"When G-d will return the captivity of Zion, we will be like dreamers. Then our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with glad song." Psalm 126
To all those readers and old friends who have emailed and called us since Thursday out of concern for the plight of Christians in the Holy Land and for those who want further clarification, thank you for reaching out.
I know the news that does eventually make its way to your parts of the world comes piecemeal at best, and at worst, with twisted narratives. In the past two weeks there have been several different slanders, accusations and confusing stories from Judaea and Samaria (West Bank) and from Gaza. Of course, the international community seems to get involved before having all the facts, so once again….here we go.
First, leading newspapers around the world have headlined with dramatic photos of starving babies…the humanitarian aid crisis and mass starvation of the Gazan people. The above photograph appeared on the front pages of the NYT, the UK’s DailyExpress, and was picked up by Sky News, BBC, CNN and other media outlets. The young boy, Mohammad alMatouq suffers from a rare genetic condition and muscle disorders unrelated to starvation according to independent investigative journalist, David Collier. Mohammad’s mother as well as his younger brothers, who was photoshopped out of the picture is healthy. This is not to diminish the immense tragedy, but to give context. There is an undeniable humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
But not for the reasons you’ve been told. This is a story that goes way back. I have covered it numerous times. No one wants to see people in a famine – especially innocent children. They deserve dignity as human beings, not suffering for political gain. Since the beginning of the war, there have been continual attempts made to get food, medicine and supplies into Gaza.
Unfortunately, the situation is a complete balagan or crazed mess. Hamas still rules Gaza. Despite Israeli attempts to get desperately needed supplies to the people, Hamas operatives dressed as civilians storm the trucks, kill the drivers and commandeer the goods. They pirate it for themselves and then sell it off at inflated prices to those willing to pay. It’s basic extortion. What was meant to be given away as free assistance is being sold on the black market at exorbitant rates. Also, Hamas operatives have been using the food as incentives for people to join up with them. Basically, you help us, and we’ll let you have food. Tragically, death and suffering are part of the terror group’s modus operendi. Victimizing the innocent civilians helps the cause of Hamas by provoking the outrage of the world. The truth, however, is essential.
The United States has subcontracted with the GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Fund) to set up heavily guarded independent aid centers at different marked locations throughout the Strip. Although it was reported falsely that IDF soldiers were firing on people waiting in line to receive their donations, it was actually Hamas operatives. So far 13 American contractors have been killed while attempting to distribute goods. Still, the endeavor is ongoing and seems to be helping many people who are in distress.
The UN is also involved. There are currently 1046 trucks piled high with assistance (food, hygiene products, baby formula and bottles, water, tents, medicine, sunscreen, diapers) millions of tons of supplies all waiting inside Gaza. Not outside. Inside the border of Gaza. It’s owned by the United Nations (UNICEF, UNaid, UNHumanitarian Relief) But they will not allow it to pass through to the people. Why?
The UN is following the orders of Hamas. They are using starvation as a negotiating tool with Israel. Israel has allowed the trucks in after inspection for weapons and contraband. The US has implored the United Nations to let it pass through to the people, but the UN has flatly refused. Hamas has insisted the UN escort the aid. Even Egypt has told the Washington Post that Hamas is stealing the cargo.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee traveled to Gaza last Friday to assess the situation for himself. He surveyed the area, saw the drone footage of the pallets and trucks in the parking lots and saw for himself the rotting produce.
Over 2 million TONS of aid sits rotting in the sun in Gaza
Israel has started parachuting aid packages directly into the tent cities and neighborhoods in which civilians are known to be residing. Whether that will fall into nefarious hands or not remains to be seen, but Israel and the U.S. are doing the absolute best they can to mitigate the dire circumstances. The global communities are imploring Israel (not Hamas) to sign a ceasefire agreement.
There is no ceasefire because Hamas will not acquiesce. They refuse to let the remaining 51 hostages go. They refuse to lay down their weapons. They have rejected ALL negotiations, deals or opportunities to end this. The onus lies on them.They refuse to give up power. Even if it means starving their own people. This is not about peace. It is about power. Despite all this, Israel has agreed to a pause in all military operations from 10am to 8pm “every day until further notice” in order to allow aid corridors to be established for safe passage of trucks to reach the civilians. Today, over 100 semis have been allowed free passage defended by the IDF, who seeks not only to protect its own people, but to protect those who are in opposition. Jordan and the UAE have air dropped 25 tons of aid into Gaza.
Backed by UN funding and Qatari billions, this entire war has been needlessly prolonged and the plight of the innocent civilians is turned inside out into victimhood for the sake of world sympathy. The IDF, the Israeli government and the Jews are the villains in this distorted propaganda war.
In other news, the so-called “visa crisis” addressed by Ambassador Huckabee has been completely resolved. The person who was holding up entry visas for Christian tour groups to come to Israel has been fired. It was discovered, upon investigation that a far right religious Jewish government worker was denying entrance visas to what he believed to be missionary groups. He’s gone. Paperwork expedited. Case closed.
Mike Huckabee has been one busy man lately. He was present at the scene of the “church burning” in the (West Bank) Christian town of Tayibe last week. His words were completely mangled once it reached the press to make it sound as if he was condemning Jewish setttler terrorist acts. He did not say this, only that the case should be completely investigated and anyone who causes damage to a religious or heritage site as an act of terror should come under full force of the law.
For complete clarification and visual proof -with some absolutely damning evidence – I refer you to Josh Waller and Luke Hilton:Please watch this short explanatory video and pass on the information.
In addition, a bit of a more lengthy video that fully explains the entire situation and the settler violence. It is fully researched and well presented.
No, Israeli citizens are not targeting Christians. And neither is the IDF. From everything I have witnessed since we have been in Israel over the past decade, is that Israelis (for the most part) treasure antiquities and historical sites. They preserve and not tear down. There is a respect for other religions (for the most part), as long as a person is behaving in a law abiding orderly manner. There will always be those outliers and extremists who cause trouble, however.
There are the ultra observant from all religions who look down upon and cause trouble for others. From the Haredim Orthodox Jews who shout out, harass and abuse Christian tourists to Catholic priests throwing rocks at Jewish settlers. From Muslim violence against Christians and Jews they consider infidels and occupiers to the extremely secular who dislike all super religious. It is evil. I in no way condone bad behavior. It needs to be examined, rebuked and prosecuted. But it is far and beyond the exception to normal life here.
Jews do not “target” Christians or their holy sites. Synagogues, churches and mosques, unless proof is given that they are being used for purposes of terror or criminal intent, are holy and to be respected. There is freedom of worship here. It is a sacred and basic human right. Any reports to the opposite are verifiably false and libelous.
Tourism is a huge source of revenue for Israel, so anything that would endanger it is discouraged. Besides Jewish people from around the world, Christians of all denominations have been our biggest supporters in our fight for truth and freedom. We share common ancestry and a common morality as dictated by the Scriptures.
From some of the calls we received, quite a few people had heard that the Jews were persecuting and killing Christians and the IDF was routinely demolishing churches as some sort of sick and twisted hate crime. Not true. This is propaganda. Please seek out the truth for yourself from reliable sources. These include Pulse of Israel; The Israel Guys; Israel Video Network the Philos Project, Shadi Khalloul and United With Israel.
In his article, Is Gaza Starving? Searching for Truth in an Information War, Matti Friedman writes, “ In a blizzard of ideological fiction, how are sane citizens in Israel, or anywhere else, supposed to know what’s true and to do the right thing? It’s not an exaggeration to say, as we’re seeing right now, that the answer to this question is a matter of life and death”
“…in those days oracles will see falsehoods, and dreamers speak lies (against Jerusalem/Israel); they comfort with meaningless speech.” -Zechariah 10:2
“ For from its origins, I see them rock-like and from the hills do I see it. Behold! It is a nation that will be relegated to dwell in solitude and not be reckoned among the nations.” – Balaam to King Balak in Numbers 23:9
“The burden of the L-rd for Israel: “ Behold! I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about…I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone forall people.” – Zechariah 12:1-3
For those readers who haven’t looked at yesterday’s post, I strongly urge you to do so as this is a continuation as current news flows in. I have worked hours last week contacting sources who know the events as they unfold, have records, or are eyewitnesses and participants. Some of the sources, I will gladly share; please understand some of the other sources I will give must remain secret as it can damage job security and security in general.
I will always try to bring you the truth. I will try to be fair and balanced presenting all sides, but I will call out fake news, lies and falsehoods and give evidence in its place. I will also feel free to add my own commentary and insights. After being asked many questions about what is actually going on here in Israel, I feel that by living here and being an observer, so to speak, I am more equipped than many to report on current events.
Please realize, Saul Alinski, the anarchist radical who with his cohorts (Cloward & Piven, Bill Ayers, Paolo Freire, and other radicals of the 1960s) wrote how to take down a system in Rules for Radicals. In this book he outlines steps to disguise your true purposes as good and altruistic; feed the target as many lies as they can handle and keep repeating those lies; divide the stronger population into smaller subgroups who fight among themselves; use blame and fear as a tactic to coerce a people into doing what you would have them do; use a top down/bottom up/inside out method of spreading chaos to break the system apart; beginning in the youngest grades of an educational system use academia to rewrite history to serve your purpose and create a new generation of civic activists; use the larger religious institutions to accept teachings of social justice (and liberation theology, my addition, but part of this Marxist/anarchist scheme.
The world has been unwittingly and sheepishly seeing these strategies unfold through the protests in the universities and spread of false narratives in the media (even spreading to the political realm) to divide and conquer once solid and reason-able groups. Class is turning against class. Generation is turning on generation in a way unseen before. Good is being labeled as evil and vice versa. And the masses are falling for outright lies in many spheres…today I will try to tackle Israel.
John and I once again stayed up late into the night, watching news as it came out of the United States. A particularly damning clip from the newer Conservative media outlet, OAN, had Matt Gaetz spouting much antiIsrael propaganda. I will try to right some of these falsehoods and to also add to yesterday’s story.
“ The U.S. tax dollars funds the IDF.” Unequivocally false. Israel has a 18% sales tax and a 100% import tax on all “luxury” items (every new car). The sale of technological and medical developments and the sales of defense technology generate massive income for the nation. Much of this gets sown back into the Israeli Defense from weaponry to salaries, from infrastructure to food and uniforms. Generous private donations make up the lack (in ceramic vests, helmets, drones, camera equipment, boots, medic kits and other needed equipment). The U.S. tax money funds the US armed services. Not Israel’s.
As for the Florida man who was killed. It was quickly labeled Jewish Israeli settler violence. The bodies of a Palestinian youth and of Sayfollah Musallet of Tampa, Florida were found hours after a rock throwing incident and broader skirmish broke out in Samaria (West Bank) near Ma’ale Levona. The one youth had a bullet shot. Musallet had a blunt force trauma to the head according to the persons who discovered the bodies. According to his uncle, who was not present at the scene, Musallet was “kicked and beaten up by a large gang of Jewish settlers for over three hours. He was gagging from the pain as he took his last breaths.” This is NOT reliable reporting.
CAIR and the Musallet family in Florida have demanded that the US step in and do an independent investigation “bringing the Jews who killed their son to justice.“ They have already ruled out any Israel involvement in an investigation. Sayfollah’s body was buried within 24 hours of finding him. He was buried as a martyr with the Palestinian flag draped over the stretcher. The family will not allow autopsy reports nor will they allow his body to be dug up and reexamined, calling it a “desecration of his honor.” We are to believe the narratives we are fed. I showed yesterday that he was a card carrying Hamas member which supports the martyr narrative. And the mainstream media and the world’s politicians run with the story pushed on them by CAIR and the family.
I still see no outlet coming out about Syria – not BBC, not Sky news, not American media – decrying the genocide against the Christians (now over 200 killed) and Druze (now over 560 massacred) or the kidnapping of the Christian and Druze children and young women to be sold as slaves. Israel is boots-on-the-ground fighting the Syrian army/Daesh/ISIS hell bent on ethnic cleansing. The American humanitarian group, the Nazarene Fund is boots-on-the ground elivering humanitarian aid and trying to airlift as many of the Christians out of the area as they can get emergency visas for as refugee status to other countries. A ceasefire was called, but now the Syrian army has adopted the Hamas tactic of dressing in civilian clothes to blend in with the general population.
Last night as we were walking the dog, 4 military helicopters passed overhead, flying low towards the East over the Golan. We found out this morning they were laden with food, baby items, medical supplies and water for the people of Suweida, Syria. It was reported that the Syrian terrorist army was poisoning their water supplies as well, so water drops were also necessary in the humanitarian package. Israel is doing this. Israel is funding this. Americans who donate to the Nazarene Fund are funding and expediting this needed help. Yet the rest of the world is silent.
Then there is the news about “even the most ardent Israel supporter, Ambassador Mike Huckabee has turned against Israel.” This is only partially true. Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, Arkansas governor and truly good-hearted human being is a strong supporter of Israel. He believes in the return of the Jewish person to inhabit and return to their ancient, Biblical and ancestral homeland as the indigenous population. A strong Christian, he fully loves and appreciates the land where Jesus walked and taught, lived and died. It truly is the birthplace of Christianity and he has led many Christian groups of pilgrims in the Holy Land.
Israel is not perfect by any means. We have a lot of serious problems. And one that I have witnessed personally while taking out own visitors to the Old City of Jerusalem. There are groups of ultra-Orthodox ‘Yeshiva Students’ that do heckle and spit on Christian tourists. They are both fearful (from centuries of Christian persecution and forced conversion by the Church in the name of Christ) and hateful of the “goyim.” This is absolutely horrific, disrespectful behavior that I cannot condone. I have witnessed the name calling. I have witnessed ultra Orthodox, Haredi Jews throwing stones at passing taxis on Shabbat (for those who keep Shabbat, it is a sin to drive). This behavior must stop. It is far from holy.
That said, I also know personally Christian groups that are missionary groups. My old California neighbors, Mike and Maureen, lovely people really, are devout non-denominational evangelical Christians. The last time I was back ‘home’ Mike was telling me of their last Holy Land trip and how he and the others took every opportunity to “witness” to their waiters, tour guides, bus drivers, hotel staff, all the Jewish and Muslim people they encountered along the way to tell them about the love of Jesus and the way of salvation.
I know many of these groups mean well and are acting from their heartfelt beliefs, but in Israel as in other countries, the culture must be respected. You do not witness or evangelize Jews, especially the young. It is just not allowed. In Saudi Arabia one must sign a non-proselytizing agreement as well as a modesty agreement before entering. In going to India, under the Foreigners Act, one signs a contract when getting an entrance visa that he/she will honor the Hindu and Sikh peoples. It is against the law there to proselytize. Here in Israel, the Mormons wanted to build a huge research and media center in Jerusalem (1986). Before they were granted that right by the State of Israel, they had to sign a contract saying they would not send missionaries out in any form to convert the Israeli peoples (Jews, Christians, Muslim or Druze) to the Latter Day Saints faith. It’s just the way it is here. Respect it.
Christian tourism provides our lifeblood here in Israel. We love the Christian pilgrims. Our service industry is geared towards tourism. The Israeli Antiquities Authority are tasked with the privilege of preserving both the Jewish and the Christian archaeological sites, and sites of historical preservation are cared for lovingly. It is part of our shared heritage. All places of worship whether synagogue, church or mosque are considered sacred and not to be touched (unless they are harboring terrorists or serving nefarious purposes).
Late last week, Ambassador Huckabee delivered a harsh warning to the Israeli government. It came out of the blue. He threatened in a letter to the Interior Minister, Moshe Arbel, (letter and response leaked to The Times of Israel) expressing “great distress” and “deep disappointment” over the way Israel handles its tourist visa applications for Christian organizations. (This is NOT every individual Christian tourist, but actual ministries who book large tour groups. This point is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for Mr. Huckabee to understand). “Unfortunately, if the Israeli government continues to cause bureaucratic harassment, I will have no choice but to instruct our consular department to explore the possibility of reciprocal treatment of Israeli citizens applying for visa to the United States (clarification: this is NOT for US passport holders),” he stated.
The Interior Ministry launched investigation into several Evangelical groups, namely the Baptist Conference and the Christian Missionary Alliance because the trips were less about pilgrimage than evangelization to the Jews. I personally think this rebuke was very harsh of the Ambassador and could have been handled in a more discreet manner, and I also believe an amicable conclusion can be reached. Any visitor will just sign an agreement not to proselytize ‘the natives’ out of respect to the culture while on a trip to Israel.
Now for the headline, the one I am sick about having to report. I in no way want to come out against Catholics. Some of my closest family members and dearest friends and neighbors are Catholic. My bonds with people of the Catholic faith run very deep. Until very recently, I have remained silent. I have spoken extensively about this distressing matter with one of my best friends here in Israel who actually works in association with the Latin Catholic Patriarchate and Greek Orthodox Patriarch. So my information is more than reliable.
Since the onset of the war between Israel and Hamas, since 9 October, 2023, the Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa has been no friend to Israel. My husband and I have met him personally on several occasions and he seems like a genuinely nice man and a good listener (he had expressed interest in our Aliyah experience back when he was just a Bishop). I have interviewed him for an American magazine.
Yesterday, I wrote of how the Christians in ”Palestine” aka Judaea and Samaria and especially in East Jerusalem are surrounded by Muslims. They are inundated with hatred towards the Jews as killers of their Messiah and as occupiers of their indigenous land. The Greek Orthodox stand notoriously against the Jewish people, siding with Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and radical Islamists. On the other side of the coin, many of the religious Jewish people have both a fear and harbor an animosity against Christians, Catholics in particular. I discussed this yesterday. It is a huge fault and rupture here in what is supposed to be the Holy Land, and the City of Peace. And as I said, no country is perfect, and Israel surely has its share of problems and faults…. From all sides.
Cardinal Pizzaball’s closest aides and associates in the clergy come from the antizionism and extreme antisemitic ilk. He is ina political tight spot as he is the head of all Latin Rite Catholic Churches in the Holy Land, Jordan. and Syria, as well as being promoted to other positions of high honor within the church. He is surrounded by those who are not favorable toward the Israeli government or the Jews.
In his correspondence to the late Pope Francis and in his statements to the world, Cardinal Pizzaballa from the beginning has been hostile to Israel and to “the Israeli army.” Unfortunately, he has not called out Hamas or their atrocities. He has failed to recognize the delivering of humanitarian aid or the lengths that the IDF takes in order to prevent civilian casualties in a close-range, densely-packed urban war. Unfortunately, the Cardinal does not seem to recognize the fight between good and evil. Over the past two years (almost), when something bad happens in Gaza (and now in Judaea and Samaria), it is always the fault of Israel. Always. You can read all the press releases as well as see videos and transcripts of church services on lpj.org.
Cardinal Pizzaballa as well as the international media, both rely on the word and the statistics of the Gaza Health Ministry, a propaganda arm of Hamas. They often jump to negative conclusions and are quick to swallow and regurgitate news as it comes from the Islamist perspective. There is no reason, evaluation or investigation into many of the alleged accusations against Israel: a tank firing on Holy Family Church in the winter of 2024; the bombing by the IDF of a Catholic School – which was actually harboring four known Hamas commandos. They were all shot, but sadly the school (St. Joseph) was very badly damaged. No students or staff were present. I covered this last year.
This brings us to the Holy Family Church disaster just last week. To begin with, for weeks prior, the IDF had been calling upon all remaining innocent civilians to leave the area (Shejaya-Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, a mixed Christian and Muslim neighborhood) which had the Greek Orthodox and a Baptist Church as well as a non-denominational church and the LatinRite Catholic church -Holy Family. The parishioners have never heeded the warning to evacuate . It had become an active war zone as announced. The Catholic parishioners and others had taken up shelter in the church as a place of sanctuary.
The Israeli army does no target or single out any place of worship to fire upon. This was suggested by Michael Knowles, Taylor Marshall, Candace Owens and others: that the IDF acts in retaliation or revenge against accusations of settler and IDF violence in “the Israeli occupied territories.” This, in itself, is ludicrous.
I am now going to purposely nitpick in order to show you how quickly a news story develops and how false information is propagated. Please bear with me as it is important to see and understand. Some of the news is true, others false, but nonetheless, there are reports without verification.
First, last Thursday morning, the Holy Family Catholic Church was hit by the IDF. Some news outlets were quick to call it an air strike. Other reputable sources classified it as a drone attack on the church that killed many people seeking refuge inside the church.
Vatican sources reported it, at first as “a raid on the church” then soon after as “the only Catholic Church in the Gaza Strip was hit by a tank this morning.” The news was quick to be disseminated without full knowledge of the facts. The loss of life and damage to the church is horrific and grievous. I am not trying to minimize it. The loss of innocent life is horrible. Three people died from their injuries.
In one of his first press releases, Pizzaballa stated “The Latin Patriarchate strongly condemns this tragedy and targeting (emphasis mine) of innocent civilians and of a sacred place.” This word is nothing short of incendiary. The word targeting carries with it implications that the mortar was fired purposely at the Christians.
emphasis. He also called the strike “humanly and morally unjustified.” In Vatican News Pizzaballa made the statement “What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says ‘by mistake’, but we are not sure about this, they hit the church directly, the Church of the Holy Family.” He makes assumptions about the validity of a mistake. This throws doubt on the entire situation and the many comments in the comment section below questioned the morality of the Israeli army and its government. Even more antisemitic vitriol followed in the comments.
Pope Leo also expressed his sympathy…and outrage…of the situation calling for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid/rescue mission. He spoke by phone on Friday with Netanyahu. He was right to call and to voice his “concern about the tragic situation and the urgent need to protect places of worship and, especially, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel.” Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his regrets and condolences, saying a thorough look at what led up to the morning’s events and the strike itself was under investigation.
Later, the IDF issued a release stating that there was stray mortar fire from a tank in the area and that it was a complete and tragic accident. Now for a very important clarification. It is a war. And not to make excuses, but to give viable explanations and alternatives, accidents do happen. Earlier last week there was another tragic tank accident in Gaza. 5 Israeli soldiers died inside their tank. They were burned to death, a most horrible way to go. It was first listed as an RPG strike from a Hamas terrorist. On closer inspection (reports are filed with every mission, every shot, every incident) it was discovered that there were no external tears, punctures or ruptures to the outer shell of the tank. The turret somehow misfired, causing the mortar to explode internally. It was an accident. Sometimes, parts don’t work the way they were designed. It is unfortunate, but accidents happen.
In a statement the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported: “An initial inquiry into reports regarding injured individuals in the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, suggests that fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly. The cause of the incident is under review. The IDF directs its strikes solely at military targets and makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them,” the statement added.
As I have said, any loss of innocent life is a tragedy, but think about this: Israel flew over 300 sorties in Iran in 12 days, hitting every single target. They have bombed Hizbulla strongholds I Lenpbanon, weapons depots in Syria, the Houthi port in Yemen. When Israel strikes a TARGETED area more than likely, they do not miss. If they were actually targeting the church, it would be obliterated today. Daily Mass has been held inside the church and Pizzaballa attended last Sunday’s Mass in Gaza City in solidarity. I’m glad the church was not destroyed (contrary to what Taylor Marshall, michael Knowles and other pundits have said)- the church bells still ring out and the interior is completely intact.
But admissions of regret have not satisfied the grieving Catholic community, which has amplified its calls for a ceasefire. President Trump as well as other world leaders (Italy’s Meloni, UK’s Starmer and Macron of France among other heads of state) called Netanyahu to express their concern and outrage, calling for an immediate”end to all hostilities.” I am reprinting an article that appeared first in The Pillar, a Catholic news outlet. It was then picked up by mainstream media as well as other Christian outlets.
Pope Leo XIV and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem have strongly condemned the shelling Thursday of the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza.
While the Israeli government has said that tank fire on the Gaza parish on July 17 was not deliberate, Cardinal Pierrebattista Pizzaballa has expressed doubts.
Sources close to the patriarchate’s chancery told The Pillar Thursday that some officials believe the strike could be a deliberate act of retaliation, after Christian leaders recently condemned Israeli settler attacks on a West Bank Christian town.
Israel’s foreign ministry said in a social media post that “Israel expresses deep sorrow over the damage to the Holy Family Church in Gaza City and over any civilian casualty.”
“The IDF is examining this incident, the circumstances of which are still unclear, and the results of the investigation will be published transparently.”
Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site or to uninvolved civilians,” the statement said.
But Cardinal Pizzaballa expressed doubt.
“What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this, they hit the church directly, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin Church.”
“We don’t have complete information about what has happened in Gaza today because the communication in Gaza is not that simple,” the cardinal added.
Sources close to the Patriarchate chancery told The Pillar that internally Church authorities were considering the possibility that the tank attack was a direct response to a recent meeting of Christian leaders in the West Bank town of Taybeh on Monday, and a statement that accused the Israeli authorities of facilitating attacks on local Christians.
Taybeh has been the site of several recent attacks by Israeli settlers on local Christians, including a recent arson attack. In a joint statement during the visit, the cardinal and the Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III said that they “call for these radicals to be held accountable by the Israeli authorities, who facilitate and enable their presence around Taybeh.”
At the very best, giving the Cardinal the benefit of the doubt, this is careless and inflammatory wording. At worst it causes antiIsraeli…namely anti Jewish thought and in turn hatred. It is absolutely reckless to say this even after a report of stray shrapnel and cause as accidental and apologies issued. At worst, and I do dare say this, it is bearing false witness.
A joint conference will be held tomorrow at 11 am with the Cardinal/Patriarchate and Patriarch at Norte Dame Church in Jerusalem at 11:00 am.
One more additional bit of information. I contacted a Catholic priest in Beersheva (closest parish to Gaza) who said that even though some of the wounded went to a hospital within Gaza, “the IDF transported several of the wounded from the church in Gaza City to the hospital in Ashdod to treat them.” The father above and another parishioner from the Beersheva community who speaks Arabic went to visit the wounded in the hospital and to pray with them.” Where else is there an army that takes people from an enemy zone and treats them in their own hospitals, even if they are innocent civilians?
