Is Raf OK? -- Installment #180
2025-06-09 -- Tel Aviv
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: 6 Min Read; Big Relief!
It is nice to be back! Summer has arrived. So have visitors from the U.S. (many airlines have resumed service).
Heard
Why is the world like it is? Author S.Y. Agnon's view. 2 min. Hebrew w/large English subs:
Read
A few excerpts from the latest Thomas Friedman essay, based on his week long visit to Israel in late May. (PDF here):
Virtually no independent foreign journalists have been allowed to report firsthand from Gaza — unescorted by the Israeli army. When this war is over and Gaza is saturated with international reporters and photographers free to roam, the level of death and destruction is going to be fully reported and pictured — and that is going to be a very bad time for Israel and world Jewry.
...
Amos Harel, the military analyst for Haaretz, explained why: “Many bombing runs are actually assassination attempts against Hamas leaders, often when they’re with their families. And these officials no longer live in private houses or apartment buildings — they’re usually in the crowded tent camps with thousands of civilians. Even when the army declares multiple steps of caution, these attacks result in massive killing.”
[Raf would add: My feed trolling indicates dozens, even 100+ of Gazan casualties in the past 2-3+ weeks have been in areas instructed by the IDF told to evacuate. It seems there is a hefty amount of noncompliance with evacuation orders.]
Even many American Jews don’t understand how big and powerful the ultra-Orthodox and religious-settler-nationalist community in Israel has grown and how much it sees Gaza as a religious war.
“Bibi is actually their pawn, not the real player,” explained Avrum Burg, a former speaker of the Knesset, referring to the religious-nationalist-settler right in Israel. “You tell them Israel could have peace with Saudi Arabia and they will shrug and tell you that they are waiting for the Messiah. You tell them they could have peace with Syria, and they will tell you the Jewish people already own Syria — it’s part of Greater Israel. You tell them about international law, they will tell you biblical law. You will tell them Hamas, they will tell you Amalek” (a biblical enemy of the Israelites).
Dept of The Invisible
Items invisible in the Western media. (Now combined with the Postmark concept, to help consolidate topics by locale.)
Syria
Syrian government, June 5, 2025: We thwarted the smuggling of weapons from the Homs province to Lebanese territory.
A truck containing anti-tank missiles and ammunition for 30 mm machine guns was seized in the city of al-Qusayr in the Homs province near the border with Lebanon. The weapons were hidden behind bags of cucumbers.
Al-Qusayr was considered a significant Hezbollah stronghold before the fall of the Assad regime.
And on June 9:
Syrian and Lebanese sources: The Syrian regime yesterday foiled a smuggling attempt of Iranian-made rockets into Lebanese territory in the Homs region.
Is Raf the only one thinking: Is there a bottom to the supply of munitions in this region? The picture above seems to represent at least 100 rockets (anti-tank, I believe).
Gaza
On the Death of Muhammad Sinwar, Brother of Yahia Sinwar (architect of the current war)
Muhammad Sinwar was killed in an airstrike near the European Hospital (the hospital was not damaged in the strike and was in operation before, during and after the airstrike).
A Fatah-identified surfer on the elimination of Muhammad Sinwar:
[In the 2006-2007 time frame:] Muhammad Sinwar supervised the digging of the explosive tunnel under the headquarters of the Preventive Intelligence Mechanism in Khan Yunis, during Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007 - the explosion of the tunnel killed 21 [Palestinian] members of the Preventive Intelligence Mechanism (of Fatah).
Now he found his death in the same way.
The use of tunnels is a signature strategy of Hamas. This is interesting in that it shows that Hamas uses the same methods against all its enemies.
In recent days, the IDF has encircled the European Hospital and just published drone footage of the tunnels found underneath:
Below: IDF pulling the bodies of Muhammad Sinwar and others from the tunnel. Note the tunnel is directly under the hospital.
And a tour of the tunnel by the IDF Spokesperson (Hebrew w/English subs by Raf):
A Gaza-based commenter mockingly wrote:
The two Sinwar brothers "fulfilled their dream" from October 7th and managed to enter the territory of "occupied Palestine" [Israel]
(Muhammad and his brother Sinwar)
A Reminder
A week after the IDF attack a month ago on Muhammad Sinwar, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan (based in Doha) said: Muhammad Sinwar was not there, it is an Israeli excuse to bomb the hospital [which was not bombed]. “I know he is still alive.”
Gazan Rockets
What lesson to derive from a militia (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine--PFLP--in this case) that keeps firing rockets at Israeli forces (the firing of which often results in retaliatory strikes that kill Gazan civilians)?
Tunnel Destruction of the Day: Khan Yunis
About one and a half kilometers of tunnel:
And booby trapped buildings:
Relief Area
Alef
Bet
(Yeah, this has been recycled. It showed up on a feed I watch, so you get it too…)
Gimmel: Gotta Love AI...
(The selfie-clicks project known at the flotilla to Gaza, featuring Greta Thunberg, aka the “selfie yacht.”)
Dalet: Turkey
(Reportedly non fiction)
Turkish Health Minister: 14,000 Turks were injured yesterday during the slaughter of sheep and cattle for the Feast of Sacrifice.
I have no idea what this means. The animals bucked and hurt those trying to slaughter them? Amateurs were doing the slaughter and hurt themselves with sharpened knives?
Hey--The "Selfie Yacht"
The "aid flotilla" (a single vessel with almost no food aid) featuring Greta Thunberg is, well, grist for the meme-mill.
Vav
Israel is going to make every possible mistake regarding the flotilla and it will be a public relations disaster.
Zayin
Admiral Katz [Defense Minister of Israel] and the Viking Invasion [Greta is from Sweden]
Chet: Amjad Taha from the UAE on Twitter
The only smiling picture of Greta Thunberg ever is from today when she saw Israelis.
Tet
One of the world's most famous vegans is coming to Israel
IDF: Here sweetie, have a pastrami sandwich
Yod
Chaf
From Reddit:
Exchange greta [sic] for hostages!
Response: Haven't the Palestinians suffered enough?
Lammed: Greta's Updated Wikipedia Page
Mem
Greta Thunberg: "My G-d! The destruction, devastation, neglect, abandonment! It's much worse than I thought."
IDF Sailor: "You are in Ashdod..."
Nun
Greta in Ashdod when she sees all the Pride flags
Samech
Me, every time the draft is mentioned in the news
Nu, fall already… (Israel’s 37th government)
Ayin
Greta when the IDF hands her a sandwich wrapped in non-biodegradable plastic.
Pey
Netanyahu's Prosecuting Attorney:
When discussing File 1000 and 2000, 1,788 times you answered "I don't remember"
“Okay Grandpa, the time has come to move to a nursing home.”
“I don't remember”
Well, the humor section has grown to the point that it is time to publish. Some sights from the streets of Tel Aviv today:
All children in the world have the right to life, to live without fear, the right to freedom
Let's return to reason/wisdom
This play on Chabad themes is the name of a movement חוזרים בתבונה - Return to Reason - that has this mission:
Course for the secularization of Haredi society in the spirit of the Enlightenment movement. We will help tens of thousands of young Haredi people leave Haredi society - and join the secular public.
To Peace,
Raf
(Thank you A.K., M.T.)