First Time Here? Readers suggest starting with the expanded Gaza Explainer in #133 and #120.
Top Ten IsRafOK Entries: #85; #123; #128; #140; #144; #154; #161; #162; #164; #171
Tags: 7 Min Read; Raf Analysis; Big Relief Area
One of the items surfacing in 2025 is the degree to which the American Political Left has been hijacked by an extremist Palestinian narrative. The simplest example? The Democratic Socialists of America withheld their endorsement from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (“AOC”) herself, the most critical-of-Israel voice in the U.S. Congress, because she was not critical enough. (PDF here) (Another review of the situation. PDF here.)
(Wait. The Democratic Socialists of America mobilized for Palestinians? Who is going to fight for a living wage and healthcare access in the U.S.? The Chamber of Commerce? Tons of demonstrations and blocked roads, but none of that for accessible healthcare? No wonder Americans are disillusioned with the Left and booted them out of all three houses?)
Something most of us have forgotten is that dozens of organizations, at Harvard alone (and many more elsewhere) which issued scathing, unilateral statements blaming Israel 100% for the October 7 Hamas attack.
When were these accusations issued?
On October 8.
Weeks before Israel had done anything militarily.
Before the bodies of Hamas' victims were even collected, much less identified.
What we have seen over the past year and a half is the result of a 30+ year effort to normalize and promote an exclusionary, extreme, hostile-to-peace worldview.
By "exclusionary" I mean: It seeks to eradicate Jews from the Middle East.
By "extreme" I mean: It is aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood and the violent, Islamist philosophy at its core. The same ideology that killed the Palestinian-Israeli peace process of the 1990's with suicide bombings that killed over 1,000 Israelis (and knocked down the twin towers).
By "hostile-to-peace" I mean: It has subverted and hijacked organizations and individuals who made efforts at reconciliation, non-violence, and peace building.
We can see the success of this movement in many places:
The unexpectedly large demonstrations at universities
Demonstrations that have closed bridges and freeways
The "inexplicable" NY Times decision to use Hamas social media content on its front page: Of themselves the NY Times wrote they, "...relied too heavily on claims by Hamas" (PDF here)
Getting the NY Times to default to Hamas provided content can be called success.
The history of this movement is captured in documentary (the production of which is a story in itself): October 8. You can watch it on Amazon Prime. It's not cheap. But if you care, it's worth it. (The IMDB rating has been pushed down by a Palestinian campaign of downvoting this film.)
It also underscores what I have mentioned a few times: For Israelis the war is on a battlefield. For Hamas, Iran and the world, it is on social (and legacy) media.
Mail
About the Freedom Flotilla Coalition Vessels: "Everyone believes Israel is the bad guy in this."
About an article published under the title "Israel has every right to defend itself from aid ships"
Before we take a single step further, let's recall "Raf's Middle East Byline:"
Hamas has agency. As much agency as any other actor in this sad and sorry story. Denying Hamas agency is a dehumanizing act--let no one do it. If Hamas wanted, it could hand over its weapons, release the hostages and retreat to a Greek island to take up shoemaking. The war would be over and Gaza could start moving forward.
Hamas could have done this in January of 2024 or today or any day in between.
Hamas doesn't surrender because... because why, exactly?
The very existence of a flotilla is because... this war is a social media war. The flotilla was created not to feed anyone (we all know how the U.S. effort to bring supplies to Gaza by boat went... [a fiasco that ended before it really started]). The flotilla was created so that journalists could write an anti-Israel screeds about it.
I won't waste your time here discussing who has jurisdiction over Gazan waters (Israel) or why (because Egypt refused to take back Gaza in 1979).
If the journalist were interested in feeding Gazans or promoting peace, the article would sound like this:
The XYZ organization has a proposal on their website to distribute food to northern Gaza in a way that is safe and non-political. Diversion, by Hamas or others, will be prevented in collaboration with ZZZ organization. XYZ is ready to launch this initiative as soon as it receives permission from ____ and ____ and seeks partners, donations and volunteers to make this initiative a reality.
That is what feeding people looks like.
From Facebook
To All The Stupid Bibistim (Netanyahu supporters)!
Ben Gurion was victorious with an army that only fought the armies of seven Arab countries and then freed 970 Israeli prisoners from captivity. [The Israeli War of Independence]
Levi Eschol was victorious over five armies in six days and then freed 15 Israelis from captivity. [The Six Day War in 1967]
Golda Meir was victorious in 18 days over three Arab armies and brought home 110 Israeli captives [1973 Yom Kippur War]
Netanyahu is fighting with a huge army for almost two years an enemy much weaker than Israel and is still not victorious and there are still 59 Israelis captive by Hamas.
P.S. Bibi's lie about "Total Victory" is just to keep himself in power.
Raf would add:
You know why the IDF hasn't been victorious?
Because every single movement and action by Hamas is a war crime:
Failing to wear uniforms: That's a war crime. Hamas does this thousands of times a day.
Using civilian areas for weapons storage and to stage attacks. Ditto. In fact, this is a double dipper: The act is a crime, and it removes the protection of these sites as civilian, turning them into, legally speaking, war zones.
In this context, traditional military victory is... probably impossible.
Dept of The Invisible
Items invisible in the Western media. (Now combined with the Postmark concept, to help consolidate topics by locale.)
The Region: Did Qatar Checkmate Israel?
While Israeli soldiers die and hostages rot in Hamas tunnels, Netanyahu’s closest advisors were paid by Qatar.
The same Qatar that funds Hamas even today.
Instead of firing them, Netanyahu protects them.
Instead of stopping the betrayal, he allowed it to grow.
Israel’s national security — sold to the highest bidder.
And now, with every passing day, Qatar wins. Hamas wins. Israel bleeds.
If true, this is not just corruption. This is treasonous.
Gaza
Diesel Shortages ...
One response: Contact Hamas. Hamas has enough diesel in the reserves in Khan Younis in the southern part of the Strip that they have been dispatching tankers here and there while saying "There is no fuel in Gaza."
Above: May 5, after U.N. announcements of no supplies: Gazans break into a UNRWA food warehouse in the a-Zuwayda area in the center of the Gaza Strip to loot its contents.
From the perspective of one of the thieves:
Meanwhile, in Oman:
As Gazans voice desperation over food shortages, Hatem Owida, head of Hamas’s Ministry of Economy, was spotted celebrating the grand opening of his new luxury restaurant in the Principality of Oman - attended by none other than the Turkish ambassador.
According to Fatah-affiliated sources, the upscale venue was backed by a $2 million investment.
Relief Area
Alef
Hot take: The smartphone app for transferring money in Gaza?
Pal Pay
(Not a joke)
Bet
Vehicles are not allowed on the coastal "al-Rasheed" road in the western Gaza Strip.
One Gazan found a workaround.
Another angle:
Gimmel
(right to left)
Bibi: One day, this will all be yours, Avraham
Bibi's son, Avner: Avner
(At a ceremony on Yom HaAtzmut, חידון התנך, Bibi forgot his son's name—at an event dedicated to remembering texts.)
On television two days ago, Bibi said “אבל אני ישן עם מצפון נקי” — “I sleep with a clear conscience.” — Yesterday’s “discussion” in the Knesset on the topic. (Viewer discretion advised. It is difficult at a few levels.)
Dalet
3:
Hey, what happened in the end with the Gaza war?
They called up another group of reservists, as a step toward total victory, and we quote Hamas
4: That doesn’t help me at all!
Hey
(Extreme Far Right Ministers) He is about to say it...
Bibi: Total Victory will be when there is no one alive to bring back
Vav
A cartoon from Shiite channels following the understandings between Trump and the Houthis. (Which exclude Israel and Israeli merchant marine traffic.)
Zayin: More Memes from Shiite Channels
From social media following the ceasefire between the US and the Houthis.
Chet
Ben Gvir [extremist Israeli minister] on his international tour
Itamar Ben Gvir meets his parallel counterparts in America
"Where did you get the sheet?"
Tet
"צו-8" is the call up notice for reserve duty in the army:
Yod
Chaf
The Yom HaZikaron Siren in Miami
(Bibi's son with his Shabak bodyguards.)
Lammed
Top: Channel 14 (Israel's Fox News/Newsmax equivalent)
Bottom: Dana International (International award winning Israeli pop singer, who is also transgender. On YouTube.)
Mem
Saving Lives? [a supreme value in Yiddishkeit]
In light of the anger of the Haredim (ultra orthodox),
The Prime Minister has ordered the return to Gaza
of the hostages released last shabbat.
(Pilot says) We will try to come back when three stars are out [e.g. it is night and shabbat is over]
The Haredim are angry because the government (which they partly control) has not exempted them from military service and the army is sending conscription notices to more and more of them.
This piece is in a growing, new, segment of humor that discusses returning hostages to Gaza, as a result of Israeli dysfunction.
Nun
I am off to see some performances at The Musrara Mix Festival. This is taking place for the 25th year in the heart of the Musrara neighborhood in Jerusalem. If you are looking for some Israeli television, I have two shows to suggest, both of them serious, light and human. Both offer interesting insights into Israeli society. They have laughs and tears and are both on Netflix: Shababnikim and Seven Figures.
I will be (hope to be) travelling for a couple weeks. I may write less. Some of my travel involves speaking about the topics in this blog. If your organization is interested in a visiting speaker, panelist or Q&A session, drop me a line.
To Peace,
Raf
(Thank you A.K., M.T., R.G.)