On Sukkot we are bidden to dwell in a Sukkah, which is a fragile dwelling. The lesson is that security comes from Heaven above. As I sat in my son’s sukkah Wednesday night, I commented that with the war, this lesson is ever more important.
Little did we know then what was transpiring. The news reached us only the following evening, after the end of the chag: Yahya Sinwar had been taken out!!
~~~~~~~~~~
Sukkot is known as a holiday of gladness: we are bidden to be joyful. And so how timely this was: Israel was joyful on receiving the news of the elimination of an arch-terrorist who was consummately evil. Mastermind of the October 7 massacre, he was responsible for thousands of deaths and enormous suffering. Stiff-necked, he refused to negotiate in good faith on the release of the hostages.
The gladness of the holiday was thus heightened: we felt a sense of justice and of retribution – as we looked toward a better day, post Yahya Sinwar.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz observed that Sinwar’s death was a “great military and moral achievement for Israel”.
~~~~~~~~~~
As is routinely the case, details of what transpired vary with different sources. What we do know is this: He was killed in a house, not in a tunnel, in Rafah. There were no hostages present and whatever guard might have been accompanying him had fled.
While IDF intelligence had been working to track him, there was no specific intelligence on the fact that he was in the house where he was taken out. IDF troops – as I understand it, trainee armor and infantry commanders – launched a drone at the house after information that three terrorists (not specifically identified) were inside. Two terrorists were determined to be dead. Sinwar, badly wounded, was sitting on a couch, as video from a drone that was sent into the house revealed. He attempted to throw something at the drone. A solder went in and then – depending on the source, either shot him dead (and I have reason to believe this may be the accurate version) or left the house and launched another drone that killed him.
~~~~~~~~~~
The troops believed that it was Sinwar they had eliminated (he looked a whole lot like Sinwar), but it was imperative to be absolutely certain. Thus was announcement of his death delayed until the next day. The body was positively identified utilizing dental records and DNA.
~~~~~~~~~~
The death of Sinwar represents a major victory for Israel and changes the parameters of our war with Hamas, but it is not – as many would hope – over. There is work yet to be done.
The first order of business is the hostages, whom it is hoped, it will now be possible to bring home.
Said Netanyahu (emphasis added):
“”Today, evil suffered a heavy blow…
“This is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end…
“[This is] why we insisted, in the face of all the pressures (more on this below), to enter Rafah, the fortified stronghold of Hamas where Sinwar and many of the murderers hid.”
The prime minister said that he guarantees that those holding hostages will be allowed to live if they lay down their arms and release the captives. However, “whoever harms our hostages, his blood will be on his head. We will come to a reckoning with him.”
Will anyone respond to this? We do not yet know.
As to formal negotiations on release of the hostages, there is the need for someone in authority – a replacement for Sinwar – to make negotiating decisions. It is to be hoped that this replacement might be more flexible than Sinwar, in the light of all that has transpired. But this will not necessarily be the case. Although other names are mentioned, many believe that Yahya Sinwar’s brother, Mohammed, who is deemed ruthless, will assume the role. Actually, I read one report that while the replacement has been selected his identity is not being made public. This would make sense because of the risks of assuming a leadership role for one of Iran’s proxies.
~~~~~~~~~~
From the US and elsewhere come calls for a ceasefire now that Sinwar is gone. Israel, however, is determined to ensure that Hamas cannot rise again and can never have a part in the governance of Gaza. To that end there is work still to be done – with fighting ongoing primarily in the north at present. Hamas, with its military units degraded, is currently fighting a guerilla war. Were Israel to pull out there is still a considerable danger of additional arms being smuggled in and military units being reconstituted. And it is imperative that Hamas have no role in Gaza going forward.
~~~~~~~~~~
Biden, in his official response after the death of Sinwar, pushed for an end to the fighting: “There is now the opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
Political settlement? He’s back to promoting a Palestinian state, with a “two-state solution” and some notion of the PA or that Palestinian state in charge in Gaza. Never going to happen…
But Biden, outrageously, also said this:
“Shortly after the October 7 massacres, I directed Special Operations personnel and our intelligence professionals to work side-by-side with their Israeli counterparts to help locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders hiding in Gaza.”
Would he now, shamelessly, take partial credit for the capture of Sinwar, when he was the one who insisted that Israel should not go into Rafah, where Sinwar was understood to be hiding?
Consider:
“If Israel goes into Rafah, the United States will stop providing weapons to the Jewish state, US President Joe Biden told CNN, on Wednesday [May 8].
“’I made it clear that if they go into Rafah—they haven’t gone in Rafah yet—if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities—that deal with that problem.’”
https://www.thejc.com/news/usa/biden-if-they-go-into-rafah-im-not-supplying-the-weapons-vhu28r6l
How did we get so lucky? Blinken is coming again, with intentions of telling us what we should and should not be doing going forward.
I will return to serious issues concerning Biden and his threats in my next posting.
~~~~~~~~~~
Here I urge you to see the full 7-minute video of Erin Molan of Sky News Australia as she reports on and analyzes the taking out of Sinwar. She is stunning in her clear-eyed honesty and her words are not to be missed.
And then, please share this as broadly as you can.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaZkEkFwmEY
Erin, bless you.
~~~~~~~~~~
Let us turn then to some recent words of Kamala Harris. The more she exposes her true attitude toward Israel, the more it is possible to understand what a danger she would be in the White House.
We still have two weeks until the election, and so this, too, must be shared broadly. There are still undecided people out there who may think twice and three times before voting for Harris, once they see what she really believes.
Last week, she was at a campaign stop at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. While she was speaking, a heckler called out with record to Israel having committed “genocide” in Gaza. She called on him to be quiet and he was ultimately escorted out of the room. But as he went, he yelled once again about genocide. (His figure about the number of children killed by Israel is vastly inflated.)
Once the heckler was gone, Kamala told her audience:
“Listen, what he’s talking about, it’s real. That’s not the subject that I came to discuss today, but it’s real and I respect his voice.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/397815
~~~~~~~~~~
“Former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren called for ‘unequivocal’ clarification from the White House after Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to accuse Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
“’I felt deep shock when I watched the video in which Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed a serious accusation that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
“’This is the first time the White House has been linked to a defamation that threatens the legitimacy and security of the State of Israel. I demand that the U.S. administration issue an immediate and unequivocal denial…’”
https://www.jns.org/oren-demands-white-house-clarification-of-harris-statement/
Do not hold your breath, my friends.
~~~~~~~~~~
Now we are thinking about Gaza, but at the same time we still must focus toward our north, which continues to endure regular barrages of rockets from Hezbollah. Today alone, some 100 rockets have been launched into northern Israel by Hezbollah, in two barrages.
On Shabbat morning, before 8 a.m., three UAVs were launched by Hezbollah. Two were taken out. The third – a Sayyad-107 type drone, an Iranian model now manufactured in Lebanon – was aimed towards Prime Minister Netanyahu’s private home in Caesarea, a resort town on the coast north of Hadera.
A building near the Netanyahu residence was hit. No one from the Netanyahu family was present at the time.
https://www.jns.org/hezbollah-drone-targets-netanyahus-caesarea-home/
Bibi’s response: “The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake. This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future.”
~~~~~~~~~~
And let us not forget: Israel has yet to respond to Iran’s launching of over 180 ballistic missiles into Israel right before Rosh Hashana. The Security Cabinet is meeting on this today.
I have no doubt that Blinken is coming in part to try to convince us to “moderate” that response; there has been constant pressure from the Biden administration on this matter.
Our leaders have said repeatedly that it would be a strong and surprising response launched in a manner and at a time of our choosing. My own guess (and I have no information on this, merely a gut feeling) is that the attack has been delayed until the end of the current holiday season (which ends with Simchat Torah on Thursday), so as to give the Israeli people a respite and an opportunity to enjoy the chag. For following this attack, we may be in for yet another missile attack from Iran.
Other factors that may be involved include ensuring that we have sufficient munitions available, should Iran respond yet again.
~~~~~~~~~~
I always call for prayer at the end of my posting, and this is especially pertinent at this time.
Express great gratitude to the Almighty for what we have been able to achieve.
Then, please, pray with a full heart for the continued strength and courage of Israel’s leaders as they make the hard decisions, for the safety and effectiveness of our soldiers in battle as they fight a righteous war, and for the rescue of the hostages at last.
~~~~~~~~~~
©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
