Just Out of Curiosity

 (With thanks to Forest Rain Marcia)

Every once in a while random people show up on my feed and ask:

"Out of curiosity, do you ever think of the families on the other side, most of whom are collateral damage ?"

And they usually do it on posts expressing our anguish for our loved ones.

Perhaps these people do not realize that this, done in this way, is a deeply hateful question.

They wouldn't make the assumptions they make if they had not internalized hate.

And I know many Jews respond to things like this with facts and figures detailing the extreme lengths Israel goes to save lives on the other side.

That's why I think it's important to highlight my latest response to this question.

No explanations - because the hateful are not really interested in facts.

No apologies - because they should be apologizing to us, not the other way around.

My answer:

First of all, my family comes before the families of the people trying to kill me. It is morally twisted to do or expect anything else.

Secondly, why in the world do you assume that most of them are collateral damage?

The Gazan elderly, women and children who invaded behind the Hamas fighters? They are the ones who set fires and looted everything in sight.

The civilians who beat the hostages in the streets?

The children who spat on the bodies of raped and murdered women?

The women who made cookies to celebrate their great victory?

The young people who watched the live stream of the Hamas horrors in the square outside the Shifa hospital, laughing and cheering at the seeing Jews being tortured and slaughtered?

Are they the collateral damage you are referring to?

Or perhaps the people who held hostages in their homes?

Or their neighbors that knew and didn't help, even when the IDF promised 1 million dollars and safe passage for their family to a new country just for information? Are they the collateral damage you are referring to?

Out of curiosity

 

Hezbollah Tunnel on Israel's Border

 Only a few kilometers from Israel’s northern border, 

Hezbollah constructed a sophisticated underground 

drone facility designed to support its ongoing

 campaign against Israel.

WHY SO MANY ISRAELIS FEEL THE TABLE HAS SUDDENLY TURNED

 With thanks to Israel Realtime

For the past several days there are lots of questions that need answering 

Not about a specific Hezbollah attack. 

Not about a specific statement from Washington.

Not even about the details of the latest U.S.-Iran negotiations.

The question is much simpler: How did the pressure suddenly shift from Iran to Israel?

Only a short time ago, Iran appeared to be on the defensive. Israel and the United States were closely coordinated. Tehran and its proxies were under pressure. Hezbollah was constrained. The strategic momentum appeared to be moving in one direction.

Today, many Israelis feel as though the entire table has somehow been turned.

Whether that perception is fully accurate or not, it is worth examining why so many people have reached that conclusion.

The first thing that stands out is that the pressure did not only shift onto Israel, it appears to have shifted back onto America as well.

The United States was also presenting the Strait of Hormuz as a point of American leverage. The message was clear: Iran was surrounded, pressured, weakened, and unable to freely control the regional equation. Then came the ceasefire framework. From that moment, the logic of the arena changed.

After the ceasefire, Washington's priority shifted toward preserving the U.S.-Iran diplomatic track, stabilizing the region, reopening Hormuz, protecting global energy flows, and keeping negotiations alive.

That created a dangerous opening for Iran.

Tehran appears to have understood that once Washington became invested in protecting the agreement, Iran could use both Lebanon and Hormuz as leverage.

That is the deeper strategic reversal. The pressure did not only shift onto Israel. It also shifted back onto America.

Hormuz was supposed to be the symbol of American leverage over Iran. Instead, Iran is trying to turn Hormuz back into leverage over America. Because if Iran can threaten the Strait of Hormuz, pressure global energy markets, and then extract concessions through negotiations, the lesson for Tehran is obvious: Hormuz works.

Iran was militarily weakened. Its air defenses were hit. Its navy was pressured. Its regional infrastructure was damaged. But through Hormuz, Tehran still had a way to threaten the global system. That is why the negotiation looks so troubling from an Israeli perspective.

America had pressure on Iran.

Israel had pressure on Iran.

Iran's proxies were under pressure.

Hormuz was being used by Washington as a pressure point.

Then the ceasefire framework appears to have allowed Iran to reverse the equation. Instead of Iran being forced to prove it would stop threatening Hormuz and restrain its proxies, Israel and America are now the ones being pressured to avoid actions that might collapse the deal.

