Israel shouldn't attack Hezbollah until after US elections - opinion - Farhad Rezaei

 

​ by Farhad Rezaei

Israel faces escalating Hezbollah attacks but must delay major military action due to multiple fronts and US distractions, focusing instead on countering Iran's nuclear threat until January 2025.

 

ISRAELI FORCES secure a road following a rocket attack from Lebanon, near Kiryat Shmona, last month.

(photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)

Hezbollah’s escalating conflict against Israel through continuous rocket attacks demands a decisive military response. However, initiating a full-scale conflict now would be perilous. With Israel embroiled in conflict on multiple fronts and the US distracted by elections, Iran could exploit the chaos to advance its nuclear ambitions and potentially develop a nuclear weapon.

Israel should hold off any major military action against Hezbollah until January 2025, when the new US president takes office. In the meantime, the focus should be on countering Iran’s nuclear threat. After January, if necessary, Israel can then respond to Hezbollah with overwhelming force.

Since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, Hezbollah has launched over 5,000 rockets, anti-tank missiles, and suicide drones into Israel, resulting in more than 20 casualties, displacing 80,000 people, and igniting wildfires that have burned 9,000 acres. 

In a brazen move, Hezbollah also released a nine-minute drone footage of the Israeli port city of Haifa, showing civilian and military areas and threatening to attack them. This prompted Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz to respond strongly on X, calling out Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah for boasting about filming the ports of Haifa. Katz wrote, “We are very close to the moment of decision to change the rules against Hezbollah and Lebanon. In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed, and Lebanon will be severely hit.”

The IDF’s Northern Command also announced that it had approved operational plans for an attack on Lebanon. Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi told the political leadership that the military is ready for war.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visit northern Israel. May 4, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Hezbollah’s aggressive actions leave Israel with limited options to resolve the conflict in the North. The Jewish state has pushed for a diplomatic solution based on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. This resolution, adopted to end the Second Lebanon War in 2006, calls for a demilitarized zone from the Blue Line to the Litani River, approximately 18 miles to the North. However, Hezbollah has consistently rejected diplomatic efforts, maintaining its hostile stance and escalating tensions further.

Timing is everything

THOUGH IT might seem inevitable, a full-scale war against Hezbollah now could be counterproductive. This would put the Jewish state in another war of attrition with a group much larger and stronger than Hamas. Kamal Kharrazi, foreign affairs adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said if Israel launches an all-out offensive against Hezbollah, it will risk triggering a regional war in which Tehran and the “axis of resistance” would support the Lebanese -based terrorist group with “all means.”

Although it is unlikely for Iran to directly enter a full-scale war with Israel, it is possible for the regime to mobilize its network of sponsored terrorist groups across the region, such as the Houthis in Yemen, and Shia militias in Iraq and Syria. Iraqi Shia militia groups and Yemeni Houthis have made it clear they will join the fray if Israel strikes Hezbollah. 

The Houthis have already posed a significant economic challenge to Israel by attacking vessels in the Red Sea that they believe are connected to the Jewish state. If Israel attacks Hezbollah, these groups could intensify their attacks on maritime traffic in the Red Sea to cause further disruption. Additionally, a land invasion could result in Shia fighters pouring into Lebanese territory.

Such a war will be difficult for Israel to end rapidly without military assistance from the United States. There are indications that the US may not be able to provide significant support, similar to their past support during Iranian missile attacks, due to domestic political distractions.

WITH ISRAEL embroiled in conflict on all fronts, and the US distracted by domestic political issues, a bigger threat looms: Iran could view this as the perfect opportunity to break out with nuclear bombs.

It is important to note that Iran has already made significant progress towards obtaining nuclear weapons. The regime has advanced in two essential components of building one: enriching uranium to a weapons-grade level and developing the delivery vehicle (missile). 

According to the latest assessment by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran now possesses enough weapons-grade uranium to produce several nuclear weapons within a month. An Iranian bomb could trigger a nuclear race in the Middle East and hasten a US withdrawal from the region, a strategic disadvantage for Israel. Iran’s nuclear advancements should give Israel a compelling reason to prioritize countering the greater threat it poses over striking Hezbollah at this moment.

That Israel must respond to Hezbollah’s aggressive approach to restore security in the North is essential. Israel can continue with diplomatic efforts along with low-scale counterattacks against the terror group and its decapitation campaign targeting Hezbollah senior commanders.

But Jerusalem must carefully consider the timing of any large-scale military action against Hezbollah, possibly waiting until after the American elections to ensure more robust support from the United States, its strategic ally. Although some Israeli politicians emphasize that Israel must prepare for the possibility of engaging Iran and Hezbollah without relying on US assistance, this would likely worsen the security situation for the Jewish state given Hezbollah’s substantial military capabilities and Iran’s regional influence.

With Israel embroiled in conflict and the US preoccupied with domestic political issues, Iran might seize this perfect opportunity to advance its nuclear ambitions. Consequently, this situation makes it challenging for Israel to address these threats alone, underscoring the need for strong support from the United States. Instead, Israel should focus all its energy on countering the regime’s nuclear activities until the end of the US presidential election.

Looking ahead, if Donald Trump is re-elected, Israel will likely receive strong political backing and robust military assistance from his administration in any potential conflict against Hezbollah and other proxies of the Iranian regime.

Farhad Rezaei is a senior fellow at the Philos Project.

Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-809162

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

Biden declines to take a cognitive test, says the 'Lord Almighty' could get him to drop out of race - Misti Severi

 

​ by Misti Severi

Biden told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that the debate was just a "bad episode" rather than a broader indication on his capability of serving as the country's leader.

 

Facing pressure from his own party to drop out, President Joe Biden defended his candidacy for the Democratic nomination on Friday night, in his first on-camera interview since his bad debate performance last week.

The president has been facing pressure to withdraw from the race since the debate stunned Democratic insiders. But Biden told reporters on Friday that he has "completely [ruled] out" dropping his bid, and that he was "confident" he could serve another four years in the White House, CBS News reported. 

