DAY 211 OF THE WAR: Fate of Hostage Negotiations Unclear, Demonstrations, Foreign Funding of Universities in the US
Tel Aviv Diary, May 4, 2024
ZOOM BRIEFING MAY 5TH 6 PM ISRAEL TIME, 11 AM EDT, 8 AM PDT INVITATION WILL GO OUT IN THE MORNING
The last few days have been a time of intense anticipation, with various rumors and reports emerging since early this morning. Most of the reports suggest that Hamas has agreed to the Egyptian phased proposal, which includes a plan to conclude the war during its third phase. However, an official response has yet to be received. The first phase of the plan reportedly involves the release of hostages who are either sick, elderly, or women, totaling around 33 individuals. The two subsequent phases is said to involve the return of soldiers, as well as the remains of all deceased hostages, with the final phase requiring Israel to end the war.
During Shabbat, there were two separate reports attributed to “a high-ranking government official”—a term often used to refer to Netanyahu when he prefers not to use his name—declaring that Israel would never agree to end the war. By issuing this statement before Hamas’s official response to the Egyptian proposal has been received, Netanyahu appears to be trying to undermine the deal. The agreement on the table also calls for the release of approximately 1,000 terrorists from prison. Marwan Barghouti appears to be among those expected to be released.
Netanyahu undoubtedly fears that any hostage release agreement will bring down his government, as Ministers Smotritch and Ben-Gvir have stated that if there is an agreement including the release of a terrorist, the current government has no right to exist. Smotritch and Ben-Gvir reiterated their opposition to the proposed deal tonight.
On Friday, it was announced that Elyakim Libman, who was believed to be a hostage, was actually killed on October 7th and buried together with another victim of the Nova Festival. There had been suspicions that Libman was killed at the scene, but DNA evidence analyzed from the site recently confirmed this to be true. In a very unusual move, the graves of several festival survivors were exhumed, and parts of Libman’s body were discovered in one of them.
RALLY, DEMONSTRATION, PROTEST
Tonight, as has been the case for the last two months, there were three rallies/demonstrations in Tel Aviv. The first was the weekly solidarity rally supporting the families of the hostages. The second was a more militant demonstration demanding the government do more to secure the hostages’ release. The third gathering was a protest demanding new elections.
WEST BANK
The IDF, Shin Bet, and Mossad carried out a an operation based on intelligence from the Shin Bet and Mossad. The operation lasted over 12 hours in the Tul Karem area of the Menashe Brigade, in targeted activity to neutralize a terrorist cell.
IDF, Shin Bet, and Mossad forces surrounded a structure where the terrorist cell barricaded themselves and began firing at them. The soldiers responded with gunfire, shoulder-fired missiles, and other means. Later, IDF drones attacked the structure twice, accompanied by engineering units working to demolish the building. After several exchanges of fire, five terrorists were killed, including those who participated in the early November murder of Elchanan Klein. Additionally, military equipment and weapons were confiscated. During the operation, an IDF soldier sustained severe injuries.
On Thursday, Israel’s Shin Bet security service detained a 34-year-old individual from the Israeli settlement of Beit El, suspected of involvement in the murder of a Palestinian. This action comes after the tragic death of 14-year-old Binyamin Ahimeir in the West Bank last month.
Seventeen-year-old Omar Ahmad’ Abd al-Rani Ahmad was fatally shot in the head in Beitin on the same day Ahimeir’s body was discovered amidst clashes involving Palestinians, settlers, and the IDF. Another Palestinian lost their life that day in Al-Mughayyir, reportedly due to IDF gunfire.
US CAMPUSES
Over the past two days, tensions on university campuses have somewhat calmed. It has been established that the actions on campuses have been orchestrated by two groups: Students For Justice in Palestine (SJP), which has 250 chapters in the U.S., and Palestine Action U.S. These groups collaborate, sharing resources, information, and plans. Contrary to some claims circulated by my Republican friends, the primary funder behind SJP is not George Soros but is actually American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). The main donor to AMP is Hatem Bazian, who has previously funded organizations that have been accused of supporting Hamas.
The issue of anti-Israel animus on U.S. campuses, however, is considerably more profound. As I have previously mentioned, the number of Arab and Palestinian instructors at many universities has significantly increased over the past twenty years, with numerous positions funded by money from the Arab world. Below is a chart detailing funding from various countries to select universities. As you can see, the universities I referenced represent only a small fraction of the U.S. institutions of higher education receiving foreign funds.
The data I calculated from the raw data supplied by the Department of Education contain anomalies. For instance, Cornell’s substantial sum of money from Qatar can be partially attributed to the fact that Cornell operates a medical school in Qatar. Note that the totals are the entire sums a country gives to U.S. Universities.
Additionally, universities such as the University of Minnesota and Northwestern, which have reached agreements with anti-Israel demonstrators, have potentially created further issues. These schools have agreed to increase the number of both Palestinian students and faculty members. In the wake of this decision, seven members of the President’s Advisory Committee on Preventing Antisemitism and Hate at Northwestern have resigned from the committee. In a letter sent to University President Michael Schill, the resigning committee members cited Schill’s decision not to consult the committee on the agreement reached between administrators and the organizers of the pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow.
“It is essential that the University develop appropriate and timely recommendations to address and prevent antisemitism and hate,” the members wrote in the letter. “However, in light of the University leadership’s decision not to utilize the committee for its stated purpose, we can no longer continue to serve in this role.” These former committee members understood the future consequences of the University’s actions.
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A PIECE OF HISTORY
JFK Sells Arms to Israel
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy approved the sale of modern anti-aircraft missiles to Israel, marking the first time the United States sold such advanced weaponry directly to the country. The U.S. had been involved in other arms transactions involving Israel earlier as well.
From the late 1950s, the United States encouraged West Germany to transfer tanks to Israel. In return, the U.S. committed to replenishing West Germany’s tank supply. By 1966, U.S.-Israel arms relations took another step forward when President Lyndon B. Johnson approved the sale of Skyhawk fighter bombers to Israel. These aircraft were pivotal for enhancing Israel’s aerial capabilities.
The dynamics of international arms sales to Israel changed significantly after the Six-Day War in 1967. France, a major arms supplier to Israel until then, imposed an arms embargo on the country. As a result, the United States stepped in to become Israel’s primary arms supplier.
A fascinating chart!
The US is not a poor country, so why would these countries want to donate billions? Presumably they are expecting something in return.
I’m at a loss to understand why increasing the number of Palestinian students and faculty members is correlated with anti semitism. I could understand correlating a rise in the number of Palestinians at the university with a potential rise in anti Israeli policies.