Shalom all,

We are at day 218 of the Gaza War. The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 271. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 619. We still don’t know how many hostages are still alive or who they are.

Negotiations for the release of the hostages: Earlier this past week, Hamas gave the impression that it was all set to resume the negotiations for the release of the hostages and indicated that it made only “insignificant” modifications to the Israeli proposal that was passed on to the terrorist organization by Egyptian mediators. After pretending that it was in favor of moving those negotiations forward, it said that the ball was now in Israel’s court and quickly accused Israel of being the deal breaker when Israel rejected the modifications that Hamas made to the proposal.

However, once the Israeli proposal and the changes made/request by Hamas are placed side-by-side, it becomes readily apparent why Israel’s rejection was both reasonable and understandable. A few of them are inserted here for illustration.

Israeli Proposal	Hamas Changes
First Stage A 40-day ceasefire and phased withdrawal of the IDF from parts of the Gaza Strip to restore a “sustainable calm”	First Stage – a 12-week ceasefire; the proposal was referred to as a “framework agreement…[that] aims for…a return to sustainable calm in a way that achieves a permanent ceasefire” – a permanent ceasefire before any of the live hostages are released
Release of 33 living hostages that includes: female civilians and soldiers; children under the age of 19; the elderly, sick and wounded, 3 every 3 days throughout a period of 33 days; on the 34th day, Hamas would be required to provide a list of all remaining hostages, who meet the criteria for release	Release of 33 living or dead hostages, most of whom would be released only after the ceasefire was in existence for a month; 3 hostages on the 3rd day of the cease fire and 3 additional hostages every 7 days (total 21 hostages over 73 days)
Israel would retain a veto that would allow it to reject the release of security prisoners that Hamas wants released during the first 40 days of the deal	Israel’s right to veto the release of security prisoners selected by Hamas was removed from the proposal
For each female civilian and child released during this first stage, Israel would release 20 “Palestinian” security prisoners and minors	Hamas increased the number of prisoners to be released.
For the release of every sick, elderly and injured hostage, Israel would release 20 prisoners over the age of 50, who are also sick and injured, provided that such prisoners are not serving a sentence of more than 10 years.	Hamas increased the number of prisoners to be released.
For the release of every female soldier, Israel would release 20 “Palestinian” prisoners serving a life sentence, as well as another 20 serving at most a 10-year sentence. Those prisoners would be released either to Gaza or abroad.	Hamas increased the number to be released and added a demand for the release of all “Palestinian” security prisoners who were freed as part of the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner deal (when move than 1,000 security prisoners were released, including Yahya Sinwar, for one Israeli soldier) and have since been rearrested by Israel.
On the 7th day of the deal, Hamas would provide the names of all other living hostages beyond the first 33 to be released.	Hamas terms in this regard not available
Israel will allow the return of Gazans back to the north of the Gaza Strip, subject to Israeli security checks to insure that Hamas gunmen from infilitrating back to the north, with no aerial surveillance for 8 hours a day and for 10 hours on days when hostages are being released	The Hamas revision removes the Israeli security checks for movement of Gazans back to the north of the enclave.
Second Stage Release of remaining living male hostages	Second Stage The Hamas proposal also does not indicate how many “Palestinian” security prisoners it wants to be released during this second phase of the deal, but demands that an agreement be reached on that issue in the midst of the first phase, before all the first-phase hostages are freed.

There are, of course, other terms in the Israeli proposal and the Hamas counter-offer that are not included in the above list. But, it is clear that the changes which Hamas declared to be minimal are, in fact, substantial. Israel still does not know how many hostages are still alive or who they are. There is reasonable speculation that Hamas is holding the dead bodies of dozens of those who were taken hostage. The efforts at negotiation are aimed to release hostages who are alive and if Hamas can return mostly corpses, Israel will be in no better position after the first stage is completed than it was before that stage will begin. The change inserted by Hamas to the Israeli proposal is, or at least should be, a non-starter. 

Additionally, Hamas insists on the parties reaching an agreement on a permanent ceasefire “before” all of the hostages are released. This flies in the face of Israel’s repeated assertion that it would not agree to a deal to includes a permanent ceasefire, and that the military campaign would continue after any hostage release deal is concluded, so that it would complete the two declared goals of the war: return of the hostages and the elimination of Hamas’s capability to be a threat to Israel. Hamas’s demand for a 12-week ceasefire, instead of the 6 weeks that was originally agreed upon is, essentially, a condition for a permanent ceasefire, that must be agreed upon before the terrorist organization would be willing to release the remaining, live male hostages. 

