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Jerusalem Center for Security
and Foreign Affairs
DAILY ALERT
Tuesday,
June 10, 2025
In-Depth Issues:

New IAEA Report Reveals Iran Carried Out Concealed Nuclear Detonation Tests (Israel Hayom)
    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has revealed that Iran carried out explosive tests as part of its efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.
    A significant portion of the agency's findings, reviewed by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) in Washington, is based on intelligence acquired by the Israeli Mossad during its 2018 operation to seize Iran's nuclear archive in Tehran.
    Iran's success in conducting nuclear detonation tests indicates that it is further along in its nuclear weapons development than previously assessed by experts.


Gaza Militia Says It Killed 5 Hamas Members Who Executed Collaborators with Israel - Einav Halabi (Ynet News)
    A Gaza militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab said Tuesday it killed five members of a Hamas unit responsible for executing suspected collaborators with Israel.
    The group said, "We have pledged to our people that we will take revenge on those who harmed them. We are committed to continuing the fight against terrorism until its eradication, which will lead to secure and stable lives, far from terror and its destructive effects."
    Sources said two additional Gaza militias are expected to begin operating soon.


Video: See Hamas Headquarters under European Hospital in Gaza - Yonah Jeremy Bob (Jerusalem Post)
    IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin on Sunday revealed the Hamas headquarters under the European Hospital in Khan Yunis where Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar was killed on May 13.
    Footage documented several well-outfitted rooms for senior Hamas officials.
    See also More Videos of Hamas Headquarters under European Hospital - Avi Ashkenazi (Jerusalem Post)


Hamas Documents Show Deep Ties, Coordination with Qatar (Times of Israel)
    Documents seized in Gaza during the war against Hamas, revealed by Israel's Channel 12, detail Qatar's intensive collaboration with Hamas spanning years.
    They include attempts to thwart regional peace efforts by the U.S., marginalize Egyptian influence in Gaza, and bolster the roles of Turkey and Iran.
    In December 2019, then-Hamas politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh told Qatar's foreign minister that the cash Qatar sent to Gaza was "Hamas's main artery."
    Qatari intelligence officials reportedly met with a Hamas representative to discuss supervising special training units for Hamas fighters on military bases in Qatar and Turkey, and for the integration of Syrian Palestinians in Lebanon into Hamas's Lebanese battalions.


London-Based "Hamas Operative" behind Greta Thunberg's Gaza Aid Boat - Charles Hymas (Telegraph-UK)
    London-based Zaher Birawi called himself a "founding member" of the Freedom Flotilla International Coalition, which arranged the voyage of the Madleen aid boat.
    Birawi, a Palestinian-British journalist at an Arabic-language satellite TV channel in London, was at the launch of the Madleen a week ago, livestreaming it from its dock in Sicily.
    In 2013, Birawi was named by Israel as a Hamas operative in Europe, and is the head of the Europal Forum, which Israel designated as a terrorist organization in 2021.
    Speaking in the Commons in October 2023, Christian Wakeford, a Labour MP, used parliamentary privilege to name Birawi as a Hamas operative living in Barnet, north London.
    "He is listed as a trustee of a UK-registered charity, Education Aid for Palestinians, and publicly available video shows him hosting a 2019 event in London titled 'Understanding Hamas,'" Wakeford said.
    Hamas has been proscribed as a terror group in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000 since 2021. Birawi was photographed in 2012 with Ismail Haniyeh, the former Hamas leader.
    He has helped organize protests against Israel in London since the outbreak of the Gaza war.


Pro-Palestinian Activists Dress as Hamas, Re-enact Oct. 7 Massacre in Brussels - Mathilda Heller (Jerusalem Post)
    Pro-Palestinian activists dressed as Hamas terrorists reenacted the Oct. 7 massacre in central Brussels during a "Resistance Festival" over the weekend.
    Videos show masked men in keffiyehs and army fatigues pointing guns, while other actors play dead bodies heaped on the floor.
    When the men playing Hamas terrorists see that everyone is dead, they put their arms around one another and raise their hands in victory.
    The reenactment, accompanied by music and chants of "From the river to the sea," was met with cheers and applause from the audience.
    Israel's ambassador to Belgium, Idit Rosenzweig-Abu, said she "just couldn't believe it's real, but it is."


