Yom Shishee
Friday
19 Av 5784
August 23 2024
The Sadly Infuriating Quote of the Morning
“This is a ghost city. Our green ridge is completely burned, about 1,000 houses were damaged, of which about 400 were directly hit and many of them will not be able to be restored. Even when they say they are returning, those families will not be able to return home.”
Avihai Stern, Mayor of Kiryat Shmona speaking on Army Radio yesterday.
What is infuriating is how our government has let this happen. Hezbollah’s wholesale destruction of Kiryat Shmona, Metulla, and countless other border communities has gradually taken place over the past 10 months.
44 Israelis have been murdered by missiles and drones; hundreds more have been wounded, and 60,000 have been evaculated. This is not to mentioned the tens of thousands of acres that have been burned. Northern Israel has become a no-man’s land.
And now Hezbollah is moving on to Katzrin, Tiberias, and other cities to the south.
On the Ground in the North
You might remember that we posed the question yesterday whether the targeting of 10 locations in southern Lebanon would stop the Hezbollah onslaught.
As we surmised then, it did not.
Multiple barrages of Hezbollah missiles and drones exploded yesterday focused on Kiryat Shmona. Three more barrages have struck this morning in locations such as Malkia, Meron, and Yi’ron.
May His Memory Be For A Blessing
Sgt. Uri Nehemiah
Sergeant Uri Ashkenazi Nehemiah, 19 years old from Ashkelon, an armored fighter in the 46th Battalion, was killed when his group was hit by an anti-tank missile in battle in southern Gaza.
On the Ground in Gaza
The IDF Spokesman:
“Over the past day in the area of Khan Younis and the outskirts of Deir El Balah, IDF troops eliminated dozens of terrorists and dismantled dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites. In one of the strikes, the troops identified a terrorist who posed a threat to them and directed the IAF to eliminate him.
Additionally, areas from which missiles were launched at communities in southern Israel over the past week were struck.
In the area of Tel al-Sultan in Rafah, the troops eliminated numerous terrorists that posed a threat to the troops.
Furthermore, IDF troops operating in central Gaza eliminated a terrorist who posed a threat and was armed with explosive material in proximity to the troops. Additionally, a launch post from which projectiles were launched toward the troops was struck.
Over the past day, the IAF struck approximately 30 terror targets in Gaza, including military structures and posts, weapons storage facilities, and launch sites in the area of Khan Younis.”
About Those Six Recovered Bodies
After the recovery of the bodies rumors abounded about how they died, most prominent of which was that they suffocated in the tunnel from a fire caused by Israeli bombing of the area.
Yesterday, Israel’s Forensic Lab released its report.
Hamas Palestinian terrorists executed them by shooting them all to death.
Another Disastrous Report from the IDF
After the report about the IDF failures at Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7th, one would have thought that forthcoming reports could not possibly be as bad.
That was an incorrect assumption.
The IDF report about Kfar Aza was released yesterday. Among the findings:
*64 residents were murdered; 19 were kidnapped to Gaza.
*300 terrorists infiltrated the kibbutz non stop for almost 24 hours.
*IDF forces arrived at the gate of Kfar Aza shortly after the massacre began, and did nothing because of “a lack of coordination”.
*The first IDF forces did not enter the kibbutz until Sunday morning–some 24 hours after the massacre began.
*The full IDF takeover of Kfar Aza did not take place until noon on Tuesday–some 72 hours after the first terrorists entered.
What a disaster. There is no way to sugar coat this embarrassment.
About The Thwarted Suicide Bomber in Tel Aviv
The bomber was Jaafar Mona, a resident of Shechem (Nablus). This week his family has set up a mourning tent praising their son and praising Allah.
About the Murderer of Gideon Perry in Samaria*
As we blogged two weeks ago, his murderer was a Palestinian with a legal permit to work in Israel.
Two days ago, a Shin Bet official appeared on Israeli television and proclaimed that this was the first time that a terrorist with a legal permit had murdered or attempted to murder an Israeli.
What nonsense.
Over the last few years, numerous Israelis have been murdered by Palestinians holding a work permit: a few examples:
*In April of this year, a terrorist from Hebron murdered Lidor Levi in Yavne and wounded two other Israelis. The terrorist held a work permit.
*A year ago, a terrorist from Deir Amar in Benjamin murdered IDF soldier Maxim Molchanov and wounded 5 others.
The terrorist held a work permit.
*Also last year, a terrorist from Azaria carried out a shooting attack in Ma’ale Adumim critically wounding 6. He held a work permit and worked at the Ma’ale Adumim Community Center.
*On September 22, 2022 in Holon, a Palestinian terrorist gruesomely murdered 84-year-old Shulamit Rachel Ovadia 14, an 84-year-old woman. He had a permit to work in Israel.
*On November 15, 2022 a terrorist from Kfar Hares murdered Moti Ashkenazi, Michael Ladigin and Tamir Avihai in the Ariel industrial area. He had a work permit for the industrial area.
*On November 29, 2022, a terrorist critically wounded a female soldier in a ramming attack at the Makmash bus station. at the crossing from Makmash. The terrorist had a work permit and worked at Rami Levy.
*Back on October 7, 2018, a Palestinian terrorist brutally murdered Kim Levengrod Yehezkel and Ziv Hajabiat at the Barkan Area. He had a work permit for the area.
And the list goes on and on.
The sad fact is that our inability to divorce ourselves from Palestinians leads to attempted murders and murders on a regular basis.
*Please note that much of the list was compiled by an anonymous blogger.
Excellent Recruitment News
The most recent round of recruiting for the IDF has ended with all targets for combat soldiers met:
Recruitment data for men:
Golani Brigade: 108% of those needed
Givati Brigade: 107%
Kafir Brigade: 110%
Nahal Brigade: 109%
Paratroopers Brigade: 100%
Armored Corps: 112%
Engineering Corps: 110%
Artillery Corps: 115%
Border Guards: 130%
Border Police: 103%
Search and Rescue:111%
Recruitment Data For Women
Border Guards: 117%
Combat Collection: 128%
Gunners: 159%
Search and Rescue: 133%
Border Police: 115%
KOLAKEVOD to our newest recruits!
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.