News Digest — 10/10/24
PM To US Jewish Leaders: ‘Only One Force In The World Fights Iran Now – Israel’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (9th) met at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem with a Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations delegation.
Prime Minister Netanyahu told the Conference of Presidents delegation, “There is only one force in the world fighting Iran right now. There’s only one force in the world that stands in Iran’s way to conquest. And that force is Israel. If we don’t fight, we die. But it’s not only our fight, it’s the free world’s fight, and I would say the civilized world’s fight.”
“There are quite a few dictatorships around the world, they’re all bad. But this dictatorship is different because it wants to throw us all back into a dark age. They want to destroy us and others. Us first, because we stand in their way of conquering the Middle East, but they want to subjugate the world and bring it back to the dark ages,” Netanyahu said.
“When you come in solidarity here, which is much appreciated, it’s not only solidarity with the Jewish people and the Jewish state, it’s with civilization,” he concluded.
Participating in the meeting were Conference of Presidents Chairperson Harriet Schleifer, incoming Chairperson Betsy Korn, CEO William Daroff, and the Prime Minister’s Spokesperson, Dr. Omer Dostri.
Gallant: Iran’s Attack Was Aggressive, Our Response Will Be A Deadly Surprise
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday (9th) said that the IDF’s counter-strike on Iran for its October 1 missile strike on Israel will put the original attack to shame.
He said, “The Iranian attack was aggressive but inaccurate. In contrast, our attack will be deadly, pinpoint accurate, and most importantly, surprising – they will not know what happened or how it happened. They will just see the results.”
Speaking to IDF Intelligence UNit 9900, the defense minister said that much of Israel’s air supremacy in the Middle East is due to their intelligence collection work.
He noted the unit’s efforts against Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and any other necessary front to help the Air Force see “very precisely and in every place what we want to.”
On Tuesday (8th), the Jerusalem Post reported that Israel is not expected to attack Iran’s nuclear program but rather to focus on various kinds of military bases and intelligence sites, following a New York Times report on the issue.
Confronted with the NYT’s report, sources did not deny the thrust of the report, which predicted that Israel’s retaliation against Iran for its massive October 1 strike on the Jewish state would fall more in the medium range of attack scenarios.
Further, the Post understands that Israel’s attack on Iran – which virtually all top Israeli officials have publicly promised – will still be much more substantial than its narrower retaliation on April 19, when Iran’s S-300 anti-aircraft missile system was damaged.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have both presented removing the Iranian nuclear threat from hovering over Jerusalem’s neck as one of the most significant purposes of their lives in public service.
If those officials and other members of the defense establishment have backed off from such an option in favor of attacking Iranian military and intelligence bases, such as possibly ballistic missile facilities, drone facilities, and commanders who coordinated the strikes on Israel, it would mark a dramatic shift toward directly emphasizing Gaza and Lebanon as more significant security issues than Iran.
Iranian Exiles Ran To Bomb Shelters During Visit To Haifa: They Say Their Only Hope Is A Strike On Iran
A delegation of Iranians who have left their homeland has arrived in Israel, and has already experienced sheltering from rockets both in central and in northern Israel. They say Israel has a right to defend itself, and that Israel’s war is with Khamenei and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and not with the Iranian people.
“Not a single Iranian desires war, yet it seems our only hope for salvation lies in military intervention by Israel,” stated Katie Amiri Yaunasi, an Iranian-American lawyer visiting Israel this week.
Yaunasi is part of a delegation of senior Iranian exiles who have been touring Israel, including visits to communities near the Gaza border. During their visit, they raised the flag of the Shah of Iran alongside the Israeli flag in the Knesset and even sought shelter during air raid sirens in Haifa.
The delegation, invited by the Public Diplomacy Department of the Foreign Ministry, includes Golsa Jamari, a Canadian politician; Nazanin Ansari, an Iranian-British journalist and activist; Hamid Jamalvashi, an underground Iranian rapper; Houman Khalili, an Iranian-American filmmaker; Hamidi Saeidi, an Iranian-American musician; and Mahtab Jamali, an Iranian-British business woman.
The delegation wanted to express solidarity with Israel following the events of October 7. They visited the Gaza border community of Nir Oz and the Re’im parking lot, where the massacre at the Nova music festival took place. They participated in a memorial ceremony in Sderot attended by President Isaac Herzog, traveled north to meet with IDF representatives, and visited the Knesset alongside lawmaker Sharren Haskel. On Tuesday (8th), they experienced air raid sirens for the first time during Hamas’ rocket fire on Tel Aviv, and on Wednesday afternoon (9th) they ran to shelters during Hezbollah’s barrage on Haifa. They were scheduled to meet later on Wednesday (9th) with families of hostages.
“Israel’s war is with Khamenei and the Islamic Republic of Iran, not with the Iranian people,”Jamari said. “Iranians love Israelis and stand with them against terror. They want Israel to strike Khamenei. By weakening the Islamic Republic, the Iranian people can overthrow the dictatorship. The people welcome an attack against the Republic that holds them hostage. When Iran is free, there can be peace again in the Middle East.”
Khalili, who lives in California, also expressed his support for Israel: “Iran’s attack on Israel is severe and has serious consequences. Israel has every right to defend itself and should respond decisively. It’s important to recognize that many people in Iran are pro-Israel,” he said.
Khalili has visited Israel before, making 16 trips in the past two years. His art has become a symbol of support for human rights worldwide, and he aims to present murals in Israel that draw attention to the shared history of Israelis and Persians.
Saeidi added that “the people of Iran and Israel are not enemies but victims of regimes thriving on division. We yearn for peace and freedom. On the streets of Tel Aviv, like in Tehran, you can feel the heartbeat of humanity – full of hope. We share more than history and geography, we share the desire for a life without fear.”