Biden touted his record with beating pharmaceutical companies, his efforts to handle the economy, and his foreign policy successes such as the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“I don’t think anybody’s more qualified to be president or win this race than me,” the president told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. "Who’s going to be able to hold NATO together like me? Who’s going to be able to be in a position where I’m able to keep the Pacific basin in a position where we’re at least check being in China now? Who’s going to – who’s going to do that? Who has that reach?"

Biden also defended his debate performance, claiming former President Donald Trump "distracted him" and he therefore did not have the control of the situation that he wanted. 

“It came to me I was having a bad night when I realized that even when I was answering a question, even when they turned his mic off, he was still shouting," Biden said during the interview. " And I let it distract me. I’m not blaming it on that, but I realized that I just wasn’t in control."

The president added that he does not "think" he watched the debate afterwards.

Biden also remarked that his performance was a "bad episode" rather than a broader indication on his capability of serving as the country's leader.

“It was a bad episode. No indication of any serious condition," Biden said in a clip of the interview that aired during "World News Tonight." "I was exhausted. I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing and — and a bad night." 

Biden said his performance in the debate was his fault alone, but that he had a "bad cold" during the debate. He also noted that his medical team did a COVID-19 test and other tests to make sure it was not a virus, but they came back negative.

The president said he is constantly followed by doctors, who speak up when they believe that something is wrong. When pushed about further neurological exams, the president said he undergoes a "full neurological test every day." 

“I have medical doctors trailing me everywhere I go. I have an ongoing assessment of what I’m doing," Biden said. "They don’t hesitate to tell me if something is wrong."

When pressed on polling that indicates he is behind in the race, Biden said "I don't buy that," and said he believes the race is a "toss up."

The president also declined to answer whether he would drop out if reliable people told him to, but said he would drop out if the "Lord Almighty" came down and told him to.

Stephanopoulos also questioned the president on how he would feel if he stays in and then loses to Trump in November. 

“As long as I gave it my all and did as good a job as I know I could do, that’s what this is about," Biden said.

Misti Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

Source: https://justthenews.com/government/white-house/biden-gives-first-camera-interview-bad-debate-performance

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

Congressional Democrats to meet next week to discuss Biden's future: Reports - Misti Severi

 

​ by Misti Severi

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to lead the virtual meeting on Sunday, and Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner is reportedly compiling a list of senators who support calls for Biden to end his race.

 

Several top Congressional Democrats are expected to have a virtual meeting on Capitol Hill next week to discuss a path forward for President Joe Biden as he faces calls to drop his bid for reelection, unnamed sources told NBC News.

The president rejected the calls, claiming during a campaign stop on Friday that he would beat former President Donald Trump again in November. Biden also said during an on-camera interview with ABC News that he would only drop out if the "Lord Almighty" came down and told him to.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is expected to lead the virtual meeting on Sunday, and Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner is reportedly compiling a list of senators who support calls for Biden to end his race, according to the Washington Post, citing anonymous sources.

Warner is allegedly concerned that Biden could do so badly before the November elections that he also hurts senators who were thought to be in relatively safe seats.

Biden said that although Warner is a "good man" and that respects him, the pair have "a different perspective." He also said he has talked to members of Democratic leadership who have encouraged him to remain in the race.

“I’ve spoken all of them in detail, including Jim Clyburn. Every one of them. They all said I should stay in the race. Stay in the race,” Biden said, per CNN.

Four House Democrats have urged the president to drop his bid, including Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett,  Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, and Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley.

“I would say Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude," Quigley told MSNBC on Friday.  The only thing you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this."

The House meeting would come a day before lawmakers are expected to return to Washington, D.C., after a two week recess.

Misti Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

Source: https://justthenews.com/government/congress/congressional-democrats-meet-next-week-discuss-bidens-future-report

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

The Free-Market Rejects EV Mandates - Richard Truesdell and Keith Lehmann

 

​ by Richard Truesdell and Keith Lehmann

The California EV mandate alliance could be collapsing before our eyes.

 

Leading what could be a large exodus from the EV mandates issued by the unelected California Air Resources Board (CARB), the state of Virginia has announced its exit from California’s electric vehicle mandate, effective at the end of 2024 when the current regulations expire.

Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin stated, “Once again, Virginia is declaring independence – this time from a misguided electric vehicle mandate imposed by unelected leaders 3,000 miles away from the Commonwealth.”

Virginia joined the California CARB-compliance states in 2021 under Democrat Governor Ralph Northam. Yes, post-birth, pro-abortion Ralph Northam.

CARB was established in 1967 under then-Governor Ronald Reagan and is part of California’s Environmental Protection Agency. California is the only state uniquely permitted to issue its own vehicle emissions standards under the Clean Air Act. All other states can choose to follow CARB or federal vehicle emissions standards but they may not set their own.

The ”Advanced Clean Cars ll” (ACC ll) act, set to go into effect January 1, 2025, would have required 35 percent of new car sales in Model Year 2026 to be electric, rising to 100 percent of new cars in Model Year 2035. Failure to comply could have resulted in auto manufacturers facing fines of up to $20,000 per vehicle sold.

The Biden administration has deferred adoption of the California plan, which is significantly more aggressive than the federal EV transition timeline imposed by the EPA. Biden’s $7.5 billion program to build a national EV charging infrastructure has been an utter failure. Thus far it’s built a grand total of seven new EV charging stations. That comes out to about $1 billion per charging station thus far. What a boondoggle.

Elon Musk built a nationwide, coast-to-coast Supercharger network for far less that is now used by competing EV manufacturers including Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, and Rivian among 11 companies that have adopted Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS).

In the U.S., 15 other states and the District of Columbia follow CARB rules. These states include Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

CARB rules comprise regulatory committee rulings and executive orders from California Governor Gavin Newsom and have not been adopted through the legislature or approved by voters. Originally intended to tackle the state’s air quality problems, CARB became a useful tool for Democrat-dominated California to impose agenda issues across the country using its unique authority to set zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandates thus forcing the “transition” to EVs in states that have little demand for battery-operated cars.

“EV mandates like California’s are unworkable and out of touch with reality, and thankfully the law does not bind us to their regulations,” claimed Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who added, “California does not control which cars Virginians buy.” EVs in Virginia represented roughly nine percent of all new vehicle sales in 2023, not exactly a ringing market endorsement of the technology.

