Is Raf OK? -- Installment #93
2024-03-26 -- Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
Tags: 10 Min Read (yowza!); Videos n Humor
Forgoing evil does not seem to work (example: Chamberlain). Annihilation is intolerable. Sometimes the solution comes from the incidental (the Purim story) and we celebrate it as a miracle. [S.G.]
The above, from a friend's recent Dvar Torah, makes me think about today's war: How many new terrorists are created? (In recent months, catalyzed by the Gaza war, a number of Palestinian Authority's police have committed acts of terrorism in the West Bank.) What is the miracle? (In the early weeks, many said "Hopefully this event causes the shift that Israeli society needs." I spoke of Rachel Goldberg-Polin--mother of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin--as potentially the next Prime Minister.)
Lately, I don't hear "positive inflection point" dreams. Hope, such as it is, comes from rifts that might crack the governing coalition and trigger elections. The rest is acknowledgement that after nearly half a year of combat: Gaza is still full of Hamas terrorists ready to kill and die; Sinwaar will keep the hostages forever; Gaza's human and material destruction is in Hamas' interest because it's blamed on Israel.
Realities
On Israel's Leadership...
Anshel Pfeffer writing in Haaretz Mar 24, 2024
...Gallant has nothing to lose. It's clear to him by now that under this government the IDF, even if it had thousands of Haredi recruits, can't win the war against Hamas.
"[Thomas] Friedman predicts that "Israel is either going to come out of this with a new relationship with the Palestinians in 2024" or will "go back to 1947-48 with new weapons" if it fails to develop a coherent vision for the future of Gaza and a wider strategic plan for the region.
The latter option, he fears, becomes increasingly likely the longer that the extreme right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - a group of "incompetent" ministers he would not want "as waiters at my grandson's bar mitzvah" remains in power.
"I think this is the worst government Israel has ever had. And I think Netanyahu will go down in history as the worst leader in Jewish history, not just in Israeli history," said Friedman...
On the U.N. Ceasefire Call
The call itself seems weak. For example, I believe it suggests no structure to distribute aid--the most acute problem Gaza faces. It also focuses on the Ramadan month (already half over).
On the topic of Ramadan, observers have noted that many tens of thousands have been attending Al Aqsa during Ramadan (20,000-100,000+ as reported on Arab channels), and Israelis observe that so far it is the quietest Ramadan on Al Aqsa in years.
On the topic of the U.N. Ceasefire call, it can be noted that in response to the U.N. vote, Hamas and Islamic Jihad made multiple rocket launches at Israel (at least three launches of 5-25 rockets each). Interesting way to thank the U.N. One of them:
And the resulting red alerts in Israel:
LGBTQ+ Support of “River to the Sea” & "Pinkwashing"
Non-Jewish, Canadian Comedian Daniel-Ryan Spaulding. Interviewed in Haaretz March 25, 2024 (emphasis by Raf):
Q: Parts of the queer community internationally accuse Israel of "pinkwashing" – that LGBTQ+ rights are merely there to serve as a distraction from the suffering of Palestinians.
A: "Israel has LGBTQ+ rights because people fought for them. The pinkwashing accusation is nothing more than propaganda to discredit the community there. It's a conspiracy narrative. And it does a disservice to gays and lesbians in Israel, who have built up a vibrant community. I find the term antisemitic and homophobic."
Q: Do you still feel welcome in Berlin's queer community with your positions post-October 7?
A: "In the gay scene, yes, but less so in the younger queer community, where I'm seeing more and more virtue signaling – people flaunting their supposed values to signal that they're one of the 'good guys.' It's a form of moral narcissism. I find that many people lack the serious will to have a differentiated, in-depth conversation. Instead, social issues are oversimplified and weaponized. They use theoretical fragments to try and justify terrorism against civilians."
"Unbelievable how weak and enabling the West has become…disgusting."
(A comment on recent harassment of Israelis at a university in Australia.)
An old friend remarked, ten or more years ago, "Israel does a lot of damage to itself." One of the ways it has done this has been by allowing West Bank settlement to run unchecked, including violence by Settlers.
Israelis often discuss the nuance of navigating a region full of history, heterogeneity and "holiness." Then they, time and again, elect nuance-free leadership that is morally bankrupt and divisive. If the pen is mightier than the sword, Israel handed the pen (of propaganda) to its enemies years ago, banking on a mightier sword. (How’s that working for you?)
Mail....
"What I Didn’t Learn in School about Antisemitism"
Today's antisemitism in the U.S. and Europe is part of the river of European antisemitism. My friend Karen Treiger summarizes some of the themes in a recent post (3-5 minute read).
Military Topics
Shifah Hospital
A central location for Hamas leadership for many years, the IDF drove Hamas out in the first two months of the war. The IDF then left the area... and Hamas moved back in. In the past two weeks, the IDF retook Shifah, killing over 190 Hamas combatants and arresting many hundreds (as of March 21). A few days ago, the IDF released a two minute video of the Chief of Staff, sitting in Shifah, discussing the situation.
All that said, it appears that Hamas is entrenched in a number of the buildings at Shifah (apparently including previously undiscovered tunnel entrances). It seems close quarter combat may continue for days to come.
IDF Update, March 20, 2024
IDF Spokesperson: Locating terrorist funds and facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid; IDF operations continue at the Shifa Hospital
The 401st Brigade combat team together with Shayetet 13, soldiers of the Duvdevan Unit and ISA forces under the command of the 162nd Division continue operations at the Shifa Hospital. As part of the searches at the hospital, the forces located 11 million shekels in USD [2+ Million USD] and Jordanian Dinars that were earmarked for terrorism.
