A quick Sunday update regarding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in Gaza

Gaza in Crisis | CIE (israeled.org)

Today is just a short update on the conflict in Gaza and a couple of the entities, besides HAMAS, also responsible for last week’s intentional barbarism against Israel and primarily, her innocent civilians.

The two previous articles, as supplemental reading are:

• Let's unpack the complex, barbaric attack on Israel and those to blame. (truthaboutthreats.com)

• Short Friday notes after yesterday's long report on Israel (truthaboutthreats.com)

1. A US Senate delegation in Tel Aviv, led by Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Shumer along with two Democrats and 2 Republicans, reinforced US support for Israel, without exception and for the duration.

   1. Tangentially, in his remarks, Shumer said that the Senate will drive this effort due to the fact that there is still no Speaker in the US House of Representatives, which handcuffs efforts to support both Israel, Ukraine and a wide variety of other critical national security issues.

      

   2. With Jim Jordan now nominated to become the next Speaker, there will likely be no “adult in the room” for a while, and due to Jordan’s disgraceful history in Congress. He’s passed no bills, been a loud and frequent disseminator of MAGA Conspiracy theories, ad nauseum. Even today, former Ohio State athletes that he allowed to be sexually assaulted and his complicity in the January 6th armed insurrection are haunting him, as they should.

      1. This morning on Face the Nation, Ohio congressman Mike Turner, head of the Intelligence Committee in the House of Representatives, looked in the camera and told two bald-faced lies regarding Jim Jordan. I have long thought that he was moderate and solution-based on intelligence issues but his overt dishonesty today, regarding politics and supporting Jim Jordan for Speaker has completely wiped out any prior credibility he once may have had:

         1. That no witnesses had come forward against Jordan in the Ohio State sexual abuse scandal that Jordan was at the heart of. Several have and at different times throughout the years’ long investigation. Just this week, some of those witnesses gave a public statement, again which makes Turner, just another liar in support of extremist conspiracy theories, common within MAGA.

         2. That Jordan had nothing to do with January 6th… he did and a great deal.

         3. Both are extraordinary lies and part of an elaborate network of long-debunked conspiracy theories, sold by right wing media.

         4. Since Turner represents the district my father’s side of the family has long lived in, and Jim Jordan represents my hometown, just a handful of miles north of Turner’s district, I am depressingly ashamed for the reputation of my old, “stompin’ grounds.”

The United States has deployed a carrier strike group led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest warship, to the eastern Mediterranean in response to the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel. Another aircraft carrier could also be sent to the region

2. A second CSG/ Carrier Strike Group, The USS Eisenhower, is now deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean, along with the USS Gerald R. Ford in support of Israel and to provide deterrence against Russian and Iranian intrusions.

3. I rarely believe in coincidences regarding matters such as Putin’s genocidal invasion of Ukraine, Iranian provocations with include, Hizbollah attacks on Northern Israel (where my daughter lives) and of course, HAMAS, now the primary, barbarian butchers of the region.

   1. What is NOT a coincidence, is that Putin has instigated this via his proxy, Iran and along with several other diversions across the globe, such as Serbia, Armenia, the coup in Niger etc. He wanted to create distractions for what over the past couple of days, has become a new Russian onslaught again Ukraine’s northeast. Gaza now is such a high-profile news item that he is getting far less attention regarding his perpetual failures in Ukraine and his war crimes.

      

   2. Putin’s senior partner Xi, this week refused to condemn the attack and actually and actually leaned in support away from rather than towards Israel, a nation he has courted aggressively as a key part of his BRI.

      "Zhai also called Israeli officials to say China “has no selfish interests on the Palestinian issue but has always stood on the side of peace, on the side of fairness and justice.”
      
      - Associated Press
      - Israel-Hamas war upends China’s ambitions in the Middle East but         may serve Beijing in the end
      - BY DIDI TANG
      Updated 9:07 AM CDT, October 15, 2023
      - Associated Press

   

4. We are swimming in mis/ disinformation about everything connected to Ukraine, Gaza, China, Iran and far more. Timeworn false narratives revolving around both conflicts are pervasive and they even creep into better journalism sometimes too.

   For example:

   1. The false narrative that Israel “occupies” Gaza. Occupation ended in

      2005.

      1. HAMAS was elected to govern Gaza in 2007 and has bullied Gazans during elections, ever since, in order to remain in power. Their charter and more recent governing covenant are terrorist manifestos, not in service to their people.

   2. The false narrative that this is a religious war. No, this is about power for despotic states like, HAMAS, Hizbollah, Iran, Russia and China, in that order. It is also about power mongering by the new, extreme, right-wing government of Bibi Netanyahu.

   3. The false narrative that Jews and Arabs hate each other is also all-over lesser media sites and especially on US far-right media sites.

      

      1. The cooperative Arab/ Palestinian peace movement and support is huge, vocal and long supported from both sides.

      2. There is also, a huge, two-state majority in Israel willing to ignore the same tired pot-stirrers and bravely try peaceful cohabitation. Here are a just a few, of many examples.

         1. People to People: Examining Grassroots Peacebuilding Efforts Between Israelis and Palestinians | United States Institute of Peace (usip.org)

         2. Israel and Palestine (cartercenter.org)

         3. Bat Shalom — Peace Insight

         4. About ALLMEP - Alliance for Middle East Peace

   4. The false narrative that no one is offering peace and sanctuary for those civilian Palestinians, forced to evacuate.

      1. There is of course, an immediate need for these long-suffering human beings. Israel, in cooperation with the US, Egypt and countless international aid agencies are working around the clock to work out how to evacuate and serve the evacuees with basic necessities.

         1. One major obstacle to getting refugees to safety in or out of Gaza, is Egypt’s refusal to allow passage through the Rafah gate/ checkpoint. Egypt has a short, 3- or 4-mile border with Gaza and the only way in or out for the time being. In fact, most Arab neighboring nations, have also said no to accepting refugees. Secretary Blinken and his team are working round the clock to negotiate use of Egypt’s checkpoint, with the Al-Sissi government.

Wishing everyone a day with far more joy in it than this update.

Paul

Whomever you pray to or not, please make some of those prayers and wishes, for the safety of all innocent victims of war.

Am Israel Chai and Slava Ukraini

"The people of Israel live." and Glory to Ukraine