That is the strategic inversion. The pattern is becoming clear:

Hezbollah attacks.

Israel responds.

Iran accuses Israel of endangering the broader agreement.

The United States tries to preserve the diplomatic track.

Pressure shifts onto Israel.

That is the trap.

The problem is not that America is negotiating with Iran. The United States is free to pursue its own diplomatic track if it believes that serves American interests.

The problem is that Iran appears to be trying to turn that U.S.-Iran track into a restraint on both Israel and America. On Israel, by limiting its freedom of action against Hezbollah.

That is what makes this so troubling.

If the agreement is about Iran, nuclear de-escalation, Hormuz, sanctions, or regional stability, then why should Israel be expected to absorb Hezbollah attacks in Lebanon?

Iran's conduct suggests it is testing whether it can enjoy the benefits of diplomacy while preserving the coercive power of its proxy network and its control over strategic chokepoints.

Tehran wants sanctions relief, oil revenue, access to global markets, and reduced pressure. At the same time, it wants Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other Iranian-backed forces to remain tools of pressure against Israel, regional states, global shipping, and Western interests.

That cannot become the new normal.

A diplomatic agreement that restrains Iran is one thing. A diplomatic agreement that restrains Israel while Iran's proxies keep attacking is something very different.

A diplomatic agreement that reopens Hormuz only because Iran has demonstrated it can threaten Hormuz again is also something very different.

That would not be de-escalation. That would be reward for coercion.

The repeated Hezbollah attacks against IDF forces should not be viewed as isolated skirmishes. They appear to fit into a broader Iranian strategy: keep pressure on Israel through Hezbollah, then blame Israel when it responds, while warning that the wider U.S.-Iran track may collapse.

That gives Tehran a powerful tool. It can attack indirectly, negotiate directly, and then demand restraint from the country being attacked.

If that equation is accepted, Hezbollah becomes more than a proxy. Hezbollah becomes a bargaining chip protected by diplomacy.

Instead of: Hezbollah attacks → Hezbollah pays a price.

The equation becomes: Hezbollah attacks → Israel responds → Iran threatens the talks → pressure shifts onto Israel.

And with Hormuz, the equation becomes: Iran threatens shipping → markets panic → America seeks calm → Iran gains leverage.

That is exactly the structure Tehran wants to create.

The West's real test is not whether it can sign an agreement with Iran.

The real test is whether it can prevent Iran from using that agreement as cover for continued proxy aggression and strategic blackmail.

Because if the message Tehran receives is that it can threaten Hormuz, activate Hezbollah, pressure global markets, and still move toward relief and reintegration, then the lesson will be obvious:

Escalation works. Proxy warfare works. Hormuz works. Regional blackmail works. 

And Israel is left facing the consequences on the ground. Both Washington and Jerusalem need to recognize the game being played.

Iran is trying to turn the ceasefire from a restraint on Tehran into a restraint on Israel.

It is trying to turn Hormuz from a point of American pressure into a point of Iranian leverage.

That is the danger. And that is why so many Israelis feel that the entire table has suddenly turned.

Secret Maps Expose Iran's Plan to Conquer Northern Israel

 IDF forces operating beneath Lebanon's strategic Beaufort Ridge have uncovered chilling evidence of Iran's long-term plan to dominate northern Israel: detailed maps plastered on tunnel walls showing Hezbollah's intended control over Galilee communities and the border town of Metula.

The maps were discovered during intensive operations to clear the sprawling underground network that Iran spent years constructing as a forward assault base against Israeli territory. According to IDF sources familiar with the operation, the maps were found in the same tunnel section where terrorists attempted to flee before being eliminated in a precision airstrike earlier this week.

"The maps illustrate in stark detail the Iranian regime's strategic vision for this sector," a senior military source stated. "This wasn't defensive infrastructure. It was designed as an offensive platform for terrorizing Israeli civilians from underground positions immune to air attack."

Underground Fortress Designed for Years of War

The Beaufort tunnel complex represents one of Iran's most significant strategic investments in its proxy war infrastructure. The underground network was engineered over multiple years to serve as a protected command center for directing attacks against Israel while shielding Hezbollah operatives from Israeli airstrikes.

