonstrations that take place almost nightly in Israel for an immediate cease fire, coupled with the demand to bring the hostages home, NOW, is a different way of calling upon the government to yield to all of the demands of Hamas, so that some 130 plus hostages can be returned. Some hold up placards saying, “Choose the lives of our loved ones.” But, choose between what? The safe return of the hostages over an extended period of time, as against the safety of entire communities in the south of Israel. As of tonight, we still do not know how many hostages are still alive, who they are and the status of their health. We also don’t know whether Hamas, along with Islamic Jihad, will be able to return all of the hostages, or even if they know where all the hostages are. Israel appears to be running after Hamas to enter into another deal. It is as though we, the victim of a demonic massacre, are pleading with the devil that he should agree to make another deal with us, knowing that he will lie and deceive. And then after that, another deal and then still another deal. Hamas has learned how to fight a psychological war, while Israel hasn’t grasped its fundamentals.
The other side of the coin is the military successes against the Hamas terrorist organization. As Israel is poised to press on towards Rafiah, in seeking to weed out Hamas operatives, the world community is becoming more tense. The terrorist invasion of October 7th is of little, or no concern, to most of the nations. The expressed concern is over the number of alleged Gazan deaths, the reports of which are released by the Gaza Health Department that is under the control of Hamas. Almost half of the numbers include the deaths of terrorists, but they are lumped together in the release of the figures. The rest are unable to be independently confirmed.
Given enough time, the IDF can destroy the organizational structure of Hamas. Militarily, Israel can defeat the Hamas terrorists, even though it may not be able to eliminate the ideology that underlies and motivates their anti-Israel and anti-Jew actions. Whether it can find the leading players in Gaza is another story. There is the possibility that Yehya Sinwar has left Gaza with his family via the tunnel network and is presently in Egypt, or somewhere else. The whereabouts of Mohammed Deif is also not known. For the Hamas leadership, its soldiers are expendable. Many of the terrorists are recognizing that their leadership doesn’t care about them, so they are making the decision to surrender to the IDF. The information gathered from the captured terrorists allows for additional measures to defeat Hamas and, in some instances, to locate some of the hostages, as was the case last week. But, the big question regarding the hostages is: Where are they being held? If we defeat Hamas militarily, but do not succeed in freeing the hostages, will we be considered as having “won” the war? Conversely, if at war’s end, Hamas is allowed to continue to exist, but is not said to have lost the war, then according to the mentality of the region, it will be viewed as if it has won.
Another question is whether Israel can achieve the military goals of the Gaza War before the beginning of Ramadan, which is almost around the corner. Israel is planning to restrict the number of Muslims who will be able to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque to those over the age of 60 and under the age of 10. Hamas warns against an imminent “explosion of rage” if restrictions will be imposed. Consideration is being given to lower the age from 60 to 40. In a message posted on Telegram, Hamas wrote: “We call on the people of our Palestinian people in the occupied territories, Jerusalem and the West Bank, to escalate the confrontation of the occupation everywhere…[and] to mobilize and march to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, to protect it from the desecration of the usurping settlers, and to thwart all fascist plans targeting the Holy Mosque and the Holy City.”
It is amazing that the Hamas leadership continues to make threats against Israel and expects that Israel will allow tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Muslims to visit the mosque in the midst of the Gaza War. Israel would be absolutely justified, not only in restricting the number of visitors, but of restricting them entirely. As one person said: “We didn’t celebrate Simchat Torah (the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which was on October 7th)! Then they shouldn’t have Ramadan!” That should be a statement with which we can readily agree.
No discussion today about the Hezbollah, or the Houthis. Not because they are not important. But, because they are separate stories that will need to be dealt with at another time. Still, please remember to pray about the situation in the north. If the IDF pursues action in Rafiah or follows through with its plans to restrict visitation of Muslims to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the region could explode and the pot that is heating up with Hezbollah can boil over.
As a final thought, I’ll leave you with Jonathan S. Tobin’s opening words in his article that appeared in Jewish News Syndicate on February 19th: “What Americans [and others – my addition] don’t get about Israelis fighting for their lives…They fail to understand a traumatized nation facing genocidal foes – one that is united behind a war whose aim is the preservation of their very existence.”
The Dry Bones Blog – 23 February, 2024
As we begin a new week, and despite any difficult circumstances –
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 235. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 572. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is estimated at around 130, without knowing who and how many, are still alive.
A Spirit of delusion has taken hold of the United States leadership, along with a number of Arab countries. That fantasy relates to the push for the establishment of a “Palestinian” state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. It is difficult to state with exactitude how many nations genuinely believe that such a step will actually be the catalyst for peace in the Middle East. If we listen to U.S. President Joe Biden and his team, one might actually think that they truly believe in the nonsense that they are espousing. And these actors are moving forward with their plans, which are doomed to failure – or worse, regional war. There are a multitude of reasons why such behind-the-scenes political maneuvering will not succeed. But, the paramount reason is because their discussions do not include Israel! As one journalist expressed it: “The Biden administration’s dogged focus on creating a Palestinian state is ‘obtuse’ and ‘delusional’.”
In his article in “the Algemeiner” yesterday, columnist Jack Elbaum reported that the U.S., along with Jordan and Egypt, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates are “quickly working to form a plan to end the Israel-Hamas war and create a Palestinian state. The first step of such a plan would be for Israel and Hamas to agree to a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the Israeli hostages. Then, during that pause in fighting, the U.S. and its Arab partners would announce the plan and start to form an interim Palestinian government.”
Let’s look at the Arab countries listed as “partners” with the U.S.: Jordan and Egypt both have peace agreements with Israel, but have been strongly outspoken against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Egypt refuses to allow Gaza residents to cross into its territory, being clearly concerned that Hamas terrorists will join the mixed multitude and wreak havoc in Egypt in due course, as they have in Gaza. Qatar has been a major financial supporter of Hamas and somehow has managed to become the major mediator in the talks between Israel and Hamas – a fact that remains difficult to comprehend. Pakistan issues passports that contain a statement that they are valid for everywhere in the world, with the notation “except Israel”. The United Arab Emirates was the first to sign the Abraham Accords with Israel, but those accords are primarily for economic interests. It never became an “ally” of Israel.
Those countries are talking and making plans behind Israel’s back. They are Biden’s “Arab partners” in the Don Quixote quest of charging at windmills in the totally misguided and, in some instances, intentional goal of dismembering the State of Israel from within, by the establishment of a so-called “Palestinian” state in the heartland of Israel. In choosing to move forward with his “Arab partners”, Biden and his team of spokespersons, have single-handedly written off the “unbreakable bond” that existed between the U.S. and Israel, until October 7, 2023.
In a lengthy telephone conversation between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden expressed his view that Israel should not pursue its military operation in Rafah (Rafiah), without developing an executable plan to provide for the safety of the civilians there. That this is a political decision for the benefit of Bidenik politics is without question. He calls Israel the friend of the U.S., but his actions are for his own benefit. The concern that has been expressed over and over again by U.S. representatives is for the civilian population and for the number of non-combatant casualties in the Gaza enclave. Somewhere along the line, the unfathomable atrocities that were committed on Black Saturday in Israel have been cast aside for political expediency, along with the fact that the multitudes of civilians in Gaza cheered the successes of Hamas, which was their leadership of choice. It has been revealed and reported over and over that Gazan civilians, including dozens of UNRWA employees, actively participated in the bloody assault. War is hell and people die, some justifiably and intentionally, while others, who are not active combatants, become casualties of war.
“During World War II, Allied bombing raids on February 13–15, 1945… almost completely destroyed the German city of Dresden. The raids became a symbol of the “terror bombing” campaign against Germany, which was one of the most controversial Allied actions of the war.
“Throughout the war, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had called for increased British air raids against the population centres of Germany [my emphasis] in order to swamp German authorities and services, particularly transportation, with hordes of refugees. As the Allied forces closed in on the Third Reich in 1945, such targets became more feasible because of the air superiority and improved navigation techniques of the Anglo-American bomber force.
“Before World War II, Dresden was called ‘Florence on the Elbe’ and was considered one of the world’s most beautiful cities because of its architecture and art treasures. Having never previously been attacked in the war, the city offered increased value for terror bombing against an inexperienced population. On the night of February 13, the British Bomber Command hit Dresden with an 800-bomber air raid, dropping some 2,700 tons of bombs, including large numbers of incendiaries. Aided by weather conditions, a firestorm developed, incinerating tens of thousands of people. The U.S. Eighth Air Force followed the next day with another 400 tons of bombs and carried out yet another raid by 210 bombers on February 15. It is thought that some 25,000–35,000 civilians died in Dresden in the air attacks, though some estimates are as high as 250,000, given the influx of undocumented refugees that had fled to Dresden from the Eastern Front [my emphasis]. Most of the victims were women, children, and the elderly….
“Given the high number of civilian casualties and the relatively few strategic targets, some even called the bombing of Dresden a war crime, thoughboth the British and the American militaries defended the bombing as necessary [my emphasis].
The goal of the Allies was to bring about an end to the war. Israel’s goal is not any different. While the Allies intentionally targeted “population centers”, Israel makes every effort to avoid civilian casualties. But, that becomes a gargantuan challenge, when seeking out an enemy that hides in civilian population centers and uses every type of civilian facility as a location from which to conduct its terrorist operations, even using the civilians themselves as human shields. Enough is enough. Israel has been engaged in military conflicts since its establishment as a State. It has compromised time and time again, entering into multiple agreements with its enemies, only to find itself attacked over and over again. This present war has created serious divisions within Israeli society. But, a recent poll taken by Channel 13, a major television station here, revealed that most of the Israelis polled are in favor of removing Hamas leadership from Gaza, even if it means not having the hostages returned. The question asked was (free translation from Hebrew):
“Suppose that Israel’s leaders come to the conclusion that they have only the two following options, when of them, in your opinion, should be chosen? – (choices):
The hostages should be returned and Hamas will remain in control of Gaza = 25%-
The hostages will not be returned, and Hamas will lose its control in Gaza = 47%-
Can’t reply” = 28%”
Why should the United States and Great Britain and their other allies be allowed to defend themselves against an aggressor that was determined to dominate the world, but minuscule Israel is denied that right against an aggressor that seeks to eliminate its very existence? Is the dependence on U.S. aid a justifiable reason for the Bideniks to dictate to Israel not to pursue military action in Rafiah – the last, remaining Hamas stronghold, and to set a timetable to end the Gaza War before the onset of the Muslim feast of Ramadan? Setting a timetable in a war, particularly this war, is not only an exercise in futility, but an indication that those who make such a decision are removed from realities on the ground and live on fantasy island. Is the U.S. abandoning Israel at a time when it looks to its alleged ally that is powerful enough to say “no” to resolutions against Israel in the U.N. Security Council? The evil of politics is found in the politicians that make decisions that have far-reaching consequences. The failure to pay attention to what is readily visible and the failure or refusal to learn from present-day events will inevitably result in a repetition of them. Those who close their eyes and ears will end up with a rude awakening.
The Dry Bones Blog – 14 February, 2024 <blog@mrdrybones.com>
As if the talks of establishing a “Palestinian” state were not difficult enough, according an article in the Washington Post, “One Arab official said Hamas’s political wing should be included in the talks, if not in the future government. ‘We need someone there who represents them to ensure they’re on board with this…If not, and they’re not happy about it, we will have Fatah and Hamas all over again’, the official said, referring to earlier confrontations between the two Palestinian groups that ultimately led to Hamas’s election as the governing power in Gaza. But if they can achieve two years of stability and prosperity under a revitalized government…’no one will choose Hamas’ at the ballot box.” Fatah and Hamas agreeing for two years? They can’t even agree for two hours. Such a proposition will never be accepted by Israel. It recognizes the power that Hamas exerts and it is that very power that this present war is being fought to eliminate.
Following his telephone conversation with President Biden, P.M. Netanyahu wrote in his “X” (formerly Twitter) account (translated from Hebrew): “Israel outright rejects international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the “Palestinians”. Such an arrangement will be reached only through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions. Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a “Palestinian” state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7 massacre would give a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism and prevent any future peace settlement.” Whether or not Israel will ever agree to a “future peace settlement” that will allow for the establishment of a “Palestinian” state as planned by the U.S. and its “partners” is doubtful. In any event, such a plan is doomed to failure because it is premised on the survival of Hamas and the involvement of Qatar. What is not doubtful, however, is that even the planning of such a move by the U.S. is nothing short of a betrayal of its friend and ally, Israel. As the situation has developed to this time, it is clear that Israel cannot, and should not, be dependent on any foreign government for its existence. Our leaders need to decide what is in our best interest, not the interest of any other government or nation or even the re-election of someone who once called Israel his friend.
Israel wants to end the Gaza War. It has other issues that need to be dealt with. Hassan Nasrallah, the General Secretary of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, delivered a speech yesterday at a ceremony honoring the “martyrs” – as he referred to them, who were killed in a retaliatory strike by Israel on terrorist targets. He stated, in part, that Hezbollah’s determination increased as a result of the deaths of ten civilians and that the Hezbollah would increase their “presence, strength, fire [and] anger” and expand their operations and that Israel “must expect that and wait for that.” He added, that if Israel expands the war with Hezbollah, the terrorist group possesses a “huge arsenal” of “precision-guided missiles that can reach everywhere in Israel”.
One more item for prayer. The International Court of Justice (or Injustice – call it what you want) will be considering this coming week whether Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria is “legal”. A decision against Israel would be disastrous.
If we look at things from a spiritual perspective, as we must, and have our eyes opened, we really have no reason to fear. There are more with us than there are with them. (2 Kings 6:16) Still, a miracle here and there just now wouldn’t hurt.
It’s the kind of story that Hollywood script writers love to turn into an emotional action movie. Only this is real, not fictionalized script. It’s the type of encouraging news that the Israeli public longed to hear during the last few months since the murderous onslaught of Black Saturday.
A bold, complex joint operation between the IDF, the Israeli Security Forces, an Armored Brigade, a commando unit, Israeli Police special counter-terrorism force and the Israeli Air Force, succeeded last night in freeing two elderly male hostages being held by Hamas forces in the al-Shabura refugee camp, north of Rafah city in southern Gaza, near the Egyptian border. In a difficult fire-fight between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists, one Israeli soldier was lightly wounded.
This was actually the second time that the IDF was able to free a live hostage from Hamas captivity inside of the Gaza Strip, the first time being on October 30, when Private Ori Megidish was freed in the northern part of the Strip.
The two elderly men were abducted by Hamas and other terrorists from the Nir Yitzhak community on October 7th and have been held in captivity for over four months. Last night, shortly after midnight, the consolidated Israeli forces succeeded in freeing them.The IDF related that “the planning was meticulous, with excellent Shin Bet [Security Forces] intelligence on the location of the terrorists and hostages.” Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF Spokesman, added that “every operation has great risks. There were models before the operation. The forces waited for the conditions for the operation…There is great complexity in reaching the target in the heart of Rafah [Rafiah]. The forces arrived covertly, in a complex operation on the second floor of the building where they were held.” He also described the conduct of the operation: “A breach is made into the building, there are guards at the entrance and inside the house. The forces storm in a hot breach, the door was locked. At the same time, fire was activated from the ground and air. The two men, aged 61 and 70, were pulled out of the apartment, at the same time as heavy aerial fire, accompanied by an attack on many Hamas targets, thus allowing the force to exit the building…During the operation, one soldier was lightly injured, not from fire. The force disengages contact and arrives at a landing pad [where] a helicopter … was waiting…..”
Rear Admiral Hagari added: “From the moment of the breach and entry into the apartment, Yamam [the special counter-terrorism unit] forces shielded Louis and Fernando [the two hostages] with their bodies, initiating a daring battle and heavy exchanges of fire at several locations simultaneously, with many terrorists…The troops pulled Louis and Fernando out of the apartment and rescued them under fire, [escorting them-insertion in original] until they reached the safe zone…It was a very tense and very touching night. Such an operation was made possible thanks to the great sacrifice of the standing army and reserve troops who fell and were injured in the battles. Without their sacrifice, we would not have reached this moment.”
Immediately after they were rescued from the building, the two men were transferred by the fighters to vehicles that were waiting for rescue in the narrow alleyways of the refugee camp and from there they were quickly driven to a makeshift airstrip, where a rescue helicopter was waiting for them that flew them to the Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer, where they underwent examinations.
From Sheba Medical Center it was reported: “Early in the morning, two Israeli hostages who were freed by our forces from the Gaza Strip arrived at the Sheba Medical Center. After an initial medical examination, the condition of the two is defined as good and stable, and they are now staying in a designated compound…These are sensitive moments for the families and for the returnees to Israel…We ask to maintain their privacy and dignity. We are happy for their return home and wish for the return of all the abductees. A media statement will be issued later. We will continue to update.”
The rescue operation in Rafiah lasted about an hour and was accompanied by massive fire power from both the Israeli Air Force and special ground forces. If Israel had listened to the many voices urging them not to press on into Rafiah, the two hostages who were released last night would still be held by Hamas, instead of being home with their families.
There is no question that the heroic and successful rescue operation inside Rafiah, a Hamas stronghold, is a moment of morale building and encouragement, both for the IDF, as well as for Israel as a whole. Yair Lapid, the leader of the Opposition in the Knesset, joined in the praises of the accomplishment of this heroic operation: “A morning with a little light, amid the pain and difficulty.”
The hostages, as well as the Hamas terrorists, are dispersed throughout the Gaza Strip. Last night’s operation will undoubtedly cause the remaining hostages to be kept under heavy guard. Nevertheless, we should never allow the difficulty to prevent us from pressing on to accomplish what needs to be done.
Members of the IDF, both soldiers and officers alike, are highly motivated to defeat Hamas and to free the hostages, even at the risk of their own lives. That was demonstrated many times over and again last night. We need to continue to pray for them that God will grant them wisdom and strength, discernment and boldness, skill and exactitude, that with His guiding Hand, there will be more successful operations, similar to the one last night. This operation was called “The Golden Hand”. Indeed, there was an unseen, but ever-present, Hand of the One who has called, formed and established Israel to be here and remain where He has planted us. He will not leave us, nor forsake us, and we will not be moved!
Joshua then said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.” (Joshua 10:25)
“It is now evident that the tactical victory that Hamas achieved on Oct. 7 with all its scenes of unimaginable horror has become a leading driver of its strategic defeat, by compelling the Israeli government to persist in spite of the atrocious plight of the hostages, by motivating IDF troops to fight until its destruction, and by forfeiting much potential support even from within the Arab world, allowing all Arab governments that had them to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. That feckless American college students sing its praises will not avert the well-deserved fate that awaits Hamas, and without the heavy casualties that some feared while others gleefully anticipated.”
It is a bit too early to sing the praises of “total victory”, but there is certainly cause for optimism. Hamas militants have surrendered in different locations during the course of the war. Two days ago, one of the commanders of a Hamas elite Nukhba unit, along with two other Hamas fighters, refused to open fire on advancing Israeli forces, despite being sufficiently armed with weapons. “We sat in the room [inside a tunnel in Khan Younis – my insertion], we placed all the weapons outside…We sat and we waited. When the [Israeli] army arrived, we put up our hands and surrendered.” When asked by Israel’s Shin Bet (Security Service) intelligence officers if he had any advice for other Hamas terrorists, the unit commander said, “I recommend to everyone to surrender, because your destiny otherwise is to die.” A portion of the interview can also be seen here.
The New York Post yesterday (February 9th), published an eye-opening editorial, entitled: “Joe Biden throws Israel under the bus in a sad ploy to win on Election Day”. Biden verbally accused Israel, that our “response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top” and added, “I’m pushing very hard to deal with this hostage cease-fire. There are a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying, and it’s gotta stop.” That’s his perspective and it’s a shameful one, for the leader of a country who has touted “an unbreakable bond” between our two countries. America has lost its understanding of what it means to really fight a war and to press on to win, as opposed to fighting with the expectation that a political compromise would be achieved. America is not in a struggle for survival against visible enemies whose entire life’s goal is to destroy America. Biden’s concern is not Hamas, or Islamic Jihad, or the P.L.O., which threaten the very existence of Israel. As noted in the above editorial, his concern is his “obsessive fear that supporting Israel too hard will alienate Arab-American voters in Michigan…[where] Islamist extremism and Jew-hatred have a worrying foothold there…Whatever his thinking, the gratuitous Israel-bash means his defense of our greatest regional ally, currently locked in a struggle with genocidal, Jew-hating terrorists openly committed to its destruction and the murder of its citizens lasted all of three months…And it wasn’t even much of a defense to begin with: He’d already been pushing the lie that the IDF is bombing indiscriminately; he’s been trying to hem in Israel’s efforts to defend itself almost since the atrocities of Oct. 7.” So much for friendship and “an unbreakable bond”.
Ambassador Danny Danon is a senior member of Israel’s Knesset and chairman of World Likud, who previously served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, minister of science and technology and deputy minister of defense. In an interview with Jewish News Syndicate earlier this past week, he stated, in part: “[One] cannot expect us to win the war with our hands tied behind our back. We expect our allies to realize that we have to use force to eradicate evil. We can’t do it without our air force or with humanitarian aid going straight to Hamas.” That statement reflects the difference between fighting “to win the war” (Israel’s perspective) and fighting without an expectation of vanquishing the enemy (Biden’s perspective). If the U.S. and other countries are so desirous of ending the Gaza War, they should do everything possible to exert pressure on Hamas and on those who support Hamas in one way or another, to push for a Hamas surrender and the immediate return of the hostages. Pressuring Israel to end the war, because of the alleged number of civilian casualties, is to put the ac-cent’ on the wrong syll-a’-ble.
While Israel is advancing militarily against Hamas, the renewed American “push” for “Palestinian” statehood is another slap in the face to Israel. American politicians must have fallen asleep during their grade school classes in geography. The creation of a “Palestinian” state uniting the “West Bank” (Judea and Samaria) with the Gaza Strip, will necessitate a diagonal slicing of Israel to create a contiguous enemy state in our heartland. Such a declaration would also be contrary to every normal understanding of what essentials are required in order to create statehood, none of which exist with regard to the people group that calls itself “Palestinian”.
The two “issues” – fighting the Gaza War and creating a so-called “Palestinian” state should not be treated as being interrelated. The Gaza War was undertaken to ensure that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel. Allowing Hamas to remain in Gaza would be an unacceptable resolution to the war and will not only enable, but encourage, future attacks against Israel by terrorist organizations, as Hamas representatives have already publicly stated. The creation of a “Palestinian” state is a political consideration that will not bring peace in this region. It will only establish a terrorist base that is within our borders from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea that will be a catalyst for repeated assaults upon Israel, only this time it will be from inside the country, instead of from outside.
Right now, there are protests in various parts of the country calling for the return of the hostages being held by Hamas and by who knows whatever other organizations and individuals. In essence, the call is for Israel to end the war, as demanded by Hamas, as a preliminary for entering into a deal for the staggered release of the hostages, as well as a renewed call for new elections here. But, these are not the only voices being heard. Two days ago (February 8th), thousands of Israelis, including “soldiers, parents of fallen soldiers and relatives of Hamas hostages, took part in a rally…[that] concluded a five-day cross-country march titled, ‘Victory March: Keep Going Until IDF Victory’.” It was established by IDF reservists, who served in the Gaza War, as well as those who served along our northern border with Lebanon, since October 7th. So, Israeli society is being pulled from both directions, in addition to the pressures being placed on the government from outside sources.
A possible solution that is being bounced around to end the war and bring about the return of the hostages is to allow the main Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammad Deif, along with four other senior Hamas leaders, to be sent into exile. That consideration is still a possibility, but has not moved forward since November.
Some of you will remember the request for prayer for Urijah Bayer, a non-Jewish, Israeli-born, evangelical of German extraction, who was wounded in the fighting in Gaza and eventually died from his wounds. Many articles have appeared regarding him, including reports on major television news stations here. His father, Gideon Bayer, spoke recently to a group of journalists at a Foreign Media Event about the call to live and serve in Israel and his son’s involvement in the IDF. The entire program was over two and a half hours in length and included other speakers, who were family members of some of those being held hostage. The story about Urijah starts at 2:13:30. At the end of the various presentations, an opportunity was given to those who were on the panel to add a message to the representatives of the foreign press. Gideon Bayer shared that his family sat Shiva (a week of mourning for a dead relative) in Israel as well as in Germany, where he was asked why Urijah joined the IDF when he didn’t have to. He explained, among other things, that he and his family believe in God and that his firm belief is that those who truly love God should also love Israel. He asked them what he considered to be a legitimate question to ask all true Bible believers, “How far does your love for Israel reach? Urijah didn’t have any boundaries regarding this question.”Joel Rosenberg, who moderated the panel, responded to this statement and quoted the Lord Yeshua, who said:“Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
Have a healthy and God-honoring week. Bless, be blessed and be a blessing. Marvin
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 224. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is estimated at 136.
THIS PAST WEEK REVEALED the involvement of 10% of UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip, including teachers in schools run by that U.N. agency, are connected with terrorist organizations and are Hamas or Islamic Jihad operatives and at least a dozen were involved in the October 7th massacre. As a result of these disclosures by Israel, gained through interrogations of militants arrested during attack on Black Saturday, UNRWA fired “several” employees “to protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance”. As the above reports further indicates, the spokesman for Antonio Guterres, the U.N. Secretary-General, said that he “is horrified” by the accusations and that an “urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA will be conducted”. Unfortunately for UNRWA, following those disclosures, the U.S. State Department temporarily halted funding the that agency, a move that was followed by Canada that review will be too little and too late. A review of the continued existence of UNRWA should have been conducted many decades ago, when it outlived its original purpose.
According to its website, titled United Nations Relief and Works Agency for “Palestine Refugees”, UNRWA was established by the U.N. General Assembly in 1949, “with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered “Palestine” refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight…Tens of thousands of “Palestine” refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.” One with any sense of perspective and understanding would have to ask: “Why, after 75 years, are there still refugees from the Israeli War of Independence in 1948?”
My posts of September 8 and 18, 2018, entitled “UNRWA-Debunking and Defunding a Deception”, parts one and two, dealt extensively with the politically-motivated establishment of UNRWA and answered the above question. The first of those posts stated, in part:
“By October, 1948, less than half a year after the establishment of the State of Israel, there was heated debate over the exact number of Arab “refugees” who left Israel. According to the United Nations, the number was estimated to be about 500,000….However, the UNRWA, for the purpose of its trying to obtain a census of Arab refugees in 1950, defined “refugee” as “a person normally resident in Palestine who had lost his home and his livelihood as a result of the hostilities and who is in need.” This definition was modified by UNRWA to include those people who had lived in “Palestine” a minimum of only two years preceding the 1948 conflict. These definitions differed from that of the 1951 Refugee Convention and further perpetuated the great cloud of unresolved doubt regarding the true number of Arab refugees. But, instead of being absorbed by the Arab nations in and around the Middle East, the matter of the refugees remained a political tool, which exploited and perpetuated the issue of the so-called “Palestinian refugees”. UNRWA played a major role in this matter, allowing the definition of a “Palestinian” refugee to also include the descendants of the original so-called “refugees”, resulting in the multiplying of the numbers of alleged “refugees” by hundreds of percent over the original numbers of 1948, whatever they actually were. So, instead of resettling and rehabilitating so-called “Palestinian refugees”, UNRWA has actually perpetuated their existence . . . and its own, thus furthering, rather than resolving, the “Palestinian refugee” issue. The claim of “refugee” status is based on voluntary information supplied by the individuals who seek to benefit from the services of UNRWA.
“Present numbers are estimated to be some 5.5 million refugees. Even if some of these so-called “refugees” became citizens of different countries, they are still treated as “refugees” by UNRWA and eligible for its aid. The “repatriation”, of these alleged “refugees” is one of the major demands of the so-called “Palestinians”. The political structure was and remains well-oiled, well-funded and enables UNRWA to continue its unending goal of providing for the ever-increasing numbers of “Palestinian refugees” – until now….
“It is important to get a perspective of where the billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money have gone over the years. Some of it, unsurprisingly, has ended up in the pockets of the Hamas terrorist organization, many of whose members are openly on the payroll of UNRWA’s full-time staff of some 23,000 people. Despite the almost 70 years since its creation and a present annual budget of hundreds of millions of dollars, getting these so-called “refugees” status in different countries is not any closer now than it was back in 1948. UNRWA’s creation was flawed from the outset. It was devoted to one people group and has acted over the last three score and ten years to perpetuate not only the Middle East conflict, but its own existence. The world community has been duped and has been paying a hefty price for the privilege of being used as a financial tool to help prolong a situation that it condemns and wrongly blames Israel for causing. If you want to know where the problem areas of the world are, follow the money.
“The time is long past due for UNRWA’s existence to come to an end and for Arab countries in the Middle East to absorb all of the so-called “Palestinian refugees”, which they have refused to do for the past 70 years. A lie has been perpetrated during all that time. It was repeated over and over again, more and more loudly over the years and is even believed by those who promulgated the lie, to create a great myth – the myth that Israel stole “Palestinian” land. One cannot steal from someone what that someone never owned.”
In 2018, it was already known that Hamas members were on the payroll of UNRWA. So why did this matter rise to the surface only now? Because it was politically expedient for everyone involved to ignore it. How many of the billions of dollars that were funded to UNRWA ended up in the hands of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in Gaza? We may never know. But, we do know that the tunnel infrastructure that was built by Hamas over the past 17 years required massive funding. Some of the tunnels were under UNRWA-supported institutions. Maybe those expenses were written off as “renovations”!
Despite the decision of the U.S. to pause funding of UNRWA, the Biden Administration sent millions of dollars to UNRWA, which were said to have been committed back in November, 2023. “Critics have long argued that UNRWA is directly tied to Hamas terrorists. On Tuesday, New Jersey GOP Rep. Chris Smith introduced a bill, known as the ‘Stop Support United Nations Relief and Works Agency Act of 2024,’ that would cut off U.S. funding.” It’s about time!
The Dry Bones Blog – 28th January, 2024
AND THEN, the Biden administration dropped its bombshell on Israel, when U.S. State Department spokesman, Mathew Miller, told reports last Wednesday, January 31st, that the United States was “actively pursuing the establishment of an independent “Palestinian” state. According to an article in The Jerusalem Post, citing the Hebrew website Walla, “US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken order the US State Department to prepare staff work that will examine the possibility of American and international recognition of the state of “Palestine” the day after the war in Gaza.” One would would think that such a one-sided step could not be implemented, given the long-standing U.S. policy that such recognition, if it were to happen, should be the result of direct negotiations between the parties involved. But, as mentioned in the above article: “A senior US official said that the war in Gaza and the efforts to find a diplomatic solution opened the way for a re-examination within the administration of many old paradigms in the policy of the United States towards the Israel-“Palestinian” conflict. According to him, there are elements within the Biden administration who recommend changing policy and moving towards recognizing a “Palestinian” state as a first step in a renewed peace process and not as a last step that would be the result of negotiations between the parties.” This is sheer lunacy on the part of the Biden administration and reveals a total lack of understanding of the nature and underlying causes of this ongoing conflict.
The establishment of a so-called “Palestinian” state is not the real issue and, in any event, it is not really desired either by the people in Gaza or by those in Judea and Samaria. The real issue is the existence of the State of Israel anywhere on land that was once occupied by Islam, which remains holy to Islam, even if they are no longer in control of it. Hence, the proclamation “from the river to the sea” is not a call for “Palestinian” independence, or for statehood, but rather a call for the elimination of the State of Israel fully and completely. In its purest sense, this decades-old conflict since the establishment of Israel in the midst of a sea of Islamic countries is a holy war that has existed from the days of our forefathers and, at its core, is not only regarding the existence of the State of Israel, but the continued existence of the Jewish people, who need to recognize and call upon the Messiah of Israel.
WHILE WE ARE TRYING TO FIGHT A PHYSICAL WAR, the present politics of the Biden administration are working to grant success to Hamas and the defeat of Israel. In Jonathan S. Tobin’s lengthy, but extremely cogent and astute article, appearing in Jewish News Syndicate yesterday, he summarizes it all in the title: “It’s Biden who’s playing politics with the Gaza war, not Bibi.” Tobin then goes on to state, in part: “[Netanyahu] may be pursuing two goals that cannot both be achieved as well as clinging to his pre-war strategic objective of getting Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel. Yet the real scheming going on right now is in Washington, not Jerusalem. It is Biden who is playing a double game in which he seems willing to ensure Hamas’s survival in power in order to settle scores with Netanyahu, as well as to defeat former President Donald Trump in November…That’s the context for the discussions about the latest proposal for a ceasefire and the release of 136 hostages—some living and some presumed dead—in which the double-dealing government of Qatar is playing a central role. Whether or not this effort, like previous ones, will be shot down by Hamas, Netanyahu will continue to face enormous pressure from both the families of the hostages and the United States to either pause or end the war…as the war heads towards its fifth month, Biden’s practice of talking out of both sides of his mouth on the conflict—backing Israel while also bashing and pressuring it to scale down its military campaign—has escalated to the point where a tipping point may soon be reached. American involvement in the hostage talks seem not so much to be focused on freeing the captives as they are on hamstringing the Israeli war effort and wrong-footing Netanyahu.
“While Washington’s focus on demands for the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a far-reaching postwar deal involving Saudi normalization may be wildly unrealistic, it is only understandable if seen in the context of a gambit to topple the Israeli coalition while winning Biden back the favor of left-wing and Arab-American voters whose anger over his supporting Israel’s right to self-defense has imperiled his re-election campaign…It’s also clear that Biden’s attempts to balance his support for Israel and not stopping the flow of arms resupply that enable the continuation of the war (which he has threatened to halt) with talk of a Palestinian state and gestures like sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of violence against Arabs are nothing more than cheap political maneuvers…No matter how [Netanyahu] navigates the current crisis or whether he survives in office, he seems not so much to be playing politics as his opponents claim as clinging to the only stand that makes any sense if Israel is to truly ensure that there will be no more Oct. 7 attacks. Biden, on the other hand, is doing nothing but playing to his party base, seeking to convince them that he shares their contempt for Israeli lives that is a key element in the calls for a ceasefire before Hamas is eliminated…[Biden’s] cynical tricks may or may not gain him votes, but the real loser in his politicization of Middle East policy is the security of a Jewish state that is being endangered by his vendetta against Netanyahu.” (Emphasis mine) The once believed and often touted “unbreakable bond between the U.S. and Israel” is being strained to the breaking point. Politicians need to hear and to heed the voice of their constituents. U.S. voters can press their representatives to continue to support Israel. They will be blessed in return. That is part of God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3).
AS FOR THE PRESENT HOSTAGE DEAL NEGOTIATIONS, I am referring you to Carolyn Glick’s explanation of the current negotiations and why their implementation means defeat for Israel. While I would encourage you to listen to the entire presentation, which touches on a number of different issues, it is particularly important to listen to the comments from minutes 4:14-8:14.
ONE FINAL NOTE: The situation in the north is reaching a boiling point. Hezbollah aggression has reached the point where Israel will need to do more than just respond to rockets, RPGs, anti-tank missiles and UAVs. Lebanon is unable to control the Hezbollah, who has ignored its obligation under U.N. Resolution 1701, which brought about the end of the Second Lebanon War, in 2006. Israel MUST pursue action to move the Hezbollah north of the Litani River, and create a buffer zone, as stated in Article 8 of the above Resolution, “free of armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon [weak as it is – my addition] and of UNIFIL” [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon], which will not engage in any fighting. If we wait too much longer, we will end up with tens of thousands of missiles being launched into Israel, which will cause extensive damage to Israel’s infrastructure, particularly in the north, but also to areas south of Haifa. And then, Israel will follow through with its warnings and Beirut will be turned into a second Gaza.
Yes, it’s been quite a week.
And notwithstanding all that has been said here and the attempts of the prince of the power of the air to discourage us, God also has a few things to say:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will also go.” So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.’ Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’” (Zechariah 8:20-23)
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 217. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 552.
“The willingness of the world, including many of the educated elites in the West to dismiss the importance of the crimes perpetrated in southern Israel three months ago, to be effectively neutral about the murders, rapes, torture and kidnapping committed by Hamas and the Palestinians—or actually to take the side of the murderers, rapists, torturers and kidnappers—isn’t just shocking. It’s a seminal moment in modern history that not only illustrates the moral bankruptcy of a significant segment of contemporary opinion but also provides an explanation for how the Holocaust happened. As hard as it may be for us to accept, this demonstrates that Holocaust commemorations or even education programs about the destruction of European Jewry in the mid-20th century either don’t make people less likely to support more Holocausts; even worse, all this might be counterproductive.”
Today, January 27th, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, that was declared by Resolution 60/7, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on November 1, 2005. The Preamble to the Resolution, and Articles 1, 3 and 5, state:
“Reaffirmingthat the Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of one third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities, will forever be a warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice…
“1. Resolves that the United Nations will designate 27 January “as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust….
