Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.
Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.
What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.
Song to Survival Representing Israel at the 2025 Eurovision is Yuval, whose story of survival is both harrowing and inspiring. What was meant to be a night of music and celebration with friends at the Nova festival turned into a desperate struggle to stay alive as she lay motionless for eight hours – pretending to be dead – concealing herself among the bodies of those murdered by Hamas. Testifying before a Knesset committee, she related: “I was surrounded by bodies everywhere. There was one specific body I hid beneath every time terrorists came.It was riddled with bullets, bleeding on me from every direction. I lifted her head, pressed her cheek against mine — that’s how I shielded myself.”
Articles
Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.
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JEWISH SECURITY IN BELGIUM – AT A ‘KNIFE’S’ EDGE
How secure are Jews in Belgium after recent court decision relating to “sharp knife” threat? By David E. Kaplan
The Untouchables. Popular Belgium writer, Herman Brusselmans who expressed the urge to “ram a knife down Jews’ throats” was acquitted in a Ghent court of hate speech. A court’s messaging it’s not illegal to incite to murder Jews, Belgium’s judiciary upholds an all-to-familiar heinous European tradition.
NOT SINCE ‘HAMAN’ HAS PERSIA POSED SUCH A DANGER TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE
A Christian and Jew unite this Purim in prayer and to call to end the threatening evil menace of the Ayatollah regime in Iran. By Marziyeh Amirizadeh and Jonathan Feldstein
Time and Again. Having overcome the Persian threat in Biblical times, Jews are again facing an existential threat from this land’s modern rulers. A Jewish writer joins forces with an escaped persecuted Christian – who once faced death in an Iranian prison – to warn that “dialogue” will not stop this menace.
Navigating the artistic response of Israelis to a massacre and war and the power to heal – a visiting architect’s perspective. By Michael Witkin
Calamity and Culture. A visiting architect from Michigan, USA, is captivated by the “extraordinary artistic creativity in Israeli societyunleashed by the painful reality of war.” He sees everywhere – on street poles, walls, bus stops and train stations, up escalators and across beaches, along freeways and sidewalks, an explosion of art as a response to the explosion of October 7.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
10 March 2025 – Latest ceasefire developments and more on The Israel Brief.
11 March 2025 – IAF strikes targets in Syria and more on The Israel Brief.
12 March 2025 – Is Lebanon the next country to join the Abraham Accords? This and more on The Israel Brief.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
How secure are Jews in Belgium after recent court decision relating to “sharp knife” threat?
By David E. Kaplan
Following this week’s outrageous Belgian court acquittal of hate speech by the country’s novelist, poet, playwright and columnist Herman Brusselmans, chairman of the European Jewish Association, Rabbi Menachem Margolin WARNED in his condemnation of the ruling:
“It legitimizes calls for the murder of Jews without legal consequences.”
The violent verbiage that the case revolved around was Brusselmans’ penning that he wants to:
“…shove a sharp knife into the throat of every Jew.”
The Untouchable. Belgium justice, Herman Brusselmans who wanted to ‘ram a knife down Jews’ throats’ acquitted in Ghent court. (photo: James Arthur Gekiere/Belga MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
One can hardly take issue with the European Jewish Association chairman’s warning considering that only last year, in July 2024, the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) found in a survey that:
97% of Jews in Belgium claimed to have encountered anti-Semitism in their daily lives
68% of Jews in Belgium have encountered online anti-Semitism. This is higher than the EU average of 61%
40% of Jews claimed to have avoided Jewish events due to feelings of insecurity
54% of Jews in Belgium claimed to have avoided certain locations for fear of being attacked
With this frightful scenario for the Jews in a country that saw of its 66,000 Jews in May 1940, around 28,000 murdered during the Holocaust, the Belgian court, not only against Brusselmans dropped charges, it for the Jewish community dropped a bombshell. That “bombshell” is the frightening realization that Jews are not welcome, and their continued stay in Belgium is:
“At your own risk”
Who will protect them? Not the courts!
The case against Brusselmans was that In August 2024, the Belgian novelist published a controversial column in the Dutch-language magazine Humo in relation to the rising tension from the Gaza war , where he threatened:
“I want to ram a sharp knife through the throat of every Jew I meet.”
Note that Brusselmans does not specify any specific Jews that he might have quarrel with but “every” Jew he meets, in other words those within knife-reach. Brusselmans’ column was rightly condemned by the head of the Brussels office of B’nai B’rith International as a “blatant incitement to violence against Jews, in one of Belgium’s largest magazines.”
The concern was justified when only a month later, in September 2024, Belgium’s federal equality agency reported a 1,000% increase in antisemitic incidents in the two months following the outbreak in October 2023 of the Israel-Hamas War when compared to similar periods in previous years. In the wake of these staggering statistics, the issue of education came into play when the International Movement for Peace and Coexistence (IMPAC) raised concerns of bias with regard to how the Palestinian-Israel conflict is presented in Belgian schools.
Condescendingly, the court acknowledged that “certain members of the Jewish community may have been offended by some sentences in a few columns.”
“Some sentences” and “may have” offended!!!! The words of the judge are as dangerous and most certainly as despicable as the words of the accused.
Poison Pen. Arabic for Intifada, this image from the “Knife Intifada” resonates with the words of legally unshackled Belgium writer, Herman Brusselmans.
We are talking about words that amounted to a threat to murder Jews in a manner very popular by Palestinian terrorists – the knife! There was in recent history a period of intense violence against Israelis that was referred to as “The Knife Intifada”. Today, knife attacks are again in Israel on the rise. Nevertheless, the court found the words by Brusselmans that he wants to “…shove a sharp knife into the throat of every Jew” mere “…expressions of opinion,” that are “protected by the right to freedom of expression”.
