Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference with President Trump (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
"There is no such thing as half control": When Israel's security cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Gaza war plan in early May, there were no public fireworks. Privately, however, lawmakers from Netanyahu's ruling coalition had reservations.
Seven lawmakers from the coalition, our Andrew Tobin reports from Tel Aviv, sent a letter just hours before the approval vote, casting doubt on the seriousness of the plan to defeat Hamas in the war-torn strip. They called for "a basic change in the military's operational plan" and warned that the current strategy is "flawed in conception, disconnected from the real capabilities of the enemy, and based on assumptions that will cost many lives before achieving questionable results."
"The lawmakers’ letter ... has yet to receive an official response. Six of the signatories declined public comment, but several, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration that the letter had leaked," writes Tobin. One signatory, Likud's Amit Halevi, "said the letter reflects a growing realization among right-wing lawmakers that the government’s war plan lacks coherence."
"Just as you can’t be half pregnant, there is no such thing as half control or half victory," Halevi said. "In order to achieve total victory, as the prime minister defines it, we must surround or kill Hamas. And in order to do that, we need to take full control of Hamas’s resources."
Boys will be boys: Democratic donors and strategists have spent much of the year gathered at luxury hotels discussing how to win back male voters. Part of their play is a $20 million effort code-named SAM—short for "Speaking with American Men: A Strategic Plan"—that aims to study dude-friendly "syntax, language, and content." The Free Beacon's Andrew Stiles exclusively obtained more from the plan. Here's a preview of its basic conversational guidance:
Instead of: "Good afternoon. May I have consent to shake your hand?" or "Crazy weather we've been having. Climate change is an existential threat to humanity."
Please try: "Hi, how are you?" or "What do you like to do in your spare time?"
Overcorrection (do not try): "Sup, bro? What do you like more—tits or sluts?" or "For sure, I would totally let Joe Rogan bang my wife."
Keeping the pedal down: Earlier this month, as its parent company Paramount engaged in settlement talks with Donald Trump's legal team, 60 Minutes aired a segment on Trump's deals with elite U.S. law firms that likened Trump to a "mob boss" and accused him of bribery. Now, Team Trump says the segment could spark yet another lawsuit against the program.
The segment was "defamatory" and filled with "lies and smears," Trump attorney Ed Paltzik said in a statement. As a result, it "may necessitate additional corrective legal action, which President Trump reserves the right to pursue."
That would be bad news for Paramount chairwoman Shari Redstone, who hopes a settlement with Trump over his suit targeting a separate 60 Minutes segment—its controversial pre-election interview with Kamala Harris—will clear the path for federal approval of the company's $8 billion Skydance merger. Redstone doesn't have to worry about upcoming segments angering Trump: 60 Minutes is between seasons until September. Still, the break didn't stop host Scott Pelley from mouthing off during a recent commencement address at Wake Forest University.
In other news:
Source link