Forces clearing the tunnels have uncovered massive weapons stockpiles including Kornet anti-tank missiles, RPG launchers, mortar shells, fragmentation grenades, and anti-aircraft machine guns, all positioned to transform the underground labyrinth into a fortified combat position. The discovery reveals the extent to which Iran prepared Hezbollah to wage sustained warfare from beneath Lebanese soil.

The operation intensified dramatically when a Yahalom unit drone conducting tunnel reconnaissance detected a terrorist cell inside the underground passage. The terrorists opened fire on the drone in a desperate attempt to destroy it, then fled toward the surface to escape the compromised position.

The Beaufort operation is part of a broader IDF campaign across southern Lebanon that has targeted more than 70 Hezbollah infrastructure sites in recent days alone. The strikes have destroyed rocket launchers, operational buildings used for planning terror attacks, and forward positions threatening both IDF forces and northern Israeli communities.

Strategic Implications for Regional Security

The discovery of Iranian planning maps in the Beaufort tunnels carries significant implications for any potential ceasefire framework currently under negotiation. Military analysts warn that any U.S.-Iran agreement that fails to address Hezbollah's massive arsenal and infrastructure would leave Israel facing the same strategic threat that necessitated the current operation.

"Hezbollah's 150,000 rockets and this tunnel network aren't Lebanese assets," noted one security expert tracking the negotiations. "They're Iranian force-projection tools positioned on Israel's border. A deal that brackets Hezbollah as a separate issue isn't a peace agreement, it's a deferred crisis."

IDF forces have made clear they will continue systematic operations to dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure throughout southern Lebanon. "We are dismantling the terror organization's assets layer by layer," military sources confirmed. "The goal is to achieve operational control over this sector and prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing any foothold that threatens Israeli communities."

Iran has no Intention of sign an agreement

 Sunday 23.30

Explosions rocked Beirut’s Dahiyah district on Sunday afternoon as Israel struck Hezbollah targets in the Lebanese capital, marking the clearest implementation yet of Jerusalem’s newly announced policy of responding to attacks from Lebanon with strikes in Beirut.

The operation followed several days of Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks on Israel, including repeated aerial infiltrations that triggered sirens across Israel's northern communities and sent residents to shelters.

According to an Israeli reports, Israel provided advance notice to the United States through military channels before carrying out the strike.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the attack was carried out in direct response to Hezbollah fire toward Israeli territory.

“Under the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, the IDF has struck Hezbollah terror targets in Beirut’s Dahiyah district in response to Hezbollah fire toward Israeli territory,” the statement said. “Israel will not tolerate attacks on its territory.”

The strike came after a weekend of repeated Hezbollah attacks. On Sunday, multiple drones infiltrated Israeli airspace from Lebanon, triggering alerts across northern Israel. The IDF later confirmed that several aerial targets crossed into Israeli territory and fell near the border. No injuries were reported.

The incidents followed rocket fire toward Metula and additional drone launches, adding to what Israeli officials describe as a growing pattern of Hezbollah ceasefire violations.

Shortly after the attack, the IDF announced that it had conducted a precise strike on a Hezbollah command center in Beirut.

It is quite clear that Hezbollah's attacks on Israel were approved by Iran, this in order to give Iran an excuse to not sign any agreement with Trump. They can now firmly place the blame on Israel

The Arab Oct. 7: Iran’s attacks collapse coexistence

 This moment came when Iranian regime missiles and drones targeted the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. 

The pragmatic and rational approach adopted by several Arab states failed to moderate the erratic behavior of the ideological regime ruling Iran. Arab nations pursued coexistence through trade, financial engagement, and, in Qatar’s case, political alignment with Islamist movements. The outcome proved catastrophic.

Despite extensive trade and financial ties with Tehran, the UAE was targeted more than Israel itself. Qatar, meanwhile, reportedly lost nearly 17% of its liquid gas capacity, amounting to an estimated annual revenue loss of $20 billion.

Why?

Because the regime in Tehran resents the Arab world’s vision of development, stability, and prosperity, a model increasingly admired by ordinary Iranians.

