DAY 169 OF THE GAZA WAR: Purim in Tel Aviv, Shifa Hospital Op Continues, Blinken in Israel, West Bank Terror
Tel Aviv Diary March 23, 2024
It's Purim night, and what a strange Purim it is. Celebrating Purim amidst a war feels odd, especially when the conflict's presence is barely noticeable if you live in the center of the country. Reservists have been temporarily released, and it's been weeks since rockets targeted the central region. Yet, Tel Aviv's hotels, typically bustling with tourists, are still filled with internal refugees from the North and the South.
Tel Aviv, canceled its traditional Purim parade. Jerusalem, in contrast, took the opposite approach and held a long-planned celebratory costume parade for the first time in decades. While the festive sprit was palpable on the streets, with people in costumes, though their numbers were noticeably lower than in most years. Ultimately, Regardless of the war's current phase, one somber reality looms over all the festivities — the hostages have not returned home, and that casts a deep shadow over all celebrations.
Tonight, Tel Aviv residents were presented with several choices of options on how to spend the evening: 1) Attend synagogue to hear the Megillah read, 2) Join a festive party to celebrate the holiday, or 3) Participate in one of three demonstrations (which took place not far from our home.) The first demonstration, a weekly event on Kaplan Street, calls for an immediate election. The second weekly gathering takes place at Hostage Square, expresses solidarity with the families of the hostages. Lastly, a more militant demonstration occurred at the entrance to the Defense Ministry on Begin Street.
This week, I chose to stand with the hostage families. The most moving moment of the evening was an impactful speech by Adina Moshe, a former hostage. Her words moved many to tears, as were most of the people listening. You can listen to her speech below.
A transcript of Adina Moshe’s words:
It was forty nine days, and it felt like an eternity. My friends are still left there. Very old, very sick people, without medication. The children, who are today young people, whom I've cared for all my life from Kibbutz Nir Am, are still there. [Yarden] Bibas is still there. He is convinced that his wife was saved, despite those scoundrels coming and informing him that she was killed, and his children too.
I want this indifference to stop. I was there, and it's terrible. It's inconceivable that my country continues to ignore the captives. It's the most terrible thing I ever thought could happen here. It can't be, and I don't care who the leader is, I don't care. They are no longer mine, no one is. None of them are mine, and this flag is not mine, this country is not mine.
Someone needs to wisely take the reins and get them out of there. This should have been done a long time ago, a long time ago. Even the Hamas members were sure that this is what Israel would do. Right? they were surprised.
But what about us? What about those who are there? What about the murder of my dear husband? Nothing. Can ignoring this be possible? In the State of Israel, the sacred to us? No. No. Enough.
Stop for a moment. Another thing, I am slightly toning down my criticism. Yet, nevertheless, I appeal to the Prime Minister, who is still mine. You abandoned us on October 7th, and you continue to neglect. Such things do not exist — not in our Judaism, and nowhere else in the world. No one recognizes such things, where women and elderly men are abducted and receive no assistance. There are also sick people among the young. This needs to stop now. Thank you.
RAMADAN IN JERUSALEM
Thankfully, prayers on the second Friday of Ramadan on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount passed peacefully, with over 120,000 in attendance.
IN GAZA
The operation at Shifa Hospital complex continues. The IDF Commander of the Southern Command stated today that the operation in Shifa will continue until the last of the terrorists are captured, dead or alive.
This is what the IDF spokesman wrote about events in Gaza during the last day:
The IDF and Shin Bet continue their focused combat in the Shifa Hospital area. The combat team of Brigade 401, the combat team of the Nahal Brigade, and the forces of Shayetet 13 under the command of Division 162 are fighting in the area while avoiding harm to civilians, patients, medical teams, and medical equipment.
So far, the fighters have killed about 170 terrorists in the hospital area, detained over 800 suspects, and located many weapons and terrorist infrastructures.
During the last day, the Air Force attacked approximately 35 terrorist targets across the Gaza Strip, including operational headquarters, military positions, terrorist organization infrastructures in the Gaza Strip, and targets supporting the guerrilla forces.
The combat team of the Nahal Brigade has been intensely fighting in the center of the Strip, killing about 15 terrorists in the area over the last day. In one of the attacks, the forces identified several terrorist cells fortified in a building in their sector and engaged them with sniper fire, precision missile strikes, and helicopter gunship attacks.
In another attack, the forces identified two terrorists in their sector and, together with the brigade's fire support, eliminated them with a precision missile.
The 7th Brigade combat team continues to operate in the 'Al Qarara' area in Khan Younis. During the last day, the Air Force, guided by the brigade's forces, attacked two terrorists moving towards them. In another attack, a military building of a Hamas terrorist was destroyed.
SECRETARY OF STATE BLINKEN VISITS
Secretary of State Blinken visited Israel on Friday. Blinken met with Netanyahu and the War Cabinet. During the meeting, Blinken warned Israel that it might find itself alone in the world, and by the time it finds out, it will be too late. Blinken stressed that even if Israel went into Rafah, Hamas would survive. Unless an alternative power is put in charge, Hamas will end up in power. Netanyahu reportedly responded by stating that the Israeli public would not accept the establishment of a Palestinian state as a consequence of the events on October 7th
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A VOICE OF SANITY
Ahmed Foud Alkhatib, a Palestinian-American who I have quoted before tweeted in response to the tweet below posted by Mariam Barghouti
What a horrible, immoral, despicable, and truly grotesque take that justifies atrocities and war crimes by Hamas in the name of “resistance” by someone who really outta know better by now. I’ll tell you a little bit about psychopathy:
Suicidal adventurism by Hamas that is far worse than inaction – remember, bad action is worse than no action.
Holding Gazans hostages to a futile armed resistance project that had failed to liberate an inch of territory and has instead brought back Israeli military occupation to Gaza when the coastal enclave didn’t have a single IDF soldier inside of it.
Grabbing women, children, and elderly people and celebrating their seizure as some marvelous victory that’s going to advance the Palestinian national cause when it is, in fact, a shameful embarrassment.
Provoking the most right-wing and extremist government in Israel’s history and failing to anticipate the annihilation and complete destruction of your people and territory.
Protecting Hamas and Islamist terror from overdue and well-deserved criticism and critique for 17 years and continuing to sing their praise without realizing just how much of a disaster they’ve been to your people.
Failing to acknowledge how Hamas has been a godsend gift to Netanyahu, who used the group to keep the Palestinians divided and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
It is so frustrating to be working overtime to humanize the Palestinian people in Gaza, only for a supposed pro-Palestine activist to say something foolish and immoral that further dehumanizes our people, painting them as bloody-thirsty monsters eager to kill Israelis — two wrongs to make a right. Some Palestinians and their allies are their own worst enemies and miss no opportunity to miss an opportunity and, worse, an already inflamed and awful discourse; what a shame.
UNCONFIRMED REPORT
Hamas leadership in the West Bank and in Israeli prisoners announced they are severing all ties with Hamas in Gaza, as well as with Hamas overseas, calling for unity within the Palestinian community.
WEST BANK TERROR
On Friday, an unusual event occurred when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire at a minibus in the West Bank. No one on the armored bus was harmed. In response, soldiers engaged the terrorist, who was a former member of the Palestinian Authority’s Police Force, but was later deemed a security threat by the PA. The terrorist managed to hold off the IDF soldiers for four hours using a sniper rifle, during which time he wounded seven and killed one soldier, Sergeant Major Ilay David Garfinkel (21), before being killed by a helicopter gunship.
The terrorist had previously been a member of the security squad protecting Palestinian President Abbas and had been trained in Jordan by the United States but had left that position and had become an arms dealer.
NORTH
It was another relatively calm day in the North, with only a limited number of rocket and missile attacks. Overall, the past week has been more quiet than most. Last week, there were only 40 rockets or missiles fired, compared to a peak of 400 in one single week. Since the war began, 4,000 rockets and missiles have been fired into Israel from Lebanon.
BILL CLINTON ON GAZA
An interesting article in Politico called Bill Clinton: ‘I killed myself to give the Palestinians a state’ on former President Bill Clinton answering a heckler about Gaza.
Here’s an excerpt:
“Yes, they were,” Clinton said. “And Hamas is really smart. When they decide to rocket Israel, they insinuate themselves in the hospitals, in the schools, in the highly populous areas, and they are smart.”
The line prompted applause, and he continued: “They said they try to put the Israelis in a position of either not defending themselves or killing innocents. They’re good at it. They’re smart. They’ve been doing this a long time.”
HOUTHIS
Here’s an update from Centcom regarding the Houthis:
On March 22, between approximately 4:22 a.m. and 11:10 p.m. (Sanaa time), United States Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in self-defense.
During this timeframe, Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired four anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea. There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships.
Additionally, CENTCOM forces conducted self-defense strikes against three Houthi underground storage facilities in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen. These strikes targeted capabilities used by the Houthis to threaten and attack naval ships and merchant vessels in the region. Illegal Houthi attacks have killed three mariners, sunk a commercial vessel lawfully transiting the Red Sea, disrupted humanitarian aid bound for Yemen, harmed Middle East economies, and caused environmental damage.
These weapons storage facilities presented a threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region. These actions are necessary to protect our forces, ensure freedom of navigation, and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.
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A PIECE OF HISTORY
Preparing for Independence
As the prospect of independence became a tangible option, Ben-Gurion gained clarity about what needed to be done. In December 1946, after taking over the defense portfolio of the Jewish Agency, Ben-Gurion stated,
We now face a completely different situation. Palestine is surrounded by independent Arab countries. They can buy and produce weapons, establish armies, and train them. An attack by the Arabs of Palestine does not endanger the Yishuv. But there is a danger that the neighboring Arab states will send their armies to attack the Yishuv and destroy it. We must prepare immediately. This is the primary goal of Zionism.
Even before delivering the speech, Ben-Gurion was well aware of the challenges that lay ahead. In 1945, Ben-Gurion recruited eighteen Jewish millionaires to form the Sonneborn Institute. Their task was to provide the funding and acquire military equipment, including machinery to produce arms in Palestine. The group successfully secured substantial arms manufacturing equipment from the US, where there was an abundance after World War II. Additionally, they managed to purchase four B-17 bombers, several C-46 aircraft, and aviation fuel.
Haganah agents also scoured Europe for weaponry and were able to purchase 65mm artillery pieces, mortars, anti-aircraft guns, and some light tanks, as well as small arms. Much of this arsenal was smuggled in before the British withdrew. Once the mandate ended, they were able to legally import arms.
While arms were crucial, the Yishuv also needed soldiers to defend itself. In early 1947, the Haganah had 35,000 troops, but only 2,000 were full-time members of the Palmach. By the fall of 1947, the Haganah initiated a mobilization campaign. By the end of December, the full-time troops had grown to 7,500, and by the time of Independence, that number had reached 30,000.
Once the war began, that number grew rapidly to 64,000. At the same time, the Haganah reorganized itself into military units made up of brigades and battalions. By July, all the Haganah, Palmach, as well as the Etzel and Lechi units, had been organized into the IDF.