Israeli Actions Have Reduced Palestinian Terrorism in the West Bank - Neomi Neumann (Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
    The West Bank has experienced high levels of terrorism since Oct. 7, 2023.
    According to the Israel Security Agency (ISA), between the start of the war and the end of April 2025 there were 8,670 terrorist attacks in the West Bank, which killed 64 Israelis and injured 484.
    Since January 2025, Israel has been implementing a new West Bank security policy, especially in refugee camps in the northern West Bank that had become launchpads for attacks and havens for armed groups, where the PA has been reluctant to operate.
    Between January and May 2025, there have been only 25 major attacks originating in the area, compared to 135 in the same period in 2024.
    The writer formerly served as head of the research unit at the Israel Security Agency.


Israel, U.S. Agree to End UNIFIL Operations in Southern Lebanon - Amichai Stein (Jerusalem Post)
    The U.S. and Israel have agreed that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), created in 1978, will cease its operations in southern Lebanon, the Jerusalem Post confirmed Sunday.
    The vote at the UN is expected within a few months.
    UNIFIL currently has over 13,000 uniformed personnel and its top military contributor is Indonesia.


Israel Quietly Supplied Patriots to Ukraine - Julia Struck (Kyiv Post-Ukraine)
    Israel has supplied Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems, Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky said in an interview with the Ulizhku YouTube channel on June 8.
    The Patriot systems had been supplied by the U.S. to Israel in the early 1990s when Iraq targeted Israeli cities with missile strikes. The transfers to Ukraine were approved by the U.S.


Israel's Gas Exports Continue Expansion - Idan Eretz (Globes)
    Israel's natural gas exports rose to 13.2 billion cubic meters (BCM) in 2024, up from 11.6 BCM in 2023, Israel's Natural Gas Authority has reported.
    Israel currently exports 49% of its gas production, with gas exports increasing by 86% since 2021.
    Egypt buys 10 BCM of gas from Israel per year, while Jordan buys 3.1 BCM.


The Wartime Resilience of Israel's Economy - Marc Reiss (Jerusalem Post)
    At the start of the Gaza war, economic indicators in Israel showed significant declines. However, these downturns lasted only a few months.
    Soon after, the economy bounced back to full strength.
    The shekel regained its value. The demand for housing steadily increased. More and more Jews worldwide turned to Israel and purchased property.
    When a Jewish person abroad fears walking the streets wearing a kippah, speaking Hebrew, or showing an affiliation to their traditions, the national homeland becomes an immediate preferred investment.
    Furthermore, despite the prolonged war, Israel is expected to see economic growth of 4% over the next two years - matching the pace of leading global economies. Unemployment remains very low.
    The yield on Israel's 10-year government bonds is nearly identical to that of U.S. bonds. Additionally, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange outperformed the New York Stock Exchange in 2024.
    Israel's GDP per capita ranks 13th in the world.

