DAY 139 OF THE GAZA WAR: Terror Attack on Road to Jerusalem, Israel Sends Delegation to Hostage Negotiations

Tel Aviv Diary, February 22, 2024

This morning mirrored so many unsettling mornings over the past four months; we woke up to disheartening news. The first report I saw upon waking was the Arrow Missile system’s successful interception of a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis over the Red Sea. As the day progressed, further reports emerged that the US Navy had intercepted six drones over the Red Sea. Regrettably, this was merely the start of the day's developments. A short time later, alerts were issued regarding a shooting incident on the road near Maale Adumim.

The terrorist attack near Maale Adumim was carried out by three Palestinians from a village near Bethlehem. The attackers deliberately caused a traffic accident, thereby blocking the heavily traveled road between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem. After halting traffic, they emerged from their vehicle and began walking along the line of stationary cars, firing into them. This attack resulted in the death of one individual and injuries to 11 others. Their rampage was stopped by a police officer who confronted them and a civilian who had recently completed military reserve duty in Gaza. Both approached the terrorists and opened fire as soon as they were in range, killing two of the terrorists on the spot, and critically injuring the third.

The three terrorists are thought to have no known ties to terror or other radical organizations. Attempted terrorist attacks have been happening almost daily, yet, in most instances, they have been unsuccessful. Sadly, today’s terrorists achieved their objective. There is concern that this might not be the last successful attack.

JENIN

Tonight, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) targeted and destroyed a vehicle in the Jenin refugee camp, resulting in one fatality and four injuries. This incident is not the first instance in the past four months where the Air Force has been deployed to help attack potential terrorists.

HOSTAGES

Following a day filled with subtle indications of potential progress in negotiations, the Israeli War Cabinet unanimously decided tonight to dispatch a delegation to the talks in Cairo. Unlike previous instances, this delegation is authorized not just to listen but also to present counter-proposals of their own. There's a growing sense in Israel that there's an opportunity to secure an interim agreement focused on the release of elderly and ill hostages, and possibly women, as well.

The key question is whether Hamas is willing to decouple the initial phase from any ultimate agreement. Hamas is evidently under significant pressure; with ongoing reports suggesting that Sinwar is becoming increasingly isolated, alongside demonstrations against Hamas which seem to be growing.

Demonstration Against Hamas

It should be noted that the announcement of an Israeli delegation's participation was met with criticism from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who argued that engaging in negotiations was a mistake. Smotrich then claimed that if we had not negotiated, “all of the hostages would be back by now.”

LEBANON

Heavy exchanges of fire continued on the Lebanese border today. Anti-tank missiles hit buildings in both Metulla and Kiryat Shmona. This evening, (as of this writing at 10 PM), two salvos of rockets were fired from Lebanon towards the Golan Heights. All were either intercepted, or fell in open spaces.

Earlier today, a drone was intercepted and destroyed near Tzfat. In a separate operation, Israel launched a strike on a village near Sidon, resulting in the death of two senior Hezbollah members, Hassan Saleh and Hisham Abdullah. Saleh, thought to be the primary target, was known for his expertise in rocket and missile technology. This action is a continuation of Israel’s ongoing campaign to persuade Hezbollah that diplomacy is a better path than warfare. Through such targeted eliminations, Israel highlights its superior intelligence regarding Hezbollah's operations and its potent capacity to precisely strike individual objectives.

I24NEWS ARABIC

Last night’s Tel Aviv Diary update was a bit rushed. I did not include an item I had wanted to —i.e., the statement made by the Army’s Advocate General that certain actions of soldiers in Gaza may have been criminal and that charges might be brought. I will address the matter of the soldiers in a moment, but first, the reason I was rushed. Just as I started writing, I received a message from i24News Arabic asking if I could come to the studio at 9:30 PM, which was in less than two hours.

Over the past eight years, I have appeared regularly, if not frequently, on the Arabic channel. I am usually called to talk about US politics or US policy in the Middle East. Every once in a while, I talk about Israeli politics, but that is rare. I enjoy my appearances on Arabic, since I speak in Hebrew and am translated into Arabic, so I doo’t have to worry about making grammatical mistakes in Hebrew (or about my accent). Also, I enjoy the opportunity it affords me to meet different groups of people than I usually do.

The staff of i24News Arabic are all Arab Israelis, but the panels I participate in often include Palestinians from Ramallah, Egyptians, and some times Iraqis, as well as others. Last night was no different. Once seated in the studio, I was informed the topic of discussion would be the UN Resolution vetoed by the US the night before and the US’s counter-proposal. The other panelists were a representative from the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, and an Egyptian gentleman, loosely affiliated with the Egyptian government.

The Palestinian representative insisted that Israel had accomplished nothing in the war, attributing all its actions to the decisions of the current right-wing government in Israel. The Egyptian representative was more diplomatic, yet adhered to his government’s official stance, asserting that an attack on Rafah would be very bad. He expressed hope that any actions taken would be coordinated with Egypt.

We all agreed that the US counter-proposal was presented to show that the US was concerned about the situation in Gaza. The Palestinian representative claimed the Biden Administration was fine with Israel’s extreme government. However, the moderator challenged his stance by asking about the sanctions the US imposed on several settlers. He dismissed the significance of these measures. In contrast, I argued that these measures served as a clear public declaration to the Israeli government, emphasizing the need for the government to control the actions of the settlers. One other point that I made was that public pressure on the Israeli government would be ineffective. Bibi would only use such pressure as a political tool. Conversely, if President Biden wishes to influence the Israeli government, he should do so in private discussions with Netanyahu.

MISCONDUCT OF SOLDIERS IN GAZA

Now, regarding the matter of illegal actions by soldiers … I have no doubt some of the accusations are true. Many of you may have seen the CNN footage showcasing certain actions undertaken by soldiers. I also remember watching the destruction of the Gaza parliament  building, and scratching my head, wondering the rationale behind it. Who ordered this demolition? and to what end? It turns out there was no direct order issued from above for this action. Instead, there was a standing order to destroy any structure being utilized by Hamas. This is another example of what happens when you go to war without a strategic plan; everything is executed at the tactical level.

Returning to the issue of soldiers behaving inappropriately … I am not surprised. Way back in 1980, I spent my summer vacation doing reserve duty in Gaza. I was a member of a reserve battalion comprised, obviously, of slightly older men. However, to this day, I vividly remember watching from a distance how a company of regular army soldiers interacted with local Palestinians, and I was appalled by their treatment.

Following my reserve duty, I recall sharing my experiences with a family friend who served as the military advisor to the President. He was not surprised by my account. Young soldiers, ages eighteen and nineteen-year-old, who had grown up seeing Arabs as our enemies (for understandable reasons) suddenly found themselves in positions of power and acted in ways they should not. At that point, I understood the corrosive impact our occupation has on our society; a realization that came to me almost 45 year ago.

I have no doubt that the added experience of a war, witnessing friends being killed or wounded right before your eyes, diminishes anyone’s capacity for self-control, particularly for young individuals. While this does not excuse or justify anyone’s inappropriate actions, the events following October 7th, have at times made it challenging for me to keep my own anger in check. I have no doubt remaining consistently calm and collected is even more challenging for young men and women who face active combat.

BUSINESS

Faddom, which developed a platform for mapping and documenting computing infrastructures, raised $8 million in a Series-A round, led by Viola Ventures, NFX, and other prominent angels. To date, the company has raised over $13 million, including a SAFE fundraising of $4.5 million in 2022 and a seed round from angels of approximately $1.2 million in 2021.

––––––∞–––––∞–––––∞–––––∞–––––∞–––––∞–––––∞–––––

A PIECE OF HISTORY

Hebrew University Founded

At the first Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897, Professor Herman Schapira suggested the establishment of a Jewish University. The idea was positively received, but the Zionist movement was too young to take practical steps towards executing the idea. Four years later, Chaim Weizmann made a similar proposal at the Fifth Congress.

In 1902, Weizmann, Martin Buber, and Berthord Feiwel, published a pamphlet called Eine Judische Hochschule (A Jewish College), detailing plans to create such a University. At the Eleventh Congress which met in 1913, Chaim Weizmann and Menachem Usshiskin pushed hard for the project to be adopted, and the Congress resolved to take immediate steps to create the University.

In 1919, the Gray Estate on Mt. Scopus was purchased and the cornerstone was laid. Three separate departments were established; one for chemistry, one for Jewish physicians, and a third for Jewish Studies. On April 1, 1925, the University was inaugurated with a gala celebration, presided over by Sir Herbert Samuel, Hayim Nachman Bialik, and Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. The guest speaker was the Earl of Balfour, author of the Balfour Declaration.

The University expanded rapidly and became one of the major institutions of higher learning in the Middle East. The Mt. Scopus campus was cut off from the rest of Jerusalem during the War of Independence, and for several years the University operated out of scattered buildings in West Jerusalem. In 1953, the Givat Ram campus was inaugurated. With the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, the Mt. Scopus campus was rebuilt, and now, it is once again a major center of learning. Today, the Hebrew University is the leading University in Israel, with 350 departments. Over 1/3 of all Ph.D. students in Israel study at Hebrew University

.