New study shows: Gazan civilian death toll deliberately exaggerated to vilify Israel - Israel National News

 

by Israel National News

Study by the Henry Jackson Society think tank finds the number of civilians reported killed in the Gaza conflict has been manipulated by Hamas-run authorities in Gaza for propaganda purposes, with international media often repeating the claims without scrutiny.

 

IDF operations in Gaza                                                               IDF Spkesman Unit

The number of civilians reported killed in the Gaza conflict has been exaggerated to depict Israel as deliberately targeting innocent people, according to a new report cited by The Telegraph on Saturday.

Researchers say the Gaza ministry of health inflated casualty figures by including natural deaths, failing to distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties, and over-reporting fatalities among women and children.

According to the study by the Henry Jackson Society think tank, these figures have been manipulated by Hamas-run authorities in Gaza for propaganda purposes, with international media often repeating the claims without scrutiny.

The report highlights that, based on Israeli and US military and intelligence assessments, around 17,000 of those killed were Hamas terrorists—a fact it says has been largely overlooked in media coverage.

Its findings state: “The ministry of health, operating under Hamas, has systematically inflated the death toll by failing to distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths, over-reporting fatalities among women and children and even including individuals who died before the conflict began. This has led to a narrative where the Israel Defense Forces are portrayed as disproportionately targeting civilians, while the actual numbers suggest a significant proportion of the dead are combatants.”

Critics of Israel argue that even after correcting for anomalies, tens of thousands of innocent civilians have still been killed in Gaza. Simple math shows the number is closer to ten thousand, and that Israel warned Gazans to leave terrorist areas it was targetting, but Hamas often prevented them from doing so.

The report uncovered numerous statistical discrepancies, including approximately 5,000 natural deaths being added to casualty lists, such as cancer patients who were later found listed among those still receiving hospital treatment. Other errors, some of which were subsequently corrected, involved misclassifications of adults as children and men as women, artificially increasing the reported number of women and children killed.

Researchers also found evidence of systematic adjustments to victims’ ages, where individuals’ ages were reduced by at least one year in comparison to Palestinian Population Register data, seemingly to inflate the number of children counted among the dead.

“This misclassification contributes to the narrative that civilian populations, particularly women and children, bear the brunt of the conflict, potentially influencing sentiment and media coverage,” said Andrew Fox, the report’s author, as quoted by The Telegraph.

The report also notes that casualty figures fail to account for Gazans killed by Hamas’ misfired rockets or incidents during humanitarian aid distribution. For example, it cites 17-year-old Ahmed Shdad Halmy Brika, who was reportedly shot by Hamas while attempting to secure food for his family from an aid shipment in December.

The Henry Jackson Society also criticizes several international media outlets, including the BBC, The New York Times, and CNN, for uncritically adopting Hamas-provided casualty figures. It found that 98% of surveyed reports cited numbers from the Hamas-run health ministry, while only 5% referenced Israeli data.

Conducted by the Fifty Global Research group with support from the International Institute of Social and Legal Studies, the report also accuses the United Nations of conflating civilian and military casualties in its humanitarian appeals.

Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel told The Telegraph, “The manipulation of events and facts on the ground throughout this conflict confirms that a terrorist organization like Hamas will distort the truth to further their own aims. The media must be alert to this and report information and events taking place in a responsible and balanced way. War is a tragedy, but Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorists who are backed by the Iranian regime that also threatens our interests and efforts to bring peace and stability to the region.”

A BBC spokesperson claimed, “It is challenging to report accurately on the death toll in Gaza as Israel does not allow independent access to international journalists. BBC News is clear and transparent in sourcing the figures which are available and attributing them to the Hamas-run health authority. Beyond this, we use a range of sources to understand the impact of the war in Israel and Gaza on civilians, including the IDF, the health ministry in Gaza and the UN.” A recent report by British lawyer Trevor Asserson accused the BBC of violating its own editorial guidelines more than 1,500 times during the first four months of the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization.

Israel National News

Source: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/400739

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Distorted data from Gaza harms global understanding of Israel’s actions - JPost editorial

 

by JPost editorial

It is time to hold Hamas accountable for its lies and ensure that the narrative surrounding this conflict is grounded in facts, not fabrications.

 

Palestinian crowds gather in the eastern city of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on November 10, 2024

(photo credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90)

The Gaza Health Ministry’s widely cited casualty figures, which claim over 44,000 deaths since the start of Israel’s military response to Hamas’s October 7 attacks, have come under scrutiny for being significantly inflated and misleading.

Research by the Henry Jackson Society and the Fifty Research Group, published on Saturday, reveals systematic manipulation of these numbers, contributing to a distorted conflict narrative.

The HJS report accuses the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry of inflating its figures by including natural deaths, combatant deaths, and even fatalities predating the war. “The Ministry of Health, operating under Hamas, has systematically inflated the death toll by failing to distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths, over-reporting fatalities among women and children, and even including individuals who died before the conflict began,” it states.

In addition, The Fifty Research Group (FRG), in its study “Mislabeling on the Battlefield: How Mass Media Misrepresents Combatant Casualties as Civilian Deaths in Gaza Coverage,” analyzed 1,378 articles from major global media outlets, including the BBC, CNN, and The New York Times.

It found that 98% relied on casualty figures provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, while only 5% cited data from Israeli or US intelligence sources. The research notes, “This overwhelming reliance on Hamas-controlled data has created a narrative that disproportionately portrays Israel as targeting civilians.”

DISPLACED PALESTINIANS who fled Rafah, after the IDF began evacuating civilians, travel on a vehicle in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip in May. While relocations are unfortunate, they have been distorted by Hamas, which frames Israel’s actions as brutal, the writer argues. (credit: Ramadan Abed/Reuters)

The findings also challenge claims that most of the casualties in Gaza are civilians. Israeli and US intelligence data, corroborated by the Henry Jackson Society, estimate that nearly 17,000 of the reported deaths are Hamas fighters. Andrew Fox, the lead author of the HJS report, explained: “The failure to separate civilian and combatant casualties contributes to a narrative that civilian populations, particularly women and children, bear the brunt of the conflict, influencing sentiment and media coverage.”

