Stretched To The Limit

War Day 609

War

IDF soldiers in Gaza

So far according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 859 IDF soldiers, police and one independent contractor have been killed since the outbreak of the war on Oct 7, 2023 when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, brutally murdering over 1200 people and taking 251 captive.

427 have been killed since the latest incursion that began in March 2025 called Gideon’s Chariots. Biblical references to Gideon, Book of Judges (Chapters 6–8), cite that he was a simple farmer who was chosen by God to lead the Israeli army.

Gideon protested saying he was not up to the job, but he was dragged into leadership anyway. At one point he had 30,000 men facing 300,000 Medianites. To Gideon’s chagrin, God told him to only use 300 soldiers.against the Medianite hordes.

While they did not use chariots, his victory is famous for using stealth and surprise, with trumpets, torches, and jars, causing fright and confusion among the Midianites who fled what they thought was the impending attack of a massive army.

Unfortunately, Israel’s use of the symbol has not met up with the legend. While Israel sent only a relatively small force back into Gaza in March, the opposing Hamas forces did not flee in fright. Rather, they recruited young men, whose families were reportedly paid $40 a month. Hamas gave the new recruits rudimentary training and sent them out to stage guerrilla attacks against the IDF forces.

Using RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and IEDs (road-side bombs), and automatic weapons, these new Hamas fighters have been a thorn in the IDFs side.

Last week, according to Ynetnews, three IDF soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb decimated their armored Hummer as they raced to provide support for another IDF vehicle. Pundits speculate that the three IDF soldiers walked into a cleverly laid trap.

On Tuesday, another IDF soldier was killed when a terrorist snuck into an IDF position, opened fire with an automatic weapon, killing the one soldier and injuring another, then fleeing before he could be caught.

Not exactly Gideon’s victory.

Itamar Eichler, writing in Ynetnews, states that the only reason the war in Gaza is being waged is to keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power.

According to Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet, Gen. (ret) Gadi Eisenkott, former chief-of-staff now member of the United Israel party, has said that Israel cannot win the war in Gaza.

Other murmurs of dissent have been heard in the IDF. According to the Times of Israel three Israeli soldiers have been sentenced to between 10-20 days in military prison for refusing to go back into Gaza and fight after having already done reserve duty for hundreds of days.

The IDF is stretched to the limit recalling men to battle who have already served in Gaza, some for over a year,.

According to reports, these soldiers returned to the front lines but many complain that their livelihoods are at risk by being away from their jobs, or businesses, so long. And that their families are suffering because of their absence.

Haredi men demonstrate in Jerusalem’s Mea Sharim neighborhood

A bill to draft tens of thousands of eligible Haredi youth has created a government crisis.The Haredi community is opposed to legislation that would draft eligible Haredi men, estimated in the tens of thousands, to help fill the shortfall of manpower in the IDF.

This reluctance to serve has created a deep divide in Israeli society. Those men who have been on the battlefront for months and months resent the ultra-Orthodox who refuse to heed their draft notices and report for duty in the IDF.

The soldiers’ families are also incensed by the Haredi refusal to serve.

These Haredim, labeled draft dodgers, have also been called parasites who exist on state welfare using taxes paid by Israelis who serve in the army.

Tie that in with the obdurate behavior of Minister of Police Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotritch, who have successfully pushed, PM Netanyahu, according to analysts, to seize Gaza, drive out the Gazans and resettle the area with Israelis.

The final analysis is, according to military experts, that the IDF cannot win a war in Gaza. That without a “day after” plan that allows the Palestinian Authority to have a part in ruling Gaza once Israel withdraws, Israel will never be free of the Gaza problem or the Hamas terrorists.

According to the New York Times, US President Donald Trump has joined the international chorus calling for the war in Gaza to wind down.

Gaza

Gazans leaving aid station with boxes of food

The controversy over the aid distribution, the issue of possible starvation in Gaza, the uproar over the Hamas sources that say innocent people lined up for aid are being killed by Israeli soldiers, all make Israel more of a pariah state.

Gaza aid sites closed for two days after disruptions. GHF says they have to reassess their strategy for feeding large numbers of people and the IDF has to reassess their plan for protecting food.

CNN reports that the Israelis have eschewed the UN distribution plan fearing Hamas looting and take over of the supply chain.

According to NPR (national public radio) more than 180,000 Gazans have been displaced from northern Gaza by the IDF and ordered to move south.

Also, Israeli media is calling the accusation that Israel killed scores of Gazans trying to get food a “blood libel” meant to incite antisemitism.

Avigdor Leiberman (left) PM Benjamin Netanyahu (right)

According to the Times of Israel, Yisrael Beitenu Party Chairman Avigdor Liberman on Thursday (June 5th) accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of supplying weapons to armed militias in Gaza with ties to ISIS.These new reports raise questions about coordination between Israel and emerging non-Hamas and non PA (Palestinian Authority) factions in the enclave.

In an interview with public broadcaster Kan Reshet Bet, Leiberman claimed the Israeli government was “transferring weapons to a group of thugs and criminals who identify with ISIS.”

Leiberman admits that the Shin Bet approved the move but the issue was never brought before the cabinet. And he said, “I don’t know how much the IDF chief of staff was informed.

The Prime Minister’s office did not deny the charge.saying only that “Israel is taking various steps to defeat Hamas, based on the recommendations of all security agency heads.” Leiberman responded with a brief post on X, formerly Twitter: “Don’t give them guns.”

Al Shabab militia in Gaza

However, security sources clarified: "There is no connection to ISIS, in the past these militia men even fought against ISIS in Sinai." A resident of Rafah of Bedouin origin, a drug dealer with connections to the criminal world said, Yasser Abu Shabab heads the militia in the south of the Gaza Strip. And the militia is made up only of his extended family.

The Abu Shabab’s clan are also major weapons and drug smugglers and dealers.

One analyst points to Israel turning to the Phalangist party in Lebanon in the war with the PLO in the 1980’s. Ultimately, the Phalangists disappointed Israel and committed the slaughter of PLO families at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camp killing between 800 to 2,000 Palestinians.

Palestinian sources have alleged that Abu Shabab is cooperating with both Israel and the U.S.-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) relief mechanism. (Leiberman also accuses Israel of using state funds to finance the GHF).

Hamas has accused the Abu Shabab group of looting aid convoys and has released footage of Hamas fighters opening fire on Abu Shabab militia members during what it described as “a clash with undercover Israeli operatives.”

According to Ynetnews, humanitarian sources claim that the Abu Shabab militia members are also involved in looting aid trucks and imposing protection fees - an activity that is carried out, they claim, in full view of IDF forces.

Ynetnews reports that there are also dissenting voices in the defense establishment. Some senior officials warn that such a move, backing the Abu Shabab militia, could prove to be a long-term strategic risk.

Still, Ynetnews says, it seems that Israel is seeking to find a governing alternative to Hamas, even if this includes using questionable local elements, as long as they are not affiliated with Hamas.

One of the main reasons for arming those clans, according to the same sources used by Ynetnews, is the desire to prevent Hamas from taking control of humanitarian aid convoys, especially those destined for the distribution centers of the American foundation GHF.

Kan Channel 11 TV reported that Israel has been secretly funding the GHF aid group, funneling over $280 million through channels that were kept from the public.

According to Ynetnews, on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, the IDF said it had fired warning shots toward Palestinians outside an aid distribution site after they approached troops while straying off a pre-approved path. Hamas officials and the Red Cross claimed dozens were killed and hundreds wounded from gunfire.

The IDF asserts that those figures are exaggerated, while saying it is investigating the allegations.

GHF did not open its sites on Wednesday or Thursday, after eight consecutive days of operation. The shutdown was implemented in order to carry out logistical work in order to more safely accommodate more Palestinians at distribution sites. Ultimately, a new distribution center was opened away from the site where the problems arose.

North

Rockets fired from Lebanon at Israel

Sirens blared in the north of israel on Saturday May 31st for the first time in three months. According to Ynetnews, at least six rockets were fired at Israel from Syria. The rockets were aimed at the border town of Metulla. Three of the rockets were shot down and the others fell in open areas.

NPR reported that in response, the IDF conducted artillery strikes targeting launch sites in southern Lebanon. While no group has claimed responsibility for the rocket fire, Hezbollah denied involvement and reaffirmed its commitment to the existing ceasefire.

