Hi Global Recap readers,

Much like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, public support for Israel’s retaliation against Hamas dwindles as memories of Hamas’ violent acts of terrorism begin to fade.

Can Israel hold its ground against escalating international pressure? Now, even Biden is starting to change its tone a bit…

🌐 Here’s what’s up around the world:

• 🚨 Suspected Terrorists in US?

• 🇩🇪 German Police Crack Down on Pro-Palestinian Protests.

• 🇵🇸 Gaza’s Humanitarian Catastrophe.

• 🇪🇺 Poland’s New Government: A Win for Europe?

• 🇮🇱 What’s Holding Israel Back from Invading?

Let’s get into today’s news.

📈 Top News

🚨 Suspected Terrorists in US? Two Iranians on the terrorist watch list have been captured at the southern US border. Authorities believe that they could “pose a significant security threat.”

This is alarming news for homeland security, especially amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

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🇩🇪 German Police Crack Down on Pro-Palestinian Protests. Several pro-Palestinian demonstrations were banned or dispersed by German authorities over the weekend, citing security risks and antisemitism. However, some protests were allowed to proceed peacefully.

Is this a curb on free speech or a shield against hate-fueled chaos?

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🇵🇸 Gaza’s Humanitarian Catastrophe. Israel intensifying its bombing and blockading of Gaza, killing thousands of civilians and depriving them of water and electricity. Desperate Palestinians have to rely on “salty” tap water from its contaminated aquifer.

But you shouldn’t be quick to point fingers at Israel. Here’s a video showing Hamas terrorists boasting about turning water pipelines (funded by the EU) into rockets.

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🇪🇺 Poland’s New Government: A Win for Europe? Poland’s ruling party, known for its anti-EU and anti-German stance, has been ousted by the pro-European opposition led by former EU chief Donald Tusk.

The change of government is seen as a sigh of relief for Europe, especially Germany, which hopes to have a more friendly and cooperative neighbor. More so because the outgoing party has persistently demanded that Germany pay in excess of €1 trillion in war reparations.

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✍️ In-Depth

Israel
What’s Holding Israel Back from Invading?

“Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza is…”

“Imminent!”

“Looming!”

“Soon!”

This has been the constant refrain in the news over the past week. Yet, the troops remain at bay. What’s the hold-up?

Iran

🇮🇷 Iran’s ultimatum to Israel. The Islamic Republic warns that it will intervene in the Gaza war if Israel does not stop its attacks on civilians.

🗣️ What they’re saying. Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran’s foreign minister, cautions that Israel’s current course could ignite a Middle East-wide conflict, shaking the region like a “huge earthquake.” He also said that he was working on an initiative to end the war, but that it might be too late.

US

🔥 Biden Warns Netanyahu. In a recent interview with CBS, the US president warned his Israeli counterpart not to occupy Gaza, in a rare public display of pressure on the Jewish state. In fact, this was the first time since the beginning of the war that Biden directly criticized Israel.

🪙 Biden Appealing to Both Sides? A significant number of conservatives lean pro-Israel. Many of them believe that Israel’s response is a natural retaliation against a brutal terrorist campaign. They also view Israel as a beacon of hope for democracy in the region.

Here’s Senator Graham calling on Israel to “level the place (Gaza).”

On the contrary, many progressives tilt anti-Israel, viewing the recent Hamas attack as a response to Israel’s “cycle of oppression” - instigated and prolonged by Israel locking Gazans up in an “open-air prison.” Their words, not mine.

Is Biden’s stance a bid to appease both sides, or is it a non-negotiable moral redline set by him, without any political intent?

China

🇨🇳 China’s Role. China has urged Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza and respect international humanitarian law. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Israel’s actions have gone beyond self-defense - risking a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

My take

This precarious situation risks escalating into a regional war if Iran steps in. Should Iran engage directly, the US would be compelled to react, affirming its position as the world’s leading military power.

Now, is this likely? Not really at the moment.

Although, it is possible Iran will further utilize Hezbollah up north of Israel as a proxy.

That being said, how many people knew that Hamas would launch such a consequential terrorist campaign against Israel?