Raucous Rhetoric – Phantom Policy

Nefarious News, Kamala's Kippah, Trump Tips the Scales, South Africa's Blunder, The Enigmatic IDF: The Weekly Conquest Week of 9.8.24 – 9.14.24

Sep 15, 2024

Week of September 8th, 2024

Trump-Harris Handshake

The U.S. presidential stakes were monumental this past Tuesday night, as the last presidential debate fundamentally altered the race. Generally, this programming doesn’t significantly affect voter opinions. However, this was Harris’ most substantial opportunity to introduce herself to the nation, and she certainly did.

But I’m not here to analyze American politics unilaterally, rather, my goal is to let you know how the debate concerned the US-Israel relationship.

Harris acknowledged the horror of 10/7, criticized how Israel managed the war, called for a cease-fire, stated the need for a two-state solution, relayed the message of Iran’s threat, and affirmed Israeli and Palestinian security needs.

Trump said that 10/7 wouldn’t have happened under his watch, claimed Harris “hates Israel,” mentioned that she wouldn’t sit in on Netanyahu’s Congressional address, claimed Israel wouldn’t last two years under her administration, and highlighted Biden’s allowance of billions of dollars to flow into Iran through lightened sanctions.

Regardless of one’s stance on a two-state solution, rewarding Hamas with a state after their massacre of Israelis on 10/7 would set a dangerous precedent. But, Kamala didn’t elaborate on what she meant. Her proposal for a Palestinian State can be implemented much further down the line, and security guarantees don’t necessarily indicate favor for a Palestinian standing army. Her comments were vague, failing to specify how she planned to end Iranian aggression or punish the IDF. Her response to the conflict didn’t mark a change from her previously held positions.

Trump was more specific, but abrasive, with his remarks. He may be right that 10/7 wouldn’t be possible under his administration. The loosened sanctioned and unfrozen assets surely helped fund Iran’s proxy forces throughout the region. It is also true that Harris didn’t preside over Congress for Netanyahu’s address.

The debate seemed more of an opportunity to rally each other’s respective bases instead of revealing novel policy ideas.

Sunday 9.8

Protesters hold placards and wave Israeli flags as they take part in a "Rape is NOT resistance" demonstration outside the BBC headquarters, in London, on February 4, 2024 to bring attention to the plight of kidnapped Israeli women in Gaza. (HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

Protest against the BBC’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war

The Big Bias Conduit (BBC) was exposed by a British Lawyer as having transgressed its editorial guidelines with bias against Israel a staggering 1,553 times. The network with the slogan “Nation Shall Speak Peace Unto Nation,” published work by a “freelance journalist” who tweeted “Sir Hitler, rise, there are a few people that need to be burned,” among other Antisemitic comments. So kudos to you for getting your Israel news from The ZioKnight! [1][2][3]

Monday 9.9

Donald Trump with Menorah and Kamala Harris putting Kippah on her husband, Doug Emhoff’s, head

Headlines like “Poll Shows Kamala Harris With Overwhelming Jewish Support” are eye-catching but misleading. The study cited in that article shows Harris with 68% of the Jewish vote with Trump trailing at a measly 25%.

The U.S. federal system for elections counts votes based on state and district boundaries, not distributing votes purely based on the popular result.

92% of Jews live in solidly red or blue states, so their votes aren’t likely to affect the makeup of the Congress or decide the future president.

The remaining 8% of Jews aren’t a monolith. In the swing state of Pennsylvania, for instance, the Jewish vote is approximately split, while Biden held 68% of the vote in 2020. Biden won Pennsylvania with 80,000 votes in 2020. Trump won the state with 40,000 in 2016. Large swings in the 300,000 Jews’ sentiment can tip the scale in the must-win state for Democrats.

Furthermore, following 10/7, 82% of Jewish voters rank themselves 10/10 in likelihood to vote, while the average American only had a 66% voter turnout in 2020. So the importance of swing state Jews’ voting patterns is especially vital because of their significant population and turnout.

When reading polling, it is crucial to understand how American voting institutions affect those results and how few votes determine the election. [4][5][6][7][8]

Tuesday 9.10

Hamas was complicit in Palestinian death again by positioning a military base amongst the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone’s tent camp. Three senior Hamas officials involved in the events of 10/7 were killed in an Israeli strike that also resulted in civilian casualties. Hot take, rage should be directed at the terrorist perpetrator of civilian deaths, not the democratic nation doing its duty to protect its citizens. [9][10]

Wednesday 9.11

Vusimuzi Madonsela (right), of South Africa, at the International Court of Justice during its ruling on May 24, 2024 that Israel must cease military operations in Rafah. Credit: Bastiaan Musscher/U.N. Photo/ICJ-CIJ.

South African Delegation to the International Court of Justice

In a stunning course of events, South Africa delayed their case in the ICJ accusing Israel of genocide. They requested a months-long extension for submitting evidence. Pundits believe that this is due to a lack of evidence. Shocker. [11][12][13]

Thursday 9.12

Yahya Sinwar

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar commands a shadowy presence in Gaza, but we got some rare insights into his situation. He issued a statement congratulating Algeria’s incumbent president’s victory and in admiration of his support of the Palestinian people in light of 10/7. Defense minister Yoav Gallant vowed to assassinate Sinwar, while an offer was just proposed to safeguard his life in exchange for a hostage-release deal. Sinwar has also commanded sales of $500 million of stolen humanitarian aid. [14]

Friday 9.13

Remains of the Missile Factory

Elite Israeli forces descended from helicopters into an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp medium-range missile factory in Syria, took out the guards, removed equipment and documents, rigged the facility with explosives, and escaped with the base exploding behind them. I can’t make this stuff up. [15][16][17]

Saturday 9.14

An unnamed close associate of Netanyahu leaked that the administration has decided that a full scale war in the North is inevitable, as cease-fire talks with Hamas have no end in sight.

The report also shows that Netanyahu believes that a confrontation with Hezbollah won’t diminish from IDF efforts in Gaza. A timeline hasn’t been established yet, so it can be days, weeks, or months until we’re updated on this prospective operation. [18]