Now, Connecticut has followed Virginia as the second CARB state to reject California’s EV mandate. Connecticut Republicans mobilized voters and lawmakers to oppose the adoption of ACC ll standards and will default to more generous federal standards set by the EPA. This move suggests that the alliance of states following California’s EV mandates is weakening and could collapse altogether.

With the unpopularity of such mandates, which states will follow Virginia and Connecticut? It’s interesting to note that Virginia and especially Connecticut have been reliably blue. If Connecticut can move back to a sane position on EV mandates, anything is possible, especially if these unworkable mandates find themselves on the ballot as referendum items and as the needed charging infrastructure continues its painfully slow roll-out.

Industry executives like Toyota’s Chairman Akio Toyoda, had this to say. “The enemy is CO2. We propose a multi-pathway approach that doesn’t rely on any particular power train. Customers, not regulations or politics should decide on what path to rely on.”

It should be noted that Toyota is the market leader in hybrid vehicles that combine gas and electric power plants. For up to 40 miles, hybrids can run off an EV motor, and when the battery has been depleted, they switch to an internal combustion engine to charge the battery. Are hybrids the best solution, a best-of-both-worlds approach that makes the transition to battery-powered vehicles easier?

As hybrids gain in popularity due to having a genuine market demand, the market views the ZEV crowd as zealots that would force their “green” beliefs onto everyone regardless of their choice. Why wouldn’t they want hybrids that are easier on the environment, plus people actually want them and can afford them? Not everybody wants California to determine which car they drive.

With the strict ACC ll standards pushing ahead to meet the 2035 deadline and looser federal standards being further delayed, the gap between the two paths to EV adoption is widening. Standards determined by individual states are likely to be determined by party lines, with Democrats solidly in favor of aggressive EV mandates and Republicans more in favor of consumer choice and a free market. Look for additional states, particularly those with Conservative leadership, to declare their “independence” from these unrealistic California EV mandate rules.

Richard Truesdell is a former consumer electronics retail executive and automotive travel photojournalist. In the last 25 years, he has visited more than 35 countries on six continents. A former high school history teacher with a BA in Political Science from Waynesburg University, he is a lifelong Conservative moderate who has turned his thoughts and keyboard to political commentary and popular culture. A cross-section of his writings can be found here.

Keith Lehmann is a retired consumer electronics industry executive who has written extensively on technology, transportation, and international travel. Living in Southern California for over fifty years, he has first-hand exposure to societal and cultural happenings of the left and submits decidedly realism-based, Conservative viewpoints, much of which can be found on his Substack.

Richard Truesdell and Keith Lehmann

Source: https://amgreatness.com/2024/07/06/the-free-market-rejects-ev-mandates/

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

Mossad chief travels to Qatar as hostage-release talks resume - JNS

 

​ by JNS

"There are still gaps between the sides," the Prime Minister's Office said.

 

Demonstrators outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv call for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, May 16, 2024. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90.

Mossad Director David Barnea traveled to Doha over the weekend to jump-start negotiations to secure the release of 120 Israeli hostages the Hamas terrorist group is holding in the Gaza Strip.

Upon his return, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that a negotiating team would be dispatched this week to continue the talks.

“It should be emphasized that there are still gaps between the sides,” according to the statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Nevertheless, Hamas has now dropped its key demand that Jerusalem commit up front to ending the war as part of any deal, the Associated Press reported on Saturday, citing anonymous Egyptian and Hamas officials.

Mediators are working to revive President Joe Biden’s phased deal proposal presented in May, which calls for an initial “full and complete” six-week ceasefire during which dozens of Israeli hostages, including women, the elderly and sick, would be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian terrorists held in Israeli prisons.

During this first stage, Israeli forces would withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza and displaced Palestinians would return to their homes in the northern Strip.

Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas would negotiate the terms of the second phase in which the remaining male hostages would be freed in return for Jerusalem releasing additional Palestinian terrorists.

In the third phase, the bodies of dead Israeli civilians and soldiers would be returned to the Jewish state and the reconstruction of Gaza would begin.

Hamas is still seeking “written guarantees” from mediators that Israel would continue to negotiate a long-term truce if and when the first phase goes into effect, AP reported.

On Thursday, Netanyahu and Biden discussed by phone the modifications made by Hamas to the hostages-for-ceasefire framework.

The prime minister “reiterated the principles that Israel is committed to, especially its commitment to end the war only after all of its goals have been achieved,” according to an Israeli readout of the call.

Netanyahu has defined his government’s war goals as returning all of the hostages, eliminating Hamas’s military and governing capabilities and ensuring that Gaza will never again constitute a threat.

An anonymous senior Israeli official subsequently told the Axios news outlet that while “important progress has been made, there is still a significant way to go with serious challenges.”

As Israel and Hamas enter renewed indirect talks, “it will be tough and not short,” the official said, adding that it could take “several weeks to reach an agreement if we move to detailed negotiations.”

Jerusalem had immediately accepted the original Biden proposal, which Netanyahu stressed does not call for a permanent end to the war sparked by Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre of some 1,200 people.

An Israeli official said on June 17 that in its initial reply to the proposal, Hamas made “substantial changes” to the outline, which the U.N. Security Council had formally approved a week earlier. The terrorist group demanded a “permanent” end to the conflict, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and financial guarantees the Strip would be rebuilt.

JNS

Source: https://www.jns.org/mossad-chief-travels-to-qatar-as-hostage-release-talks-resume/

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

ISIS Moves on Uganda: Islamic Militants Threaten Christian Majority Countries - Uzay Bulut

 

​ by Uzay Bulut

Uganda and other African nations -- are increasingly suffering at the hands of radical Islamists. They are proof of how much even majority non-Muslim, secular nations are vulnerable at the hands of jihadist groups.

 

• In recent years, Uganda has faced a growing threat from radical Islamic groups, notably "Allied Democratic Forces -- National Army for the Liberation of Uganda" (ADF-NALU) and the Islamic State (ISIS) -- which have targeted Christians and escalated security concerns.

• "ADF-NALU has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Meanwhile, ISIS has also claimed responsibility for various attacks." – Uganda: full country dossier, Open Doors, March 2024.

