Is Raf OK? -- Installment #171

2025-03-21 -- Tel Aviv

Mar 21, 2025

First Time Here? Readers suggest starting with the expanded Gaza Explainer in #133 and #120.

Tags: 7 Min Read; Videos; Revisiting Genocide; Relief

Updates:

2025/04/09: The section on the IDF using Gazans as human shields has been expanded.
2025/03/21 Post Email Release: Relief Dalet was updated to correctly name the subject as Yoni Netanyahu, brother of Bibi.

An interesting part of this war has been the visibility of Druze in Israeli culture, and specifically as part of the war effort. Ditto Israeli Muslims (who join the military, but in much smaller numbers).

Druze “pop up” food stands have been visible since… forever. At farmers’ markets and whatnot, there is typically a Druze stand making their special sandwich “wrap” and selling homemade food (which is delicious).

And now… on trendy Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv:

“Druzengoff” — selling Druze Pita and delicacies. Note the domed fixture in the window: That is where the Druze Pita are cooked.

Terminology, Part 1

I was reminded by a couple of academics that one challenge of today's situation is that the terminology of “antisemitism” doesn't serve. An excerpt:

“I think it’s very important to make a distinction between discomfort and harassment and violence. Accusations of harassment and violence have to be taken seriously, investigated and responded to. Feeling discomfort is another thing, and I think that can be an important aspect of the university experience.”

and:

“There’s been a push by some historians saying: Actually, let’s jettison the term antisemitism, and let’s maybe be much more specific about things. So, for example, hate speech against somebody who’s Jewish, or a physical assault against somebody because they’re Jewish or vandalism of Jewish property.”

and:

[U.W. Fellow Gila] Kletenik also worries that Jews, ultimately, will be blamed for what she sees as the current slide toward authoritarianism [in the U.S.] because it was done in their name.

(From: "Two UW Jewish Studies scholars talk Trump, antisemitism and Zionism" (PDF here)

This resonates for me because many forums suffer from a set of parallel issues. American universities allow an anti-Jewish double standard to run amok. This has turned into gasoline for a culture war fought "in the name of Jewish students and faculty." (As if Stefanik and others care about Jewish welfare. [Hint: They don’t.]) Ditto the U.N. The U.N. is needed, and does 100 (1000?) functions the world needs. It also has been hijacked by a few highly selective agendas. An obvious example: Its lack of effort combating Islamic radicalism and violence (to say nothing of its fixation on Israel and neglect of the rest of the region).

Mail

It's Genocide! (aka: Terminology, Part 2)

In #57 I discussed the simple observation that if Israel didn't care about civilians the war would have been over October 8. Think Chechnaya, Rwanda or Yemen. Or Warsaw, October, 1944 (similar destruction to Gaza, but 100,000's killed outright and the city's population down by 60% or 70%.)

A position: This war, which started in what, 2007?, is genocidal by nature. Saying "It's genocide" is redundant. Hamas points its guns and rockets at everyone who lives in Israel (regardless of race and religion). And, you could take the position: Israel does the same in the direction of Gaza (if this were the case, there would be a million dead, but for the sake of discussion, let’s say it’s true). Some of the Gazans interviewed in that Channel 12 interview in #170 openly say they are fine with everyone in Israel being killed in the conflict.

So let's not be shy: Genocide is absolutely on the table and is explicitly part of Hamas' agenda.

Dehumanizing Gazans is not OK. They are people. To whatever degree people have agency, Gazans have agency. They successfully evaded the so-called Israeli "blockade" many years ago and imported whatever they wanted, en-masse. They chose to import machine shops to make guns and rockets instead of candy bars? They spent their 100's of millions on tunnels not diners? Whose problem is that?

A month ago, Hamas declared victory. Loudly. In Arabic.

Who am I to deny them that?

To say nothing of their agency to surrender: Here are our weapons and the hostages. We are all becoming shoemakers and tailors. Has that happened? (Or something close?)