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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
  • U.S. and Iran Disagree on Uranium Enrichment
    President Trump said Monday that the U.S. and Iran remained at odds over whether the country would be allowed to continue enriching uranium on Iranian soil. "They're just asking for things that you can't do. They don't want to give up what they have to give up. They seek enrichment. We can't have enrichment."
        Trump also said Iran was the main topic of a phone conversation he had on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. (Reuters)
  • France Cools Expectations of Swift Recognition of Palestinian State
    France on Friday dampened expectations that it would rapidly recognize a Palestinian state. France is due later this month to co-host a UN conference in New York on a two-state solution. While there had been expectations that France could recognize a Palestinian state during that conference, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, "France could have taken a symbolic decision. But this is not the choice we made." Barrot also stressed the "absolute necessity" to address the issue of the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza. (AFP)
        See also Germany Says Recognizing Palestinian State Now Would Send "Wrong Signal"
    German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Thursday that recognizing a Palestinian state now would send "the wrong signal." After meeting in Berlin with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Wadephul stressed German support for a two-state solution but said "negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians must be concluded" first.
        He stressed that Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas and other enemies, and that "therefore Germany will of course continue to support Israel with arms deliveries; that was never in doubt."
        Saar said Israel is "surrounded by enemies seeking its elimination" and that "the only difference between Hamas and the Nazis was their capabilities." He said a Palestinian state would mean "the biggest prize is being offered to the murderers, establishing a new terrorist state in the heart of our homeland," and that "only Hamas is responsible for the suffering on both sides."  (AFP)
  • FBI Warns of "Elevated Threat" to Jewish and Israeli Communities
    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an alert on June 5, 2025, related to ongoing threats to Jewish and Israeli communities, following attacks in Boulder, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.
        "The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict may motivate other violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators with similar grievances to conduct violence against Jewish and Israeli communities and their supporters....The FBI and DHS therefore urge the public to remain vigilant and to report any threats of violence or suspicious activity."  (FBI-Department of Homeland Security)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
  • Israeli Navy Intercepts Gaza-Bound "Selfie Yacht" with 12 Activists - Avi Ashkenazi
    The Israeli Navy intercepted the Gaza-bound "Selfie Yacht" Madleen early Monday and took the passengers and crew to Ashdod Port, where they would be sent back to their respective countries. All the passengers are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water.
        The Israel Foreign Ministry said, "While Greta [Thunberg] and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity - and which included less than a single truckload of aid - more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks. There are ways to deliver aid to Gaza - they do not involve Instagram selfies."  (Jerusalem Post)
        See also Detained Activists to Be Shown Video of Hamas Atrocities
    Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the detained activists who sought to enter Gaza by boat to be shown a video showing atrocities committed by Palestinians on Oct. 7, 2023. The 43-minute video shows uncensored footage of Israelis being massacred and bodies mutilated, much of it taken from terrorists' bodycams.
        "It's appropriate that Greta the antisemite and her Hamas-supporting friends should see exactly who is the terror group Hamas that they support and act on behalf of, what atrocious acts they carried out on women, the elderly and kids, and against whom Israel is fighting for its defense," Katz said.
        Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry posted a picture of Greta Thunberg smiling as she is offered a sandwich from an IDF soldier. (Times of Israel)
        See also Gaza Boat Activists Refuse to Watch Oct. 7 Footage - Anna Barsky (Jerusalem Post)
  • Israeli Navy Attacks Houthi Port in Yemen - Lilach Shoval
    The IDF said Tuesday, "Israeli Navy missile ships this morning attacked targets of the Houthi terrorist regime at the port of Hodeidah in Yemen. The attack was carried out in response to...surface-to-surface missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles launched toward Israel's territory and its citizens. The attack was intended to deepen the damage to the military use made of the port, which was attacked by the IDF in the past year and continues to serve terrorist operations.
        This is the 10th strike by Israel on Yemen's Houthis, who have been firing ballistic missiles and drones at Israel since the start of the Oct. 7 war with Hamas. The IDF gave the local population "numerous advance warnings."
        Since March 18, 2025, the Houthis have launched 47 ballistic missiles and at least 11 drones at Israel. (Israel Hayom-Times of Israel)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:

    The Gaza War

  • Israel Wisely Arms Gaza Clans to Fight Hamas - Maj. (ret.) John Spencer
    Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed last week that Israel is arming local clans inside Gaza to fight Hamas. This is a historically grounded strategy, and one of the most effective tools in asymmetric warfare. In 2008, I was on the ground in Baghdad when American forces shifted their strategy to arm local gang leaders and tribal groups, some of whom had previously attacked U.S. troops, to turn them against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
        We knew that defeating al-Qaeda meant splintering its power base, undermining its support, and making local authority figures an alternative source of control. That strategy crippled al-Qaeda's hold.
        During the war in Afghanistan, U.S. and allied forces armed local tribes and warlords to fight the Taliban. In World War II, the Allies provided weapons and support to resistance fighters and irregular militias across Europe, many with unsavory records, because defeating the Nazis took precedence. Wartime alliances are judged not by ideology but by whether they advance the mission.
        Arming rival clans fractures Hamas's monopoly on force, empowers Gazans to defend themselves, and denies Hamas safe haven in communities it once ruled through terror. Victory over Hamas won't come from airstrikes alone. It will take local ground knowledge, legitimacy within communities, and the ability to fill power vacuums before Hamas does.
        The writer is chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point.  (Wall Street Journal)
  • Why Israel Must Destroy Hamas's Gaza Tunnel Network - Ron Ben-Yishai
    As long as Hamas and half a dozen other armed Islamist jihadist factions remain active in Gaza and have the capacity to recover, physical security for residents of Israel's western Negev region will remain out of reach, and normal life will remain impossible.
        Israel has lived under the threat from Gaza since the state's founding. But as seen in the Oct. 7 massacre, Gaza has become an existential threat that can no longer be tolerated. This is due in part to advances in military technology now accessible to any terrorist, and due to support from Iran and Qatar, which have turned Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) into terrorist armies.
        Gaza has become a hub for manufacturing weapons and explosives and a vast warehouse for them, all of it underground. During the ground operations through June 2024, the IDF succeeded in dismantling the organized fighting forces of Hamas and PIJ. It killed many of their most skilled and experienced fighters and destroyed most of their strategic tunnels and long-range rocket systems.
        Yet Hamas retains control over 70% of its network of combat tunnels, storing hundreds of rockets, RPGs and explosive devices. This allows the terror groups to wage guerrilla warfare using a few hundred veteran fighters and scores of children they have armed and deployed to lay explosives. If allowed to rebuild, they could, within a few years, again make life unbearable for Israeli communities. Therefore, the IDF must dismantle and render inoperable Hamas's underground network in a way that prevents its reconstruction. (Ynet News)


