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October 7th What Happened? Testimonies A collection of powerful testimonies from individuals who witnessed the harrowing events of October 7th, during the Hamas attack on Israeli settlements. These personal accounts provide a vivid and deeply human perspective on the tragedy, capturing the fear, loss, and resilience experienced by those caught in the midst of the conflict. Each video offers a unique story, shedding light on the profound impact of that day and the enduring strength of those who endured it. References Related Videos References Eyewitnesses stories from inside the massacre. Open References Related Videos Reletaed Videos Their last words in the midst of a terror attack Noga Erez is reading messages of victims The story of the Ophelia Roitman - hostages held by Hamas Daddy's little girl The chilling story of 4-year-old Abigail, who was released from Hamas captivity. Inside the Shelter: the Harrowing Moments of a Family's Survival Load More

Iran's Support for Hamas October 7th Hamas Support Iran's relatio nship with Hamas is multifaceted, characterized by both ideological alignment and strategic convenience. Iran, primarily for geostrategic reasons, supports Hamas to extend its influence in the Middle East and counter Israel and the United States. This support includes financial aid, weapons, and training. The relationship, however, is not static and has evolved over time, influenced by regional dynamics like the Syrian Civil War and the broader geopolitics of the Middle East. Iran initially supported Hamas as part of its broader strategy to export the Iranian revolution and assist "the dispossessed" globally. This support was also a means to contain Israel, which Iran perceives as a major threat to its security. Despite sectarian differences, Iran's backing of Hamas, a Sunni group, underscores Tehran's willingness to bridge sectarian divides to achieve its regional objectives. The relationship has seen ups and downs, particularly highlighted during the Syrian Civil War when Hamas opposed the Iran-backed Assad regime, leading to a temporary strain in relations. However, the ties have remained significant, with Iran viewing its support for Hamas as a way to assert its influence in the region and position itself as a defender of the Palestinian cause. In summary, Iran's relationship with Hamas is part of its broader regional strategy to extend its influence, counter Israeli and Western presence, and promote its ideological interests in the Middle East. This relationship is characterized by military and financial support but is also influenced by the broader geopolitical dynamics of the region. References Related Videos References References History of Iran, Hamas & Islamic Jihad Ties The Hamas-Iran Relationship Iran, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad: A marriage of convenience Reletaed Videos Related Videos Do you fight for war or do to fight for peace? Load More

Education under Hamas October 7th Hamas The education system in Gaza, particularly in schools run by Hamas and those under the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), has been a subject of significant concern due to its promotion of antisemitism and incitement of violence against Jews and Israel. Reports and investigations have revealed that the curriculum used in these schools, including those funded by UNRWA, is infused with extreme anti-Semitic content and glorifies acts of violence and martyrdom. This curriculum is not limited to social studies or history classes but permeates subjects like science and mathematics. UNRWA, which operates a significant number of schools in Gaza, uses the Palestinian Authority’s curriculum. Despite reforms, this curriculum has remained openly anti-Semitic and continues to encourage violence, jihad, and martyrdom. The educational content often includes extreme nationalism and Islamist ideologies. For example, UNRWA-created materials for schools in Gaza have celebrated violent attacks against Israelis and glorified terrorists as heroes and martyrs. This approach to education has been linked to the radicalization of Palestinian youth and the perpetuation of the conflict. The funding for this type of education in Gaza, including that provided by UNRWA, comes significantly from international sources, including the United States and European Union. the perpetuation of the conflict. This has raised concerns about the misuse of international funds to promote hatred and violence. Efforts to reform these educational materials have been met with resistance, and the continuation of this type of education poses a significant challenge to peace and stability in the region. The involvement of UNRWA in perpetuating such an education system has led to calls for a change in approach and the need for education based on peace, tolerance, and UNESCO standards. References Related Videos References References United Nations’ Bigotry Towards Israel: UNRWA Antisemitism Poisons Palestinian Youth Foreign funds back antisemitic, anti-Israel Palestinian education - NGO Israel-Hamas war leads to increase of antisemitic threats on college campuses US opens investigation into antisemitic, anti-Muslim discrimination at schools Report on UNRWA’s Misuse of US Funds To Incite Hate To Be Presented on Hill UNRWA's Education System Reletaed Videos Related Videos "No one is born hating... people must learn to hate", *Mandela* Even in the Middle East hospitals don’t look like this Violence and antisemitism preached at UNRWA's schools. The truth from Gaza Load More

Supporting Hamas October 7th Impact on the west In a Nutshell Pro-Hamas rallies in Europe, Australia, and the US, labeled as pro-Palestinian, have stirred controversy due to Hamas' terrorist designation. These rallies, which have included extreme rhetoric and antisemitic chants, have raised concerns, especially among Jewish communities. The involvement of liberal individuals, particularly young Americans, is influenced by opposition to Israeli policies and a sense of social justice, often fueled by one-sided narratives on social media platforms like TikTok. A significant portion of young Americans, influenced by emotional manipulation and a lack of in-depth understanding of the conflict, show support for Hamas, not fully recognizing its history of violence and terrorist status. This trend highlights the complex and often conflicting views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the impact of digital media on political opinions. The full story References Related Videos The Full Story Full Story Pro-Hamas rallies across Europe, Australia, and the US have sparked controversy and debate, particularly given Hamas' designation as a terrorist organization by many countries. These rallies, often framed as pro-Palestinian, have seen large gatherings in major cities, calling for ceasefires in Gaza and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause. However, the support for Hamas at these rallies has raised concerns, especially among Jewish communities, due to the group's history of violence and terrorism. In some instances, the rallies have included extreme rhetoric and even antisemitic chants, further polarizing public opinion. The participation of liberal individuals in these rallies can be attributed to a complex mix of factors, including opposition to Israeli policies, support for Palestinian rights, and a broader critique of global politics. This phenomenon highlights the nuanced and often conflicting perspectives in international discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Additionally, there's a trend of young Americans, influenced by social media and peer pressure, supporting Hamas out of a sense of social justice or anti-imperialist sentiment, often without a deep understanding of the complex historical and political context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This phenomenon raises concerns about the impact of digital media on political opinions and the importance of comprehensive education on international conflicts. The support for Hamas among young Americans, especially within the progressive left, appears to be influenced by a combination of social media exposure, a lack of comprehensive understanding of the facts, and the influence of radical Islam. According to a Harvard/Harris poll, 51% of Americans in this age group believe Hamas was justified in its actions, reflecting a significant level of support. This support has been attributed to a lack of historical knowledge and susceptibility to emotional manipulation, with some individuals being influenced by pro-Hamas propaganda on social media platforms like TikTok. Platforms like TikTok have been highlighted as tools for spreading narratives that sympathize with Hamas, often presenting a one-sided view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This exposure can lead to a skewed perception among Gen Z Americans, who may not be fully aware of Hamas' designation as a terrorist organization and its history of violence. The situation is further complicated by the influence of radical Islam, which can shape perceptions and narratives in a way that supports Hamas. References References Hamas, the Jews, and the Illiberal Left. The schism on the left is not just about the Middle East. Why Do Young Americans Support Hamas? Look at TikTok. Vivek Ramaswamy says 50% of Gen Z Americans support Hamas. PolitiFact says that’s Mostly False Fearful and grieving, Gen Z Americans clash over Israel conflict Largest pro-Palestinian Mobilization in U.S. History’ | More Than 1 Million Americans Participated in Protests Since Hamas-Israel War Wave of protests and rallies highlight tensions in U.S. as Israel-Hamas war persists Reletaed Videos Related Videos The truth will always win. By Lucy Aharish Facts matter & the meaning of words matter. Sky News with arguably the most biased question ever asked on live television. Pro-Palestinians in Chicago try to grasp the meaning behind their chants. Are you fighting for the rights of the Palestinian people? Have you ever wondered how a Hamas operative earns a living? Load More

