First Time Here? Readers suggest starting with #120.
Tags: 10 Min; Biggest Ever Relief Area
Update: The Footnote below was expanded after the email was sent.
The war nears 300 days (today is 298 per the tape on the waitress’ shirt). The hostages, prevalent on posters and window displays, seem forgotten. Also forgotten: Hamas has agency. In the "blame game" (an unproductive use of energy) some take an "Israel, Israel, Israel" position, never mentioning that all Hamas needs to say is, "Here are all the hostages and Israeli bodies, get out of Gaza" and the IDF would be out of Gaza.
There is blame for everyone involved. This is not news.
There is also agency.
Mail
IDF Footage Discussion in #130
Is well stated, especially to see the post showing lathes and milling machines in tunnels. Can’t imagine how much human capital was invested in these factories…money / supplies not provided to the civilian population. I’m also trying to picture the physical work to put these tools into tunnels… didn’t see any forklifts in the tunnels.
The degree to which Gaza was turned into a garrison is beyond belief. It is unprecedented in human history. From what Raf can see, this aspect is invisible in the Western press. Hamas (with Iranian funding) spent 15+ years building an enormous (400+ miles of tunnel) underground military-industrial complex with the civilian population of Gaza above as both human shield and source of super cheap tunnelling labor. Military historians will be writing for decades to come about the strategy and infrastructure of Hamas.
The infrastructure and approach of Hamas is essentially invincible, even now. Over the past week, Hamas has been launching short range rockets multiple times most days. In the Khan Yunis area they do this almost exclusively from within the humanitarian quarter. The rockets don't always make it to Israel and sometimes fall in populated parts of Gaza (populated by Palestinians).
So: a) Nothing has changed, structurally, since the start of the war: Hamas is dug in underground and able to shoot rockets at Israel at will; and, b) Imagine the extraordinary extent of infrastructure that allows Hamas to keep at it after being pummeled by the IDF for nine months.
None of this was "created out of thin air." For fifteen+ years Hamas has had an array of assets: 1) De facto unlimited funding from Iran and Gaza supporting "charities" in the West and the Arab world; 2) Unlimited manpower (lots of cheap labor available in Gaza); 3) Design and logistic support from Iran; 4) An enemy (Israel) whose leadership is consumed attacking segments of Israeli society and making "reforms;" 5) A “blockade” that was porous (weapons, machine shop tools, tunnelling equipment, tens of millions of dollars in cash, probably hundreds of millions, and much more); 5) Messianic motivation.
Quite the brew. If I had to guess, I would say that Hamas can go another nine months, shooting rockets at Israel and hanging out under the Gazan population. I would add that Egypt has stepped up its blockade of Gaza's southern border: There is footage of anti-Gazan earthwork construction, increased helicopter patrols by the Egyptian army and more Egyptian troops.
The problem called "the Gaza Strip" was not created by Israel in a vacuum. Many a hand helped.
I suspect it will not be "solved" by Israel alone.
Did you see this social media clip of "The Occupation Doing X, Y and Z in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem?"
Contains graphic footage and is edited to inspire hate: Link
I have now (thank you!). I am familiar with many of the incidents recounted.
The clip is not helpful. Most fundamentally because if you can't hold several things in mind at once, the Middle East isn't a topic for you. (Start with Mo Husseini's list PDF here) This clip you sent is a one sided list full of "othering" (enemy-creating) language, without context, and contains lies and misrepresentations.
Gaza is not the West Bank. Conflating the two makes it impossible to discuss anything.
Why? Gaza is a long standing international fiasco in which Egypt plays a starring role (usually uncredited). It includes the UN failing to classify refugees as refugees; Massive amounts of honest charity (building hospitals, providing free food); Massive amounts of dishonest funding (for tunnels and weapons); A mafia government that extracts wealth from the suffering of Gazans (while living in Beverly Hills-esque neighborhoods in Gaza and as oligarchs in Qatar while holding onto many billions of dollars intended for Gazans); and, Political oppression to maintain Gaza in a state of war (which Gazans don't want).
The West Bank is an Israeli failure and crime. At many levels. While no other country is directly involved, many of the sins in the West Bank are enabled by funding from American Evangelicals--who fund the largest NGO in all of Israel (c.f. Until Kingdom Come [on Prime Video] and "Inside the Evangelical Money Flowing into the West Bank" [PDF here]).
While much ink is deservedly spilled on the observation that current Israeli leadership does not seek peace, the clip declines to observe that Hamas has always fought viciously against peace for its people, including many years of terrorism during the intifadas, killing thousands of Israelis (before 2023) in its effort to inflame the region and prevent peace.
Because the clip is simplistic and designed to inspire hatred, the clip agitates for war, not peace. It supports the position painted on Columbus Memorial Fountain at Union Station a few days ago: Hamas is Coming (photo below).
Mark Manson Says…
So, no, I hadn't seen it. I don't think much of it. One of my gurus is Mark Manson. Here is a line from one of his recent newsletters (he doesn't write about politics or war):
When you choose what to watch or read, you are choosing your future thoughts and perspectives. Only consume what you’d like to become.
I don't consume Instagram, FaceBook or TikTok.
That isn't who I want to be.
One More Time, Why Are You, Raf, In Israel?
This question is in or under some number of communications sent my way. Let me answer this a couple ways:
First, recall the clip by Oded Rahav in #33 3 minutes, English (Contains ~15 seconds of graphic footage):
If I believe the above, is there a difference being in the woods in Washington State versus a slum in India? The visceral experience is different (we love our visceral experiences!). Yet the sum total of my conscious and subconscious experiences should be, if there is collectivity to the spirit, similar. The difference is in what I see, not the sum total of what I am, at all levels, experiencing.
The question becomes, for me: Where is it interesting? (I can sleep anywhere there is a room....)
Which brings us to international affairs. (Obviously...)
Is There A Difference
Between Hamas attacking Kibbutz Be'eri and Hamas attacking, say, Tacoma, Washington?
Let's answer that with a 1 minute clip (there are weapons, but not pointed at people):
Footage of the security team aboard the US-owned merchant ship MV Pumba in the Red Sea dealing with an unmanned explosive device launched by the Houthis in Yemen a few days ago.
The explosive boat was hit by [Russian speaking] security team fire and exploded before it hit the ship.
Ack, sorry! There are weapons pointed at people in that video. The drone boat full of explosives was launched by an Iranian proxy (the Houthis in Yemen) at an American vessel that has people on it.
Why is the explosive drone launched at an American boat in the Red Sea and not New York Harbor? Equally, why did the Houthis launch a drone a week ago at Tel Aviv and not Washington DC?
Because, by an accident of history, in July, 2024, they can't.
We know such groups will attack the U.S. when they can (c.f. 9/11 & the 1993 WTC bombing). It happens to be beyond their capabilities. This month. So they don't.
(Don’t take it from me. Hamas supporters agree, painting "Hamas is coming" on the Columbus Memorial Fountain at Union Station in the past few days.)
[I see “Fuck Fascism” on the lower left. The author is unfamiliar with the Hamas form of government, which is exactly that.]
Postmark
Lebanon
Samy Gemayel, a member of the Christian Kataeb party in Lebanon wants peace and quiet in South Lebanon:
"I want the residents of South Lebanon to live in peace and quiet for 50 years. This way is the way for the state of Lebanon to lose its sovereignty over southern Lebanon.
Do I have the right to an opinion on the way in which my people in southern Lebanon should be protected? Or is the only accepted opinion in this country that of Hezbollah according to which the residents of southern Lebanon should live in a state of war for another thousand years to come?
This is because they do not recognize the State of Israel and consider their weapons "holy". They are turning South Lebanon into a battlefield that will never end.
Are we allowed to dream that we can live in peace in our country?"
Why do I include this? Because this voice exists across all the countries and peoples of this region, it just isn't in the news. The Gazans who curse Hamas (there are many on social media) have the same message. Those, among Israelis and Palestinians, who call for two states say the same thing.
There is only, ever, one choice: Never ending bloodshed or efforts toward peace. (This is why peace is safe to try: At worst it is more of the same. Said no one, ever: "The army will be disbanded.")
Below
The son of the king of Bahrain explains in fluent English that the peace his country made with Israel was without preconditions on their part and it did Bahrain good more than anything else.
He mentions a principle we have forgotten: "Peace for peace"
Eastern Khan Yunis
The cease fire proposals by Hamas call for three phases, and the bodies of dead hostages are released in the last phase.
This is why the IDF recovery of five bodies in an operation last week, inside a “humanitarian zone” has meaning to Israelis: It means families do not need to wait yet more months.
Footage from the recovery:
IDF Spokesperson: The bodies of the abductees who were recovered yesterday were found in a tunnel inside the humanitarian area in Khan Yunis - an area that was reduced 👆 three days ago, so that it would be possible to reach the point.
The tunnel where the bodies were found was 20 meters deep and 200 meters long.
Even for a big Cat, that is a lot of digging.
