The Torah verses convey profound messages that we can insightfully extract for our daily lives. Rabbi Shay Tahan, the Rosh Kollel of Shaarei Ezra in Brooklyn, NY, graciously opens the gates to understand them.
The recent conflict in Lebanon raises the age-old question regarding the northern borders of biblical Eretz Yisrael. Where exactly did Hashem define the boundaries, and are we obligated to conquer those areas? Do the mitzvot of terumah and ma’aser apply to those lands as part of Eretz Yisrael, or are they considered outside the borders?
The Torah provides clear guidelines regarding the areas we were commanded to conquer when taking possession of the land. In the last generation, the term "Greater Israel" has come to the forefront. It is sometimes used in political or religious discussions about the ideal or future borders of Israel, often in the context of messianic or Zionist aspirations. Some interpret it as a call for the re-establishment of Israel’s biblical borders. However, the concept varies in meaning, ranging from symbolic or spiritual interpretations to literal geographical claims.
This term refers to the concept of the biblical boundaries of the Land of Israel as promised to the Jewish people in various parts of the Torah. It is often associated with the land described in the Covenant with Avraham (Brit Bein HaBetarim), which stretches from the "River of Egypt" (interpreted by some as the Nile or a smaller river in Sinai) to the Perat River. This expansive region includes parts of modern-day Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq.
When Hashem promised Avraham Avinu the Land of Israel at the Brit Bein HaBetarim, the pasuk says (בראשית טז): "On that day, Hashem made a covenant with Avram, saying: To your descendants, I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates."
At the blessing at the end of Parshat Ekev, Hashem tells us that we are granted every land we will conquer within the borders mentioned. In the north, the Torah states: "Every place where the sole of your foot will tread shall be yours—from the wilderness and the Lebanon, from the river—the Euphrates River—until the western sea shall be your boundary." This promise from the Creator clearly places the land of Lebanon within the Promised Land of Israel, or what some refer to as "the Complete Land of Israel", or “The greater Israel”.
The Ramban wrote that Lebanon is within the borders of Israel and adds that we were obligated and commanded to conquer it.
Sefer Yehoshua begins with Hashem speaking to Yehoshua and repeating the above command: "Every place your foot will step has been given to you, as I spoke to Moshe—from the desert and Lebanon until the great river, the Euphrates."
The Tribe of Asher is mainly associated with regions that include parts of Lebanon. Following the conquest of the land under Yehoshua, the tribes established their territories, with Asher extending into areas adjacent to Lebanon. The text describes the border of the Tribe of Asher, detailing sections of borders and lists of cities, some of which are border cities that mark the tribe's boundary. Within the inheritance of the Tribe of Asher lies the Valley of Acco, north of Mount Carmel, with its northernmost point in the city of Sidon.
The extension of the Land of Israel to include additional territories, such as in the concept of "Greater Israel," has several potential halachic implications. These mainly revolve around commandments that are tied specifically to the land, known as mitzvot hateluyot ba'aretz- (mitzvot dependent on the land). Some key halachic implications include:
1. Mitzvot Dependent on the Land: Certain agricultural commandments apply only in the Land of Israel. These include:
- Shmitta (the sabbatical year where the land must rest every seven years).
- Terumot and Ma’aserot (tithes given to the Kohanim, Levites, and the poor).
- Orlah (the prohibition of eating fruits from trees during the first three years of their growth).
Expanding Israel’s borders would mean extending the requirement to observe these mitzvot in the newly included territories.
2. Two days of Yomtov: There is a difference between those who live within the borders of Israel, who observe one day of Yom Tov, and those living outside, who keep two days. Accordingly, if the land were to extend to the greater borders of Israel, this distinction would apply. (According to halacha that follows the Ritva ריטב"א ר"ה יח, א; סוכה מג, א arguing on the Rambam רמב"ם הל' קדוש החודש ה, ט-יב)
3. Inhabitants and Settlement: According to some opinions, living in the biblical boundaries of Eretz Yisrael may be considered a mitzvah. Expanding Israel’s borders could extend the obligation for Jews to settle and inhabit those areas.
4. Traveling Outside the land: One may not leave the boundaries of Eretz Yisrael if they dwell there, except for learning Torah, getting married, or for their livelihood. Therefore, they can travel to those extra territories if they are conquered.
5. War and Conquest: The concept of milchemet mitzvah (a commanded war) includes conquering certain territories that were promised in the Torah. If new land is identified as part of the biblical borders, there may be halachic discussions about the obligation to conquer and settle it.
The River Perat, commonly identified with the Euphrates River, is situated in the Middle East. It flows through several countries, including Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, before emptying into the Persian Gulf. In biblical contexts, the Euphrates River is often mentioned as a significant boundary in the promises made to the Jewish people regarding the Land of Israel.
If one looks at a map, they will be astounded by how far north this river extends and how vast the Land of Israel truly is. While we may not be able to reclaim all of it in our time, Hashem will surely return it to us soon.
Oh hey look at what the Jerusalem Post decided to publish this week as Israel rained hell down on Lebanon.
Absolutely utterly fucking irresponsible, to make a generous read on this timing. Shockingly abhorrent if this is meant to help provide societal support for the annexation that government figures are already pushing for under the guise of a “buffer” zone.
53 meters. That’s the distance between a @UN school and Hezbollah’s underground headquarters where Hassan Nasrallah was eliminated alongside 20+ additional terrorists.
The terrorists were in Hezbollah’s central headquarters, located in the heart of Beirut, embedded beneath civilian buildings.
This unequivocally proves that Hezbollah hides among civilians, endangering the lives of the people of Lebanon.
I have not seen any US outlets report on like...how many people were in the apartment complex(es) in the strike on Nasrallah? Is the assumption on their part that these buildings were completely empty?
I have not seen any US outlets report on like...how many people were in the apartment complex(es) in the strike on Nasrallah? Is the assumption on their part that these buildings were completely empty?
I think the assumption is that reporting information like that would make Israel look bad
I have not seen any US outlets report on like...how many people were in the apartment complex(es) in the strike on Nasrallah? Is the assumption on their part that these buildings were completely empty?
The government doesn’t care about people it views as middle eastern
Stunned (but not surprised) by how the US maintains this huge well-resourced foreign policy establishment and then just doesn't listen to it. the consensus blob position is to withhold arms shipments to force a ceasefire. full stop. only the white house disagrees at this point.
these are not crypto-leftists or antizionists by ANY means this is just the logical move at this point if your job is to preserve stated US policy goals (two state solution regional stability blah blah) and the degree of rupture between the institutions and leadership is huge
the generation before me talked and felt this way about the Iraq war but at least then there was a substantial institutional faction within State/CIA/DoD who were pilled on the neocon vision. that isn't there now. it's just Biden and Blinken with crusty boomer pro-Israel feelings
the only rough analogy I can think of for this sort of institutional decay is "I spent all my money on this huge military I cannot mobilize because I'm scared they'll overthrow me" it's like I funded thirty years of MENA experts and they're all telling me I'm a dumbass oh no
Spoke with several sources in the last ~ hour who did not believe a decision has been made on an Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
But clear all around a US veto is unlikely.
A career US official working on the ME told me Washington's permitting "a nihilistic regional murder spree."
(ME=Middle East)
The official said staff in the gov't are "shocked at the across-the-board weakness" & argued: "Biden + his crew have taken the region and world to a dark place"
Heard similar sentiments from several US officials in recent days
Want to chat? akbar.58 on Signal.
Now hearing growing sense an Israeli invasion of Lebanon with U.S. backing (based on idea it will be limited) is coming.
Love how the 'underground' headquarters is framed in the most nefarious way possible, and not, you know, something that a country would likely have if their neighbor had an extremely aggressive military backed by a superpower also known for starting wars in the area. Gotta manufacture that consent, yo.
The US has a bunch of those in areas that are difficult for anybody to reach in the first place.
Also a bunch that are in very public looking places hidden in plain sight. You generally find them when dark suited materialize from out of nowhere to ask questions about what you're doing.
Israel said on Thursday it had secured an $8.7 billion aid package from the United States to support its ongoing military efforts and to maintain a qualitative military edge in the region.
The aid announcement came after negotiations at the Pentagon between Eyal Zamir, the director general of Israel's defense ministry, and U.S. defense officials, including acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Amanda Dory, Israel's Defense Ministry said in a statement.
President Joe Biden has signed a bill funding the government for another three months, ensuring federal agencies are funded through Dec. 20. One thing that did not make it in that bill was additional money for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which had requested it for disaster aid.
At a White House press briefing Thursday, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell talked about what operating under Immediate Needs Funding has meant so far.
“We’re already through INF, $9 billion – close to $9 billion – in projects that we have put on hold that we can’t reimburse communities for.”
Our government prioritizes killing people and destroying their homes overseas over protecting people and rebuilding their homes here.
Bruno Maçães is a Portuguese philosopher, journalist, politician, consultant and author. He is a former Secretary of State for European Affairs in Portugal and a columnist for the New Statesman.[1] He is a Member of the European Council on Foreign Relations[2] and a Member of the Advisory Council for the Brussels Institute of Geopolitics.[3]
I seriously hope that Oct 7 isn't going to feature a nuke fired by Israel, but at this point I can't rule it out. Nor can I rule out the Biden administration continuing to be an apologist for Israel if they actually do it.