Moreover, the release of prisoners who were originally released under the Shalit deal and then re-arrested serves a two-fold purpose: most of those prisoners were serving time in Israeli prisons together with Yahya Sinwar and they developed friendships. So, for Sinwar, theire release is “personal”. But, beyond that, releasing those prisoners has serious political significance within the “Palestinian” community. The “Palestinian” Authority, which was removed from leadership in the Gaza Strip after Hamas rose to power in 2007, has been unable to affect the release of security prisoners. The release of those prisoners through the actions of Hamas would confirm, once and for all, that Hamas holds the “power”, not only in the Gaza Strip, but in the “Palestinian” community as a whole. The “Palestinian” Authority, which is barely able to maintain control over those in Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”), would be further weakened and “lose face” throughout the entire Arab world. 

The slower pace of the release of hostages, as demanded by Hamas, combined with its demand that Israel would have no veto over the Hamas list of “Palestinian” security prisoners to be released, poses a dangerous situation for Israel. Realistically, some of the worst mass murderers now serving one or more life sentences in Israel could be released before many hostages would be released. Once Hamas accomplishes that aspect of its goals, it would be a small matter for it to once again breach the agreement, leaving most of the hostages in captivity, while achieving “face” within the Arab world, at Israel’s expense and considerable embarrassment. This would have disastrous consequences, particularly at a time when Israel is fighting on seven fronts. If even there was a time when Israel needs wisdom and boldness, this is that time.

As of yesterday, 10th May, the negotiations for the release of hostages continued to be stalled. But, today, Israel allegedly said that “the negotiations have not reached a dead-end…[and would continue only] “if there are answers from Hamas that we can work with.” The intense Gaza war continues despite efforts to resume the negotiations.

In brief:

This has been a packed week, almost all of which has been problematic for Israel. It would be difficult to describe at length all of the events, so only highlights of some of them will be mentioned.

While continuing to fight in Rafiah (Rafah), the IDF needs to return to some of the areas in the Gaza Strip that were previously “cleared” of Hamas control, as Hamas operatives managed to reorganize in those areas.

For the third time in the last month, Hamas released another propaganda video, this time of 51-year-old Nadav Popplewell, who was abducted from Kibbutz Nirim on October 7th. His brother was killed the same day and his mother was taken hostage and released in the first hostage deal. The video shows him with a black eye and, clearly, reading a script. It is not known when the video was taken. 

The United States threatened to halt a shipment of military supplies to Israel intended for the fighting in Gaza, if the IDF pursues major military action against Hamas in Rafiah (Rafah).  And a weapons shipment was held up. Notwithstanding this threat, P.M. Netanyahu said that Israel would “stand alone”, if necessary, and fight with its “fingernails” in pursuing Hamas. For the time being, the U.S. is continuing to send weapons.

Four members of the IDF were killed by an explosive device in Gaza City, all 19-years old. One of them, Daniel Levy (photo, bottom left), is the only son of a close friend of my sister-in-law. May all of their memories be blessed!

The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution to upgrade the status of the “Palestinian” delegation, recognizing the “Palestinians” as qualified to join as a member state. The absolute absurdity of this decision is beyond description. A people group with no central government, no separate history as a people, no separate language and no territory that it controls, is being recognized as a “State” for possible future membership as a “nation state”. Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan strongly attacked the U.N.’s action, as he physically shredded the U.N. Charter in front of the General Assembly, saying that [this day] “will go down infamy and I want the world to remember when they shredded the UN Charter to advance a Nazi regime into the UN’s ranks.”

South Africa is fixated on having the International Court of [In]justice rule against Israel, as it petitioned the court for an order instructing “the state of Israel [to] immediately withdraw and cease its military offensive in the Rafah governorate”. It also asked to Court to direct Israel to allow various individuals and organizations to check on the situation.

The war with Hezbollah is heating up and the missiles from Hezbollah are burning up parts of northern Israel. One Israeli think tank estimates that Hezbollah’s arsenal has increased to “about 250,000 different munitions [which] missiles are often launched from underground and camouflaged launch pits.” And, that even with a ceasefire, we will have an outright war with Hezbollah before too much longer.

