It's A Long Way To Tipperary

War in Gaza: Day 66

War

              

Montage of some of the soldiers who fell in the Gaza War

Over 104 soldiers have died so far during the war since Israel entered Gaza since Oct 28, 2023. Of them, nearly 50 were reserve soldiers. 36 have been killed since the resumption of fighting on Dec 1, 2023. 582 have been wounded since the start of ground operations. 415 soldiers and police have been killed since Oct 7th.

Maj. (res) Itai Peri, 36, with daughter’s picture

Among those reserve soldiers killed in recent fighting in Kahn Yunis was Maj. (res.) Itai Peri, 36, from Maccabim-Reut.

Mayor of Modi'in Maccabim-Reut, Haim Bibbs, paid tribute to Itai Perry, a resident of the city. "We received a difficult message this morning. 36-year-old Itai grew up, was educated and started a family here in the city," he said. Itai left behind his wife Hila and small children. In his photo distributed by the IDF, he is holding a photo of a heart that his daughter published, next to the chilling caption: "I love you. I miss. I hope you don't get hurt."

Two other soldiers, killed in the same battle were Avitar Cohen, 42, father of four and Gideon Aloni, 35, who was a Ph.D. student in physics and the father of six children.

According to Ynetnews, both fell in the same battle in the south of the Gaza Strip, in the village of Karara east of Khan Yunis. Their infantry force was hit by an IED at a school in the village, where Hamas terrorists and anti-tank squads were operating. The army stated that the search was preceded by an air and tank attack but the compound had tunnel shafts. A terrorist, not the one who exploded the bomb, who hiding in a tunnel emerged suddenly and was killed. 

Rocket launcher in Gaza

According to the IDF, a multiple rocket launcher system was destroyed by Israeli troops in northern Gaza’s Salatin neighborhood, close to Jabaliya, on December 7, 2023.

Unlike Gaza City, Khan Yunis is larger and surrounded by agricultural areas with many greenhouses, low buildings and large areas where the IDF has to advance slowly.

According to the IDF, the army recently identified a pattern of operation by the terrorists.  After IDF aerial attacks, including heavy ones before a ground attack on a target, terrorists who survived the tunnel shafts emerge to place explosive charges in the tunnel’s openings. 

At the same time Hamas surveillance spots the approaching soldiers and tries to activate the charges near them.” According to a Times of Israel report, Lt. Col.(res.) Yisrael, name withheld for security reasons, said his battalion is working to “deprive the enemy of its abilities” during its slow but thorough operations in northern Gaza

Speaking in the Gaza town of Salatin, on the outskirts of the Jabaliya refugee camp, Lt. Col. (res.) Yisrael said, “There isn’t a single house here without weapons, there isn’t a house without [tunnel] infrastructure. It’s unbelievable. In dozens of yards of homes we found dozens of rocket launchers,” he said. “We found Kalashnikovs under mattresses, inside clothes closets. It wasn’t thrown there suddenly, they were hidden in the homes.”

He said Hamas’s placement of weapons and infrastructure within civilian sites was an attempt to “take advantage of the sensitivity we once had.”

“Schools, a cemetery near us, in a clinic… these are the places where they concentrated most of their tunnel shafts. They thought we wouldn’t strike there, and that’s where we found the enemy’s significant infrastructure,” Yisrael said.

According to Ynetnews, in the north of the Gaza Strip there are thousands of Hamas terrorists who were an integral part of Hamas’ defense battalions. 

But, these terrorists reportedly  abandoned their weapons and fled as "innocent" civilians to the south under the protection of the displaced masses. 

Of the approximately 25,000 Hamas fighters, the IDF estimates that it has killed approximately 6,000. But analysts say that this is barely a quarter of the official total, which does not include other terrorist organizations and activists. 

One pundit said that ‘of course, there are many and it is difficult to know if they were killed because many tunnels were attacked or flooded, according to foreign publications, with sea water. 

