Benjamin Netanyahu: The Inside Story of Israel’s Victory  

The prime minister details the key decision points in the war against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.

By Elliot Kaufman | WSJ

Hello?” Benjamin Netanyahu begins over the phone. “I’m going to give you a précis of everything that happened because we stand now at a crossroads of history. The campaign that we carried out changed the Middle East.”

I’m fine, thank you, but Israel’s prime minister has no time for pleasantries. He has to testify six hours a day, three days a week, at his trial. Prosecutors allege he was bribed with positive news coverage, a novel theory, and employ the kind of vague breach-of-trust and fraud statutes that U.S. federal courts no longer allow.

Mr. Netanyahu maintains his innocence. Most of all, he maintains that he has a war to run—and that Israel is winning big. He poses the question: “How did it happen?” From the darkness of Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has roared back to crush Hamas and defang Hezbollah, leaving the Assad regime in Syria to crumble and all their masters in Iran to fret, without air defenses, over Mr. Netanyahu’s next move. How did it happen?

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December 23, 2024 | 11:39 am | 2 Comments »

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Are We Going To Have A Revolution or Aren’t We?  

Peloni:  Mcclellan’s reference of a need for redress is vital for America to return to a sense of normality.  Remedies must be instituted against the criminals and criminality which was perpetrated on the US and by consequence upon the world at large to demonstrate that equality before the law has returned to America.

Morning Intelligence Report

MG Paul E Vallely, US Army (Ret)

By George Mcclellan
Guest Editorial:

December 22, 2024

The revolution has started. It should be an effort determined and constitutional, but moving forward, what the hell is wrong with our GOP leadership? Well, apparently, we don’t have any, or what we have are too cautious and indecisive about making Trump-like decisions. “Everybody volunteers to carry the stool when it’s the piano that needs to be moved.” The Neocons refuse to leave, hoping to salvage America through the threat of continued military might, while the Freedom Caucus bunch, believing they are guided by principals, can’t arrive at a consensus on how to do it. At least ya gotta admire the Democrat’s strength in leadership, dangerous as they are! Like good socialists everywhere they stay loyal to their cause because the party demands it. After this recent massive election rejection, the Democrats are in disarray and may possibly even die off first, but don’t count on it while Republicans roll around like a bunch of pinballs spilled on the deck, looking for somewhere to stop. They got it in Donald Trump. Now, let’s move on!

Here we are, on the cusp of Making America Great Again, with the power of total government nearly in our hands, and the squabbling GOP leadership can only rise to its highest level of mediocrity. Chuckie Schumer speaks, and the Democrat sheep in his fold, all of ’em, do his dance in unison while our side, seeing complete victory, watches our leadership through the eyes of futility and despair, wondering how fast the GOP can fumble it all away.

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December 23, 2024 | 11:13 am | 3 Comments »

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When “Occupation” Becomes Protection: The Druze Call for Israel to Stay  

Peloni:  The return of Israeli control over the Syrian border recognizes reality on the ground in which the Syrian govt which Israel returned these lands captured in a defensive war no longer exists.  Also, as Avi explains, it extends Israeli protections to the local inhabitants to the native people living there.  Furthermore, it allows Israel to have an exclusive input into who might approach Israel’s border, by judging when or if this border region should be entrusted to the rising power in Syria as it had been entrusted to their predecessor, ie Assad.  Hence, Israel’s return to these territories was both reasonable and responsible and it will ultimately have a stabilizing effect on the region.

December 23, 2024 | 9:33 am | 3 Comments »

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Trump ‘locked and loaded’ if US & Israeli hostages not released soon, will also ‘bankrupt’ Iran to stop terror, Huckabee tells Sen. Blackburn  

On Blackburn’s upcoming podcast, Mike Huckabee praises her tough new anti-Hamas bill

Senator Marsha Blackburn with President Donald Trump (Photo: Marsha Blackburn/Instagram)

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — As current Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew prepares to depart his post, the expected incoming Ambassador Mike Huckabee is meeting with U.S. Senators, hoping to gain their support ahead of confirmation hearings and a full vote in the new year.

Towards that end, Senator Marsha Blackburn – the Tennessee Republican – just recorded a conversation with the Evangelical leader and former Governor of Arkansas for her latest podcast, “Unmuted With Marsha.”

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December 23, 2024 | 3:05 am | 2 Comments »

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Chanukah Guide for the Perplexed, 2024  

Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought: a US-Israel Initiative” | December 21, 2024

1. A bust of Judah the Maccabee is displayed at West Point Military Academy, along with those of Joshua, David, Alexander the Great, Hector, Julius Caesar, King Arthur, Charlemagne and Godfrey of Bouillon – “the Nine Worthies.”   In 1777, Chanukah candles were lit during the Valley Forge encampment, the turning point of the Revolutionary War, which solidified the victory of George Washington’s Continental Army over the British monarchy.  Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a player in the ratification of the US Constitution, paving the road to the Boston Tea Party, 1773: “What shining examples of patriotism do we behold in Joshua, Samuel, the Maccabees and the illustrious princes and prophets among the Jews…”   On December 6, 2013, Ambassador Hank Cooper, a former Director of the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, wrote: “We need modern day Maccabees to preserve the heritage of liberty for our posterity….”

2. NBC news, December 13, 2022: “An ancient treasure trove of silver coins dating back 2,200 years, found in a desert cave in Israel, could add crucial new evidence to support a story of Jewish rebellion…. The 15 silver coins were hidden [during] the Maccabean revolt from 167-160 B.C., when Jewish warriors rebelled against the Seleucid [Syrian] Empire….”

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December 23, 2024 | 2:43 am | 2 Comments »

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Israel’s Good News Newsletter to 22nd Dec 2024  

In the 22nd Dec 24 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

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December 23, 2024 | 2:40 am | Comments »

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Erin Molan in Israel  

Peloni:  Erin grasps the true reality around which the entire world dances as she explains that the war with Israel’s enemies in this war is simply about good vs evil.  Her strength, fortitude and unyielding persistence to explain this message in the most basic terms is something missing in the conversation surrounding this war.

December 23, 2024 | 1:34 am | 1 Comment »

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U.S. Super Hornet Shot Down Over Red Sea in Friendly Fire Incident; Aviators Safe  

Peloni:  The US use of force to preserve this conflict in place around the Red Sea and elsewhere comes at a significant expense in prestige, trade, treasure, and blood.  Like releasing terrorists from US jails, this policy provides America and American citizens with no benefits and only extends the costs for all involved.  It is good that these two crewman survived this unforced US error, but the opportunity costs of having maintained the conflict rather than ending it are still not ended, and we may not be so fortunate when the next so called mishap arises due to American complicity in preserving Iran’s hegemony over the Red Sea.

| USNI News | December 21, 2024

This post has been updated with additional information on the timing of the incident.

Two U.S. Navy aviators are safe after their two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet was shot down by an American ship by mistake, according to a late Saturday statement from U.S. Central Command.

The Super Hornet, assigned to aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), was flying over the Red Sea when guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) fired upon it, according to the CENTCOM statement.

“Both pilots were safely recovered. Initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries,” reads a statement from CENTCOM.
“This incident was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway.”

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December 22, 2024 | 4:12 pm | Comments »

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Is the Jenin Camp undergoing ‘Gazafication’? – analysis  

Peloni:  The UN, which has funded and administered UNWRA since its creation, could hardly be argued to be an unrelated party to the terror wars against Israel, which is why they will not act in any meaningful way to support Israel or to counter the terrorists with whom their complicity continues to become ever more clear and obvious.

The fact that armed men seem to have taken over a health center and the UN didn’t do anything illustrates the ‘Gazafication’ of Jenin.

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN | DECEMBER 22, 2024

Mourners attend the funeral of Palestinian Ribhi Shalabi, who was killed in clashes with Palestinian Authority forces, in Jenin camp in the West Bank, December 10, 2024.  (photo credit: RANEEN SAWAFTA/REUTERS)

On December 14 the head of UNRWA wrote that the UN organization “has been forced to suspend services in Jenin Camp, in the northern West Bank, for yet another day, as violent clashes between Palestinian Security Forces and Palestinian armed actors continue. Children remain out of school, and camp residents are unable to access primary healthcare & other critical services.”

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December 22, 2024 | 3:47 pm | 1 Comment »

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Huckabee Assures Israel of Ongoing Support in Its ‘Fight for Freedom’  

Trump’s ambassador-nominee pledges unwavering support for Israel at One Israel Fund gala.

Israfan | December 20, 2024

Mike Huckabee, nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, delivered a heartfelt message of solidarity with the Jewish state during the One Israel Fund’s 30th anniversary gala. Speaking to an audience of supporters, Huckabee assured Israel of America’s unwavering commitment.

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December 22, 2024 | 2:49 pm | Comments »

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Netanyahu tells WSJ Israel is ‘not going to leave Hamas in power in Gaza’  

Prime Minister talks about the effect that changing US support had on Israel’s war effort

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a ceremony for military combat officers at an army base near Mitzpe Ramon, Israel, October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a recent interview with Wall Street Journal editorial writer Elliot Kaufman, took a firm stance regarding the situation in Gaza.

“I’m not going to agree to end the war before we remove Hamas,” Netanyahu said. “We’re not going to leave them in power in Gaza, 30 miles from Tel Aviv. It’s not going to happen.”

Netanyahu was responding to a question regarding the hostage deal being currently discussed.  He is willing to discuss a temporary ceasefire but remains firmly committed to removing Hamas from Gaza.