To wrap up, why all this? Why is this important? Because AlJazeera (Qatar) and CAIR among other Islamist organizations have taken this material and pushed it to the global media. They demand accountability and justice from the Israelis. The purpose is to cast doubt in the minds of not only political leaders, but the general public…most notably Christians, who have largely been the largest supporters of Israel outside the Jewish communities. And we see this unfolding at an alarming pace – from Colbert and Kimmel to Benny Johnson and Joe Rogan from Marco Rubio to Maat Gaetz. There’s a lot of false assumptions without digging for truth that are leading to loss of support for Israel and a rise in hatred of the Jewish people.
I know this has been a particularly long (but important) post. I do leave you with this very short, spot-on explanatory video of exactly what is happening. It is by my good friend, Avbi Abelow, who I will be meeting with in person next week.
It looks like the prophecy that Israel will be a nation that stands alone is coming to pass as support is waning and accusations rise.
If you find this informative or just interesting, please share this information with others – friends, neighbors, parishioners, church groups or anyone who seeks the truth. Thank you.
Last night I checked my email, my social media and my messages. Something I do right after Shabbat ends. And I had no less than seven people ask me “What the F*@% is going on with Israel?” And “Can you explain what is happening???” And “I used to think Israel was the good guys. I’ve now changed my opinion.” That last comment was from an old friend who was totally understanding and supportive. Now, not so sure. And six people sent me this one video (out of four video clips and several articles, I still haven’t opened some of the posts):
Pretty damning, no? Especially if you don’t know any of the background. (We subscribe to The Daily Wire among many other media outlets, just to let you know). When I listened to this the first time I was very shocked – and upset. My husband, John, who if you know him, is never wrankled, easy going, always joking, was hopping mad. HIS comments:
“ They never ever tell you what leads up to these stories.
There is never ever any reporting about the other side.
The stories are always piecemeal, ugly sound bytes without any context.
These so-called journalists and podcasters never seem to take extra time to research a story – they just parrot anti-Israel propaganda.
And some of Israel’s biggest supporters are Americans and the Christian community. If they can cast doubt with these people by throwing shade on Israel or the IDF, they can split and weaken the community and thereby win.”
First, let me start by saying I spent last week and this morning calling and talking to people who I know have expertise. Several don’t have a stake in the game, so to speak. They are foreigners who live and work here as observers, as aides, as clergy, as humanitarian aid workers. I also know soldiers serving in Gaza, in Judaea and Samaria and in the Golan. They have first hand information. And I speak with people living in Judaea and Samaria (West Bank) who see and guard and know about the area and what is happening. Some I can mention by name, others like specific soldiers, I cannot.
Let us start with what is happening in Syria. As you heard from Mr. Knowles, Israel is now “occupying Southern Syria.” No context. No backstory…please see my last post for the Syria story!! The IDF is in no way occupying Syria. The backstory:
Last Sunday, a Christian jeweler and successful businessman from Hasakah, Syria, George Ishoh, was shot in the back of the head outside his home as he was leaving for Church. Masked men came to his house to shoot him in front of family and neighbors as a warning sign. He had refused to pay the Jizya, a tax imposed upon ‘Infidels’ aka non-Muslims. He had been given the choice to convert to the Muslim religion or pay over $300,000 US dollars; he did neither. So he was assassinated. Mr. Ishoh died shortly after neighbors rushed him to the hospital.
Syrian Christian martyr, George Ishoh
His murder highlights the ongoing lawlessness, religious persecution and security collapse in Syria, especially in Christian and Druze areas. There is a dramatic escalation in violence since alJawlani/alSharaa came to power. Just the week previous, 27 young people were killed in the firebombing of the Mar Elias Church in Damascus. Last week the Mar Michael and Mar Charbel churches were looted and burned in southern Syria. The government is much to blame as it is the new army that is now leading attacks.
Last week a Druze elder was given the option to convert or die. A Syrian rebel in the armed forces posted a video in which he states:: “A message to the Druze pigs. Get out of Jeramana. Take your children out of the universities. Get out from among the Sunni Muslims. We are warning you for the second and third time. Leave from any place where there are Sunnis. Your problem is not only with the Syrian people. You have made two, three billion Muslims your enemies (The Druze support Israel, my clarification). You are outcasts. You are hated wherever you go. You will be trampled on. Let Israel save you, you thugs, inshallah. He who warns is excused. So you don’t say the Sunnis betrayed us. You are warned. Because we will not have mercy on you. You know what will happen when we catch a Druze in our hands. Your problem is huge with the Muslims. Let Israel save you. You pigs. We swear by Allah, the lord of all creation. Wherever we will see a Druze,we will chop his head off. A child will be burned like a Jew. You are no different from the Israeli dogs. All of your heads are wanted. Allahu ahkbar.” (This was interpreted for me and sent to me by a retired Arab Christian colonel in the IDF who could translate the Arabic.)
Last week, the Syrian forces with tanks, RPGs, guns and machetes raided Suweida province, made up mostly of minority Druze, Greek Orthodox, Latin Rite and Maronite Christians who have tried to live there peacefully for centuries. I have never shown any graphic footage on this blog, because I know some of my readers are easily offended. But last week over 130 Christians and over 350 Druze were massacred. Warning: SENSITIVE CONTENT!! I hope it was not already taken down.
The global media refused to cover this. This is the face of genocide. This is TARGETED killing. No one came to their help, but Israel. The IDF went in, boots on the ground after targeted warning airstrikes on the gates of the Defense Department building in Damascus. Also, the grounds of the royal palace was hit, causing alJawlani/alSharaa to run to Turkey. He then left his younger brother-in-law, an ‘ex’ ISIS (Daesh) commando. Supposedly a ceasefire was agreed upon, but the Muslims started attacking again with even more force. IDF airstrikes directly hit convoys of tanks and pickup trucks carrying RPGs, militants and weapons.
The Syrian forces under the new command were told to spare no one. The Bedouins and other Islamic splinter groups capitalized on this and started kidnapping young Druze and Christian children to sell as slaves on the black market. Women were beheaded. Christian men were ordered to jump from a building at gunpoint.
A hospital in Suweida was attacked. It was run by and serviced mostly Christians and Druze. Last Thursday, the ISIS come Syrian army invaded the grounds and shot everyone. Every patient in their bed. Every doctor, nurse and orderly. This from the Voice of Israeli Christian Eagles:
The U.S. got involved as intermediary, telling the Israelis to hold off, that there will be a ceasefire mediated in Turkey. Israel said in essence, “but they’re killing our Druze and Christian brothers in Syria. It’s a total bloodbath.” And Israel did not listen to US advice to stay apart and not get involved. The IDF and many Israeli Druze entered Suweida on Thursday evening to encircle it and cut off the Syrian army which still controls about 30% of the northern region. Supposedly a ceasefire has been reached. In the meantime, gross looting of the Christian and Druze property is occurring.
Israel is neither colonizing nor occupying territory. The IDF went in to stop the massacre. No other country would come to their aid. Israel does not want another 7 October with innocents to the East being mercilessly slaughtered by Islamic extremists, whether they be ISIS or Hamas. There is now talk of bringing these Druze and Christians into the north of Israel as refugees. It remains an ongoing story, but now you know the context.
Now for the “West Bank” balagan, also called by mainstream media and global politicians “settler violence.” I will try not to continually make excuses for Israel. We have good people who do good things, and thugs who are rabble-rousers, just like in any other country. This country is no different. There are myriad problems governmentally, religiously, societally, legally and militarily. First, the label settler. When you think of settler- primitive squatter and rustic pioneer comes to mind. Not permanence. Not modernity. Not civilized. Much of the ‘settlements are entire cities with full services, shopping malls, theatres and schools, sports facilities and synagogues.
Without going into too much detail of 100+ years of history, the West Bank occupies about 1/3 of the land mass inside Israel. It has been broken up into Areas A, B, and C. Area C is controlled by Israel and under IDF protection. Area B is mixed, Jewish and Palestinian (both Christian and Muslim) and area A is off limits to Jews under threat of death. It is completely governed by the Palestinian Authority. I cannot enter.
Much of Area C is made up of large thriving Jewish communities like Efrat, Maale Adumim and Tekoa. These areas make up the ancient Biblical area of Judaea (hence the word Jew…someone originally from Judaea and the tribe of Judah) and Samaria. The ‘settlements’ are scattered between Arab territory…Bedouin, Palestinian Muslims and Christian. Please watch this thorough explanatory video – it’s current and the best I’ve seen because it covers all sides. It’s 22 minutes, so….
About two and a half weeks ago there was an incident which involved Christians and the Jewish settlers in the area, a predominantly Christian city. I was sent the following article and asked for comments.
Priests of West Bank’s only remaining all-Christian town issue urgent appeal against Israeli settler violence
The three priests of Taybeh in the West Bank issued an urgent appeal for justice this week after Israeli settlers reportedly escalated their acts of violence and intimidation against Christians in the region’s only remaining all-Christian town.
“We, the priests of the three churches of Taybeh — the Greek Orthodox Church, the Latin Church, and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church — raise our voices on behalf of the people of our town and our parishioners to strongly condemn the ongoing and grave series of attacks targeting Taybeh,” the three pastors wrote in a letter.
Fathers Daoud Khoury (Orthodox), Jack-Nobel Abed (Melkite Catholic), and Bashar Fawadleh (Latin Rite Catholic) published the powerful letter just after alarming reports of a July 7 arson attack on the town’s most sacred holy site. The settlers “deliberately set fire near the town’s cemetery and the historic Church of Saint George (Al-Khadr), dating back to the 5th century — one of the oldest religious landmarks in Palestine,” the priests wrote.
“As priests, we bear a pastoral and moral responsibility toward our community,” the letter stated. “We cannot remain silent in the face of these relentless attacks that threaten our very existence on this land.”
The letter went on to call on “local and international actors — especially consuls, ambassadors, and church representatives around the world,” to support Taybeh in four ways:
1. Launch an immediate and transparent investigation into the incidents of arson and the ongoing assaults on property, agricultural land, and holy sites.
2. Apply diplomatic pressure on the occupying authorities to halt settler actions and prevent them from entering or grazing in Taybeh’s lands.
3. Dispatch international and church delegations to conduct field visits, document the damages, and bear witness to the deteriorating reality on the ground.
4. Support the people of Taybeh through economic and agricultural initiatives, and strengthen their resilience with effective legal accompaniment.
The priests also explained the great cultural significance the town ought to hold for Christians everywhere. Taybeh is not only the Holy Land’s “last remaining entirely Christian town” but is even mentioned in Scripture, the pastors pointed out. Taybeh is “known in the Gospel as ‘Ephraim,’ the place to which Jesus withdrew before His Passion (John 11:54).”
One resident told CatholicVote last month that his family’s roots in Taybeh go back at least five centuries. Others can trace their lineage much further back.
The town’s “wholly Christian population represents a unique presence in the region,” the priests’ letter asserted, “a living testimony that dates back to the time of Christ” and has been “preserved faithfully by the people of Taybeh across generations….”
That legacy “is now at serious risk of erosion and displacement due to the systematic targeting of land, sacred places, and the local community,” they warned.
Monday’s arson attacks were only the latest dramatic escalation in a series of aggressive actions on the part of Jewish settlers. As CatholicVote reported June 30, locals told CatholicVote that settler attacks have been occurring with increasing regularity, including physical violence against Christian residents and their homes. They also complained that Israeli soldiers often stand by passively, allegedly facilitating settler violence rather than policing it.
“These assaults threaten the security and stability of our town and aim at undermining the dignity of [Taybeh’s] residents and the sanctity of its sacred land,” the three priests stated.
The priests also confirmed what other locals have reported to CatholicVote: that Jewish settlements have encroached further and further into the Christian town, serving as bases from which settlers have worked to damage farmlands and destroy businesses vital to the local economy.
“In a scene that has become provocatively routine, settlers continue to graze their cattle in Taybeh’s agricultural lands, including family-owned fields and areas near residential homes, without deterrence or intervention from the authorities,” the priests pointed out. “These violations go beyond provocation; they cause direct harm to olive trees — a vital source of livelihood for the people of Taybeh — and prevent farmers from accessing and cultivating their land.”
The “illegal settlement outposts” in the eastern part of the town operate “under military protection,” the priests stated. “These outposts serve as a base for further assaults on the land and its people.”
“We believe that the Holy Land cannot remain alive without its indigenous people,” they concluded. “Forcibly removing farmers from their land, threatening their churches, and encircling their towns is a wound to the living heart of this nation. Yet we remain steadfast in our shared faith and hope that truth and justice will ultimately prevail.”
Fr. Fawadleh told CatholicVote over the phone in late June that “more than 140 families” have recently fled the West Bank in the midst of pressure from settler groups and local officials.
“In Taybeh we are also bleeding from emigration,” he said, noting that 10 families have left the town in the last two years.
