Lenny Ben-David Profile picture
Jun 5 9 tweets 7 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
I am enthralled w #ghostsofbeirut, but a tinge of PTSD.
I was in Beirut in 1982. Alexander Hotel (Bob Simon's room). It had a nice outdoor cafe (used to be indoors til a bomb). Watched the IDF missile shooting down a Syrian jet, Syrian troops evacuate, Arafat & crew sail off. 1/ ImageImage
#Beirut 2/ Silly me. I bought a postcard & went to a post office to buy a stamp. Everyone howled. No service in yrs.
Went to Bashir Gemayal's office to talk with an aide about the president-to-be's PR in DC.
Not to be: the office & Gemayal were blown to smithereens 2 wks later. Image
#GhostsofBeirut @issacharoff 3/
PTSD? I still have rolls of film, developed but not viewed. Mental pic of the entrance to huge PLO cave/armory & a Saiqa soldier sitting as a guard, his skeleton in full uniform.
A mortar (no warhead) as a paperweight. Shrapnel was everywhere. Image
4/ #GhostsofBeirut @issacharoff
For yrs, I've investigated MughniyehS and Soleimani. Imad's legacy can be seen in his son, Jihad. Jihad was "adopted" by Nasrallah, Soleimani, and Supreme Leader Khamenei. ImageImageImageImage
4/ Jihad Mughniyeh - with such godfathers, Jihad rose in the Hizbullah organization. He was chosen to lead a Hizb-Iranian unit to recon the Syrian side of the Golan to set up launch area to attack Israel. An Israeli plane took him out and his unit in 2015. ImageImage
5/ How embedded was Imad Mugh w the Iranians? Wasn't he in Arafat's Force 17 guards? Yes, but the arch-terrorist was up to his neck w IRGC & Khamenei himself.
1. A pic of his receiving gift (Koran?) from SLeader.
2. In 2006 Leb War, Mugh, Nasrallah & Soleimani shared command. ImageImage
6/ Imad Mughniyeh sat bw Qassem Soleimani & Hizb's Hassan Nasrallah. They were briefing the son of Islamic Iran's founder Khomeini about how they defeated the Zionists in 2006 war.
2 y.a, I discovered Khamenei published Soleimani's manifesto, where he wrote of 33 days of the war. Image
7/ Qassem Soleimani’s final interview shed light on Iran’s war on Israel from #Beirut & his love for Mugh.

He and Mughniyeh shared foxholes hiding from Israeli drones. His praise of Mugh was almost a hymnic.
Analysts need to focus more on his manifesto.
jpost.com/middle-east/ir… ImageImageImage
#beirutghosts correctly said there were not lots of pics of Imad Mughniyeh. This is an enlargement with his son, Jihad, on the Supreme Leader poster. Image

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More from @lennybendavid

Mar 11
"3D analysis shows how Israeli troops fired into group of civilians."
WaPo deep dive is a classic case of JOURNALISTIC MALPRACTICE by Evan Hill who just left NYT where he crucified Israel for the May 2021 war in Gaza, He lied hid evidence, old clips. 1/
washingtonpost.com/investigations…
Journalistic Malpractice 2/
@EvenHill, formerly from NYT, Al Jazeera, Human Rights Watch. He wrote civilians were killed in Israeli raid that nabbed "several Palestinian fighters." At least 8!, including commanders.
The civilians - & all of Nablus - are used as human shields. ImageImage
J Malpractice 3/
Hill was behind a NYT hit job, “Gaza’s Deadly Night” It claimed Israel collapsed Gaza apt buildings, killing many.
Hamas had a massive tunnel network UNDER residential areas. Hill ignored the fact & pics.
My indictment of Hill is here: jcpa.org/article/the-me…
Read 8 tweets
Mar 10
#Purim's over; costumes are in the attic. With some trepidation, many Jews see the #Passover preparations & cleaning ahead.
Traditionally, this is a time to get Matza for the holiday.
125 y.a. students at Mikve Yisrael ag school were harvesting wheat. Why was a Rabbi there?
1/
Making of Matza is very meticulous. No water can enter the process until the last minute, lest the grain, flour, or matza becomes leavened. Must complete the process from the second H2O is added to the flour, kneaded, rolled out & baked in under 18 minutes.
Rabbis supervise.
2 types of Matza made in the Ashkenazi world -- machine-made & hand-made. Below: Round hand-made baked in the UAE & machine-made in Haifa ~ 1920.
Workers had signs up to remind them to have intention to fulfill the mitzva of matza; it's not automatic.
Also a sign: don't smoke.
Read 5 tweets
Jan 6
This is outrageous on so many levels. 1/
1. The Palestinians deny the existence of the Jewish People in Biblical time, even the existence of the Temple.
2. Palestinian looters & grave diggers plunder archeological sites constantly.
3. Most Pals aren't...
nytimes.com/2023/01/05/art…
2/ "Palestinian relic"
3. Most Arab residents did not show up in Palestine until maybe 1400 yrs ago & many only in last 150 yrs. Erakat's claim to have been a Canaanite is bunk.
4. Dangerous precedent by US. Imagine US Embassy trucks emptying Israel Museum, Shrine of the Book...
3/ Pal relic.
...4. Pals claim the contents as well of Bible Lands Museum, Rockefeller Museum...
5. Pals strategy is to delegitimize the Jewish State any way it can, including religiously. Therefore, destruction of JEWISH RELICS on the Temple Mt.

6. USG helps in many ways.
Read 4 tweets
Jan 3
.@USAmbIsrael Thomas Nides is upset that an Israeli visited the holiest Jewish site, the Temple Mt.
We have been "very clear in conversations w the Israeli gov'f on the issue of preserving the status quo in Jerusalem’s holy sites. Actions that prevent that are unacceptable.”
1/
2/ Amb Nides, the position of the High Commissioner of the Palestine Mandate ended in 1948.

Since Min Ben Gvir's visit took place during the middle of night DC time, I presume you got no guidance from DC, which would have been much tougher, like calling for an FBI interrogation.
3/ Amb Nides
It's probably better Ben Gvir got his visit to the Temple Mt out of the way early. Imagine the outcry the Palestinians & State Dept would have ginned up if the visit came in 2-3 wks.
Did USG issue anything to condemn the threats Hamas issued to deny freedom to pray?
Read 4 tweets
Nov 30, 2022
Nothing is staler & more anti-Israel than former "Jim-Baker's-Boys" calling for Admin pressure on Israel's FUTURE govt.
Their formula for pressure on Palestinians amounts to 24 words.
40 yrs ago, Kurtzer argued vs even "natural growth"of settlements. 1/ washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/…
2/ Hey Aaron, @aarondmiller2 who poisoned you in a month since you tweeted this?
"Biden isn’t Obama on Israel. He won’t press Netanyahu on Pal's and Israel at same time. If accurate (sic) @BarakRavid reporting suggests Biden will give new govt wide margin to act responsibly."
It seems Amb @DanKurtzer has a long-time antipathy to Israel:s politicians from the Right.
And today, he calls for a pre-emptive attack on Israel's PM-elect @netanyahu
Read 6 tweets
Nov 14, 2022
What's behind the USG decision to investigate (prosecute) Israel for the death of @ShareenAbuAkhla?

USG knows there was no intentional hit, scores of Palestinian gunmen were in Jenin, Jenin terrorists had just killed 19 Israeli civilians, & Pals wouldn't help investigate.
1/
2/ So why's the US prosecuting Israel?

It's political.
Waited to announce til after US & Israel elections so it wouldn't be a campaign issue.
Pressure from Democratic progressives & pro-Pal lobby.
Recast USG policy: investigate UAE, try to avoid supporting Iran regime change,
3/ The founder of AIPAC SI Kenen told me "In DC, the even years belong to Israel, the odd years to the Arabs."
What?
In election yrs candidates & Congress are more attuned to Israel. Odd yrs are when State Dept & unelected officials can push pro-Arab (today pro-Iran) policies.
Read 4 tweets

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