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The Rest of The Story                          #393

By Hank Silverberg


I haven't written much about the war in the Middle East, mainly because the events happen so quickly there a once-a-week blog would be outdated by the time I posted it online.

Much of what comes out of that region is terrible. But little of what we hear is the truth. 

Words like "genocide" are thrown around so much without evidence of planned mass murder, it has weakened the meaning of the word. And much of what we hear is anti-Israel without any balance on what is really going on. 

So a United Nations report caught my eye this week which may enlighten many of those people who take a side without knowing the rest of the story. 

(Courtesy Univ of Texas)
The general narrative has been anti-Israel. That comes despite the Hamas invasion of Israel and mass murder and hostage taking that came with it, and despite the constant barrage of Hezbollah missiles from Lebanon. Israeli has somehow become the bad guys for going to war against Hamas and Hezbollah.

But here is some truth that has been mainly ignored by the mass media: the United Nations has confirmed what Israel AND Palestinian activists have been saying for a long time. 

The "Independent International Commission of Inquiry on The Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel" says Hamas has been brutally oppressing the Palestinian population in Gaza using public murder and torture of alleged criminals or ANYONE who expresses an opposing view.  

Some examples:

Between 2024 and 2025, Hamas executed 249 Palestinians for opposing them, and committed violence, torture of more than 384 other people, of which 108 died. 

The commission says that the Hamas military wing has gone after anyone who has been perceived as collaborators with any other faction within Gaza. 

The report also confirmed long standing Israeli claims that Hamas uses hospitals and schools as places to hide or launch assaults. Some people were beaten or shot in several hospitals. 

Also in the report, Hamas used children as spectators at 27 publicly staged incidents of violent punishment to sustain the climate of fear and traumatize the civilian population.  

 The report also alleges some abuses by Israeli settlers (not the IDF) in the disputed West Bank.    

Israel has also maintained that much of the food aide that has been sent into Gaza is seized by Hamas forces and then used for its own fighters or sold at high prices to civilians with the money used to buy more weapons.   

So what is my main point here? Hamas is a brutal terrorist group that has no qualms about killing other Palestinians for political or military gain, and that has rarely been reported since the war started. 

Think twice before you blame it all on Israel, which continues to fight every day for survival.  

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/un-report-confirms-hamas-is-controlling-gaza-with-murder-torture-and-fear-based-rule/ar-AA25pwAz


News You May have Missed 

More evidence of not only the incompetence, but also the corruption, within the Trump Administration.  USA Today and other media outlets are reporting that the company that did the "repairs" to the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall got a "no bid" contract for the work. The company, which installed a water purification system, is connected to one of Trump's major campaign donors and one of Trump's Palm Beach neighbors. 

(Before the "renovation" 
courtesy natonalmallcoalition.org)
The job was not done well with the Reflecting Pool now covered with ugly green algae and the new coat of blue paint on the bottom is already peeling away two weeks after the job was finished. The job cost American taxpayers $15 million. 

The National Park Service says the algae is a result of the predictable mix of summer heat and shallow,   stagnant water. The NPS has treated it with hydrogen peroxide. The President blames vandalism for the current condition of the Reflecting Pool. 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/trump/2026/06/21/trump-donor-firm-reflecting-pool-mess-palm-beach-man/90632129007/

Household Debt Skyrockets!

How much money do you owe? Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis says debt among U.S. households jumped to a record $19.9 trillion at the end of the first quarter of 2026, and Americans continue to borrow lots of money to spend. 

At the same time, the personal savings rate is near a record low, shrinking 2.6% in April. The trend is a so-called "wealth effect" where Americans are spending more because they feel wealthier as prices on assets like real estate and stocks rise. 

It all means that a bigger chunk of our economic activity is vulnerable to swings in the market. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/economy/running-off-the-cliff-an-explosion-of-household-debt-has-put-the-us-economy-in-a-tough-spot/ar-AA26bJRW?ocid=BingNewsBrowse

Dumbest Quote Of The Week!

This week's dumb quote comes from the dumbest college student in the world. 

Cornell University student, Austin Franco, had applied for a summer internship at what turned out to be a Jewish-owned tech startup.  

He got an interview. But then he sent a message to the two brothers who owned the company which pairs renters with landlords and verifies identities to prevent fraud. 

Franco told them: "Not interested in working for a Jew. Thanks."

Mr. Franco is going to have a hard time after doing that. Franco, who I am sad to write is from Virginia,  followed up the next day in public on X:

"My experiences with Jews have not been pleasant, both in person and online. This is not to say I haven't had positive experiences, but on the aggregate, that is not the case."

I don't think Mr. Franco will be getting ANY job very soon.  

 (You suggestions and comments  are welcome)

My recent book "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at:  HankSilverberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature)                       

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796


My NEWEST book is now available. It is designed for use in Public Speaking and entry level communications classes. 


                                               

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