Israel-Hamas war: What happened on day 140?

While interviewed by Eylon Levy on his podcast “State of the Nation” on Friday, Hillel Neuer alleged that international organizations seem to want to keep Hamas in power in the Gaza Strip. 

Hillel Neuer is the executive director of UN Watch, an independent UN watchdog organization that, according to Eylon Levy, has “investigated the antisemitic rot at the UN” for 20 years. 

Neuer makes this allegation, arguing that by advocating for an immediate ceasefire, “now even while Israel has hostages including babies that are being held by Hamas terrorists, when they say ceasefire now, they know the outcome is to keep a murderous terrorist state in power.”

This is under the assumption that those advocating for this are “intelligent adults and know exactly what the outcome of their actions are.” 

In this podcast episode, Neuer and Levy examined the toxic alliances of international politics, the deeply embedded anti-Israel bias in human rights organizations and in the global community, and revealed just how far the UN has strayed from its lofty mission.

An additional bombshell allegation Neuer made in this interview was that “UN officials including their supporters, their allies, and groups like Amnesty International and and maybe some other apologists in the west want a situation where Israel is killing civilians.” Levy  promptly responded that it is a serious allegation to be making.

Twenty pro-Palestinian protesters led by an anti-Zionist Jewish group were detained on Thursday during rallies against pro-Israel lawmakers and AIPAC, the leading pro-Israel lobby.

The protesters from the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace wore black shirts that said “Not in our name” and prayer shawls outside the Midtown offices of Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader who is Jewish, and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand. The senators, both Democrats, are supportive of Israel and voted in favor of a $14.1 billion emergency aid package for the country earlier this month. The bill still needs to win approval in the House.

The protesters carried banners that said “Jews to Schumer: Stop funding genocide” as they linked arms outside Schumer’s office.

The NYPD told the New York Jewish Week that 20 people were taken into custody during the protests. A Brooklyn resident was charged with resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration and disorderly conduct, and 19 demonstrators were given summons for disorderly conduct.

Demonstrators also rallied at Midtown’s Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, near the offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, and the United Nations, carrying a banner that said “AIPAC funds genocide,” holding signs that said “Dump AIPAC,” and beating drums while chanting “Free Palestine.” JVP claimed that thousands attended the demonstration.

Antisemitic UK rapper Wiley will have his MBE award stripped from him by the Honours Forfeiture Committee, according to the Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Wiley had a large antisemitic episode in July of 2020 on x (formerly Twitter.) Some of his comments made included comparing Jews to the Ku Klux Klan, calling on “black people” to go to “war” with Jews, and calling Jews "snakes."

Campaign Against Antisemitism quickly acted following these statements, in order to bring action against him. These actions included projecting some of his antisemitic tweets on the X headquarters building in London, and organizing a 48-hour walkout on the social media platform. 

Wiley banned from social media platforms

Subsequently, Wiley was banned from multiple social media platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.

After this, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to the Honours Forfeiture Committee, requesting they strip the MBE from him that he was awarded in 2018.

Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement for Campaign Against Antisemitism, commented on the action by the Honours Forfeiture Committee, saying, “Antisemites like Wiley must understand that we will work tirelessly to hold them to account. For four years, we have worked to ensure that Wiley faces ruinous consequences for his unhinged antisemitic tirade, for which he has shown no remorse. Today’s decision is a vindication of that effort."

“We commend the Honours Forfeiture Committee for using its powers to make clear that anti-Jewish racists cannot be role models in our society and will be stripped of their honors," he continued. "Receiving an honor is not a one-time thing: it carries an ongoing responsibility to set an example to others."

“Due to technical reasons, including legal action that we continue to pursue against Wiley, the forfeiture was delayed. We are grateful to the Honours Forfeiture Committee for its work on this matter.”

Wiley, 45, whose real name is Richard Kylea Cowie, released a number one single in Britain in 2012 and had several other top 10 hits. He received a UK government honour for his contribution to music in 2018.

Wiley isn't the only rapper to spread antisemitic rhetoric or face backlash for it. Less than a month after Kanye West issued an apology to Jews for his history of antisemitism, the singer/designer made headlines for wearing a shirt featuring the face of famous neo-Nazi Kristian “Varg” Vikernes.

The US military said on Friday that it had destroyed seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that the Houthi group in Yemen was preparing to launch at targets in the Red Sea.

The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel released their official report on “Sexual Crimes in the October 7 War,” titled “Silent Cry,” and it was indeed aptly named.

The report details one of the most horrific attacks ever on a nation, and worse, it focused specifically on the violent and sadistic sexual torture and rape of Israelis.

It revealed that Hamas terrorists threatened victims and injured women with weapons while raping them violently, sometimes in gang rapes by multiple terrorists.

Partners, family, and friends were forced to watch to “increase the pain and humiliation for all present.”

Most of those victims were killed afterward, sometimes even during the act of rape. Others were found dead later, with their genitals mutilated beyond recognition or penetrated with weapons.

"The overwhelming majority of Palestinians are not Hamas" said US President Biden on a post on X (formerly twitter) on Friday.

"I won't mince words. The overwhelming majority of Palestinians are not Hamas. And Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. In fact, they're also suffering as a result of Hamas' terrorism. We need to be clear-eyed about that reality," said the president in his full post.

I won't mince words.

The overwhelming majority of Palestinians are not Hamas. And Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.

In fact, they're also suffering as a result of Hamas' terrorism. We need to be clear-eyed about that reality.

— President Biden (@POTUS) February 22, 2024

Over the course of the war there has been much discourse in Israel and around the world about how representative Hamas is of the Palestinians in Gaza, as well as how many Gazans support Hamas, or even how much of the death toll in Gaza is actually Hamas operatives.

Conversations on Gazan support and involvement with Hamas have also grown exponentially over the past few weeks, due to the imminent, but unclear ground operation that is expected to take place in Rafah.

Hamas has issued a statement in approval of the Chinese foreign ministry legal advisor’s comments at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague. 

In a nearly 30 minute speech, Foreign Ministry legal advisor Ma Xinmin began, “Dealing with the issue of the Palestinians serves as a litmus test for the collective conscience of humanity, the wisdom of the United Nations and the authority of international law.”

In his speech, he notably argued that Hamas’s violent attack on Israel was in the name of resistance to foreign oppression. “Palestinian people’s use of force to resist foreign oppression and complete the establishment and independent state is an inalienable right. This recognition is also reflected in the International Convention for example, the Arab convention for suppressing of terrorism of 1998 affirms I quote ‘the right of peoples to combat foreign occupation aggression by whatever means including armed struggle in order to liberate their territories and secure the right to self-determination and independence’ end of quote. Armed struggle in this context is distinguished from acts of terrorism,” stated Chinese Foreign Ministry legal advisor Ma Xinmin at the International Criminal Court on Thursday.

Hamas official Osama Hamdan released a statement on this speech, saying, “We also appreciate the position expressed by the People’s Republic of China, and its emphasis on the legality of the occupied peoples’ pursuit of self-determination, by various means, including armed resistance, and the necessity not to confuse terrorism with the armed struggle practiced by the Palestinian people against the Zionist occupation.”