Cognitive Dissonance is a term I’ve mentioned before. It’s the uncomfortable feeling you have when you realize that you are expressing belief in two mutually incompatible ideas. It’s the way US VP Kamala Harris should feel when she says that an Israeli ground operation in Rafah would be a big mistake. The US government knows … More Gaza War 24 Mar
We are in a tragic era. Yesterday, the guards at the gate to our village shot and killed a man in his 60’s. No one, so far, has a reasonable explanation for why. The man was an Arab from Hebron who had converted to Judaism. He had a kitchen knife in his bag. But that … More Gaza War 22 Mar
The hostage release talks are still on. While they continue, it looks like Israel has put a de facto hold on a planned move to go after Hamas in Rafah. Part of the Hamas strategy has been to drag out such negotiations and to have the actual temporary cease-fire evolve into a permanent one. This … More Gaza War 19 Mar
I was surprised today to hear that IDF forces had re-entered the Shifa hospital in Gaza. The raid resulted in a gunfight inside the hospital between IDF troops and some Hamas terrorists. I don’t know how the Hamas people got back inside, but the fact that tey did so is not as big a surprise … More Gaza War 18 Mar
The main news item this morning is actually mostly speculation. Hamas has presented a new proposal that might even be acceptable to Israel. The Israeli war cabinet will discuss it today. That means any real commentary about it will only appear on my posts after Shabbat. The leaks, as reported so far, involve a release … More Gaza War 15 Mar
It seems the US ‘partner’ that will operate the floating pier port for aid to Gaza id the United Arab Emirates. The individual in charge will be Mohammed Dahlan. Dahlan was a well known and important figure in Fatah politics for a long time. He built up the Palestinian Authority Police after the Oslo Accords. … More Gaza War 13 Mar
Super Tuesday primary election results are getting all the media coverage. Well, not quite all, but most. CNN is busy accepting UN claims that the IDF blocked an aid convoy headed north. This time the source was the WFP, not discredited UNRWA. And, once again, the report was erroneous. The truck in question was being … More Gaza War 6 Mar
Ramadan is coming. It’s the time when Hamas usually claims that Israel is taking over Al-Aqsa mosque. What really happens is that /Israel places limits on the number of Muslim worshippers that are allowed to go in. The mosque and courtyard have limited space. Israel also screens out potential rioters by age. In the past, … More Gaza War 3 Mar
This morning I heard a set of extraordinary claims from an aid worker on CNN, The heart of the stories she presented was that Israel was responsible for the ‘starvation’ and suffering of Palestinians in Gaza who were not receiving the aid being sent to them. If you’ve been following my posts you will probably … More Gaza War 29 Feb
Almost all the reservists called up for the war have now been released. The war is being fought by the regular active duty army. There is still a constant exchange of fire on the northern border, Hezbollah sends rockets (and occasional drones) Israel replies with artillery and air attacks. The commander of the UN forces … More Gaza War 28 Feb
Wetherhorn 