• Uganda and other African nations -- especially Sudan, Nigeria, Algeria, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ivory Coast, Mali, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritania, Cameroon, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tanzania -- are increasingly suffering at the hands of radical Islamists. They are proof of how much even majority non-Muslim, secular nations are vulnerable at the hands of jihadist groups. To prevent jihadists from massacring, abusing or enslaving non-Muslims, and taking over the continent, countries need immediately to crack down on all extremist groups. Do not grant them space to operate.

In recent years, Uganda has faced a growing threat from radical Islamic groups that have targeted Christians. June 16 marked the one-year anniversary of a sickening terror attack at a Christian boarding school in western Uganda, in which Islamist terrorists murdered 42 people. Pictured: The funeral of Florence Masika and Zakayo Masereka in Mpondwe, Uganda on June 18, 2023. The two were victims of the Islamic terrorists who attacked the school. (Photo by Stuart Tibaweswa/AFP via Getty Images)

June 16 marked the one-year anniversary of a sickening terror attack at a Christian boarding school in western Uganda, in which Islamist terrorists murdered 42 people.

On June 16, 2023, the Islamist "Allied Democratic Forces" (ADF), based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), invaded the compound of the private Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School in Uganda's Kasese District.

Islamic militants firebombed student dormitories; students fleeing the fire were either gunned down or hacked to death with machetes. Students trapped in the dormitories burned to death as the terrorists shouted "Allahu akbar!" ("Allah is the greatest!"). Some of the victims' bodies, burnt beyond recognition, required DNA testing to identify them. Six students were kidnapped.

During the 90-minute attack, 42 people were murdered, including 38 students, a school guard, and three local residents. According to the police, the victims' ages ranged from 12 to 95.

The BBC reported that the schoolchildren were singing gospel songs before the attack. Mary Masika, a woman who lives opposite the school, said then she heard screaming:

"The students usually sing before bedtime - and at first she and her daughter thought the noise that interrupted their songs at around 22:00 (20:00 GMT) suggested that they were having a bit of fun. But it soon became clear that something horrific was under way at the school, which had around 60 boarders living in a small compound. ADF rebels had entered dormitories, setting fire to them and using machetes to kill and maim students.

"One family in Mpondwe held the funerals for a father and son killed in the attack - 47-year-old security guard Elphanas Mbusa and 17-year-old Masereka Elton. Their other son, 15-year-old Brian Muhindo who was also attending the school, is missing. They do not know if he is among the six boys kidnapped or one of those whose bodies cannot be identified because they have been burned so badly.

"It was a devastating and upsetting scene. Lots of dried blood is still on the ground outside the girls' dormitory -- they had been attacked with machetes and others shot dead as they ran away. The boys' dormitory had been locked -- they had either refused to open it to the rebels or they were locked inside by them. The militants poured fuel on the building and set it alight. Inside, the smell of death is unmistakable -- beds have been reduced to wire mesh with pieces of flesh still stuck to them.

"Masika said towards the end of the attack, at around 23:30, she heard one of the assailants talking at her gate and asking a fellow fighter if 'the job was done'. They were talking in Swahili -- the lingua franca in the region -- and afterwards began shouting 'Allahu Akbar', meaning 'Allah is the greatest'."

The majority of Uganda's population of 49.7 million is Christian. According to the US State Department, which cites the 2014 Ugandan government census:

"The census reports Muslims constitute 14 percent of the population. The UMSC [Uganda Muslim Supreme Council] states that Muslims (primarily Sunni) are closer to 35 percent of the population."

In recent years, Uganda has faced a growing threat from radical Islamic groups, notably "Allied Democratic Forces -- National Army for the Liberation of Uganda" (ADF-NALU) and the Islamic State (ISIS) -- which have targeted Christians and escalated security concerns.

Abdul Rashid Kyoto, for instance, reportedly a commander in the Islamic ADF group, was charged by Uganda's director of public prosecutions with murdering a honeymoon couple from the UK and South Africa and their Ugandan guide in an attack in a national park on October 17, 2023.

In another incident, last December, assailants from the ADF attacked a village in Kamwenge district in Western Uganda. They murdered a 75-year-old woman and her two grandchildren before burning the bodies.

Open Doors, which monitors the persecution of Christians worldwide, reports:

"ADF-NALU, formed in 1995, aims to establish an Islamic state in Uganda and has been a recurrent source of violence. Its founder, Jamil Mukulu, was arrested in 2015 and faces multiple charges, including terrorism. ADF-NALU operatives, trained in North Kivu (DRC), continue to infiltrate Uganda. ADF-NALU has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Meanwhile, ISIS has also claimed responsibility for various attacks.

"The Allied Democratic Forces have ramped up activities within Uganda, deploying trained fighters to incite terror among the populace. With their operational base strengthening in DRC's forested regions, the ADF is likely to pose an even greater threat and has already been using explosives in Uganda, causing loss of life and property. This directly endangers Christian communities, who are among their targets.

"Their brutal attacks, such as the one on the Christian boarding school in June 2023, have instilled widespread fear and trauma, undermining the security of Christians and other religious minorities."

Open Doors further explains:

"In parts of Uganda, especially in the eastern region where the Muslim community makes up the majority, the hostility faced by Christians, particularly by converts from Islam, is severe. Christians in these areas are frequently targeted for bullying and harassment that can escalate to severe consequences like community expulsion, physical assaults, and in extreme cases, even killings."

More recently, on March 30, a Christian man named Ronald Twinomugisha was murdered by Muslims in Busei B village in Iganga District for converting Muslims to Christianity. Twinomugisha had received threats by text message from Muslims before they hacked him to death.

The Christian Post reported that Twinomugisha had moved to the area from western Uganda in February 2022, and by the end of 2023, he had led four Muslims to Christianity. The four former Muslims relocated elsewhere due to threats from their families.

Converts from Islam to Christianity in Uganda face ostracism, expulsion, house arrest or physical violence from their families and local community.

On March 25, for instance, Musobya Mujjibu, a Muslim in Namutumba District, poured scalding water on his wife and their 10-year-old daughter, Sharifa Nangobi, after learning they both converted to Christianity. The mother and child suffered serious burns and were taken to a medical clinic for treatment.