IDF soldiers in Gaza

One military observer said that the slow and methodical pace of the IDF's ground maneuvers is what has so far made it possible to uncover thousands of terrorist shafts and tunnels, to peel away street after street in terrorist strongholds and to damage large parts of Hamas’ military arm. 

"We have defeated Sinwar" is heard on the Israeli media,” said one observer. “But it is worth remembering that Hamas intentionally leaves most of its operatives in bunkers or tells them to flee. There are entire Hamas brigades, such as in Deir al-Balah, and in the central al-Boreij and Nusayrat camps, that have not yet been touched.”

A Ynetnews report stated that the large city of Rafiah is controlled by wealthy crime families who made their fortunes from smuggling weapons and goods from Sinai and controlling the Philadelphia axis that cuts between Egypt, Gaza and Israel. This route has been used in recent years to smuggle, unhindered, spoils from the civil war in Syria and Iraq, amounting to hundreds of thousands of weapons, directly into the hands of the Hamas terrorist army.

The Ynetnews report also said that there are those in military intelligence who took comfort over the last month that Sinwar failed in both of his ambitions in this war plan. They say Sinwar had hoped that the Hezbollah army, a military arm of Iran, and the thousands of armed West Bank Palestinians, as well as the thousands of Israeli Arabs, would rise up, pour into the streets murdering and pillaging as Hamas did on Oct 7th, and thus dismantle Israeli society. 

According to Ynetnews, Sinwar’s first goal - a murderous invasion into Israel and capturing hundreds of hostages, succeeded. But, the report went on, since this war is expected to continue in its various forms for at least another year, no one guarantees that Sinwar's vision will not turn into reality.

Also, according to reports, Hamas terrorists were all promised payment for each hostage they captured. Channel 12TV reported that many of those Hamas terrorists are now turning themselves into IDF troops complaining that they are cut off from Hamas’ leadership. That they have no food. And that they were not even paid for the hostages they captured. 

So far hundreds of suspected Hamas terrorists have surrendered to Israeli troops. They were stripped to their underwear to make certain they were not concealing bomb vests. Many have been taken back to Israel for questioning. One military analyst said that these prisoners could prove to be a treasure trove of  intelligence information.

                             

Gazans who surrendered to the IDF

One Hamas official captured was Yousef al-Mansi, former Hamas communications minister under the previous Gaza Hamas Chief Yishmael Haniyeh. Al-Mansi said that Hamas is now led by a group of “crazy people.” He also said that Hamas no longer has support of the citizens of Gaza. And that the Oct 7th massacre was “heresy” and not in keeping with Islamic law.

However, Channel 13TVs Zvi Hezkeli said that al-Mansi has long been out of power. And that as a captive he was going to tell the interrogators what they wanted to hear. “Sinwar is far from finished,” said Hezkeli.

On Monday, IDF troops engaged in a firefight with Hamas terrorists shooting from a school, an activity prohibited under international law.

Also, according to Ynet veteran intelligence correspondent Ronen Bergman, who also writes for the New York Times, in recent years Qatar had not only been supplying monetary aid to Gaza but officials in the Qatari government were also secretly financing Hamas’ military wing. Bergman wrote that Israeli intelligence tried to stop the secret transfer of funds but in the long run Israel allowed funds to flow.

According to Bergman “There was a sequence of events spanning a decade, which was both secret and spread over thousands of publications and television reports around the world, perhaps because Qatar did not really believe in the mitzvah of giving in secret.” 

Bergman writes that, today, the heads of the government (in Qatar) are surely sorry that they did not humble themselves and follow the verse of keeping their gifts anonymous. 

Several sources have reported that the Hamas officials living in Qatar  know that the existence of the Hamas office in Doha is on a stopwatch.and that will end, perhaps when the abductees are returned, Qatar knows these offices will have to close. The fact that they hosted the leaders of the murderous movement will haunt them for many years to come.”

Also, Ynetnews reported that for the first time the IDF used a Super Hercules cargo plane to drop supplies to troops within Gaza.

