The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 17th, 2024: Gallant’s Plan for Gaza & a Drone Warfare ‘Game Changer’

Episode Date: May 17, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:   The latest in the growing split over so-called day after for Gaza in the Israeli government, as new details emerge about a post-war plan proposed by Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.   The UK Ministry of Defense has announced what it’s calling a “game changer” in drone warfare.   To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com.   Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin.  Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's Friday, 17 May. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, we'll have the latest in the growing split over the so-called day after for Gaza's situation in the Israeli government as new details emerge about a post-war plan proposed by Israel's defense minister, Yov Ghalen. Also, the UK Ministry of Defense has announced what it's calling a game-changer in drone warfare. But first, our afternoon spotlight.

As we reported yesterday, there's a significant split within Israel's governing War Cabinet regarding the so-called day-after plans for Gaza once the Israel-Hamas War concludes. That dispute spilled out in the open this week when Israeli Defense Minister Yov Ghalen publicly criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu for the lack of a post-war plan. In a speech on Wednesday, Gallant stated that he will not consent to any plan that involves Israeli civil or military governance of the Palestinian enclave. Instead, Gallant has reportedly proposed his own plan in which Gaza would be governed by local elements identified with Fatah, which is the political party that dominates the Palestinian Authority, which currently rules over the West Bank. A report in the Hebrew language

newspaper Israel Hayom is giving us new details about what Galan's plan would look like. Under the defense minister's plan, the population of Gaza would be concentrated in. in humanitarian zones, each managed by a civil apparatus of local Gazans. Hmm. This plan would be supported by an international framework involving moderate Arab states and the U.S., which will provide funding and oversee the civil administration. The selection of local Gazans for this administration would be assisted by Palestinian authority intelligence to ensure that none of them are affiliated with Hamas.

Now, here's where the defense minister's plan gets a little difficult. To counter the threat of Hamas and to keep the peace, these local Ghazan forces would be armed with small arms. The weapons given to the Ghazans would be under technological supervision by Israel to prevent a situation in which they would end up in the hands of Hamas or other terrorist organizations. Yeah, I don't see how that goes wrong. Oh, oh, actually, remember the fast and furious weapons. scheme run by the U.S. government back during President Obama's tenure, yeah, they were going to track

those guns and make sure they knew where they ended up, and of course, that didn't work out. The more conservative elements of the Israeli government are already lining up to oppose Gowin's plan. They argued that allowing local Gossans who identify with the Palestinian authority to control the strip would be akin to creating infrastructure for a new Palestinian state. At the center of this debate, is whether or not the Palestinian Authority could ever be a reliable partner of Israel. Now, the PA has taken steps to appear more moderate. Earlier this year, under pressure from the U.S., the entire government resigned and replacements were hand chosen by PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas appointed his senior economic advisor, Mohamed Mustafa, as the new prime minister.

Mustafa is largely seen as someone the West could work with. He received a master's degree and a PhD at Washington, D.C.'s George Washington University, and even worked for the World Bank. However, many in the Israeli government, especially Prime Minister Netanyahu, remain skeptical of the idea that a few changes at the top of the PA hierarchy would make a big impact. For his part, Netanyahu has publicly rejected any need for a post-war plan at this stage of the game, saying there's, frankly, no point in drafting one before Hamas is completely defeated. He added that he is not ready to replace Hamas. with fatostan. I know Netanyahu's going for a clever turn of phrase there, but I'm not sure he should keep that line in the act.

Now, a quick programming note before we go to break. Tomorrow marks the premier of the PDB Situation Report, and that's our special every Saturday extended edition of the president's daily brief. And, as you may have read in the major newspapers, not only will you be able to listen to it as a podcast, but you'll also have the chance to watch you. on video. Ooh, that's right. Moving pictures in full color with sound. Tune in to see me every week as we bring you a show packed with news, insightful commentary, and exclusive interviews with newsmakers and analysts. The PDB Situation Report will air every Saturday on multiple platforms, including the first TV and at our YouTube channel at President's Daily Brief. I hope you'll make it part of your Saturday morning routine. Try to fit it in between your favorite cartoons. Coming up after the break, the UK announces a new piece of high-tech equipment designed to stop drones on the battlefield.

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Upfront payment of $45 for three-month plan 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. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. One thing we keep an eye on here at the PDB is the changing face of the modern battlefield. And specifically, of late, the impact that drones have had in shaping warfare. Whether in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, or other conflict areas, we've gained a lot of insight over the years. to just how effective and deadly unmanned aerial vehicles can be. The technology has advanced rapidly in Ukraine,

where both sides are employing them in large numbers to strike its short and long distances, with some drones able to take out targets over 900 miles away. It's also believed that China is developing drone swarms to integrate into their own armed forces. So the West is in a race to develop weapons to counter these new threats, and it appears that the United Kingdom is now at the cutting edge those efforts. According to the UK's Ministry of Defense, they're working on a new radio frequency

directed energy weapon, or RFDEW. I mean, you can't have a weapon without an acronym, designed to take down drone swarms. Now, the high-tech system beams out radio waves to disrupt or damage the electronics of enemy drones, vehicles, and other threats, effectively stopping them in their tracks or causing them to crash. The RFDEW will have an impressive range of reportedly over half a mile, and we'll be able to detect and track and engage various threats across air, land, and sea. One of the key advantages here is its cost effectiveness compared to traditional missile defense systems, where missiles can cost tens of thousands of dollars or more apiece, this new technology is, frankly, a bargain at a cost of perhaps 13 cents per shot. It's also easy to use, thanks to its high level of

automation, a single person can operate the system. The weapon is also designed to protect critical assets and military bases and can be mounted on various military vehicles. British soldiers will begin field testing this piece of kit this summer, and the RFDW is expected to be operational in the relatively near future. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Friday, 17 May. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB, at thefirstTV.com. And if you want to listen to the show, add-free, remember, be sure to check out our premium membership at PDB premium.com.

I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow with our first Saturday morning edition of the PDB Situation Report. Until then, well, you know the drill. Stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. How many discounts does USA Auto Insurance offer?

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