7 Ways Hamas Exploits Palestinian Civilians in Gaza 21 March 2024 By: AJC Since coming to power in a violent coup in 2007 in Gaza, the Iranian-backed Hamas terror group has systematically exploited Palestinian civilians, using them to protect their terrorist infrastructure while stealing enormous quantities of resources to build their war machine. From diverting economic resources to the endangerment of human lives, these activities not only perpetuate the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza - representing a crime against humanity - but also give Hamas operational advantages in its war against Israel where they win not only when they kill Israeli soldiers, but also when Israel inadvertently harms Palestinian civilians. Here are seven ways Hamas exploits Gaza’s Palestinian civilians to further its genocidal aim to destroy Israel. 1. Hamas diverts critical civilian resources for its terrorism Construction materials for terror tunnels: Hamas has a long history of diverting cement and steel intended for civilian reconstruction projects for the creation of a complex terror tunnel network known as “the Metro” that runs beneath Gaza. Hamas’ tunnel network is believed to be the second largest in the world, behind North Korea, and is estimated to be around 500km (311 miles) with some 1,300 tunnels . They are equipped with rails, electricity, ventilation, communication lines, and even repurposed oxygen tanks initially sent as aid for Gazan hospitals. Ambulances as transport vehicles: Hamas uses ambulances as part of its terror operations to shield its terrorists from Israeli forces. This use of ambulances not only denies civilians who are injured the use of the ambulances but puts at risk medical workers. Everyday items for rockets: Hamas also has a history of transforming everyday items into weapons. Sewer pipes are pulled out of the ground to make rockets, and fiberglass intended to repair fishing boats is also diverted to the rocket industry. Even chemicals like castor oil and additives such as aluminum dust have been imported to produce rocket fuel, along with converting salt into a substance called AP (ammonium perchlorate for rocket fuel), using Iranian techniques. 2. Hamas steals Palestinian funds to build its terror operations The Hamas leadership steals funds intended for Palestinian civilians to build a financial empire outside the Gaza Strip worth about $700 million that supports its terror operations. Taxes to fund terrorism: In 2018 alone, Hamas made approximately half a billion dollars from taxes on goods such as gas and cigarettes coming into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Instead of investing this substantial income in the welfare of Palestinian civilians, the funds go primarily to fund its terror operations, offering no vision for economic growth or improvement in living conditions. Foreign money: Nor does Hamas invest any of the tens of millions of dollars it gets from Iran every year - estimated to be about $100 million a year and split among Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - in any civilian project, instead investing all of it towards its terror operations. 3. Hamas attacks civilian infrastructure that supports Palestinians Hamas repeatedly attacks and sabotages infrastructure set up exclusively to assist Gazans. Destroying fuel terminals: In 2018, for example, Hamas orchestrated an attack on the Kerem Shalom fuel and gas terminal— the only one that supplies the Gaza Strip. This was not a random attack; Hamas operatives divided rioters into groups with explicit instructions on which part of the crossing to target, effectively cutting off basic supplies to over two million Gazans. The rioters set parts of the cross ablaze three times, causing significant damage to critical infrastructure, including fuel pipelines and conveyor belts. Israeli authorities were forced to shut down the crossing for several days to repair it. Hamas also similarly attacked the Nahal Oz fuel crossing into Gaza in 2008 and it has remained closed since. Destroying power and water lines: Since October 7, Hamas hit nine power lines from Israel with rockets. Those lines supply more power to the Strip than the Gazan power plant does. It also shut down a water pipe leading from Israel to Gaza (although Israel only supplies 10 percent of Gaza’s water). Nevertheless, Israel opened two water pipes to Gaza, delivering nearly 30 million liters of Gaza per day since October 28. 4. Hamas deliberately puts Palestinian civilians in harm’s way Hamas advises civilians to ignore calls for evacuation from the Israel Defense Forces, intentionally putting them in harm’s way. This tactic places military targets next to civilian populations, creating both operational and public relations advantages for Hamas. It leverages the ethical dilemma faced by the Israel Defense Forces, which seeks to minimize civilian casualties and, unlike Hamas, distinguishes between civilians and combatants. Blocking civilian evacuations: Since October 7, the IDF has made available recordings of calls with Gazan civilians who report how Hamas regime vehicles and terrorists actively blocked the passage of those seeking to comply with Israeli evacuation calls to move south and were told to turn back. While some 750,000 Gazans were able to evacuate – representing a clear vote of no confidence in their regime – many struggled to get past Hamas’ blocking efforts. Hamas has also been blocking foreign nations from leaving Gaza. Currently, it is believed there are 200 British and 600 American citizens in the Gaza Strip. 5. Hamas rockets kill Palestinians Hamas’ failed rockets present a clear and present danger to Gazan civilians. On October 17, an explosion at Gaza's Al-Ahli hospital led to a significant number of casualties. A subsequent investigation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) exposed the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) as the responsible party for the failed rocket launch that resulted in the disaster. Between October 7 and October 17, some 450 rockets aimed at Israel have misfired and landed within Gaza itself, imperiling its own residents. In May, during an escalation between Israel and PIJ, some 25% of rockets failed and fell in Gaza, in some cases killing civilians. 7. Hamas imperils Gaza’s schools, hospitals, and mosques The Hamas ‘Metro’ tunnels aren’t just hidden away in remote locations; they're strategically placed underneath hospitals, schools, mosques, and UNRWA sites. This not only threatens those places with terrorist activity but also undermines the building’s foundations and stability, making them prone to collapse. Terror hubs under hospitals: Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, for instance, is not just the Gaza Strip’s largest medical facility. It also serves as a command-and-control hub for Hamas, complete with a network of terror tunnels and various entrances within the hospital premises. Hamas operates its command and control centers in different departments of the hospital. A Hamas terrorist confirmed that the terror group specifically uses hospitals and medical clinics as cover for its operations because they know Israel won’t target them. Rockets under schools: In Operation Protective Edge in 2014 between Hamas and Israel, UNRWA announced that it discovered rockets hidden in a vacant school in the Gaza Strip. The school is situated between two other UNRWA schools that each accommodate 1,500 internally displaced persons. UNRWA said it was the second time that this had happened. 7. Hamas manipulates the media Hamas also sways international media by framing the conflict in a manner that obscures its exploitation of Palestinian civilians. Tragic stories of dead Palestinians often make headlines without the context that many were intentionally placed in harm's way due to Hamas's tactics. The Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza synchronizes all of its media statements with the Hamas terrorist leaders, thereby serving as a propaganda mouthpiece. Gaza hospital explosion: The recent example of the explosion at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City highlighted how Hamas manipulates foreign media into its narrative. Several international media organizations initially cited in their coverage statistics provided by the Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry. For example, the New York Times ran with the headline, “Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say.” The Ministry had falsely claimed within a short time of the blast that an Israeli airstrike killed 500 Palestinians at the hospital, as part of Hamas’s media strategy of demonizing Israel’s efforts to protect Israeli civilians. The use of statistics provided by Hamas-run agencies in Gaza often plays into the terror group’s propaganda efforts to lay the blame on Israel for civilian deaths in Gaza. The New York Times eventually apologized for publishing the headline, acknowledging that its coverage of the incident should have been more rigorous. President Joe Biden reportedly blasted the headline from the New York Times , saying that it “was irresponsible and could have triggered military escalation in the Middle East.” <- Previous Read full article Next -> More Insights 7 Ways Hamas Exploits Palestinian Civilians in Gaza Antisemitism defined: Why opposing the Jewish people's right to self-determination is antisemitic What You Need to Know About Israel’s Humanitarian Aid To Gaza Fatah responds to Hamas criticism of new formation of PA government ‘without consulting Hamas’ Surprise jump in Gazan support for 2-state solution, while still in favor of Oct 7 attack Hamas' Most Horrific Weapon of War: 5 Takeaways from UN Report on Sexual Violence Against Israelis Latest Video Clips The History of Israel This Muslim Israeli Woman Is the Future of the Middle East Natasha Hausdorff responds to the content of the House of Commons Gaza Debate. Its time to face the hard truth that you're being played as a sacrificial fool by terrorists. Peace cannot be achieved with those who desire war and jihad instead. 'Awful Things Happening In Israel Nothing To Do With British Jews'

