by Alan M. Dershowitz  •  Gatestone Institute •  January 17, 2025

The decision by the Israeli government to make significant concessions to the Hamas kidnappers should never be called a “deal.” It was an extortion. Would you call it a deal if somebody kidnapped your child and you “agreed” to pay ransom to get her back? Of course not. The kidnapping was a crime. And the extortionate demand was an additional crime. Pictured: A Hamas terrorist holds two of the many Israeli children that Hamas murdered, or abducted and brought as captives to the Gaza Strip, on October 7, 2023. (Image source: Hamas/X [Twitter])

• The decision by the Israeli government to make significant concessions to the Hamas kidnappers should never be called a “deal.” It was an extortion…. The kidnapping was a crime. And the extortionate demand was an additional crime.

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Peloni:  Here are two important essays by Fitzgerald which give proper context to the report of Carlson having chosen not to applaud the return of the hostages during Trump’s inaguration speech, something which was made all the more apparent given his prominent seating and the fact that everyone else present joined in the standing ovation.  Beyond what Fitzgerald relates, recall also Carlson statement about being “shocked by how little they care about our country” in reference to Ben Shapiro and others pro-Israel supporters in the US.

By Hugh Fitzgerald | Jan 22, 2025

During his years on Fox News, the one word that was almost never mentioned on his 8-9 p.m. show was “Israel.” Carlson knew that many conservatives In his audience were Israel supporters, and he didn’t wish to alienate them. But after he was let go by Fox, and started his podcast on X, he began to unmask himself as an antisemite — for only an antisemite would provide a platform for such beyond-the-pale antisemites as Darryl Cooper, Candace Owens, and Munther Isaac. In recognition of Carlson’s happily providing a platform for such people to spread their nonsense and lies, Amichai Chikli, the Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs, tweeted his own message. “Tucker Carlson Giving ‘Leading Platform’ to Jew-Hatred, Chikli Says,” by Joseph Feldman, JNS, December 17, 2024:

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“We are tired of fighting, we are tired of being courageous, we are tired of winning, we are tired of defeating our enemies. We want to be able to live in an entirely different environment of relations with our enemies.” — Ehud Olmert, March 2006.’

Peloni:  Avi is absolutely correct!!  As he states, “The Trump team must stand firm and understand that any outcome other than Israel’s full control over Gaza endangers not just Israel but the entire free world.”

This isn’t about an “occupation.” It is a religiously inspired genocide against the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

Avi Abelow | Jan 24, 2025

Peloni:  Are rhetorical taunts over exaggerated Russian casualties and failing economy another Biden policy hold-over under Trump?

Seems to endorse a discredited theory on Russia

The body of a Russian soldier is seen near a destroyed Russian tank in the village of Storozheve in the Donetsk region on June 14. —RFE

President Donald Trump, on Truth Social and in interviews, is pushing the idea that Russia needs to hurry up and make a deal on Ukraine before Trump, taking advantage of Russia’s economic problems, imposes high tariffs and other sanctions on Russia. To emphasize his own thinking about the futility of the Ukraine war, Trump says that Russia has suffered over a million casualties and Ukraine 800,000.

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Peloni:  This is very troubling.  The offshoring of responsibility of Gaza will forever make it impossible for Israel to independently respond to whatever comes next without gaining the consent of foreign powers.

UAE is seen as regional leader in the fight against radical Islam and Jihadism

All Israel News Staff | Published: January 23, 2025

Palestinians amid destruction in Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, on June 8, 2024. Photo by Khaled Ali/Flash90

The United Arab Emirates and Israel agreed that the Gulf emirate would take over the management of the Gaza Strip after the war, according to a report by Israel Hayom.

The question of who will govern and rebuild the devastated enclave has once again received much attention in the wake of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

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Peloni:  Witkoff suggests that the deal he pushed thru was the product of Trump’s Peace Thru Strength, when in fact, the peace he chose to push thru was one which he admits he never tried to influence, having simply used the template supplied by the previous administration which Trump was supposedly critical.  By doing so, he abandoned the support which Trump promised to Israel while campaigning and complaining that America’s ally had been treated so badly by Biden, only to have his own Middle East Envoy force the Biden peace proposal forward.  This was not done with the interests of Israel in mind, nor was it achieved using the premise of Peace Thru Strength, which would have used the threat of US force against those parties who hold leverage over the Hamas terrorists to dislodge the terrorists from power and release the hostages which are being held.  Doing so would have required Witkoff to pressure, not Israel, but Qatar, over which Witkoff  continues to praise for their communication skills instead of condemning for their complicity in harboring and funding the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered and kidnapped their victims on October 7.

In just one interview, Trump’s Middle East envoy manages to:

??Express a willingness to reach “understandings about everything” with Hamas

??Admits that he and Trump’s team didn’t even try to get any additional hostages out

??Fawns over the Qatari leadership (again) pic.twitter.com/j84wLPk37u

— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) January 22, 2025

Peloni:  Wurmser describes how Trump is being sand bagged into adopting Biden’s strategy in the Middle East, and how he should respond to avoid doing so.

David Wurmser | The Editors | Jan 21, 2025

Transitions of presidential administrations are tricky, and all the more so when, as from Biden to Trump, control is passing from one political party to another. There is much change, and there is much effort to avoid change. From my experience in previous transitions, this is especially true for transitions that pass from a left-leaning government to a conservative-leaning government. The majority of the government’s employees identify more with the left than right—Harris won more than 90 percent of the vote in D.C., 74 percent in Montgomery County, Maryland; more than 65 percent in Fairfax County, Virginia. This is especially true as a conservative government that defines itself against the Washington establishment comes into power. So this particular transition, even more than most others, features a mad race by those loyal to the ideas of the previous administration to lock the new administration into policies of the outgoing administration.

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By Martin Sherman | Wednesday, 22 January

“I think there’s something … unique about this relationship: Israel is the Jewish state … Azerbaijan is a Muslim state … Here you have an example of Muslims and Jews working together to secure a better future for both of us.” — Benjamin Netanyahu, Dec. 13, 2016

As the Trump administration takes over the reins of government, much of its attention will doubtlessly be soaked by issues that have dominated the limelight — such as soaring crime rates, waves of illegal immigration, and spiraling inflation at home; and China, Ukraine, Middle East conflict, and Iran abroad.

On the Fringes of Media Focus

However, despite these pressing matters, there are other topics, albeit on the periphery of the media spotlight, to which the incoming White House should pay attention and whose strategic significance should not be obscured.

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Peloni:  This was written just prior to the Hostage Deal being pushed on Israel, but the arguments put forward here are still relevant.

By Walter E. Block

It looks as if there will soon be a peace deal consummated between one of the most civilized governments on the planet and one of the most barbaric criminal entities. It will proved for the future of Gaza. However, there is no ink on the dotted line, quite yet. As of this writing, there is no such deal, at least not yet. It is not over, as they say, until the fat lady sings. So, hopefully what follows will still be of some benefit.

Israel won the Sinai Peninsula fair and square. It overcame Egypt, which unjustifiably began the Six Day War. (Israel also won the Golan Heights from Syria, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) from Jordan, and the Gaza Strip from Egypt). This war was Egypt’s fault. It began with an act of war by that country against Israel with its closure of maritime passageways to Israeli shipping,

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Avi Abelow Tweeted the Following:

Don’t act surprised. Hamas held our hostages in United Nations facilities in Gaza.

The United Nations, and the Hamas run and infested UNRWA must be disbanded, but they won’t.

We are on our own. Not only do Western leaders not really care, they are complicit.

Not to worry, we… pic.twitter.com/RndIrSbDT3

— Avi Abelow (@aviabelow) January 22, 2025

Don’t act surprised. Hamas held our hostages in United Nations facilities in Gaza.

The United Nations, and the Hamas run and infested UNRWA must be disbanded, but they won’t.

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Peloni: For those who put their faith in polls in a country where the presidential election was rigged.  In any event, this is just a single data point, and as such, it will be interesting to see if this polling result is repeatable in other polls and in future polling.

Something stunning in Harvard-Harris Poll – support for Israel is 79% among 18-24 age group, higher than all age groups other than 55+. Maybe the deranged Jew-hating grifters with large bot followings don’t reflect “the real America”. pic.twitter.com/wuFXLrFjJ4

— William A. Jacobson (@wajacobson) January 20, 2025

Peloni:  This was long overdue.  Too long.

Resignation to go into effect on March 6

All Israel News Staff | Published: January 21, 2025

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi attends a state ceremony marking the Hebrew calendar anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7 2023 which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on October 27, 2024. Photo by Chaim Goldberg FLASH90

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi on Tuesday announced his intention to resign his post on March 6, citing the failures of the army under his command on Oct. 7, 2023.

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Is Trump being used to build out the superstructure of a digital system that could later be weaponized by some future ruler? Just as 5G and Warp Speed were weaponized?

Leo Hohmann | Jan 21, 2025

Peloni:  This is an important article.  This shameful deal is an early stain on Trump’s call for a Golden Age.  The manner in which Trump’s envoy, Witkoff, abused and disrespected America’s greatest ally, all by itself should have earned him a sharp rebuff from Pres. Trump, if not earning him a spot next to Ramaswamy out of Trump’s administration.  Instead, Trump has praised this deal and highlighted the manner in which his envoy, acting as if he were some local Enforcer, got things done, when, in fact, neither the ends of this deal, nor the means by which this deal was achieved, are justified, beneficial, nor sustainable.  Israel should pull out of this deal, and Trump should as well.

The ceasefire deal means spending $50 billion to rebuild Gaza.

Daniel Greenfield

The disastrous ceasefire deal proposed by the Biden administration and rubber stamped by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, doesn’t just free thousands of Islamic terrorists while letting Hamas reclaim power, it also commits America to a 5-year rebuilding of Gaza.

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Peloni:  In recent decades, the West has morphed into becoming a cheerleading squad of despots and a funder of terrorism as it has set focused its efforts upon imposing totalitarian limitations within the only democratic nation in the Middle East.

When the 89-year-old Palestinian Authority chief looks around him, he must be astonished at how the international community has acquiesced in his brutal dictatorship.

Moshe Phillips

It was 20 years ago this week that Mahmoud Abbas was elected to a single four year term as chairman of the Palestinian Authority. I suspect he’s having a very happy anniversary.

When the 89-year-old looks around him, he must be astonished at how the international community has acquiesced in his brutal dictatorship.

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Peloni:   Carice Witte offers insights into how Trump’s second term will likely impact Western Asia.  Among the many topics which Witte addresses is that she has heard that Trump is working on a very creative plan for the Middle East region.  She also addresses the topic and challenges of IMEC in the region, which has the potential of transforming the Middle East’s foundational structure from being one based on conflict to being one based on shared connectivity.  She also explains that it is hard to grasp if Trump would either act to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program or to allow Israel to do it alone.  Many other topics discussed as well.