As I say often on the podcast, sometimes its not just the bad thing itself that is so painful but the lies and subterfuge around it that hurt the most. This was true of COVID-19 public health policy and it is also true of the Trump/Israel war on Iran.
The beautiful and historic cities of Beirut and Tehran, as I write this, are getting the Gaza treatment — meaning relentless and seemingly random bombardments trashing pieces of history and the humans who reside there. Fatalities are not being reported as robustly as they should be and the videos revealing the damage never seem to fully capture reality. It’s weird.
Trump is now demanding unconditional surrender, I think without fully understanding what that means. I saw Saagar Enjeti on with Tucker yesterday talking about how absurd is that demand — that it can lead to existential escalation in a conflict between three parties — two of whom have nukes.
John Bolton loves the idea which is a powerful reason to reject it.
Bolton: We shouldn't stop until the regime has changed. I don't see any problem with that as an objective. In WW2 our conditions for victory were unconditional surrender by both Germany and Japan. Unconditional surrender, the disappearance of this theocratic, authoritarian regime.
Beirut
A Museum Building in Tehran
Meanwhile, we are learning not so much about the horrors that have befallen Tel Aviv, although I understand the city has taken significant hits. The Iron Dome doesn’t do well against Iranian cluster munitions but Israel punishes people who report on damage. It is said to be significant.
This is solid intelligence about the failures of Israel’s air defences. If you are interested in the hardware — watch the video below.
This doesn’t sound good for Tel Aviv and as things go south, it appears Iran is digging in. They are in no mood to come back to the table given how this thing started. Many on social media are noting the irony of Israelis getting a taste of their own medicine. In a weak moment I might agree but can’t co-sign the death of any civilians — even the ones in Israel who overwhelmingly wanted to keep the bombing and the starvation going. Those were not small numbers and I can honestly say they changed my view of the country. I will not be going back to my favourite hotel in the whole world — which just happens to be in East Jerusalem — any time soon. If it is still standing.
Israeli Support for Military Actions in Gaza: A March-April 2024 Pew Research survey found that roughly 39% of Israelis believed the military response was “about right,” while 34% felt it had “not gone far enough”. Combining these, a strong majority of nearly 73% felt the bombing was appropriate or insufficient, while only 19% believed it had gone too far. Keep those numbers in mind when you think about theses ones. 83% of those killed in Gaza were civilians — the vast majority of them, women and children.
They knew. These stats were reported regularly in the Israeli media which sometimes seem to be better at telling the truth than legacy reporters here. Israeli views changed somewhat more recently but not out of concern for the beleaguered and tormented Palestinian women and children but because the on-going bombardments might injure the hostages.
Meanwhile, their benefactors, the American political class, now called the Epstein Class by a few Gulf State leaders, will at some point have to take note that Israel’s popularity is dropping like a stone. Larry Ellison can purchase all the media he can and give Barrie Weiss the power of total Israeli editorial support war — but it s too late.
Young people will never come back and even some Boomers are starting to say they have had enough. Defending Israel under Netanyahu is indefensible. Trump has thrown his presidency into the toilet and I hope the ICC prevents Kushner and the builder ghouls from profiting off the deaths they cause. America could have stopped the Gaza genocide under Biden or any time it wanted. But it didn’t. And here we are.
Meanwhile Condi Rice has been spotted lurking about the White House. Supporter of the Iraq War and the torture at Abu Ghraib it was only a matter of time before she showed. She should be in jail.
Bari Weiss was a big fan of her post October 7th commentary. Dough Feith from the Office of Special plans where he laundered fake intelligence for Dick Cheney also appeared in the FP as a learned guest.
Charles Grainer’s hard-drive was leaked to me and so I managed to view the whole ugly Abu Ghraib affair. I do believe he has been freed from prison.
There can be no regime change with boots on the ground and everyone knows that. Peter Hegseth sounds like not a very serious person — he can’t manage any decent solemnity for the dead young Americans who will break you heart.
Declan J Coady
Stay critical.
