The President's Daily Brief - February 29th, 2024: Gaza Ceasefire In Jeopardy, North Korea Gives Putin Faulty Weapons, & Violent Threats Escalate Against Pro-Israel Lawmakers In UK

Episode Date: February 29, 2024

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:     Fragile ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas hang in the balance, as the parties involved in the discussions send widely mixed messages on where the negotiations stand.  Reports indicate that most of the millions of munitions North Korea is sending to Russia for use on the front lines in Ukraine are severely dated or don’t properly function. Violent threats against British lawmakers are increasing over their support for Israel, forcing some members to take drastic measures to protect themselves. In our 'Back of the Brief' segment, as China grapples with record low birth rates, one of the country’s largest cities is reportedly bribing newlyweds with lottery tickets to encourage more citizens to start a family. 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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It's Thursday, 29 February. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. We'll kick things off in the Middle East with the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas as the parties involved in the discussions send widely mixed messages on just where the negotiations stand. Later, we'll discuss reports claiming that most of the munitions that North Korea is sending to Russia for use on the front lines are severe dated and don't function. Plus, we'll investigate the violent threats facing British lawmakers over their support for Israel and the drastic measures that some members are taking to protect

themselves. And in today's back of the brief, as China grapples with record low birth rates, one of the country's largest cities is reportedly bribing newlyweds with lottery tickets to encourage more citizens to start a family. But first up, the P.D. spotlight. Let's begin with the latest regarding the status of ceasefire and hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas and the mounting confusion over where each side stands on the negotiations. The week began with an optimistic statement from President Biden that he expected a deal to be reached by next Monday, following another round of extensive negotiations in Paris last weekend mediated by officials from the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar. Officials for both,

Israel and Hamas, however, have since poured cold water on this statement, indicating a deal is still not within reach. There's no explanation from the White House as to why they thought it was a good idea to get out over their skis and suggest that a deal was close. An unnamed representative for Israel told Reuters on Tuesday that Biden's remarks came as a surprise and were premature. They said Hamas continues to make, quote, excessive demands that Israel cannot accept. Yov Ghal the Israeli defense minister, said Wednesday that he was reluctant to address Biden's timeline, but added that he hopes he's right. Leaders for Hamas, meanwhile, claimed on Tuesday that they have yet to receive a new proposal for a ceasefire since last week's indirect talks in Paris,

and that Biden's comments did not match the reality on the ground. Publicly, Hamas continues to demand that Israel agreed to a permanent ceasefire and withdraw all of their ground forces from Gaza. Their leaders said Wednesday that these demands remain non-negotiable. This, of course, is a non-starter for Israel, given their unwavering commitment to total victory over the Iranian-backed militant group. Adding to the confusion, the president of Egypt decided to wade into the public discussion on Wednesday, painting a rosier picture of negotiations and predicting a deal could be reached within the next few days. Look, the bottom line here is that the only comments or statements that matter in this situation are those coming from Israel and Hamas.

As we discussed on Monday, reports indicate that the latest ceasefire framework includes the release of some 40 hostages held in Gaza, including women, children, female soldiers and elderly and sick hostages amid a pause in fighting of some six weeks. Israel, in turn, would release hundreds of convicted Palestinian prisoners and redeploy ground forces within Gaza. As conversations continue this week in Qatar, officials in Israel have indicated they hope an agreement could be reached before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on March 10th. Hamas reiterated Wednesday, however, that until Israel caves to their demands, they are ready to continue the war, which of course they started.

Adding to the already high-stakes discussions, on Wednesday, Hamas's leaders called on Palestinians to march to Jerusalem's Al-Aksa Mosque on the first day. of Ramadan to demonstrate against Israel, that's according to a report from Reuters. The mosque at the Temple Mount is considered one of the world's holiest sites for Muslims, as well as a sacred location for the Jewish community. The call to action comes as Israeli leaders have been considering placing limits on Palestinians visiting Aalaksa for worship during Ramadan, though the subject remains very contentious among Israel's ministers. Defense Minister Galant, who opposes placing restrictions on Muslim worshippers during the upcoming holiday,

warned that Hamas, along with Hezbollah and leaders in Iran, were looking to take advantage of the upcoming holiday to revamp their war against Israel. Galant said, quote, Hamas's main goal is to take Ramadan, with an emphasis on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, and turn it into the second phase of their plan that began on October 7th. This is the main goal of Hamas. It is being amplified by Iran and Hezbollah, end quote.

He indicated that Israel should avoid giving Hamas the conflict that it seeks within Jerusalem by allowing Muslims in Israel to freely worship during Ramadan. All right, coming up after the break, we'll discuss Ukrainian claims that much of the munitions that North Korea is sending to Russia are severely dated and don't function, and for those keeping score at home, non-functioning munitions earn how much use on the battlefield. Plus, we'll investigate the rising threats against pro-Israel lawmen in the UK, which are forcing many to take increasingly drastic steps to protect themselves.

I'll be right back. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes and sidekicks, or auto and home insurance. With USAA, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at usa.com slash bundle. Restrictions apply. Welcome back. I want to turn to the conflict in Ukraine, where Russia is increasingly relying on on weapons from the North Korean regime to sustain their operations. The only problem? Well,

it appears these munitions are highly unreliable and in many cases not even functional. Officials with Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Agency made that claim on Tuesday, saying their intelligence indicates that the Kim regime in North Korea has thus far sent some 6,700 containers carrying roughly 1.5 million rounds of ammunition to aid the Putin regime. Now, that's a relatively staggering number that shows just how depleted Russia's military resources have become as the war against Ukraine enters its third year. Officials noted, however, that North Korea is largely giving away old munitions, even as they increase production at their domestic ammunition plants. Ukrainian intelligence officials said, quote, these munitions are from the 1970s and 1980s. Half of them don't function, and the rest require a either restoration or inspection before use, end quote. It's true, you really should cycle through

your ammunition more than once every, say, 50 years. The revelation comes on the heels of reports that the ballistic missiles North Korea has also been supplying to Russia are similarly unreliable. The latest information suggests that of the roughly 24 North Korean missiles used so far by Russia, only two have actually hit their targets. It's unclear how Putin feels about this. I mean, given his limited options for resupply, it's not like he can be too critical. Western sanctions have made it increasingly difficult for the Putin regime to access foreign-made electronic components, severely impacting the quality of their own missiles, according to our report from Newsweek. As we've covered on the PDB, North Korea has been sending munitions and ballistic missiles to Russia

in exchange for the Putin regime's technical assistance on their reconnaissance and missile development programs. To nobody's surprise, both sides have denied trading arms, something that, at least in theory, is banned by the UN Security Council resolutions. But given the feckless nature of the UN, it's unlikely that the evil duo of Putin and Kim are fearful of harshly worded memos. With Russia's continued assistance, North Korea reportedly plans to launch another reconnaissance satellite into orbit as early as March, and officials in North Korea said Wednesday, quote, it's unclear how much Russia will give, meaning in technical assistance,

but the more dependent that Russia gets on North Korean artillery shells, the greater the degree of Russian technology transfer, end quote. Shifting our focus back to the Israel-Hamas conflict, pro-Israel lawmakers in Britain are facing increasing threats of violence, causing some to announce plans to step down and others to take drastic steps to protect themselves. Amid this backdrop, the UK government announced a multi-million pound package on Wednesday aimed at boosting the security around elected officials. The new funding, totaling 31 million pounds or nearly $40 million,

will go towards providing at-risk lawmakers with bodyguards, establishing a dedicated police contact to handle lawmakers' security concerns, and increasing police patrols in communities where attentions are highest, according to a report from Reuters. I mean, it does seem, though, that it would be less expensive to, I don't know, just arrest those that are making the threats. Interior Minister of James Cleverley said in the statement Wednesday, quote, none of us should have to accept that enduring hate crimes, harassment, or threats are part of the job.

Now, pro-Israel lawmakers are facing regular harassment and increasingly violent threats as they attempt to navigate the Israel-Khmas issue in Parliament. Several lawmakers confided their fears to a Reuters reporter, but spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing their comments could make them, well, targets. They described being hounded in the streets by protesters shouting things like genocide enabler and blood on your hands. Now, while some level of exposure is expected for public servants, the actions of some protesters

have gone much further. One conservative lawmaker said that anti-Israel protesters converged on his house, demanding he answer for his role in enabling genocide. Conservative lawmaker Mike Freer has said he will not be seeking re-election after several incidents, including the targeting of his North London office in a suspected arson attack. Another lawmaker said he and his wife were considering installing a safe room at their home, while others are choosing to wear stab vests when conducting their official duties. One lawmaker told Reuters, quote,

no one should have to think about having a safe room just because they want to serve their communities, end quote. Despite the increased security funding, many politicians remain fearful that nationwide tensions over the Israel's Rokumas conflict could descend into further violence. All right, coming up in today's back of the brief, we'll discuss the creative way that Chinese officials in one major city are attempting to encourage their citizens to start families amid record low birth rates. I'll be right back.

In today's back of the brief, CCP officials in the most populous city in northwest China are getting creative in their attempts to encourage more citizens to have a lot of children amid concerns over population decline. Authorities in Xi'an, which holds a population of nearly 13 million, announced plans this week to provide lottery tickets worth roughly $97,000 as prizes to newlyweds who present a marriage certificate. The program will begin on March 1st and is intended to encourage more residents to start a family as China grapples with record low birth rates and a declining population. Officials hope to inject an element of excitement into the marriage process, really, with the scratch-off lottery tickets and generate buzz in the city and, of course, on the home front.

And nothing, nothing says romance and good-lovin, like a good scratch-off. We should note, China is one of the most expensive places in the world to raise children, partly driving a decline in the number of women who are seeking marriage or children. As we've previously covered on the PDB, China's population fell for a second consecutive year in 2023, driven by a wave of COVID-19 deaths that occurred after they lifted their zero-COVID policy restrictions, along with a record low birth rate. Until 2022, when the population dropped by roughly 850,000 people, China had not seen a net population decline since the Great Famine of 1961. Last year's decline was significantly larger than 2022, resulting in a drop of more than two.

million people. Meanwhile, the birth rate, which has long been in decline due to the aftershock of China's decades-long one-child policy, hit a record low 6.39 births per 1,000 people in 2023. New births also saw a nearly 6% decline. The Xi regime, of course, is now focused on what this could mean for China's goal to sit atop the global economic heap one day. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Thursday, 29th February. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker.

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