"Massive protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the wake of the news of the murder of six hostages by Hamas faded by the end of the week in Israel — though weekly protests will continue on a smaller scale.Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets last Sunday and Monday, as Israelis absorbed the news of the horrific mass murder. Some hostage families and left-wing activists blamed Netanyahu for the failure to reach a hostage deal with Hamas — even though Netanyahu had agreed to terms suggested by the Biden administration.
The country’s labor union federation, called for a general strike, and it seemed the country could come to a halt.
But the Netanyahu government appealed to the courts, which agreed that a general strike was illegal, and it ended almost as soon as it began. Turnout for protests was lower than expected, as some cities refused to participate.
The key in turning the tide of public opinion, according to Glick, were the two press conferences — one in Hebrew, one in English — by Netanyahu in which he laid out his case for Israel continuing to control the Gaza-Egypt border.
Reviewing recent polling data, both before and after the press conferences, Glick said that “he was very convincing … he convinced people who opposed him to side with his position.” She said that despite claimed by President Joe Biden that Netanyahu was the obstacle to a hostage deal, only about 30% of Israelis agreed, while between 60% and 75% , depending on the precise issue at stake, backed Netanyahu’s approach to the war and to hostage negotiations." Breitbart
"The center of gravity in war is “the hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends. That is the point against which all [one’s] energies should be directed,” Clausewitz wrote. Political and military leaders should not imprudently disperse their military forces, sending them on fools’ errands beyond the decisive theater of conflict.Unfortunately for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky and the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces seem either not to have read “On War” or forgotten this key insight.
Ukraine’s Kursk operation has, unfortunately, devolved into a fools’ errand — a glorified light-cavalry raid or medieval chevauchée that has diverted Ukrainian energies away from the center of gravity in the war against Russia. Rather than drawing Russian forces away from more critical battlefronts in Donetsk, the incursion has dispersed Ukrainian forces, allowing the Russian military to focus on the current center of gravity in this conflict and accelerate its push towards the strategically vital city of Pokrovsk.
Initially conceived as a tactical maneuver to draw Russian forces away from more strategically crucial fronts, the Kursk operation now appears to have been a strategic miscalculation that could carry severe consequences for Ukraine’s broader military strategy.
Ukrainian leadership likely hoped that by striking into Russian territory, they could achieve several objectives: drawing Russian forces away from key battlefields in Donetsk; creating a psychological impact by demonstrating Ukraine’s capacity to attack Russian soil; and disrupting Russian supply lines.
These objectives have not been realized. Despite the incursion, Russian forces have not significantly redirected their efforts away from Donetsk. Instead, the Russian advance on Pokrovsk — a city of substantial strategic value — has only accelerated." TheHill
"President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discussed the content of a new $250 million U.S. defense support package and other defense needs of Ukraine." Ukrin
"Putin Endorses Kamala Harris for President Kamala Harris at a press conference saying he prefers her as the next U.S. president because he wants the Biden administration to continue, and because she “laughs so expressively and infectiously.”
Breitbart
"Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that people in the UnitedStates were persecuted for nonconformity, after Washington charged Russian-US political scientist and TV presenter Dimitri Simes and his wife for allegedly violating US sanctions.
"People are persecuted for their nonconformity, political views, beliefs, and, as has recently become apparent, even for trying to defend what seems like the obvious truth," Zakharova told reporters on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum.
The US Justice Department said on Thursday that the US government had charged Dimitri Simes and his wife, Anastasia Simes, with alleged violations of US sanctions. Simes and his wife, who are believed to be in Russia at present, have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), one count of violating IEEPA and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted, they face up to 60 years in prison." Sputnik
"Ukraine’s defense forces have regained positions near three settlements in Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts. Ukrainian troops reportedly advanced in the New York area and the neighboring Nelipivka in Donetsk Oblast, as well as near Lyptsi in Kharkiv Oblast." NV
"At least five people were injured in a Russian missile strike on the city of Pavlohrad in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The enemy also fired one Kh-59 guided missile and one Kh-31P anti-aircraft missile at Ukraine overnight." NV
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