FRG also criticized leading media organizations for perpetuating this skewed narrative. “The data shows a systemic failure to scrutinize casualty figures and source information from both sides,” the report states. For instance, The New York Times and other outlets have frequently quoted the Gaza Health Ministry’s figures without contextualizing them or verifying their accuracy. “Casualty reports play a critical role in shaping international perception, and misrepresentations only deepen the crisis,” the research noted.

Far-reaching consequences

This manipulation has far-reaching consequences. Priti Patel, the UK’s shadow foreign secretary, said, “The manipulation of events and facts on the ground throughout this conflict confirms that a terrorist organization like Hamas will distort the truth to further their aims.” She added, “The media must be alert to this and report information and events taking place in a responsible and balanced way.”

The Henry Jackson Society report noted that these tactics are designed to provoke international condemnation of Israel, even as they violate international law.

Despite these realities, the media’s overwhelming reliance on Hamas-controlled data has fueled accusations against Israel, including claims of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity.” The society’s report warns, “The skewed narrative shapes public opinion and international policy based on incomplete or manipulated data.”

The Fifty Research Group’s findings also highlight that casualty figures often fail to account for deaths caused by Hamas itself. One example cited is the case of 17-year-old Ahmed Shdad Halmy Brika, who was reportedly shot by Hamas while attempting to collect humanitarian aid for his family. The report observed that incidents like these are routinely omitted from mainstream media narratives.

The Jerusalem Post calls on the international media to exercise greater caution when reporting on casualty figures, ensuring their information is sourced from reliable, verified data rather than propaganda tools controlled by terrorist organizations. Journalistic integrity demands that all sides of the conflict be accurately represented, allowing for a clearer understanding of the complexities.

Furthermore, we urge policymakers, journalists, and the public to reject narratives rooted in manipulation and misinformation. The truth matters – not only for the sake of Israel’s right to self-defense but also for the credibility of the media and the pursuit of peace. It is time to hold Hamas accountable for its lies and ensure that the narrative surrounding this conflict is grounded in facts, not fabrications.

JPost editorial

Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-833444

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Domino theory: Israel raises concerns Islamist take over in Syria will cause uprising in Jordan - Jerusalem Post Staff

 

by Jerusalem Post Staff

An Arab diplomat from the region said this week that authorities in Egypt, Jordan, and neighboring states are monitoring Syria closely.

 

Illustrative image of a Syrian domino falling followed by a Jordanian domino.

(photo credit: Dall-E)

Israel has raised concerns that rebel advances in Syria could embolden extremist elements in Jordan, threatening the stability of King Abdullah's regime, KAN reported on Saturday night.

Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Chief Ronen Bar and IDF Intelligence Directorate Head Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder recently visited Jordan amid these developments.

Discussions within the cabinet have centered on the possibility that the Syrian conflict could spill over into Jordan. Senior officials warn that such a scenario would directly affect Israel, which shares its longest border with Jordan.

Arab diplomats have also expressed alarm over a potential “domino effect” in the region. Cabinet meetings have addressed this issue, and a special session is set for tomorrow to review the unfolding situation.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting with the foreign ministers of the Arab Contact Group on Syria in Jordan's southern Red Sea coastal city of Aqaba on December 14, 2024. (credit: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/POOL VIA REUTERS)

A flurry of diplomatic meetings

An Arab diplomat from the region said this week that authorities in Egypt, Jordan, and neighboring states are monitoring Syria closely.

There is growing apprehension that the Syrian rebellion could inspire Islamist movements elsewhere. “The rhetoric of the Syrian opposition seems moderate so far, but time will tell,” the diplomat added.

While most Arab countries have reconciled with Bashar Assad’s continued rule, even normalizing relations in light of Syria’s civil war, memories of the Arab Spring’s ripple effects remain vivid.

Ahmad "Abu Mohammad al-Julani" al-Sharaa, commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS) the primary rebel group, echoed these sentiments in comments made to Syrian TV on Saturday. Julani said, "The exhausted Syrian situation after years of war and conflicts does not allow for entering into any new conflicts."

Jerusalem Post Staff

Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-833450

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Iran Threatens Jordan, Smuggles Arms to Palestinian Terrorists in Israel - Lawrence A. Franklin

 

by Lawrence A. Franklin

The Islamist threat to the stability of the [Jordanian] Kingdom has greatly increased with the fall of its neighbor Syria into the hands of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a Sunni Islamist group committed to radicalizing the Levant, which includes Jordan.

 

• Iran appears determined to destabilize Jordan, and is thus trying to drag the kingdom into its regional maelstrom by manipulating Jordanian national and terrorist substate entities to do its bidding.

• The Islamist threat to the stability of the Kingdom has greatly increased with the fall of its neighbor Syria into the hands of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a Sunni Islamist group committed to radicalizing the Levant, which includes Jordan.

Iran appears determined to destabilize Jordan, and is thus trying to drag the kingdom into its regional maelstrom by manipulating Jordanian national and terrorist substate entities to do its bidding. Pictured: A shipment of weapons smuggled into Israel from Jordan by a Bedouin Arab in December 2023, which was seized by the Israel Police. (Image source: Israel Police Spokesperson)

The Israeli Air Force (IAF), in a recent airstrike, destroyed three cross-border smuggling routes from Syria to Lebanon, which were being used by Iran to bring ship weapons to still-functioning Hezbollah terrorist cells. The Israeli strike took place just hours before a ceasefire took effect on November 26 between Israel and Hezbollah.

Iran's special forces units, however, will no doubt continue their past efforts to smuggle arms through Jordan to Palestinian terrorist cells in Judea and Samaria ("the West Bank"). These smuggling operations will still enable terrorists there to kill Israelis and further entrench an atmosphere of fear among the hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens who live in Judea and Samaria.

In one publicized incident, Israel's internal security agency, the Shin Bet, seized caches of Iranian weapons being smuggled transported across Jordan's unguarded borders. The arms included anti-tank missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, as well as Semtex and C-4 plastic explosives. The Shin Bet reported that the Special Operation Unit 4000 of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had been tasked with that mission. The latest shipment of weapons bound for Palestinian Arabs in Judea and Samaria, intercepted and seized by Israel on November 27, 2004, was initiated from an IRGC camp in Syria.

Iran and its allies, Hamas and Hezbollah, have also been attempting to recruit Jordanians as agents. The project appears an attempt to destabilize the rule of the Hashemite dynasty of King Abdullah II by engaging in acts of sabotage. Jordan has also been under political pressure and military threats from Iran and Iranian proxy militias in Iraq.

If Jordan succumbs to Iran's designs, it would create yet another front against Israel. Kata'ib Hezbollah, the leading Iran-backed terrorist group in Iraq, has pledged to arm 12,000 Jordanian volunteers if they would embrace the anti-Israeli "resistance." Hamas official Khaled Mashaal also has been broadcasting to Jordan messages urging Jordanian citizens to join the "resistance."

Iran's increased interference in Jordan comes at a problematic time for the Jordanian government. Recent parliamentary elections reflect gains by the opposition. The Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamic Action Front, for instance, tripled its representation in Jordan's parliament, giving it one-fifth of the seats.

The uptick in the electoral popularity of the Islamic Action Front in Jordan is not yet a threat to the regime's stability: the number of its seats in parliament do not yet represent a greater power in Jordan than the king.

Jordan's capital, Amman, is home to about two million of the country's Palestinian refugees, who are inclined to support Islamist opposition parties, such as the Islamic Action Front.

The regime's gerrymandering allocates fewer parliamentary seats to pockets of Palestinian populations while favoring pro-regime tribal candidates. Traditionally, Jordan's monarchy has relied on the once fierce loyalty of Bedouin Arab tribes in rural areas to retain power.

Recently, however, protests are indicating that tribal allegiance to the Hashemite monarchy may be fraying due to economic recession and vast unemployment.

Perhaps the greatest threat to the stability of the monarchy is the Hamas-Israel War, coupled with a fear of mass migration into Jordan of more Palestinians. King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi have both declared their opposition to accepting any people from Gaza. Demographic studies indicate that Palestinians already make up about half of Jordan's population.

King Abdullah's efforts to protect Jordan's sovereignty and maintain its non-belligerent status during regional conflicts are reflected in his statements and actions. He has emphatically declared that "Jordan will not be a battlefield for any party." When pro-Hamas protests in March and April pressured his government to join the Hamas in its war on Israel, the king dispatched security forces to crack down on the demonstrators.

When Iran, in April, launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, Jordan protected its airspace, cooperating with air defense efforts to destroy some of Iran's missiles and drones weapons in flight.

Pro-Iran social media accounts in Jordan have therefore personally targeted King Abdullah by calling him an "American puppet" and "traitor," while caricaturing him wrapped in an Israeli flag. Iran appears determined to destabilize Jordan, and is thus trying to drag the kingdom into its regional maelstrom by manipulating Jordanian national and terrorist substate entities to do its bidding.

Iran is also directly challenging the American military presence in Jordan, as evidenced by a January 28 drone attack launched by a Syria-based Iranian proxy militia, which killed three U.S. troops in Jordan.

Iran also wants to reverse the Jordanian monarchy's moderate policy toward Jerusalem, initiated by Abdullah's father, King Hussein, who signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and was a long-term US ally.

The Hashemite dynasty's favorable legacy in the Arab world, and the extensive US financial aid it receives, may no longer be enough to prevent Jordan from losing its balance on its diplomatic tightrope. The Islamist threat to the stability of the Kingdom has greatly increased with the fall of its neighbor Syria into the hands of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a Sunni Islamist group committed to radicalizing the Levant, which includes Jordan.

Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.

Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21209/iran-threatens-jordan

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First Order of Business: Permanently Neutralize Iran's Nuclear Threat, but for Long-Term Stability Do Not Stop with That - Majid Rafizadeh

 

by Majid Rafizadeh

Iran has repeatedly violated international agreements and deceived global watchdogs. It seems clear that any new deal would likely meet the same fate.

 

• The regime's primary goal is, first, to stay in power; second, to acquire nuclear weapons. No amount of diplomatic engagement will deter it from pursuing these objectives. Any agreement would merely buy more time for Iran to refine its nuclear technologies while easing international pressure. The regime's strategy is to outlast all sanctions and inspections, while continuing its covert nuclear activities, repressing it citizens, and planning its future expansion.

• The international community would do the world a favor by stopping Iran from reaching both goals. If not, there will be no chance of durable stability in the Middle East. It is as simple as that.

• The idea of negotiating a "deal" to limit, control or "verify" Iran's nuclear activities has proven to be both ineffective and dangerous.... Iran has repeatedly violated international agreements and deceived global watchdogs. It seems clear that any new deal would likely meet the same fate. Trusting such a regime to honor its commitments is like trusting the cat to guard the cream.

• Only by neutralizing the entire Iranian threat will the world be able to work toward a future of stability, prosperity and peace.

The highest priority in addressing the upheavals in the Middle East is to eliminate -- completely -- Iran's nuclear threat. Pictured: A Fattah hypersonic ballistic missile is displayed during the annual military parade in Tehran, on September 22, 2023. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)

The highest priority in addressing the upheavals in the Middle East is to eliminate -- completely -- Iran's nuclear threat.

Iran is reportedly close to being a nuclear-armed state. Such a development would have catastrophic consequences for the region as well as for global stability. Acquiring nuclear weapons would embolden Iran's regime, re-strengthen its proxies, and enable it to resume escalating its terror campaigns across the region.

Once Iran crosses the nuclear threshold, it will become virtually impossible to contain or neutralize its aggression – presumably the reason the regime is so eager to have nuclear weapons in the first place. The risk of retaliation by nuclear strikes would deter even the most powerful nations from military intervention. An Iran with nuclear weapons would fundamentally alter the balance of power in the Middle East and beyond.

This scenario underscores the urgent need to dismantle Iran's nuclear program as soon as possible, but it would be a shame to stop there. Tehran's leadership has been transparent in its ambition to use an "Islam bomb" to "export the revolution;" even its own officials have openly acknowledged this goal. Allowing Iran to succeed also encourage other rogue states to develop nuclear weapons.

The idea of negotiating a "deal" to limit, control or "verify" Iran's nuclear activities has proven to be both ineffective and dangerous. History has shown that the Iranian regime is not a trustworthy partner in diplomacy. Past agreements, including the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), were riddled with loopholes that Tehran exploited to continue advancing its nuclear weapons ambitions under the guise of compliance. Iran has repeatedly violated international agreements and deceived global watchdogs. It seems clear that any new deal would likely meet the same fate. Trusting such a regime to honor its commitments is like trusting the cat to guard the cream.

The regime's primary goal is, first, to stay in power; second, to acquire nuclear weapons. No amount of diplomatic engagement will deter it from pursuing these objectives. Any agreement would merely buy more time for Iran to refine its nuclear technologies while easing international pressure. The regime's strategy is to outlast all sanctions and inspections, while continuing its covert nuclear activities, repressing it citizens, and planning its future expansion.

The international community would do the world a favor by stopping Iran from reaching both goals. If not, there will be no chance of durable stability in the Middle East. It is as simple as that.

A decisive and uncompromising approach is therefore necessary to dismantle both Iran's nuclear program entirely and its Islamist regime. Sanctioning Iran's financial resources once again can significantly hinder Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons and fund its proxies and militias. Curbing Iran could include cutting off its access to global financial systems, authorizing secondary sanctions on countries that decide doing business with Iran is worth the downside, freezing assets, and imposing penalties on entities that facilitate Iran's nuclear activities. But those requirements alone will not be enough to ensure a durable peace in the region. For that important goal, the US and the West will need to compel Iran's rulers to understand that their lives will be more enjoyable elsewhere.

Failing to act decisively against Iran's nuclear program can have only catastrophic consequences. The world, unfortunately, cannot allow the Iranian regime to achieve either its nuclear or theocratic aims. It is not just a matter of regional security, it is a global imperative. Only by neutralizing the entire Iranian threat will the world be able to work toward a future of stability, prosperity and peace.

• Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)

 
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a scholar, strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated analyst, political scientist, and board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on the US Foreign Policy and Islam. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu

Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21207/neutralize-iran-nuclear-threat

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Israel has no more excuses for entering Syria, rebel leader Julani says in first major TV interview - Yuval Barnea

 

by Yuval Barnea

Julani called for the end of all foreign intervention in Syria in the interest of restabilizing and rebuilding the country.

 

Top rebel commander Abu Mohammed al-Julani speaks to a crowd at Ummayad Mosque in Damascus, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad, Syria December 8, 2024.

(photo credit: REUTERS/MAHMOUD HASSANO)

Syrian rebel leader and head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Ahmad "Abu Mohammad al-Julani" al-Sharaa addressed Syria's future, focusing on international relations, for the first time on Saturday in an interview with opposition TV channel Syria.tv.

Julani said, "Israel's excuses for entering Syria no longer exist. After the Iranians' departure, there are no more justifications for any foreign intervention in Syria."

"The exhausted Syrian situation after years of war and conflicts does not allow for entering into any new conflicts."

He said his priority was reconstruction and stability and not dragging Syria into conflicts that would lead to further destruction.

Julani called on the international community to intervene and take responsibility for preventing escalation and respecting Syrian sovereignty. He stressed that diplomatic solutions are the only way to ensure security and stability, away from any ill-considered military adventures.

Rebel fighters pose as they hold a Syrian opposition flag at the Umayyad Mosque, after rebels seized the capital and ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria December 9, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/AMR ABDALLAH DALSH)

He admonished the Iranian regime for turning the country into an attack platform, which brought significant danger to the Syrian people.

But he stressed that there would be no future enmity, "We were able to end the Iranian presence in Syria, but we do not hold enmity towards the Iranian people. Our problem was with the policies that harmed our country."

Despite dodging any provocation question about Russia, Julani said that the revolution was an "opportunity to re-evaluate the [Russian] relationship with Syria in a way that serves common interests."

Although he emphasized that the Russian air force had largely been responsible for targeting Syrian civilians during the civil war.

From revolutionary to statesman

Julani cautioned Syria that reform and change were coming, "The Syrian revolution has triumphed, but Syria should not be led with the mentality of a revolution. There is a need for law and institutions. There is a need to transfer the mentality from the revolution to the state. The next stage is the stage of construction and stability."

"We are working to meet the basic needs of the Syrians." He described how the Assad regime had plundered Syria into poverty, "There is an abundance of food, and Assad was systematically depriving the Syrians of it. There is a real tragedy, and we have plans to address these issues until we finish collecting the data."

He accused the Assad dynasty of building a feudal tax farm designed to extract wealth from its subjects instead of supporting them. "There was a systematic destruction of the agricultural, industrial, and banking sectors. The regime did not build a state, but rather a farm, and the extent of the thefts was large. Documents will be presented to prove this."

As part of Julani's plans to "lead Syria with a statesmen's mentality," he wants to halt the production and trafficking of captagon, a drug that was massively produced under the Assad regime, as a way of getting around sanctions.

He confirmed that the new administration "will put an end to the production of captagon in Syria," which had led to accusations of Syria becoming a narco-state.

He also reemphasized his previous commitment to protecting the minority groups of Syria; in particular, he mentioned the Christian and Druze communities who fought against Assad.

Julani differentiated between the Kurdish community and the PKK, a Kurdish terrorist organization, signaling the realignment of the mostly Kurdish SDF with the rest of the Syrian opposition.

Julani confirmed that the Syrian Defense Ministry would be dissolving all armed factions and that all weapons would be under the authority of the Syrian state.

 
Yuval Barnea

Source: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-833432

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A pact of life: Druze-Jewish mechina prepares next generation of soldiers and leaders - Ohad Merlin

 

by Ohad Merlin

Ma’oz Ha’erez (Stronghold of the Cedar), a new mixed mechina in northern Israel, works to strengthen Israeli identity and weave ties between groups in Israeli society.

 

Students in the first cohort of the mechina pose with Israeli and Druze flags

(photo credit: Courtesy)

A new institute is reimagining how Druze and Jewish youth can serve and live together. In a groundbreaking initiative that challenges deep-seated societal divides, the Ma'oz Ha'erez Mechina (preparatory institute), under Rashi Foundation’s Merkaz Maase NGO, is building new bridges and creating new pacts of life between the two groups. In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview, Khalil Ayob, the institute's head, revealed the profound vision behind this pioneering program that promises to transform military service and social integration.

Established earlier this year, the mechina emerged from a pivotal realization within the Israeli Intelligence Corps (AMAN). "The October 7th events starkly highlighted a significant intelligence gap," Ayob explained. "We desperately needed more Arabic speakers who could truly understand the complex cultural nuances of our strategic environment."

Ayob continued: “The intelligence community has played a pivotal role in the mechina's development. Military leaders recognized a critical need to diversify and strengthen intelligence capabilities, particularly in understanding complex regional dynamics. By creating a preparatory program that combines rigorous academic preparation with cultural exchange, they've developed an innovative approach to recruitment and training.”

The institute bears a powerful namesake, as it is named after Sergeant Major Mahmoud Khair Al-Din, a fallen Druze IDF commander who fell during a heroic operation inside the Gaza Strip in 2018, and whose legacy extends far beyond his military service. "This is not a military program, but an educational journey with strategic military elements," Ayob emphasized. “Khair Al-Din was more than a brilliant fighter; he was an educator who passionately believed in preparing Druze youth for meaningful military service while simultaneously creating profound connections between different community groups in Israel.”

Students in the first cohort of the mechina during a trip to the south (credit: Courtesy)

Educating for learning and understanding

The program's core objectives are deliberately multifaceted and transformative. "We have four primary goals," Ayob articulated with conviction. “These include comprehensively educating participants about the “Spirit of the IDF” ethical codes (“Ruach Tzahal”), enhancing linguistic capabilities, improving personal resilience and identity, and most critically, promoting deep cross-cultural understanding.”

The mechina, located at the Hodayot youth village in the Galilee, currently boasts 36 participants, though it is about to go through a process of an extensive expansion, with 60 students in the next year, and looking to expand to 90 in the year after that.

It was initially conceived as an exclusively Druze program but rapidly evolving to boast a mix of both Druze and Jewish youth, reflecting a deliberate diversification which reflects the mechina’s commitment to genuine integration. “Beyond immediate military service, the program ambitiously aims to create broader social impact,” Ayob continued. “We want to introduce participants to all communities in Israel - not just Druze and Jewish, but also Circassians, Bedouins, and Arab Israelis. Our ultimate goal is to foster recognition, appreciation, and genuine tolerance."

Participants engage in three educational axes: a military-intelligence curriculum delivered, an educational-values oriented track, and a nuanced linguistic track where Jewish participants learn Arabic while Druze participants simultaneously strengthen their Hebrew skills.

“The language track is a bit more complex,” Ayob added with a smile, “as some Druze actually want to enhance their Modern Standard Arabic, while some Jews whose family is Syrian are actually looking to improve their Hebrew skills, so all in all we have four different language programs.”

Daily life at the mechina at the institute serves as a powerful testament to their commitment to cohabitation. During Sukkot, participants from both groups collaboratively constructed a communal sukkah, while instead of a standard work week, the group chose to engage in a traditional Druze olive harvest - a quintessential Druze cultural activity - producing kosher olive oil while immersing themselves in each other's cultural experiences.

“The first Friday morning the students were hiking the fallen Druze soldiers trail, and then they came back straight to Shabbat preparations, with some curious Druze participants going to see their Jewish friends pray for the first time. It was a very special event,” Ayob added.

These first meetings may also create some inherent and understandable tensions at first. "We've encountered and navigated numerous cultural challenges," Ayob candidly shared. "Sometimes it's simple misunderstandings - like a Druze participant inadvertently using a dairy toaster for a meat sandwich, or a Jewish student telling a joke that is not at all acceptable in Druze society. But these moments become profound opportunities for mutual learning, respect, and genuine understanding, and the group usually solves them with constructive dialogue, and even mutual lectures."

From skeptics to proud ambassadors

The mechina represents a complex collaboration between multiple entities: Merkaz Ma'ase NGO for the promotion of youth in the periphery, which operates under the Rashi Foundation; the Intelligence Corps; and the IDF's Population Management Department, which is entrusted with opening doors and creating opportunities for non-Jewish populations in the IDF. The Hodayot Youth Village, despite being a religious institution, has also courageously opened its doors to host the mechina.

Avi Michaeli, the partnership manager at Merkaz Ma'ase, the NGO which oversees the mechina, provided crucial context about the broader social landscape. "Druze youth in the periphery have historically faced significantly fewer educational and employment opportunities," he explained. “So for them, the program represents a strategic intervention designed to create meaningful social and economic mobility for youth from marginalized communities.

The program has already demonstrated remarkable, tangible results. "The military sometimes provides an opportunity and receives something transformative in return," Michaeli noted. “Many participants are now positioning themselves for prestigious roles in intelligence units where Druze representation has historically been limited.”

Michaeli continued: “Parents, initially skeptical, have become enthusiastic supporters and proud ambassadors. Fathers with whom we spoke were deeply impressed and became genuine advocates, while mothers now speak with pride about their children developing confidence and a broader understanding of their national identity.”

The program's success is rooted in its holistic approach to youth development. Each participant undergoes a comprehensive preparation process that goes far beyond traditional military readiness. "We're not just preparing soldiers," Ayob added, "we're cultivating future leaders who understand the complexity of Israeli society."

Financial support and community engagement have been crucial to the mechina's success. As mentioned earlier, the mechina plans an ambitious expansion, with intentions to double or triple their intake in the coming years. For this reason the mechina has leveraged a tax-exempt crowdfunding campaign to expand its reach, with local communities increasingly viewing it as a model of social integration.

“The mechina represents far more than a preparatory program,” Ayob elaborated. “It is a sophisticated social experiment in coexistence. By deliberately bringing together young Druze and Jewish participants, we are systematically challenging preconceptions and building authentic understanding, all in parallel to creating better soldiers, more immersed in their strategic environment.

Ayob continued, with evident pride and emotion: "These are extraordinary young people, brilliant minds, learning together, preparing together - and the connection is truly transformative."

"The whole is genuinely greater than the sum of its parts," Michaeli reflected, attempting to describe the essence of the mechina. “The mechina represents what I call social repair,” Michaeli added. “A healing of educational and societal fractures for the shared blossoming of our next generations.”

Dani Valal, Maase’s CEO, also added: “The mechina is not just a preparation for the army, it is an educational program that touches and changes reality in the relationship between Jews and Druze and vice versa. We are devoting ourselves to bettering the feelings of those people who contributed and sacrificed their best for our country, and who live with a sense of inequality. For years we have lived under a slogan of a ‘blood covenant’ between Jews and Druze, and in our actions we aim for a covenant of shared life. Together in the mechina, in the military service and later on - they will be the messengers for the repairing and shaping of our society.”

As the first cohort of participants continues their journey, they carry with them the potential to reshape not just military intelligence, but the very fabric of Israeli society. Each shared meal, each collaborative project, each moment of cultural exchange becomes a small act of nation-building - subtle, yet profound. And as Israel continues to navigate increasingly complex social and geopolitical dynamics, initiatives like Ma'oz Ha'erez offer a compelling vision of hope. By focusing on shared goals, mutual respect, and genuine dialogue, these young participants are writing a narrative of partnership, understanding, and collective purpose.

Ma’oz Ha’erez’s JGive campaign can be found here (The donation is recognized for tax deduction in Israel and the US).

Ohad Merlin

Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-832168

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Biden administration takes heat for letting illegal aliens sponsor more illegal crossers - Bethany Blankley

 

by Bethany Blankley

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Az., blasted USCIS Director Ur Jaddou for her agency approving illegal border crossers as sponsors for other illegal border crossers.

 

Rep. Biggs

(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

(The Center Square) -

U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, blasted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur Jaddou for her agency approving illegal border crossers as sponsors for illegal border crossers.

At a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee hearing, Biggs also pointed out that the sponsors were found to be committing Social Security and other fraud under her watch.

Biggs addressed rampant fraud in a program created by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for inadmissible citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, who don’t qualify for admission into the U.S.

Under Mayorkas, they were flown into the country through a CHNV parole program, used a CBP One phone app to apply for entry, and were released into the country. Part of the process requires having a “supporter” fill out an application on behalf of the CHNV parolee. While Mayorkas claimed app user parolees and supporters were thoroughly vetted, multiple Office of Inspector General reports disproved this claim, expressing security risks at airports.

In August, flights of CHNV illegal border crossers were temporarily suspended after a USCIS internal review found that tens of thousands of CHNV fraudulent applications were processed. Supporters used fake Social Security numbers and phone numbers and listed the same physical address on nearly 20,000 applications, according to the report, The Center Square reported.

Biggs asked Jaddou if she disputed the fact that supporters used the same Social Security Number on CHNV applications, which “happened at least 3,200 times. The same phone number used at least 3,300 times. The same supporter email address was used on applications nearly 2,000 times.”

Jaddou said she didn’t have the report in front of her and didn’t dispute it.

“You don’t really want to admit there’s this much rampant fraud,” he said.

Biggs next cited examples of fraud that weren’t fixed.

“The same exact 184-word response was used on more than 1,800 applications by nearly 194 CHNV supporters,” he said. “More than 460 nonexistent zip codes were used on supported applications on behalf of more than 2,800 CHV aliens. You can dance around and say you don't have the report in front of you, but these are the facts. This program is rife with fraud.”

As of Aug. 6, DHS had approved more than 80,000 CHNV supporters for the program who were in the U.S. on a temporary basis.

USCIS approved 224 CHNV parolees who were already in the country illegally as sponsors for CHNV parolees that came after them, meaning illegal foreign nationals were sponsoring illegal foreign nationals.

USCIS also approved 28,322 illegal foreign nationals shielded from deportation through Temporary Protected Status as CHVN supporters; “19,865 SLEs approved as CHNV supporters, 311 DACA recipients approved as CHNV supporters, 1,300-plus aliens in the U.S. on temporary visas approved as CHNV supporters, 64 refugees approved as CHNV supporters, 19,112 conditional permanent residents approved this season as CHNV supporters,” he said.

“That is the program that you are administering. I'm not talking the aliens. I'm not getting into the violation of law of the U.S. code 1182, which states that the use of parole is supposed to be a case-by-case basis.”

Biggs said the supporter application process was so rampant with fraud that it was temporarily shut down but wasn’t fixed. The fraud is “still ongoing. We're waiting for the next report to confirm that these things are still going on,” he said.

In addition to the USCIS report, a U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security investigation found that "as of mid-October 2023, there were 1.6 million inadmissible aliens awaiting travel authorizations through the CHNV program” and DHS was using 50 airports worldwide to fly them in, The Center Square reported.

None flown into the country have a legal basis to enter the U.S. before being paroled through the CHNV program, DHS documents the committee obtained state.

"All individuals paroled into the United States are, by definition, inadmissible, including those paroled under the CHNV processes," one of the DHS documents states.

The CHNV parole program was among more than a dozen that House Republicans identified as illegal and cited as reasons to impeach Mayorkas.

According to the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, more than 852,000 illegal foreign nationals were processed and released into the country through the CBP One App and more than 531,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans deemed inadmissible were released into the country through the CHNV parole program, as of October.

Under the Biden administration, more than three million illegal border crossers were reported from CHNV countries, The Center Square reported. Many have been directly linked to violent crimes committed against Americans, The Center Square reported.

Bethany Blankley

Source: https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/illegal-border-crossers-sponsoring-illegal-border-crossers-biden-admin

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A Word to the DOGE: ‘Reduction’ Is Not Synonymous With ‘Reform’ - Thaddeus G. McCotter

 

by Thaddeus G. McCotter

As we have painfully learned since the Grace Commission, a revanchist, ravenous administrative state can survive and metastasize despite periodic efforts to trim its size and scope.

 

One of the more intriguing developments following Donald Trump’s reelection as president is the announcement of and recruitment for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Helmed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the new entity has titillated supporters of smaller government.

(An irresistible aside regarding the acronym DOGE: the Doge of Venice “was the highest role of authority within the Republic of Venice… The Doge of Venice acted as both the head of state and head of the Venetian oligarchy. Doges were elected for life through a complex voting process.” It seems Mr. Musk has a taste for the wry.)

In many ways, the reaction of both the DOGE’s supporters and detractors echoes that of the Reagan administration’s 1982 Grace Commission, which was “a group of ‘outstanding experts from the private sector’ that would conduct an in-depth review of the entire Executive Branch and make recommendations for eliminating waste and inefficiency.” Hamstrung by the opposition of both the burgeoning administrative state and Congressional Democrats, the Grace Commission, at best, served as a foundation for today’s DOGE. The most critical lesson being that “reduction” is not synonymous with “reform.”

Already, the DOGE has commenced identifying egregious examples of government waste, fraud, and abuse and is compiling a list of prospective administrative state entities to downsize and/or eliminate. Such serious reductions in both the expenditures and scope of the administrative state are long past overdue, as Ned Ryun and Mark Corallo earlier averred in “Tearing the Leviathan Apart” here at American Greatness.

Yet, in the MAGA and Republican-Populist movement’s rightfully indignant ardor to tame the unelected, unaccountable administrative state that is ruling Americans as a de facto supreme fourth branch of government, the necessary reductions and eliminations will not prove sufficient for sustainable structural reform. As we have painfully learned since the Grace Commission, a revanchist, ravenous administrative state can survive and metastasize despite periodic efforts to trim its size and scope.

No, there must be an additional reappraisal and revision of the administrative state’s aim. Presently, the administrative state operates on the premise that an essentially unaccountable bureaucratic elite must control Americans to facilitate the facile functioning of the government. This is not only abjectly insulting and injurious to the public, but it is absolutely in contravention of the foundations of our nation. Bluntly, the elitist administrative state has endeavored to reverse the very premise of the American Revolution by once again placing the government on top of the people, thereby turning sovereign citizens back into subjects and the administrative state into a monarch that governs by the divine right of the elites.

For example, one of the most harmful consequences of the administrative state’s counter-revolutionary logic is how it has turned the social safety net into a trap for the poor rather than a trampoline to self-sufficiency.

When President Lyndon Baines Johnson aimed to build the bitterly ironically named “Great Society,” one of his chief opponents was a junior senator from New York: Robert Francis Kennedy. In harmony with the Catholic Church’s principle of subsidiarity, Sen. Kennedy believed that federal and state bureaucrats controlling the money and the strings by which the disadvantaged received their benefits would both increase costs and, more crucially, reduce their ability to become self-sufficient and control their own lives—in short, to be a sovereign citizen, rather than a subject of the state trapped in a soul-crushing cycle of government dependency.

President Johnson did not dispute Sen. Kennedy’s assessment. The president cynically ignored him and foisted a massive federal bureaucracy upon the poor. Why? Because President Johnson used government dependency to cement part of the base of the Democrat Party. Sadly, time has proven the accuracy of his despicable political calculation. While for generations this has abetted Democrats winning elections, as for the poor, the result is found in the lamentable adage: “America waged a war on poverty—and lost.” And, in the years since, we have lost far more, including control of the administrative state.

In the instance of addressing poverty, fixing the welfare state will necessitate reductions in federal outlays, but if the administrative state’s counter-revolutionary logic is also rectified, there will be sustainable, salubrious reform.

The goal of any federal anti-poverty program must be to foster self-sufficiency for the benefit of the recipient, not governmental dependency for the benefit of the administrative state. Increasing recipient control of their benefits will enable cutting out the administrative middleman. In turn, the tax dollars saved will allow for significant spending reductions in programs, thereby decreasing the size and scope of the administrative state; moreover, it can still maintain or increase benefits for recipients who, absent the overweening control of federal bureaucrats, will be empowered to begin their journey into self-reliance. Further, maximizing recipient control of their benefits is the greatest guard against a revanchist administrative state seeking to reclaim its powers.

Regarding such a reform’s further ideation and ultimate implementation, picking up Sen. Robert Kennedy’s mantle of empowering the economically disadvantaged and ending the administrative state’s control of them would be a fitting initiative to include in the growing portfolio of incoming Vice President J.D. Vance, who rose from humble, hardscrabble roots to his present position.

The federal Leviathan teems with opportunities for reductions coupled with revisions of the administrative state’s counter-revolutionary logic and aims. Crucially, however, that it teems with such opportunities is a testament to its obstinate endurance. Therefore, those seeking to bring the administrative state to heel must be cleareyed about the difficulty involved. After all, the abiding aim of any bureaucracy is survival—and, unlike a private sector bureaucracy that must live off the money it makes, a government bureaucracy can live off the money it takes.

On its X account, however, the DOGE expressed its own abiding goal: “The people voted for major reform.” That this reform will entail both reductions in spending and revisions in the administrative state’s counter-revolutionary aims remains to be seen. But it is certainly off to a propitious start.

***

An American Greatness contributor, the Hon. Thaddeus G. McCotter (M.C., Ret.) served Michigan’s 11th Congressional District from 2003-2012 and served as Chair of the Republican House Policy Committee. Not a lobbyist, he is a frequent public speaker and moderator for public policy seminars and a Monday co-host of the “John Batchelor Radio Show,” among sundry media appearances.

 
Thaddeus G. McCotter

Source: https://amgreatness.com/2024/12/14/a-word-to-the-doge-reduction-is-not-synonymous-with-reform/

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Self-deportation comes to Washington as bureaucrats abandon jobs ahead of Trump’s return - Ben Whedon

 

by Ben Whedon

Trump has vowed to thoroughly overhaul the executive branch agencies, in part through his new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

 

The Washington, D.C. skyline

(Westend61/Getty)

Government bureaucrats are abandoning ship ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, anticipating either their termination or an intolerable upending of the status quo at their agencies.

Trump has vowed to thoroughly overhaul the executive branch agencies, in part through his new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. The duo have called for drastically reducing the size of the government bureaucracy by encouraging voluntary departures through the end of remote work and the relocation of key agencies out of the D.C. area.

Thus far, it seems to be Trump’s appointees, and the prospect of working under them, that is doing much of the heavy lifting in driving out longtime agency employees. Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., for instance, caused such an uproar within the Department of Justice over the prospect of his confirmation as attorney general that it prompted a litany of headlines about “anxiety” within the DOJ and potential mass retirements.

Though Gaetz withdrew his nomination, the phenomenon appears to go beyond the Florida lawmaker and high profile officials have resigned from other agencies ahead of their impending replacement. Trump’s backup pick of ex-Florida AG Pam Bondi appears to have DOJ officials quaking in their boots.

Some key government officials, including those whose posts are not necessarily tied to political appointments, have taken it upon themselves to exit government service in light of the initiative and Trump’s return.

Christopher Wray resigns as FBI director

Wray replaced James Comey as FBI director after Trump fired Comey in his first term. Wray could have conceivably stayed on for a few more years as the office has a ten-year service limit. But Trump previously made clear his dissatisfaction with Wray and nominated Kash Patel, a stalwart loyalist and former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice to succeed him.

Rather than face termination, Wray resigned this week and cleared the way for Trump to put Patel in the post. Despite some internal agency grumblings, Patel seems to have a clear path to confirmation, with even moderate and neoconservative lawmakers expressing optimism that he will secure confirmation to the post.

Wray’s management of the FBI came under intense scrutiny from conservatives, especially during the Biden administration, over its apparent politicization and targeting of conservative parents and Christians as potential "domestic terrorists." . Patel, for his part, has previously described a system within the bureau wherein those responsible for mistakes often receive promotions to mask broader FBI errors.

"Every person implicated in your mistakes has an interest in covering up what they did, so they will promote you. That means the people at the very top are usually the most immoral, unethical people in the entire agency,” he wrote in his 2023 book “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy.”

Patel has vowed a large-scale “house cleaning” effort to reform the bureau and is thoroughly on board with relocating portions of the FBI out of D.C.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chief Whitaker to resign

FAA chief Michael Whitaker announced on Thursday that he would resign in January, after serving since October 2023. The job is typically a five-year post and Whitaker’s departure opens the path for Trump to pick a replacement. His resignation led to bipartisan disappointment in light of broad approval of his handling of the position. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for instance, said that Whitaker had “ably led the agency during a challenging period” while Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., called his resignation “unfortunate.”

The FAA chief works with the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, an ordinarily non-contentious post that has attracted attention under the Biden administration amid train derailments and mass airport disruptions and closures.

“This has been the best and most challenging job of my career,” he said.

Trump has nominated former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wisc., to serve as Transportation secretary, but has yet to announce a successor for Whitaker.

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler to resign in January

Gensler announced in late November that he would step down on Jan. 20, despite his term ending in 2026, NPR reported at the time. Security and Exchange Commision (SEC) chairs serve a five-year term and the president can’t technically fire Gensler, despite his vow to do so. His resignation solved that issue for Trump, who nominated Paul Atkins to replace him. 

“Paul is a proven leader for common sense regulations,” Trump said. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before.”

Throughout Gensler’s tenure, he came under repeated scrutiny from Trump Media & Technology Group CEO Devin Nunes, who accused him of politicizing the SEC to slow-walk the company’s merger with Digital World, which ultimately went through after lengthy delays. That merger permitted the company to appear on the stock exchange and resulted in Trump making billions.

Dems fail to give NRLB director another four years

Though not a voluntary departure, Democrats lost another key official they had hoped to keep in place during Trump’s second term this week when independent Sens. Joe Manchin, W.V., and Kyrsten Sinema, Ariz., joined with Republicans to tank Lauren McFerran’s renomination to the National Labor Relations Board. The vote ended her tenure and cost Democrats their majority on the panel.

The panel is a key intermediary between unions and the firms that employee their members. Republicans will accordingly have an opportunity to confirm two members to the panel and claim the majority on the board.

The narrow, 49-50 vote saw Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, fly from Mar-a-Lago to vote, The Hill reported.

Ben Whedon

Source: https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/wkdself-deportation-comes-washington

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