Open Doors notes:

"Radical Islam remains the foremost driver of religious persecution in Uganda, especially as Islamic communities are aggressively working to expand their influence and reach. Even though Uganda identifies as a secular state, its membership in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) since the 1970s has bolstered the Muslim presence, primarily in eastern Uganda."

Africa has become a major focus of ISIS' post-Caliphate strategy, and Uganda appears to be one of the jihadists' targets. Terror groups, however, are not the only persecutors of Christians in the country. Radical Muslims often attack churches and Christians. Most converts have endured many forms of persecution orchestrated by family members and community members.

Uganda and other African nations -- especially Sudan, Nigeria, Algeria, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ivory Coast, Mali, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritania, Cameroon, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tanzania -- are increasingly suffering at the hands of radical Islamists. They are proof of how much even majority non-Muslim, secular nations are vulnerable at the hands of jihadist groups. To prevent jihadists from massacring, abusing or enslaving non-Muslims, and taking over the continent, countries need immediately to crack down on all extremist groups. Do not grant them space to operate.

Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.

Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20742/uganda-islamic-militants-isis

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

Imagine Hitler with Nuclear Bombs; Now Imagine Iran's Mullahs with Nuclear Bombs - Majid Rafizadeh

 

​ by Majid Rafizadeh

Immediate action is needed to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons... It is an intervention that should have been undertaken many years ago, but was unfortunately thwarted by the Obama administration.

 

• The Iranian regime is rapidly pursuing acquiring nuclear weapons. This breakout must be prevented.

• Iran is already supplying terror groups -- Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Houthis -- with ballistic missiles. Presumably to hide behind "plausible deniability," Iran's regime does not seem particularly shy about arming these militias abroad with advanced weaponry. Why wouldn't it equip these groups with nuclear weapons as well?

• Iran's regime has made no secret of its desire to annihilate Israel ("Death to Israel!") on the way to annihilating the United States ("Death to America!"). The mullahs doubtless just see Israel as standing in the way.

• From Iran's perspective, Israel, smaller than New Jersey, is, as former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani indicated, a "one-bomb" country: "[T]he employment of even one atomic bomb inside Israel will wipe it off the face of the earth, but [such a bomb] would only do damage to the Islamic World."

• Consider the scenario where not just Iran's proxies, but other allies of Iran -- such as Venezuela or Cuba -- are equipped with nuclear weapons.

• Does anyone imagine if Hamas had possessed nuclear weapons when they sent a "huge barrage of rockets" and bulldozed their way into Israel on October 7, 2023, that they would have hesitated to use them?

• The proliferation of nuclear weapons poses an existential threat not only to Israel but, of course, creates a broader, more unpredictable global security crisis.

• Immediate action is needed to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons... It is an intervention that should have been undertaken many years ago, but was unfortunately thwarted by the Obama administration. Any further delay can only lead to catastrophic consequences for international stability.

The Iranian regime is rapidly pursuing acquiring nuclear weapons. This breakout must be prevented. Iran is already supplying terror groups with ballistic missiles. Why wouldn't it equip these groups with nuclear weapons as well? (Image source: iStock/Getty Images)

The Iranian regime is rapidly pursuing acquiring nuclear weapons. This breakout must be prevented. Iran's regime poses a danger at least as dangerous as Hitler's if he had possessed them. Given the Iranian leadership's ideological extremism, combined with its strategic ambitions and regional influence, the potential for regional and global instability that could result cannot be overstated. Allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons will simply increase the risk of a Middle Eastern nuclear arms race and devastating global conflicts.

Unlike Hitler's regime, which was state-centric, the Iranian regime prefers extensive influence over non-state actors and militant groups. Iran has established and maintained militia and terror groups across the region and beyond, to significantly expand its reach. Its network of proxies and allies will, in all likelihood, use these nuclear capabilities in asymmetric warfare on Iran's behalf. Presumably to hide behind "plausible deniability," Iran's regime does not seem particularly shy about arming these militias abroad with advanced weaponry.

Iran is already supplying terror groups -- Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Houthis -- with ballistic missiles. Why wouldn't it equip these groups with nuclear weapons as well?

Iran's regime has made no secret of its desire to annihilate Israel ("Death to Israel!") on the way to annihilating the United States ("Death to America!"). The mullahs doubtless just see Israel as standing in the way.

From Iran's perspective, Israel, smaller than New Jersey, is, as former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani indicated, a "one-bomb" country:

"[T]he employment of even one atomic bomb inside Israel will wipe it off the face of the earth, but [such a bomb] would only do damage to the Islamic World."

Consider the scenario where not just Iran's proxies, but other allies of Iran -- such as Venezuela or Cuba -- are equipped with nuclear weapons.

Does anyone imagine if Hamas had possessed nuclear weapons when they sent a "huge barrage of rockets" and bulldozed their way into Israel on October 7, 2023, that they would have hesitated to use them?

The proliferation of nuclear weapons poses an existential threat not only to Israel but, of course, creates a broader, more unpredictable global security crisis.

Moreover, unlike Hitler, the Iranian regime possesses advanced ballistic missile technology, capable of reaching long-range targets with precision. On April 13, Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel. Iran's missiles might soon be equipped with nuclear warheads, enabling Iran to reach any country across the globe -- in Europe, Latin America or the United States.

The Iranian regime, fervently dedicated to exporting its Islamist revolution so that everyone might share in this gift, is committed to establishing a single Islamist community worldwide. "We shall export our revolution to the whole world," the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, stated. "Until the cry 'There is no god but Allah' resounds over the whole world, there will be a struggle;" and, "Establishing the Islamic State worldwide belongs to the great goals of the revolution."

Iran's constitution, outlining its dedication to perpetuating the revolution domestically and internationally, also enshrines this mission. It states:

"With due attention to the Islamic content of the Iranian Revolution, which has been a movement aimed at the triumph of all the mustad'affun over the mustakbirun, the Constitution provides the necessary basis for ensuring the continuation of the Revolution at home and abroad. In particular, in the development of international relations, the Constitution will strive with other Islamic and popular movements to prepare the way for the formation of a single world community..."

Immediate action is needed to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, even if it necessitates preemptive strikes on its nuclear facilities and research centers. It is an intervention that should have been undertaken many years ago, but was unfortunately thwarted by the Obama administration. Any further delay can only lead to catastrophic consequences for international stability.

• Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)

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

Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20745/iran-hitler-nuclear-bombs

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

Footage shows Hamas assaulting Gaza civilians seeking food - JNS

 

​ by JNS

A video shared on social media by Israel’s military shows captured men being repeatedly abused.

 

A member of the Hamas terrorist organization at a military-style summer camp in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90.

A 49-second video clip shared by the Israel Defense Forces on Friday shows disturbing violence as Hamas terrorists use clubs to beat men who reportedly sought food from a warehouse filled with aid intended for civilians.

It begins with a blindfolded man, hands tied behind his back, sprayed with green paint that his captor uses to write Arabic letters on his back. A Hamas terrorist then strikes the captive in the head and yells at him.

“What happens when civilians try getting humanitarian aid in Gaza?” the IDF asked on X.

Hamas terrorists spray-paint Arabic words on a man’s back as he attempts to get food in the Gaza Strip, July 5, 2024. Credit: IDF.

A second blindfolded man pulled from the bed of a pickup truck is also shown with spray-painted words on his back. The video then moves to two blindfolded men on the ground, surrounded by a circle of masked men, as multiple terrorists beat them with clubs while they scream.

The IDF wrote that “while Israel is making great efforts to ensure the entry of aid is being facilitated to the people of Gaza, Hamas continues to steal and hide it from Gazan civilians.”

In the video, the Israeli military said viewers can see for themselves “masked individuals, that according to Gazan civilians are Hamas members, beating and holding civilians captive after they attempted to enter a warehouse where humanitarian aid was stored. These civilians just wanted to eat, but Hamas had other plans.”

JNS

Source: https://www.jns.org/footage-shows-hamas-assaulting-gaza-civilians-seeking-food/

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

Trump plays it cool while Democrats, media turn on Biden - Ben Whedon

 

​ by Ben Whedon

The lull in activity is uncharacteristic of the former president, who is a nearly a constant presence on social media.

 

Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has remained largely silent following his June 27 debate in which President Biden gave a halting performance – instead allowing fellow Democrats and the media to criticize or raise questions about Biden's age and mental acuity. 

In the days after the debate two House Democrats – Reps. Lloyd Doggett, of Texas, and Raúl Grijalva, of Arizona – have called for Biden to end his reelection bid, amid reports that donors are poised to stop contributing to the Biden campaign and Virginia Democrat Sen. Mark Warner is requesting a meeting with members of his conference to discuss Biden's path forward. 

“I don’t think anybody in the Trump campaign has ever said they want Biden off the ticket,” former Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski told the New York Times, said about the debate response by Trump and/or anybody else on Team Trump. 

In Trump's campaign stop in Virginia the day after the debate, the former president largely focused on what he considers Biden's failed policy issues.  

“Joe Biden’s problem is not his age; it’s not his anything,” said Trump, according to Slate.com. “He’s got no problem other than his competence. I know people that are much older than him doing unbelievable things, making a fortune.”

Meanwhile, Trump's Truth Social account has nearly gone dark, with only limited posts highlighting favorable polling data, a Fourth of July message, and a handful of endorsements. The lull in activity is uncharacteristic for Trump, who maintains a near constant social media presence.

Political observers have suggested Trump is laying low because at 78 he is only three years younger then Biden and/or that he prefers to face Biden rather than an alternative candidate. 

The Trump campaign declined to comment Friday about Trump's scaled-back social media presence and instead highlighted a post from the candidate in which he celebrated a Fourth of July address he made to veterans.

Trump has not been entirely inactive amid the nearly non-stop talk about whether Biden can survive the debate performance and resurrect his campaign. 

On Wednesday, Trump in a leaked video, while apparently playing golf, says about Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris: “He’s quitting the race. I got him out of the race and that means we have Kamala. I think she’s gonna be better. She’s so bad. She’s so pathetic.

"Can you imagine that guy dealing with Putin and the president of China who’s a fierce person, who’s a fierce man? … He’s probably quitting.”

The next day Trump suggested he could put to rest concerns about Biden's cognitive ability by having a second debate – with fewer restrictions on participant conduct.

“Let Joe explain why he wants Open Borders, with millions of people, and many violent criminals from parts unknown, pouring into our once great Nation ... and so much more,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “It would also, under great pressure, prove his ‘competence,’ or lack thereof.”

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X.

Source: https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/all-things-trump/wkdtrump-lays-low-while-democrats-media-turn-biden

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

After Oct 7, the Israeli Right is 60% of the Country, the Left is 13% - Daniel Greenfield

 

​ by Daniel Greenfield

"I guess that makes me a right-wing extremist."

 

The Israeli Left has been shrinking for some time.

The Israeli Labor Party, which used to run the country, has 4 Knesset members. This is not a new situation. This hilarious Latma video mocking the Labor Party for having so few parliamentarians that they can all fit in a taxi dates back to 2011.

I’ve written a good deal about the collapse of the Israeli Left which is attributable to a number of factors including

1. The disastrous “peace process” with Islamic terrorists resulting in a ‘Palestinian’ terror entity
2. The success of the Israeli economy under privatization
3. Immigration. Unlike immigration in the U.S., immigration from the Middle East and Russia to Israel has led to a more conservative electorate.

So these numbers reported by the Free Beacon are not wholly out there. But they do show a post-Oct 7 shift.

The survey found that the rightward ratchet of Israeli politics across decades of Palestinian terrorism and rejectionism has lurched ahead since Oct. 7. Based on political self-identification, the right has grown by 5 percentage points to include 36 percent of Jewish Israelis, or 60 percent when the poll factors in the moderate and hard right. The left has shrunk by 3 percentage points to just 8 percent of the public, or 13 percent factoring in the moderate and hard left. And the center has held steady at about a quarter of the political spectrum.

How did that play out in some of the more liberal communities near Gaza targeted on Oct 7?

Debbie Sharon, 60, a criminal defense attorney from Yated, a town in southern Israel, counts herself among the newly minted right-wingers. She recalled that prior to Oct. 7, she subscribed to the then-prevailing conception that Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 and subsequent economic support for the strip encouraged quiet and might one day lead to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

“People on the right warned us that the Palestinians don’t think the way we think: They don’t care about peace for their children. They only care about eliminating us,” Sharon said. “But we didn’t believe them. We said, ‘They’re all mad. They’re all right-wing extremists.'”

Earlier this year, Sharon volunteered for Tzav 9, a grassroots movement that sprang up to protest Israel’s provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza during the war. She eventually left the group—which has recently been linked to violence and sanctioned by the Biden administration—saying it had become too divisive. But she stood by her opposition to the aid.

“They can have aid in Gaza when they give us back our hostages. That’s how I feel,” she said. “I guess that makes me a right-wing extremist.”

All in all this sounds like it should be great news, but Israel’s parliamentary system which lacks regional representation ensures that there are a whole range of political parties, many representing narrow and very corruptible interests, which can be used to form coalitions.

The public Left isn’t much of an electoral force, but in the past 15-20 years it mainly operates through fake ‘centrist’ and ‘apolitical’ parties like Yesh Atid or various others fronted by the latest retired general. When these parties get enough votes, they can form a leftist coalition government that pretends it’s centrist.

Additionally, there are a variety of narrow-identity politics parties that are simply for sale. These are particularly useful for breaking off voters who might otherwise vote for conservative parties.

And then there are the Arab Islamic parties.

Finally, the Supreme Court maintains total unilateral absolute power, and efforts to reduce its power fell apart due to massive national protests and then the attacks of Oct 7. The Supreme Court’s calculated decision on a draft for Orthodox students is meant to make the Netanyahu coalition fall apart and be replaced by the Left.

So what should be good news on paper is unfortunately a long way from offering that much in reality.

The Israeli Jewish public is generally conservative, but the system still belongs to the Left.

Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical Left and Islamic terrorism.

Source: https://www.frontpagemag.com/after-oct-7-the-israeli-right-is-60-of-the-country-the-left-is-13/

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

'The biggest one': Title IX gender identity rewrite blocked nationwide under new SCOTUS precedent - Greg Piper

 

​ by Greg Piper

Trump appointee takes two business days to apply ruling ending so-called Chevron deference to block Department of Education regulation redefining "sex." Title IX administrator group warns members to be ready for immediate reversal.

 

The Commerce Department was the first victim of the Supreme Court's decision Friday banning the administrative state from defining its own authority, ending four decades of so-called Chevron deference that first inoculated the Environmental Protection Agency against judges second-guessing its interpretation of ambiguous laws.

It took two business days for another victim to emerge in a case far more relevant to ordinary Americans than Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which prohibits Commerce from charging fishing vessels for the federal monitors the agency requires on their boats.

U.S. District Judge John Broomes on Tuesday cited the oven-fresh SCOTUS precedent in approving the third preliminary injunction – and the most far-reaching yet – against the Biden administration's Title IX regulation that adds gender identity to the sex-discrimination law enforced by the Education Department. 

The quickness of the precedent's application to ongoing litigation in lower courts shows the mortal peril that federal agencies face from judges scrutinizing how far they've gone to fill in the alleged gaps left by Congress for the first time since the Reagan administration.

The high court also threw into disarray administrative law proceedings by agencies' in-house judges, who rarely rule against their employers, through its new ruling in Jarkesy v. SEC requires agencies to seek civil penalties against defendants in a real court of law before a jury.

The new injunction brings the number of states in which the Title IX regulation is officially blocked to 14, with the addition of state plaintiffs Alaska, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming.

But Broomes' order also applies to any federally funded school nationwide connected to the associational plaintiffs: Moms for Liberty, which has chapters in 48 states; Young America's Foundation, which supports college conservatives; and Female Athletes United, whose domain name was just registered in February and has no posted contact information.

That means the feds cannot enforce the regulation, including access to restrooms, locker rooms and athletic competition by gender identity and prohibitions on misgendering, on K-12 school districts in which Moms for Liberty members have minor children, schools attended by FAU members and colleges with Young Americans for Freedom chapters.

YAF told Just the News it has "activists" on 2,000 college campuses, and Moms for Liberty said it has 130,000 members in 300 chapters. 

Kansas GOP Attorney General Kris Kobach claimed Wednesday the injunction will stop the regulation "in all 50 states," and he called the victory "the biggest one" he's ever achieved in court.

Kobach cited Broomes' speculation that the regulation permits "an industrious older teenage boy" to fake an identity as a girl "so that he can observe his female peers disrobe and shower."

Broomes ordered the associational plaintiffs to identify by July 15 the schools in which their members or their minor children attend so the feds know which cannot be sanctioned for violating the regulation.

The feds must use legal discovery if they demand the "names of members or their children," subject to Broomes' review and possible protective orders.

Courts "may not defer to an agency interpretation of the law simply because a statute is ambiguous" under the Administrative Procedure Act, but must use their "independent judgment" to determine whether "an agency has acted within its statutory authority," the President Trump appointee wrote Tuesday, citing Loper Bright.

Broomes returned to the precedent several pages later, saying even if "sex" was ambiguous he's no longer bound to accept the agency's interpretation. "The DoE simply lacks authority to expand sex to mean gender identity," which would render Title IX's written exceptions "meaningless" and usurp the sole authority of Congress to decide "major questions."

Judges answering to three federal appeals courts – the 5th, 6th and now 10th circuits – have now concluded the "unambiguous plain language of the statutory provisions and the legislative history" mean that "sex" in Title IX can only mean "the traditional concept of biological sex in which there are only two sexes, male and female," as Broomes put it.

The feds didn't deny this but rather argued that "this makes no difference because discrimination on the basis of gender identity is discrimination on the basis of biological sex," relying on the Supreme Court's Bostock ruling but, he said, ignoring its limitation to employment law and its intentional silence on "bathrooms, locker rooms, or anything else of the kind."

Title IX, unlike Title VII, has "carve outs which explicitly allow discrimination based on (biological) sex," Broomes wrote, picking apart the feds' attempt to distinguish "living facilities" – where the regulation says schools can maintain sex segregation – from bathrooms and locker rooms, where they cannot.