Meanwhile the IDF says it has struck Hezbollah weapons storage sites in south Lebanon. Ynetnews reports that a senior Hezbollah commander who planned terror attacks against Israel was eliminated.

Ynetnews reports that a new radical ISIS group has sprung up in Syria. The group promises to continue firing missiles at Israel.

Ynetnews reported that the rockets were fired by Iranian-backed terrorists. The Times of Israel of Israel reported that Syria’s new president Al-Sharaa has said that Syria ‘will never be a threat to anyone in region’a day after rocket fire on Israel.

On Thursday, Ynetnews reported that IDF’s Arabic language spokesman has warned residents of Beiruts Dahiya neighborhood, the site of the attacks that killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah and many of his leaders, to leave four buildings “immediately."

Cloud marks explosion in Beirut’s Dahiya neighborhood

According to an IDF spokesman, the army attacked underground infrastructure used to manufacturing drones (UAVs). Defense Minister Israel Katz said: "We will not allow any threats to produce threats to the northern communities and all citizens of the State of Israel." Following the warning, huge traffic jams were recorded in Dahiya, due to attempts by residents to escape the area.

The IDF also gave evacuation warnings to residents in southern Lebanon: "Urgent warning to the villagers Ein Kana: Anyone in the building marked in red as appearing on the map and buildings near it, you are near the Hezbollah facilities.”

The IDF has been active in Lebanon on an almost daily basis, according to the army spokesman. This is order to prevent Hezbollah from attacking Israel. A ceasefire was brokered by the US on November 27,2024 but Hezbollah has been committing violations despite the ceasefire.

Israel has responded to these violations eliminating threats. On April 1 Israel eliminated Ali Mahmoud in Deir, who was active in the Iranian Kids force. Reportedly, he had been working with Hamas to prepare a major strike against Israel.

West Bank

IDF in operations in West Bank

According to Ynetnews, the Israeli security cabinet secretly approved 22 new settlements in the west Bank between Jerusalem and Modiin along the 443 highway.

Speaking of settlements and security, Brig. Gen. (ret) Barak Hiram said that settlements must have their own self-defense and be able to hold out for 30-minutes until help arrives.

Israel is concerned that there may be a Gaza-like invasion of West Bank settlements by terrorists.

Also, according to Ynetnews, 18 wanted suspected terrorist were arrested in the West Bank. Guns and explosives were reportedly seized.

Hostages

Judith Weinstein Haggai and husband Gaddi Haggai

The Jerusalem Post reported that on Wednesday June 4th, the IDF special forces, acting on information obtained from the Shin Bet interrogation of a captured Hamas terrorist, retrieved the bodies of hostages Judith Weinstein Haggai, 70 and her husband Gadi Haggai, 72, from Khan Yunis. The couple were kidnapped on Oct 7,2023 from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Both were dual Israeli/American citizens.

The Weinstein Haggai family told the Nir Oz kibbutz, “We welcome the closure that we have been granted and the return for burial of our loved ones, who went out for a walk on that Black Sabbath morning and never came back.

The families thanked the IDF and security forces who carried out the complex rescue operation. They also thanked "everyone who supported, struggled, prayed, and fought for us and for all of Israel," as well as the FBI, and the US and Israeli governments.

"However, our hearts will not be whole until all 12 hostages from Nir Oz and all 56 hostages in total are brought back," the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, negotiations to free the remaining 56 hostages have stalled.

Red Sea

Houthi rebels in Yemen

The Iranian-backed Houthi’s have continued to fire on Israel from Yemen. On June 3rd and June 5th sirens blared across almost all of Israel. Lone Houthi rockets were intercepted and destroyed both times before reaching Israel. This was the ninth missile sent by the Houthi’s from Yemen in the last ten days. One pundit said that ‘one lousy rocket sends millions of Israelis scurrying to bomb shelters.’

Since Oct 7,2023 the Houthis have launched nearly 50 surface to surface missiles at Israel and nearly 320 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

According to Ynetnews, the terror group has largely failed to cause any serious harm or damage to Israel throughout the one-and-a-half-year-long war still ongoing against Hamas in Gaza. An exception was seen when one of the group’s munitions hit closely to Ben-Gurion airport, halting flights and causing a large wave of cancellations by international airlines.

