Yom Reva’ee
Wednesday
20 Sivan 5784
June 26 2024
The Photo of the Day
In an IAF first, these two sisters from the Jezreel Valley will be the first sisters (names withheld for security reasons) to become pilots. Kolakevod.
UPDATE 8:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
On the Ground in Gaza
This blast in Gaza City was felt all the way to here in Ashdod.
*The IAF killed the terrorist Fadi Jahad Muhammad Alwadia, who served as an operative in Islamic Jihad and was involved in the development and promotion of the organization’s missile system as well as other developments in electronics and chemistry.
*The IAF also targeted a building used by HamISIS in the Shati neighborhood. The sister of HamISIS leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in the blast. She was a well-known launderer of HamISIS funds.
From the IDF Spokesman:
“Last night the IAF, directed by the forces of the 99th Division, attacked a building of the Islamic University in the Zabra neighborhood. Terrorists operated from the structure and used the structure for anti-tank fire, observation, targeting and execution of terrorist plots against our forces.
The forces of Division 162 continue their activities in the Rafah region; in the last day the forces eliminated a number of armed terrorists, and the IAF destroyed a number of terrorist infrastructures including a tunnel.”
*Five days after the “$400,000,000 American pier/dock/port/jetty/lego floating raft pier/dock” on the coast of Gaza reopened, it closed again for repairs. Apparently the pier cannot handle more than “sea level 3” (wave height of more than 1.5 meters).
While the Pentagon likes to crow that 6,200 tons of “humanitarian aid” were delivered to Gaza via the pier since it opened in mid-May, that 6,200 tons is virtually nothing–not even 10% the capacity of one Panamax cargo ship.
In fact, the pier has always been nothing more than a publicity stunt by President Biden to get votes from his self-described “progressive, liberal, humanitarian” base in the U.S.
The Veil Fiasco in Gaza
Speaking of “progressive, liberal, humanitarian”, the IDF kowtowed to the Bidenites months ago and in an absurd “politically correct gesture” decided that Muslim women moving throughout Gaza did not need to remove their veils for facial recognition checks. The IDF wanted to be “sensitive to their way of life” and wanted to “preserve their modesty.”
Pardon me for a moment while I throw up.
What was the result of liberal nonsense?
We now know from released female hostages that they were moved from place to place in Gaza by being dressed in Arabic clothing with heavy veils on their faces.
More IDF Nonsense in Gaza
Our hostages (if there any more living hostages) are subjected to extreme conditions with barely any food to eat or water to drink.
But never mind.
This was reported yesterday:
“In an official letter sent from the Office of the Minister of Defense to the Chief of Staff, the head of the Defense Ministry and the Ministry of Energy, the request is made for the desalination plant in Gaza to be connected to electricity for the first time since the beginning of the war due to a humanitarian need . . .”
Unbelievable.
On the Ground in the North
There were relatively few attacks from Lebanon yesterday: a drone and missile attack on Dishon, Malkia, Iftach, Mevuot Hermon, and Ramot Naftali at 2:19 and 2:12 pm in the afternoon. No physical injuries were reported.
The IAF continued to pound Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon such as in the town of Shiba.
On the Ground in Judea and Samaria
Overnight, the IDF captured 8 terrorists from the following areas: Halhol, Dora, Qalqilya, Yabad, Hebron, Zatara (east of Bethlehem), and Naalin.
The “Dramatic, Earthshaking, Landmark” Decision
by the High Court of Justice Yesterday
The Israeli “Left” was dancing in the streets last night following a ruling by the High Court of Justice which–it was reported–ordered “a full draft of ultra-orthodox yeshiva students into the IDF” and “a freezing of all state funds to yeshivas that do not comply with the order.”
The “Left” could not have been happier because their hatred of the ultra-orthodox finally bore fruit. Months of attacks on the haredim in the streets, in social media, and elsewhere were rewarded by the judges in Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Post, like other Israeli mainline media, basked in the glow of the decision joyfully proclaiming to its leftist readers: “The landmark ruling could lead to new elections . . .”–which is of course what the leftists really want. News commentators on Israeli channels 12 and 13 could barely contain their glee.
But wait . . .
Maybe the Post should have read one of its most veteran columnists, Herb Keinon, who while discussing the “landmark ruling” commented: “. . . this court ruling will not lead to tens of thousands of yeshiva students entering the army next week, next month, or even next year.”
What exactly did the Court rule?
***
As one Court commentator wrote last night:
“The High Court’s ruling on the recruitment of yeshiva students and the end of budgeting for yeshiva students as of today (Tuesday) is certainly dramatic, but as usual when you read the small lines of the ruling you realize that the picture is, as always, more complex.
Let’s start from the bottom line: the High Court has not determined anything.
Regarding the scope of the recruitment of the ultra-Orthodox, Supreme Court President Uzi Fogelman clearly wrote: ‘The petitions before us are not the appropriate framework for discussing the details concerning the manner of enforcing the provisions of the Security Service Law and the scope of the recruitment of yeshiva students, and in any case we do not express a position regarding this issue.’
S0 . . . the High Court has determined that it is necessary to recruit but did not say how many Haredi Yeshiva students should be recruited in the coming year. This statement is of crucial importance since it allows both the IDF and the ultra-Orthodox to try to organize themselves on a certain arrangement that will lead to the recruitment of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students . . .
The decision of the judges not to enter into the issue of the scope of the recruitment leaves too wide an opening for interpretations. There are those in the political system who are already being briefed on the confusion of the ruling while setting goals in the discussions on the new-old conscription law in the wording proposed by MK Benny Gantz, one that would allow for at least a year of confusion until the next petition on the matter is filed.
And of course there is the matter of money. This is not a minor issue when talking about a poor society like the ultra-Orthodox society, but the fundraising campaign of the rabbis in the USA, as I understand it, yields sums that can allow the yeshivas to survive for a year. So . . . we will see each other again at the High Court in a year.”
***
In short, what we had yesterday was a decision without a decision, one full of ambiguities which all sides will exploit. For example, how will enlistment quotas– if they are ever developed–be enforced? As far as money is concerned, the ultra-orthodox Israeli rabbis mentioned above knew the decision was coming and are in the midst of a fund drive in the U.S. They have already raised over $60 million dollars of the $107 million dollars need to cover yeshiva costs this year.
In summary, the dancing in the streets seems, as usual, premature.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.