The court further held that:
“The texts also do not show that the defendant wanted to incite hatred and violence against members of the Jewish community…He only wanted to present an opinion piece or a value judgment in his well-known writing style.”
Defying any other explanation other than a judiciary tainted by antisemitism – hardly an unexpected trait in European history – Michel Kotek, the chairman of the Jewish Information and Documentation Centre, calledthe ruling “a disgrace to the Belgian judiciary.” In this same interview with the European Jewish Press (EJP), European Jewish Association chairman, Rabbi Margolin accurately warned that
“By issuing such a verdict, the Belgian judiciary sends a dangerous message: incitement to murder and hatred can be reinterpreted, excused, and ultimately legitimized — at least when the targets are Jews.”
Brusselmans is now free to continue his vicious verbal attacks against Jews. The “Belgium constitution” is protecting him and now others, so who will protect Belgium’s increasingly vulnerable Jews? This court verdict will amplify the call for antisemites to join the crusade against a terrified community that “70% of them” hide their identity in public. The unprotected Jew has seen this all too often before in Europe – they are, in the single word of Rabbi Margolin, “targets”.
Jaundiced Justice. “It legitimizes calls for the murder of Jews,” responds European Jewish Association chairman, Rabbi Menachem Margolin to the Belgium court acquittal of Herman Brusselmans.
Today’s Israelis are all too familiar with the shrieking and terrifying sound of the ‘AZAKA’ – the siren. It’s a warning to seek immediate protection from incoming missiles. This Belgium court decision is no less a ‘siren’ – a warning to Jews to seek secure shelter in a Europe that is returning to old but nefarious habits.
Herman Brusselmans may be the “most famous writer in the Low Countries” but he is also responsible for bringing his country’s judiciary to one of its lowest point in its history.
This burst of extraordinary artistic creativity in Israeli society has been unleashed by the painful reality of war and by all the Jewish blood that was so savagely spilled on October 7, 2023. The country has been traumatized and is in constant mourning. Their art is evocative and original and provides a therapeutic healing to restore and make whole again.
While travelling, I constantly heard the strains of classical piano playing in the subways and bus stations and the ever-present sidewalk guitar solos, all very accomplished musicians. Music brings us joy and comfort; it motivates us and calms the soul.
I visited an art exhibition at ANU Museum of the Jewish People on the campus of the Tel Aviv University entitled “October Seventh”. The exhibitioncurates a body of gut-wrenching emotive and evocative work by 25 artists; some are living, some are deceased including those who were murdered on October 7th or died during the ensuing war and those who survived and suffered the loss of loved ones, the destruction of their homes or whose families were gravely impacted by the horrors of the massacre.
These works of art reveal the hidden edges of the artists’ souls and portray the unimaginable. Like a fresh wound, there is so much pain residing in the sanctuary of their minds. Not only are these works a representation of the face of one’s life or to lay bare the unanswered questions, but a warning – like the all too familiar ‘SIREN’ – to be ever-watchful for the enemy. These disturbing images succeed in pushing our boundaries and provoking us; revealing deeper truths of our society. Much of this art resonates with oneself and imparts an overwhelming feeling of emptiness, helplessness, despair, and to a degree, fear. I was trembling as emotions I had never felt before were washing over me; all in total silence.
Burying our Dead. October Seventh photographic exhibition at the ANU Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv.
It has been stated that war and suffering stultify artistic creativity and becomes the death of our dreams. The poet’s voice is silent; the sculptor does not wield his chisel nor does the painter dip his brush. The roiling of the normal and of the natural “According to Diane Sophrin – Art and Life 6/21/20)”, has revealed the pain in the dark crevices of our collective anguish as we cling tenaciously onto hope and life; while art seeps in and out of the pores of Israel…
To this point, an exhibition plaque reads:
“It has been said that “when the canons are heard, the Muses are silent”. The need to survive is thought to quiet ideas, thoughts, and creation. This notion seems to have turned on its head in this war, and we are experiencing an abundance of creativity in all art fields. As the canons are heard, the voices of the Muses are emerging all the more clearly from deep down in the throat.”
October Seventh Exhibition – ANU, Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv.
“Among first to give voice to our collective grief were Israeli musicians. The musicians provided temporary relief for people who survived the unthinkable trauma or were about to leave for war. They played at funerals and hospitals, performed for evacuees from the South and the North, for survivors of the music festival’s massacres, and soldiers at meeting points. They often performed only with a guitar – and a lot of soul.”
(Excerpt from the curator of the October Seventh exhibition- ANU Museum of the Jewish People)
SINCE 7/10 WE CAN’T BREATHE – HELP US! This painting captures not only the plight of the hostages but the people of Israel who cry in anguish unreleased from suffering. (ANU Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv).
I stare in awe at this painting, take my cue from the text, and literally have to catch my “breath”. I ponder: “Can art that provokes such powerful emotions affect change in Israeli society?” Mesmerized, I am reminded by a quote from Berthold Brecht:
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.”
Reminiscent of the iconic image of IDF soldiers carrying an injured comrade whether from battle or a military exercise, I stare at this painting and see the weight of a bruised and battered nation on the shoulders of its people. (ANU Museum of the Jewish People, Tel Aviv).
ANU Museum of The Jewish People, Tel Aviv.
I stop, step back to process, and see how the artist has turned Matisse’s famous ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’ into a Nova Music Festival crime scene with butchered, murdered, naked women splatted with blood. It is horrifying but what Hamas perpetrated was precisely that – a horrifying mass murder crime scene !
I continue and am confronted by a painting of a map of massacre and murder. Interspersed between the now familiar names of towns and kibbutzim I’ve gleaned from the news, are the sites where on “October Seventh”, the killings took place.
ANU Museum of The Jewish People, Tel Aviv
Women were in the forefront of what transpired on October Seventh. They fought and died with their male peers. In the painting ‘Blood Covenant’ below, the artist Irit Regev, whose daughter-in-law is a survivor of the Kibbutz Or Haner massacre, paints in homage to the woman fighters – ‘First Sergeant P. and her dog Bingo’.
‘Blood Covenant’ by Irit Regev. ANU Museum of The Jewish People, Tel Aviv.
That there was little chance for escape for most the young revelers at the Nova Music Festival was captured by this photograph below at the Burnt Car Cemetery. How could one not fail to think: “Who were the young people in this car and what they went through?”
Haunted Graveyard. Israeli Vehicles Damaged on October 7 (ANU Museum of The Jewish People, Tel Aviv).
When words are not enough to express our feelings, we need another “language”. Art enables us to confront suffering, to connect with our emotions and release our inner thoughts. Art is a pathway to self-discovery and consoles our wounds. I could see as I toured Israel, this will take time – maybe a very long time.
In an art gallery in Zichron Yakov, south of Haifa, I saw attached to a public wall, a glass shadow box, not with typical jewelry inside but dismembered Barbie Doll body parts, while in Sderot, which terrorists turned into a city of slaughter, I focused my camera on a wall mural opposite the destroyed police station, today a memorial, detailing the Lion of Judah – the traditional symbol of resilience in Judaism – and the lioness protecting her metaphorical young. From our car window, while driving around Sderot, where terrorists mowed down anyone they saw from their pickup trucks, I saw peering at me from a hedge an image of a haunting face of a young woman hiding in fear.
Barbie Body Parts. Artist unknown at art gallery in Zichron Yakov (Photo: Michael Witkin).
Roar of Resilience. Detail of mural on a side wall of a residential building in Sderot projecting Jewish resilience. (Photo: Michael Witkin)
I snapped this shot as we passed a hedge and saw this face of a woman hiding in fear. (Photo: Michael Witkin).
At the iconic Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, a large evocative sculpture of a chained heart glistening in blood. I saw whimsical little pottery-people sitting on a bench on a ledge or scaling the wall on the side of a house. There is sculpture made from the remains of cars hit by RPG’s while kids burned alive inside as they tried to flee the Nova Music Festival.
All this and more bares testimony to such savagery wreaked upon them that fateful day. They just wanted to love life and listen to music.….
Heavy Heart. Chained bloodied heart at Hostages Square, Tel Aviv (Photo: Michael Witkin).
And then there is our Nemesis, the same blackness and savagery of Amalek, Haman and Hitler …the insidious skull of Hamas devouring limbs……
Grotesque Graffiti. Skull of Hamas – Street art Tel Aviv. (Photo: Michael Witkin).
Cries from the City. ‘Bring Them Home Now’ is the message throughout Israel as exhibited on a city wall in south Tel Aviv. (Photo: Michael Witkin).
There are many quotations supporting the notion of the power of art and how it helps us overcome trauma and hardship. Here is an excerpt that resonates powerfully:
“I hold the deepest gratitude to Art, for she has led me to places I never expected to travel. The making, the crafting of art soothes, stimulates, quiets, engages, frustrates, calms and stirs my soul. It makes me feel alive. My inspiration flows intuitively from the stuff of life – Revealing the remarkable within the ordinary, Leading me towards my truest spiritual self, Urging me to see the entire world before I die…..” (Article: Art as Healing by Heidi Darr-Hope)
Art reminds us of the enduring power of creativity and the transformative healing power of artistic expression. Art does help to heal; for it is in this pursuit that we find a deeper understanding of ourselves and a connection to something larger than ourselves. Yes indeed, a picture can convey more truth and emotions than a thousand words ever could……
OCTOBER SEVENTH EXHIBITION – ONLINE TOUR
*Feature picture: A poignant message of resilience perched on a piano in Hostages and Missing Square in Tel Aviv. (Photo by Abigail K. Leichman).
About the writer:
Raised in Cape Town, South Africa and a graduate in architecture from the University of Cape Town in 1976, Michael Witkin‘s first commission was the Mosque and Madrasa in the oppressed black neighborhood of Hanover Park where he also helped to raise money and acquire donated building materials. He also designed emergency low-income housing units using waterproofed heavy-duty corrugated cardboard. With the birth of his first child, he designed and manufactured a portable baby bassinet; and was involved in other pioneering projects including water recycling. Michael immigrated to San Diego where he had a successful architectural practice for 28 years; and a construction company for 13 of those years. He served as president of the North County American Institute of Architects and chaired the design review board for the San Diego City Development Corporation for many years. Additionally, he critiqued students at the School of Architecture in design. He has 4 children and moved to Michigan 15 years ago. Besides commercial and residential projects, he specializes in religious buildings, grows flowers and build furniture and charcuterie boards from exotic hardwoods.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
A Christian and Jew unite this Purim in prayer and to call to end the threatening evil menace of the Ayatollah regime in Iran.
By Marziyeh Amirizadeh and Jonathan Feldstein
Celebrated by Jews this week, the festivity of Purim marks the deliverance of the Jewish people in Persia – what was then the world’s superpower, some 2500 years ago. In recent years, a growing number of Christians have identified the significance of the holiday, marking Esther‘s bravery, and the defeat and elimination of the evil Haman and his sons, and all those who felt empowered to massacre the Jewish people.
This year more than ever, both Jews and Christians in general, and Israelis and Iranians in specific, are and should be united in the common lessons and miracles as chronicled in the Book of Esther. The often-repeated verse where Mordechai counsels Esther that she was divinely placed as Queen “for such a time as this” (4:14) has never been more relevant, and never been more of an urgent rallying cry for us.
Message from a Masterpiece. This Rembrandt masterpiece captures the dynamics in play as Queen Esther lowers her arms as she finishes speaking, while the king’s lips are pursed in anger at his scheming vizier Haman, whose pose and distance to his king are in stark contrast to Ahasuerus and Esther who appear a united pair.
As an American-born Orthodox Israeli Jew and an Iranian born American Christian, we have partnered to build essential bridges between Jews and Christians, and to restore the once bright relations between Jews and Persians. We have done so by piloting Root and Branch, a project to bring Christians to harvest olives in Israel. Now we need to ‘harvest’ goodwill and support to bring about the rapid demise of the Iranian Islamic Republic regime.
Not since Haman has Persia been the threat it is to the Jewish people. Iran today is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism with tentacles and cells across the world. The Islamic Republic’s goal and intent to acquire nuclear weapons is not something to be negotiated with, but terminated at all costs. The ayatollahs, if they acquire a nuclear weapon are likely to use it against Israel and would be a constant threat to extort the world to pursue their nefarious goals.
Neighborhood Bully. The Islamic Republic of Iran has continued its pursuit of obtaining a nuclear weapon not only by stockpiling enriched uranium to near-weapons grade purity, but has expanded its covert actions in developing its weaponization capabilities.
We – the writers – have each experienced the suffering under the heels of the Islamic regime. While I, Marzi, lived in Iran where I was arrested, imprisoned and sentenced to death for converting to Christianity and witnessed the execution of loved ones, I, Jonathan, have lived for decades enduring missile attacks and threats from Iran and its proxies, as well as witnessing Iran sponsored terror attacks close to home.
A regime that has brought misery and persecution to its own people – the Iranians – for far too long, and threatens the region and the world must be brought to an expeditions end. As we celebrate the ancient victory over the evil Haman by the righteous Mordechai and Esther, we – Jews and Christians and Americans and Israelis and Iranians – must unite to realize this vision. The same way the Jewish people were saved by a divine miracle 2500 years ago, we must pray and advocate for another miracle today. Indeed, Esther herself was a woman of action. She asked that Jews in Persia to pray and fast. This combination of beseeching God and taking personal action will save Israel and the Jewish people who are in the ayatollah’s crosshairs, as well as Iran and the Iranian people who have suffered the brunt of brutal domestic Islamic torture.
As was with Persia the world’s superpower 2500 years ago, defeating the ayatollahs today is an imperative in safeguarding the world. Our heroes then were Esther and Mordechai but also King Cyrus who empowered and funded the Jewish people’s return to Jerusalem and the reconstruction of the Temple. Cyrus understood the imperative to bless the Jewish people and the centrality of Jerusalem as the heart of Jewish life.
Today’s heroes are the US president as leader of the modern superpower who has the ability to shut down the Islamic regime once and for all. Our heroes are Israel; and the Jewish people who have fought and resisted decades of Iranian threats and the Iranian people, who are longing to overthrow their evil rulers. Our hero too is Crown Prince Raza Pahlavi who has shown great strength and courage in pursuing the restoration of positive relations between Israel and Iran, and Jews and Persians.
Joining Hands. Following Israel’s invitation, Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi’s visit to Israel in April 2023 was a historical event and remains the highest Iranian official to ever visit Israel. Here he is seen (left) with Israeli Intelligence Minister, Gila Gamliel. (photo: Ariel Zandberg/GPO)
There is a Biblical tradition that when the Jewish people were standing at the shores of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army behind them, God only performed the miracle of splitting the sea when one man demonstrated his faith and walked in the water up until his nose. Today we are calling upon Jews and Christians, Israelis, Americans, and Iranians wherever they are, and people of good conscience everywhere, to join us and our organizations Genesis 123 Foundation and NewPersia.org to demonstrate their faith and support.
Together we can create our Red Sea moment.
At the end of the Book of Esther, there is a beautiful verse that says, “The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor.” (8:16) As we celebrate Purim this week, we pray this will be the outcome not just for Israel and the Jewish people, but for Iranians and the entire world. We believe that through the power of prayer and public advocacy, we can see in our day, miracles performed that are unimaginable and will indeed be remarkable.
A regime that is a threat not only to the Jewish people but to the region and the world must end. It would be an event not only celebrated by Jews but welcomed by Iranians.
About the writers:
Marziyeh Amirizadeh is an Iranian American who immigrated to the US after being sentenced to death in Iran for the crime of converting to Christianity. She endured months of mental and physical hardships and intense interrogation. She is author of two books (the latest, ‘A Love Journey with God’), public speaker, and activist for religious freedom. She has shared her inspiring story throughout the United States and around the world, to bring awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and persecution of women and religious minorities in Iran.
Jonathan Feldstein - President of the US based non-profit Genesis123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians – is a freelance writer whose articles appear in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Townhall, NorthJersey.com, Algemeiner Jornal, The Jewish Press, major Christian websites and more.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.
Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.
What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.
Anxiety, uncertainty and the fate of the remaining hostages – all captured in this collage
Daily news an agonizing constant, Israelis navigate life amid anxiety from war, terrorism, Iranian threat and unrelenting heart-wrenching concern for the hostages.
Articles
Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.
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NO KIDDING!
Blinded by bias, upcoming UN report on status of ‘children in conflict zones’ omits Israeli kids By David E. Kaplan
Blinded by Bias. Neither the murder of the Jewish Bibas babies by Hamas in Gaza nor the brutal killing of 12 Druze children by a Hezbollah rocket in a village on the Golan Heights raised the slightest professional interest by the UN to include in its upcoming report on ‘children in conflict zones’. Why?
The Monsters Murdered the Innocents By Rolene Marks
Hamas Horror. We tell our children “Monsters aren’t real,” and then monsters invade their homes, kill their parents, take them hostage and then murder them? The writer reflects on her visit to kibbutz Nir Oz where a quarter of its people were murdered, kidnapped or injured.
“CAUGHT NAPPING” – IT WAS LEFT TO THE PEOPLE NOT THE POLITICIANS
Some thoughts from a weekly volunteer responding to the call of our brave soldiers By Adrian Wolff
Call to Civilians. Being civilians not soldiers, the weapon of Israel’s volunteers during war is their indominable spirit. “It made me so proud of our country meeting these young soldiers – boys and girls,” says the writer a weekly volunteer, delivering food to soldiers in war zones.
Perspectives and insights from writers in the Arab media
Arab writers address three major issues confronting the Middle East: (1) To resuscitate Lebanon requires uprooting the “malignant tumor” of corruption (2) Iran’s dilemma of whether to talk or not to talk to the new US administration and (3) The impact Zelensky’s fiery meeting with Trump might have on the Middle East.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Blinded by bias, upcoming UN report on status of ‘children in conflict zones’ omits Israeli kids
By David E. Kaplan
While required to adhere to the principles of ‘neutrality’ and ‘impartiality’ – what Shakespeare’s “Words, words, words” might dismiss as meaningless – the UN is blinded by embedded bias when it comes to Israel. True, the UN’s anti-Israel bias is hardly a new phenomenon, nevertheless it can still surprise, particularly when viewed “in context” in the putrid parlance of its head honcho, António Guterres. The “context” here is the kidnapping and then brutal murder of two red-headed babies, what all the world knows but ignored by the UN in its report.
Neither the cold-blooded strangling of the Jewish Bibas babies by Hamas terrorists nor the 12 Druze children killed by a deliberately aimed Hezbollah rocket at Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights raised the slightest professional interest in the UN to include in its upcoming report on ‘children in conflict zones’.
While referencing Palestinian kids, the murder of the Bibas baby brothers that garnered world attention covered by most international media networks, did not merit inclusion in the UN’s annual report expected to be published in June 2025.
Transparently biased, the draft of the ‘children in conflict zones’ report, glaringly omits Israeli victims, not only the murdered siblings Ariel and Kfir Bibas but also the 12 children killed by a Hezbollah rocket in Majdal Shams, which too made world headlines at the time. In reaction to the distorted report, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon described it as “…a platform for baseless accusations against Israel”.
12 Israeli Druze children killed by Hezbollah
Justifiably furious, particularly with UN’s Guterres, he continued:
“The Secretary-General once again chooses to blatantly ignore the harm done to Israeli children. As far as he’s concerned, our lives are worth less and don’t deserve to be included in this report. We will not let diplomatic terrorism prevail.”
Dannon has it right; in the eyes and hearts of most the member states of the UN, Israeli lives “are worth less” hence not warranting “… to be included” in the report.
UN’acceptable. What can Israelis expect from the UN when its secretary-general equates Israel – a democracy -with a terrorist organization basically creating a moral equation that puts the victim and the aggressor on the same side. It should be as Israels UN ambassador, Danny Danon said “unacceptable.”
Furthermore, the report is downright venomous. While it ignores the murder of the Bibas babies, it amplifies a report of an Israeli soldier that was falsely alleged to have “Kidnapped” a Palestinian girl, which received wide Palestinian condemnation at the time. What it failed to reveal was that the alleged ‘kidnapper’ was an IDF officer that took the infant girl after air strikes likely claimed the lives of her family. An act of concern in the midst of a heated battle was portrayed as an act of criminality – a traditional nefarious trademark of the UN when it comes to Israel. As was said about the officer, “He did the right thing and put his heart first.”
It gets worth by the report exaggerating figures, including unverifiable data from dubious Palestinian sources and deliberately deflects responsibility away from the terrorist groups for their role in placing children in harms way. A case in point is that while the report aggressively accuses the IDF of using 27 Palestinian children as “human shields,” it only vaguely references Hamas’ consistent use of civilians in such a manner. There is abundant video footage revealing Hamas’ abuse of Palestinian children as human shields by the internationally declared unlawful use of:
– children’s schools
– amusement parks, and
– kids’ bedrooms
as weapons depots and terror tunnels entrances for their vast terror network.
A clear violation of international law, the Report is happy to ignore, downplay or deflect Hamas’ turning civilian areas into terrorist targets. While the report claims the IDF used schools and hospitals for military purposes in 10 different cases, it mentions only ONE instance in which Hamas used civilian structures for military purposes. This is despite the well-documented evidence that many of these “innocent” buildings in Gaza were revealed to be bases for launching terror operations!
Hamas – unlike the UN – is well aware of Israel’s desire to minimize collateral damage and its sensitivity towards civilian casualties and knows that if the IDF uses lethal force and causes an increase in civilian casualties, it can utilize that as a ‘lawfare’ tool and can accuse Israel of committing war crimes. Hamas is also alternatively aware that if the IDF limits its use of military force in Gaza to avoid collateral damage, it – Hamas – will be less susceptible to Israeli attacks, and thereby able to protect its assets while continuing to fight. All of this escapes the attention of the UN folk who drew up the report; probably deliberately so.
There is no end to the nefarious intent of the Report’s drafters. This is further evidenced in the callous crafting of the issue of humanitarian aid, which invariably affects the welfare of children. Placing almost all the responsibility on Israel, the Report almost entirely ignores the fact that Hamas itself damaged the crossings designated for aid transfers and, according to countless testimonies and evidence, also stole aid intended for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for its own purposes. As further reported in Ynet, “The report claims that 2,723 requests for aid were denied but downplays the fact that 5,327 requests – nearly twice as many – were approved.”
‘Teaching’ Terror. This photo shows a Hamas rocket launch site located in a diplomatic building near a U.N. school in Gaza. Israel has accused Hamas of committing “”double war crimes” by not only firing rockets at civilians, but firing them from and near UN-run facilities, notably- schools! (Photo: IDF)
In conclusion, the UN’s annual report on children in conflict zones is characterized throughout by imbalance and an anti-Israel tone. Most glaringly so by ignoring two of the youngest Israeli Israeli victims of the war – Kfir and Ariel Bibas, who were murdered in captivity in Gaza and the 12 Druze children killed by a Hezbollah missile on a soccer field on Israel’s annexed Golan Heights.
Kids like to skip; the UN likes to skipout kids if they are Israeli – Jews and Druze alike!
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Perspectives and insights from writers in the Arab media
In our latest newsletter,we focus on Arab writers addressing three major issues confronting the Middle East:
The realization and acknowledgement that any serious pursuit to resuscitate Lebanon politically and economically requires uprooting the “malignant tumor” of corruption
Iran’s dilemma as it faces down the dangers of whether to talk or not to talk to the new US administration
The impact of Zelensky’s tempestuous meeting with Trump might have on the Middle East
While to outside observers, these issues may be little more of than of academic or intellectual interest, however to the countries affected, the impacts could prove existential.
David E. Kaplan Editor Lay of the Land
(*Articles translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
CORRUPTION,CORRUPTION,CORRUPTION Lebanon is not bankrupt but a plundered state By Jean Feghali
Nidaa Al-Watan, Lebanon, Feb. 21
There is a malignant tumor that transcends eras, decades, and even centuries. Its diagnosis is not difficult. It is called corruption. Lebanon has been plagued by it since the days of the Ottoman Empire, through the French mandate, and into the era of independence. It festered during the Civil War, endured through the post-war period, and continued even with the advent of peace. To this day, it continues to erode the fabric of the Lebanese state.
President General Joseph Aoun recently stated:
“My main concern is to combat corruption that has eaten away at state administrations and has become a culture, and this corruption can only be stopped through accountability. Lebanon is not bankrupt but rather a plundered state ruled by people who have mismanaged its resources. Things will not be put right except by combating corruption and the corrupt.”
There are several key points to address here: corruption has become a culture in Lebanon; it can only be stopped through accountability, and Lebanon is a looted country governed by those who have squandered its resources. These three observations form the foundation of a roadmap for combating corruption – one that is not merely aimed at combating corruption for its own sake but with the ultimate goal of recovering the stolen funds, as the president emphasizes: “Lebanon is looted, not bankrupt.”
This road map requires a clear mechanism, and it is not beyond reach. The first step is identifying where the “looted money” went – specifically, how debts were paid off with checks and who the key beneficiaries are, particularly the larger figures involved. This is the latest innovation in corruption: allowing the major beneficiaries who took out loans to pay them off with checks at the lowest possible rates, with depositors’ funds at stake. It would be enough to file a lawsuit against these individuals, forcing the disclosure of their accounts, and once the recovery process begins, the financial gap would begin to narrow.
Protesters in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019. AP Photo/Hussein Malla
The second crucial issue is tax evasion. Today, the situation is more manageable than it once was, but it requires a decisive political will and a commitment to execution. For these matters to reach a resolution, they must be handed to an impartial judiciary – one that is not intimidated by the powerful and does not prey on the weak.
Perhaps the most accurate assessment of the judicial system was made by President Aoun, who, during a meeting with the Press Club, offered a candid observation:
“There is no judiciary in Lebanon.”
This stark truth – acknowledged by virtually everyone in Lebanon – is the starting point for any serious effort to combat corruption.
The ‘You Stink” protest campaign was mobilised and widened to reflect anger at widely-perceived graft in the political class after and the government failed to solve a crisis in trash disposal, leaving piles of refuse rotting in the summer sun.
In a country where the corrupt do not fear its judiciary, corruption will continue unchecked. Only when the judiciary operates with integrity, free from intimidation or political influence, will Lebanon begin to see meaningful progress in fighting the pervasive corruption that continues to plague it. – Jean Feghali
IRAN:TO TALK OR NOT TALK…THAT IS THE QUESTION By Amir Taheri
Asharq Al-Awsat, London, Feb. 21
With the Trump administration sending mixed signals about its intentions toward Iran, the country’s leadership is once again divided over how to respond.
One faction is painting a grim picture in which the US provides Israel with enough support to deliver a crushing blow to Iran, completing the defeats already inflicted on Tehran’s allies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. These defeats, the faction argues, would inspire opponents of the regime, both within and outside the country, to take to the streets and seize power, while the IRGC, suffering from low morale, would resort to what it did in Syria – fleeing under the economic crisis’s shadow to protect itself.
This faction contends that the current economic crisis has drained the will and energy of the regime’s dwindling support base, making regime change a real possibility for the first time.
So, how can such a perilous situation be navigated? Senior figures in this faction, including PresidentMasoud Pezeshkian, are proposing to open talks aimed at preventing war and allowing for a cooling of tensions. But who should they talk to? Talking to the US is supposedly off-limits, according to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who cites a fatwa issued by the regime’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, as well as a law passed by the Islamic Majlis, Iran’s parliament, which enforces the ban.
The answer: the European trio of France, Germany, and Great Britain, which just so happens to have strained relations with Washington at the moment. The theory is that the three countries would welcome a diplomatic breakthrough to restore some of the prestige they lost after President Donald Trump excluded them from his Ukraine peace initiative and his plans for the future of Gaza.
But what could be discussed without having to make concessions that would lead to a massive loss of face? The proposed “talks” would involve Iran offering to freeze its nuclear program for two to three years, after which it would decide its next steps. Tehran is currently investing vast resources in a program that lacks a clear and justifiable civilian or military purpose.
In return, the EU trio would use the mechanism provided by UN Security Council Resolution 3221 to block any military action against Iran. That resolution expires in October, opening the door to unintended consequences. Reaching an agreement with the Europeans would help ease pressure on Iran, inject some life into its moribund economy, and help prevent a widespread popular uprising.
Those promoting this analysis assume that the US and Israel will simply stand by and watch as Iran recovers from the brink. This analysis is countered by the faction loyal to the Supreme Leader, who insists that any appearance of weakness will accelerate the process of regime change. His advice is to stand firm and prepare for war.
The first step, according to this faction, is to build a war fund. This is achieved by reducing the supply of foreign currency in the market, allowing the national currency to depreciate further. The Iranian rial, which was worth 650,000 to the dollar, now needs to fall to 900,000 to the dollar. This was a trick used by the Allies when they invaded and occupied Iran during World War II. Because their expenses in Iran were in local currency, they were forced to devalue the rial by 50%.
Now, the Iranian regime is using this same tactic to increase the state’s purchasing power while reducing that of Iranian families, including military personnel and civil servants. To partially compensate, key individuals needed for the war effort are being given exceptional bonuses. The Supreme Leader, who controls the forces of law and order, has placed them on partial alert to preempt any potential rebellion. This is accompanied by a widespread crackdown on potential opponents, particularly in Tehran, where reports of arbitrary arrests have surfaced.
All of this suggests that the head of the Iranian regime is not willing to accept another deal with America in order to distance himself voluntarily from Trump’s four-year term – a game that has led seven consecutive American presidents to a dead end and allowed the Islamic Republic to approach its golden jubilee.
Today, the question of whether to talk or not to talk is not just a matter for rival factions in Tehran but also for those forces that – rightly or wrongly – have concluded that there can be no regional peace and stability without persuading or forcing what former French president François Mitterrand called “the great troublemaker” to change or be changed. – Amir Taheri
ZELENSKY’S WHITE HOUSE ‘TRAP’ SENDS DANGEROUS WORLD MESSAGE By Eyad Abu Shakra
Asharq Al-Awsat, London, March 2
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent controversial meeting at the White House has generated a plethora of images and quotes, not to mention conspiracy theories. This encounter sent a resounding message to the world, offering a stark lesson for those still bound by outdated perceptions of US President Donald Trump’s thinking, his value system, his understanding of political mechanisms, his definitions of enemies and allies, and his respect for institutions, traditions, and historical relationships.
What the cameras and microphones captured seemed more akin to a “trap” laid by the Trump administration for the Ukrainian leader than a sincere political dialogue between allies, irrespective of their size. Although Zelensky probably anticipated that today’s Washington is not the same as yesterday’s, I doubt he expected to face a firing squad as he did in reality.
It is well documented that most American commitments to Ukraine were solidified during the Democratic administrations since 2014, including the terms of Barack Obama (2009-2017) and Joe Biden (2021-2025), encompassing Trump’s initial term (2017-2021).
What has been confirmed, whether during Trump’s years in office, through his campaign slogans, or his media statements, is that his mold is not only distinct from his Democratic predecessors but also from a significant portion of American presidents and leaders post-World War II in 1945.
One might argue that Trump possesses an independent mind that enables him to think outside the box. Others might assert that times have changed, along with the concepts and political dangers, necessitating a new approach that liberates from the constraints of inherited alliances and considerations that have traditionally restricted presidential actions and limited maneuverability.
What’s next? As the plates of salad, chicken and crème brûlée that had been planned for a White House lunch sat uneaten on carts in a hallway outside the press secretary’s office, the Ukrainians were instructed to leave. What impact will this have on the Middle East?
This reality has even recently reflected the coexistence of two “schools” of conservative thought that have increasingly influenced the Republican Party, at least since the early 20th century. The party has historically housed right-wing and center-right currents, as well as centrist and progressive elements.
A retrospective glance at a few notable figures from the 20th and 21st centuries within the party’s ranks reveals hardline conservative right-wingers like senators Robert Taft and Joseph McCarthy, presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, governor and president Ronald Reagan, and then governor and president George W. Bush.
They rose to prominence in the Republican and American political arena before the Trump era, influenced by extremist phenomena such as McCarthyism, the clash with the East, and the moral majority representing evangelical Christianity, followed by neoconservatives, a coalition of the Christian religious right, the Jewish lobby, and the arms lobby.
Alongside these were the realist and center-right currents, exemplified by figures like President Dwight Eisenhower, presidents Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush, and political leaders like Thomas Dewey, Robert Dole, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. Prominent liberal and progressive centrists historically included president Theodore Roosevelt (considered leftist by today’s standards), and statesmen like vice president Nelson Rockefeller, Jacob Javits, Charles Percy, John Chafee (former secretary of the Navy), and James Jeffords.
The pluralism once evident within the Republican Party seems absent in Donald Trump’s second term. Indeed, the previously mentioned extremist elements, despite their fervor, appeared more adherent to democratic foundations, institutions, and traditions, guided by the principle of separation of powers and more accepting of coexistence with opposing views.
Despite their intensity, these movements were less prone to “deification” compared to the MAGA phenomenon, which we’re seeing not only with the populist political base of President Trump. The MAGA movement, with Trump at its helm, disregards the separation of powers, the peaceful transition of power, and the independence of the judiciary, and refuses to acknowledge any election outcome unfavorable to its candidate. To achieve its goals, it did not hesitate to storm the Capitol building in Washington – the sacrosanct symbol of American democratic legitimacy.
Domestically, what remains of the New Deal, initiated in the 1930s following the Great Depression to provide a safety net for the American citizen, is currently being dismantled in cooperation with unelected billionaires. On the international front, all traditional prohibitions have been lifted; the erstwhile enemy has become a friend, the ally an irritating economic rival; and the territories of “neighbors” have turned into alluring, loose spaces open for annexation, occupation, and enforced acquisition, or regions from which undesirable inhabitants must be isolated behind walls of separation.
The entire political culture Washington inherited from the Cold War era has collapsed, with the notable exception of unwavering alignment with the ambitions of the Israeli far-right settler movement.
The distressing and profoundly detrimental signal sent by Washington, under Donald Trump, to the world, through the demeaning treatment of President Zelensky, signals that there is no longer peace of mind for Washington’s allies in the Far East and Western Europe, no vision for a stable and viable Middle East, no South Asia safe from nuclear calamities, and no South America free from the emergence of reckless populist regimes that fail to learn or be deterred. – Eyad Abu Shakra
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
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While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
“Monsters aren’t real,” we tell our children. We check under the beds and in the cupboards and leave nightlights on to reassure them that they are safe – but the monsters are real. Too real.
On the 360th day following 7 October, I visited Kibbutz Nir Oz and other communities and areas attacked, with a small group of foreign press at the invitation of the Government Press Office. On 7 October 2023, this little slice of paradise along the border with Gaza became a killing field for monsters that live beyond the fence. The monsters that lie beyond the bucolic paradise in the edge of the Western Negev. That black Sabbath, which was also the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, the monsters invaded, leaving a trail of carnage as they plundered, raped, burned, mutilated, murdered and stole families in and from their homes.
The Simantov Family were burned alive in their home (Photo: Rolene Marks).
The definitive image that seared 7 October into the conscience of many, albeit too few around the world, was the footage of a beautiful young mother, Shiri Bibas, cradling her two flame-haired children protectively in her arms, her face contorted in terror, as armed monsters stole them away to the terror tunnels of Gaza. Mere weeks later, they were murdered in captivity, by the hands of the depraved.
Kibbutz Nir Oz suffered more damage per capita than any of the other attacked communities. About 60 percent of the homes were destroyed, most set alight with their occupants inside them. Only six houses remain untouched. On that black Sabbath, a quarter of the community was either murdered or kidnapped by Hamas. One in four.
Toys were still strewn across the front of the Bibas house, a home that once rang out with the delicious, infectious laughter of children; and burst at the seams with love is now a mournful witness to a loss that is unbearable. On the front of the house, posters of the family reminded everyone of their fate on that horrendous day. The images of Yarden with his kind brown eyes, beautiful Shiri and her dazzling smile and those two gorgeous flame haired little angels. The images of Ariel barreling down the path in Nir Oz in his beloved Batman costume, the delicious, gummy toothless grin of Kfir and the family dog, Tonto, proudly keeping watch overt his human charges. We know the ending to this horror story. Tonto and 59 other dogs were murdered on 7 October.
The image of a terrified mother and her babies cuts to the core of who we are as Jews, as humans. Mothers and babies are a promise of a future and of the continuity of a people. The Nazis knew this and so do these monsters.
Shiri’s parents, Yossi and Margalit were murdered on 7 October. Three generations of one family murdered by the monsters who did not see them as human.
The Lifschitz home (Photo: Rolene Marks).
There is a little hook in the kindergarten, ‘Gan Tut’ (Strawberry) where Ariel hung his school bag. The pomegranates that the kids made on the drying board, waiting to be painted are still on the drying table. It was difficult to breathe inside this place dotted with tiny furniture, books and all the accoutrements that kindergartens have. Almost a year later, the air was still thick and acrid from smoke. The safe room burnt; the walls blackened. The monsters came for the most vulnerable.
Walking through the kibbutz, where bright magenta bougainvillea are set against the backdrop of blackened and burnt houses, the stench of death wafts through. The smell of death is difficult to describe but unmistakable and it never leaves your senses. Death never leaves.
Pomegranates waiting to be painted in Gan Tut (Photo: Rolene Marks).
One of these burnt homes belonged to Oded and Yocheved Lifschitz. It was a home where music rang out as Oded played the piano, and their prize cactus garden drew admirers. Oded, who drove Palestinian children who needed cancer treatment to hospitals every week as a volunteer for The Road to Recovery | NGO was kidnapped and murdered in captivity.
I remember standing inside the remnants of his house, listening to Rita, his wonderful sister-in-law speaking about how every Friday, they would drink a beer together and how she hoped someone in Gaza would recognize him from his volunteering and helping the children of Gaza and treat him kindly.
Eulogizing her husband at his funeral, Yocheved said:
“Our abduction and your death have shaken me to the core. We fought all through the years for social justice, for peace. To my sorrow, we were hit by a terrible blow by those we helped on the other side. I stand here staggered to see the number of graves, and the terrible destruction of our community that was completely abandoned on October 7.”
Two families, each one a universe – and there were so many more, on Kibbutz Nir Oz and others on that day. Each home tells a devastating story.
Hamas murdered grandfathers and peace activists, a lioness mother and her cubs, nature lovers and peacemakers, whole families, music festival revelers, warriors and artists, nation builders and healers and more.
Most telling about Israeli resilience were the first words said by former hostage, 80-year-old Gadi Mozes – an agronomist from Nir Oz, whose wife was murdered and who spent nearly 500 days in captivity:
“I will do everything in my power to rebuild Nir Oz.”
Monsters in every story are eventually vanquished by the hero. Nir Oz is a community of heroes. Gadi’s promise to rebuild is the sword a hero wields.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
