“I don’t speak because I have the power to speak; I speak because I don’t have the power to remain silent.” Rav Kook z"l
Monday, October 7, 2024
Ben-Gvir Slams Kamala for Ignoring Displaced Israelis
Itamar Ben-Gvir slammed Kamala Harris for a post on X, in which she lamented the “dire humanitarian situation” in Lebanon, and pledged $157 million in assistance.
The right-wing Israeli National Security Minister shot back at Kamala for ignoring the plight of tens of thousands of displaced Israelis living in the north, forced to evacuate their homes for a year due to constant rocket attacks from Hezbollah.
Harris wrote, “The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there.”
She added, “To that end, the United States will provide nearly $157 million in additional assistance to the people of Lebanon for essential needs such as food, shelter, water, protection, and sanitation to help those who have been displaced by the recent conflict. This additional support brings total U.S. assistance to Lebanon over the last year to over $385 million.”
Ben-Gvir replied, “Kamala, the humanitarian act is to make sure all the citizens of northern Israel return home safe and sound, against all enemies.”
Harris met with Muslim leaders in Flint, Michigan on Friday, expressing concern over the humanitarian situations in Gaza and Lebanon.
Watch American Official Shamelessly Taking Credit for Rescuing Yazidi Woman Kidnapped To Gaza By ISIS Ten Years Ago
Americans had nothing to do with the rescue! It was the IDF! The only thing that Americans were involved in was taking a phone call for an Iraqi Official asking for them to look into it. The Americans immediately handed over the entire operation to the Israelis!
There were no American troops or personnel in Gaza at all!
What Sheer Chutzpah!
Iraq also thanked the US and never mentioned Israel! I say bring her back to Gaza!
Aguna gets her get when her husband had an Israel "Exit Delay Order" and Couldn't Get to Uman!
A woman who had been an Agunah for two years finally received her get from her husband after he realized that he would not be allowed to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashana if he didn’t grant the get, according to a Ynet report.
The recalcitrant husband found out recently that he had an exit delay order issued against him as part of the sanctions authorized by the Beis Din in order to persuade him to grant the divorce. After his request to cancel the order was denied, he decided to give the get to his wife.
The two had wed ten years ago and the woman requested a divorce two years ago, but the husband refused for various reasons. The woman had asked Yad le’Isha to help her in her predicament and attorney Rebbetzin Dina Raitchik, who represented the woman, succeeded in placing sanctions on the husband.
Despite the sanctions including a lien on the bank account, the husband refused to relent until he realized that he would not be able to attend the Uman services on Rosh Hashana. “We realized we had an opportunity which would return to pressure him and we refused to cancel the exit order,” Rebbetzin Raitchik added. “In the end his love for the Tzaddik overcame his ‘love’ for his wife. I am happy the woman ended the year as a free woman. We will continue to fight for the freedom of all of our clients who are trapped in marriages against their will.”
Iran Grounds All Flights Amid Fears of Israeli Retaliation
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization suspended all flights in and out of the Islamic Republic on Sunday night due to what it said were “operational restrictions,” state-run media reported, as Israel vowed a significant response to last week’s firing of 200 ballistic missiles at the Jewish state.
Flights to and from airports in the country will be canceled from 9 p.m. on Sunday to 6 a.m. on Monday, the semi-official Mehr news agency said, citing a spokesman for Tehran’s Civil Aviation Organization.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Israel is “powerful in both defense and offense, and this will be reflected in the manner of our choosing, at the time and place of our choosing.”
“Whoever thinks that by attempting to harm Israel they will deter us from taking action, should take a look at [our operational achievements] in Gaza and in Beirut,” the minister added.
On Oct. 1, the Islamic Republic fired some 200 ballistic missiles in what it said was a retaliation for the targeted killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other Tehran-aligned terrorist leaders.
Jerusalem is reportedly planning a significant attack on the regime, which could include targeting nuclear sites and oil fields, although U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed opposition to both of these options.
A senior political source in Jerusalem told the Israel Hayom daily on Sunday night that Israel is not interested in a prolonged war of attrition with the Islamic Republic and that its response will be such “that it will cause Iran to reconsider its desire to enter into a drawn-out conflict.”
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Hillary Clinton declares that it’s a “double standard” to ask Harris to explain her unexplained policies!