As long as this regime remains in power, sustainable regional development will remain impossible, as any progress can be quickly reduced to ashes.

It is a well-established economic truth that capital is timid, fleeing at the first sign of instability. International investors and global markets understand the risks of coexistence with an unpredictable ideological regime that prioritizes revolution and terror over peace and prosperity.

Just as Israel could not live peacefully alongside Hamas and Hezbollah, Arab states will struggle to achieve lasting stability while the ideological center of regional militancy remains in Tehran.

Any support for “peace” with this regime is ultimately little more than a temporary plaster over a deep and widening wound.

The long-term peace and prosperity of the Arab countries neighboring Iran are inseparable from the interests of both the Iranian people and Israelis: The end of the regime in Tehran and of the ideology that has destabilized the region for decades.

The writer is an Iranian journalist and former editor-in-chief of ManotoTV.

Qatar Buys Influence Through USA Education

 Is it any wonder that anti Semitism is on the rise in the USA, when vast amounts of Qatari money are pumped into the education system almost without control. These details taken from the Foundation of the Defense of Democracies recent report.

It should be remembered that Qatar is the main sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood

HIGHER EDUCATION. The U.S. Department of Education launched a foreign funding dashboard in January 2026 showing that Qatar has pumped $8.8 billion into the U.S. higher education system since 2001. That sum positions Qatar as the largest foreign funder of U.S. higher education, surpassing China by approximately $2 billion.

Section 117 of The Higher Education Act requires schools to disclose gifts and contracts from foreign sources that exceed $250,000. The schools that receive the most funding from Qatar are those with satellite campuses in Doha: Cornell University, Carnegie Mellon University, Texas A&M University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Texas A&M announced in 2024 that it will close its Doha campus by 2028. In March, the House Education and Workforce Committee released a report explaining that “financial incentives are a motivating factor” for universities to maintain their campuses in Qatar, and that the incentives often benefit their home campuses. Northwestern, for example, “annually transfers part of its management fee” from Qatar to its communication and journalism schools in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern and Georgetown are also “contractually required to abide by the ‘applicable laws and regulations of the State of Qatar,’” which has allowed schools to “perpetuate antisemitism without apparent consequence” and left them “struggling to uphold free speech principles.”

The funds disclosed to the Department of Education are only part of the story. Researchers at universities across the country receive funds from Qatari sources that they are not required to disclose. Qatar has funded projects at Northwestern University, Rutgers University, Stanford University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Washington to the tune of more than $6 million. This is not an exhaustive account of Qatari-funded research projects.

K-12 SCHOOLS. There is no equivalent reporting requirement for K-12 schools. Public records from a range of school districts in major cities across the country document over $8 million in support from Qatar Foundation International (QFI) since 2010. QFI is the American arm of the Qatar Foundation, which is run by the Qatari royal family. QFI primarily funds teacher trainings, Arabic language and culture programs, and student trips to Doha.

The $8 million figure here is likely an undercount because it reflects spending only in selected districts. Moreover, The Wall Street Journal reported that QFI gave $30.6 million to dozens of schools between 2009 and 2017.

YOUTH PROGRAMS. In addition to direct funding for schools, Qatar has disbursed grants to a range of youth programs, including Boys & Girls Clubs; Learning Undefeated, which brings STEM education to underserved communities; and Break the Barriers, which provides extracurricular programming for students of all ages and abilities.

The report by FDD provides a good first glimpse at Qatari dollars in America. It is certainly not the final word on the problem. But it should prompt a serious discussion. From there, one can only hope that a more serious national dialogue, followed by legislation or other government measures, can begin to tackle the problem.

 

The Giving Tree

 (Cross posted from Grandma's Army )

There's a well-known children's book by Shel Silverstein about a boy and a tree. The boy keeps taking from the tree. The tree keeps giving. The boy never says "thank you" the tree never says "no". Until the stump of the tree is all that's left.

This is similar to the story of Israel and the "Palestinians": Israel is the tree. The "Palestinians" are the "boy". Ungrateful, entitled, and permanently dissatisfied. In addition, the "boy" is invariably hostile.

Baum/Boim (tree in Yiddish), is a common Jewish surname: applebaum (apple tree), birnbaum (pear tree), kirschbaum (cherry tree), nussbaum (nut tree), feigelbaum (fig tree), mandelbaum (almond tree).

Here are a just a few examples of THE GIVING BAUM:

Rescue from neglect and poverty:

From 1948 until 1967, the "West Bank" of the Jordan river was controlled by Jordan. Jordan treated it as far less important than the "East Bank". King Abdullah revoked citizenship from many of the residents who, overnight, became stateless. They couldn't visit or buy land in Jordan. The area remained neglected and underdeveloped.

In 1967, Israel was attacked by Jordan from this territory and won a war of self-defense. It took control of this region. This is what followed: Israel connected the local population to water and electricity; life expectancy rose by decades; medical services became accessible; infrastructure was built; modern agricultural was introduced; Arab men were given employment in agriculture and building; a modern economy was formed.

But the "boy" responded in only one way: RESISTANCE!

Even after a terrorist committed a horrifying attack, was arrested, and sent to prison - Israel treated him in a highly unusual way: Comfortable living quarters; education and hopefully, rehabilitation.  And the "boy"?

He waits for a hostage exchange, gets released and returns to terror.

Peace offers:

Israel has agreed to several major peace offers, from the Peel Commission in 1937, to the Abraham Accords in 2020. Always making concessions that could have ended the conflict and brought prosperity to the region.

The "boy refused every single one of them.

Life saving:

Most people are unaware of the fact that Yahyr Sinwar, the instigator of the horrendous events of October 7th, was treated for brain cancer in an Israeli prison. Israel saved his life. Israeli hospitals treated family members of Hamas and Palestinian Authority leaders, as well as thousands of "Palestinian children from Gaza and the "West Bank." And the "boy"? He recovers and returns to terrorism.

Humanitarian Aid:

Israel sent tons of food into Gaza. Another highly unusual practice of feeding the civilian population of one's enemy, many of whom supported terrorism. Hamas prevented their own citizens from accessing the aid - selling it at inflated prices to their fellow Gazans. The money was used to pay fighters and to recruit new ones. And the "boy"?

He convinced the world that the bad tree was starving them.

The question is: Why is Israel the eternal giver? And why are the "Palestinians" the eternal takers?

It has nothing to do with the so-called Nakba of 1948. It has nothing to do with the so-called "Palestinians". This dynamic existed long before the Arab "Palestinians" ever existed. It is time for the tree to learn what the book doesn't teach. That endless giving without boundaries is not morality. It is self-destruction.

What Happens When Jihadists Smell Weakness

 by Khaled Abu Toameh

Full article at https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22582/jihadists-smell-weakness

§  The message emerging from Hamas -- and Iran -- is unambiguous: Hamas and Iran believe they are winning.

§  Iran has been dictating to Washington when and with whom it will negotiate. Washington apparently never insisted upon face-to-face negotiations with Iran. Why not? By discontinuing talks with the US, Iran also succeeded in maneuvering the Trump Administration into two huge victories for the current regime. First, as the Wall Street Journal pointed out in "Iran Gets Trump to Rescue Hezbollah," US President Donald J. Trump demanded that Israel stop defending itself against attacks from another proxy of Iran: Hezbollah in Lebanon. Second, Iran -- as a result of a much-publicized shouting match between Trump and Netanyahu – masterfully created "daylight" between its two main adversaries: Israel and the United States.

§  These are not the words of a defeated terror organization. These are the words of a group that believes time is on its side.

§  Abu Obeida's remarks are particularly alarming because they come after nearly three years of war, the elimination of many top Hamas leaders, and countless declarations by international mediators that Hamas would eventually be removed from power.

§  Instead, Hamas is still standing. Hamas, like Iran, appears increasingly confident.

§  The "Board of Peace" was supposedly created to bring stability to the Gaza Strip, end Hamas rule, and establish a new political reality after the war.

§  The truth is that the "Board of Peace" has failed in its central mission.

§  Recent reports that the Trump Administration pressured Israel to cancel a planned strike against Hezbollah targets in Beirut's Dahiya district sent a troubling message throughout the region.

§  For Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, any indication of friction between the US and Israel is good news. Terrorists thrive on the perception that their adversaries are divided.

