Leland Vittert’s War Notes: War is a messy business

NewsNation’s Leland Vittert provides his expert analysis and perspective on the Israel-Hamas war in the Nov. 1 edition of his War Notes column.

If you watch one thing: This video of a Jewish student at Harvard surrounded and attacked. 

The contra-positive: If “Proud Boys” surrounded a black student, the 101st Airborne would be there this afternoon and Harvard would have expelled the antagonizing students immediately. 

The response: Biden administration announces the Department of Homeland Security will help track cyber threats. 

Last night, a former Department of Education assistant secretary told you what they could be doing. 

The Double Standard Continues 

Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas official, spoke on Arabic TV reiterating they want to wipe Israel from the map, saying, “We will repeat the October 7 attack time and time again until Israel is annihilated.” 

As if there were any question before this statement, this leaves Israel no choice but to destroy Hamas. 

You heard yesterday: “Israel bombs refugee camp.”

That’s two lies for the price of one.

First, it’s not a camp: Pictures show it’s a neighborhood with apartment buildings.

Second, those living there aren’t refugees.

Sky News, hardly a pro-Israel news channel, explains destruction and death in the Jabalia “refugee camp” bombing is from Hamas forcing civilians to stay in buildings above their tunnels, and the building collapsing when Israeli bunker busters explodes.  

BUT: The United Nations calls it a “refugee camp.”

Be fair! The UN is also making Iran chair of the Human Rights Council Social Forum. Do you need more proof of the UN’s anti-Israel double standard?

CNN and Ian Bremmer think Hamas leadership should be immune from strikes by hiding among civilian populations.

This is not the way war works. It is not how it worked when the United States bombed ISIS, or in World War II, as Senator Lindsey Graham noted. 

The rules of war are pretty clear that using human shields and hiding in hospitals is a war crime committed by the group doing it (Hamas), not the army defending itself (Israel) and attacking what have thus become legitimate military targets.

Tonight, we will show you the Israeli battle plan for house-to-house fighting 

Democratic Civil War Over Israel

Political reality: The Biden administration wants to support Israel and maintain the domestic political support of people who want to destroy Israel. That can’t work. 

The Council on American Islamic Relations says, “We are running out of words to describe the American Muslim community’s disappointment with the Biden administration’s refusal to demand a ceasefire.”

The primary challenges to the “Squad” members have gained national attention.

We predict: Pro-Israel donors across the country will give them large contributions.

Morning Joe on MSNBC rang the alarm bells with the entire segment on the Wall Street Journal article about the Democratic divide over Israel and Hamas. 

We predict: Secretary of State Antony Blinken will get tougher with Israel when he visits Friday. This will backfire and will anger American Jews. 

Threats in America

FBI Director Chris Wray expressed yesterday in Congress there could be terror threats inspired by Hamas’s attack on Israel

Tonight, why Hamas and Hezbollah likely already have terrorists inside the United States sent through the Southern border. And, are foreign countries helping to organize the pro-Hamas protests in the United States?

You Might Have Missed This

The Egyptian prime minister promised to “sacrifice millions of lives to ensure that no one encroaches upon our territory.” In other words, Egypt promises to kill millions of Palestinians fleeing Gaza rather than take them as refugees. Where is the outrage about protecting the Palestinians?

Pakistan expelled 1.7 million Afghans by bulldozing their houses leaving them homeless ahead of a brutal winter. Where are the marches against this?

Tune into “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 7/6C on NewsNation. Find your channel here.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.