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Rubio in Jerusalem: The message Hamas fears

WATCH: “Israel Undiplomatic” with Mark Regev and Ruthie Blum, Ep. 71

In this episode of “Israel Undiplomatic,” former Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom Mark Regev and senior JNS editor Ruthie Blum—both former advisers at the Prime Minister’s Office—break down Israel’s dramatic ground incursion into Gaza City, Hamas’s last stronghold in the coastal enclave. With Israeli forces advancing, civilians fleeing and Hamas reportedly firing on its own people to keep them in place, the war enters a deadly and decisive phase.

At the same time, the diplomatic front is just as volatile. Following controversy over Israel’s covert strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Israel to signal strong American support. His visit includes a symbolic moment at the Western Wall with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Ambassador Mike Huckabee, and a sharp rebuke of Hamas’ hostage tactics.

Regev and Blum dig into the geopolitical fallout: Is the U.S.-Israel alliance as strong as ever, or are cracks beginning to show? What message did the Qatar strike send to terrorist sponsors worldwide? And is the West, especially leftist governments and media, fueling extremism through appeasement?

This episode also explores the ideological battle raging in Western universities and media; the manipulation of Palestinian victimhood; and the global spread of Islamist propaganda bankrolled by Qatar. From Gaza to DC to Doha, this is a war of weapons and narratives—and Regev and Blum expose both.

With hostages still in peril, Hamas on the brink, and world powers watching, the only question that remains is: Will Israel finish the job?

Ruthie Blum, a former adviser at the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is an award-winning columnist and a senior contributing editor at JNS. Co-host with Ambassador Mark Regev of the JNS-TV podcast “Israel Undiplomatic,” she writes on Israeli politics and U.S.-Israel relations. Originally from New York City, she moved to Israel in 1977. She is a regular guest on national and international media outlets, including Fox, Sky News, i24News, Scripps, ILTV, WION and Newsmax.
Mark Regev is an Australian-Israeli diplomat, government advisor, and former ambassador. He served as Israel’s Ambassador to the UK (2016–2020) and as Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs and International Communications to Prime Minister Netanyahu (2020–2021). Currently, he is the Chairman of the Abba Eban Institute for Diplomacy and Foreign Relations at Reichman University. Regev co-hosts Undiplomatic on JNS TV’s YouTube channel alongside Ruthie Blum.
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