RSS
‘It Is in America’s Interest to See Hamas Crushed’: Experts on Why a Rafah Operation Is Necessary
Israeli soldiers operate at the Shajaiya district of Gaza city amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas, in the Gaza Strip, Dec. 8, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Yossi Zeliger
Israel must operate in Rafah, Hamas’ last stronghold, if it wishes to achieve its war objective of eliminating the threat posed by the Palestinian terrorist group, according to experts who spoke with The Algemeiner.
The United States has been pressuring Israel not to move forward with full-scale military action in the southern Gaza city, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that “we are determined to do this.”
Max Abrahms, a tenured professor of international relations at Northeastern University and a consultant to US government agencies, told The Algemeiner that it is “imperative for the Israel Defense Forces to go into Rafah.”
There are a few reasons for this, he explained. One is that, because there are substantial numbers of Hamas terrorists and leaders in Rafah, an operation is the only way for Israel to achieve its war goals of destroying the Islamist group. “Obviously, Israel could take them out with air power alone,” he said, “but the civilian toll would be prohibitive. It is both more effective and humanitarian to deploy boots on the ground.”
Another reason is to re-establish deterrence: “Beyond Hamas,” Abrahms explained, “Israel is surrounded by tens of thousands of state-sponsored terrorists when you include those hiding out in Lebanon and the West Bank — not to mention Gaza. Winning the war against Hamas is critical for signaling to other non-state Israeli adversaries and their backers in Doha, Tehran, Ankara, and Sana’a the costs of attacking Jews.”
Since Hamas launched the current war in Gaza with its Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel, the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon has been firing rockets at northern Israel daily. Tensions have been escalating between both sides, fueling concerns that the conflict in Hamas-ruled Gaza could escalate into a regional conflict.
Meanwhile, Israel has arrested thousands of wanted terrorists in the West Bank since the start of the war, roughly half of whom are members of Hamas, according to the Israeli military.
And in Yemen, the Houthi rebels since Oct. 7 have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and targeting Israel in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.
In such a security environment, Israel’s war is not against just Hamas but Islamist terrorists more broadly, according to experts, who say defeating the former will help combat the latter.
“The same holds true for the broader global jihad. Hamas is on al Qaeda’s side,” Abrahms said. “Indeed, Operation Al Aqsa Flood [Hamas’ name for the terror group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel] breathed new life into the global jihad. A win for Israel is a win for counter-terrorism around the world.”
He pointed out: “This is why it is in America’s interest to see Hamas crushed.”
Abrahms also linked an operation in Rafah to the release of the remaining hostages seized by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7. Even though “some commentators have suggested that negotiations [for the hostages] in lieu of military force are more effective for bargaining,” he acknowledged, “this perspective is deracinated from the international relations literature, which emphasizes in the bargaining literature that threats of force are an important part of bargaining processes.”
“The specter of full-scale defeat is the best motivator for Hamas to relinquish the hostages,” he argued.
Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former White House deputy national security adviser, agreed.
“In the end, if Hamas survives as a fighting force and government it wins the war,” he told The Algemeiner. “Israel is rightly unwilling to contemplate such an outcome. But there are four enlarged Hamas divisions in Rafah, and if they are not destroyed that is the real outcome of the whole conflict: a Hamas victory. This is why Israel must eventually go into Rafah.”
The primary objection to an Israeli operation is that it will make an already dire humanitarian situation worse. US President Joe Biden said he has “deep concern” over such a prospect. Over a million Gazans are currently in Rafah — a city that usually is home to just a few hundred thousand people. Getting access to food and medical care in Gaza has become extremely difficult, bordering on impossible in some cases.
Abrams acknowledged that the battle in Rafah “requires allowing Gazans to move away, whether to northern Gaza or other parts of southern Gaza.” He said if this does not happen, then “it will be impossible for Israel to fight effectively.”
It would also likely result in many civilian casualties.
Consequently, Abrams explained, “the discussions between the United States and Israel should focus on exactly this: how to provide other refuges for Gazans now in Rafah. This will likely require provision of tent cities and other new (perhaps prefab) housing, and food, at locations outside Rafah.”
Reports indicate Israel and the US are currently discussing how exactly to approach a Rafah operation.
Amid these discussions, and continued pressure on Israel by the US not to move forward with an operation, former US Ambassador to the United Nations and White House National Security Adviser John Bolton wrote this week: “The critical question is whether Biden agrees that Israel’s legitimate right of self-defense includes its clearly-stated objective of eliminating Hamas’ military and political capabilities.”
He advised that “this is not the time for the United States to show weakness, especially at the UN.”
Bolton explained why by pointing to a larger goal than just defeating Hamas, arguing, “Victory there could be a decisive turning point in the struggle against the ultimate aggressor: Iran.”
Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran, which for years has provided the terrorist groups with arms, funding, and training. The Iranian regime also supports the Houthis, whose slogan is “death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory to Islam.”
The post ‘It Is in America’s Interest to See Hamas Crushed’: Experts on Why a Rafah Operation Is Necessary first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
The Media Reports Hamas Propaganda, and Hamas Still Implicitly Threatens Them
A Palestinian Hamas terrorist shakes hands with a child as they stand guard as people gather on the day of the handover of Israeli hostages, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
Western media outlets simply ignores that everything that comes out of Gaza is pre-approved by Hamas, and anyone who breaks their rules is threatened.
All of the information that the media is reporting from Gaza this week is what Hamas wants them to say. The only source for the death toll counts and the allegation that most of the dead are women and children come from Hamas and no one else.
One Telegram message from the Al Qassam Brigades makes this explicit.
Although Israeli airstrikes targeted some Hamas leaders, the terror group warned journalists not to report on their names until they get permission:
Urgent Directive and Warning:
We call on activists and media professionals to stop circulating the names of individuals involved in the attacks carried out by the occupation in the Gaza Strip, and to adhere to the statements issued by official authorities.
When a group that wears ski masks and carries weapons gives a directive, it is a threat, not a suggestion.
The main reason that the media doesn’t report on Hamas’ complete control of the media is exactly because it is a threat, not a suggestion. They do not want to appear cowardly or to admit that they are following Hamas rules, so they simply do not report on things like this.
That means that the truth is withheld from readers, and that false information is provided as fact — as a means to damage Israel and advance Hamas’ agenda.
The post The Media Reports Hamas Propaganda, and Hamas Still Implicitly Threatens Them first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
‘Moderate’ Palestinian Authority Tells Its People That Jews Poison the Water
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has once again used medieval blood libels of Jews, saying that Jews poison the wells. Such libels are meant to justify hatred and terror against Jews, just as they did in Europe in the Middle Ages.
After Israeli police helped return a flock of sheep stolen from Israelis by Palestinians, a PA official said the following on television:
Advisor to Head of The Committee to Resist Settlements and the Wall Ayed Morrar: “There was an attack on the village of Ras Al-Auja, and they [settlers] took all the livestock they could find, between 800-1,500. Some claim that a total of 1,500 animals were stolen … Moreover, they poisoned the water to kill the Palestinians’ livestock.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA TV, Palestine This Morning, March 9, 2025]
Ayed Morrar has a history of antisemitism. Just three months ago, he spread the libel that Jews are only in the Land of Israel because it is good for them financially and they would do anything for money.
Official PA television regularly features officials and reporters repeating the well-poisoning libel, such as when a columnist said that Israel was “liable to poison the water” and a reporter said that Jewish rabbis “permit poisoning water wells.”
This recurring libel is patently false because both Israelis and the Arabs of Judea and Samaria drink water from the same Mountain Aquifer.
Ephraim D. Tepler is a contributor to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW). Itamar Marcus is PMW’s Founder and Director. A version of this article originally appeared at PMW.
The post ‘Moderate’ Palestinian Authority Tells Its People That Jews Poison the Water first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Gal Gadot Gets Emotional Becoming First Israeli to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Actor Gal Gadot gestures during the unveiling ceremony for her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, US, March 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Israeli actress Gal Gadot received a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday, and its unveiling was attended by her family and close friends, including “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins and her “Fast & Furious” costar Vin Diesel.
Gadot, 39, is the first Israeli actress and the 2,804th person to be honored with a star on the Walk of Fame, which is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Her star is located on 6840 Hollywood Boulevard adjacent to the El Capitan Theatre. The actress, who was born in Rosh HaAyin, Israel, and stars in Disney’s new “Snow White” remake as the Evil Queen, attended the unveiling ceremony with her husband, Yaron Varsano, and four daughters – Alma, Maya, Daniella, and Ori.
“This is very surreal, and I feel like I’m the luckiest woman. I feel very humbled and grateful,” Gadot said on stage at the event while getting visibly emotional.
“I’m just a girl from a town in Israel,” she continued, garnering loud applause from the audience. “And I could never imagine such a moment. I never dreamt of becoming an actress and I never knew that these things are possible. To me it’s even more than any award because we can share it with the world. I’m not taking it home. This is for everybody. This star will remind me that with hard work and passion and some faith anything is possible.”
Gadot thanked her fans for their love and support and told them: “If a girl from Rosh can get a star on the Hollywood [Walk of Fame], anything is possible.” She also shared a message in Hebrew with her friends and family watching the event being live streamed from Israel. Gadot looked into the camera and said in Hebrew she loves them and even though they are far away, they will always be close to her heart.
The actress concluded by thanking her husband and her children. She told her daughters in part: “Everything I do, I do for you. Being your ima [mother] is my greatest, greatest privilege and the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done. Thank you for being a part of the circus. You allow me to fulfill my dreams, and I hope that you know you can do the same. You inspire me every day to strive to be a better person – strong and kind and brave, just the way that you are — and I hope that you’re proud.”
Diesel spoke on stage at the unveiling about his close relationship with Gadot, whom he starred alongside in the “Fast & Furious” film franchise. Diesel cast her to play Gisele Yashar in 2009’s “Fast & Furious” and it was Gadot’s first film role. She went on to reprise the role in “Fast Five,” “Fast & Furious 6,” and “Fast X.”
Diesel praised Gadot as an “incredible actress” and also called her family, saying that she was in his life when he became a father and is now known as “Auntie Gal” to his children. The actor also talked about the support Gadot gave him after the death of his friend and “Fast & Furious” costar Paul Walker in 2013.
“After Paul left, Gal was the first one at my house to wipe my tears,” Diesel said. “I just love her so much.”
Gadot thanked Diesel for her big movie break during her own speech. “Vin, you took a chance on a complete unknown and invited me to the ‘Fast & Furious’ family. Talk about starting big,” she told him on stage. “It was my first movie ever and your faith in me completely changed the course of my life. Thank you so much for your trust, for showing up, and your love. I love you and we’re always family.”
Jenkins – who directed Gadot in 2017’s “Wonder Woman” and also the 2020 action film “Wonder Woman 1984” – described Gadot as a “movie star” and her “best friend forever on set.” She shared some of her fondest memories with Gadot, which included them living together during the COVID-19 pandemic, and listed some of her favorite things about the Israeli star.
“[Gal] never stops from giving powerful performances, somehow always being the happiest, kindest, most loving, most heroic person on the set,” Jenkins said. “You never complain and … she is Wonder Woman. She is the most wonderful, kind, gracious person, [and] what a gift to have somebody like that embody a hero that I care so much about. There are so many reasons to be in this industry [and] I’m so honored to walk through this with someone who’s really here to make the world a better place. And it’s a much better place with you in it.”
Gadot called Jenkins “my Wonder Woman behind the camera.” She added: “I’m so grateful that the world has brought us together. Working with you has taught me to trust myself and my powers as an actress and it was only after our movie [‘Wonder Woman’] that I finally started to call myself an actress. Thank you for your inspiration and for being such a friend.”
Others who attended the unveiling of Gadot’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame include Israeli actress Shira Haas, “Snow White” director Mark Webb, and the film’s producer Marc Platt. “Snow White” lead actress Rachel Ziegler did not attend.
“Being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a testament to Gadot’s incredible talent, dedication, and impact on the entertainment industry,” said Ana Martinez, Walk of Fame producer. “It is a recognition of her hard work and contributions to the world of entertainment that will forever be immortalized on Hollywood’s iconic sidewalk. Gal Gadot is well deserving of this honor.”
The post Gal Gadot Gets Emotional Becoming First Israeli to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login