“We have to stop this bleeding,” he said
I know there is settler violence, which I can in no way condone. I know there is a group of young, ultra religious and ultra nationalistic men called ‘The Hilltop Gang” whose acts I do not support at all. But I also know of first hand accounts from both Jewish people and Christians living in the area. Two things seem to be repeated in the stories. First, the instigators tend to be Bedouins and militant Islamists, Palestinians who wish to have the entire area free from Infidels, both Jews and Christians. They are usually funded and egged on by progressive leftists and communists (the free Palestine/From the River to the Sea folk) from the United States. Both Jewish leftist organizations and woke academia.
Second, there is no love lost between the Jewish population and the Christian population in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Neither group for the most part likes or supports the other. Many Jews lump all Arabs together as terrorists, which is not true. It is a stereotype and ignorance of ethnicities. On the other hand, many Christians (my husband and I have had long conversations with more than a few) believe the old libel that the Jews killed their Messiah. They have lived among the Muslims long enough to absorb their stories (one being ‘The Protocols of the Elders of Zion’) and believe all Jews are occupying their ancestral land. It is a real poverty.
In addition, the Christians who live among the Muslims are being persecuted, having to pay protection money on threat of death, the jizya tax as we saw above. THAT is the real reason why so many Christians flee to other lands which they feel are safer. Away from Israel. Apart from Islamic terror. The IDF won’t get involved because they cannot legally do so when the area is under control of the Palestinian Authority. It is easier for the Christians to blame “Israel” than to tell the truth. If they spoke out against the Islamists (not all Muslims are radicalized), they would be flying from a rooftop somewhere.
(This is footage from Syria. The Christian’s are being forced off rooftops at gunpoint. This is true ethnic cleansing. This is the face of true evil. Sent from the Israeli Christians)
On Thursday, I called Luke Hilton of The Israel Guys. The Waller and Hilton families are American Christians who have set up residence in Samaria (West Bank) to help the settlers living there agriculturally; to promote Israeli products; to bring volunteers from abroad to help with planting and harvest, especially now when many reservists have been called up; and to broadcast the news of what really happens.
Luke wrote in response to my email to him:
Hi Tamar,
Thanks for reaching out to me again. We would be happy to help you with any information that we can.
I think you are mixing two stories from this week – the Taybe story is that Jewish settlers set fire to a Christian cemetery – the real story is that an Arab Bedouin set fire to a Jewish farm near Taybe. The Jewish farmer and others came to put out the blaze, and called the police. Unfortunately, the fire spread to a nearby Christian cemetery near Taybe. There was recorded collateral damage. The international press picked up the story and again labeled it settler violence.
The other incident happened near Ma’ale Levona – I still don’t have a lot of information, but yes, it appears that the American who was killed was a card-carrying Hamas member. Your information was correct. I’ll get back to you when I know more.
Let me know what other information you’re looking for. Hope to see you again soon.
Luke
According to both police reports from the Binyamina area as well as an eyewitness account, a spokesperson from the Binyamina Regional Council, there were three organized groups of Arabs (Bedouin and Palestinian Muslims) were heckling a group of Jewish shepherds. Video evidence shows this to be true. A fire was set deliberately to farmland and grazing pastures owned by Jews. The farm owner and the young shepherds called for help while trying to extinguish the blaze. Unfortunately, high winds picked up and the fire spread until it reached a Christian cemetery at Taybe. This news story was exploited by the activists who were among the rabble rousers and by the various Christian clerics who were all too quick to blame the settlers. Police reports show the farm owner had filed three previous complaints regarding arson attacks on his fields.
The story from mainstream outlets and the Catholic media was grossly misrepresented, but it does not stand alone. Just a few days prior, Israeli sources uncovered what was reported as a violent clash between the settlers and the Palestinians in Sinjil an Arab village near Ma’ale Levona. In what was later confirmed as a carefully orchestrated ambush, Palestinian terrorists armed with large rocks and concrete cinderblocks, slingshots and Molotov cocktails staged a roadblock intended to the Jewish settlers to defend themselves. Of course, this did happen: Jewish settlers came out to defend the road and their properties. Calls for help were made, leading to the IDF stepping in (it took place in area B, a mixed area where the Israeli army is allowed to operate in cases of violence or acts of terror are reported). Unfortunately shots were fired. A Jewish teen was severely injured. In addition two Arab youth were later found dead. One was a young Florida man. His death resulted from a sharp blow to the head.
According to his mother living in Tampa, her son, a young man from the States was visiting his Palestinian relatives “to experience their culture and to learn what the Palestinians are going through.” His father recounted their last phone conversation when his son said he wanted to take over the family ice cream shop when he returned, and that he had plans to marry and start a family. 20 year old, Sayfollah Musallet, was “beaten to death by the Jews. Those settlers. He was killed in cold blood. He was just gagging because of the pain from the beating,” his uncle Hesam Musallet recalled. Hiba Rahum, the deputy executive director of CAIR (Council of American Islamic Relations) in Florida called on Gov. Desantis to “remove the curtain of deception from its (the government’s) eyes and demand a stance. A full investigation of the heinous murder needs to take place. Justice needs to be served.” So both Desantis and President Trump along with Secretary of State Rubio and US Ambassador to Israel became involved.
Here is the rest of the story from Luke Hilton’s Younger brother, now a reporter on “The Israel Guys.”
Musallet was a card carrying member of Hamas. I have verified this from four separate sources. He is now being hailed as a victim and a martyr killed by settler violence, when in fact, we don’t know the story in full.
This is just part of the story. It’s taken me over 6 hours to research and put together this blogpost. The rest of the story – what has happened in Gaza with the Holy Family Church incident and other news I shall cover in tomorrow’s post. I hope this answers some of your questions. Just remember, it is always reported that Israel is evil. Israel controls the world. Israel is the perpetrator of all the world’s problems.
Please don’t believe everything you read or hear. There’s a lot of fake news and you must really dig to uncover the truth. It gets hidden a lot. Please don’t fall for conspiracy theories. World War III was not started when Israel bombed Iraq. The States are not being dragged into endless wars where Israel is concerned. The IDF are not hell-bent genocidal monsters. Conspiracy theories are not always true. If Israel really did rule the world there would not be pumpkin spice hummus or blueberry bagels.
Can the leopardchange its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil. – Jeremiah 13:23
Several months ago Syrian President Bashar alAssad was deposed by Ahmad alSharaa. The new president has been seen in the most prestigious of political circles and recently met with President Trump in Saudi Arabia. President al Sharaa wants to normalize relations with Israel and enter into the Abraham Accords. He seeks full recognition of the new, more peaceful, reformed Syrian government….or so he says.
But who is alSharaa anyway? And why is any of this important? Going back to his youth, alSharaa was born in Syria on the East side of the Golan Heights mountain range, the border of Israel. It is inhabited mostly by Druze, Christians and Bedouins. In 2003, during the war in Iraq, he joined the rebel forces fighting US troops. He successfully implemented and took part in attacks on US military bases. Captured by the Americans as a terrorist, he spent time in the notorious Abu Ghraib Prison where he became even more radicalized upon meeting the notorious alBagdadi.
In the early 2000s, the radical Islamic extremists of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS or Daesh)under al Bagdadi (remember these names? they come back to haunt it seems) grew out an alQaeda splinter group (splitters!) In 2011, the popular peoples’ front uprising (this just sounds more and more like Monty Python, but it’s true) against the Alawhite Regime (Assad) deteriorated into Syria’s long civil war.
al Sharaa, who changed his name to Muhammad alJawlani, was chosen by alBagdadi to lead the Nusra Front, a break off of alQaeda. Splitting off from that, he formed an ISIS faction (remember them? The Jayvee Team?). During a BBC interview in 2014, with face completely covered by his kheffiyeh, his stated goals were “to completely cleanse the country (Syria) of all Alawhite, Shiite, Druze and Christian minorities.”
His rebel group split off again (do you see a pattern of tribal infighting, confusion, intolerance and disagreement here?) now calling themselves Jabhat Fateh alSham (the Syrian Conquest Front). al Sharaa tried to consolidate all the splintered- fighting groups into one larger force. One that would be more effective in vanquishing the Alawhite Assad government in Damascus. By this time he was on one of the most wanted terrorist hit lists in the United States.
Fast forward to 2025 because this just gets so confusing. The jihadist forces finally organized and armed to the hilt with Taliban procured American weapons, took Syria city by city until they reached and surrounded the Presidential Palace in Damascus. Bashar Assad and his family fled to Russia. The government was toppled. The rebels were now in charge. But this would not do on the global scene. What to do?
AlJawlani decided to shed the jihadist look and trade out his warlord persona for a more refined, more Westernized version of himself. He underwent a “radical makeover” cutting his hair and donning a suit and tie. Of course, this plus another name change back to alSharaa made him a completely new person. Not only did he change his clothes and his name, but his whole outlook on governance shifted radically. Gone was the terrorist. Gone was the warlord. Gone was the radical jihadist hell bent on massacring infidels.
In recent interviews, he actually renounced some of the more strict Muslim law,s calling for tolerance and peace. He was standing for the people of Syria and for pluralism. He completely disavowed his involvement with any former terror groups and announced a new springtime for his homeland. “Sectarian extremism must be eliminated. No group can cancel another,” alSharaa stated in a May, 2025 interview with Newsweek. “Everyone must have rights protected by law.”
Thank goodness Israel had the foresight to make precision strikes by air on the many weapons storage warehouses and facilities outside Damascus and throughout Syria. The weapons from the fallen Assad regime (rockets, missiles, RPGs along with guns and ammo) were supplied by Iran and Russia. Also, remember all the American weapons left behind in Afghanistan? Much of the equipment and arms were sold to highest bidders after they were confiscated by the Taliban. A lot of those American made weapons went to Syria. Israel could not let all of this fall into the hands of evil terrorists, so they have been taking out the supply hit by hit all through this year. The IDF also blew up all their planes (Syrian Air Force) and their bases and runways along with the air defense/radar systems.
Just one month ago, President alSharaa met with President Trump in an effort to legitimize himself and his new administration. The U.S. removed the bounty on his head and reported that all talks have been productive. All sanctions against Syria were lifted.
But can a leopard change its spots? Does a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Can a radicalized jihadist change into a suit and transform into a justice loving protector of minorities over night? Will the Western world buy off on this charade? What is really going on in Syria this week?
Reports of how it started are conflicting. Three days ago U.S. Ambassador to Syria and Turkey, Thomas Barrack, stated that there should be no separate Kurdish, Druze, Alawhite or Christian entities in the region. In other words, minorities should submit to alJawlani and his forces, in lieu of autonomy. It could be that shortly after that alJawlani/alSharaa’s army took advantage of Barrack’s words. Some say the Bedouins began to cause riots in the al Sueida province of Syria. Others say it was the new Syrian government forces that invaded. Either way the two groups came together to commit ethnic cleansing and genocide in alSueida.
This remote area about 40 miles east of the Israeli border is home to a Druze and Christian minority. They have lived there for hundreds of years. They have lived quietly and peaceably, avoiding conflict during the Syrian Civil Wars.
Yesterday, I began to receive the most severe and barbarous footage since 7 October. The Syrian now called “pro al-jawlani” fighters looted and burned the Greek Orthodox Church of San Michel in alSurah alKabira, in Sueida. Numerous Christians, men, women and children have been slaughtered. So far the count is at least 30 dead and 54 injured. Another Greek Orthodox Church was also looted and burned.
Syrian jihadist forces massacred an estimated 350 Druze in Syria in the past few days. Using the most brutal tactics of tying up the elders and shaving off their mount aches as a degradation; forcing them to crawl like animals and bark like dogs; beating and kicking them; cutting them with shattered glass bottles and other acts of violence. Women have been taken and gang raped. Young girls are being raped in front of their mothers and then killed. They are then shot or stabbed to death.
The main city is alSweida, which is one of the only two places in Syria where Christians and Druze can live free of Sharia law. The other one is smaller, on the eastern slope of Mt. Hermon on the Golan. Daesh or ISIS tactics are being used in Sueida. It is absolute barbarity.
Israel Defense Minister, Yisrael Katz, stated: “ The time for warnings is over. Damascus will now feel the consequences.” Israel immediately responded. Netanyahu and Katz both publicly committed to defending Syria’s Druze. Since yesterday afternoon, the IDF has been relentlessly striking the Syrian army armored vehicles and trucks carrying RPGs, pushing the,pm back, but many jihadists got through. Supposedly the Syrian government called for a ceasefire, but that is yet to be seen. It seems the opposite, that things are rapidly escalating.
On the Israel side, hundreds of Israeli Druze yesterday broke the border fence, rushing it en masse, pouring into Syria to help their brothers and sisters. Israel is home to over 150,000 Druze who feel deep solidarity with their families across the border. Israel’s Druze have called upon the IDF and the Israeli government to intervene. All Israeli Druze men proudly serve in our armed forces. Jews and Druze have an unshakable bond. “They are doing to us what they did to you on October 7,” cried an Israeli Druze elder in Rameh. “A five year old girl was raped and slaughtered. They are burning young children in front of their parents. There is no mercy.” Another Druze preparing to storm the border said to reporters, “Our people are being slaughtered, Israel must help us! I’m going back to fight myself.”