§  Across the Middle East, terrorist organizations constantly search for signs of weakness among their enemies. Jihadists interpret "restraint" quite differently from the way Western policymakers do. What many Western leaders describe as diplomacy, patience, or de-escalation is frequently seen by Islamists as surrender, fear or exhaustion.

§  Weakness, hesitation, and public divisions send exactly the wrong message to Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. Every appearance of indecision only encourages further aggression and convinces terrorist leaders that persistence will eventually bring victory.

§  The latest Iranian and Hamas statements are not merely propaganda. They are a warning. The question is whether decision-makers in Washington are listening.

New Book "David and Goliath"

In the Middle East, Arabs talk openly about Israel as Europe shuns it

 For full article see https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/bk2jdi4zzg

Opinion: In Europe, mentioning October 7 can bring accusations of genocide complicity, but across the Middle East people scarred by Assad, Hezbollah and Iran speak about Israel openly, sometimes with envy, as a country that rose from ruin and is here to stay

Francesca Borri|12.08.25 

t“In 1948, my uncles stayed in Haifa, and today my cousins are doctors and engineers,” a Palestinian I met in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus told me, during a story I prepared for a mainstream Israeli newspaper.

“In the end, those who found themselves in Israel succeeded more than those who found themselves among the Arabs.” Yarmouk was once the capital of the Palestinian diaspora. It no longer exists. Assad bombed everything.

The Middle East is confusing right now. In Jenin, an activist who used to travel to Ramallah to buy wine to drink in secret with friends told me, “Everything here is stuck in place, culturally and socially. If it weren’t for the occupation, we would all want to live in Tel Aviv.” In Baghdad, a musician said, “After the Holocaust, the Jews started again from zero. Look at Israel now. For a moment, don’t look at the occupation. Look at the economy, the technology. Here, by contrast, there is only what was built hundreds of years ago. There is only what we inherited. We only destroyed.”

In Beirut, the barista at my favorite cafe is an admirer of Netanyahu. “I don’t relate to the occupation. Netanyahu is a decision maker. He has a strategy I don’t agree with, but he goes straight ahead. And here? Here there isn’t even a government. Here we don’t even know who decides.”

In Europe, if you so much as mention the October 7 massacre, they accuse you of complicity in genocide. In bookstores, you can find everything; everyone has written a book about Gaza, but you can’t find Eli Sharabi’s book “Kidnapped.” You try to understand Israel, and they tell you there’s nothing to understand, that everyone is a murderer. In the Middle East, it is the opposite. People speak openly about Israel, a country like any other country, one that exists and will continue to exist, that will face criticism but will not be erased.

Maybe that is not so strange. On October 7, no one answered Hamas’ call. No one joined the war, not even Hezbollah, not even Iran. For all Arabs, what was clear to Syrians long ago was suddenly clear again: they are pawns. For Assad, for the Gadhafis, for the Saddams, opposition to Israel was mostly rhetorical, an excuse to impose permanent emergency rule, justify general collapse and cling to power.

Now there is a new Middle East. You can choose to fear it and bomb it, or be brave and talk to it. Assad left Syrians in absolute poverty. But one day we hope to walk in Damascus the way we walk in Paris, London or Venice, and we will find the antiques shop beside the Umayyad Mosque, where all of Syria is still whole. It is packed with carpets, textiles, ceramics and silver. The owner knows the history of every object and every corner of Damascus. Listening to him over a cup of tea is like stepping into “One Thousand and One Nights.” His name is Salim Hamdani. He is Jewish.

The Gaza Roadmap: A Diplomatic Fantasy That Keeps Hamas in Power

 Full report at https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22543/gaza-roadmap-diplomatic-fantasy 

by Khaled Abu Toameh  •  May 26, 2026 

• Hamas remains armed, organized, and committed to its declared goal of destroying Israel through jihad (holy war). Yet instead of confronting this reality, international diplomats continue to indulge in dangerous fantasies about negotiating Hamas out of existence.
• [Nickolay] Mladenov [former United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process] added that the biggest obstacle to full implementation of the ceasefire remains "Hamas's refusal to accept a verified decommissioning, relinquishing coercive control, and permit a genuine civilian transition in Gaza."
• That Mladenov is appealing to the UN Security Council to pressure Hamas reveals the core flaw of the entire approach: the "Board of Peace" and its international sponsors continue to view Hamas as a rational political actor rather than what it actually is: a jihadist terror group.
• Mladenov's roadmap repeatedly speaks about "reciprocity," "verification," "implementation mechanisms," and "phased decommissioning."
• Hamas's charter states that "Israel will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it," and mandates jihad as a religious and individual duty for all Muslims to "liberate Palestine."
• Hamas [in the "roadmap"] is even being allowed to remain armed and influential during the early stages of the transition process....
• This is unacceptable and contradicts the very spirit of the UN Security Council Resolution 2803, on which the roadmap claims to be based. The resolution authorizes a temporary International Stabilization Force and requires the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, including the full disarmament of Hamas and the destruction of all its military infrastructure.
• The message being sent to Hamas is unambiguous: continue holding your weapons, continue ruling the Gaza Strip through intimidation and terror, and the international community will keep negotiating with you.
• The latest roadmap explicitly states that the proposal "does not call for immediate surrender or unilateral disarmament." Instead, it outlines a "phased, Palestinian-led internationally verified process."
• Hamas... has already made clear that it rejects the proposal altogether.
• Hamas is again telling the world openly that it has no intention of disarming. It wants to remain in power so it can continue pursuing, with the help of the Iranian regime, its jihad against Israel.
• While diplomats hold meetings in Cairo, New York, Doha, and Ankara, Hamas uses time to entrench itself, rearm, regroup, recruit, and tighten its control over the Gaza Strip's population.
• Despite recognizing this reality, the proposed solution is still more diplomacy, more negotiations, and more phased implementation mechanisms.
• The new roadmap offers no serious answers because it is based on the false premise that Hamas will agree to disarm and give up power through negotiations and diplomacy.
• The hard truth is that Hamas will not voluntarily disarm. It will not transform itself into a peaceful political movement. It will not abandon its jihadist ideology because of UN resolutions or international conferences.
• When the Mladenov roadmap inevitably collapses under Hamas's rejectionism, the world may finally be forced to admit what should have been obvious long ago: Negotiations do not defeat Islamist terrorist groups. As with Afghanistan and Iran, deciding not to defeat them only re-empowers them.

Israel unmasks IRGC Unit 4000 global terror network

 Full article at https://tinyurl.com/yhtzmurv

Joint intelligence operation reveals IRGC network. The Mossad, IDF, and Shin Bet jointly announced the exposure of IRGC’s Unit 4000, which they say was tasked with assassinating senior Israeli officials and striking strategic infrastructure worldwide. The revelation followed months of intelligence work and arrests in Azerbaijan, where operatives allegedly acted under direct Iranian orders. The network’s discovery is linked to the broader US-Israeli campaign against Iran launched on February 28. 

Foiled plots in Azerbaijan highlight strategic stakes Azerbaijan’s state security service reported thwarting attacks on the Israeli embassy in Baku, a synagogue, Jewish community leaders, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which supplies a third of Israel’s oil imports. Arrested cell members were reportedly in possession of explosive drones and fragmentation charges, and had conducted surveillance of targets.

Key IRGC operatives killed in Operation Roaring Lion

Rahman Moqadam, head of Unit 4000, and his superior Majid Khademi were among several senior IRGC figures killed in Israeli strikes. Moqadam allegedly oversaw recruitment, training, and intelligence gathering on Israeli, Western, and maritime targets.

Potential long-term geopolitical consequences

The dismantling of Unit 4000 could temporarily weaken Iran’s overseas strike capabilities, but may also escalate covert hostilities between Tehran and its adversaries. One scenario sees strengthened regional security cooperation, especially between Israel, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, to protect shared infrastructure.

Jewish Pride

Cross posted from Gloria Ariels blog "Grandma's Army https://agariel33.blogspot.com/2026/05/jewish-pride.html

The late Prime Minister Menachem Begin famously said: "I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid".

