WORLD AT WAR: 2.24.24 - How the US Abandoned Israel under Biden

How the US Abandoned Israel under Biden - by Robert Williams - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20415/us-abandoned-israel "I come to Israel with a single message: You are not alone," US President Joe Biden said right after the October 7 massacre by the terrorist organization Hamas of Israelis,Muslims, Americans, Europeans, Filipinos and Thai visitors enjoying a Saturday holiday in southern Israel. "As long as the United States stands � and we will stand forever � we will not let you ever be alone," Biden continued. "It has brought to the surface painful memories and scars left by a millennia of antisemitism and the genocide of the Jewish people. The world watched then, it knew, and theworld did nothing. We will not stand by and do nothing again. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Israel must again be a safe place for the Jewish people. And I promise you: We're going to do everything in our power to make sure that it will be." It did not take long, however, for the Biden administration to completely turn that promise on its head. The reversal began with US demands on Israel to scale down militaryoperations, which were already scaled down beyond that of any military in the history of urban warfare, to the extent that the lives of Israeli soldiers were endangered. The Israel Defense Forces had dropped thousands of leaflets urging Gazans to flee southto designated safety areas. Instead of carpet bombing, which would have prevented the death of hundreds of Israeli soldiers, the IDF conducted only pinpoint strikes by air, and maneuvered on foot through booby-trapped alleyways and hundreds of miles of booby-trappedtunnels. Hamas, meanwhile, was shooting at its own citizens to keep them from fleeing to safety, so that the IDF would have to fight Hamas terrorists embedded within the civilian population. "Israel implemented more measures to prevent civilian casualties than any other nation in history," wrote John Spencer, a leading expert in urban and subterranean warfare,who is chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at the United States Military Academy West Point. "... Israel provided days and then weeks of warnings, as well as time for civilians to evacuate multiple cities in northern Gaza before starting the main air-ground attackof urban areas. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) employed their practice of calling and texting ahead of an air strike as well as roof-knocking, where they drop small munitions on the roof of a building notifying everyone to evacuate the building before a strike. "No military has ever implemented any of these practices in war before. "The IDF has also air-dropped flyers to give civilians instructions on when and how to evacuate, including with safe corridors... "Israel's use of real phone calls to civilians in combat areas (19,734), SMS texts (64,399) and pre-recorded calls (almost 6 million) to provide instructions on evacuationsis also unprecedented." Nevertheless, the Biden administration escalated its criticism into brazen insinuations against Israel of supposed wrongdoings in its warfare in Gaza. "Israelis were dehumanized in the most horrific way on October 7," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on a visit to Israel earlier in February. "The hostages have beendehumanized every day since, but that cannot be a license to dehumanize others," Blinken went on, implying that Israel was "dehumanizing" Gazans. "The daily toll that [Israel's] military operations continue to take on innocent civilians remains too high. We urge Israel to do more to help civilians knowing full wellthat it faces an enemy that would never hold itself to those standards." No one knows how many civilians have been killed in Gaza. The casualty numbers are issued exclusively by the Gaza Health Ministry � operated, of course, by Hamas, which classifiesevery casualty as a civilian one. When Blinken "accuses Israel�inaccurately, unfairly, and libelously�of dehumanizing Palestinians," former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren commented, "he dehumanizesus and contributes to the delegitimization of Israel and the demonization of Jews worldwide." In early February, Biden then told reporters: "I'm of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza � in the Gaza Strip � has been over the top." White HousePress Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later tried to "clarify" the comment by saying that Biden had meant that Israel must ensure that its "operations are targeted and conducted in a way that they are protecting innocent civilians." The US government, however, is fully aware that Israel does more than any other military � even more than the US � to protect civilians. White House spokesperson John Kirby,a retired Navy Rear Admiral, said on February 13: "We have seen them [IDF] take actions -- sometimes actions that that even I'm not sure our own military would take -- in terms of informing civilian populations ahead of operations,where to go or not to go." Kirby also called South Africa's lawsuit against Israel over its warfare in Gaza "meritless, counterproductive and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever." Most recently, the Biden administration has taken its anti-Israel stance one step further. The US State Department is now "investigating" Israeli airstrikes in Gaza that allegedlykilled dozens of civilians, as well as allegations that Israel used white phosphorous in Lebanon. The aim, according to US officials