"Given Congress’ stated concern about privacy for students, it would be counterintuitive if that privacy only extended to students who lived in student housing" but not the bathrooms and locker rooms "used for activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing," he said.

The Association of Title IX Administrators told its 9,000 active members a week before Loper Bright's ruling how to handle the two injunctions covering 10 states that had been handed down by judges hearing Title IX regulation challenges but didn't foresee an injunction like Broomes'.

More than half of the states could end up covered by injunctions based on the plaintiffs in five lawsuits, said Brett Sokolow, ATIXA's founding executive director and now chairmen of its advisory board. He faulted the judges for not taking "a restrained approach."

The group believes that "sexual orientation and gender identity have long been protected by Title IX" before the Biden administration's revision, which was "not so much an expansion of Title IX as a clarification of its scope," he wrote, the opposite conclusion as three courts now.

Sokolow warned members their institutions "may need to comply" with the regulation "at a moment's notice" if a court lifts an injunction or lets it expire, so they should "give some careful thought to policy revision/preparation and training" and "have something on the shelf."

Greg Piper

Source: https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/biggest-one-title-ix-gender-identity-rewrite-blocked-nationwide-under-new

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter

IDF to stay in Philadelphi Corridor - Yakkov Lappin

 

​ by Yakkov Lappin

FDD’s Richard Goldberg: History would repeat itself the minute the IDF abandons the Gaza-Sinai border, with Hamas rebuilding its smuggling operations.

 

A Hamas security officer opens a gate to the Philadelphi Corridor between Egypt and Gaza near Rafah, July, 1, 2007. Photo by Ahmad Khateib/Flash90.

 

The Israel Defense Forces is preparing to shift in the coming weeks from high-intensity warfare to targeted operations the Gaza Strip, a transition it calls moving from Stage B to C. The Israeli military plans, however, on continuing to hold the 8.7-mile (14-kilometer) Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the Gaza-Egypt border.

This continued Israeli control of the border will be critical in preventing the resurgence of Hamas’s smuggling operation and will help dampen the Iran-backed terror army’s hopes to rebuild itself.

Richard Goldberg, senior adviser at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS, “History would repeat itself the minute the IDF abandons the Philadelphi Corridor, with Hamas rebuilding its smuggling operations. Egypt was obviously complicit in the Hamas tunneling operation and cannot be trusted with the border.

“The U.N. which is pro-Hamas, is not an option. That leaves the IDF to continue destroying all existing tunnel infrastructure and interdict future tunneling and other smuggling attempts.”

The Philadelphi Corridor, which Israel seized as part of its Rafah offensive, has historically been the route for Hamas to smuggle weapons and contraband from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. By maintaining a presence in this corridor, the IDF aims to ensure that Hamas is unable to rebuild its terror capabilities.

Related Articles

Hezbollah drone and rocket barrage pounds Golan, GalileeJuly 4, 2024

Reaffirm our belief in the promise of AmericaJuly 3, 2024

Two IDF soldiers die in northern Gaza battlesJuly 4, 2024

The Philadelphi Corridor has been a focal point for years, turning into a smuggling zone even before Israel’s disengagement from Gaza in 2005, and evolving into a monstrous network of tunnels in the years that followed.

The network of tunnels facilitated the flow of arms, explosives and other contraband, bolstering Hamas’s massive military infrastructure throughout Gaza.

The tunnels sneaking under the Philadelphi Corridor also enabled the transfer of luxury goods, cigarettes and other materials for the Gazan black market, all of which was taxed by Hamas, feeding its war chest.

Chronic corruption

Many observers have pointed to chronic corruption at the Rafah crossing, where bribes were allegedly paid to Egyptian security officials to facilitate smuggling. Additionally, high-level Egyptian figures are allegedly involved in these operations, organizing the passage of Gaza residents into Egypt for a fee. It is possible that this is why Egypt also failed to dismantle the dozens of tunnels that the IDF is now finding and destroying.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who visited the Rafah area on Tuesday, said that the military killed more than 900 terrorists, including commanders, during the Rafah operation.

“The reason we are working here week after week is now focused on the destruction of the terrorist infrastructure and the destruction of the underground infrastructure, which takes time,” Halevi continued. “Therefore, this is a long campaign, because we do not want to leave Rafah with the terrorist infrastructure intact. There are those we eliminated underground, and some that tried to emerge above ground, and we eliminated them.”

He added, “This ongoing effort of ours, this pursuit, is very, very important. They should feel exhausted, while we feel energized and determined. When we move to the next phase, we will adapt appropriate measures for that phase, bring new tactics, provide logistical support in a different way that fits that phase, and all these things ultimately are focused by our determination, perseverance and patience, wearing down the other side and accomplishing our missions. A lot of willpower, a lot of patience and perseverance, and the results will speak for themselves going forward.”

As long as the IDF maintains control of the Gaza-Egypt border, Hamas’s efforts to rebuild its terror army will be significantly hindered.

Securing the Philadelphi Corridor ensures that Hamas remains isolated from its external sources of weapons and materials, which are crucial for its military operations. It will also harm Hamas’s domestic arms production ambitions, since homemade production sites also rely on material entering the Strip.

In that sense, the Philadelphi Corridor can be compared the Israel’s strategic control of the Jordan Valley, which enables it to intercept and disrupt many Iranian arms smuggling efforts via Jordan into Judea and Samaria (although some smuggling runs have gotten through).

The IDF is also continually expanding a “sterile zone” around the Corridor, as part of its ongoing counter-tunnel and terror infrastructure destruction operations, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on June 30.

The failure of Egypt over the years to put a stop to the tunnels means Israel must take matters into its own hands. The IDF’s continued presence in the Philadelphi Corridor ensures that Israel retains control over a critical aspect of its national security, without relying on external actors.

Yakkov Lappin is an Israel-based military affairs correspondent and analyst. He is the in-house analyst at the Miryam Institute; a research associate at the Alma Research and Education Center; and a research associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University. He is a frequent guest commentator on international television news networks, including Sky News and i24 News. Lappin is the author of Virtual Caliphate: Exposing the Islamist State on the Internet. Follow him at: www.patreon.com/yaakovlappin.

Source: https://www.jns.org/idf-to-stay-in-philadelphi-corridor/

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter