Sinwar Dead

Plus, zero to 94 in 3.5

October 21, 2024

The Flag

Good morning and Happy Monday! Here are the Flag’s Top Five stories that should be on your radar to start the day:

  • US: Musk offers voters $1 million to sign PAC petition backing the Constitution. Can that be legal? (AP)

  • World: US investigates leaked documents alleging Israel plans to attack Iran (The Guardian)

  • Business: Boeing reaches tentative deal to end strike (Axios)

  • Technology: Apple iPhone 17 Pro: New Design Promised In Latest Report (Forbes)

  • Sports: Browns announce Deshaun Watson has Achilles injury (NBC Sports)

BECOME A FLAG BEARER

🎆 Booms, bursts, and a rebellious spark. Ever wonder how the night sky became part of our patriotic celebration? Spoiler: It involves a founding father and some unexpected flashes. Click here to unlock the full explosive story and become a premium subscriber!

POWERED BY MONEY

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Right: Biden Is the Ghost That Keeps Haunting Harris Kayleigh McEnany, Fox News

Right: When 'Social Justice' Gets in the Way of Protecting Kids Naomi Schaffer Riley, New York Post

Right: Bret Baier Politely Took No Prisoners Teresa Mull, The Spectator

Left: Will Harris' Problem With Men Swing the Election? Simon Tisdall, The Guardian

Left: How Harris Should Think About the Care Economy Gregg Gonsalves, The Nation

ISRAEL-PALESTINE

Sinwar Dead

Today’s Top Story: On Thursday, Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas who is believed to have been the architect of the October 7 attacks, was reportedly killed in an IDF operation. Following a DNA test and dental comparison, Israeli officials confirmed his death.

Reporting from the Right: Hamas admits 'painful, distressing' losses after Israeli video shows terrorist Sinwar moments before his death (Fox News)

Reporting from the Left: Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Israeli military says (CNN)

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Justice for Israel

The Top Argument From The Right: Justice in Gaza, The Editors, National Review: “This is a wonderful development. Sinwar, who remained in the tunnels of Gaza as other leaders sought refuge abroad, launched the current war by sending an army of terrorists into Israel under the cover of thousands of rockets — to massacre children, rape women, and burn homes to the ground. By the end of that horrific day, 1,200 were dead and 251 were taken hostage and dragged into Gaza. In over a year of fighting, Sinwar has refused to surrender and release the hostages, as he preferred to have his people suffer if it meant that world opinion, and the U.S. government, turned against Israel. … The killing of Sinwar is a major victory for Israel, both operationally and symbolically. As long as Sinwar was alive and defiantly leading Hamas, it was difficult for Israel to view its costly war in Gaza as a success. … Coupled with the overall campaign, Israel has dealt a significant blow to the proxies of Iran as it contemplates retaliatory steps against Iran itself. … While the usual suspects are now using Sinwar’s death as yet another way to pressure Israel into immediately ending the war, the job in Gaza will not be done as long as the roughly 100 hostages (both alive and dead) remain in captivity and Hamas is still in control of the territory and in a position to rebuild.”

Honorable Mention #2: The Israelis Get Their Yahyas Out! — Live in Concert, Jeffrey Blehar, National Review.

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Is There an End in Sight?

The Top Argument From The Left: Yahya Sinwar may be dead, but there is no end in sight to this genocide, Belén Fernández, Al Jazeera: “Of course, the elimination of Sinwar hardly spells the end of genocide, as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear in his post-assassination announcement: ‘Today we have settled the score. Today evil has been dealt a blow, but our task has still not been completed.’ Fortunately for the powers that be in a nation whose very existence is predicated on perpetual slaughter, the Israeli ‘task’ will never be fully completed – at least as long as there are still Palestinians and fellow Arabs committed to resisting Israel’s bloodthirsty efforts. And yet Sinwar’s killing will make it ever more difficult for Israel to continue to justify its current war on Gaza, not that justification ever really matters to Israel’s primary international backer, the United States of America. … And while Israel may have dispensed physically with a key anti-Zionist resistance figure, it is consciously engendering ever greater resistance – without which, of course, the lucratively blood-soaked Israeli enterprise cannot ultimately flourish. … According to Biden, this was the equivalent of the 2011 assassination of Osama bin Laden – and ‘a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.’ But a day that’s good for genocide isn’t really a good day at all.”

Honorable Mention #1: Yahya Sinwar’s death ushers in an uncertain ‘day after’ for Gaza, David Ignatius, The Washington Post.

FLAG THIS

Where America Stands a Year Later

While Americans have traditionally supported Israel, public opinion is now more divided, with 25% sympathizing with Israelis and 15% with Palestinians, according to a recent AP-NORC/Pearson Institute poll. Increasing concerns over Israel’s military actions have led to 42% of Americans disapproving of their response, compared to just 32% in late 2023. Despite this shift, nearly 60% of Americans still blame Hamas as the primary actor responsible for the conflict (ABC News).

WATERCOOLER

Guggenheim Opens, Polyglot Tips, Solar Love

On This Day in 1959, on New York City’s Fifth Avenue, thousands of people line up outside a bizarrely shaped white concrete building that resembled a giant upside-down cupcake. It was opening day at the new Guggenheim Museum, home to one of the world’s top collections of contemporary art.

POWERED BY MONEY

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