Netanyahu's Star-Spangled Tour
Joe drops, the Rubik's Cube in the Sky, Bibi's America Tour, and Hezbollah’s Terror: The Weekly Conquest Week of 7.21.24 – 7.27.24
Welcome to the ZioKnight
Week of July 21st, 2024
Notably, this week’s ZioKnight talks more about American politics than Israeli! That’s because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in town and had a VERY warm welcome.
Model of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the American flag being burned
It may have been a little too warm. Keep reading to learn what caused this meshugana!
Sunday 7.21
President Joe Biden with an American and Israeli Flag
President Biden dropped his presidential bid, and Israeli officials from across the political spectrum voiced their thanks for his half-century of support of Israel in Washington.
Israeli President Isaac Hertzog noted his “Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor,” Yair Lapid recounted that “there was no Zionist American president like Biden,” Yoav Gallant called him “a true friend of the one and only Jewish State, and an ally of the Jewish people,” and Benny Gants praised his “moral embrace of Zionism.” He also received warm thanks from Naftali Bennet, Tzipi Livni, and many others. [1][2]
Monday 7.22
If you think fashion can be fast, you’re not ready for military technology. Israel has been putting their research heft behind missile interception systems for years, but Iran thinks missiles are so out of season. They’re proxies now opt for cheaper and craftier drones, which Israel isn’t quite ready for.
Last week, we discussed the Houthi drone that traveled over a thousand miles to Israel and struck a building in Tel Aviv. The interception system didn’t register the threat. Israel and Iran are now in a technological arms race to counteract the strategic innovation, which the Wall Street Journal calls the “Rubik’s Cube in the Sky.”
An electrical beam laser is slated to be implemented in 2025. They would cost $1-$2 per interception, compared to the over $100,000 for an Iron Dome missile. However, the laser will only be able to zap one drone at a time, compared to the Iron Dome with far more capacity. So in the case of an escalation from one of Iran’s seven fronts, Israel would either have to innovate quicker or receive dramatically more military assistance from the US. [3]
Tuesday 7.23
Picture of Marwan Barghouti
Who is Marwan Barghouti? Why is he second on Hamas’ list of prisoners they want to be released? And why did The Economist just publish a 6,000+ word article about him? These are all questions I had this past Tuesday and will be answering for you here.
He was widely seen as the leader of the first and second intifada.
Then, he was convicted of terrorism.
This led him to be sentenced to 5 life sentences plus 40-years in prison.
Regardless, he is considered the most popular Palestinian politician, having the plurality of a hypothetical vote between him, Abbas, and Sinwar.
He advocates for a two-state solution and is friendly with many Israeli politicians.
He speaks fluent Hebrew and could unite all the Palestinian factions.
With all this being true, he still advocates for violence in Gaza and the West Bank against the “Israeli occupation.”
Barghouti’s vision for the future can be succinctly summarized in the following quote of his: “I’m not a terrorist, but neither am I a pacifist… I do not seek to destroy Israel but only to end its occupation of my country.”
I am putting my thoughts, questions, and research on Mr. Barghouti to press because I wouldn’t be surprised if he was part of a hostage release deal, and I want the ZioKnights to be informed and ready for that possibility! [4][5][6][7]
Wednesday 7.24
Sen. John Letterman (left) Rep. Rashida Tlaib (right)
I’ll give you two hints as to what happened on Wednesday, Senator John Fetterman wore a suit and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib held a “war criminal” sign while draped in a keffiyeh.
Bingo! Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to a joint session of Congress. About half of Congressional Democrats boycotted, including Vice President Kamala Harris.
Here are some of the highlights:
Netanyahu announced his long-awaited day-after plan for Gaza as being "demilitarized and de-radicalized" leading to an environment where Gazans can “live in peace.”
He proposed an Abraham Alliance between Israel and its moderate Arab neighbors.
He displayed a wide array of diverse IDF soldiers and each got one of the record 58 standing ovations of the address.
He proclaimed to the US lawmakers “our fight is your fight” echoing Churchill’s line “give us the tools and we’ll finish the job.”
He addressed the violent protest outside by referring to the protestors as “Iran’s useful idiots.”
Stay tuned to follow the rest of Bibi's America Tour! [8][9][10]
Thursday 7.25
Biden-Netanyahu and Harris-Netanyahu Meetings
In the second leg of Bibi’s Stars and Stripes tour, he met with both the President and Vice President.
In his meeting with Kamala Harris, she repeated her stance that Israel has the right to defend itself, exist, and her lifelong relationship with the state, but echoed her concern about how Netanyahu is conducting the war. She also highlighted the plight of Palestinians and called for more progress towards a ceasefire.
Biden and Bibi reflected on their 40 year friendship and a note Biden gave Bibi long ago that said “Bibi I love you, but I don’t agree with a damn thing you say.” Bibi said, “from a proud Israeli Zionist to a proud Irish American Zionist, I want to thank you for fifty years of public service and fifty years of support for the state of Israel.” [11][12][13][14]
Friday 7.26
Trump and Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago
Trump and Netanyahu met on Friday reestablishing their previously fraught relationship. Netanyahu was one of the first to congratulate Biden on his election victory, which Trump saw as a betrayal.
Bibi gave Trump a picture of a child taken by Hamas, leading Trump to say “we’ll get it taken care of.”
Trump also criticized the protestors against Bibi on Wednesday and the many Democrats who boycotted the address. [15][16][17]
Saturday 7.27
The 12 Children killed at Majdal Shams
Following an Israeli strike on a Lebanese military target, Hezbollah responded by launching 30 rockets into Israel. One of which hit a soccer field full of children in a Druze village. A witness said that when the sirens sounded, youths ran from the soccer patch to the bomb shelter and a missile hit near it’s entrance. 12 were killed, all aged between 10-20. [18][19]
Question: Did Israel get help from America in its War of Independence against the Arabs?
Answer: No, there was a US embargo of arms in the region. The newly formed IDF mostly smuggled weapons from Czechoslovakia. The IDF didn’t have a single tank or cannon and only had nine obsolete planes The Israelis had slightly more soldiers but were understood to have a 50/50 chance of winning and 1% of the population passed in the war. [20]
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