For decades, we have confronted the scourge of Islamic fundamentalism. We have outlived expulsions, progroms, massacres, and even the Holocaust. Our history may be tragic, but we have reason to be optimistic. We are living in times in which we need to be reminded of how much strength the Jewish people have: Our survival as a people, the gathering in of exiles and the rebuilding of a Jewish state.  

To quote Mark Twain: "Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of.  He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine and abstruse learning are also very out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers.  He has made a marvelous fight in this world in all ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him."

There is no moral ground in calling for the annihilation of a nation. Israel must respond, not just with military strength but with narrative strength. The story of Israel is powerful – one of trauma, triumph, rebirth, and hope. The world needs to hear it from Israelis themselves, not distorted through foreign correspondents or activist NGOs with political agendas. Rather than disproving accusations point by point, Israel must face anti-Israel propaganda by telling the truth about Israel as it is – flawed, complex, democratic, diverse, authentic, and deeply human.

Israel must stop letting its enemies define the terms of the debate. Occupation"? It is the same land offered to the "Palestinians" in countless peace deals, all of which  they rejected – not because of borders – but because of Israel's existence. "Genocide"? The IDF is the only army in history which warns civilians before striking terror targets embedded in homes, hospitals, etc. "Colonization"? There has never been a Palestinian state to colonize. Jews are not foreigners in Jerusalem, Hebron, or Tiberias. They are natives returning home. Israel's greatest revenge against its enemies is to keep flourishing.

From October 7th, Israel stands as an example of how a nation confronts a real existential threat, demonstrates immense inner strength, and succeeds in repelling the danger that threatens its existence. We are proud to belong to a nation whose people are ready to fight, to sacrifice their sons and daughters, to stand firm in the longest war in Israel's history. Israel cannot expend its energy on appeasement and begging the world to understand. It must stop apologizing for its existence.

Israel doesn't have to be liked, or even to care. The Jewish people, whether in the Diaspora or in Israel must not be silenced by their opponents.  Zionism was founded by the new and courageous Jew. The Jews of today cannot betray that courage. They must walk with heads held high, strong, and proud.

The Jewish people have outlasted every enemy, defied every expectation, and proved over and over again that hatred is not stronger than history.  Israel does not need to win hearts to be victorious. It only needs to stand tall, clear and unafraid.

CNN again assist the Palestinian Narrative

 CNN's global headlines are carefully staged to shape

perception and what really happened behind the scenes

in the southern Hebron Hills. This video arms you

with a critical skill: how to question what you see and

to dig for truth beneath the surface. If you want to understand

how media narratives are built, and how to spot the cracks,

this is a video you must watch.

A Message NOT to be Ignored

 

The Cyber Mirage: How Israel Successfully Deflected Iran’s Massive Wave of Digital Strikes

Eliana Fleming APR 20, 2026

A recent study published by the firm ClearSky has revealed that the Iranian regime’s cyber capabilities have suffered a major strategic defeat. Despite a significant 15 fold increase in activity from groups such as Handala, the research concludes that the vast majority of these operations resulted in nothing more than reused propaganda. While the regime and its proxy groups have flooded the internet with grand declarations about the collapse of Israeli critical infrastructure, the actual impact on the ground has been negligible.

The investigation indicates that the Iranian cyber strategy has prioritized psychological war over tangible technical results. By claiming responsibility for events that never occurred or inflating minor technical glitches into strategic breakthroughs. Many of the purported data breaches, which Handala touted as massive thefts of sensitive information, were exposed as recycled data from years past or entirely fabricated claims. This approach has allowed the regime to maintain a facade of operational potency while lacking the actual capacity to disable the Israeli economy or degrade civilian life.

Tehran has increasingly utilized its cyber arm as a supplementary tool to generate a digital image of victory whenever the war results in military losses. However, the study identifies three critical factors behind this ongoing failure: the robust defensive posture of Israel’s security establishment, the lack of genuine technological innovation among Iranian hackers, and the persistence of outdated attack methods. Despite having ample time to modernize, Iranian operators continue to rely on basic techniques such as phishing and the utilization of known vulnerabilities.

The Israeli defensive teams and large scale organizations have successfully blocked thousands of daily penetration attempts, proving that the regime’s digital bark remains far worse than its bite.