Chit Chat

By Ted Belman

From now on comments on every post must relate to the content of the post.

Comments that don’t relate to the post must go here.

Any person who contravenes this demand will be put on moderation. Also their offending comment will be trashed.

The reason for this demand is so that people who want to read comments which pertain to the post, don’t have to wade through the chatter.

Everyone will be happier.

April 16, 2020 | 8,793 Comments »

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50 Comments / 8793 Comments

  1. Avi Below FB post just received.

    You won’t believe what I’m about to tell you—but I confirmed it personally, because even I couldn’t believe it at first.

    In a recent meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu actually said that Israel is ‘considering stopping the reception of U.S. military aid.’

    Yes, you read that correctly. Not “demanding more,” not “thanking the U.S. for its support,” but actually re-evaluating whether Israel should continue receiving it at all.

    That might sound small—but it signals a seismic shift.

    This is huge!

    Now before you say, “Come on, Avi, that must be misreported,” let me be clear: I don’t take anything the media says at face value. So I checked it out myself. I personally verified it. This is not a rumor. It is true. Netanyahu actually said it.

    And that changes everything.

    Because it means something big is happening behind the scenes. It means we can not trust the headlines about Trump and U.S. policy decisions on Israel, not about so-called “aid” or its supposed conditions. There is a thick fog of smoke and mirrors being deployed right now by US and Israeli leaders, strategically, and the media is totally misreporting everything.

    And when Netanyahu of all people—arguably the most pro-American prime minister Israel has ever had—starts publicly stating an end to U.S. military aid, you know tectonic plates are shifting.

    Think about what that means. It means Israel finally wants to end strategic dependence on the U.S, which the US deep state has used, together with the Israeli deep state, to control Israeli policy. It means our leadership finally wants to act upon the understanding that the strings attached to that aid is a greater threat than the absence of the aid itself.

    And we’re running out of time.

    A U.S. Congressman told me this to my face, in his Capitol Hill office just a few months ago:

    “We only have a year and a half to make Israel as independent as possible, with its own production capability of all weapons and munitions. Because America needs a strong and secure Israel, and future administrations will be even worse than the Biden administration. And we might lose the House and Senate in the midterms.”

    This isn’t paranoia. It’s reality. He knows that for America to be safe, and protected from future damaging administrations, Israel must be independent!

    You can’t depend on a White House that hires Muslim Britherhood officials to senior government positions. You can’t trust a media that whitewashes Jew-haters while condemning Jews for defending themselves. And you certainly can’t stake your future on a system being swallowed by “progressive”, really regressive radicals who see Israel as the enemy.

    So when Netanyahu says Israel is “considering stopping U.S. military aid,” it’s not just a policy discussion—it’s a bombshell.

    Israel must prepare for full independence—militarily, economically, diplomatically. And every Jew and every Zionist around the world must step up and support Israel’s sovereignty, not in theory but in action.

    Because the era of dependence is ending.

    And the era of Jewish strength must begin—on our terms, with our values, and without permission from Washington.

    Trump’s recent decisions—and statements from close allies like Governor Mike Huckabee—make one thing increasingly clear: they are signaling, intentionally or not, that it’s time for Israel to stand on its own two feet.

    Am I still worried about Trump administration connections to Qatar, the evil master of the Muslim Britherhood and founder of the Oct. 7th? Yes, I am.

    But, while at first glance some of the Trump administration moves may appear disappointing or confusing, ie – the U.S. deal with the Houthis that does not include Israel – especially to those expecting unwavering alignment, the deeper message is strategic.

    They are pushing Israel to become more independent, more self-reliant, and less entangled in the dangerous dependency on American political tides.

    This is the lens through which I believe we must interpret the Trump team’s actions—not as abandonment, but as a challenge to rise. And it’s the greatest opportunity we’ve had in generations: to finally step fully into our God given role in the region as the strong, sovereign regional indigenous nation we were meant to be, free of any foreign master pulling our strings.

    To some this might be a very scary thought, but it is the right direction, pivoting from a dependent state into

    an equal ally.

    These are unbelievable, redemptive times, and only put your faith in Hashem above!

    Am Yisrael Chai!!!

  2. PELONI_

    Thanks for the link. I’ve just read through it. It is as I thought. The items discussed are 2-3 years old. They all predict “imminent” or specifically dated immediate events hardly one of which has occurred to this very day.

    I used to call him NostrJacob, and I think now it was too flattering. Shabtai Tzvi had more truth in him, which was almost none at all.

    Disappointing…and not worth of being kept except as a curiosity.

  3. Warren G. Harding – a forgotten Zionist hero?
    One hundred years ago this week, a new US president came in who would change history By MICHAEL FREUND
    NOVEMBER 5, 2020 15:57

    [So the NY Slimes and the State Department opposed U.S. recognition of Israel even then and though Harding was a Democrat, The two Senators who introduced the bill were republicans.[ Ironic that so many Jews felt the Dems were their party when it was always Republicans who were mainly championed Zionism, for example every single candidate who would lose to FDR who was an antisemite. His uncle, Teddy, a Republican, was a philo-semite.
    https://www.jpost.com/opinion/warren-g-harding-a-forgotten-zionist-hero-648118

  4. @Mike I know, lets ask Witkoff what peace is.

    “…Steve Witkoff, the president’s special envoy to the whole entire world, has been leaking to media and then commenting on his own leaks to the media. It’s a monologue billed as a conversation. And it has some Israelis worried…

    ‘….According to Israel’s Channel 12, Witkoff is leveraging the hostage families as a political cudgel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “If until now the hostages have paid the price for the war not ending, today the price will be much heavier for Israel, and not just for the hostages,” he reportedly told the families. “President Trump is determined to move forward toward a significant deal with Saudi Arabia, even without Israeli involvement.”

    Follow-up reporting from Haaretz found Witkoff debating with himself publicly: “The source told Haaretz that Witkoff’s criticism of the Israeli government was leaked at his request. Witkoff’s office denied that the administration is pressuring Israel to reach a deal.” So Witkoff is criticizing Israel, then making sure that criticism gets out to the press, then denying that he’s criticizing them at all. If Witkoff himself is also Haaretz’s source, he will have accomplished the rare feat of putting together a new Mideast Quartet consisting entirely of Steve Witkoff….”

    https://www.commentary.org/seth-mandel/trumps-mideast-shifts-leave-everyone-guessing/

  5. Hi, Mike Had to look up meaning of “peace. ”

    AI Overview

    Peace, in its simplest form, is a state of tranquility and harmony, often characterized by the absence of conflict or violence. It can refer to freedom from war and public disturbance, as well as a sense of calm and quiet in one’s mind. Peace is also a desirable condition for individuals, communities, and nations, fostering stability, security, and overall well-being.

    Then I looked up utopia:

    a place of ideal perfection
    often capitalized : a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions. 2. : an impractical scheme for social improvement. 3. : an imaginary and indefinitely remote place.

  6. Avi Abelow on FB – What do you know about the E1 Ma’aleh Adumim building project???

    For decades, the E1 plan to connect Jerusalem to Ma’aleh Adumim sat frozen because of international pressure.

    But here’s what most don’t know: it was first proposed by the left-wing, Oslo “peace” process Rabin government!

    Why? Because it’s essential for Israel’s security, mobility, and demographic continuity, to ensure the connection between the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Masada to the rest of Israel.

    Now, under Finance Minister Smotrich, and Monister in the Defense Ministey, Israel is finally moving ahead with the E1 building project that includes 3,500 new homes and a hotel zone.

    And that’s not all. The working plan is to more than double the Jewish population in our Biblical heartland to over one million Israelis in Judea and Samaria!!!

    This isn’t a fantasy—it’s happening.

    Smotrich right now is investing billions in roads, housing, and infrastructure, quietly building the backbone of a future where Judea and Samaria are thriving centers of Israeli life, and a key component in lowering housing prices!!

    This isn’t about “right” or “left.” It’s about ensuring Israeli sovereignty, stability, and security, not handing over land to an Islamonaz*I enemy that is clear in its intent to destroy us.

    Even center left politician Benny Gantz said this week that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are essential for Israel’s security, and President Herzog said the same message.

    This is the only way to prevent other October 7th invasions & massacres from Judea & Samaria and ensure that our enemies know we are never leaving our ancestral homeland.

    No to another Gaza terror base in Judea & Samaria. Yes to a strong, secure, and growing Israel.

    Am Yisrael Chai!!!

  7. @Peloni

    The Wise Men of Chelm, Fact and Fiction

    …In some versions of The Wise Men of Chelm, these beloved stories conclude with the destruction of the town by fire and its residents scattering across the face of the earth.

    “But surely it cannot be for nothing that not even a lonely feather is left in Helm,” the town rabbi proclaims after a fire destroyed the town. “My people, the Lord works in mysterious ways… This is a sign from on high. Like the destruction of Jerusalem in ancient times, the destruction of Helm is a sign that we must go out into the world and spread the wisdom that is our heritage and tradition. Like our forefathers of old, let us go forth with courage in our hearts to fulfill our destiny!”

    “And that is what the Chelmites did. Not with sorrow and not with tears, but proudly, they went forth from Helm and dispersed over the face of the earth. They mingled with all the peoples of the world and dutifully spread the wisdom that was once the pride of Chelm alone. And so, dear reader, if you discover a bit of the Chelmite in yourself, you’ll know the reason why.”

    https://aish.com/wise-men-of-chelm-fact-and-fiction/

  8. @Sebastien
    Ironic isn’t it. I believe they are building up to something on May 12, a week from now. It doesn’t make much sense to me, but I believe that is where things stand at the moment.

  9. HS Tablet magazine been hacked? When I click on the link, theres’s an eye on a black background and it says, Curious about the truth?” and below it is a box to click on that says, “I’m interested. And the numbers: 5:12:25.

  10. Peloni

    “They don’t want your love and physical help. They want their family members back, and that means accommodating Hamas, and this is what has come about thus far with the return of all but a couple dozen living hostages to go. ”

    You clearly misunderstood

    I was not referring to anything other than the wishes and love of all Jews and all humane people in this world

    If you are becoming so hateful to me when I offer the most human emotions towards these poor people I begin to wonder…

  11. @fquigley

    Rand was born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum on February 2, 1905, into a Jewish bourgeois family living in Saint Petersburg….She was the eldest of three daughters of Zinovy Zakharovich Rosenbaum, a pharmacist…After the Russian Revolution opened up Russian universities to women, Rand was among the first to enroll at Petrograd State University, now Saint Petersburg State University.[14] At 16, she began her studies in the department of social pedagogy, majoring in history.[15] She was one of many bourgeois students purged from the university shortly before graduating. After complaints from a group of visiting foreign scientists, many purged students, including Rand, were reinstated.[16][…

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand

  12. MUNICH PHIL PLAYS WITH 50 ISRAEL PHIL MUSICIANS
    ORCHESTRAS
    Norman Lebrecht
    May 07, 2025
    Tomorrow, on the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, the Munich Philharmonic will play a concert with 50 musicians from the Israel Philharmonic.

    Lahav Shani will conduct Tzvi Avni’s ‘Prayer’ for String Orchestra, followed by Gustav Mahler’s 6th symphony.

    More here.

    https://slippedisc.com/2025/05/munich-phil-plays-with-50-israel-phil-musicians/

  13. @fquigley

    AI Overview

    +6
    Yes, the Bolsheviks persecuted rabbis and other religious leaders as part of their broader anti-religious campaign. This persecution was often violent, and many rabbis were forced to resign under threat. The Bolsheviks viewed religion as a hindrance to their communist ideology and saw it as a source of potential resistance.
    Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
    Anti-Religious Policies:
    The Bolsheviks implemented policies that restricted religious practices, confiscated church property, and outlawed religious instruction in schools.
    Targeting of Religious Leaders:
    Rabbis and other religious officials were specifically targeted, with many being arrested, imprisoned, or killed.
    Seizure of Property:
    The Bolsheviks seized Jewish properties, including synagogues, as part of their broader campaign to control religious institutions.
    Violence and Terror:
    The seizure of church property and the persecution of religious leaders were often carried out with violence and terror.
    Repression Continued:
    This persecution continued throughout the 1920s, with information campaigns against antisemitism being conducted in the Red Army and workplace

  14. The only antisemitism Lenin and Trotsky and the Bolsheviks fought was the racial kind. They had no use for rabbis, Bundists, or Zionists and discriminated against Jews from a bourgeois family background like Ayn Rand, who they expelled from college until visiting foreign socialists asked them to allow her to graduate.

  15. Edgar these two recent comments by you

    “I don’t see how Trotsky always but ALWAYS comes into the conversation even if not for any perceived purpose.
    He died in sordid circumstances with no followers, 85 years ago and he is not relevant today or even since. His influence died with him except for some misguided brainwashed people who still live in the past.

    EDGAR G.
    May 6, 2025 at 5:57 pm
    TROTSKY and LENIN didn’t smash the pogromists to help the Jews except incidentally .They smashed them to bring them under their control solely and avoid loose cannons.

    These two comments about Lenin and Trotsky are showing considerable bias and are not reflective of your humanitarian struggles

    Lenin: he was heavily influenced by the execution of his older brother by the Czarist regime. He viewed Antisemitism as a strategy by the ruling class, Czarism, to cause division in the proletariat

    Trotsky: From a semi assimilated family. There is also a strong personal issue in how he fought against Antisemitism

    I would add that that same zeal was also on view in the very sharp attacks on the British and how the British put down the 1916 Rebellion.

  16. Hi Mike S , my sister who was born in November 1952 was a guest on this show, “Birthday House” when she was a little girl. All the kids would chant ” Hi Mike” or “Hi, Mr. Mike” to the anthropomorphized microphone. I remember being told as a boy. I was 7 years younger. . 😀

    Found something:

    …Notice Tripp stays completely connected with the kids who eagerly recite the lyrics by heart, singing and dancing to songs like “Hi Mike” like it was the happiest time of their lives. The “Mike” they were singing to, by the way, was the microphone.

    ‘Paul Tripp’s Birthday House TV showViewer Lisa Winston tells us, “I got to celebrate my 5th birthday on Birthday House and remember singing ‘Hi Mike,’ which must have been the scourge of existence to any kid named Mike for the next 10 years. It went, ‘Hi Mike, Hi Mike, I like to say, Hi Mike, Hi Mike,..

    http://www.tvparty.com/lostbirthday.html#google_vignette

    This will forever be engraved in my mind as my association with those words. 😀

  17. People also ask
    Did Lenin play the Theremin?
    “He saw Lenin as a very intelligent person and Lenin fully understood the wild and new ideas of the young inventor, and also Lenin was very skilled in music and tried to play the Theremin himself and with quite a good success and that impressed Leon Theremin a lot.”Mar 13, 2012
    https://www.bbc.com
    Leon Theremin: The man and the music machine – BBC News

    Clare Rockmore (1911-1998, the first great theremin soloist. on Theremin,, the first electronic instrument, She was Litvak born in Vilna and studied violin with Jascha Heifetz who was also Litvak and born in Vilna in 1901. He left Russia together with his family to debut at Carnegie hall on Oct. 27, 1917 and he and they never went back. He was billed as a Russian musician. ) The Swan by Saint-Saens

    https://youtu.be/pSzTPGlNa5U?si=qGnY5a10hHHp4W_7

    “The instrument was invented in October 1920 by the Russian physicist Lev Sergeyevich Termen, known in the West as Leon Theremin.”

    Can be sweetly lyrical, like this, or weird. Used a lot in movie sound effects such as the theme of the original “The Day stood still.”

    Not to be confused withthe Ondes Martinot

    “The ondes Martenot (/?o?nd m??rt??no?/ OHND mar-t?-NOH; French: [??d ma?t?no], lit.?’Martenot waves’) or ondes musicales (lit.?’musical waves’) is an early electronic musical instrument. It is played with a lateral-vibrato keyboard or by moving a ring tied to a wire, creating “wavering” sounds similar to a theremin. Dynamics and timbre are adjusted using controls in a drawer on the instrument’s left side. A player of the ondes Martenot is called an ondist.
    Ondes Martenot

    An ondes Martenot (seventh generation model, 1975)
    Dates
    1928–present
    Technical specifications
    Polyphony
    none[1]
    Oscillator
    vacuum tube or transistor
    Synthesis type
    heterodyne
    Input/output
    Keyboard
    72-note rail-mounted keyboard capable of producing vibrato by lateral motion
    The ondes Martenot was invented in 1928 by the French inventor Maurice Martenot. Martenot was inspired by the accidental overlaps of tones between military radio oscillators, and wanted to create an instrument with the expressiveness of the cello.
    The ondes Martenot is used in more than 100 orchestral compositions. The French composer Olivier Messiaen used it in pieces such as his 1949 symphony Turangalîla-Symphonie, and his sister-in-law Jeanne Loriod was a celebrated player of the instrument. It appears in numerous film and television soundtracks, particularly science fiction and horror films. It has also been used by contemporary acts such as Daft Punk, Damon Albarn, and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood.”

    Demonstration of Onde Martinot

    https://youtu.be/yidV0HeVyCg?si=_e7SgXvBwCM_K8qc

    Inspired by Theremin.

    https://120years.net/the-ondes-martenotmaurice-martenotfrance1928/

  18. AI Overview

    +16
    No, Leon Trotsky, the Russian revolutionary and theorist, was not a musician. He was primarily known for his role in the Russian Revolution and his intellectual contributions to Marxism. He was a prominent figure in the development of Bolshevism and later a key figure in the Left Opposition against Stalin.
    While not a musician himself, Trotsky did have an interest in music and the arts. He was known to enjoy classical music and opera. However, his primary focus and activities were in the realm of politics and revolutionary theory.
    There are some bands that have names referencing Trotsky, like Trotsky Icepick and Trotsky Vengarán, but these are not related to Trotsky as a musician.

    😀

  19. @fquigley
    What you call for makes no sense.

    The relatives of hostages had to be helped physically and loved, but not one inch in accommodating Hamas.

    They don’t want your love and physical help. They want their family members back, and that means accommodating Hamas, and this is what has come about thus far with the return of all but a couple dozen living hostages to go.

    As I noted before, which you responded with your preferred reference to your granny and some eggs, the goals of returning the hostages and a decisive victory are in complete contradiction with one another. So they can not be addressed in unity, as one must suffer to the success of the other. Upto this point, it has been the decisive victory over Hamas which has suffered in preference of seeking the return of the hostages. But that is about to change, presumably.

    Also, Edgar is right. There is no lesson from Trotsky to be useful here.

    In fact, Trotsky’s heavy handed use of force over the masses would have seen the govt fall, likely thru a US orchestrated op, and the complete capitulation of Israel to her enemies, if not something far worse. What Israel lacks at this juncture is not the rule of a tyrant, but the independence to pursue its own self interest. This would not be changed by Trotsky or any other historical figure you care to name. This requires a steadfast policy of developing its own MIC, and this in turn requires the passage of time, not Trotsky.

  20. Mozart Symphonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra – Gidon Kremer (Israeli Jewish violinist, Yuri Bashmet, Russian Jewish violist)

    https://youtu.be/ckp3k9FzNgQ?si=3SqaHDfkigT651n1

    You can hear the Jewish influences. As with Haydn, delightful alternating contrasts between Viennese and traditional Jewish sounding melodies and embellishments or riffs in jazz terms and it the syncopation does make it sound jazzy in places..

    You can really hear it here because they are emphasizing the Jewish expressivity of it whereas many if not most performers emphasize the classical Viennese stylistic elements. And listen to how they use rubato to effect. Really stands out in this performance. Gloriously so.

    I play both violin and viola, mostly viola – I switched – though I’ve only played the orchestral part on viola.

  21. I don’t see how Trotsky always but ALWAYS comes into the conversation even if not for any perceived purpose.
    He died in sordid circumstances with no followers, 85 years ago and he is not relevant today or even since. His influence died with him except for some misguided brainwashed people who still live in the past.

  22. TROTSKY and LENIN didn’t smash the pogromists to help the Jews except incidentally .They smashed them to bring them under their control solely and avoid loose cannons.

  23. Sebastien Zorn

    I realise your motivation is to ward off my attacks. But save yourself the trouble.

    The relatives of hostages had to be helped physically and loved, but not one inch in accommodating Hamas. That’s why clear leadership was necessary and I would have used the HISTORICAL LESSON of Trotsky and Lenin in smashing the Pogromists of Ukraine 1919 to smash up those reactionary OSLO like forces inside of Israel.

    Instead Peloni dallied with the Bear Kleins of this world

    It’s still the same need because it is still a question of Israeli leadership. Nothing has fundamentally changed.

    Russia, the Jews and the world youth need badly Trotsky or a Trotsky and Stalinism set us back seriously in August 1940

  24. Sebastien Zorn

    On October 7 Zionism had massive support if they had played their cards correctly. An existential war against islam which Hamas represented. Step one was extricate civilians physically and the Egyptian tunnels into Gaza by al Sisi which came to light showed the way.

    Then reduce Hamas to nothing militarily and politically

    That’s the lesson of Trotsky in 1919 in essentially Ukraine which you never talk about

    That’s why Mr Zorn you rate zero in my eyes

    I have stated clearly that defeating this jihad started in ISRAEL and started with revolutionary changes there

    Meaning graphically jailing of traitors and people like Netanyahu into oblivion into a home for the bewildered

    By the way your films stink.

  25. Peloni and Edgar

    It shows you are on a loser when you selectively misquote. Bad medicine for Zionism and it’s standing with Trotskyism

    So please stop trying to show your granny how to suck eggs.

    What i said was

    “I try to understand as clearly as I can

    Hamas must be destroyed expelled etc. and this is the way the only way to save the hostages.

    It is a Unity. They go together.

    I will not talk ever about hostages being secondary.”

    I am a Marxist and a Trotskyist and I will not place the hostages secondary but equal. ”

    Out of that Peloni the master of excision excised SEVEN words

    Moreover I said to Reader a comment in the days after October 7 that Israel must not fight on the ground prepared by the enemy.

    Israel did exactly that. I remember all the carry on at the border of Zionism in action . I remember Bennett showing up bursting with fat out of his uniform. Big deal

    They were gung ho doing what I warned Reader they must not do.

    So it became clearer then that the Zionist leadership had betrayed the people of Israel and this had caused October 7…

    Not Hamas at all they didn’t betray. They acted out their hatred the same as Banderaism has done to Jews for over a hundred years.

    My constant refrain to Peloni…clear up and act on your own website. But Peloni is the talker par excellence.

    Moreover in the same vein I wanted revolutionary action in Israel

    A Trotskyist party if alive in the sense of existing would have acted in a totally different way

    Inside Israel martial law to end the counter revolution which took up again and based on miseducated relatives of hostages, not all but a goodly number

    A new leadership to be given power based on the commanders I saw in action on the Gaza seashore…if they would work with us Troysky people that is.

    Netanyahu gone. All connected with the treason like Barak in prison and they were numerous

    Blow away El Sisi’s miserable border.The whole Gaza population in Sinai fed by Arabs if they wanted to.

    Mobilise all of the Israeli population as well as America to finish with Palestinism in all areas…as seem to be partially doing now, although cannot be sure of anything with Netanyahu and Glick still there. And it is years late with many dead Jews.

    You cannot say Trotskyism has no strategy. In 1918 to 1921 Ukraine Pogroms we proved different. We literally wiped the floor of the Pogromists.

    Peloni you are part of the Zionist ascendency. I am not. I am prepared for revolution. You definitely are not.

    Don’t talk to me about strategy or tactics. You do not understand my and THE history of the Trotsky tradition. The complete maestro of strategy.

    My tradition wiped out the Pogromists in 1919 and to crown it all young Jews flocked en masse to Trotsky and his RED army. Not a feature in Pelonis discussion circles.

