RUTHFULLY YOURS

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20709/israel-work-permits-palestinians

Prior to the October 7 massacre, more than 170,000 Palestinians were working in Israel, constituting an important source of income for the Palestinian economy…. The Palestinians from the Gaza Strip who were permitted to work in Israel received many of the same rights as Israeli workers, including health insurance and pension plans.

“I will be able to earn about $120 dollars a day [in Israel], while I cannot even earn $250 dollars a month in Gaza. Due to the difficult political and economic conditions, the people of the Gaza Strip suffer greatly from poverty and are unable to build a future for their children like their parents.” — Mohammed Kamal, a 38-year-old father of four from the Gaza Strip, newarab.com, March 24, 2022.

It appears that the murderers and rapists from the Gaza Strip saw Israel’s goodwill gestures as an indication of Israel’s weakness. In addition, they apparently saw the controversy in Israel surrounding the Israeli government’s judicial reform plan as a sign that Israel had become extremely weak, especially when anti-government protesters threatened to boycott military reserve service.

The October 7 atrocities serve as a reminder that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not about improving the living conditions of the Palestinians or strengthening their economy. Instead, the conflict is about the desire of the majority of Palestinians to slaughter Jews and destroy Israel.

Pre-and post-October 7 public opinion polls have consistently demonstrated that the majority of Palestinians back Hamas and believe that the atrocities committed on that day were “correct.”

Now, Palestinians can blame Hamas not only for dragging them into a disastrous war with Israel, but also for having left tens of thousands of families jobless in the wake of their loss of permits to work in Israel.

Instead of brainwashing and indoctrinating their people against Israel and Jews, Palestinian leaders need to be required to focus on creating job opportunities and boosting the Palestinian economy, which the flow of international handouts have relieved them from doing.

The Palestinians would also greatly benefit if they would realize that there are actually dire repercussions when they “bite the hand that feeds them.”

After the October 7 atrocities, it would be absurd to assume that Israel will once more welcome tens of thousands of laborers from the Gaza Strip. Many of those workers to whom Israel opened its doors were apparently working in Israel by day, and by night returning to Gaza and providing Hamas with highly detailed maps and drawings of every house in Israel’s border communities, and reports about everyone in them, including the pet dogs.

A massacre was not the outcome many had expected after the Israelis’ willingness to help to improve the lives of their Palestinian neighbors.

“Black-and-white depictions of Gaza before the war are not only inaccurate but fail to capture the color-rich realities that existed, in which the potential for coexistence and peace was present in daily occurrences; human-to-human connections between Palestinian workers and Israelis were a window of what the future could look like.” — Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, former resident of the Gaza Strip, x.com, June 16, 2024.

https://truthofthemiddleeast.com/herta-muller/?fbclid=I

The writer and Nobel Prize winner read this text at the October 7 Forum of “Jewish Culture in Sweden” in Stockholm on May 25.
She is one of the greatest contemporary German writers. Now, Nobel Prize winner Herta Muller has written a shocking wake-up call to the West – The madness that has gripped parts of Western society since Hamas attacked Israel
They turned into monsters

In most narratives about the war in Gaza, the war does not begin where it began. The war did not start in Gaza. The war began on October 7, exactly 50 years after Egypt and Syria invaded Israel. Palestinian Hamas terrorists committed an unimaginable massacre in Israel. They filmed themselves as heroes and celebrated their bloodbath. Their victory celebrations continued back home in Gaza, where the terrorists dragged severely abused hostages and presented them as spoils of war to the jubilant Palestinian population. This macabre jubilation extended all the way to Berlin. In the Neukölln district there was dancing on the streets and the Palestinian organization Samidoun distributed sweets. The internet was buzzing with happy comments.

More than 1,200 people died in the massacre. After torture, mutilation and rape, 239 people were abducted. This massacre by Hamas is a total derailment from civilization. There is an archaic horror in this bloodlust that I no longer thought possible in this day and age. This massacre has the pattern of annihilation through pogroms, a pattern that the Jews have known for centuries. That is why the whole country has been traumatized, because the founding of the state of Israel was intended to protect against such pogroms. And until October 7, it was believed to be protected. Although Hamas has been sitting on the state of Israel’s neck since 1987. The Hamas founding charter clearly stated that the destruction of the Jews was the goal, and that “death for God is our noblest wish”.

