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Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Middle East Leaders Withdraw from Meeting with President Biden as He Travels to Region

Biden has not even exited the plane yet. Associated Press: President Joe Biden’s efforts to tamp down tensions in the escalating war between Israel and Hamas faced massive setbacks even before he departed for the Middle East on Tuesday, as Jordan called off the president’s planned summit with Arab leaders after a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital killed hundreds. Biden now will visit only Israel and will postpone his travel to Jordan, a White House official said as Biden departed (Associated Press). ABC News: Pres. Biden departs for Israel and cancels the Jordan leg of his Middle East trip where he planned to meet with Arab leaders (X). Benny Johnson: There are crowds burning fires and chanting outside of US Embassies in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Turkey and across the Middle East. World Leaders are canceling meetings on Joe Biden as he’s taking off to make the trip. They sense weakness. Yeah Joe, “America is back” alright (X)

Hamas Tried Claiming Israel Fired Rockets at a Hospital in Gaza After a Missile Intended for Israel Misfired

Times of Israel: The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday night said it was not behind a blast at a hospital in the Gaza Strip, which according to Hamas health authorities led to hundreds of deaths, and that a misfired rocket launched by Gaza terrorists led to the explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. Palestinians and much of the Arab world blamed Israel, saying it had struck the medical facility and that hundreds had been killed. Jerusalem was swiftly condemned by Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and others (Times of Israel). IDF: Check your own footage before you accuse Israel. 18:59 – A rocket aimed at Israel misfired and exploded. 18:59 – a hospital was hit in Gaza. You had one job (X). Noah Rothman: This is shaping up to be an unmitigated debacle for the news outlets whose instinct was to run with Hamas’s version of events (X). Daniel Rubenstein: What do you call people who amplify Hamas propaganda not just as news, but as the top news story in the world? There is no way that a professional military such as the Israel Defense Forces can give an instant answer about a catastrophe in enemy territory during a war. It took around two or three hours for the IDF to share the results of its initial investigation – that the explosion at the hospital was a due to a rocket launched by Islamic Jihad that malfunctioned and crashed back into Gaza. More evidence is coming out as I write this. The sad fact is that it appears that hundreds of Palestinians are dead at a hospital because terrorists in Gaza tried to fire rockets at Israelis and ended up hitting their own people. It’s unbearably stupid and tragic (X).

Israel Kills Top Hamas Commander in Airstrike

Hill: An airstrike in central Gaza killed a top Hamas commander Tuesday as Israel ramps up its targeted attacks on the militant group’s hideouts, command centers and infrastructure. Israeli forces killed Ayman Nofal, the most high-profile militant known to have been killed so far in the war, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. The Hamas military wing also confirmed Nofal’s death. Nofal led Hamas’s militant activities in the central Gaza Strip and was associated with the group’s “joint operations” room that coordinated between Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militants in the territory. He was killed when Israel sent a strike into the Bureij refugee camp in Gaza (Hill). Times of Israel: The IDF said Nofal was also previously involved in the production and development of weapons and had been involved in the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilat Shalit in 2006 (Times of Israel).

Biden Looking to Request $100 Billion in Aid for Israel, Ukraine

Politico: The Biden administration is expected to ask Congress for at least $100 billion in supplemental funding to address Israel, Ukraine and domestic issues, such as border funding and disaster aid, according to several people granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations. The funding levels — which would cover an entire year — have not yet been finalized and could change, according to the people involved. The request is expected to be sent to Congress Hill as soon as Friday, after President Joe Biden returns from a trip to Israel (Politico). Washington Post: The effort comes as House Republicans struggle to elect a new speaker, which could complicate efforts to pass any bill swiftly. House Republicans have grown increasingly wary of providing taxpayer funds to Kyiv, but may be more likely to do so if a request also includes money for the border and Israel (Washington Post).

Sen. Tom Cotton Urges DHS Secretary Mayorkas to Deport Foreign Nationals Who Support Hamas, Other Terror Groups

National Review: Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) urged Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to deport any foreign national who has expressed support for Hamas since the militant group attacked Israel ten days ago. “I write to urge you to immediately deport any foreign national—including and especially any alien on a student visa—that has expressed support for Hamas and its murderous attacks on Israel,” Cotton wrote to Mayorkas in a letter dated Monday. “These fifth columnists have no place in the United States.” The term “fifth column” refers to a group of people that attempts to undermine a nation’s solidarity from within by supporting its enemies. The Republican lawmaker cited the Immigration and Nationality Act as grounds for the immediate deportation of non-citizens from the country. “Federal law is clear that any alien who ‘endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization’ is inadmissible and must be deported,” he said (National Review).