I hate this timeline so much.
+17
HacksawJ. Duggan Esq.Wrestler at LawRegistered Userregular
I seriously hope that Oct 7 isn't going to feature a nuke fired by Israel, but at this point I can't rule it out. Nor can I rule out the Biden administration continuing to be an apologist for Israel if they actually do it.
I hate this timeline so much.
"Regretfully necessary nuclear pre-emptive strike" is something I expect to hear if Israel decides to start a proper war against Iran.
To be clear: I expect Israel to be the one doing the nuking.
+8
BlackDragon480Bluster KerfuffleMaster of Windy ImportRegistered Userregular
I seriously hope that Oct 7 isn't going to feature a nuke fired by Israel, but at this point I can't rule it out. Nor can I rule out the Biden administration continuing to be an apologist for Israel if they actually do it.
I hate this timeline so much.
I hope the IAEA and other watchdogs keep an eye on Nagev/Dimona like a Hawk. That's still Israel's primary fissile material factory and where they store their completed gadgets, that they totally don't have.
Anything hot will necessitate a transfer from there before it could actively enter a theater.
No matter where you go...there you are. ~ Buckaroo Banzai
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military on Tuesday said it had begun a “limited, localized” operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, opening a new front in its war against the Lebanese militant group.
In a brief announcement, it said it was striking Hezbollah targets in areas close to the Israeli border, and that air force and artillery units were carrying out attacks to support the ground forces. It gave no details on how long the operation would last, but said the army had been training and preparing for months.
“A few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localized and targeted ground raids,” it said. “These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”
The incursion came shortly after it was approved by Israeli political leaders and marked a new stage in Israel’s war against Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group.
Earlier, U.S. officials said Israel had launched small ground raids against Hezbollah and sealed off communities along its northern border on Monday as Israeli artillery pounded southern Lebanon.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Israel informed the U.S. about the raids, which he said were described as “limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border.”
The sounds of airstrikes were heard throughout Beirut and smoke rose from the capital’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, shortly after Israel ordered residents of three buildings to evacuate.
There were no reports of direct clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants, who last engaged in ground combat on Lebanese soil during a monthlong war in 2006.
Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire almost every day since the war in Gaza began, displacing tens of thousands of people in Israel and Lebanon. Israel says it will continue to strike Hezbollah until it is safe for families to return to their homes near the Lebanon border. Hezbollah has promised to keep firing rockets into Israel until there is a cease-fire in Gaza.
Hezbollah vowed Monday to keep fighting even after its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top officials were recently wiped out by Israeli strikes.
The group’s acting leader, Naim Kassem, said in a televised statement that if Israel decides to launch a ground offensive, Hezbollah is ready. He said commanders killed in recent weeks have already been replaced.
The man widely expected to take over the top post from Kassem is Hashem Safieddine, a cousin of Nasrallah who oversees Hezbollah’s political affairs.
Shortly before the Israeli invasion, the army declared three northern communities near the Lebanese border to be “closed military zones,” indicating that the ground operation was imminent.
The army has heavily beefed up forces along the border in recent days, and commanders have said they are prepared to go into Lebanon if ordered to.
Chris Coyle, a resident of northern Israel, said the army had erected gates and checkpoints throughout the region and positioned scores of tanks along the border in recent days. “They’re certainly getting ready to go in,” he said.
In the nearby Golan Heights, an Associated Press reporter heard Israeli artillery fire and explosions in southern Lebanon. Israeli forces also fired flares into Lebanon.
An AP reporter in the southern Lebanon town of Marjayoun reported sounds of heavy shelling and explosions and occasional airstrikes coming from areas closer to the border.
Israeli strikes in recent weeks have hit what the military says are thousands of militant targets across large parts of Lebanon. Over 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past two weeks, nearly a quarter of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry.
Early Monday, an airstrike hit a residential building in central Beirut, killing three Palestinian militants, as Israel appeared to send a message that no part of Lebanon is out of bounds.
Hezbollah’s capabilities are unclear after a series of major blows
Hezbollah has significantly increased its rocket attacks in the past week to several hundred daily, but most have been intercepted or fallen in open areas. Several people have been wounded in Israel. There have been no fatalities since two soldiers were killed near the border on Sept. 19.
But Hezbollah’s capabilities remain unclear.
As recently as two weeks ago, a strike like Monday’s in central Beirut — outside of the main areas where Hezbollah operates and next to a busy transportation hub normally crowded with buses and taxis — would have been seen as a major escalation and likely followed by a long-range Hezbollah strike into Israel.