What You Need to Know About Israel’s Humanitarian Aid To Gaza 21 March 2024 By: AJC By air, land, and sea. That’s how Israel and its allies have tried to sidestep Hamas terrorists to deliver (as of this publication) more than 303,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians since the Hamas terror attack on Israel that killed over 1,200 people and saw 253 taken hostage. "We are now trying to flood the area with supplies," IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters on March 13. More than 16,400 trucks have carried aid into Gaza. Additionally, Israel has welcomed the U.S., France, Belgium, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan to air-drop more than 1,200 packages of aid, mostly in northern Gaza. And this week, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant fully supported the U.S.-led international initiative to build a temporary seaport on Gaza’s coast to deliver additional aid to the territory. Here's what you need to know about Israel’s efforts to provide humanitarian aid, prevent Hamas from hijacking it, and get it to Gazans who need it most. How much humanitarian aid has been sent to Gaza by the U.S., by Israel, and by other agencies since the start of the war? On October 18, 11 days after Hamas’ murderous terror attack, Israel agreed to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza from Egypt to mitigate a major humanitarian crisis and save innocent Palestinian lives. Israel also restarted the water supply to southern Gaza to encourage life-saving evacuations southward. Prior to the war, 90 percent of Gaza’s water supply came from the Coastal Aquifer Basin or groundwater wells. The remaining 10% of the water supply came from small-scale desalination units or was purchased from Israel’s national water company, Mekorot. Israel does not impose limits on the amount of aid entering Gaza. All aid entering Gaza undergoes Israeli security screening at either Nitzana or Kerem Shalom Crossings. From there, aid is sent to the Gaza Strip. To date, 303,930 tons of humanitarian aid has been delivered to Gazans on the ground. That includes 203,300 tons of food, 26,160 tons of water, 18,980 tons of medical supplies, 34,580 tons of shelter equipment, 182 tanks of fuel, and 334 tanks of cooking gas. Israel's assessment is there is a stable food supply in the southern Gaza Strip, where markets are evidently bustling, and stocks are piling up in aid agencies' warehouses. Israel is taking proactive measures to expand delivery effort in northern Gaza, where only 10-15% of the Gazan population remains despite evacuation orders. It is important to note that, according to the laws of war, countries are not required to supply their enemies with food, water, electricity, and gasoline, all of which supports the enemy’s capacity to fight. Yet, even during heavy fighting, Israel continues to supply Gaza with electricity, water, food, and medicine despite having endured the most brutal massacre ever to occur on its soil. But for the brutality of the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas, Israel would not have cut off such supplies for a week. When did Israel, the U.S. and other agencies start providing products and services to Gaza? Despite the Hamas terror group’s dedication to Israel’s destruction , Palestinian civilians in Gaza have received help from Israel and its allies since Hamas took over the coastal territory in 2007. Over those years, Israel has facilitated tons of products for daily life, from school supplies and toys to electronic devices and pharmaceuticals for Gazans through its Kerem Shalom Crossing and worked with several international groups to transfer food and other means of support into the territory to about 63% of people in Gaza . Israel also supplied electricity and water when Gaza’s natural aquifer was depleted. Additionally, Israel had granted permits to about 17,000 Gaza residents to enter and work in Israeli communities to relieve the dire humanitarian and economic situation brought on by Hamas control. In addition, the Gaza Strip has been given billions of dollars in humanitarian aid over the last several years - including over $400 million from the U.S. and $1 billion from Qatar. Hamas has diverted much of that humanitarian aid intended for the Palestinian people for its own purposes, including funding its terrorist activities, such as building over 350 miles of terror tunnels and rocket factories . After President Donald Trump cut Palestinian aid in 2018, the Biden administration in 2021 reinstated help for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, sending more than $360 million that year. At the time, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the aid would be used for “urgent, humanitarian reconstruction assistance for Gaza” after an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in May 2021. U.S. President Joe Biden also announced during his State of the Union address on March 7, that the U.S. will help facilitate the building of a temporary pier in Gaza that will enable the delivery of aid. The pier will reportedly enable the delivery of 2 million meals daily to Palestinians. The construction of the pier could take as long as 60 days and require about 1,000 U.S. troops, according to the Pentagon. The U.S. soldiers will remain offshore, with Israel facilitating the building of the pier and securing the area. How has Israel ensured that humanitarian aid reaches civilians? Israel and Egypt have maintained strict blockades over Gaza to prevent the smuggling of weapons and monitor the misuse of materials by terror groups. Goods are transferred through specific border crossings, and shipments are closely inspected for security purposes. Still, Israeli security has reported some portion of the aid end up in Hamas’ hands to be distributed according to their priorities. 7 Ways Hamas Exploits Palestinian Civilians in Gaza Since October 21, Israel has facilitated the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Every day, the IDF announces pauses in fighting and opens humanitarian corridors for the transfer of aid. In mid-December, Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom Crossing between Israel and the southern Gaza Strip to allow more aid into the territory. And for the first time, Israel recently opened the Karni crossing to facilitate more aid delivery into northern Gaza. Karni was previously closed after Hamas terror attacks in 2011. After dozens of Palestinians were reportedly killed in a stampede as crowds descended on humanitarian aid trucks driven by Egyptians and Gazans, and Israeli soldiers in Gaza City, Israel helped the U.S. and other allies facilitate air-drops at different hours and locations. Meanwhile, as vital infrastructure is being repaired, some 20 bakeries inside Gaza have been providing over 2 million bread loafs, rolls, and pita breads daily for the local population. In addition to the temporary seaport under construction on the coast, a United Arab Emirates floating hospital with 100 beds docked at Egypt’s El-Arish port on Feb. 22 and began treating Gazan patients. Israel has expanded the Jordanian route, adding capacity at the Allenby Crossing for the inspection of humanitarian aid trucks to go straight to Kerem Shalom. Israel will continue to invent new modes of facilitating humanitarian assistance for Gazans, despite the difficulties. After all, it is not a war against the people of Gaza; it is a war against Hamas. <- Previous Read full article Next -> More Insights 7 Ways Hamas Exploits Palestinian Civilians in Gaza Antisemitism defined: Why opposing the Jewish people's right to self-determination is antisemitic What You Need to Know About Israel’s Humanitarian Aid To Gaza Fatah responds to Hamas criticism of new formation of PA government ‘without consulting Hamas’ Surprise jump in Gazan support for 2-state solution, while still in favor of Oct 7 attack Hamas' Most Horrific Weapon of War: 5 Takeaways from UN Report on Sexual Violence Against Israelis Latest Video Clips The History of Israel This Muslim Israeli Woman Is the Future of the Middle East Natasha Hausdorff responds to the content of the House of Commons Gaza Debate. Its time to face the hard truth that you're being played as a sacrificial fool by terrorists. Peace cannot be achieved with those who desire war and jihad instead. 'Awful Things Happening In Israel Nothing To Do With British Jews'

Surprise jump in Gazan support for 2-state solution, while still in favor of Oct 7 attack 21 March 2024 By: i24news Despite a humanitarian crisis, 71 percent of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank still favor Hamas's decision to carry out the 'offensive' and many want the terrorist organization to stay in power. The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) released its latest poll on public opinion across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, finding that widespread support remains for the Hamas-led October 7 “offensive” and a surprise upswing in favor of a two-state solution. Despite the ensuing war, the humanitarian crisis and the atrocities committed against Israelis, the vast majority of Palestinians in the West Bank (71 percent) and the Gaza Strip (71 percent) still viewed the October 7 “offensive” as the correct decision even though 80 percent of Gazans reported a family member had since been killed or wounded. Even though the initial “offensive” was supported by the vast majority, only nine percent responded that Hamas was to blame for the suffering of Gazans, a drop from 11 percent three months ago, yet 20 percent placed the blame on the U.S. and 64 percent on Israel. Gazans had previously responded in even higher numbers (19 percent) that the terrorist organization was to blame for the suffering, however the latest poll indicated an increased 56 percent responded that Hamas would win the war and even more (59 percent) preferred that it would continue controlling Gaza. Although there was a considerable split between respondents in the West Bank (64 percent) and in the Strip (52 percent). The vast majority were against proposed solutions, whether a Palestinian Authority (PA) rule with or without its current president Mahmoud Abbas, or international forces taking over after the war. Most of all, the Gazans did not trust the regional powers, Jordan and Egypt barely getting support from 22 and 12 percent of the population. Distrust was also seen in the Gazans’ response to a scenario that Israel entered Rafah with tanks and displaced people began rushing to Egypt in search of safety, with only 24 percent thinking this would happen and 68 percent responding that Egyptian soldiers and police would shoot at Palestinian attempting to cross the border, as such 69 percent would not go to the border if others were seen rushing to it. While PSR summarized that a majority of Gazans were “unable to find food,” the polls provided showed a different picture, with 96 percent responding that they could reach a place that provided food or water, though 77 percent said it would be with great difficulty or risk. Though not explicitly elaborating on the difficulties or risks, particularly in humanitarian zones to which a large portion of Gazans have fled from the warzones, PSR polled the experience of fairness at aid distribution centers. Local Palestinian groups were viewed as the most discriminatory by a vast majority of 90 percent, UNRWA close behind at 70 percent, with others at 58 percent and 56 percent. <- Previous Read full article Next -> More Insights 7 Ways Hamas Exploits Palestinian Civilians in Gaza Antisemitism defined: Why opposing the Jewish people's right to self-determination is antisemitic What You Need to Know About Israel’s Humanitarian Aid To Gaza Fatah responds to Hamas criticism of new formation of PA government ‘without consulting Hamas’ Surprise jump in Gazan support for 2-state solution, while still in favor of Oct 7 attack Hamas' Most Horrific Weapon of War: 5 Takeaways from UN Report on Sexual Violence Against Israelis Latest Video Clips The History of Israel This Muslim Israeli Woman Is the Future of the Middle East Natasha Hausdorff responds to the content of the House of Commons Gaza Debate. Its time to face the hard truth that you're being played as a sacrificial fool by terrorists. Peace cannot be achieved with those who desire war and jihad instead. 'Awful Things Happening In Israel Nothing To Do With British Jews'

