The President's Daily Brief - December 1st, 2023: Ceasefire Crossroads, Troublesome Turkey, & Pneumonia Panic

Episode Date: December 1, 2023

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   We examine the dilemma facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he navigates between the demands of the United States for a prolonged ceasefire and the threat of his own government's collapse if the attack on Hamas is not resumed.   A deep dive into the United States' diplomatic efforts to persuade Turkey to withdraw its support for Hamas, alongside an analysis of Russia's position in the conflict.   A look at the mysterious pneumonia originating from mainland China, with an update on its potential spread to American shores.   In our Back of the Brief section, Russia proposes loyalty oaths for visitors.   Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.   Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. Up first in today's PDB, we'll examine the dilemma facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he navigates between the demands of the United States for a prolonged ceasefire and the threat of his own government's collapse if the attack on Hamas is not resumed. Later, we'll take a look at efforts by the U.S. to get Turkey to halt its support for Hamas and Russia, and also an update on the mysterious pneumonia that originated in mainland China and may now have hit American shores.

Finally, in the back of the brief, a story for those of you who may be planning a vacation in Russia, as Putin's government proposes loyalty oaths for visitors. But first up, the PDB spotlight. Yesterday marked the seventh day of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. This fragile peace is now at a critical juncture. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself caught between the demands of the United States and international community, urging an extension of the ceasefire, and the pressures from within his own government, pushing for a resumption of attacks on Hamas.

But before we get to that, let's take a look at the latest on the ground. There was some good news for Americans this week, as another U.S. citizen was released by Hamas on Wednesday. Now, she's the second American to be released, with eight Americans believed to remain in Gaza. At this point, more than 100 hostages held in the Gaza Strip have been released since the pause in fighting began on November 24th. As of Thursday, 143 hostages remain in Gaza, according to numbers provided by Israel. Now, despite the truce in Gaza, violence and IDF operations continue in other parts of Israel and the Palestinian territories, a shooting at a bus station near Jerusalem on Thursday morning left four Israelis dead and several others with various injuries.

Now, according to police, the terrorists were subsequently killed by Israeli Defense Force soldiers. Hamas has claimed responsibility for that attack. In the West Bank's Genene Refugee camp, Israeli troops eliminated two senior Palestinian Islamic jihad operatives. Now, this highlights Israel's ongoing efforts against terrorist leaders beyond Gaza. With all of this in mind, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Netanyahu now faces a complex and pressing dilemma. The United States and the international community are actively advocating for a prolonged ceasefire.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was in Israel pressing the matter and emphasized the need to prioritize the safety and humanitarian needs of Palestinian civilians in southern Gaza before any military operations resume. On the other side, Netanyahu is also under immense pressure domestically. to press on with the attack. Israel's Minister of National Security has publicly challenged Netanyahu, threatening to dissolve the current coalition government

if the war against Hamas does not resume. Now, this internal political strife leaves Netanyahu in a very precarious position. Agreeing to a long-term truce could trigger the collapse of his government, leading to an election that, according to current polls, well, it suggests that he would likely lose. At the same time, the Biden White House is going out of its way to advertise that they are pressuring Israel to moderate its actions when military operations do resume.

Specifically, the administration has let it be known in the press that Biden has emphasized to Israel that the U.S. does not want to see the same level of aggressiveness and damage in the southern part of Gaza as took place in the north. The Israeli government has responded by noting that while they are very grateful for the White House's steadfast support, they will do what is necessary to destroy Hamas. All right. When we return, efforts are underway to reign in Turkey in its support for Hamas and Russia, and a worrying development in the mysterious form of pneumonia afflicting children in various parts of the world. I'll be right back. Excema is unpredictable, but you can flare less with ebbglis, a once-monthly treatment for moderate to severe eczema. After an initial four-month or longer dosing phase, about four and seven people taking ebbglis achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks, and most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing. Ebglis, Librikizumab, LBKZ, a 250 milligram per 2-millimeter injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilns. with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis that is not well controlled

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warning the NATO member of the potential fallout if any future terrorist attacks are linked back to their country. Now, Brian Nelson, the U.S. Treasury's Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, spoke with Turkish officials during a round of meetings in Ankara on Wednesday. In remarks, Nelson said the U.S. is, quote, profoundly concerned about Hamas's ability to continue to continue to fundraise or find financial support for its operations in Turkey. While the U.S. has used targeted sanctions for more than a decade in an attempt to hobble Hamas's ability to fundraise,

Turkey has given the terrorist network's associated businesses safe haven in Istanbul, allowing the group to sidestep these financial barriers. Now, U.S. officials have not detected any new financial inflows going through Turkey to Hamas since the 7 October. terrorist attacks, but underscored the historically prominent role that Turkey has played in allowing the terrorist organization to access international funds. Now, Nelson argued that Hamas would likely take advantage of this access when they seek to raise additional money. He warned that, quote, it would be very bad if any future attack by Hamas was connected to fundraising or facilitation that occurred in Turkey. Now, the reality is, these warnings are like

to fall on deaf ears. Turkish President Erdogan has long argued that Hamas is simply a political party that's responding to Israeli aggression and has signaled his skepticism over claims that funds passing through his country to Hamas have been used to finance terrorism. Ah, okay, sure. Erdogan recently lambasted Israel over the conflict in Gaza, calling it a terrorist state that's leveraging Western support to commit war crimes. Now, tensions are also mounting regarding Turkey's support of Russia, which has been receiving prohibited Western goods through backdoor trades with Turkish companies and individuals. Now, these entities have reportedly facilitated a six-fold increase in exports of dual-use goods to Russia, which include items like microchips and optical scopes.

