DAY 202 OF THE WAR: Hostages, The Future of the War, Gaza Redeployment, College Campuses, Houthi

Tel Aviv Diary, April 25, 2024

Today was the hottest April day in Tel Aviv since 1939. The meteorological service recorded a temperature of 40.8 degrees Celsius (105.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Luckily, the air was very dry, so the weather was not as oppressive as it could have been.

ISRAEL’S WAR CABINET

The Israeli war cabinet met for many hours this afternoon to discuss potential proposals to attempt to secure the release of the hostages, given Hamas’s rejection of every recent offer. Tomorrow, an Egyptian delegation will arrive in Israel to begin mediation, taking over from the Qataris. Our government seems ready to agree to a complete, temporary withdrawal from Gaza—where only a small force remains now. In return, only women, children, the elderly, and the sick would be released. Hamas claims only 20 individuals in these categories are still alive. Tonight, there were unconfirmed reports that the number may be 33 hostages.

Accepting the above-mentioned deal would be an admission of failure. Better deals were possible earlier but were not secured by our government. It was Hamas who rejected the latest deal. While Hamas’s political wing was ready to agree, American sources indicate that Sinwar declined. The U.S. has blamed Hamas for quashing any agreement this time, but that does not resolve any of the issues. A major concern in Israel is that if the current offer on the table is accepted, it's unclear how the return of the remaining hostages can be secured once forces have withdrawn from Gaza and all leverage is lost.

The only alternative being offered by the government is an attack on Rafah. The Army estimates it will require at least a month to evacuate the population currently in Rafah, followed by three to four months of combat. As I have said before, if I believed conquering Rafah would end the war and eliminate Hamas, I would support that move. However, the reality is that a military operation in Rafah would not accomplish any of our goals. Nothing would prevent Hamas from moving its people and hostages out of Rafah before the IDF arrives.

So, ultimately, we would enter, fight for a few months, kill many replaceable Hamas fighters, lose some more of our best, and then what? Capturing Rafah will make no strategic difference —since our government has never had a strategic plan for this war, and because of this, our fight in Gaza was doomed from the start. Grievously, we have tarnished our image in the world and lost irreplaceable men and women, achieving little. Yes, we have destroyed numerous tunnels, a mass of Hamas rockets, and even a fair amount of rocket-making equipment, but because our government is incapable of even convening to discuss a strategic plan regarding Gaza, Hamas is poised to rebuild it all.

We lost this war on October 7th, and since then, our actions have been directed by a group of people trying desperately to rehabilitate their reputations after that day's tangled web of catastrophic failures. Now, the day has come to very sadly admit that we have profoundly failed, and we need to make whatever deal we can to bring home all of our hostages. True, we must continue threatening that we are about to attack Rafah since that is the only card we seem to have left. However, we have undoubtedly reached the point where the right thing to do is to cut our losses and work to put this damaged country back together.

Earlier today, the White House released the following statement, which clearly blames Hamas for the failure to reach an agreement.

A joint Statement from the Leaders of the United States, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom Calling for the Release of the Hostages Held in Gaza

We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. They include our own citizens.  The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza, who are protected under international law, is of international concern.

We emphasize that the deal on the table to release the hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, that would facilitate a surge of additional necessary humanitarian assistance to be delivered throughout Gaza, and lead to the credible end of hostilities. Gazans would be able to return to their homes and their lands with preparations beforehand to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions.

We strongly support the ongoing mediation efforts in order to bring our people home.  We reiterate our call on Hamas to release the hostages, and let us end this crisis so that collectively we can focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region.

Earlier today, the UN released a list of groups that employ sexual violence to achieve their goals. Conspicuously absent from that list, Hamas. So, despite the report that the UN itself released detailing “the use of rape by Hamas as a weapon of terror,” when it came to including Hamas terrorists in the list —nada.

President Biden with Abigail Idan who was released by Hamas

GAZA

The Nachal Brigade completed its deployment. Today, both Nachal and the 162 Tank Brigade left the Gaza Strip, replaced by the two IDF reserve divisions that were recently mobilized.

Here’s how the Army has summed up today’s actions in Gaza:

Division 162 has been operating in the central Gaza corridor sector for the past three months. The combat team of the Nachal Brigade conducted five brigade-level operations in the Shati, Zeitoun, Shifa, Nuseirat areas, and an operation in the central Gaza corridor. In cooperation with Yahalom (special engineering) units and engineering forces, the fighters located and destroyed over 20 kilometers of underground infrastructure in the corridor area, some of which crosses from north to south of the Strip.

The Nachal Brigade has been active for about three months, since January 21st, said the commander of the Nachal Brigade, Colonel Yair Zukerman. “The Brigade's mission is to allow humanitarian passage and to establish the corridor with various logistical efforts in order to enable exits from it for divisional and brigade-level raids, both in the north and the south of the Strip. Over the past three months, the brigade has been very active, destroying many infrastructures and, together with the Yahalom unit, over 20 kilometers of various tunnel routes, fulfilling the mission. The very presence of the Brigade in the area, the presence of the combat forces, the maneuvering, and the fire capabilities have led to many achievements.”

COLLEGE CAMPUSES

What began at Columbia University has now spread to a long list of institutions throughout the U.S. Some University administrators have not been so accommodating to antisemitic protesters. At NYU and the University of Texas at Austin, police were summoned to remove those protesting. At the University of Minnesota, the police were also called in, and those who protested illegally were suspended for an entire year.

At Columbia, the administration seems afraid to force the illegal protesters out and keep extending the deadline for their forced removal. I had to pinch myself as I listened to House Speaker Johnson speak at Columbia yesterday. Here was a man for whom I had absolutely no respect—until his change of heart on Ukraine—until Johnson singlehandedly ensured that both Ukraine and Israel would receive the aid we needed. Now, watching Johnson pull off what was clearly a political stunt, nevertheless articulating points that made logical sense, was chilling.

Johnson’s visit was ultimately a sideshow. The main problem is that many universities do not know how to confront the cancer growing on their campuses. If the statements made by these anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, antisemitic student groups were aimed at any other ethnic group or minority, the universities’ responses would likely be very different. Tonight, USC canceled its graduation due to the protests. But it's not just the failure of the university administrations to act. The problem is the intellectual rot and antisemitism prevalent at some of America's elite institutions runs exceptionally deep. I want to include the first two paragraphs of a lengthy, as of yet unpublished, op-ed piece by Samatha Fried, a former instructor at the Columbia School of Social Work.

Columbia University has enabled antisemitic indoctrination on its campus for years. Ironically, the School of Social Work (CSSW), where social justice is supposed to be the bedrock, has been at the forefront of this radicalization. Students and staff use the premise of social justice as a shield for their antisemitism, creating an environment in which those who challenge their rigid, reductive, and error-ridden worldview when it comes to Jews, is considered against social justice and thus effectively silenced. Rather than setting an example for the rest of campus, for years the social work administration has silently looked on as antisemitism has festered in the program and has even protected antisemitic students and staff from consequences. The result is what we are seeing at Columbia today.

Over the years, the CSSW administration has been at best apathetic towards the rising antisemitism in the program, has failed to protect Jewish students, and has refused to educate students and staff to counter it. As a lecturer, I witnessed students and professors, like all antisemitic movements before them—Nazism, Soviet “anti-zionism”—cloak their antisemitism in the guise of “social justice.” To get a taste for this, one only need reference the student handbook, which features an incorrect definition of antisemitism (anyone who thinks antisemitism simply means “hating Jews” and compares it to Islamophobia is no expert) and the antisemitic term “Ashkenormativity,” their definition of which claims Ashkenazi Jews are from “Western” Europe as a way to link Jews with “Western” imperialism and, of course, white supremacy. Never mind that the majority of Ashkenazi Jews spent their diaspora in “Eastern” Europe and are indigenous to the Levant like all Jews. Their definition of white supremacy does not include prejudice against Jews. Because Jewish identity does not fit their narrow narrative about the world, so they lie instead, with no consequences and no efforts by the school to teach otherwise. Following the recent Congressional hearing, where the glossary was referenced, it was removed from the school’s website.

One final related note … A Tel Aviv Diary Update reader asked—“Where is our PR effort against all these terrible things.” I will say three things. First, the Israeli government has never been good at PR, and this government is particularly bad at public diplomacy, explaining or deploying a communicative strategy—with Netanyahu being the only minister who speaks fluent English. Reflecting on the period after the Sinai War when Israel had to contend with a difficult American administration—Who was speaking out for Israel then? Foreign Minister Golda Meir and US/UN Ambassador Abba Eban. Today, we have no one remotely comparable.

Second, I have been saying for some time that US Jewry will need to step up and take proactive measures if we have any hope of revamping our PR efforts. Thirdly, I read the promising start of a plan today, which I intend to share in a special edition of the Update on Sunday, as there would not typically be a Tel Aviv Diary entry due to it being a holiday eve.

HOUTHI- US Central Command Reports:

At 11:51 a.m. (Sanaa time) on April 24, a coalition vessel successfully engaged one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) launched from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen over the Gulf of Aden. The ASBM was likely targeting the MV Yorktown, a U.S.-flagged, owned, and operated vessel with 18 U.S. and four Greek crew members. There were no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships.

Separately, between 12:07 pm and 1:26 pm, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) successfully engaged and destroyed four airborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

It was determined that the ASBM and UAVs presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.