Yemen’s last remaining commercial airlines destroyed by IAF fighters

In response to the June 3rd missile attack, the Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF hit the Sanaa airport in Yemen destroying their remaining passenger jet.

Also, the Jerusalem Post and other Israeli media sources reported that Israel successfully used Rafael Industries new ground-breaking Iron Beam technology to down more than 20 Houthi missiles and ten drones.

Globes reported that the combination of Iron Beam with Iron Dome will expand it, both in the range of interception capabilities and in Iron Beam's dealing with a variety of threats, including rockets, mortars, drones and cruise missiles.

Iron Beam, Iron Beam M, and Lite Beam

Furthermore, laser-based air defense is dramatically cheaper than defense using rockets or missiles. While an interception with an Iron Dome costs around $30,000, an interception with Iron Dome will cost just $5-$10.

According to the Jerusalem Post, quoting Rafael, a major advantage of its lasers – Iron Beam, Iron Beam M, and Lite Beam – is that they can shoot down enemy rockets and drones much earlier in the threat process, so that most of the time, no sirens or bomb shelters would be necessary.

This is because the light energy of the laser travels much faster than any interceptor in Israel’s arsenal and would already potentially destroy the enemy aerial threat shortly after it launches, invariably while it is still in enemy territory.

The Iron Beam will be deployed later in 2025. Many countries around the world have expressed interest in the new weapon, the first to be successfully used in a combat situation. The USA is a partner in the funding and development of this new technology.

The line of Iron Beam weapons would be yet another item for sale by Israeli military companies. In 2024 Israel exported $14.8 billion dollars of weapons.

Iranian supreme leader Khamenei

Meanwhile, Iranian supreme leader Khamenei has rejected the US nuclear deal proposal vowing to keep enriching uranium, according to the Times of Israel. The Iranians reportedly have turned down US envoy Steve Witkoff’s latest proposal.

This, even though the Saudis, according to the Times of Israel, have passed on the message to Iran to “reconnect with the US or risk war with Israel.”

The Saudi’s reportedly told the Iranians that the region can’t bear more escalation. Saudi princes were told by Iran that they want a Nuke deal but won’t stop uranium enrichment.

Israel is worried, according to the Times of Israel, that the US may drop the demand for Iran to cease enriching uranium to speed up the negotiations.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, former Israeli National Security Advisor, has publicly stated that Israel should be prepared to strike Iran's nuclear facilities, even without U.S. support, if ongoing negotiations result in an unsatisfactory deal.

In a recent interview with Israel Radio’s 103FM, Amidror emphasized that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile poses a significant existential threat, and that Israel cannot allow Iran to continue advancing its nuclear program unchecked. Gen. Amidror acknowledged that while an attack without American backing would be less effective, it remains within Israel's capabilities.

Israeli analysts have pointed to the Iranian nuclear threat and said that Israel was being distracted by the war in Gaza when in fact Iran, who have threatened to destroy Israel, is the real problem.

Meanwhile, according to Israel radio’s Reshet Bet, US President Trump is more interested in a diplomatic solution with Iran that with a war.

Antisemitism

NGO Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen

Climate activist Greta Thunberg is one of the 12 pro-Palestinian activists aboard the ship “Madleen” which is sailing from Sicily, Italy and plans to land in Gaza.

According to Kan Channel 11TV Israeli security officials have said that the ship could land. However, the decision was later reversed by the government.

Zohran Mamdani (second from right)

And, according to the Times of Israel, New York State Assembly member, a Kenyan born Moslem, Zohran Mamdani, a leading candidate in the New York City mayoral race, drew fire on the debate stage on Wednesday June 4th when he would not recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

Mamdani is polling in second place ahead of this month’s Democratic party primary, which will likely decide the winner of the November election in the mostly Democratic US city.

Meanwhile Jewish residents of Paris are worried about the spike in violence in the city of light. Recently the city faced violence and flames all in celebration of a soccer team’s victory.

Following Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) historic 5–0 victory over Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final on May 31, 2025, celebrations in Paris and other parts of France escalated into widespread violence and unrest.

Riot police on Champs Elysees in Paris after soccer championship win

According to the Jerusalem Post, two people were killed and nearly 200 injured, and 500 arrested as hundreds of vehicles and shops were vandalized or torched.

