Suddenly, Liberal Journalists Discover Anti-Semitism

Over the course of the past year, some Jewish journalists (or journalists with Jewish-sounding names) critical of Donald Trump have found themselves the targets of anti-Semitic attacks online. The result has been a new sensitivity from those who had once been blissfully unaware of anti-Semitism, or willing to ignore it. Now, writes Bethany Mandel, hatred of Jews is making headlines—because it can be tied, however tenuously, to a Republican politician:

Already in the days following Trump’s election, the media are hysterically reporting on graffiti [displaying a swastika and the words “Sieg Heil 2016”] in South Philadelphia (not exactly Trump country) on a storefront. Had the national media paid attention to these incidents prior to this week, they may have known that defacement with anti-Semitic messages is nothing new in this country.

Had a Jewish cemetery in Westchester, New York [on which Nazi symbols were painted in early October] been defaced just a month later, it might have made national news and not just local broadcasts. In response to this observation, . . . a rabbi friend living in Brooklyn remarked, “Swastikas happen literally all the time. I speak to rabbis who’ve had their property defaced pretty regularly for years.”

Despite the media’s focus since 9/11 on Islamophobic incidents and the fear of them, the biggest target by a mile for hate crimes in the United States in 2014 was Jews—long before Trump and the alt-right came into the picture. The FBI report on hate crimes confirms [that] “a significant number of the anti-Jewish hate crimes—451—consisted of vandalism or some other type of property damage.” That’s not to say that anti-Semitic defacement isn’t worrisome now, but it’s important to note it existed before Trump and should have been taken seriously prior to his nomination and election.

Liberal reporters and columnists may not have been aware of anti-Semitism before Trump, but if they have any hope of regaining legitimacy post-election, they had better wise up.

Read more at Federalist

More about: American Jewry, Anti-Semitism, Donald Trump, Media

Hizballah Is Learning Israel’s Weak Spots

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.

Read more at Ynet

More about: Hizballah, Iron Dome, Israeli Security