The pope drew attention the the ongoing conflict and suffering of innocents, as well as the various violent conflicts around the world, during his annual Christmas blessing.
incoming update…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made a trip to the northern Gaza Strip, where he received a briefing from commanders of different units.
“I am here in the north of the Gaza Strip with you, and I am very impressed,” Netanyahu told soldiers during his visit. “I told your commanders before, and also you, as reservists, as fighters – we are proud of you and trust you.”
Netanyahu urged the soldiers: “Don’t stop. Anyone who talks about stopping – no. Do not stop. The war continues to the end.”
“I know that you left families and that the families support, that’s a great thing, that’s the strength – that’s the key to victory.”
Netanyahu heard from commanders regarding confiscated weapons and “shafts” found in civilian areas, according to a statement from the Israel government press office.
Posted by Peter Aitken
A group of pro-Israel student leaders from top U.S. universities commenced the “Take Action for Israel” mission to gather first-hand testimonies about the Oct. 7 attack and subsequent war in the Gaza Strip.
Two dozen students, coming from schools such as UPenn, MIT, Cornell, Columbia, Brandeis, Temple and Johns Hopkins, among others, took up the mission in coordination with Hasbara Fellowships and IsraelAmbassadors.com to meet with top Israeli officials and visit the communities affected by the attack.
They already met with Danny Danon, a former ambassador to the United Nations, who hoped the students would find “truth” and “advocate for Israel and relay your authentic experience.”
“I am thankful you are all here to witness the realities the people of Israel face on a daily basis and hear directly from the residents,” he said.
Posted by Peter Aitken
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, faced blowback for her social media post that tried to liken Jesus to the Palestinian people and criticized Israel but made no mention of Hamas or their hostages.
“In the story of Christmas, Christ was born in modern-day Palestine under the threat of a government engaged in a massacre of innocents,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote, referencing Jews who lived in the land over 2,000 years ago under Roman control. “He was part of a targeted population being indiscriminately killed to protect an unjust leader’s power.”
“Thousands of years later, right-wing forces are violently occupying Bethlehem as similar stories unfold for today’s Palestinians, so much so that the Christian community in Bethlehem has canceled this year’s Christmas Eve celebrations out of both [fear for their] safety and respect,” she added, although the area remains under the Palestinian Authority’s control.
Jacob Kornbluh, a senior political reporter at The Forward, responded with a post on social media platform X that called out the representative for making “no mention of Hamas terror” or “the victims of Oct. 7 attack.
”Pro-Israel activist Andrea Karshan lamented that people do not enjoy Christmas, instead seeking to get “so social justice political about it,” The New York Post reported.
Posted by Peter Aitken
Protesters gathered outside U.S. Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin’s house on Christmas day to demand an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
An activist coalition formed between the Shut It Down for Palestine coalition, the Palestinian Youth Movement and the ANSWER Coalition gathered outside Austin’s house and demanded, “No Christmas as usual during a genocide! Ceasefire NOW!”
The protesters argue that Israel can only maintain its war effort because of financial and political support from the U.S.
In a press release issued after the protest, the groups expressed anger over several trips taken by U.S. officials
to Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli officials in shows of support, including Austin, who said during his trip that “America’s support for Israel’s security is unshakeable.”
The groups promised to “continue to put the pressure on until [America’s] support of war crimes is rendered completely unsustainable.”
Posted by Peter Aitken
Cairo has put forth a plan that would seek an end to the Israel-Hamas war that a senior Egyptian official and a European diplomat admitted to the Associated Press would prove ambitious.
Egypt devised the plan with input from Qatar, which would also participate in the plan’s execution. Both countries would coordinate with all Palestinian factions, including Hamas, to establish a government of experts, the anonymous Egyptian official said
.The plan includes a phased hostage “all-for-all” release and the creation of a Palestinian government to administer the Gaza Strip and West Bank that would follow a ceasefire.
Close to 8,000 Palestinians remain in Israeli custody on security-related charges or convictions, Palestinian officials have claimed.
Israel would also have to withdraw from Gaza, which would coincide with Hamas and Islamic Jihad ending their attacks on Israel.
Posted by Peter Aitken
Pope Francis
renewed his calls for peace in the Middle East amid the war in Gaza during his Christmas message, lamenting the suffering of innocents.
The pope warned his followers against the “quest for worldly power” and urged people to turn their attention to victims of war, particularly the suffering of children in the region, calling them the “little Jesuses of today” to a crowd of roughly 6,500 in St. Peter’s Square.
“May there be an end to the fueling of violence and hatred, and may the Palestinian question
come to be resolved through sincere and persevering dialogue between the parties, sustained by strong political will and support of the international community,” he said. “Brothers and sisters, let us pray for peace in Palestine and Israel.”
During the Christmas Eve mass, the pope said, “Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world.
“The pope has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to the conflict and the release of all hostages held by the terrorist group Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Reuters contributed to this report
Posted by Peter Aitken
President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about Israel military campaign in Gaza on Sunday, the White House said. Both leaders discussed the need to ensure the release of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas, a White House statement said.
“The President emphasized the critical need to protect the civilian population including those supporting the humanitarian aid operation, and the importance of allowing civilians to move safely away from areas of ongoing fighting,” it said.
Biden and Netanyahu agreed to remain in “regular consultation” through their national security teams.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Posted by Peter Aitken
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