Educating with antisemitism

 The process of educating Gazan children from day 1 must be changed if Israel is to avoid returning to October 7^th.  Literature from the Hamas education system was found during the IDF actions in Gaza. Among the items discovered were approximately 1,500 antisemitic books, indicating a systematic process of instilling hatred and promoting terrorism against Israel from the first day of education in the Hamas system.  

Items included children's books teaching how to murder Jews by running them over or stabbing them, a book by senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar titled The End of the Jews, and other literature that places all responsibility for wars in the Middle East on Israel, advocating for the murder of all Jews. 

Additionally, booklet about senior terrorists were found, as well as special documentation from Hamas summer camps funded by foreign donations and photos of babies on home sofas alongside shrapnel grenades and mortar shells.

Ceasefire in Lebanon?

According to many sources, following US representative Hochstein’s visit to Israel last week and to Beirut, a ceasefire deal is “close” with Lebanon.

A leader of the Shi’ite movement Amal, Berri has served as an interlocutor for talks between the U.S. and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

Following the visit, Hezbollah secretary-general Naim Qassem said that Hezbollah had reviewed the proposed ceasefire, issued its response to Hochstein, and that the matter was now up to Israel.

Hochstein reportedly pressed top Israeli officials over the weekend, warning them that this marks the administration’s final attempt to broker a ceasefire, and that a rejection by Jerusalem would end efforts by the Biden White House to bring the two sides to a deal.

Netanyahu has reportedly agreed in principle to the ceasefire deal, and is now mulling how to present the decision to the Israeli public.

While the ceasefire deal has yet to be finalized and some key sticking points remain, it would reportedly include three major provisions, and would be implemented in three stages.

According to reports last week, under the American proposal:-

a) Hezbollah would be required to withdraw its forces away from the Israeli border and north of the Litani River, with the terrorist group also obligated to disarm, in keeping with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

b)  a U.S.-led committee would be tasked with ensuring compliance with the ceasefire.

c)  Israel would retain the right to respond militarily in Lebanon to violations of the ceasefire, but only after the committee exhausts other avenues for restoring the peace.

Clause (c) is the real problem for Israel since every monitoring group established to keep the peace has failed in its mission whether it was the border with Egypt, Syria or Lebanon. In the current wording, Israel’s actions would be severely limited in the case of violations as a ”committee” has to evaluate other avenues before giving the green light for Israeli action.

In the first stage of the deal, a ceasefire would be imposed during which Hezbollah would withdraw from the southern bank of the Litani River.

Afterwards, Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanese territory.

In the third and final stage, Israel and Lebanon would enter into talks regarding contested border areas.

Gazan Aid Stolen by Hamas and Crime Gangs

 Conditions in Gaza have drastically changed since the war began. The blockade and tightly regulated aid have led to the resurgence of the smuggling industry. Tobacco products, now more expensive than ever and in greater demand, have become a critical commodity. 

Control over these goods has given immense power to those handling them, allowing them to operate largely without interference from IDF in designated closed areas, according to the Washington Post.

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Gaza described cigarette smuggling as a "real cancer."

 Georgios Petropoulos, head of the Gaza sub-office of the UN Co-ordinator for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated, “Recently, we’ve found cigarettes hidden inside cans and other food products. This suggests the smuggling process starts during packaging, likely in Egypt.”

UN reports from the end of the week revealed that aid trucks entering Gaza are frequently looted upon crossing the Kerem Shalom border from Israel. Of the 109 trucks that passed through in the last few days, 98 were hijacked. Drivers were forcibly removed, detained for hours, and in some cases severely beaten. Gangs of masked gunmen reportedly fired on the convoys and used grenades during these attacks.

According to reports, these gangs are not affiliated with Hamas but are instead local smuggling groups that have grown significantly since the war began. Their rise is attributed to the collapse of Hamas’ civilian infrastructure, including its policing mechanisms.

 UN data cited by The Washington Post indicates that armed gangs operate with impunity and some reports allege that these groups have established "control headquarters" in zones cleared of civilians and declared closed military areas by the IDF.

 The stealing of humanitarian aid has become widespread in Gaza. These gangs, often linked to local crime families, are stealing not just food but other essential goods arriving through Israeli crossings. Gaza residents stress that these armed looters are unaffiliated with Hamas. Historically, these crime families were targets of Hamas police and intelligence efforts.

 An anonymous Israeli official told The Washington Post that Israel is aware that “some looters have ties to Hamas, and some do not.”

Female IDF trailblazers mark historic achievements in defense

 For full article go to  https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-830063

On a chilly morning earlier this week, a team of female IDF soldiers gathered their gear and prepared to embark on a mission into southern Lebanon. Among them was Cpl. Tehila, 21, who adjusted her pack—laden with equipment that weighed nearly half her body weight—and exchanged determined glances with her comrades. For the first time in Israel’s history, women combat soldiers were about to cross the border into enemy territory. Their task was as monumental as it was dangerous: to gather intelligence, pinpoint Hezbollah positions, and direct fire to protect Israel’s northern communities.

Such scenes are becoming more common in the IDF, where women are not just breaking barriers but leading in roles traditionally dominated by men. Israel’s military has consistently demonstrated its commitment to equality, offering women meaningful opportunities to serve and contribute, even in combat positions. In a region dominated by radical ideologies that suppress women’s rights, the IDF’s pioneering approach sets it apart—not just from its neighbors but from many Western democracies.

