Blinken: Major IDF Rafah op. will not destroy Hamas

A major IDF military operation in Gaza will not destroy Hamas’s ability to operate in the enclave, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday as he doubled down on US President Joe Biden’s threat to withhold arms for such a campaign.

“Right now, the trajectory that Israel is on, even if it goes in and takes heavy action in Rafah, there will still be thousands of armed Hamas left,” he said.

He spoke as the United States and Israel are in a bitter public battle about how to proceed with the Gaza war, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisting that a major Rafah operation is necessary to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there, warning that if it has to, Israel will battle on alone to destroy Hamas.

Netanyahu stated again on Sunday, “We will defeat our enemies; we have no other choice. We will stand together. This can only be done together.” He issued his words during a ceremony in the Knesset for the Independence Day torchbearers.

On Meet the Press, Blinken questioned whether such a victory was possible given that Hamas returned to the areas where they suffered defeat at the IDF’s hands.

“We’ve seen in areas that Israel has cleared in the north, even in Khan Yunis, Hamas coming back.

“So the trajectory right now is that going into Rafah even to deal with these remaining battalions, especially in the absence of a plan for civilians, risks doing terrible harm to civilians and not solving the problem, a problem that both of us want to solve, which is making sure that Hamas cannot again govern Gaza.

“Israel is on the trajectory potentially to inherit an insurgency with many armed Hamas left or if it [Hamas] leaves [Gaza, there will be] a vacuum filled by chaos, filled by anarchy, and probably refilled by Hamas,” he said.

The Biden administration supports Israel’s goal of ensuring that Gaza is demilitarized and that Hamas can not govern there, but it believes there is a “better way of achieving that [goal] than going headlong into Rafah.”

US and Israeli officials have held discussions on these topics, but the Biden administration has not been presented with a credible plan to protect civilian lives in Rafah or for what will happen in Gaza the day after the war ends.

“We’ve been

Rafah is similarly destroyed there will be little left of it or the prospect for the survival of Palestinian life in the territory,” South Africa wrote to the court.

South Africa asked the court to ensure that Israel allow the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israel has insisted that a Rafah operation is necessary to defeat Hamas but has not responded to Egypt’s decision to join South Africa’s case.

The ICJ in January had already demanded that Israel provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza. It also ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians.

A request for provisional measures can occur in advance of any ICJ ruling on the issue. The ICJ is weighing whether Israel’s actions in Gaza violate the 1948 convention on the prevention of genocide, but it is only at the initial stages of the procedure.

Reuters contributed to this report. and France came in third and fourth, respectively.

The Grand Final winner is chosen by a combination of national juries from the participating countries and the audience’s televotes. Golan was right that it was no surprise that a group of European cultural professionals did not rank Israel’s song highly in this year’s contest, and that these juries mostly favored “The Code.”

But it was gratifying for many Israelis and Jews around the world to see Israel coming in second in the televoting, just after Croatia. While a vocal minority of protesters oppose Israel’s fight against Hamas, obviously millions of Eurovision viewers around the world respect Israel and its Eurovision representative.

Golan said in interviews last week that this year’s song contest “wasn’t just another Eurovision.” And it certainly wasn’t. Never before had thousands of artists called for the European Broadcasting Union, the body that runs Eurovision, to ban Israel from competing. Following the EBU’s refusal to ban Israel, these artists called for a complete boycott of the contest due to Israel’s presence.

Serious threats were made against the Israeli delegation and fans attending the contest. If it were just another Eurovision, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head, Ronen Bar, would not have gone to Malmo to personally oversee the security arrangements for the Israeli delegation, nor would the Israeli government have issued travel warnings for Israelis attending the event. According to multiple reports, 100 Swedish police officers were deployed to protect the Israeli delegation, which traveled in a motorcade with blacked-out windows like heads of state. Golan and her entourage were advised to stay in their hotel rooms at all times when not performing.

There were large protests outside the arena, including one in which climate activist Greta Thunberg was arrested on Saturday night. While Golan reported feeling “good vibes” at the competition, many artists went out of their way to disrespect her, including Ireland’s Bambie Thug, who said they cried when they learned Israel had made it to the finals. Greek singer Marina Satti pretended to fall asleep as Golan spoke at a press conference, and the Netherlands’ Joost Klein put a Dutch flag over his face.

Perhaps the worst moment was when a Polish journalist asked Golan, “Have you ever thought that by being here, you bring risk and danger for other participants?” as if he were blaming her for the fact that people were threatening her life. Told she didn’t have to answer the question, Golan responded, nonetheless, “I think we’re all here for one reason, and one reason only. And the EBU is taking all safety precautions to make this a safe and united place for everyone, so I think it’s safe for everyone.”

And in an ordinary year, the audience wouldn’t have erupted in boos whenever Israel performed, as it did this year, or boo whenever points were added to Israel’s total during the final tally.

Although many more experienced artists would have fallen apart under the pressure Golan faced, the hatred seemed to give her strength, as she concentrated on what she came to do: Sing “Hurricane,” a song with lyrics and a dance that referenced the October 7 massacre, especially the killings at the Nova music festival.

The word “character” is so overused that it may have lost its impact, but Golan truly showed that she had character and class, in a situation in which she was surrounded by people trying to harass and upset her.

When Israelis look back on this period, Golan’s moving rendition of “Hurricane” in Malmo will be a ray of light in a dark time, and a reminder that we can do our best even in the face of daunting obstaguarding communities.

Halevi said, “I am the commander that sent your sons and daughters to the battle from which they did not return and to the places from where they’re kidnapped.

“I carry with me every day the memory of the fallen,” and he said he was responsible for answering the hard questions that the loved ones of the fallen have.

In addressing the family members of fallen soldiers, Halevi said, “I salute all the 25,040 fallen soldiers of Israel,” and highlighted the burden of commanders like himself, whose job it is to send soldiers off to war, knowing that some will not return, although with the realization that the ultimate sacrifice is necessary to defend the state.

He said the IDF was committed to “accomplishing our mission despite knowing the heavy price” of removing the threat posed by Hamas and returning the 132 hostages still held captive in the Gaza Strip.

Halevi spoke after Remembrance Day began at 8 p.m. with a one-minute siren sounding across the country.

President Issac Herzog, who also spoke at the ceremony, said, “Every year, after the sounding of the shofar, there reigns here in the expanse of the Western Wall Plaza a sacred, special silence, preserved only for this moment of the year. But tonight, we have no peace, and there is no silence. Because this year is not like any other year.

“This year, in addition to the mourning siren that commemorates our fallen since the beginning of our struggle, a new, prolonged, continuous siren has been added. A siren that began at 6:29 on the morning of the terrible national disaster on October 7, at the height of the joyous holiday of Simchat Torah. And it has continued alongside us ever since.”

Herzog then recounted stories of fallen soldiers and addressed the bereaved families, offering his gratitude for their service and explaining that “every name is a shattered world. Every name is a sacrifice. A void that will never be filled.”

Places of entertainment will be closed on Monday during Remembrance Day as commemoration events continue, and a two-minute siren will sound across the country at 11 a.m. ahead of official ceremonies, with the central event taking place at Mount Herzl where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lead mourners.

Military cemeteries will be packed with families mourning their loved ones ahead of Israel’s 76th Independence Day, which will begin at 8 p.m. when the stark transition from sadness to festivities will begin, albeit this year in a far more muted manner because of the Gaza war and its repercussions.

The raw emotions among families of the fallen and of the hostages, along with their animosity over the attendance of government ministers at ceremonies at cemeteries, have threatened to disrupt the solemnity of the two days.

Protests are expected to be held by some hostage families, as the organizers of the demonstrations have announced their intention to hold a “torch un-lighting” ceremony near Binyamina concurrently with the traditional torch-lighting ceremony at 8 p.m., which this year, for the first time, has been pre-recorded to avoid disruptions and protests. “Without the hostages, there is no independence,” the protest organizers declared.

Yad Labanim chairman Eli Ben-Shem penned a petition to urge the public to “keep the sanctity of Remembrance Day” and “avoid arguing over the graves of our sons and daughters.”

He got Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Minister-without-Portfolio Benny Gantz, and opposition head Yair Lapid to sign the petition and published it in Hebrew newspapers on Sunday.

Meir was joined in the lighting of the beacon by Chief Superintendent Efrat Oren, a close friend and her commander in the Israel Police, who also lost her nephew in the war, St.Sgt. Amit Most, a medic in the Nahal’s Brigade’s Orev reconnaissance unit. He was killed in the Battle of Sufa Base on October 7.

After Liav Shlomo was called to recite the Kaddish for his late father, Sr.-St.-Sgt.-Maj. Adir Shlomo, head of logistics at the Sderot Police. He fell in the fierce fighting at the police station on October 7.

Adir, 47 years old, was killed with six of his friends and comrades, the police officers of Sderot.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder, CEO and president of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Museum of Tolerance that the center established, recited the moving prayer for the dead, “El Maleh Rachamim [God full of Mercy]” in the hall.

“Memorial Day this year is a different day of remembrance,” Hier later commented. “We are in the midst of a war both against our enemies and against the growing antisemitism in the world. An international memorial ceremony is intended to present to the world and the general public the severe loss we are experiencing as a nation.”

The former head of the Mossad, Yossi Cohen, current President of the International Friends Association of the IDF Widows and Orphans organization, also participated in the event.

“Without military pressure, the diplomatic efforts will not work,” he said.

Cohen came out strongly against the international bodies that seek to tie Israel’s hands and said: “Hamas is a cruel enemy that does not care about human life. Israel must be given a free hand to act against it. Tying Israel’s hands against Hamas in Gaza will only tighten the rope around the hands of the captives.”

“132 empty chairs, 132 holes in our hearts, 132 reasons we cannot rest until they are home,” he further said, referring to the hostages.

“Israel thanks our allies and partners who helped us against the Iranian attack, but the time has come to say: Enough is enough,” he added. “We need a strong international offensive coalition against Iran and it must be proactive and bring an end to Iran’s destructive ambitions.”

Then there was an emotional moment after Iris Haim came on stage. Haim’s son Yotam, who was kidnapped from his home in Kfar Aza, survived being held captive for 65 days, managing to escape from his captors but was killed after being accidentally shot by an IDF soldier.

“What Yotam did, gave so much meaning to what happened. He was part of a battle that is ours, my grief is not private but ours. And this makes it easier,” Haim said. “I don’t blame anyone for his death, death is natural. I do not blame anyone, he went out in a heroic way in his own way, looking for freedom.”

Also, Yasmin Margolis, the widow of Saar Margolis, spoke, sharing the story of her husband’s heroism. Saar, a member of Kibbutz Kisufim, fell in the battles against terrorists on October 7.

“When he went to rescue the security coordinator in the kibbutz, he was shot and killed after freeing many homes from terrorists. My daughters will grow up knowing that their father was a hero who saved many lives.”

The event also included a panel with female lone soldiers who chose to serve in the IDF despite the great distance from their families.

“On the eve of Memorial Day, during this profoundly painful year – the deadliest for our country in five decades – I feel immense respect for the resilience of thousands of widows and orphans,” said Shlomi Nahumson, CEO, IDF Widows & Orphans Organization. “Their choice to promote growth and continuity amidst immense tragedy powerfully underscores our duty to honor the fallen by building a better society.”

“This year’s Memorial Day especially connects the memory of the fallen throughout all generations and the history of the State of Israel, to our difficult and painful present at this time,” commented Jonathan (Yoni) Riss, MOTJ’s director of operations. “The entire people of Israel, in the land and in the