Top News:
* Hamas just a few hours ago sent 10+ rockets from Rafah to Kerem Shalom crossing (where humanitarian aid enters Gaza; no word yet on how badly aid delivery was disrupted.) At least six dead and several injuries being reported. The border crossing is now closed. (Way to eliminate all the humanitarian aid, Hamas! )
https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-799923
* Israel’s North under serious attack today: 60+ missiles just blanketed Kiryat Shemona.
* Campus protesters had knives, gas masks, hammers and ‘death to America’ pamphlets
https://www.timesofisrael.com/nypd-official-items-found-at-columbia-show-protesters-were-far-from-peaceful/
* Reports that the US, astoundingly, may try for a work-around deal with Saudi Arabia that excludes normalization with Israel, but offers the Saudis nuclear. (Me: This won’t get Republican buy-in without Israel normalization.)
* New York Times reported Friday on plan for post-war Gaza controlled by Israel, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and U.S. as part of putative Saudi normalization.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/03/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-postwar-plan.html?searchResultPosition=1
* Finally confirmed for ye of little faith: Hamas consistently stealing the humanitarian aid.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-says-hamas-seized-first-aid-shipment-that-entered-gaza-via-reopened-erez-crossing/
* Israeli October 7 victims sue SJP
https://m.jpost.com/israel-news/article-799716
* 320 voted for, while 21 Republicans and 70 Democrats voted against the antisemitism awareness act legislation in the House on Wednesday. (Just in time for Holocaust Remembrance Day which starts this evening.)
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4636945-antisemitism-bill-campus-protests/amp/
* Marjorie Taylor Green, who conceptualized Jewish space lasers, is amongst the no votes, so she can accuse Jews of killing Jesus. No, I am not making this up.
https://m.jpost.com/american-politics/article-799506
* Turkey cut off all commercial ties with Israel. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, in 2023 Israel imported $5.42 billion in goods from Turkey (down from $7 billion in 2022). Israel exported $1.5 billion (down from $2.5 billion in 2022.)
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-turkey-blocking-exports-to-israel-1001475449
* Dueling threats from war cabinet over hostage deal
https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-far-right-ministers-issue-dueling-ultimatums-to-pm-over-hostage-deal-rafah-op/
* “Screams Before Silence” documentary by former Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. (Trigger warning - graphic.)
https://www.screamsbeforesilence.com
* Jordan doesn’t want Hamas
https://www.timesofisrael.com/jordan-flatly-rejects-senior-hamas-officials-idea-of-moving-leadership-to-kingdom/
* White House says Hague has no jurisdiction in Israel-Hamas war; ICC wants to issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials.
Terrorism:
Shooting reported at several of the Israeli checkpoints; ramming of border police officer in West Bank; ramming/shooting incident near Bartaea; stabbing attack in Beer Sheva Tuesday; bomb defused near Route 55 Wednesday; car stolen and used for ramming in Ramat Gan Wednesday; the Shin Bet captured 3 senior Lebanese Islamic Jihad terrorists before they could bomb troops; female terrorist with knife in Rishonim Mall; Thursday, strong explosions in southern Tel Aviv; attempted stabbing by Arab woman in Old City on Sunday.
And in a new low:
A 30-year-old police officer stabbed in terror attack by a 34-year-old Turkish tourist who entered Israel at Herod's Gate in Jerusalem's Old City.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/flashes/630394
Overseas antisemitic terrorism:
“Not terrorism” stabbing in London; four Sydney teens plotted Jewish murder; Firebomb hurled at Warsaw synagogue; UK policeman charged with terrorism supporting Hamas; Israeli home front command will be sending security messages to Israelis in Malmo for Eurovision to keep them safe; Australian police shot dead a Muslim teen who stabbed someone; NY synagogues receiving bomb threats (that police deemed fake).
And in roughly chronological order:
* They had to cover up a Holocaust memorial in Hyde Park (where thousands protest Israel every weekend) to prevent vandalism.
Holocaust survivor Noemi Ebenstein in The Daily Mail: “It is shameful. Seeing this, it feels like they are winning. Those who are Jew haters, those who are Holocaust deniers, they are winning because we are afraid of them.”
* Google having ongoing problem with Palestinian protesters
https://m.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-799046
* Vancouver protesters: “Long Live October 7!”
https://m.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-799041
* Secretary of State Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince to discuss Gaza and Houthis.
https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinkens-meeting-with-saudi-crown-prince-and-prime-minister-mohammed-bin-salman-al-saud-in-riyadh-2/
* Threatened with expulsion, protesters respond: “Columbia will burn.”
https://m.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-799092
* Video floating around of Gazan residents making bombs from the contents of humanitarian aid shipments.
* Israel reportedly killed an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps terrorist in Iran Monday. Almost no press.
https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-799096
* Israeli supermarket prices skyrocket
https://www.ice.co.il/consumerism/news/article/1010638
* How campus protests are Qatari-funded
https://m.jpost.com/middle-east/pro-palestine-protests-are-generously-funded-by-donors-promoting-radical-islam-studies-analysis-799154
* US State Department lawyers call for end to military aid to Israel.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/29/lawyers-israel-arm-sales-biden-00154958#:~:text=A%20coalition%20of%20lawyers%20domestic,U.S.%20and%20international%20humanitarian%20law.
* Older US voters support Israel in Rafah
https://harvardharrispoll.com/
* 262 Israeli soldiers fell in Gaza.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/379499
* Iran’s Shiraz University will accept applicants expelled from US and European universities for their Palestinian protesting. (No details on whether they’ll make you wear a hijab.)
https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-799158
* White House considering accepting Gazan Palestinian refugees. Florida’s DeSantis says they can’t come to Florida. (Doesn’t the US still have open borders between states? :)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white-house-considers-accepting-palestinians-gaza-refugees-amid-israel-hamas-war
* The German ambassador to the Palestinian Authority was chased out of Ramallah’s Palestine museum by a crowd of Palestinian students shooting and hurling objects.
* Because of security concerns, IDF recommends canceling large annual Lag Ba'omer celebration in Mt Meron.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/389235
* Government supposedly outlining haredi draft plan.
https://m.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-799378
With wrinkles
https://m.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-799378
* Turkey to get involved in Israel case at The Hague
https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-799415
* BBC says Hezbollah destroyed Southern Lebanon
https://m.jpost.com/middle-east/hezbollah-has-destroyed-south-lebanon-says-report-799386
* Five Hezbollah rockets found on road to Mt Meron; Hezbollah likely targeting pre-Lag b’Omer crowds
* Videos circulating of armed militants seizing humanitarian aid in Gaza. (Guess who?)
* More than half of Israelis support hostage deal even at risk of new elections.
https://m.jpost.com/israel-news/article-799395
* Palestinian calls on Jews to return to Auschwitz.
https://m.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-799497
^ U.S. college campus protesters demanding hot lunch and amenities basked from universities.
* Hezbollah relocated 700 of their senior official families to Syria.
* 100,000 Gazans in Egypt want visas.
https://m.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-799592
* Jewish groups skip White House antisemitism meeting after ifNotNow invited
https://www.foxnews.com/media/jewish-orgs-drop-antisemitism-meeting-education-dept-surprise-addition-left-wing-groups
* Israel to shut down Qatari-funded Al Jazeera in Israel for incitement. (This law expires in late July.)
https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-799897
Catch up on last week’s most popular:
Iran Goes Ballistic
https://open.substack.com/pub/fernmusing/p/war-day-208-iran-goes-ballistic-everything
Musing Collection
https://open.substack.com/pub/fernmusing/p/war-day-209-a-musing-collection-may
Funny Friday
https://open.substack.com/pub/fernmusing/p/war-day-210-funny-friday-iran-and
Last week’s Round-Up
https://open.substack.com/pub/fernmusing/p/war-day-205-sunday-news-round-up
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Interesting question about the right to travel within the US. I know you were joking -- but a Texas man is bringing legal action against his girlfriend for fleeing the state to get an abortion (which is banned in Texas). I realize this is off-topic but it's one more example of how off the rails the world has gone. Your dose of sanity is much appreciated.