Chuck Holton
Politics • Culture • News
Using Algorithms to Hunt Terrorists in Gaza
How the IDF is Using AI
January 27, 2025
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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are once again showcasing their commitment to innovation and precision in their operations. One of the most fascinating developments in their efforts to protect Israel is their use of artificial intelligence (AI). This advanced technology is not just enhancing their efficiency—it’s also helping them minimize harm to civilians, even in the most challenging conditions.

The IDF has been leveraging AI systems to process vast amounts of data and provide actionable intelligence. One such system, known as "The Gospel" (Habsora), is designed to analyze surveillance footage, intercepted communications, and other sources of information. It identifies potential threats—like weapons caches or militant activity—and prioritizes these targets for human analysts. By streamlining this process, the IDF can act quickly and precisely, focusing their efforts where they’re needed most.

Another key tool, "Lavender," has been instrumental in identifying individuals involved in militant activities. During recent operations, this AI-powered database flagged tens of thousands of suspected threats, enabling the IDF to concentrate on confirmed targets. This precision targeting is crucial in reducing the risk of collateral damage and ensuring that strikes are as accurate as possible.

These efforts are supported by partnerships with tech giants like Microsoft and Google. These companies provide cutting-edge cloud computing and AI tools that enhance the IDF’s capabilities. This collaboration ensures that the IDF remains at the forefront of modern warfare, with technology that is fast, reliable, and incredibly effective.

One of the most significant benefits of these advancements is the reduction in civilian casualties. AI allows the IDF to differentiate between combatants and non-combatants with remarkable accuracy. In the chaos of war, this kind of precision is not only groundbreaking but also life-saving. By focusing on confirmed threats, the IDF can avoid broad, indiscriminate strikes and uphold their commitment to minimizing harm to innocent people.

This use of AI underscores the IDF’s dual mission: to protect Israel while maintaining a strong ethical foundation. These technological advancements highlight their dedication to conducting operations with both effectiveness and integrity.

The IDF’s integration of AI is a clear example of how innovation can transform modern warfare. By embracing cutting-edge technology, they are not only enhancing their own capabilities but also setting a new standard for precision and care in military operations. It’s a powerful reminder that creativity and determination can go hand in hand with a commitment to saving lives and protecting values.

For those interested in understanding the broader implications of AI in modern warfare, I highly recommend the book "AI at War: How Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning Are Changing Warfare" edited by Sam J. Tangredi and George Galdorisi. It offers a deep dive into the transformative impact of these technologies on military strategies worldwide.

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@ChuckHolton Happy Birthday Mr. Holton! May God continue to bless you and your family in abundance! 🎉🎊🎁🎈

Pride blinds us from seeing clearly. For when we are full of ourselves, there's no room for anything else (Obadiah 1:3). And pride opens us up to satan's deception, for by relying on ourselves we are more manipulatable. And self-confidence is rooted in arrogance, but the humble-minded understand their inadequacies - their own desperate need for the Almighty (2 Corinthians 3:5). They know only He is infallible and flawless (Psalm 18:30) - so they don't expect perfection from anyone, or themselves. Therefore they desire to be corrected when in error; they aren't complacent but will change their theology and lifestyle whenever the Bible calls for it. For they live not for the praise or adoration of people, but to follow the Lord regardless of consequences or sacrifices. For they are concerned with glorifying God's holy name, and not themselves in any way (Psalm 115:1). They will gladly take the last or lower place, for the opportunity to prefer another person (Luke 14:10, Philippians 2:3-4). ...

Hostages, Headlines, and Hard Truths: Why Israel Can’t Quit Now

 We’ve got a lot on the board: the recovery of two hostage bodies from Gaza, the renewed push into Gaza City, Israel’s clever strike on Houthi leadership, a consequential dust-up with Turkey, and a reminder—uncomfortable but necessary—of why this war began and why it must be finished.

Gaza: two bodies recovered

The IDF and Shin Bet located and recovered the bodies of two hostages from Gaza—one identified as Elon Weiss, an emergency responder murdered on October 7 and dragged across the fence. That grim accounting leaves 48 hostages still in Gaza; Israeli officials believe about 20 are alive. Israel has suspended “tactical pauses” around Gaza City to accelerate the hunt. The IDF’s 7th Brigade is pushing again into Zaytoun—for the eighth time—determined to hold ground they’ve cleared repeatedly. Why go back? Because every entry leaves behind eyes and ears—“various different kinds of intelligence-gathering devices”—that start painting a picture the moment Hamas and civilians flow back in. That picture is how you find hostages.

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Reading Armenia: Essential Books on a Nation’s Past and Present

Armenia is a land where history runs deep—etched into mountains, monasteries, and memory. Whether you are drawn to the haunting testimonies of the Armenian Genocide, the sweeping narratives of classic Armenian novels, or modern reflections on diaspora and identity, books offer one of the richest pathways into understanding Armenia. In this post, we’ll explore some of the most powerful and essential works—histories, memoirs, fiction, and travelogues—that illuminate the Armenian experience for readers around the world.

  1. The Crossing Place: A Journey Among The Armenians by Philip Marsden

    Philip Marsden’s The Crossing Place: A Journey Among the Armenians (1994 Somerset Maugham Award) is a vivid travel narrative written as the Soviet Union collapsed and Armenia faced war and hardship. As a young Englishman, Marsden journeyed through Eastern Europe and the Middle East to reach Armenia, encountering scattered Armenian communities along the way. Rather than centering on Mount Ararat or solely on the Genocide, he explored how Armenians endured exile, preserved identity, and carried a legacy of resilience. With crisp, lyrical prose, Marsden captures both landscapes and people, portraying Armenians as not just a footnote to history but a subtext—restless, tough, and bound together across borders.


  2. The Forty Days of Musa Dagh by Franz Werfel 

    Franz Werfel’s The Forty Days of Musa Dagh (1933) remains the most famous literary work on the Armenian Genocide. Based on the true story of villages that resisted Ottoman deportation orders in 1915 and survived until rescued by the French Navy, the novel became an international bestseller, translated into many languages and later adapted into film and opera. Banned by the Nazis and denounced by Turkey, it nonetheless inspired Jews under Nazi occupation and was embraced by Armenians worldwide. More than a historical novel, Werfel’s epic portrays courage, endurance, and the moral urgency of confronting atrocity, cementing its place as both literature and testimony.
  3. An Armenian Sketchbook by Vasily Grossman

Vasily Grossman’s An Armenian Sketchbook is a short, intimate account of the two months he spent in Armenia after the Soviet regime “arrested” his masterpiece Life and Fate. Initially taking on the trip for work and money, Grossman found himself captivated by Armenia’s mountains, ancient churches, and people. Written with warmth and spontaneity, the book feels like a candid conversation with the author, blending travel impressions with personal reflection. More than a travelogue, it’s a self-portrait of a writer searching for meaning amid exile and change, offering readers a wonderfully human glimpse into both Armenia and Grossman himself.

4. The Burning Tigris by Peter Balakian

Peter Balakian’s The Burning Tigris is a national bestseller that offers a powerful narrative of the late 19th-century massacres of Armenians and the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Drawing on rare archival documents and eyewitness testimony, Balakian exposes how the Ottoman Turks carried out the first modern genocide under the cover of World War I. At the same time, he uncovers a forgotten chapter of American history, when ordinary citizens and leaders rallied to aid Armenian survivors, making this both a chilling history and a story of humanitarian response.

 

5. The Story of the Last Thought by Edgar Hilsenrath

Edgar Hilsenrath’s The Story of the Last Thought tells the tragic tale of an Armenian village destroyed during the 1915 Genocide, framed as the dying vision of Thovma Khatisian. Guided by the storyteller Meddah, Thovma’s final thought becomes a journey through his family’s history and the suffering of his people. Mixing historical fact with the style of an oriental fairy tale, Hilsenrath blends myth, memory, and meticulously researched detail. The result is both a cruel yet compassionate novel—one that mourns loss while affirming hope, and speaks to the plight of all genocide victims.

6. Passage to Ararat by Michael J. Arlen

Michael J. Arlen’s Passage to Ararat (winner of the National Book Award in 1976) is both a personal and historical exploration of Armenian identity. Seeking to understand what his famous Anglo-Armenian father had tried to forget, Arlen travels into Armenia’s past and present, confronting the legacy of genocide, exile, and survival. What emerges is a narrative as sweeping as a people’s history yet as intimate as a father–son relationship, blending cultural discovery with the painful and affirming truths of kinship and belonging.

 

If you like watching movies, here are some recommendations.

  1. Lost and Found in Armenia (2013)

Bill (Jamie Kennedy) is forced to take a vacation in Turkey after a bad breakup and a parasailing accident leave him stranded in a small Armenian village. He meets a young woman (Angela Sarafyan) there who helps him escape from his misfortunes.

2. The Pomise (2016)

The film tells the story of Michael (Oscar Isaac), a young Armenian who dreams of studying medicine. When he travels to Constantinople to study, he meets Armenian Ana (Charlotte Le Bon) and falls in love with her, although she dates the American photographer Chris (Christian Bale), sent to Turkey to record the first genocide of the 20th century when the Turks exterminated the Armenian minority. A love triangle settles amidst the horrors of war.

3. Amerikatsi (2022)

Armenian-American repatriate Charlie Bakhchinyan is arrested for the absurd crime of wearing a tie in Soviet Armenia. Alone in solitary confinement, he soon discovers that he can see inside of an apartment building near the prison from his cell window. By watching the native Armenian couple living in the apartment, day in and day out, Charlie soon discovers everything he returned to Armenia for.

Amerikatsi is about hope and the art of survival in the worst of conditions.

4. Between Borders (2024)

The incredible true story of an Armenian family forced to flee their home during the collapse of the Soviet Union, and embark on a journey to find a community to call their own.

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 Syrian soldiers stationed at a former military facility in the town of Aliswah. The strikes softened up the site and cut off nearby roads to delay reinforcements. Then Israeli commandos hit the ground for what’s called “sensitive site exploitation” — essentially gathering intelligence, dismantling surveillance devices, and recovering equipment of value.

Reports indicate those devices had been placed there by Turkey, possibly more than a decade ago, giving Ankara a window into Israel’s activities. Removing them was a clear message: Israel will not tolerate hostile eyes watching its borders.

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