Author: Teddy Chadwick

• A ton of smoke and fire last night at many thousands of Israelis took to the streets in efforts to pressure the government to make a deal with Hamas at any price;
• The airport was closed for just a few hours; the Labor Union called for a general strike, but not all cities agreed to participate;
• By noon today, the labor court determined that because of the political nature of the strike, it was not legal to keep it going until 6 pm, but it must be stopped by 2:30 pm this afternoon.

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Netanyahu said: “He who murders hostages does not want a deal.”
https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/biden-hamas-leaders-will-pay-for-these-crimes-upm9t9r7

The real reason Hamas cannot release all the hostages:  https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/the-real-reason-hamas-cant-free-the-remaining-hostages-iikx7t8f

“Sinwar’s main demands are the end of the war and the withdrawal of the IDF from the entire Gaza Strip. He is also seeking American guarantees that Israel will not continue the war after the hostage deal is completed.”

^^^ Above: And this, in short, is why Israel cannot simply “sign and agree, get the hostages back, and then destroy Hamas afterwards,” as so many armchair quarterbacks have naively suggested. 

Sources: 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/sep/02/israel-gaza-war-live-israel-faces-nationwide-general-strike-amid-public-anger-over-hostage-deaths-and-failed-ceasefire-talks?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-66d598db8f08e261247963cb#block-66d598db8f08e261247963cb

https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/biden-hamas-leaders-will-pay-for-these-crimes-upm9t9r7

https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/the-real-reason-hamas-cant-free-the-remaining-hostages-iikx7t8f

Gazans shot these hostages in the head and ran away, because they sensed the IDF was coming to the tunnel.

‘

And yes, the IDF could tell that the hostages had been murdered just a short time earlier.

As we can see, this includes American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a dual Israeli-American citizen.

My thoughts:  Now, we cannot know whether the same would have happened even if a deal had been reached. It might have ended up the same for these hostages.  Second, we must resist any temptation to dehumanize Hamas or Gazans because “they act like animals.”  Despite their behavior, they are fully human and will stand before YHWH one day on Judgement Day; and they have full agency and responsibility for their choices; as do all people worldwide.  What they have done is strategic, as a way to psychologically hurt Israelis with emotional pain.

Third, naive statements like “just sign a deal with Hamas already and get it over with” utterly fail to take into account the fact that Hamas has no interest in signing a deal – and it shows in their behavior.  Israel has accepted every proposal from the USA and Hamas has rejected it.

Finally, Israel has a red line.  Israel absolutely must, in any deal, maintain control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza/Egypt border.  That’s the way that Hamas will rearm themselves if Egypt still has it.

As I’ve said before, Hamas negotiates as if they think they are winning.

And yet, the voters in Gaza elected Hamas to their government, and at that time, the US President basically said that the world must honor their election because it was a democratic choice.  There have been no signs of the US or any other nation making attempts for regime change in Gaza.

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Meanwhile another big story today:  An investigation has revealed that the invasion from Gaza into Israel on Oct 7 was not 3,000 Gazans but 6,000.  Originally, the estimate was 1,200 Hamas militants and 1,800 Gazan civilians.  Today the investigation reports it was more like 3,800 militants (!!) and 2,200 “peaceful Gazan civilians” who crossed over to join in the murder, rape, hostage-taking, or looting.  We have already learned that one of the hostages who returned alive several months ago had been taken by Gazan civilians and then sold to Hamas.

Meanwhile – further attacks on Jews today in Judea and Samaria.

Israeli society in mourning:

• First day of school today, and high-school teachers are on strike, because of lowe wages;
• The Labor Union has called for a total shutdown, because of the six hostage bodies found;
• The Government cancelled its weekly noon meeting (each sunday at noon) because of the hostage bodies that were found;
• This morning there were numerous road junction closures as mourners seek to close the country down (yet normal daily work goes on today as far as I can see in my areas);  2024-09-01 Society Update

sources: 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/bodies-of-6-hostages-murdered-by-hamas-just-days-earlier-found-in-rafah-idf/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/hersh-carmel-alex-eden-or-almog-the-6-hostages-murdered-by-hamas-just-days-ago/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-finds-bodies-in-gaza-that-may-be-of-hostages-identification-process-underway/



IDF Chief of Staff assesses scene of Tarqumiyah Junction terror attack

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-817282



A classic ploy: Iran feigns interest in deal as it edges towards nuclear capability

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-816994

The Harris Biden Administration in the US seems to be just going thru the motions, to keep up appearances of supporting Israel, while at the same time wishing to reward terrorists with a new state; all in order to make an election win feasible on Nov 5, 2024.

Since January 2024, the Biden Harris administration in the US has stated:
1. Any day now a peace deal between Hamas and Israel is just about to occur, Yet, the deal never came and it’s 9 months running: “Peace, peace and there is no peace,” Ezek 13:10;
2. A Saudi – Israel agreement is possible before the election, even though Biden & Harris abandoned that agreement in their first year, for fear of giving the credit to the Trump Administration which had done all the legwork;
3. Harris/Biden ignored warnings that the rushed setup of a pier in the sea to deliver aid to Gaza would be problematic, yet Harris/Biden went and did it anyway. In line with the warnings, the pier failed due to weather fluctuations.