who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, is "to determine whether one of America's closest allies has misused its bombs and missilesto kill civilians." In addition, the Biden administration has reportedly been investigating Israel's military campaign in Gaza "for months" despite reassurances that it was doing no such thing.Kirby told reporters on January 4: "I am not aware of any kind of formal assessment being done by the United States government to analyze the compliance with international law by � by our partner Israel...we need to take a different approach in terms of trying to help Israel defend itself." Nevertheless, the Huffington Post wrote on February 13 that, according to unnamed Biden administration officials, the investigations have been taking place in both the StateDepartment and the Defense Department: "Internally, U.S. officials have been assessing possible international law violations by Israel for months, and they are continuing to do so, HuffPost has learned from foursources familiar with private discussions about the assessments." Most telling of the US abandonment of Israel while it is fighting terrorism on behalf of Western civilization, are the reports that Biden, in coalition with Egypt, Jordan,Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Palestinian representatives, is in a great hurry to reward Hamas for its October 7 massacre � which it has vowed to repeat "again and again" times until Israel is annihilated � with an "irreversible" plan toestablish a Palestinian state. According to the Washington Post on February 14: "The Biden administration and a small group of Middle East partners are rushing to complete a detailed, comprehensive plan for long-term peace between Israel and Palestinians,including a firm timeline for the establishment of a Palestinian state, that could be announced as early as the next several weeks." The group of countries looking to force a two-state solution on Israel extends far beyond the Middle East: "The circle of support for a firm plan extends beyond the small group of those working on it directly. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has expressed public interestin early recognition of a Palestinian state. "The European Union is 'reaching out ... to see how we can work together to have a larger plan that actually focuses on getting to the end of the conflict,' said Sven Koopmans,the E.U. special representative for the Middle East peace process. 'That's an actual peace process that wants to get to an independent, fully recognized Palestinian state and a secure state of Israel fully integrated in the region. Is that feasible? It's extremelydifficult, but in the absence of any other plan, we are interested in pursuing this.'" The only relevant country that has apparently not been invited to the "urgent" discussions is Israel. The world evidently does not consider it a sovereign state that is allowedto make its own security decisions. Instead, Israel must presumably be forced into making "peace" with an enemy that has sworn to rape, mutilate, torture, burn and murder until every Jew in the land has been eliminated. The Israel government immediately issued a statement: "Israel outright rejects international dictates regarding a final accord with the Palestinians. Such an agreement will be reached solely through direct negotiations betweenthe parties, without preconditions. Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition, in the wake of the October 7th massacre would give a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism and prevent any future peaceaccord." Yet, even that was distorted by hostile media. According to Honest Reporting: "What Israel's statement about unilateral recognition did not do, was oppose Palestinian statehood in general. That is, Israel did not outright reject the idea that a Palestinianstate could be formed as part of a larger peace agreement... The fact is, Israel has shown time and time again that is willing to negotiate with Palestinians and is not opposed to the actualization of a Palestinian state.... For the media to suggest otherwiseis just historical revisionism." The Biden administration's main interest, however, seems clearly not to be facts. Rather, it appears to be to smear and distance itself from Israel, perhaps hoping that itwill deliver more "swing states" in America's upcoming November election. Biden is losing voters, however, for reasons other than his views on Israel. One can start with the recent Hur Report by the US Department of Justice, which said that Bidenwould not be charged with the crimes he had apparently committed, of illegally taking and unsafely storing classified documents because he is a "well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" -- perfect for running the country? Since Biden began his term inJanuary 2021, America has also seen "galloping inflation;" an open border that FBI Director Christopher Wray, according to the House Committee on Homeland Security, said "poses [a] major security threat," as well as, Wray warned: "China's capacity to 'wreak havoc' on US infrastructure and directly harm Americans .... our water treatment plants, our electrical grid, our oil and natural gas pipelines,our transportation systems.... low blows against civilians are part of China's plan." Finally, there is the incalculable danger to the Middle East and North America of an Iranian regime with unlimited ambition on the threshold of delivering unlimited nuclearbombs. Biden, clearly, seems not that intent on making Israel or the Free World a safe place again. At least not if it might compromise his reelection. ----------------------------------------- IDF Airstrikes Pound Damascus As Syria Warns That It Is Ready For War With Israel- by Michael Snyder - https://endoftheamericandream.com/idf-airstrikes-pound-damascus-as-syria-warns-that-it-is-ready-for-war-with-israel/ If you haven’t been paying close attention to what is going on in the Middle East, you need to start doing so. As I have discussed previously, I believe that a Great MiddleEast War will be one of the conflicts that defines World War III. For months, the fighting has mostly been limited to Israel and Hamas, but events on the northern front are really starting to heat up. In fact, as you will see below, the IDF just pummeled Damascuswith more airstrikes and the Syrian government is saying that it is ready for war with Israel. So could we soon see a scenario where Israel is fighting an all-out war with Hezbollah and the Syrian army simultaneously? Needless to say, that really would be a nightmare. We are so close to a major regional war, and each new day brings new escalations. Right now, there is a tremendous amount of buzz about Israel’s impending assault on the Hamas stronghold in Rafah. As the Jerusalem Post has pointed out, Hamas desperately needs Rafah if it is to survive… There is likely another side to this. Hamas needs Rafah to survive. This is how Hamas controls humanitarian aid entering Gaza. Hamas has made extreme demands of Israel fora new pause in fighting. It says it could release hostages over several months if Israel moves toward a ceasefire and an end to the war. In essence, Hamas wants Rafah as its main conduit to the internationalcommunity, so it can control the aid that might enter during a ceasefire. Hamas wants to rebuild capabilities in Rafah and use it as a redoubt to extend its tentacles back throughout Gaza. If Israel really does intend to wipe out Hamas, it must go into Rafah. And it appears that is exactly what is going to happen. Of course Hamas is really freaked out at this moment, and they are desperately trying to get Israel to back off by warning that any attack on Rafah would “torpedo” negotiationsfor the release of the remaining hostages… “Any attack by the occupation army on the city of Rafah would torpedo the exchange negotiations,” a Hamas leader told the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity. I don’t think those negotiations were really going anywhere, and I am convinced that Israel fully plans to go in. But there is a problem. Most than a million Palestinian civilians have taken refuge in Rafah, and getting them to safety before the assault begins has become a major international issue… Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged “safe passage for the civilian population” of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are crowded into shelters.A planned Israeli ground assault has spread fear in the southern Gaza city and fueled mounting global alarm. Netanyahu told ABC News that an attack on Rafah was key to defeating Hamas, but it’s unclear where people packed into the city and pressed againstthe Egyptian border might go to find safety. Once the IDF goes into Rafah, tensions in the region will go to an entirely new level. The Saudi government is warning that there will be “very serious repercussions” if a campaign against Rafah proceeds… CNN reported that Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Israel of “very serious repercussions” if their forces target Rafah. “The Kingdom affirms its categorical rejection and strong condemnation of their forcible deportation, and renews its demand for an immediate ceasefire,” the ministry saidin a statement, according to the outlet. And Egypt is warning that it could actually suspend its peace treaty with the Israelis… Two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if Israel forces were sent into Rafah, The Associated Press reported.European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that an offensive into Rafah “would lead to an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt.” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said an Israeli operation into Rafah “cannot proceed” in an interview with NPR. A tremendous international effort is being made to keep Israel out of Rafah. In the end, I don’t think that it is going to work. I think that Israel will go into Rafah, and when that happens there will be an explosion of international outrage. Could that be one of the events that triggers a full-blown war on the northern front? At this stage, we truly are on the verge of the unthinkable. On Saturday, the IDF once again hammered Damascus with airstrikes… Israeli airstrikes allegedly hit several sites on the outskirts of Damascus on Saturday, according to the Syrian military, while a war monitor said three people were killedin the attacks. The strikes came from the direction of the Golan Heights, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing an unnamed military official. It added that Syrian air defenses shotdown some missiles and those that landed resulted in “some material losses.” It was not immediately clear if there were casualties. In response, a top Syrian official has reportedly said that Syria “is prepared to engage in conflict with Israel”… Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad stated that Syria is prepared to engage in conflict with Israel, emphasizing that the liberation of the occupied Golan Heights remainsa top priority for Syria. He also reportedly said that Syria will choose “when and how we will enter this war”… #BREAKING Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs: We are ready for war against Israel, but we will decide when and how we will enter this war. Wow. This is really happening. If an all-out war erupts on the northern front and missiles start flying all over the place, Israel will completely flatten both Damascus and Beirut. I do not think that most people understand how cataclysmic this war could potentially become. In anticipation of the coming conflict on the northern front, the Israelis are redeploying one of their most important units to the border with Lebanon… The Israel Defense Force has announced the Immediate Redeployment of the 36th Division also known as the “Ga’ash Formation” from the Central Gaza Strip to the Border withLebanon amid Escalating Attacks by Hezbollah. The good news is that I don’t think that an all-out war on the northern front will erupt this month. But I do believe that it is coming, and later this year will be a prime opportunity for that to happen. For much more on the importance of 2024, please see my most recentbook. We really are living in a time of wars and rumors of wars. And World War III is going to turn our world completely upside down. Unfortunately, most people still seem to believe that global leaders have events under control and that everything will work out just fine somehow. ------------------------------------------- What Next in The War with Hamas? � Yaakov Lappin - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=6704 The Israel Defense Forces will likely begin maneuvering in Rafah, southern Gaza--the last Hamas stronghold--towards the end of February, and could complete the high-intensityphase of its war against Hamas by early May, a senior former Israeli defense official says. Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, senior fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, said during a call organized on Monday by the Jerusalem Press Club thatby the start of March, the IDF will likely complete its operations in Khan Yunis and begin moving units into Rafah, assuming no hostage release deal is reached with Hamas, which would alter this timeline. Amidror served as national security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and as chairman of the National Security Council between 2011 and 2013. He is also a formerhead of Research Department in the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate "There are four battalions of Hamas" in Rafah, Amidror said. "All of them will be dismantled by the IDF. This will take the whole March and maybe to the end of April. "In the meantime, we have to be sure that part of the population which is concentrated in Rafah will move slowly but surely to designated areas which would be kind of a safehaven for this population," he added. Many displaced Gazan civilians headed to Rafah "because they had the hope that they will be allowed to cross the border into Egypt," Amidror said, adding, "The Egyptians donot want any Palestinians in Egypt. That was my, by the way, my assessment from the beginning--that they would not allow any Palestinian to enter Egypt." The targeted raids phase According to this rough assessment, by the start of May, the IDF will complete its high-intensity stage of operations against Hamas in southern Gaza, gain operational controlof the entire Strip over and underground, and shift into the targeted raids phase, as it has already done in northern Gaza. This next phase, according to Amidror, will entail "specific raids of battalions or brigades into specific areas based on intelligence that we will have." He estimated thatit would take another six months to a year to "clean out the Gaza Strip totally" in this next phase. "And then it will be 'the day after' in which someone will have to take responsibility for Gaza," he said. Amidror added that the IDF is gleaning a great deal of intelligence from "papers" and other data sources confiscated from Hamas sites in Gaza, including from Hamas headquarters,and the interrogation of Hamas terrorists. "Many of them are now instead of fighting and being killed, they are surrendering," he said. Professor Eyal Zisser, vice rector of Tel Aviv University and chair of Contemporary History of the Middle East, told JNS that when the IDF completes the destruction of theremaining Hamas battalions, this would indeed constitute "the elimination of Hamas as an organized military force--akin to a regular army--with its headquarters, training camps, bases and weapon depots. "But it turns it into a guerrilla organization--essentially like what happens in Judea and Samaria, where there are lone terrorists and cells carrying out terror attacks,and in Gaza, there is a vacuum and anarchy so it is more difficult to control than Judea and Samaria, hence it is a challenge for the IDF but a lesser challenge than dealing with the Hamas army with which we started the war." Addressing the senior Hamas leadership, Zisser said, "They certainly did not anticipate this happening, and certainly relied on their past experience that there would be fightingfor several weeks and that the IDF would not enter the Strip. "Currently, they essentially do not control anything but are hiding in a bunker. However, the Hamas units operate independently and in a disconnected manner, as they weretrained to do. So there is no management of the war, there is hiding and concealment, and I assume they are hiding in the hope of surviving and that eventually, the IDF will leave the Strip and they will come out of the bunker--and for them, to survive willbe to win." ------------------------