Wednesday
Yom Reva’ee
22 Tevet 5785
January 22 2025
UPDATE 10:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
The Quote of the Morning and News on the Hostage Front
From Hostage Survivor Romi Gonen:
“There is life after death, sometimes dreams come true. The prayers and strength you sent accompanied us all the way and helped us believe that this nightmare will eventually end. You are so moving that my heart cannot contain it, and it will take time. Thank you all. Am Israel Chai (The people of Israel live).”
This was Romi’s first response after returning, but who knows what nightmares she and the other hostages endured and are enduring.“
We have another photo of Emily Damari and her mother today that shows her hand (where two fingers were shot off by Hamas barbarians):
Yesterday came a signal from Hamas that the next hostage release scheduled for Saturday was going to be delayed for one day until Sunday; however, within hours this signal was retracted–meaning all is back on schedule.
Hamas also responded to Vladimir Putin who has expressed his annoyance that the Russian-Israeli hostage Sasha Trufanov has yet to be released. The Russian ambassador said that Hamas told Putin that Sasha is in stable condition “but not entirely healthy.”
One last word: President Herzog met with the Prime Minister of Qatar in Davos yesterday and once again praised him for his efforts in the hostage negotiations. Why in the world do we continue to laud Qatar–the same Qatar that funded (and funds) Hamas in Gaza, the same Qatar that specifically financed the tunnels, and the same Qatar that runs Al-Jazeera which is nothing more than a mouthpiece for Hamas. It is time for Israeli leadership to grow some cajones and call out Qatar for what it is–a major sponsor of terror.
Last Night’s Attack in Tel Aviv
The holder of an American green card (a permanent resident) who entered the country three days ago through the airport- after failing to get in several weeks ago–went on a stabbing rampage on Nehilat Benyamin Street in Tel Aviv last night.
5 people were wounded: a 28-year-old man and a 24-year-old man in serious condition with stab wounds to their upper bodies (neck and torso), and 3 other people in moderate condition.
Heroically, a former Border Policewoman (Magavnik) who was sitting in a nearby cafe saw what was happening, went out into the street, and shot the terrorist dead.
We still don’t know much about the heroine except for this photo in which her face has been blurred:
Kolakevod to her for stopping the attack!
Two last words:
First, thank goodness so many Israelis are now armed. Civilians have killed killed terrorists numerous times in recent months.
Second, what we know about the terrorist is that he was born in Morocco and held a U.S. Green Card as Permanent Resident. This morning, there are reports that his background was not sufficiently checked–and that he had posted anti-Israel messages repeatedly on social media. One cannot help but remember that the Biden Administration forced Israel to relax entry checks for Arabs last year in order for Israelis to get a visa exemption to the U.S.
*Another terror attack occurred near the Kola Junction near French Hill in Jerusalem last night when terrorist opened fire on Israeli cars. Fortunately no one was wounded; unfortunately, the terrorist escaped.
Major News in Judea and Samaria
The IDF has begun Operation Iron Wall in the area. Yesterday 8 terrorists were killed and 35 more wounded in Jenin. A commander observed that this operation may last from 6 months to a year.
Defense Minister Katz issued this statement :
“Operation ‘Iron Wall’ in Jenin will be a change in the IDF’s security concept in Judea and Samaria. A powerful operation to eliminate terrorists and the terrorist infrastructure in the camp – without the recurrence of terrorism into the camp after the operation ends – the first lesson from the method of repeated raids in Gaza. I arrived at the IDF command post yesterday to see the progress of the operation up close and to criticize the policy. We will not allow the arms of the Iranian octopus and radical Sunni Islam to endanger the lives of the settlers and establish an eastern terror front against the State of Israel. We will strike hard at the arms of the octopus until they are severed.”
Of course, the IDF’s mission in Judea and Samaria will be severely complicated by the release of Palestinian prisoners into the area. Already yesterday, photos of terrorists released this past weekend began cropping up showing them having returned immediately to Hamas. The one below is of a terrorist releasee hugging his mother (note the Hamas headband, the Hamas scarf, and the Hamas photos adorning his home):
The Big News of the Day
The biggest news of yesterday was the impending resignations of IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and the Commander of the Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman. In Halevi’s case, his resignation will take effect on March 6; in Finkelman’s case, the date is uncertain.
Halevi came on Israeli television last night and in a long rambling address said that he was resigning because of the failure of the IDF on October 7 for which he feels personally responsible–and because he felt that IDF had reached a stage of achievements where it is safe for him to do so (he is resigning after 2 years and 3 months of a 3 year term).
The simple fact is that Halevi and Finkelman are personally responsible–perhaps Finkelman even more so because he is the one who ignored all the warnings that he received from the observers on the border (most of whom ended up killed or taken hostage).
One cannot help but think back to the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War.
At that time the IDF Chief of Staff David Elazar was forced to resign in the face of public protests over the high casualty rates when the Agranat Commission found that Elazar “bears personal responsibility for the assessment of the situation and the preparedness of the IDF.” It found that he had been excessively confident in the IDF’s ability to contain Egyptian and Syrian attacks.
Doesn’t this sound familiar?
Of course, Halevi and Finkelman are jumping ship before a Commission has issued any report. More should quickly follow such as the head of Israeli intelligence, Ronen Bar.
And so it goes in Israel this morning . . . so far . . .
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.