JD Vance accuses Israel of 'manipulating' US public opinion to prolong Iran war

In an interview published on Wednesday, Vance told conservative podcaster Joe Rogan that while he trusts some people within the Israeli government, there are others "who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely".

"I definitely think you have seen this very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign to try to derail the negotiation and try to derail the deal," he said, adding there is "exact evidence" that some Israeli leaders "hate the deal."

He told Joe Rogan that he "doesn't mind" what he described as "certain elements of the Israeli government" criticising the US position, adding that "foreign governments trying and influence the government all the time".
 
"What bothers me is actually when Americans allow, meaning American leadership allows, that influence to affect their judgement and to affect what they are advocating for," he said.

The consensus among analysts is that Hamas is down, but hardly out. The group may be badly battered, but it has been around since 1987, and in that time, it has been repeatedly attacked by Israel and has always grown back. The conditions that gave rise to the organization—occupation, dispossession, and humiliation at the hands of Israel—are as severe as ever. And in the Gaza Strip, there is no comprehensive alternative to Hamas’s governance. Even in its weakened state, the group has institutional memory, administrative infrastructure, and coercive capacity that its competitors cannot match.

But in truth, Hamas’s two-year war with Israel has decimated the organization beyond the point of recovery. It may still be more powerful than other groups in Gaza. But Israel’s bombing campaigns and invasion have cost Hamas essential military infrastructure, torn apart its leadership, and cut it off from its patrons. As a result, the organization lacks the power to actually rule Gaza. It is suffering from political paralysis and facing financial disaster in the enclave. Finally, it has lost public support: many Gazans blame the group for starting a war that has resulted in the destruction or damage of 90 percent of the homes in the Gaza Strip and the deaths of roughly four percent of the prewar population.

Despite these facts, officials on both sides of Gaza’s yellow line have embraced the idea that Hamas is alive and well. Members of Hamas perpetuate this farce for an obvious reason: they do not want to admit that they lost. But Israel is also pretending that its nemesis remains strong so it can justify its continuing military operations—and avoid having to answer difficult questions about the future of Palestinians.

US House defeats amendment to end Israel aid, but nearly half of Democrats vote in favor

Besides Massie, who was the only Republican to back the measure, 103 Democrats voted in favor, a sharp departure from previous years in which bills supporting Israel passed almost unanimously

Report: No charges filed in almost all IDF probes into Palestinian prisoner deaths, abuse

The IDF has opened 57 criminal investigations into the deaths of Gazans and one Lebanese detainee in military custody during the war, but none have resulted in an indictment, despite most deaths occurring inside military detention facilities equipped with security cameras and potential witnesses, Haaretz reports, citing the Hatzlacha organization, which describes itself as aiming to promote a fair society in Israel.
 
Of the 57 investigations, seven of the cases involved inmates who were shot to death. The military was reportedly unable to identify suspects in most of the cases.
 
According to data obtained by the Hatzlacha through Freedom of Information requests, an additional 19 investigations were opened into alleged beatings, violence or the “unlawful use of force,” but only two indictments were filed.