In an opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post Catherine-Perez Shakdam opines that this violence is all part of what she calls the “cult of jihadism.”

She writes this is not only an armed form, but has cultural and psychological manifestations. “The belief that violence is holy when directed at the West. That rage is righteous when wrapped in the banners of identity or injustice. That civilization must apologize before it can defend itself.

“What was visible on the boulevards of Paris was not merely hooliganism. It was a theater of menace and a message, again and again: we do not love your country, we do not respect your traditions, and we will desecrate your symbols – even your victories – to remind you of your weakness.”

Shakdam also writes that “The flames in Paris are not just physical. They are the burning embers of decades of self-delusion. Of leaders who refuse to admit that mass immigration without integration comes at a cost…that a portion of Europe’s imported population does not want to coexist but to conquer.”

Shakdam writes, “…We are instructed to believe this even when chants of “Allahu akbar” accompany the destruction of Jewish shops in Sarcelles (a Paris neighborhood) or when synagogues require police protection every Shabbat in cities that once prided themselves on tolerance…If we do not confront this culture of destruction now, we will wake up one day to find there is no culture left to defend.”

Politics

Israel’s Knesset in session

Sources within ultra-Orthodox parties told Kan News that Netanyahu is attempting to puppeteer the government's collapse to delay his cross-examination as part of his trial.

The prosecution’s chance to try to tear down Netanyahu’s narrative at trial is the moment the PM has dreaded since 2016 when the investigation into his three alleged crimes began.

There have been so many historic moments in the public corruption saga surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the upcoming sessions, when he is cross examined by the prosecution, may be the most important of all.

The trial has gone on so long that it started when he was prime minister in 2020, continued through the entire June 2021-December 2022 that he was out of office, and has continued throughout his entire new current term.

The prosecution brought witnesses from April 2021 to summer 2024, and after a several-month recess, which was granted to Netanyahu’s lawyers to prepare, the prime minister has been presenting his side of the case since December 2024.

In the cross-examination that began in late May the PM has called the proceedings a joke, said the case was a fabrication to get him out of office, and has said, both in the interrogation and in the cross examination that he “doesn’t remember” almost 1200 times.

The prosecution’s cross examination is expected to go on for several months. Both the prosecution and the defense have turned down a pleas-bargain proposed by the three-judges hearing the case.

Prime Minister Netanyahu arrives in courtroom May 19,2025

Meanwhile, the issue of the Haredi draft has become a major issue in the political arena. Reshet Bet radio reported that Haredi leader Rabbi Dov Lando, and Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, have instructed their followers to leave the government and call for new elections unless a draft law favorable to the ultra-orthodox youth is passed.

Haredim gathering

In what the Jerusalem Post called a significant political development, on Wednesday June 4th, leading haredi Lithuanian rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch said in a statement that he would ‘likely’ instruct the Degel Hatorah faction to leave the coalition ‘soon’ over the government’s failure to pass a law that would exempt a majority of eligible haredi men from IDF service.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the Sephardic-Haredi party Shas did not comment on Hirsch’s statement on Wednesday morning. Still, the Jerusalem Post reported that it was highly unlikely that Shas would remain in government if UTJ left, according to a source.

Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef

On Wednesday June 4th, Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef called on Shas to call for the dissolution of the Knesset unless an acceptable draft law is passed.

Radio commentators said that unless Shaas party leader Aryeh Deri, a sworn supporter of PM Netanyahu, agrees to call for new elections, the present crises will abate.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman MK Yuli Edelstein (Likud), who is responsible for advancing the bill, said “It is clear that there is no progress at all on the subject of the [IDF] draft.Knesset member

MK Yuli Edelstein (center)

Edelstein, has been adamant that the eligible Haredi young men report for the draft. According to the Jerusalem Post, on Wednesday Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef said “His [Edelstein’s] soul is an abomination, he was a Prisoner of Zion and came to the land [of Israel], it is too bad he came, he should have remained there," Yosef said.

On Wednesday June 4th, recordings of PM Netanyahu surfaced with Netanyahu admitting that he had fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and chief of staff Herzi HaLevi because they had opposed a lenient Haredi draft law.

Former defense minister Yoav Gallant (center)

According to the Times of Israel Gallant responded angrily to Netanyahu’s statements. “I heard Netanyahu’s lies. The false accusations come to cover up a simple truth: For me, the security of the State of Israel is first and foremost. For him, the security of the coalition is put ahead of Israel’s security. The only thing that bothers Netanyahu, in his words, is that I refused to pass a law exempting Haredim from IDF service,” Gallant says in a video statement.

“Everyone must serve. It is essential to ease the burden,” he adds.

On Thursday June 5th, Attorney General Miara called for draft notices to be sent out in July to 53,000 Haredi men.

Also on Thursday night, the heads of the Ashkenazi United Torah Judaism (Agudat Yisrael) party met and called for their party to immediately support a bill to dissolve the knesset.

Should the Haredi United Torah Judaism and Degel HaTorah call for new election together they only have 7 seats in the present coalition, led by PM Netanyahu’s Likud.

Currently the Likud-led coalition has 68 seats. If the UTJ withdraws support for the government the coalition will still have 61 seats, which is the minimum number to stay in power, in the 120 seat knesset.

In any case, the actual dissolution of the knesset could take months. This is not the same as the Haredi parties quitting the coalition. In that case they would lose their ministerial positions and the influence, perks and patronage that comes with their ministry. Hence, the Haredi parties are not rushing to resign from the coalition.

New elections are currently scheduled for Nov 2026. So, should the knesset dissolve after several months of discussions and debates, only a few months would remain until the scheduled elections.

The main point against the move is PM Netanyahu’s ongoing criminal trial for corruption. Pundits say that if he is no longer in power he cannot disrupt the flow of the trial with notes demanding his immediate attention because of state security. Or days away from court because of cabinet meetings or visiting heads of state or health reasons.

The trial has been on-going since 2020. Experts say that it may go on for at least another year. Now, the PM is being cross examined by the prosecution, a process that experts say may take over six-months.

All in all, the country is growing weaker, not stronger, by the war and the world opinion against it.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin

Justice Minister Yariv Levin has proposed legislation to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara that would bypass normal procedures.

According to the Jerusalem Post the draft argues that the legal consultation process, traditionally required with the attorney-general's selection committee, has become obsolete due to the scale of distrust and functional paralysis it claims has gripped the government amid wartime.

The existing committee, currently incomplete, was the body that originally selected Baharav-Miara and would typically be involved in dismissal deliberations.

In March Levine pushed through a cabinet vote of no confidence in the attorney general.

According to former Knesset Constitution Committee Chair MK Gilad Yariv, Levin’s plan is a betrayal of the IDF and the public. "Levin weakened Israel before October 7, and she hasn't changed course," Kariv said. "This is not about governance, it's about caving to political pressure, especially from the ultra-Orthodox over the draft exemption issue.”

Editorial

The war drags on past 600 days and counting.

The body count continues to mount. Whispers of Vietnam with the IDF

spokesman’s office listing the victories and the successes in the battlefield

all the while the fighting continues. 56 hostages are still rotting in Gaza, with only about twenty still alive, if that.

The Israeli public’s patience with the war in Gaza is wearing thin. Protests that call to free the hostages have been apparently met with closed ears. Hostage families complain that PM Netanyahu has yet to meet with them.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Israeli anti-war protesters continued a multi-day march from Tel Aviv toward the Gaza border, calling for an end to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. This demonstration, organized by the grassroots peace group Standing Together, began on June 4 near the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv. The march is set to span three days, culminating near the Gaza border, where participants will join a larger protest organized by the "It's Time" coalition of peace organizations.

Then tie in the Haredi draft that has become an issue. Haredi spokesmen say that the whole issue is a red-herring tossed out by Netanyahu to deflect attention from his trial for corruption.

Whatever the case, Israel is beginning to be stretched to the limit. How long, hostage families ask, can they wait for a deal to be made that will bring their loved ones home.

How long, ask families of the reserve and regular army soldiers, can we listen to talk about a victory that is just around the corner, just over the hill, just a bomb away after another Hamas leader is killed.

The public is getting worn out. By the war. By the hostage issue. By the Prime Minister and his machinations.

It is not only the IDF and the manpower shortfall that has been stretched to the limit, it is also the patience of the Israeli public.