News Digest — 12/5/23
Gallant: ‘Our Forces Will Not Leave Until Hamas Is Destroyed’
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a situational assessment Monday (4th), on the border of the Gaza Strip and praised the soldiers fighting there.
He received a review of the battles being waged inside the Gaza Strip to destroy Hamas targets, and the movement of IDF forces in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Minister Gallant expressed his appreciation for the precision and firepower brought to bear since the fighting resumed, and the systematic elimination of Hamas leaders in all of its battalions in the city of Gaza and the north region of the Gaza Strip.
At the end of the assessment he stated: “I arrived today at the border of Gaza, along with the commanding general of the southern command and the commander of the 36th Brigade to see from up close the wars being waged here. The Golani soldiers came here to bring closure, and will not leave until they have completely destroyed all terrorist infrastructure in the area.”
Gallant added: “Three days after the fighting resumed, the IDF is at its best. I want to express great appreciation for the troops that have increased pressure on the terrorists, eliminating the battalion commander of Shejaiya, who was a despicable murderer, and continue their work in the entire operational area.”
“The IDF is at its best, the Chief of Staff is running the operation confidently and with great success, and the operation in the north of the Gaza Strip will soon crumble the entire front in Gaza City and the northern half of the Gaza Strip.”
“At the same time, the IDF has begun to operate in the southern half of the Gaza Strip where the terrorists there will suffer the same or worse fate as those in the north. We will continue until victory, and achieve our objectives, both eliminating Hamas and the recovery of all the hostages into Israel.”
Hamas Establishes New Terror Organization In Lebanon
Hamas has recently declared the establishment of a new terrorist group in Lebanon called “The Al-Aqsa Flood Pioneers,” Israel Hayom reported. The move has drawn extensive criticism from residents of Lebanon and brought up long-forgotten events.
Earlier, the terrorist organization published a statement calling for Lebanese citizens to join the new organization, in order to “create the future for your people and free Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa mosque. Hamas has operated in Lebanon for some time, and recently took responsibility for several rocket launches towards Israel from its territory.
Additionally, Arabic media reported last month that the deputy commander of the Hamas military in Lebanon, Khalil Haraz, had been killed by the IDF along with several other terrorists of different nationalities. The country currently hosts several high-ranking political officials, such as Salah Al-Arouri.
Israel Hayom noted that in light of this, the new organization seems to be intended for recruiting “Palestinian refugees” in Lebanon who do not support Hamas. Not everyone was in favor of the declaration: Gebran Gerge Bassil, the leader of Lebanon’s Christian “Free Patriotic Movement” and longtime allies of the Hezbollah group, has spoken out against the move.
“We categorically reject the statement by Hamas intending to establish the Al-Aqsa Flood Pioneers’ movement and their call to join it,” he wrote.
“We see any armed action from Lebanese territory as an attack on our national sovereignty. Lebanon has the right to increase its national resistance against Israel to protect itself. It is weakened by the fact that Hamas is establishing a territory for itself in the south so as to attack Israel from Lebanon. History shows us that we should not become a bargaining chip during war when we could force our conditions on negotiations.”
The comment is a veiled reference to “Fatah-land,” an area in southern Lebanon from which arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat’s followers launched attacks against Israel and, eventually, brought about the First Lebanon War.
The statement drew a sarcastic response from the IDF’s Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee: “You are too late, Gebran, Hamas is only an expansion of what you call national resistance. Do you believe your own lies? What resistance, and what nation?”
Adraee’s remark is thought to be a reference to Hezbollah’s use of Lebanese territory to further Iranian assets and interests.
Israelis Advised To Conceal Jewish Identity Abroad In New Travel Warning
The Israeli government issued a series of travel warnings Monday (4th), advising Israelis traveling abroad to exercise increased caution, and in some cases, urging Israelis to consider canceling non-essential travel.
In a statement released Monday afternoon (4th), the National Security Council announced that it has elevated the security threat assessment level for countries in Western Europe, including Britain, France, and Germany, to Level 2, advising Israelis traveling to the countries in question to maintain a low profile and to exercise increased caution.
The warning was also issued for Brazil, Argentina, Australia and Russia, the NSC said, while the threat level in South Africa and Eritrea as well as in Central Asia (including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan) has been raised to level 3.
Israelis are strongly advised to reconsider travel to areas with a level 3 threat assess
The NSC warned that Iran and allied terrorist groups have ratcheted up covert operations against Jewish targets around the world. It also cited the dramatic increase in anti-Semitic incidents around the world.
“Therefore, the NSC reiterates and underlines its recommendation to weigh the essentiality of travel at this time.”
“For Israeli citizens traveling abroad, we recommend choosing a destination wisely, while exercising recommended precautionary measures wherever they are, and examining their conduct in light of the information detailed in the NSC website.”
The National Security Council recommended that Israelis who do choose to travel abroad avoid openly displaying “Israeli and Jewish identities and any relevant symbols, and stay away from Israeli and Jewish gatherings.”
South Korea Communities Stand Strong With Israel
A group of South Korean Christians have convened in their capital of Seoul outside the Israeli Embassy and for the past 2 weeks have stood there, night and day, to proclaim their support and solidarity with Israel.
Community leader Jang Sang Gil expresses, “We’ve assembled shifts of concerned citizens who want to show our collective support of Israel because we care about Israel, we condemn the murder of innocent people , we care about the hostages and we want to bring them all safely home. We’ve stood here night and day for the past 2 weeks and we’ll continue showing the world that we support them.”
