Israel’s Narrative Busting

by  Nov 15, 2023

Israel’s much anticipated raid on Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital produced far less drama than many expected, and it should reset many people’s prior assumptions about the IDF’s war conduct—and Hamas’s.

The troops deployed to the Gaza City compound last night have already left the hospital, according to those inside. So far, events have borne out Israel’s account of the war in three key ways.

First, that al-Shifa hospital and others are used by Hamas’s military. “I can confirm for you that we have information that Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad use some hospitals in the Gaza Strip, including Al-Shifa, and tunnels underneath them, to conceal and to support their military operations and to hold hostages,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters yesterday, adding that “Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad—J.I.D.—members operate a command and control node from Al-Shifa in Gaza City. They have stored weapons there, and they’re prepared to respond to an Israeli military operation against that facility.”

The U.S. confirmed this with its own intelligence assessment, he stressed. Dave Harden, the former West Bank and Gaza mission director for USAID, chimed in this morning to note that Hamas’s practice of using hospitals was widely understood in Palestinian circles as well. According to international law, he explained, the protection of a hospital from attack would be void “if a hospital is used as a base from which to launch an attack; as an observation post to transmit information of military value; as a weapons depot; as a center for liaison with fighting troops.”

That also helps explain why Kirby specifically said this morning that Hamas has violated the laws of war.

Second, Hamas was specifically using patients in the hospital as human shields. Israel’s demonstrated ability to transfer patients and medical equipment to and from al-Shifa backs up the fact that, as John Podhoretz noted over the weekend, “Every single patient, every single doctor, every single nurse, and every single piece of medical equipment in that building could have been moved, carefully and without molestation from Israel, over the course of the three weeks that Israel’s military task seemed to be to soften the battleground miles and miles north of al-Shifa.”

Meanwhile, the IDF released video of its soldiers delivering fuel to al-Shifa and also revealed that Hamas prevented the fuel’s acceptance and use. Hospital-based casualties represent a clear case of Hamas taking Palestinians hostage and then causing their deaths.

Third, when Israel says it is undertaking a surgical mission, it is telling the truth. The IDF put its own soldiers in danger by telegraphing its intent to clear the hospital of Hamas fighters and weaponry, and when it finally did so, soldiers entered along with Arabic-speakers and medical teams after having delivered baby food and medical supplies. Forget house-to-house battle, this was a hallway-to-hallway sweep, even after being met at the outskirts of the building complex by explosives.

And one assumption about the war that might be proved misguided, in addition to the ones already confirmed above, is that Israel’s delay of a ground invasion was self-defeating and evidence of indecision. It’s far too early to make a definitive judgment, but the IDF’s battlefield successes suggest its planning was strategically sound and that the Biden administration’s patient support will be vindicated. At the very least, Israel has given the White House good reason to continue that support.

November 16, 2023 | 7 Comments »

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  4. wice in two months: Pro-Palestinians set fire to Jewish center in Yerevan, Armenia
    ‘Group of insurgents is harming Jews in the name of a terror organization that beheads babies,’ CER’s Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt says.
    Israel National News
    Israel National News
    Nov 17, 2023, 11:05 AM (GMT+2)
    Anti-Semitism
    Synagogue
    vandalism
    synagogues
    Antisemitism
    Armenia
    Yerevan
    anti-Israel bias
    View of Yerevan, Armenia
    View of Yerevan, Armenia
    iStock

    On Wednesday night, insurgents set fire to the synagogue in Yerevan, “Mordechai HaNavi,” Armenia’s only synagogue. This is the second attack on the synagogue in two months.

    The first attack took place one and a half months ago, and in both cases, the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) claimed responsibility, as reported on their Telegram channel in Armenian and English. Both arson attacks were first publicized with video clips of the incidents on their channel, together with manifestos, which stated the reasons for these attacks, as well as new threats.

    In October, the pro-Palestinian group called its attack a “warning,” saying: “Our successful operation on 3 October in Yerevan is just the beginning.” The second time, they boasted of a “successful operation against the Word Jewish Center,” that “conducts espionage in the interests of the Zionist junta of Tel Aviv and Aliyev.”

    According to their announcement, the arson attack is related to the situation in Gaza: “We commenced our activity three days before Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. Our second operation was a repetition of the success of the Palestinian resistance, and was carried out in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements against the Zionists.” ASALA claims that Israel exercised the “annihilation of thousands of children, women, and elderly” in Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan that was returned to Baku following a 30-year period under the rule of the unrecognized separatist government.?

    ASALA said that they “fully support the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance” since they claim that Israel was behind the activity. According to their statement, the group also put up posters in Yerevan and other Armenian cities containing the emblems of Hamas and Hezbollah “which show that we have a common enemy.”

    The manifesto contains a new threat, which states that “If the Zionist regime does not cease their armed attacks on the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem, and the confiscation of Armenian church property, our next operation will take place outside Armenia.” Their statement alludes to the lease of land in Jerusalem belonging to the Armenian Patriarchate for the construction of a hotel.

    Related articles:
    Armenia investigating vandalism at country’s only synagogue
    Jewish Center in Armenian capital vandalized
    Armenia: Rebels seize police station, hostages, in Yerevan
    Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, said, “In less than two months the Great Synagogue has been vandalized for the second time. A group of insurgents is harming the Jews in the name of a terror organization that beheads babies, and brutalizes and murders the elderly and the helpless. We must put an end to this. Jewish blood is not cheap.”

    “I demand that President Vahagn Khachaturyan arrest the members of ASALA and outlaw the group in light of its support for the murderous Hamas-Daesh terror organization. I expect the Armenian government to reinforce security for the Jewish community due to the war in Israel. Without an appropriate response, Jewish blood will be spilled in the streets and the Armenian government and its leader will be held accountable.”

    Rabbi Zamir Isayev, rabbi of the Georgian Sephardic community in Azerbaijan and a member of the international division of the European Conference of Rabbis said in response: “A few weeks before the first attack, I warned of the likelihood of action against the Jews due to their close relations with Azerbaijan. The return of Karabakh to Azerbaijani rule and the dissolution of the unrecognized republic using military units, which are forbidden according to agreements, ignited the fire of hatred against the Jews with the unfounded claim of Israeli responsibility for events in the region.”

    Children with cancer protest for children in captivity
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    I knpw I am not suppsed to post whole articles, but I felt that this was a legitimate exception, because the Arutz Sheva link gives us no indication of the article’s subject or contents.

    Even as emergency Israeli medical crews are providing desperayely nrrfrf mrfical and surgical assistance to serious injured Armeni an refugees from Nagorno Karabakh, this armenian terrorist group is attacking and vandalizing Armenia’s on;y remaong synogogue and community center in Armenia. They say they are doing this because Israel has been behind the murder and expuksion of Armenians from Karakakh ansthe genicide against the Palestinians of Gaza. Hamas is cited as the source of these facts, and the Armenian terrorists are affiliated with Hamas, Israel has requested the Armenian government to crack down on this terrorist group, but has received no response from the Armenian government,

  5. The US Adm may still send $billions to the genocidal ayatollahs!
    The Bho’s III Adm pursues relentlessly its attacks against Bibi.

  6. https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/technology-science/1696513839-israeli-medical-team-provides-care-to-armenians-fleeing-karabakh. With of Israel’s sown suffering and woundedIsral is providing humanitarian aid to the 100,000Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, many of whomaresuffering from severe burns and other injuries, Israeki physicians have created numerous field hospitals. Israel is providing aid to the Armenians despite their hostile diplomatic stance towards Israel and anti-Israel propaganda, Israel does good even to its enemies. The New Testament urges people to do this, but very, very few Christians has ever done this.

    At least some Israelis are actually doing what Orthodox Jews say is the Jewish people’s mission from God–to bring holiness to this world,

  7. Another clear win for Israel and the IDF. This effort shows the extent to which Israel’s fighting forces will go to protect the most vulnerable, of their enemy’s people. In addition it shows the extent to which Hamas uses their own people as human shields, and prevents the hospital from being resupplied by Israel.

    It does appear that one side is clearly evil and the other side is good. Hamas is pure evil, and Israel must win this war.

    Here is striking witness testimony from a 14 year old girl from Kibbutz Be’eri.

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/CzmQm6oPG5T/