'Do What Israel Tells You!' - Graffiti On USAF Jet Suggests Troops Think War Isn't For America

'Do What Israel Tells You!' - Graffiti On USAF Jet Suggests Troops Think War Isn't For America

by Tyler Durden
Tuesday, Aug 18, 2026 - 06:15 PM


It only took two weeks of fighting for a majority of polled Americans to conclude that the war on Iran benefits Israel more than the United States. If comments from a prominent, former Navy SEAL and graffiti written in the dust of a US Air Force jet in the Middle East are any indication, many American service members are convinced their participation in the war only serves the agenda of the State of Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Sunday, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft executive VP Trita Parsi posted a photo that he said was sent to him "from the field" showing temporary graffiti one or more service members had written in the dust of a military aircraft:

"Do what Israel tells you to!" Graffiti scrawled on a US military aircraft flap points to disbelief in the supposed rationale for a US war on Iran (via Trita Parsi)


Some messages on what looks like a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker satirically embrace the idea that American service members should be enthusiastic about serving Israel: 

"Be a good goy and do what Israel tells you to!!!"
"I LOVE ISRAEL. I AM A GOOD GOYIM."
"BiBi's Cucks"

Some clarifications are in order. "Bibi" is a nickname used by Netanyahu, and "cuck" refers to weak men who submit to other men's domination. "Goy" and "goyim" are, respectively, singular and plural Hebrew nouns used to refer to non-Jews. Those two words aren't inherently derogatory toward non-Jews. However, like other labels for people, they can be used derisively or as an "outsider label" depending on the context. For example, in an email conversation with AI scientist Roger Schank, convicted sex-criminal Jeffrey Epstein wrote, "This is the way the jew [sic] make money… let the goyim deal in the real world.”

Epstein made an appearance on the dusty wing flap too. Reflecting a widespread but not-yet-proven theory that Israel coerced Trump into starting a war on Iran by threatening to release damning information obtained by Epstein, one of the messages repeats a common play on words that turns US "Operation Epic Fury" into "Operation Epstein Fury."

Another message mocks the Trump administration's recurring claims that a deal to end the five-month-old war and open the Strait of Hormuz is imminent: "Peace Deal #64 Incoming... ALL THIS FOR THE HOLY LAND." Another mocks the surveillance state that's rising at home while service members who are sworn to defend the Constitution are sent overseas for an unconstitutional war launched on false premises: "I love Flock Cameras."

As this is written, mainstream media isn't touching the story with a ten-foot-pole, despite the sound reputation of Parsi, who has vouched for its authenticity. The media silence about the messages has thus far relieved the Pentagon from having to issue a statement about them. If it does, we can expect the DOD to claim the graffiti is unrepresentative of how most US service members feel.

Parsi says a service member told him that journalists have no idea how low morale is. "What people in the media don't understand when they compare past conflicts to this one, is this operation has no morale behind it," the military man told Parsi. "That makes a world of difference to service members deployed to undesirable locations indefinitely."

In an interview with Tucker Carlson last month, podcaster and former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan gave some blunt insights into similar feelings among special operators still on active duty:


"I just had some buddies leave and everybody knows what this is. Everybody knows they're fighting for Israel. It's a joke. This is not me saying this, this is them. This is the guys that are gonna go over there in Tier 1, Tier 2 units that are joking around, saying 'this isn't even for us.'

Throughout history, that's not a winning strategy. If they don't believe in what they're potentially going to do...and they know it's not for the United States, it's for a foreign country --- like, the fight's out of the dog, buddy...They know it's not for us. They're not defending our country."

Ryan said he'd just hosted a pre-deployment party for an operator, who was fixated on the grim reality of what service in the war on Iran is really about. "That's all he was talking about. And it's fucking sad...like, why don't you just get out, man?"


Thanks to reporting on the extent to which the Israeli government went to sell Trump on breaking his campaign promise to be a "peace president," it's been increasingly common to hear the war being characterized as a "war for Israel." Having convinced America to attack its chief regional rival -- in a war that has killed at least 18 service members and wounded more than 600 others -- Israel is now abstaining from direct participation.

As far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said last month, “The State of Israel has no interest in joining the contained confrontation between Iran and the United States. The current situation is the best one for us.”

Good Governance Is Just a Slogan Until Someone Goes to Jail

 

Dennis Ignatius

 

~ Provoking discussion, dissent & debate on politics, diplomacy, human rights & civil society.

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Good Governance Is Just a Slogan Until Someone Goes to Jail

17MondayAug 2026

Posted by Dennis Ignatius in corruption, good governance, Politics

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Anwar Ibrahim, corruption, FELDA, good governance, Tabung Haji

[1] At the PKR national congress this week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim did what any politician facing a restive party base would do: he promised action. Those responsible for the mismanagement at Tabung Haji, he said, would be investigated, and Felda would be next. No Malaysian, whatever their politics, will object to that. The Tabung Haji scandal — a hole in the pilgrim fund’s accounts running into the billions — and Felda’s long-running troubles have cost taxpayers dearly. If there is genuine appetite to go after those responsible, good.

[2] But scepticism is warranted, for a simple reason: none of this is new. The rot at Tabung Haji did not appear last month. It has been documented, debated and investigated in fits and starts for years — years in which Anwar was already in power. If the political will to prosecute existed, it had three years to show itself. Instead we get yet another promise about cases he has had ample opportunity to close out. The uncomfortable truth is that in three years in power, his administration cannot point to a single major corruption conviction it can call its own. That is not the record of a government serious about ending impunity.

[3] Timing matters here. There is a real chance the next government wears a different colour. If that happens, and these cases are still sitting in a file at the Attorney-General’s Chambers or winding their way through the courts, the smart money says they quietly disappear — as so many cases before them have. Anwar had, arguably, his best chance yet to draw a line: pursue every outstanding case, secure real convictions, and send an unambiguous signal that the old rules no longer apply. That moment is passing, if it has not passed already.

[4] Nor should anyone look to UMNO to do the job instead. The party’s response to the Tabung Haji revelations has followed a familiar script with UMNO figures pushing back on the idea that the party itself bears responsibility for what happened on its watch, even as critics within its own orbit — Khairy Jamaluddin among them — have warned UMNO risks squandering its credibility if it does not own up to the governance failures. That it hasn’t done. And neither has it sanctioned those involved.

[5] DAP does not get to sit above this either, whatever its brand as the coalition’s conscience. Where was that conscience when Ahmad Zahid Hamidi walked away from 47 corruption charges in 2023 via a discharge not amounting to acquittal? DAP leaders asked pointed questions of the Attorney-General’s Chambers at the time, then carried on serving in cabinet alongside the man they had questioned. The pattern repeated with the Tabung Haji RCI report itself, which sat unreleased for 43 months. Asking questions from within government while doing nothing to force consequences is not the moral high ground; it is a seat at the table, kept warm.

[6] Hamzah Zainuddin, the opposition leader, for his part, has said the right thing in principle: good governance, he argues, must underpin every government. Fair enough. But that principle is empty if it is not paired with a demand that those responsible for the Tabung Haji losses actually face charges. Where is that demand? Opposition and government alike seem more comfortable arguing over who gets to hold the moral high ground than insisting the people responsible for a multi-billion-ringgit hole in a pilgrim fund must be sanctioned or charged in court.

[7] Now Anwar, faced with the unravelling of his unity government, is intimating that PKR is open to working with any party, that all options are on the table. From past experience, we know that such alignments invariably mean more DNAAs, cover-ups and excuses for inaction, all in the name of stability or unity, of course.

[8] Which is really the point. Every side in Malaysian politics has learned to speak fluently in the language of good governance, transparency and zero tolerance for corruption. It costs nothing to say, and it plays well at a party congress or a press conference. But talk is not accountability, and slogans are not convictions. Most of what passes for a governance agenda in Malaysia today is a product of the very political system it claims to reform — a system in which corruption is not an aberration to be punished but simply how power is exercised, protected and, eventually, forgiven. I’ll believe in the promise of good governance when I see those senior politicians involved in corruption in jail, finally.

Dennis Ignatius | Kuala Lumpur | Monday 17 August 2026

 

‘We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt’ until Hamas disarms, Kushner says

Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy says the US will not ‘restrict Israel’s right to defend itself’ as strikes on Gaza continue.

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Palestinians inspect destroyed buildings at the scene of an Israeli air strike, at Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza, August 1 [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Photo]

By Al Jazeera Staff

Published On 17 Aug 202617 Aug 2026

United States envoy Jared Kushner has stressed that the administration of President Donald Trump will not allow reconstruction in the devastated Gaza Strip until Hamas gives up its weapons.

Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, but the meeting did not produce a breakthrough to implement a roadmap for Gaza that Hamas already agreed to.

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“We have a plan to rebuild Gaza, but we will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until the demilitarisation occurs,” Kushner told Fox News in an interview.

“Nobody wants to put more money into a place that’s gone on for so long if it’s just going to be taken over by terrorists or blown up again.”

Hamas had agreed to disarm as part of a US-backed process that would include Israeli withdrawal and an end to the deadly attacks on the Palestinian territory.

But Israel rejected the proposal earlier this month, saying that it would not make any concessions until Gaza is fully demilitarised.

In the interview with Fox News, Kushner – whose family has deep personal ties to Netanyahu – appeared to adopt the Israeli viewpoint in emphasising the full demilitarisation of Hamas before Israeli withdrawal.

“We’re also not going to restrict Israel’s right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats,” Kushner said. “And so we had to clarify what that means.”

Israel has been launching near-daily attacks on Gaza, killing at least 1,265 people in the enclave since a “ceasefire” came into effect last year.

Overall, Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed 73,399 Palestinians since October 2023.

Earlier on Monday, Trump called for an end to the Israeli strikes. “Israelis should not be striking in Gaza. Hamas agreed to lay down their weapons,” the US president said.

Over the past three years, the US has given Israel about $25bn in military aid and defended the Netanyahu government at international forums, including by imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court officials investigating the atrocities in Gaza.

Kushner emphasised that the Gaza deal benefits Israel.

“For Israel, we think this is a win-win situation, because if Hamas actually gives over the weapons and the tunnels willingly over the next 60 to 90 days, that obviously would be the elimination of a huge security threat for Israel, almost an unthinkable achievement,” he said.

“If they don’t follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they’re not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the US and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way.”

Kushner held a rare meeting with Hamas officials on Sunday as the US pushes for an end to the conflict.

The US envoy said the talks were “very cordial” but that Washington would judge Hamas based on the group’s actions.

“They said all the right things, but obviously, it’s very, very hard to trust a terrorist organisation that committed these terrible atrocities,” Kushner said.

***

So says another shailok

 

DAP – bagaimana nak realisasi hasrat?

DAP – bagaimana nak realisasi hasrat?

Yesterday

Mohsin Abdullah

Bagaimana 'nilai semula hubungan' dengan perdana menteri pada masa sama parti duduk dalam kerajaan pimpinannya?

Now that DAP sudah memutuskan untuk kekal dalam kerajaan perpaduan, apa langkah seterusnya? Lebih tepat seperti apa yang tertera di tajuk artikel
ini – bagaimana mahu merealisasikan hasrat parti?

Kita tahu keputusan dicapai menerusi undi 1,857 pewakilan parti pada kongres khas DAP semalam. Hanya 242 perwakilan mahu parti keluar kerajaan.

Sebelum pengumuman rasmi dibuat malah sebelum pengundian pun, sudah agak nyata keputusan kekal akan dicapai. Ini kerana kebanyakan perwakilan yang berucap sebelum proses pengundian dijalankan, menyuarakan hasrat DAP kekal dalam kerajaan tetapi mahu parti meneliti kekurangan dan kelemahan yang ada untuk diatasi segera. Apa yang DAP mahu ada saya huraikan dalam artikel siaran Sabtu lalu.

Antara ucapan perwakilan semalam yang antara paling menarik menurut saya ialah yang dibuat Sangeet Kaur Deo, perwakilan DAP Selangor. Walaupun mahu DAP kekal dalam kerajaan beliau mempersoalkan tindakan melawan rasuah.

“Kita dapat mandat untuk memerintah atas janji mahu banteras rasuah. Adakah kita sudah melakukannya? Belum,” kata beliau. Untuk berlaku adil perlu dinyatakan kerajaan ada ambil tindakan banteras rasuah membabitkan kes profil tinggi. Untuk berlaku adil buat Sangeet pula mungkin bagi beliau itu belum mencukupi.

Menarik apabila Sangeet meneruskan hujah dengan berkata “Presiden Umno Zahid Hamidi dilepas tanpa dibebaskan bagi 47 pertuduhan ke atasnya.”

I must say she do have a point. Meskipun Peguam Persekutuan Ahmad Hanir Hambaly dipetik April lalu berkata keputusan DNAA Zahid tidak bercanggah undang-undang. Maka, wajarlah pihak berwajib khususnya yang memberi DNAA kepada Zahid memberi penjelasan sekali lagi. Sangeet kita semua tahu ialah peguam.

Sehari sebelum kongres khas DAP, Razlan Rafii salah seorang pegawai Zahid dipetik Malaysiakini mendakwa cadangan atau usul DAP keluar kerajaan “hanya satu usaha pressure Perdana Menteri Anwar Ibrahim dan desak kerajaan untuk memenuhi tuntutannya.”

Berbalik ucapan Sangeet. Kata beliau Umno secara terbuka menyerang DAP walaupun dua dua parti duduk dalam kerajaan perpaduan. She’s right. “Adakah mereka ini benar-benar rakan gabungan yang boleh kita bekerjasama?” soal beliau.

Justeru, (ini paling menarik pada hemat saya) Sangeet menggesa Jawatankuasa Tertinggi Pusat atau CEC DAP “dengan serius menilai semula hubungan kita dengan Anwar.”

Mengapa? Beliau mendakwa Anwar “memecah-belahkan dan melaga-lagakan kita” instead of “menyatukan rakan-rakan gabungan”. Adakah dakwaan itu betul? Atau adakah kata-kata itu bagi ‘menjaga air muka’ DAP jika parti memutuskan untuk kekal dalam kerajaan?. Saya ulang ucapan beliau disampaikan sebelem perwakilan mengundi.

Apa yang Sangeet mahu CEC parti lakukan? Bagaimana ‘nilai semula hubungan’ dengan perdana menteri pada masa sama parti duduk dalam kerajaan pimpinannya?

Semasa beliau berucap, PKR juga sedang mengadakan kongresnya tetapi di Melaka, dan Anwar selaku presiden parti memberitahu perwakilan dan juga semua ahli partinya bahawa beliau sebagai perdana menteri memilih meneruskan kerjasama dengan Umno dan Barisan Nasional dalam kerajaan perpaduan demi memastikan kestabilan serta kemamuran rakyat.

I am sure he was addressing concerns dan rasa tidak puas hati juga kemarahan ahli PKR yang tidak senang dengan kerjasama BN-Perikatan Nasional semasa PRN Johor dan Negeri Sembilan diadakan. Ketika berkempen BN mnyerang keras Pakatan Harapan khususnya PKR.

Di Melaka juga Anwar bercakap mengenai menuruskan reformasi. Sebelum itu yakni pada hari pertama kongres PKR, beliau mengumumkan pemansuhan Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti. Only one reform? Benar tetapi janji mansuhkan Auku sudah lama dibuat.

Di Putrajaya pada sidang media di akhir kongres DAP Loke Siew Fook berkata partinya menerima realiti perlu kerjasama dengan Umno dalam kerajaan perpaduan demi memastikan kestabilan pentadbiran negara dan membolehkan agenda reformasi diteruskan.

Keputusan DAP semalam saya berpendapat sesuatu yang logik dan pragmatik serta praktikal. Dan menunjukkan kesetiakawanan terutama ketika PH berdepan cabaran besar BN-PN. Namun, pasti DAP dituduh segala macam yang tidak perlu saya ulang.

Cuma, DAP perlu berhati-hati dalam usaha memastikan janji refromasi tertunai. Apa lagi dalam usaha mendapatkan semula keyakinan dan undi penyokong tegar mereka terutama masyarakat Cina.

DAP tidak boleh memaparkan imej ‘kecinaan’ keterlaluan kerana yang dikendong mungkin tidak berciciran tetapi apa yang dikejar pasti tidak dapat. Tidak perlulah saya huraikan.

Dan all the good work untuk menambat hati orang Melayu akan dipersia-sia. Benar kata Loke memang susah dapat sokongan Melayu. For obvious reasons. Susah bukan mustahil.

Sokongan pengundi Melayu kepada Loke sendiri meningkat meskipun beliau kalah di Chennah, Negeri Sembilan tempoh hari.

Ong Kian Ming calon DAP di kerusi Parlimen Bangi menang pada PRU 2018 dengan majoriti amat besar. Bangi kawasan majori Melayu. Dan apabila Ong digantikan oleh Syahredzan Johan pada PRU 2022 beliau menang juga di Bangi dengan majoriti besar. Bagi saya orang Melayu at least in Bangi tak marah orang Melayu bertanding atas tiket DAP.

Pasti ada yang kecewa DAP kekal dalam kerajaan perpaduan. Sebelum perwakilan DAP mengundi, Ketua Penerangan PAS Ahmad Fadhli Shaari sudah mendakwa kongres khas DAP hanya ‘wayang opera’.

Katalah kongres itu memutuskan DAP keluar kerajaan-pasti PAS melompat gembira lantas buat kenduri. Umno mesti dijemput. MCA pun tumpang semangkuk.