A delegation from Shalva National Center in Jerusalem, a non-profit organization benefiting people with special needs and disabilities, traveled recently to South Korea. In the days since the Oct. 7 massacre and the ensuing outbreak of the war in Gaza, Shalva has not only perpetuated its usual work, but also assumed a dual role as a National Crisis Response Center, providing shelter, activities, and facilities for over one thousand Israelis evacuated from their homes in Gaza border communities.
Jang Sang Gil, who leads the Korean Aliyah Headquarters has been supporting Israel through various efforts, including dispatching help to Israeli soldiers and providing support for Shalva National Crisis Center. He and his community are avid supporters of Israel and have gone to great lengths to show that they stand with the Jewish State. He proudly declares that “Korean Christians will always be with Israel.”
Philadelphia Jewish Restaurant Faces “Genocide” Chants By Hundreds Of Anti-Israel Protesters
On Saturday (2nd), a group gathered outside “Goldie” – a Jewish-owned falafel outlet in Philadelphia – loudly chanting accusations against the restaurant. The incident elicited strong reactions from both Pennsylvania’s governor and other political figures.
Mike Solomonov, an Israeli-born chef who was raised in Pittsburgh, and who is renowned for winning cooking awards, is the owner of the falafel chain. The protesters chants included, “Goldie, Goldie you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said: “Tonight in Philly, we witnessed a blatant act of anti-Semitism. This was not a peaceful protest. A restaurant was targeted and mobbed simply because its owner is Jewish and Israeli. Such hatred and bigotry are reminiscent of a very dark time in history.”
US Rep. Brendan Boyle (D. 3nd District) said he couldn’t believe he had to say it, but “targeting businesses simply because they’re Jewish-owned is despicable. Philadelphia stands against this sort of harassment and hate.”
In October, the group called for a boycott of Zionist-owned businesses, including Goldie and others owned by Solomonov.
The anti-Jewish organization shared positive messages on social media on Oct. 7 despite the murder of women and children. Memes such as “Palestine Lives,” and “The resistance lives” were published there, while they claimed that “Hamas rampaged and invaded Israeli towns” at the time.
“It is anti-Semitic and completely unjustifiable to target restaurants that serve Israeli food over disagreements with Israeli policy,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates notably said on Sunday (3rd) in response.
“This behavior reveals the kind of cruel and senseless double standard that is a calling card of anti-Semitism,” Bates further said, adding that the current US administration would “always stand up firmly against these kinds of actions.”
Hamas Also Slaughters Muslims – Khaled Abu Toameh
• The Hamas terrorists who attacked Israel on Oct.7 also murdered and kidnapped scores of Muslim citizens of Israel, including members of the Bedouin community. The terrorists’ murder spree made zero distinction between Muslim and Jew.
• Hamas mercilessly beat, humiliated, abducted and murdered their fellow Muslims, including Awad Darawshe, 23, an Israeli-Arab paramedic who had remained behind at the music festival, refusing to abandon the wounded. “I speak Arabic, I think I can manage,” he said. He was wrong.
• Abed Al-Rahman Alnasasrah, 50, was murdered by Hamas terrorists when he attempted to rescue people from the music festival.
• Fatima Altallaqat, 35, from the Bedouin village of Ar’ara, was murdered while working with her husband near Ofakim in Israel. Her husband, Hamid recounted: “We’re a religious Muslim family and she wore the traditional headdress of a devout woman.” Her brother said that Hamas terrorists shot 40 bullets into her.
• Hamas was hoping to trigger another cycle of violence between Jews and Arabs inside Israel, similar to that which erupted in May 2021. This year, however, Israeli-Arabs have not heeded the calls by Hamas. One reason is that they saw how Hamas terrorists make no distinction between Jews and Muslims.
• On Oct. 7, Hamas showed the world, with unfathomably ghoulish pride, by way of Go-Pro cameras and other self-documentation, that it has neither a religious nor a secular humanist set of values.
• Perhaps the Palestinians in Gaza should look at the Arab citizens of Israel and note how they enjoy equal rights, democracy, freedom of speech and a free media. If Palestinians wish to live well, like the Israeli-Arabs, this is the time for them to get rid of Hamas and all the terror leaders who, for seven decades, have brought them nothing but one disaster after another.
The writer, an award-winning Israeli Arab journalist, lecturer, and documentary filmmaker is a fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
Is It Time For Israel To Ignore The World? – Tom Basile
Today, as global elites in media, academia, politics and government bend to terrorist propaganda, Israel is being bludgeoned for defending itself against an enemy that has consistently vowed to destroy it. It’s time for Israel to ignore the world, the pundits and the protesters.
Israel has played the game of hope and change long enough. Israelis hoped working toward a two-state solution that some modicum of peaceful coexistence was possible. They thought providing the Gaza territory to the Palestinians in 2005 would change the trajectory of the relationship. They thought providing essential services such as power and water as well as thousands of work visas for struggling Palestinians in Gaza would result in a more hopeful future.
However well-intentioned those moves were, they didn’t work. Since 2006, tens of thousands of rockets and innumerable other attacks have been committed unprovoked by Hamas against Israel. Hezbollah and now Houthi terrorists are part of a global Islamist crusade against Israel.
Biblical history counters the ridiculous notion that Jews are occupiers of the region. The unprovoked terrorist attacks on Israel clearly demonstrate that despite the propaganda, the only group involved in this fight that has faced genocide is the Jewish people.
