The President's Daily Brief - November 13th, 2023: Hamas's Hostages, Netanyahu's Red Line, and San Francisco's Sweep

Episode Date: November 13, 2023

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   Major news regarding hundreds of hostages being held by Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's firm stance: no leadership role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza post-conflict.   China capitalizes on the Gaza war to advance its geopolitical ambitions.   San Francisco's race against time for a citywide cleanup before Chinese President Xi Jinping's high-profile visit.   In the Back of the Brief, the scandal enveloping New York City's Mayor as the FBI investigates whether his campaign accepted illegal foreign donations from Turkish entities.   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

It's Monday, November 13th. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. In today's PDB, a potential development regarding hundreds of hostages being held by Hamas, and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu resists U.S. pressure regarding Gaza's future. A little later in the program, we look at China's exploitation of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and preview Xi Jinping's forthcoming visit to San Francisco scheduled for this week.

Finally, in the back of the brief, the mayor of New York City finds himself at the center of a growing scandal with international implications. But first up, the PDB spotlight. This weekend, Israel revealed new insight into the October 7th Hamas attacks. Israeli officials have adjusted the death toll from the brutal attacks, now estimating that there were approximately 1,000, 1,200 casualties, a decrease from the initial figure of just over 1,400. A detailed breakdown reveals that at least 278 of the deceased were Israeli soldiers. Additionally, the Israeli police force suffered losses with at least 44 officers dying in the battles.

Of course, the majority of those who lost their lives in the October 7th attacks, around 70% were civilians. Israeli health officials have identified at least 846 civilians among the fatalities. So why the change in the numbers? Well, the adjustment stems from challenges in identifying many of the victims. The confusion partly arose because some Hamas terrorists were disguised in Israeli military uniforms or civilian attire, complicating the identification process. There were numerous instances where bodies initially counted were later identified as terrorists. The situation was further complicated, as Palestinian attackers often burned or mutilated

the corpses of their victims, necessitating extensive forensic work to establish identities. Israeli authorities cautioned that these numbers could change again, as there is speculation that some militants may have taken bodies back to Gaza, confirming the identities of these remains could potentially increase the death toll. Another critical figure that were, monitoring is the estimated 240 hostages, believed to have been taken to Gaza by Hamas terrorists on October 7th. Now, so far, only four hostages have been released, while one has been rescued. However, there is a glimmer of hope here. First, it's important to note that the Israeli military believes most of these hostages are still alive. And second, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin

Netanyahu, during a recent interview on NBC News Meet the Press, hinted at a potential hostage deal with Hamas. He was very tight-lept about the details to avoid jeopardizing the negotiations. He said, quote, I think the less I say about it, the more all increase the chances that it materializes, end quote. The Biden administration has also confirmed that a potential exchange is on the horizon. According to a White House official who spoke also to NBC News, the deal could involve the release of about 80 women and children in exchange for Palestinian women and teenagers currently held by Israel. In recent days, U.S. officials have indicated that the White House has been pressing Israel to agree

to a three-day temporary ceasefire in order to facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Now, while the U.S. has sent mixed messages as to whether that halt in Israel's operations should be tied to the release of hostages, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been clear. no talk of ceasefire until there's a meaningful release of hostages by Hamas. Now, that's the same message as being given by the Israeli hostages and missing families forum. The organization has been quoted as saying that they, quote, welcome the return of every abductee who's in Gaza. At the same time, the organization sticks to its position that any move for a ceasefire must include the release of all the hostages,

end quote. One of the many difficulties that Israel faces in this hostage situation is that according to IDF and other sources, while the majority of the 240 hostages, approximately 180, are held by Hamas, another possibly 40 are in the hands of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization, and an additional 20 or so are held by various criminal families and elements. It appears that the Biden administration is somewhat frustrating. at their inability to pressure Netanyahu and the Israeli government into accepting a pause. And in reality, what we're seeing at play here is U.S. foreign policy being driven by U.S. domestic political concerns. The White House is essentially trying to have it both ways,

messaging their unequivocal support for Israel in its response to Hamas, while trying to appease the pro-Palestinian mobs that have taken to the streets around the country. The Biden campaign's war room, watching their dwindling poll numbers and voter support in the U.S. from youth and the Arab American community, seems to have decided that they need to spend more time placating the mobs by talking about the potential for a ceasefire or lengthy pause. But as we've discussed here before on the PDB, advocates of a ceasefire are essentially voting for more violence, more hardship for the Palestinian people of Gaza, and more incestined. for Hamas, under the guidance and support of Iran, to carry out future murderous attacks on Israel. The only winners in a ceasefire will be Hamas and Iran, and Netanyahu is fully aware that a three-day or a five-day or any lengthy pause will only allow Hamas the opportunity to regroup and resupply. And, frankly, they'll resupply by doing what they've always done. They'll commandeer, or we could