What I know:

Several IDF soldiers are currently being charged by the IDF prosecutor for using Gazans as human shields. The specific act in question: Using Gazans to walk through buildings, typically carrying a camera, to check for booby traps and Hamas terrorists prior the the IDF entering the space.
- Addendum 2025/04/09: I want to add that multiple IDF reservists have said the use of Gazans as scouts by the IDF is prevalent and that if there are to be six prosecutions there should be a hundred and sixty prosecutions (or more). By design, the IDF uses dogs and drones in these roles. Some months into the war, it was said that Gazans were being used due to a shortage of dogs (due to casualties in the canine units). However, based on available information, this excuse doesn’t hold water at any level. (One source. PDF)
  There is concern that the moral backbone of the IDF has been compromised, up to the top.
  Raf’s perspective: The nature of this entire conflict is Hamas on one side, the IDF on the other and the Gazan population in the middle. Hamas doesn’t mind civilian casualties. Given Hamas’ extensive use of hospitals, ambulances and tent encampments, the Hamas approach is “human shields by design” and “civilian casualties by design.” The war is taking place on their turf, and they get to set the parameters. I don’t like it, at all, but essentially this mindset is the mindset of the entire conflict.
The Purim video last week of several IDF soldiers firing into an empty Gazan field resulted in all of them, and their commanders, being suspended for investigation
Yoni, son of acquaintances of mine, tells you first hand the care IDF soldiers use in the field (his document is 100 pages long, try the last 5-6 pages to start)
Eli Sharabi, held in iron chains underground for 491 days by Hamas, spent a couple of hours being interviewed. On youtube here, with large English subs. 1 hour.

For more on the topic of genocide and ethnic cleansing, see the big Explainer in #56 which is continued in #65.

Gaza is a war zone. A war zone with closed borders and a cult-of-death army that celebrates civilian deaths.

The problem with the word genocide is that it doesn't change the nature of the conflict and it absolves Hamas (and other parties, primarily Egypt). What matters, if human welfare is the agenda, is that the world (Egypt, mostly) profits from Gaza's suffering. Organizations and agencies like UNRWA preserve the suffering, to justify their existence. If you care about the suffering, find %25 of Gazans who are willing to put down arms and advocate, in their own names and language for peace. And if you can't find them, figure out how to create them.

Vilifying Israel amplifies fear, emboldens violent radicals and in effect extends the conflict and suffering.

The rest is commentary.

Dept of The Invisible

Items invisible in the Western media. (Now combined with the Postmark concept, to help consolidate topics by locale.)

Turkey

Right wing crackdown on the opposition. Huge street protests.

Looks like what is going on here.

Lebanon

4 Min, Arabic w/English subs:

Tony Abi Najm, a member of the Lebanese Forces party (Christians), explains that he wants to visit Jerusalem.
According to him, peace with Israel would protect Lebanon and help it prosper. He points out that peace has safeguarded Jordan, for example, even though the average Jordanian hasn't normalized relations with Israel.

(Video source: "Khalifa Shrugged" channel.)

Syria

Three buses with Israeli license plates are transporting about 100 Druze dignitaries from Syria to visit Israeli territory.
As part of the visit, they will visit the Tomb of Nabi Shuaib, the most revered prophet in the Druze fate, located in Karni Hittin in the Galilee.
This is the first visit of its kind in about 50 years (the last time a similar visit took place was after the Yom Kippur War).

Below: In the past days, Germany reopened its embassy in Syria:

A commentator:

Amid discussions about Germany's desire to return Syrian refugees from its territory to Syria, seemingly connected to the 300+ million Euros Germany is offering Syria, Germany's Foreign Minister, all smiles and for the second time, arrives in the capital Damascus, this time to mark the reopening of Germany's embassy in Syria.
The massacre of Alawites two weeks ago has been completely forgotten? Self-interest outweighs human rights?