With just about four weeks to go before the presidential election, various people are predictably rolling out their “October Surprise” scenarios. The most prominent such person is Hillary Clinton.
That is not a shock to many who believe her to be behind the “Russia Collusion” surprise unleashed on Donald Trump in summer 2016. That “surprise” was a known and proven hoax, orchestrated to take down the Trump campaign. For those who may have forgotten that sordid episode — or who seek to pretend it never happened — I suggest they read the Durham Report, released in May 2023.
While doing an interview with “Firing Line” host Margaret Hoover on PBS, the former first lady and Secretary of State spoke of an “October Surprise” to come, speculating that “there will be concerted efforts to distort and pervert Kamala Harris, who she is, what she stands for, what she’s done.”
Surely Clinton knows that tens of millions of American voters — along with a number of grizzled political pundits from both sides of the aisle — find that laugh-out-loud absurd. “Distort” and “pervert” what Harris “stands for.” Are you kidding me?
Harris, the shadowy puppet masters behind her and much of the media are working 24/7 to ensure that voters never learn what she “stands for.” Furthermore, Clinton herself endorsed that “hide from the media and voters” strategy. While on the Kara Swisher podcast just last month, Clinton forcefully declared that it’s a “double standard” to ask Harris to explain her unexplained policies.
Google Rehires Noam Shazeer a Frum AI Expert and Pays $2.7 Billion
Did Israel Kidnap the Iranian General Esmail Qaani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force??? Iran Thinks so!
In Tehran, there are suspicions that a Quds Force commander was kidnapped by Israel.
This may explain why the IDF is blocking rescue forces from reaching Dahieh to evacuate the injured. It could be a deception to hide his fate—either dead or kidnapped.
They are horrified by the idea.
This might also explain the Iranian foreign minister's visit to Beirut this week. If true, it would be an unprecedented shock and humiliation for Iran.
Israelis Rescue Yazidi Girl Kidnapped by ISIS 10 years ago and Sold as a Slave to a Gazan!
The moment the kidnapped 21-year-old Yazidi girl was reunited with her family in Sinjar, Iraq, after more than 10 years of slavery in Gaza.
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) October 3, 2024
The entire mission was organized by Jewish-Israeli-Canadian hero @stevemaman .
pic.twitter.com/QzgjHSmQmy
Nasrallah Paid Israel $1.2 Million for the Beepers ..Washington Post!
"Following a Washington Post investigation, the most surprising detail is that $1.2 million was transferred directly from Hezbollah to Israel for the purchase of 5,500 beepers. Directly—through the company that sold them.
This operation ultimately led to Hezbollah's downfall.
What a genius operation.
The Mysterious Disappearance of the Commander of Iran's Elite Quds Force .. Esmail Qaani
Amid mounting tensions Saturday as Iran braced for possible Israeli retaliation, a notable absence drew attention across the Iranian leadership and media circles: Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, seemed to have disappeared from public view. The whereabouts of this top military leader became a pressing question throughout the country’s power structures.
The Quds Force (lit. Jerusalem Force) is one of five branches of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) specializing in terrorism and military intelligence operations. It is responsible for extraterritorial operations, supporting pro-Iranian militias such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Houthis, and Shia militias in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan – the dictionary definition of state-sponsored terrorism.
The Quds Force reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei. After Qasem Soleimani, who was like a son to the supreme leaders, was assassinated by the US, acting on Israeli intelligence in Iraq on January 3, 2020, his deputy, Esmail Qaani, took over.
Now the new Quds chief has not been heard from for quite some time. General Qaani, 67, was last observed in public at the Hezbollah offices in Tehran, just two days following the assassination of the group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israel in Lebanon. He was absent on Friday from the prayer service led by Khamenei in memory of his other assassinated son, Nasrallah.
According to three Iranian officials who spoke to the NY Times, General Qaani traveled to Beirut the previous week to engage with senior Hezbollah leaders and assist the group in recovering from the devastating Israeli attacks.
Incidentally, Ebrahim Amin al-Sayed, who was the candidate to replace Hashem Safi a Din as Secretary General of Hezbollah––after Safi a-Din was also assassinated––announced that he is not interested in the position and intends to pursue religious studies in Tehran.