Sworn enemies cannot be forced to “just get along,” and bad weather cannot be ignored.  Hamas has it written in their founding constitution: their goal to wipe out all the Jews.  Ever since January 2024, Hamas has rejected every deal on the table.  Israel tries to live and let live; even in wartime the IDF seeks to attack only combatants.  Right now the US administration desperately wants a Hamas-Israel peace deal, and a Saudi-Israel peace deal, simply to get reelection on Nov 5, 2024, and gain another 4 years of power. That’s it. If the US administration really cared about peace, they wouldn’t have opened the floodgates for $100 Billion USD to suddenly flow into the Iranian regime government.

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sources:

Hamas rejects deal terms, Israeli negotiators return from Cairo:  
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-816243

https://www.timesofisrael.com/no-breakthroughs-in-cairo-talks-as-us-says-mediators-pushing-feverishly-for-deal/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/former-rahat-mayor-says-rescued-hostage-told-him-another-captive-died-by-his-side/

IDF discovers missiles, ammo, knives next to a baby's crib in Gaza:  
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-816444

Joe Biden ordered Gaza pier to be built despite fears of aid experts:  
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/28/joe-biden-us-gaza-aid-pier-usaid-concerns-israel-war-palestine

This bedroom was right next to a military Hamas tunnel:  

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Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/2024-08-26/live-updates-816342

Sunday morning, Hezbollah in Lebanon was prepared to fire an unprecedented 6,000 missiles and drones at Israel.

Israel got ahead of the attack, and struck their launch sites before 5 am.  Then Hezbollah fired 320 missiles and drones at Israel, but that’s the regular amount day-to-day.

Then, sticking to the schedule, Israeli negotiators left Israel headed to Cairo for negotiations with Hamas for ceasefire and hostage release.

Hamas said “No Deal” and the negotiators returned to Israel today.

Pray and Send Support, we work in a difficult land.

Meanwhile, the Biden/Harris administration in the US continue to push for a deal.  This is probably an election-year goal for them, as they need a success story.  Thus, even as Hamas continues to refuse every deal, this US administration pressures Israel to give in and sign.

Israel’s concern is maintaining security at the Philadelphi Corridor, in order to block weapons imported to Gaza from Egypt.  If Hamas is sincere about a cease fire, why would it be so important to them to be able to continue importing arms?  It is Hamas that ended the prior ceasefire with their unprecedented attack on Oct 7.

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sources:

https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-816243

https://www.timesofisrael.com/no-breakthroughs-in-cairo-talks-as-us-says-mediators-pushing-feverishly-for-deal/

🚀 Early this morning, Israel sent around 100 fighter jets into Lebanon to disable missile and drone launch sites, which were prepared to attack Israeli civilian areas in the Tel Aviv area, as well as central and northern Israel.

https://youtu.be/rL5NfdvJEDA

2024-08-25 New Week

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Israel blames Hamas, and the US hints that they blame Israel–and not Hamas–for the failure to reach a deal.

To me it’s awfully suspicious that (a) the US doesn’t put pressure, publicly on Hamas, but public pressure on Israel; (b) The US continues to support their ally, Qatar, while looking the other way with regard to Qatar’s terror activity via support for Hamas and Hezbollah; while (c) Biden/Harris restored kind and gentle relations with Iran which had become harsh during the Trump administration years.

Let us keep praying for the nations, and praying for the peace of Jerusalem according to Psalms 122:6. 

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The Saudi Foreign Minister exposes Qatar’s support for terrorism. pic.twitter.com/g5E7553JGT

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) August 10, 2024

Sources: 
Herzog says Hamas refusal responsible for failure to reach hostage deal: 
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/herzog-says-hamas-refusal-responsible-for-failure-to-reach-hostage-deal/ 

Qatar gets "permission" from the US to mess around with terrorism, while Saudia Arabia knows they'd be sued in the US court if they did the same: 
https://twitter.com/i/status/1822413523240054929

2024-08-19 News

So here’s the case of Ofir Tzarfati, age 27, who helped his girlfriend escape the rave on Oct 7, 2023.  He was taken captive that day and brought to Gaza.  On November 27, the IDF confirmed that he was dead, and on December 1, 2023, the IDF returned Ofir’s body to Israel.

And then around the second week of August, the spokeperson for the Al Qassam Brigades released a video of Ofir being shot by his captor.  The Brigades are one of the military groups working alongside Hamas in Gaza.  Ofir’s mother bravely announced that she refuses to view the video or any photos of his execution.  She made the right choice.  Obviously, the visuals are intended only to inflict psychological harm to Israelis.

Based on this knowledge of how genocidal terrorists work, I predicted this would occur: So on October 14, 2023 I released this video in an attempt to encourage people to avoid hostage propaganda pictures from Gazans:

Here is a beautiful photo celebrating Ofir Tzarfati’s life:

In August 2024, Gazans released a video showing the execution of Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage in Gaza. But the IDF had already confirmed that he had died by November 27, 2023. The IDF even recovered his body back to Israel on Dec 1. So why did Gaza do this? Psychological warfare. And the best antidote: Ignore it and do not view their videos or photos of hostages.

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Related: Psychological Warfare Part 1

Sources:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ofir-tzarfati-27-a-pure-soul-who-helped-girlfriend-escape-rave/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-says-it-razed-over-50-tunnels-in-gaza-egypt-border-area-in-past-week/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-says-its-guards-killed-a-hostage-wounded-two-others-idf-investigating-claim/

Terrorism is, by definition, psychological warfare, because rather than involve itself with traditional war, sending militants to fight against militants, it sends militants to fight against civilians, women, babies, elderly, and anyone generally at ease and unarmed.  The result:  Fear and terror spreads among the survivors.

While the civilized world vilifies terrorism as cowardly, terrorism embraces its own cowardice because of the perceived gains; that is, the fear saps the motivation of its enemy to continue the fight. Fear is the weapon.

Terrorism is panned in the civilized world for being unjust:  “What did those children ever do to you?  Hey, those people were simply enjoying a concert, not harming anybody; they believe in peace!”  Meanwhile, terrorism embraces the injustice, since it makes its fighters appear more fearsome.  Fear is the weapon.

The civilized party responds, saying, we will not lower ourselves to that level:  “Rather than attack the terrorists’ civilians, we will instead send our militants to fight their militants.”  And how do the terrorists respond? By accusing the civilized party of committing terrorism. More embracing the injustice.

I’ll leave you with one more: The terrorists boldly create genocidal plans. They write genocide into their founding documents, their “Constitution,” signed by all their founding fathers.  When they deliver their attacks, they continue to declare openly that they intend to repeat until the entire people is completely wiped out.  Civilization responds by sending militants to fight their militants, with as little damage as possible to the terrorists’ civilians.  And how do the terrorists respond? By accusing the civilized party of genocide.

Israel never commits genocide against her enemies.  Proof:

Prior to the Gaza war of 2014, there were 1.8 million people living in Gaza.  When that war was over, there were still 1.8 million people living in Gaza.  No genocide.

Prior to the war of Oct 7, 2023, there were 2.2 million people living in Gaza.  Whether the war ends in 2024 or 2025, there will still be at least 2.2 million people left in Gaza.  No genocide.

When genocidal terrorists accuse their victims of genocidal terrorism, those accusations are utterly false.  Wait, what?  I thought genocidal terrorists glorify their ideals of terrorism and genocide.  Why would they think it a bad thing if their enemies do the same?   See, this is:  Injustice added to injustice, fear added to fear, cowardice added to cowardice.  The intended result: Despondency.

And here’s the kicker: The civilized world falls for it every time and accepts the lies and false accusations from the genocidal terrorists.   The intended result:  Israel will become despondent, give up, and die.

We are few, but we are strong.  And we can boldly proclaim the truth that Israel does not commit genocide; never has, never will.

Israel does not use terror as a weapon; never has, never will.

Israel does not send militants to attack civilians; never has, never will.  On the contrary, Israel sends militants to attack only militants.

Check out my next installation in the series, for a different category of Psychological Warfare; this one with photos and examples.

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Related: Psychological Warfare: Part 2.

April 2024 brought history’s first direct Iranian attack on Israel after Israel claimed responsibility for bombing Iranian proxy Houthi assets in Yemen.  Now the US seems to be constantly warning the world about Iran’s next attack now that the leader of Hamas, another one of Iran’s proxies, was killed in the early morning of July 31 by a mysterious bomb planted in his bedroom in Tehran.  Israel has not claimed responsibility.

I suspect the US is using the threat of Iranian attack as a way to motivate Israel to settle a ceasefire deal quickly. And yet the US was evidently not interested in pressuring Hamas to even show up at the meetings for closing the deal.  No public pressure appeared; and in contrast, Hamas very publicly announced their refusal to attend the negotiations this week.  Which begs the question – does Hamas even want a ceasefire?  Why pressure Israel to create a ceasefire that Hamas does not even want?

Henry Kissinger once noted that the US must not push for a peace deal more than the negotiating parties.

Headlines: “Iran attack could come without warning, possibly in the next few days, says US;”

“Even Israel forgot about Iran’s nukes: Sources divided whether Jerusalem prepared to stop Tehran getting the bomb;”

Meanwhile, Arabic cartoonists mock Iran for delays, as well as weak responses to Israel:

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Related:   Another deal in the works: Here are the main points

Sources:

Bomb in Haniyeh's bedroom was planted 2 months prior: NY Times.  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/world/middleeast/how-hamas-leader-haniyeh-killed-iran-bomb.html 

Will Israel pay a price for forgetting Iran's nuclear program? Jerusalem Post:  https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/article-814958

Iran attack could come without warning, US says: Jerusalem Post:  https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-814955
Satirical cartoons in the Arab press lampoon Iran for delayed attack on Israel:  https://www.timesofisrael.com/satirical-cartoons-in-the-arab-press-lampoon-iran-for-delaying-attack-on-israel/