(Day 582) Swords of Iron – “Living on the edge”
Chaim starts by talking about some of the action in the Gaza Strip over the weekend, including two incidents which resulted in IDF casualties.
(Day 581) Swords of Iron – “Point of no return?”
Chaim begins by talking about the ballistic missile attacks on Israel by the Houthis in Yemen, including one just this afternoon, which caused millions of people in Gush Dan to run to bomb shelters.
(Day 580) Swords of Iron – “Israel Stands as India/Pakistan Escalate”
Chaim starts by talking about the large-scale mobilization of reservists into the IDF that is currently ongoing, in order to prepare for Operation Gideon’s Chariots.
(Day 579) Swords of Iron – “Inseparable”
Chaim starts by mentioning that US President Donald Trump has announced a truce with the Houthis, who have agreed to stop attacking international shipping. But they have not agreed to stop firing at Israel, and this is an obvious attempt to drive a wedge in between the two allies.
(Day 578) Swords of Iron – “Judgment”
Chaim starts by talking about Israel’s retaliatory strike against the Houthi-controlled international airport in Yemen, following the Houthi-launched ballistic missile which impacted near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. This came after the Israeli Air Force launched strikes on the Hodeidah seaport on the coast of Yemen. Both the sea and air ports were crucial to maintaining the Houthi’s economy and warmaking capacity, but they’ve lost them now because they made some bad decisions about attacking Israel.
(Day 577) Swords of Iron – “Operation Gideons Chariots”
Chaim starts by talking about 60,000 reservists who have been mobilized, some for the 3rd or 4th tour of duty in this war, to carry out what the IDF is calling “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.” This will be an operation to take and hold territory in the Gaza Strip, clearing it of Hamas activity and making sure the remaining hostages are released. Chaim acknowledges that this is very hard, but he also says that it’s what’s necessary for the restoration of security in Israel.
(Day 576) Swords of Iron – “Fallen Brothers and Ballistic Missiles”
Chaim starts by talking about the ballistic missile fired by the Houthis in Yemen on Sunday morning that managed to penetrate Israel’s air defense systems and hit a field near Ben Gurion International Airport. It caused some damage and a few injuries, but the main impact is psychological and economic. The Houthis scored a propaganda victory and Israel suffered a defeat, with several airlines that usually fly in and out of this airport suspending their service.
(Day 575) Swords of Iron – “The Druze – Friends of Israel”
Chaim starts by thanking the men and women around the world who are standing up to defend the defenseless, and in this context he paraphrases the great American classic movie Forest Gump by saying “life is like a box of MISSILES, you never know what you’re gonna get.”
(Day 574) Swords of Iron – “Houthis Launch missile targeting Galilee”
Chaim starts by talking about how Israel has struck near the Presidential Palace in Damascus in order to let the ruler of that country, Abu Muhammed al-Jolani, that he needs to stop persecuting the Druze community in Syria. Hundreds of Druze have already been massacred by Sunni jihadist groups allied with the regime, and Israeli Druze leaders are demanding that Israel take action to protect them. Israel is only too happy to do this, as in addition to the humanitarian imperative, there is a strategic advantage to Israel doing this as the Druze in Syria would be a powerful regional ally to have on our side.
(Day 573) Swords of Iron – “Fighting Fires/🇮🇱77th Independence Day!”
Chaim starts by saying that he has joined the volunteer efforts to rescue people from the wildfires that have erupted in the hills around Jerusalem. He then goes on to explain that these fires were not an accident, but the result of a coordinated campaign of arson. The Israelis spent decades planting and tending these forests. But the arsonists had other plans and they’re widely believed to be Palestinians because of the calls on Arabic language social media accounts to start arson fires in order to ruin Israel’s Independence Day.