But wait, it gets better. Sources told the Saudi news outlets Al-Hadath and Al-Arabiya that Qaani is now in “isolation” following the recent Israeli assassinations of prominent Iranian leaders. According to the same report, since October 7, Qaani visited the Iraq-Syria-Lebanon axis several times and met with Nasrallah and his chief of staff Fuad Shukar, both of whom were later assassinated in direct Israeli hits in south Beirut. So, he is under suspicion, which grew stronger when Qaani conveniently missed the Friday meeting in a sub-basement garage in Beirut that Israel destroyed with hundreds of tons of explosives that took down six residential buildings.
A member of the IRGC in Beirut told the NY Times that the lack of communication from high-ranking Iranian officials regarding General Qaani was injecting a sense of panic among the lower-ranking personnel.
Back in 2020, Iranian expatriate and political expert, Dr. Karim Abdian Bani Saeed told Al Arabiya Qaani’s appointment was hasty and his expertise fell short of the assassinated Soleimani.
by David Israel JP
After all the conflicting reports and Esmail #Qaani being missing, Iranians made this meme and are joking that maybe Qaani was a spy and now he's at a Mossad base waiting for a press conference!😂😂
— 𓄂✺Yaar - يار دبستانی🎗️ (@YaarDabestaani) October 5, 2024
Via @Revolution_R_ pic.twitter.com/RqrvHG1KFv
Sunday Israel News Roundup!
*IDF Destroys 250-Meter Hezbollah Tunnel in Northern Israel Meant to Conduct Oct 7th Style Attack on Israel*
In a decisive operation over the weekend, the IDF uncovered and destroyed a 250-meter Hezbollah tunnel near the northern border of Israel. The tunnel was believed to be built with the intent to facilitate a large-scale attack, reminiscent of the October 7th assault on southern Israel.
“This tunnel was designed to carry out the next October 7th in northern Israel,” an Israeli spokesperson said. “But make no mistake: those who harm the people of Israel will pay a heavy price.”
This operation marks the latest in Israel’s ongoing efforts to neutralize threats from Hezbollah and safeguard its citizens.
The IDF has announced that its “military blockade” on Lebanon, aimed at halting Iranian arms shipments to Hezbollah, will persist indefinitely. As part of this effort, the IDF has targeted all military crossings between Lebanon and Syria, including a tunnel, and has even struck a civilian crossing after Hezbollah began using it for smuggling.
Additionally, the IDF has warned that it will disrupt any attempts by Iran to transport weapons through Beirut’s civilian airport. In recent days, the IDF is also reported to have struck several warehouses in Syria, which were suspected of storing Iranian weapons intended for Hezbollah.
NYC bracing for widespread anti-Israel protests planned on one-year anniversary of Oct. 7 terror attack
The city is bracing for widespread anti-Israel protests planned for the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
Protests are already expected on Saturday, in the lead up to the anniversary of the devastating terror attack, with events organized for Times Square, outside Google’s Manhattan headquarters and at Court Square Park in Queens.
Many anti-Israel groups are planning demonstrations for Monday, in particular, the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), which is orchestrating a nationwide “Week of Rage” on college campuses beginning on Oct. 7.
Meanwhile, one of the most outspoken anti-Israel organizations “Within Our Lifetime” (WOL) called on protestors to “flood New York City for Palestine” to mark the anniversary of the assault that killed around 1,200 people in Israel.
Just last week, WOL’s followers amassed in the hundreds for a demonstration outside the Loews Regency New York Hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was staying before addressing the United Nations the following morning.
“On Monday October 7th Flood New York City For Palestine, stand with Gaza and uplift the Palestinian people resisting genocide by any means necessary since 1948,” the group wrote in a post to X.
“Call out of work and school, take to the streets and join us throughout the day.”
WOL has asked those attending to “confront the forces of imperialism and zionism and let the world know that NYC stands with [Palestinians] heroic struggle in the face of annihilation.”
The protests are expected to be spread out across the city from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. including at Wall Street, City Hall, Washington Square Park, Union Square, Grand Central, Times Square and Columbus Circle.
Law-enforcement sources said cops would be out in full force, including working extra shifts and on their days off, and that some colleges would be doubling up their own security.
The anniversary is likely to exacerbate already inflamed tensions on campuses – further heightened by Iran’s unprecedented missile attack against the Jewish State.
Some New York University students on Friday admitted to The Post that while they don’t know a lot about the issue and don’t have significant ties to the region, they’d be showing up to “experience [the protests] for themselves.”
“I’ll be there. I don’t have family in Gaza and that’s not my family culture but I have friends that have been affected by the war,” one student said.
“I don’t feel educated enough to know exactly who’s right and wrong in this but if they are fighting for anyone’s freedoms then they are protesting for the right reasons, in my opinion,” said another.
One foreign exchange student at the elite university added that “America is sick right now” and should have a united front.
The NYPD said earlier this week that it was beefing up security at synagogues and mosques ahead of Rosh Hashanah — a two day long holiday marking the Jewish new year that began on Wednesday night.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the extra precautions at a press briefing earlier that day, which the city referred back to when asked about the upcoming protests.
“While we acknowledge that the city will respect and protect people’s right to peacefully protest, there will be a zero tolerance for those who violate the law, impede traffic and damage property while doing so,” Adams said.
Hizzoner said people threatened at their places of work, worships or any place will not be tolerated and stressed that the NYPD is working with law enforcement partners at the city, state and federal levels.
Sensitive locations will have additional cameras to complement the 80,000 cameras in the NYPD Domain Awareness system, officials said.
“There will be many protections that you will see, and there will be many that you will not see. We will have an omnipresence and a real, visible presence of uniform personnel,” Adams added.
Columbia donations drop nearly 29% to $21.4M in wake of anti-Israel protests
Columbia University saw donations at its annual fundraiser drop nearly 29% after the spate of anti-Israel protests on campus earlier this year.
The annual “Giving Day” event brought in $21.4 million in 2024, compared to $30 million in 2022, the last time the event was held, according to campus newspaper Columbia Spectator. Giving Day was postponed in 2023 due to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the ensuing protests.
The Ivy League university also saw a nearly 28% drop in the number of gifts, falling from 19,229 in 2022 to 13,870, the lowest since 2015, the paper said.
Columbia is dealing with a “donor crisis — born out of concerns regarding campus protests,” according to the Spectator.
The number of gifts climbed for 10 straight years before this year’s plummet.
The most money came from the athletics department, which raised $4.6 million, a record for the department. Columbia College, which had been in the top spot for 11 years in a row, dropped to second, raising $3.5 million. The School of Engineering and Applied Science came in third place, raising $3.2 million.
“Columbia is fortunate to have a dedicated community of alumni, parents and friends who recognize the impact their financial donations, volunteer time, talents, advice and mentoring make in assisting students and supporting the mission of the university and its schools,” a Columbia spokesperson said. “Their participation and support is ongoing and sincerely appreciated, and they continue to ensure the ongoing success of the university.”
The school has faced criticism for its mishandling of the demonstrations.
Anti-Israel protests resumed in September as the 2024-2025 school year commenced.
Columbia was one of the Ivy schools to be investigated by the Department of Education for civil rights violations under Title VI in December.
Trump to visit Ohel of Lubavitcher Rebbe on October 7th
According to reports, the USSS has already begun inspecting the area and will be providing significantly increased security throughout the visit. Trump has been afforded additional protection beyond that given to all former presidents following two separate assassination attempts against him.
The visit comes on the anniversary of the October 7th massacre and is being facilitated by former ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
Trump is also slated to attend a memorial ceremony for the massacre following his visit.
New details about the pager explosions
The Washington Post published an investigation last night (Sunday) that includes new details about the Hezbollah pager explosions.
The exploding pagers were manufactured in Israel in 2022 and integrated into the supply line of the Thai manufacturer Apollo without their knowledge.
A sales representative managed to convince Hezbollah to purchase 5,000 pagers, arguing that they were immune to Israeli spying. The representative recommended the model with the extended battery and the hard case. The terrorist organization purchased the pagers and equipped its operatives with them.
The operation was preceded by another action by the Mossad a decade ago, during which hundreds of communication devices were sold to Hezbollah and transferred to its militants. These devices were not only equipped with explosives but also with tracking devices that allowed Israel to listen to conversations held on them.
According to the report, in the days leading up to the operation, decision-makers in Israel debated whether to detonate the devices, fearing a harsh response from Hezbollah.
After deciding on the action, the militants received a message on the pager stating that an encrypted message was waiting for them, which required pressing two buttons simultaneously and using both hands for reading. This way, Israel ensured that the injuries of Hezbollah militants would be significant, affecting both their hands.
