Hydra Warfare by Iran and Hamas in Gaza
An Israel New Talk Radio Discussion with Dan Diker
By Rod Bryant and Jerry Gordon (June 2018)
Sunset over Gaza May 14, 2018
The nearly nine weeks since late March 2018, Hamas has staged violent weekly protests with the meme of the Great March of Return. They have gathered tens of thousands of young protesters, women and children by huge pyres of tire burnings and kite fire bombs setting fire to adjacent fields in the Southern Israel with towns and kibbutzim located less than half a kilometer from the Gaza frontier. Because of the threats of penetration in five locations along the Israel/Gaza frontier, the IDF mounted a defensive effort that included leaflets, text messages and snipers to target Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) fighters mounting fire on Israeli positions. The IDF used tear gas and both rubber bullets and live ammunition against protesters who rushed the frontier barrier threatening to breach it. The toll at the end of the eight weeks was 100 dead and more than 2,700 wounded. That included one six-month-old infant who was alleged to have succumbed to tear gas, but had a congenital heart condition.
The high point came on May 14th, 2018 coincident with the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem on the 70th anniversary of the Jewish nation’s founding, what the Palestinians called Al-Nakba, the “Catastrophe”. More than 40,000 protesters with Hamas and PIJ fighters strategically positioned among them to fire on IDF defense forces. The toll was 60 dead and 1,700 wounded. Of those killed 50 plus were Hamas and PIJ fighters. Nevertheless, the international and Muslim press succumbed to Hamas propaganda that the IDF response was “disproportionate”. Turkey’s President Erdogan called it “genocide” recalling his Ambassador from Jerusalem, while Netanyahu responded by recalling his Ambassador from Ankara. Because Erdogan is current Chairman of the 57 member Organization of Islamic Cooperation, he called for a special meeting in Istanbul to address not only accusations of “genocide in Gaza” but also mounting a coordinated effort to take back control over Jerusalem given the move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Palestinians threatened to expand their April 2017 request for prosecution of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Both the US and Israel, who have never ratified the Treaty of Rome establishing the ICC, objected to the Palestinian charges as fraudulent. Meanwhile, at the UN the Kuwaiti delegation circulated a draft resolution requesting the formation of a UN protective force for the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza.
At the end of that week of tumultuous developments, the UN Human Rights Council, notoriously dominated by Arab and Muslim leadership, held a hearing in Geneva on May 18th seeking a so-called “independent” study of the confrontation in Gaza between the IDF, the civilian protesters ,Hamas and the PIJ.
The accusations by the UN High Commissioner, the PLO and other Arab delegations were belligerent toward Israel:
UN High Commissioner Zeid: “Eighty-seven Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli security forces, and over 12,000 people have been injured . . . The stark contrast in casualties on both sides is also suggestive of a wholly disproportionate response: on the Israeli side, one soldier was reportedly wounded, slightly, by a stone . . . the population of Gaza are caged in a toxic slum from birth to death, dehumanized by the Israeli authorities . . .”
PLO: “None of the civilians used any firearms or lethal weapons . . . [For Israel] those who were killed from amongst the protesters have no value, just like Nazis . . . Criminal acts of the Israeli occupation forces against civilians . . .”
UAE for Arab Group: “We deeply condemn Israel’s repression of Palestinian protesters as collective punishment . . . We call for an international inquiry to put a prompt end to repression . . .”
Qatar: We condemn massacres and gross violations of the occupying forces. Women, children, and journalists have been killed.”
Iraq: “Horrific violations by Israeli forces . . .”
It was left to Col. Richard Kemp (ret.) CBE, who had observed IDF operations on the Israel/ Gaza frontier during these massed protests and previously during the 51 day 2014 IDF Operation Protective Edge against Hamas rocket and terror tunnel attacks, to rebut these calumnies. He appeared as a colleague of UN Watch. These were his comments (watch here):
I have the honor to take the floor on behalf of United Nations Watch.
I commanded British troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans and Northern Ireland, and served with NATO and the United Nations. I have come straight from the Gaza front line to share my assessment.
Based on what I observed, I can say that everything we just heard here is a complete distortion of the truth.
The truth is that Hamas, a terrorist organization that seeks the destruction of Israel and murder of Jews everywhere, deliberately caused over 60 of its own people to get killed.
They sent thousands of civilians to the front line—as human shields for terrorists trying to break through the border.
Hamas’s goal, in their own words, was “blood . . . in the path of Jihad.”
I ask every country in this Council: You have all been telling us that Israel should have reacted differently. But how would you respond if a Jihadist terror group sent thousands to flood your borders, and gunmen to massacre your communities?
Your failure to admit that Hamas is responsible for every drop of blood spilt on the Gaza border encourages their violence and use of human shields. It makes you complicit in further bloodshed.
If Israel had allowed these mobs to break through the fence, the IDF would then have been forced to defend their own civilians from slaughter and many more Palestinians would have been killed.
Behind the roiling Hamas protests on Israel’s frontier with Gaza was what Dan Diker, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs fellow and Director of the Political Warfare project, called the “hydra warfare” by Iran and Hamas. On the occasion of the Republic of South Africa recalling its Ambassador from Jerusalem in protest of alleged IDF ‘oppression’ of the Palestinians in Gaza, Diker published an article in Huffington Post South Africa citing the nefarious activities of both Iran and Hamas organizing, funding and misleading the international media. Here are the key findings of Diker’s HuffPo SA article, “Why Has the Rainbow Nation Fallen for Hamas’ Darkness and Deception”:
Only if South Africa uses its diplomatic influence to convince Hamas to stop incentivizing its youth to commit terror attacks and instead create a secure, stable and flourishing society based on human rights and equality . . .
Against this background Rod Bryant and Jerry Gordon, co-hosts of Israel News Talk Radio—Behind the Matrix interviewed Dan Diker about the dynamics of Hydra Warfare employed by Iran and Hamas.
What follows is an excerpt from the interview.
Rod: You had mentioned the fact that these protesters, about forty thousand, of which 60 people were shot to death despite plenty of warning from Israel itself. Can you explain that?
Dan: Rod, these were completely preventable injuries and deaths. The Hamas is compensating many young people, teenagers even, to storm an international border and attempt to kidnap, maim and kill Israelis. There are several Israeli Jewish communities less than half a kilometer away from that border. The Israeli Defense Forces are very frightened that if attempts succeed to breach the fence hundreds if not thousands of people could get through. Then you will have a major strategic security problem for Israel as these people try to ignite fields which they have done before. They are also firing light weapons, exploding pipe bombs and IED’s which are not being reported by the mainstream media unfortunately including the American Networks. That is what is causing death and injury to Palestinians. If they would stay away from the fence they would not be injured and the fact is that there are many children that are being injured by burning tires and tear gas. That is an absolute violation of human rights law by Hamas. Hamas is violating international human rights law because they are encouraging youngsters to breach the fence and kill Israelis and that is not going to happen. If they stay away from the fence they will not get hurt by the IDF.
Jerry: Dan there was a torching of the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Gaza that was the only portal for delivery of humanitarian aid and commerce with Israel. Why did Hamas destroy it?
Rod: Can you say definitively that Hamas received funding and support from Iran?
Rod: Is this an example of what we call asymmetrical hybrid warfare? It is not total war but it is a way of shifting conflict to keep your enemy occupied?
Rod: What are you suggesting that needs to take place so that we keep a light on these s terrorist organizations and keep it up front in peoples mind to understand the danger of recognizing their legitimacy? What would be your advice to people when they hear this and think that maybe there is moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas?
Dan: I think in our young generation are people for whom there is no truth. There is no absolute truth. Everything is a question of feeling. It is identity politics at its very best. I feel this way therefore that is true. That is what we are seeing today on many University campuses in something called intersectionality. It means if you want to be a humanistic moral person you have to be on the frontlines with Black Lives Matter, Gay Lives Matter, and LGBQ. You have to be an Israel hater. You have to sign up for every aggrieved minority or self styled minority group in order to be a moral player. You cannot choose your issue any more. It is all or nothing according to that so-called universalistic ideology and that creates a real problem.
Listen to the Israel News Talk Radio—Beyond the Matrix program: Hydra Warfare—What Really Is Going on in Gaza?
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Jerome B Gordon is a Senior Vice President of the New English Review and author of The West Speaks, NER Press 2012. Mr. Gordon is a former US Army intelligence officer who served during the Viet Nam era. He was the co-host and co-producer of weekly The Lisa Benson Show for National Security that aired out of KKNT960 in Phoenix Arizona from 2013 to 2016. He is co-host and co-producer of the Middle East Round Table periodic series on 1330amWEBY, Northwest Florida Talk Radio, Pensacola, Florida.
More by Jerry Gordon.
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