The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday’s events as they happen.
Trump repeats assertion Jews shouldn’t back Democrats, claims Harris refusing to meet Netanyahu
GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is repeating his assertion that no American who is Jewish should support Democrats over their stance on Israel.
Asked during a Newsmax telephone interview Tuesday evening how bad Democrats’ agenda is for “international affairs and our allies, such as Israel.” Trump answers:
“Well, it’s amazing actually, that they, that any Jewish person, any person that is Jewish, and frankly, that has even a little respect — because, you know, this country, a lot of Jewish people are not big fans of Israel, which is something that they’ve never been able to explain to me — but that any Jewish person or any person that believes in Israel and loves Israel can even think about voting for a Democrat.”
The former president also claims that Vice President Kamala Harris is “refusing to meet” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his US visit, though the two are scheduled to meet Thursday.
Harris, however, will not be present when Netanyahu addresses a joint session on Congress Wednesday, due to what her office says is a previously scheduled campaign event in Indianapolis.
Newsmax host Sebastian Gorka, who worked in Trump’s administration, does not ask the former president why his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, would not be in attendance for Netanyahu’s speech before Congress.
Addressing Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, Trump says, “You got to get it settled. You got to get it finished. You got to get it over with. They’ve got to do their job.”
Israeli hostage czar meets US counterpart
Israel’s point man on hostages Gal Hirsch has met with US Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Dustin Stewart in Washington, the Prime Minister’s Office says.
According to the PMO, the two discussed the status of hostage talks and cooperation between their two offices.
Starlink being used at Gaza hospital, Musk says
Tech mogul Elon Musk says his Starlink satellite-based internet service is now active at a Gaza hospital, with the backing of Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Starlink is now active in a Gaza hospital with the support of @UAEmediaoffice and @Israel
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 23, 2024
Musk does not specify where the service is being used, but in February, Israel approved the use of Starlink services in a field hospital funded by the UAE in the Gaza Strip, and also paved the way for it to be used in Israel.
Starlink is a network of satellites operated by Musk’s SpaceX in low Earth orbit that can provide internet to remote locations, or areas that have had normal communications infrastructure disabled.
“The use of the company’s services will be limited at first, with broader use expected in the future,” the Communications Ministry said at the time.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said in October the country would cut ties with Starlink after Musk offered the service to the Gaza Strip, sparking concerns that it could be used by the Hamas terror group.
Netanyahu slams ‘defamation campaign’ against rescued hostage for joining him in DC
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is “horrified” by criticism aimed at rescued hostage Noa Argamani over her decision to accompany the premier to Washington.
“I am horrified by the defamation campaign directed against Noa Argamani. Noa went through atrocities in Hamas captivity,” Netanyahu says in Hebrew at the start of a meeting with US Christian Zionists.
“Is there no limit?” asks Netanyahu. “There is a limit. This is the limit. Enough.”
Argamani, who was rescued last month from captivity in Gaza along with three other hostages seized by terrorists during the Hamas-led October 7 massacre, is accompanying Netanyahu on his trip to the United States alongside her father Yaakov and other relatives of captives.
Explaining his remarks to the Christian leaders, Netanyahu says in English, “Now that she joined our delegation, there are voices who said how dare you go? You should have stayed in captivity.'”
“There is a fringe minority that is devoid of any scruples,” says Netanyahu. “Enough is enough.”
Argamani and her father have faced virulent criticism in Israel for agreeing to accompany Netanyahu on his visit to the US and during his speech to Congress tomorrow; both coalition and opposition lawmakers have condemned the pushback.
Family members of other hostages held by Hamas and others opposed to the premier claimed the Argamanis appearance would bolster Netanyahu, whom many blame for failing to secure a deal to free the hostages after more than nine months of war.
In a post on Facebook Monday, left-wing Haaretz pundit Uri Misgav — a vehement critic of Netanyahu — said that Argamani and her father “should be ashamed of agreeing to serve as decor” for Netanyahu and retired journalist Dan Margalit called Argamani’s presence in Netanyahu’s delegation a “disgrace,” in a tweet to his 164,000 followers.
Capitol police arrest anti-Israel protesters who massed in Congressional building
The US Capitol police say they have arrested a group of demonstrators who held an anti-Israel demonstration in the rotunda of the Cannon House of Representatives Office Building.
Deafening protest in cannon rotunda. pic.twitter.com/DuM6Fmbg4C
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) July 23, 2024
Jewish Voice for Peace says some 400 members of the far-left anti-Israel group had gathered at the rotunda to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming speech to Congress and US arms being sold to Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
“We are arresting a group that is illegally demonstrating inside the Cannon Rotunda,” Capitol Police say in a statement. “Demonstrations are not allowed inside the Congressional Buildings. We told the people, who legally entered, to stop or they would be arrested. They did not stop, so we are arresting them.”
A congressional aide for Michigan Democrat Dan Kildee tells Politico their office called the police for help as demonstrators were “violently beating on all three of our congressional office doors” and “violently shouting.”
Police do not say how many people were detained, but JVP claims that over 300 people were arrested, posting pictures online of demonstrators being ziptied and led out of the building.
⚠️⚠️⚠️ 300+ ARRESTS HAPPENING NOW INSIDE CONGRESS: HUNDREDS OF JEWS AND ALLIES ARE GETTING ARRESTED FOR DEMANDING OUR GOVERNMENT STOP ARMING ISRAEL. CEASEFIRE NOW — END THE PALESTINIAN GENOCIDE. pic.twitter.com/PvthT4vfCu
— Jewish Voice for Peace (@jvplive) July 23, 2024
Democrat Nadler says Netanyahu worst leader for Jews in millenia, but won’t skip speech
Senior Democratic lawmaker Jerrold Nadler is calling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “the worst leader in Jewish history since the Maccabean king who invited the Romans into Jerusalem over 2100 years ago.”
But while the Jewish representative from New York lists a myriad of criticisms of the premier, he announces in a lengthy statement that he will still attend Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress tomorrow.
“I feel my voice is more impactful in the room, holding the Prime Minister accountable,” Nadler says.
Benjamin Netanyahu is the worst leader in Jewish history since the Maccabean king who invited the Romans into Jerusalem over 2100 years ago. The Prime Minister is putting the security of Israel, the lives of the hostages, the stability of the region, and longstanding Israeli… pic.twitter.com/76gE5JePj8
— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) July 23, 2024
In first, male Oct. 7 survivor recounts rape at hands of Hamas terrorists
A survivor of the Hamas massacre at the Supernova music festival on October 7 speaks up about Hamas terrorists allegedly raping him during their attack, the first male victim of rape to recount their story in their own voice since most such victims ended up being murdered.
The man, only identified by his first Hebrew initial Dalet, tells Channel 12 news about how he was fleeing the onslaught on his own when forces from Hamas’s elite Nukhba unit caught up.
“They pin you to the ground, you try to resist, they take of your clothes, laugh at you, humiliate you, spit at you,” he says, his face blurred and his voice distorted to avoid recognition. “They touched [private] parts, they rape you.”
“There is a circle, [people] laugh, and you don’t know what to do in the moment, whether you should resist or let it pass, how to deal with the situation. There was a very difficult rape. At some point more people arrived and called for them and so they had to stop,” adds Dalet.
“It’s a very tough moment. Weakness in the entire body. As if your blood is cheap. They were wildly intoxicated, celebrating, laughing with their pistols, with their knives. You disassociate yourself from the situation, but on the other hand experience it very strongly. Very difficult,” he says.
The network says Dalet eventually managed to escape, with the help of Israeli forces that showed up.
Dalet’s testimony has been handed to a police unit investigating sexual crimes committed by the terrorists on October 7, after he filed a complaint, Channel 12 says.