Even though there have been changes to this charter since then, it is clear that nothing has changed: the destruction of the Jews and the destruction of Israel remain the goal and desire of Hamas. This is exactly the same as in Iran. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the destruction of the Jews has also been state doctrine since its foundation, that is, since 1979.

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-806327

Hamas and other terrorist organizations proclaim “Free Palestine” as code words for destroying Israel and committing genocide.

Unfortunately, the failure to understand what Hamas is has led many people to support it as an Islamic organization that embraces monotheism and a “national (Palestinian) liberation movement” – with disastrous consequences. It claims to be both but is neither.

The problem is that although Islam claims to have a moral code with values and ethics, it does not apply to non-Muslims (“infidels”). This became apparent on October 7. That’s why Muslims ignore and deny the massacre and support Hamas’s attack in the name of Islam. Infidels don’t matter and can be killed with impunity. Support for such savagery, moreover, is taught in mosques and Islamic schools and institutions around the world. Islamic leaders declare, “Death to Israel; Death to America.”

Is that consistent with Islamic claims to be monotheistic and connected to the tradition of Abraham?

Is that what Muslims believe that Allah/God wants?

Hamas and other terrorist organizations proclaim “Free Palestine” as code words for destroying Israel and committing genocide. To gain legitimacy and acceptance, they present themselves as representatives of Islam. For this reason, the majority of Islamic authorities, Muslims, and numerous non-Muslims support Hamas.

But Hamas is an Islamic totalitarian organization that opposes any form of individuality, creativity, or human rights. Life has no meaning outside of its rules. Although it uses Islamic religious terms, such as Jihad, to justify its atrocities, it is contrary to any genuine religious belief.

https://www.jns.org/secular-coercion-and-double-standards/

Thousands of worshipers gathered at Charles Clore Park on Sunday morning to celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice. The practice at this location, where Tel Aviv meets Jaffa, is nothing new. The grassy open space along the coast of the Mediterranean, perfect for picnics and other outings, is a choice venue for nightly family break-fast barbecues during the Islamic month of Ramadan.

Nor is it out of the ordinary for Muslim-Arab citizens of Israel to engage in gender separation during prayers, which they did at the event in question—with physical barriers dividing between the men at the front and the women at back.

Two things made this annual religious ceremony at the location in question noteworthy. One is that this year, it included signs calling for a ceasefire, with the slogan: “The innocent people of Gaza are in Jaffa’s heart.” But even that wasn’t novel, judging by the behavior of Israel’s Arab citizens, including residents of Jaffa, during Operation Guardian of the Walls against Hamas in Gaza in 2021.

Far more significant was the apathy to the happening on the part of all the secular leftists who spent years blocking any attempt by Orthodox Jews to separate men and women in public areas. The adage that “it takes one to know one” is particularly apt here, as the chattering classes constantly accuse the right of opposing “freedom,” while being guilty of just that.

After the Knesset elections on Nov. 1, 2022, while Benjamin Netanyahu was in talks to form what would become the current governing coalition, the Religious Zionist and United Torah Judaism parties were demanding that legislation be enacted to enable gender segregation at publicly sponsored events without its being deemed discriminatory. Their aim was to prevent a repeat of a court-ordered cancellation in 2019 of a sold-out concert by renowned singer Motty Steinmetz at the Afula Municipal Park.

The ruling—one of many that backed anti-Orthodox appeals over the years—was spurred by a “Women’s Lobby” petition challenging the separate seating that had been arranged in advance for the mainly haredi audience.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20703/palestinians-heroes

Support for Hamas also coincides with the Biden administration’s and some European nations’ ongoing promotion of creating a Palestinian state right next to Israel. This move would not only open the door for more atrocities against Israelis, but would also put Israel in grave danger because the Palestinian state, even under the supposedly watchful eye of a chaperone, would essentially be ruled by the same murderers and rapists who took part in the October 7 carnage.

These European nations — Ireland, Norway, and Spain — have sent a message to the Palestinians that the only way they can get international recognition for their state is by murdering Jews.

In a similar vein, the Biden administration has communicated to the Palestinians that the October 7 atrocities have heightened their likelihood of creating a terror state ruled by the Iranian regime and its Palestinian proxies, which would be used as a launchpad to murder more Jews and destroy Israel. This is evident in the administration’s continued support for a “two-state solution.”

Most Palestinians know what the Biden administration does not want to know: that the PA leadership cannot be trusted to implement any reforms or combat financial and administrative corruption.

In addition, 54% of Palestinians polled support an “armed struggle” against Israel, an 8-point rise from the previous poll three months ago.

The results of the poll also confirm what a Palestinian state would look like: it will be a terror state funded and armed by Qatar and Iran.

This tenacity is exactly why there is no substitute to destroying Hamas.

[Hamas official Ghazi] Hamad also said that Egypt and Qatar have exerted no pressure on Hamas whatsoever to accept Biden’s proposed ceasefire, and that media reports about threats to expel Hamas leaders from Qatar are false.

Or is it possible that this is why they want Hamas to win? To see the Jews finally get their comeuppance for having had the gall not to accept their role as crushed victims after World War II, but instead to work hard and transform a land of malaria-infested swamps, sand dunes and deserts into a successful modern state?

“Israel should swiftly and decisively eliminate Muslim Brotherhood terrorist forces in Gaza.” — Amjad Taha, political strategist and analyst from the United Arab Emirates, X, June 12, 2024.

https://amgreatness.com/2024/06/14/the-world-does-not-want-israel-to-win-the-war-against-hamas/

The daring Israel Defense Forces (IDF) rescue mission on June 8 that freed four Israelis taken hostage by Hamas during its October 7, 2023 terrorist attack against Israel was a pivotal event that should have shifted global opinion about the war in Israel’s favor by illustrating the shocking malevolence of Hamas and how little it values human life.

Unfortunately, this did not happen.

The IDF freed four hostages who Hamas was holding in apartment buildings, using the residents as human shields to prevent them from being freed. In addition, so-called “innocent” Palestinian civilians were incarcerating hostages in their apartments, with Hamas reportedly paying them to do so.

Abdallah Aljamal, a Gaza-based journalist, held three Israeli hostages captive in his home. Aljamal, who was killed in the IDF raid, wrote many stories slamming Israel for human rights violations in the war and killing Palestinians. He also was a spokesman for Hamas.

Desperate to prevent the hostages from being brought back to Israel by the IDF team, Hamas fighters attacked the team as it left the apartment buildings with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The IDF team defended itself and Israel was forced to conduct airstrikes to defend the hostage extraction.

Arnon Zmora, an officer of the IDF’s elite Yamam counter-terrorism unit, was shot and critically injured by Hamas terrorists guarding three of the four hostages.

This was a great victory for Israel and demonstrated that it will not abandon its people taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. Hamas holding hostages in crowded civilian areas and its ferocious firefight against the IDF rescuers demonstrated how little Hamas values human life and confirmed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s belief that more Palestinian civilian deaths work to his advantage.

But most of the world saw the IDF raid differently. Israel was criticized for the large number of Palestinian civilian casualties in the raid, even though many were caused by Hamas fighters firing on IDF forces in a civilian area. The mainstream media and Western politicians cited, without question, exaggerated Palestinian casualty figures from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. U.S. and European media described the raid as a “deadly hostage rescue.” Some Western media outlets tried to downplay the fact that Hamas was engaged in hostage-taking by claiming the hostages had been “released” rather than “freed.”

A CNN commentator asked an Israeli official whether Israel had informed Palestinian civilians of the raid in advance to limit civilian casualties. The official replied that Israel did not. Israel was also criticized for the raid because it might set back a U.S.-led effort to reach a ceasefire.

The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said the IDF raid might have been a war crime. Middle East media outlets were even worse, describing the raid as an Israeli “atrocity.”

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2024/06/13/truly-evil-hamas-leader-says-the-quiet-part-out-loud-n2640327

It’s not really the ‘quiet’ part, honestly; with Hamas, advertising your evil is the out-loud part.  Still, it’s very important to highlight this Wall Street Journal scoop, which reports out the appalling and inhumane internal calculus of Hamas’ top military leader — Yahya Sinwar — who planned the October 7th massacre.  Sinwar is a fanatical supporter of Israeli civilian casualties, of course, and would kill every last Jew in the region if he could.  That should go without saying.  But he also explicitly advocates Palestinian civilian casualties as a strategy, referring to the innocent Gazans he deliberately places in harm’s way as worthy “sacrifices” for the cause of turning world opinion against Israel, and thus ensuring the survival of his terrorist organization.  Those aren’t the words of his critics.  They’re his own words.  The Journal’s headline is, “Gaza Chief’s Brutal Calculation: Civilian Bloodshed Will Help Hamas.”  Civilian bloodshed.  Will help Hamas.  Yes, it’s as disgusting as it sounds:

For months, Yahya Sinwar has resisted pressure to cut a ceasefire-and-hostages deal with Israel. Behind his decision, messages the Hamas military leader in Gaza has sent to mediators show, is a calculation that more fighting—and more Palestinian civilian deaths—work to his advantage. “We have the Israelis right where we want them,” Sinwar said in a recent message to Hamas officials seeking to broker an agreement with Qatari and Egyptian officials. In dozens of messages—reviewed by The Wall Street Journal—that Sinwar has transmitted to cease-fire negotiators, Hamas compatriots outside Gaza and others, he’s shown a cold disregard for human life and made clear he believes Israel has more to lose from the war than Hamas. The messages were shared by multiple people with differing views of Sinwar…In one message to Hamas leaders in Doha, Sinwar cited civilian losses in national-liberation conflicts in places such as Algeria, where hundreds of thousands of people died fighting for independence from France, saying, “these are necessary sacrifices.” 

Israel takes great, historically-unprecedented pains to avoid the collateral damage of civilian casualties in Gaza. Hamas’ leader, by contrast, is committed to a strategy of increasing them. Proudly. Hamas lies constantly about the numbers and demographics of alleged “civilain” deaths inflicted by Israelis in this war that Hamas started with a vast slaughter of Jews late last year. But it’s undeniable that a signfiicant number of civilians, including children, have been killed. For Sinwar, that’s by design. When kids die in this war, Sinwar sees them as “necessary sacrifices.” And every single person who goes along with his diabolically heinous plan by blaming Israel for the deaths that Hamas ensures, in a war Hamas started, is rewarding the terrorists.  Imagine knowing this is how Hamas plans to maintain its grip on power, and actively helping them in that pursuit.  It’s unconscionable. Ultimately, Sinwar’s goal “appears to be to win a permanent cease-fire that allows Hamas to declare a historic victory by outlasting Israel and claim leadership of the Palestinian national cause,” according to the story.

https://www.frontpagemag.com/denouncing-israel-for-rescuing-its-hostages/

On June 8th, Israeli forces conducted a daring rescue of four hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The terrorists hid their captives inside two homes smack in the middle of a civilian neighborhood inhabited by Palestinian families.

Firefights ensued as Hamas fighters shot at the rescuers and the rescued hostages. A leader of the rescue mission lost his life trying to save the innocent Israeli civilians. Scores of Gazans caught in the crossfire were killed but it is unknown how many were civilian bystanders as opposed to the terrorists trying to stop the rescue. The Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry’s claim that at least 274 Palestinians died during the rescue operation exaggerates, as usual, the Palestinian death toll to score propaganda points meant to sway the international community and liberal media further against Israel.

From the United Nations to anti-Israel media outlets, Israel is blamed for the loss of Palestinian civilian lives during the rescue operation. Israel’s critics claim that the deaths could have been avoided if the Jewish state had only stuck to negotiating with Hamas and made more concessions to secure the release of the hostages.

However, it was Hamas’ decision to seize the hostages in the first place and then imprison them in residential buildings and in tunnels constructed under civilian neighborhoods. Some of the hostages were reported to have died in captivity. The four hostages who were rescued lived every day in captivity in fear for their lives. Instead of allowing these four hostages (out of the more than one hundred hostages still in captivity) to go free unharmed, Hamas used heavy fire including rocket-propelled grenades to stop their escape. Fortunately, the terrorists failed and the rescued hostages are reunited with their families and friends.

The terrorists acted with callous indifference to the lives of the Palestinian people residing in the civilian neighborhood from which the four hostages had to be rescued. Moreover, many Palestinian civilians themselves are not so innocent. As Robert Spencer noted in his June 11th Frontpage article, “it is clear that a good many of those ‘civilians’ played an active role in the holding of the hostages.” Indeed, one such “civilian” killed during the rescue operation was a so-called “journalist” for the Palestine Chronicle and Al Jazeera who supported Hamas and housed three of the rescued hostages.