News Digest — 6/13/24
Middle East Expert: ‘Nasrallah Now Realizes The IDF Can Get Him’
Approximately 250 rockets were launched on Wednesday (12th) towards northern Israel, disrupting the holiday calm with successive alerts. Rockets that exploded in open areas caused fires. In the city of Tiberias a siren was activated for the first time since October.
These launches came after the assassination of senior Hezbollah official Sami Taleb Abdullah, whose rank was equivalent to a brigadier general in the IDF.
For the past 10 years, Abdullah had led rocket fire toward Kiryat Shmona, the Galilee panhandle, and the Golan Heights. He is the highest-ranking Hezbollah commander to have been killed so far in the war.
Abdullah was also active during the Second Lebanon War, serving as a brigade commander and developing rockets in the region.
Wednesday (12th), following attacks on Kfar Blum, and after recent intelligence gathering on him, the IDF precisely assassinated Taleb using a fighter jet. The operation was led by the Northern Command chief in collaboration with the Intelligence Directorate and the Air Force.
“The powerful elimination worries Hezbollah members. They now understand that the IDF knows much more about them than we do. Additionally, the operation indicates that Hezbollah’s field security is not airtight and that the organization’s intelligence system has been penetrated to such an extent that we were able to eliminate such an important sector commander. The IDF managed to infiltrate their networks and systems and identify the right people for elimination,” says Professor Amatzia Baram, suggesting that this also impacts the leader of the terrorist organization.
The professor also referred to the possible responses from the terrorist organization following the significant assassination.
“The last time we eliminated senior Hezbollah commanders, the terrorist organization increased the amount of fire as ‘punishment’ and fired more rockets and missiles at Israel,” he said. “However, they did not cross the unspoken red lines set in the limited war.”
“Now Hezbollah might increase the scope of fire, but in my opinion, they will not significantly extend the range. The important point is the type of targets they attempt to hit. So far, the terrorist organization has not tried to hit a large civilian target, but rather only a few military targets, which is the critical line that separates provoking Israel from starting a full-scale war. In my opinion, Hezbollah is ready for a large-scale war but does not want it and, therefore, will not try to attack civilian targets,” Baram said.
“From their perspective, starting a war would be a big mistake, as then the US would have legitimacy to join the fight. They still remember Biden’s statement that if Hezbollah initiates a full-scale war against Israel, the US would join the war against them, which the terrorist organization and the Iranians fear. On the other hand, if Israel started the war, the Americans would not be obligated to join the fighting. There are constant talks between Tehran and Beirut, with the Iranians urging Nasrallah to escalate only in a limited manner, targeting military objectives only and not civilians, and not to focus fire on cities with civilian populations,” the professor explained.
Wednesday (12th), Hezbollah directed a drone towards Haifa. In a different scenario, where the terrorist organization aimed 100 warheads at the city, the effect would be different, and Israel would have the legitimacy to start a full-scale war,” Baram continued. “Israel might want Hezbollah to cross the red line, but the terrorist organization will not do so.”
“The current limited escalation does not justify Israel starting a full-scale war, and the crucial question is if Hezbollah might take an action that would leave the Americans no choice but to join the war against them, according to Biden’s commitment,” Baram stated. “Even after the powerful elimination, Hezbollah has not changed its view that the war of attrition in the North should continue along the same unspoken red lines.”
Under The Radar: IDF Chief Herzi Halevi Met With Officers From Arab Countries In Bahrain – Report
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi met last week in Bahrain with counterparts from several Arab militaries to discuss regional security cooperation, according to reports from Walla and Axios on Wednesday (12th).
In Bahrain’s capital, Manama, he met with generals from the UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, two sources with direct knowledge of the meeting informed Axios.
The meeting was held under the auspices of US Central Command Head General Erik Kurilla. Due to regional and political sensitivities surrounding the war in Gaza, it was kept low-profile and not publicly disclosed.
The Walla report stated that the meeting was a sign that the military dialogue and cooperation between Israel and the Arab countries continues within the framework of the US’ Central Command despite the public criticism and harsh condemnations of the IDF’s operations in Gaza by the countries of the region.
Axios reported that neither the IDF nor CENTCOM responded to questions about the meeting.
The report cited American officials as saying that cooperation with both Arab countries and Israel allowed them to gather intel on Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel in mid-April.
Northern Kibbutzim Celebrated Shavuot As Hezbollah Rockets Exploded Above
Kibbutzim celebrated Shavuot with traditional festivities amidst eerily lively skies filled with rockets and missiles fired by Hezbollah, with kids exclaiming in awe, “like fireworks.”
Shavuot is one of the most celebrated holidays among the kibbutzim, expressed through lively processions showcasing their agricultural pride, dancing and singing. While dozens of kibbutzim celebrated the holiday on Tuesday (11th), incessant sirens in the North disrupted residents’ festivities.
In Kibbutz Kfar Szold, located 3 miles from the Lebanon border, celebrants wore white attire as is customary on Shavuot. Amidst joyful music, incessant sirens blared, and the sky was filled with missiles and rockets.
The dissonance was evident, especially in the surreal sight of laughing children.
“Like fireworks, how beautiful,” they exclaimed, showing awe amid the chaos. Celebrants of all ages seemed almost indifferent to the turmoil above, remaining in place, documenting, filming, and laughing at the somewhat eerie displays in the sky.
The situation was entirely different when looking at Kibbutz Neot Mordechai. While festivities also took place there, residents also dressed in white. The sound of sirens and the numerous explosions in the sky caused everyone to run in hysteria and fear.
Parents searched for their children, shouting their names. Panicked cries of “Mom, Dad” echoed everywhere. The uncanny sight of missiles and rockets in the sky changed the holiday atmosphere in a matter of moments.
“We all gathered as a family in Kibbutz Amir at my brother’s house after the traditional celebrations in the kibbutz dining room,” shared Yoram Even-Zur, a member of the Upper Galilee Regional Council. “On the way there, the sirens began blaring. The rockets amidst the festivities underscore the importance of living in the Galilee. We’ve been living here under a tangible threat for eight months already.”
About 250,000 people participated on Tuesday (11th) and the same number turned out on Wednesday (12th), celebrating Shavuot in the kibbutzim. All ceremonies featured calls for the return of the hostages. Dozens of displaced people celebrated the holiday in the border kibbutzim. Because of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, residents from 56 kibbutzim in the western Negev and northern border relocated to hotels and temporary accommodations.
Shavuot is a major holiday at the Kibbutzim, marked by gatherings on central lawns and watching traditional parades. Alongside the usual festive white attire, this year, yellow was added – the color of the families’ campaign for the release of the hostages.
Even in Metula, a traditional procession took place. Unlike previous years, only the remaining students of the preparatory class rode decorated tractors, symbolizing hope for the return of the hostages from Gaza, alongside two Katyusha rockets from Lebanon that hit two homes the night before.
Shavuot began in Israel Tuesday night (11th) and ended Wednesday evening (12th). In the Diaspora, Shavuot is celebrated for two days.
Russia Calls For Swift Release Of its Nationals Held By Hamas
Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova on Tuesday (11th) announced that she appealed to senior United Nations (UN) and other officials to take action to secure the release of Russian nationals held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip eight months after their kidnapping.
According to a post on the Telegram messaging app, Moskalkova launched the appeal after meeting in Moscow with relatives of those still being held. “In one conversation, one of the mothers told me details of the hostages’ situation,” she wrote.
Moskalkova said she had appealed to the UN High Commissioner For Human Rights, Volker Turk, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, and other officials “for the rapid return home of our compatriots.”
There are 120 hostages left in Gaza, including at least 40 whom Israeli authorities have declared dead in absentia. New reports have put at eight the number of hostages holding Russian passports, including three who were released.
An Israeli-Russian dual national Andrey Kozlov was among the four hostages the IDF rescued in an operation on Saturday (8th).
Earlier in May, the Palestinian islamic Jihad (PIJ) , a Gazan terrorist group, released a propaganda video of Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov, another Russian-Israeli dual national held hostage in the Gaza Strip, by Hamas.
To Fight Anti-Zionism, NY Philanthropist Showcases Artifacts That Tie Jews To Israel
Antiquities buff George S. Blumenthal talks about his latest project, which offers ‘bite-sized’ pieces of evidence to counter claims that Jews are not indigenous to the Holy Land.
Holding out an ancient and surprisingly heavy silver coin, the New York-based philanthropist and antiquities collector explained that it was a shekel piece from 68 CE, the third year of the Jewish Revolt against Rome, inscribed with the words “Jerusalem the Holy” on one side and “Shekel of Israel” on the other.
“It’s material culture. You put it in someone’s hand and they feel the connection,” Blumenthal said, before nonchalantly slipping the 2,000-year-old shekel back into his satchel.
This connection, provided by a physical object attesting to the ancient Jewish presence in Israel, has been a central theme of Blumenthal’s philanthropic efforts.
Often working in concert with Israeli photographer and imaging technology expert Ardon Bar-Hama, Blumenthal, through what he called a series of “serendipitous” encounters over the last 20 years, ended up funding the groundbreaking high-resolution digitization of the Dead Sea Scrolls and also of the Aleppo Codex, one of the oldest surviving Torah scrolls, dating from the early 10th century CE, among other projects.
He has also worked closely with the City of David, financing a series of animated films about the history of Jerusalem, and is currently partnering with the Central Zionist Archives to digitize the original diaries of Theodor Herzl. This is in addition to other efforts relating to American Jewish life and American history.
Blumenthal, 80, the son of Holocaust survivors, grew up in Cleveland and made his fortune in the telecommunications industry in the 1990s.
Talkative, gregarious and unassuming, Blumenthal recently met with The Times of Israel in central Jerusalem to discuss his latest project, Israel Archaeological Proof, a website that compiles archaeological and historical documentation that shows the millennia of Jewish presence in the Holy Land.
The idea, he said, is to educate people about the deep roots of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel and provide ammunition against narratives suggesting that there are none, a mission that has become more urgent than ever after the October 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel and subsequent outburst of anti-Semitic incidents and campus demonstrations in the US.
The first section of the Israel Archaeological Proof website, covering the late Bronze Age up to the Second Temple, has been launched, Blumenthal said. Two further sections, covering the period after the destruction of the Second Temple until the 19th century, and the modern period including the birth of the State of Israel, are in development.
Palestinian “Civilians:” Complicit In Hamas Crimes – Bassam Tawil
The rescue of four Israeli hostages on June 8 has confirmed that Palestinian civilians were, and continue to be, complicit in the crimes carried out by Hamas. If regimes such as Hamas do not want their civilians killed during hostage rescue operations, they should not start unprovoked wars to begin with, then complain when they are hit back. They also should not take hostages, then hide them among the civilian population.
The Palestinian families can hold only themselves accountable for the scores of Gazans who died during the rescue operation. Those families were not coerced or threatened into keeping the hostages inside their homes. They were delighted to help Hamas because they support the terror group.
Three of the hostages were held in the home of Palestinian journalist Abdallah Al-Jamal, who worked for the U.S. non-profit Palestine Chronicle. Al-Jamal had been the source of multiple stories about Israeli attacks on civilians in Gaza. He wrote the stories while he and his family members were holding Jewish hostages in their home.
Those who have been crying about the “innocent” and “uninvolved “ civilians killed in the war initiated by Hamas should direct their anger towards the Palestinians, not Israel, for aiding and abetting murderers, rapists and kidnappers. Despite the devastation the terrorist group bestowed on its own people in Gaza, there are still many Palestinians there who continue to collaborate with Hamas.
Before we break down in tears for Gaza’s “innocent” civilians, let us recall that a larger portion of them elected Hamas, supported it, worked for it, sheltered it, and rejoiced over its crimes against Israelis, including the Oct. 7 atrocities.
