Monday
Yom Shnee
2 Nisan 5785
March 31 2025
UPDATE 9:00 AM ISRAEL TIME
The Quotes of the Day
Quote 1:
“We see what is happening in Palestine, may Allah destroy Israel.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking yesterday on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
Whenever Erdogan is in political trouble as he is now, he falls back on anti-Semitism–a strategy he has used from the first time he ever ran for a local office.
Occasionally, he will cozy up to Israel if he needs something, but he is always a snake ready to strike. Without doubt, the abominable Erdogan looks at his new agreement with Syria as a means to attack Israel.
Quote 2:
“You can’t win wars with toys.”
Former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, speaking in the security cabinet meeting in which it was decided to go forward with the “pager” attack on Hezbollah.
In that meeting, Halevi and then-Defense Minister Galant were aligned against Mossad head David Barnea who recommended going ahead with the pager attack. Fortunately, PM Netanyahu went with Barnea.
The rest is history.
The entire discussion which has just come to light shows once again how out of touch Halevi was–from before October 7 to the time he retired.
The Photo of the Day
What you see above is a team of Israeli rescuers working in Thailand to rescue people buried under the rubble of the recent earthquake.
A statement from the IDF:
“A joint team of experts from the IDF and the Israeli Ministry of Defense landed in Bangkok this morning (Sunday) following the earthquake that occurred last Friday in South Asia.
The team, consisting of engineering and civil affairs officers from the National Rescue Unit of the Home Front Command and coordinated by the International Cooperation Unit, began their mission by conducting a situational assessment and sharing technological expertise to the Thai authorities.”
Israel may be dealing with wars on multiple fronts; however, Israel remains first on the scene to help people in natural disasters.
On the Ground in Gaza
Overnight:
*the IAF struck Hamas terrorists in residential complexes in Rafah.
*IAF helicopters opened fire on terrorists in Sajaiyeh.
*an attack eliminated a terrorist in a house in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza.
*IDF ground forces attacked Hamas assets in Gaza City.
*9 terrorists were killed in an attack on the Hamed neighborhood northwest of Khan Younis.
On the hostage front:
Israel seems to be inching closer to a ceasefire/hostage release agreement to carry us through the end of Passover. The outline is based on the Witkoff proposal which calls for a release of live hostages and a statement from Hamas about the condition of all remaining hostages (which Hamas has never given), in return for the release of more Palestinian murderers from Israeli prisons, further withdrawals along the Philadelphi Corridor, and the beginning of Phase 2 “negotiations.”
Yemen News
The Houthis took another pounding yesterday and last night from American aircraft. Among other attacks, 4 strikes on the city of Bani al-Harith north of Sanaa targeting the homes of Houthi officials were reported by the Houthi TV channel.
At 10:42, yesterday morning, incoming shrapnel sirens sounded again in central Israel:
As you can see, the same area as always was warned of falling shrapnel from a Houthi ballistic missile that was destroyed by an Israeli Arrow missile before reaching Israeli air space. Two days ago, the IDF said that this warning area would be reduced, but as you see it hasn’t.
MADA reported that in Moshav Eshtaol intercepted missile parts fell on the tiled roof of a private house and in the garden of another private house; near Moshav Eshtaol at the Shimshon Junction intercepted parts fell on the top of a vehicle; in Moshav Taoz, there was a report of interception parts falling in an open area; and on Highway 375, there was a report of interception parts falling in an open area.
Fortunately, none of these falling missile parts resulted in any injuries.
On the Ground in Judea and Samaria
The security cabinet approved a complete reconfiguration of the roads around Ma’aleh Adumim yesterday naming the new roads “the Fabric of Life.”
The new configuration will create a road for Palestinians to use which will connect the Palestinian settlements of a-Zaim and Al-Eizariya. Palestinians will have an easier route, congestion at the Zeitim checkpoint will decrease, and traffic on Highway 1 into Jerusalem will be lessened.
More importantly, the new configuration will ease transportation between Jerusalem, Ma’aleh Adumim, and the eastern Binyamin area. Finally, we will see construction in the E-1 area–the land between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim. This construction, the infrastructure of which has already been completed, will effective block territorial contiguity between what the Palestinians call “the northern and southern West Bank.”
On the Israel Scene
The major news this morning is that PM Netanyahu has chosen a new head for Shin Bet, retired naval commander Col. Eli Sharvit. Even the opposition has rushed out with gushing accolades for Sharvit.
Perhaps this will lead to Ronen Bar’s immediate resignation and a decision by the Israel High Court not to consider petitions against Bar’s firing on April 8.
And so it goes this morning in Israel . . . so far . . .
with the weather forecast for today and tomorrow: partly cloudy, some rain, noticeable warming, and dust storms . . .
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.