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Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Iran-Backed Terror Groups Continue Attacks Against U.S. Bases in Middle East

New York Post: Iran’s proxy terrorists have increasingly targeted Mideast bases that include American military forces, raising the specter of the US being dragged into an armed conflict. US and allied military personel have thwarted many of the attacks, although others have caused some damage and minor injuries. Biden administration officials have issued stern warnings against Iran and the terror groups it supports over the continued provocations, with a top aide vowing Monday, “We will not hesitate to protect our forces (New York Post). DD Geopolitics: Explosions at the Al-Omar oil field in Syria, where U.S. troops are stationed. Simultaneous explosions at the Al-Tanf base housing U.S. troops (X). HotAir: And those first guesses are looking like they were correct – the local Islamic Resistance is claiming credit for the drone strikes. This was the group in the area that had gotten the all-clear from Iran (HotAir).

Israel Threatens to Cripple Hezbollah if They Join Hamas in War

National Review: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah against invading Israel and further widening the Jewish state’s ongoing war with Hamas, vowing that such a decision would be met with overwhelming retaliation. If Hezbollah were to cross the border from Lebanon into Israel, “it will make the mistake of its life. We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state will be devastating,” Israel’s leader said while addressing soldiers in northern Israel on Sunday (National Review). Daily Wire: Nir Barkat, Israel’s Minister of Economy, warned Israel’s enemies — namely Iran — that they will pay dearly if they decide to join Hamas’ war against Israel. “The very clear message is that we are going to be going after the heads of Iran as well. When will we do that? When we decide,” he added. “Israel has a very clear message to our enemies. We are saying to them, look what’s happening in Gaza – you are going to get the same treatment if you attack us. We are going to wipe you off the face of the Earth’” (Daily Wire).

Border Patrol on Guard for Terrorist Members, Sympathizers at the Border

Spencer Brown: Authorities along the U.S.-Mexico border are being warned by the San Diego Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to keep an eye out for “foreign fighters” connected to the terrorist groups waging war against Israel for the last two-plus weeks, another sign that the border crisis has wide-ranging national security implications (Townhall). Bill Melugin: CBP’s San Diego field office sent out this internal intel bulletin on Friday, alerting officers that Hamas, Hezbollah, & Palestinian Islamic Jihad foreign fighters inspired by the Israel conflict may be encountered at the U.S. southern border. Gives officers instructions on key indicators to look for, including single, military aged males w/ undetermined travel plans (X).

Majority of Muslim Americans Believe Attack on Israel was Justified

Daily Wire: A new poll released late last week found that the majority of Muslim Americans believes that Hamas was “justified” in committing terrorist attacks against Israel. A majority overall, 50.6%, have a positive opinion of Israel compared to only 12% who have a negative opinion while 37% were neutral. The two groups that had the highest negative views of Israel were Muslim Americans at 36.5% and Democrats at 15.7%. The groups that had the largest positive views of Israel were Jewish Americans at 85.1% and Republicans at 64.9% (Daily Wire). Cygnal: Following the attack in Israel, the general population is slightly less supportive of Biden’s leadership (37%) (Cygnal).

Associated Press Style Guide Changes Definition of “Terrorist”

Free Beacon: The Associated Press instructs reporters and organizations that rely on its style guide to avoid referring to Hamas as a terrorist organization. The news outlet states in its “Israel-Hamas Topical Guide” that because “terrorism and terrorist have become politicized, and often are applied inconsistently … the AP is not using the terms for specific actions or groups, other than in direct quotations.” The guidance will affect how dozens of regional newspapers and national outlets like Politico report on the ongoing war in Gaza. Hamas, an Islamist militant group dedicated to the annihilation of Israel and Jews around the world, is classified as a terrorist organization by dozens of countries, including the United States and the European Union. Hamas has undertaken hundreds of terrorist attacks against civilians since 1993, according to the Jewish Virtual Library. Instead of referring to Hamas—which earlier this month killed hundreds of innocent civilians, including children in an unprompted attack on Israel—as a terrorist group, the outlet says journalists should call its members “militants” (Free Beacon). Ed Morrissey: This kinder, gentler approach to Hamas terrorism is unlikely to induce much sympathy for the killers, but the Associated Press is clearly giving it the old college try (HotAir).

New York Times Admits Hamas Cannot Prove Israel Bombed Hospital

But the damage has been done. New York Times: Six days after Hamas accused Israel of bombing a hospital in Gaza City and killing hundreds of people, the armed Palestinian group has yet to produce or describe any evidence linking Israel to the strike, says it cannot find the munition that hit the site and has declined to provide detail to support its count of the casualties (New York Times). Ed Morrissey: Marry yourselves to terrorists in haste, repent at leisure? The New York Times has all but redefined ‘leisure’ in this old axiom with its ever-so-slow retreat from its initial report that Israel bombed a hospital in Gaza. A week ago, the NYT and every other American media outlet swallowed that Hamas claim without question while sourcing it from “Gaza’s health ministry. Even after Israel provided video of the failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and radio communications from Hamas confirming the incident as friendly fire, American news media declared that the IDF hadn’t “proven” their case. Now, a week later, the ‘Paper of Record’ grudgingly admits that the claim came from Hamas and never did have any evidence supporting it. The headline itself is a marvel in the annals of modified limited hangouts (HotAir).

Karine Jean-Pierre Says Muslims are Receiving Disproportionate Hate When Asked About Antisemitism

Townhall: In Monday’s White House press briefing, Karine Jean-Pierre was asked whether President Joe Biden is concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism, but she didn’t want to talk about the instances of college campuses, big cities, and public figures declaring support for Hamas terrorists or attacking Jewish Americans (Townhall). RNC Research: “What is Biden’s level of concern right now about a potential rise of antisemitism?” KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: “Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks” (X).

Our Universities Are Fueling and Fostering Antisemitism

Federalist: In times past, there’d be universal outrage over assassins suddenly invading, taking hostage, and slaughtering more than 1,000 people, including grandmothers, children, and concertgoers. Back then we’d call such actions “crimes against humanity,” regardless of which side did the attacking. But today’s brazen support for Hamas terrorists is an indicator that rule by terror is fast replacing the rule of law throughout the Western world. Since 9/11 we’ve seen a strange shift in attitudes about the barbarity of such attacks, particularly on college campuses. Rather than condemning such violence, today’s students are justifying it on campuses. Consider what the typical college student can expect if faced with an ideological challenge. If they don’t accept the given line about transgenderism, climate alarmism, and now about Hamas’ terrorism as justifiable, they risk being canceled with demonizing labels such as “transphobe,” “climate denier,” “bigot,” and worse. And if they try to connect the dots by asking a reasonable question, they risk mockery as “conspiracy theorists” (Federalist).

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) Pleads Not Guilty to Acting as a Foreign Agent at Egypt’s Behest

Washington Examiner: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) pleaded not guilty in federal court on Monday to conspiring to act as a foreign agent on behalf of the Egyptian government, the second time in as many months Menendez has had to enter a plea in response to corruption-related charges. Menendez’s appearance in court came as a result of U.S. District Attorney Damian Williams bringing a second indictment against the senator this month over allegations he violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act while he was serving as the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Menendez and his wife Nadine were initially hit with three charges in September for allegedly engaging in a corrupt relationship with three businessmen. The couple allegedly accepted bribes that included hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, a luxury vehicle, and more, according to the indictment (Washington Examiner). CNBC: Menendez, who has been in the Senate for 17 years, has stepped down from his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as he fights his criminal charges. As Senate Democrats look to hold onto their slim majority in the chamber past the 2024 election cycle, many have openly called for Menendez to resign. If he does step down, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy could appoint a successor to serve out the rest of his term. Murphy, a Democrat, has also urged Menendez to resign (CNBC).

10.

Israeli Education Ministry Removes Greta Thunberg from Curriculum After She Backs Palestine

Jerusalem Post: The Education Ministry has said it will remove any reference to climate activist Greta Thunberg after she published a post over the weekend holding an anti-Israel sign reading “stand with Gaza.” More than 100 signatures were included in an open letter sent to Thunberg, and several activists also responded to her directly on X. The environmental leaders wrote in the letter that they were “deeply hurt, shocked and disappointed with your tweets and posts regarding Gaza” and that Thunberg should “look again at the atrocities conducted by Hamas” (Jerusalem Post). i24 News: Thunberg later added a post saying “We are of course against any type of discrimination, and condemn antisemitism in all forms and shapes. This is non-negotiable.” However, her initial post drew condemnation from the Israeli Education Ministry, saying her lack of condemnation for the massacres perpetrated by the Hamas terrorist organization “prevents her from being an educational and moral model, and she can no longer be a source of inspiration and an educational model for Israeli students” (i24 News).