    • The Gaza-Bound "Selfie Yacht"

  • Greta Thunberg's Self-Serving Stunt Ended with Sandwiches from the IDF - Stephen Daisley
    The picture of a smiling Greta Thunberg being offered a sandwich and a bottle of water by an IDF soldier is perfect - an awkward moment when the Israel Defense Forces spoiled her Instagram story. Whatever images the activists hoped to come out of their voyage, it was probably not Thunberg being given food and water by an Israeli soldier. It is an embarrassing end to a vanity mission for Thunberg, the climate change activist who adopted "Palestine" as her latest cause.
        While it's amusing to see HMS TikTok provoke the IDF into nothing more drastic than snack distribution and a free trip to Tel Aviv, no one should doubt the dangerous folly of Thunberg and her companions. Israel's maritime embargo is a lawful security measure which is in place for a reason.
        In 2011, after the MV Mavi Marmara incident in 2010, a UN Secretary-General's Panel of Inquiry, the Palmer Report, concluded that Israel's implementation of the blockade "complied with the requirements of international law." To re-chart the Marmara's reckless course is impetuous vanity masquerading as humanitarian concern. Greta Thunberg should be grateful to the IDF for their care and professionalism in ensuring her publicity stunt ended in sandwiches and not fatalities. (Telegraph-UK)
  • Greta Thunberg Ignores that She Wouldn't Be Tolerated by Hamas - Suzanne Moore
    Greta Thunberg's seafaring jaunt to deliver aid to Gaza has been farcical. The great irony of this cute eco-warrior in shorts is that with her exposed legs, dissenting views and freedom to express them, Greta would not be tolerated by Hamas.
        Pretending you can sail into a war zone and "help" is a grandiose delusion. But, of course, Greta and her "aid boat" were largely a symbolic protest. What matters above all are the images of the selfie-yacht and the attention they can garner. Being boarded and detained (or, as she puts it, "kidnapped") by Israeli forces gave her exactly what she had hoped for. But unfortunately for Thunberg, the actual image of the "kidnap" is her smiling as she is being handed a pastrami sandwich by an Israeli soldier.
        This image will forever be compared with the horror show of the actual kidnap of hostages by Hamas. There are girls younger than Greta, with bloodied pants, their Achilles tendons cut; a mother clutching her two red-haired children whom we now know are dead; a terrified old lady being abducted. But Thunberg, like so many of her generation wrapped in their made-in-China keffiyehs, are not interested in the specifics of this conflict. (Telegraph-UK)


    • Iran

  • U.S. Is Running Out of Time to Crush Iran's Nuclear Ambitions - Col. (ret.) Richard Kemp
    The Islamic Republic is feverishly building up its offensive military capabilities. The most recent International Atomic Energy Agency report says Tehran has been producing enough 60% enriched uranium to make one nuclear weapon every month and now has enough material to build ten bombs. It would take no more than two weeks to further enrich this to the 90% required to achieve weapons-grade.
        President Trump gave the ayatollahs two months to reach a deal. That two months is up now and all proposals have apparently been rejected. Iran's nuclear program threatens the world. But Israel is most immediately in Khamenei's cross-hairs with his repeated guarantees to annihilate it.
        Iran will do everything it can to spin out talks with the U.S., doing its best to lead the negotiators along. Yet, even if a deal is agreed, it won't be worth the paper it's written on. Tehran repeatedly breached the terms of Obama's deal as well as its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Whatever obfuscation it comes up with, Iran will not voluntarily surrender its nuclear weapons program. All that these negotiations will therefore achieve is to obstruct and delay the inevitable.
        It is imperative that the U.S. now gives a green light to Israel to do what it has to do, and provide it with whatever support it needs. The consequences of failure to act go beyond Iran's nuclear capabilities and will also be measured in Moscow and Beijing. Anything other than a hard line with Tehran will be taken as a sign of weakness. If a (not yet) nuclear armed state can't be prevented from endangering the world by the American superpower, then what hope is there for anyone deterring two other nuclear states.
        The writer, a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, was chairman of the UK's national crisis management committee, COBRA.  (Telegraph-UK)
  • Why Iran Will Never Give Up Its Nuclear Weapons - Amin Sharifi
    Iran's ruling elite believes that both its survival and its mission depend on acquiring nuclear weapons. They saw what happened to Libya and Ukraine when their leaders gave up their nuclear weapons, and understood that this was not the way to go. To Iran's rulers, their nuclear program is the centerpiece of Iran's ideology and propaganda.
        The regime's worldview is not just authoritarian, it is theological. It sees the world in binary terms: believers and infidels, Shiites and non-Shiites. It believes that history is heading toward a final confrontation in which Iran will be prepared militarily and spiritually to lead. That is why the Iranian nuclear program is not negotiable. It is holy, sacred.
        Iran's leadership sees deception not as dishonorable, but as strategic. The Islamic doctrine of taqiyya, or religiously sanctioned deception, allows lying to infidels in the name of survival or victory. Therefore, any agreement is ultimately meaningless to a regime that views deception as doctrine.
        Western diplomats still behave as if they're dealing with a conventional authoritarian state. They're not. They're dealing with an absolutist religious movement that uses treaties as cover and smiles as strategy. In reality, a deal will only give Iran more time and more cover to evade whatever it agrees to. It will never voluntarily give up its nuclear ambitions. (Gatestone Institute)


    • Israel and the West

  • After Massive Amounts of Food Flow into Gaza, Why Is the World Still Against Israel? - Ariel Kahana
    Three weeks after Israel announced the resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza and after the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has been successfully distributing generous amounts of food to local residents, the international pressure on Israel should have eased. Yet, attacks by Western leaders on Israel have intensified significantly.
        Why, despite a clear improvement in Gaza's humanitarian situation, are Western nations escalating their criticism? Is it all just antisemitism? Fear of Muslim public opinion? Ignorance fueled by biased media? All of these explanations are valid. But beyond this lies the United Nations, led by its hostile secretary-general, its many arms, agencies, affiliated NGOs, and the data it disseminates. The UN is terrified of losing its "humanitarian" grip on Gaza.
        A senior minister from a Western country told an Israeli ambassador in a private meeting that the UN is exerting heavy pressure on his government to publicly decry the so-called "famine in Gaza," regardless of the facts on the ground. The UN has systematically worked to thwart every alternative to Hamas that Israel has tried to promote and refuses to cooperate with the GHF.
        UNRWA, the UN's food agency, and countless NGOs have created a multi-billion-dollar aid industry in Gaza that employs tens of thousands. Its leaders understand that if the GHF takes over, they will become obsolete.
        The UN plays a crucial role in perpetuating and inflaming the "Palestinian struggle" against Israel. UNRWA, OCHA, and various other UN bodies are responsible for maintaining the Palestinians' "refugee status," funding the camps where they live, spreading distorted information about Israel, and working hand-in-glove with Hamas for years. Hamas's main computer server farm was housed beneath UNRWA's headquarters in Gaza City. (Israel Hayom)


