Jonathan Conricus

Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency has been giving Hamas members a harsh choice: separate from your families and die alone or remain with them and risk the lives of their relatives. This is what happened to Muhammad al-Bayouk, a Khan Yunis Hamas member who was killed several days ago by the IDF. Al-Bayouk received a phone call from a Shin Bet officer, who gave him the ultimatum. Al-Bayouk climbed onto a roof and he was struck by a missile. This is what the Saudi-owned pan-Srab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported. Five similar incident have happened in recent months.

You deserve combat pay for this one.

🚨 Calling Tel Aviv! On Monday, @Mr_Andrew_Fox and I are bringing @The_Brink_ to Israel for a live event in Tel Aviv, interviewing the one and only @jconricus , to discuss what's next for Netanyahu, Eisenkot and the country. Be there and join the conversation! Tickets here: thebrinkpodcast.co.uk

The last time I sat in a café in Jerusalem, the conversation at the next table turned, as it always does, to politics. Within ten minutes, three people had produced four opinions, two of which were mutually contradictory and one of which was delivered with such ferocity that the waiter took a step back. Then they paid the bill, kissed each other on both cheeks and left together, still arguing. That, for me, is Israel: a country where nobody agrees about anything, and where everybody cares enormously about everything. Which is precisely why Andrew Fox and I are taking The Brink there for two live shows next month. The timing could hardly be more dramatic. On 27 October, Israelis go to the polls for the first time since October 7, 2023. It is, by common consent, the most consequential election in a generation. Will Benjamin Netanyahu finally fall? Can Gadi Eisenkot cobble together a coalition? Or will the country head straight back to the ballot box, as so many analysts expect? By the time we arrive, the votes will have been counted, the coalition horse-trading will be in full swing and the country will be wrestling with what comes next. We will be right there in the middle of it. On Sunday, 1 November, we will be at the Begin Center in Jerusalem, the institution dedicated to the legacy of one of Israel’s most remarkable prime ministers, for a special collaboration with @havivrettiggur and his podcast Ask Haviv Anything. The following evening, Monday, 2 November, we head to Tel Aviv and the Enav Cultural Centre on Ibn Gabirol Street, where our special guest will be @jconricus, the former IDF spokesman... New post, free to read. Link in first reply

Jonathan Conricus has had the job of explaining Israel’s military operations to the world. We want to ask him what that experience taught him about how the world listens. What do you do when an interviewer’s question rests on an assumption you think is wrong? Jonathan joins Jake Wallis Simons and me for The Brink live in Tel Aviv on 2 November. The evening before, 1 November, we’re in Jerusalem with Haviv Rettig Gur. Come along to hear us take that conversation further. You can book here: thebrinkpodcast.co.uk

Across Europe, an unholy alliance of Islamists and radical Leftists is wreaking havoc in the streets, with Palestinian flags always waving as far as the eye can see at march after march. Europe’s response? Attack Israel as a “genocidal apartheid state.” Despite Europe’s moral cowardice, Jonathan Conricus says Israel is only getting stronger.

Three years after October 7, Israel is still fighting on multiple fronts — Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, the Houthis, and the West Bank. On today’s FDD Morning Brief, @JSchanzer sits down with Lt. Col. (Ret.) @jconricus to assess the state of the war. teapawt.org/i/broadcasts/1AGRnZrOp…

Claiming the IDF can’t be trusted? Hamas itself confirms the findings of The Press Files Hamza Abu Salmiya was presented to the world by the IFJ as a journalist. In The Press Files, the IDF revealed that he was also a Hamas operative, publishing a document recovered in Gaza that showed his military affiliation. Some tried to cast doubt on the evidence: “The documents came from the IDF. They can’t be trusted״ But a few days ago, Hamas’ military wing provided the evidence itself: a mourning poster for Abu Salmiya, along with photos and videos showing him in uniform. Don’t believe us? Don’t need to. Hamas confirmed it themselves. See the evidence for yourself: idf.il/en/mini-sites/the-pre…

Over 75 senior retired 🇺🇸U.S. generals, admirals, and military lawyers have signed a new open letter rejecting claims that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. The signatories include those who have commanded U.S. armed forces in combat, applying the laws of armed conflict. Their conclusion: based on the facts and applicable legal standard, the conduct of Israel’s war against Hamas does not constitute genocide. As the letter states, “Civilian deaths occurring during combat, however tragic, are insufficient, by themselves, to support a finding of genocidal intent.” The standards used to judge military conduct matter precisely because war is tragic and imperfect. “The precedent established today regarding Israel will shape the conditions under which American forces fight tomorrow. Protecting civilians and preserving the ability of our nation to defend itself requires us to defend the truth when the laws of war are being distorted to make false charges of genocide.” This is not an argument for minimizing the suffering of civilians. It is an argument for applying the law faithfully and maintaining the distinctions that matter: between the tragic consequences of war, violations of the laws of armed conflict, and the specific crime of genocide. Read the full open letter here: jinsa.org/open-letter-from-m…