By Tom Nash                                                                          9 February 2024

Peloni:  A very interesting conversation as usual.  In this episode, among other things, Mike conjectures that the real purpose of the upcoming Blinken visit is to stop Israel from attacking Rafah.  He believes that Israel’s actions might be intended to put pressure on Hamas to agree to a an acceptable prisoner deal to pause the fighting.  Gadi notes that there are other pressures which could be raised such as a protest in Israel against Blinken, or for Bibi to begin to address the American people directly.  Notably, Bibi’s speech at the press conference two days ago, which was staunchly defensive of continuing the war, was later re-recorded in English, something which has not been the norm thus far in this war.

By Gadi Taub & Mike Doran,  Tablet February 10, 2024

Recent revelations about the participation of UNRWA employees in the October 7 massacre have focused attention on the agency. The UN has vowed to purge it. Supporting countries are withholding funds. But the problem is not this or that employee. The problem is structural. UNRWA was born in sin. It was created to perpetuate the Palestinian refugee problem in order to prevent any solution short of the full destruction of Israel. We spoke with Dr. Adi Schwartz, co-author (with former Labor Party Knesset member Einat Wilf) of the bestselling book The War of Return about the role of UNRWA and what could be done about it.

Peloni:  The following is the final third of Dyer’s most recent column.  In her analsyis here she shares her conclusion that:

“As I noted a month ago in a more extended treatment, the main actor the U.S. operational profile in CENTCOM is in no position to deter is Iran.”

And she suggests that this might well “explain everything bizarre and operationally inexplicable about how the Biden administration has run the counter-strikes so far.”

Deterrence and credibility deficit.

J.E. Dyer, The Optimistic Conservative, February 9, 2024

What we haven’t been told is what the Air Force’s squadrons of strike-fighters at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar were doing.

Refueling tankers flew from Al-Udeid, apparently to support the strike package. At a minimum this support would have been for the B-1s.  I’d typically assume the bombers had fighter escort as well.  It seems likely that it came from Al-Udeid.  But it’s an assumption that Al-Udeid-based escorts were used – and there’s an information hole for the question whether strike-fighters from Al-Udeid participated in the strikes on ground targets.

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T. Belman. Bibi called these demands “delusional”.  So why is he prepared to give a written response. The proper stance is not to reply and simply say, if Hamas wants a disccussion, it should first make a better offer. He should not dignify delusional; demands by replying tp them in writing.  At least he has turned of the discussion to the full cabinet.

TV report says war cabinet members agreed to draw up formal response to terror group’s conditions for hostage deal, as families of captives demand urgent meeting with them

The tactical victory that Hamas achieved on October 7, with all its scenes of unimaginable horror, has become a leading driver of its strategic defeat.

Edward N. Luttwak, Tablet  February 08, 2024

Soldiers exit a tunnel that Hamas reportedly used on Oct. 7 to attack Israel through the Erez border crossing in northern Gaza, on Jan. 07, 2024 Noam Galai/Getty Images

Anyone who has ever been in combat knows that the enemy is almost always invisible, because to remain alive one must remain behind good cover: The one and only time I saw live enemies walking toward me, I was so astonished that I hesitated before opening fire (ill-trained, they were walking into a blinding sun).

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By Kathy Gyngell, THE CONSERVATIVE WOMAN       9 Feb 2024

ON MONDAY, in Committee Room Ten at the House of Commons, we were treated to hearing the remarkable German MEP, Christine Anderson. She was the guest of Andrew Bridgen on an international panel he had drawn together to discuss the World Health Organization power grab and how to save our sovereignty. 

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The greatest boost of strength I can receive as a soldier is the knowledge that what I’m doing is inspiring those around me to want to take part in what we’re building as well. Op-ed.

By Jacob Lerer, INN                                                           8 February 2024

Jacob Lerer

Am Yisrael needs help.

We all want to make a difference, but being so distant from Israel has left many Jews wondering what substantial difference they can make. As someone who appreciates Diaspora Jewish identity, having grown up in Teaneck, and who has spent the last three months in Azza, I want to offer a perspective which can hopefully speak to your heart.

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“The lesson from the war in Ukraine and against Hamas is identical: Israel must significantly increase its arsenal,” said a former Israeli defense official. Opinion.

By Yaakov Lappin, INN                                                     9 February 2024

Cargo plane arrives at Ramon Airport

(JNS) In the wake of the ongoing war against Hamas and its exposure of Israel’s near total dependence on the United States to replenish its stocks of ammunition, Israel has begun shifting toward greater domestic ammunition production.

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By MARTIN SHERMAN

While the current coalition is far from unblemished, things could be worse—and have been, recently.

The current Netanyahu-led coalition has been lambasted, almost without respite, from the moment it was formed—arguably even before that, while it was still being assembled.

Unprecedented breach of the basics of democratic governance

It has been accused—usually with only flimsy foundation—of virtually every conceivable flaw—from gross incompetence, through flagrant corruption to brazen embezzlement. While the incumbent government is, like all its forerunners, not unblemished, it is far from the demonized image ascribed to it by an obsessively Bibi-phobic “elite” and a blatantly partisan mainstream press. Moreover, by any impartial comparison with its immediate predecessor, it is a tangible improvement.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who came to Israel this week to bully it into a ceasefire in Gaza, preposterously demanded a one-to-one private meeting with the Israel Defence Forces’ Chief of the General Staff, Herzi Halevi.