The murky dealings are providing the Putin regime with the critical resources that they need to prolong their war in Ukraine, much to the ire of Western leaders. U.S. officials have warned Turkey that businesses or individuals in their country found to be facilitating this trade with Russia will face severe sanctions. Now, the U.S. hopes to partner with Turkish officials to stem the flow of these goods to Russia, but officials have said that they are prepared to act unilaterally. Now, if you're thinking that it seems odd that a NATO member would be providing safe haven and financial support to Hamas and also facilitating sanctions busting and dealing with the Putin regime, well, you'd be correct. But few political leaders are more adept at playing both sides against the other as Turkish president Erdogan.

In the Russia-Turkey relationship, well, that's particularly complex and layered. Now, Erdogana Putin have often talked about their special relationship. Putin provided critical support earlier this year during Erdogan's very close presidential race, deferring gas payments owed by Turkey during a difficult financial period. And the two share a common interest in challenging the West. That's a stance that plays well at home. Now, despite pressure from NATO allies, Turkey is the only NATO member to not embrace. impose sanctions on Russia as a result of Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Now, interestingly, at the same time, Erdogan, particularly since winning his final presidential term in May of this year, has indicated a desire to improve relations with the West and his NATO allies. And the U.S. is keen to do what is possible to encourage Erdogan to pivot away from Putin and towards the U.S. All right. Shifting gears. It appears that the mysterious wave of pneumonia that has been sweeping through China and cropping up in parts of Europe has now reached the U.S. A reported increase in cases of pneumonia has been reported in Ohio, and officials said Wednesday that the surge, quote, meets the Ohio Department of Health definition of an outbreak.

The spike in illness is partially linked to an antibiotic-resistant strain of a bacterial infection called mycoplasma pneumonia, or MPP for short. It's been dubbed white lung syndrome due to the nature of the scarring that it leaves in the lungs. Now, the numbers are particularly troubling in Warren County, Ohio, which has reported 142 pediatric cases of the condition since August. Now, the average age of patients is eight years old, though some as young as three have contracted the illness. This comes as MPP cases have. been surging in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden, and Denmark is now being hit very hard with officials reporting that pediatric pneumonia cases are reaching, quote, epidemic levels.

As we've previously discussed on the PDB, this mysterious respiratory virus appears to have started in China, driving massive hospitalizations of children in particular, and sparking international fears due to its similarities to the early days of the COVID outbreak. You'll be surprised to learn that China has so far downplayed the significance of the outbreak, and by surprised, I mean, well, you shouldn't be surprised in any way. In Ohio, officials are conducting an ongoing investigation to understand what is driving the spike in sickness, though they stress it is not the result of a new respiratory pathogen. While they are keeping an eye on the increase in MPP infections,

they blame a mixture of seasonal viruses and bacteria for the outbreak of illness, including the adenovirus, strep, and RSV. Health authorities have theorized that a combination of mask-wearing and lockdowns during the COVID pandemic have weakened children's immunity to these common seasonal illnesses. Now, in Massachusetts, a combination of these seasonal illnesses is also driving a mild increase in cases of walking pneumonia throughout the state. The center of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stressed, however, that they're not seeing anything out of the ordinary on a national level. Still, the situation in Ohio and Massachusetts, along with the surging infection numbers in China and Europe, are fueling fears that Americans

are increasingly vulnerable to an outbreak of respiratory infections this winter. All right, coming up in the back of the brief, Russia proposes a loyalty pledge for foreigners entering the country in order to combat criticism of the government. And no, I'm not making that up. I'll be right back. Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobil. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless

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equivalent to $15 per month required. intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. Seeful terms at mintmobile.com. In tonight's back of the brief, I wanted to look at a strange story out of Russia that, well, it could impact your sightseeing visit to St. Petersburg or your next pilgrimage to Lenin's tomb in Red Square. Russia's Interior Ministry is reportedly proposing a loyalty pledge for foreigners entering the country, Amid heightened controls on public dissent during its war in Ukraine, this new measure could add

another layer to the government's control over people within Russia's borders. Foreigners would face restrictions on criticizing Russian state and government figures, including, of course, President Vladimir Putin. Discussions on the Kremlin's foreign policy, the invasion of Ukraine, LGBTQ plus topics, and same-sex marriage would also be off limits. Moreover, the pledge would prohibit, quote, distortion of the historical truth about the feet of the Soviet people in the defense of the fatherland and its contribution to the victory over fascism. That'd make quite the bumper sticker. Now, those signing the pledge would also have to confirm that they think Vladimir Putin is way sexier than Joe Biden, and would have to agree to regularly post TikToks of themselves reciting their favorite Stalin quotes using their best Ernst B.

Blofeld accent. Okay, I might have made that last bit up. But for the younger listeners, if you're wondering, Blofeld is the definitive James Bond villain in the classic from Russia with love. But I digress. Now, those arriving in Russia might be required to sign off on not hindering state activities or discrediting Russian policy, whether foreign or domestic. These conditions echo the constraints placed on Russian citizens, where disseminating information seen as discrediting to the Russian army or state could lead to a 15-year prison term. Of course, only foreigners who agree to these terms of this pledge would be granted entry into Russia. So for more details, check with your local travel agent before booking your next Siberian adventure.

And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief for Friday, December 4th. first. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.