According to Nir Dvori of Channel 12TV, Israel had weeks, probably months, or as much as a year, before Gaza was quit of Hamas terrorists.

North

Firing from Lebanon into Israel continues. Israel has called for the enforcement of UN resolution 1701 that requires, among other things, no weapons held by any group other than the Lebanese army in all of Lebanon. 

And that a DMZ be created in the south between the Israeli border and the Litani river.  The Litani river is some 30 kilometers, about 18 miles from the Israeli border.  

According to the website Politico, under the terms of U.N. resolution 1701 that brought the 34-day 2006 Lebanon war to a close, Israel agreed to withdraw all its forces from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah was required to maintain no presence south of the river.” That condition was breeched. Hezbollah has thousands of troops in southern Lebanon, including the Rejwan terrorist groups from Syria.

According to the Times of Israel, as of now some 80,000 Israeli residents who live within 10 kilometers of the Lebanese border have been evacuated. They are scattered around the country at hotels and hostels or with friends and family. 

Israel’s Defense Minister Gen.(ret.) Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that the government would not encourage those evacuated to return to their homes until Hezbollah is driven back beyond the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

Israel has complained frequently that the resolution was being breached. As far back at 2009 Israel filed “Alleged Lebanese violations

According to Wikipedia, “In 2009, Israel filed a complaint with the U.N. that Lebanon was not complying with the resolution after a Katyusha rocket was fired from Lebanon and landed next to a house in northern Israel and injured three people. The complaint affirmed Israel's right to defend itself and its citizens.

“Later in 2009, when weapons that Hezbollah was hiding in a civilian home in a Lebanese town near the border of Israel exploded, both Israel and UNIFIL complained that Resolution 1701 was being violated by Lebanon and Hezbollah. 

“The IDF estimates that the number of civilian homes in southern Lebanon that are being used to store weapons are in the hundreds. Israel also criticized the Lebanese army, which is responsible for enforcing the resolution, for cooperating with Hezbollah in making sure that the evidence of the violation of the resolution had been cleared up before allowing U.N. peace keepers to do their job.

“Two days later, fifteen Lebanese civilians from , Kraf Shuba carrying Lebanese and Hezbollah flags, crossed into the Israeli occupied Sheba Farms.

“The IDF took no action to the provocation, but stressed that it was a violation of Resolution 1701. The United Nations confirmed that Hezbollah violated the resolution and that the group is rearming.”

The only things that have changed in 14 years is that Hezbollah has become part of the Lebanese government, has rearmed after the 2006 war, and entrenched themselves in S. Lebanon, bolstered now by Hamas forces and militias from Syria.

Also, up until recently, there has been an unwritten tit-for-tat agreement between Israel and Hezbollah that no civilian targets would be hit. But, according to sources, the exchanges are now going beyond the established rules and hitting civilian targets.

Hezbollah has been firing rockets on a daily basis that have struck towns and cities along the border not military installations. Israel responded with artillery fire. Then the IDF began using armed drones to take out Hezbollah rocket squads. 

As Hezbollah increased their attacks at civilian populations, Israel has begun Jet fighter missile and bomb attacks as well. Reportedly, the villages of southern Lebanon are Hezbollah strong holds and many are used to store weapons and fire rockets from concealed locations. 

U.S.Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reportedly told Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that he was worried about the escalating tensions with Hezbollah.

Israel’s National Security Advisor, Tzachi HaNegbi, has said that as soon as Israel finishes the battle with Hamas in the south that the IDF would turn to the north to deal with Hezbollah.

The discussions on the ‘day after’ are still ongoing. The US has been pressing for the Palestinian Authority to be part of the government in a new Gaza. Israel’s current government has been against this move, saying that PA leader Abbas has yet to condemn Hamas for the Oct 7th massacre, and that the PA provides monthly stipend to the families of fallen terrorists.

Recently, however, the 87-year-old Abbas has agreed for a revamped PA ruling body filled with new names. He has also agreed to step down as the head of the PA. The idea is that an international force made up that includes Arab nations will rule Gaza once Hamas is decimated. If that ever happens, added one pundit.

