Israel is beset in a military sense – standing against enemies on all sides. This is with regard to Hamas in the south-west; a hostile Palestinian Arab presence in Judea & Samaria to the east; Hezbollah in Lebanon and Islamist elements in Syria to the north; and well to south, the Houthis in Yemen launching occasional projectiles. All are proxies of Iran to one degree or another.
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In this regard it is important to note what Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote recently:
“Iran is working to establish an eastern terror front against Israel through special units of the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]…
“In the first stage, they smuggle weapons into the Kingdom of Jordan, mainly through the Syrian border, attempting to destabilize the regime and turn the Israel-Jordan border from a peaceful one into a volatile front. From there, the weapons are smuggled into Judea and Samaria, particularly into Palestinian refugee camps, where an Iranian-Hamas terror infrastructure is being established…” (Emphasis added)
X Israel_Katz
And so, it appears we must add Jordan to the list. Consider:
On Sunday morning, a terrorist drove a truck across the Allenby bridge (the most southern of three land crossings between Israel and Jordan) into the Jordan Valley. He left his truck and opened fire on Israeli civilian security guards. Three Israelis were shot dead.
From left below: Yuri Birnbaum, 65, from Moshav Na’ama north of Jericho; Yohanan Shchori, 61, a father of six from Ma’ale Efraim; and Adrian Marcelo Podsmeser, from the city of Ariel in Samaria.
According to the JPost, the terrorist, who was taken out by security forces, was a Jordanian citizen belonging to the influential Huwaitat tribe and a resident of the Husseiniya region of southern Jordan.
Analyst Seth Frantzman wrote that the attack was a “serious development and illustrates the growing terror threat that is emerging in the West Bank [Judea & Samaria] and may also be spreading to the Kingdom of Jordan…”
David Elhayani, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council, said that “We have known for several months from conversations with the military that they are aware of what is happening in Jordan, and are aware that the Palestinian population in Jordan supports Hamas and encourages it.” (Emphasis added here and above)
https://www.jns.org/three-allenby-crossing-workers-critically-wounded-in-shooting-attack/
It is broadly understood that roughly half of Jordanian citizens are Palestinian. The figure varies according to the source; the CIA, for example, says the number is two-thirds, while some sources cite significantly lower figures. Queen Rania, wife of King Abdullah, is Palestinian.
The evening of the attack, thousands in Jordan rallied in support of the terrorist, shooting off celebratory fireworks and crying “death to Israel.”
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The response from Jordan’s foreign ministry, some 14 hours after the attack: the ministry condemns all violence, but Israel bears responsibility because of its “escalatory steps,” which provoked the situation. Jordanian spokesman Sufyan Qudah stressed Amman’s “repeated warnings of the consequences of the continued Israeli aggression on Gaza, the dangerous escalation against the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank…”
So, there you are: It was Israel’s fault that three of our own were shot dead. This is the narrative that is being embraced.
And with this I turn to focus on the psychological warfare that we must contend with at the same time that we must confront lethal violence. These are two sides of a single existential coin, and we must deal with both with great determination.
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Qudah spoke about “Israeli aggression on Gaza” and, unfortunately, we hear elements of the same theme in comments from presumptive allies. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, echoing Joe Biden, says she supports Israel’s right to self-defense, but that that “too many people have died in Gaza”. Israel, she says, has a “responsibility to avoid civilian deaths” and she “will not be silent.”
She neither condemns Hamas use of human shields nor speaks of Israel’s extraordinary efforts to protect civilians. Neither does she allude to the existential necessity for Israel to take out Hamas with its genocidal intentions – acknowledging that legitimate self-defense means Israel has a right to eliminate a most dangerous enemy.
It occurs to me, as well, that there is no call, not by Kamala and not by any other national leader, for Egypt to open the Rafia crossing and allow civilians in Gaza to remain in tents, safely out of the way of the conflict, until Israel defeats Hamas. Had there been international pressure on Egypt, I am convinced this could have been accomplished. But better to point fingers at Israel.
Back three years ago, when she was simply vice president and there was no war in Gaza, Kamala spoke at George Mason University. A student in the audience made a statement about Israel committing “ethnic genocide,” and Kamala told her, “your voice, your perspective, your experience, your truth cannot be suppressed, and it must be heard.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/30/politics/adl-kamala-harris-israel-funding/index.html
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As if all of this is not difficult enough, there is a left wing inside of Israel that distorts the issues with regard to bringing out the hostages held by Hamas.
When they are out on the street – demonstrating to “bring them home now!” – they point a finger at Prime Minister Netanyahu, as if it were his fault that Hamas continues to hold hostages. A deal could have been struck before now goes the claim, a deal that would have brought the hostages home, but Netanyahu refuses in order to protect his political future. They are incited and encouraged in this position by the likes of a pathetic Yair Lapid, yearning to grasp hold of the reigns of power once again.
To these charges, I declare, poppycock. The people who out there, pressuring to take down Bibi, are the same people who attempted to take down Bibi during the demonstrations against judicial reform.
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Netanyahu has made his points repeatedly in press conferences as to why a deal was not in Israel’s best interest, and I have written about these points. But they merit a review here:
The overriding point of contention is the fact that if Hamas remains standing as a political and governmental power, we will have lost the war. This is not a tolerable situation, for the remnants of Hamas would garner new strength and present itself again as a threat to Israel. What is more, a loss in Gaza would diminish Israeli deterrence at a time when this deterrence is all important as we face north and east at various enemies. The world, while criticizing freely, is watching.
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Hamas is demanding that Israel withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor – along the border between Gaza and Egypt – for the six weeks that would comprise the first stage of the agreement. But there are two catches. The first is that once Israel were to withdraw from that border, smuggling of weapons would begin again immediately. It would be possible to bring in a considerable supply of weaponry during the course of six weeks. As things stand now, Hamas is unable to replenish supplies destroyed by the IDF. For 20 years, Hamas re-armament had been via a porous border between Gaza and the Sinai (with the Egyptians denying that such smuggling was going on, while making solid profits for turning a blind eye.)
The second concern is that once Israel pulled back from Philadelphi, no matter what the understanding, enormous pressure would be brought to bear, by the US and the world at large, insisting that Israel never go back and making it nigh impossible.
Netanyahu has drawn on our historical experience to make his case regarding the foolishness of having such expectations. In 2000, Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon, where a buffer security zone had been established over the course of two decades to prevent Palestinian and Hezbollah terrorists from reaching the Israeli border. When Israel withdrew precipitously, there were assurances – worthless as it turned out – that we could go back into Lebanon if the situation required it.
And then, in August 2005, then prime minister Ariel Sharon activated the so-called “disengagement,” pulling all Israelis out of their communities in Gush Katif, in Gaza. We were assured that if there were problems – as with terrorism – we would be able to go back in.
We all know how that worked out.
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In spite of this, members of the opposition, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eizenkot, chair and member of National Unity party respectively, held a press conference on September 3 declaring that we would indeed be able to go back into the Corridor, and that if Netanyahu wasn’t strong enough to withstand international pressure he should resign.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-817623
This was a shameful attack in light of the strength Netanyahu has demonstrated in the face of international pressure (more on this below). We like to imagine – or at least some of us do – that high level members of the military exhibit a strength in their perspective, but it is not necessarily so. These are two lefties.
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As the cries continue regarding it being “Netanyahu’s fault” that the hostages have not been brought home alive, I make these additional points:
There is no certainty at all that Hamas truly wants a deal. They are playing with us (and I will get to this). Several times the Americans stated that Israel had been flexible, and a deal depended upon Hamas, and yet those rallying against Netanyahu continue to make it “his” fault.
I remind my readers that it was revealed at one point recently that Hamas can account only for some 20 live hostages – the rest being held by different groups. Nor do we know how many truly are still alive. Hamas is not to be trusted in any regard.
Lastly, there is the issue of some 800 terrorist prisoners, some with blood on their hands and capable of shedding more blood, that Hamas is demanding we release.
A young terrorist from east Jerusalem, who was released in the hostage-prisoner exchange in November, has been arrested. During a family feud, he broke both his mother’s and sister’s hands and threatened to slit his sister’s throat.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1mk611snc
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On September 2, Netanyahu held a press conference, during which he presented a translation of an Arabic, hand-written note found in a tunnel earlier in the war. “The note laid out Hamas’s strategy to manipulate Israelis into fighting each other instead of uniting against Hamas.”
The note contained the following points:
[] Increase the dissemination of pictures and videos of the hostages because of the psychological pressure they create.
[] Do everything to increase the psychological pressure on [Defense Minister] Gallant.
[] Continue the line [of argument] that Netanyahu is responsible for what has happened.
[] Sabotage the narrative that a ground operation serves the returning of the hostages.
Gadi Taub, who shared these points in an article in JNS –“Sinwar’s useful idiots” – writes:
“Why, if the safe return of the hostages is their [the demonstrators] all-consuming concern, are they not searching for ways to deter Hamas from hurting hostages again?
“The answer is, I think, obvious: The hostages are an excuse. The protestors’ real interest is toppling Netanyahu’s coalition, which is why that is all their tweets talk about. And what is more chilling, they continue their war on the coalition even when it is clearly at the expense of the hostages, as many of them no doubt understand. One must be very naïve not to see that demonstrating for concessions from our own government in response to the execution of hostages only tells Sinwar that this atrocious strategy is working. Why would that cold-blooded terrorist not do it again and wait for the protesters to do his work for him?” (Emphasis added)
I strongly recommend that you read and share his entire article (some of the leftist statements are hair-raising):
https://www.jns.org/sinwars-useful-idiots/
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Circling back to the murder of the three at the Allenby Bridge, Prime Minister Netanyahu made a statement at the Cabinet meeting on Sunday. At the end of his statement, he said (emphasis added):
“…we will stand together. We will wield the sword of David together and with G-d’s help, we will win [the war with Hamas]. There are those who ask – ‘Shall the sword devour forever?’ [II Samuel 2:26]. In the Middle East, without the sword, there is no ‘forever’.”
Wow! He gets it once again. He understands the need to project strength and power when facing our enemies.
And I say, bless him.
See a video of his entire statement (with English translation):
https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/09/08/994169/
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Keep praying to Heaven for Israel.
Pray for the safety of all Israel.
Pray for the strength and wisdom of our leaders, for the safety of our soldiers, and for the rescue of our hostages.
Pray in a spirit of hope.
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©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
