Arab Israel conflict
February 10, 2025 — John Hinderaker
Scott noted earlier President Trump’s disgust with the condition of the captives that Hamas has most recently released. Now Trump has followed up by demanding that Hamas release the hostages–all of them–by noon on Saturday. High noon, one is tempted to say: President Trump warned the Hamas terror group Monday night to release all remaining hostages by noon Saturday, or he would allow Israel to cancel the ongoing cease-fire and
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January 30, 2025 — John Hinderaker
Hamas has released several more Israeli and Thai prisoners. The prisoner transfer at Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, turned into a chaotic scene as thousands of Gazans crowded around Israeli soldier Arbel Yehoud. She was escorted by heavily armed and masked Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists, but the mob pressed in, screaming and apparently trying to get their hands on her. Following more than a year in captivity, it must
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January 14, 2025 — John Hinderaker
The ever-clueless Antony Blinken explains the prospective Israel-Hamas deal: Gaza faces a perpetual war if Israel and Hamas do not sign a hostage deal to end the conflict, the US warned last night. Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, said Washington estimated that Hamas had recruited almost as many new members as it had lost during the war against Israel so far. There is no possible way that is
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January 13, 2025 — John Hinderaker
The New York Post reports that, after well over a year, there is sudden progress on getting Hamas to release the remaining Israeli and American hostages: Israel and Hamas reached a significant “breakthrough” in cease-fire talks early Monday in a deal that aims to finally end more than 15 months of war and bring home the remaining hostages. Talks held in Qatar — and attended by envoys of both President
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December 31, 2024 — John Hinderaker
The IDF has resumed operations in northern Gaza, killing “many dozens” of Hamas terrorists: The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that scores of terror operatives were killed overnight in ambushes led by the military’s 162nd Division in Jabalia, amid days of heavy operations in northern Gaza. According to the IDF, troops spotted and killed “many dozens of terrorists” in Jabalia with gunfire and tank shelling. As usual, Hamas was using
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November 26, 2024 — John Hinderaker
We have not joined in the calls for ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. What Israel needs is victory, not a stop to the fighting; not until the fighting is done. But today Israel agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had submitted the proposal to the cabinet for approval Tuesday evening local time. The deal was approved 10-1, with only far-right minister Ben Gvir voting against
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October 19, 2024 — John Hinderaker
After firing thousands of rockets that forced the depopulation of much of northern Israel, Hezbollah has been devastated by Israel’s counterattacks. But if down, Hezbollah and its sponsor Iran are not quite out. Earlier today, they tried to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: A drone fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon that exploded in the central seaside town of Caesarea early on Saturday targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private home, his
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October 7, 2024 — John Hinderaker
Around the world, the ignorant and the downright evil turned out today to celebrate the anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 massacres. Across more than 80 U.S. cities, protesters gathered for demonstrations that were largely characterized by explicit support for terror, including the October 7 attack itself. *** Beginning on Monday, October 7, National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) is organizing a “Week of Rage” related to the anniversary, with
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October 6, 2024 — John Hinderaker
Tomorrow is the anniversary of Hamas’s massacre of well over 1,000 Israeli Jews on October 7, 2023. That is the purpose for which Hamas exists, and the massacre was celebrated by the overwhelming majority of Gazans as it was taking place. That the massacre included the burning of babies alive and the gang rape of Jewish women only increased the Gazans’ enthusiasm. Anti-Semites around the globe immediately joined in, protesting
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September 30, 2024 — John Hinderaker
Israel’s stunning success in taking out the entire leadership of Hezbollah has laid the foundation for a ground incursion that will eliminate the terrorists’ ability to threaten northern Israel, where somewhere around 100,000 people have had to flee their homes to avoid Hezbollah rockets. The Wall Street Journal reports: Israeli special forces have been carrying out small, targeted raids into southern Lebanon, gathering intelligence and probing ahead of an expected
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September 28, 2024 — John Hinderaker
The London Times is a liberal paper, but not far-left like the New York Times or the Washington Post. So it is not surprising to see this headline: “Why killing of Hassan Nasrallah marks beginning of the end for Iran.” The piece is by Lina Khatib, associate fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House. Some excerpts: Iran found in Nasrallah a valuable tool for expanding
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September 18, 2024 — John Hinderaker
Yesterday it was pagers, today it is handheld radios: Hezbollah said that more explosions had occurred in different areas of Lebanon on Wednesday, this time affecting handheld radios. The Lebanese Red Cross said that 30 ambulance teams were responding to “multiple explosions” in different areas of Lebanon, including the country’s south and east. In an initial toll, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that one person had been killed and more than
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September 6, 2024 — John Hinderaker
The Democrats are nervous about Michigan, and properly so: Kamala Harris likely can’t win if she doesn’t carry Michigan, and there are lots of pro-Hamas Muslims there. So for the Democrats, the state represents a balancing act. Enter Tim Walz, who has been campaigning in Michigan and gave an interview to a local NPR station: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, told a Michigan NPR affiliate
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June 7, 2024 — John Hinderaker
Last night, Center of the American Experiment held our Annual Dinner, with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as our featured speaker. It was a great event in several respects, but for me listening to, and spending time with, Bennett was the highlight. Bennett’s parents were American and he lived for some years in the U.S., so he understands our country well. He places himself on Israel’s right wing, and
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May 29, 2024 — John Hinderaker
I am not as big a fan of Nikki Haley as a lot of Republicans, but this was well done: Nikki Haley wrote “finish them!” on the side of a fresh Israeli artillery shell during a visit to Israel. *** Despite other politicians from both sides denouncing the country’s aggressive offensive in Gaza, including democrat and fellow Israel supporter Chuck Schumer, Ms Haley has repeatedly rushed to Israel’s defence. On
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May 24, 2024 — John Hinderaker
I had a busy day today, among other things writing this piece, on Minneapolis four years after the George Floyd riots, for the New York Post. Catching up on Twitter, it looks like the IDF is making good progress in Rafah. As always, the “Palestinians” are great at terrorizing women and children, not so great at fighting actual soldiers: This is huge! Over 900 Hamas terrorists have surrendered in Rafah.
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May 22, 2024 — John Hinderaker
This video was released today. It has several segments, all apparently shot by Hamas fighters on October 7. It shows five kidnapped Israeli women, all ages 18 or 19 and all serving in the IDF. I am not certain of the provenance of the video; I believe that it was recovered, either entire or in pieces, by the IDF from Hamas fighters. pic.twitter.com/LX2XLmdR0K *Trigger Warning * ⚠️⚠️⚠️ – The Face
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