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December 22, 2024 | 2:47 pm | 2 Comments »

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The Options We Face in Syria – And What’s Good for Israel  

Eyal Hulata | FDD | Dec 20, 2024

The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria in the face of rebel groups, primarily Hayat Tahrir al-Sham headed by Abu Mohammad Al-Jolani, constitutes a genuine turning point in the Middle East. For years, the murderous Assad regime brutally repressed the gamut of Syria’s minority groups and, with Russian and Iranian support,  managed to repress rebellions and assert its authority. The fall of Assad is another sign of the collapse of the Iranian axis on Israel’s northern front. Israel must now prepare for the new reality that is rapidly emerging in front of our eyes.

It is unclear whether Al-Jolani’s attempts to reunite Syria into a single entity will succeed or whether Syria will continue to be a patchwork of minority groups fighting each other. Israel, for its part, should continue backing the minorities that cooperate with it (especially the Druze and the Kurds) and keep hostile elements away from its border. Israel also did the right thing by exploiting the opportunity to destroy Syria’s remaining military capabilities and ensuring that its air defense capabilities, military equipment, and offensive weaponry do not fall into the hands of extremist forces. In this context, it is important to remember that Assad had an enormous stockpile of chemical weapons, and it can be assumed that the IDF airstrikes did not manage to destroy them all. If this weaponry falls into the hands of Islamist extremists, this could set a dangerous precedent not just for Israel but also for Western countries. In my opinion, before Western countries rush to embrace the emerging government in Syria and its backers in Ankara, they must demand the immediate entry of forces trained to collect all the stockpiles of non-conventional weapons and capabilities, (as the United States and Russia partly did in 2013) — the sooner the better.

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December 22, 2024 | 2:42 pm | Comments »

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“The conversation that every national security professional should be having.”  

Khaled Hassan tweeted his response to this video:

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December 22, 2024 | 11:08 am | 3 Comments »

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Erdogan: Patience Brings Victory  

Peloni:  Empowering Turkey is a very bad strategy.  He seeks not just erecting an Islamist led version of the Ottoman Empire, but also the fall of the entire Western world.

December 22, 2024 | 10:00 am | 1 Comment »

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FOREIGN PODICY | What Does Regime Change in Syria Change?  

Peloni:  Schanzer, May and Gerecht of the FDD question and challenge Doran’s proposed policy regarding his support for Erdogan and Al Golani.  The most important part of the interview begins at about 16min and lasts about half an hour.  Doran continues to dispel the radical nature of Erdogan by stating that Erdogan’s radical statements are  not “useful in understanding what the Turks will do” while emphasizing that Israel and the Turks are the only two US allies in the region with the ability to project power outside their own borders.  Notably, the use of the term ally with regards to Erdogan must be questioned.  Additionally, Schanzer’s remarks at 18min regarding the normalization of a Sunni Jihadi state and its effect and implications on the wider Middle East must be emphasized.

December 22, 2024 | 9:37 am | 1 Comment »

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Biden Frees Men Who Scammed $5 Billion With Over 1 Million Victims  

Peloni:  Elections have consequences…Stolen elections only have bad consequences and the consequences of the 2020 election are still being unraveled today.

The single greatest mass jailbreak of corrupt scammers in history.

by

Some people lost their life savings while others lost their dreams in a $900 million fraud that was described as one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history and left behind 1 million victims.

Investors in ‘Zeek’ had taken out loans and mortgages on their homes expecting to get a 125% return on their investment. Victims included the parents of a leukemia patient who were trying to pay for their daughter’s hospital visits. And while some of the money was recovered, people in towns like Lexington, North Carolina, where ZeekRewards had its office, are still suffering.  Zeek’s victims were working class people who didn’t understand what they were getting into.

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December 21, 2024 | 2:51 pm | 5 Comments »

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CAIR Executive Director Celebrates October 7  

Minister Amichai Chikli tweeted the following:

Click HERE for full Thread

The time has come to discuss @CAIRNational, its origins, and the hidden ideology behind its self-definition as a “human rights organization.”

Let’s begin – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1994.

The organization has a national headquarters in Washington, D.C. and 32 regional chapters spanning more than 20 states.

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December 21, 2024 | 2:48 pm | 2 Comments »

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Owens and Carlson Are Trying to Move US Foreign Policy Away From Israel  

@AThinksAloud tweeted the following with Lee Smith’s reply below:

Candace and Tucker are targeting Christians with a very consistent, clear message.

Here is the game they’re playing:

Candace expresses views about p-rn that many Christians share, to get them nodding and agreeing with her, so she can then lead them to this conclusion—“And the Jews did this to hurt Christians.”

Tucker will talk about Assad protecting Christians, after previously saying multiple times that Israel and Zionists influence America to wage war on Christians, so you arrive at this same place. “And the Jews did it to hurt Christians.”

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December 21, 2024 | 2:41 pm | 8 Comments »

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