Antisemitism defined: Why opposing the Jewish people's right to self-determination is antisemitic 17 March 2024 By: WJC The seventh example of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism states that “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” is an example of antisemitism. As the IHRA definition of antisemitism states, criticism of Israel is not in and of itself antisemitic. But much of contemporary anti-Zionism, or the delegitimization of Israel and its supporters, draws on and perpetuates antisemitic tropes. Why “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” It often demonizes Israel and treats the Jewish people like no other group Denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination often leads to demonization of Israel and dubs it a unique evil. Detractors of Israel often attempt to magnify any mistake Israel makes, ignores context of Israeli actions and compares the belief in a Jewish homeland to the world’s worst bigotries, including Nazism. This isn’t only an attempt to compare contemporary Israeli policy to Nazi Germany, but also to minimize the Holocaust, and use the Jewish suffering during the Holocaust as a cudgel against the Jewish people. The late Professor Robert S. Wistrich, former head of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, explained , “if Zionists are 'Nazis' and if [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon] really is Hitler, then it becomes a moral obligation to wage war against Israel.” Such comparisons are gross trivializations of the evils of the actual Nazis during the Shoah and thus incorrect. Any alleged wrongdoings on Israel’s part cannot be compared to Nazi crimes during the Holocaust. The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is a complex geopolitical one, whereas the Holocaust was the attempt to systematically annihilate Jewry. Despite Israeli operations in Gaza due to Hamas and other terrorist groups firing rocket fire into Israel the Palestinian population has grown by all metrics, and is projected to continue doing so. Worldwide Jewish demographics on the other hand are yet to recover and reach the population size they had prior to the Holocaust, an illustration of not only the horrors of the Holocaust, but also an explanation to why such comparisons between the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Holocaust are not only preposterous, but diminish the pain of those who have suffered during the conflict. Comparing Israeli policy towards Palestinians with Nazi policy regarding Jews is an example of Holocaust inversion, where reality is inverted (the Israelis are cast as the "new" Nazis and the Palestinians as the "new" Jews), and an inversion of morality (the Holocaust is presented as a moral lesson for, or even a moral indictment of, "the Jews"). Holocaust Inversion acts as a force against identifying the changing nature of contemporary antisemitism and creating a cohesive coalition against it. The motivations of those who engage in Holocaust inversion are manyfold. Some seek to achieve the moral delegitimization of Israel through demonization. Some use it as a means with which to cover up for Nazi crimes during the Holocaust and expunge guilt by arguing that they were and are a common phenomenon and are now being perpetrated by many Israelis and Jews themselves. Other detractors of the Jewish State’s existence criticize the policies of the Israeli government, by assigning blame to “Zionists,” intending to use the word to demonize Jews and other supporters of Israel, and tacitly not recognize the State of Israel. Similar to those who propagate classical antisemitism, they use euphemism, such as globalists and Marxists, to denigrate Jews in order to attempt to give themselves plausible deniability. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King explained so succinctly, "When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You're talking antisemitism.” Furthermore, individuals also use age-old antisemitic conspiracy myths to demonize Israel including invoking dual loyalty, allegations that Jews and Israel control economies and politicians, and that Jews and Israel are the world’s suffering, including the coronavirus pandemic. Professor Wistrich, posited, “the calls to dismantle the Jewish state, whether they come from Muslims, the Left, or the radical Right, increasingly rely on an antisemitic stereotypization of classic themes, such as the manipulative 'Jewish lobby,' the Jewish 'world conspiracy,' and Jewish/Israeli "warmongers.” Other individuals, while not invoking antisemitic conspiracy myths exclude those who believe in Jewish self-determination from political movements, even ones having little or nothing to do with Israel and the Middle East. They do so claiming that Zionists are comparable to racists. By extension they exclude the vast majority of Jews, as the overwhelming majority support the creation of a nation state for the Jewish people. This is only a natural next step of the decision by too many to compare Zionist to Nazis. It denies that Jews have a right to security The Jewish people have a right to defend themselves, just like any other people, especially in light of their history of persecution. Israel ensures that Jews have control over their future and remain safe, despite of the tremendous uncertainties in the world. The Holocaust was only the latest genocide Jews faced. To say that Jews don’t have the right to defend themselves is antisemitic within itself. No other group of people with a country is told that their country doesn’t have a right to exist. Perhaps one could argue that the creation of a Jewish State in the British Mandate of Palestine would not be a good idea prior to the Partition Plan and the creation of the State of Israel. but once you are advocating for the destruction of Israel, it houses a majority of the Jewish people around the world, and the end of it will inevitably mean harm to Jewish citizens, it is antisemitic. It often denies that Jews are indigenous to the land of Israel Given that Jews are indigenous people to the land of Israel, and indigenous people have the right to self-determination on their ancestral homeland, denying an indigenous right is inherently discriminatory to that group of people. In this case of Israel and the Jews, it would be antisemitic. Detractors often deny the history of the Jewish people and their connection to the land of Israel, rejecting the importance of the land of Israel to religious and secular Jews throughout history and the aspirations to return to their ancient homeland. Human rights lawyer David Matas wrote , “One form of antisemitism denies access of Jews to goods and services because they are Jewish. Another form of antisemitism denies the right of the Jewish people to exist as a people because they are Jewish.” This isn’t only a blatant double standard as many countries are nation states, including France, Egypt, Germany, and Japan, but implies that the State of Israel is an imperialist, colonialist state, “born in sin.” This doesn’t only minimize Jewish history as Zionism is about a people’s return to their ancient homeland after years of exile and persecution, but also tokenizes Jews by dividing them into, ‘Good Jews’ (the small percentage who are anti-Zionist) and ‘Bad Jews’ (the vast majority who believe in the Jewish right to self-determination and Israel’s right to exist). This effectively marginalizes Jews and turns them into pariahs, by forcing them to publicly disavow the State of Israel or be cast as racists and have a target on their back simply for their identification with their peoplehood. Those who don’t believe that the Jewish people have a right to self-determination often defend themselves from accusations of antisemitism by arguing that those who support Israel (Jews) are silencing criticism of Israel by calling them antisemitic. Such claims are at best conspiratorial and at worst antisemitic, as it plays on conspiracy myths of Jewish power. Embedded in this claim, is that Jews aren’t actually concerned about antisemitism and their security, but rather are advancing their political agenda, or are simply mistaken to what constitutes antisemitism, an argument that many would likely not make for any other minority group. Dina Porat, head of the Institute for Study of Antisemitism and Racism at Tel-Aviv University, argues “antisemitism is involved when the belief is articulated that of all the peoples on the globe (including the Palestinians), only the Jews should not have the right to self-determination in a land of their own.” This point is particularly interesting as there are several other land disputes across the globe, but there are few people arguing that any countries involved in other land disputes should cease to exist. What isn’t antisemitism: It isn’t antisemitic to criticize specific Israeli policies. As previously mentioned, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism states that criticism of Israel is not in and of itself antisemitic, but rather “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.” Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, the Biden administration’s State Department’s special envoy to combat and monitor antisemitism, notes that the best example of that is found at “cafes in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem,” but delegitimizing Israel and denying that Israel does not have a right to exist is itself antisemitic. Rather it is essential for those criticizing Israeli policy to do so without perpetrating antisemitic conspiracy myths, demonizing the Jewish people, and questioning Israel’s right to exist in peace. Doing so, isn’t only crucial to minimizing antisemitism, but having important discussions about Israeli policy. The Jewish people’s connection to the land of Israel: The roots of the Jewish connection to the land of Israel is over 3,000-years long and, include a 1,000 years of a rich and thriving civilization. Despite being exiled to Babylonia, Jews eventually returned seventy years later. This return was a precursor to the ideals and ambitions of the modern-day Zionist movement. Jewish civilization in ancient Israel existed for approximately 400 years until Jews were exiled again by the Romans. This exile would last approximately 2,000 years. Despite the exile, Israel has remained the center of Jewish practice with biblical Jewish festivals based on the agricultural seasons in the Land of Israel. The foundation of Jewish practice, such as the Mishnah - the bases of Jewish law - was compiled in Israel. The longing of returning to the land is a key component of cultural and national identity with Jews praying three times to return to the land, saying grace after meals, among other actions. Modern Zionism formally took root in the late 19th century, as Jews throughout the world faced growing antisemitism. In a watershed moment, French army captain Alfred Dreyfus was wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly selling military secrets to the Germans. His trial and the subsequent events, which were felt throughout Europe and had a lasting impact on French politics, are often referred to as the “Dreyfus Affair .” While the Jewish people have always lived in the land of Israel, by the First Zionist Congress in 1897, Jews had already been returning to the then-Ottoman-ruled territory to escape resurgences of antisemitism in Europe and to fulfill the dream of returning to their ancient homeland. Understanding Antisemitism: Antisemitism is a complex, multifaceted hatred. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism is considered the gold standard in understanding antisemitism and has been used by governments and institutions to identify and monitor the phenomenon. An internationally accepted definition is also useful in assisting authorities to determine whether an incident is antisemitic or not. The IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism states: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” The definition includes a list of eleven reference examples, including, most relevantly: Applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis. Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis. But beyond the definition, antisemitism is a shapeshifting hatred that has taken many forms throughout history. As Bret Stephens of the New York Times, said “Long before Jews were hated for supposedly racial reasons, we were hated for religious reasons. And long after many people stopped hating Jews for racial reasons, they hated us for other reasons. On the nationalist far right, Jews are often hated for being too international. On the internationalists far left, Jews are often hated for being too national.” In short, hatred of the Jewish people is shape-shifting phenomenon, which has often blended into politics in order to be an acceptable form of bigotry. <- Previous Read full article Next -> More Insights Antisemitism defined: Why opposing the Jewish people's right to self-determination is antisemitic We Are Paying The Price For 17 Years Of Hamas Policies; Al-Jazeera TV Wants The Bloodshed To Continue Fatah responds to Hamas criticism of new formation of PA government ‘without consulting Hamas’ Tuition of Terror? How Much Does Qatar’s Money Affect American Academia? Hamas' Most Horrific Weapon of War: 5 Takeaways from UN Report on Sexual Violence Against Israelis US says Hamas holding up 6-week ceasefire by refusing to release vulnerable hostages Latest Video Clips The History of Israel This Muslim Israeli Woman Is the Future of the Middle East Natasha Hausdorff responds to the content of the House of Commons Gaza Debate. Its time to face the hard truth that you're being played as a sacrificial fool by terrorists. Peace cannot be achieved with those who desire war and jihad instead. 'Awful Things Happening In Israel Nothing To Do With British Jews'

Hamas' Most Horrific Weapon of War: 5 Takeaways from UN Report on Sexual Violence Against Israelis 16 March 2024 By: AJC Just days before International Women’s Day and five months after the Hamas terror attacks on Israel, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict issued a report validating the heinous and sadistic crimes committed against women during the October 7 terror attacks and against hostages held by Hamas since that day. This report, the first UN assessment to affirm, and not only recount, allegations of sexual violence committed on October 7 , found that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe Israeli women were victims of rape , “sexualized torture,” and other cruel and inhumane treatment during the terror attack. The 23-page report also concluded that there is “clear and convincing information” that sexual violence continues to be committed against hostages and called for Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release them. Since the October 7 attack, when Hamas murdered more than 1,200 Israelis and took more than 240 hostages, Israeli women have faced doubts and questions about the brutality and sexual violence they suffered. The UN report counters those deniers’ appalling claims with details that leave no room for doubt. “Horrific crimes took place on the 7th of October,” said the UN envoy, Under-Secretary-General Pramila Patten. Really, really horrific crimes.” Here are five things to know about the report. 1. Examiners found evidence that conflict-related sexual violence took place on October 7. The UN envoy’s 17-day mission to Israel included meetings with Israeli national institutions, Israeli security forces, and witnesses and visits to the Israeli National Center of Forensic Medicine, the Shura military base, the morgue that received victims’ bodies, and sites targeted by Hamas on October 7. What did she and her team find there? A pattern of victims, mostly women, fully or partially naked, bound and shot across Hamas’ killing fields that day. In addition, the team found “reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred,” including rape and gang-rape at the Nova Music Festival , where 360 festivalgoers were massacred and dozens taken hostage, Road 232 (the route many festivalgoers took to try to escape), and Kibbutz Re’im, where residents were trapped for more than 24 hours during the Hamas rampage. In most of the incidents, there were no survivors to testify. Victims were raped and then murdered. The report distributed to the public did not recount some of the confidential and graphic details shared with the UN from the more than 5,000 photographs and 50 hours of footage reviewed. But publicly available videos, some filmed and disseminated by the terrorists themselves, do bear witness. Video recordings show 22-year-old German-Israeli Shani Louk half-naked in the back of a pickup truck being paraded through Gaza amid cheers. Sadly, Louk has been confirmed dead. 2. There is “clear and convincing information” that sexual violence continues and hostages are still at risk. The UN envoy found “clear and convincing information” that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, has been committed against hostages and “reasonable grounds” to believe that such violence may be ongoing against those still held in captivity by Hamas. Israel believes that 134 hostages remain in Gaza, including two children and up to 19 women. Although Israeli officials estimate that Hamas has murdered at least 32 of the remaining 134 hostages. Another publicly available video not specified in the report shows 19-year-old Naama Levy, a resident of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, being dragged into a vehicle by an armed terrorist, her gray sweatpants soaked with blood below her waist. Levy is still a hostage. Patten called on Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release all individuals held in captivity and to ensure their protection, including from sexual violence. Every government should demand the same. 3. The UN report should put to rest deniers’ appalling claims that allegations of sexual violence by Hamas on October 7 are unsupported. Israeli and Jewish women felt utterly betrayed when the obscene crimes committed by Hamas terrorists were initially met with silence from many human rights and feminist advocates. Amid dozens of Instagram posts condemning Israel’s retaliation since October 7, UN Women – the official arm of the UN focused on promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment – posted twice: once to say the group was “alarmed by reports of gender-based violence” on that day and again two months later to condemn gender-based violence in general. The group notoriously deleted a post condemning the Hamas terror attacks , before posting a statement on its website. Today, some public figures continue to expressly deny that Hamas engaged in acts of sexual violence on October 7; others who have not denied the allegations have simultaneously refused to condemn them, even as more details of witnesses’ testimony have been made publicly available. This denial not only deepens Israeli victims’ trauma but also contributes to the spread of antisemitic hostility that has occurred worldwide following Israel’s military response to Hamas’s attacks. The silence sparked outcry from celebrities and on social media, much of it branded with the hashtag #MeTooUNlessURaJew. Author and former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg has teamed up with an Israeli filmmaker to create a one-hour documentary about Hamas’ sexual atrocities in which she interviews eyewitnesses, freed hostages, and first responders. During her visit to Israel, Under-Secretary-General Patten acknowledged the betrayal many women felt, saying “I saw things here that I have not seen anywhere in the world. … Only when I am here do I understand the magnitude of the pain, the insult and the anger of Israel regarding how the world did not sufficiently understand and treat the atrocities that happened to you.” Her report should make it undisputable that no reasonable person can deny that Israelis were victims of sexual violence on October 7. 