Tags: 4 Min Read
Mail
Rafah
I was interested in the bit you wrote about the Rafah crossing. Here in the news, they keep repeating that the Israelis have closed the crossing. There is not one single word about it being the Egyptians closing the crossing so they don't appear to be cooperating with the Israelis. Of course, all the Egyptians would have to do is mention all the tunnels under the Egypt-Gaza border that the Israelis have discovered to prove that they weren't cooperating at all...
Yup. A typical Western Press anti-Israel "narrative." The idea that "Israel blockaded Gaza for X years" is a destructive lie. Egypt has always had full control of the southern edge of Gaza including the Rafah crossing. (And for 10+ years it was Hamas who would not allow people to freely leave Gaza.)
And, of course, since Hamas was able to import and manufacture essentially unlimited weapons, had essentially unlimited money (millions and millions in cash found in their safes so far) and built 100's of miles of tunnels (including tunnels big enough for cars), whatever "blockade" there was wasn't effective.
War Summary, Anyone?
If you are new to this blog or would like a single summary of the Gaza situation, militarily and politically, Israeli historian Benny Morris has written a piece in Quillette: The War in Gaza: No End in Sight: After seven months of campaigning, Israel’s most pressing problem remains the continued existence, indeed resilience, of Hamas.
It's long (12+ pages). PDF here. A couple excerpts:
Israel, a small country with a small Jewish population and small military-industrial base, is not built for long wars. Since 1948, its wars have been remarkably short: a week in 1956, six days in 1967, 18 days in 1973. Even the unsuccessful mini-war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah in 2006 lasted only a month. This time around, the war feels endless.
In the past ten days:
Five IDF soldiers were killed in the Zeitun neighbourhood of Gaza City at the northern end of the Strip, a neighbourhood already ostensibly cleansed of Islamist fighters by the IDF twice since November 2023; and salvos of rockets fired by Hamas hit the relatively distant Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Beersheba for the first time in months.
...
The IDF commanders, including Chief of General Staff Herzl “Herzi” Halevi, supported by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, have for months argued that the IDF’s operations will remain largely ineffective, so long as the cabinet has not determined what it wants to do with the Strip after the main battles with Hamas are over. The army opposes an open-ended occupation in which Israel will be in charge of security and civilian affairs in the Strip.
The generals seem to agree with Ariel Sharon: Leaving the IDF in Gaza is not an option.
Postmark...
Iran
The Crash
Who was Iranian President Raisi? 1.5 Page PDF summary from The Guardian
Below: The funeral of Raisi and the rest of the copter passengers:
Below: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former president of Iran and one of the opponents of deceased President Ebrahim Raisi, arrived today at a meeting of the Iranian leadership wearing a white (e.g. festive) shirt.
This stood out given that the rest of the attendees came with a black shirt to mourn Raisi's death.
And Celebration
Celebrations by anti-regime Iranians as well as Israelis, in front of the Iranian embassy in London this morning, following the confirmation of the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Raisi, during his tenure as a senior in the Iranian justice system, signed execution orders for thousands of opponents of the regime in Iran (mainly in the late 1980s).
There are many people who are happy today throughout Iran and abroad.
The American “system” is highly "depersonalized" -- I sometimes think of America as a big corporation. It has rules and procedures and runs independent (to a large extent) of who the people are (look how it "survived" the Tr*mp years). Most of the rest of the world is less anonymous. More dependent on interpersonal relationships. Names have meaning. As leader, Raisi and his minions named names to jail and kill. And those oppressed knew the names of their oppressors.
And The Bomb...
Bibi did a great job vilifying the JCPOA (the Nuclear Deal with Iran). Thing is, once it went into effect, it was the best anti-proliferation tool in human history. (It was also an enormous amount of work by then-Secretary of State Kerry and diplomats from France and other countries.)
Bibi, lover of chaos that he is, pushed Tr*mp to pull out of the deal. Which was done. (Over, I am sure, huge howls from the U.S. State Department [and the Mossad for that matter—multiple former heads of Israeli intelligence accepted the JCPOA as the “best option available.”]).
