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Tag: official website

  • Hamas propaganda expert explains Israel’s internal conflicts influenced Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault

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    He emphasized that he relied exclusively on primary sources: Hamas’s official website, the organization’s official newspaper, and the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades’ website.

    Israel’s internal crises, including its internal conflicts within the military and the issue of judicial reform, influenced Hamas’s decision to launch the October 7 attack, Lt.-Col. (res.) Jonathan D. Halevi said in an interview published Sunday.

    Halevi is an OSINT researcher, a senior Middle East expert, and a specialist in tracking Hamas and Palestinian propaganda.

    According to Halevi, events that began to escalate in Israel after December 2022, following the formation of the government and the deepening public crisis around the refusal to serve in the IDF and subsequent protests, were significantly reflected in Hamas’s media and Palestinian media in general.

    He explained that in Palestinian discourse, any harm to the cohesion of the IDF and the use of the army for political purposes was seen as a process serving a clear goal for Hamas.

    “The reflection of this on Hamas’s side was clear: they saw it as an opportunity, a golden opportunity,” he said.

    Halevi went on to point out that while some in Israel insist there is no connection between the protests and Hamas’s decision to attack, quotes from senior figures in the organization indicate that they attach significance to the internal unrest.

    An illustrative photo of Hamas terrorists with hostage demonstrations in the background. (credit: Miriam Alster/Flash90, Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa)

    “I’m not saying this on my own,” he noted. “I’m just quoting what they are saying. Yes, this is what they are saying. They see it as a golden opportunity to realize the dream of liberation and ‘the return to Palestine.’”

    Halevi further explained that immediately after the October 7 massacre, he initiated a research project to gather and document the statements, articles, and expressions that emerged from Hamas’s leadership in real time.

    Halevi relies only on official Hamas, Palestinian media

    He emphasized that he relied exclusively on primary sources: Hamas’s official website, the organization’s official newspaper, and the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades’ website.

    “I did not turn to secondary or external sources,” he added. “I presented what they themselves say, this is from their own mouths.”

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  • Is that election text legit? Where to find info you can trust

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    This week voters across California received a suspicious text message saying they’d failed to turn in their ballots for the Nov. 4 statewide special election on redistricting.

    The message may appear official. It includes the voter’s name and address and links to an official website providing information on early voting and vote-by-mall ballot drop-off locations.

    But it’s not from the state, and officials urge caution.

    The office of the California secretary of state received numerous reports from voters of “inaccurate text messages from Ballot Now,” according to a news release.

    “This has caused voters to believe their returned ballots have not been received or processed by county elections officials,” Shirley Weber, secretary of state, stated in the release. “Let me be clear: Ballot Now is not in any way affiliated with the California Office of the Secretary of State.”

    Weber’s office told The Times it doesn’t know the intent behind the Ballot Now text messages, and “we are trying to get to the bottom of it.”

    Ballot Now did not respond to The Times’ request for comment.

    Where voters can get trustworthy answers to their elections questions

    Voters can find accurate information on elections and voting at the state secretary’s website or at their county election office. The secretary’s website includes the complete list of county election offices.

    Questions that the secretary of state’s website can assist with include:

    How do I check my voter status? By entering some personal information, you can see if you are registered to vote, where you’re registered, and check that your political party and language preference are correct at the website’s voter status page.

    How do I track my ballot? You can sign up to track your ballot through the state’s online site Ballottrax.

    • By signing up on Ballottrax, voters receive automatic updates when their county elections office: mails their ballot to them, receives their ballot, counts their ballot, or when the office has any issues with the ballot.
    • Updates are available in 10 languages — including Spanish, Japanese and Tagalog — and you can choose to be texted, emailed or called with voice alert updates.

    Where can I return my ballot? Los Angeles County residents can look for official vote-by-mail ballot drop-box locations or voter centers on the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder/county clerk website.

    How to report something fishy

    If you believe you’re the victim of election fraud or have witnessed a violation of the California Elections Code, you can submit a complaint form or call the secretary of state’s office.

    Fill out an online form, download a PDF version of the form and mail it, or call the office — English speakers can call (916) 657-2166 or (800) 345-8683; Spanish speakers can call (800) 232-8682.

    The physical form can be mailed to the California Secretary of State Elections Division at 1500 11th St., 5th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814 or faxed to (916) 653-3214.

    Los Angeles County residents are encouraged to call the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder/county clerk’s call center with any questions or concerns they have, said Mike Sanchez, spokesperson for the office.

    The registrar of voters can be reached at (800) 815-2666, and the number for voter center information is (800) 815-2666; choose option No. 1.

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    Karen Garcia

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