West Bank

A new flurry of recriminations are being hurled by politicians over the issue of allowing Palestinian workers to return to Israel from their homes in the West Bank.

Observers  say that the situation in the West Bank is like a pressure cooker. The Palestinians, almost all of whom rely on their jobs inside Israel to support themselves and their families, have been unemployed for over two months. 

Some pundits think that with a little push, and some money for their families, many of these Palestinians could become terrorists, picking up a rifle in exchange for a paycheck from Hamas. This has happened in the past, in Jenin, with funds provided by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups. Allowing the Palestinian workers back into Israel might alleviate the economic pressures that could lead to another Intifada (uprising).

PM Netanyahu has encouraged the move. However, not everyone agrees with this approach. Former Defense Minister Avigdor Leiberman, leader of the Yisrael Beitenu party, castigated PM Netanyahu for still being stuck in the same “Conception” that led to the present war with Hamas. 

The “Conception” was that money could buy peace, Leiberman told Reshet Bet radio. “But that didn’t work, as we can see.” Leiberman thought that industrial and other commercial centers could be established in the West Bank to provide employment for the Palestinians. He was against Israel relying on the Palestinians to keep the construction sector thriving.

Likud party MK Nir Barakat, who has hinted he will oppose PM Netanyahu for Likud party leadership, has come out strongly against opening up the borders to allow Palestinians to return to work. He has been supported by some in the police and military.

Israeli residents are also suspicious and frightened of the return of Palestinian workers, fearing terrorist attacks. Still, the permission to allow Palestinians over the age of 35 with no security file against them is expected to pass.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Minister of National Security, and a ultra-right wing nationalist, is in charge of the police. Some critics see Ben-Gvir’s heavy hand in the support of the anti-Palestinian position.

Also, perhaps related to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, is the tragic shooting of Yuval Castleman. Ben-Gvir, built a law practice defending ultra-nationalists including hilltop youth accused of violence against Palestinians. One former hilltop youth was accused of shooting Castleman.

According to PBS, Staff Sgt. (res) Aviad Frija, a reserve soldier, along with another soldier from the regular army, were waiting at the bus stop at the entry to Jerusalem on the way to return to their units in Gaza. Suddenly, two terrorists, brothers from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Tzur Bahir, pulled up in a Mazda sedan, jumped out and began firing, one with a Kalashnikov rifle, one with a handgun. 

The two soldiers returned fire. Castleman, 38, a former border policeman and then a policeman before becoming an attorney, was at a stop light across the street from the bus stop. He jumped out of his car at the entrance to Jerusalem and rushed in to help soldiers fighting two terrorists. He had a handgun and was dressed in civilian clothing, as were the terrorists.

                    

Aviad Frija (left) and Yuval Castleman (right)

Three Israelis were killed and several injured. Castleman had a handgun and was firing at the two terrorists, reportedly hitting one. Bullets from the soldiers apparently also went into nearby cars.

Once the terrorists were down Castleman apparently realized the two soldiers who fighting the terrorists might mistake him for a terrorist. One of the soldiers was injured. Castleman, according to video from the scene, laid down his weapon, dropped to his knees,  held out his Israeli ID raised his arms and  yelled,  “Israeli, Israel.”

Staff Sgt. (res) Frija, a reserve soldier from the West Bank settlement of Ahiya Binyamin, and once part of the ultra-nationalist ‘hilltop youth’ who took part in violence against Palestinian residents, reportedly mistakenly thought Castleman was a terrorist, even once he had surrendered, opened fire with his M-16, killing Castleman. He kept firing even when bystanders yelled at him to stop.

Moshe Karadi, a former police chief, said he believed the background of the soldier who allegedly shot Castleman influenced his thought process. “The finger is lighter on the trigger there than in other places,” he said, referring to the West Bank

After the shooting, Frija, who had been armed with a M-16 rifle, told right-wing pro-settler Israeli Channel 14 TV that he was active among “hilltop youth” — a term used to refer to radicalized Jewish teen squatters on hilltops in the occupied West Bank who have been known to attack Palestinians and their property. Frija was not asked about Castleman but “boasted about killing the attackers, saying doing so was every soldier’s goal.”

According to the Times of Israel, Frija was arrested after interrogators found discrepancies between his initial testimony and the account he provided in Military Police questioning, as well as findings form the scene of the shooting. Frija was accused of reckless homicide, and released to house arrest. 

Castleman’s family was only informed of his death by a friend who had served on the police force with Yuval. His father Moshe Castleman demanded an inquiry and an indictment for murder.

Frija’s military appointed attorneys Shlomi Tzipori and Ran Cohen Rochverger, said that the media had rushed to convict Frija. The attorneys  said it wasn’t clear who shot Castleman. Legal experts said that it would be difficult to convict Frija of a crime.

Frija was arrested, and then released. Police charged him with accidental reckless manslaughter Castleman’s body was removed, examined, a CT performed, and then quickly buried.  Castleman’s family wanted to know why an autopsy was not performed. The Police responded that an autopsy wasn’t needed. That there were no bullets in the body to provide evidence of who shot him.

Investigative journalists looked into the case and discovered that bullet fragments and a bullet were indeed lodged inside Castleman’s body. A judge approved an exhumation of the body, an autopsy was performed and the bullet and fragment removed. An examination will take place to determine if the bullet came from Frija’s weapon.

Journalist Micki Rosenthal told Channel 13TV that without the bullet Frija would be freed since there was no evidence that his weapon killed Castleman.

Critics have come out against the police move to quickly bury the body without a thorough examination. Some suspect the hand of Minister of National Security Ben-Gvir, who is in charge of the police, for rushing the burial to conceal any evidence against Frija, who is also an ultra-right wing settler, as are most of Ben-Givr’s constituency. And the backbone of his law practice.

Meanwhile, Israel continues operations in the West Bank. Recently, Israeli forces arrested 21 wanted terrorists in the town of Tubas near Nablus, where they found hand-made Carlo machine guns, ammunition, and explosive devices.  Israel has arrested 2,200 wanted terrorists in the West Bank since the start of the war. Reportedly, 1,180 of them are connected to Hamas.

Rockets

Rockets continue to fall on Israel, some reaching as far as Tel Aviv. This in spite of the fact that Israeli troops are deep inside Gaza. Reportedly, Hamas still has ample supplies and opportunities to fire even long-range rockets into Israel. 

Rocket lands in TA suburb of Holon

On Monday, rockets were fired during the morning at the Israeli settlements along the Gaza border. And at noon, a heavy barrage struck as far as Tel Aviv, with a rocket landing in the center of a street in Holon, damaging cars and only lightly to moderately injuring one person. 

Channel 12TV news attribute the residents following the Home Front Command’s recommendations to take to shelters once the air-raid sirens sound, and stay indoors for ten minutes even after the last sounds of a rocket landing have passed, to the lack of serious injuries during the rocket attacks. 

In the north, rockets also fell on the evacuated settlements along the Lebanese border. No injuries were reported. Israel responded with artillery fire. The Israel Air Force reportedly also bombed Hezbollah positions.

MK Avigdor Leiberman touring the north said it was a shame that 80,000 Israelis had to leave their homes while Hezbollah sat comfortably on the other side of the border. “We have to push them back beyond the Litani,” said Leiberman.

Humanitarian Aid

While former Mossad department head Zohar Palti thinks that allowing the fuel and other aid into Gaza is a small price to pay to keep U.S. support during this war, an opposite opinion has been given by Gen. (res.) Giora Eiland, former head of military intelligence.

Like former Defense Minister Avigdor Leiberman, Giora Eiland, thinks Israel must reconsider their “conception” how to deal with Gaza. “Who knows how much fuel they need in Gaza?” Eiland asked on Channel 12TV news. “The US says they need 180,000 liters. How do they know? UNRWA tells them, that’s how. And UNRWA gets their orders from Hamas.”

Eiland said that the fuel goes directly to Hamas through UNRWA who is, he says, “one of Israel’s biggest enemies. One that sides with Hamas.”

He said that in 1973, following the Yom Kippur War, then Prime Minister Golda Meir was told to allow humanitarian aid into Egypt, where Israeli prisoners were also held. “She said, no aid until the Red Cross is allowed in to see the prisoners.” And she stood by that demand until the condition was met. Eiland said that Israel should now do the same thing.

Eiland said that so far Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, is calling the tune.  “Hamas,” he said, “broke the hostage agreement when they wanted to. This was one-sided. They do what they want. This has to change.”

EIland also said that Israel allows the humanitarian aid into Gaza because of the pressure from the USA. “Israel is afraid of losing US support if they do not abide by the US requests,” said Eiland.

“But Israel will never lose the support of the US,” said Eiland. “Never had, and never will.” The USA, he said, had to show good will to the Arab states, show that they can trust the USA to stand by them. And Israel is an example of that trust. 

He blames Netanyahu for doing whatever US President Biden tells him to do, “As if they’re best buddies.” 

“But,” he says, “Biden doesn’t trust Netanyahu, or believe a word he says.”

 According to Eiland, Israel needs new leadership if they are to weather this war and the days after.

Cogat, the Israel Defense Ministry body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs says the United Nations needs to do more to process aid into Gaza, and charges that humanitarian supplies are not reaching the Gaza Strip fast enough.

“We have expanded our capabilities to conduct inspections for the aid delivered into Gaza. Kerem Shalom is to be opened, so the number of inspections will double. But the aid keeps waiting at the entrance of Rafiah,” COGAT wrote on X.

“The UN must do better — the aid is there, and the people need it,” COGAT says.

Last week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called the situation in Gaza a “Humanitarian catastrophe.” Guterres invoked Article 99 to bring condemnation of Israel’s action in Gaza before the UN Security Council.

This term, according to scholars, has not been used since 1971 in fighting that led to the establishment of Bangladesh. Gueterres brought the issue to the security council for the vote. The USA vetoed the resolution.

Also, Egypt who has strenuously objected to allowing Gaza refugees into the Sinai, seemed to relent in recent days. Egypt said that hundreds of thousands of Gazans would be allowed to use the Egyptian Sinai as a transit point. From there they could go to Arab countries that would receive them and where they could make a better living then in poverty-stricken Gaza.

The problem is that few Arab countries, including Egypt are willing to accept the refugees for anything other than a temporary time period fearing that they would bring violent Islamic fundamentalism with them. Hamas is a sister organization of the Islamic Brotherhood that ruled Egypt as an ISIS like state until overthrown by a military coup. Jordan still smarts over Palestinian attacks on the Royal Family. Kuwait still remembers the Palestinians siding with Saddam Hussain when he invaded that country. Pundits think that perhaps the Emirates or Qatar would be willing to accept the refugees, but so far that has not happened.

Hostages 

                          

Memorial to the hostages in Tel Aviv

137 Israeli hostages are still being held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists or terrorist groups affiliated with Hamas. On Tuesday morning a group of families of hostages tried to break into a Knesset session of the security council chanting “No Time! No Time!” Cries that represent the time running out for the hostages held by Hamas.

According to a report on MSNBC, Kibbutz Be eri announced that 25-year-old Sahar Baruch, who was held hostage in Gaza by Hamas, was killed during an Israeli rescue attempt. Two Israeli soldiers were also killed in the attempt. 

              Families of hostages demonstrate in Tel Aviv

Parents interviewed on Israeli media worry about the lives of their families. One father, nearly in tears, worried about what his attractive 19-year-old daughter was enduring while in captivity. Reportedly, Hamas leader Yeheh Sinwar has said that if a ceasefire is not reached he will kill every hostage.

Physicians and health-care workers have reported that most of those 117 hostages released during the ‘pause’ in fighting are suffering from malnutrition, PTSD, and other conditions.

Chen Goldberg Almog told Reshet Bet radio that she’d spoken with three hostages who were released by Hamas and that all said that they’d undergone sexual abuse at the hands of Hamas terrorists.

Speaking to CNN, Alexi Ashe Meyers, granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor who was raped by Nazi soldiers, “There are innocent people still held captive by Hamas, and they include women and girls who in all likelihood have been subjected — and very likely are still being subjected — to sexual assault by Hamas. They also include men and boys who may have suffered the same horror. People of good conscience must demand to bring them home.” 

Anti-Semitism (Public Opinion)

The significant rise in anti-Semitism has become a major concern to Jews around the world. Reportedly, there are Jewish households who are hiding the mezuzahs on their doorpost, or even removing them. Anti-Semitic incidents have increased by 600% in Britain. Pro-Palestinian marches have been held in cities across Europe and the USA. 

A surprising number of those protesting are young Jewish people. Some analysts say these young Jewish people are simply following a trend set by their friends in order to fit in. Others that they are taking out long held resentments against their parents, some divorced, some long-time Zionists, some Orthodox.

According to a recent poll by Pew Research, young adults, not only Jewish, are less likely than older people to say Hamas has ‘a lot’ of responsibility for the current war. 

“A sizable majority of Americans say that Hamas has “a lot” of responsibility for the current war (65%). Far smaller numbers say the Israeli government (35%) – or the Palestinian people (20%) or Israeli people (13%) – have a lot of responsibility.

“Overall, younger Americans are less likely than older Americans to say Hamas has “a lot” of responsibility for the conflict. While nearly half of those under 30 say this (46%), about eight-in-ten of those 65 and older place a lot of blame on Hamas. Still, only a very small shares of Americans – across all age groups – say Hamas has no responsibility for the war.”

Also according to the Pew Research poll, “Younger Americans are more likely than older adults to say that Israel’s current military operation against Hamas is going too far: 38% of adults under 35 say this, compared with smaller shares of those 35 to 49 (27%), 50 to 64 (23%) and 65 and older (16%).

“While just 17% of Republicans under 35 say Israel is going too far, this is a substantially higher share than among older Republicans (only 2% of those 65 and older say this). Nearly half of younger Republicans (48%) say they are not sure about Israel’s approach to the current conflict.

“Overall, Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say that Israel is going too far (45% vs. 12%, respectively). Liberal Democrats, in particular, view Israel’s response as excessive: 61% say Israel is going too far, compared with 31% of conservative and moderate Democrats.”

“About half of Democrats under 35 say Israel is going too far in its current military operation against Hamas (56%). This compares with smaller shares of Democrats ages 35 and older.”

Whatever the reason, a growing number under 30 are anti-Zionist, pro-Palestinian.

Actor David Schwimmer has come out against the recent rash of anti-Semitic incidents in the USA. He reportedly blasted the inaction of prestigious US universities, and said that ‘silence is complicity.’

Film producer/ director Steven Spielberg has announced that his Shoa Foundation will begin conducting interviews with survivors of the Oct 7th massacre in the Jewish settlements along the Gaza border. 

Last week, three presidents of prestigious US Universities testified before congress and avoided admitting that anti-Israeli pro-Palestinian protests on campuses were intimidating to Jewish students or were in fact calls for Jewish genocide. 

One of the three, Liz Magill of U of Penn, has resigned over the protests to her testimony, and Caroline Gay, President of Harvard has apologized for not admitting that calls for “genocide” against Jews would violate Harvard’s code of conduct.

Meanwhile, pro-Israeli protests were held in the Usa and France. Also, according to Ynetnews, Germany, France, Italy and the EU have recommended sanctions against Hamas and their supporters.

And, as many military analysts say in the Israeli media, Israel is facing a long road of fighting ahead. Or as one pundit put it, “It’s a long long way to Tipperary,” the title of a marching song from World War I.

According to IDF sources, 2024 will be a year of continued fighting.

                         Happy Hanukkah. 

               

Soldiers in Gaza lighting Hanukkah candles