The PA and the Lion King

 by Amotz Miller, Yisrael HaYom newspaper, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Instead of self-flagellation, we must unite behind our immediate common goal: The PA-PLO must not be allowed a foot in the door of Gaza rule.

Those of us who grew up in the mid-90's not only remember, but can still feel, their pain and even fury at the Lion King scene when cruel Scar - who had just dropped his brother the king off a cliff to his death - persuades his nephew, little crown-prince Simba, that he was actually to blame for his father's death. 

Scar despicably offers his "generous" help in rectifying the situation, and Simba falls gratefully into his arms. Scar proposes that the newly-orphaned Simba run far, far away, and never return, and that he, Scar, would take upon himself the yoke of royalty. 

The children of the 90's also bear other scenes of hurt and fury, but these are not taken from Disney movies. They remember buses that turned into giant balls of fire and restaurants that became death traps – a nightmare wrapped in pink cellophane, tied with a ribbon, and adorned with the festively-written words: "Peace Process."

The cruel implosion of the "peace process" surprised many – but not those who listened with even half an ear to the jihadist declarations of the bridegroom of the festivities: arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat, may his name be blotted out.

Yigal Carmon, a former senior Israeli Intelligence official and an expert advisor on anti-terrorism warfare, listened to and recorded the unsuspecting speeches of Arafat. He heard Arafat say clearly, shortly before the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, that the agreement with Israel was not a recognition of the Jewish state's right to exist, but rather simply a tactical move in the ongoing war of extermination against the Zionist entity. 

Carmon tried to warn the public of the dangerous fraud being perpetrated upon Israel. He took his information to top journalist Nachum Barnea, who did nothing with it. Barnea later said he did not sufficiently understand the material; Carmon said he purposely covered it up in order not to sabotage the peace process. [Six months later, Arafat delivered his famous Johannesburg address, in which he called on the "Islamic nation" to "come and fight and start the Jihad to liberate Jerusalem," and in which he likened the Oslo process to a historical ceasefire agreement between Muhammad and the Quraysh tribe, which was meant to be only temporary.]

Home internet was just beginning, and social media were just a dream, such that the press was a closed clique, marketing Oslo almost unanimously as the "new Middle East."

Three Decades Later

Thirty years have passed, and the murderous PLO-Fatah-Hamas enemy, which never laid down its sword, pulled off the Oct. 7th massacre against unsuspecting civilians and unprotected soldiers in and around Israel's western Negev communities. The attack caught Israeli society in a period of extreme disunity, and actually led to a burst of brotherhood and cooperation. All parts of the society chipped in, whether in the reserves or in volunteering; whether presenting Israel's case to the world or giving of their money or time; whether praying or crying out.

However, the war has dragged on – prevented from reaching a successful conclusion by our many friends in the international community. While our hostages debilitate in the tunnels of Gaza and IDF soldiers endanger their lives in combat, cracks of disunity have become to emerge. One bitter feature thereof is the blame game, where accusations against everyone from the Prime Minister and his government, down through the military and intelligence establishments, and then to various sectors of society for their role, are furiously censured and denunciated. 

And thus, the despairing and sad nation, bewildered by events and its Simba-like self-flagellation, searching for stability and hope, falls like ripe fruit into the blood-stained hands of the Palestinian Authority – which has so generously volunteered, with American encouragement, to take over the yoke of governing Gaza when the war ends. 

But we are no longer in the 90's, and we are no longer blind to reality.

Israel's Regavim Association, which works to prevent illegal Arab use of state lands, very recently released a chilling report about top figures in the Palestinian Authority. The names, ranks, and official positions of bona-fide terrorists in the PA's security apparatus are listed. The report leaves no room for mistakes:  The official leaders of the PA have nothing but praise for its shahid workers taking part in the violent struggle against Israel and its citizens. 

And of course, its "pay for slay" policy – monthly salaries or pensions to terrorists and/or their families – is well-known to everyone in the West, which continues to pretend it doesn't know. 

The truth is out in the open: The Palestinian Authority is no different than Hamas. We do not need exploding buses or another version of Oct. 7th to tell us the true murderous intentions of the PA, or to foresee the blood that will be shed if we allow it any part in the future government of Gaza.

What the Goyim Say

 by Yoni Rotenberg, Besheva, translated by Hillel Fendel.

The Israeli media seems to be trying to play down the IDF's achievements in Gaza, but top security experts in the United States, not necessarily lovers of Zion, admit that the IDF's fighting in Gaza is nothing less than a remarkable and unprecedented achievement.

On October 20, two weeks after the horrific massacre, while Israeli planes were bombarding Gaza from the air and our ground forces were still waiting to enter, the Virginia-based Military Times magazine published an article entitled, "The Fight in Gaza Will be Hell." Combat experts with urban combat experience in countries around the world were sure that a ground entry into Gaza would turn into an Israeli bloodbath.

The article stated: "Estimates from Mosul, Iraq alone [referring to the nine-month Battle of Mosul in 2016-2017] — a likely comparison for what may happen in Gaza, according to multiple experts — suggest that more than 1,000 coalition forces died… If the tolls of dead, wounded and widespread destruction from other urban battles is any kind of indicator, a prolonged ground operation in Gaza likely is to produce as much or more carnage, experts said."

U.S. Lt.-Gen. James Gallin met at the time with Israeli government cabinet members and the IDF Chief of Staff. He told them decisively that a ground offensive was hopeless and would lead to an average daily toll of 20 dead Israeli soldiers. Articles and speeches by our own security experts agreed in principle and warned against getting involved in the "mud of Gaza."

 

More than four months have passed, sufficient time to examine these evaluations. In Israel, strangely enough, we don't receive an optimistic picture – but listen to what generals and warfare experts from abroad have to say!

According to military research institutes and experts in the U.S. and elsewhere, the IDF has done the impossible, showing the world very impressive combat capabilities in more difficult conditions than have ever been seen. Yes, we Israelis are used to six-day victories, or at most, three weeks. But just like the battlefield has changed, so too our thinking about war must change: The victory of our brave soldiers is achieved from one tunnel-shaft to the next, and from one building to another – and it is a shining victory nonetheless. 

Sample quotes from the experts: 

John Spencer, head of the Modern War Institute at West Point, speaking to Israeli TV Channel 14: 

"The IDF is advancing in a historic manner. I was very surprised by the pace of its progress. There is no other army that I know of, ever since World War II and maybe even forever, that had to fight a terrorist organization like Hamas that seeks to cause maximum casualties, even among civilians. If you would have asked me beforehand, I would have thought that the IDF would suffer many more casualties, and would not be able to attain control over such a large area."

Dr. Eliot A. Cohen of the Center for Strategic and International Studies: 

"Israel entered a densely-populated urban area that turned out to be even more fortified than it thought at first. This is a type of war of attrition. Still, militarily speaking, it is doing excellent work there…

"Even if we accept the reports of the Palestinian Health Ministry - and I'm not sure that their numbers are accurate - and the IDF estimates of the amount of terrorists among them, the number of civilian casualties is relatively low."

Cohen is full of criticism of Israel's general policies, but he was forced to admit, with noticeable difficulty, that the IDF is fulfilling international combat laws. He also said that the Israelis are exhibiting creativity, as well as technological and tactical abilities. 

To recap: Some experts expected 1,000 dead Israeli soldiers, and Gen. Gallin thought we could have reached 3,000 by now – and this when the actual dimensions of the Hamas tunnel network were under-estimated. The true numbers stand only at 240 IDF casualties in Gaza, with all the sorrow that we suffered at the loss of even one. 

The above-mentioned John Spencer: 

"What the IDF forces learned during the course of their combat in Gaza is worth more than developed technology. Their ability to close in on and destroy the enemy under the most difficult conditions should frighten Hizbullah. [Hizbullah should know that if] there was ever a time not to start up with Israel, that time is now…

"The IDF's ability to integrate between the ground forces and those in the air is a unique strength of Israel, involving even the commanders in the field."

The Wall St. Journal, in a February op-ed entitled "Israel’s Untold Gaza Progress," cited Spencer's comparison of the IDF's advancement in Khan Yunis to the Americans' victory in Mosul: 

“Mosul was one battle, in one city against 3 to 5k militants with limited defenses. Israel is fighting multiple battles in 7 cities against 30k militants with military grade underground cities built under civilian areas.” "Israel needs time to achieve victory," the article stated, "and Hamas is counting on Western powers to deny it that time." 

David H. Petraeus, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, referring to the complexities of combat in Gaza:

"These are the most difficult military conditions that exist – much more complex than the battles in Ramadi, Fallujah and Bakuba [cities in Iraq where the Americans fought]. Gaza is a larger area, with a larger population and taller buildings, and in addition, hundreds of kilometers of tunnels and underground infrastructures beneath public and civilian installations such as hospitals, schools, and mosques. It is very, very challenging – but I believe that it must be done."

Col. Richard Kemp, a retired British Army officer who commanded Operation Fingal in Afghanistan: 

"I invite all the colonels, generals, experts, and computer war-game players to email me within 48 hours a detailed attack plan for Israel…"

A month ago, in a more serious vein, he said:
"The war is progressing more quickly, with more losses to Hamas, than the Israeli leadership thought at first. This doesn't mean that it will end quickly, because this is the most complex war battlefield ever in history. Urban combat is the most complicated, and Hamas invested years in preparing the ground and the underground for this war. Yes, there have been battle sites with tunnels in the past, but not to this extent and on this level. The IDF was forced to deal with a situation that has never been seen before. And in addition to all this, there is also the matter of the hostages that must be taken into account… I spoke to people in the IDF and I reviewed their activity, and I was very impressed. They are working and advancing in a very effective manner." 

In a perfect world, our faith in the justness of our cause and in the Creator of the world, together with the stories we hear from the front and from the IDF Spokesman, would buttress us with the knowledge that "we are winning." But unfortunately, Israeli media often filters out the military items based on whether they are "pro Bibi" or "anti Bibi." We are given a distorted and cynical picture of lack of progress in Gaza. 

It is therefore good to hear from the experts abroad that we are in fact making mincemeat out of the cruel Gazan enemy, and with G-d's help we will continue to do so.