We have devolved as a society:
Hamas is right. Many ordinary Palestinians did participate in the October 7 assault on Israel. The civilians, however, could not have entered Israel without Hamas's tearing down the security fence. The truth is that thousands of Hamas terrorists and Palestinian civilians participated in the carnage.
The participation of Palestinian civilians in the attack on Israel, though not surprising, refutes the claim by human rights organizations that ordinary residents of the Gaza Strip are not involved in the Israel-Hamas war.
Even Hamas leaders have publicly implicated Palestinian civilians in the October 7 atrocities.
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“Seeing this young mother clutching her babies surrounded by a group of armed terrorists is horrifying. But it is also a call to action: That we must bring the hostages home,” said Hagari.
“We are very concerned about the condition and safety of Shiri and the children, and are making every effort to obtain more information about their fate,” he added.
Hagari said the videos were taken at a terrorist outpost belonging to the Mujahideen Brigades.
“Those who have the audacity to question our need to operate in Gaza but don’t have decency—the basic decency and humanity—to release the hostages, first of all, they all should take a good look at this terrified mother, Shiri, clutching her babies. Until Hamas releases our hostages, we will leave no stone unturned,” added Hagari.
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F--- off, Joe! You aren't anything!:
Amid growing tensions between the two leaders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden spoke by phone for 40 minutes Thursday evening, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
An official in the Prime Minister’s Office told The Times of Israel that the two discussed the hostages taken during the October 7 onslaught, Rafah and the next stage in the fight against Hamas, and touched on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
A White House statement also said the pair talked about hostage negotiations, conditions in Gaza and the prospect of an Israeli military operation in Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold in the enclave, where 1.4 million displaced Palestinians have fled to seek shelter from fighting elsewhere.
“The president reaffirmed his commitment to working tirelessly to support the release of all hostages as soon as possible, recognizing their appalling situation after 132 days in Hamas captivity,” the readout said. “The president and the prime minister also discussed the situation in Gaza, and the urgency of ensuring that humanitarian assistance is able to get to Palestinian civilians in desperate need.”
On Rafah, the statement said Biden “reiterated his view that a military operation should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the civilians in Rafah.”
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A former professional cyclist has been disinvited as the keynote speaker at an International Women’s Day event in Peterborough, Ont., because she served in the Israeli military three decades ago.
“I was hurt. I was angry. But most of all I was heartbroken,” Leah Goldstein, 55, wrote on her website.
In 2021, Goldstein became the first woman to win the solo category of Race Across America, a 4,800-kilometre bike race across the United States, and one of the longest endurance races in the world.
She was born in 1969 in Vancouver to Israeli parents. Raised in Israel, she, like most young Israelis, served in the Israel Defense Forces. Israel, unlike many nations, has compulsory military service laws. Before returning to Canada in the late 1990s, she also served as a police officer, according to the Times of Israel. She currently lives in Vernon, B.C.
“I don’t believe you hired me because I was a soldier and a cop,” Goldstein wrote in a post directed at the INSPIRE event. “While these jobs are part of my story (and I’m very grateful to have had these experiences), they do not define me as a human being.
“As a Jewish woman, I would never be offended if a Palestinian woman were to speak about her obstacles and life journey. I thought that’s what women were supposed to do for each other — listen and support!”
The Jerusalem Post reported that organizers said “a small but growing and extremely vocal group” had taken issue with Goldstein’s military service.
“Our focus at INSPIRE has been and will always be to create safe spaces to honour, share, and celebrate the remarkable stories of women and non-binary individuals,” the group told the paper in a statement. “In recognition of the current situation and the sensitivity of the conflict in the Middle East, the Board of INSPIRE will be changing our keynote speaker.”
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Norway says it will transfer tax funds to the Palestinian Authority that have been frozen for months because of a dispute with Israel.
Under interim peace agreements dating back to the early 1990s, Israel collects taxes and customs on behalf of the PA, which administers parts of the occupied West Bank and also helps pay for public services in Gaza.
After Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack triggered the war in Gaza, Israel reduced the transfers by the amount that is spent on the territory. The PA refused to accept the partial transfers, even though it relies on the taxes to cover most of its budget.
Under the agreement announced on Sunday, Israel will transfer all the funds to Norway. The Scandinavian country will in turn transfer funds for the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority while holding those destined for Gaza.
"The temporary scheme will play a crucial role in preventing the Palestinian Authority from collapsing financially,” it said in a statement Sunday. The transfer will allow the PA to pay salaries to teachers, health workers and other public employees.
Just ... wow ...
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