use the word steel, the supplies of fuel, food, water, and medicine from those most in need, and that would be the Palestinian residents. There was one more significant development this weekend, and that's regarding the future governance of Gaza. One of the most likely scenarios that we've discussed here on the BDB, a scenario being pushed by the Biden administration, is that the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, which currently controls the West Bank, would returned to Gaza and fill the political vacuum left once Hamas has been either diminished or eliminated. Now, there are a lot of ifs in that scenario, complex histories, relationships, and a great deal of mistrust. And now there's another reason why the White House's idea

may be a non-starter. Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated in no uncertain terms that Israel would not support the return of a Palestinian Authority-led government in Gaza. He justified this stance by referencing the lack of condemnation from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas regarding the October 7th massacre. Netanyahu said, quote, there cannot be an authority whose leader still has not condemned the terrible massacre 30 days later. That cannot be, end quote. It goes without saying, although I guess I'm about to, that this position could potentially

clash with the Biden administration's objective to prevent a long-term Israeli occupation of Gaza. Okay. Now, just a heads up before we head into our break, don't miss the premiere of the PDB afternoon bulletin later today. Stand by for the same high-level news coverage and analysis brought to you in our morning edition, now also being dropped every weekday into your afternoon feed. When we come back, we'll take a look at how China is exploiting the conflict between Israel and Hamas to achieve its own goals, and how the city of the city of San Francisco is preparing for Xi Jinping's forthcoming visit.

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Schedule pickup. And we'll come to you with a check in hand. Your car, your timeline, your terms. Visit Carvana.com to sell your car today. Carvana. Pick up fees may apply. Welcome back. China stands on military conflicts across the globe, including the recent turmoil in Gaza.

has drawn widespread attention for its not particularly subtle two-faced approach. On the surface, China positions itself as a mediator, calling for peace and negotiations and conflict zones from Israel to Ukraine. Yet beneath this, the nere of diplomacy, there is a strategic play at work, with China using these conflicts to chip away at the influence of the United States and to bolster its own stance as a global leader. I want to give you a direct quote from Michael Schumann in the Atlantic that captures, I think, the essence of China's strategy. Schumann writes, quote, Beijing seeks to exploit both of these crises, meaning Gaza and Ukraine,

in order to undermine the United States and promote its own global leadership. To this end, Xi backs the aggressor, blames the United States for the resulting disorder, and then portrays himself as the more responsible peacemaker, with better solutions to the world's problems. China and Russia are in this game together. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had the Hutzpah to call for a ceasefire in Gaza in discussions with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, while the Russian army was busy grinding up civilians in Ukraine. Schuann continues, quote, officially, China's leaders have tried to appear impartial on the Gaza conflict. They have repeatedly made generic statements,

for instance, that they oppose and condemn all violence and attacks against civilians. But Beijing has pointedly avoided condemning Hamas for the atrocities that committed against Israeli citizens on October 7th, which touched off the current crisis. End quote. Xi, China's well-entrenched leader, well, he envisions a new world order, and that would be one where the U.S. is knocked off the top rung, and China leads a growing coalition of countries beholden or indebted to China. Xi's been clear about his long-term vision for China.

He's issued a blueprint last year for what he sees as a China-led world order, and he's given a name, a catchy name. It's called China's Global Security Initiative. Interestingly, one of his key principles in his global security initiative for China is, quote, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. So it's not clear if Xi has tried to convince his boundless friendship power, Vladimir Putin to abide by this principle. Naturally, Xi doesn't apply this notion to Taiwan, as he doesn't believe Taiwan merits territorial integrity. Now, the Chinese regime's global ambitions

under the leadership of Xi are clearly not aligned with the best interests and national security of the U.S. and U.S. allies. But the problem here is the U.S. administration still seems confused over how to deal with China. Are they a competitor, a geopolitical, foe, a superpower rival? Look, it's a small world with an increasingly intertwined global economy. The U.S. and China do need each other, but the relationship currently is rocky, with both sides seeking advantages and looking for weaknesses in the other. Speaking of U.S.-China relations, this week, San Francisco is playing host to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, and that's APEC, which kicked off on Saturday, and it'll be running

through November 17th. Now, if you're not familiar, APEC is a coalition of 21 Pacific Rim countries, and it promotes free trade, economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. It includes all the major players that you would suspect in the U.S., China, Japan, Australia, as well as smaller nations such as Singapore and Peru and Vietnam. The summit is expected to draw around 20,000 attendees, including China's Xi Jinping, who is scheduled to meet with President Biden later this week. Now, San Francisco has been busy preparing for the arrival of world leaders, and this is where things get interesting. If you're not aware, San Francisco has some major issues right now, clearly homelessness, open-air drug use, crime, and as a result, the city has had to

undertake extensive cleanup efforts, especially around the convention center where the conference will be taking place. Basically, it's like you get a call, and your mom's in town. She's coming for a visit. And now, in a hurry, you've got to tidy up the house. Vacuum, do the dishes, clean out the fridge. But in the city's case, it means sweeping up the homeless and putting them, I don't know, somewhere, hosing empty needles and feces off the streets, painting over graffiti,

making the police more visible on the streets, and maybe lighting some scented candles to mask that weed smell. Now, the conference center is adjacent to one of the hardest hit areas called the Tenderloin. district, which is known for playing host to massive homeless encampments. And when I say it's the hardest hit area, what I mean is, well, it's a self-inflicted festering wound, caused by a complete lack of sensible and effective city and state government leadership. In a striking scene on Wednesday, workers cleared out in one of these homeless areas called Jesse Alley. They removed mattresses, tents, chairs, other belongings, which were then thrown into a garbage truck. After the truck departed, The street was hosed down, removing all the human waste and drug paraphernalia that was left at the scene.

Aid workers offered services and shelter to the displaced individuals, but most refused these offers. Moreover, the San Francisco Police have warned the homeless and drug-addicted individuals to steer clear of the area during the summit. Now, reports indicate that the city has cleared out at least half a dozen hotspots in the Tenderloid District in recent weeks in preparation for the event. This aggressive cleanup is sparking some controversy among residents. Many are questioning why these efforts are not made regularly for the benefit of the citizens who live there, suggesting that the city and state governments are more focused on politics and maintaining a certain image rather than addressing the ongoing needs of their residents. What would you look at that?

The folks asking why these cleanup efforts are not made regularly answer their own question. It's because the city and state officials are more focused on. on politics and creating the illusion of a clean, well-run city. Now, honestly, instead of being angry that it took a visit by the Chinese Communist Party later to clean up San Francisco, we should simply ask Xi to extend his U.S. visit and stop off in other beat-down cities, including Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, I'm sure we can find a couple others, and we could call it the Xi Cleans Up America Tour. So, at least, those cities would get a brief respite from all the crap they deal with on the streets.

All right, coming up in the back of the brief, New York City Mayor Eric Adams finds himself at the center of a criminal inquiry into whether his 2021 campaign conspired with the Turkish government to funnel money into its war chest. I'll be right back. In today's back of the brief, a growing scandal centering around New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his 2021 mayoral campaign. In recent days, FBI agents seized his honor's electronic devices, including two cell phones and an iPad. The agents approached the mayor in his security detail on the streets of New York City the other

day, and I'm sure after assorted pleasantries advised him that he was required to turn over his electronic devices. Now, the seizure is part of a criminal inquiry, and it marks a significant escalation into the investigation, and the investigation basically is centered on whether Adam's campaign conspired with the Turkish government to accept illegal foreign donations. I know, just when you thought politics was free and clear of shenanigans. Earlier this month, FBI agents also conducted a search at the Brooklyn home of Brianna Suggs, a 25-year-old key fundraiser for Adams' mayoral campaign. Investigators are scrutinizing the mayor's team for a possible coordination with very

Turkish-linked groups, companies, and individuals. They're focusing on whether the team accepted illegal contributions for political favors and special treatment, including allegations of fast-tracking the Turkish government's new diplomatic headquarters in Manhattan. One group under the microscope is the Turcan Foundation, incorporated by a son of Turkish President Erdogan. Erdogan's daughter also serves on its board. Probably nothing sketchy with that arrangement.

From 2018 to 2021, records show the Adams campaign received $6,000 from three U.S. citizens who sit on the board of this charity. Now, despite the gravity of these allegations, Mayor Adams is actively maintaining his innocence, noting he is fully cooperating with the investigation. And as of now, no official link or accusation of criminal wrongdoing has been assigned to Adams or his campaign. And that, my friends, is the president's daily brief, from my first. Monday, 13 November. If you have any questions or comments, reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with our first edition of the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Hey, honey, it's mom. Did you know if we switch to Verizon we can get four phones for $0,

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