Israel’s performance in the Eurovision Song Contest brought us into the Grand Finals tonight, in Malmo, Sweden. Israel’s participation has not been without major challenges, opposition and threats. There will be very tight security around the event this evening, as some 20,000 demonstrators are expected to protest Israel’s participation. Despite all of the antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric, Israel hasn’t backed down. May the performance of Eden Golan receive favor in the eyes and ears of the audiences and voters and cause the mouths of all of the protesters to be silenced!

Finally, tomorrow night (Sunday) begins Israel’s Memorial Day for our fallen soldiers and victims of war and terrorism. We are adding close to 1,600 new names to the list over last year’s figures. The end of that day of remembrance and mourning will be immediately followed by Israel’s 76th Day of Independence. The celebrations of the for Independence Day will be considerably muted and diminished in light of the present war. But, we must proclaim our independence to the world and not allow the enemies of our nation to silence us. God put us here and God will keep us here! May it be that our leaders would understand that, and that the nation would put its trust in Him, and not in ourselves.

The Dry Bones Blog – 9 May, 2024

‘See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.’ (Deuteronomy 1:8)

With that, may you all have a safe, healthy and blessed week.

And remember: bless, be bless and be a blessing.

Marvin

I attended another funeral today in Haifa. I personally did not know the person who died. But, earlier today, shortly after the sirens sounded through the country and people stood in silent honor and remembrance of those who perished in the Holocaust, I saw a very short notice in a Hebrew news site where the following message appeared: “Tonight “Jane Doe” (not her real name), a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor, died [literally, went to her eternity]. The medical experimentation that she underwent in Auschwitz prevented her from being able to give birth. Unfortunately, there won’t be a Shiva [a traditional 7-day mourning period immediately following the passing of a family member]. She has no children and her brother already passed away. There will only be a funeral. If you are in the area of Haifa and want to pay last respects to this heroine – the funeral [will take place] at 2 p.m. at the Pine Gate of the Haifa Cemetery.” A photo of the survivor was attached to the notice.

This simple announcement gripped me and I didn’t even try to hold back my tears. This survivor of the Holocaust died in the early morning hours of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Even though she had no immediate family, there was something serious wrong that she would simply be buried and “that’s it”. She needs to be honored and respected. I had to go to the funeral. I had this same “push” to attend the funeral 10 years ago of a “lone soldier” (one who has no immediate family in Israel), who was killed during Operation Protective Edge, the Gaza War of 2014. And the same thing happened now that happened then.

I wasn’t the only one who saw the notice. Multitudes saw it as well. By the time I arrived to the cemetery, there already were several hundreds of people in attendance – young and not so young, old and much older, men and women, secular and religious, left wing and right wing, civilian and military (from every branch of the IDF). Some who were there were still checking their cell phones to make sure that they were at the right funeral. It was a hot day and there were eulogies from distant family members, as well as from friends and neighbors. Still, no one left. They told how this remarkable woman was orphaned as a child during the Holocaust, how she persevered and eventually was freed, how she pursued her goal of immigrating to Israel, how she encouraged others to press on notwithstanding the difficulties and challenges of life, how she was always available when someone was in need. She was a gift to many and will be remembered by all whose lives she touched. 

The thing that most impressed me at the funeral was how people came from different backgrounds, even from different cities, to honor someone who was not personally known to the vast majority of those present. The same Hebrew-language news site reported after the funeral that several thousands of people were present. This is entirely possible. There was a spirit of unity present. All who attended the funeral became, in a certain sense, the family of the deceased Holocaust survivor. They all came to honor her. And in so doing, they revealed the best in us and gave silent testimony to the understanding that we share a unique spirit of survival, a spirit of overcoming the catastrophes of life, of overcoming the hatred and the anti-semitism and the attempts, in every generation, to destroy us. We share a zeal for life and of being part of Israel, in the land of our forefathers, at this time in history. Am Yisrael Chai! The nation of Israel lives! 

Each of the speakers ended with a portion of the verse from First Samuel 25:29, which reads: “Should anyone rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, then the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; but the lives of your enemies He will sling out as from the hollow of a sling.” And then finally, “May her memory be blessed.” Amen! 

