Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 19 of the War.
It’s been a long day and there have been a lot of developments. Some of the highlights follow.
Queen Rania Al Abdullah, the wife of King Abdullah II of Jordan, says that there is a “glaring double standard” by the West’s reaction to the Hamas massacre on 7th October. In her interview on CNN, she told Christians Amanpour that there was no independent verification of the atrocities committed by Hamas that was reported in the various media outlets, including the beheading of children. Amanpour replies that there was an abundance of evidence of the murderous brutality of Hamas, directed at people of all ages, including children. According to a report in the Times of Israel, following the Queen’s remarks, “families of Israelis who are being held hostage in the Gaza Strip sent her a link to a website that includes videos of abuse, beheadings, and the burnings of bodies by the terrorists … collected by police and Military Intelligence” <https://www.timesofisrael.com/jordan-queen-skeptical-israeli-children-were-beheaded-by-hamas-during-onslaught/>. Yes, the Queen speaks, but it probably would have been best if she kept silent.In this regard and what should put an end to Queen Rania’s denials and the denials of multitudes of others, IDF Spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, during an interview with CBS television, read a note recovered from the body of a Hamas terrorist, who took part in the massacre of Black Saturday: “You must sharpen the blades of your swords and be pure in your intentions before Allah. Know that the enemy is a disease that has no cure, except beheading and removing the hearts and livers. Attack them!” (Emphasis mine) <https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-770086?utm>
According to various reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised today that notwithstanding several delays, Israel’s ground offensive into the Gaza Strip will take place soon and that the timing of it will be determined by the War Cabinet. However, it is also widely reported that at the request of the U.S., Israel agreed to hold off on its ground offensive to allow the Pentagon to deploy a number of air-defense systems in the region to protect U.S. forces that have been attacked during the past week more than a dozen times in Syria and Iraq, presumably as a result of the tensions resulting from our present war. But, it also appears that in the opinion of senior U.S. military personnel, Israel is not yet “ready” to enter Gaza and they are coordinating with Israeli military about options and strategies. So, who is making the decision when to enter Gaza, if at all – Israel or the U.S.? Public confidence in the government’s handling of the war is at a low point; the IDF’s plans are put on “hold” (not good for our military that is used to going in and getting the job done); the economy is being negatively impacted and Israel’s international credit rating has dropped from “A” to “C”.In speaking to the media today, Netanyahu stated: “All members of Hamas are marked for death, above ground and below, both inside and outside of Gaza…[We] are working around the clock to achieve our war objectives until victory, without political considerations…We set two goals for this war: to cripple Hamas’s political and military capabilities and to do everything possible to bring the captives home.” <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1don00izt>
Despite the massive bombings of locations in the Gaza Strip, the evil of Hamas continues to rear its ugly head and there doesn’t appear to be any weakening in its resolve to win the media war, even if multitudes of “Palestinians” become casualties of war. The ongoing negotiations for the release of the hostages is being mediated by Qatar, who has funded, equipped and assisted Hamas in many ways over an extended period of time. Impartial mediators? Highly doubtful. They echo the voices of those who call for a cease fire, claiming that a ground offensive could end up jeopardizing the negotiations. But, the negotiations are not for the purpose of releasing ALL of the hostages, but only some. Hamas is, essentially, in control of the situation and is calling the shots. In order to release some civilians, the demand is that Israel cease the bombing of Gaza. This is somewhat akin to the Nazi “selektion” (selection) process of dividing prisoners into two groups – those who will live and those who will die. Data released by the Israeli government today reveals that 138 of the hostages are holders of foreign passports (54 Thais, 15 Argentinians, 12 Americans, 12 Germans, 6 French and 6 Russian). Are the negotiations for their release only? Are we then going to continue to be held hostage as a nation for the next stage of negotiations, the release of Israeli civilians and then the release of members of the IDF (men and women), in exchange for emptying our prisons of all terrorists?
And what about the citizens who have been displaced from their residences in the south and in the north? The present war has already resulted in Israelis becoming refugees within our own country. Large companies have already begun laying off employees, with 100,000 expected to be placed on a “vacation without pay” status, seriously affecting the economy. Also, the war puts a halt on building construction, inasmuch as Israel’s construction industry relies heavily on Arab workers from Gaza. The biggest impact is the psychological one, with Hamas launching a missile here and a missile there, with air raid sirens blaring on and off throughout the day. This is compounded by the Hezbollah joining its southern cousin and daily increasing its cross-border confrontations with the IDF.
Speaking of launching projectiles, the Carmel range was targeted today by a missile, setting off sirens in the towns of Daliyat al-Karmel and Kerem Maharal, both slightly south of Haifa. Daliyat al-Karmel is a very short distance from Mukraka, said to be the location where Elijah defeated the priests of Baal (1 Kings 18). It was not clear whether the launch was from Gaza or from Lebanon and the IDF is investigating the matter.
The actress and comedienne, Amy Schumer, unloaded on supporters of Hamas and those who are calling for an immediate ceasefire in the present war. She reposted a statement on Instagram this past Sunday, accusing of antisemitism those who oppose Israel’s response to the massacres of Black Saturday. It is repeated here:
“If you scream ‘genocide’ but were silent about the massacre of October 7th, you might hate Jews.”“If you call for a ceasefire but not the release of hostages, you might hate Jews.”
“If you oppose Israel’s right to defend itself but say nothing of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Syria’s continuous rocket launches toward the civilian population of Israel, you might hate Jews.”
“If you spoke out against Israel’s tragic bombing of the hospital in Gaza, but made no contraction once you learned it was actually done by Islamic Jihad, you might hate Jews.”
“If you use inflammatory language regarding Israel no matter how flawed their government, but use measured and apologetic terminology around Hamas, a terrorist organization whose charter clearly states their intent to kill Jews, you might hate Jews.”
“If you chant ‘decolonize,’ but fail to condemn the chanting of ‘gas the Jews’ at rallies in city streets and universities worldwide, you might hate Jews.”
“If you disagree with this statement, you might hate Jews.”
Schumer also re-shared an Instagram post by Mandana Dayani. It is a quick read. You can see it here:
Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,
Marvin
The Week That Was 