DAY 149 OF THE GAZA WAR;Fighting in Gaza, Hostage Negotiations, Gantz to Washington, Grossman in the NYT
Tel Aviv Diary, March 3, 2024
Fighting remained intense in the area of Khan Younis, where the IDF made a sudden move to gain control of the northwest section of the city, which had not yet been cleared. The IDF announced the end of its two-week action in Zeitoun, with troops withdrawing from the area. Another Israeli soldier was killed in Southern Gaza today; Sergeant major (res.) Dennis Yekimov.
This is how the IDF Spokesman described the attack:
An aerial assault targeted approximately 50 terrorist infrastructures in less than 10 minutes; the forces of Brigade 98 initiated another attack tonight in the Khan Younis area.
Tonight, the maneuvering forces and the fire center of Brigade 98 launched a comprehensive brigade-level attack in the west of Khan Younis to deepen the operational achievement, destroying terrorist infrastructures and eliminating terrorists from the Hamas terrorist organization operating from civilian facilities in the heart of the built-up area.
The brigade operation began with a dense opening sortie, during which Air Force fighter jets attacked about 50 terrorist targets in 6 minutes, with the support of artillery forces. The targets included underground infrastructures, military buildings, anti-tank missile positions, fortified buildings, and gathering points of terrorists posing a threat to the forces in the area.
The extensive sortie was designed to create favorable conditions for the ground forces, and at its conclusion, the brigade combat teams began a surprise assault on the area, during which the fighters stormed terrorist targets and eliminated terrorists. The forces continue to operate in the area with intensity.
Over the last day, fighters from the Nahal Brigade's combat team eliminated dozens of terrorists in the central Gaza Strip area and located weaponry. In one of the activities, the brigade's fire complex identified a group of terrorists loading weaponry and moving towards fighters in the area. In response, an aircraft attacked and eliminated the group.
HOSTAGES
Israel received responses from Hamas today, which were affirmative but with conditions — i.e., "Yes, but…” One of Israel’s key demands is to obtain a list of hostages to be released, a request Hamas refuses to provide. There are additional unresolved issues regarding which Palestinian prisoners will be released, as well as Israel’s demand that only women and children be allowed to return to Northern Gaza. While the Egyptian and Qatari mediators appear optimistic, the Israeli perspective is much less hopeful. There is a prevailing sense in Israel that Hamas prefers to instigate incidents during Ramadan rather than reach an agreement. The next few days will be critical.
GANTZ IN WASHINGTON
Defense Minister Gantz arrived in Washington, after receiving an invitation from the US Administration. Prime Minister Netanyahu, who was not consulted about the trip, was not pleased. There is a clear lack of trust between the American Administration and Netanyahu. Gantz felt compelled to accept the Administration's request. Politically, this decision does not harm Gantz, as he consistently commands double the support of Netanyahu in all polls.
Additionally, the majority of members from both Gantz’s party and from the Likud party support Gantz’s continued role in the government. Therefore, any attempt to dismiss Gantz would likely backfire on Netanyahu. Moreover, Gantz’s visit once again highlights his stature as a statesman who is able to engage with the American Administration— in contrast to Netanyahu, who is persona non grata. Gantz is expected to meet with VP Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. It's anticipated that President Biden will drop by one of these meetings.
LATEST POLITICAL POLL
Channel 13's Camil Fuchs conducted a new poll of voters. The overall results were very similar to the Ma’ariv Poll I presented yesterday. However, Fuchs included some additional intriguing questions. When asked about their stance on a compulsory draft of the ultra-Orthodox, 67% of respondents said “Yes;” while only 21% answered “No.” Regarding the primary reason for Netanyahu prolonging the war, 53% of respondents are convinced it is to maintain power, whereas 35% believe it is to achieve total victory.
A READER REFLECTS …
Our readers come from all over the globe. A reader from New Zealand sent me a long email, sharing details about themselves and updating us on the current happenings in their country. Below is a brief excerpt from their message:
For the first time, a few days ago, there were news reports of a group of pro-Israeli protesters confronting the Palestinian supporters (again in Christchurch) and carrying Israeli flags and banners demanding the release of the hostages. It was good to see. There was lots of yelling and abuse from both sides, but thankfully, no physical violence. It will be interesting to see how this develops. I think deep down most New Zealanders are appalled by what Hamas did on 7 October, and I don’t think anybody but the radical idiots here really believes that Hamas does not use its own people as human shields etc. However, most of us remain silent like most silent majorities, because New Zealanders hate confrontation.
Our recently elected coalition government is centre-right and has publicly stated that Israel has the right to defend itself – and it has declared Hamas a terrorist organization. There was no real public outcry against that statement, which I think is quite telling. We have also sent some of our military in support of the UK and the US preemptive strikes against the Houthis (and I strongly suspect we are doing more behind the scenes). Again, no real public outcry.
FAMED AUTHOR, DAVID GROSSMAN SPEAKS OUT …
David Grossman wrote an exceptionally well-articulated guest opinion piece in the New York Times, titled: “Israel is Falling into an Abyss.” The piece is outstanding and accurately captures the essence of Israel's current state and its people's sentiments.