Netanyahu BLASTS "little coward" Macron After He called For Arms Embargo; “SHAME ON THEM!”
Macron is such a disgrace. Good for @netanyahu for calling him out. pic.twitter.com/DGf5ZnXy0I
— Caroline Glick (@CarolineGlick) October 5, 2024
Terrorist Who Showed Bloodstained Hands During 2000 Ramallah Lynch Eliminated
Twenty-four years after Abed al-Aziz Salha waved his bloody hands triumphantly following a brutal lynch on two IDF soldiers in Ramallah, the IDF eliminated him in Gaza.
In one of the most iconic pictures of the second intifiada, Salha was photographed in October 2000- at the beginning of the outbreak of violence following the failed talks between Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat. Salha, together with numerous other terrorists, lynched Vadim Nurzhitz (37) and Yossi Avrahami, two reservists who had mistakenly entered Ramallah, in the El-Bireh police station, and he then appeared in the window of the police station and displayed his hands to the crowd.
Salha was later arrested, but he was freed as part of the 2011 “Shalit deal,” along with 1,027 other convicted terrorists, among them Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. This week, 24 years after the bloody murder, Salha was eliminated during an IDF operation in Gaza.
According to a joint IDF and Shin Bet statement, Salha was eliminated in an air strike in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
“Salha participated in the brutal lynch in Ramallah in the year 2000, in which reserve soldiers Sergeant First Class (res.) Yosef (Yossi) Avrahami, of blessed memory, and Corporal (res.) Vadim Nurzhitz, of blessed memory, were murdered. He is known from the picture in which he was photographed waving his blood-covered hands from the window after the lynch,” the statement read.
“In recent years, Salha was involved in directing terror activities in Judea and Samaria, and continued to occupy himself with terror activities reccently as well. The terrorist, age 43 from Deir Jarir in Binyamin, was banished to the Gaza Strip during the Shalit deal, after he was arrested in 2001 following the lynch. The IDF and Shin Bet will continue eliminating and pursuing past and present Hamas terrorists and anyone who threatens the citizens of the State of Israel.”
On October 12, 2000, Nurzhitz and Avrahami entered Ramallah by mistake on their way to their base in the Binyamin Region, instead of avoiding the city through the Hizma checkpoint. Upon their entry into Ramallah, a mass of Palestinian Authority Arabs began hurling rocks at their vehicle and attacking it. Palestinian Authority police officers took them to a local police station, where they were violently murdered. Their bodies were later hurled out of the police station’s window.
Saturday, October 5, 2024
2,000 Hezbollah terror infrastructure destroyed, 440 terrorists killed
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on Saturday night gave a press briefing, reporting on the events of the Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) holiday and the following Shabbat (Sabbath).
"We are pushing Hezbollah northwards," he said in a statement. "Some of the terrorists have escaped, some of them are defeated by our forces in face-to-face clashes."
"Since the start of the ground invasion, around 440 Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated, including 30 commanders of varying ranks."
Hagari also noted that a Hezbollah terror tunnel that did not cross into Israeli territory had been destroyed.
According to an IDF statement, the Paratroopers Brigade, Yahalom Unit and the Northern Command Combat Engineering Unit, under the command of the 98th Division, destroyed 250 meters of underground terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The underground infrastructure was identified and investigated during cross-border operations conducted in recent weeks in coordination with special units.
IDF troops uncovered command centers, terrorist combat packs, and a large number of weapons designated to be used in an invasion by Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces into Israel. They also found living quarters equipped with showers, a kitchen, and stockpiles of food.
"The underground infrastructure did not cross into Israeli territory," Hagari stressed, noting that it reached 300 meters from the Lebanon-Israel border.
He noted that the tunnel had been intended for use in an invasion into northern Israel.
The IDF added that it was sealed by the Northern Command Combat Engineering Unit and the Yahalom Unit in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense Department of Engineering and Construction.
"The soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade continue to fight in southern Lebanon, navigating complex, mountainous, and dense terrain. Inside a Hezbollah stronghold used by the terrorist organization as a base to carry out attacks on Israeli civilians, the soldiers uncovered hundreds of weapons," an IDF statement stressed, adding that "the soldiers also eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters combat and directed aerial strikes."