The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 4th, 2024: Scandal Rocks Jerusalem's Halls Of Power & US Responds To North Korea's Nuclear Belligerence
Mon, 04 Nov 2024
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, scandal is brewing inside Jerusalem’s halls of power, as Israeli police arrest a senior aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly illegally obtaining and leaking classified information, which critics say may have scuttled negotiations for a hostage deal. Then, with tensions spiraling on the Korean peninsula, the U.S. flew a long-range bomber to North Korea’s doorstep on Sunday as a part of a joint exercise meant to send a clear warning to dictator Kim Jong Un to curb his belligerence. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: [email protected]. Patriot Gold: Call 1-888-870-5457 for a free investor guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What scandal is brewing in Jerusalem's halls of power?
Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First up, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is under fire for a recent intelligence leak that critics say thwarted a possible ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.
While the investigation continues, a senior aide to the Prime Minister, an IDF officer, and several others have already been arrested. Then, with tensions rising on the North Korean peninsula, the U.S. flew a long-range bomber to North Korea's doorstep on Sunday as part of a joint exercise meant to send a clear warning to dictator Kim Jong-un to curb his belligerence.
Well, that certainly is going to happen. Don't hold your breath is what I'm saying. But first, our afternoon spotlight.
There's a scandal brewing inside the Israeli government as Israeli police arrest a senior aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu for allegedly illegally obtaining and leaking classified information, which critics of the prime minister say may have scuttled negotiations for a hostage deal.
The controversy stems from allegations that Netanyahu's office promoted false information to foreign media outlets in early September, claiming that now-deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning on smuggling himself and the remaining hostages out of Gaza over the Egyptian border to Iran. Furthermore, the leaked intelligence suggested Hamas
was trying to create divisions within Israel, specifically by leveraging the pain of the hostage families to build opposition to Netanyahu's governing coalition.
The documents allegedly gave Netanyahu the public justification needed to add tougher conditions to ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, particularly a controversial demand that Israeli forces maintain full control of the corridor separating Egypt's border with Gaza that's referred to as the Philadelphia corridor.
Critics of the Prime Minister note that Netanyahu pushed this demand due to concerns related to the alleged plans of Hamas to escape Gaza with the hostages. The problem, however, is that the leaked information was based on either partial or false information, according to an Israeli court.
It was provided in early September to Britain's Jewish Chronicle and Germany's tabloid Bild, which both ran high-profile stories about Hamas's alleged plan to escape with the hostages to Iran. Those articles have since been retracted.
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Chapter 2: What are the allegations against Netanyahu's aide?
An Israeli court partially lifted a gag order on Sunday, revealing that several people are being interrogated over the leak of the, quote, classified and sensitive intelligence information. which the court said was illegally accessed and issued from the Israeli military systems. Now, the court added that the leak may have damaged Israel's ability to secure a hostage deal in Gaza.
That's according to a report from CNN. Netanyahu's senior aide, Eliezer Feldstein, an unnamed IDF officer, and three other unnamed suspects have all been arrested over the allegations. Sources say the unnamed suspects are members of the military and security establishment.
On Monday, a spokesperson for Netanyahu denied that any leak emanated from his office and said Feldstein never participated in security-related discussions. The spokesman also downplayed accusations that the incident had any impact on ceasefire negotiations, calling the claims, quote, ridiculous.
Now, it's worth remembering that former Hamas leader, now dead, Sinmar, had spent the summer tacking on his own last-minute demands that scuttled ceasefire negotiations, and even the Biden administration acknowledged back in September that Sinmar was likely not serious about pursuing a hostage deal.
Nevertheless, the revelation has shaken Israeli leaders and the hostage families, who accuse Netanyahu's government of, quote, "...faking the intelligence to undermine a ceasefire in order to prolong the war in Gaza for political reasons."
Critics of the Prime Minister point to the fact that many hardline members of Netanyahu's governing coalition have threatened to quit if he makes any concessions to Hamas. and that an end to the war would likely trigger calls for new elections in Israel. And that's something that the critics say Netanyahu is keen to avoid.
In a statement, the hostage family said, quote, "...suspicions indicate that people associated with the prime minister acted to carry out one of the biggest deceptions in the history of the country," end quote. Opposition leader Pierre Lapid entered the fray on Monday, also accusing Netanyahu's government of leaking what he called, quote, "...faked secret documents to torpedo a hostage deal."
Meanwhile, Benny Gantz, who until recently served in Netanyahu's war cabinet, suggested that Netanyahu may have leveraged the leaks for political survival, something that, if proven, Gantz said would constitute a, quote, crime against the nation. Now, Gantz, of course, sees himself as the most likely replacement as prime minister should Netanyahu be pushed out of office.
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Chapter 3: How has leaked intelligence affected hostage negotiations?
Chapter 4: What actions has the US taken regarding North Korea?
While the investigation continues, a senior aide to the Prime Minister, an IDF officer, and several others have already been arrested. Then, with tensions rising on the North Korean peninsula, the U.S. flew a long-range bomber to North Korea's doorstep on Sunday as part of a joint exercise meant to send a clear warning to dictator Kim Jong-un to curb his belligerence.
Well, that certainly is going to happen. Don't hold your breath is what I'm saying. But first, our afternoon spotlight.
There's a scandal brewing inside the Israeli government as Israeli police arrest a senior aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu for allegedly illegally obtaining and leaking classified information, which critics of the prime minister say may have scuttled negotiations for a hostage deal.
The controversy stems from allegations that Netanyahu's office promoted false information to foreign media outlets in early September, claiming that now-deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning on smuggling himself and the remaining hostages out of Gaza over the Egyptian border to Iran. Furthermore, the leaked intelligence suggested Hamas
was trying to create divisions within Israel, specifically by leveraging the pain of the hostage families to build opposition to Netanyahu's governing coalition.
The documents allegedly gave Netanyahu the public justification needed to add tougher conditions to ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, particularly a controversial demand that Israeli forces maintain full control of the corridor separating Egypt's border with Gaza that's referred to as the Philadelphia corridor.
Critics of the Prime Minister note that Netanyahu pushed this demand due to concerns related to the alleged plans of Hamas to escape Gaza with the hostages. The problem, however, is that the leaked information was based on either partial or false information, according to an Israeli court.
It was provided in early September to Britain's Jewish Chronicle and Germany's tabloid Bild, which both ran high-profile stories about Hamas's alleged plan to escape with the hostages to Iran. Those articles have since been retracted.
An Israeli court partially lifted a gag order on Sunday, revealing that several people are being interrogated over the leak of the, quote, classified and sensitive intelligence information. which the court said was illegally accessed and issued from the Israeli military systems. Now, the court added that the leak may have damaged Israel's ability to secure a hostage deal in Gaza.
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Chapter 5: What are the implications of the Israeli intelligence leak?
Critics of the Prime Minister point to the fact that many hardline members of Netanyahu's governing coalition have threatened to quit if he makes any concessions to Hamas. and that an end to the war would likely trigger calls for new elections in Israel. And that's something that the critics say Netanyahu is keen to avoid.
In a statement, the hostage family said, quote, "...suspicions indicate that people associated with the prime minister acted to carry out one of the biggest deceptions in the history of the country," end quote. Opposition leader Pierre Lapid entered the fray on Monday, also accusing Netanyahu's government of leaking what he called, quote, "...faked secret documents to torpedo a hostage deal."
Meanwhile, Benny Gantz, who until recently served in Netanyahu's war cabinet, suggested that Netanyahu may have leveraged the leaks for political survival, something that, if proven, Gantz said would constitute a, quote, crime against the nation. Now, Gantz, of course, sees himself as the most likely replacement as prime minister should Netanyahu be pushed out of office.
Coming up, with tensions spiraling on the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. flew a long-range bomber to North Korea's doorstep on Sunday as part of a joint exercise meant to send a clear warning to dictator Kim Jong-un. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let's talk about trees, shall we? And plants. Oh, and don't forget shrubs.
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deployed a B-1B Lancer bomber to Northeast Asia on Sunday to participate in a trilateral aerial exercise with South Korea and Japan. This exercise comes in the wake of North Korea's longest test launch of its largest nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile, of course, an ICBM.
The joint exercise comes at a critical moment as North Korea, under leader Kim Jong-un, continues to advance its nuclear capabilities. As we previously reported on the PDB, Kim personally observed the launch of the Hwasong-19 ICBM on Thursday. This test saw the missile travel a near vertical path to avoid breaching the airspace of neighboring countries.
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Chapter 6: How are Israeli leaders and hostage families reacting?
It's important to note, as non-nuclear nations, South Korea and Japan rely on the U.S. for what's known as extended deterrence, or the nuclear umbrella, a commitment by Washington to defend its allies against nuclear and non-nuclear threats. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command made it clear that the exercise was a direct response to North Korea's missile threat.
The command on Sunday released a statement, "...our three nations maintain an absolute commitment to the shared vision of a secure, rules-based, and open Indo-Pacific region." South Korea's military labeled the bomber's attack simulation in the non-live-fire exercise as, quote, overwhelming, emphasizing its effectiveness as a deterrent against Pyongyang.
According to Japanese media, Sunday marked the fourth bomber deployment by the U.S. to the region this year, with prior missions in April, June, and October, utilizing the B-1B Lancer and the nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress.
Military aircraft trackers revealed that while two bombers were initially planned for Sunday's exercise, one returned to South Dakota midway, likely due to technical issues.
As Kim continues to advance Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, the US, South Korea, and Japan are showcasing a united alliance, of course, prepared to maintain peace and stability in a region that's facing increasing threats. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Monday, 4 November. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com.
And, as you've no doubt heard from Celebrity Gossip, to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by simply visiting pdbpremium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
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