The paragraph below from Grossman's piece resonates deeply, reflecting the challenging emotions many of us are experiencing:
The profound despair felt by most Israelis after the massacre might be the result of the Jewish condition into which we have once again been thrown. It is the condition of a persecuted, unprotected nation. A nation that, despite its enormous accomplishments in so many realms, is still, deep down inside, a nation of refugees, permeated with the prospect of being uprooted even after almost 76 years of sovereignty. Today it is clearer than ever that we will always have to stand guard over this penetrable, fragile home. What has also been clarified is how deeply rooted the hatred of this nation is.
Grossman then adds:
One more shameful phenomenon has come to the surface as a result of the war: Israel is the one country in the world whose elimination is most openly called for.
However, Grossman then proceeds to acknowledge that there is a real possibility that Hamas could democratically come into power in any future Palestinian state. Despite that fact, Grossman calls on the world to work towards a two-state solution. I understand Grossman’s perspective. Having lost a son to war, spending his career writing about conflict and occupation, in one form or another, Grossman is in search of hope. I, too, seek hope. Yet, just because we yearn for hope does not turn that aspiration into a reality.
ANTISEMITISM
There were several antisemitic incidents over this past weekend. In Zurich Switzerland, a visibly Orthodox Jewish man was assaulted by someone, who derogatorily referred to him as a "dirty Jew."
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In San Diego, a Jewish dentist was shot by a Muslim individual, who may have been a former patient.
An Israeli was invited to speak At UC Berkely. However, a protester broke into the venue and the University’s Administration ultimately decided to cancel the event. In the interim, violent protesters attacked Jewish students. One Jewish female student described being choked by Monday's violent demonstrators. Another Jewish student was injured. Palestinian Activists spit in the face of a male Jewish student and shouted "Jew, Jew, Jew" at him.
ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE (Excerpted from the Taub Report)
Access to medical services is significantly impacted by waiting times for community consultations, with longer waits reducing service quality and increasing the risk of complications. Data shows wide variations in wait times across specialties and regions. A survey by the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute revealed average wait times of 31 to 83 days, with long waits driving patients towards private healthcare. Factors influencing appointment scheduling included proximity, urgency, and physician preference. Most patients were satisfied with the accessibility and location of their physician, indicating that geographic accessibility is not a major barrier. However, wait times vary by demographic and geographic factors, with the longest waits in central urban areas and among chronically ill patients. This discrepancy suggests a potential need for more use of primary and emergency services in areas with fewer consultants, thereby straining the healthcare system further
Another survey conducted by the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute in 2021–2022 examined healthcare system functionality from the perspective of consumers and showed that one-fifth of respondents did not seek medical care due to the distance from their place of residence, and, of those, 51% turned to private healthcare. Socioeconomic status was shown to affect seeking care (Figure 13): 12% of the respondents did not seek medical care because of an inability to pay, and this figure grew to 19% when considering only respondents from the lowest socioeconomic quintile (Laron et al., 2022
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BUSINESS
The startup company Slice Global, which develops an automatic platform based on artificial intelligence for managing and taxing equity for employees and consultants employed around the world, announced a seed funding round of 7 million dollars. The round was led by TLV Partners, with participation from R-Squared Ventures, Jibe Ventures, international law firms, including Wilson Sonsini and Fenwick & West. Private investors from the USA and Israel, including Einat Guez, co-founder and CEO of Papaya Global, also participated in the round.
Slice Global developed an AI-based platform for managing the allocation of shares and options to employees and consultants in various countries around the world. The platform solves the problems employers and employees face due to the multitude of regulatory and taxation requirements and the difficulty in tracking them across different countries. By analyzing global legislative changes in real-time through artificial intelligence and using LLM models, it enables the generation of insights and, when necessary, sends alerts to employers and employees about legal or financial risks.
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A PIECE OF HISTORY
The White Paper
Beginning in 1936, the Arabs of Palestine began rioting against British rule. In response, the British government appointed various Royal Commissions to find a solution. Despite recommendations for partition made by the Peel Commission, the Arabs rejected the proposal. In an attempt to bring the Arab and Jewish communities to the negotiating table, the British organized the London Conference, but this effort was also unsuccessful. As the threat of war became imminent, the British released the White Paper of 1939.
The White Paper was notably one-sided, aligning with Arab demands, while neglecting every Jewish concern. It declared the Balfour Declaration had only called for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, and claimed that with over 450,000 Jews already living in Palestine, Britain had fulfilled its obligation. The White Paper went on to state that Britain would work towards the establishment of an independent State in Palestine within the coming decade. It also limited Jewish immigration to an additional 75,000 over the following five years — with any illegal Jewish immigrants to be subtracted from this quota. Moreover, the White Paper prohibited any further Jewish land purchases.
In response to the release of the White Paper, the Jewish community in Palestine, together with the rest of the Jewish world, were outraged by what they viewed as a betrayal by the British. The Jewish community began their revolt against the British and organized illegal immigration. However, with the outbreak of World War II, the Jews of Palestine had no choice but to work with the British to fight the Nazis
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David Ben Gurion, Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Palestine and leader of the Jewish community stated:
We will fight the war as if there were no White Paper, and we will fight the White Paper as if there were no war."
The White Paper helped seal the fate of European Jewry, who as a result, had nowhere to flee.
Today’s Gaza Update