But the unspoken rules of the long-running conflict no longer seem to be in effect.
It’s possible Hezbollah is holding back to save resources for a bigger battle. But the militant group might also be in disarray after Israeli intelligence apparently penetrated its highest levels.
Some European countries began pulling their diplomats and citizens out of Lebanon on Monday. Germany sent a military plane to evacuate diplomats’ relatives and others. Bulgaria sent a government jet to get the first group of its citizens out.
Monday’s strike in Beirut killed three members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a small, leftist faction that has not been meaningfully involved in months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel has not claimed the strike but is widely assumed to have carried it out.
Also Monday, Hamas announced its top commander in Lebanon, Fatah Sharif, was killed with his family in an airstrike on the Al-Buss refugee camp in the southern port city of Tyre. The Israeli military confirmed it had targeted him.
Hezbollah began firing rockets, drones and missiles into northern Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack from Gaza into Israel sparked the war in the Palestinian territory.
Israel responded to the rockets with airstrikes in Lebanon, and the fighting has steadily escalated over the past year. The Lebanese government says the fighting may have displaced up to a million people, although the U.N. estimate is around 200,000.
Israel shows little interest in cease-fire calls as it bloodies a longtime foe
The United States and its allies have called for a cease-fire, hoping to avoid further escalation that could draw in Iran and set off a wider war. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown little interest, as his country racks up military achievements against a longtime foe.
France, which has close ties to Lebanon, has joined the United States in calling for a cease-fire. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, visiting Beirut Monday, urged Israel to refrain from a ground offensive.
Barrot also called on Hezbollah to stop firing on Israel, saying the group “bears heavy responsibility in the current situation, given its choice to enter the conflict.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, speaking after meeting with Barrot, said the country is committed to an immediate cease-fire followed by the deployment of Lebanese troops in the south, in keeping with a U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war but was never fully implemented.
Hezbollah, which boasts tens of thousands of battle-hardened fighters and long-range missiles capable of hitting anywhere inside Israel, has long been seen as the most powerful militant group in the region and a key partner to Iran in both threatening and deterring Israel.
But Hezbollah has never faced an onslaught quite like this one, which began with a sophisticated attack on its pagers and walkie-talkies in mid-September that killed dozens of people and wounded around 3,000 — including many fighters but also many civilians.
___
Melzer reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Sam McNeil in Majdal Shams, Golan Heights; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Geir Moulson in Berlin; and Veselin Toshkov in Sofia, Bulgaria, contributed reporting.
Recall that Israel’s incursion in 1982 was also billed as a limited incursion. But as Sharon understood, there will always be someone shooting at you from the next hill, so self-defense mandates taking that hill…until they reached Beirut.
If you want to talk, I'm at akbar.ahmed@huffpost.com and on Signal at akbar.58.
I'm committed to shielding sources & happy to chat off-the-record. I know there's a lot more the public deserves to know about US Middle East policymaking right now. Help me get the story right.
In the days since pagers began exploding in Lebanon, Israeli forces have stepped up their attacks on Hezbollah, pounding targets across the country and assassinating top leaders. Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets at northern Israel in response — including its first-ever attempt to target Tel Aviv with a ballistic missile — in the worst violence between the two sides since a 2006 war.
Israel’s military said it killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an air strike on Beirut on Friday evening. Israel targeted Nasrallah with its strike on Hezbollah’s headquarters in the heaviest attack on the Lebanese capital in almost two decades. State-run television in Lebanon reported that six buildings were leveled.
More than 700 people have been killed since Sunday, according to Lebanese Health Ministry officials, and at least 250,000 have fled their homes.
In a Friday speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press ahead with the fight against Hezbollah. “As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice and Israel has every right to remove this threat,” Netanyahu said. “We will continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met.”
Sweeney Tomtry The Substanceit changed my lifeRegistered Userregular
They're going to try taking out the entirety of the Middle East, aware that whichever dumb evil piece of shit comes out on top in November here will be eager to help
Surely Israel cannot commit troops to Lebanon and Gaza and also Iran?
Any other country would have to worry about leaving themselves vulnerable when they overextend, but luckily Israel has the US sitting very nearby to dissuade anyone from taking a bite out of Israel's exposed ass.
Nasrallah killed for tying Hezbollah cause to Gaza war: Israeli official
Israel decided to assassinate Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah because he refused to separate diplomatic talks on the Hezbollah-Israel front from the war in Gaza, according to an Israeli official.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday.
The Israeli official said the decision to assassinate Hezbollah's leader was made because Nasrallah declined diplomatic efforts in the last 11 months to separate the "northern front" -- Lebanon -- from the war in Gaza.
The official also said Hezbollah attacks in the last weeks and months had expanded in range and velocity, which “led us to understand that he cannot be part of the game and decision maker in the region anymore.”
The official said it is up to Nasrallah's successor to agree to a diplomatic solution that allows Israel to achieve the goals it has publicly set -- the safe return of over 60,000 Israelis to their homes in the north. However, the official added, Israel has "many other tools to make sure that if they do not agree, we have other ways to achieve" that goal.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at a cabinet meeting Sunday that Nasrallah's assassination will not go unanswered, according to Iranian state media.
Top Biden aides Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk privately told Israel the US would support its decision to ramp up military pressure against Hezbollah — even as Biden admin. publicly urged the Israeli government to curtail its strikes: @politico
Senior White House figures privately told Israel that the U.S. would support its decision to ramp up military pressure against Hezbollah — even as the Biden administration publicly urged the Israeli government in recent weeks to curtail its strikes, according to American and Israeli officials.
Presidential adviser Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk, the White House coordinator for the Middle East, told top Israeli officials in recent weeks that the U.S. agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s broad strategy to shift Israel’s military focus to the north against Hezbollah in order to convince the group to engage in diplomatic talks to end the conflict, the officials told POLITICO.
Not everyone in the administration was on board with Israel’s shift, despite support inside the White House, the officials said. The decision to focus on Hezbollah sparked division within the U.S. government, drawing opposition from people inside the Pentagon, State Department and intelligence community who believed Israel’s move against the Iran-backed militia could drag American forces into yet another Middle East conflict.
POLITICO spoke to two Israeli and four U.S. officials for this story, most of whom were granted anonymity to speak freely about sensitive diplomatic talks.
The National Security Council declined to comment.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, declined Monday to comment on private talks between Israeli leaders and U.S. officials when asked about Hochstein and others’ exchanges.
“We don’t always ask for permission for everything we do,” he said of the two countries, adding, “I think what they say publicly reflects the goal that they would like to see a diplomatic solution, which we are not against.”
In mid-September calls and meetings, Israeli officials outlined broadly that their military was preparing to make the shift. They didn’t offer details. Hochstein and McGurk relayed to their Israeli counterparts that — while they still urged a cautious approach — the timing was likely opportune for such a move, especially after Hezbollah had been significantly degraded in the months prior.
While Hezbollah had long said it would only engage with Israel if it reaches a cease-fire with Hamas militants it is battling in Gaza, U.S. assessments indicated at that point that Hamas wasn’t likely to agree to a cease-fire deal anytime soon. And that meant it could be a moment to focus more on Hezbollah alone – and to decouple the two conflicts.
This latest fight with Hezbollah began the day after Oct. 7, when the group began firing rockets from Lebanon into Israel — eventually forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee the area on both sides. Hamas launched its war on Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7.
Fucking McGurk
Buddy, you’re not gonna get that magical Saudi/Israel deal back like this, not when the folks in charge think they’re gonna maybe get a chunk out of Saudi Arabia for their manifest destiny delusions out of this whole nightmare now that they have a ruling coalition
At every point Israel could have chosen to de-escalate, they did the opposite. At each of those points, other parties often tried to avoid being as proportionally violent — they actually pushed, urged the US to just step up and say Enough. The US never did. And here we are.
“The Israeli military has gone mad completely after Iranian retaliation, ramping up attacks on civilians.”
— Al Jazeera journalist Tareq Abu Azzoum
- Death Toll: Al Jazeera reports 79 killed in overnight attacks and throughout the day, while local media indicates the number is over 100.
- Casualties:
• Al-Amal Institute for Orphans (Western Gaza): An attack resulted in the deaths of 5 people.
• Khan Younis: In a series of attacks, including an hours-long ground incursion backed by artillery fire, 30 people were killed, among them 12 members of the same family.
• Northern Gaza City: 25 people were killed in various attacks.
• Central Gaza: 25 people were killed in different incidents.
- Since October 7, the Health Ministry of Gaza reports that at least 41,689 people have been killed and 96,625 wounded due to Israeli military attacks. In the latest 24-hour reporting period, Ministry recorded 51 Palestinians killed and 82 injured.
Lebanon's Army said today it had returned fire at Israel for the first time, after IDF forces targeted one of its posts in the south and killed a soldier.
"One of our soldiers was martyred," it said in a post on X. "The post's personnel responded to the sources of the fire," it added.
It came after the army and the Lebanese Red Cross said a soldier was killed and another injured by Israeli forces as they were carrying out an evacuation and rescue mission in the southern town of Taybeh.
Remember, Netanyahu said Israel's war was with Hezbollah, not the people of Lebanon. (More than one million people, a fifth of Lebanon's population, are currently displaced due to Israel's attacks.)
Almost 100 health volunteers who worked in Gaza demanded a U.S. arms sales embargo to Israel Wednesday in a letter to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“President Biden and Vice President Harris, we are 99 American physicians and nurses who have witnessed crimes beyond comprehension. Crimes that we cannot believe you wish to continue supporting,” stated the letter, which was obtained by HuffPost.
The letter included first-hand accounts of the brutality that the doctors, nurses, midwives, surgeons, and other health care practitioners had seen during their collective 254 weeks serving in Gaza’ hospitals. The tragedy is a direct result of Israel’s nearly year-long military campaign in Gaza, which has reportedly killed more than 41,500 Palestinians, including at least 16,500 children.
The letter noted that the death toll is likely significantly higher than what is reported by the Gaza Health Ministry.
“I’ve never seen such horrific injuries, on such a massive scale, with so few resources. Our bombs are cutting down women and children by the thousands. Their mutilated bodies are a monument to cruelty,” said Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma and critical care surgeon at San Joaquin General Hospital in Stockton, California. Sidhwa spent two weeks volunteering in Khan Younis, where an Israeli strike killed 51 people just on Tuesday.
“With only marginal exceptions, everyone in Gaza is sick, injured, or both. This includes every national aid worker, every international volunteer, and probably every Israeli hostage: every man, woman, and child,” the letter said.
The letter urged Biden and Harris to “withhold military, economic, and diplomatic support from the State of Israel and to participate in an international arms embargo of Israel and all Palestinian armed groups until a permanent ceasefire is established in Gaza.”
“We appreciate that you are working on a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, but you have overlooked an obvious fact: the United States can impose a ceasefire on the warring parties by simply stopping arms shipments to Israel, and announcing that we will participate in an international arms embargo on both Israel and all Palestinian armed groups,” the letter said. “We stress what many others have repeatedly told you over the past year: American law is perfectly clear on this matter, continuing to arm Israel is illegal.”
Last month, a report found that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had received reports from USAID and the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration detailing how Israel had deliberately blocked humanitarian aid from reaching Palestinians in Gaza, but still told Congress the exact opposite. The State Department even recommended that shipments of nearly $830 million in weapons and bombs to Israel, paid by U.S. taxpayers, ought to be frozen under the Foreign Assistance Act.
Harris has not signaled a significant break with Biden on his policy of empowering Israel’s violence in the Middle East, as Israel has launched a ground offensive into Lebanon, sparking missile strikes from Iran and threatening to blossom into regional war.
The emails reviewed by Reuters show a scramble inside the Biden administration to warn the White House of the impending crisis – and the White House’s initial resistance to a ceasefire in the early, chaotic days of war. The three sets of email exchanges began on Oct. 11, during Israel’s fifth day of air strikes after the Hamas incursion.
After Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza’s hospitals, schools and mosques, the U.S. State Department’s top public diplomacy official, Bill Russo, told senior State officials that Washington was “losing credibility among Arab-speaking audiences” by not directly addressing the humanitarian crisis, according to an Oct. 11 email. Gaza’s health authorities reported that day a death toll of about 1,200.
As Israel defended the strikes, saying Hamas was using civilian buildings for military purposes, Russo wrote that U.S. diplomats in the Middle East were monitoring Arab media reports that accused Israel of waging a “genocide” and Washington of complicity in war crimes.
“The U.S.’s lack of response on the humanitarian conditions for Palestinians is not only ineffective and counterproductive, but we are also being accused of being complicit to potential war crimes by remaining silent on Israel’s actions against civilians,” Russo wrote.
The State Department’s top Middle East diplomat, Barbara Leaf, forwarded Russo’s email to White House officials including Brett McGurk, Biden’s top adviser for Middle East affairs. She warned that the relationship with Washington’s “otherwise would-be stalwart” Arab partners was at risk due to the kinds of concerns raised by Russo.
McGurk replied that if the question was whether the administration should call for a ceasefire, the answer was “No.” He added, however, that Washington was “100 pct” in favor of supporting humanitarian corridors and protecting civilians.
On Oct. 13, two days after Russo’s email, Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over northern Gaza, warning one million residents to leave their homes. Netanyahu gave residents 24 hours to flee as Israeli troops backed by tanks began a ground assault inside the Hamas-run territory of 2.3 million people. He vowed to annihilate Hamas for its attack.
The evacuation order alarmed aid agencies and the United Nations. By then, Israel’s air strikes had razed entire districts. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva issued a statement, opens new tabsaying Israel's order was "not compatible with international humanitarian law" because it would cut off food, water and other basic needs in Gaza. Privately, in a phone conversation that day with Stroul, ICRC Middle East director Fabrizio Carboni was more pointed, the emails show.
"ICRC is not ready to say this in public, but is raising private alarm that Israel is close to committing war crimes," Stroul said in her Oct. 13 email, describing the conversation. Her email was addressed to senior White House officials including McGurk, along with senior State and Pentagon officials. “Their main line is that it is impossible for one million civilians to move this fast,” Stroul wrote. One U.S. official on the email chain said it would be impossible to carry out such an evacuation without creating a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
More in the full piece.
Note that most everyone who is named in the articles expressing these concerns resigned from their positions months ago.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has told Ireland to remove its peacekeepers from an outpost on the border with Lebanon as its invasion of the country continues.
Sources confirmed the request was made to the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) and individual countries contributing troops, including Ireland. Israel has been told the troops will remain in place.
There is one Irish outpost on the Lebanese-Israeli border, which is known as the Blue Line. This outpost, designated post 6-52, is manned by a single Irish platoon who are responsible for observing the border and reporting on incursions.
The area was the scene of intense fighting between the IDF and the militant Lebanese group Hizbullah earlier in the week, during which Israel suffered heavy casualties. Some of the fighting took place less than 2km from the Irish outpost.
The warning to remove peacekeepers from the border raises the prospect of Israel launching a full-scale invasion across the extent of the border. Incursions to date have been more limited in scale.
It is understood the Irish Government has informed Israeli officials that Unifil troop movements are a matter for the UN and its force commander on the ground. Unifil has told Israel it will not be removing the troops.
Meanwhile, two dozen Irish citizens left Lebanon on Friday as fighting continued between the IDF and Hizbullah.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said the 24 Irish citizens had, in two groups, been assisted by the Netherlands and Canada in departing the country. They departed on a mix of military and chartered civilian aircraft as the Department of Foreign Affairs reiterated its advice to all Irish citizens to leave the country.
Speaking to reporters in Cork on Friday afternoon, Mr Martin said all Irish citizens who have “indicated an interest in leaving Lebanon” had been assisted in doing so and that his department remains in close contact with those who have opted to remain.
There were spaces available for more people to leave but most of the roughly 150 Irish citizens living in Lebanon decided not to. Irish officials said this may change if the security situation worsens in future.
“Obviously the situation is fluid,” Mr Martin said. “Many of the other citizens are there for quite a long time. They have deep roots in Lebanon and are not anxious to leave at this stage and indeed haven’t been for quite a while. There may be one additional (person) but essentially we have assisted everybody who wants to come out.”
Meanwhile, more than 70 Irish peacekeepers who were on leave when Israel launched its invasion of Lebanon last month are unable to rejoin their unit.
The situation in Lebanon is currently deemed to be too dangerous to fly the soldiers back to Beirut and drive them down to the Unifil mission area in the south of the country, military sources said.
Israeli troops and armoured vehicles are regularly visible from Irish outposts, raising fears about potential Hizbullah rocket attacks in the area.
The Defences Forces’ 124th Infantry Battalion, Ireland’s contribution to the Unifil missions, is comprised of 370 troops. However, there are currently fewer than 300 troops in the area of operations due, in part, to a large contingent of personnel returning to Ireland on leave before the latest hostilities.
[ Khamenei says Iran and its allies will not back down from IsraelOpens in new window ]
This leaves the Irish battalion about 25 per cent below strength but military sources say this is not impacting operational capacity or force protection measures as the Israeli invasion has significantly reduced the pace of the unit’s work.
Military management intend to keep the troops who are in Ireland on standby. They will form a quick reaction reserve force which can be sent back into Lebanon if the situation deteriorates significantly.
One possibility is that this reserve force would be sent back to help evacuate the mission, should the UN decide to withdraw Unifil troops. However, military sources said this remains highly unlikely and that there are no preparations being made for Irish troops to leave the mission area.
Many of the soldiers on leave in Ireland are eager to return to Lebanon despite the danger. “They feel they’re missing out on the action and they’re worried about their comrades,” said a source.
The battalion’s commander, Lieut Col Tom Fox, had been due to return to Ireland on this leave rotation. However, he opted to remain in the mission due to the worsening security situation. It is the second time his leave has been cancelled.
Responding to queries, a Defence Forces spokesman said: “Unifil HQ has instructed all battalions to limit movements with the ongoing situation. Assessments on the supply corridor north of the Litani to Beirut were made at the beginning of the escalations and it was determined that the current environment is not conducive to the movement of large convoys.
“Personnel currently on leave rotation were instructed to hold their return travel to Lebanon and remain on standby until a secure window becomes available to return them to UNP 2-45 [Irish headquarters]. These plans are being reviewed on a daily basis.”
Questions remain over how the 124th Battalion will be replaced next month when their six month tour ends. They are due to be replaced by the 125th Battalion in November, but the current security situation may pose significant risk to the rotation.
Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Seán Clancy this week said a decision on the rotation would be made closer to the time and that the replacement battalion is continuing its training as normal.
“Conditions will dictate whether [the rotation] can be exercised at that time. But we’ll address those issues as they arise,” he said, adding that morale remains high among the troops and that “the resilience of the soldiers there is extraordinary”.
🔴 URGENT - Le président français Emmanuel Macron demande «qu'on cesse de livrer les armes» à Israël «pour mener les combats sur Gaza» rfi.my/B11B.x
Translated from French by Google:
🔴 URGENT - French President Emmanuel Macron demands that "we stop supplying weapons" to Israel "to lead the fighting in Gaza" rfi.my/B11B.x
Journalists at CNN and the BBC have exposed the inner workings of their newsrooms, alleging pro-Israel bias in coverage of the war on Gaza, as well as systematic double standards and frequent violations of journalistic principles ⤵️
There's a good chance that Israel will attack multiple targets in Iran. How many & which targets remains to be seen 👇
Update: Bloomberg, citing an informed source: There are concerns that Israel may cross the line and attack more targets than necessary in Iran.
Preparing to strike Iran: US General Kurilla, the head of CENTCOM, will be arriving in Israel in next 24 hours, @ynetalerts reports; he is expected to coordinate Israel’s retaliation for Iran’s missile assault.
It’s funny that we can have one of the highest ranking officers in the US military fly to another country to direct their bombing of a third country while the President crows about how he’s avoided getting the United States involved in a war.
US spokesperson actually acknowledged a US citizen killed in Lebanon by Israeli bombing for a change.
This isn't praise, this is me noting how rare even acknowledgement of such an occurrence is.
Sorry, they only acknowledged this on Friday... because for nearly 72 hours they were referring to him as "a lawful permanent resident," not a citizen.
Seems like the kind of thing you would want to check, if you gave a shit. Which tells you how much the State Department cares about Arab-Americans.
Posts
https://x.com/melaniejoly/status/1839779266508271898
Tweets from Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Update:
Still preserved in archives though:
https://archive.ph/kFmFP
I wonder if they’ll print a retraction
Meanwhile:
I think the assumption is that reporting information like that would make Israel look bad
The government doesn’t care about people it views as middle eastern
Huff Post reporter:
{Twitter, Everybody's doing it. }{Writing and Story Blog}
Also a bunch that are in very public looking places hidden in plain sight. You generally find them when dark suited materialize from out of nowhere to ask questions about what you're doing.
Three days ago
Our government prioritizes killing people and destroying their homes overseas over protecting people and rebuilding their homes here.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
But at least half that problem is funding.
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
Reminder credentials:
I hate this timeline so much.
"Regretfully necessary nuclear pre-emptive strike" is something I expect to hear if Israel decides to start a proper war against Iran.
To be clear: I expect Israel to be the one doing the nuking.
I hope the IAEA and other watchdogs keep an eye on Nagev/Dimona like a Hawk. That's still Israel's primary fissile material factory and where they store their completed gadgets, that they totally don't have.
Anything hot will necessitate a transfer from there before it could actively enter a theater.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
More in the piece
Steam
Any other country would have to worry about leaving themselves vulnerable when they overextend, but luckily Israel has the US sitting very nearby to dissuade anyone from taking a bite out of Israel's exposed ass.
Fucking McGurk
Buddy, you’re not gonna get that magical Saudi/Israel deal back like this, not when the folks in charge think they’re gonna maybe get a chunk out of Saudi Arabia for their manifest destiny delusions out of this whole nightmare now that they have a ruling coalition
This isn't praise, this is me noting how rare even acknowledgement of such an occurrence is.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Remember, Netanyahu said Israel's war was with Hezbollah, not the people of Lebanon. (More than one million people, a fifth of Lebanon's population, are currently displaced due to Israel's attacks.)
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The full letter
More in the full piece.
Note that most everyone who is named in the articles expressing these concerns resigned from their positions months ago.
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Saoirse Don Phailistín
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Sorry, they only acknowledged this on Friday... because for nearly 72 hours they were referring to him as "a lawful permanent resident," not a citizen.
Seems like the kind of thing you would want to check, if you gave a shit. Which tells you how much the State Department cares about Arab-Americans.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar