In the aftermath of Sunday's horrific terror attack in Sydney, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens writes that, "Bondi Beach Is What ‘Globalize the Intifada’ Looks Like":
"On Sunday, [Australian Prime Minister Anthony] Albanese said that “the evil that was unleashed at Bondi Beach today is beyond comprehension.” In fact, it’s entirely comprehensible. For fanatics who have been led to believe that the Jewish state is the apotheosis of evil, killing Jews represents a twisted notion of justice. Even when the victims are unarmed civilians. Even when they are celebrating an ancient, joyful holiday."
"There’s a larger lesson here that goes far beyond Australia."
"Though we’ll probably learn more in the weeks ahead about the mind-set of Sunday’s killers, it’s reasonable to surmise that what they thought they were doing was “globalizing the intifada.” That is, they were taking to heart slogans like “resistance is justified” and “by any means necessary,” which have become ubiquitous at anti-Israel rallies the world over. For many of those who chant those lines, they may seem like abstractions and metaphors, a political attitude in favor of Palestinian freedom rather than a call to kill their presumptive oppressors."
"But there are always literalists — and it’s the literalists who usually believe their ideas should have real-world consequences. On Sunday, those consequences were written in Jewish blood. History tells us that it won’t be the last time."
Israel is investigating possible Iranian ties to the attacks. In August, Australian law enforcement officials said Iran was responsible for at least two major antisemitic arson attacks, for which Australia expelled the Iranian ambassador.
Israel Assesses Global Anti-Israel Campaign Fueled by State Actors
Israeli columnist Nadav Eyal reported over the weekend that the Jewish state and Jewish people are "facing a state-led campaign of antisemitism."
"This is not just about bots or algorithms," Eyal reported. "Israeli sources within the Defense apparatus "more than suspect" human assets activation of opinion-shapers who are amplifying messages that have moved from politics to identity-based hatred."
"These concerns are no longer confined to intelligence assessments. They are now part of diplomatic exchanges. Including discussions involving the U.S. - and Qatar - as post-war regional relations are recalibrated."
On Friday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast condemned the "very specific network that is in place" that is trying to put a "wedge" in the U.S.-Israel relationship and spread antisemitism.
He added that this effort has been systematically orchestrated and is a "very serious global threat across multi-national organizations, media across the globe and adversaries and terrorist organizations."
Top Hamas commander killed by IDF on Saturday oversaw terror group's attempts to rearm
Ra'ad Sa'ad, who was killed in an IDF precision strike on Saturday, was one of the architects of Hamas' October 7 massacre. He also oversaw the terror group's attempt to rearm, in direct violation of President Trump's peace plan.
"Sa’ad was one of the last remaining veteran senior militants in the Gaza Strip and a close associate of Marwan Issa, the deputy head of Hamas’ military wing. He held several senior positions and was a central figure within the organization’s military leadership," the IDF said.
"In recent months, Sa’ad played a leading role in Hamas’ military wing, including direct involvement in violating the ceasefire agreement. He also oversaw the continued production of weapons in the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire period," the military added.
It's been more than nine weeks since the ceasefire deal went into effect, which required Hamas to return all the hostages within 72 hours. The terror group continues to hold the body of Ran Gvili hostage. Every day that Hamas refuses to return his body to Israel is another violation of the deal.
Last night, Israeli President Isaac Herzog lit candles for the first night of Hanukkah alongside Ran's family.
"Ran is a police officer who fell heroically in battle on October 7. 800 days later, Ran is now the last hostage still being held by murderous terrorists in Gaza. We renew our call for Ran to be released immediately and returned home to his dear family for dignified burial," Herzog said.
The president added that the first candle of Hanukkah was to be a "candle of remembrance, for all the deceased hostages who will remain engraved on the hearts of the people for generations to come."
Hezbollah has violated ceasefire nearly 2,000 times since deal went into effect
The IDF continues to operate to remove threats to Israel and enforce the agreement.
Yesterday, three Hezbollah terrorists were taken out in a series of drone strikes.
The first strike eliminated two terrorists who were working to reestablish the terror group's infrastructure and seize private assets for terrorist use.
The second strike killed a senior terrorist who "activated agents within Lebanon’s security systems, and suppressed criticism by opponents of Hezbollah in Lebanon," the IDF said.
Hezbollah has been exposed for masquerading as agricultural workers, as the terrorists attempt to rebuild along the border.
The United States must continue to increase the pressure on Lebanon to fulfill its stated commitment to fully disarm Hezbollah.
Syria seizes missile smuggling depot near border
The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday that the security forces had seized a missile depot near the Israeli border, which contained weapons that were being prepared for smuggling groups to transport into Israel.
IDF troops remain positioned on the Israel-Syria border to protect Israeli communities from ongoing terror threats.
U.S. forces raid, seize cargo ship going from China to Iran
Last month, U.S. special forces boarded a ship bound for Iran from China, and they seized military-related articles, the latest step the U.S. has taken to block Iran from rebuilding its military arsenal.
The U.S. had been gathering intelligence on the shipment, which consisted of components useful for Iran's conventional weapons. The intelligence showed that the cargo was headed to Iranian companies that specialize in procuring components for Tehran's missile program. A U.S. official said that the seized cargo was destroyed.
The seizure comes as Iranian officials announce that the country is redoubling their efforts to rebuild its ballistic military arsenal, which was severely damaged by Israel and the U.S. during the 12-day war in June.
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