TRAVEL

Air France, Lufthansa, and Austrian Airlines have all resumed service to Israel. On the other hand, Air Canada and Air India have now postponed their respective returns until July.

BUSINESS

Checkpoint Software the leading and oldest Israeli cybersecurity firm exceeded first quarter forecasts with a 6% revenue increase year-over-year, reaching $599 million, and a non-GAAP profit of $2.04 per share. Market expectations were slightly lower, at $595 million in revenue and $2 per share in profit. The company's stock rose 1% in early Wall Street trading. This financial improvement is partly due to Check Point's share buyback program, which reduced the number of shares and increased earnings per share. Check Point spent $325 million on share buybacks this quarter, consistent with previous quarters. Compared to the same quarter in 2023, the total adjusted profit has increased by 8%.

NVIDIA is on track to complete another significant acquisition of an Israeli software company specializing in artificial intelligence. According to a report by The Information, the chip giant is in advanced negotiations to acquire the Israeli startup Deci.

Deci was founded at the end of 2019 by Dr. Yonatan Geifman, Prof. Ran El-Yaniv, an artificial intelligence expert from the Technion, and Yonatan Eliel. The company developed an AI-based platform that enables developers and data scientists to improve the accuracy and processing speed of algorithms that drive AI applications. Today, Deci employs dozens of employees. To date, the company has raised approximately $55 million, with investments from Insight Partners, Jibe Ventures, Emerge, Square Peg, and Fort Ross Ventures, ICON. Deci collaborates with hardware manufacturers, OEM manufacturers, and other ML system leaders and is an official partner of Intel, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and NVIDIA.

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A PIECE OF HISTORY

Israel Agrees to Withdraw from Sinai

When the fighting ended, the world united against Israel and its allies. The UN voted for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops. The US was particularly upset that Israel and its allies had acted without its knowledge. The British and French went ahead with landing some of their troops, but the United Nations demanded their withdrawal and the pullback of Israeli troops from Sinai.

The Soviets threatened to intervene if the withdrawals did not occur. President Eisenhower sided with the UN and threatened Ben-Gurion that he was endangering “friendly cooperation between our countries.” Ben-Gurion promised that Israel would soon withdraw from western Sinai, but that was not enough for Eisenhower, who warned that the US would not defend Israel from the USSR if it intervened against Israel. The British and French delayed their withdrawal in part to give Israel time to bring back all the tanks and other equipment it had captured in Sinai.

Israel was not willing to withdraw without achieving two things: guaranteeing free passage through the Straits of Tiran and finding some way to end the attacks from the Gaza Strip. The United Nations passed another resolution on January 7, 1957, demanding Israel withdraw—France alone voted with Israel. By then, Israel had already withdrawn its forces 30 miles from the canal. On January 8th, Israel withdrew to the El Arish line in the middle of Sinai.

On January 15, 1957, Ben-Gurion announced that Israel would withdraw from all of Sinai except Sharm el-Sheikh and the Gaza Strip. Israel was adamant about not pulling back from those two places. Golda Meir spoke at the UN and said:

It is inconceivable to my government that the nightmare of the previous eight years should be re-established in Gaza with international sanction. Shall Israel be allowed once more to organize murder and sabotage in this strip?

Meir's words did not fall on deaf ears. The UN passed two resolutions: one resolution, once again, calling for an Israeli withdrawal and a second resolution calling for the establishment of peaceful conditions once Israel withdrew. However, the US remained unmoved. On February 4th, Eisenhower wrote to Ben-Gurion, stating, “Continuing disregard for the UN resolution will almost certainly seriously damage relations between Israel and UN members, including the United States.”

However, Eisenhower was beginning to come under domestic pressure, with Americans questioning why it was acceptable for the USSR to invade Hungary without consequence, yet when Israel acted due to genuine security concerns, it faced opposition. Lyndon Johnson, the Democratic leader in the Senate, spoke out forcefully on behalf of Israel and promised to stop cooperating with the executive if Eisenhower continued to pressure Israel.

Eisenhower threatened sanctions against Israel. On February 19, the Democratic Policy Committee issued a statement supporting Israel's position. Eisenhower spent three hours meeting with Congressional leaders but made no progress. The President decided to address the American people about the situation in a television broadcast on February 20th. Eisenhower’s address was not well received, neither by Congressional leaders, nor the leaders of the Jewish community.

US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles then changed tactics and negotiated with Israel's Ambassador, Abba Eban, to find a formula that would meet Israel’s security needs. This formula eventually led to the stationing of UN forces in Gaza—who would be there instead of Egyptian forces—and a UN presence at Sharm el-Sheikh, in conjunction with a statement by the major maritime powers that the Straits of Tiran were international waters, free for all to traverse. UN forces were to remain at the two locations until a permanent peace was established between Israel and Egypt.