4. Hamas’ use of sexual violence as a weapon of war is clear. The UN team that accompanied SRSG Patten to Israel and prepared the report were not charged with identifying the identities or affiliations of the perpetrators of the sexual violence accounts they reviewed. A task of this complexity would have required a far longer mission. However, the UN team found, and the SRSG’s report asserts, that the horrific crimes committed in Israel on 10/7 followed similar patterns and were committed simultaneously in multiple locations during Hamas’s meticulously planned operation. Thus, the UN report leaves little doubt that Hamas not only committed sexual violence, but that it deliberately undertook a campaign of sexual terror against Israelis, both the immediate victims and the Israeli public at large. Israel’s President Isaac Herzog commended the UN report for substantiating “with moral clarity and integrity the systematic, premeditated, and ongoing sexual crimes committed by Hamas terrorists against Israeli women.” “Therefore, now the world must react strongly by condemning and punishing Hamas,” Herzog posted to X , formerly known as Twitter. “We must all continue our relentless efforts to bring all the hostages home to their families. As we can learn from the report, they are constantly under clear and present danger.” 5. Hamas must be held accountable. Rather than wait for the UN envoy to present the findings as part of her annual report on conflict-related violence later this year, the UN Security Council convened a formal meeting on March 11 at the request of the U.S., United Kingdom, France, and Japan. The responsibility now falls to governments to amplify its disturbing conclusions and hold Hamas accountable for its horrific atrocities on October 7, including but not limited to the sexual violence affirmed in the report. Their most immediate priority, though, must be to bring the remaining hostages home. There are 19 women still being held in Gaza . Fourteen are presumed alive: Liri Albag, Noa Argamani, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Shiri Bibas, Amit Buskila, Emily Damari, Carmel Gat, Daniella Gilboa, Romi Gonen, Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher, Arbel Yehud, and Eden Yerushalmi. Five are confirmed dead, but their bodies are still being held: Maya Goren, Ofra Keidar, Shani Louk, Inbar Heiman, and Judith Weinstein-Haggai. The UN report expresses grave concern that the hostages face an ongoing risk of sexual violence for as long as they remain in captivity. “The families and relatives of hostages are enduring a nightmare,” Patten told the Council. “I saw the pain in their eyes and as a mother I could feel their anguish and heartache. I invite you all for a few seconds to put yourselves in the shoes of these families … What do we tell them?” At that meeting, Hamas’ use of sexual violence as a weapon of war was condemned by several representatives of Security Council’s 15 member states, but none more stridently than U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield. “The evidence before us is damning and devastating,” she said. “Now, the only question is: How will we respond? Will this Council finally, finally, finally condemn Hamas’ sexual violence? Or will we continue to stay silent?” She also called on Hamas to accept the terms of the U.S.-facilitated ceasefire deal to which Israel already has agreed. All governments should reiterate the UN report’s central recommendation to Hamas: release the hostages, unconditionally and immediately. They also should affirm that the use of sexual violence as a weapon is a war crime that will not be tolerated, no matter where it occurs. In addition, governments that have not yet designated Hamas as a terror group and have prevented the UN Security Council from doing so should urgently reconsider. No government should be permitted to provide support of any kind to an entity capable of carrying out the brutal sexual violence Israelis experienced on and since October 7. The new UN report’s confirmation of the graphic terror inflicted by Hamas on Israelis should ensure Hamas is never again able to launch such an attack. <- Previous Read full article Next -> More Insights Fatah responds to Hamas criticism of new formation of PA government ‘without consulting Hamas’ Tuition of Terror? How Much Does Qatar’s Money Affect American Academia? Hamas' Most Horrific Weapon of War: 5 Takeaways from UN Report on Sexual Violence Against Israelis US says Hamas holding up 6-week ceasefire by refusing to release vulnerable hostages We Are Paying The Price For 17 Years Of Hamas Policies; Al-Jazeera TV Wants The Bloodshed To Continue The Free Press in Israel: A Special Limited Series Latest Video Clips The History of Israel This Muslim Israeli Woman Is the Future of the Middle East Natasha Hausdorff responds to the content of the House of Commons Gaza Debate. Its time to face the hard truth that you're being played as a sacrificial fool by terrorists. Peace cannot be achieved with those who desire war and jihad instead. 'Awful Things Happening In Israel Nothing To Do With British Jews'

Fatah responds to Hamas criticism of new formation of PA government ‘without consulting Hamas’ 16 March 2024 By: @FirasPalestine (Political Analyst • Palestinian Nationalist, Ramallah) Palestinian National Liberation Movement "Fatah" affirmed that whoever caused Israel's reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, and caused the Nakba that the Palestinian people are experiencing, especially in the Gaza Strip, does not have the right to dictate national priorities, stressing that the real disconnect from reality and the Palestinian people is the leadership of the movement. Hamas, which until this moment has not felt the magnitude of the catastrophe that our oppressed people are experiencing in the Gaza Strip and in the rest of the Palestinian territories. Fatah expressed its astonishment and disapproval at Hamas’ talk of exclusion and division, and wondered whether Hamas consulted the Palestinian leadership or any Palestinian national party when it made its decision to undertake the adventure of last October 7, which led to a catastrophe more horrific and cruel than the catastrophe of 1948? Did Hamas consult the Palestinian leadership, while it is now negotiating with Israel and offering it concessions after concessions, and that it has no goal other than for its leadership to receive guarantees for its personal security, and to try to reach an agreement with Netanyahu again to maintain its divisive role in Gaza and the Palestinian arena? The question is whether Hamas consulted anyone when it carried out its 2007 coup. On Palestinian national legitimacy in 2007, it rejected all initiatives to end the division. Fatah affirmed that President Mahmoud Abbas has the right, in accordance with the Basic Law, to do everything that is in the interest of the Palestinian people, stressing that the President’s assignment to Dr. Muhammad Mustafa falls at the heart of the President’s political and legal responsibilities, and that the priorities set in the assignment are the priorities of the Palestinian people, and every rational person who is not separated from his people and from the reality of the terrible tragedy experienced by our people who are exposed to great injustice in the Gaza Strip, they realize this, stressing that the priority of all Palestinians today is to stop the war immediately, prevent displacement, provide relief to our afflicted people, rebuild the Gaza Strip, end the division, and reunify the Palestinian homeland, and it is as it demonstrates. Hamas said in its statement today that the above is not its priority. Fatah confirmed that the Prime Minister-designate, Dr. Muhammad Mustafa, is armed with the national agenda and not with false agendas that have brought nothing but woes to the Palestinian people and have not achieved a single achievement for them. Fatah asked: Does Hamas want us to appoint a prime minister from Iran or for Tehran to appoint him for us? Fatah criticized the actions and practices of the Hamas leadership and its behavior towards the genocidal war, noting that it seems that the comfortable life that this leadership lives in seven-star hotels has blinded it from what is right, wondering why most of Hamas’ leaders live abroad, and why they and their families fled and left the Palestinian people to face... A brutal war of extermination without any protection. Fatah called on the leadership of the Hamas movement to stop its policy of being dependent on foreign agendas, and to return to the national side in order to stop the war and save our people and our cause from liquidation, and in order to provide relief to our people and rebuild Gaza, leading to complete withdrawal from the land of the State of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital. <- Previous Read full article Next -> More Insights Fatah responds to Hamas criticism of new formation of PA government ‘without consulting Hamas’ Tuition of Terror? How Much Does Qatar’s Money Affect American Academia? Hamas' Most Horrific Weapon of War: 5 Takeaways from UN Report on Sexual Violence Against Israelis US says Hamas holding up 6-week ceasefire by refusing to release vulnerable hostages We Are Paying The Price For 17 Years Of Hamas Policies; Al-Jazeera TV Wants The Bloodshed To Continue The Free Press in Israel: A Special Limited Series Latest Video Clips The History of Israel This Muslim Israeli Woman Is the Future of the Middle East Natasha Hausdorff responds to the content of the House of Commons Gaza Debate. Its time to face the hard truth that you're being played as a sacrificial fool by terrorists. Peace cannot be achieved with those who desire war and jihad instead. 'Awful Things Happening In Israel Nothing To Do With British Jews'

