Is Raf OK? -- Installment #139
2024-09-22 -- Jerusalem & Tel Aviv
First Time Here? Readers suggest starting with the expanded Gaza Explainer in #133 and #120.
Tags: 4 Min Read; Large Relief Area
The weather turned Fall-like a few days ago. It rained for an hour or two in Tel Aviv five days ago! Just now, walking through Jerusalem it was drizzling.
I read that there are less than 1,000 Jews left in Birobidzhan, the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Region of Russia (created by Stalin to "solve" his "Jewish problem"), as essentially all left to Israel in the Gorbachev years. (PDF here)
Movie suggestion of the day: The Red Sea Diving Resort (Netflix).
Mail
IsRafOK.com
If that were me, I'd redirect it to the Pulp Fiction scene with the response of "Nah, man, I'm pretty f$%king far from 'OK' ... " but I certainly understand you are in a far more precarious place. Stay safe, sir.
Thank you!
And you are right. It is crazy.
I can’t tell if it is more precarious being here or living near groups of white supremacists who tote AR15s (e.g. chunks of the states of Washington and Idaho).
Postmark
Beirut
Yes, it's a regional war.
Hezbollah’s recent casualty poster:
This nearly complete picture (another one+ senior casualties were announced hours later) is seen by the IDF this way:
Regional. Very regional.
A point heard recently: Complaints from Lebanese ministers and western capitols that "Lebanon does not want war" are beside the point. There is a heavily armed, offensive army, Hezbollah, dug in all over Lebanon. Hezbollah has been attacking Israel continuously for nine+ months. On what planet would there not be war in Lebanon?
From the perspective of, er, this week, it seems fair to say that operations pagers and walkie talkies were the introduction. The phase before was the attack in Masyaf, Syria which, based on reporting in Israel, was actually a ground operation (with air cover) to destroy a rocket factory that Iran set up for Hezbollah in a mountain cave. The phase after was the attack on the house in Beirut which took out the top chunk of Hezbollah's military leadership (c.f. the org chart above). This was concurrent with a massive bombing campaign (hundreds of sorties—perhaps even 500—over a few days) hitting Hezbollah rocket launchers and weapons caches across Lebanon. A few examples, showing rockets and secondary explosions:
Another indication that a new chapter has been opened is that in the last day, Hezbollah launched Fadi 1 and Fadi 2 rockets at Israel for the first time. These are longer range, but they do not appear to be more effective.
Syrian Opposition
Many Syrians are celebrating the death of Hezbollah's top official Hussein Ghandour, which was announced yesterday at 19:00.
According to them, Ghandour, who they nickname "the Butcher of Madaya", was responsible for starving the residents of the Syrian town of Madaya, northwest of Damascus, when he fought alongside the Assad regime during the civil war in Syria.
According to them, Ghandour buried wounded Syrians while they were still alive and was responsible for the agonizing death of many of the town's residents.
Late justice by the hands of Israel. Hezbollah haters in Syria and Lebanon are starting to wake up. Seeing Hezbollah taking significant blows gives them hope that the Lebanese terrorist organization will finally pay for its crimes. They have scores to settle with Hezbollah. (Source: Abu Ali Express)
Beirut - Exploding Pagers, etc.
Hezbollah has started publishing martyrdom posters of its members killed in the walkie-talkie explosions.
In this segment, let's focus on just one: Abd al-Man'am Jamal Abd al-Man'am: a Hezbollah operative, a militant ("Mujahed," meaning "one who engages in Jihad" or simply a fighter), born in 2008.
In other words, he was 16 years old.
In Gaza, casualties like this (of which there are hundreds) are reported by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health as "Israel murdering children."
This is not a joke or an exaggeration: Hezbollah and Hamas have dozens, hundreds of child combatants. (The practice is most widespread, I understand, in the West Bank.)
I don't recall hearing a breath of condemnation of this practice.
About Pagers and Walkie Talkies...
Based on available information (primarily Hezbollah death announcements, so first hand): The dead are 25-1 or 25-2 active Hezbollah members. E.g. It was essentially a precision strike.
Gaza
Palestinian channels report tobacco being smuggled into the Gaza Strip in tea bags.
In other news, armed Hamas militants continue to commandeer aid trucks. The distribution of food aid continues to be controlled and taxed by Hamas.
Relief Area
Alef
2 Min, English subs
Bet
Arab social media users wonder:
Was the former president of Iran, Raisi, also attached to his pager? Could that be what caused his helicopter to crash?
Gimmel: After Operations Pager & Walkie Talkie...
Dalet: The Next Step...
(Since other communications methods are now avoided as potential hazards…)
Hey
Vav
Zayin
Chet
Tet
Communication devices of Hezbollah
Oops! I did it again!
Yod
Exploding Pagers Card Game
For people who like exploding pagers
For ages: 7+
Chof
Israel can offer the Gazans: Rainproof tents in exchange for information about hostages and Sinwar.
They are willing to do a lot now for a waterproof tent.
Raf continues to wonder of tobacco products could have been used in place of bullets to win hearts and minds in Gaza.
Lamed
(Photos of the main damage caused by the Hezbollah retaliation a few months ago--the chicken coop--and of the past few days--the cowshed)
Hezbollah's opponents on social media mock Hezbollah's vengeful reactions:
"They are probably trying to harm the food security of the residents of Israel."
Mem
Some of the ridicule on social media following Hezbollah's response last night, which included, among other things, hitting a dairy farm...
(On the left is the senior Hezbollah General killed in the attack in Beirut, on the right... Hezbollah's response... E.g. “Israel killed this big Hezbollah general, Hezbollah retaliated by killing this cow.”)
The Jewish holidays approach.
I don’t think I’m ready.
To Peace,
Raf
(Thank you A.K., M.T.)