During the operation, approximately 3,700 Gazans passed through the checkpoint near the hospital and from there moved south, of which over 300 suspects were apprehended. Among them are dozens of senior terrorists and those with key positions.
Last night, IDF forces and the Coordination and Liaison Administration to Gaza in COGAT coordinated and supplied a fuel truck and a humanitarian aid truck to the civilian population, which included about 1,800 liters of water and food totaling approximately 3.8 tons.
Attached is footage of the humanitarian aid being brought to the Shifa Hospital:
Rafah
Why does the IDF want to enter Rafah? Because there is a lot of Hamas there.
IDF Announcement
Joint IDF and ISA announcement: The IDF and ISA eliminated senior Hamas operatives in Rafah
On Monday, IDF fighter jets acting on IDF and ISA intelligence eliminated senior Hamas operatives in Rafah who assisted its military wing in establishing continued control, as well as operations in the field.
The operatives struck were Sayid Katab Alkhashash, Osama Hamd Zaher, Muhammad Aud Almelalakhi, the heads of Hamas' Emergency Bureau in Northern and Eastern Rafah, alongside Hadi Abu Alrus Kasin, an operations officer.
The senior operatives were the representatives of Hamas’ leadership in Rafah. As part of their roles, they managed the terror organization's activities in humanitarian zones and were responsible for coordination with Hamas operatives in the field.
Furthermore, Nidal Aleed, the Head of Hamas’ Rafah Emergency Bureau, who managed all of its operations in the area, was eliminated in a strike last week.
An analyst writes:
Note that all the eliminated were eliminated in their homes (each of their homes was targeted by a bomb). This means that they did not see themselves as a target for elimination and did not hide or live underground.
Political Movements....
Progressivism in the U.S.
History plays its jokes... given that American Jews were (I am proud to say) at the fore of U.S. progressivism for essentially the entire 20th century...
On The History Bus: What Next?
David Brooks: What Would You Have Israel Do to Defend Itself?
(PDF here.)
Daphne Richemond-Barak, the author of “Underground Warfare,” writes in Foreign Policy magazine: “Never in the history of tunnel warfare has a defender been able to spend months in such confined spaces. The digging itself, the innovative ways Hamas has made use of the tunnels and the group’s survival underground for this long have been unprecedented.”
In other words, in this war, Hamas is often underground, the Israelis are often above ground, and Hamas seeks to position civilians directly between them. As Barry Posen, a professor at the security studies program at M.I.T., has written, Hamas’s strategy could be “described as ‘human camouflage’ and more ruthlessly as ‘human ammunition.’” Hamas’s goal is to maximize the number of Palestinians who die and in that way build international pressure until Israel is forced to end the war before Hamas is wiped out. Hamas’s survival depends on support in the court of international opinion and on making this war as bloody as possible for civilians, until Israel relents.
The Economist: No Winners: The war in Gaza may topple Hamas without making Israel safer
(PDF here.)
Yet the biggest problem with the war is not its conduct but its likely outcome: that it will leave Israel even more deeply mired in an occupation that has warped its society and poisoned its foreign relations for decades. Israel is not solely to blame for this lamentable situation, of course. A rejectionist streak runs deep among Palestinians, even though it has brought them only misery since 1948. When the fighting stops, both Israel and Hamas will probably claim victory. In fact, no one is winning.
The Economist: The Battle to Come
(PDF here.)
America, however, can do only so much. Most Israeli wars are followed by political upheaval. Removing Mr Netanyahu will not be easy. But when the reckoning comes it will be huge. The war has shattered many illusions: that the Palestinians can be ignored; that the P.A. has any appetite for reform; that antisemitism is rare; that Israel can pay lip-service to two states as settlements expand; and that the hard right can be tamed. The good news is that there are grounds for hope. Polls suggest that centrists in Israel command perhaps 50-60% of votes, institutions like the Supreme Court are still strong and better leaders exist. A struggle for Israel’s future awaits. The battle in Gaza is just the start.
Relief Area
Alef: Israeli Watermelon
From a few decades back... advertising that "It's only an Israeli watermelon if it has this stamp!"
Bet
Gimmel: "Avatar: The Last Airbender" in the streets of Tel Aviv, Israel, Purim 2024
Dalet: New Shirt...
Hey: Meanwhile Saudi Arabia has either directly bombed, or indirectly starved nearly 400k Yemeni, but nobody cares, because they can't blame the Jews for it
Vav
This post is bonkers long. I cut a ton (you’re welcome!). Summary of one outtake::
"There is no hasbara to do because Israeli leadership bankrupted itself: By being domestically divisive (Bibi's only mode of operation) and allowing the corrupt enterprise of West Bank settlements (and concomitant violence) to continue. Every vote for Bibi these last 25 years has been a vote in favor of rot. Rot below the surface. Until now, when it blows up everywhere. From a hasbara perspective, the "justness" of the Gaza war isn't relevant. Israel chose, over and over, year after year, a morally bankrupt position in the West Bank."
Negative positions are easy. A point of leadership is to make the negative position difficult. Bibi and his allies make it easy and always have. He went to war with a U.S. president over Iranian nukes. Now he does it over Rafah. In neither case does he propose a Plan B, because he arguably doesn't have Plan A. Divisiveness is just what Bibi does.
Purim, however, was great fun. The Israel Museum Purim Party is recommended! (Have now attended twice.)
Stay well,
Raf
(Thank you A.K., K.T., M.T.)