We Are Paying The Price For 17 Years Of Hamas Policies; Al-Jazeera TV Wants The Bloodshed To Continue 13 March 2024 By: MEMRI Brussels-Based Palestinian Activist Amjad AbuKoush: We Are Paying The Price For 17 Years Of Hamas Policies; Al-Jazeera TV Wants The Bloodshed To Continue So It Can Garner More Viewers And More 'Likes'; Qatar Has Taken Over Palestinian Decision-Making Brussels-based Palestinian activist Amjad AbuKoush posted a video on his Facebook page on March 7, 2024, in which he voiced severe criticism of Hamas, Al-Jazeera, and Qatar. He said that Palestinians are paying the price for Hamas's policies throughout the past 17 years. AbuKoush said that Hams has declared that this is a "victorious" war for the liberation of Jerusalem, but its maximal demands in its negotiations are that Israel withdraws from Gaza and the Strip is rebuilt, while Israel was not in Gaza prior to the war and the Strip did not need rebuilding then. He added that Hamas gave the "filthiest and lowest occupation in history" a pretext because of their "stupidity." AbuKoush continued to say that both Netanyahu and Hamas have no incentive to reach an agreement. He slammed Hamas for creating a "chasm" with Arab countries, such as Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, which cannot be expected to support Hamas now after they were treated poorly by Hamas. AbuKoush said that it seems as though Al-Jazeera does not want the bloodshed to stop. He added that Qatar is a small county that gains its role in the world by appropriating Palestinian decision-making and that the only way to sustain its role is with more Palestinian blood. AbuKoush said: "As Palestinians, we have the right to reject this, we have the right to say: Stop it, you bastards!" Amjad AbuKoush: "Two million 'prisoners' in the Gaza Strip have become cheap commodity in this 'bid' between Netanyahu and the Hamas movement, who use them as a bargaining chip against one another – Netanyahu by killing them, and Hamas by peddling their blood. Nobody cares about them." "When the negotiations end, the Israeli delegation returns to Tel Aviv, which is stable and safe and is not surrounded by the Al-Qassam army, in what some people are trying to portray as a 'war of liberation.' On the other hand, the Hamas delegation returns to Tukey, Qatar, and Lebanon. They do not feel the pains of displacement and hunger. So why would they reach an agreement? Both sides are just waiting to reach their goals. Netanyahu wants to consolidate his rule in Israel, and Hamas wants to consolidate its rule in the Gaza Strip." "Today, we are paying the real price for Hamas's policy throughout 17 years, in which it has lost us the [sympathy] of the entire world. How can we persuade the Egyptian citizens [to support us] after we opposed their revolution, raised the Muslim Brotherhood slogans, and in the shedding of the blood of Egyptian citizens and soldiers – how can we persuade them to support us?" "How can we persuade the Syrian citizens to support us, after having described their number-one murderer, Qasem Soleimani, as the 'martyr of Jerusalem?' How can we persuade the Saudi citizens to support us, after we blessed the Houthis when they bombed Mecca? How can we persuade all these countries [to support us] today?" "Because of Hamas's policy, we have created a real chasm with these countries. How can we persuade Emirati or Bahraini citizens to [support us]? When they traveled to Jerusalem, they were pelted with shoes, for being 'normalizers,' but when a Turkish or Qatari cabinet member would come, they were welcome as Islamic conquerors." "These double standards and this duplicity in rhetoric and in our relations with others – today, we are paying their price." "Over whom does [Hamas] want to rule? Over the rubble in the Gaza Strip? Will it rule over citizens who have turned into ghosts, because of a war that has already lasted more than five months, because of the pretext provided by [Hamas's] stupidity. Hamas presented this as a war for the liberation of Jerusalem, a war that has to do with the liberation of Palestine, and in which Hamas is victorious, but its maximal demands right now are to return to how things were done before the war." "You demand the withdrawal of the Israeli army, but the Israeli army was not in Gaza. You demand reconstruction, but there was no destruction beforehand. And then, they say that now people support Palestine, which is back in the limelight. Seriously? All this bloodshed so that someone in California or in London would chant slogans in our support?" " Then the 'great' Al-Jazeera TV comes along, and says: 'Why isn't the West Bank participating? Where is the West Bank is this war?' It seems that five months of annihilation are not enough for Al-Jazeera TV, in its efforts to garner as much viewers and like-clicks as possible. It seems that they need to be repeated in another Palestinian territory." "It seems that Al-Jazeera TV does not want the bloodshed to stop." "Qatar is a small country that gains its role by appropriating Palestinian decision-making, and by taking custody over the Palestinian blood. It seems that the role played by Qatar can only be sustained with more blood. As Palestinians, we have the right to reject this, we have the right to say: 'Stop it, you bastards!' <- Previous Read full article Next -> More Insights We Are Paying The Price For 17 Years Of Hamas Policies; Al-Jazeera TV Wants The Bloodshed To Continue The Free Press in Israel: A Special Limited Series Tuition of Terror? How Much Does Qatar’s Money Affect American Academia? Public protests and criticism of Hamas in the Gaza Strip during recent months US says Hamas holding up 6-week ceasefire by refusing to release vulnerable hostages 'We have hostages, I caught one': IDF uncovers recordings of UNRWA employees from October 7 Latest Video Clips The History of Israel This Muslim Israeli Woman Is the Future of the Middle East Natasha Hausdorff responds to the content of the House of Commons Gaza Debate. Its time to face the hard truth that you're being played as a sacrificial fool by terrorists. Peace cannot be achieved with those who desire war and jihad instead. 'Awful Things Happening In Israel Nothing To Do With British Jews'

Tuition of Terror? How Much Does Qatar’s Money Affect American Academia? 13 March 2024 By: Mid East Journal Is Qatari terror money funding US universities? In 2020, an investigation by the US Department of Education revealed billions of dollars in unreported foreign gifts to American institutions of higher education from foreign countries. Most of the donations found came from Qatar, which donated $4.7 billion to American universities between 2001-2021. As processes for reporting improve and more funding is revealed, the universities failing to reveal funding are under scrutiny, with many political and educational leaders predicting an erosion of democratic norms on campuses. Independent since 1971, Qatar lies between regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran. Before the discovery of oil, its economy depended on fishing and pearl diving. Now, with a GNP of $229 billion, it is one of the world’s wealthiest countries and one of the most significant donors to institutions of higher education in America. At the height of globalization, foreign funding and partnerships with nations like Qatar could be an encouraging move for American institutes of higher education. But in recent years, studies have revealed just how deep Qatari funds are flowing into the coffers of American academia—with the majority of it going unreported for decades. With billions of dollars in hidden funds coming from a country with historically anti-American values, there is a big concern for what lies beneath this financial network of donors and recipients. It poses a risk to campus ecosystems regarding conflicts of interest and academic freedom and transparency. Many critics argue that foreign donations could exert undue influence on academic institutions, compromising their autonomy and integrity. A History of Unreported Funding from Qatar In 2012, a project titled Follow the Money headed by ISGAP (The Institute for Global Antisemitism & Policy) Director Charles Asher Small examined illicit funding flowing from foreign governments, foundations, and corporations into US universities. The findings were presented to Congress in July 2019, when the existence of sizable funding from foreign sources (many of whom adhere to anti-democratic and anti-Semitic ideologies) were revealed for the first time. It was a shocking lesson for the US Department of Education (DoE) to learn the details of billions of dollars in funding from foreign sources—primarily from Qatar—which had never appeared in the DoE’s reports. Discovering the billions of dollars in unreported funds to institutions of higher education did more than just raise eyebrows. It led to the launch of a federal government investigation in 2019. According to the Institutional Compliance Act in Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, universities that receive federal financial assistance are required to disclose any gifts received from foreign sources which, alone or combined, are valued at $250,000 within a single calendar year. This law aims to increase transparency around foreign money entering into US higher education. Clearly, it was being ignored. Secretary of Education DeVos initiated 12 civil investigations to ensure institutional compliance with Section 117. The investigation included the following schools: Georgetown University, Texas A&M University, Rutgers University, Cornell University, University of Maryland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Yale University, University of Texas, Case Western Reserve University, Fordham University, and Stanford University. Since 2019, these investigations have pressured institutions to “catch up” on their reporting . The DoE established an online portal in June 2020 to streamline the process, and in just four months more than 7,000 transactions were recorded totaling roughly $3.8 billion—the largest donations coming from Qatar, China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Close to 60 of the colleges and universities that filed through the portal had never submitted reports between the years 1986 and June 2020. A summary of the DoE’s findings published in October 2020 disclosed previously unreported funding to universities, amounting to $6.5 billion in foreign gifts and contracts. The more unreported funding that is uncovered, the more educational and political leaders realize there is a growing problem. Even as university presidents collect billions of dollars for their campuses, they don’t know enough about the depth of their donations from foreign funders. During the House of Representatives Education Committee’s hearing with presidents of UPenn, MIT, and Harvard, Representative Elise Stefanik started a line of questioning that shed light on this. Although each president claimed philanthropy from Qatar does not create conflicts of interest nor influence the way they run universities, they were also unaware of how much money they received from the country. Why (And How) Do Funds From Qatar Go Unnoticed? Although it has been the law since 1965, before the DoE’s investigation in 2019, it was previously lax in holding schools accountable for reporting. The “Follow the Money” report helped shed light on how a failure to pressure administrators to submit this information in the past led to major a lack of adherence to the law. It shed light on the need for the DoE to reinforce these obligations as a condition for accepting foreign money as well as creating guidelines for more conscientious reporting. Countries like Qatar are also able to cover up their influence by using third parties to deliver funds to schools in the US. Before 2020, the DoE only required universities to list the country where the donations come from, without