Day 6 Of Gaza War: Blinken In Israel- Chief of Staff "We Failed to Protect"
Tel Aviv Diary October 12, 2023
(The next Tel Aviv Diary will be sent out midnight Saturday night)
Tel Aviv remained relatively quiet today, marked by the absence of missile attacks, with some restaurants beginning to open. This sense of respite, however temporary, did not extend to all parts of Israel. Bet Shemesh endured an attack. The areas surrounding the Gaza Strip, including Ashkelon, Ashdod, and particularly Sderot, continued to be targeted with multiple rocket attacks. One strike on Sderot was notably severe, resulting in five casualties, two of whom are critically injured. As night fell, Beersheva also became a target.
As multiple civilian areas faced ongoing threats inside Israel, the Israeli Defense Forces spent the day primarily in planning and preparation. Meanwhile, the Air Force continued its intensive bombardment campaign over Gaza. The Commander of the Air Force strikingly stated today: “We have identified everyone who took part in the attack on the Gaza Border area, and we will get to every one of them.” He also said that we have dropped 6,000 bombs on Gaza up to now and we are just getting started.
Army Chief of Staff Hertzi Halevi declared that as the Army, “our job was to protect the civilians of the country, and we failed.” Halevi went on to declare that all those who took part in or organized the heinous attack are “dead men walking”
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On the political front, the inauguration of the Emergency government finally, is a significant development. Notably, Lapid opted out, expressing skepticism about the viability of the new leadership structure. During Netanyahu’s address to the nation, the Prime Minister emphatically positioned Israel's current state not as a defenseless entity, but as a nation deeply rooted in its homeland, with a robust populace and a formidable military. Netanyahu drew harrowing historical parallels, stating that last Saturday was the worst day in Jewish history since the Holocaust.
Tonight, Minister of Information Galit Distal has resigned. She was one the more incompetent, albeit incredibly loud, ministers in an impressively incompetent government.
Steadfast US Support … After President Biden’s strong words and the arrival of the USS Gerald Ford, Secretary of State Blinken arrived today. He, too had powerful words, as well.
If you’ll permit me a personal aside, I come before you not only as the United States Secretary of State, but also as a Jew. My grandfather, Maurice Blinken, fled pogroms in Russia. My stepfather, Samuel Pisar, survived concentration camps – Auschwitz, Dachau, Majdanek. So, Prime Minister, I understand on a personal level the harrowing echoes that Hamas’s massacres carry for Israeli Jews – indeed, for Jews everywhere.
I also come before you as a husband and father of young children. It’s impossible for me to look at the photos of families killed – such as the mother, father, and three small children murdered as they sheltered in their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz – and not think of my own children. This was just one of Hamas’ countless acts of terror – in a litany of brutality and inhumanity that, yes, brings to mind the worst of ISIS. Babies slaughtered. Bodies desecrated. Young people burned alive. Women raped. Parents executed in front of their children, children in front of their parents. How are we even to understand this, to digest this? The message that I bring to Israel is this: You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself – but as long as America exists, you will never, ever have to. We will always be there, by your side.
Secretary Blinken went on to say that Israel has every right to make sure this never happens again. Blinken met with Netanyahu, Herzog, and Gantz. He visited “Achim LaNeshek” (*see below) to observe the work being undertaken there. Additionally, Blinken engaged with American citizens whose relatives had been abducted.
The unequivocal statements of support by Biden and Blinken sharply contrasted the remarks of former President Trump. The former President criticized Netanyahu, labeled Gantz a fool, and even praised Hamas for their astuteness. Currently, many Israelis — including some government members who had previously dismissed Biden — have expressed relief that Biden, and not Trump, is the U.S. President.
Support Around the World … U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, is scheduled to arrive here tomorrow to meet with his Israeli counterparts. The U.S. isn't the only nation voicing strong support for Israel. French President Macron declared that Israel has every right to robustly defend itself. Macron noted that 13 French citizens were killed in the Hamas massacre
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The U.K. announced its intention to dispatch two warships, slated to join the already present U.S. fleet, which will soon be bolstered by the addition of a second US aircraft carrier. Moreover, the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Germany, and Italy, as well as the President of the European Parliament, are due to visit Israel tomorrow to showcase their solidarity.
War Plans … There has been an internal deliberation within the Israeli army about a possible preemptive strike against Hezbollah. This debate appears to have been influenced by both Biden and Blinken, who advised Israel to focus on Gaza. America’s leaders further assured that if Hezbollah became involved, the U.S. would intervene.
This afternoon, The Israeli Army has advised residents of the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate. The apparent strategy involves a gradual relocation of people to southern Gaza, with the potential intention of methodically demolishing the northern half of the Strip. This would mean that when ground forces eventually enter, they would mainly confront Hamas militants in tunnels. While these are the plans that have been disclosed, it would not be a stretch to assume that the army could have alternative strategies in place as well.
To the North … During the day, Israel is reported to have bombed Syrian airports in Damascus and Homs, damaging their runways and rendering them inoperable. Reports suggest that an Iranian cargo plane, believed to be carrying advanced weapons was en route at the time.
In a previous update, I mentioned a Koronet attack near the Avivim camp on the Lebanon border. This evening, it was disclosed that an Army reservist lost his life in that attack.
The funerals begin … The excruciating accounts of the events from Saturday continue to be relayed on television, each narrative as heart-wrenching as the last. This evening, Channel 13 interviewed one of their own correspondents, Hen Zender. Today, Hen’s sister, Noa, was officially identified among the deceased from the music rave, ending four days of harrowing uncertainty. She will be laid to rest tonight, joining the 200 others buried today. Tomorrow will witness an even larger number of such farewells. The somber expressions on the faces of seasoned news anchors are reflective of the nation's anguish; Israel has never experienced such intense sorrow in such a brief span before.
Reservists rush to join the war effort … Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis from around the globe are attempting to return home. A chartered plane landed today from Peru, filled with Israelis who typically travel post-military service. The flight was funded by US Jewish Federations. Tomorrow evening, El Al will officially operate on Shabbat for the first time since 1982. It has scheduled one flight to New York and another to the Far East to bring back reservists. Previously, such flights were financed by individual donors, with one generous benefactor from New York covering the cost for anyone who presented themselves. The government has since streamlined the process, ensuring that anyone who received a draft notice can now return without incurring any expense.
In parallel, the government has proposed it will provide special insurance for foreign airlines that continue operating flights to Israel. It remains to be seen if this incentive will be effective.
Earlier, I mentioned “Achim LaNeshek”, an organization composed of IDF veterans, which initially formed the core of the protest movement. Presently, they are the pillars of civil society, ardently assisting soldiers, and others in need. If you wish to support their commendable efforts, here's a link: Achim LaNeshek Support. They are doing remarkable work!
This brings me to my concluding thought for the day. Many, including myself, did not anticipate an attack from Hamas or Hezbollah. Just two weeks ago, our society seemed to be unraveling from within. If you were in the shoes of Hamas or Hezbollah, one might wonder, why not let the society self-destruct? Yet, their actions have unified this nation in a manner I've never before witnessed.
Gershon Baskin, who played a role in the negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit and maintains contacts within Hamas, commented on television tonight about Hamas’ miscalculation. According to Baskin, Hamas believe they've achieved a significant victory, failing to grasp the magnitude of their actions.
During my appearance tonight on British LBC Radio News, I drew a parallel between our situation and Pearl Harbor. The Japanese believed they had triumphed, not realizing that, in essence, they had sealed their defeat. In a similar vein, while we might have been a fragmented nation, had our internal issues persisted, the future was uncertain. But Hamas didn't exercise patience, and in their haste, they have galvanized Israelis in ways previously unimaginable. We may be hurt and grieving, but we stand united and wholly resolute.