RUTHFULLY YOURS

Iran/Hezbollah/other evil crazies have still not retaliated for the recent assassinations of terrorist leaders. Why is that is the question that everyone is asking. Is it a strategic move? Are they scared of the repercussions? Are they waiting for a hostage/ceasefire deal in Gaza to get them out of the whole situation, at least temporarily? My bet is on the last one. As time has gone by, the pressure for a deal to free at least some of the hostages has intensified. Israel could try some kind of rescue attempt in the near future, but barring that, it would seem a deal is on the way, along with a way out for Iran/Hezbollah/Yemen and possibly Hamas, at least in the short term. I’m not saying I think this is a good idea, but I think this is where this is going.

Meanwhile in Gaza
The IDF continues to hammer away at terrorists and terrorist infrastructure. In an attack on a terrorist headquarters located in a school, at least 31 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were killed. The Muslims and their allies have labeled the successful attack a massacre. Idiots. An Israeli soldier was killed in southern Gaza this week by a sniper. Despite this tragedy, there are many successes in the field. It all comes back to the original gamble by the head of Hamas Sinwar – how long can Israel continue to destroy Hamas before the international/domestic pressure stops it. If they get to Sinwar and his lieutenants, total victory can be achieved. Otherwise, Hamas remains a threat in Gaza.

I read an interesting take this week that suggested that as long as the religious/right-wing community is willing to stay in reserve duty and fight in Gaza, the war will keep going. In essence, a grassroots situation where the lower ranking soldiers force the hand of the secular leftist leadership. A fascinating phenomenon indeed.

Of course, occasionally the secular left will fight back, like they have in persecuting the reservists who are accused of abusing an imprisoned Nukhba terrorist from Oct. 7th. They even brought in the terrorist to testify! Let’s just say that in traditional Judaism we invalidate the legitimacy of testimony of a witness for much less than the hideous crimes of  Oct. 7th. As of now the soldiers have been released to house arrest. It’s a nice attempt to kill the morale of the other reservists, but unlikely to work.

Finally, the top brass of the army and other security services (ie. secular leftists) are currently very publicly emphasizing their approval of any hostage deal, even one requiring a full pull out of Israeli forces from Gaza, including the border area with Egypt. Obviously, it’s not their job to support or oppose any deal, so it makes such behavior even more suspicious. They want this war over so they can start planning their asylum in Portugal. They might be surprised at how much of Israel would support such a move by them, but want the war to continue, without them in charge.

Up North
The routine continues up north, for now. Hezbollah shoots volleys of rockets and drones at Israeli communities and military installations and Israel responds by targeting Hezbollah and other active terrorists in southern Lebanon. That’s pretty much it.

Two Terrible Tragedies
A lone soldier from the US who returned to fight in the reserves after Oct. 7th died this week from an allergic reaction. Jordan Cooper served over 200 days in the reserves and was recently released. His family came to visit from the US and during the course of their visit, Jordan ate some chalva that he was allergic to and passed away. Thousands attended his funeral. May his memory be for a blessing.

A shooting attack took place this week in the northern Jordan Valley. There have been a string of attacks in the area over the past few weeks. In this attack, one Israeli Jew was killed and one Israeli Arab was wounded. Yonatan Deutsch, hy’d, a special forces soldier, was murdered in the attack and had been scheduled to be married in the next few weeks. A manhunt continues for the terrorists responsible.

In connection with this attack, Israeli forces stormed the nearby Arab village of Tubas and surrounding areas. Five terrorists were eliminated, mostly by drones. Four Israeli soldiers were wounded by an IED. The situation along the length of the Israeli/Jordanian border has become much more perilous in recent months and there is now talk of making a separate brigade to guard the area. Somehow the mixed gender units aren’t getting the job done….

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Let’s end with some good news, shall we.  A new Jewish community in the Judean hills has been approved and its official border delineated. This will enable the planning for development to commence. The community is called Nachal Heletz and is located between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion – it connects the two. This is majorly strategic. The Arabs have been planning and working for years to sever that connection and this new community solidifies it. A lot of things happen during the fog of war. Thankfully, despite all the tragedy, many good things are happening in Israel right now. As we read in this week’s Haftarah from Isaiah, “Comfort, comfort my People – says your G-d.”