specifying whether it was a government source or a private funder. When collaborating on projects, for example, professors are often paid salaries for joint initiatives from a US university that received direct funding from Qatar. Foreign companies are also utilized to transfer money from Qatar to various universities. How Much Does Qatar Donate to Universities In America? It is just emerging how deep-seated this network of undisclosed money is. However, Qatar has embedded itself in several top universities in the United States. In 2020, it was revealed that at least 100 American colleges and universities received approximately $13 billion in undocumented contributions from foreign governments, many of which are authoritarian countries. As the DoE improves its documentation process , the numbers keep growing. In April 2023, it was reported that American universities and colleges have received $19 billion from foreign sources that were not documented and undated, with total donations amounting to approximately $47 billion. The latest DoE report , published on October 13, 2023, revealed the most up-to-date updated total amount is $22 billion, with total donations reaching $51 billion. Top donors from this list include Arab countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Egypt. Just how much of this comes from Qatar? Between 2001 and 2021, the Qataris donated at least $4.7 billion to universities in the United States. The top 10 universities that benefited from Qatar’s money included: Carnegie Mellon University: $1.4 billion Cornell University: $1.2 billion Harvard University: $894 million MIT: $859 million Texas A&M: Just over $500 million Yale University: $495.8 million Northwestern University: $402 million Johns Hopkins University: $402 million Georgetown University: $401 million University of Chicago: $364 million According to the 2023 report by DoE, Qatar continues to provide one of the largest sources of funding, donating almost $5 billion to US campuses. It is followed by Saudi Arabia, which has donated approximately $3 billion, and the UAE and China which have each donated over $1 billion. The top recipients of Qatari funds have something in common: they all have flagship locations in Qatar’s “Education City,” receiving funding in return for their collaborations, including: Carnegie Mellon: Received $740 million in funding to establish a computer science and technology branch in 2004. Virginia Commonwealth: Received $103.5 million in funding to establish a Fine Arts branch in 1997. Texas A&M: Received $696 million in funding to establish an engineering branch in 2003. Cornell University: Received $1.7 billion in funding from Qatar to establish a Medical branch in 2001. Northwestern University: Received $601 million in funding to establish a Journalism branch in 2008. Georgetown University : Received $760.5 million in funding to establish a Political Science branch in Qatar in 2005. How Does Qatar’s Funding Influence Universities And Students? Does all of this funding represent a tuition of terror ? In an age of globalization, it seems on the surface like a virtue to collaborate openly with international universities that value the American education system. However, many professionals believe schools that promote open societies still need to approach financial ties to authoritarian states with caution, since it is not unfathomable that they leverage this donated money for influence. It is no secret the Qatari government’s values, for example, differ considerably from America’s. Although the Qataris have a vision of modernization, the quasi-absolute monarchy has illiberal practices and its laws do little to protect workers’ rights, women’s rights , or freedom of the press. Qatar’s financial networks have a reputation for breaking banking laws and are also known to support terrorist organizations, and funding groups like Hamas. Soft Power Versus Hard Power: The Impact of Qatari Donations on American University Culture The financial ties between foreign countries and American academia can take a variety of forms, including research collaborations, consulting relationships, the development of satellite institutions, or the sponsorships of student scholarships and initiatives on campus. While some claim Qatar is developing its ties with the American system of higher education to promote soft power, i.e., improving its relationship with Western powers, advancing its role in the Middle East, and influencing its own citizens—others believe the country’s financial and political networks expect their payments to US universities to leverage direct outcomes. According to a study conducted by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy in 2023, there is a direct correlation between the institutions receiving undocumented contributions and: Increased political campaigns silencing academics. Increased speech intolerance: the termination of speakers and scholars, as well as investigation, censorship, demotion, or suspension of these speakers. More organized efforts or campaigns aimed at imposing sanctions on academic researchers. These outcomes illuminate how foreign government agendas infuse American educational programming both at home and abroad. This includes the scrutinizing or cancellation of activities , control of intellectual property and research, removing researchers from positions, or suspension and termination. There have also been instances where foreign donors’ stipulations reflect a considerable bias being into the classroom via curricula. Instances when course agendas and content are manipulated to shape classroom learning and discussions are not uncommon, especially regarding Middle Eastern studies. Previous Incidents of Terror States Funding American Universities In the years following 9/11, US schools began receiving substantially increased funding from Middle Eastern countries, amounting to billions of dollars. Today, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have become the largest donors to US institutions of higher education. In 2018, money flowing from Saudi sources started to attract attention and concern. The newfound scrutiny came after the killing of Washington Post journalist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi , when critics insisted that colleges needed to investigate the flow of funds coming from regimes with poor human rights records. At the time, students in colleges including MIT asked their president to cut ties with such donors. Citing a photo of the school’s president shaking hands with Mohammad bin Salman (known as MBS), the powerful Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the students noted that such relationships could also harm the school’s reputation and “provide the MBS regime with a veil of normalcy.” The Antisemitic Climate on College Campuses And Funding From Qatar When some of the most prestigious US universities are receiving large and sustained funding from the same entities providing large and sustained funding to Hamas’s terror-inciting leadership, it is not surprising to see a simultaneous rise of antisemitism on college campuses. A report by Network Contagion Research Institute revealed that from 2015-2020, institutions that accepted money from Arab donors in the Middle East had 300% more antisemitic incidents than institutions that did not. More specifically, campuses with undisclosed funds from Qatari donors had, on average, 250% more antisemitic incidents than those that did not receive such funding. Over the years it has also been revealed that there’s a direct connection between donations from Qatar and the presence of pro-Palestinian groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), on campuses. Disturbing Campus Responses Following October 7th Attacks Most recently, responses from universities following the October 7th terrorist attack in Israel reflect a disturbing rise in anti-Semitism . Heated anti-Israel protests since October 7th have led to increasing antisemitic rhetoric , visible support for terrorism , and violent encounters. Many student groups seemed somehow prepared for this in advance, with organizations such as SJP organizing protests and spreading anti-Zionist material as early as October 8, well before the Israeli Defense Forces activated its ground operation in Gaza. Jewish students have spoken out about their fears and need for safety, calling out university leaders for their complacency in the face of campus antisemitism and in some cases suing universities for tolerating and even promulgating Jewish hate . Many have documented that growing antisemitic instances have been ignored, or worse, defended by university staff— within the “context” of “freedom of speech.” Steps to Increase Donation Transparency The obscurity of the transfer of funds that increased dramatically since 9/11 is clearly a cause for concern. By failing to report these third-party transfers, Qatar can avoid scrutiny over its academic influence. Universities that have failed to reveal the origin of donations from Qatar will attract ongoing skepticism, suggesting university officials deliberately ignore regulators so that they do not obtain insight into the ongoing academic investments and potentially unctuous donor behavior. Especially since so many of these donations have gone unreported, critics say there needs to be more scrutiny regarding the influence gained by these billions of dollars. Without more information, analysts cannot measure the effects of the donations – or even know if funding contracts have been completed, allowing the DoE to conduct compliance investigations. Moving forward, experts have suggested that the US government should enact reforms to make more transparent the influence stemming from foreign donations. They advocate that this should be done by: Adding a provision to Section 117 mandating the disclosure of grantees who have connections to Qatar and other countries found to have funded organizations deemed by the US government to be terrorist organizations Establishing conflict-of-interest review boards at universities to regulate foreign funding sources and block those that threaten to compromise academic integrity or national security Enacting further transparency by requiring full public disclosure of all foreign contracts or donations received by American universities. <- Previous Read full article Next -> More Insights We Are Paying The Price For 17 Years Of Hamas Policies; Al-Jazeera TV Wants The Bloodshed To Continue The Free Press in Israel: A Special Limited Series Tuition of Terror? How Much Does Qatar’s Money Affect American Academia? 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