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
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
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
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
There is currently an ongoing case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague dealing with a Jordanian/Irish claim that Palestinian rights to have a state are denied by the “illegal” Israeli “occupation” of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel is not attending. Therefore most of the current proceedings are a litany … More Gaza War 23 Feb
The brief break in the news about Sinwar being in Egypt seems to have died down. All the potential official sources for the story are saying it isn’t true and that they do not know where he is. There is a new lead item to replace it. The US vetoed a Security Council Resolution (remember, … More Gaza War 21 Feb
Is Sinwar still in Gaza? That’s the question raised by an article in a Saudi newspaper that claims to have the information from an Israeli source. Of course, it’s all speculation. But raising the possibility will definitely result in a lot of tongues wagging. Expect the Egyptians to deny the possibility. They have an interest … More Gaza War 20 Feb
A number of countries are sitting on the sidelines and wringing their hands over the numbers of “civilian” casualties in Gaza and approaching humanitarian disaster there. They are also self-righteously giving gratuitous advice to Israel about not advancing troops into Rafah, This is the same Rafah where it appears the Hamas leaders are hiding, and … More Gaza War 19 Feb
This morning we get to see the aftermath of that heroic hostage rescue. On CNN they were blaming Israel for the many casualties that resulted from the rescue operation. The number 100 was mentioned a lot. I first heard 100 as a Hamas estimate. Hamas later lowered their number to 40-50. It may have gone … More Gaza War 13 Feb
Wetherhorn 