T. Belman. The Court ruled so because he “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” First of all, it isn’t true but the lower courts must have held a hearing and determined it was so. Unbelievable.

Colorado’s Supreme Court rules Trump’s candidacy in the state’s primary is prohibited on constitutional grounds. Trump to appeal.

Israel National News     Dec 20, 2023, 1:55 AM (GMT+2)

T. Belman.  Israel started out with this mindset and stated its goal was to totally destroy Hamas. But Biden, Blinken et al went to work to replace this mindset with “humanitarian” concerns. So we morphed from destroying Hamas to protecting “innocents”. As a result the whole world’s focus ia on protecting the “innocents”. By our actions , we have validated the notion that the Gazans and palestinians are innocent and must be protected. the Israel government never fought back against this notion and so it went unchallenged.

We are very close to the UNSC passing a resolution which calls for Israel begin “winding down major combat operations in Gaza, withdrawing most ground troops and moving to more targeted operations”. This will be a  CHAP VI resolution which , though binding, is not enforceble.

Is it too late to follow Weinberg’s advice?  Geez, I hope not.

Humanitarian concerns, both for the one hundred or so Israeli civilians still held hostage by Hamas and for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians held hostage by Hamas, must be secondary.

By  David M. Weinberg, ISRAEL HAYOM     12-17-2023 18:10

“Only love can save us; only justice and forgiveness can save us. Don’t allow Hamas to win,” said Egyptian human rights activist Majed El Shafie.

By Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman, JPOST    18 December 2023

Human rights activist Majed El Shafie. December 2023/Marc Israel Sellem

The Hamas terrorist organization did what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could not: Unite Israel – according to human rights activist Majed El Shafie.

Sitting in the lounge at the David InterContinental Hotel, the Egyptian refugee who converted from Islam to Christianity and now lives in Canada told The Jerusalem Post on Monday morning that he would like to thank Hamas for “showing the world the ugly face of extremism” and “for displaying the rise of antisemitism in Western countries – no one was aware of how bad it was.

Read more…

By Sundance, THE LAST REFUGE  18 December 2023

In the world of tracking geopolitical maneuvers closely, particularly as it relates to military intervention, it becomes critical at a certain point to get more deliberate.

Two fronts seem like they are about to open on the geopolitical stage. The first in Yemen, the second in Moldova.  We can watch them unfold together if we begin from the same baseline.

Against the background of the Israeli-Gaza war against Hamas terrorists, the U.S. military is about to begin a large-scale operation in the Red Sea under the auspices of combating Houthi rebels and terrorist attacks.  Against the background of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, we can also anticipate NATO opening a new front using Moldova.

Read more…

T. Belman. The three diplomats questioned are clearly anti-Israel. What they see as bad news, I see as good news.

By asserting it will maintain security control over Strip, rejecting PA return, not advancing alternate plans, Israel likely to find itself stuck in enclave, top officials tell ToI

Tom Nash

T. Belman. I posted this article because it tells what is really going on behind the scene. Biden is paving the way for a ceasefire because he wants Israel to end “high intensity military operations”. So don’t believe any “happy talk” by US officials.

US poses as Israel’s friend while at the same times gets France, Britain and Germany to work in tandem with her to keep the pressure on Israel.

According to an Israeli source U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made it clear that the current phase of the war will have to stop in early 2024

T. Belman. Bottom line, Israel agreed to all US demands.  in exchange for allegedly “no timeline”. In reality he imposed a timeline for  “winding down major combat operations in Gaza, withdrawing most ground troops and moving to more targeted operations”.

More IDF soldiers will die as a result. The US has made it very difficult for Israel to destroy Hamas to the extent its needed. Austin limited the fighting to killing Hamas leaders and specifically did not include their entire forces. Lurking in the background is the US commitment to establish a Palestinian state. Israel is against this but has set up a committee to make a report for the day after.

Austin pushes for more Gaza aid, two-state vision; says he’ll convene regional ministers to counter Houthis; Gallant: There’s ‘no clock running,’ war will see ‘end of Hamas’

By AMY SPIRO and JACOB MAGID, TOI       18 December 2023, 9:34 pm

T. Belman. Dr Eldad spoke at the Jordan Option conference in 2017

T. Belman.  It is enough that Ben Gvir takes this position but he should stay in the government. As a government Minister, his voice is much louder. He shouldn’t put Gantz in the position to decide when to end this coalition by leaving it. Mind you, if Gantz leaves the coalition, Ben Gvir could rejoin it if Bibi invites him.  The last thing Bibi wants is an early election.

By SAM SOKOL, TOI    Today, 5:01 pm

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir leads a faction meeting of his Otzma Yehudit party at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on December 4, 2023. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticizes the government’s handling of the war against Hamas, reiterating his demand that terrorists be executed and declaring he will not remain in the coalition if the military offensive doesn’t “continue at full strength.”

Asserting that Hamas is still undeterred after 73 days of war, Ben Gvir objects to the government’s decision to let aid into the Gaza Strip, telling reporters at a Knesset faction meeting of his far-right Otzma Yehudit party that “you don’t bring in 200 fuel trucks, you don’t transfer money to any official.”
Read more…

By Sarit Zehavi and Tal Beeri, ALMA REC    17 December 2023

Photo credit: ALMA Research and Education Center

What does Hezbollah want?

Hezbollah did not desire to be lured into the conflict by the Palestinians on October 7 and to come across as though it was being managed (“playing second fiddle”). Hezbollah was “forced” into the campaign on October 7, but on its terms – in a limited capacity; not as a tag-along, but as a supporter. Hezbollah joined the fight to enhance its narrative, although, it would have preferred to start the major conflict by itself. As far as Hezbollah is concerned, the current scenario is a win-win situation.

It should be noted that Hezbollah has been pursuing a policy of provoking Israel since the end of 2022 and throughout 2023. Hezbollah is interested in war with Israel but through its initiative and timing.

Read more…

Why is the U.S. leveraging its position as Israel’s ally to compel an Israeli defeat at the hands of Iran and its proxies? The answer is politics.

By Caroline Glick, JNS   18 December 2023

The U.S. defense secretary arrived in Israel to discuss shifting to a more targeted approach in Gaza.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (left) meets with his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin in Tel Aviv, Dec. 18, 2023. Credit: Israel Defense Ministry.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel on Monday, where he was expected to pressure Jerusalem to scale back the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

His first meeting upon arriving in the Jewish state was with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Austin was also expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the third member of the War Cabinet, Minister-without-Portfolio Benny Gantz.

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Billions in handouts would be contingent on absorbing refugees

by Eliyahu Tulshinski, FRONTLINE      December 15, 2023

As momentum builds for the resettlement of the population of Gaza, activists from the NGO Boneh Israel (literally: “Building Israel”) have presented congressmen with a plan to make U.S. foreign aid to Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, and Turkey contingent on those countries accepting a quota of refugees from Gaza. Recently, former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton and Dutch leader Geert Wilders called to resettle Gaza’s population.

Read more…

Report on the Acquiescence of the Israeli Government in Palestinian Authority First Strike Preparations in Judea and Samaria

by Frontline News Staff   October 23, 2023

America’s manipulation of the Jewish state is endangering Israel and American Jews

BY Jacob Siegle and Liel Leibowitz, TABLET  Dec 17/23

Two years ago, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez famously wept in Congress after changing her vote on funding Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system from “no” to “present.” The New York Times said that the incident showed progressive members of “the Squad” “caught between their principles and the still powerful pro-Israel voices in their party, such as influential lobbyists and rabbis.” (The line was later removed with no correction.) In People magazine, the congresswoman’s procedural maneuver to avoid voting was appreciated for its pathos: “Ocasio-Cortez Opens Up About Israel Iron Dome Vote That Left Her in Tears: ‘Yes, I Wept.’” In the end, the resolution passed the House 420-9.

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Mark Levin interviews Alan Dershowitz and David Shoen

THIS IS A GREAT INTERVIEW.  DON’T MISS IT.

YOU MUST LISTEN TO DERSHOWITZ’S RANT.