DAY OF THE 156 OF THE GAZA WAR: Biden v Netanyahu- How Bad Can it Get, Heavy Rocket Barrages from Lebanon, Government Deficit Grows

Tel Aviv Diary, March 10, 2024

The relationship between the Netanyahu government and the Biden Administration has reached new lows. The tension was notably evident on Thursday, during the State of the Union address. Here are the pertinent excerpts of the transcript released by the White House:

I know the last five months have been gut-wrenching for so many people -- for the Israeli people, for the Palestinian people, and so many here in America.. 

This crisis began on October 7th with a massacre by a terrorist group called Hamas, as you all know. One thousand two hundred innocent people -- women and girls, men and boys -- slaughtered after enduring sexual violence. The deadliest day of the -- for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. And 250 hostages taken.

Here in this chamber tonight are families whose loved ones are still being held by Hamas. I pledge to all the families that we will not rest until we bring every one of your loved ones home. 

We also -- (applause) -- we will also work around the clock to bring home Evan and Paul -- Americans being unjustly detained by the Russians -- and others around the world. 

Israel has a right to go after Hamas. Hamas (could have) ended this conflict by releasing the hostages, laying down arms -- could end it by -- by releasing the hostages, laying down arms, and s--- surrendering those responsible for October 7th. 

But Israel has a h--- excuse me.  Israel has an added burden, because Hamas hides and operates among the civilian population like cowards -- under hospitals, daycare centers, and all the like.  

Israel also has a fundamental responsibility, though, to protect innocent civilians in Gaza.  (Applause.)

This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Says who? 

THE PRESIDENT: -- Most of whom are not Hamas. Thousands and thousands of innocents — women and children. Girls and boys also orphaned.

Nearly 2 million more Palestinians under bombardment or displacement. Homes destroyed, neighborhoods in rubble, cities in ruin. Families without food, water, medicine. It’s heartbreaking.   

I’ve been working non-stop to establish an immediate ceasefire that would last for six weeks to get all the prisoners released –– all the hostages released and to get the hostages home and to ease the intolerable an— humanitarian crisis and build toward an enduring -- a more -- something more enduring.

After the speech, Biden was overheard saying that he is soon going to have a “Come-to-Jesus moment” with Netanyahu. Then, on Saturday, Biden gave an interview on MSNBC in which he stated that Netanyahu “is doing more harm to Israel than helping.” At the same time, Vice President Harris, stated in an interview that one must separate the people of Israel from Israel’s government.

American anger and frustration directed at Netanyahu and his government did not start during the last few days; it originated when the government was being formed. The US Administration attempted to dissuade Netanyahu from including Smotrich and Ben-Gvir in key government positions. Additionally, there was US opposition to the proposed judicial reforms. From the onset of the war, the US has shown unwavering support for Israel, which included deploying two aircraft carriers to the region, not to mention, actively engaging against the Houthis.

Just yesterday, they targeted over 40 threats to several maritime vessels. Most significantly, since the war commenced, the US has dispatched over 140 aircraft loaded with munitions, alongside several naval vessels, to support Israel.

Israel is using a much higher quantity of ordnances at a rate far beyond its initial preparations—a topic I plan to discuss in detail separately. However, the US urged the IDF to moderate its use of force to reduce collateral damage and casualties. However, most importantly, and what has particularly exasperated the Administration, is Netanyahu’s neglect of the various proposals the Biden Administration has offered concerning post-war Gaza.

The Administration’s key frustration lies in the Netanyahu government’s lack of a viable alternative approach. Moreover, the IDF’s absence of a humanitarian aid plan has compelled the US to air-drop aid and devise a strategy to construct and open a seaport. It's not clear where these tensions will lead us, but Biden has made it clear that he will not cut off military aid, especially when he recognizes that Israel must be equipped for the possibility of an accidental escalation into full-scale conflict.

Netanyahu responded tonight in an interview with Politico and said the following:

"I don't know exactly what the president meant, but if he meant by that that I'm pursuing private policies against the majority, the wish of the majority of Israelis, and that this is hurting the interests of Israel, then he's wrong on both counts.

 Number one, these are not my private policies, only. They're policies supported by the overwhelming majority of the Israelis. They support the action that we're taking to destroy the remaining terrorist battalions of Hamas. They say that once we destroy the Hamas, the last thing we should do is put in Gaza, in charge of Gaza, the Palestinian Authority that educates its children towards terrorism and pays for terrorism. And they also support my position that says that we should resoundingly reject the attempt to ram down our throats a Palestinian state.

That is something that they agree on. And it's something that I think is also for the interests of Israel because the majority of Israelis understand that if we don't do this, what we'll have is a repetition of the October 7th massacre, which is bad for Israel, bad for the Palestinians, bad for the future of peace in the Middle East. So, the attempt to say that my policies are my private policies that are not supported by most Israelis, is false. The vast majority are united as never before. And they understand what's good for Israel. They understand what's important for Israel. And I think they're right."

Netanyahu is correct, in asserting that the majority of the Israeli public supports his overall goals, as stated. However, a plurality of the public believes that Netanyahu war-time decisions are more aligned with his political interests than with the country's welfare.

IN THE NORTH

A high level of combat occurred in the North today. Yesterday, Israeli air strikes in Lebanon led to the deaths of several civilians. In retaliation, Hezbollah fired 11 volleys of rockets into Israel, totaling 60 rockets. This included a salvo of 20 rockets targeting the Air Force installation on Mt. Meron, causing some damage. Israel countered with strikes on Hezbollah targets. It seems Hezbollah is being forced to change its tactics from firing precision line of sight anti tank missiles to larger barrages of rockets.  This obersovers believe is a direct result of IDF attacks on vulnerable anti-tank crews Despite assurances from both sides that they do not desire a full-scale war, there is an ongoing concern that the situation could escalate uncontrollably.

RAMADAN AND THE WEST BANK

As Ramadan commences this evening, the IDF is bracing for the worst. The deployment in the West Bank includes: 24 Brigades of soldiers and 20 Border Police units, along with two special forces units, amounting to a total force of over 15,000 troops and police officers.

GAZA

Combat continued in the Khan Younis area, where fighting claimed the life of another IDF soldier, Sergeant First Class (res.) Michael Gal, who was 29 years old

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Here’s how the IDF Spokesman described today’s combat in Gaza:

In a combined air and ground operation, Sayeret Egoz fighters directed an aircraft to eliminate the terrorist who killed Res. Major Amishar Ben David in a battle in the southern Gaza Strip last Friday.

The Nahal Brigade's combat team continues to fight in the center of the Gaza Strip, eliminating 13 terrorists in the last day through sniper fire, aircraft strikes, drones, and tank fire. In one of the attacks, a remotely piloted aircraft identified a terrorist cell within a building that had an underground infrastructure near the forces. Shortly after, an aircraft attacked and eliminated several terrorists. In another operation, the fighters identified five terrorists conducting suspicious activities near the forces' sector. The forces fired at the terrorists and eliminated them.

Last night (Saturday), following the identification by the Southern Command's fire center, fighter jets attacked and destroyed several military positions in the central Strip during the night, from which launches were made towards the area where our forces are fighting. Shortly after, combat aircraft of Division 162 and artillery fire from the 215th Artillery Brigade targeted the launch area.

Commando unit fighters continue intense fighting in the Hemed neighborhood, engaging in face-to-face combat with terrorists and receiving constant air support from Air Force units.

During the last day, Maglan unit fighters raided operational apartments and found weapons, including Kalashnikovs, grenades, and ammunition. During one of the raids, two terrorists from the military arm of the Hamas terrorist organization surrendered to the forces.

The Light Infantry Brigade (828) combat team eliminated 17 terrorists in a series of attacks in Khan Yunis in the last day. During the operation, the fighters directed an aircraft to attack a building where three terrorists were placing explosives inside.

The 7th Brigade's combat team directed an aircraft attack that eliminated two armed terrorists. Givati Brigade's combat team eliminated a terrorist who emerged from a military building through tank fire

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Fighter jets, directed by the Gaza Division's fire complex, attacked terror infrastructures in the Jabalia area and in Beit Hanoun during the night.

ISRAEL’S NEW EUROVISION ENTRY

GOVERNMENT DEFICIT

The government deficit is skyrocketing. By February 2024, the deficit reached 5.6% of the national output — a jump of 0.8 percentage points from January's data. For context, the Treasury estimates that by the end of 2024, the deficit will be 6.6%. Concurrently, today (Sunday) the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) updated its estimate for the fourth quarter of 2023, according to which the decline in output for this quarter reached an annual rate of 20.7% — an increase of 1.3 percentage points compared to the initial estimate.

Like in all recent months, the February deficit was affected by war expenditures. The government spent 49.2 billion shekels during February alone, and since the beginning of the year, it has spent 90.5 billion shekels — compared to 63 billion shekels in the corresponding period in 2023.

WOMEN IN HI-TECH

The IVC analyzed women's participation in the Israeli high-tech sector by examining data on average capital raised and the gender composition of company management. It discovered that companies with gender-diverse management are more successful in raising capital compared to those with homogeneous management.

Moreover, IVC’s findings show that companies with mixed-gender management have a higher survival rate of 49% compared to 44% for male-only management and 45% for female-only management. However, in 2023, women's involvement in the Israeli high-tech sector remains low: only 5% of companies were founded by women, and merely 12% of Israeli technology companies have gender-diverse management.

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A PIECE OF HISTORY

Illegal Immigration

Illegal immigration to Palestine can be traced back to the era of the Ottoman Empire. In the initial phase of the British Mandate, there was little need for illegal immigration, as British policy allowed a significant number of Jews to settle in Palestine. However, with the rise of Hitler and the subsequent surge in Jewish emigration from Europe, Revisionist groups began to organize small cohorts of illegal immigrants.

In 1938, the Histadrut established the “Mossad L'Aliyah Bet,” as a central body coordinating illegal immigration. Prior to the outbreak of World War II, 41 ships carrying approximately 16,000 illegal immigrants reached Palestine. Throughout the war, efforts to facilitate illegal immigration persisted. Between 1939 and 1944, 26 vessels set sail, mainly from Bulgaria and Romania, five of these ships sank en route. In total, 16,500 individuals embarked on the journey to Palestine during the war, while an additional 3,740 immigrants entered the region via land routes.

In the aftermath of World War II, over 600,000 displaced Jews remained in Europe. From 1945 to 1948, 69,000 of these individuals were transported from Europe via ship. Although most of these transport ships were intercepted by British vessels and subsequently interned in Cyprus, illegal immigration highlighted the urgent need for a Jewish state to accommodate Jewish refugees.

A significant number of these illegal immigrants ultimately found themselves in British detention camps located in Cyprus.

Here is a partial list of ships:

• SS President Warfield/Exodus 1947— Before being renamed Exodus 1947, the SS President Warfield transported refugees on its famous voyage. Its mission to bring over 4,500 Jewish refugees to Palestine in July 1947 ended when British forces intercepting the vessel. The incident drew significant international attention to the plight of Jewish refugees.

• Josiah Wedgwood— Carried 1,257 passengers, and arrived in Haifa in June 1946.

• Pan York and Pan Crescent— These two ships carried a total of more than 15,000 refugees in a convoy, which was intercepted in January 1948.

• SS Haganah— Transported 2,678 passengers to Palestine in November 1946.

• Atzmaut (formerly Mataroa)— Along with another ship, the Knesset Israel (see below), was part of the largest illegal immigration attempt, carrying 15,000 refugees, in December 1947.

• Knesset Israel— Accompanied the Atzmaut to transport refugees to Palestine.

• Dov Hoz— Succeeded in its mission, bringing 428 passengers to Palestine, in December 1946.

• Biria— Managed to land 238 passengers in Palestine, in May 1946.

• Latrun— Intercepted by the British in May 1947, with 3,200 passengers on board.

• Theodor Herzl— Intercepted with 2,500 passengers, in April 1947.

• SS Ben Hecht/Abril— Intercepted in March 1947, with over 600 passengers.