Shalom all,

Seven members of the IDF were killed in action today, bringing the death toll to 82 since the beginning of the ground offensive, which includes twelve K.I.A. since the resumption of the fighting.

Every now and then, another video of body cam surfaces and we get a glimpse of one or more events that took place on October 7th. In the extraordinary short video that is in the annexed article (in Hebrew where the arrow is on a blue circular background), we see one Israeli woman, Amit Susana, struggling against seven armed terrorists and trying to prevent being taken captive. The last part of the video clip shows one of the terrorists hitting her on the head before she was dragged off by her captors. Susana was returned last week from Hamas captivity in the seventh round of the hostage/prisoner release “deal”. She gave permission for this clip to be shown on one of the leading television stations here.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, more and more information is being accumulated detailing the broad scope and brutality of sex crimes perpetrated by Hamas on October 7th, including, but not limited to, rape of women and genital mutilation of men, Matthew Miller, the Spokesman for the U.S. State Department, stated in a press conference yesterday:

“The fact that they continue to hold women, hostages, the fact that they continue to hold children, hostages, just the fact that it seems one of the reasons they don’t want to turn women over they’ve been holding hostage, and the reason this pause fell apart, is they don’t want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody…There is very little that I would put beyond Hamas when it comes to its treatment of civilians, and particularly its treatment of women.” 

Even at a heated meeting today with P.M. Netanyahu and members of the War Cabinet, some of the families of hostages still being held by Hamas were joined by two female hostages, who related some of their experiences while in captivity. One of them spoke of the physical beatings, the humiliation and even the shaving of all the hair of their bodies, as well as the psychological warfare. A representative of the families also spoke of the hunger and the sexual abuse suffered by both women and men.

The failure of women’s rights organizations and women’s groups to speak up and condemn the sexual assaults committed by Hamas on and after October 7th is a travesty. Only now, there is a trickle of activity from those women’s rights activists, after almost two months following the brutal massacre and widespread and systematic sexual attacks against Israeli women (and men). 

The global silence was attacked by Gal Gadot, who wrote in her Instagram account, “The world has failed the women of October 7th…[Two] months later, women are still hostage to these rapists and the world has failed to call this situation what it is: An urgent emergency that demands a decisive response.” She urged all women, and particularly, “all those who have done so much for women’s rights globally [to] join in the demand that Hamas release every single woman hostage immediately – not after the next round of international mediation, not after another day. These women cannot survive another moment of this horror.”  Gadot is joined by a host of other individuals, who are condemning women’s groups for their silence over sexual assaults committed against Israeli women by Hamas. One of them is a former “Miss World”, Linor Abargil, who presented a stirring speech on this matter at the U.N. yesterday. It was reported in ynetnews, is short and worth noting:

“My name is Linor Abargil, and I am a rape survivor,” said Abargil, who herself suffered a horrific rape before being crowned Miss World 1998. I was only 18 at the time. It’s been 25 years. Since October 7, I’ve been hearing the demons in my head, the terrible videos, bringing everything back. I feel their pain, their lives that were taken.

“I remember the days I spoke up in public about my personal experience 25 years ago. I remember the warm embrace of the international women’s organizations. I felt I had support, that someone believed me, that someone listened to me. Did these organizations demand any proof then? Did they question my version? Did they ask to conduct a comprehensive investigation before jumping to conclusions? No! 

“How convenient it was at that time for these organizations to use my name, my fame, to invite me to their conferences, that are in a world of their own. To take a photo as the woman who became for them a symbol. How ashamed I feel that I was nothing but an extra in their production.

“Why? Because today in these conferences, they don’t want to present the blood stains on the pants, the desecrated bodies of my sisters, the blood-thirsty Hamas terrorists even documented their war crimes, and still, most women’s organizations are silent.  

“The truth will be revealed, we will not forget them and we will ensure that the world will not forget them. We will be the voice taken from them.”

The IDF reports that it is also concerned that the women who remain as hostages are still suffering sexual abuse.

The stories of Israeli women of sexual assault and abuse stand in contrast to the denials of Hamas. The blood-stained evidence and the accounts of victims and eyewitnesses do not appear to be enough for the world to reject the proven lies of Hamas. And yet, the lies of Hamas continued to be accepted. Maybe now, his visit to Israel and meetings with survivors of the massacre, Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), will take action to follow up his statement that, “The attacks against innocent Israeli civilians on October 7 represent some of the most serious international crimes that shock the conscience of humanity, crimes which the ICC was established to address.”