    • Palestinian Arabs

  • The Twilight of the Palestinian "Armed Struggle"? - Ehud Yaari
    The "armed struggle" was a slogan nurtured by all Palestinian factions through massive indoctrination campaigns, recruitment of youth, and creation of patronage systems and funding networks that allowed tens of thousands of young Palestinians to be equipped with weapons and the promise that they will become glorified martyrs in the event of death.
        After the Oslo Accords of 1993, PLO leader Yasser Arafat kept indicating to his followers that the Oslo process was merely a truce, a temporary armistice until "millions of martyrs will march on Jerusalem." In 2000, Arafat unleashed the murderous Second Intifada.
        The absolute primacy of "armed struggle" in Palestinian discourse has discouraged any serious attempt to discuss or plan for a future Palestinian state. One significant exception was a seminar held by Hamas in Gaza - under the auspices of the late Yahya Sinwar - prior to Oct. 7, 2023, when a brainstorming session discussed the question of how to deal with the Jews in the land to be liberated. A broad consensus was reached that most Israeli Jews should be eradicated or expelled, while those contributing to Israel's success in high tech and other critical domains would be forced to serve the new Palestinian authorities.
        "Armed struggle" is still being preached daily to the Palestinian communities by Iran and Iranian proxies, and at least half the Palestinian public believe it remains indispensable. But doubts are being heard as an unfriendly regional environment for Palestinian armed groups has emerged. Their forces are decreasing, their geographic spread is shrinking, their arsenal is degraded, tolerance by Arab governments is receding, and a constant threat of IDF operations against their commanders and bases has become an integral part of the equation.
        The writer is chief Middle East commentator of Israel's Channel 12 and an international fellow of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.  (Jerusalem Strategic Tribune)
  • Palestinians Reject Being Hamas's Sacrificial Lambs - Khaled Abu Toameh
    In Islamic tradition, the feast of Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) honors the willingness of the patriarch Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God's command. On the eve of the feast this year (June 6), Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said: "Gaza has offered itself as a sacrifice for the Muslim nation and deserves its full support in return." His statement triggered a wave of angry reactions and condemnations from many Palestinians, especially from those in Gaza.
        Al-Hayya and his family members live outside of Gaza, where senior Hamas leaders are leading safe, often resplendent, lives. Palestinians expressed outrage that the senior Hamas official compared them to lambs offered as sacrifices in the holy war against Israel.
        They see his remarks as an example of the total disregard displayed by Hamas leaders for the lives of Gaza residents, who continue to pay a heavy price because of Hamas's refusal to hand over all the hostages, disarm, and relinquish control of Gaza. Hamas, they say, has decided to sacrifice tens of thousands of Palestinians to please its patrons in Qatar and Iran.
        A growing number of Palestinians are aware that Hamas does not care about their safety or welfare and is prepared to sacrifice as many people as possible to achieve its goal of killing Jews and destroying Israel.
        The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.  (Gatestone Institute)
  • Why Britain Must Not Recognize a Palestinian State - Jake Wallis Simons
    The West Bank was never taken from the Palestinians. When Israel conquered the territory in 1967 it was from the Jordanians, who had occupied it since 1948. If Israel gave up the land, it would make Israel just nine miles wide at its center. That narrow waist holds half the population and much of the country's vital infrastructure, including Tel Aviv.
        In a few days' time, Britain will join France and the Saudis in New York in talks about recognizing a state of Palestine. Unilaterally recognizing a state of Palestine is a contemptuous proposal. Dismissing Israel's existential security concerns is insult enough, but providing a reward for Oct. 7 creates awful incentives for the future. Worse still, Britain's official policy would be to blame Israel for the lack of a Palestinian state, when the historical truth is the opposite.
        For the Palestinians, the true problem is the very existence of a Jewish country, which is seen as a rebuke by some to Arab honor. The Palestinians don't want a state alongside Israel. They want a state instead of it. This is what Britain would be supporting. (Telegraph-UK)
Observations:

The Israeli Reservists Who Just Won't Quit - Daniel Polisar (Mosaic)
  • With the Gaza war having passed the 600-day mark, large numbers of reservists have been in uniform for more than half of them - a magnitude unprecedented in Israel's history. The army does not provide detailed information on the number of reservists still reporting for duty. But many reservists I spoke with reported enlistment rates between 80 and 85% in their units. A senior officer I trust in the Yahalom combat engineering unit - responsible for most of the work of destroying Hamas tunnels - said that they have a 90% turnout of reservists in their current tour of duty.
  • While those who no longer report for duty (many for important personal reasons) generate headlines, the real story is of a reserve army whose combat soldiers have put in more days of service than at any time in Israeli history and have continued to report for duty in unexpectedly high numbers. Every reservist with whom I have spoken reported for duty on Oct. 7 without a moment's hesitation, and many continued to show up for rounds two, three, four, and beyond.
  • C., deputy commander of a tank company, said, "I feel that I have to be part of this great story of Israel, which is connected to the core of my identity." S., a commander in a reserve infantry unit, said, "I'm part of the Jewish people and I believe in the Jewish people. I couldn't stay home in these circumstances."
  • U., a fighter in a mobility unit, said, "There's a sense that we're doing something of historical significance. Hamas is not yet destroyed and my fellow soldiers and I want to help destroy it." V. explained that she sees herself taking part in a conflict that is still existential: "This is our country and if we don't defend it, no one will do so in our place."
  • U. has been with the same 20 teammates for the better part of 18 months. After what they have been through together, he cannot see himself leaving them now. When he was visiting the U.S., he asked himself, "The team is there, and I'm going to sit here?" V. said, "the company became my family and the moment it's your family, you have to be there for your family."
  • All Israelis, and everyone around the world who supports the Jewish state, owe the reservists very, very much. All Israel ought to feel pride in belonging to a nation that has produced such fine citizens.

    The writer is co-founder and executive vice-president of Shalem College in Jerusalem.
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