    You understand nothing about the needs of this coming era.

    FURTHERMORE YOU WILL NOT LEARN

  26. Rep. Ritchie Torres is calling on New York City officials to cancel a Central Park performance at a city-sponsored event by Kehlani, a performer who has called for the destruction of Israel and Zionism.

    Kehlani is set to perform in June at an event for Pride month sponsored by the City Parks Foundation, an independent nonprofit which receives city funding to promote arts, sports, education and other programming in city parks.

    But Mayor Eric Adams has disputed whether the mayor’s office has any ability to cancel the performance or withhold funds.

    – Jewish Insider

    Full story: https://jewishinsider.com/2025/05/ritchie-torres-central-park-kehlani-anti-israel-eric-adams/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR6-6hbbHQe3Apc6LXyWsUtXuv8vpq5Vq_PP-z4h6Z8ndPSkJGrUFp-ZXY7DPA_aem_RiL1NekI4PM-_2uuLTX_Hg

  27. FELIX-

    They cannot be equal. 850 IDF heroes have already given their lives to the Gaza War much hindered by concern for almost invisible “civilians” and hostages ………….
    I’d rather see every hostage dead, that is, the remaining 23-4 than another 100 IDF. For me the logical desired outcome is clear.

    With NO decisive permanent Hamas destruction, NO Potential hostage will EVER be safe in Israel and the Diaspora.

    Netanyahu and the govt are 100% RIGHT……RIGHT…..; Hamas destroyed Number ONE.

    If you cannot see that , whilst your sentiment is a credit to you, your visions of overall strategic benefits are woefully lacking, which surprises me, seeing that you are a considerable thinker and theorist as well as activist ..for GOOD not EVIL.

  28. @fquigley

    It is a Unity. They go together.

    Actually, they are in fact contrasting objectives. The plight of the hostages are still holding Israel back from victory, and even as the war proceeds, and the offensive is expanded, it is clearly stated that the purpose of doing so, and doing so in so delayed a manner as has been pursued, has been to apply pressure to Hamas to release the hostages at the expense of achieving a decisive victory.

  29. Edgar

    “PELONI and I are absolutely right and any who disagree are totally wrong and can’t see the wood for the trees.”

    I try to understand as clearly as I can

    Hamas must be destroyed expelled etc. and this is the way the only way to save the hostages.

    It is a Unity. They go together.

    I will not talk ever about hostages being secondary.

    I am a Marxist and a Trotskyist and I will not place the hostages secondary but equal.

  30. AI Overview
    During the Barbary Wars, the Barbary States (Tripoli, Algiers, Morocco, and Tunis) would seize American ships, capture crews and passengers, and hold them for ransom or sell them into slavery. The United States initially responded by paying “tribute” to these states to avoid attacks, but eventually resorted to military action and naval battles.
    Elaboration:
    Hostage Policy:
    The Barbary pirates, acting under the authority of the North African states, routinely targeted merchant ships in the Mediterranean, capturing crews and passengers. They held these captives for ransom or sold them into slavery, contributing to the broader Ottoman slave trade.
    Tribute:
    Before the Barbary Wars, the United States, like many other European nations, paid tribute to the Barbary States to ensure safe passage for their ships. This involved financial payments and gifts to the rulers of these states, in exchange for a promise to avoid attacking American ships.
    Shift to Military Action:
    As the costs of tribute increased and the United States grew in strength, they began to resist the Barbary States’ demands and engage in military action. The First Barbary War (1801-1805) and the Second Barbary War (1815-1816) saw the US Navy directly engage the Barbary States, seeking to end their piracy and secure the release of American captives.
    Impact on US Foreign Policy:
    The Barbary Wars had a significant impact on early US foreign policy, reinforcing the belief in the importance of a strong navy and establishing a precedent for using military action to protect American trade and maritime interests.
    Ending Piracy:
    Through a combination of military action, diplomatic negotiations, and the eventual French conquest of Algeria, the Barbary pirates’ practices of piracy and ransoming of captives were eventually ended.