Footnote:
Why does Israel detain so many Hamas terrorists? Because some of them know where things are… How else to find tunnels? As reported:
According to the IDF, the bodies were hidden behind a wall in the tunnel, and without exact information on the location — provided by a detained terrorist — it was unlikely they would have been found.
Gaza
Peace through Nicotine... Gaza social media reports:
The price of a single cigarette in the Strip is about 100-120 NIS. (US$26-32)
There are still rockets being fired from Gaza. In recent weeks, Hamas consistently fires rockets from within the Humanitarian Zones. The clip below shows the locations from which rockets have been launched and the change made to the Humanitarian Zone as a result:
Pre Relief Context
From The Forward Regarding Bibi's Visit to Washington
(PDF here)
“First make a deal [to free the hostages],” said one man. “Then handle the missiles in the north. Then you can go [to the US].”
KIBBUTZ MISHMAR HANEGEV, Israel — How do Israelis feel about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s much-scrutinized diplomatic trip to Washington, D.C.?
“Honestly, no one here cares,” one college student who recently returned from reserve duty in Gaza said. “We all have bigger problems.”
On this kibbutz just 20 miles from the Gaza border, none of the Israelis I spoke with are impressed with Netanyahu for making the trip, or excited about its potential results. Instead, they’ve reacted to Netanyahu’s venture to address Congress — at a moment when the U.S.-Israel relationship has developed serious new tensions over the war — with a combination of dark humor and skepticism that is, well, how Israelis react to most things these days.
“He should go and stay,” said an agricultural consultant. “Maybe he’ll replace Biden.” [This was before Biden stepped aside. --R.Z.]
Relief Area
Largely pulled from Israeli feeds. Translations either below the image or overlaid on top.
Alef
Attack Biden saying he is old.
Biden withdraws from the race.
Now you are the oldest candidate
Now you are the oldest candidate...
Bet
Prime Minister Begin: I eliminated the Iraqi reactor.
Prime Minister Olmert: I blew up the Syrian reactor.
Bibi: For four terms I whined about the Iranian reactor.
Gimmel
Bibi's latest preparations for his meeting tomorrow with Trump...
Dalet
Wow, Today's technology is amazing. Bibi is already out of the country but his balls are still in Yanon's mouth...
[Inner tag] Go in peace. And return to peace. [e.g. make a deal while you are on this trip]
(Yanon Magal, a Bibi mouthpiece.)
Hey
Do not watch Netanyahu's speech on any channel! Depress the ratings!
Vav
A beautiful side of Iran:
Spectacular nature documentation from the forests of the Zargrib Nature Reserve in Beshahar, close to the shores of the Caspian Sea, northeast of Tehran.
Chet
Tet: From the Hebrew: Recent Memes from Israeli Social Media
The Sde Teiman Incident
Sde Teiman is a prison/detention center. It has been used since the war to detain terrorists captured in Gaza.
In the past number of days, nine reservists who were staff at Sde Teiman were arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a prisoner. Right wing extremists, followers of ministers Ben Gvir and Smotrich protested this arrest and even broke into the facility in Beit Lid where these nine were being held. Ben Gvir is a follower of Meir Kahane, e.g. a Kahanist and both Ben Gvir and Smotrich are notorious for their homophobic positions and prior actions (including Smotrich's gross counter demonstrations to the Jerusalem Pride Parade in 2006). Ben Gvir was not permitted to serve in the IDF due to his extremist political affiliation and Smotrich served for only 14 months (Israeli men are required to serve 3+ years). [It can be noted that not all settlers in the West Bank are religious extremists. I believe %10-20 fall in this category.]
Phew, with that context... on to the memes!
Tzvi Sukkot is one of the leaders of the riot in Beit Lid, which is an attack on the rule of law, so is compared to the January 6 rioters.
I think this is the longest post yet.
At the shuk (farmers’ market) the other day: Palestinian Israeli produce guy: “I don’t chew gum, Muslims consider it bad or low class.” Raf: “OK, but what about khat?”
“Oh yeah, I chew that.”
The chicken parts counter: “It is always a bad idea to touch Gaza. Even the Egyptians didn’t want it!” [Referring to Egypt’s insistence that Israel keep the Gaza Strip in the 1978-79 Egypt-Israel peace treaty.] “What we need is a leader who can take what is common in the three major religions and make peace!”
[No idea what that means for Asia… Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. — Raf]
Thank you all so much for the amazing engagement. Emails, Whatsapps, SMS and FaceBook (which I see but rarely).
To peace,
Raf
(Thank you A.K., M.T., S.F.Z., R.A.)