Today leaders in the field of Non Proliferation warn that Iran has been enriching Uranium like crazy (PDF here). They further remind us that a program like Iran's cannot be bombed into submission (which is why the JCPOA was pursued to begin with).
Thanks Bibi and Don! Israel (and the region) is "so much safer" for your efforts.
Not.
West Bank
An Israeli humanitarian organization, The Humanitarian Guard, protects convoys of aid from violent settlers. These trucks cross Jordan, then the West Bank on their way to Gaza. Their presence forces the IDF to keep the rioters away.
The Humanitarian Guard is our way of maintaining the humanity of our society, fighting the starvation of residents in Gaza, and creating an "on the ground" alternative to the extreme right.
Information and donation link: https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/aidprotection
Gaza
Celebration...
Above: In the streets of the Gaza Strip, there were those handing out sweets following the death of Iranian President Raisi.
The role played by Iran in the murder of hundreds of thousands of Sunni Muslims in Syria, southern Iran, Yemen and Iraq is not forgotten by some Gazans.
One of the (many) brain-twisters of the region is that Hamas is a Sunni organization and has found a warm place for itself in the bosom of Shia Iran (and generous funding).
Above: Hamas took this video very seriously, saying it was distributed by "Zionist channels."
Hamas issued an official statement that what these "abnormal Gazans" do not represent the majority of the Palestinian people from a national and moral point of view and that the security mechanisms of Hamas will take steps against those "exceptions."
Jabalia
Intense IDF bombardment in parts of Jabalia. Raf's read is that there is improved intelligence yielding more targets. (And a desire to destroy Hamas military infrastructure.)
Rafah
Rafah, southern Gaza: The neighborhood of Yabneh is completely empty. Only journalists remain.
IDF forces have not yet entered this area, located west of the Al-Barazil neighborhood (where the maneuvering forces are now).
The IDF has not yet issued an evacuation warning for Yabneh, but despite this it is already empty.
Humanitarian Aid
From the COGAT web site:
422 aid trucks were inspected and transferred to the Gaza Strip, yesterday, (May.19). These trucks entered from the various aid routes we developed: Ashdod port, Erez crossing, Judea and Samaria, and JLOTS (maritime route).
JLOTS (Joint Logistics Over the Shore): Yesterday (May.19), 17 trucks of aid were transferred into Gaza, through the temporary floating pier.
Airdrops: 45 pallets containing tens of thousands of packages of aid were airdropped into Gaza yesterday (May. 19).
Coordinations (May.19): Out of 44 general coordination requests 33 were approved, out of 13 coordination requests to northern Gaza 9 were approved, and out of 11 UN coordination requests 10 (91%) were approved. Since 1/1/24, 87% of all coordination requests were approved.
Field Hospitals: There are currently 8 operational field hospitals (May.19).
26 bakeries are currently operational in Gaza, providing close to 5 million breads, rolls, and pita breads daily.
Fuel: 2 tankers of fuel designated for the operation of essential infrastructure in Gaza, entered Gaza yesterday (May. 19).
As part of plans for the civilian population temporarily evacuating from the Rafah area to the humanitarian areas, thousands of tents purchased by Israel and intended for the Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi were brought in through the Kerem Shalom Crossing last Sunday.
Above: More than 569 tons of humanitarian aid have entered the Gaza Strip so far through the American floating dock - the contribution of the USA, Great Britain, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. -- The trucks have Israeli license plates.
Relief Area
Alef: Bibi and Julius Caesar Converse
Bibi: I am jealous of you.
Julius: Why?
Bibi: After you, all leaders where called Caesar/Kaiser
Julius: Don't worry. In the future destroyers of their own country will be named after you, HaBibi
(A play on words mixing Bibi and My Brother/Love/Friend)
Bet
Gimmel
Dalet
(Raf is unable to confirm that the above quote is legit. In character, yes. Factual, don’t know.)
The weather is turning warmer. Swimming is becoming more obligatory. Construction projects continue everywhere. I saw a video of a checkpoint discovering a bunch of guys hiding under a truck bed. They are almost certainly guys trying to work.
There is a Jewish principle: "The thief is not despised when he steals to eat; for he is hungry."
Feels odd to be quoting Tanakh to people.
Stay well,
Raf
(Thank you A.K., S.D.)