From a declassified daring air-raid and the ensuing mud-fight for credit, through a classic con operation, to a little million-dollar fireworks show – the Weekend Holyland Update (fashionably late once again. Direct all complaints to the "Real Life Is A Bitch" Dept.) has it all. Mind the piles of rubble from all the clusterfucks of the past week as you enter, and let's get to it.
FAULTY ROCKETS DRAIN POCKETS
Starting with the latest – Alerts went out around 10 pm that Iron Dome has been activated. The TV channels scrambled to go live with the latest, and everyone was bracing for another round of pointless bloodletting. Luckily, though, turns out Hamas was holding some light-arms drills, and the super-expensive intercept system (anywhere from $40-100K PER SHOT) was triggered, spewing 20 anti-rocket-rockets costing anywhere from a million to two, USD, in the valiant pursuit of firearm projectiles that were not, in fact, coming from across the border. I've always said that with the cost of a Hamas flying pipe bomb being 1-2% that of an Iron Dome projectile, Hamas could inflict massive financial damage even if every single rocket was intercepted. I never imagined they wouldn't even need the flying pipe bombs for it. TheDrive
In related news, sorry I can't embed, but do click this link and watch a short video:
That was from Saudi Arabia on Monday, attempting to intercept an actual missile fired from Yemen, but instead nearly wiping out an innocent Saudi car dealership. One dead and two injured, according to Saudi reports. Perhaps shooting missiles with missiles is an inelegant solution, considering the far more advanced technologies available? Just a thought.
SUCCESS, ITS HUNDRED FATHERS, AND THE CUSTODY BATTLE
Before this exciting diversion, the big story of the week was the gag order, suddenly removed after 10.5 years, in which Israel uncharacteristically took credit for bombing the Syrian nuclear reactor at Deir a-Zour. What should have turned into congratulations all around on a job well-done turned into a knock-down fight in the mud for credit and blame. Then-PM Ehud Olmert, fresh out of jail with a new tell-all and take-no-responsibility book and then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak had a go at each other, with the upshot of Olmert's claim being that Barak wanted to wait longer to attack the reactor, and didn't care if they bombed it after it went hot - but that he kept Barak on as Defense Minister for another 18 months despite this shocking lack of judgement.
Left: The Syrian nuclear reactor at Deir a-Zour before Israel took care of it. Right: After. (Photo: Ofer Zidon / Flash90)
Olmert. Outta the can and flapping his gums. (Photo: Likesuccess.com)
Mossad and Military Intelligence also went at it, Mossad claiming that it and only it brought the actionable intel, and Mil. Intel claiming Mossad pooh-poohed the very existence of a reactor in Syria for two whole years, thus letting the danger grow. All very dignified and uplifting, causing current Defense Minister Yvette (Avigdor) Liberman to say that he regretted lifting the gag order (Narrator: That corrupt fuck had jack shit to do with lifting the gag. He talks out of his ass a lot.) That said, nobody knows precisely why the Chief Censor has decided to lift the gag, and why now - not that people who think like journalists (hai) and not like authoritarian schmucks are complaining, mind. The argument against is that it would force Assad to stop turning a blind eye to our aerial incursions and occasional strikes against Hizballah. The counter to that is the Israeli F-16 the Syrian/Iranians downed a few weeks ago, which kinda shows he's already stopped, so fuck it.
THE FAMILY THAT GRAFTS TOGETHER
In the ongoing saga of PM Netanyahu's numerous corruptions scandals - Bibi, the missus, and their brat Yair (https://steemit.com/yair/@gangstayid/prince-shithead-of-israel-first-of-his-name) were all interrogated on Monday, and for the first time the PM's interrogation was not limited in time. Son Yair and wife Sarah are now also suspected of receiving bribes and obstructing justice.
Ma Taker and her rowdy boy ( Photo: Hadas Porush / Flash90)
Bibi's right wing ally, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, is already preparing for the inevitable, saying that "some piddling indictment over a negligible matter" won't be enough for him to demand that Bibi resign or leave the coalition. The rich* really are different than you and me, it seems.
*Bennett is moderately wealthy, having scored a high-7, low-8-figure exit in hi-tech before turning to politics.
THE LEFT'S NEW LEADER GETS PLAYED
And a sharp turn to the puddle of stagnant water known as the Israeli left: Two days after winning a comfortable 70-30 victory in the Meretz primary, it was revealed that "youth revolution" leader Tamar Zandberg had been taking advice from the most notorious incitment and hatred purveyor of all Israeli political consultants. For the past ten years, Moshe Klughaft has led campaigns smearing any and all left-wing NGOs and politicians in the vilest, most incendiary terms. He is also known for Breitbart-style "undercover" operations, in which an operative pretends to be a left-wing activist in order to expose the nefarious and dastardly deeds of said nest of self-hating traitors.
New Meretz leader Tammy Zandberg. Got played like a newb. (Photo: Meretz PR)
The problems? Let me count them:
- It should have been clear to Zandberg that any offer of help from this person, particularly for free, comes with ulterior, destructive motives.
- Using the help of such a person legitimizes him. Sure, you can use a professional who has worked with the other side, but not with one who has literally incited a mob to bray for the blood of pretty much everyone on your side of the map.
- Klughaft is a professional political consultant. His services cannot be offered for free in a political campaign. There are laws against that, and there's no sign that Zandberg registered his "help" as a campaign contribution. And again, dude's a right winger. You seriously believed he was helping you free of charge out of admiration for the "youth revolution" you were leading in Meretz, similar to what he led in the Judo-Nazi "Jewish Home" party? For real? As with Facebook, if you don't know what the price is, you are the price.
- She was first asked about it a week ago and flatly denied, and deployed an army of online furies against those who asked or dared believe it. She denied it up to two days ago, then faintly admitted, then the scope kept growing - and it became obvious from her campaign manager's response to the whole mess that she never told him. It's not the levels of "stupid client" Trump's lawyers have to deal with, but I feel for the guy (Nissim Douek, a serious pro who works exclusively for left-wing clients).
- Oh yeah - the "journalist" who broke the story, who interviewed Klughaft and "got him" to say unequivocally that he advised Zandberg - got that scoop the day before the primary was held, and sat on it, despite the fact that he was covering the elections in Meretz specifically. That proves beyond all doubt that this was a planned hit job, designed to maximize the damage to Meretz and actively aided by a TV reporter for Israel's leading TV network. This reporter, incidentally, is one Amit Segal, son of Jewish terrorist Hagai Segal, who in the early 1980s participated in a series of bombings that killed and maimed several, including a police bomb technician who was left blind. Amit was always openly right-wing, and that's legit, but this is a firing offense.
In short, highly deflating, killing any and all post-coronation bump and momentum - precisely as Klughaft planned. A guy like that offers you advice, you smile, say thank you, and DECLINE. Jesus fucking Christ.
Haaretz
FOR HER OWN GOOD
And from intra-Jewish shenanigans to Jewish oppression of Palestinians - Ahed Tamimi has been sentenced to eight months in prison. This, after 8 of the most serious charges against her were stricken, and after her appeal to have her trial open to the public and media was denied "for her own good." Her mother, Nariman, was likewise sentenced to eight months. From start to finish, everything after the soldier being an adult and not doing anything when a girl slapped him has been a testament to Israel's oafish, thuggish bumbling.
At the hearing, a Jewish peace and justice activist slapped the prosecutor in court. Despite slapping an official of the state, and compounding the severity by doing it in court, she was of course NOT remanded to custody until her trial and will not be sentenced to eight months in prison. In fact I believe she was not even kept in custody overnight. She's Jewish, you see. For further perspective, this is only one month less than IDF soldier Elor Azaria received after shooting a wounded suspect to death in cold blood. And that's an outlier for IDF killing of the unarmed and non-danger-posing. Most never get charged.
Ahed Tamimi. Charged and convicted of Slapping While Palestinian (Photo: Ammar Awad, Reuters)
MATCH, MEET POWDER KEG
That segment of Jewish population that indulges in puerile fantasies about the Temple Mount and dreams of building a Third Temple, replete with animal sacrifices, all on the site currently occupied by the 1300-year-old Haram al-Sharif mosque complex, are getting closer to their goal every year. Every year they hold "practice runs" of the Passover sacrifice (in which an actual lamb is still actually slaughtered), so that when conditions allow they'll be ready for action. The following image shows how the distance of this practice run from the actual Temple Mount shrinks every year, with this year's exercise in atavism held so close to the mountain that it practically can't get any closer without hitting the mark. Soon the lit match will meet the powder keg.
Illustration: Nir Hasson, Haaretz
This year, the "practice run" is at Davidson Garden, abutting the Western Wall, just under the Temple Mount.
EXODUS FROM GAZA
And finally, as predicted in this fine and educational family feature, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is flushing all remaining chances of reconciliation with Hamas down the toilet and threatening not to pay for the salaries of public employees in Gaza, a move certain to deepen the humanitarian crisis there.
Meanwhile, Hamas says it plans to give another go at the old idea people keep saying would be a home run for the Palestinians. This idea being simply to march on the border with Israel, in a mass of unarmed people, and keep walking. Dare Israel to mow them down with the whole world watching. It's been proposed many times and each time it's been called off or otherwise foiled. The latest idea on the Israeli side to affect the latter is to air-drop food and other aid somewhere so as to obstruct the route of the marchers. I wish I was making this up. The march is scheduled for Friday (which happens to be Passover Eve), and I'll be surprised if it actually takes place. If it does, with Israeli forces on heightened security for the holiday, it could get ugly.
But even that, and all these other petty moves on both sides, pale in comparison to the fact that with Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State and worse, John Bolton as NSA, chances that the US will attack Iran, and consequently Iranian missiles will bombard Israeli population centers, have increased dramatically; so there's that to look forward to. And on that cheerful note, I wish you the presence of mind to never accept the help of scum, to avoid pissing contests over credit, and to refrain from shooting $100K projectiles at rifle bullets - and a very good week.