This was the “mildest “ picture I could post without the threat of being removed.
Syria strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on its territory, calling the attacks “treacherous aggression” and a violation of its sovereignty. A U.S. Syria envoy says active talks with Druze, Bedouin and Syrian government along with Israel are currently taking place. They. Hope to ease tensions and restore peace. Netanyahu has called for all Israeli Druze to return home and stay out of the conflict.
Here in the North of Israel, the Druze are striking (as in work forces) and protesting along all the major highways. Roadblocks have been set up along all intersections and traffic is at a standstill throughout the Galilee.
Also this afternoon, the IDF confirms targeting the gates of the Syrian regime’s chief of staff headquarters in Damascus. This is a warning to stop the killing of the minorities of Sueida. In the meantime, now thousands of Druze have broken through IDF barriers at the border (the IDF soldiers are really doing nothing to stop them by way of force) in order to fight the jihadists.
AlJazeera (what do we expect), France and other countries are now condemning Israeli aggression and Israel starting yet another conflagration in the. Idle East. France and the UK have called for an immediate end to the clashes in Suweida.
Always twisted so Israel is the villain
Just a half an hour ago as I write this (the news is coming in so fast from so many direct sources, it’s hard to keep up), the Israeli Defense Minister told the Syrian regime “ gestures are over, now expect painful blows. Druze can count on the IDF. To protect your brothers in Syria.”
U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack has condemned “violence against innocent civilians in Suweida” and calls for “dialogue to achieve a lasting ceasefire.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio says “ the U.S. is very concerned about IDF strikes in Syria.” He has called for an immediate ceasefire from all
Tensions are boiling over on the border. The IDF just reported that dozens of suspects from Syria tried to infiltrate Israeli territory near the town of Hader. Troops and Border Police were quickly deployed to stop the attempted breach and disperse those involved. At the same time, chaos erupted on the Israeli side as more Druze civilians breached the border fence at Majdal Shams, crossing into Syria. The IDF is currently working to bring them back. “This is a serious incident that constitutes a criminal act and endangers both civilians and IDF forces,” the military warned.
The 98th division of the IDF (paratrooper brigade) has just been issued notice ahead of an operation in Syria and to expect several days of fighting against regime forces in order to protect the Druze. Just now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a national address. “The situation in southwestern Syria is very dangerous. The DF is operating. The Air Force is operating. We are operating to save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the regime’s forces. And now I have a request for you. You are citizens of Israel. Do not cross the border. You are endangering your lives; you can be murdered, you can be kidnapped, and you are harming the efforts of the IDF. Therefore, I ask you to return to your homes and let the IDF operate.”
Why does this matter? Two reasons: Druze are a strategic buffer zone between Israel and deeper parts of Syria. If Sueida falls, Jihadi forces could advance towards the Golan Heights, which would pose a direct threat to Israel. This could potentially destabilize the entire region. It is also about protecting the minority groups and standing up for those who stand for us.
BREAKING 🚨: Syrian media says that a ceasefire has been reached in Sueida, with the government promising to stop their ISIS fighters from slaughtering Christians and Druze. It is reported that Syria plans to annex and incorporate the whole territory under their governmental control and that they now occupy 25% of the Northern and Central parts of the city.
My husband was scouting out many different news outlets for news of the events as they unfolded in Syria. Very few of the articles even mentioned the assaults on the Christian minority. Others had Israel as the aggressor. Several Christian (non-denominational and Catholic) reports of the situation did speak about Christian persecution and murders, but never once mentioned that it was being perpetrated at the hands of Muslims, radical Islamic jihadists whose goal is to ethnically cleanse as in WIPE OUT/ELIMINATE anyone who is not Muslim. The truth needs to get out. The world needs to see, to wake up, to take a stand.
Mazal tov to us! After welcoming a happy, healthy grandchild #7 in late March (we were there in the States), another daughter just had her second last week. That brings the grand total to 8… so far.
Katie’s newest little oneBoth babies born easily and joyfully at home
Up here in the North of Israel things are relatively quiet. The IDF has had to go into southern Lebanon repeatedly to destroy Hizbulla and their weapons caches as they try to rebuild and re-arm. They have broken their side of the ceasefire over and over again despite the established government vowing they would not be allowed to establish a foothold. Yet they keep trying. What else is new? And the army stays entrenched there instead of backing down and allowing another 7 October from the North.
We are still waiting for news of a hostage release and ceasefire in Gaza. Unfortunately Hamas will only allow 10 live and 15 dead captives to be returned. This is out of 50 hostages still being held there. They refuse to disarm. They refuse to relinquish control of the Strip. And they are asking for over 1000 terrorists (convicted) to be released from Israeli prisons. Most people here are hoping the IDF will clear the area of terrorists and somehow retrieve the hostages before hostilities end.
The Houthis in Yemen sank two tankers in the Red Sea last week. One was flying a Liberian flag. The other was from the Balkans. At least 19 crew members were killed from both boats. And these Houthi rebels keep firing on the shipping lanes and sending ICBMs toward Israel. Every day. It never stops. Most fall short or are intercepted before they can reach Israel.
I plan on covering all that’s been going on in Judaea and Samaria (West Bank), but since that is a whole subject in and of itself, I’ll save that for next week. Earlier today, another deadly terror attack happened. This time at the Gush Etzion junction. Two Palestinian terrorists – OK, they were security guards for the PA – opened fire murdering a border control IDF officer, Shalev Zvuluny, z”l. They were quickly neutralized by armed civilians. We’ve just learned those Palestinian Authority Police were trained in Qatar. Does this surprise? These ‘security officers’ of the PA are fully backed by international support as peacekeepers. And there is talk about letting them have control of Gaza after Hamas is removed from power. I don’t think so….
In other news, it’s heavy into the wedding season here. It’s crazy amazing that so many young couples are tying the knot and quickly starting new families. Some would think it counter-intuitive being there is a war going on.
Sapir Cohen was held in Hamas captivity for 55 days.shasha Trouvanov was hostage in Gaza for almost 500 days. They were both taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October, 2023. Yesterday they announced their engagement. From days of darkness to a future filled with light and love, their story is one of strength, hope and love…and the refusal to let evil win. Wish wish them a lifetime of joy and many, many children.
Einat Danino, a 47 year old Orthodox Jewish mother whose son Ori was taken hostage by Hamas and then murdered in captivity, just completed her IDF basic training. She chose to enlist in a special unit for Orthodox women. “It is the most meaningful way to honor my son’s service,” she stated.
A really weird story: Liri Albag, one of the IDF soldier girls who was abducted, spending almost a year and a half in the tunnels of Gaza, went to the US a month ago to meet with the President and other figures was stopped at JFK Airport in NY on her way home. Ironically her name was still on the hostage list due to a computer glitch. She was on some sort of no fly list and held for hours undergoing questioning. The Israeli Consulate stepped in to straighten the matter out… anyway, Liri re-enlisted in the IDF this week to finish up her service. Nothing can keep her down!
Former hostage, Romi Gonen was finally discharged fully from the hospital after 6 months. She was shot in the hand and kidnapped from the Nova festival, then operated on by a veterinarian while in a Gaza hospital. Freed last January, she has undergone two major surgeries at Sheba. She will need one more, scheduled for the upcoming months.
And for the heartbreaking: Avraham Azulay,25, married his childhood sweetheart, Ruth only two months ago. A carpenter and engineer, he built their home by his own hands. Right afterwards he was deployed into a reserve unit in Gaza. He fell heroically fighting the terrorists who ambushed him and tried to take him hostage, Avraham fought them off, however was sadly killed in the battle. Ruth is also mourning a sibling who fell last year.
In addition, 7 more of our soldiers were killed in action in Gaza this week with scores wounded. May their memories be for a blessing and their sacrifice not be in vain.
In the last couple weeks I’ve had several friends share memes and video clips with me that they’ve downloaded from social media. All of them are about top secret classified Mossad developments in military technology: one clip shows a robot army ready to fight any world army; another secret micro bees, flies, roaches and mosquitos equipped with micro cameras. They are able to infiltrate anywhere and can explode on command. How about the dog that brings his master a bone, drops it at his feet, leaves and the bone explodes? There are some other really crazy ones out there. Thing is they are ALL AI generated. Most started circulating around the time of the Hizbulla beepers. Most originally had Hebrew subtitles (now in English and Spanish) and were spoofs. Completely fake. Great deep fakes, but completely untrue untrue nonetheless. So please be careful what you watch and what you believe.
Just think: if Israel could keep the entire beeper and walkie talkie operation under wraps for a decade and if Mossad and the IDF can keep their Iran plans a secret, do you think these top secret videos be leaked to the internet on TikTok or Instagram? Please – as we say in Israel: Don’t be a freier (gullible Gus).
This is the absolute hardest post for me to write. I’ve sat on this subject for over a year and a half now. I hate to make waves. I shun confrontation. I just want to live peacefully, yet I can stay silent no longer. I must face head on the misinformation and downright lies that are pouring from certain media pundits, news outlets and social media influencers, many with huge followings and at least some credibility. It is nothing short of antisemitism veiled under the cover of antizionism and it has become very dangerous.
I know I will upset many people who read this blog. I am pretty sure I will lose some of my subscribers. It is the risk I’m prepared to take. Many of my family and friends in the U.S. are Jewish. I also have very close relatives and very close friends who are Catholic. We enjoy dialogue and intimate friendship. For years in Los Angeles I served on the board of Jewish and Catholic Women United in Dialogue. We had rabbis and priests as our advisory council to help guide us in our communication and understanding of one another’s faiths, cultures and tradition. There was no proselytizing from either side. Deep friendships were formed.
Ever since the 7 October, 2023, and the breach of the Israeli border from Gaza with the rape, torture, murder and kidnapping of innocent men, women and children (not just Jewish people, but Muslims, Christians and foreign workers and exchange students), a deep rift has opened up between many Catholics and Jews. It is a chasm that I hope can be bridged and repaired.
Several Catholic news outlets, media groups which were fair and unbiased, delivering not only church news, but covering international stories, have become completely unbalanced and even unhinged in their coverage of Israel. Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War there has been no mention whatsoever of the fight against good and evil. There has not been any statement that acts of terrorism are wrong. There has been absolutely no condemnation of Hamas, Hizbulla or any other group that not only seek to kill Jewish and Israelis, but hold their own countrymen (the truly innocent Christians) hostage. The stories and editorials have consistently been vehemently anti Zionist regime (a.k.a. Israel, the Jews).
One of the main culprits is LifeSite News. From the very beginning of the war, this once reputable media establishment has become very vocal in its anti Israel reporting. At first, the stories were concerned about the plight of innocent civilians, namely the small Catholic community of the Shejaya neighborhood in Gaza City. They were absolutely correct and upright in their concern over innocent civilians and fellow Catholics trapped in a war zone. However, soon enough, complete fabrications of stories were daily occurrences.
Leading stories include – an IDF tank mortar purposely striking the church; the Christians huddled inside for safety were starving and without electricity and their one small generator would soon have no fuel. Israel intentionally would not allow any humanitarian aid to go through and the parishioners were on the brink of starvation. The IDF assassinated in cold blood a woman parishioner and her mother as they left the church. (Only a partial story: The people were told to remain inside because there would be live fire. The woman was found to be a spotter for Hamas. It was heartbreaking and unfortunate that she was shot. Her daughter had run out to help her and was also shot.) The Holy Family school was completely bombed out by the IDF. (This also was a partial truth. The IDF did bomb, go after and eliminate four high ranking Hamas commanders as they hid inside the school attached to the church. Terrorists used it as a base to fire from, and they refused to come out. There actually was an admission by the Patriarch, and the question begs as to why armed terrorists were allowed to seek a hiding place inside the premises?)
Many of the stories proved highly exaggerated at best. In most cases they were completely fabricated. There were feature stories, op eds and news items every day that vilified the Zionist regime. Life Site News relied on the Gaza Ministry of Health, a propaganda arm of Hamas, the Red Crescent and Al Jazeera for sources. Also often quoted are far far left leaning sources like Politico, Haaretz, the Guardian and Axios. Haaretz is a far left leaning Marxist media outlet in Israel that is always against the current government and leans very pro-Palestinian. At times, “Jewish” sources, such as the fanatical and cultish splinter group, Neutrei Karta are used to bolster their stories. Neutrei Karta claim to be ultra Orthodox Jews who are anti Israel. They align themselves with the Palestinian cause and are often seen in their Hasidic garb while wearing keffiyehs and holding Palestinian flags at New York pro-Palestine rallies. They are not reliable witnesses for the majority of Jews. In fact, they are repudiated by most.
As you can see from just some of these headlines collected over the course of two years, LifeSite News is very inflammatory. Israel and the Jews are seen as controlling the world and they are responsible for the start of World War III with every military action they undertake. In Gaza, the IDF is labeled genocidal and evil. And on more than one occasion Israel has been accused directly of going after the Catholic parishioners of Shejaya. This is libelous and slanderous, and is completely false.
