In an ironic twist, what we call the ultimate hippukh, or flip/inversion, France asked for Israel intelligence and the Mossad to help recover the Crown Jewels stolen from the Louvre earlier this week. Why irony? For the past two weeks (actually much longer) Macron and France have done nothing but rail against Palestinian mass starvation and genocide at the hands of Israel. We have cut their food, their power, their medicine, their aid and are ethnically cleansing and colonizing. To add insult to injury, two weeks ago Macron at the UN called for the recognition of an official Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Now they seek our help. Go figure-
“What do you feel about and what are Israelis saying about the Peace Deal?”
Very good question. With many answers. It’s all pretty complicated and everyone has their own idea of what is actually going on behind the scenes. First, we were more than hesitant that the Hamasniks would ever give back all the hostages. We are absolutely rejoicing and celebrating the return of the 20 who made it out alive. We are not surprised that those bodies, some of which have been held since 2014 (Hadar Goldin, whose photo is still on my fridge), are slow in coming. But they are being returned every few days by ones and twos, so that gives closure. Two more bodies expected tonight.
As for that great Peace Deal: The Trump plan is horrific for Israel on so many levels. It’s great the hostages are back, but again, at what cost and when will we ever learn our lesson? These convicted Hamas and Palestinian Authority convicted terrorists who have planned and executed mass murdered and attacks are now released by Israel. All 2000 are now free back into Gaza, Judaea, Samaria and Jerusalem, and many have vowed to finish their job and commit mass murders and attacks against Israelis. So that is pretty darned evil.
There are 20 points in the plan that must be followed for it to truly work. We are now on Part 2. Hamas needs to completely disarm and for all those terrorists aligned with any of the several terror groups – to leave Gaza. Like that will ever happen. Hamas is publicly executing those they felt were spies, those from tribes that didn’t outwardly support them, PIJ, PA sympathizers, “dhimmi,” and others they deem undesireable. Trump has commanded them to stop “or else.” In the meantime rockets from Gaza continue to be launched into the Israeli border communities (this morning 1:12 am and 1:23 am).
In another phase, an international “security group” aka overseeing military, is supposed to enforce the ‘ceasefire’ as the IDF retreats to their demarcated territory. The group includes soldiers from Egypt, Turkey, UK, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE. All nations that really love Israel (NOT!!) and who will see to a fair disarmament (not gonna happen, folks. For one Turkey wants nothing more than for Jews and Israel to disappear and establish a Caliphate with them as head). U.S. troops are supposed to remain in Israel overseeing the entire operation. There will be no US boots on the ground in Gaza.
Hamas is rebranding themselves. They no longer want to be called Hamas (which actually translates to “violence” in Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic). They are calling themselves “The Security Forces of Gaza.” They are still Hamas, guys. They have said they will only hand over their weapons to the Palestinian state authorities. Mohammad Nazal, a senior Hamas official in Qatar stated: ”Hamas will not disarm. We will maintain control over Gaza’s security. The ceasefire is only a temporary ’hudna’ a pause to rebuild our strength and regain some breathing room.”
While the US is extolling the victories, peace and the strength of the Trump Admin, unless Trump and his cabinet are playing 4-D chess, I cannot see how these “allies” can be believed or trusted or this plan to work. It’s just naïveté. Israeli news Kan Reshet Bet reported deeply alarming developments this week. Hamas, with the knowledge of their mediators, is quietly taking part in reshaping the new technocratic government that will run Gaza. This, as Rubio, just reiterated ten minutes ago, will not be allowed to happen. (How can they stop it?)
Around half the ministers that were selected to govern the Gaza territory were people who backed the Hamas agenda. They want Israel Judenrein, cleared of Jews and will not even recognize the existence of Israel, a legitimate Jewish state. Egypt and other mediators are sharing their full list of candidates with Hamas to gain their approval. So there will be Hamas sympathizers running Gaza. Great. In the meantime, the Palestinian Authority is selecting the other security team candidates, insuring that Hamas will remain behind the scenes exerting its influence, i.e. indirect control.
I, personally, believe this Peace Deal is a complete misreading of the Middle East. You see it in the way they are speaking about this deal and Trump’s response to the violations by Hamas of the ceasefire (as stated above). We have released all of our terrorists/prisoners even before all our hostages have returned. Hamas has continued attacking IDF troops, murdering their own people, and firing rockets into Israel. Thee have been coordinated attacks on the same day in different locations. This is not peace by any means. Hamas has and will in no way disarm. The Trump administration continues to make excuses for them and give them threats, yet nothing is done positively to control them. The Administration are insisting ‘We have a peace deal.’ And ‘This is the new Middle East.’ We see things as otherwise.
President Trump has done more for Israel than any other President in history. His Abraham Accords and moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem were phenomenally good for Israel and the MidEast. But his 20 point Peace Plan is unfortunately, dangerous for us. It completely ignores Qatar (and Turkey), the real source of radical Islamic jihadist ideology, and as a result, their funding of terror and exportation of Islam, throughout the Western world. By continuing to legitimize Qatar, it strengthens global Islamization (through propaganda, education, true colonization/immigration and jihad, if necessary). The plan is a pie-in-the-sky solution to what I fear is a short term peace, if at all. The Turkey-Qatar relationship continues to grow as Hamas continues to refuse to comply….
I am opposed to Whitcoff and Kushner. Both have financial ties and have business deals in and with the Qataris and Saudi Arabians. Not that it’s a bad thing. They can have business with anyone they want, but that does not make them impartial. I feel they have been compromised. President Trump last summer went on a whirlwind tour of the Arab nations, making business deals. This was enriching for the United States and for Trump. But does his accepting an ‘unconditional gift’ of a $4million dollar Boeing aircraft to be used as the new Air Force One put him at a disadvantage? Do gifts make him beholden to the givers in any way?
Which brings me to the next question:
What’s going on with this annexation and why did JD Vance say it was stupid and an insult?
So This is a big misunderstanding of what is actually happening. Complete misreading and making huge international deal out of a small matter, in my opinion.
First, since the Oslo Accords came out in 19 , parts of Judaea and Samaria, then renamed the West Bank, were divided up into a jigsaw puzzle of pieces labeled Area A (under complete Palestinian Arab control. Legally. Security forces wise. Population wise. No Israeli citizens allowed. Enter at your own risk.) Area B (joint control. Both Palestinian and Israeli. IDF and Israeli police can enter and settlements can be both.) Area C (belonging exclusively to Israel in governance -regional councils; security -Israeli police and IDF; population -mostly Jewish). It’s a horrible division.


Even though Israel maintains full control of Area C, under international law, they are not allowed to expand or build ‘settlements.’ This goes so far as to if a person living in one of the larger suburban cities wants to put an addition to their house (second story, expanded covered terrace), it is verboten. This, in my opinion, is ridiculous, since I believe it is part of our indigenous, ancient and ancestral lands.
On Thursday, there was a narrowly approved vote of 25-24 in the 120 member parliament, the Knesset. It would theoretically apply Israeli civil law to settlements in Area C, a move widely described as “annexation of the West Bank.” According to the Algemeiner (News): “Experts have noted that annexation in international law means taking the territory of a foreign sovereign country, explaining hat since the territory in question does not belong to another country, the bill would apply Israeli sovereignty to the area (which it already possesses). The bill faces several rounds in Knesset before it is even passes ok to law, which can take years. This was more of a symbolic act, not an immediately binding takeover.”
So for JD Vance to say, “If it was a political stunt, it was a very stupid one, and I personally take insult to it,” was a jump on the gun reaction without knowing or understanding any of the facts. His response was just enough to make international headlines again – against a “colonial aggressor, Israel.” Further bombastic statements were made by both Vance and then Trump, and now Secretary of State Rubio is in Israel to oversee the entire kerfluffle.
Netanyahu was quick to rebuke the “far right” calling it a deliberate provocation. The opposition party voted for it, in order for any talk of annexation to make international headlines and embarrass Netanyahu, which it did. All in all, it is a big mess of a nothing-burger. Everyone handled it badly, even if, for many reasons Israel has a right to govern and settle in its own lands.
Finally, in other news: two of our personal friends have been called back up for reserve duty on the Lebanese front, leaving behind wives, small children and jobs. Hizbulla, despite what the Lebanese president is saying, is continuing to rearm and regroup along the Northern border. Receiving fresh weapons and fresh IRGC groups smuggled in from Iran, they are trying to entrench and fortify in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and along the Litani River. The Israeli Air Force has had to do surgical strikes on new weapons depots and storage warehouses. They are uncovering and dismantling new bunkers, so technically, they are in violation of their ceasefire agreements, and Israel must defend itself from attack by taking the offensive and eliminating any threat they can find.
That’s it for me. It’s getting close to Shabbat and I must finish cooking for tonight (sweet potato ravioli in a sage butter sauce; roasted red, yellow and white beet salad with feta and blush wine vinaigrette; and a Swiss chard side dish with caramelized onions in a Stilton Bechamel sauce. Tomorrow we’ll have egg Canada and mixed berries for breakfast and an amazing salad with smoked duck, raisins, chickpeas, and pickled onions on Little Gem lettuce with homemade garlic croutons and a vinaigrette dressing. I hope to go back to sharing photos and echoes sometime in the near future.)
In the meantime, May we be rejuvenated by a completely peaceful and restful Shabbat/weekend. Until next time….






































































































































































