Ep. 13 – Gazan Terror Explodes Over Israel: News & Analysis

700 Palestinian Islamic Jihad rockets barrage innocent Israeli civilians, killing four Israelis and leaving many more injured, including a Gazan woman and her small child killed by their own terror overlords. Gaza terror news recap plus analysis on this week’s edition of MidEast News Brief.

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Articles Reference on Today’s Broadcast and More:

Trump’s Historic Solution for Gaza

‘New state’ delusion: A Greater Gaza would be as bad as it sounds

Islamic Jihad allegedly admits baby, mom killed by their own rockets

Ilhan Omar And Rashida Tlaib Attack Israel, Defend Palestinian Terror Attacks

Bride Market Trafficks Christian Women to China

Statement from President Donald J. Trump Regarding Imposing Sanctions with Respect to the Iron, Steel, Aluminum, and Copper Sectors of Iran

Ep. 12 – Synagogue Shooting, New Der Sturmer Times, Christians Flee the Middle East

A shooting at a Synagogue in California leaves one dead, the New York Times becomes the Der Sturmer Times, Christian persecution and redemption in the Middle East, plus the discrimination of Palestinians by… Arabs? All of this and more on this week’s edition of MidEast News Brief.

Subscribe to the MidEast News Brief Podcast:

Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe on Gooogle Podcasts
Subscribe on Spotify
Subscribe on TuneIn Radio
Subscribe on Stitcher
Subscribe on Android
“Alexa, play MidEast News Brief Podcast”

Support MidEast News Brief (one time or recurring*):

*Donations processed via CrossNetwork Media, LLC – Thank you for your support!

Follow MidEast News Brief on Social Media:

MidEast News Brief on Twitter
MidEast News Brief on Facebook

Articles Reference on Today’s Broadcast and More:

Poway Synagogue Shooting

Poway Chabad rabbi had asked border patrol agent to pray armed – just in case

To the American Jewish Community: The Synagogue Shooter Was Not a Christian

Synagogue shooting suspect despised ‘Zionist, Jew-loving’ Trump

Anti-Semitic NYT Cartoon

What if the New York Times Cartoon had depicted a Muslim, a Lesbian, an African American or a Mexican as a Dog?

The New York Times’ first article about Hitler’s rise is absolutely stunning

Why the New York Times’ Anti-Semitic Cartoon Didn’t Bother Most Jews

Christian Persecution

‘Nobody Will Go Back’: Christians Flee Middle East After Fall of Islamic State

Pakistan releasing Christian woman long imprisoned for blasphemy

Asia Bibi’s Supreme Court Lawyer Nominated for Human Rights Award

Israel

March of the Living: Auschwitz to Birkenau walk honors Holocaust victims

The Persecution of Palestinians no one Mentions

Ep. 11 – Tragedy in Sri Lanka, Jesus the Palestinian? Israel Elections Recap

Over 250 Christians Slaughtered by Islamists in Sri Lanka, Jesus was not a Palestinian, Israeli Election Results and the Big Netanyahu win plus more on this week’s edition of MidEast News Brief.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Revises Death Toll from Attacks Down by 100
Sri Lanka terrorist attacks ignored by CNN town hall with 2020 Dem hopefuls: Media watchdog
Obama And Hillary Clinton Called Out Over Sri Lanka Church Bombings

Palestinian Jesus

Jesus was not a Palestinian
Was Jesus a Palestinian and why would Congresswoman Ilhan Omar care?

Israeli Elections

A Primer on Israeli Elections {AIPAC}
Final 2019 Israeli Election Results
Israeli President Tasks Netanyahu with Forming New Government
9 takeaways from Israel’s historic election
2019 Israeli Legislative elections (the opinion polls are especially interesting)
Sanders: Netanyahu’s governing coalition is ‘right-wing, dare I say racist

Deal of the Century

Trump official: Unhelpful to use ‘two-state solution’ terminology in peace talks
Netanyahu wants new area in Golan named after Trump
Mueller report: Trump attempted to thwart anti-Israel resolution
Care About Gaza? Blame Hamas

Other

U.S. Offers $10 Million Bounty on Hezbollah Operatives
Trump Administration Ends Sanction Waivers on Iran’s Oil Industry

 

Ep. 10 – Persecution & Salvation in Nigeria, One State Solution, ISIS Prince Makes U-Turn

Nigerian Christians face terrible persecution against Islamist militants, Trump’s peace plan may not be your grandma’s peace plan, and a former ISIS “prince” makes an unbelievable U-Turn. All of this and more on this week’s edition of MidEast News Brief.

Subscribe to the MidEast News Brief Podcast:

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*Donations processed via CrossNetwork Media, LLC – Thank you for your support!

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Articles Referenced on today’s Broadcast:

The Peace Plan

The Trump team’s Middle East peace plan: It’s beginning to look a lot like one state
Trump’s Peace Plan: Grand Jordanian Citizenship to a Million Palestinian Refugees – Report

Persecution and Salvation

Islamic GroupsTarget Nigerian Christians – 300 Killed while 72 Supernaturally Saved From Firing Squad
Former Price of ISIS Turns to Christ after a God Dream ‘I Saw a Love that Didn’t Exist in Islam’

Ilhan Omar Urges Release Of Jailed Muslim Brotherhood Leader, Report Says

Ep. 9 – Gaza in Crisis Again, Golan Officially Recognized, 40 Years of Peace with Egypt

Gaza gets pounded after a Hamas missile decimates a home in central Israel, Trump officially recognizes Israel’s sovereignty over Golan, and 40 years of peace with Egypt. All of this and more on this week’s edition of MidEast News Brief.

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Support MidEast News Brief (one time or recurring*):

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Articles Referenced on today’s Broadcast and More:

Israel-Gaza Dispute

Rocket Sirens Heard in Kfar Saba Area
Netanyahu to Skip US Speech as Rockets Continue to Hit Israel
IDF Releases Images of Its Actions in Gaza Following Rocket Attacks
Gaza border violence erupts with 500 explosive devices thrown at IDF
Hamas Terrorist At Gaza Border Surprised To Hear Media Describe Him As Peaceful Protester {satire}

Golan Heights Recognition

Israel Says Hezbollah Operative Is Setting Up a Terror Network in Golan Heights
Israel Issues Complaint to U.N. Over Terrorists on Golan Border
Proclamation on Recognizing the Golan Heights as Part of the State of Israel

Camp David Accords

40 Years Later: Former Carter Advisor Reflects on Israel-Egypt Treaty

Gaza Rocket Fire Update from Monday through Right Now

[Adapted from the March 29, 2019 MidEast News Brief Podcast]

A Recap of the Dispute in Gaza this Week

At 5:20am Monday, March 25, 2019, Israeli time, rocket sirens sounded when a long range J80 rocket was fired by Hamas operatives from the city of Rafa in the Gaza Strip, which is basically on the border of Gaza and Egypt, into Israel. Where in Israel? Some close by border town? Sderot? Ashdod? Be’er Sheva? No… it was fired, and get this, according to Hamas operatives it was fired “accidentally,” (we can, of course, take blood-spilling terrorists at their word) all the way North of Tel Aviv, 120 kilometers away, directly hitting the home of a family of seven in the community of Mishmeret, and catching the home on fire and destroying it. Fortunately no one was killed in the “accidental” attack, however, seven were treated for injuries, neighbors were understandably being treated for shock, and they even found four dogs dead at the site.

Regarding the elections, things have heated up between the two sides. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his speech at AIPAC and returned home following his meeting with President Trump who officially recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Israel has responded forcefully to the attack, although they have refrained from turning it into an all-out war. They began pounding Gaza with targeted air strikes specifically in Khan Younis, which if you’re looking at the Gaza Strip is in the bottom third of Gaza, hitting a military base and a weapons manufacturing site as well as other sites apparently. Soon after those Israeli strikes finished, the Hamas terrorist sent a rocket screaming to the Israeli city of Ashkelon, but it did not hurt anyone or damage any property.

Overall about sixty rockets were fired from Gaza into Southern Israel Tuesday evening as well.

Other targets were struck as well. I hope that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh did not do much redecorating lately because his office was obliterated by the IDF. Also, they also decimated military compounds, an office used for military meetings, tunnel shafts for the purpose of moving weapons, rocket launching positions. They also apparently leveled the building Hamas uses as a secret headquarters, it’s a three story building that houses their security and intelligence divisions. So, Israel has been busy striking back.

The IDF even released pictures of the ongoing operation before the strike and after the strike, and the before and after shots cannot be more inimical. A building is standing, and then building has disappeared, foundation and all.

Netanyahu arrived in Israel on Wednesday and here’s what he said, per the Jerusalem post, “We responded with great force… In the last 24 hours, the IDF destroyed major Hamas terrorist installations on a scale not seen since the end of the military operation in Gaza four years ago.”

He is, of course, referring to the 2014 Israeli Operation Protective Edge when, once again, Hamas fired rockets at Israel, and Israel responded by protecting itself by attacking Hamas.

So while all of this was going on the United Nations and Egypt were attempting a diplomatic solution to the problem on Wednesday, and Hamas basically said they were calling a ceasefire. The IDF responded that no ceasefire was reached and that the fighting could continue at any time. The Egyptian delegation then took the results of their talks to Israel for a meeting on Thursday. For their part, they are attempting to broker peace but it’s kind of like attempting to have peace talks with a hornet’s nest. They are extremely aggressive and cannot be reasoned with.

And of course amidst all of this everyone running against Netanyahu wants to make him look like a buffoon because they would love to defeat him in the upcoming April 9 elections! There are a lot of calls for all-out war with Hamas in the midst of the political wrangling. It’s hard for me personally to have an opinion on this because I am not a military expert and I am not there, plain and simple. However, speaking as a civilian who follows this conflict, there are a few things I would note.

  1. Hamas is an enemy state at its border constantly launching rockets on civilians indiscriminately. This includes pregnant mothers and babies.
  2. When a state acts belligerently and attacks another state the state under attack has a right to respond. And no, they do not have to respond “proportionally,” that’s an idiotic standard made up by the leftist press to demonize Israel. You respond with as much force as is necessary to win the conflict while minimizing as many civilian casualties as possible.
  3. Israel also has to think about its neighbors on its Northern border. Hezbollah is camped out at the Lebanon-Israeli border, not to mention terrorists in the Golan, which is sovereign Israeli territory. You have all kinds of bad actors in Syria and Iran wanting to take Israel out. So, if Netanyahu takes the bait, it could tie up forces that won’t be able to fully confront other threats.

All of that to say it is simply not an easy decision. I’m not saying Netanyahu is making the right decision in what he’s currently doing, which so far is not a full scale Gaza invasion, I’m saying it’s pretty nuanced and not always as cut and dry as we might think.

And remember, Israel has to be very careful about striking Gaza. Hamas is more than obliged to use its own people as human shields and they’ve proven this over and over again. So, Israel has to fronts it faces:

1. The moral front, where they limit as many human casualties as possible and
2. The PR front, where the international press is going to jump on any mistake they can as well as make Israel look awful in general. You saw this in Operation Protective Edge when the New York Times had a constant ticker of how many Gazans died ve0rse how many Israelis died, and the connotation was that since a lot more Gazans died, therefore Israel is the evil nation and Gaza is the poor, hurting nation that just wants to not be in poverty. Of course, that’s ludicrous, given that, once again, they began the conflict and Israel countered with blow after blow after blow attempting to weaken the terrorist regime. They, of course, fired rockets next to hospitals, used their own people as human shields, hid arms beneath the schools, to name a few. Had Israel done anything like Hamas they would have been relentless against them in the international media.

So where are we now? As of this writing, a few things are developing. Yesterday Netanyahu visited the situation on the ground at the Gaza border to assess the situation. Soldiers, tanks, and even reservists have been called up and are surrounding the border. And then later that night, which was last night, Thursday night, Gazan protestors have thrown approximately 500 explosive devices at the IDF. What those explosive devices are is not exactly clear, but apparently, no massive military operations are happening as a result.

And, to make it even more interesting Palestinians are calling for mass border protests on the Gaza border. Why you ask, are they doing this? Well, Saturday is apparently now a holiday. No, we’re not talking Christmas or Easter here. This Saturday, March 30, marks the 1 year anniversary of the “Great March of Return,” where Arabs protest Israel annexing land in 1976 in the Galilee region of Northern Israel. It’s Land Day.

Apparently, Arabs are already trickling in for protest and I do not know what to expect fully expect other than the usual rioting, attacks, and unnecessary Arab and Israeli deaths. I will continue following these developments and will provide another full recap on next Friday’s MidEast News Brief Podcast.

Sources:

Rocket Sirens Heard in Kfar Saba Area
Netanyahu to Skip US Speech as Rockets Continue to Hit Israel
IDF Releases Images of Its Actions in Gaza Following Rocket Attacks
Gaza border violence erupts with 500 explosive devices thrown at IDF