IDF Operations - 12/20/22

 Israeli forces operate in the West Bank during the early morning hours.

Israel Defense Forces

Kyiv Metro - 12/5/22

Ukrainian civilians take shelter in a Kyiv metro station during a day of Russian missile strikes across the country.

Laura Boushnak NYT

Magav J'lem - 11/25/22

Magav officers stand guard in Jerusalem's Zion Square as an intensive search by Israel security forces continues to apprehend terror suspects responsible for twin bus stop bombings that occurred this week in two locations.

Yonatan Sindel Times of Israel

Jerusalem - 11/23/22

Israeli counter-terror forces prepare for operations in the wake of two deadly bombings earlier this morning in Jerusalem. The remotely detonated bombs occurred just at the peak of morning rush hour, first at a bus stop in Givat Shaul at around 7 am, and then a second blast at another bus stop in the Ramot Junction at approximately 7:30 am. Aryeh Schupak, a 16 year old Israeli-Canadian citizen, was tragically killed. Scores of others were wounded. 

In the wake of the attacks, Israel's security forces have launched a massive operation to nab the terror cell responsible

Olivier Fitoussi Flash 90

Monastery of the Caves Kyiv - 11/22/22

Children and members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church walk above the Monastery of the Caves during an already snowy November in Kyiv.

Brendan Hoffman NYT

IDF in Qabatiya - 11/12/22

Israeli soldiers from Gadsar Nahal operate in the West Bank town of Qabatiya near Jenin. The raid resulted in the arrest of a prominent member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

November 12th 2022

Israel Defense Forces

Donetsk Oblast 10/22/22

 

Finnbar O'Reilly NYT

Jerusalem This Week

Israeli security forces take part in operations in East Jerusalem's Issawiya neighborhood following the continuation of heavy riots in the largely Palestinian northern and eastern areas of the city.

Israel Police

Jabotinsky in London

Vladimir Jabotinsky in London's Liverpool Station.

Circa 1940

FPG/Getty Images

Outside Nablus - 10/2/22

Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel have continued in recent days. Earlier this evening, gunfire was directed on the road between the Israeli settlement of Itamar and the IDF's Samaria regional brigade base just nearby. In this photo, Yossi Dagan, Chairman of the Samaria Regional Council, draws his weapon and takes cover with a group of mostly women and children.

Samaria Regional Council

Lyman, Eastern Ukraine 9/27/22

Ukrainian soldiers arrest a suspect Russian spy just outside of the town of Lyman in Eastern Ukraine. Since the beginning of this week swarms of untrained Russian conscripts have been hastily sent to Ukraine in an attempt to reverse the Russian military's losses. Meanwhile, the public outcry in Russia over Putin's mobilization orders has led to protests and examples of civil dissent, particularly in Dagestan and other provinces. Thousands of Russian men of military age have made for the borders in an attempt to avoid being drafted into the war and sent to Ukraine.

Nicole Tung/NYT

צה"ל באיו"ש - 9/23/22

 IDF troops operate in the West Bank following a continuation of Palestinian shooting attacks aimed at Jewish settlements in the area.

Dover Tzahal

Queen Elizabeth II - 9/19/22

The funeral procession for Queen Elizabeth II stretches down Pall Mall in central London. Over two million Brits across the UK turned out to say their last goodbye to the queen. It was the first state funeral in over sixty years and the largest event in the history of Great Britain.

9/19/22

Graeme Robertson/Guardian

Kupiansk 9/10/22

Ukrainian soldiers display a flag on a rooftop in Kupiansk following the liberation of the city and its surrounding area. In recent days Ukrainian forces in the northeast of the country have launched a stunning and successful counter offensive to take back control of numerous cities and towns that were previously under Russian military occupation. The Russian frontline in the northeast has more less crumbled. Multiple independent videos have showed Russian units fleeing in mass and have confirmed that Ukrainian forces are now once more in control of many key areas. 

Today the eastern city of Izium, an important railway hub, was liberated. Ukrainian soldiers continue to make major advances in the east, in particular around the vicinity of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city.  

Telegram @kuptg Reuters

Reading Your Way Through Berlin

Artwork from a new and excellent New York Times book section series about getting to know a particular destination through its local literature. Among the initial cities covered so far are Berlin, Paris, and Stockholm.

Raphaelle Macaron/NY Times

Une soirée au Pré Catelan

 Une soirée au Pré Catelan by Alexandre Gervex

1909

The restaurant Pré Catalan in the Bois de Boulogne (1905), like department stores of the period, had plate glass windows from floor to ceiling. Painting by Alexandre Gervex (1909).

Odesa 8/19/22

 Odesa street at night after curfew.

NY Times

Marley in Battersea

 Bob Marley and friends in Battersea Park. Late 1970s.

Operation Breaking Dawn 8/6/22

IDF forces have been operating in the West Bank over the past twenty four hours in a series of raids targeting members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organization. The raids come as the Israeli Air Force has launched air strikes against PIJ targets in the Gaza Strip after a week of heavy tension along the southern border. In response, communities in southern Israel have faced heavy rocket fire from PIJ in Gaza. So far central Israel, including Gush Dan, Israel's main population center which includes Tel Aviv, has not been targeted yet. 

IDF Spokesperson

Rue de la Paix

 Rue de la Paix by Jean Béraud 

1907

Belle Époque Paris

The Lower Market by Victor Gabriel Gilbert

1881

Rue de Charonne - April '22

Blue hour walk through Rue de Charonne and the area of the 11 arrondissement around Rue de la Rocquette and Boulevard Voltaire. Even in late spring, the nights were already beginning to feel long and dusk only started to creep in close to nine pm. Apart from the occasional late night chill when temperatures slightly dipped, the atmosphere in the city practically already felt like summer. Looking forward to being back in Paris soon.

JG

Zelenskiy in Bakhmut and Lysychansk - 6/6/22

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy poses with Ukrainian military members during a visit to the Bakhmut and Lysychansk districts.

Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/AFP/Getty Images

Place des Vosges - Spring '22

Basking in some afternoon sunshine at Place des Vosges. 

YG

Paris - London Spring '22

Back from Paris and London. I will try and provide more pics and maybe some extra journal excerpts from my time in Stoke Newington and Islington as well as my walks mainly around the Marais, Bastille, and the broader 11th arrondissement soon. 

Canal Saint Martin

Krakow - 4/24/22

Ukrainian refugees in Krakow, Poland sing their national anthem in a show of patriotism and defiance against the ongoing Russian war against their country.

Mauricia Lima NYT

St Petersburg

 The Z symbol prominently displayed along the boulevards of St Petersburg

Olga Maltseva AFP Getty Images

Boris in Kyiv - 4/9/22

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson followed in the footsteps of EU Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen and arrived in Kyiv today in a surprise visit to meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top government officials. The UK has been a stalwart supporter of Ukraine during the war, having provided essential military hardware such as the NLAW anti-tank weapons system that has wrecked havoc on Russian armoured units. 

Johnson and Zelenskyy, including their heavily armed escort, went on a walking tour of central Kyiv in a show of defiance. The visit by the British prime minister was received extremely well by Ukrainians who have been grateful for British support and the show of solidarity.

Ukrainian Presidential Service

IDF in Northern Shomron - 4/8/22

IDF infantry soldiers conduct operations in the middle of the night in the northern West Bank near Jenin, which has been a hub of recent terrorists who have launched attacks in Israel. During the period of the Second Intifada, Jenin also was the main staging ground for Palestinian terror attacks. The IDF is increasing its operations in the area in order to thwart future attacks and disrupt any existing terror infrastructure, but also out of the concern that the PA is slowly losing control of Jenin.

IDF Spokesperson

Terror on Dizengoff - 4/7/22

IDF soldiers and special forces units converge on Dizengoff street in central Tel Aviv in the immediate after math of a deadly shooting attack at a bar that killed two people and injured dozens. There is currently a manhunt for the suspected gunman. Police and security personnel have ordered residents to stay indoors and have been conducting house to house searches for the wanted terrorist. 

The recent string of terror attacks over the past three weeks have brought back memories of the bloody years of the Second Intifada. As Ramadan overlaps with Passover, both Israelis and Palestinians will continue to be on edge.

Noam Revkin Fenton Flash 90

Coalition Drama - 4/6/22

Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz tours a military outpost in Judea and Samaria. While Idit Silman of Yamina created a new coalition crisis today by her decision to defect to Likud, Gantz is also at the forefront of new drama. He has been rumored to be discontent with the coalition and could likely be a major player in what happens in the coming weeks after the Knesset resumes.

Ariel Hermoni Times of Israel

Operation Breakwave - 4/4/22

IDF soldiers operate in the West Bank in the wake of a series of terror attacks that rocked Israel last week. The goal of the operation is to root out terror infrastructure in hubs such as Jenin and Nablus.

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IDF Spokesperson

Old Town, Lviv - 4/1/22

Night time scene on the cobblestoned streets of Lviv's Old Town. Since the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine on February 24th, the population in the Lviv region in western Ukraine has swelled by hundreds of thousands of refugees according to reports.

Ivor Prickett NYT

Pidzamche, Lviv - 3/26/22

A hillside view over Lviv following a Russian airstrike on a fuel depot in the Pidzamche neighborhood on the outer edge of the city.

Pavlo Palamarchuk Reuters

Lviv Under Fire - 3/26/22

On a day when Russian military leaders appeared to publicly scale back and recalibrate the objectives of their operational aims by asserting the priority to take full control of the Donbas, airstrikes nonetheless hit a neighborhood on the outer edge of Lviv. This was only the third time that areas in Western Ukraine were targeted by Russia since the war began just over a month ago. Previously, the outskirts of Lviv had been hit. This time, a fuel depot in the Pidzamche neighborhood within the city limits was the main target. 

Lviv sits just 45 miles from the Polish border and is considered Ukraine's western cultural capital, and a city that has long been considered the western oriented in the country due to its history. The Russian attack occurred on the same day that President Biden was visiting Poland, where he gave a major address at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

Marion Payet AFP

Przemysl Station - 3/25/22

Refugees from Ukraine pack the platform at Przemysl train station in eastern Poland. The majority of refugees have been women and children. 

Erin Schaff NYT

Lviv - 3/23/22

A Ukrainian pedestrian passes along the tram tracks in center of Lviv's Old Town. So far, the western Ukrainian city itself has remained largely untouched by Russian forces despite targeted airstrikes on its outskirts. The population has swelled with refugees and those seeking a way across the border and into Poland. Due to its history and location as a geographic under the former Hapsburg Empire and the Kingdom of Poland as well as under Ukrainian sovereignty, the city has long maintained strong cultural connections to the West. More so than perhaps any other city in Ukraine. It continues to be one of the cultural hubs of Ukraine.

Ivor Prickett NYT

Territorial Defense Kyiv - 3/20/22

Ukrainian Territorial Defense volunteers stand guard on the outskirts of Kyiv during the afternoon on Sunday, March 20th. Just this evening, Russian missiles struck the Retroville Mall in the Podilskyi district of northern Kyiv. 

Only hours earlier, Russian forces issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian defenders of Mariupol to surrender by 5 am local time or face more destruction. The Ukrainian government swiftly rejected the Russian demand to surrender. The city of Mariupol has already faced war crimes and devastation that eerily mirrored Russian actions in cities like Aleppo in Syria. 

Ukrainian rescue workers are still working to save hundreds who had been sheltering under a theater in Mariupol, which was bombed earlier this week. Today, a Russian airstrike attacked another civilian target in the city. This time it was an art school which was bombed. Reports claim that dozens of Ukrainian civilians had been seeking shelter in the school as well. 

Ivor Prickett NYT

Zelenskyy Kikar HaBima - 3/20/22

President Zelenskyy's Zoom speech to the Knesset was live streamed today above HaBima Square in Tel Aviv. Hundreds of Israelis turned out to watch and show their support. Ukrainian-Israelis and Russian-Israelis protesting against the Putin regime made up a bulk of the audience. Many new arrivals to Israel from war torn Ukraine also attended.

The speech was not without controversy, though. Zelenskyy's Holocaust metaphor and particularly harsh tone towards Israel's government drew severe ire. It was the Holocaust comparison that attrached most of the backlash. 

However, it should be obvious that two things can be true at once. The first being that the comparison was inaccurate. The second should be an understanding that he is doing everything to help save his country and people who are being relentlessly attacked. Too much of the criticism against him for these comments lacks the empathy and understanding for the position he is in right now.

It is a more complex question to dissect the policies of the Israeli government towards Ukraine during the war. Humanitarian aid from Israel has flowed to Ukraine the entire time and the new Israel field hospital is being launched in Mostyska, about an hour and a half outside of Lviv in the western part of the country.

Below: Israelis watch and cheer Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy's speech to the Knesset at HaBima Square in Tel Aviv.

Jack Guez AFP

Outside Kyiv - 3/18/22

Ukrainian civilians continue to suffer the most and bear the brunt of relentless Russian attacks against homes, hospitals, schools, theaters, and more. As Russian forces have stalled outside many main Ukrainian cities, indiscriminate fire has been directed against civilians and non-military targets. Here, two girls console one another outside Kyiv at an aid station. A flood of refugees have escaped suburbs such as Irpin in order to seek a safe haven. However, Russian attacks have now expanded deep into previously untouched areas of the country such as near Lviv in Western Ukraine. There are hardly any areas left in the country that can be considered safe. 

Ukrainian ground forces continue to destroy Russian tank columns and other advancing units where the fighting is heaviest. However, there is major concern as street fighting has now been confirmed in the city center of the heavily besieged and bombed city of Mariupol. If the Russians take full control of Mariupol, it would be the first major Ukrainian city captured, and it would provide the needed ground to create a land bridge from the Donbas to Crimea.

Ivor Prickett NYT

Lviv - 3/18/22

In the central square of Lviv's Old Town, one hundred and nine empty prams were lined up to memorialize the number of children killed so far during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. May this horror end now.

AFP

Day 22 - 3/16/22

Russian movements have temporarily stalled yet intensive assaults against Ukrainian civilian targets have increased. Today, a theater in Mariupol was destroyed by a Russian airstrike. Hundreds of people had been seeking shelter there. 

Odessans continue to cautiously await and prepare for a potential Russian military incursion into their historic city. Here below, a soldier guards a coastline position to protect from a possible amphibious assault from the Black Sea. Ukrainian forces have inflicted massive losses to the Russian invaders and numerous reports relay the very real problems facing the Russian military right now.

Tyler Hicks NYT

Mariupol - 3/13/22

Amidst the devastation, a Ukrainian soldier advances through the rubble in the southeastern port city Mariupol. The Russian military has effectively placed a siege on the city and has targeted civilian areas such as hospitals, schools, apartment buildings, and offices. At least 2,187 people have reportedly died in the city since the start of the war.

Mstyslav Chernov AP

Luhansk 3/11/22

A Ukrainian soldier stands in the middle of a roadway in front of a tank in Luhansk. The intensity of Russia's attacks on Ukraine have increased significantly with heavier firepower being directed against civilian homes and infrastructure. Russian air strikes have also been reported as far west as Lutsk and Ivano-Frankvisk, a region which has been previously untouched by the fighting.

Anatolii Stepano/AFP/Getty Images

Irpin 3/8/22

Ukrainian soldiers assist elderly citizens along with women, children, and men to cross a destroyed bridge in the town of Irpin just outside Kyiv. Evacuations have been carried out over the past four days and have been limited due to Russian attacks. This photo was taken yesterday just before snow fell in the outskirts of Kyiv.

Guardian

God Save Ukraine 3/6/22

Russia's military  can no longer continue to kill innocent civilians with impunity. Following the murder of a family attempting to flee Irpin for Kyiv, Ukrainian President Zelensky issued a warning to those committing war crimes against innocent civilians.

“They were just trying to get out of town. To escape. The whole family. How many such families have died in Ukraine. We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will punish everyone who committed atrocities in this war.” 

“There will be no quiet place on this earth for you. Except for the grave.” - President Zelensky, 3/6/22

    Lynsey Addario NYT

Radymno, Poland 3/6/22

Dusk scene at the train station in Radymno, Poland, which sits adjacent to Ukrainian border. The town has seen an influx of refugees fleeing war torn Ukraine. Since the beginning of Russia's invasion over one and a half million Ukrainian refugees have fled the country to escape. Most have escaped to neighboring countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia. Refugees fleeing Ukraine represent the largest movement of people in Europe since the end of the Second World War.  

Maciek Nabrdalik NYT

Neglinnaya Street, Moscow 3/5/22

View of the Bank of Russia building on Neglinnaya Street in Moscow.

New York Times

Lviv 3/4/22

Lviv Old Town.

A statue is covered in protective layers to guard against a potential Russian bombardment on the city. Thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing west to escape the Russian onslaught. 

Ivor Prickett NYT

Zelensky 3/3/22

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with reporters from the international press at a hastily assembled press conference in Kyiv. Zelenskyy spoke about his determination not to compromise on Ukraine's sovereignty, but claimed that he is open and available for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy was dressed in military style clothes and was flanked by armed security.

Lynsey Addario NYT