To say nothing of the female German Foreign Minister meeting the all-male Syrian leadership, none of whom will shake her hand (because of their misogyny, which is part of their ideology).

Gaza

Hamas' 'superstar blogger' stole donations for Gaza: 'Became a millionaire with a click'

Readers probably remember the Gazan social media star known as FAFO (see #65 and #146, for a few examples). Just a few days ago, in #169, we talked about his current scam to raise money, for himself, on the back of sympathy for Gaza.

The scam has been denounced by the Palestinian Authority, and it is now clear that no institution authorized the campaign or received funds from it.

Exploitation of Gaza… from the inside.

Rockets and Tanks

Hamas, and the Houthis in Yemen, have resumed rocketing Israel. There are sirens here and there. My neighbor this morning: “What did you do yesterday when the red alert sounded at 4:00AM?”

(Recall: It is estimated that Hamas retains over half of its tunnel network--that would be 150 miles of tunnels. These tunnels mirror the discovered tunnels, in that they contain stores of weapons, workshops to make rockets, ammunition and arms, etc.)

IDF tanks have reentered deep into Gaza.

Relief Area

Alef: Iran: Persion "Lab BaOmer"

Persians are celebrating tonight (March 19), the last Wednesday evening before Nowruz (Persian New Year).
This evening is known as the Chaharshenba Suri - "Wednesday of Light."
On this evening, the Persians (a Zoroastrian custom, not Islamic at all) have the custom of jumping over bonfires that they light, as a kind of purification ritual from the weaknesses, sickness, and paleness of winter in preparation for the arrival of spring - which is celebrated in the Nowruz holiday, which is coming up soon.

Predictably resulting in:

Iran: 19 dead and more than 5,000 injured in the Chaharshenba Suri festivities.

Playing with fire...

As I recall, Iran has five or more calendars across its ethnic groups.

Bet

Meanwhile, in the Prime Minister's Office
[Bibi's advisors are beholden to Qatar...] Bibi to Opposition Leader Yair Golan: I don't have faith in you

(The same thing Bibi said to the Shaback [Israeli FBI] chief he fired. C.f. Entry about Yair Golan in #169.)

Gimmel

[Finance Minister Smotrich, who has zero experience in this domain and has the position only because he is loyal to Bibi:] "We must protect the public's money."

[This in response to Smotrich's announcement that his office will punish universities who pay salaries to those who are protesting/take time off to protest and what is widely seen as the hijack of the budget by ultra-orthodox religious elements.]

Dalet

[Photo of Bibi’s brother, Yoni Netanyahu, who was killed in the Entebbe hostage rescue operation in 1976.]

I sacrificed my life to save hostages.
[To Bibi and his governing cabal]: You sacrifice hostages to save yourselves.

Hey

A political factor causes their death

(A more poetic take on the same theme)

Vav

[The Brinks truck has the logo of the State of Israel on the side]

[Police officer]: Don't interrupt! It's a theft!

[A reference to the recently passed budget.]

Zayin

[Bibi and Justice Minister Yair Levin attacking Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Yair Golan]: Attacking terror infrastructure.

(Play on the official-ese used to describe many Israel Air Force attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.)

Chet: Taxi driver meme

Driver [stereotypically a right-winger]: The enemy doesn't differentiate between [political] right and left!
Passenger: Then why doesn't a single Left wing politician get money from Qatar?

Tet: About those Bibi Fanatics ("Bibistim")

The Right: Money to Hamas! Qatar-gate corruption! Petty Police department corruption! And this before the needs of the public! Robbery of the public treasury!
Bottom: Oh, it's Bibi and his coalition? Then OK...

Yod: Israel ranks as 8th-happiest nation in global survey, down from 5th last year; US is 24th

(non fiction)

Despite ongoing war and political turmoil, Israeli young adults rank highest in self-reported quality of social connections; in the ‘freedom’ section, Israel only placed 87th
Israel is the world’s eighth happiest country, according to the World Happiness Report 2025 published Thursday.

Chet: London