This week, two groundbreaking events underscored the IDF’s leadership in empowering women. The first was the announcement of Israel’s first religious women-only combat unit, to be deployed within the Combat Intelligence Corps. As reported by The Jerusalem Post, this initiative addresses the surge of religious women eager to serve in the IDF, including 350 who joined combat roles in the aftermath of October 7.

We are witnessing a rise in the number of religious women eager to join in defending Israel in this existential war. For 18-year-old recruit Rina Mays from Ramat Beit Shemesh, this opportunity represents both a personal and collective mission: “I’ve always dreamed of contributing to my country in a meaningful way... this unit felt like the right path for me.”

In another momentous achievement  female combat soldiers from the Ayit Battalion carried out an operational mission in southern Lebanon, marking the first time women had participated in such an endeavor. Their work involved intelligence gathering, pinpointing anti-tank missile sites, and guiding fire against Hezbollah positions, showcasing their operational effectiveness in high-stakes scenarios.

Dismantling sexist notions

Cpl. Shani, 20, described the mission’s challenges: “We walked about 1.5 kilometers into Lebanon, established a position in the field, maintained camouflage, and began intelligence collection. Operationally, we entered areas untouched by Israeli forces since the Second Lebanon War.” These missions not only reaffirm the IDF’s trust in its female soldiers but also dismantle outdated notions about women’s roles in the military.

While many Western nations celebrate symbolic strides in gender equality, Israel delivers measurable results. Female soldiers are actively shaping Israel’s defense strategies, often in some of the most dangerous arenas.

This commitment is particularly striking in a region where many societies deny women basic rights, let alone the opportunity to serve in their country’s defense. Israel’s example highlights the values it shares with other Western democracies: equality, freedom, and opportunity. Yet, these achievements are often overlooked or misunderstood by the international community.

The world should recognize Israel’s unique position as a Western democracy in a challenging region and celebrate the extraordinary contributions of its female soldiers. By empowering women in its military, Israel continues to lead the way in demonstrating that equality and strength go hand in hand. 

Ceasefire with Lebanon?

 The emerging ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist organization includes the following principles, the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom has learned:

Hezbollah will withdraw its forces north of the Litani River and will not renew its military presence in the area between the Litani and the Israel-Lebanon border.

 The Israel Defense Forces will pull back from Hezbollah’s current first line of positions in Lebanon, returning to the international border. The Lebanese army will dismantle Hezbollah’s remaining infrastructure in the area between the border and the Litani within 60 days of signing the agreement.

 The agreement will include international guarantees from the United States and Russia to prevent Hezbollah from rearming. As part of this framework, Syria will be responsible for stopping any weapons transfers from its territory to Lebanon, in contrast to the situation that prevailed in the years before the war.

In any instance of a violation of the agreement—whether by Hezbollah’s rearming or military actions against Israel or Israelis—the IDF will have the right to act in response, with international backing.

Israel Hayom has also learned that Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will depart for Russia, as previously reported by Army Radio, and then to the United States to finalize the remaining details of the agreement. Among other meetings, he is expected to meet with President-elect Donald Trump.

Last night, a senior government official confirmed to Israel Hayom that substantial progress had been made in diplomatic negotiations on the northern front.

Noa Tishby - Progrom in Amsterdam

 

Arab-Israeli soccer fan spoke Arabic to violent mob, saved Jewish fans

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A Druze Israeli said he spoke Arabic to Muslim attackers and warned Jewish Israelis during a violent anti-Israel riot that broke out after a soccer game in Amsterdam on Thursday.

Melhem Asad, from Kisra-Sumei, a Druze town in Israel, described how Dutch security guarded Israelis on their way to the Ajax-Maccabi game in Amsterdam. Still, the security situation fell apart at the conclusion of the game.

Asad told Channel 12, “We felt very safe, but at the end of the game the situation changed completely.”

“The fans were simply abandoned, we all got on the trains and headed for the hotels, and the local police just messed up, big time. They didn’t secure us, they didn’t watch over us, we felt very exposed,” he said.

Asad heard a group of people speaking in Arabic about their plans to attack Israelis, and that is when he realized he could use the fact that he spoke Arabic to confuse their plans.

He said, “I heard people from across the street talking in Arabic and planning on how and where to attack the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. I took advantage of the fact that I spoke Arabic and shouted at them. They thought I was one of them.

Asad continued, “I told them that the Jews were no longer here, that they had fled. I did everything to confuse them; I knew exactly where our fans were, and it worked. I convinced them to go in the other direction.”

After Asad had confused some of the mob’s plans, he ran to warn the Israelis. He recounts, “I ran towards groups of Israelis and warned them that people were trying to harm us.”

Asad told them to take them off their Maccabi shirts after he heard members of the mob saying they would attack anyone wearing a Maccabi shirt. He ran into bars and restaurants to warn Israelis.

“My goal was to save everyone possible; I saw the amount of hatred and the number of people. I started running between bars, restaurants, alleys, wherever I knew the fans were passing on the way back from the game,” Asad said.

He said that the incident in Amsterdam made him think of October 7th and the hatred of Hamas terrorists who attacked Israelis.

“My heart burned at that moment. Unfortunately, I could not save everyone, but I tried to warn as many Israelis as possible. I feel that God sent me at the right moment and in the right place to save those who can.”