
Interview with author Douglas Murray: 'Canada has disgraced itself'
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In it, he paints a detailed picture of the minutes, and hours, of the devastation wrought in the Gaza envelope during the massacres of October 7, 2023, as well as the hours, days and months afterwards; the heroism of Israelis who defied orders, and fended off Hamas on their own; the weaponry IDF soldiers discovered in civilian Gazan homes; and the exclusive harrowing accounts of the massacre's survivors. As one of the first outside observers inside Gaza, he recounts the 'pitiful sight' and the 'utterly avoidable devastation' triggered by the Hamas-led attacks.
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Murray takes a microscope to the question of how modern Jew-hatred has reached unprecedented levels since wartime Europe. That includes the global campus demonstrations that sprung up almost immediately, which he describes as 'revolutionary cosplay,' their message communicated with 'bludgeoning' — subsequently thanked by a Hamas leader as the 'great student flood.' He follows the blood-soaked international money trail that has made Hamas leaders billionaires, and details the global web of Jihad supporters — the 'death cults' — as an imminent danger not just to Israel, but to civilization.
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Dave Gordon interviews Murray, a columnist for the New York Post and The Free Press, who has for decades filed stories from Middle East war zones, frequently appears on major broadcast channels, and recently had a much-discussed, tension-filled appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast.
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DM: Three things. One, was I wanted to get down as accurate an overview as possible, of what happened on October 7 in Israel, by collecting first hand testimony, and much more. The second thing was to give a firsthand account of the Israeli response to October 7, the war, and just get as much as possible up close, an account accurately and truthfully, in an era where much is written a lot about it untruthfully.
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And thirdly, to look at this question which haunted me throughout the last 18 months and indeed many years before, which was: why so much of the world finds it so hard to decide which side to be on, in a fight between a democracy like Israel, and a death cult like Hamas?
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DM: I think that much of Western policy making has just ended up in the realm of magical thinking in recent years. Put aside whether or not they deserve one, but there's this completely magical belief that the Palestinians have to get another state, and it will right some great historical wrong. This thinking goes, it would cause an outburst of peace and growth, not just in the Middle East, but in the wider world.
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I think they mucked up in Gaza so badly, by now it's clear that another Palestinian state would just be another terrorist proxy state, another Iranian front state, and that it would have done nothing to improve the lives of anyone in the region or the wider world.
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Globe and Mail
4 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
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CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Trump, Netanyahu expressed optimism ceasefire deal in Gaza can be reached as leaders meet
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CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
Trump and Netanyahu may take a victory lap on Iran, but the Gaza war looms over their meeting
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'I think that the discussion with President Trump can certainly help advance that result, which all of us hope for,' Netanyahu said. `It changes from day to day' White House officials are urging Israel and Hamas to quickly seal a new ceasefire agreement that would bring about a 60-day pause in the fighting, send aid flooding into Gaza and free at least some of the remaining 50 hostages held in the territory, 20 of whom are believed to be living. Leavitt announced on Monday that Witkoff will travel later this week to Doha, Qatar, for ceasefire and hostage talks. But a sticking point is whether the ceasefire will end the war altogether. Hamas has said it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu says the war will end once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile -- something it refuses to do. Demonstrators, including hostage family members, gathered outside the U.S. Capitol before the leaders' meeting to press for the release of all remaining hostages in any agreement. 'We cannot accept a deal for a partial release,' said Ilan Dalal, father of Guy Gilboa-Dalal. 'A partial deal would mean that some of the hostages will stay in the tunnels for more time and this would be a death sentence.' Trump has been pressuring Israel and Hamas to wrap up the conflict, which has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, ravaged Gaza, deepened Israel's international isolation and made any resolution to the broader conflict between Israel and the Palestinians more distant than ever. But the precise details of the deal, and whether it can lead to an end to the war, are still in flux. In the days before Netanyahu's visit, Trump seemed to downplay the chances for a breakthrough. Asked on Friday how confident he was a ceasefire deal would come together, Trump told reporters: 'I'm very optimistic -- but you know, look, it changes from day to day.' On Sunday evening, he seemed to narrow his expectation, telling reporters that he thought an agreement related to the remaining hostages would be reached in the coming week. Trump and Netanyahu are more in sync than ever Those mood swings also have embodied Trump's relationship with Netanyahu. After Trump's decision to get involved in Israel's war in Iran with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the two leaders are more in sync than ever. But that's not always been the case. As recently as Netanyahu's last visit to Washington in April, the tone was markedly different. Trump used the photo-op with Netanyahu to announce that the U.S. was entering into negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program -- appearing to catch the Israeli leader off guard and, at the time, slamming the brakes on any Israeli military plan. Trump, whose policies have largely aligned with Israel's own priorities, pledged last week to be 'very firm' with Netanyahu on ending the war, without saying what that would entail. Pressure by Trump has worked on Netanyahu in the past, with a ceasefire deal having been reached right as the president was taking office again. Netanyahu has to balance the demands of his American ally with the far-right parties in his governing coalition, which hold the key to his political survival and oppose ending the war. But given the strong U.S. support in Israel's war against Iran, highlighted by joint airstrikes on a fortified underground Iranian nuclear site, Netanyahu may have a tough time saying no. Trump also may expect something in return for his recent calls for Netanyahu's corruption trial to be canceled -- a significant interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state. 'Trump thinks that Netanyahu owes him,' said Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israel affairs at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv. 'And if Trump thinks that he needs to end the war In Gaza, then that is what he will need to do.' Leaders to discuss keeping Iran from trying to revive its nuclear program The two men are expected to discuss the ceasefire with Iran following last month's strikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites, Leavitt said. Trump on Sunday told reporters he continues to look for a 'permanent deal' with Tehran to ensure Iran doesn't try to restart its nuclear program. Trump administration officials maintain that Iran's nuclear program has been set back by years. They point in particular to intelligence findings that show the strikes destroyed Iran's lone metal conversion facility. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said the U.S. airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction. Pezeshkian added in the interview with conservative American broadcaster Tucker Carlson that Iran would be willing to resume cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog but cannot yet commit to allowing its inspectors unfettered access to monitor the sites. 'We stand ready to have such supervision,' Pezeshkian said. 'Unfortunately, as a result of the United States' unlawful attacks against our nuclear centers and installations, many of the pieces of equipment and the facilities there have been severely damaged.' Tia Goldenberg And Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer, Matthew Lee, Lisa Mascaro and Aamer Madhani contributed reporting.