At the meeting that took place instead with the war cabinet, Blinken was reportedly put out when Halevi said the war would continue for months because of the challenge mounted by the vast extent of Hamas’s underground military infrastructure.

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Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell’s insistence that the Jewish state would get nothing unless Ukraine got far more killed the remains of the bipartisan pro-Israel consensus.

By JONATHAN S. TOBIN

(February 8, 2024 / JNS)  Whether you considered it high drama or low comedy, the dysfunctional nature of both Congress and the White House was never better illustrated. In the last week, bitter debates about the crisis at America’s southern border, in addition to efforts to provide more aid to Ukraine and Israel, were somehow all pushed together in one unholy mess that unraveled on the floors of the U.S. House and Senate.

Factions within both the Democratic and Republican parties in both the House and the Senate battled opponents on their own sides of the aisle and across it as President Joe Biden and congressional leaders sought to exploit the divisions to get their way. It involved an effort to impeach a cabinet member, as well as cross-party bargaining and secret agreements. At the same time, advocates for shutting down the border, for open borders, and for and against Ukraine and Israel were all seeking to somehow influence the outcome without alienating advocates for other causes.

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David Albright, Iran International  February 8, 2024

In terms of Iran’s nuclear threat, “we’re at a point of Extreme Danger. It’s the first time in years we see all the stars come together into a constellation where Iran may decide to build nuclear weapons.

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Quite simply, UNRWA is fundamentally compromised, and its activities are fundamentally at odds with its stated purpose of providing educational, health, and other services to Palestinians. In fact, UNRWA is part of the vicious cycle of violence orchestrated by Hamas

by Victoria Coates & Brett D. Schaefer, The National Interest February 7, 2024

Critics of the U.S. State Department’s “temporary pause” of additional funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)—after shocking revelations that twelve employees actively participated in the October 7 terrorist attacks in support of Hamas—act as if the UNRWA will suffer a harsh financial blow. It won’t—at least not in the short term.

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T. Belman. This interview was informative and fascinating. Tucker was out of his depth. Putin was brilliant. I particularly liked Putin’s explanation of the need for denazification. Putin talked about the dollar, the world economy, China and BRICS.
I thoroughly enjoyed the two hours.

Clearly, the US is the aggressor in the Ukraine war. 

Tucker Carlson, X  February 8, 2024

Peloni:  The problem which Ukraine faces was never relatable to any deficiency in Zaluzhny’s capabilities.  Rather, Ukraine suffers from a dearth of troops, arms and the ability and experience of using combined arms tactics.  Placing Syrski in command of Ukrainian forces will not reverse these matters, and given the role which Syrskyi played in Bakhmut, he is more likely to exacerbate the consequences of such deficiencies.  Also, with the home front political opposition stirring against a president who has out-served his re-elect-by date as he challenges the rich and powerful, the losses on the front line may soon become the least interesting aspect of Ukraine.

What’s Next in Ukraine

Stephen Bryen, Weapons and Strategy Substack, February 8, 2024

Volodymyr Zelensky has finally been successful in firing General Valerii Zaluzhny. This time, according to reporting coming from Kiev, Zaluzhny has accepted the order and has thanked Ukrainians for their sacrifice. Zelensky will now fire most of the top brass in the army aligned with Zaluzhny. Choosing Syrskyi is somewhat of a risk, because Syrskyi and Zaluzhny are friends.
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Biden threatens to veto Israel aid. And he will pay no political price.

By David Harsanyi, THE FEDERALIST                    7 February 2024

Cameron Smith/The White House/Flickr

Joe Biden promised to veto any standalone aid bill for Israel, and Hakeem Jeffries and most House Democrats voted against one. The administration maintains that Israel’s security is so “sacred,” it must be tied to a doomed legislative package containing entirely unrelated issues that deal with border security and Ukrainian aid.

Which, of course, makes absolutely zero sense.

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By Noah Beck, AM THINKER                                       8 February 2024

The Biden administration thinks that a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) could run a post-war Gaza Strip at peace with Israel, but that ignores several inconvenient facts:

But that ignores several inconvenient facts:

1) The latest poll of Palestinian public opinion shows that the PA is deeply unpopular.

2) The same poll shows that 72% of respondents supported the massacre of October 7. But somehow a new Palestinian state in Gaza would embrace coexisting with Israel?

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By Roi Yanovsky, JPOST                                                  6 February 2024

Al Khalady Mosque in Gaza/SHUTTERSTOCK

I was recently released from reserve duty in Gaza, after serving 100 days in the IDF. Since the world can’t see firsthand the things I saw there, I feel I have to share.

For years, well before October 7th, we’ve heard about how terrible life is for the poor, oppressed Gazans. How anti-Israel activists and media outlets claim the Gaza Strip can be compared to an open-air prison. This became the standard, accepted narrative about life in Gaza, promulgated by Al Jazeera and international human rights groups. But now, having experienced it myself, I can confidently tell you that we were lied to.

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