The Catholic Mass from the Holy Family parish is often filmed. Many services are live streamed and are posted to YouTube. The late pope, Francis, would call to speak to the children each night, which was a lovely gesture. But if you look at the service, the church is clean and intact, always with lots of fresh flowers (they have fresh floral arrangements in the middle of the war!). There is a range of young and old, all seemingly well fed and in nice clothes. There is electricity and music. How can one claim starvation, genocide, the killing of innocent civilians, and a bombed church? I am very thankful they all seem to be doing so well. It is actually a testament to the fact that they are not targeted for destruction.
Last week, the leading article picked up in The Loop, (another Catholic daily news outlet and subsidiary of CatholicVote, based in the United States led with the following headline:
“It was a massacre,” one Palestinian man quoted by AP News said, describing how Israeli forces opened fire “even as we were fleeing. Many people were either martyred or wounded.”
Another witness said drones hovered overhead before gunfire broke out, creating a “chaotic and bloody” scene. As he fled, he saw at least three motionless bodies on the ground and many others wounded.
According to AP News, the Awda hospital in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp, which received the victims, confirmed 25 deaths and said 146 others were wounded. It said 62 were in critical condition and transferred to other hospitals.
I immediately researched this claim, and have found the story to be completely fabricated. Originating from the Gaza Health Ministry at a time when Gaza was out of the media spotlight during the Iran War, perhaps this story was floated to bring attention back to the Strip. Listen to Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of the UK Armed Forces. He has been an independent observer of the Israel-Gaza War. Just Saturday he came out with this statement:
I am both disappointed and alarmed that the Loop has become another outlet for Islamic propaganda. Antizionism is veiled antisemitism and news stories should be verified before they are published. This dangerous rhetoric leads to violence. It has happened countless times throughout history and needs to be stopped. America does not have boots on the ground in Israel and the United States will not be sending its children to Israel to die. World War III is not an imminent threat because the limited joint efforts by Israel and the U.S. in Iran stopped the Shiite regime from having nuclear arms.
There has also been much damage done by celebrity pundits. Once a fairly reliable conservative news commentator, Candace Owens, who got her start from Dennis Prager before she moved on to The Daily Wire, now spews forth anti Jewish and antiIsrael vitriol. From “the Jews involved in a global cabal to take over the world;” to genocide and war crimes in Gaza perpetuated by Israel, she has discredited herself countless times with false news and overt exaggerations. Sometimes teamed with podcaster, Nick Fuentes, the pair foment a radically unbalanced Jew hatred. They present themselves as devout traditional Catholics who believe the Catholic Church has replaced any covenant or blessing made by G-d upon the Children of Israel. I am very afraid that this kind of talk will one day, ignite a fanatic or mentally unbalanced person to acts of violence. This is just one video clip of Ms. Owens spouting hateful libels against Jews. She is even worse in her rants against Israel and Netanyahu in particular. I selected this one video out of many because it is short and to the point.
Perhaps the worst of all I have saved for last. He is a prolific author and Catholic apologist. Founder of the very based and reputable New Saint Thomas Institute for online Catholic education, Dr. Taylor Marshall in just the past year has become one of the most vitriolic antisemitic people on social media. Dr. Marshall enjoys an extremely wide following, and has several paid sponsorships for his programs, which can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.
The United States is already becoming increasingly divided in a dangerous way. Actual facts can be twisted in such a way to make conspiracy theories appealing. Dr. Marshall’s latest videos have included a dissection of the recent debate between Tucker Carlson and Sen. Ted Cruz. The debate itself is incredibly cringe and uncomfortable to watch. Two former friends have now become now hostile. No love. No peace. No understanding. Just gotcha moments, all of which are anti Israel. And Dr. Marshall lavishes in it. You can watch it on YouTube. His discussion is from his own Catholic perspective. It is against both Protestant Christianity as well as Judaism as he explains the Catholic Church has taken the place of the ‘perfidious branches that were cut off to be thrown into the fire.”
I have listened to several of his programs. A Catholic friend in California sends them to me and asks my opinion. “Is this what Jews believe?” It has been years since I have heard the terms ‘perfidious Jews’ and ‘synagogue of satan.’ His videos include the likes of “Why Christian Zionism is a Dangerous Heresy,” “How a FOREIGN Country CAPTURED American CHRISTIANS,” and “1948 Israel.”
The latest video from Dr Marshall, out just yesterday, begins: “What if I were to tell you, this man, with the Hebrew tattoo around his neck was planning to kill 14 Christian pastors and. Catholic priests?” What a lead in!! In fact, the mentally unstable murderer, Adam Sheaf, is not at all Jewish. No observant Jew would even write the holy name of G-d, in English, Hebrew or any other language, much less as a tattoo on their body. The killer was a lunatic, but Marshall stirs up fears in his mostly Catholic audience, telling them to “stay vigilant in this time of escalating evil“ and to “guard themselves against members of the synagogue of satan who have ill motives against us.”
In 1965, the Catholic Church produced a document, Nostra Aetate, which was a profound statement on the relationship between the Church and the Jewish people. It acknowledges the passages of Scripture that “the gifts and callings of G-d are without repentance,” in other words, they stand the test of time. When G-d makes a covenant with a people, it is eternal. It is irrevocable, not replaceable. Therefore, by definition, the covenants made (Adamic, Noahide, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic) to the Children of Israel are binding and eternal.
In a short history of the reparation of the breach between the Church and the Jews, Pope John XXIII, in 1963 wrote a (nondogmatic) letter to the Catholic Church that set the stage for reconciliation.
We are conscious today that many many centuries of blindness have cloaked our eyes so that we can no longer either see the beauty of Thy Chosen People nor recognize in their faces the features of our privileged brethren. We realize that the mark of Cain stands upon our foreheads. Across the centuries our brother Abel has lain in the blood which we drew or shed the tears we caused by forgetting Thy Love. Forgive us for the curse we falsely attached to their name as Jews. Forgive us for crucifying Thee a second time in their flesh. For we knew not what we did
In ‘65 Nostra Aetate came out as an offshoot of Vatican II. It led to great interreligious dialogue and understanding between the two faiths. When Pope John Paul II became the successor to the Chair of Peter, he called the Jewish people “our elder brothers in faith.” He visited the Great Synagogue in Rome and also Jerusalem (the Western Wall) among other places as a sign of friendship and admiration. His successor, Pope Benedict XIV also worked to repair the breach between brothers.
Entire university departments were set up to foster Jewish-Catholic Studies and Dialogue. Professors of Yeshiva co-taught with Catholic priests (One of my daughters received her Bachelors in this area). Great Jewish theologians and Catholic apologists studied together and co-authored books. It was a great era of reparation. In a spiritual sense, Jacob and Esau were coming together in mutual respect and understanding.
When there are great advancements, there come greater divisions to tear down what was being built. I will not go into the history of the State of Israel, but from its return on the timeline, there have been those that have been opposed to its establishment and its continuance. From the first wave of Jewish immigrants to their ancient Biblical homeland (as covenanted by G-d), there has been stiff opposition, most notably by radical Islamists. And unfortunately today, by some Catholics. I know this does not include most Catholics, but I do feel I must point this out because the voices are seeming to grow louder in their intensity and frequency.
Time and time again, the tiny nation of Israel faced existential threats from invading countries. They developed a sound and strong army to defend themselves against the Arab nations. A democracy was set up, allowing not only the Jews, but Christians, Muslims, Druze, Baha’i, and Circassians full citizenship with all the rights that accompany it. And still, there were naysayers that arose. People that for whatever reason, twisted facts. People and institutions that stood in opposition to the idea of the Jewish State-
There is a nefarious spirit out there that seeks to divide and destroy. Whether through the written word or the twisting of the truth. This spirit will not seek out facts. It will not make a distinction between good and evil, right and wrong. It seeks to divide allies. To come between friends. Division creates weakness in a society.
Let us strive to come together. Let us, and I’m speaking to all members of the Judaeo-Christian faiths, seek to find our commonalities, because we truly are on the same side. There is strength in unity. Let us seek to resolve our differences, seek out the common truths we all hold dear. Let us strive for the higher ground together and stand united against that spirit of destructiveness.
It’s been a helluva couple weeks here. Hella hard. Hella nerve wracking. Hella intense. From missiles dropping on our heads, to being awakened by emergency sirens at all hours of the night, to running for shelter, to combatting anti Israel propaganda in media and growing, raging antisemitism in the world…. It’s time to lighten up and slide into the weekend with a few laffs.
We often speak of Israelis as being super resilient. That may be true, but how else to hold on to sanity than a firm faith in the man upstairs, a strong sense of humor and possibly even a stiff glass of whisky to steel the nerves? Despite all the tsurris in the land, life must go on… as normally as possible. We keep it together by finding the funny. By pointing out the absurd all around us.
This past week, saw millions of Israelis take to bomb shelters. In the larger cities, these were underground parking lots transformed into tent cities complete with food, entertainment, yoga and dance classes and book clubs. Go figure.
There’s never a good time for a missile strike. These are the top five by rank:
5th place: 7:00 pm. Awful timing. Say goodbye to sleeping kids at 7:30. You haven’t even caught up with the news so this missile has no storyline context. It’s a response to a response or just a response. Who knows? You are unfed, unshowered and the house looks like a missile will get it less messy.
4th place: 05:00 am. A missile that creates a nation of tired, grumpy zombies. There is nothing like starting your day in a room full of unbrushed teeth and overflowing bladders. You may watch the sun rise on your phone.
3rd place: midnight. Decent timing forces you to call it a day. Sure, the kids will wake up but they will go back to sleep and you might even earn a late morning tomorrow. Great time for a heart to heart conversation with a homeless person in the shelter.
2nd place: 09:00 pm. The classic slot. We are already on the couch watching the news and ready for action. The kids are hopefully in a deep sleep so the odds of a smooth transition are high. Pro-tip – shower early for public hygiene and for pajama party vibes in the shelter. You can even throw in a quick brush of the teeth just in case.Hygiene is the key to mental victory.
And the 1st place: 01:00 pm. Perfect timing. A refreshing missile gives you an energy boost and a nice little mid-day break to ready you for the second half of the day. Take a few minutes to collect your thoughts. No need to hurry back to work. It’s a war break. You deserve it. Now is the time to join in on that Zumba class in the miklat.
Still, finding yourself in the middle of one of the smaller miklat with a group of random strangers in various array at 04:12 in the morning. Those are jokes in the making. To quite American/Tel Avivian, Sara Tuttle Singer:
Five People You’ll Meet in Your Bomb Shelter
The miluimnik (reservist) on a break: still in uniform, still sweating, still radiating “I’ve seen things.” He ducks into the shelter with a half-eaten Laffa, a cigarette behind one ear, a bottle of Goldstar and WhatsApp groups pinging non-stop. Somehow, he’s calm. Somehow, he has Wi-Fi. Somehow, he knows exactly what’s happening everywhere. You feel safer just being near him. He also knows a guy who can fix your car. 2) The woman yelling at her mother on the phone. She burst in mid-siren, holding ed sandals in one hand and screaming, “MA, I TOLD HOURS TO GET INTO THE SHELTER. NO. NOW, MA! STOP FEEDING THE CAT AND GO!” You don’t know her, but you know her. At some point she offers you Bisshli (Israeli snack chips). 3) The Start-Up Guy who will definitely monetize this. Already sketching an app idea called “BoomSafe” that matches you with your ideal shelter buddies. Has three phones, a laptop, and a protein bar. Says things like, “What if sirens, but social?” 4) The Savtah with the Tupperware: Didn’t flinch at the siren. Brought rugelach. Maybe schnitzel. Also hot soup – Kubbe, obviously, which she poured into actual bowls from her giant bag. “You’re too skinny. Eat. Eat.” You comply. Now part of her extended family, you will be invited to Seder. You will go. 5) Tomer from Tinder: He spotted her the moment she walked in – sweaty, breathless, radiant in her war!-time glow. “You ok?” He asks, tender hand lightly brushing her elbow. “You look scared.” Offers her a sip of his water. Offers her his number. Offers her healing. He’s here to help. He has emotions. And abs. And a guitar…. 6) The Dude who definitely head the boom: Every five seconds: “Did you hear that? That one was close.” Keeps sticking his head out the door like he’s got a death wish – or a podcast. Suddenly an expert in acoustics and ballistics. That was Iron Dome. No wait. Direct hit. No wait. I think that was a door slamming.” 7) The guy live-streaming to his followers: He’s on Instagram Live. Ring light plugged into a portable battery. “Hey guys! Day 12 in the bomb shelter. Tel Aviv vibes still strong! Don’t forget to like and donate to my coffee fund.” Will definitely sell merch after this is over. Already is. 8) The Philosopher it’s the tiny chair: he’s always there first, sitting calmly in the one adult-sized plastic chair. Quotes Kierkegaard and Yehuda Amichai mid-siren. Wants to know how you feel about the absurdity of life. May offer you a date (the fruit, not the invitation). May also be homeless. Or a professor. Or both. 9)The Oleh Chadash (new immigrant) with fire in his veins: Made Aliyah from Brooklyn three weeks ago on purpose. “This is exactly why I came,” he says, eyes blazing like Ben Gurion in a hoodie. He’s already posted three rants about Jewish destiny on X and volunteers to take out the trash and check for shrapnel. Keeps humming, “Am Yisrael Chai” under his breath. Definitely wants to go halfsies on an iHerb order. Says Bibi is his boy. 10) The teen who knows exactly when it’s safe. Headphones on. Eyes rolling. Texting six people while scrolling TikTok and explaining the Home Front Command app to everyone else. “Sheket, guys. It’s a false alarm in Tel Aviv. But there was a real one in Sderot.” This kid is 15, has trauma baked in, and will one day run this country.
Speaking of iHerb, I heard an Anglo at the market say, “I knew this was getting serious when iHerb and Amazon refused to take my order because of delivery delays.”
The memes were quick to come out, This is the new Israeli snack, Bissli, now reimagined
Being a Jewish country for the most part, there are always the jokes with the Biblical allusions.
Everyone’s so shocked that Israel planned this out for years, going so far as to build a secret drone factory in the middle of Tehran, just waiting for the right moment to strike. Bro, we literally killed time for like 40 years in the desert this one time. We invented the ‘long game.’
And then our Ministry of Fake News came out with the following last Monday – 🚨BREAKING: The Fordeau Fuel Enrichment Plant is UN damaged and completely operational, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Also 🚨BREAKING: An Israeli hospital crashed into an Iranian ballistic missile this morning – Gaza Health Ministry.
We know how to take credit too:
We, here in Israel, love the Babylon Bee too. It’s uproarious!
Trump Bombed Iran. Here’s How 12 Media Outlets Covered The Story
Welp, it looks like Trump bombed Iran. The Babylon Bee has assembled headlines from various media outlets here in one place so you can pick a little bit of the truth out of each to learn the whole story.
Here’s how different media outlets are covering the historic news:
New York Times — Quiet Middle Eastern Community Devastated By Unprovoked Trump Attack
Fox News — Trump Neutralizes Terrifying Iran Nuclear Threat With Mere Seconds To Spare
New York Post— AYATOLL-YA SO!Iran Out Of Luck As Trump Drops Bodacious Bunker Buster
CNN — Trump Cruelly Deprives Poor Iranian Children Of Nuclear Weapon They’ve Always Dreamed Of
MSNBC — Iran Is Now The George Floyd Of The Middle East
BBC News — REMINDER: Next Call To Prayer Is In One Hour. Allahu Akbar.
One America News — Yay Trump For Avoiding War – Oh Wait, He Bombed Iran? Really? I Mean, Yay Trump For Bombing Iran
Vice — I Took Fentanyl And Slept With A Penguin
Vogue — 5 Kinky Tricks You Can Try In The Bedroom To Show Your Support For Iran
Not The Bee — Trump Just Bombed The Snot Out Of Iran And The Responses Are STRAIGHT 🔥🔥🔥🤣
The Babylon Bee — Iranian Nuclear Facility Escapes Bombing By Identifying As Mar A Lago (That’s Right We Just Have The One Joke)
Al-Jazeera — TRUMP JUST BOMBED OUR HEADQUARTERS!!!
Another cute one::
Have a restful weekend my friends. As we say here Sof ha shavuah raguah…. Stay cool my friends. 😎
Here in Israel, it’s “The Day After.” Most of us, of all the people I’ve spoken with, are still trying to figure everything that happened out. It started so suddenly… a loud blast on our collective cell phones, radios and televisions at around 3:30 am on June 15. It was intense. Incessant. Daring. Victorious. And horrific. And it ended even more suddenly and confusingly than it started.
First, I try my best to research each subject before I write for this blog or for any other source. I need my information to be verifiable and try to stick to primary source material whenever I can. I scour many different news sites (print, broadcast and social media) as well as speaking to experts when I can. That said, I am not infallible and will issue retractions when wrong. I do try to present both firsthand and “news” in their post and strive for clarity. That said-
Late Monday night, a ceasefire was brokered between Israel and Iran by President Trump. These are the exact terms of the agreement.
I’m not sure how confusing this was, but the ceasefire – no missiles, no airstrikes, no UAV drones – was to start at 07:00 am Israel Standard Time. Israel did target some 100 sites in Iran to strike by jet. They included IRGC headquarters, Basij (secret police/Gestapo) stations, weapons launch platforms, weapons production factories, both large and small. These were all hit on Monday night, before the ceasefire was to go into effect.
The Iranians fired a wide salvo of missiles throughout Israel at 03:16 am. Again shortly after 05:00 in which a BeerSheva high rise apartment complex received a direct hit. 4 people were killed and scores injured, 5 critically. Another barrage came shortly after 06:00 I the morning followed by another at 06:38. They were all aimed at high density residential areas and population centers. There were multiple injuries, but none serious.
A ceasefire went into effect at exactly 07:00 Israel time, after which Iran fired off another heavy missile barrage at 07:16. They claimed the missiles had already left Western Iran before the ceasefire went into effect. Again at 10:30am a huge swath of Israel was targeted by Iranian launches. This was a true breach of the agreement.
Members of Knesset and the War Cabinet which were convening throughout the night and into the day called for a retaliation. Fighter jets were launched from Ramat David Air Field. They were mid air when Trump issued a stand down. The IAF released one missile, destroying a lone radar installation.
Later in the day, President Trump issued a strong reprimand to both countries to stop the fighting.
Iran has been coming out with propaganda videos saying that the entire city of Tel Aviv is burning, Haifa is obliterated and that tens of thousands of Zionists have been killed. There were direct hits. 28 civilians were killed, which is not something to be ignored. But their news is incorrect. They claim to have hidden the enriched uranium. There are supposed satellite images put forth by CNN showing 16 truckers entering and leaving the Fordo facility on two occasions before the US strike. Whether this is true or not, I am unable to verify at this time.
Early intelligence assessments suggest the U.S. strikes on all three nuclear facilities in Iran did not completely cripple Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. They did, set the program back by months if not years according to the Defense Intelligence Agency of the Pentagon. Even if they do have some of their enriched uranium, their nuclear scientists have been eliminated. There is zero access to each facility, as both the access roads and the sites themselves are under rubble. This was a historic operation by both countries that was months if not years in the planning. By all accounts, it was a success and necessary to keep the bomb out of the hands of radical Islamist “twelvers” who would use it. Still, much conflicting information is being bandied about as to whether the mission was successful.
As of this writing, there are still reports coming out with much opposing information, some saying the nuclear program of Iran was decimated, others that the US strikes were underwhelming at best. Trump has just come out with a statement that Israelis (Mossad??) has actually gone inside Fordo and Natanz to check the facilities and that they are totally obliterated. My question is…by saying this is he giving classified info and is he endangering any Israeli/Mossad agents that are still boots on the ground? Why would he make this kind of statement? National security on both sides are saying the nuclear program is destroyed. Is this just to justify a multi billion dollar operation or to save face? I offer no conspiracy theories, but you must decide for yourself.
To sum up: Iran managed to launch approximately 550-600 ballistic missiles and over 1000 drones at Israel. 571 UAVs entered Israeli airspace. All were shot down except one which crashed into a residential building in Beit Shean causing significant damage. There was massive property damage to hundreds of buildings and homes. The Haifa refinery was hit as well as the Weizmann Institute for Scientific Research in Rehovot. Two. Israeli UAVs were shot down. The Israeli air defense system (Iron Dome, David’s Sling, the Arrow)) intercepted between 80-90% of the Iranian missiles. Approximately 60 made impact. There was a 99% interception rate of drones.
There were no IDF boots on the ground in Iran. All the strikes were done from the air. All planes returned safely to Israel. There were 17 teams (pilot/navigators) of women flying the fighter jets. This was a first. Air superiority was quickly established and within 72 hours the airspace had been completely cleared of threats of radar and satellite imaging.
Using the Mossad, who gained entrance to Iran secretly, all of the nuclear scientists, top IRGC command, higher up leadership and government eliminated. 40% of their ballistic missiles have been destroyed (800-1000 missiles were destroyed by the IAF before they could even be launched). 65% of their missile launchers were destroyed. It is believed they still hold about 1250 missiles.
The entire top leadership of the Iranian Air Force was eliminated during a secret meeting they held on the first day of the conflict. Two senior Basij police and al QUDS forces were taken out. Hundreds of lower ranking IRGC soldiers were eliminated in a series of attacks in Tehran. The Arak heavy water reactor and key missile production sites were destroyed. The gates of the are in prison were blown open. This is the prison that holds and tortures political dissidents, LGBTQ and modesty laws violators. It is safe to say that Iran no longer poses an existential threat to the Middle East. All of this was accomplished in 12 days. It was a war of historic proportions. Netanyahu declared that Israel achieved all its objectives and much more in his speech to the nation last night.
As of this morning, Iran announced they were pulling out of the International Atomic Energy Association. Just before this war started, the IAEA reported that the Iranians were in fact enriching weapons grade uranium and that they would have enough of the fissile materials to produce 9-15 nuclear warheads. Today, Iran’s parliament passed a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA over recent stories. The final decision now lies with the security council. Tehran has stated they would immediately begin their nuclear activity once again.
Israelis remain perplexed as to whether our mission was, in fact, complete. There will be no press to topple the current government or to fight for a regime change. The Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said I. A press conference yesterday,”This is our Berlin Wall moment.” He has called on the Ayatollah to step down and urges global backing for a democratic Iran. It remains up to the will of the Iranian people as to whether they will force a regime change.
Also, all of the Iranian weapons and launching apparatus have not been eliminated. They still hold the capacity to strike, although the IDF says it is watching them very closely and will try to prevent any further escalation. The Iranian regime has already violated the cease fire multiple times, each time denying their culpability. This morning two Iranian drones were shot down before they could enter Israeli airspace.
Over 11,000 Israelis, mostly from urban areas, have been displaced due to structural damages of their residences. Property damage claims exceed 38,700. There are still 3,493 wounded in hospitals throughout the country. The war seems unfinished to most Israelis.
All of the situational restrictions, aka lockdown, have been lifted in Israel. Citizens are free to travel and resume normal activity. Schools are open. Commerce and transportation are up and running. Ben Gurion reopened its airspace. Over 100 new immigrants from UK, France, Spain sand the Netherlands arrived this morning, including a number of young families and Lone Soldiers.
Babies are being born and Israel is simultaneously mourning its dead. Funerals held today for those killed in Beersheva and the elderly couple in Ramat Gan. Also, 7 IDF soldiers were killed last night in Gaza (Khan Younis) when an IED was planted on their armored vehicle causing it to burst into flames. One of the deadliest attacks in months, the Engineering Corps soldiers were unable to be reached by fire rescue forces.
A completely false report/piece of propaganda was put out by the Gaza Health Ministry early yesterday morning. They are an extension of Hamas, and the story was picked up by the AP and Reuters and released to the world. According to the GHM, 28 innocent civilians were massacred when the IDF opened fire on them as they went to get humanitarian aid. It was a deadly massacre in cold blood according to anonymous sources. Except that it never happened. Nothing of the sort. The news was debunked shortly after it came out, but rapidly circulated through9t the world. I am planning on doing an entire piece on this tomorrow-
Ceasefire negotiations with a full hostage release are underway in recent hours, says a senior level Hamas official. Supposedly, President Trump has sent his envoys to the Middle East to further talks with all parties. Despite the ceasefire and easing of restrictions, tensions remain high. The next steps all seem uncertain. There is much left unresolved, namely the threats from Iran and its proxies.
In New York, pro-Palestine Mamdani won the democratic mayoral primary. The 33 year old former rapper has never held public office. Hailing from a radical extremist family, Mamdani founded the Students for Justice in Palestine at Columbia,Maia University and is a pro-Hams, pro-Iran activist who supports BDS of Israel. He has stated he would have Netanyahu and other members of the Israeli government arrested for war crimes if they ever set foot in New York. This self proclaimed socialist is very anti Israel and antisemitic. He is pro setting up Sharia law courts and neighborhoods throughout parts of the City.
Lastly, most Israelis I have spoken with (my husband and I have interfaced with many from secular to Orthodox) are very upset at the way Trump handled yesterday’s ceasefire breach. They felt his demeanor very patronizing. “He talks to us as if we were children,” stated Hanan B.. Liora L. believes he was most unprofessional and very naive if he believes Iran will behave in the way he wants them to. She remains skeptical as to Iran’s next actions and still considers them a threat. Gali Z. feels that Trump is just concerned with making peace for the whole world and getting the Nobel Peace Prize. She feels he is doing this for his own ego and hopes people won’t think of him as the Messiah. Eli M. said, “You can’t make deals with the devil. Trump has no idea how people are in the Middle East. Trump is being very naive.” And Efrat just shrugs and says, “Now where do we go from here?”
It’s not over until the fat lady sings, and I’m not singing yet!
We knew from past experience. From Iran. From Hizbulla. It’s always the same. We agree to a pre-set cease fire and they shoot rockets right up until the last minute. They must have the last word. That’s how they display superiority. Like their grand farewell to arms. Or is it?
Last night Trump announced a peace deal. Great. Iran last night was trying to save face. To go out with a bang. To retaliate for the US bombing of their nuclear sites, they pre-planned their attack on empty military bases in Qatar. Real friendly country, that Qatar. They did it in a way that the US didn’t have to retaliate. Iran notified their partners of a strike, who in turn, informed the US so interceptions could be made. And boom. It was over.
Now for the little satan. We knew our turn was coming. The cease fire deal was to happen at 7 am. We got the first alert (the banshee wail that screams through our phones) at 05:31 this morning. By 05:42 the red alerts began. We were already in the safe room. Once again, a very heavy barrage throughout Israel from north to south. Almost immediately, I received a feed that a large apartment complex in BeerSheva had taken a direct hit. Magen David Adom, Home Front, Search & Rescue and ZAKA were on their way. Multiple casualties. At least two dead. Then three. Children being pulled from the rubble. Many injuries. Some quite severe. Then another found dead. News travels quickly here.
Then came the second barrage. Scattershot throughout the country. It was 06:12 and we still had about 45 minutes to go. It was going to be a rough day. A third barrage went to the south again, towards the desert…the nuclear power plant. We didn’t have to shelter in place for that one.
John was already sound asleep again, so I went out on the mirpesset to say my morning prayers. Then to pick some vegetables and pull some weeds. It was 06:44, and while I was outside received another alert for the central Israel area. It’s a really small country. When a missile lands near the Dead Sea or in Netanya, we can hear the thuds. Faint, but still… perhaps you can pick up the “pops” midway through- I apologize. I’ve worked on this all day and am having major problems uploading videos…
Took my tomatoes and squash inside and no sooner was I in, than another local area siren outside signaling more incoming. It was 06:56. I guess that was the end of it. I decided that tonight I’d take a sleeping pill and finally get a good shower and shut eye.
But no….of course not. It was not quite over. Not yet, because just as we emerged from our hidey holes….another alert. More sirens. This is really getting old, and I’m about to lose my patience. Lord help me. Come to the aid of your people.
Aaahhh… finally. A sigh of relief. Breathe…just breathe. It’s really all over. I’m out on the mirpesset again. It’s 07:15 and the cease fire is in effect. Peace! Then the red alert on my phone is activated for communities in central Israel. Near the airport. Netanyahu’s Caesaria home. Tel Aviv. Modi’in. It wasn’t near us, so I decided to film any incoming. Again, the thunder is not thunder. You have to wait until almost the end of the video clip and put your sound up… sorry another video I cannot post. You’ll have to take my word for it.
So, Iran denied that they violated the agreement. Their excuse was that the last round of missiles was fired before the cease fire, but from the west, so they just took longer to reach Israel. Do I believe them? Do they have a record of telling the truth? I decided to put the coffee on, answer emails and start the day. Believe me, this is all really exhausting. John and Haggis had gone back to bed again, hoping to catch up on missed sleep.
My neighbor and I planned a barbecue for tomorrow. They would do the grilling and provide the drinks. I’d bring the meat and all the ingredients for s’mores that I’d brought back from the States. Their kids would love it. I’d been promising them we’d do this, but then life happened. Now we had reason to celebrate. We stood outside between our houses chatting. It was a gorgeous day. Peace is sweet. Peace is quiet.
Then at exactly 10:30: it came. Without warning. The siren. O.K. Now I’m flaming hot mad. Seriously angry at those bloody jihadis. Ceasefire!?!?! Yeah, right. Pardon my messy home and my harshness in the video. I’m just so over this. I cut the filming just as the interceptions crashed above and I made it to the mammad – John and Haggis right behind me.
Israel is vowing to retaliate with force. “Iran broke the ceasefire and they will pay!” promises a member of Knesset. Tehran denies it fired missiles at Israel. There were definite interceptions. We heard them from the safe room. Two loud ones. So what were they doing? Lobbing. shawarma? Ben Gurion was just about to open its airspace. We had just received the all-clear, everything back open an hour before this. (By the way, when John went to pick up my prescription yesterday, everything but the main clinic and pharmacy and small corner mini market was closed).
Where do we stand now? It’s exactly noon. I have no idea what is going on. Of course, I’ve talked to several friends and neighbors. All have said that Trump was naive. That we should have at least gotten the hostages back as part of the deal. And then, the unconfirmed news: the Ayatollah Khameni’s son, Mojtaba Khameni was reportedly killed by an unknown suspect at close range in Tehran. World’s shortest ceasefire.
So, one really nice and totally amazing thing just happened. A lady from the city municipality just called. Somehow our name was on a list? She was checking to see how we were? Do we have a safe room? Are we okay? Do we need anything…food, water, medicine? Are we alone or do we have family? Were there any damages? My goodness. I’ve never received a call like this. These people are phenomenal!!!
Now we wait. I guess I can do a deep clean of the kitchen. We did all the windows last week. All of us here need a long vacation. Amalfi Coast anyone?
I’m back. It’s now almost 6pm and we still have no idea what is going on. One missile actually landed on the mountain across from us and killed a bunch of cows. Seriously. That was at 10:30. I know Trump was more than angry…all the posts on Truth Social. The IAF did not retaliate, but turned its jets around mid air. Where do we go from here? No clue? Can we plan for tomorrow? No clue. But one thing is certain. I will not be taking that sleeping pill. Tonight – just in case. May G-d have mercy on us all.
Last night we finally got to bed by 01:00 am only to be waken at 3:07 by another red alert. This one was aimed toward Tel Aviv, but we made our way downstairs as a precaution. There were no sirens in our immediate area, but with interceptions and falling shrapnel, we no longer take a chance.
I really feel sorry for those people in older buildings without shelters. They have to leave their apartments, children in tow, and go downstairs, often to neighborhood shelters up to a block away. And the elderly!! It must be maddening. Many underground car parks in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and larger cities have transformed into tent cities. Complete with tents, yoga mats, water, children’s centers, cots and folding chairs. People take their dogs and musical instruments, board games and crafts. It’s becoming a really hot social scene. Still-
Trying to get back to bed after finding shelter, sitting there until the all safe signal and then trying to scour all media for any damages and casualties in real time. It was after 5 when I finally got back to bed.
Yesterday, I had my doctor’s appointment by telephone, as we are in a lockdown situation. Only emergency services open. That’s a great thing. This morning, I had some prescriptions to pick up and some essential groceries to get. It was pretty quiet, so we decided to head out around 10:15. That’s when all hell broke loose literally. The banshee wail screeched across our phones. We could hear it from our neighbors’ phones too, it’s that loud.
By 10:30 a full fledged attack was underway. All over the country. And it didn’t stop. Every time we thought it was all clear, we’d get another flash of red alert notices. This time the booms of interceptions and crashes and thuds of hits was stronger…more intense.
We didn’t leave the shelter this time until a few minutes before noon. A power station around Ashdod was hit and power was out from the BeerSheva area to the Gaza Envelope. A large senior residence/ elder nursing facility outside Tel Aviv had a direct hit. Due to scheduled construction in the area, the residents were moved temporarily last Friday. The building was completely empty. Another miracle. The greatest miracle is that most missles were intercepted. The couple that did hit caused relatively little damage – there were absolutely no casualties this time. We ‘d seen footage of the members of Knesset praying and reciting Psalms during the barrage, so that is comforting.
As far as what is actually happening and has happened, as usual there is so much misinformation going on. And a lot of fear mongering whether you are listening to CNN, the BBC, Fox News or Glen Beck.
The U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities had been planned at least in part for years, but never activated until this weekend. Because bunker busters were needed, the Stealth Bomber was the only option. As far as Israel is concerned, the USAF entrance into the war was a one time deal and masterfully executed under extreme secrecy. The bombers received absolutely no opposition from jets, or missiles or anything else because Israel had already cleared the airspace. The IAF had taken out all the satellites, radar, and air bases. There was no longer a threat. Unfortunately, Israel is getting very little credit for this in the mainstream media. American seems to be taking the credit.
Iran has been weakened considerably. Israel has taken out their military bases, airports, communications, power, transportation hubs. They have eliminated scores of senior IRGC commanders. With bombing sorties occurring round the clock from Israel, we are destroying missile storage facilities, weapons factories, and as many rocket launchers as we possibly can find. Sorties have been flying deeper and deeper into Iranian territory. Today, the Air Force obliterated the access roads and entrance shafts to Natanz, Isfahan and Fordo nuclear facilities.
Strikes in Iran have hit the IRGC headquarters this morning. Israel has confirmed hitting Basij headquarters. That’s the secret police that used to go around arresting protestors, academia, political dissidents including women deemed immodest for not covering their heads or bodies sufficiently. We shot the entrance gates off Evin Prison, where the political prisoners are taken and tortured. Gays, preachers, journalists and other “trouble makers” have been executed at Evin. It is a bad, bad place.
There is a square in the middle of Tehran, Palestine Square, that has a doomsday clock. The clock marks the countdown by seconds until the complete destruction of Israel. It is now gone. We shot it down. Direct hit.
The US Embassy in Qatar tells Americans to shelter in place due to rising threat levels. Tankers are being diverted from the Straits of Hormuz, a 2 mile across strait that is a main oil tanker and shipping lane passage to the area. Iran would be hurting themselves greatly (shooting their turbans off to spite their heads) if they blocked the straits. It makes no sense tactically, but then, what does now? Qatar has just closed its airspace for the ‘protection of its residents’ (and those heads of terror organizations hiding there, opinion mine).
The Iranian foreign minister has been in talks with Putin. They are pleading with Russia to supply more weapons and get directly involved. So far, Putin has adamantly resisted. Russia is up to its neck in the Ukraine War. Also Putin stated, “Israel today is almost a Russian speaking country. Two million people from the Soviet Union and Russia live there. We take that into account.” Thank you, Putin. I understand the Iranian head of state is en route to Moscow now. We shall see, but I highly doubt Russia will get involved. It would be suicide and an over-extension for them at this time. Putin has indicated that Moscow has no binding obligation to come to Iran’s aid.
Whether you are reading the Guardian or the New York Times, there is a lot of fear mongering going on, I have serious doubts this will lead to World War III or a further escalation.
The Iranian people are not targets. Most civilians are just trying to shelter in place. Israel is destroying all the infrastructure and institutions that have controlled the people. They are paving the way for the Iranian people to rise up and take control of their own future in the near future. But neither the US nor the Israeli governments are directly involved in regime change.
(And to the one person who took me to task last night saying that in my Instagram post I implied that G-d was on our side. “There are many in Iran with G-d on their side. This is so sad to see you post this. Our good friends are Iranian Catholics who still have family living there. We pray G-d will be with them. To treat this so flippantly and callously is shocking especially from you. War is awful. Dancing on the graves of innocents is not ok.” Yes. There are innocents on both sides. I did not mean to sound callous. I am trying to report news as concisely and factually as possible as it happens. Israel does not target civilian populations, but has called for the evacuation of areas it plans to strike beforehand. Israel is only trying to reduce the extreme terror threat to the Western world by this radical jihadist regime. I do hope this will be over soon.)
Also in the news yesterday, the IDF recovered the bodies of three murdered hostages from the tunnels in Gaza. In an overnight operation, Yonatan Samerano, 21, Staff Sgt. Shai Levenson, 19, and Ofra Kedar, 71, were brought back to Israel for identification and burial. Samerano fled from the Nova music festival with two friends. They were all murdered. His body was dragged to Gaza on te back of a pickup truck. Levenson was a tank commander stationed on the Gaza border. He was killed while battling the invading Hamas terrorists. Kedar was murdered while out on her morning walk the morning of 7October.
In Syria, there was a horrific massacre of Christians.A gunman opened fire and then self detonated his suicide vest during the Holy Mass at the St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus. Over 60 mostly young people were killed, scores injured. 350 people were praying inside that church. Daesh (ISIS) cells have taken credit for this. Salafi terrorists and the followers of Ahmad Al Shara Al Julani, now self-proclaimed “moderate” president of Syria have not changed their nature. They remain ISIS. There seems to be no other path than to rout out terror cells and destroy them. Following the attack, video footage surfaced showing threatening messages ‘Your turn is next’ scrawled on various other churches in the Hama countryside. This must be condemned from the national levels throughout the world.
I’m exhausted and have two stories due for paid publication, so I shall try to give a more full, concise update tomorrow. The main takeaway is that I and most of the people I’ve spoken with feel that these are limited operations that will not lead to a wider,global conflagration. The IDF is way ahead of its original plans in Iran and hopes to wrap all of this up by next week. The Ayatollah is on his knees, Israel is still making targeted strikes with no resistance. Keep up the prayers and well wishes. Until tomorrow-
Update 2 hours later: we just received the news that Iran has targeted US military bases in Qatar and Bahrain with missiles. UAE has closed its airspace as a precaution. No injuries have been reported. IAF has wrapped up its wave of strikes in Western Iran, however they”will continue striking any component of Iran regime involved in threatening Israel.”
Israel Dreams 