“3. Rejects any denial of the Holocaust as an historical event, either in full or in part;…
“5. Condemns without reserve all manifestations of religious intolerance, incitement, harassment or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief, wherever they occur.” (Italics in original)
In its 85th plenary meeting, held on January 26, 2007, the U.N. General Assembly adopted Resolution 61/255 Holocaust denial, which reaffirmed its above Resolution of 1 November, 2005, and declared, that the U.N.:
“1. Condemns without any reservation any denial of the Holocaust;
“2. Urges all Member States unreservedly to reject any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, either in full or in part, or any activities to this end.” (Italics in original)
Apparently, the politicos in the U.N. came to understand that their prior Resolutions were like clouds without water, the General Assembly, 20 January, 2022, adopted a second Resolution dealing with Holocaust denial (Resolution 76/250). Its lengthy Preamble stated, in part:
“Bearing in mind that the founding principle of the Charter of the United Nations, ‘to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’, is testimony to the indelible link between the United Nations and the unique tragedy of the Second World War,
“Recalling the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind,…
“Deeply concerned about the prevalence of impunity in some instances, and the lack of accountability in some cases, in addressing violence against persons on the basis of religion or belief in public and private spheres, and stressing the importance of making the necessary efforts to raise awareness to address the spread of hate speech against persons on the basis of religion or belief,…
“Noting that Holocaust denial refers to discourse and propaganda that deny the historical reality and the exstent of the extermination of the Jews by the Nazis and their accomplices during the Second World War, known as the Holocaust or Shoah,
“Noting also that Holocaust denial refers specifically to any attempt to claim that the Holocaust did not take place, and may include publicly denying or calling into doubt the use of principal mechanisms of destruction (such as gas chambers, mass shooting, starvation, and torture) or the intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people
“Bearing in mind that Holocaust denial in its various forms is an expression of antisemitism,”Noting that distortion and/or denial of the Holocaust refers, inter alia, to:
“(a) Intentional efforts to excuse or minimize the impact of the Holocaust or its principal elements, including collaborators and allies of Nazi Germany,
“(b) Gross minimization of the number of the victims of the Holocaust in contradiction to reliable sources,
“(c) Attempts to blame the Jews for causing their own genocide,
“(d) Statements that cast the Holocaust as a positive historical event,
“(e) Attempts to blur the responsibility for the establishment of concentration and death camps devised and operated by Nazi Germany by putting blame on other nations or ethnic groups,…
“Noting with concern the growing prevalence of Holocaust denial or distortion through the use of information and communications technologies,…
“1. Rejects and condemns without any reservation any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, either in full or in part:
“2. Urges all Member States to reject without any reservation any denial or distortion of the Holocaust as a historical event, either in fujll or in part, or any activities to this end;…
“5. Urges Member States and social media companies to take active measures to combat antisemitism and Holocaust denied or distortion by means of information and communications technologies and to facilitate reporting of such content….”
Reading the above Resolutions of the U.N. and taking into account the events leading up to, including and following the massacre that took place on 7th October, one would have to seriously question whether the U.N. serves any socially-redeeming value, particularly when it comes to issues relating to Israel. Only two weeks before the murderous onslaught of Hamas and other terrorist organizations and groups, the head of the present “Palestinian” Authority – an outspoken Holocaust denier – was allowed to address the General Assembly of the United Nations, where he accused Israel of every wrongdoing and demanding that the U.N. upgrade the status of the P.A. from an observer state and recognize “Palestine” as a member state. Even the recognized leftist-leaning Israeli news site entitled one of its articles: “Mahmoud Abbas: Once an Antisemitic Holocaust Denier, Always an Antisemitic Holocaust Denier”.
In his Statement yesterday, Friday, regarding International Holocaust Remembrance Day, President Joe Biden, said, in part: “This year, the charge to remember the Holocaust, the evil of the Nazis, and the scourge of antisemitism is more pressing than ever. On October 7 Hamas terrorists unleashed pure, unadulterated evil on the people of Israel, slaughtering approximately 1,200 innocent people and taking hundreds more hostage – including survivors of the Shoah. It was the worst atrocity committed against the Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust. In the aftermath of Hamas’s vicious massacre, we have witnessed an alarming rise of despicable antisemitism at home and abroad that has surfaced painful scars from millennia of hate and genocide of Jewish people. It is unacceptable. We cannot remember all that Jewish survivors of the Holocaust experienced and then stand silently by when Jews are attacked and targeted again today. Without equivocation or exception, we must also forcefully push back against attempts to ignore, deny, distort, and revise history. This includes Holocaust denialism and efforts to minimize the horrors that Hamas perpetrated on October 7, especially its appalling and unforgiveable use of rape and sexual violence to terrorize victims.”
The realities of the Holocaust are undeniable, yet many, like the head of the so-called “Palestinian” Authority, continue to deny them, pervert facts and attempt to justify why it happened, even blaming the Jewish people for causing their own Holocaust. All this is in blatant violation and total disregard of the Resolutions that have been passed by the U.N. General Assembly. Realistically, the “Palestinian” Authority and Hamas may be at odds with one another for hegemony over the residents in their respective areas. But, they both have the same ultimate goal, namely, the elimination of the State of Israel.
Yesterday, at a Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stated, in his opening remarks: “We have seen an outburst of antisemitism and anti-Muslim bigotry around the world. Every one of us must resolve to stand up against the forces of hate, discrimination and division.” At the same event, Israeli Ambassador to the U.N., Gilad Erdan, pointed out the hypocrisy of the U.N.’s proclamations in the light of its behavior – or better yet, lack of behavior, as he stated:“Today is not only a day of remembrance; this day was designated to also prevent future acts of genocide — to internalize the lessons of the Holocaust…To this day, no U.N. institution has condemned the October 7 massacre. It’s shocking.” And, as survivors of the Holocaust and October 7th testified on the floor of the U.N. before 100 ambassadors from countries all over the world, Ambassador Erdan added:“110 days ago, the Jewish people underwent the most brutal massacre since the Holocaust. Hamas terrorists murdered and burned families alive, shot at revelers at a music festival – it was a genocide. This murder is part of the radical Islam’s plan to annihilate the Jewish people…When I stand here and expose the lies against Israel at the UN, I always remember that the ambassador of Babylon no longer exists and the flag of the Roman Empire no longer waves. What still exists? A flag with the Star of David symbol. We are still here.” (my emphasis)
Most of the member states of the U.N. are pushing for a “two-state solution” to the ongoing conflict between Israel and various terror-based groups that refer to themselves as “Palestinians”. Even the U.S. is pushing hard in this regard, while claiming to back Israel’s right to defend itself. The reality is that allowing such a “Palestinian” state to exist would necessitate redefining Israel’s borders, slice Israel in half to allow a contiguous area for that state to exist, further allowing more home-grown terrorist organizations to crop up and threatening the existence of the State of Israel. But, following the events of 7th October, the Hamas terrorists’ leadership dismissed any desire of reaching a solution with Israel, particularly a two-state solution (even if that possibility were to exist). In an interview with a Kuwaiti podcaster last week, Senior Hamas official Khaled Mashaal, said that there is “nearly a consensus” within the “Palestinian” community, they will not give up their dream of land stretching “from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea” – in other words, the so-called “West Bank” (Judea and Samaria), the Gaza Strip and all of Israel. In order to make that dream a reality, they need to eliminate the State of Israel.
So, why is it that there is no condemnation from the U.N. about a specific intention to commit genocide against the Jewish people? Why doesn’t a member state file a petition with the International Court of Justice against Hamas? Simply, because Hamas is not a “state”, neither is the “Palestinian” Authority. As Ambassador Erdan noted: “To this day, no U.N. institution has condemned the October 7 massacre.“
For Holocaust Remembrance Day to have any significance outside of Israel, there needs to be active participation by the international community. Governments need to do more than just talk. They need to take action against calling for another Holocaust against Israel, as well as to deal with those who deny the Holocaust in line with the U.N. Resolutions mentioned. If not, then the Resolutions are not worth the paper they’re written on.
Whether or not countries put action behind their words regarding Holocaust remembrance, the words of Ambassador Erdan will continue to ring true: “[The] ambassador of Babylon no longer exists and the flag of the Roman Empire no longer waves. What still exists? A flag with the Star of David symbol. We are still here.” Yes, we are still here – Hamas or no Hamas, Hezbollah or no Hezbollah. Iran or no Iran, Houthi shmouthi. We’re not planning to go anywhere. The U.N. will cease to exist before Israel does.
“This is what the Lord says, He who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord of armies is His name: ‘If this fixed order departs from Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘then the descendants of Israel also will cease to be a nation before Me forever.’ This is what the Lord says: ‘If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also reject all the descendants of Israel’.” (Jeremiah 31:35-37).
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 194. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 530. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is estimated at 136. The number of war-wounded is far beyond what any of us want to state out loud.
We are a country that is bleeding, physically and emotionally. Israel is dealing with major pressures from outside the country, both from our “friends” as well as our “foes”, to immediately cease the military operations in Gaza. We’ve dealt with foreign pressures before and usually stood up against them. But, this time, the international pressure is being supplemented by massive demonstrations in Israel, calling upon the country to “Bring them home, NOW!” So, while not directly demanding a cessation of hostilities – although there are a number of “minor demonstrations” that do make such demands – the message from the demonstrations is that Israel should do everything possible to bring about the return of the hostages. The demands are being made primarily, although not exclusively, upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There are, of course, those who consistently claim that Netanyahu is keeping the war going in order to remain in power. I don’t deny that such a possibility exists. Nevertheless, he is not the only one that makes decisions regarding the continuation of the war.
But, the internal voices are becoming more vocal. While families genuinely want their loved ones to return, alive, there is also no escaping the fact that the protests are being backed by powerful individuals with a lot of money, whose goal now is the removal of Netanyahu as Prime Minister and the calling for new elections – now, in the middle of a war, possibly the most serious and difficult war since our War of Independence. The Times of Israel refers to a report in The New York Times, which quoted four IDF commanders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, that “the dual objectives of freeing the hostages and destroying Hamas are now mutually incompatible.” I’ve been saying that since the ground offensive began. I’m glad that they finally agree with me. The question now, as it has been the question all along, is which goal needs to be sacrificed in order to achieve the second goal? What is the “greater good” here, if in fact there is a “greater good” in this situation?
Without question, the biggest complaint against Israel is the number of civilian casualties in Gaza. The figures are almost exclusively provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas. Every report issued by that ministry that is reported in the Israeli media is usually accompanied by a statement that the figures reported cannot be independently verified. Well, the IDF has different figures, which are substantially lower than those reported by the Hamas Health Ministry.
Colonel Richard Kemp, a former officer in the British Army and anti-terrorism expert, sides with the IDF and actually concludes that the IDF has the lowest civilian casualty rate ever recorded in history, 1.5 to 1, while the UN estimates that the global average is a staggering 9:1 So, where is the world getting its information from that causes some to accuse Israel of committing genocide? But then, when one is accusing Israel of any time of wrong-doing, facts really aren’t important, are they? What Israel bashers want to do is to make the accusation and then put the burden on Israel to disprove the claim.
There are actually some people that understand the situation of blind hatred towards Israel. Sometimes their eyes are opened and they acknowledge the simple fact that the goal of Hamas is to destroy Israel. Such was the case with Shefali Vaidya, a social media influencer from India. She was part of a 13-member delegation of Muslim and Hindu journalists and social media-recognized personalities, who toured Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities whose members were massacred and butchered on Black Saturday. The tour was organized by the grassroots organization Sharaka, an organization seeking to strengthen the positive relationship between Israel and the Arab and Muslim world. She tweeted, in part: “Hamas does not want land or concessions. What it wants is the complete annihilation of the state of Israel and death of every last Israeli citizen. It was a sobering realisation of a chilling fact! “
Then, there are others, who don’t directly acknowledge the goal of Hamas to destroy Israel, but recognize the need for Hamas to be dismantled. The European Parliament called for a “permanent ceasefire” in the Gaza War, but conditioned it on the dismantling of the Hamas terrorist organization and the unconditional release of the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. Following the decision of the U.E., Haim Regev, Israel’s Ambassador to the E.U., was quoted in “Politico”, as saying that “We are happy to see that the European Parliament understands the need to release the hostages and disarm Hamas before any ceasefire.” Elon Levy, the government spokesman for Israel also commented: “The European Union wants Israel to win this war against Hamas… The European Parliament just demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages and dismantling of Hamas. It said no permanent ceasefire until then.”
Not everyone was happy with the decision of the European Union, as can be understood from the statement of the representative of the “Palestinian” Authority, who denounced the vote as “a moral failure of the European Parliament.”
Two days ago, P.M. Netanyahu had a lengthy conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden. It would have been great if we could have listened in on what was discussed and the tone of the communication between the two leaders. Following the conversation, Biden intimated that Netanyahu may be open to accepting some kind of “two-state solution”, but the P.M., in a rare statement issued today, Shabbat, repeated the same position that he held for years, namely: that after the elimination of Hamas, “Israel must remain in full security control of the Gaza Strip to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel – and this conflicts with demands for “Palestinian” sovereignty.” So, they can’t both be telling the truth. While Netanyahu credibility before the public has diminished considerably, particularly since the beginning of the Gaza War, I would still accept him position that a “Palestinian” state will not be established “on his watch”. This is in agreement with Biden’s assessment also, that an independent “Palestinian” state is not possible as long as Netanyahu remains in office. Apparently, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is not thrilled with a refusal to accept a two-state solution. While speaking in Kampala, Uganda, he stated: “The refusal to accept a two-state solution for Israelis and “Palestinians”, and the denial of the right to statehood for the “Palestinian” people, are unacceptable…The right of the “Palestinian” people to build their own state must be recognized by all.” I have no problem with the so-called “Palestinians” setting up their own state, as long as it is not anywhere on the land of Israel.
This week also saw terrorism committed on the streets of Ra’anana, a central city here. The acts of terrorism were accomplished by two residents from a community near Hebron in Judea. A woman in her late 70s was killed and at least 17 others were wounded, including 4 minors, in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack. The adult victims were hospitalized and were reported to be in serious to moderate conditions. The terrorists were apprehended by the Police and it was discovered that they were employed in the industrial area of Ra’anana, but without valid work permits. It turned out that both suspects were known to Israeli security forces. We continue to make the same mistake, over and over again, and allow people to work in Israel who should not be allowed entry.
Yesterday, we had a large gathering of family members for an erev Shabbat (Friday evening) meal. In the middle of our conversations, loud sirens went off throughout Haifa, indicating a potential threat from a projectile. We all got up and went into the “secured room” in our apartment. We bolted the metal door that protects the window and locked the reinforced metal door to the room. Admittedly, it was a bit crowded. But, after 10 minutes, we were able to leave the room and resume our time together during the evening. The nature of the projectile was not immediately disclosed, but was said to be “a suspicious aerial target” that was intercepted by the IDF. The reports did not indicate whether or not the drone was armed. Our conversation turned to speculation over the possible destination of the projectile: the oil refinery on the outskirts of Haifa, the Naval Base next to Rambam Hospital or the natural gas facility off the cost of Haifa. Inasmuch as it came from the north, the likelihood is that is was a “smart” projectile, that was either programmed or controlled electronically. The IDF didn’t say and we didn’t ask. We’re thankful that no one was injured.
And, to round off The Week That Was, the Gaza War has become the subject of network television. I’m not referring to the local news, but to the season premiere of the long-running TV series, Law & Order, which aired this past Thursday. According to the Forward, “The episode, titled ‘Free Expression,’ manages to cram just about every major headline even tangentially related to Israel from the past few months into its hour run time.” It would be interesting to see how Hollywood relates to real-life, present-day events that are taking place thousands of miles away, and brings them into your living room, as though they are happening in New York City.
There’s a lot more, but I think this is where we’ll stop.
Have a safe, healthy, encouraging and God-honoring week.
“There can be no peace without justice, and no justice without truth.” (thinc-The Hague Initiative for International Co-Operation, 12 January, 2024)
Tomorrow, Sunday, 14 January, 2024, will be the 100th day since Hamas terrorists committed the massacre of more than 1,200 people, young and old, men and women, babies and nonagenarians alike. And, while the memories of some of our senior citizens might be fading, they still acknowledge that this present war is the longest in our brief 75-year history. The mind has difficulty trying to grasp that a child spent his first birthday in a terror tunnel, or in some other facility controlled by a callous, blood-thirsty, death-glorifying terrorist group, a group that is driven by blind hatred and lacks any moral conscience.
As of today, Israel’s best estimates are that 136 people continue to be held hostage by Hamas, “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad and other terrorists, affiliated and non-affiliated. Israel’s response to the terrorist invasion of 7th October (nicknamed “Black Saturday”) has resulted in the alleged, but unproven, deaths of some 23,000 people, which includes close to 10,000 armed terrorists and combatants and has caused multitudes of others to vacate their homes in various locations in the Gaza Strip. This is a consequence of war. On our side, in addition to the 1,200 victims of the onslaught of Black Saturday, as well as the thousands who were wounded on that day, Israel has suffered the loss of 187 soldiers (11 more since my last post) and is making every effort to tend to the more than 6,000 members of the IDF, who were wounded in the Gaza War during the last 100 days.
This war has revealed anti-Israel and anti-Jewish hatred across the global spectrum. Like roaches that come out of hiding when exposed to the light, antisemitism has been revealed on the streets of major cities, in the workplace and in places that used to be referred to as “educational institutions”, which now attempt to justify calls on their campuses for the genocide of the Jewish people.
“And how many hours a day did you do lessons?” said Alice, in a hurry to change the subject.
“Ten hours the first day,” said the Mock Turtle: “nine the next, and so on.”
“What a curious plan!” exclaimed Alice.
“That’s the reason they’re called lessons,” the Gryphon remarked: “because they lessen from day to day.” — Lewis Carroll, Alice in,Wonderland, Chapter 9, The Mock Turtle’s Story.
We laugh at the seeming stupidity of the Gryphon, a characteristic so profoundly evident on college campuses around the world today, until we come to a statement from the Queen of Wonderland:
“No, no!” said the Queen. “Sentence first—verdict afterwards.” —Chapter 12, Alice’s Evidence.
If we try to put that into perspective, we see that the Queen’s statement was reversing the proper order of things, which should have been the verdict first and, if found guilty, then and only then, the sentencing. That situation aptly describes the accusations of genocide brought against Israel in the International Court of Justice, in The Hague.
The internationally-renowned Attorney and author, Alan M. Dershowitz, puts the situation somewhat in perspective, in his article, The International Court of “Injustice” Begins Its Blood Libel Trial Against Israel, which was published yesterday by Gatestone Institute International Policy Council, which I would suggest that you read.
In a similar vein, South Africa’s filing an application with the International Court of Justice puts the cart before the horse and creates a situation of reversing the party responsible for carrying the burden of establishing guilt in a criminal case “beyond a reasonable doubt”. No reasonable-thinking person would agree with S.A.’s contention that Israel has infringed the Genocide Convention or that genocide is, or could be, taking place by Israel’s response to the massacre that occurred within our land by terrorists based in the Gaza Strip.
The 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention was enacted following the mass murder of Jews in the Holocaust. It was actually the first human rights treaty adopted by the General
Assembly on 9th December, 1948, and became effective over two years later, on 12 January, 1951, and obligates signatory states to pursue the enforcement of its prohibition. The General Assembly actually made genocide a crime under international law by Article I of Resolution 96, dated 11 December, 1946. Article II of the Convention defines genocide as certain, specified “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.
This past Thursday, South Africa alleged before the ICJ that Israel has genocidal intent against the so-called “Palestinians” in the Gaza Strip, in its war against Hamas and other terrorist groups. Yesterday, Friday, Israel forcefully rebutted those claims,
Yesterday, Friday, Israel forcefully rebutted those claims, pointing out, among other things, that the claims of S.A. actually relate to laws of armed conflict rather than any alleged genocidal intention and, as a result, the court has no jurisdiction of the matter. Israel’s legal team also cogently argued that the harm done to the civilian population in Gaza is the result of Hamas’s widespread use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes, including residences, schools and hospitals, even U.N. facilities. This was in addition to pointing out in detail Israel’s efforts to minimize civilian casualties by, among other things, warning them to vacate areas of potential conflict, of providing humanitarian assistance and even setting up field hospitals in Gaza for the benefit of Gazan civilians. Israel forcefully rebutted those claims, pointing out, among other things, that the claims of S.A. actually relate to laws of armed conflict rather than any alleged genocidal intention and, as a result, the court has no jurisdiction of the matter. Israel’s legal team also cogently argued that the harm done to the civilian population in Gaza is the result of Hamas’s widespread use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes, including residences, schools and hospitals, even U.N. facilities. This was in addition to pointing out in detail Israel’s efforts to minimize civilian casualties by, among other things, warning them to vacate areas of potential conflict, of providing humanitarian assistance and even setting up field hospitals in Gaza for the benefit of Gazan civilians.
Genocide is not new. In the Book of Exodus, we read of Pharaoh’s plans to kill all of the male children of Israel, to cause them to be thrown into the Nile River to drown them, while the girls would be allowed to live (Exodus 1:22). Some time later, after the Exodus from Egypt and the conquest of Canaan, we read a story in 2 Kings 8:11-13, relating to a meeting between the prophet Elisha and Hazael, the king of Aram (now Syria), which reveals some elements strikingly similar to the events of 7th October:
11 And he stared steadily at him until Hazael was embarrassed, and then the man of God wept. 12 And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?” And he answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel: you will set their fortified cities on fire, you will kill their young men with the sword, their little ones you will smash to pieces, and you will rip up their pregnant women.” 13 Then Hazael said, “But what is your servant—a lowly dog—that he could do this great thing?” And Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”
In more recent times, genocide was committed against people in different countries, such as Armenia, Rwanda and Cambodia. But, of course, the greatest acts of genocide were committed by the Nazis against the Jews during the Holocaust. When we consider such atrocities, we are forced to confront the question of how members of the human race can commit such heinous acts against other humans. We end up with an inability to come up with a rational explanation, other than to conclude that evil exists and is actively functioning in this world. It is a spiritual evil that perverts the mind and warps the understanding, resulting in misguided thoughts of supremacy over others and self-exaltation that seeks to justify the widespread killing of other people groups.
To allege that Israel’s actions of self-defense against Hamas, “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups, constitutes genocide or an intention to commit genocide, is nothing less than an attempt to re-write, or at least add to, the definition of genocide. South Africa also called upon the ICJ to issue a provisional ruling requiring Israel to cease its military operations. If, God forbid, such an effort succeeds, it would mean that Israel would be demanded to stop the war against Hamas and withdraw its troops. It would be unable to defend its citizens who are being attacked, who are being held hostage and who are displaced from their homes due to ongoing missile attacks from those who would seek to destroy us as a nation, that the name of Israel would be no more (Psalm 83:4). The same would be true for any other nation seeking to defend itself against terrorist groups.
“22. First, that if there have been acts that may be characterized as genocidal, then they have been perpetrated against Israel. If there is a concern about the obligations of States under the Genocide Convention, then it is in relation to their responsibilities to act against Hamas’s proudly declared agenda of annihilation, which is not a secret, and is not in doubt.
“23. The annihilationist language of Hamas’s Charter is repeated regularly by its leaders, with the goal, in the words of one member Hamas’s political bureau, of the “cleansing of Palestine of the filth of the Jews.” It is expressed no less chillingly in the words of senior Hamas member, Ghazi Hamad, to Lebanese Television on October 24, 2023, who refers to the October 7 attacks, what Hamas calls the Al-Aqsa Flood, as follows: “The Al-Aqsa Flood”, he says “is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third and a fourth.” In the continuation of this interview, Hamad is asked: “Does that mean the annihilation of Israel”. “Yes, of course,” he answers. “The existence of Israel is illogical”; and then says “Nobody should blame us for the things we do. On October 7, October 10, October 1,000,0000—everything we do is justified”. Given that on October 7, before any military response by Israel, South Africa issued an official statement blaming Israel for the “recent conflagration,”—essentially blaming Israel for the murder of its own citizens—one wonders whether the Applicant agrees.”
In its multitude of claims, S.A. failed to establish the essential element of genocide, namely, intent. As argued by Advocate Becker in point 48 of his opening address to the court:
“48. The key component of genocide—the intention to destroy a people in whole or in part—is totally lacking. What Israel seeks by operating in Gaza is not to destroy a people, but to protect a people, its people, who are under attack on multiple fronts, and to do so in accordance with the law, even as it faces a heartless enemy determined to use that very commitment against it.” (emphasis mine)
So, like the Queen’s comments in Alice in Wonderland, we see that the present proceedings regarding S.A.’s application to the ICJ is not to open the eyes of the Judges, but to blindfold them, to receive a warped presentation of distorted allegations and, in essence, to pronounce judgment, without the establishment of guilt.
But, irrespective of the outcome of the case before the ICJ, in the court of world public opinion, the burden is being placed upon Israel – the defendant – to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it does not have an intention to commit genocide, instead of placing the burden responsibility on South Africa, as the accuser, to prove that Israel does have that intention – a burden that S.A. has failed miserably to establish.
On another matter, massive protests took place this evening in Israel, calling for a hostage-release deal “at any price”. We all want the war to end. We all want all of hostages who remain alive to be released and return home. We all want the families of the hostages to be re-united with their loved ones. We all want our soldiers to walk out of Gaza and not be carried out. We all want the wounded to be treated and healed. We all want the bereaving families, who lost loved ones to be comforted. We all want that no weapon formed against Israel would prosper. But, to release over 6,000 prisoners, many of whom have committed terrorist acts against Israel in the past, is to release a ready-made army that will seek to carry out the threats of renewed “7th October” attacks. We would have to be out of our minds to do that.
Several weeks back, we asked for prayer for Amitai Argaman, who was seriously wounded and lost both legs in the fighting in Gaza. He was interviewed by Yoseph Haddad, an Arab Israel, who is a strong voice for Israel, both here and abroad. On his instagram page, Haddad wrote (free translation from Hebrew): “On 7th October, when the war broke out following the terrorist massacre committed by Hamas, Amitai immediately was called up and then entered Gaza with his companions, where they fought like lions against the Hamas terrorists. On the tenth of November, he was seriously wounded by a booby-trapped shaft in Khan Younis, where he fell along with a number of his comrades in arms. Amitai himself was in a life-threatening situation after he lost his 2 legs and was also injured in his arm and his eye. But, just as he fought there in Gaza, so he is also fighting today every moment in his long rehabilitation. He sacrificed his body for the country he loves so much, and for all of us. This is the opportunity to say “thank you” and I wish we were worthy of his sacrifice and contribution for us. Thank you, hero, and continue to be strong and be an inspiration to all of us.” Amitai’s story appeared on the evening news of Channel 13, during the course of which he also stated: “I was wounded in a just war, it was not in vain.”
Please continue to pray: for the soldiers, that they would all return in peace; for the hostages, that they are still alive and will be released; for the grieving families of members of the IDF killed in action and for the families awaiting the return of their loved ones from captivity; for healing of the thousands of war wounded and the almost quarter of the nation suffering post-traumatic stress following the events of 7th October; for wisdom for the government and courage to pursue what needs to be done; for wisdom, boldness, strength and skill for the IDF; for the lying tongue to be confused and confounded; and for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be honored as a result of what is happening with Israel today.
Bless, be blessed and be a blessing. May you have a great week and find favor in the sight of God and man.
The steady increase in the number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 175. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 508.
Al-Arouri is said to be one of the planners of the terrorist invasion of the communities in the “Gaza Envelope”, designated by Hamas as the “Al Aqsa Flood”. In prior speeches and communications, he indicated that Israel would stunned by contemplated actions of Hamas. He became second in command after Hamas political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, after having served 15 years in an Israeli prison and was deported after his release in 2010, shortly before the deal the following year, which saw Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit released by Hamas in exchange for the release of 1,027 prisoners from Israeli jails, one of which was Yahya Sinwar, the present leader of Hamas. Al-Arouri was responsible for Hamas’s terrorism in Judea and Samaria (= the “West Bank”), as well as the abduction and murder of three Israeli youths in 2014 – an event that led to another war between Israel and Hamas that lasted for 51 days. According to Ynetnews, al-Arouri said in a recent interview: “I feel like I have lived too long and exceeded my life expectancy. I praise a martyr’s death.” I don’t know what everyone is upset about. He knew that he was a marked man and that Israel would probably get to him one day, particularly after October 7th. He wanted to die a martyr’s death and he got his wish.
Obviously, the big question is what will be the response of Hezbollah to the assassination of this senior-level member of Hamas, which took place in Beirut, Lebanon. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah said that it is not afraid to get involved in another war with Israel and that if Israel launches a war against Lebanon, the Hezbollah will respond with “no ceilings” and “no rules”. If anything is, or should be, clear, it is that Israel will not start a war with Lebanon. But, that doesn’t mean that there will not be a Hezbollah response to the assassination of al-Arouri. Hezbollah is not a simple terrorist organization any longer, but a trained militia of tens of thousands of members. Still, Nasrallah’s threats might be clouds without water, as the memories of the Second Lebanon War of 2006 are still fairly fresh, as is the chemical explosion in the port of Beirut that took place in 2020, the responsibility for which was placed at the feet and on the shoulders of Hezbollah. Israel’s threats made earlier in the Gaza War of turning Beirut into a second Gaza are probably also going through Nasarallah’s mind. So, while it would be reasonable to expect a response, it probably would not be an all-out frontal attack. Isra
Germany thinks that the Gaza War will spill over to Lebanon, as a result of al-Arouri’s assassination. The German foreign ministry urged its citizens to leave Lebanon quickly. As it wrote on “X” (formerly known as Twitter): “All German citizens, who are still in Lebanon, are asked to register on the ELEFAND crisis preparedness list and to leave the country as quickly as possible…A further deterioration of the situation and expansion of the conflict cannot be ruled out, especially given the killing of Saleh al-Arouri...This applies above all to the southern part of Lebanon, up to and including the southern urban areas of Beirut.” It would be interesting to see whether other countries follow Germany’s lead and request their citizens to leave Lebanon in anticipation of a war with Israel.
The ceremony marking the anniversary of the 2020 assassination by the U.S. of the Iranian General, Qassem Soleimani, was marred by two explosions, resulting in a death toll of over 200 people and scores of other people were wounded. At first, reports from Iran claimed that “several gas canisters exploded on the road leading to the cemetery”. But, the deputy governor of Kerman, where the explosions took place, claimed it was a “terrorist attack.” Let’s wait and see how long it will take for Iran to blame Israel for the explosions. Obviously, the last thing that Israel would plan on doing would be to upset a memorial service in the heart of Iran. But, if Iran is really looking for a war with Israel, it would not be beyond the realm of reason if the event was planned by the Ayatollahs, as an excuse to blame Israel.
Following this post, I am planning to return to the original intention of writing about The Week That Was, rather than The Day That Was. My thanks to all who have written and encouraged and prayed for the daily reports.
Please remember to pray for the leadership in Israel, for the members of the IDF, for the families of those who lost loved ones since October 7th, for the hostages and their families and for the thousands of war wounded, along with their families.
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Proverbs 16:7).
A group of reservists set up a protest vigil near the Prime Minister’s Office, demanding that the fighting not stop until Hamas is defeated. These are soldiers who have been involved in the heat of battle, who have had brothers-in-arms fall and die near them, who understand the need to remove the evil of Hamas far from our doorsteps. They are protesting outside of the P.M.’s office because they know that the decisions that will be made about how to continue the Gaza War will be a political one.
A senior Islamic Jihad official told the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen channel: Islamic Jihad and Hamas responded in a joint document to the Egyptian proposal for a deal. According to the official, the first clause is a ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza, in addition to the restoration of the Strip with guarantees from the UN Security CouncilHe also said: “Everything that is disseminated in the media about exchange transactions that are divided into phases is only after the implementation of a ceasefire and the withdrawal of IDF forces, and not before.” Ismail Haniya, the head of the Hamas political bureau, added that “The Israeli hostages will not be released except on our terms.”
The demands of Hamas and the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad are outrageous and unrealistic. The IDF has already decided to “draw back” a bit by releasing thousands of troops, as part of its planned next phase of the war. Hamas’s “demand” that the IDF withdraw all of its forces is a non-starter. Similarly, the restoration of the Gaza Strip, if it will be done at all, will be accomplished with funds from pro-Hamas and anti-Israel countries and organizations.
But, Haniya had more things to say, that are in the realm of fairy-tales that have a happy ending (according to the story teller). In this regard, he stated: “We are open to the restoration of a national authority and a national government in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. We emphasize the activity based on the plan of resistance, which is prioritized by the establishment of a state with Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return. A settlement in the Palestinian issue without Hamas and the resistance is an illusion and a mirage.” So, there we have it in a nutshell. The Hamas terrorist organization that split from the Fatah organization, which “rules” the “Palestinian” Authority in Judea and Samaria,Jerusalem wants to reunite for the purpose of “resistance”. It should be recalled that the leadership of Hamas and the leadership of the P.A. cannot stand each other, to put it mildly. But, they both have a common goal, namely, the destruction of the State of Israel. There are 4 more points made by Haniya in one sentence: (1) establishment of a “Palestinian” state; (2) the capital of that state is to be Jerusalem, and (3) the terrorists want a “right of return” for all the Arabs who left Israel before the War of Independence and, (4) the resolution of the “Palestinian” issue – which remains undefined, but probably is intended to include all of the other points, has to be done with “Hamas and the resistance”. In other words, Hamas has no intention to disappear. To the contrary, it intends to be involved in all aspects of establishing and following through with “Palestinian” statehood.
A note about the “Palestinian” demand for a “right of return”. This is an attempt to flood Israel with millions of descendants of Arabs who left Israel prior to the start of the War of Independence. I wrote about this in my post of September 8, 2018, entitled “UNRWA – Debunking and Defunding a Deception – Part One”. Hamas can’t win a military war with Israel, so it is once again raising its plan to destroy Israel by changing the demographics.
Hamas should start to reconsider its position in light of the high number of senior operatives who have been eliminated by Israel. The latest one is Saleh al-Arouri, deputy chairman of Hamas’s political bureau and a founder of the terror group’s military wing.
Al-Arouri was killed in Beirut, Lebanon, by a bomb that hit the Hamas offices there, which are located in an area that is a stronghold of the Hezbollah terrorist organization. According to Lebanese state media, the blast was caused by an Israeli drone strike. He is responsible for setting up the local branch of Hamas in Lebanon. After Israeli officials publicly stated that all of the senior member of Hamas are fair game, al-Arouri threatened Israel with a major response, if there would be targeted killing of Hamas leaders. Two other senior Hamas military officials were among the five people killed along with Al-Arouri, which is a major blow to the terrorist organization.
In a similar vein, the IDF Spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, began his nightly briefing today with the statement that Israel’s military is at a “very high level of readiness – in all arenas, in defense and offense. We are in a high statement readiness for any scenario…The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas.” He did not mention al-Arouri and obviously was trying to calm the concerns of the Hezbollah. After the briefing, Hagari was asked whether he expected Haifa to come under attack by the Hezbollah as a result of al-Arouri’s killing, to which he responded: “I’m not referring to what’s been said here [by the reporter] and in other places. We are focused on fighting Hamas. We have been from the start, and we will continue to be.”
Following the death of al-Arouri, Hamas political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, said among other things, that al-Arouri’s assassination was a “terrorist act”. His statement is a clear example of “the pot calling the kettle black”. After earlier stating that the hostage negotiations will take place only in accordance with the terms of Hamas, in a form of protest over al-Arouri’s killing, the terrorist organization froze all talks for the release of hostages.
The tense situation in the north is now hot. It hasn’t yet reached its boiling point. But, as a result of today’s events, it may be a long night.
The steady increase in the number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 173. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 506.
At the stroke of midnight, Israel, like every other country in the world, bid farewell to 2023 and looked forward to 2024. Unlike prior years, however, New Year celebrations were few and far between here. Some Israelis who were still making an effort to celebrate, could relate to the statement in Francis Scott Key’s, The Star-Spangled Banner, “And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air”. What they saw were not fireworks of celebration, but rather, missiles of destruction. Portions of the night sky were lit up with a rocket barrage – at least 27 of them – that were indiscriminately launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip into civilian-populated areas in the center of the country. Two thirds of those missiles were intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems, while the other 9 fell in open areas. The IDF posted, in part: “While 129 Israelis are still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza, Hamas also decided to start 2024 by launching a barrage of rockets at Israel…There is no ‘happy’ New Year until they are all home.” Some of the rockets that were intercepted can be seen here. If this were to happen in your country, how do you think your government would respond?
Negotiations that leaves Hamas alive and in control of Gaza is a “bandaid solution”. – Sometimes, during the course of communicating facts and realities, we simply need to make the obvious explicit! Former Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Mark Regev, during an interview on Fox News , did exactly that. He made it clear that if Hamas were to surrender, the war could be over right away. He added: “There’s no point in doing half measures. Because if we do half measures and Hamas stays in power, we’ll just have another war in the near future…[An] artificial ceasefire ahead of time [is] just a bandaid solution condemning us all to another Gaza War in the near future… The real solution is the destruction of Hamas’s military capabilities and the end of their rule over the Gaza Strip.”
Hamas understands that, as well. But, we are dealing with a fanatical, blood-thirty, murderous terrorist group, who are committed to the destruction of Israel and whose representatives have stated publicly that they would re-enact October 7th again and again. So, the likelihood of Hamas surrendering is close to nil. Maybe some of them might take matters into their own hands and eliminate their leadership, so that Israel doesn’t have to do it. Still, many Hamas leaders live abroad and, they live very well. It is doubtful that they would willingly give up their lifestyles of residing in 5-star hotels in foreign countries, like Qatar, or Turkey, in order to bring about an end to the fighting in Gaza, which is far removed from them.
In the meantime, the IDF is pressing forward with its ground offensive and discovering weapons of Hamas in almost every civilian facility, whether it is a medical facility, an educational facility or simply a residential facility. And, despite the IDF’s successes in finding and destroying much of the terrorist tunnel infrastructure, there is still a vast number of tunnels criss-crossing the Gaza Strip, which provide ample locations in which to hide. So, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, along with their bodyguards and military units, still have lots of holes to crawl through.
Lawsuit filed against a number of defendants, including various Israeli defense organizations, by Nova survivors for NIS 200 M. – The Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet (Security Service) and Police were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed today by 42 survivors of the Re’im music festival. The 42 plaintiffs in the lawsuit are seeking Two Hundred Million Shekels (approximately US $55,555,000) as damages for the alleged negligence of the defendants. They allege, among other things, “The disaster [of October 7th] could have been avoided at so many points in time…One phone call separated the plaintiffs’ lives and the integrity of their bodies and souls from the destruction of their lives.” We should be careful not to form opinions about the responsibility of the defendants. The filing of a lawsuit, in and of itself, is not sufficient render judgment in favor of the plaintiffs. They still have to prove their case, which has a number of aspects to it. (The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him. – Proverbs 18:17) But, why file the lawsuit now? Wouldn’t it have been better to wait until the war was over before creating another potential, financial burden on the government and on the legal department that has plenty of other matters to deal with at the moment?
Is the “Unbreakable Bond” between the United States and Israel beginning to break? – In a speech by Israeli President Isaac Herzog before a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on July 19, 2023, he stated, among other things, “Our bond may be challenged at times, but it is absolutely unbreakable.” There is no question that a special relationship exists between Israel and the United States. There is also no question that the relationship is now being strained because of the Gaza War. For that, we can blame both President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu, both of whom allow politics – with its positions, power and prestige and … pride, to enter into their thinking processes and decisions.
This is Israel’s war, that in a certain sense is being fought on behalf of all democratic nations that want to avoid the influence and possibility of a “Hamastan” being formed inside their borders. Our friend, Uncle Sam, is helping by supplying much-needed ammunition to fight the war, as well as military support by U.S. warships and aircraft carriers in our backyard. But, as friends often do, Uncle Sam is trying to persuade Israel how to conduct the war (cut back on troops inside the Gaza Strip; provide humanitarian aid to the people there – even though most of its ends up in the control of Hamas, including fuel, which is needed to keep the fresh-air systems working inside the tunnels and thus prolongs the war; be careful to protect the civilian population while you’re trying to locate terrorists who use the civilian population as human shields, and, don’t take too long to finish up the war).
Ynetnews, referring to a report in the New York Times, wrote: “According to a report in the New York Times, the relations between U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have become increasingly strained. Biden spoke with the prime minister 14 times recently. ‘Every call is tense and sometimes sharp,’ U.S. officials told the Times, often describing them as difficult but constructive. The tone insiders used was along the lines ‘Look, man, you’ve got to do more about this or take this more seriously.’ The administration believes Israel has a right to self-defense, the threat from Hamas must be removed, humanitarian aid to Gaza must be increased and civilian casualty numbers decreased. Although Biden’s officials have been highlighting the latter points, the president publicly at least, spoke more of the first two.”
Is it possible that the impending departure of the USS Gerald Ford, the newest and largest U.S. aircraft carrier, along with the five warships that are part of its fleet, is the result of that “strained” relationship? Purportedly, the return of that carrier to its base in the U.S. is consistent with its deployment schedule. But, the departure of the USS Gerald Ford also takes with it the “deterrent aspect” that its mere presence in the region was able to convey. Would it have been so out of the ordinary if, because of the “unbreakable bond” between our two countries, the U.S. would allow the carrier to remain in the area until the Gaza War was over? After all, Uncle Sam and Uncle Izzy are supposed to be friends, right? And friends don’t abandon friends in the middle of their difficulties. Or do they?
Well, it’s a new year. We should hope that we can fix the problems that occured in the year that just ended.
May 2024 be “the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.” (Isaiah 61:2-3)
May God crown the new year with His goodness, may it be a year of good health, strength, wisdom and grace and may we all find favor in the sight of God and man. “The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)
The steady increase in the number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 170. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 503.
Hamas agrees to negotiations “in principle”, with demands. – Over the last couple of weeks Israel has been pursuing steps to bring Hamas back to the negotiating table. Hamas has repeatedly taken the position that it would not agree to renew negotiations unless there was a permanent ceasefire – a move which would bring the current Gaza War to an end. According to various media reports in the Hebrew media, Hamas is stepping back from its demand for a permanent ceasefire, but Hamas representatives say that Israel is leaking false information.
The latest update, according to a report The Times of Israel today (Saturday), is that Qatari mediators informed Israel “that Hamas “agrees in principle” to resume negotiations for the release of further hostages taken by the terror group during the October 7 atrocities, in exchange for a truce of up to a month in the Gaza Strip.” Although such a communication suggested progress in resuming negotiations, according to a senior Hamas official, the terrorist group continues to premise its willingness to renew negotiations on Israel’s agreeing to a permanent ceasefire.
The article in TOI further asserts that the head of Israel’s Mossad, David Barnea, submitted a proposal for the release of only 40 hostages, in exchange for the release of “Palestinian” security prisoners and a ceasefire of up to one month. The Qatari response: “We move from a freeze [in talks] to a situation that is very cold.”
Israel is expanding the ground operation in the Gaza Strip and has succeeded to take control of large areas of the enclave, as well as destroy considerable numbers of the tunnel infrastructure. Its achievements have been remarkable, to say the least. Military leaders here say that the Hamas leadership has been seriously diluted and that the days of Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif are numbered. But, we have also paid a painful price for the military advances in terms of IDF deaths and the thousands of soldiers who have been wounded.
I have not made it a secret that from my point of view, further negotiations with Hamas and with “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad, would be counter-productive to the goal of eliminating both the head and the capabilities of those terrorist organizations. The pressure on the Israeli government is considerable. Countries are condemning Israel for the number of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip (based on unsubstantiated reports from the Hamas-controlled health department). And, from within our borders, the families of the remaining hostages are clamoring for Israel to make whatever deal is demanded of us in order to bring about the return of those who are still being held by the terrorists.
The present proposal to sit down Hamas and renew negotiations is submitted by Israel. That, in and of itself, is problematic. A proposal to renew negotiations should have been made by Hamas, without any demand for a ceasefire. By Israel’s pursuit of Hamas, again through Qatar and with the help of Egypt, Israel demonstrates a weak position and shows itself vulnerable and willing to yield to terrorism. By agreeing to any kind of ceasefire, without the return of ALL of the hostages, Israel is walking back from its original position, in which it declared its twin goals of eliminating Hamas and returning the hostages. It boggles the mind that after almost three months of fighting, Israel would agree to negotiate for the return of less than one-third of the remaining hostages and agree to a cessation in the fighting for an extended period of up to a month. Such a delay would, effectively, end the war. It would halt the momentum and the motivation of the IDF to press on to victory and accomplish its stated goal of eliminating Hamas. Two thirds of the remaining hostages would still be held in captivity and further negotiations would be required to bring about their release, if ever. The holding of Israeli hostages is the “Ace in the hole” for the terrorists. In the end, Hamas will be able to accomplish its goal of causing all of the “Palestinians” to be released from Israeli prisons, including those found guilty of murder, as well as those who are serving several life sentences and those terrorists who were captured during the present war. Everyone here wants the hostages to be released. But, we still don’t even know how many of them are still alive, what their condition is, or even everyone’s name. We’re still trying to identity some of the bodies of those who were killed during the Hamas massacre, some of whom were burned beyond recognition. If we pursue this negotiation and agree to the demands of Hamas, then we will suffer defeat a second time – the first time being on October 7th.
In line with a potential renewal of negotiations, an article appeared in TOI a few days ago, which stated, in part, that in exchange for an agreement that would release all of the hostages. “Israel is reportedly weighing the option of not killing Hamas leaders in Gaza Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif, if and when the opportunity arises, and instead handing them immunity of sorts and deporting them to Qatar or another country.” While such a solution is far from ideal, it would at least accomplish one of Israel’s goals, namely: the return of ALL of the remaining hostages. It would also result in no more deaths of IDF fighters, who are pressing forward and looking in every nook and cranny to locate and eliminate Hamas terrorists, as well as to locate and destroy more of the terrorist tunnel infrastructure. Even though Sinwar and Deif would remain alive to attempt to organize more massacres against Israel, their days outside of the maze of tunnels in Gaza would be numbered.
And then we have the Israeli left telling us to swallow our pride and end the war. – I try not to get embroiled in the “rightist” versus “leftist” camp. But, sometimes it is impossible to avoid. Ehud Olmert, who regrettably was a former Prime Minister of Israel during 2006-2009, during whose term in office the Second Lebanon War took place. He wrote an Opinion piece published in Haaretz two days ago (December 28th). In his totally negative arguments, many of which are directed against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he advocates to end the fighting and bring all of the hostages home, including soldiers and the bodies of Israelis held by Hamas for years. He begins his article with the following claim: “The odds of achieving the complete elimination of Hamas were nil from the moment that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared it the chief goal of the war. Even then it was clear to anyone who thought about it that the complete destruction of the terrorist organization is wishful thinking that is militarily unfeasible even under conditions unlike those that exist in the Gaza Strip.”
Olmert speaks about different military operations, from the time of the second intifada up to the fighting in 2021, asserting that they were not as impressive as the present war. But, he conveniently omits any reference to the Second Lebanon War, which was conducted under “his watch”, the results of which we are still dealing with today regarding Hezbollah. We could have severely weakened that terrorist organization, but Olmert put a stop to the IDF’s advancement and the war ended with a U.N. Security Council Resolution (#1701), which is being totaling ignored by Hezbollah.
In esence, he is telling Israel to do the same thing that happened back in 2006, when Israel was advancing against the Hezbollah in Lebanon. “I believe that the time has come for Israel to express its readiness to end the fighting. Yes, end the fighting. Not a pause and not a temporary cessation of two, three or four days. An end to the hostility – period. At that time, Israel will need to bring back the hostages, those who are alive and those who are dead. If we wait, it won’t be long before the only ones we can bring back will be the dead, because there won’t be any living ones. A cessation of hostilities must be conditioned on the release of all the hostages, every last one of them, the soldiers and the bodies of all those who have been held by Hamas for years. All of them.In exchange, Israel will have no choice but to release all the Hamas prisoners it holds.”
He goes on to say: “If there is no other way to bring the hostages home, there is no way to avoid a swap. The obligation of the State of Israel to those of its citizens who were abducted … is greater than the shame entailed in making concessions to Hamas.” Then, of course, he leads up to the contention that we have to negotiate with the “Palestinians” on the future of the Gaza Strip, with the mediation of Egypt. We’ve heard that before: Israel is urged to plan for the “day after”, to rehabilitate Gaza and then allow it to set up a “Palestinian” state, that would include the area of Judea and Samaria (“the West Bank”).
It appears that Olmert misses the point that the obligation of the State of Israel is to all of its citizens, not just to those who were taken hostage. The kind of concessions that he advocates would not only bring shame on us, as we would be yielding to terrorists, who are sworn to the ultimate destruction of Israel. It would also be an open invitation to terrorists of all kinds to kidnap one or more Israelis in an effort to achieve their goals vis-a-vis Israel. He also presumes that an end to the fighting will definitely result in a return of all of the hostages. In reading his Opinion piece, one would have to question what he is more opposed to – the war or to P.M. Netanyahu. We should be thankful that he doesn’t have the power or authority to put his opinions into practice.
Like a trampled spring and a polluted well, so is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked. (Proverbs 25:26)
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive is up to 168. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 501.
Is it fair to single out one soldier among the many who fought and died and to write something that relates to him only? It is done all the time. Each morning since October er 7th, the news of the day begins more or less with the words, “Cleared for publication”, followed by a list of the names, ages, place of residence and military units of those who were killed in action, or who died of their wounds. I’ve written in the past about specific soldiers who fell since the beginning of the ground offensive by the IDF into the Gaza Strip.
All of the soldiers should be honored and remembered, not only by their families and friends, but by the entire nation, on whose behalf they fought and on whose behalf they died. Some were involved in combat while doing compulsory service. Others, who completed their compulsory service and were discharged, were called up to their reserve units. Still others, who didn’t have to serve, volunteered, were trained and fought alongside their brothers-in-arms against evil, hateful, murderous terrorists, who threatened and continue to threaten the very existence of the State of Israel.
It’s been a long week and I’ve reflected much about the present state of affairs regarding the Gaza War, the hostages and their families, the alleged ongoing negotiations for another, considerably more difficult hostage/prisoner exchange, and about the many voices within the land, as well as those from abroad, who are telling Israel to admit defeat and to end the war, so that the hostages (who are still alive) can be brought home. Of course, some of those voices are more concerned about the people in Gaza than they are about the murderous onslaught that took place on October 7th by terrorists with no moral compass, who value death over life. So, I made the effort to put aside the war for a day and to share a story about one of our many heroes. We are all familiar with the expression: “All gave some. Some gave all.” The following relates to one who “gave all”.
Captain (in the reserves) Shaul Greenglick z”l (z”l = zichrono l’vracha – May his memory be blessed) was killed in action this past Monday in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. He was 26 years old. Shortly after the Gaza War began, he appeared in the popular show, “The Next Star”, and sang “I am a Blind Bat” – a song about finding courage while living with deep pain, which includes the following words: “Give me strength to find courage within me, to see a sign, because even the child that was within me died some time ago. I am a blind bat screaming my life in the dark. I’m asleep but my heart is awake as I’m addicted to joy and write at night a song that clears me of sadness and I run out of air.” He was told by judges on the program: “You have a natural talent. You were born with an amazing voice.” Another judge commented: “I’m happy to see you wearing a uniform, because it’s reassuring that someone like you is in uniform. I would be happy to see you representing Israel at Eurovision.”
Even though he advanced to the next level, he dropped out of the competition, putting his new dream aside to fulfill an old dream, fighting for the nation of Israel: “I imagined this year differently; a year of ambitions and fulfilling dreams. Now I am living an old dream, to fight for my country, and we are currently in the middle of the night … a new dream and another dream will have to wait a little longer. Thank you for the warm and encouraging words and for the good reviews. I hope this period passes and that it will pass quickly…I promise to continue fighting for this country that I love and for my dreams in the future. At the moment, there is only one thing on my mind, and that is to continue fighting in the darkness until we see the light.”
The Algemeiner published an Opinion piece by Ronn Torossian, in which he concludes:
“This beautiful soul was killed because of a war started by a Palestinian society that produced and still supports Hamas — which seeks not to build and celebrate life, but to destroy it.
“He is dead because this time, the Jewish people are choosing to live.
While Shaul Greenglick is dead, we will never ever quit. We will fight, and the Jewish people will live. Hamas and our enemies will be eliminated and the Jewish people will endure. We shed tears for the dead because we value life, but we must fight on for them. We will show strength and we will win, as our people have throughout history.
“Shaul Greenglick’s father wore his son’s uniform, and saluted his fallen son at his funeral. A final salute for our fallen hero. Heartbreaking. May his memory forever be a blessing.” To these words, we give a hearty “AMEN!”
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive jumped to 167. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th has now reached 501.
From time to time, I had pointed out that the situation with the Hezbollah terrorist organization based in Lebanon has been heating up. It was developing a slow boil, with increased missile and anti-tank launchings steadily increasing. As a result of the serious missile threat from Hezbollah, residents in northern communities were requested by the Israeli government and the IDF to abandon their homes and take up temporary residence further south, purportedly out of harm’s way. But, as the Gaza War presses on and is far from being over, the cross-border military encounters with the Hezbollah has developed into a second front. There are some who try to deny that we are in active involvement with this terrorist organization, but the reality is otherwise. The Hezbollah is another puppet proxy of Iran. While some politicians in Lebanon do not want to be drawn into the Gaza War or engage in an all-out war with Israel, the decision is not up to them, but up to the Hezbollah and, ultimately, up to Iran.
Barrages of about 30 rockets were launched by the Hezbollah yesterday towards the northern city of Kiryat Shmona and regions in the Western Galilee, as well as towards the coastal city of Rosh Hanikra and other communities. This afternoon, a Hezbollah unmanned aerial vehicle (a fancy name for a “drone”) crossed into Israel, setting off sirens in Acre (Acco) and several suburbs of Haifa. It was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force and shot down. One of my brothers-in-law was with my mother-in-law in one of the bayside suburbs along the northern part of the Gulf of Haifa. When the sirens went off, they went into the security room until the “all clear” was given by the IDF Home Front Command. He said that the sirens were operating at full blast (as they should) and that the explosion following the downing of the drone was deafening. They were only 13 km (8 miles) from us. Yes, the situation is definitely heading to a boil.
Although Israel is preparing for a full-fledged confrontation with Hezbollah, the decision makers in Lebanon are fully aware of the ability of Israel to turn Beirut into a northern Gaza. May it be that cool heads in Lebanon will prevail who will weigh the potential consequences of pursuing a third war with Israel and conclude that the negatives far outweigh any remote, potential benefits.
The War Wounded – the population usually overlooked by the media during war. – In mid-December, the Ministry of Defense stated that since the invasion of the Hamas terrorists on October 7th, over 6,000 members of the IDF, police and other agencies of the nation’s security forces, have been wounded. Approximately 900 are members of the IDF, who were wounded since the beginning of the present ground offensive which began in late October. The figures speak for themselves. Our prayers should also be focused on them and those who treat them, as well as those those come alongside and advocate on their behalf. As noted by The Times of Israel today: “In a country with compulsory military service for most Jews, the fate of soldiers is a sensitive and emotional topic. The names of fallen soldiers are announced at the top of hourly newscasts. Their funerals are packed with strangers who come to show solidarity. Their families receive generous support from the army.But historically, the plight of the wounded, though lauded as heroes, has taken a backseat to the stories of soldiers killed in battle. After the fanfare surrounding tales of their service and survival recedes, the wounded are left to contend with a new reality that can be disorienting, challenging and, for some, lonely. Their numbers have not had a significant bearing on public sentiment toward Israel’s wars in the way that mounting soldiers’ deaths have. The exceptionally large numbers of wounded in this war, however, will provide a visible reminder of the conflict for years to come.”
And, as pointed out by Edit Sharon Gittelman, Senior Researcher at the Institute for National Security: “There are wounded whose lives have been ruined…They will have to contend with their wounds their entire lives.”
Soldiers fight. Most survive war, some are killed, some are wounded. There are increasing reports of some of the hostages who were killed, or died, while being held in captivity by Hamas. Some families will never again see their loved ones who were killed in action. Some who were wounded in action may never be able to see their families again because of injury to their eyes. The hostages and the families of the hostages have concerns whether they will ever see one another again. Some family members of hostages go to great lengths to reach “people of influence”, who might be able to help to release one or more hostages. The mother of Noa Argamani is one of them.
Noa, 25-years-old, was one of an estimated 250 people abducted by Hamas and other terrorists, as well as Gazan civilians on October 7th. A brief video of her being taken hostage was published worldwide. In the footage that has been shown thousands of times over, we see Noa calling out to her boyfriend, who was also taken hostage at the same time.
Liora Argamani, Noa’s mother, in a video appeal to President Joe Biden and in a follow-up letter to him on Christmas Day, urged him to help her to see her daughter again. She indicated that she was suffering from brain cancer and her desperate plea was to be able to hug her daughter once more before departing this world. Liora’s situation and request came to the attention of CNN anchor, John Oz, who reported on the matter. He was emotionally moved and his voice broke, as he shared a small portion of her video. As mentioned, Liora renewed her plea in a letter to President Biden, stating: “I am terminally ill with Stage 4 brain cancer. All that’s running through my mind before I part ways with my family forever is the chance to hug my daughter, my only child, one last time…It’s Christmas now, and I would like to request from you, Mr. President, as a present, to see my daughter again before I leave this world…My daughter Noa is a contagiously happy and resilient young woman. She loves to dance, loves music, loves being with her friends and family…She deserves to be back where she belongs, pursuing her dreams, surrounded by love and care. She deserves to see her mother alive one last time.” In the earlier video, she said: “I am Liora Argamani, Noa’s mother, the beautiful girl kidnapped on October 7 by Hamas to Gaza…I have cancer. Brain cancer. I don’t know how long I have left. I wish for the chance to see my Noa, at home. I call upon President Biden and the Red Cross to bring back my Noa as soon as possible so that I get the chance to see her.” And then, addressing her daughter, she stated: “Noa, I want to tell you. If I don’t get to see you, please know that I love you very much. Please know we did everything we could to get you released. The whole world loves you.”
May it be that Liora’s request for the return of her daughter, Noa, will be granted. Not only for Noa’s release, but for the release of all of the hostages, without compromising on the goal of eliminating the evil of the terrorists (Hamas, “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad and others) from our midst.
A radical Muslim went from Jews hatred to preaching love for Israel. – Kasim Hafeez grew up hating Jews. He read a book by Alan Dershowitz, titled The Case for Israel. His original intention was to negate the claims made in the book. But, he couldn’t. He is now a converted Christians, working with Christians United for Israel – the title of the organization reveals its goal. As Jeremiah points out: Nothing is too difficult for God (Jeremiah 32:17).
Let’s keep that in mind when we pray for wisdom for the government of Israel, wisdom, strength, boldness and skill for the IDF, grace for the wounded and for the medical teams providing care for them, protection and freedom for the hostages, comfort for the families who have lost loved ones, for those whose dreams have been shattered and for those who yearn to be reunited with their families. “Comfort, comfort My people.” (Isaiah 40:1)
The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive jumped to 161. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th is reaching close to 500.
Proposed terms of negotiations are not in line with Israel’s objectives. – Egypt and Qatar are the two main “movers” in the attempts to lay out the ground work for a second round of negotiations for the return of hostage/release of prisoners and cease fire. In the background of those attempts is the leadership of Hamas. So, it shouldn’t come as a major surprise that Egypt’s proposal is heavily in favor of Hamas, while holding out the carrot before Israel for the initial return of dozens of hostages.
The essential of Egypt’s proposal, which was prepared together with Qatar, is far-reaching in its scope and goes beyond the cessation of hostilities, are the following : (1) It starts with a ceasefire for a period of up to two weeks, during which time the terrorist organizations (Hamas and “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad and, perhaps others) would return between 40 to 50 hostages. These would include women, elderly and sick. In exchange, Israel would release between 120-150 additional “Palestinians” presently in Israeli jails. (2) Additional negotiations that would be conducted during this initial ceasefire stage would focus on extending the ceasefire and the return of additional hostages, including bodies of Israelis still held by the terrorists. (3) The two drafters of the proposal would hold meetings with all of the different factions of “Palestinians”, including Hamas, with the goal of getting those factions to agree to the setting up of a government of “experts”, who would rule both the Gaza Strip and the “West Bank” (Biblical Judea and Samaria) until the various “Palestinian” factions resolve their disputes. Once that happens, those same factions would further agree to hold both presidential and parliamentary elections. (4) While all of the “Palestinian” factions are pursuing the goals mentioned in the above third point, Israel and Hamas would “negotiate” an “all-for-all” deal, one that would result in (a) the return of all remaining hostages (b) the release of all of the “Palestinian” prisoners (c) the withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza and (d) the cessation of rocket attacks into Israel by “Palestinian” terrorists. That’s the general idea.
Realistically, however, the likelihood that Israel would be willing to accept those proposals is close to nil. While emptying Israeli prisons of some 8,000 prisoners would be economically beneficial for Israel, considering the extremely high cost of providing for them, their release in exchange for about 130 hostages could quickly and easily replenish the losses incurred by the terrorists since October 7th.
Moreover, the proposal totally ignores Israel’s stated goals of eliminating Hamas, as well as its repeated insistence on maintaining military control in the Gaza Strip for a period of time, presently unknown, but at least for the foreseeable future, after the war ends. It is foolish to believe that the terrorist hierarchy of Hamas would voluntarily agree to turn over the reigns of power and authority to any group of “experts”, presently unspecified.
The three “Ds” for peace: – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that Israel would not agree to end the war until its goals are obtained. In an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, he laid out three prerequisites for peace between Israel and its “Palestinian” neighbors, which can be summed up, as follows : “1) the destruction of Hamas; 2) the demilitarization of Gaza and 3) the deradicalization of Palestinian society,” all of which he expanded upon in the above-mentioned op-ed.
In the meantime, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant does not see an early end to the Gaza War. Addressing Members of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) today, Gallant stated: “This is a long, tough war. It has costs, heavy costs, but its justification is the highest that can be”, noting that Hamas will pay for its barbaric attack of October 7th, “whether it takes months or years.” He put the present picture together in his statement that Israel is now fighting on “seven fronts” and responded, so far, to six of them. That’s a polite way of saying that we are involved in a multi-front war.
In an earlier post, it was pointed out that in an effort to avoid an all-out conflagration with Lebanon, Israel was demanding that the Hezbollah terrorist organization move northward to the Litani River, creating a buffer zone of about 30 km from the border with Israel. This would allow for the displaced residents to return to their homes in the north. Apparently, P.M. Netanyahu is backing away from his earlier demand, due to pressure being exerted by the U.S. and France, who are trying to stave off a full-scale war with Lebanon. That leaves the terrorist group to continue to act in complete violation of U.N. Resolution 1701, which created a buffer zone that has the Hezbollah has blatantly ignored. No one seems to be complaining about this, except for Israel.
Iran threatens to retaliate against Israel for the death of IRGC general in Syria. – Razi Mousavi was a close friend of Iranian General Qassim Soleimani, who killed by the U.S. in 2020. Mousavi himself was killed yesterday (Monday) in an airstrike in Syria, attributed to Israel. He was also an adviser to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which threatened that Israel would end up paying for killing him. That is one of the 7 fronts that Gallant mentioned. Iran has so far operated by its puppet proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis, the 3-H club. But, it won’t sit on the sidelines for too much longer.
The Dry Bones Blog – 21 December, 2023
The “West” is urged to take in refugees from Gaza. – According to some Israeli Members of Knesset, both in the coalition, as well as in the opposition, one of the solutions to the problem of Gazan refugees is for other countries to welcome them. Over a month and a half ago, the Wall Street Journal published an Opinion piece by those Members of Knesset which included, among other things, “The international community has a moral imperative—and an opportunity—to demonstrate compassion, help the people of Gaza move toward a more prosperous future and work together to achieve greater peace and stability in the Middle East.” This would not be a “transfer”, but a humanitarian solution for those Gazans who want to leave and relocate to another country. Egypt is not in favor of it. One European diplomat reported that he was told by an Egyptian official: “You want us to take one million people? Well, I am going to send them to Europe. You care about human rights so much – well, you take them.” None of our neighbors want to take in the people from Gaza, who refer to themselves as “Palestinians”. I am presuming that they don’t want to take the chance that among those Gazans will be other non-desirables that go by the name of “Hamas” or “Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
The total IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive is now up to 156.
Today, much of the world celebrates Christmas. But, in Israel today, the celebrations are few and far between. As long as I can remember, right after Thanksgiving, many communities in Israel began preparations for Hanukkah and Christmas. In Haifa, where we are, certain main roads would be adorned with lights and decorations. Downtown Haifa would celebrate what has come to be designated as “the Festival of Festivals” – a multi-cultural time where the three major faiths would celebrate different religious festivals, drawing crowds to Haifa from all over Israel. But, not this year. Holiday lights and decorations that usually adorn restaurants and different types of businesses in the areas that usually have lots of visitors are not present this year. The festivities of December are absent. The crowds that swarm the attractions of Haifa didn’t come this year. Lots of businesses are suffering from the fallout of the war. And everyone here is affected by it in one way or another. Certain non-profit organizations tried to lighten up the day, particularly for younger children in communities where there is a large concentration of Arab Christians. On the whole, however, this is not the “season to be jolly”.
The “Palestinian” Authority, the semi-political structure that was birthed following the disaster of the Oslo Accords, is failing in its responsibilities of governing Islamic communities in Judea and Samaria. Yet, many governments would urge that the leadership of the “Palestinian” Authority also take responsibility for the governance of the Gaza Strip when the present war is over. The utter folly of such a move would be obvious to anyone who would bother to take to time to take a good look at what is being proposed. That will be discussed another time.
As usual and as expected, the leadership of the “Palestinian” Authority blames Israel for destroying Christmas. The absurdity of it all is lost on many who fail to understand that Islam has no lost love for Christians – whatever type of Christian one may claim to be. Islam’s primary goal is to get rid of the Sabbath worshippers – the Jews, and then to get rid of the Sunday worshippers – the Christians. And, of course, there is the yearly claim that Yeshua (Jesus) was a “Palestinian”, a title that they try to place on Him decades before the term “Palestinian” (from “Palestina Capitolina” – the designation given by the Romans to the area now known as Israel, after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.) was ever used. So, when we hear pious statements from any Islamic leader that laments the absence of Christmas celebrations, we should rejected them without giving them a second thought.
Okay, those are followers of Islam. But, what about those who call themselves “Christian”, who celebrate all of the worldly aspects of Christmas, but hate the Jews? Russell Moore, in his article appearing in The Washington Post of October 31, 2018, stated it clearly: “If you hate Jews, you hate Jesus, too.” . If one really wants to celebrate Christmas, it needs to be remembered that Christ = Messiah, is and always will be – not was – Jewish. If you are looking forward to the return of The Prince of Peace, pray for the Jewish people. He will return to Jerusalem, not to the United States, not to Europe, not to Asia or to anywhere else.
And yet, many who celebrate Christmas around the world, whatever religious affiliation they claim, also take aim against Israel and the Jewish people because of what is happening in the Gaza War. When will the world ever learn? Golda Meir, addressing the Israeli Knesset shortly following the Munich massacre of Israeli athletes in 1972, stated: “From the blood-drenched history of the Jewish nation, we learn that violence which begins with the murder of Jews, ends with the spread of violence and danger to all people, in all nations. We have no choice but to strike at terrorist organizations wherever we can reach them. That is our obligation to ourselves and to peace.” (my emphasis)
For those who celebrate this day, please remember to pray for the people to whom He came and whom He sought. One day, nations and individuals will be judged on the basis of how they relate to and treat the Jewish people: “When you do this for the least of these, My brethren (i.e., the Jewish people), you do it for Me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Pray also for those in countries throughout the world, who celebrate Christmas with little or no concern that the day commemorates what is traditionally considered to be the birth of a little child, a Jewish little child, who will grow up to become the “King of the Jews”, upon Whom the sins of the world was placed, so that sinners, even the worst of sinners, can be forgiven and reconciled to an all-holy God. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)This is the day which the Lord has made; Let’s rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
The IDF suffered the loss of 14 soldiers and officers, who were killed in action over the weekend (Friday afternoon through Saturday until evening), Three of them were from Haifa. One of the families is known to me. This evening yet another soldier was K.I.A., bringing the total IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive to 154. This is heart-breaking news.
Shalom all,
“Construction over destruction”? Every once in a while, in the midst of a multitude of media babble, one well-written article, expressed clearly and with understanding, stands out. And, when that article appears in a leftist newspaper, but advocates pursuing “an absolute military victory”, we should take a few moments to read and consider what is being proposed. Such is the case with the Opinion – Let the Israeli Army Win the Hamas War Decisively, written by Israel Harel, that appeared in today”s Haaretz . The author cogently points out that even if we accomplish our goal of eliminating the military might of Hamas, the likelihood is that we will still be facing future wars by those have the same “murderous ideologies”.
However, he further notes: “But it is entirely possible that if the Israel Defense Forces is permitted this time to achieve a decisive, absolute military victory (and not only to obtain “successes,” as in the 2014 Gaza war), as the prime minister, defense minister and IDF chief of staff have established as among the goals of the war, decades of quiet could be reached. In the absence of the Hamas army – and with an IDF that controls the Gaza Strip and moves aggressively to prevent this army’s reconstitution – Gazans are likely to choose construction over destruction.” (my emphasis)
The positive aspects of a Gaza Strip without Hamas are numerous. But, in order for those aspects to become a reality, “the goals of the war must be adhered to strictly”. Harel further points out that while an additional “humanitarian pause in exchange for the release of hostages” may be favored by politicians and even by some senior military commanders, it is not favored by the families of fallen soldiers, nor by the combat soldiers in the IDF. The momentum of the military should not be stopped, nor should we “create new bereaved families through capitulation to foreign interests”. Harel urges that now is the time to “Take advantage of the soldiers’ endless willingness to fight a decisive war, despite the dangers it holds for them…Israeli soldiers of all stripes and tribes have come together for this campaign, knowing that they are liable to die in a war whose goal is to prevent further wars.” Another “humanitarian pause” in the war could prove disastrous for the morale and motivation of our troops.
The Dry Bones Blog – 8 December, 2023
Our government needs to understand that we can’t placate the enemy, whose ultimate goal is the removal of Israel from the map of the Middle East, and from the world itself. We can’t go back to our old way of thinking that we can successfully negotiate with the devil. We can’t. It’s time to stop trying to negotiate with a blood-thirsty, totally immoral terrorist band, that exalts death the way that we exalt life. We will end up freeing all the “Palestinian” prisoners in Israeli jails, many with blood on their hands, who will immediately join the rank and file of Hamas and “Palestinian Islamic Jihad” and other terrorist organizations. We will not get all of the hostages back through negotiation – even today, the terrorists expressed a potential willingness to release up to 40 hostages. What about the rest? The hostages are their leverage and they need to hold on to some of them in order to keep the terrorist leadership alive. If another hostage/prisoner release deal is concluded, it will also necessitate the end of the war and leave the terrorist leadership alive, to plan and attempt execute another October 7th. The end will be disastrous for Israel. It will demonstrate our weakness – kidnap an Israeli and we will yield to whatever demands are made of us. The world wants Israel and the Jewish people to be perpetual victims and it will treat us as such, if we fail to defend ourselves and do what is necessary to remove the evil from our midst and from our neighborhood.
Two thousand years of persecution and wandering. Now, we are home and the enemy of our souls wants to remove us from here. We are like a tree firmly planted by streams of water. Our roots go deep. Winds and storms may cause us to bend here and there, but they can’t uproot us. May God grant us wisdom, strength, boldness, skill and determination, to press on to a decisive, absolute victory over our enemies. It CAN be done. This IS still a land of miracles.
The number of IDF members killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive is now up to 139.
As we draw close to the end of the 78th day of the war, Israel focuses on three main areas that need to be resolved, two of which will be discussed here: the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon, the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip and the Yemenite Houthis terrorists in the area of the Red Sea. The fighting in Gaza continues, with considerable success against Hamas forces, including the elimination of “a senior Hamas official responsible for arms trade, production and procurement for the terror organization’s military wing”. But, there are questions and possible developments regarding the Hezbollah.
A senior official in the Hezbollah was asked whether the implementation of a second, major front along the northern border of Israel would be productive in bringing about an end to the Gaza War. He replied, “We asked our brothers in Gaza what could we do? If to initiate an all-out war in Lebanon. Would that stop the war in Gaza or not?…Their response was no, it would not stop it, the war in Gaza will not end, only with Israel’s victory inside Gaza.” (my emphasis) The same report by The Jerusalem Post quotes the reply of Hamas to be that “the fighting in Gaza will not cease. Only with a victory over Israel within Gaza.“(my emphasis)
If the response of Hamas, according to The Times of Israel was honest (which is always doubtful) that the war will end only with an Israeli victory, it would reveal much about the present mindset of the Gaza-based terrorist organization. From a practical point of view, Hamas cannot succeed militarily against Israel. But, it does hold a critical “playing card”, namely, the hostages. From prior reports, it became clear that Hamas understands that once it releases the hostages, there would be nothing to hold back the IDF from pursuing its original goal of eliminating the Hamas terrorists and its infrastructure.
Hence, the only real options at present are three-fold: fight to the death; surrender or try to hold out for a political solution that will allow for the return of the hostages, while keeping the leadership of Hamas alive to fight another day. The first option is sheer foolishness on the part of Hamas. The second option, surrender, is unrealistic, as “losing face” in the region of the Middle East is worse that being killed in battle. That leaves the third option for Hamas, of trying to “hang in there”, until enough pressure is placed on Israel that the latter would agree to almost any renewed hostage-release deal as well as the terms that would be dictated by Hamas. It needs to be remembered that in this area of the world, if you do not lose decisively, you are deemed to have won. This bring us to Hamas’s reply quoted in The Jerusalem Post article, namely, that the war will only end after a victory over Israel within Gaza. As noted above, militarily, and by God’s grace, that is not going to happen.
So, is there a possibility of avoiding an all-out second front in the north? Beirut (Lebanon’s capital) says “yes”, but there are conditions. U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 , which ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and which both sides agreed to within two days of its passage, provides, in part, as follows: “The Security Council…Expressing its utmost concern at the continuing escalation of hostilities in Lebanon and in Israel since Hizbollah’s attack on Israel on 12 July 2006, which has already caused hundreds of deaths and injuries on both sides, extensive damage to civilian infrastructure and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons…
“1. Calls for a full cessation of hostilities based upon, in particular, the immediate cessation by Hizbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations;…
“8. Calls for Israel and Lebanon to support a permanent ceasefire and a long- term solution based on the following principles and elements:
– full respect for the Blue Line (a temporary line of withdrawal from Lebanon by Israeli troops, set by the U.N. in 2000) by both parties;
– security arrangements to prevent the resumption of hostilities, including the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani river of an area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL as authorized in paragraph 11, deployed in this area;…
– no sales or supply of arms and related materiel to Lebanon except as authorized by its Government;…
“15. Decides further that all States shall take the necessary measures to prevent, by their nationals or from their territories or using their flag vessels or aircraft:
(a) The sale or supply to any entity or individual in Lebanon of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned, whether or not originating in their territories.”
From the above Resolution, it is clear that Hezbollah initiated attacks against Israel and that there was to be a demilitarized zone from the Blue Line all the way north to the Litani River in Lebanon. But, more importantly, there was to be an arms embargo on Lebanon. With this in mind, and with the realization that the Hezbollah controls Lebanon in much the same way that Hamas controlled the Gaza Strip, we can understand that promises by the Hezbollah are meaningless. It immediately and consistently violated the terms of Resolution 1701, entered the demilitarized zone and has significantly increased its weapons of war, which poses a serious threat to Israel.
While Mikati’s comments were made about two months ago, little has been done to more the matter forward. Jerusalem is open to resolving the present conflict with Beirut, but said that if a deal is not reached if a deal is not reached under which Hezbollah would be moved north of the Litani River (around 30 km (20 miles) from the border, an all-out war would be possible. Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, said this past week that Hezbollah can be moved northward, either by diplomacy or by force. Maybe for once, diplomacy will work. Lebanon is facing a severe economic crisis and its leadership realizes that the last thing it needs now is an all-out war with Israel. Israel also wants to avoid an active second front and return the displaced residents to the communities in the north. Both sides will benefit from a cessation of cross-border hostilities. The main question is whether Hezbollah’s puppeteer, Iran, will pull its strings towards war.
In the meantime, the U.S. is making efforts to mediate between the two countries. And while pursuing such efforts, “U.S. officials have made it clear to their counterparts in Lebanon and Israel that peace cannot be restored to the northern border before the conflict in Gaza ends. The officials said that Hezbollah and other militias in Lebanon are not expected to cease firing at Israel as long as the war in Gaza continues.”
The UN approves resolution requiring additional aid deliveries to Gaza. – The U.N. Security Council adopted 2720 (2023) a watered-down resolution yesterday (Friday), which included the following:
“The Security Council…“2. Reaffirms the obligations of the parties to the conflict under international humanitarian law regarding the provision of humanitarian assistance, demands that they allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population through the Gaza Strip, and in this regard calls for urgent steps to immediately allow safe, unhindered, and expanded humanitarian access and to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”
In its Preamble to the Resolution, the Security Council repeated its warped understanding of the issues between Israel and its neighbors, by “Stressing that the Gaza Strip constitutes an integral part of the territory occupied in 1967, and reiterating the vision of the two-State solution, with the Gaza Strip as part of the Palestinian State.” In paragraph 12 of the Resolution, the S.C. reiterated “its unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, and in this regard stresses the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.” (Underlined emphasis mine)
At first, I wondered how the U.S. could refrain from voting, when the resolution contained so many historically erroneous language. Then I remembered that the “two-state solution” is part of the O-Biden Administration’s planned goal for the region “the day after” the war ends. This international body has an agenda and it is definitely not favorable, or even impartial, towards Israel. Its representatives should take time out from their idyllic sand-castles in fantasy land and spend a month living in Judea and Samaria (which it refers to as the West Bank). I would have suggested that they spend that period of time in the Gaza Strip, but it appears that the Strip is presently undergoing renovations. If they don’t act on that suggestion, then they should consider speaking to hostages who has been released, who once thought that Hamas possessed a trace of humanity, but whose thinking is now totally opposite. As one mother and daughter explained it: “I don’t want anyone to think we had it good there, that they’re good there, that we saw humanity there…We believed that there are no bad people – only people who have it bad. But there are bad people…We will never forgive and we will never show any kind of empathy towards these people…If we previously believed that there was a chance for peace, we’ve lost all faith in these people, especially after we were there and among the population.“ Enough said!
As for supplying more humanitarian aid to Gaza, the U.N. continues to live in “lalaland”.
The number of IDF members killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive is now up to 139.
Iran actively helping Houthi attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. – On Tuesday, December 19th, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the establishment of a multinational operation to protect against attacks by Yemenite Houthis on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. According to Austin, the nations involved in the operation would conduct joint patrols in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. One day earlier, a senior Houthi official said that the Houthi rebels were “capable of confronting any coalition formed by the U.S. operating in the Red Sea.” The Houthi spokesman said with the exception of ships “belonging to Israel or those heading to Israeli ports”, all other ships are safe. He added that “Any other claim is unrealistic American propaganda aiming to build any international rampart to protect Israel at sea, following the collapse of its concrete walls in the Al-Aqsa Flood”, the name given by Hamas to the October 7th attack upon Israel.
As it now turns out, even though shipping vessels turned off their radios in order to avoid detection, their presence and locations are communicated by an Iranian spy ship, that enables the Houthis to send out drones and then missiles to attack ships passing through the Red Sea. With the Iranians now taking a more active role to support the Houthis, who are attacking the ships as part of their support of Hamas, it will be interesting to see whether the newly-formed international coalition will respond, both to the Houthis and to Iran.
Pennsylvania Democratic Congresswoman accuses AIPAC of being an existential threat to blacks. – Well, we are entering into the theatre of the absurd. Summer Lee is a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from Pennsylvania – and a member of the far-left “Squad” in Congress. She severely criticized the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest pro-Israel lobby group, and accused it of racism for not endorsing her. According to the Congresswoman, “AIPAC is not supporting those Black candidates to be supportive of their community’s needs if the only issue it cares about is their own. That’s textbook racism actually.” Apparently, she misses the point that a lobbying organization is supposed to be focused on the goals of the organization, in this case advocating in favor of Israel. AIPAC does not owe anything to Representative Lee. But, in her case, the organization refused to endorse Lee exactly because of her “blatant anti-Israel positions”, which are totally inconsistent with the goals of AIPAC. If that were not enough, on another occasion, Lee wrote: “Since no one else will say it, I will: AIPAC is an existential threat to the Black community and its right to self [determination].”
I recognize that those who carry the title of “politician” often make claims that are, let’s say, “exaggerated”, but this one stretches the boundary of exaggeration. An “existential threat to the Black community” – really? “[And] its right to self [determination]?” She’ll probably be telling us next that Yehya Sinwar, the head of the Hamas terrorist organization, is actually a Yeshiva boy.
U.N. representative says killing Israeli soldiers is not a crime. – Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the so-called “Palestinian” territories, stated last week in an interview, “If the “Palestinians” target civilian objects, they commit war crimes…If they target military objects, they do not commit war crimes – they are in line with acts of resistance.” According to the article in World Israel News , “Albanese criticized Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack because the terrorist fighters targeted Israeli civilians and took hostages. She said, however, that ‘an illegal act of the resistance doesn’t delegitimize the resistance itself’.” On another occasion last month, she said that Hamas was “entitled to embrace resistance”, but contended that under international law, Israel did not have the right to act in self-defense against the terrorist group. And then, in line with other comments that she made which generated calls for her removal from office, the above article notes that “She denounced calls this month for Hamas to release its hostages, calling it an ‘unacceptable’ act of “justifying and deflecting the attention from the atrocities committed by the Israeli army in Gaza.”
So, there are representatives of the U.N. who have a warped perspective regarding the brutal massacre committed by Hamas on October 7th and Israel’s response to it. But, at least the U.N. Children’s Emergency fund assistance to Israeli children, casualties of war – right? Wrong! Listen to this exposé from the Israeli organization, Shurat HaDin, that sues terrorist organizations on behalf of Israel and victims of terror, with the goal of bankrupting terror organizations “one lawsuit at a time”. May they continue to have great success not only against terrorist organizations, but against those who provide financial backing for them as well.
Israel has made valiant efforts to move Gazan civilians out of harm’s way, urging them to move toward the south and even providing safe corridors for them, so that they would not be prevented by Hamas from moving. The civilian population could be benefitted and helped greatly if Egypt would open its doors and allow Gazan civilians to enter Egypt, but it has refused. So, what is to be done with the fleeing civilian population? Nikki Haley has a great suggestion: They should be sent to “pro-Hamas countries”, such as Qatar, Iran and Turkey, as well as Egypt. In an interview with ABC News, Haley added: “Why won’t Egypt take them? Because they don’t trust which ones are terrorists and which ones aren’t? It’s a sad state of affairs, but the reality of that evil is very clear in Arab countries too. Arab countries have very much always been cautious and know the threats that Iran can place…Why isn’t everybody talking to Egypt? Why aren’t they talking to Turkey? Why aren’t they talking to Qatar? Why aren’t they talking to Iran? Why aren’t they doing something to help the “Palestinians’? Why is it that you come back to Israel and the US? It’s always the case…If [the October 7 attack] had happened to America, do you not think that we would have hit back?”
Please remember to pray for: wisdom for the government; for wisdom and strength, power and boldness for the IDF; for the hostages who are still alive; for the families of the hostages and the families of those who lost loved ones, and for wisdom and skill for the teams providing medical care to the war wounded.
The number of IDF members killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive is now up to 137.
I did not write yesterday. I needed a break.
“It’s not your fault.” – It was not the kind of response that one would have expected from members of a family, whose son was one of the hostages tragically killed in a war zone in Gaza by the IDF. Iris Haim, the mother of Yotam Haim, one of the three hostages mistakenly killed during an IDF operation near Shejaiya, in a recorded message to the soldiers in the the unit that killed him, said : “I am Yotam’s mother. I wanted to tell you that I love you very much, and I hug you here from afar…I know that everything that happened is absolutely not your fault, and nobody’s fault except that of Hamas, may their name be wiped out and their memory erased from the earth…And don’t hesitate for a second if you see a terrorist…Don’t think that you killed a hostage deliberately. You have to look after yourselves because only that way can you look after us…At the first opportunity, you are invited to come to us, whoever wants to. And we want to see you with our own eyes and hug you and tell you that what you did — however hard it is to say this, and sad — it was apparently the right thing in that moment. And nobody’s going to judge you or be angry. Not me, and not my husband Raviv. Not my daughter Noya. And not Yotam, may his memory be blessed. And not Tuval, Yotam’s brother. We love you very much. And that is all.” That incredible statement reflects more than just compassion, understanding and forgiveness from a family dealing with the sorrow, grief and pain of loss. It expresses the spirit of the nation that recognizes that the country is at war, that the IDF has placed itself in the line of danger, risking and giving the lives of our soldiers for the sake and protection of all of Israel, so that all of our families can live out our lives and sleep in peace. It is not only a verbal expression of love, it is love in action. We salute the entire Haim family. May the memory of Yotam be blessed!
Renewed negotiations? Hamas is not interested, at least for now. – Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, in an interview with a Lebanese television channel, said on October 24th, that if given the opportunity, Hamas would repeat the October 7th attacks many times, until Israel is exterminated. We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do it twice and three times. The Al-Aqsa Deluge [the name Hamas gave its October 7 onslaught] is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth…Will we have to pay a price? Yes, and we are ready to pay it. We are called a nation of martyrs, and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs.” Now, he told the Qatari owned media conglomerate, Al Jazeera, that the terrorist organization is not interested in another hostage release deal, even if there would be a pause in the fighting for three weeks. “Some people are looking for a small pause — a pause here and there for one week, two weeks, three weeks…But we want to stop the aggression [completely]…Because I think Israel will take the card of the hostages, and after that they will start a new round of mass killing and massacres against our people. I think we will not play this game.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday (Wednesday) that the U.S. is working to negotiate another hostage-release deal, that Israel also wants, but that “the problem is Hamas”. He added that there’s no expectation for such a deal to take place immediately, but that the U.S. is “pushing it” and hopes the discussions and negotiations “lead somewhere.”
But, in the backdrop of attempts to negotiate another deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said earlier this week that Israel would not prematurely end the fighting in Gaza and that we would not cave in to pressure to do so, adding that media conjecture that a ceasefire is about to take place is “detached from reality.” He added, “We are continuing the war to the end. It will continue until Hamas is eliminated – until victory…Whoever thinks that we will stop is detached from reality. We will not stop the fighting until all of the goals that we have set are achieved: The elimination of Hamas, the release of our hostages and the removal of the threat from Gaza…All Hamas terrorists, from the first to the last, are dead men walking. They have only two possibilities. Surrender or die.”
So, negotiations are proceeding for another hostage exchange, that the U.S. is pushing for, with the assistance of Egypt and Qatar (who is the primary financial backer of Hamas and provided protection to senior Hamas officials still living in its territory) and with the hope that negotiations will lead somewhere. Part of the deal will undoubtedly include another ceasefire, possibly an extended one. Hamas doesn’t want partial ceasefires. It was a total cessation of hostilities and is not interested in renewing negotiations in the absence of an end to the war. Netanyahu says, “surrender or die”, and Israel will continue the war and achieve its goals. If what Netanyahu says is true, why is Israel willing to continue to negotiate? Is talk of “victory” against Hamas just another political statement that sounds good, but is empty in reality? At least one prominent columnist and author thinks so.
Daniel Pipes is the President of the Middle East Forum. In his excellent article, The Rapid Return of Israel’s Disastrous Policy, appearing in Middle East Quarterly, Winter 2024 , Pipes premises that “Understanding the mistakes that led up to the Hamas massacre provides a basis to evaluate Israel’s long-term response to that day [October 7th]” and contends that “the presumptions behind those mistakes remain in place and will not change unless Israelis adopt a radically different attitude toward the Palestinians.” He walks us through the changes in attitude, and therefore, in policy, relating to the deadly massacre that took place two and a half months ago in the communities that make up the “Gaza Envelope”. Specifically, the language of the government, as well as of the population, went from initial shouts calling for victory in seeing Hamas destroyed, to a willingness to make painful concessions in order to free the hostages, which outweighs the destruction of Hamas. Noting that initial calls for “Victory had become a matter of consensus, or so it appeared.” He added: “But did that ferocity signify a fundamental shift in outlook or just a passing surge in emotions? Mounting evidence suggests the latter. American novelist Jack Engelhard noted in late November about the mood in Israel: ‘I am so damn depressed. … I hardly hear any talk of victory anymore.’ Indeed, the robust rhetoric of victory following Oct. 7 ended as abruptly as it began, replaced by negotiating with Hamas over terms for the release of just some of the hostages. More profoundly, Israeli officialdom and public alike showed signs of hastily reverting to the attitudes and policies that had led to Oct. 7.” Pipes points out that those policies rested on the assumption of economic benefit and that fact that Israel is strong enough to be able to make concessions.
He discussed the ill-advised first hostage deal, pointing out that despite calls to eliminate Hamas and the inability to negotiate with the evil that is Hamas. Pipes also mentioned some of the terms of the deal, as well as its implications, which included a comment from an Israeli Colonel, Shai Shabai: “Hamas’ ‘continued hold on the hostages has one object: to use endless negotiation in order to undermine the dismantling of its political and military power’.” The article went on to speak of Netanyahu’s concession to Qatar that Israel’s “Mossad would not go to the emirate to kill Hamas political leaders” residing in Qatar. But, it also specifically noted that even some family members of hostages argue that the only way to get the hostages released is to pursue Hamas “with all of our strength, without interruption and without surrendering to their demands, as if they are the victors.”
Pointing out that Israel’s mood quickly returned to business as usual, Pipes concludes his article with the following words: “This reversion also fits a much larger pattern. From 1882 until the present, the two feuding parties to this conflict have compiled extraordinary records of sterile continuity. The Palestinians maintain a mentality of rejectionism (no, no, and never to everything Jewish and Israeli), while Zionists stick to conciliation (accept us and we will enrich you). The two go around and around, hardly evolving or making progress. Change will only come when Israelis break with the traditional Zionist mentality and seek Israel Victory.” I would recommend reading the article in its entirety. It is clear and factual and definitely speaks to the situation existing today. It would be wonderful if Israel’s leadership would read it and reconsider its ways. Sometimes, we need to go back to the beginning in order to remember where we need to arrive at the end.
Finally, the media quickly jumps on every opportunity to show that some Jews are opposed to the continuation of the Gaza War and call for its end. Publicly opposing the Gaza War, and the manner in which Israel is fighting that war are counter-productive and damaging and both align with and add to the attacks of our enemies. In this regard, I would recommend a reading of Jeffrey Cahn’s blog that was reproduced yesterday in The Times of Israel. I note, in particular, Cahn’s last paragraph under point “3” of the five points mentioned in his article: “War, as they say, is hell — always. Demanding only Israel wage bloodless war is denying only Israel, and Jews, the right to defend ourselves. This double standard has a name: antisemitism. By playing into this narrative, Jews ourselves are supporting this classic antisemitic trope.”
The number of IDF members killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive is now up to 131.
Rachel continues to weep for her children. Another military funeral, similar to others, but definitely different. It is difficult to describe in words what a military funeral is like in Israel. I’ve attended a few and wept with the families, the friends, the companions-in-arms and others who participated in the ceremony simply to honor and respect the fallen soldier. Today, it was the funeral of Sergeant First Class, Urija Bayer, 20 years old, for whom many of the recipients of this blog prayed for.
It was about an hour’s drive from Haifa to the military cemetery in Ma’alot-Tarshiha, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of the northern city of Nahariyya. I drove with my oldest son, who was released from reserve duty after serving for two months, and his wife (whose sister is married to Urija’s cousin). We anticipated traffic, so we left a little early, planning to arrive between 30-45 minutes before the funeral service began. As we were approaching the entrance to the cemetery, we saw a long line of people lining the roadway, holding Israeli flags. The number of roadside participants increased significantly by the time we reached the cemetery. Vehicular traffic was directed by the IDF and we were able to get a parking space very close to the entrance. By the time we arrived at the cemetery, literally hundreds of people were already present – Urija’s family, of course; friends; members of the unit where he served, along with what appeared to be a sea of members of the IDF. By the time the actual funeral service began, about a thousand people were in attendance, including my daughter, who came down from Jerusalem, and my other son, who is on full-time, active duty in the IDF in the north of Israel.
We heard the echo of the loud speaker being turned on and then the announcement, requesting that the crowd make way and not block the path of the procession that was about to begin, on schedule. The crowd separated, making an uneven divide, but clearing a path wide enough for the pall bearers and the honor guard to pass, followed by family and just about everyone else, to the actual plot where Urijah would be interred.
The military funeral is arranged fully by the IDF. Each funeral has similar aspects – the arrival of the casket and its burial; eulogies by members of the IDF, including a rabbi, the commanding officer of the unit where the deceased soldier served, a testimony by another officer about the person and service of the solder, a prayer to the Father of Mercies, eulogies by members of the family, the “Mourner’s Kadish” (a prayer exalting and praising the greatness of God), a three-volley salute and the declaration that the service is officially over.
But, while all of the above elements were present, still, this military funeral was considerably different from almost all others. Urija was not Jewish, but was an Evangelical Chrisitian. Although he held the status of a permanent resident, he did not have Israeli citizenship, and so was exempt from mandatory military service. Nevertheless, like his four siblings before him, he volunteered to join the IDF, and served in the Maglan Special Forces unit, which is part of the Nahal Brigade. He is the youngest of five children, all of whom were born in Israel. His parents are German Christian Evangelicals, who founded “Zedakah” (meaning “charity”), a German Christian charitable organization that runs the Bet Eliezer Nursing Home in Ma’alot, which has one goal: to comfort and console elderly Holocaust survivors. Urija’s grandparents founded and operated the Beth El Guest Home, located in Shavei Zion (not far from the city of Naharriya), which hosts Holocaust survivors and their families for free.
In her eulogy, Urija’s mother related, among other things, to the meaning of the name “Urija” from a Biblical point of view. She spoke of the sovereignty of God in all things and of the salvation offered by faith in Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel – a subject almost never mentioned at a military funeral in Israel. The emotional impact of her words were clearly evident upon many of the faces of those present, as some wept and others wiped away tears. Urija lived out his faith in Messiah Yeshua and found favor in the sight of God and man. The testimony that he left behind will be remembered and spoken about by the people whose lives he touched.
Urija was described by officers and enlisted men, and women, as a highly dedicated and competent combat soldier, who was always ready to perform the most difficult tasks. He was quiet and always smiling, encouraging others in his unit to press on. He was dedicated to the defense of Israel, and was honored and respected by everyone in the IDF who knew him. Last Thursday, during difficult combat in the southern portion of the Gaza Strip, he sustained severe head injuries, from which he died on Sunday. All of the members of the IDF who spoke at his funeral closed with the words, “may his life be bound up in the bundle of the living” based upon 1 Samuel 25:29, which is a prayer of faith in the eternal life of the soul. The Hebrew letters that form an anagram from those words appear on almost all gravestones of Jewish people. May Urija’s memory be blessed.
The Gaza War continues in earnest, as units of the IDF continue to find and destroy additional tunnels that are part of a vast tunnel system, some of which are able to accommodate trucks. It is nothing short of a miracle that one of these larger tunnels, which is located a relatively short distance from one of the Israel-Gaza crossings, was not utilized by Hamas to overrun the IDF units in charge of those crossings and cause an even greater massacre inside of Israel than that which took place on October 7th.
The northern arena is no longer a place for irritating, cross-border incidents. Now, there is ongoing military action throughout the course of the day. The question on most people’s minds these days is not “if” a second front will develop, but “when”. In conversations with representatives of the United States, Israel expressed its desire that the Hezbollah be moved northward, at least 6 miles from the border with Israel. It is doubtful that the U.S. will be able to bring that event to pass and, even if it does, 6 miles will not prevent the Hezbollah from launching a missile attack upon Israel. The slightly increased distance will only result in a minimally longer “warning time”, that would enable people on our side of the border to find shelter.
Hostage negotiations – Israel is almost pleading for renewed negotiations with the Hamas terrorist organization, which remains adamant in its position that it will not negotiate for the release of hostages until Israel, essentially, stops the war. As has been the case for the last few days, “unnamed sources” relate information to news media, who then pass on the information to us, the “uninformed”, as if the information being communicated is true in every respect. We need to be careful about accepting third-party, “hearsay”, information.
Be that as it may, a report in Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) today, refers to an article appearing in the London-based newspaper, The New Arab (Al-Araby Al Jadeed), which claims that Hamas is ignoring feelers put out by Israel for renewed negotiations for a hostage/prisoner exchange and ceasefire. The Qatari-owned newspaper reported that according to an unnamed Egyptian source, “The leadership of the Hamas movement refused to respond to a proposal put forward by Tel Aviv regarding the possibility of completing a prisoner exchange deal that includes female soldiers and some elderly people as a first stage, followed by other stages.” Note the language: “Hamas movement” – no reference to it being a militaristic, terrorist organization; “put forward by Tel Aviv” – this is an attempt to refer to Israel’s capital as Tel Aviv, rather than Jerusalem; “first stage, followed by other stages” – The final release/return of ALL of the hostages will be negotiated in stages and definitely over an extended period of time. All during that time, if the IDF doesn’t “behave” properly, it is clear that Hamas will play its “on-again, off-again” game, putting the IDF and Israel to shame before the Arab world and the world community itself.
JNS added: “Hamas leadership won’t accept any proposals that don’t include a ceasefire as a ‘good faith gesture,’ the Egyptian source added. Israel’s offer included the release of prominent Hamas prisoners who had been in jail for long periods, said the source, who according to the paper was briefed on recent meetings between Egyptian officials and Hamas terror representatives in Doha. However, Hamas views the offer with suspicion, seeing it as an Israeli tactic to sow division among the various terror groups operating in Gaza, and so insists that ‘any future negotiations will not be limited to leadership prisoners from Hamas, but will include the leaders of all Palestinian resistance factions,’ the source said. The involvement of CIA Director William Burns is a sign that the United States and Israel are eager for a deal and that the Biden administration ‘believes that it is possible to reach a new agreement similar to the previous agreement, if Egypt and Qatar exert pressure,’ he added.” (Emphasis mine) Israel has rejected those demands and has stated that the war will continue and that it will be be ready for a ceasefire only when the hostages will be released.
The terms expressed above need to be understood from the point of view of Hamas wanting to “save face”, which is of critical importance in the Middle East, as well as to get what it originally requested, namely, the release of all “Palestinian” prisoners being held in Israeli jails. Although the language used is “leaders of all ‘Palestinian resistance factions’,” that is a starting point: first get the “generals” out, then get the “soldiers” out, who will be the military might that follows the instructions of the “generals”.
Israel needs to WAKE UP! We’re being played by Hamas. Even though we say now that its terms are unacceptable, if we continue to run after them and reduce our demands each time, then at some point we will give in to their demands in order to satisfy the demands of the families of the hostages. While we are at it, it should be obvious that to no small extent, and notwithstanding anything that the U.S. Department of Defense might say, we’re also being played by the Biden Administration, that is telling us how to conduct our war, when to finish fighting and what to negotiate. If our “friend” wants us to win the war, it can’t shackle us and tell us to do so with one hand, or maybe both hands, tied behind our backs. If the U.S. is sending in its top negotiator, who helped bring about the last “deal”, then it wants us to compromise regarding the goals we set for this war. The end result will be that the hostages “may” be released (we don’t know who is alive), how many negotiated deals will be necessary to bring that to pass or how long. And worse, Sinwar and his other evil cohorts will live to fight another day and to plan more massacres of Israelis. We should stop trying to make a deal with the devil. All of Israel wants the hostages returned. But, we also want to prevent a repeat of October 7th. We cannot compromise. Agreeing to the prerequisite demands of a purely evil, blood-thirsty terrorist group is a recipe for disaster. The good of the few should not take precedence over the good of the many. We need to make our own decisions. We can’t pursue winning the Gaza War and negotiate over what will cause us to lose it.
“Don’t Let Us Grow Old Here.” That is the title of a brief video, in Hebrew and English, that was released by Hamas yesterday, which features 3 elderly men who were taken captive on October 7th. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF Spokesman, said that the video was an “atrocious terrorism…It shows the cruelty of Hamas against elderly civilians, innocents, who require medical attention…The world must work to allow medical aid and to verify their condition.” And we are supposed to sit with their kidnappers and play “Let’s Make A Deal”? Hagari added a personal note to the hostages: “We are doing everything to return you safely. We will not rest until you are back.” While I respect Hagari, in my opinion it would have been best if that last statement was left out. If the “everything to return you safely” is a reference to the negotiations, then their safe return will come at a tremendous price tag that will endanger Israel.
The release of the video yesterday was obviously intended to play on the emotions of the Israeli public, in the backdrop of the rumors of an attempt at another negotiation, probably to put more pressure on the Israeli government to do whatever is necessary to bring about the release/return of the hostages. The emotional notch was increased a bit by including the well-known phrase (at least here, in Hebrew) from Psalm 71:9: “Do not cast me away at the time of my old age; Do not abandon me when my strength fails.” It should be a clear reminder of the totally immoral, insensitive people that we are dealing with.
Friends stand with their friends and defend them, when wrongfully attacked. United States Representative David Scott made that clear on October 25th.
So, what happened between the time that United States Representative David Scott declared that they not only will stand with Israel, but that they will fight with Israel? Why are we getting mixed messages from Uncle Sam? In all likelihood, it has to do with politics. There it is again. Politics!
The Dry Bones Blog – 19 December, 2023
Some friends “go the extra mile”. They not only defend in words, they give valid explanations for their positions. AND, they make it clear and unambiguous.
Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down, that the mountains would quake at Your presence—as fire kindles brushwood, as fire causes water to boil— to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence! (Isaiah 61:1-2)
The number of IDF members killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive is now up to 127.
Will we negotiate or will we not negotiate? That is the Question. It appears that the rumors flying around are correct and that attempts are being made to get new negotiations started. But, and there is always a “but”, Israel will not be negotiating from strength or from an equal bargaining position.
Apparently, following initials contacts to see whether renewed negotiations for a hostage-release deal is even possible, Reuters reported yesterday, in part: “Two Egyptian security sources said on Sunday that Israel and Hamas are both open to a renewed ceasefire and hostage release, although disagreements remain on how it would be implemented. Egypt and Qatar, which had previously negotiated a week-long ceasefire and hostage release, insisted on expediting aid and the opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing before any negotiations could begin…An Israeli official said aid had been allowed to enter Gaza, after Egyptian sources initially said it had been held up…Hamas is insisting on setting the list of hostages to be released unilaterally, and demanding that Israeli forces withdraw behind pre-determined lines…While Israel agreed on Hamas setting the sources said, it demanded a timeline and to see the list before setting the time and duration of the ceasefire [adding], Israel refuses to withdraw [and] Hamas says a complete ceasefire is a prerequisite to hostage release.” According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, referred to by The Times of Israel : The present “talks ‘are just the beginning’ and that the process would be ‘long, difficult and complicated’.”
Aside from allowing Hamas to pick and choose whom to release, the above article continued that Israel is looking for the return of “elderly and sick men and the remaining women and children”, and has not “ruled out the possibility of offering to release more significant Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of killing Israelis in terror attacks or masterminding them, if this leads to a significant deal”.
The problems of the next negotiations, if, in fact, they will take place, elevate the position of Hamas. IT DECIDES who will be returned, even though Israel wants a timetable and a list of those to be released before any potential ceasefire takes place. Hamas breached the prior deal by refusing to provide a list of the women who were supposed to be released. It wanted to release some men and even some corpses. Israel refused to allow it to breach the agreement with impunity and followed through on its promise to renew military action. If Israel wants the remaining women and children, as well as the sick and elderly, but Hamas has the right to decide who it will release, then Israel’s wishes can be totally ignored. A family of four, including a ten-month old baby, can still be held hostage (even though Hamas claims that they were all killed when Israel bombed certain locations in Gaza). Moreover, and more importantly, we are setting ourselves up for yet an additional hostage release fiasco, maybe even two ore more. The next negotiations ARE NOT INTENDED to BRING THEM ALL HOME, NOW. There is little doubt that the soldiers, whoever is still alive, will be the last to be released, if at all. The leaders of Hamas realize that when ALL of the hostages are returned to us, it will lose the playing card that keeps Israel from pulling out all the stop to complete its mission of eliminating Hamas, wherever its leaders may be found.
War according to the Biden timetable. Is the Biden Administration pressuring Israel to end the Gaza War? Some say “yes”, the Biden Administration says “no”. U.S. officials, unnamed of course, reported that President Joe Biden gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until January 1, 2024, to wrap up the war. An article in World Israel News essentially presents a summary of the meeting that took place between Jake Sullivan, the National Security Adviser for the White House, and Prime Minister Netanyahu. The summary was reported by U.S. National Security Council Spokesman, John Kirby. As Kirby relates it
:1. Last Thursday, prior to the above meeting, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Jake Sullivan that the war would last for “more than several months”.
2. Sullivan and Netanyahu spoke about “the next phase of Israel’s military campaign”.
3. They also spoke about “efforts Israel is now undertaking to be more surgical and precise in their targeting and efforts that are taking to help increase the flow of aid”.
4. Also discussed was the concern of the Biden Administration over the number of casualties of the war that have been reported by Hamas’s Health Ministry, notwithstanding that the numbers reported have not been independently verified.
5. Then there is the goal that is stated in general, political terms, which the layman needs to have deciphered. “Kirby said that the Biden Administration would like to see a transition from ‘high-intensity clearance operations, which are ongoing now, to ultimately lower-intensity focus on high-value targets, intelligence-driven raids and those sorts of more-narrow surgical military objectives’.” Would someone like to clarify exactly what message that statement is intended to convey? Are the “high-value targets” referring to Hamas leadership abroad that Israel should do away with, then declare victory and walk away, leaving Hamas alive and kicking? It will be like Israel declaring that evil wins and that there is finally a war that we cannot win decisively, particularly when that evil threatens our existence.
Obviously, any request or demand to finish the Gaza War by New Year’s Eve is a pipe dream. We will not be singing, “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind.” Hamas is playing for time, hoping that the U.S. will substantially cease its support of Israel if Israel does not cease the war by the end of the year. Friends don’t pressure their friends to endanger themselves, their families, their communities and their nation. Or do they? I have often said that the problem with politics is, simply, politicians. And it seems that the self-serving nature of politics is alive and well in the “unbreakable” alliance that Israel and the U.S. share. But, is what is supposed to be “unbreakable”, actually “breakable”?
The answer would apparently be a reluctant “yes”. If asked why, the answer would be simply, “politics”. Publicly declaring a deadline for the ending of the present war is a polite, but arrogant, way of telling Israel that it should cease from pursuing the goal of defeating Hamas. And, for that matter, Israel should not make too much of an effort to protect itself from Iran and its other two proxies, the Hezbollah terrorist organization and its cousin, the Yemeni Houthis. The three Iranian proxies affect major areas of concern for Israel – Gaza, Lebanon and the Red Sea.
Caroline B. Glick is well-known to the vast supporters of Israel around the world for her clarity and insight regarding Israel and what concerns Israel. In her article in Jewish News Syndicate entitled, Standing up to the American colossus , Glick deals with all three of the major threats against Israel and raises a significantly relevant question to events unfolding before our eyes:
“Why is the United States leveraging its position as Israel’s primary arms supplier and diplomatic shield at the United Nations—that is, its position as Israel’s ally—to compel an Israeli military defeat at the hands of Iran and its proxies, in a war that Israel rightly views as an existential conflict just as fateful as its 1948 War of Independence?
“The answer is politics.
“As the war in Gaza has progressed, President Biden’s political problems have multiplied. To win next November, Biden needs to secure the coalition of Democrats and Independents that elected him. But that coalition is split over the war. Most Independents support Israel. But according to a Wall Street Journal poll, 25% of Democrats support Hamas over Israel and only 17% of Democrats support Israel over Hamas. (Forty-eight percent of Democrats support Israel and Hamas equally). To win the election, Biden needs to rebuild his coalition and he can only do this by ending the war. And he can only end the war by forcing Israel to stand down, and so lose.
“Israel doesn’t have to accept this state of affairs. According to a Harvard/Harris poll, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoys significantly more public support in the United States than Biden himself. Israel itself is supported broadly by 81% of Americans. The Harvard/Harris polling data has several internal contradictions, but the thrust of the data makes clear that Israel enjoys the support of a broad cross section of American society, including key Biden constituencies.
“If Israel stands its ground and refuses to buckle to the administration’s bullying tactics, and if Netanyahu explains Israel’s position in a way the American public can understand, it will be able to maintain the support of the majority of Americans for its war effort and compel the Biden administration to stand with the Jewish state as we prosecute this life and death struggle to victory.”
Well said, Carolyn. Now, do Uncle Izzy’s leaders have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to Uncle Sam’s bullying? They don’t have to draw back in docile submission. They don’t need to be anxious. There is One who says, “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will listen.” (Isaiah 65:24). He longs to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18). We remain the people of His pasture and He is the Great Shepherd of the sheep. If only Israel would turn and ask Him for help.
The number of IDF members killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive is now up to 122.
Urijah Bayer is with the Lord Yeshua. Attached is a notice from the family about Urijah’s passing. Please keep the family in your prayers.
This war is taking a toll on the nation. We see it in the faces of the population every day. There is a type of lethargy that permeates society. We continue to function, to work, to manufacture and produce. We have to. Life doesn’t stop, but sometimes events take our breaths away.
What could have been an occasion for rejoicing was turned into time of mourning.The events surrounding the tragic deaths of three of the hostages, who were killed by the IDF, continue to sharpen the divide between the two primary goals of the Gaza War that seem to be almost irreconcilable, namely, the defeat of the Hamas terrorist organization and the return of the remaining hostages. On the one hand, Israel wants to eliminate the leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization and to crush, or at least to severely weaken, its infrastructure. This requires an all-out commitment and effort that needs to put aside other considerations that could weaken the resolve to “get in, get the job done and get out”. On the other hand, Israel wants to bring about the return of the hostages. This also requires an all-out commitment, but one that necessitates the diminishing, or halt to its commitment to eliminate Hamas. Both situations require compromise and capitulation on Israel’s part.
The IDF was highly motivated when it began the ground offensive. They were determined. They looked forward to achieving their goal. They were discovering Hamas strongholds and tunnel systems under hospitals, government offices, schools and even military equipment in locations belonging to UNRWA. The IDF was making great advances, causing heavy losses to Hamas fighters and the destruction of many of the tunnels and facilities for the manufacture of weapons. But, as the numbers of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip began to increase, world sympathy shifted from Israel (to the extent that such sympathy existed in various countries) to the poor Gazans, most of whom were in total support of Hamas and its massacre of Israelis on October 7th. Friends, as well as foes, pressed Israel for a “humanitarian” ceasefire.
While the nations clamored for Israel to be more mindful of the civilians in Gaza and should take more precautions to protect them, the families of the hostages were becoming organized. They received financial backing from presently undisclosed sources, they made photos, t-shirts, bumper stickers, billboards, and even necklaces, all demanding the return of the hostages, NOW! And they were vocal. Their voices became louder and louder, not only locally, but internationally. Posters of the hostages seemed to appear everywhere. Relatives met with foreign officials and with international organizations. As a result, the Israeli government was being pressed. It needed to pursue the goal of eliminating Hamas, but it couldn’t ignore the families. And then, Hamas wanted to negotiate a ceasefire.
Negotiations were conducted and despite the initial opposition of the IDF to a ceasefire, an agreement was reached. A number of hostages were returned, in exchange for 3 “Palestinian” prisoners in Israeli jails for every 1 hostage that Hamas agreed to return. The issue of the hostages was and remains Israel’s soft spot. The protesters yelled that every additional day that the hostages spend in the Gaza Strip endangers the lives of all of the hostages. And, in light of the tragic killing of the three hostages by the IDF, their argument now includes that even if some of the hostages somehow manage to get free, their lives may be at risk from “friendly fire” – a misnomer if every there was one.
Israel capitulated. The negotiations resulted not only in a hostage and prisoner exchange. It also resulted in a temporary ceasefire, which Hamas used to its advantage. The IDF was told to wait. Its momentum was temporarily halted. And then Hamas violated the ceasefire and the war was resumed. Up until that time, the IDF had lost around 70 of its soldiers from the time of the beginning of the ground offensive. After the fighting was renewed in earnest and during the last two plus weeks, the number of IDF casualties increased by 52, and now stands at 122. The world still accepts the unproven narrative of Hamas regarding the number of “innocent Gazan civilians” killed.
Israel’s prime backer and supplier of much-needed military supplies is telling Israel that its time to get rid of Hamas and complete the war is limited. The implied threat is that if we don’t end the war according to Uncle Sam’s timetable, he will cut off our allowance, i.e., the U.S. will stop sending military supplies. They want us to draw back on the number of IDF fighting personnel in the Gaza Strip and also to change the manner in which Israel conducts the war, within approximately a three-week time frame. This will not be accomplished.
The Netanyahu government is now between a rock and a hard place. If Netanyahu confronts the Biden Administration, it may help him to regain his much-needed support of right-wing voters, who want the war to continue until Hamas is obliterated. But, in the process, we could lose a strategic vote on the Security Council of the UN. Israel was and is being pressed to do more on an “humanitarian” level and allow the Gazans to receive supplies, medical equipment, food and even fuel – which Netanyahu said would never enter the enclave (never say “never”). Israel is compromising on the war effort in order to receive massive support of munitions and other military supplies from the U.S. so that the war effort could continue. Circular reasoning! These military supplies are also intended to bolster Israel’s position against the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.
Israel is facing pressure from within from the families and friends of the hostages, and from without, from friendly and not-so-friendly governments to enter into a ceasefire “that will last”. And, it is yielding to those pressures. Israel wants to have a second round of negotiations for the return of more hostages – not ALL hostages, but MORE. Yehya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, is standing fast: no more discussions until Israel stops the fighting. We are fighting and moving forward militarily. On the political end, we are being pushed back to the starting line. In fact, we are being pushed even further back, because the Biden Administration is taking a hard line regarding “the day after”. It wants a “two-state solution” to the Arab-Israeli conflict, headed up by a Holocaust denier, who also denies the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th and who wants Israel to be destroyed. Netanyahu, and others in the government and in the nation, are vehemently opposed to the establishment of a “Palestinian” state or the dead and buried “two-state proposal”.
And so, another type of war is brewing, to be added to the present one in Gaza, the one that will break out with Hezbollah, the one that the Houthi’s are pushing for and the one that some of our cousins here are waiting for.
Israel continues to wait for her Messiah, while many of us pray for Messiah’s return. Only then, when the Prince of Peace reigns, there will be no more war.
Today’s post is a very brief, and selective, summary of how we got to where we are. Tomorrow, by God’s grace, we will return to discussing “other things”. In the meantime, we all need a break from war.
The Week That Was 