And then, when the funeral was over, we returned to what is happening on this side of the Pond. Later in the day, a representative of Hamas issued a statement that it agreed to the Egyptian proposal for a 6-weeks ceasefire. Before we applaud and expect to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we need to stop and think for a moment about what was actually being communicated.

Following this brief announcement, Egypt officially contacted senior representatives in Israel, requesting “Stop the ground operations in Rafiah (Rafah).” Israeli officials considered Egypt’s request as an expression of its concern over the anticipation that the IDF would pursue its operation in Rafiah close to the border with Egypt.

Right after the announcement of Hamas, one of the advisors of Ismail Haniyah, a senior, political official of Hamas, who has been enjoying the luxurious hospitality of the Qataris, said that Hamas agreed to the [Egyptian] proposal which includes a ceasefire, restoration of Gaza, return of the uprooted Gazans to the north of the Strip and release of prisoners. But, that statement left out a few things.

In reality, it needs to be understood that the Egyptian and Qatari negotiators joined together to “pull a fast one on us”, together with Hamas, in a last-minute attempt to prevent the Israeli action in Rafiah. This is simply another example of the fraudulent negotiations that took place during the last few months. It should also be noted that the proposal that was communicated by Qatar and Egypt to Hamas, and accepted by Hamas, was an “amended proposal” that was not consented to by Israel and goes far afield from what Israel was prepared to accept. The whole last-minute conspiracy between Hamas and the Egyptian and Qatari negotiators was intended to put Hamas in a good light and to move the ball into Israel’s court.

A later report by Hamas to one of the Arab news outlets revealed more of the position allegedly accepted by Hamas: The deal will be in three stages. Each stage will take place over a period of 42 days. There will be a cease fire and a withdrawal of the IDF from locations in Gaza, the return of the Gaza refugees and the exchange of hostages and terrorists. Notice the emphasis – first what’s good for Hamas and finally, an exchange and release of hostages. This is the same emphasis that Qatar had from the very outset of the negotiations, even before there was agreement on the first release of hostages. The second stage will include an expressed declaration of a permanent ceasefire (i.e., the end of the war) and the third stage would include an exchange of corpses. The negotiators (remember: Israel did not participate in these latest negotiations) also reportedly informed Hamas that U.S. President Biden undertook to guarantee the implementation of the agreement, placing the burden of decision now on Israel.

But, a further understanding of what Hamas says was “agreed upon” is that the first stage will also include the release of only 33 hostages, in exchange for between 800-1000 “Palestinians”. Stage two will complete the hostage release (the number is unknown to Israel) and the third stage would include not only the exchange of corpses, but restoration of the Gaza Strip and providing of aid to the Gazans who were uprooted. The proposal that Hamas consented to includes the release of 20 prisoners serving life sentences in exchange for every female soldier that is released. Hamas is using the hostages as human bargaining chips.

Given the recent “strain” in the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, in all likelihood there would be some concern in Israeli officialdom that the U.S. would support the same proposal that Hamas purportedly accepts, a proposal which fails to abide by the parameters that Israel has consented to. It needs to also be remembered that Qatar is the only Middle East country that allows the U.S. to use the bases of its air force. So, like Egypt that has its own concerns about a spill-over from Rafiah into Egypt, the U.S. has its own concern over alienating the Qataris by not consenting to their proposal to end the present war. While Egypt and Qatar are supposedly concerned about the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza – while Hamas is not, in reality, those countries are looking out only for their own best interests in bringing about an end to the war. 

On this day of national remembrance of the Holocaust, Israel is facing a divided population, part of which wants the hostages to be returned “at any price”, NOW, and part of which wants the government to enter Rafiah and finish the job against Hamas, NOW. The likelihood is that Israel will pursue its goals in Rafiah, at least for now. It is most likely encouraged by the fact that the minimal military action already taken in Rafiah has caused Hamas to budge from its non-committal attitude, even if it made a sham acceptance of a proposal that Israel did not offer. A little pressure from Israel against Rafiah, a Hamas stronghold, went a long way. Serious military pressure could produce the desired results of a more flexible willingness to release the hostages, not just some, but all. Hamas is waitng for international pressure to cause Israel to capitulate. Israel is pushing the limits of its relations with other countries to see how far it can go to break the strength and capability of Hamas. Time will tell. 

As we continue the week, remember to bless, which will also cause you to be blessed to be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

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

Shalom all,

“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

Shalom all,

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.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin