Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) speaks on the House floor. Source: X/@ RepGregLandsman.
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Jewish Democrats’ resolution condemns Palestinian expulsion bill
Intro
“They’re trying to expel an entire community of people from the United States,” said Rep. Greg Landsman. “It’s un-American. It’s not who we are.”
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Two Jewish, pro-Israel House Democrats introduced a resolution on Tuesday condemning a bill that would expel Palestinians from the United States as “un-American” and “bigoted.”

The resolution, sponsored by Reps. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), responded to a bill that Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) introduced earlier in November. It would bar Palestinian passport holders from admission to the United States and revoke the visa and asylum status of some Palestinians who are already in the country.

“They’re trying to expel an entire community of people from the United States,” Landsman stated. “It’s un-American. It’s not who we are.”

Goldman added that “Calls to expel Palestinians from the United States are racist, xenophobic and have no place in the government of the United States.”

Alexa Helwig, Landsman’s communications director, told JNS that the two congressmen are seeking additional co-sponsors. Zinke’s bill, the Safeguarding Americans from Extremism (SAFE) Act, currently has 16 co-sponsors, all Republicans.

Zinke’s bill would bar further entry of Palestinians to the United States and also revoke the status of visa holders, asylum seekers and refugees who arrived in the United States after Oct. 1.

Zinke’s legislation is a necessary response to the Biden administration's failures to properly vet people entering the country, the congressman told JNS in a statement.

“We have seen radical Islamic terrorists use legal immigration pathways to insert their jihadists in the United States and Europe to conduct attacks and I am not willing to take that risk,” Zinke said. “I will not compromise on American lives.”

“Democrats are so desperate to distract from Biden’s foreign-policy failures that they’re trying to start identity and culture wars while Biden’s weak leadership has the world in full-scale ground wars on multiple fronts,” the congressman added.

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Israel has selected two potential exit points to allow Palestinians leave Gaza in accordance with U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to resettle the Strip's population.

At a briefing on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces presented Defense Minister Israel Katz with a draft plan for safe passage, consisting of Ramon Airport, some 250 kilometers away from Gaza near Eilat, and Ashdod Port, about an hour’s drive up the Mediterranean coast from the Strip, according to an unnamed Israeli official cited in a report from Bloomberg on Friday.

As things stand, the source continued, the military is assessing which of the five land crossings between the Strip and Israel would serve as a safe passageway with security screening.

The idea of resettlement, suggested by Trump at a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House on Tuesday, received the backing of most Israelis, according to a Channel 12 News survey.

However, while 69% supported the plan, with 18% opposing it, only 36% believed it was practical, as Arab countries and some Western governments voiced their opposition to the idea.

Both Egypt and Jordan, named by Trump as potential destinations for the resettlement of Gazans, vehemently rejected the proposal.

In Israel, reports emerged that OC Military Intelligence Directorate Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder issued a warning about the proposal, warning that it could trigger violence in Judea and Samaria.

This propelled Katz to release a statement on Friday, saying, “There will be no reality in which IDF officers will speak out against U.S. President Trump’s important plan regarding Gaza, and against the directives of the political echelon.”

The Defense Ministry's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit was put in charge of the planning, the report read.

During a meeting on Friday at the Oval Office with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Trump seemingly placed caveats on his proposal, saying there was “no rush” to implement it.

Trump said that his comments about Gaza being turned over from Israel to the U.S. as a “real estate transaction” have been “very well received,” and did not necessitate American soldiers being deployed to the Strip.

“We’re not talking about boots on the ground or anything, but I think the fact that we’re there, that we have an investment there, [will go] a long way to creating peace. We don’t want to see everybody move back and then leaving again in 10 years. We want to see stability and it would bring stability in the area,” the U.S. president said.

Voluntary departure

On Thursday, Katz said that he had instructed the IDF to prepare a plan to facilitate the voluntary departure of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

“The plan will include exit options at land crossings as well as special arrangements for exit by sea and air,” he said. “I welcome U.S. President Donald Trump’s bold plan. The residents of Gaza should be allowed to enjoy the freedom of exit and migration as is customary everywhere in the world.”

Katz went on to state that “countries like Spain, Ireland, Norway and others, which have made false allegations against Israel’s actions in Gaza, should by any account allow every Gazan resident to enter their territory. Their hypocrisy will be exposed if they refuse to do so. There are countries like Canada, which has a regulated immigration program, that have expressed a desire in the past to absorb residents from Gaza.”

Israel has been engaged in a devastating war in Gaza ever since Hamas carried out the single-day deadliest attack in Israel’s history on Oct. 7, 2023. The war has entered a ceasefire, hostages-terrorists exchange agreement phase over the past three weeks, as Washington seeks a permanent end to the conflict.

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Eli Sharabi, 52, was released from Hamas captivity on Saturday, alongside Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy. He was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be'eri on Oct. 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas-led massacre.

But his story is not just one of abduction, it is a family tragedy. His wife, Lianne, and their two daughters, 13-year-old Yahel and 16-year-old Noya, were murdered. He how has to face the harrowing reality that his immediate family has been wiped out.

"We are overwhelmed and so happy to hear Eli's name on the list of those returning tomorrow. I want to thank everyone and all of Israel for standing with us. Now, please let us support Eli and protect his privacy," said the wife of Yossi Sharabi, Eli's sister-in-law, whose husband was murdered in captivity and whose body remains in Gaza, said on Friday.

At the same time that Eli was taken, his brother Yossi, 51, who also lived in Be'eri, was kidnapped. Hamas later released a video of him in captivity, but in June, the IDF informed the family that he had been murdered and that his body was being held in Gaza.

A brother fighting for his life

The Sharabi family consists of five siblings, two of whom were taken hostage. Stepping into the role of a determined advocate, 48-year-old Sharon Sharabi has become the face of the fight for their return, battling for the release of his brother Eli, who was considered alive in captivity, and for Yossi's body to be brought home for burial.

"Beyond being brothers, we are also best friends," Sharon shared. "We don't even have time to grieve because we are fighting for Eli's life."

Rotem, Sharon's daughter and Eli's niece, also spoken out about the toll on the family. "What we've been going through since then is unbearable. We are not the same family we used to be, something in our bond has been fractured, and it will never be the same again."

Eli is described as a sharp-minded man, a natural leader who always takes command. But in captivity, he was utterly powerless.

The hope for a mother's embrace

The Sharabi family originally lived in Tel Aviv. As a teenager, Eli moved to Be'eri and fell in love with life on the kibbutz. His younger brother Yossi followed him, and together they built their lives there. Their 75-year-old mother was initially shielded from the news of their abduction to spare her the pain. Eventually, the family had no choice but to tell her the truth.

Sharon pictured the emotional moment of reunion. "I can see the moment my mother hugs Eli, after we've lost four family members, Lianne, his wife, and their two daughters, Noya and Yahel. I will let my sisters have their moment first, and then I will say the Shehecheyanu blessing for having reached this time. And then, I will give him the biggest hug I know how to give, with the entire nation behind us."

Ohad Ben Ami with his daughter Ella. Credit: Courtesy.

'They are with us. I hear gunshots': Ohad Ben Ami's message before captivity

The story of Ohad Ben Ami's captivity crystallizes the ongoing hostage crisis through intimate family details: a daughter discovering her father's capture through social media; a wife returning home alone from Hamas captivity; and a warm home in Kibbutz Be'eri that stands empty, waiting for his return.

This 56-year-old resident, taken from his home in sleepwear alongside his wife, Raz, during the Oct. 7 attack, represents one of the many personal tragedies still unfolding in the wake of Hamas's assault on Israel's Gaza border communities.

Ohad and Raz's ordeal began during the Oct. 7 attack on Be'eri, after an extended period hiding in their safe room. The terrorists, who initially passed by their seemingly empty house, later returned. Ohad's last message to his daughter was chilling: "They are with us. I hear gunshots."

The enduring image of his capture shows him being led away by terrorists, dressed only in a short-sleeved shirt and underwear, while his Raz, 57, was similarly taken in her sleepwear.

Soon after being freed from Hamas captivity in November 2023 as part of the first ceasefire deal, Raz shared her anguish: "My husband, Ohad, the love of my life and father of my children, remains in captivity. On October 7, the terrorists shattered our paradise and dragged us in our pajamas into hell. The world must not maintain its silence. Each day he spends there endangers his life. Bring him home now."

Or Levy. Credit: Israel Hayom.

The murdered wife, the young son waiting to see him: The story of Or Levy

The couple arrived at the Supernova music festival nine minutes before hell broke loose. As the Gazan rockets rained down, they ran for shelter. Or called his mother, Geula, and told her, "Mom, you don't want to know what's happening here." That was the last time his family heard his voice over the phone.

Ten minutes later, Hamas terrorists threw grenades and opened fire in all directions. Einav was murdered, and Or was abducted into the tunnels of Gaza.

The boy who keeps asking about his parents

Or, a software developer by profession, is the father of Almog, who celebrated his third birthday without his parents. He has been raised by his grandparents, and as time passes, his memories of his mother and father are fading.

"Almog keeps asking about his mom and dad," said his uncle, Michael, in a speech at the U.N. "Even when we try to explain, he doesn't understand why he can't see his father or what the words 'Mom is never coming back' mean. But this boy can still get his father back. Don't let him become an orphan from his father too."

The abduction footage

The Hamas terrorist organization has not released any documentation of Or Levy from captivity, nor has it been reported in the media who among the hostages has seen him or when. However, two videos shed light on what happened to him.

The first is footage from the bomb shelter that has since been dubbed the "death shelter," capturing the moments of terror.

Michael, Or's brother, described the harrowing video: "The last image we have of him is heartbreaking—covered in his wife's blood, dazed and terrified. It's an extremely difficult video to watch. Or is seen surrounded by bodies, one of them Einav's. The terrorists can be heard speaking Arabic to one another, saying that someone is still alive. They ask Or if he is a soldier. You can hear him begging them not to take him, not to shoot him. That video was the first time I saw what had happened to Or."

Michael added, "He's my younger brother. All these years, I was the one protecting him. It was unbearable to see the horror on his face in the most terrible moments of his life, knowing that there was nothing I could do to help him."

Additionally, in June 2024, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum released a video showing the terrorists driving toward Gaza in a pickup truck on Oct. 7. Inside the vehicle were four hostages, including the late Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eliya Cohen and Or.

Originally published by Israel Hayom.

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Three Israelis were freed on Saturday after 491 days in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of hostages redeemed in the ongoing first phase of the ceasefire agreement to 21.

Or Levy, 34, Eli Sharabi, 52, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56, were handed over by the Red Cross officials to Israel Defense Forces troops at around 11:15 a.m. local time and driven back to Israeli territory some 30 minutes later.

The IDF brought the freed hostages to a facility near the border for a preliminary physical and psychological examination, and to meet with their families.

Before their release, Hamas paraded the hostages on a stage in front of a raucous crowd of Palestinians in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah. The three men appeared frail and emaciated.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement welcoming home the captives. “The government of Israel embraces the three returnees,” it read, adding, “The shocking images that we have seen today will not go unaddressed.

“The government, together with all of the security officials, will accompany them and their families. The government of Israel is committed to returning all of the hostages and the missing," it continued.

The PMO statement concluded with a quote from Psalms (31:15): "Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, from those who pursue me."

https://twitter.com/Isaac_Herzog/status/1888165214169739524

“This is what a crime against humanity looks like!” Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote in a post on X.

“The whole world must look directly at Ohad, Or, and Eli—returning after 491 days of hell, starved, emaciated and pained—being exploited in a cynical and cruel spectacle by vile murderers. We take solace in the fact that they are being returned alive to the arms of their loved ones,” Herzog wrote.

“Completing the hostage deal is a humanitarian, moral, and Jewish duty. It is essential to bring back all our sisters and brothers from the hell of captivity in Gaza—every last one of them!” he added.

Freed hostage Eli Sharabi meets with his family upon returning to Israel, Feb. 8, 2025. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

After the handover was broadcast live across the globe, the Israeli Health Ministry called on the public to limit its consumption of such images.

“A psychological war is being waged that can cause harm to us,” said Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer, chief of the ministry’s mental health division. “We urge the public to minimize exposure to distressing images and videos and to be mindful of what they, their children and their loved ones are seeing.”

Added the Hostage and Missing Families Forum: “The disturbing images from the release of Ohad, Eli and Or serve as yet another stark and painful evidence that leaves no room for doubt—there is no time to waste for the hostages!”

Israelis (from left) Or Levy, Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi were released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip on Feb. 8, 2025. Credit: Courtesy.

Levy was kidnapped from the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. His wife, Eynav, was killed; their now three-year-old son Almog has been living with his grandparents since the terrorist assault.

Sharabi and his brother Yossi were abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri during the Palestinian invasion. Sharabi's wife and daughters were murdered in their home during the attack, while Yossi has since been confirmed dead, his body still being held in Gaza.

Ben Ami was taken from Be’eri along with his wife, Raz, who was freed as part of a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.

In return, Israel was set on Saturday to release 183 Palestinian terrorists: 18 serving life sentences, 54 serving lengthy terms and 111 who were arrested in Gaza during the war.

Last Saturday, Israelis Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon and Keith Siegel were freed from Gaza. Two days earlier, three Israelis—IDF soldier Agam Berger, 20, along with civilians Arbel Yehud, 29, Gadi Mozes, 80, and five Thai farm workers—Pongsak Thaenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Saethao and Surasak Lamnao—were redeemed from terrorist captivity.

The previous week, Jerusalem redeemed four female IDF soldiers—Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19—who were abducted from the Nahal Oz base during the Hamas-led invasion.

Three civilian women—Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher—were released on Jan. 19, shortly after the ceasefire went into effect.

According to Israeli estimates, there are 76 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 73 abducted during the Oct. 7 attacks.

Of the 251 hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, 178 have been returned or rescued, and Hamas is believed to be holding 35 bodies, 34 of them taken during the cross-border invasion and that of IDF Lt. Hadar Goldin, which was taken by the Palestinian terrorist group in 2014.

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The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Thursday on an oil smuggling network generating hundreds of millions of dollars for Iran.

Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff used front companies to ship oil and used the revenue to fund terrorist groups, including Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah, according to the department.

“The Iranian regime remains focused on leveraging its oil revenues to fund the development of its nuclear program, to produce its deadly ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles and to support its regional terrorist proxy groups,” stated Scott Bessent, the U.S. treasury secretary. “The United States is committed to aggressively targeting any attempt by Iran to secure funding for these malign activities.”

Thursday’s action is the first round of new sanctions on the Islamic Republic since U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday re-imposing a policy of “maximum pressure” on Iran.

The sanctions target part of Iran’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and shell companies that help Iran smuggle oil and ultimately sell it to China.

The Treasury Department listed 18 people, entities and ships to be newly designated for sanctions in countries including China, India and the United Arab Emirates.

The United States has previously designated dozens of ships, companies and people for taking part in the elaborate and lucrative smuggling scheme.

Tammy Bruce, the U.S. State Department spokeswoman, stated that "the United States will not tolerate Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior and is today sanctioning an international network that channels illicit revenue to the Iranian military.

"We will use all tools at our disposal to hold the regime accountable for its destabilizing activities and pursuit of nuclear weapons that threaten the civilized world," she added.

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Jewish lawmakers formed a caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time on Thursday as a venue to “exchange ideas and advocate for the issues important to the American Jewish community.”

Of the 24 Jewish members of the House, 18 gathered to elect Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) as co-chairs with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) as founder.

“In response to unprecedented rising antisemitism in the United States and the challenges the American Jewish community has faced in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, the need for this caucus is understandable,” Nadler stated. “I am confident this caucus will bring Jewish members together to strive to achieve unity, not unanimity, and will be a productive forum to discuss issues of import to the American Jewish community.”

An informal caucus of Jewish House members met for the first time after the Hamas-led assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and previously working group meetings of Jewish elected representatives have taken place. But Thursday’s gathering is the first time that such a group has been organized formally as a congressional member organization. The House has dozens of such organizations to support racial or ethnic groups, including the Congressional Black Caucus, or to advance issue sets, like the Congressional Nuclear Cleanup Caucus or the Congressional Cranberry Caucus.

All 18 Jewish House members who met on Feb. 6 were Democrats, though three Jewish Republicans sit in the 119th Congress. The caucus is “open to all members who self-identify as Jewish and agree with the mission statement,” a spokesman for Nadler told JNS.

JNS sought comment from the three Republicans about whether they intended to join the group. The office of Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) told JNS he would not be joining the caucus. Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) has previously said he does not join caucuses.

Nadler said he believes that the group will foster discussions and an exchange of perspectives about Jewish issues.

“After all,” he said, “as the old adage goes: two Jews, three opinions.”

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U.S. Army Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command, traveled to Israel from Feb. 5-7 to meet with top Israeli military and security officials, CENTCOM stated on Friday.

There, he reiterated “the ironclad military-to-military relationship between the U.S. and Israel,” according to the U.S. military.

Kurilla met with Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the outgoing Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces; Ronan Bar, director of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet); Mossad director David Barnea; and Israeli Air Force Cmdr. Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar; and other key IDF staff, per CENTCOM.

The leaders discussed Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and other regional threats, including Iran and Syria, according to the U.S. readout.

Kurilla and Halevi discussed “deepening the enduring military partnership” between America and Israel, and “interoperability and capabilities” between the armed forces of the nations, per the readout.

Kurilla also visited the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile-defense system battery the United States provided to Israel in 2024.

The IDF said he also spoke with “senior IDF officers, focusing on addressing threats in the Middle East through military cooperation.”

“Additionally, they discussed various possible scenarios on both near and distant fronts,” the Israeli military stated. “The IDF considers its relationship and cooperation with the U.S. military to be of great importance and significance and will continue to strengthen it.”

Brad Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, posted on X: “Good to see this visit to Israel by Gen. Kurilla.” 

He added: “Much to discuss. Let’s hope planning is underway for a Juniper Oak 2025 that is bigger and better than the 2023 iteration. The new iteration should rehearse as realistically as possible a combined U.S.-Israel strike on Iran’s nuclear program. Should include B-2s.”

That, he wrote, “will make Tehran think twice about sprinting to a bomb and ensure we are ready for the worst if the regime makes a bad decision.”

AIPAC said in response to the meeting that “America’s partnership with Israel helps keep both countries stronger and safer.”

https://twitter.com/AIPAC/status/1887880194016387496
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  • Words count:
    376 words
  • Type of content:
    Update Desk
  • Byline:
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 7, 2025

Standing aside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) pledged “ironclad” support for the Jewish state on Friday.

“As Prime Minister Netanyahu said Tuesday at the White House, when our enemies see daylight between Israel and the United States, they will exploit it,” Johnson said following a closed-door meeting with the prime minister. “We all know that is true, and that’s why strong, decisive leadership is so crucial in this time.”

Originally scheduled for Thursday, the meeting was postponed due to budget talks at the White House with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Following Johnson’s remarks, Netanyahu also talked about the close relationship between the United States and Israel, which he said was only reinforced during his visit this week, including his meeting at the White House with Trump.

“I was deeply moved by the reception that we got, the substantive things that we discussed—making sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon and also making sure Hamas is destroyed,” Netanyahu said. “We’re not going to have a future for Gaza or a future for peace in our part of the world if Hamas remains there.” 

“It sets the tone for this great strengthening of the American-Israeli alliance,” he added. “It’s not only an alliance between governments. It’s an alliance between peoples.”

Netanyahu also thanked Trump for releasing the shipment of 2,000-pound bombs that then-President Joe Biden held up last year over, he said, worries about civilian casualties, even as he approved a new $8 billion sale of weapons to Israel last month.

The Israeli prime minister said that he has developed a “very warm personal bond” with Johnson and invited the House speaker to come to Israel. “This year in Jerusalem,” Netanyahu said. 

Johnson said that the first measure under his leadership that passed the House was a resolution that reaffirmed the American commitment to Israel’s security. 

Congress also approved a new aid package for Israel last April, but not before Johnson initially insisted that the bill also cut billions of dollars in funding for the Internal Revenue Service to increase audits of wealthy taxpayers. That provision never made it into the final $95 billion legislation that also included funding for Ukraine and Taiwan.

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  • Words count:
    893 words
  • Type of content:
    Opinion
  • Byline:
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 7, 2025
  • Media:
    1 file

Haaretz is often described, both in Israel and abroad, as Israel’s finest newspaper. While readers recognize its far-left political bias, many see it as a reliable source to learn about the reality in Israel. They believe that the paper’s reporters, commentators and columnists are professionals who don't fabricate information and that their editors would correct any factual errors.

Unfortunately, this is not the case.

On Jan. 19, the Arab-Israeli Knesset member Ayman Odeh, leader of the Hadash Party, tweeted he was “Happy for the release of the hostages and prisoners.” That sparked an uproar in Israel, and Odeh was condemned from all sides of the political spectrum.

Then Haaretz columnist Carolina Landsmann came to Odeh’s defense. In her Jan. 23 op-ed, she claimed it was just “a trivial tweet by an Arab Israeli who identifies with both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” That is an interesting description for someone who has put the terrorists being released in the hostage deal on par with kidnapped civilians being held by Hamas.

But the most misleading part of the piece is Landsmann’s depiction of Odeh as “the epitome of Arab-Israeli moderation.”

The epitome of moderation? Anyone who has followed Odeh’s track record knows that he’s a dangerous extremist. Here are a few examples. Odeh headed the “Arab coalition against national service” and ran campaigns among Arab youth against serving in the “racist state that calls itself the ‘Jewish state.’ ”

Odeh praised Hezbollah’s terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah as a “model of loyalty and sacrifice,” who presented “a unique resistance model.”

He also slammed the Gulf states for defining Hezbollah as a terror group and refused to condemn them. He boycotted the funeral of former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres; visited the incarcerated terrorists Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Saadat; and called for the release of all prisoners held in Israel, which would include terrorists who slaughtered babies in their cradles during the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

This is the epitome of moderation, according to Haaretz.

The newspaper’s obliviousness to empirical reality is also prevalent in the field of law and justice. After Justice Itzhak Amit was appointed as the new head of the Israeli Supreme Court, Chen Ma’anit, Haaretz’s legal correspondent, decided to use the opportunity to condemn Justice Minister Yariv Levin. As Ma’anit wrote on Jan. 27, “Levin apparently managed to achieve one thing in his two-year battle against the Supreme Court: to damage the court’s standing in the eyes of the public.”

Ma’anit may blame Levin for the Israeli public’s distrust in its Supreme Court, but the facts tell a different story.

First, the dramatic loss of trust began in 2012—a decade before Levin took office—and has continued consistently ever since. Secondly, a 2022 academic study that examined data over several decades and was published in the faculty of law journal at the Hebrew University showed that the public’s loss of trust in the Supreme Court—at the rate of over 30%, the worst decline in the world—began with the legal revolution that then-Justice Aharon Barak forced on the public in the early 1990s.

Then there is the field of security and counterterrorism.

An example is a Jan. 28 story by Haaretz’s military correspondent, Yaniv Kubovich, about the current Israeli military operation against terrorist infrastructure in Jenin.

One of the operation’s goals is to hit the “Jenin Battalion,” also known as the “Jenin Brigades,” a terror militia. But according to Haaretz, “no such unit exists.” Kubovich claims that to justify its operation and divert criticism away from the Israeli government, the Israel Defense Forces “rebranded Jenin’s ‘armed thugs’ as Hamas battalion.” In other words, it’s all just smoke and mirrors.

This claim has no basis. The Jenin Brigades militia operates in the city and has been known by that name for several years. It even has Wikipedia entries in Hebrew, English and Arabic. There, it says that the militia was founded in 2021 by Islamic Jihad figure Jamil al-Amori, and serves as an “umbrella formation affiliated with PIJ [Palestinian Islamic Jihad], Hamas and [Fatah’s] Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.”

Information on the terror militia appeared online long before the Jenin operation and Haaretz claiming that it is a case of Israeli “rebranding.” In October 2022, the pro-Hamas website Middle East Eye published an article praising the militia, calling it “Palestine’s new resistance.” In July 2022, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center posted an investigation into the Jenin Battalion, calling it “a network of armed terrorist operatives in the Jenin refugee camp.”

Additionally, just a few months ago the Palestinian Authority launched an operation against the militia. It was covered by Qatari outlets such as The New Arab and Al Jazeera, which said that “the Jenin Brigades, aka the Jenin Battalion, is an umbrella group that includes Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades and Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations.”

To take Haaretz’s reporting seriously, you’d have to wonder why blatantly anti-Israeli outlets would cooperate with IDF “rebranding” attempts months before they were even needed.

The answer, of course, is that no rebranding ever took place. The existence of the Jenin Battalion is a well-known reality, and Haaretz’s reporting should be taken with large grains of salt.

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  • Words count:
    130 words
  • Type of content:
    News
  • Publication Date:
    Feb. 7, 2025

Israel received the list of hostages Hamas has said it will release on Saturday and has notified the families of the captives, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated on Friday.

“We request to refrain from disseminating rumors and unofficial information,” the prime minister’s office said.

His office said that Netanyahu, who has been in Washington, D.C., since Sunday, will be monitoring the situation from “the control center of the delegation in the United States and will receive continuous updates.”

The prime minister, who has met with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle over the past two days, was slated on Friday to meet with House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), with Jeremy Pelter, acting U.S. secretary of commerce, and with Jewish students.

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