This link is to a music video published by Eden Golan, an Israeli musician competing in the Eurovision competition to be held in a week in Malmo, Sweden. This song was, but not with these images, was the one rejected by the Eurovision Board of Governors. She, and Israel, has to submit an alternative. She and her entourage are now in Sweden rehearsing and “holed up” in their hotel rooms as the Israeli security detail accompanying them has restricted them to remain in their hotel for safety purposes. Malmo is in the southern part of Sweden, facing Denmark. It has the largest muslim population in Sweden and police there are anticipating a large swell of demonstrators throughout the competition. I will try to find a video of the song she will perform and post later in the week, along with more details about the competition. One related announcement came out of Eurovision. Apparently there is a ban on any Palestinian flags and symbols.
No rockets were fired into Israel in the past 96 hours. No IDF casualties reported on either the northern or southern fronts in the past 72 hours.
Today, a 43 year old Israeli woman was moderately injured from shrapnel resulting from the IDF interception of a large drone launched by Hezbollah. She did not need hospitalization. This was after Hezbollah had previously launched more than a dozen rockets from Lebanon landing hear an Israeli national heritage sight in Meron, the burial place of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, often known as Rashbi. He lived in the 2nd century AD. He is the fourth most quoted sage in the Mishnah - the compendium or rabbinic commentary on the talmud/torah. Each year there a large crowd assembles there for festive singing and prayer on a minor Jewish holiday called Lag BaOmer, which comes on May 25th this year.
The IDF launched fighter jets into southern Lebanon destroying three buildings used by Hezbollah today.
Early this morning someone’s (I don’t know whose) Air Force destroyed a military facility in southern Damascus. According to reports, eight Syrian soldiers were killed. It is not clear, yet, what purpose that facility was serving. But there was a large Hezbollah military facility next door.
Iranian backed armies in Iraq insist that they launched several cruise missiles towards Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva yesterday afternoon. No alerts inside Israel were activated so perhaps they landed in Jordan instead??
A new front seems to have opened. The Iranian Proxy Saraya Al-Ashtar, a terror group operating out of Bahrain claims to have launched a drone attack against the Israeli southern city of Eilat. Presumably the attack took place on April 27, although there have been no reports in the Israeli press about it. Perhaps it landed in Jordan… who knows?
According to the Lebanese newspaper Al Akbar (somehow they always seem to know what is really going on…) Egypt requested from Israel to delay any decision on a Rafah Operation until after the end of this week. Hamas was supposed to deliver its formal answer to the most recent hostage/ceasefire proposal by end of Thursday but delayed it for no announced reason. According to the writer, both Egypt and Qatar are convinced that the response will be negative but they want to wait to receive the formal response. I guess that this explains why our whole universe here seems to be in suspension.
One of the bodies that was exhumed during operations in Gaza has been identified as Sliakim Shlomo Liebman (Z’’L), a security guard at that Nova Music Festival held on October 7. Until this week it was thought that he was being held hostage. The number of living hostages continues to decline…
You may recall that I mentioned earlier this week that there was a large convoy of aid trucks transiting from Jordan, crossed Israel and entered Gaza from the newly opened Erez Border Crossing. It turns out that Hamas almost commandeered the entire convoy once it entered Gaza. But it now appears that the aid group has managed to recover the aid shipment and distributed it to those in need. It was not made clear how or why Hamas agreed to release the aid.
Every UN official seems to have an expert perspective and opinion on the impact of an Israeli IDF operation in Rafah. Without seeing any plan or noting the rather low ratio of combatant:non-combatant casualties in the Gaza war so far (~1.0:1.4) everyone is 200% certain that it is going to be a civilian catastrophe. Today Jans Laerke, from the UN Humanitarian Office in Geneva, said “It could be a slaughter of civilians and an incredible blow to the humanitarian operation in the entire strip because it is run primarily out of Rafah”. Can’t they shift operations? Maybe they meet with Israel to ensure that actions are coordinated so there is minimal impact? From our view, what is a catastrophe is leaving Hamas in power anywhere.
Meantime this report in the Wall Street Journal states that Israel has given Hamas a one week deadline to strike a deal or the Rafah Operation will begin. Israeli officials are neither confirming nor denying the report.
Minister of Economics, Nir Barkat, lodged an official complaint to the OECD in response to the total suspension of trade leaving Türkiye on the unilateral decision by the President for Life Tayyip Erdogan. Apparently this violates regulations of trade between members of the OECD. It is likely to have a near term impact on building projects in Israel, at least until Israel can find other sources for its iron and cement. Once that happens Israel is not likely to source these materials from Türkiye anytime in the future.
There is a report in the publication The Hill that Senator Majority Leader Schumer is joining Congressional Majority Leader Johnson in inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress. Somehow, I think that this is ill advised in a US election year. Too many people might construe this as interference in US elections. But, what do I know??? This seems really strange to me, coming after a very public rebuke of Prime Minister Netanyahu by Senator Schumer.
Today the Shin Bet (~ FBI?) arrested an Israeli settler who participated in the rioting after the murder of 14 year old Bejnamin Achimeir on April 13. He is being charged with suspicion of involvement in the death of a Palestinian man killed during the riot aftermath. That brings the total number of arrests to eight. It is possible that some of those previously arrested were released after questioning… I don’t know. In the meantime a different group of settlers attacked IDF troops, slightly injuring two soldiers. It is not clear what provoked the attack.
In the category of “you couldn’t make this stuff up” in comes a report today from our friends the Houthis in Yemen. Apparently they are very concerned that some University students in the USA might be expelled or suspended. So they have offered free education in Yemen to any suspended student demonstrating on behalf of Hamas. If only I were a stand up comedian, what great material this offers. So now, joining Shiraz University in Iran, these students have two invitations. Actually, I think that this is a great opportunity for these students and they shouldn’t miss the chance to live in a world which they aspire to create. I can only imagine the first year curriculum:
“Introduction to Jihadism”,
“The Great Jihadists of the 21st Century”,
“The Life and Times of Osama bin Laden”,
“Advanced Suicide Bombing Strategies” (there is no point in an introductory course since you only have one chance),
“Introduction to Rocket Construction”,
“Best Methods for Knife Attacking a Jew”,
“Most Effective Rat Poisons to Use in a Knife Attack”,
“Comparative Jihadist Philosophy”,
“Best Strategies for Finding Your 72 Virgins” (you choose the sex),
I invite those of you with creative minds to suggest courses for these students in the comments section.