Midweek Space ... What did we miss since Monday?

The Spaces centers on two main threads: debunking specific conspiracy claims about the Beirut port explosion and reacting to a fresh media allegation regarding an alleged plan to bomb a major funeral in Beirut. Speaker 1, who says they were part of a government review team with access to infrared and surveillance footage, asserts there is no evidence of an air-launched missile (e.g., Hellfire) in the Beirut port blast and explains why a true missile would have appeared across multiple cameras rather than a single phone video. While not excluding possible Israeli involvement in other ways, they reject the specific missile narrative as inconsistent with the evidence. The conversation then turns to a report attributed to Israel’s Channel 14 claiming Morgan Ortagus suggested striking a large funeral at Beirut’s Sports City on February 23; Speaker 1 says they attended, observed low overflights, and argues the strike would have caused mass civilian casualties without eliminating core Hezbollah leadership. A question about an unexploded GBU is deferred. The hosts also reflect on moderation challenges, differences between Arabic and English audiences, and the public’s attraction to conspiratorial explanations.

Midweek Twitter Space Summary

Participants and Roles

• Host (Speaker 1): Organizer and primary commentator. Cites prior service “as part of the government crew” that reviewed infrared and collected video footage related to the Beirut port explosion. Attended the Beirut Sports City funeral on Feb 23 (referred to in the audio as the funeral of “Saint Hassan Australia”).
• Sam (Speaker 2): Regular participant and listener; offers feedback, raises questions (notably about an unexploded GBU), and praises the host’s Arabic-language Spaces.

Opening Context and Space Management

• Scheduling/tech hiccup: The host explains the Space started late due to dozing off after facing technical setup issues. Light, self-deprecating tone; acknowledges confusion about days.
• Community note: Sam compliments the host’s Arabic Space (described as very long and informative). The host notes it ran hours beyond plan after “Rahin” joined, with some participants derailing discussion with extended commentary. The host considered blocking one such participant but refrained.
• Format for this session: The host plans to “repeat the same information” from Arabic Spaces regarding the Beirut port explosion but in a concise, one-way format (less back-and-forth).

Topic: Beirut Port Explosion Narratives

• Host’s stated background: Claims involvement with a government team that reviewed collected footage, including infrared screening, after the Beirut port explosion.
• Core position: Rejects the claim that an air-to-surface missile (e.g., a Hellfire) caused the explosion.
  • Evidence/rationale offered:
    • The host describes the Hellfire missile as approximately 1.7–1.8 meters long. If such a missile had been captured on one person’s mobile phone, it should have appeared on multiple surveillance cameras and across many contemporaneous videos from diverse angles.
    • The host underscores that only a single phone purportedly captured a “missile,” while others from similar vantage points did not, which the host presents as implausible.
  • Caveat on culpability: The host does not categorically rule out Israeli involvement “indirect or direct” in a broader sense, but specifically disputes the “missile fired from the air” theory as inconsistent with the reviewed evidence.
  • Commentary on discourse: The host critiques a public tendency to gravitate toward conspiratorial explanations and urges basic evidentiary reasoning (“use your brains”).

Topic: Question on an Unexploded GBU

• Sam asks about an “unexploded GBU.”
• Host response: Declines to address it in this session, noting it was slated for Monday and had been touched on briefly in the previous week. Indicates a list of priority items today and defers this subject for later discussion.

Topic: Reported Israeli Media Claim About Bombing a Beirut Funeral

• Source referenced: The host cites a reporter from Israeli Channel 14 who, according to the host, said on live TV that Morgan Ortagus (referred to disparagingly by the host with nicknames) suggested to Israeli officials that they bomb the Feb 23 funeral at Beirut Sports City to kill Hezbollah officials, despite mass civilian casualties.
• Host’s firsthand context: The host states they attended that funeral and observed Israeli warplanes flying very low overhead.
• Details asserted by the host:
  • The suggestion, as described, accepted the likelihood of “hundreds of thousands” of civilian deaths to target Hezbollah officials.
  • The host claims top critical leadership figures were not present in person (one key figure was only “via a screen,” per the host), implying the purported plan would have been strategically misaligned and overwhelmingly criminal in consequence.
  • Characterization: The host labels such a hypothetical action a “crazy war crime.”
• Tone and attribution: These are presented as allegations derived from a Channel 14 reporter’s on-air statements, as relayed by the host; the host uses sharply critical language toward Ortagus and the idea itself.

Style, Tone, and Rhetorical Notes

• The session blends informal banter with high-intensity political assertions.
• The host shows frustration with misinformation and conspiratorial thinking, urging evidence-based analysis.
• Sam is supportive, highlighting the educational value of the host’s Arabic Spaces.

Key Takeaways

• Beirut port explosion: The host, citing a role in official post-event video/IR review, strongly rejects the air-launched missile theory (e.g., Hellfire), emphasizing the lack of multi-camera corroboration and incongruity with the available footage.
• Alleged funeral bombing suggestion: The host reports that an Israeli Channel 14 segment claimed Morgan Ortagus suggested bombing a Feb 23 Beirut funeral to kill Hezbollah officials despite massive civilian casualties; the host calls this an admission of intent to commit a war crime and notes major leadership was not physically present.
• Unexploded GBU topic remains open: The question was raised but deferred for a future session.
• Session format and moderation: The host intends future concise briefings to avoid derailment; praises and criticism of audience engagement reflect a desire for disciplined, evidence-driven discussion.

Open Questions and Follow-Ups

• Unexploded GBU: Awaiting a dedicated update from the host in a subsequent Space.
• Israeli media claim: Further verification and details of the Channel 14 report could be explored, including original broadcast context and any official responses.
• Beirut port explosion discourse: The host signaled a plan to continue condensing and reiterating core findings; additional technical specifics from the IR/video review may be provided in future sessions.