Jordanian King Refuses to Take in Any Palestinian Refugees

Katie Pavlich: Jordanian King Abdullah II is drawing lines and refusing to take in Palestinian civilians from the Gaza Strip as they attempt to flee Hamas. “I can quite strongly speak on behalf of not only Jordan as a nation but our friends in Egypt — That is a red line. I think that is the plan by certain usual suspects,” Abdullah said in remarks Tuesday. Abdullah’s remarks come as Egypt continues to keep its border with the Gaza Strip closed to humanitarian aid and refugees (Townhall). Dr. Eli David: 1948: Israel took in 800,000 Jewish refugees from surrounding Arab countries. 2023: King Abdullah of Jordan: “There will be no refugees in Jordan and no refugees in Egypt.” Tell me more about how much these Arab leaders care about their “Arab brothers” (X).

U.S. Announces Aid to Gaza Strip

Townhall: Late Monday night Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the restart of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip after Egypt’s refusal to open its border as a safe passage for supplies and civilians. But given Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and is likely to steal or use the aid as leverage, the move is being blasted on Capitol Hill and elsewhere (Townhall). Senator Marsha Blackburn: The USA should not be placing conditions on our support for Israel because of demands from the squad. Humanitarian aid repeatedly ends up in the hands of Hamas terrorists who use it to build rockets & kill more Israelis. We should immediately halt U.S. aid for the Palestinians (X). Governor Ron DeSantis: Innocent Americans and Israelis are being held hostage by Hamas terrorists, yet Biden is more focused on sending “humanitarian aid” to Gaza that will be commandeered by Hamas terrorists. Biden should work with Israel to free all American and Israeli hostages, not shower Hamas with money (X). Secretary Blinken stated if Hamas tries to take the aid, they will tell them to stop (X).

Governor DeSantis Sends Two Large Planes Filled with Aid to Israel

Daily Wire: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday that his administration has sent two large planes full of supplies to Israel as the country wages war against the Palestinian terrorists responsible for murdering 1,400+ Israelis last week. The Republican presidential candidate sent 85 pallets of donated supplies that are expected to reach Israel in the coming hours. “With the lack of leadership in Washington, we are stepping up to help our allies in Israel who are in need of supplies and our support,” DeSantis said a statement. “As we continue to bring back Americans who were stranded in Israel when the war began, we will also keep sending the necessary health care supplies for Israel to care for those who have been injured.” A total of 85 pallets of supplies identified as critically needed by hospitals based in Israel were packed and prepared for shipping in less than five days (Daily Wire). Governor DeSantis is taking action.

U.S. Ambassador Visits WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich in Prison

Messenger: U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy visited jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Tuesday. Tracy’s visit comes one week after Gershkovich lost an appeal to be released. The ambassador’s office has not commented on the visit. Gershkovich remains jailed in Russia, where he was detained in March 2023 on charges of espionage by Russia’s Federal Security Service. Both the White House and the Wall Street Journal have denied the espionage allegations (Messenger). Wall Street Journal: Relations between the U.S. and Russia have been severely strained since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the U.S. for the war, saying that Washington has pursued a foreign policy that has destabilized the world and threatened Russia. Washington has condemned Moscow’s assault on its smaller neighbor as unjustified. The U.S. and its European allies have imposed tough sanctions on Russia and are providing large-scale military and economic aid to Ukraine in its fight to expel Russian forces from its territory (Wall Street Journal).

10.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders Orders Chinese-Owned Company to Sell Agricultural Land

4029 News: Tuesday, the Arkansas attorney general ordered an agricultural company that’s part of a larger company run by the Chinese government to sell the land it owns in Arkansas. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed Act 636 earlier this year. It bans foreign entities from owning Arkansas agricultural lands. Northrup King Seed Co., which is ultimately owned by the government-run ChemChina, owns about 160 acres of land in Craighead County, AG Tim Griffin said. Griffin gave the company two years to divest itself of the land. He also imposed a civil penalty of $280,000 for a failure to file required documents in a timely manner (4029 News). Spencer Brown: In addition to Act 636, Governor Sanders has also signed Act 525 to ban drones made by Chinese and Russian companies as well as Act 758 to prohibit public contracts with the Chinese Communist Party (Townhall). Leading Report: Arkansas becomes the first state in the nation to force a Chinese state-owned company to give up its American land (X).