The Foreign Ministry noted that “this visit highlights the connection between the Israeli people and the Iranian expatriate community. It reflects the shared struggle for freedom and Human rights.”
Kiryat Shmona Rocket Hits Home, Couple Killed
A man and woman in their 40s were murdered Wednesday afternoon (9th) when a rocket launched from Lebanon towards Kiryat Shmona struck them.
Magen David Adom (MDA) reports initially said that a man and woman were critically injured and unconscious. A few minutes later, their deaths were declared.
The IDF reported that following air raid sirens in the area, 20 launches were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israel, and hits were identified.
Five firefighting teams worked to extinguish blazes in a number of buildings, following the missile strikes. They not only worked to gain control of the flames but to search for further victims.
MDA EMT Aviad Hertz said: “Immediately upon receiving reports that people were injured in the strike, we sent large forces to the sites from which reports had been received. At one of the scenes we saw a man and woman, aged about 40, who were unconscious and injured by shrapnel. We conducted medical examinations but their injuries were critical and we were forced to declare their deaths at the scene.”
Shortly prior to the strike on Kiryat Shmona, five people were injured following a missile barrage launched towards the Haifa Bay area.
Among those injured by shrapnel were a 16-year-old boy in moderate condition and four people around age 45 who suffered light injuries. A motorcycle rider , age 36, suffered light injuries after he collided with a vehicle during the strike.
The complete barrage toward Haifa included approximately 40 launches. One of the rockets fell in the Kiryat Bialik cemetery, causing a power outage in some areas of the city.
6 Injured, 2 Critically, In Terrorist Stabbing Spree In Hadera
Six people were stabbed and injured, two of them critically, in a terror attack on Wednesday (9th) in Hadera that spanned four locations in the central city.
Police said the suspect, who appeared to have acted alone, used a moped to get from one location to the next, attacking people at each place.
The terrorist was then cornered by residents until police officers arrived and helped subdue him.
The subject was later identified by Hebrew media as an Arab Israeli resident of Umm al-Fahm. The man was reportedly known to police for past criminal activities.
Magen David Adom chief Eli Bin said two of the victims had initially been listed as seriously injured but the conditions deteriorated and were later declared to be critical. Three other victims were in serious condition and the fourth was moderately wounded.
Dr. Jalal Ashkar, director of the Emergency Medicine Department at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, told Channel 12 that four of the victims had undergone surgery.
A video post to social media appeared to show the moment a number of armed members of the public surrounded the suspect on what appeared to be a main shopping street, their weapons drawn.The residents were shouting in Hebrew and English to the suspect to “get down of the ground” but he either ignored them or did not understand.
At least two warning shots were fired in the air before one man fired at the suspect as he reached into his coat. It wasn’t immediately clear if he was hit.
Armed police officers arrived at the scene and pushed the suspect to the ground while shouting at the others not to shoot.
Hadera Mayor Nir Ben Haim praised the residents for their bravery in confronting the terrorist.
“This is a difficult day for Hadera, but the heroism of our residents who assisted in the capture of the terrorist proves the importance of vigilance,” he said, according to the Walla news site. “The results of the attack could have been much more severe. I want to thank each and every one of you for your composure and resourcefulness.”
The attack came two days after the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 mass onslaught against southern Israel, the worst terror attack in Israel’s history, amid a wave of deadly attacks.
On Sunday (6th), Sgt. Shira Suslik, 19, a Border Police officer, was killed by a gunman at the bus station in Beersheba. Ten others were wounded in the attack.
Last week seven people were killed and at least eight others were wounded in a shooting and stabbing attack in Jaffa, one of the deadliest terror attacks in Israel in recent years.
In 2022, Border Police officers Yazan Falah and Shirel Aboukrat, both 19, were shot dead in a terror attack in Hadera. The two perpetrators, supporters of the Islamic State terror group, were from Umm al-Fahm.
Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon Slams Hezbollah For Urging Ceasefire While Killing Israelis
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon criticized the hypocrisy of Hezbollah’s demand for a ceasefire while it continues to target and kill Israeli civilians.
On Wednesday (9th), before a UN Security Council meeting, Danon said, “We have once again been reminded of the relentless terror we face.”
He described the terrorist attacks that occurred in Israel on Wednesday (9th), including a stabbing in Hadera that wounded 6 people, 2 critically.
Danon added, “In Kiryat Shmona, Hezbollah’s rockets murdered a man and a woman who were simply walking their dog.”
This occurred just a day after senior Hezbollah official, Naim Qassem, called for a ceasefire.
Danon said, “And yet, even as Hezbollah continues their murderous campaign, senior Hezbollah officials have the audacity that Israel will cease fire.”
“Let me be clear about that,” he said. “No one should mistake the arrogance of these terrorists for diplomacy. Hezbollah calls for a ceasefire while simultaneously murdering Israeli civilians with their rockets.”
Danon added that if Hezbollah wants a ceasefire they must first stop firing missiles into Israel and retreat to the area north of the Litani River in accordance with UN Resolution 1701, which was adopted by the UN Security Council in 2006.
Danon said, “Until that happens, Israel will continue our operations to degrade Hezbollah’s terror network.”
“We will do whatever it takes to secure our people and enable the 70,000 displaced Israelis to return home safely.”
On Tuesday (8th), Naim Qassem, the most senior Hezbollah leader after the assassination of Nasrallah and his successor Safieddine, called for an unconditional ceasefire, apparently not contingent on a cessation of fighting in Gaza.
The former deputy to Hassan Nasrallah and member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council announced on Tuesday night (8th) that the terror group was “agreeing to a ceasefire without preconditions. First, a ceasefire is achieved through diplomatic means, and then we will discuss all the details.”