You don’t own me! Rimon Kirsht was held hostage by Hamas and was released in the hostage/prisoner exchange “deal”. Despite her ordeal, when she was being transferred from Hamas custody, she faced one of the terrorists with a look that spoke volumes. Wearing pink pajamas supplied by Hamas, she kept her head high and looked him straight in the eyes, waved him off and then gave him no further attention. The momentary stare was enough to express, in words unspoken, “you don’t have any more control over me.” She maintained her dignity. Then, she assisted an elderly hostage and they both walked away from the vehicle and from the terrorists that held them hostage for the better part of two months and then brought them to the transfer point. Rimon’s story reached across the oceans and even The New York Post reported on the event, stating: “At the moment of her release, Kirsht stared down one of the armed Hamas captors before cocking her head and walking away with her arm around fellow hostage Merav Tal.”  Her first words were regarding her husband, who remains a Hamas hostage:  ”Get Yagev home”. Amen! May they be reunited soon!

The Times of Israel regularly publishes a “Remembrance” page, entitled “Those We Have Lost.”  It contains “Stories of civilians and soldiers killed since Hamas’s onslaught on Israel on October 7, 2023“. If you click on the link and then on the photo, it will open a more detailed story about the person behind the photo.

Three nations are said to be willing to recognize a “Palestinian” state. It is being reported that Belgium, Norway and Spain are preparing to recognize a “Palestinian” state. This is simply AMAZING!!! The pre-requisites for recognizing a state are absent when dealing with “Palestinians”. To begin with, they have no established territory that anyone can agree to, not even those who call themselves “Palestinians” – unless, of course, one accepts the narrative that all of the land “from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea” (meaning the elimination of the State of Israel) belongs to a group of people called “Palestinians”. Still, this is historically and factually without foundation. 

Then, of course, there is the question of a permanent population and an authority with power to govern that population, as well as institutions that affect the lives of the people. There is Hamas in the Gaza Strip, that has “controlled” the Strip since 2007. And there is the “Palestinian” Authority that purportedly has control over the lives of so-called “Palestinian” residents living in Judea and Samaria (commonly referred to as “the West Bank [of the Jordan River]). Both “authorities” are at serious odds with one another, with the P.A. even holding several hundreds of Hamas political prisoners in its jails. So, there is no governing authority to be recognized.

Moreover, recognition of a “Palestinian” state has resolve the “myth” of “Palestinian” refugees. That is an entire story of itself and not for this post. Suffice it to say, that this poses a unique problem of recognizing “Palestinian” refugees who would be living in a “Palestinian” state, who could no longer be considered refugees.  So, the bottom line is that recognizing the existence of a state in the absence of the basic requisites for the establishment of a state, is absurd. Then again, when we consider the increasing antagonism towards Israel by some of the nation states of Europe, we should not be surprised if some of them act more out of hatred towards Israel than out of concern for those who refer to themselves as “Palestinians” and if they fail to use a modicum of common sense in their proclamations.

Fighting in Gaza: The IDF continues to make gains in its actions in Gaza. But, it has been a difficult day, with the loss of 7 members of the IDF. Notwithstanding the intense fighting in Gaza, Hamas still managed to launch a heavy barrage of 15 rockets towards Israel, with resultant shrapnel landing in different places in Tel Aviv, including a main street, a school and part of the beach, causing property damage and injury to one person. Rockets also caused damage to the southern city of Ashkelon this morning and injured two elderly women. As the fighting continues, so does the pressure on Israel – pressure from within by relatives of the hostages to do whatever is necessary to bring about the release of the hostages, even if it means the release of all of the “Palestinian” prisoners in Israeli jails – and pressure from without, condemnation of Israel for allegedly failing to conduct the war in such a way as to prevent civilian casualties in Gaza (most of whom align themselves ideologically with Hamas and Islamic Jihad). The government will possibly, at some point, yield to these pressures and declare a premature end to the fighting, leaving Hamas alive and kicking.

Attached is a photo of a new symbol that has been engraved on the gravestones of some of those who were killed on October 7th. A clarification for those readers in the West: Israeli dates first show the day, then the month, then the year.

Golda once clearly stated: “We Jews have a secret weapon in our struggle with the Arabs – We have no place to go.”  

And to close out the day, attached is a link to another of Golda’s statements that is as applicable today, as it was when she declared it dozens of years ago.

Please remember that Gaza is only one location where the fighting is taking place. There is also the military action against the Hezbollah terrorist organization from Lebanon and, the relatively little known, but increasingly annoying, Houthis from Yemen. Really, Yemen, of all places. Your prayers are greatly solicited and genuinely appreciated.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin