LIVE DEVELOPMENTS — updated Monday, September 28, 2026  

UK Foils Bomb Attack On Airbase Used By US Air Force, Iran Suspected In Plot

TRUSTED ANALYSIS

Day 1,088 — Monday, September 28

British counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Iran was connected to a suspected bomb plot targeting RAF Fairford, a military base used by US bombers in operations against Iran, after five men were arrested near the installation early Sunday.

The suspects were detained after police received a report shortly before 1 am of three suspicious vehicles apparently traveling toward the Gloucestershire air base.

Armed officers intercepted the vehicles in the nearby Whelford area and initially arrested the five men on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act.

They were subsequently arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and remained in custody as counter-terrorism investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Investigators are considering several possible motives, including Iranian involvement, Russian sabotage or an Islamist plot, The Telegraph reported.

An Iran-linked operation is currently regarded by investigators as the leading possibility, according to a source familiar with the investigation citing by the report, though British authorities have not publicly attributed the suspected plot to Tehran.

“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said.

“As you would expect we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”

An Army explosive ordnance disposal team was brought in to inspect the three vehicles, prompting authorities to establish a 400-meter security cordon and evacuate approximately 85 nearby households as a precaution.

Images from the scene showed bomb-disposal equipment operating around three white vans while armed police sealed roads surrounding the area.

The operation began after a local resident reported seeing the vehicles and several men behaving suspiciously near the base during the early-morning hours. The witness said some of the men appeared to be wearing masks or balaclavas and scattered after being seen.

US President Donald Trump said American and British authorities had worked together on the case and claimed the suspects had been under surveillance before their arrests.

“They were looking to do big damage,” Trump said.

“We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.”

Trump praised the cooperation between the two countries, calling the operation “an amazing job.”

His account appeared to suggest that authorities possessed intelligence about the suspects before the public report that triggered the police response. British officials have not publicly detailed what intelligence, if any, existed beforehand.

RAF Fairford has assumed heightened strategic importance during the war with Iran. The Gloucestershire installation has hosted US Air Force B-1 and B-52 bombers and has been used to support American military operations against Iranian targets.

Its role previously drew explicit warnings from Tehran.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in July that bases used to support attacks against Iranian territory could be subjected to retaliation.

“Any base used for aggression against Iranian territory is a legitimate target for us,” the IRGC said at the time.

The warning prompted Britain to declare that its armed forces were prepared to defend the country against potential attacks.

Security around Fairford had already been strengthened before Sunday’s incident, with additional surveillance and protective measures introduced as US bomber activity at the installation increased.

The suspected plot has now led to further security precautions at Fairford and other British bases hosting US forces.

world israel news 

Day 1,088 — Monday, September 28

As tensions rise in Judea and Samaria, i24NEWS spoke with security experts about the growing threat posed by armed Palestinian Authority forces, and the critical threat of their weapons being turned against Israel.

Lt. Col. (Res.) Maurice Hirsch, former Director of the Military Prosecution for Judea and Samaria, told i24NEWS, “We see the Palestinian police participating and instigating terror. They are the terrorists.”

“And here they are building a state, with an army, this Palestinian state, which is sending representatives to train in Qatar, to train in Pakistan — against whom they are fighting exactly?”

Ro’i Drucker, Judea and Samaria Coordinator for Regavim, explained, “Every road in Judea and Samaria is under siege, and they are just waiting for the day they get their orders. The Palestinian Authority, for years, has been conducting a deep process of occupying the area, controlling all the roads and the main buildings in Judea and Samaria.”

“Their weapons have been trained against us since the day the Palestinian police were created, since the day they received weapons. You can remember the demonstrations at the Western Wall, right? In 1996, just days after the signing of the Oslo Accords, [late Palestinian Authority leader Yasser] Arafat commands the officers in the Palestinian Authority to “fight the Zionist enemy because they are operating in our sacred lands”.

“And from then on, from the first day that the Palestinian Authority received weapons, it turned them against us. The story does not end here, but is a question of when this event will be used against us.”

Hirsch explained, “I was here in this division for five years, 1998-2003. The first two years, were peacekeeping, the Oslo Accords, the implementation of these things.”

“What did the vision of peace bring us?” he asked. “Tens of thousands were killed, Israelis were murdered, thousands, and also on the Palestinian side, people were killed. So what, are we going to continue on the same path?”

Drucker added, “In the Oslo Accords it was about 12,000 weapons that the Palestinian Authority could hold, for the use of law enforcement. Since then the numbers grew, we know that today, the Palestinian Authority security system has about 65,000 people on salary.”

“That is, even if not all of them are officers, fighters, you can say that at least 30,000-35,000 are trained soldiers. They have several places in Judea and Samaria, in the north, the main place is the General Artillery University in Jericho. It is a complete training base, like the IDF.

“They learn how to occupy positions and how to occupy settlements. They train in the north, in the open area. They train on artillery fire, they train on sniping, invading, attacking, they train on forces that operate at night, with means of night vision, aiming at civilians.

“I don’t think that a police force needs all of this,” he emphasized.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Eitan Dangot, former Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), told i24NEWS, “The military’s readiness for their turning their weapons on us is a capability that must be thorough and long-term, including how to deal with it, to differentiate and determine priorities and decide what goals are most necessary.”

“We also defused a few myths in the light of operations we carried out recently, and there are no words to describe the destruction of terrorist enclaves, especially in northern Samaria.”

Last year, a full 150 Palestinian Authority police officers took their weapons to carry out terror attacks – a hint of what could happen in the event of a large-scale attack, with tens of thousands of hostile “police officers” operating.

“How can we have let this grow from 12,000 people to what is now estimated as 67,000 to 70,000 fighters?” Hirsch demanded.

Concluding the interview, Drucker warned, “The State of Israel is today in a problematic situation – it’s a ticking time bomb.”

arutz sheva

Day 1,087 — Sunday, September 27

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday rejected Iran’s latest proposal of a seven-day ceasefire made earlier in the week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly annual General Debate in New York, calling it unacceptable.

“I’ve rejected their deal,” the president told reporters.

“They want to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they’re losing so badly. … You don’t see that in the fake news,” he continued.

“But we’re winning tremendously; we have total control of the Hormuz Strait, massive amounts of oil coming out. … Last night we had 29 ships come out. They want a make a deal, and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal too, but that deal would not be acceptable,” said Trump.

He said the blockade is choking Iran financially, “so they outsmarted themselves. They said, ‘Let’s close it, and cause a problem for the world.’ And then I came along. And we put up the greatest blockade ever in military history. It’s a wall of steel. … And guess what? They don’t have any money now, because they wanted to close the strait and I said, that’s fine, we’re going to close it on you—but everybody else is able to use it.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday told reporters, “If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days,” according to the Associated Press.

The seven-day period would start when the Trump administration accepts the plan, Araghchi continued. “The choice now rests with the United States.”

The U.S. president on Friday night reiterated his view on Truth Social that Iran must not have nuclear weapons, followed by another post showing a map of the Strait of Hormuz in which it is renamed, “Trump Strait.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command said that as of Sept. 25, its forces have redirected 122 commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz “to ensure strict compliance” with the naval blockade reimposed on Iran on July 14.

jns

Day 1,086 — Saturday, September 26

The United Nations human rights office has expanded its controversial database of companies operating in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, adding 61 firms to the list, Reuters reported Friday.

The database, first released in 2020, now contains 214 companies. Most are Israeli, while firms from 10 other countries are also included, among them France, Germany, China and the United States. The list was condemned by the US during the first Trump administration.

Among the companies newly included are Israeli pesticide manufacturer ADAMA, which is owned by China’s Syngenta Group, Israeli real estate investment company Alony Hetz and Spain-based Salvat Logistica. They join businesses already on the database, including travel company Expedia and home-rental platform Airbnb.

Israel rejected the latest additions. In a statement issued Friday, it said, “This is a distorted mechanism – created by a deeply flawed body with an automatic majority against Israel.”

The UN rights office said it examined companies involved in sectors including energy, food, hospitality, transportation and agriculture. Its assessments were based on confidential information submitted to the office.

Around 60 additional companies were reviewed but ultimately excluded because the UN determined they did not satisfy its criteria for involvement in activities it considers violations of the Palestinian Arab right to self-determination.

The database has also been reduced in some cases. British-registered online travel company Opodo and Spain-based online travel agency eDreams were removed after requesting reassessments. According to Reuters, the UN concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe the companies were no longer engaged in the activities that had previously led to their inclusion.

Expedia has previously defended its listings in areas it calls “disputed areas,” saying they are clearly identified, comply with international laws and sanctions, and are subject to enhanced due diligence based on UN standards.

arutz sheva

Day 1,086 — Saturday, September 26

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) called Friday for Israel to free Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for attacks that killed Israelis, as the midterm elections approach.

“I am calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison,” Khanna wrote on X.

In a video accompanying the post, Khanna said Palestinians should choose their own leaders and argued that Barghouti could help bring about a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel.

“Palestinians must choose their own leaders. Barghouti has a unique standing among all Palestinian factions,” Khanna said. “He’s seen as non-corrupt, a strong leader, and secular. Barghouti could deliver a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel.”

An Israeli court convicted Barghouti in 2004 on five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for attacks that killed a Greek Orthodox monk and four other people. The court sentenced him to five consecutive life terms plus additional prison time.

Khanna acknowledged the case against Barghouti but argued that Israel should free him anyway.

“Releasing Barghouti does not provide him with a pardon or moral absolution of crimes he may have committed,” Khanna said. “In fact, a number of human rights groups say he did not even receive a fair trial. But the release is needed to move peace forward, just like Arafat and Rabin worked for peace despite their pasts.”

Khanna then compared Barghouti’s release to allowing members of the Irish Republican Army to take part in politics.

“The Irish Republic Army, the IRA, did terrible things in its war against British and Protestant domination,” he said. “But when the IRA said they had a vision of equality and coexistence, letting them participate in politics was the right decision. Barghouti has said exactly that, repeatedly.”

breitbart

Day 1,085 — Friday, September 25

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani repeatedly branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal,” but faced criticism for remaining largely tight-lipped about Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

While Mamdani has labeled the Iranian government “brutal” and cited its “systematic repression of its own people,” critics railed against him for declining to use similar language about Pezeshkian, who arrived in the city on Wednesday.

“Mayor Mamdani, you said war criminals who set foot in New York should be arrested. Good news. One is in New York city this week,” said Iranian-born journalist Masih Alinejad, who was subjected to an assassination attempt near her Brooklyn home while Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei was still alive.

“If you have the courage to talk about arresting those responsible for crimes against humanity, start with the man sleeping five miles from your office,” Alinejad tweeted.

She invited Mamdani to view the FBI files about her case, in which several men attempted to kidnap her in Brooklyn.

Director of National Intelligence Walter “Jay” Clayton said in January that the Iranian regime coordinated a murder-for-hire plot against Alinejad because of her efforts to speak out against its human rights abuses, while federal authorities sentenced one U.S.-based conspirator to 15 years.

“The government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, has engaged in a campaign of assassination plots in the United States and abroad targeting those who oppose the regime,” Clayton said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Mamdani has said Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City and has called him an “architect” of “genocide.” No similar statements about Pezeshkian could be found.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment.

National security expert and ACT For America founder Brigitte Gabriel also criticized the mayor over the discrepancy.

Gabriel, who has said she survived a terror attack during the 1975 Lebanese Civil War in Lebanon, now lives in the U.S.

“[The] Iranian President on American soil — while we are still in open conflict with Iran. 18 Americans dead. Thousands of Iranians slaughtered. And he’s getting a visa, a hotel, and a UN microphone in New York,” Gabriel fumed on X.

“Where are the war crimes charges? Where’s Mamdani to arrest him while he’s in NYC?”

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters Tuesday that Mamdani should stop attacking his nation’s government and turn his attention to Pezeshkian’s administration.

“Focus on the problems of the City of New York and stop with promoting anti-Semitism, stop supporting Hamas, and stop engaging with the Iranian regime,” Danon said.

Those comments came weeks after Mamdani’s international affairs liaison sought to arrange a meeting with Iranian U.N. Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton told Fox News the disparity in Mamdani’s rhetoric is stark.

“Is Zohran Mamdani threatening to arrest butchers from Iran who have killed tens of thousands of their own people, or genuine war criminals from other countries?” Cotton, R-Ark., asked.

“No. The one person he cites is the leader of the Jewish State of Israel.”

While Mamdani met with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, he said afterward the two leaders will continue to have radically different views on Israel and the conflict in Iran.

fox news

Day 1,085 — Friday, September 25

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the genocide claim against Israel was “the lie of the century, while adding that the Iranian regime’s toppling was “only a matter of time,” during his Thursday address to the United Nations General Assembly.

One of the main topics in Netanyahu’s speech was the different fronts that the country is fighting, with the prime minister explaining that Israel is also fighting on the information front against countries that push for antisemitic narratives and spread lies “such as the genocide claim.”

“What genocidal regime gives millions of polio vaccines to the enemy population? What genocidal regime enables the distribution of two million tons of food to Gaza, a ton per person?” Netanyahu asked the assembly, adding that a majority of the fighting was done in the social media sphere.

Netanyahu also said that there were several countries in the region actively financing information campaigns against Israel, with Qatar being the first one to hold these sorts of policies and Turkey being the last one.

“Years ago, Qatar started financing universities and the toxic media outlet Al Jazeera. They did the same in Europe, by the way. And their goal was clear. Brainwash young minds to hate Israel, America, and the West. This is the same Qatar that holds the Hamas butchers of October 7,” he said.

“Now the last country to become an antisemitic spreader of lies is Turkey. [Turkish President Recep Tayip] Erdogan is a tyrant who also hosts the Hamas terror chiefs,” he added.

Netanyahu also explained that the Turkish leader has “murdered thousands of Kurdish civilians, denies the Armenian genocide, has jailed thousands of journalists, and in fact, he holds the world record for this, and illegally occupies northern Cyprus and regularly trespasses into Greece, a NATO member.”

He said that it was no surprise that now Erdogan was “attempting to trespass into Syria, and that’s not surprising. Because he called for Israel’s destruction almost every single day. He says he is going to be the ruler of Jerusalem. No sir, you won’t.”

In another moment of his speech, Netanyahu recounted the recent rise in West Bank violence, saying that the settler population can’t be represented by 150 youngsters who “throw rocks and burn down olive trees.”

“I can’t stand for vigilantes, and that’s why we are looking for them with the Shin Bet,” he continued, adding that there is no comparison between settler violence and the terror attack perpetrated by Palestinians against Israeli civilians in [Judea and Samaria].

“Three days ago, an Israeli-French citizen was shot by a Hamas terrorist in a lake in Judea and Samaria. Two days ago, a reservist was run over by a terrorist while in Judea and Samaria,” he recounted, then explaining that the victim of the car ramming was Neria Leiter, an American citizen who serves as an IDF reservist and is the son of Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter.

“In a recent post, before he was attacked, Neria wrote this: We have no country; it is a privilege to defend it. To Neira, and to all the heroes of Israel, I pledge: Your sacrifice won’t be in vain. We will continue to fight and to win, because we have no other choice,” Netanyahu said.

jerusalem post

Day 1,084 — Thursday, September 24

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron after the French leader told the United Nations General Assembly that Hamas had “never been active” in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank — remarks that came just days after a French-Israeli father of six was murdered in a shooting attack carried out by a reported Hamas operative.

Speaking before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Macron criticized Israeli actions in Judea and Samaria, asking, “In the name of what?” before adding that “Hamas has never been active in the West Bank.” Hamas does not govern the territory, which is administered in part by the Palestinian Authority, but the terrorist organization has maintained cells and operatives there for years.

Netanyahu responded with unusually forceful language.

“The grotesque absurdity of Emmanuel Macron’s statement is staggering,” Netanyahu’s office said.

The prime minister pointed directly to the murder of Netanel Shukrun, a French citizen and father of six who was shot Sunday near the Ein Raya spring outside Neve Tzuf as he visited the site with his 16-year-old son ahead of Yom Kippur. Israeli reports identified the suspected gunman, Qadri Samara, as a Hamas operative. Shukrun reportedly warned his son to flee moments before he was fatally shot.

“On Sunday, the eve of Yom Kippur, just two days ago, Netanel Shukrun — a FRENCH CITIZEN and father of six — was murdered in his car by a Hamas terrorist in Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu’s office said. “With his final breath, he told his son to run.”

Netanyahu added that Hamas terrorists have repeatedly carried out attacks in Judea and Samaria, declaring, “Ignorance is NO EXCUSE for erasing their blood.”

The murder was not the only recent evidence of Hamas activity in the territory. On August 28, Israeli forces carried out a rare airstrike near Jenin that killed Qais Bitawi, whom the Shin Bet identified as the head of Hamas activity in the Jenin refugee camp. Hamas itself acknowledged Bitawi as one of its operatives. Israeli security officials said he had been involved in planning and carrying out attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces.

worthy news

Day 1,084 — Thursday, September 24

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter is abruptly returning to Israel ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) after learning that his son, IDF reservist Neria Leiter, was critically wounded in a Palestinian terrorist attack.

The ambassador revealed on social media that doctors are “fighting to save the life” of his son after a car ramming at the Maccabim (Bell) checkpoint in Samaria earlier in the day.

“I am grateful to the IDF, to the medical team at Shaare Zedek who are now fighting to save the life of Neria Dov ben Chana [Leiter], and for the prayers of the people of Israel,” he wrote.

“I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that when the people of Israel unite, miracles happen,” Leiter underscored. “Neria needs a miracle.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Leiter family at the hospital before departing for New York to speak at the UNGA on Thursday.

Video footage of the attack showed a white vehicle accelerating rapidly, directly striking Neria Leiter, who was thrown several feet. The terrorist was shot dead shortly after by IDF forces, identified as Mahmoud Mohammad Sliman, who lived in the nearby Arab village Beit Ur al-Tahta.

Neria Leiter arrived at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center trauma unit in Jerusalem, receiving hours-long emergency brain surgery. Doctor Alon Schwartz, in a statement, detailed that the most severe injury was to Leiter’s head, adding that while his condition has been stabilized by multiple medical teams, his life is “still in danger.”

The Ambassador’s eldest son, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed in combat in Gaza on November 10th 2023, one month after the October 7th Hamas massacre that ignited the war.

“Neria continued to serve in the reserves after losing his older brother, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, of blessed memory. Since October 7th, he has served hundreds of days in the reserves on multiple fronts,” the ambassador highlighted on Wednesday. “Palestinian terrorism seeks to uproot the people of Israel from their land. They choose death – we choose life.”

Following the death of his eldest son in 2023, Leiter recounted telling the Prime Minister: “Bibi, my son’s blood was not shed in vain. Finish this job. Don’t let any pressure in the world stop you. Because the only consolation of this loss is banishing evil.”

Erick Stakelbeck, host of The Watchman Newscast and Stakelbeck Tonight, issued an urgent prayer request in response to the news of the car-ramming attack that seriously injured Neria Leiter.

“Please, everyone, stop what you’re doing for just a few seconds and say a prayer for Neria Leiter,” he said in a short video message. “He is the son of Israel’s ambassador to the United States, my friend, Yechiel Leiter.”

“Yechiel is a great man. His son is an IDF soldier, bravely serving his country,” Stakelbeck noted. “He was critically wounded today in a car ramming by a Palestinian terrorist at a checkpoint in Judea and Samaria. He’s fighting for his life right now.”

“Yechiel was supposed to attend the speech of Prime Minister Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He’s now flying back to Israel, rushing back to be by his son’s side,” he detailed. “His condition is very grave, folks. He needs your prayers.”

“We serve a God of miracles,” Stakelbeck underscored. “Lift him up to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob right now.”

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, wrote, “Pray for Yechiel Leiter & entire family. They lost a son in Gaza killed by Hamas. Now a Palestinian terrorist attempts to murder IDF soldiers at a checkpoint.”

Huckabee’s daughter, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, added: “We serve a powerful God who is capable of performing miracles. This family has endured unspeakable tragedy since the death of Neria’s older brother several years ago, and our prayers are with them.”

harbinger’s press

Day 1,083 — Wednesday, September 23

President Donald Trump issued a stern warning Tuesday for Iran to make a deal soon or face severe consequences for its pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

“I have a big decision to make: Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before – maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?” Trump told the United Nations General Assembly address.

“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”

Trump expressed hope that a deal with the “cowards and traitors” of Iran will come “right after the election, because it doesn’t make sense for them not to.”

“They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election,” he continued. “What they don’t realize is that I’m not running.”

The midterm election result “doesn’t even enter my mind,” Trump stressed, adding “the only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Not acting now against the threat of a nuclear Iran would ultimately leave “unfinished business” and “intractable challenges” for the future.

“As president of the most extraordinary nation in history, I have no interest in leaving dangers to grow for another day,” he said. “I do not believe in letting problems fester. They only become harder to solve.”

“Ignored threats, I have confronted them. While others have talked of courage, America has shown it,” Trump continued. “While others have promised strength, I have used it to make America the most powerful country in the world. Working with many nations in this room, we are solving decades of intractable challenges, and we are settling years of unfinished business. And we’re doing it well.”

Trump opened with a repeat of his policy of American leadership on the global stage.

“I can report to you with pride that America is back, and our country is stronger today than ever before,” Trump said at the start of his remarks. “Our economy is the envy of the world. Our military is the most powerful on earth. Our technology is second to none, and we are leading in virtually everything.

“Our energy is fueling the planet. America is rising. Our nation is growing. Our power is expanding. Our country is doing better than ever before, and our future is very, very bright.”

Trump said a rising America lifts all boats around the world.

“The entire world is being lifted by the wealth, strength, spirit and momentum of a newly energized and a very powerful United States of America,” he added. “And just as we moved quickly to address problems we inherited at home, we have acted with decisiveness and speed to reshape the world stage and solve problems that have plagued us for far too long.”

Trump took pointed aim at Iran amid the conflict that has roiled the Strait of Hormuz and global oil supply lines, denouncing “brazen acts of terrorism against civilian ships.”

“I hope the Europeans realize that Iran’s goal was to complete their mad dash to a nuclear bomb from behind this conventional ballistic missile shield,” he said. “If they had succeeded, that wicked regime would have been free to spread terror and death forever, knowing that any attempt to stop them would face an arsenal of nuclear annihilation.”

fox news

Day 1,083 — Wednesday, September 23

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with “moral clarity” at the opening of the high-level debate at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday, according to Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the global body.

“We are grateful for President Trump, for his moral clarity,” the Israeli envoy told JNS. “He touched on the main issues regarding Iran. He spoke about Oct. 7, and I think today the entire world saw that the leader in the White House was willing to lead and show the direction, and I’m sure we will see action, not only the words from the president.”

Danon told JNS that the Israeli delegation won’t miss António Guterres, the outgoing U.N. secretary-general.

“Anyone would be better than Secretary-General Guterres,” the Israeli envoy said. “We have seen the lack of leadership and the fact that he didn’t even visit Israel once after Oct. 7 and equated the IDF to Hamas.”

“His time is running out as the head of the United Nations, and there’s a lot of talk behind closed doors this week about who comes next,” Danon told JNS.

No candidate has yet been able to pull away from the field of those seeking to replace Guterres. Jewish economist Rebeca Grynspan, of Costa Rica, has won two of three straw polls, but hasn’t been able to shake the competition.

The Israeli delegation and its envoy haven’t said publicly whom the Jewish state favors in the upcoming election. Guterres is slated to depart at year’s end.

“We are following the race very carefully, and we want to see a strong leader that will come and change this institution,” Danon told JNS. “You have to reform this place. Look how much time they spend bashing Israel, obsessing with Israel.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Thursday, is scheduled to spend just a matter of hours in New York City.

“First, there will be surprises. I can guarantee that,” Danon told JNS, of Netanyahu’s address.

The premier has often used props at prior U.N. speeches or unveiled major policy goals.

“It’s not an easy week for him. We have the High Holidays. We have the campaign,” Danon said, of Israeli elections, explaining why the prime minister’s visit is to be so quick.

“I’m sure he will speak about Iran, about the Abraham Accords, about the opportunities in the region, and I think that the combination of the leadership of President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, we can achieve a lot more in the region,” Danon told JNS.

JNS asked if Israel plans to meet this week on issues like the Board of Peace, Iran and the Houthis.

“I’m happy that we are not in the center,” the envoy said. “It’s a good sign usually here at the United Nations.”

Jordanian King Abdullah and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, per usual, have been taking aim at Israel at the global body.

“They speak about Gaza and blame us for a lot of things they shouldn’t blame us for,” Danon told JNS.

“I heard the speech of Mr. Erdoğan,” he said. “It’s horrible the way he speaks.”

Danon accused the Turkish leader of “using the Palestinians in order to attack Israel.”

“I would say that he doesn’t really care about the Palestinians,” he told JNS. “You can read between the lines. It’s a campaign of hate, of incitement.”

jns

Day 1,083 — Wednesday, September 23

The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism and the National Public Diplomacy Directorate in the Prime Minister‘s Office are launching The UN’s Lie Industry, an exposé of the “systematic and false bias against Israel” as the United Nations kicks off its first day of the General Assembly. 

The campaign video depicts the UN General Assembly hall populated by parrots representing various countries, the organizations said in a statement. “The parrots repeat the same message one after another: ‘Blame Israel.’”

The call duplicates as the video progresses, with echoes heard throughout the hall until it becomes a choir repeating the same accusation.

The video concludes with the message: “Repeating lies doesn’t make them true.”

Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli said, “Time and again, the UN General Assembly hall has turned into an echo chamber for libels against Israel. The same lies pass from mouth to mouth, report to report, and speech to speech, until an attempt is made to present them as an agreed-upon truth.” 

“The new video sharply underscores this culture of repetition. Even 1,000 repetitions of a lie will not make it true, and we will continue to expose the facts behind the anti-Israel choir,” he concluded.

The Diaspora Ministry also launched a website tied to the campaign and exposing the “lies and biases in UN publications,” according to the statement.

The website was made in cooperation with the National Security Council (NCS), and contains “comprehensive research sources documenting how biased information about Israel has been gathered, given institutional endorsement, and distributed worldwide since the October 7 attacks,” according to the statement.

It addresses topics such as information manipulation, an organized culture based on hostility towards Israel, false claims of starvation in Gaza, Hamas infiltration into UNRWA, and the fabrication of a “genocide” narrative, among others.

“The site also includes testimonies from UN personnel regarding internal silencing and persecution,” the statement added.

“A large portion of the false blood libels against Israel come from the workshop of UN reports,” National Public Diplomacy Directorate Head Tzipi Hotovely alleged.

He also said that the “false starvation campaign in Gaza is just one example of this machinery of lies.”

“Facing this propaganda, we are putting forward the truth and the facts to shatter the industry of lies against Israel.”

The organization described the video as illustrating “one of the central mechanisms exposed on the website: An international system that echoes itself. Claims against Israel pass between bodies, countries, UN agencies, and media outlets, are cited repeatedly, and are given the appearance of an accepted fact, even when their source has not been checked or verified.”

The campaign, which focuses primarily on US and European capitals’ policies on Israel, was produced via the Government Advertising Agency (Lapam).

jerusalem post

Day 1,082 — Tuesday, September 22

Foreign companies continuing to provide services to Iranian airlines will risk facing US secondary sanctions starting on Wednesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Monday.

“On September 23, all Iranian airlines will be grounded globally,” Bessent told CNBC.

The move could effectively prevent Iranian carriers from operating at airports worldwide.

He noted that the US threat applies not only to the airlines themselves but also to airports, fuel suppliers, ticketing agencies, and other service providers.

“If they land, they cannot be supplied with fuel or landing services, nor can tickets be sold for them; otherwise, you will be cut off from the dollar system,” he said.

Earlier this month, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on all active Iranian airlines not previously included on sanctions lists, warning that foreign companies assisting them could be barred from the global financial system.

The move is part of the Trump administration’s Operation Economic Outcast, designed to ramp up economic pressure on Tehran alongside the conflict with Iran.

jerusalem post

Day 1,082 — Tuesday, September 22

President Trump is weighing his next move in the war with Iran, while the Tehran regime is rebuilding a nuclear site previously targeted by Israel. Iran’s president, meanwhile, is preparing to come to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

Trump is considering whether to launch another major military campaign against Iran. He told Axios, “I have a big decision coming up: do I want to go in and annihilate them, or do I not?”

He added, “Anything could happen with me.”

The president is set to meet next Tuesday in New York with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman. He revealed that he wants their views before deciding how Washington will proceed.

He has not said whether he will decide before or after the U.S. midterm elections. He also claims that Iran remains interested in an agreement.

According to experts, Iran is rapidly rebuilding the Taleghan 2 Nuclear Facility, about 20 miles southeast of Tehran. Israel has targeted the site multiple times, including twice during the recent conflict.

Satellite images from September 13 show Iran adding reinforced concrete around the underground site, potentially increasing its protection from another airstrike.

A large tarp covers the facility, which the Institute for Science and International Security says is apparently designed to conceal the reconstruction from satellite and aerial surveillance.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has referred Iran to the United Nations Security Council for failing to provide inspectors the access and information needed to account for its nuclear material.

Iranian regime leaders today orchestrated hundreds of thousands to turn out for a pro-government demonstration and parade. It was the largest such gathering since the war broke out in February.

The United States has approved visas for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to attend the U.N. General Assembly, even as the two countries remain at war.

After Washington barred Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from entering the country, the General Assembly voted to allow him to address the gathering virtually.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also slated to meet in New York with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. An uncomfortable meeting with Trump could follow on Thursday after the prime minister meets with Elon Musk in Texas. 

Speaking Thursday at the Israeli President’s Residence, Netanyahu laid out an uncompromising endgame for Israel’s war against Iran and its proxies. “We have to complete the mission to the end,” Netanyahu insisted.

He stated that Israel is settling accounts with the Hamas terrorists responsible for murdering Israelis on October 7th, 2023, as well as those who remain.

Regarding Iran, the prime minister admitted that Israel has made significant progress but still has work to complete.

“We must, first and foremost, topple the Iranian regime; this is my directive, and this is our top mission. And we also have to eliminate Hezbollah and eliminate Hamas,” he insisted. 

cbn israel

Day 1,081 — Monday, September 21

The officer who was shot outside a Belleville, Ontario synagogue on Sunday has been identified as Const. Jeff Smith.

He is recovering in hospital and is in critical but stable condition, according to Belleville Police Service’s Deputy Chief Sheri Meeks, who spoke to media on Monday.

“While he continues to face a significant road to recovery, his condition has stabilized, and we remain hopeful and encouraged by his progress,” she said. “Our thoughts are with Const. Smith, his family, his friends, and his colleagues. Supporting them has been our top priority.”

Smith was stationed outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The officer was present because of safety concerns, especially on a night where there would be many congregants in attendance, the synagogue’s president Norman Weddum told National Post.

Weddum said that before entering the building, he thanked Smith for being there. Soon after the evening prayer service started, around 7 p.m., dozens of shots rang out.

A 29-year-old suspect armed with a shotgun opened fire at Smith, who then is believed to have shot back, said Kristy Denette on Monday. She is a spokesperson for the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the province’s police watchdog that is leading the investigation.

Denette said it is currently believed that the man drove to the area in a truck. A second officer got to the scene shortly after and fired back at the suspected shooter before more officers arrived.

During the incident, Smith sustained serious injuries, said Meeks.

Smith joined the Belleville Police Service on Dec. 27, 2013. Meeks said he served the community with distinction for nearly 13 years.

“He is a longstanding and highly respected member of our emergency response unit, known by his colleagues as a dedicated officer, trusted teammate, and committed public servant,” she said.

The suspect was hospitalized in life-threatening condition. There were an estimated 25 people gathered inside the synagogue, Weddum told National Post, but no one in the congregation was injured.

While the SIU is involved because police officers discharged weapons at a person, the Belleville police are leading the criminal side of the investigation.

Meeks said the Belleville police are “committed to being as transparent as possible and keeping our community informed” but would not be commenting on the investigation further at this time.

national post

Day 1,081 — Monday, September 21

Israel is moving toward a historic rapprochement with Austria’s Freedom Party after its leader, Herbert Kickl, apologized for Austria’s role in the Holocaust, strongly condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, and pledged to move Austria’s Embassy to Jerusalem if his party takes power.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called Kickl’s remarks an “important and positive development,” signaling that Israel is prepared to begin a substantive dialogue with the Freedom Party, or FPÖ, despite the party’s controversial history.

“Building trust also requires translating commitments into actions,” Sa’ar said, adding that Kickl’s statements make possible a “substantive, open, and sincere dialogue” to better understand the Austrian leader’s positions and commitments.

The development represents a significant change in Israeli policy toward the FPÖ, which was founded in 1956 and whose first leader, Anton Reinthaller, was a former SS officer and Nazi government minister. Israel has historically kept the party at arm’s length.

Speaking at a European Parliament conference in Strasbourg attended by representatives of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, Kickl said Austria and his party must confront their history and pledged to fight antisemitism.

“Oct. 7 was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust,” Kickl said. “It was a crime against humanity, not resistance.” 

He also affirmed Israel’s right to exist and defend itself and backed adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

Kickl went further on Israeli territorial and diplomatic issues, recognizing what he called the Jewish people’s historic connection to Judea and Samaria and promising that, if he becomes chancellor, relocating Austria’s Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be of “great importance.”

Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli described the development as more than a turning point — a “crossing of the Rubicon” — following what he said had been a lengthy process of trust-building and cooperation between Israel and the FPÖ. 

He called the Strasbourg gathering a “historic turning point” in relations between the party, Israel and the Jewish people.

newsmax

Day 1,081 — Monday, September 21

A Palestinian terrorist shot and killed Netanel Shakron, a father of six, near Neveh Tzuf in the Binyamin region of Samaria on Sunday, on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

“Today, six young Israeli children lost their father to heinous terrorism,” the ministry stated, of the attack in the area which is also known as Halamish. “May his memory be a blessing.”

Shakron was reportedly in his 40s.

In the past, news outlets, international organizations and Palestinian leaders have highlighted what they say is Israeli aggression on and leading up to Muslim holidays and holy months. The Oct. 7 terror attack took place on a Jewish holiday.

The gunman reportedly shot at Israeli civilians from a vehicle near a natural spring in the area. The victim’s son saw him get shot, according to reports. Shakron was later pronounced dead at Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah.

Minutes after the shooting, an Israeli soldier near the scene arrived and shot at the attacker, injuring the latter, who fled, the Israeli military said.

Israeli troops later caught the terrorist after he sought treatment at a nearby hospital, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Israeli special forces assisted in the search, and Israeli Air Force craft were deployed to support the operation.

“No terrorist is immune, nor are those who aided them. We will settle the score with all of them. In Gaza, in Lebanon and in Judea and Samaria,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday.

jns

Day 1,079 — Saturday, September 19

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Saturday that Iran is seeking to spread its ideology across the Middle East as he argued the country poses a threat beyond Israel.

Danon told Aishah Hasnie on “Fox News Live” that Israel could eventually resume regional diplomatic efforts that were disrupted by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

“On the contrary, I think, you know, we had negotiations with many countries. October 7th happened three years ago. It pushed us back. But now I think we can go back on track and continue where we stopped.“

“We have to face the brutality of Iran, the threat of the Iranians,” Danon said. “They want to expand their radical ideas to the region.“

“We will not allow them to take over the Middle East.“

Danon also cited Iran’s attacks on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia while arguing Tehran’s conflict with Israel is not rooted in a territorial dispute.

fox news

Day 1,079 — Saturday, September 19

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday criticized the US decision to deny Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas a visa for the second year in a row, preventing him from attending next week’s UN General Assembly in person.

Guterres “deeply regrets” Washington’s decision, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. “The Secretary-General is concerned about the impact of this decision on the ability of the State of Palestine to participate fully in the work of the United Nations,” Dujarric said in a statement.

The State Department announced Wednesday that visa sanctions against Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) members and PA officials would be extended, meaning Abbas will again be unable to attend the General Assembly in person.

Washington said the decision was based on the PA’s failure to fulfill commitments it had made to the United States. The administration cited US laws prohibiting the PA from using international organizations to target Israel, seeking unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, paying stipends to terrorists and glorifying violence.

“As a consequence of their failure to reform, contrary to their commitments to the United States, and their ongoing activities that undermine the prospects for peace, the United States will extend sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials,” the State Department said.

The US nevertheless said it would maintain a waiver permitting staff from the PA Mission to the UN to continue operating in New York despite the wider visa restrictions.

In response to Washington’s decision, the UN General Assembly voted Thursday to permit Abbas to deliver his address to next week’s high-level session remotely. The measure passed by a vote of 152-3, with four countries abstaining. The United States, Paraguay and Israel voted against it.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, criticized the decision and said Abbas bears responsibility for changing the Palestinian Authority’s policies.

“As long as Abbas continues his policy of making payments to terrorists and their families, he cannot expect the international community to simply ignore it. Instead of coming to New York, he will send videos. The responsibility for changing this policy is in his hands.”

arutz sheva

Day 1,079 — Saturday, September 19

Iran is carrying out extensive reconstruction at Taleghan 2, a nuclear-related facility near Tehran damaged in strikes by Israel, with new satellite imagery showing heavy construction equipment and measures to strengthen the site against future aerial attacks.

Vantor Technologies imagery from September 13 shows construction underway at Taleghan 2 inside the Parchin military complex, approximately 30 kilometers southeast of Tehran, the Institute for Science and International Security said Thursday.

Iran has placed a large tarp over the damaged underground structure, blocking satellites and aerial reconnaissance from observing activity beneath it, according to the institute.

Elsewhere at the site, satellite images show bulldozers, dump trucks, cranes, concrete mixers and concrete pump trucks.

New concrete reinforcement has been installed along one side of the facility.

A similar structure observed in July on the opposite side now appears complete. The institute said the additions would increase protection against aerial blasts.

Reconstruction began in June, when work concentrated on three penetration holes left by bunker-buster weapons used three months earlier.

Satellite imagery examined in June and July showed workers excavating around the holes, installing reinforcing steel and preparing them for permanent concrete caps.

Taleghan 2 was first destroyed in Israeli strikes in October 2024. Reconstruction began in May 2025 before Israel struck the facility again in March 2026 during Operation Roaring Lion, leaving it heavily damaged.

The latest construction represents Iran’s second attempt to rebuild the facility in less than two years.

Taleghan 2 was used during Iran’s AMAD Plan, which Western governments and nuclear experts have linked to work on a nuclear explosive device in the early 2000s. The institute’s reconstruction of information from Iran’s nuclear archive found that the facility previously contained a specially designed high-explosive chamber and flash X-ray equipment for studying explosive compression.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said this week that inspectors have conducted almost no in-field verification in Iran for more than six months, apart from an inspection of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in June.

For more than a year, the IAEA has also been unable to maintain continuity of knowledge over previously declared enriched uranium stocks at facilities affected by military strikes.

Before access was lost, the agency estimated Iran held 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to as much as 60% purity.

world israel news 

Day 1,078 — Friday, September 18

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said Thursday that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — should be arrested ahead of Netanyahu’s visit next week for the U.N. General Assembly.

Mamdani first called for Netanyahu’s arrest during his mayoral campaign last year because of an International Criminal Court warrant accusing the Israeli leader of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Mamdani pledged to order New York City police to arrest Netanyahu, even though the U.S. is not a member of the ICC.

In July, Mamdani said his administration’s legal department was reviewing whether the city had independent authority to execute the warrant, issued in November 2024. He later said in a video posted on X that city officials determined they did not have the “independent legal authority” to do so.

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., criticized Mamdani’s rhetoric toward Israel during a news conference in New York.

“I think he already incited by putting the ridiculous claim that he can or he should arrest the prime minister,” Danon told reporters.

“If someone should be arrested, it’s Mayor Mamdani for inciting, for actually collaborating with the enemy of the United States. He sends these officials to meet with the Iranian ambassador here at the U.N.”

Danon was referring to an attempted meeting in July between Mamdani’s international affairs commissioner and Iran’s permanent representative to the U.N. amid the U.S. conflict with Iran. The meeting was canceled after the State Department intervened.

“I hope that he realizes he has a responsibility,” Danon said of Mamdani, “not to call for people to demonstrate but to take care of the city and to make sure that next week will be a quiet, functioning week for the thousands of people that will come from all around the world to participate in the U.N. high-level week.”

Netanyahu is set to address the General Assembly on Sept. 24, two days after President Donald Trump’s scheduled address.

newsmax

Day 1,078 — Friday, September 18

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called out Macklemore for antisemitism on Thursday, saying he supports NFL owners pushing to cancel Macklemore’s performances.

Huckabee made the statement in an interview with Fox News Digital, saying his time living in Israel has shown him the vast majority of criticisms against Israel are misguided and unfounded.

“It’s really unfortunate that Malcklemore has decided that he’s going to become the voice, if you will, of Jew hatred, and I don’t understand why it’s entertainers like him think that it is entertaining to go and take a pro-Hamas position, a position that supports people that viciously raped, beheaded babies, burned elderly people in their wheelchairs and did unthinkable and unspeakable things to innocent civilians as Hamas came across the border from Gaza and butchered, massacred 1,200 people, and then took 251 people hostage, including many Americans,” Huckabee said.

“The fact that there’s a pushback against that, why not? I think most of us would say that, you know, you have free speech, but that doesn’t mean that you can say anything you want anytime you want, anywhere you want without consequences. The people that own these stadiums, the people that have promoted the concerts, weren’t promoting a pro-Hamas rally,” he added.

Huckabee went on to address reports of rising antisemitism in Canada and calls for President Donald Trump’s administration to take on the issue.

Huckabee referenced a letter sent to Trump by the National Association of Christian Lawmakers earlier this month calling on the administration to allow Jewish Canadians to more easily obtain visas to enter the U.S.

“I think we’ve all seen and, frankly, been quite alarmed at some of the extraordinary Jew hatred that is taking place in Canada, and many Canadian Jewish people are really concerned and afraid for their lives,” Huckabee said.

“And they fear that they might be the subject of some violent attack or a terror attack. The rhetoric in the country has gotten very, very harsh, and President Trump, as you may remember, took the letter from the NACL, and he published it and said that he would certainly look into it.”

The ambassador also addressed the latest developments in the conflict with Iran, namely the Iran-backed Houthi offensive against Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen.

Asked whether Israel may be interested in assisting Saudi forces in the conflict, Huckabee said Israel has made it clear it wants to improve relations with all of its close neighbors in the Middle East.

“Would Israel be willing to bring some assistance? I think they would. Whether they have been asked? That’s something to ask the Saudis or to ask the Israelis. Wouldn’t be for me to say what has been done or what has been requested. But there is a growing sense that Israel isn’t the problem over here. Israel isn’t trying to take anybody else’s land,” he said.

fox news

Day 1,077 — Thursday, September 17

The New York Times removed a sentence from an article about the anti-Israel documentary “NAZA” after the wording sparked criticism over its characterization of Israelis’ status as victims of the October 7 Hamas massacre.

The sentence appeared in a Monday article by Times reporter Isabel Kershner. The story, which discussed the controversial film after it received the Special Jury Prize at this year’s Venice Film Festival, initially stated that “Israelis are deeply divided over how to apportion blame for the policy, military and intelligence failures that preceded the attack and the war,” before adding: “But Israelis still largely view themselves as the victims of Oct. 7.”

Journalist and former IDF serviceman Eitan Fischberger criticized the wording, arguing that it appeared to frame the fact that Israelis were victims of the attack as a matter of perception.

“What’s so grotesque about this sentence is that it portrays an objective fact as some sort of Israeli victimhood mentality. Imagine the Times writing that Americans ‘still largely view themselves as the victims of 9/11,’ or that Americans ‘still largely view themselves as the victims of Pearl Harbor,'” Fischberger told Fox News Digital.

“Whatever one thinks about the war that followed, Israelis were absolutely the victims of horrific atrocities on October 7,” he continued. “Just like Americans were the victims of 9/11 and the attack on Pearl Harbor.”

Tamar Sternthal, Israel director of the media watchdog CAMERA, also objected to the passage. “Wait, what? That Israelis are victims of the Oct. 7 massacre is a matter of Israeli ‘perception’ and not simply fact?” she wrote on social media. “If they’re not the victims, then what are they? The perpetrators?”

CNN correspondent Scott Jennings likewise criticized the wording, writing: “No words for this abomination,” alongside a screenshot of the passage.

In response to an inquiry from Fox News Digital, the newspaper said the sentence resulted from an “editing error” and was subsequently removed. The newspaper also added an editors’ note to the online article explaining the change.

“Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article included a statement that was intended to convey Israelis’ perception of the government’s military response to the Oct. 7 terror attack in relation to the attacks, but inadvertently suggested that Israelis’ experience as terror victims was a matter of perception. It has been removed from the article,” the note states.

The controversy is the latest involving the Times and its coverage of Israel. Earlier this month, Edieal Pinker of the Yale School of Management reviewed the newspaper’s coverage during the early months of the Israel-Gaza war and found a clear bias against Israel.

The newspaper also faced criticism in May over a column by Nick Kristof that accused Israel of the mass rape of Arab prisoners and included a claim that dogs had allegedly been trained to rape detainees. Critics challenged the piece over its evidentiary basis, its reliance on anonymous testimony and its use of sources they described as unreliable, including an NGO accused of promoting false conspiracy theories about alleged Israeli crimes.

The Israeli government subsequently announced that it would sue The New York Times over the column.

arutz sheva

Day 1,077 — Thursday, September 17

Israel has begun providing intelligence to Saudi Arabia through the United States as Riyadh battles an escalating Houthi offensive that has struck deep inside the kingdom and threatened the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to multiple Israeli reports Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia initially turned to the United States for assistance, prompting Washington to approach Israel, which began transferring intelligence to Riyadh through U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Israel’s Kan News reported, citing a diplomat from a regional country.

The Saudi request included intelligence and other assistance aimed at preventing the Iran-backed Houthis from blocking Bab el-Mandeb, the critical waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, according to Israel Hayom, which reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approached Israel indirectly through CENTCOM while seeking assistance from other regional countries.

The cooperation comes as the Houthis have expanded their campaign against Saudi Arabia, launching missiles and drones deep into the kingdom while advancing along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and around Bab el-Mandeb.

Warning sirens sounded Tuesday in Mecca, Jeddah and Taif as the confrontation escalated, while Saudi and Yemeni forces continued striking Houthi positions in Yemen. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed Saudi warplanes carried out 52 strikes over the previous 24 hours and warned that the attacks “will not go unanswered.”

The intelligence cooperation appears to be part of a broader U.S.-led effort to coordinate a regional response to the Houthi threat.

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper met with bin Salman in Jeddah on Monday, where the two discussed regional developments amid the escalating Houthi campaign.

The U.S. command’s involvement extended to Cairo on Tuesday, according to Kan News, which reported that CENTCOM representatives participated in security discussions surrounding bin Salman’s meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and proposed establishing a joint regional mechanism to assist Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.

breitbart

Day 1,076 — Wednesday, September 16

A handful of House Republicans rebuked President Donald Trump’s operation in Iran on Tuesday, joining Democrats to pass a resolution aimed at reining in the commander-in-chief’s war powers.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., introduced the war powers resolution that was backed by 14 of his fellow House Democrats, including Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo, and Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. But it was Republicans who helped put the legislation over the edge.

Seven House Republicans joined all 213 voting Democrats to pass the measure in a 220 to 204 vote late on Tuesday night. Opponents of the bill were 203 House Republicans and Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., who caucuses with the GOP.

“I’ve been consistent on that since the war powers provision expired after 60 days of engagement,” Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., told Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning ahead of the vote.

Republicans who voted to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran have long argued that it’s on Congress to declare war, not the White House. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 generally allows a president to engage U.S. forces in hostilities for up to 60 days without congressional authorization, with an additional 30-day withdrawal period under certain circumstances. Supporters of the resolution argue that period has already expired.

The Trump administration has argued the president is acting within his constitutional authority as commander in chief and has defended the continued military operation against Iran, saying the resolution would improperly restrict the president’s ability to protect U.S. forces and national security interests.

The war in Iran has become a political lightning rod in the current midterm election season, dividing Republicans and providing political fodder for Democrats who have accused Trump of getting into another “forever war.”

The conflict has also been blamed by some lawmakers and analysts for higher prices at the gas pump, which is expected to be a top issue for voters.

It also pushed Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a well-known critic of Trump’s foreign entanglements, to try to force a vote on impeaching Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

But the vast majority of Republicans still stand by the president and insist he is well within his authority.

“The president has done a good job managing all this,” Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital. “We need to stand with the president right now and with the Iranian people. And the president’s done what he promised the American people, that he wasn’t going to let them have a nuclear weapon.”

The Senate passed a similar resolution in June of this year, also with several Republicans defecting against Trump.

But even if an identical bill passes both chambers, Trump has indicated he opposes such legislation, meaning it would likely face a presidential veto if it gets to his desk.

fox news

Day 1,076 — Wednesday, September 16

Labour MP Tahir Ali has called for Britain to take “military action” against the State of Israel, intervening during a House of Commons debate in which lawmakers clashed over Hamas disarmament, sanctions on Israel, and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Ali, who represents Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley, made the intervention Monday evening as Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord was arguing that Hamas must give up its weapons as part of any lasting political settlement.

Foord said Hamas remained a terrorist organization and that its continued ability to threaten Israeli civilians posed an obstacle to peace.

He said the group’s “disarmament and disbandment must be part of any lasting solution.”

Ali responded by questioning why disarmament demands should be confined to Hamas and pointed to previous British military interventions in the Middle East.

“Is it not about time that military action was taken against Israel as well?” Ali asked.

He did not specify whether he was proposing strikes, the deployment of British forces or some other form of military intervention.

Foord rejected drawing an equivalence between Israel and Hamas, saying Britain regards the latter as a proscribed terrorist organization.

He said the peace framework required Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza as Hamas disarmed, distinguishing between those obligations rather than calling for the Israeli state itself to be disarmed.

The intervention came during a lengthy Commons debate on Israel and the Palestinians following a significant shift in British policy announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband the previous week.

The government said September 8 that it would introduce a ban on imports from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and create new powers to sanction companies and individuals involved in settlement activity. Miliband also announced that Britain would refuse export-license applications for weapons and other goods judged to materially contribute to Israel’s presence in the territories.

The government has stressed that those measures are directed at settlement activity and Israeli government policies rather than Israel as a country.

Opening Monday’s Commons debate, Middle East Minister Stephen Doughty said Britain continued to have an “important security, intelligence and defense relationship” with Israel, while maintaining that London had serious disagreements with the Israeli government over its conduct in Gaza and Judea and Samaria. He also reiterated that Hamas could have no role in a future Palestinian government and “must disarm.”

Doughty said the government had already suspended or refused more than 80 export licenses connected to Gaza and would additionally reject licenses for exports materially contributing to Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria.

At the same time, he emphasized that Britain was not imposing a general trade embargo on Israel and continued to oppose the broader Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

Ali’s call for military action went considerably further than the measures announced by the government.

It was also not the first time the Labour MP had raised the possibility of deploying British armed forces in connection with Israel.

During a Commons exchange with then-foreign secretary David Lammy in July 2025, Ali accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza and asked whether Britain would “send military personnel to protect Palestinians.”

Ali has also previously argued that Israel should be required to relinquish its nuclear weapons.

During a May 2026 Commons exchange, he questioned why Britain was demanding that Iran not obtain nuclear weapons without applying the same principle to Israel, asking whether Israel should also disarm.

Monday’s debate exposed broader disagreement in Parliament over how much further Britain should go in putting pressure on Jerusalem.

Labour MP Imran Hussain called for the government to end all remaining arms sales to Israel and specifically demanded an end to Britain’s participation in the F-35 supply chain where components may ultimately reach Israeli aircraft.

Hussain accused the Netanyahu government of genocide in Gaza, a characterization the British government has not itself adopted and says should be determined through appropriate legal processes.

Other MPs questioned the government from the opposite direction.

DUP MP Jim Shannon warned of a possible diplomatic clash with Israel and the United States and raised concerns from Jewish constituents about the government’s newly announced measures.

Doughty responded that Britain’s dispute was with the actions of the Israeli government and not with Israel or the Israeli people.

world israel news

Day 1,075 — Tuesday, September 15

Nearly three-quarters of Israeli Jews say they would reject a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, according to a new Jewish People Policy Institute survey.

The September 2026 Israeli Society Index found that 72% of Jewish respondents would not accept a withdrawal to the Gaza border without retaining an Israeli security perimeter “under any circumstances,” up from 68% when JPPI asked the same question a year ago.

Among Israelis overall, 59% rejected such a withdrawal outright.

The findings indicate that Jewish Israeli opinion on Gaza has hardened over the past year even after the end of the main war and the return of the hostages.

Arab Israelis expressed a sharply different view. Forty-nine percent supported an Israeli withdrawal to the Gaza border without retaining a security perimeter, up from 36% in September 2025.

Support has also increased for the more far-reaching option of Israel taking full control of the Gaza Strip and administering it directly through the IDF for at least several years.

Among Jewish Israelis, 36% now generally support full occupation of Gaza, compared with 27% a year ago. Among Israelis overall, support rose from 24% to 30%. At the same time, the share categorically opposed to full occupation remained essentially unchanged, indicating that much of the shift came from respondents who had previously been undecided or willing to consider the possibility.

Among respondents identifying with the right, 62% supported full occupation of Gaza, compared with 32% of the center-right. Opposition reached 66% in the center, 88% among the center-left and 91% on the left. Only 9% of right-wing respondents rejected occupation under any circumstances.

Religious identification produced a similarly wide gap.

Sixty-four percent of secular Jews opposed occupation under any circumstances, compared with 16% of religious Jews and 13% of ultra-Orthodox Jews.

The latest findings follow an August JPPI survey that found widespread skepticism that a US-backed agreement for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw fully from Gaza would ever be carried out.

In that survey, 58% of Israelis said they expected the existing situation in Gaza to remain largely unchanged, while only 3% believed Hamas would completely disarm and Israel would withdraw from the entire Strip.

Among Jewish respondents, virtually none expected that full scenario to materialize.

JPPI said the latest responses should therefore be understood in a context in which most Israelis do not regard complete withdrawal and Hamas disarmament as an imminent outcome.

The September poll also found that Israelis remain sharply divided over whether the country can consider itself victorious in the multi-front war that began with the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack.

Forty percent of Israelis rated their sense that Israel is winning or has won the war at four or five on a five-point scale, compared with 37% who gave the two lowest ratings. The positive figure stood at 43% in September 2025.

Among right-wing respondents, 77% gave Israel’s victory a rating of four or five, compared with 44% in the center-right and 16% in the center.
Just 7% of center-left respondents gave one of the two highest ratings, while no respondents identifying with the left did so.

JPPI noted that the overall rise in the sense of victory from 37% in August to 40% in September was concentrated almost entirely among right-wing respondents, whose positive assessment jumped from 67% to 77%.

The September index additionally found significant differences between Jewish and Arab Israelis over the relationship between Israeli policy and rising antisemitism abroad.

Forty-four percent of Jewish Israelis said the increase in global antisemitism was “not at all” caused by Israeli policy, up from 38% last year. Fifty-seven percent of Jewish respondents said Israel should make no policy changes because of increasing antisemitism.

JPPI conducted the survey from September 1-3.

The Jewish sample included 663 respondents from the Madad.com panel, while 206 Arab Israelis were surveyed by Afkar Research, approximately half online and half by telephone.

world israel news 

Day 1,075 — Tuesday, September 15

The U.S. Treasury Department said on Monday that it designated the Russian financial institution VTB Bank for its involvement in evading Iranian sanctions, including forming relationships with Iranian banks.

The department “will continue to target and disrupt those who provide material, technological or financial support that allows the Iranian regime to sustain its terrorist enterprise,” stated Scott Bessent, the U.S. treasury secretary. “Treasury will not tolerate any support to the regime and will continue to identify, expose and isolate Iran’s enablers.”

The department “has mapped the networks, facilitators and financial channels that Iran uses to smuggle oil, evade sanctions and fund terror,” it said. “Working with partners across the U.S. government, the European Union, United Kingdom, Gulf partners and others, Treasury is targeting any source of the regime’s illicit revenue.”

The department is targeting five channels, through which aid is being supplied to Iran: cryptocurrencies and digital financial exchanges, technology, gold (used to bypass currency controls), Iranian airlines and related transportation networks, and the “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and maritime transport facilitators used to ship Iranian material, the Trump administration said.

Russia’s VTB is now “among the most comprehensively sanctioned financial institutions in the world,” the department said.

The U.S. federal operation has “introduced greater secondary sanctions risk and an accelerated pace of enforcement for those who continue to do business with the Iranian regime,” the department said. “Foreign financial institutions that continued to deal with VTB following its designation under OFAC’s Iran sanctions authorities are exposed to even more sanctions risk than before and should cut off those relationships immediately.”

JNS

Day 1,074 — Monday, September 14

Iran is rebuilding parts of its ballistic missile program after U.S. and Israeli strikes damaged key facilities earlier in the conflict. At the same time, a suspected nuclear site and a major Houthi advance in Yemen are raising new concerns across the region.

Tehran’s missile production involves using stockpiled components and underground facilities while attempting to build new assembly sites designed to make future production harder to target.

U.S. and Israeli strikes had destroyed the facilities needed to make missile components, while the current blockade is making it harder for Iran to import the parts it needs.

At Jerusalem’s Western Wall on Thursday night, ahead of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran is rebuilding its nuclear capability.

“President Trump announced this evening that Iran is attempting to rearm… This is true,” Netanyahu stated.

He stressed that Israel continues to target Iran and its regional allies, including Hamas and Hezbollah.

“We are … delivering heavy blows not only in the Gaza Strip but also in Lebanon. We … are now dealing with the Ali Taher Ridge (in southern Lebanon).” 

The prime minister also indicated that more military activity is coming.
His warnings come as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports construction at Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain, a site potentially connected to nuclear material.

IAEA inspectors have been denied access to sites affected by the June 2025 strikes and can’t verify the current status of Iran’s nuclear weapons-grade uranium stockpile.

President Trump, addressing the GOP Midterm Convention in Dallas, said his administration is watching the site.

“We can read it from space,” he told the crowd. “We notice there’s a little activity at Pickaxe. I would advise Iran not to get cute because we will have to hit them very hard. We have no choice, right?”

On the Arabian Peninsula, the Iranian-backed Houthis have seized control of Yemen’s port city of Mocha, which strengthened their chokehold on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

U.S. officials indicate that Iran has directed the Houthis to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia and promised additional funding, weapons, and senior officers.

At the same time, approximately 100 U.S. military personnel are now operating in Saudi Arabia, part of a newly established Joint Forces Command that shares intelligence to support Saudi attacks on the Houthis.

Washington, meanwhile, is tightening economic pressure on Iran with new sanctions targeting supporters of Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey.

In southern Lebanon, Israel claims to have destroyed a major Hezbollah underground network approximately four miles from Israel’s border. More than 1,100 tons of explosives demolished eight tunnels spanning more than a mile.

The complex included command centers, Iranian-made weapons and rockets, and storage rooms and living quarters that allowed fighters to remain underground for long periods.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz released a video statement ahead of the Jewish New Year, 5787, saying, “To the people of Iran, I wish, next year, a Tehran liberated from oppression and tyranny…”

He told Iran’s leadership that any attack during the holidays would bring a powerful response, warning, “A blow would set Iran back decades and further destabilize the Ayatollahs’ regime – a regime the Iranian people loathe so deeply and whose downfall they fervently desire.”

cbn israel

Day 1,074 — Monday, September 14

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his lawyers to file a defamation suit against Israeli outlet Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and additional parties, in response to a report published Tuesday alleging that Netanyahu spoke by phone with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed in September 2023, who allegedly warned him of a “formidable” attack being planned by Yahya Sinwar, one of Hamas’ former senior leaders.

“The prime minister has instructed his lawyers to file a libel suit against the leftist newspaper Haaretz, Shlomi Eldar, and additional parties who concocted a false libel against the prime minister that never happened and was never created,” read a post on the prime minister’s X account. “Contrary to what was claimed, no conversation whatsoever took place between the prime minister and the president of the UAE from the start of September until October 7.”

The post added that the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Council, and the Military Secretariat thoroughly examined the prime minister’s call log for that period and found no trace of the alleged conversation. “As a rule, diplomatic conversations between the prime minister and the president of the UAE take place solely at the Prime Minister’s Office, through an Emirati representative who arrives at the office with a special encrypted device. All these conversations are documented.”

Haaretz’s investigation, published Tuesday morning, alleged that Prime Minister Netanyahu had received a major warning on Oct. 7 from a regional leader but chose to ignore it, which has ignited a full-blown firestorm in Israel’s opposition. The report claims that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu 10 days before October 7 that Hamas was preparing a major move.

The warning arrived in an unusual 45-minute phone call at the end of September 2023, a week and a half before the war erupted. Details of the conversation are based on the book “Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment,” by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval. In the call, the UAE president cautioned that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a significant event and urged Israel to prepare. The warning followed a message Sinwar had relayed to a mediator saying he was preparing an “earthquake.”

According to the exposé by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, Netanyahu reassured bin Zayed in their conversation, assessed that Hamas had its sights on Judea and Samaria, and kept the information from major decision-makers.

israel hayom

Day 1,074 — Monday, September 14

Jewish organizations from around the world signed the J50 Declaration on Zionism and Antisemitism in Jerusalem on Thursday, which states unequivocally that “Zionism is part of Jewish identity.”

William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, chaired the J50 Forum gathering, saying that the declaration “affirms Zionism as the national movement of the Jewish people and the expression of our right to self-determination in our ancient homeland, Israel.”

The document calls for anti-Zionism “to be recognized and confronted when it is used to marginalize, exclude, or discriminate against Jews.”

It further states, “Anti-Zionism, as manifested today through efforts to deny the Jewish people their right to self-determination, or demand that Jews renounce Zionism as the price of acceptance in political, academic, professional, or cultural life, is antisemitic.”

The declaration ends by stressing, “Zionism is part of Jewish identity. We will not allow others to define it for us.”

The declaration, endorsed by 59 signatories, says that the erosion the right of the Jewish people to self-determination is “increasingly challenged and denied,” adding that “Governments, international institutions, municipalities and political parties, media and cultural institutions, universities and educational institutions, professional associations, and civil society are increasingly becoming arenas for the delegitimization and distortion of Zionism, serving to marginalize and exclude Jews.

“Anti-Zionism, as manifested today through efforts to deny the Jewish people their right to self-determination, or demand that Jews renounce Zionism as the price of acceptance in political, academic, professional, or cultural life, is antisemitic,” it holds.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar hosted the third meeting of the J50 Forum in Jerusalem on Sept. 1. The assembly composed of 50 core Jewish organizations focused on the worldwide rise in antisemitism and the connection between obsessive anti-Israel rhetoric and increasing attacks against Jewish communities in the Diaspora.

Organized by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the forum includes presidents of Jewish communities, CEOs, chief rabbis and other senior Jewish leaders, from organizations such as the Conference of Presidents, the Jewish Federations of North America, B’nai B’rith International, the Anti-Defamation League, the Conference of European Rabbis, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, including leading Jewish organizations from Europe, North and South America, Australia and South Africa.

Sa’ar founded the J50 Forum in May 2025 at the International Conference against Antisemitism held at the ministry in Jerusalem. The forum receives regular briefings from the foreign minister and ongoing updates, and maintains daily contact with ministry officials.

jns

Day 1,073 — Sunday, September 13

Sailors aboard the USS George Washington are on high alert in the Arabian Sea as Iran-backed Houthi forces advance along Yemen’s coast toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical gateway to the Red Sea.

Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported Saturday from aboard the aircraft carrier, where more than 5,000 sailors are supporting Operation Epic Fury amid continuing threats from Iran and its regional allies.

“The U.S. Navy remains on alert here aboard the USS George Washington,” Yingst said, noting that American warships in the region remain under threat from Iran.

Yingst also visited the guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup, one of several ships helping protect the carrier. The destroyer carries Tomahawk missiles and helps coordinate the strike group’s defenses against incoming threats.

“The crew is ready and equipped to respond as quickly as necessary,” a Navy officer aboard the Shoup said. “We stand ready to continue to do so.”

The heightened posture comes as Houthi forces have pushed toward positions near the Bab el-Mandeb, threatening another major global shipping chokepoint as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.

FOX NEWS 

Day 1,073 — Sunday, September 13

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Friday sharply criticized European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas after she called for the European Union to impose a trade ban on goods from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and compared their status to that of Crimea following Russia’s 2014 invasion.

In an interview with The Irish Times, Kallas urged European governments to adopt what she described as a “principled stance” and support an EU-wide ban on trade originating from “Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territories.” She also said there was broad agreement among EU member states that the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are illegal under international law.

Kallas pointed to the EU’s response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea as a model. “The question is what do we do about this? If we take the example when Crimea was occupied, then it was very clear, it’s illegal, we don’t recognize this, which means that we stop the trade with any products that come from Crimea,” she told the newspaper.

“We should have the same principled stance – you know this is illegal, everybody agrees – so we should stop trading with Occupied [Palestinian] Territories.”

Sa’ar rejected the comparison in a social media post, writing, “The comparison drawn by Kaja Kallas has no factual or legal basis whatsoever and is completely unacceptable.”

He continued, “The Jewish people’s connection and right to Judea and Samaria and the Land of Israel are more extensively documented than those of any other people in human history. Contrary to the comparisons drawn by Ms. Kallas, Judea and Samaria have never belonged to a Palestinian state, which never existed. Even the Palestinians themselves signed on a negotiated solution for the disputed territories.”

“And finally – what does the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy is trying to do? Comparing the only democracy in the Middle East, that contributes in so many ways to Europe’s defence and security, to Russia? Did she stop to think about what she was actually saying?” concluded Sa’ar.

The dispute comes days after British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced new measures targeting Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria. Britain said it would prohibit imports of goods produced in those communities, while France and Canada joined the announcement and said they would also “bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods.”

Israel responded with countermeasures announced by Sa’ar. Jerusalem said it would close the British Consulate in Jerusalem, remove British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat and end British training for Palestinian Authority forces in Judea and Samaria through the “British Support Team in Ramallah.”

Israel also said 12 British elected officials and other British nationals would be barred from entering the country over what Jerusalem described as antisemitic and anti-Israel activity or denial of Israel’s existence.

ARUTZ SHEVA 

Day 1,072 — Saturday, September 12

Demonstrators gathered outside 10 Downing Street in London on Wednesday to protest British sanctions targeting Israeli individuals and organizations connected to Judea and Samaria, accusing the government of penalizing Israel rather than confronting terrorism.

Activists and Jewish-led campaign groups, including Stop the Hate UK, rallied under the slogan “Sanction terror, not Judea and Samaria.” Protesters carried signs bearing the slogan as well as “Israel is an ally, not an enemy.”

Member of Parliament Richard Tice addressed the demonstration, criticizing the British government for singling out Judea and Samaria for broad boycotts.

He argued that the measures embolden antisemites and harm important strategic relationships with Israel and the United States, describing the government’s approach as a grave mistake.

Other speakers included Mark Birbeck, founder of the grassroots campaign Our Fight; comedian Josh Howie; and Stop the Hate UK founder and CEO Itai Galmudy.

“What makes those measures so deeply frustrating is the undeniable double standard. Where is the same sweeping economic approach when it comes to other conflict zones, rife with terror?” Galmudy asked the crowd.

Birbeck said that this ideology has “made its way into Number 10 and it’s made its way into Parliament,” adding that “the technocrats have become dangerous because they are now the instigators and the propagators of the most dangerous idea in British politics now, that Israel is the source of the world’s problems, and that to be virtuous and to be good and to be moral, you need to be against Israel.”

The demonstration followed the announcement of restrictions targeting Israeli settlements.

Protesters argued that sanctions imposed by Western governments unfairly penalize Israeli settlers and civil society organizations instead of focusing on terrorism in the region.

Following recent UK sanctions against Israeli citizens and organizations in Judea and Samaria, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced countermeasures against Britain.

The Israeli measures included closing the British Consulate in Jerusalem and ending specific British training activities in the region.

Wednesday’s protesters called on the British government to reverse its approach toward Israeli individuals and organizations in Judea and Samaria and direct punitive measures toward terrorist groups instead.

world Israel News

Day 1,072 — Saturday, September 12

A new report from Anthropic reveals how Yemeni terrorists, Iran and other actors have attempted to use the company’s artificial intelligence tools to develop weapons of mass destruction and to carry out attacks against the United States.

One section of the report, which was released on Thursday, described a “cell of threat actors based in northern Yemen” trying to use the company’s Claude AI to create a ballistic missile guidance system.

“The actors used Claude Code in place of human software engineers to develop the guidance, navigation and control software that steers and stabilizes a flying vehicle,” the company wrote. “For example, they used Claude to integrate an open-source autopilot onto a phone-class flight computer, writing the control and position estimation software, tuning the control settings, running a firmware build pipeline and performing a flight simulation.”

Using large language models like Claude to write functional software code without knowing how to write a programming language is commonly known as “vibecoding” and has been one of the revolutionary developments driving Anthropic’s rise to what is likely to be the largest initial public offering in history later this year.

The report did not name the Yemeni “threat actors,” but its description of their development of “a multi-stage ballistic missile with a stated range goal above 2,000 kilometers” likely refers to the Iran-backed Houthis, who have used ballistic missiles to attack Israel, Saudi Arabia and other regional targets.

Anthropic said that it “disrupted” the Yemeni cell and informed “public- and private-sector partners to mitigate risks.” But the group used Claude to make progress in its weapons development programs, Anthropic said.

“We do not have evidence the actors succeeded in fielding an operational device, but they did test-fire a guided rocket,” the company said. “This field test appears to have failed: within hours, the actors returned to Claude to work out why it failed.”

The company says it banned the accounts, but “we have evidence that the actors had already built an offline simulation toolkit that does not rely on Claude or other engineering computing environments” to carry out the work.

In another case study, Anthropic said that “an Iran-nexus threat actor” used Claude to collect open-source data to generate targeting recommendations against U.S. Navy facilities in the Middle East.

“The compiled material included a roster of U.S. personnel scraped from captions on public military photographs, publicly accessible ship and aircraft transponder identifiers, commercial satellite-imagery query scripts and an inventory of public websites that exposed U.S. naval movements,” the company said.

The 154-page security report from the AI company also warned of suspected attempts to carry out biological weapons development and to use its models to support a propaganda campaign from Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to wage “explanatory jihad.”

“We’re publishing this work because we believe we have a responsibility to disclose malicious misuse of our services,” the company said. “As models become increasingly capable, their risks will increase, unless AI developers and society’s defenders act to make them safer.”

jns

Day 1,072 — Saturday, September 12

Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter on Friday issued a Rosh Hashanah message reflecting on the Jewish New Year, the painful memories surrounding this year’s holiday and the shared responsibility to defend freedom and work toward a better future.

“We are on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. These are days of reflection and repentance, days when we look back at the year that has passed and look ahead to the year that is beginning. They are also days when, according to Jewish tradition, we stand before God in judgment and are called to account for our actions,” Leiter said.

He noted that this year’s Rosh Hashanah carries particular significance because of its proximity to the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States and the anniversary of the murder of Charlie Kirk.

“This year, Rosh Hashanah comes with a particularly powerful symbolism. It falls in close proximity to September 11th, the day America suffered the most horrific terrorist attack in its history, and to the anniversary of the murder of Charlie Kirk, who meant so much to so many. Two deeply painful events, two events that have left a profound mark on the American people.”

Leiter said the two events serve as reminders of the challenges facing Israel and the United States, as well as the need to protect the freedoms enjoyed by both societies.

“They are reminders of the forces we are up against and of the values we must be prepared to defend. They remind us that the lives and freedoms that we enjoy are not something we can take for granted. As we begin the new year with the special prayers of Rosh Hashanah, we can carry these painful memories with us and determine what we can do better, how we can make our world and the world around us a better place.”

Turning to Israel’s experience of war, Leiter said the country’s population understands the burden of painful memories and the challenges faced by the American people.

“Having experienced war for nearly three years against Iran and its proxy intent on our destruction, the people of Israel have lost many loved ones and understand only too well the big challenges the American people have in dealing with painful memory. So let us pray together for a year of peace, a year of resilience, a year of freedom, and a year of life. Shana Tova,” he concluded.

arutz sheva

Day 1,071 — Friday, September 11

Using 1,100 tons of explosives, the Israeli military said on Thursday that it had demolished a “strategic” underground facility belonging to the Hezbollah terror group beneath a mountainous ridge in southern Lebanon.

The Ali Taher Ridge is located within Israel’s southern Lebanon buffer zone, near Nabatieh. According to the Israel Defense Forces, the tunnel systems under Ali Taher served as the “nerve center” of the terror group’s Badr regional division — a unit tasked with the area of southern Lebanon that is north of the Litani River.

Last week, the military said it had completed capturing and clearing out the tunnel system of Hezbollah operatives, killing some of them while others fled.

Iran ostensibly warned the US that it would respond to any Israeli offensive against the Hezbollah facility beneath the hill, according to a report by Reuters last week, although that came after the IDF had already captured and cleared the site.

A military official said after the tunnels had been blown up that “the IDF is prepared for a variety of scenarios, including multi-arena scenarios.”

A massive blast was heard throughout the region as the IDF demolished the two tunnel routes under the hill with 1,100 tons of explosives. Footage showed a massive fireball erupting above the mountain. Seismic systems also detected the explosion as a 4.1-magnitude earthquake, the United States Geological Survey said.

The IDF described the facility as a “strategic infrastructure that was built over two decades,” an activity it said was financed and planned by Iran. Dozens of Hezbollah operatives were believed to be holed up under Ali Taher when a new ceasefire took effect in June.

Inside the two tunnels — spanning over two kilometers — troops found dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles and drones, along with firearms, anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and other explosives, the military said.

The tunnel also featured “command centers, weapons rooms, generator rooms, living quarters, showers, and a kitchen,” which the IDF said enabled Hezbollah operatives “to conduct fighting and remain there for extended periods.”

In a separate joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the underground facility was destroyed following their directive, and the IDF has now “completed the organization of the security zone in southern Lebanon.”

“The terror infrastructure and headquarters under the ridge were intended to serve as a base for the conquest of the Galilee, and surveillance and fire over Metula and Kiryat Shmona,” Netanyahu and Katz said.

Netanyahu and Katz said that following the blast, the IDF is “preparing for defense in the area and to prevent the enemy from returning to the territory.”

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the broader Middle East conflict in March by launching rockets at Israel in support of its sponsor Iran, which had come under attack by a US-Israeli air campaign. Israel responded to the Hezbollah attacks with a heavy air campaign and ground invasion.

Fighting has persisted despite the ceasefire declared in Lebanon in April, but at a reduced rate. Israeli forces continue to operate inside a self-declared “security zone,” which runs around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep inside Lebanese territory along the border.

In June, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement committing Lebanon to restoring sovereignty over its territory through the “verified disarmament of non-state armed groups,” which would in turn enable a progressive Israeli withdrawal. The State of Lebanon, along with Israel and the US, signed the agreement, but Hezbollah and its allies are opposed to it.

Israel pulled forces out of three pilot zones into which the Lebanese army entered, but has said it will not carry out any further withdrawals before Hezbollah is disarmed.

Israel and Lebanon have been holding negotiations to advance the framework deal since April, and an Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Thursday that the next round of talks will take place next week in Rome.

The talks will take place over two days, but it has not yet been finalized whether they will begin on Tuesday or Wednesday, the official said.

Meanwhile, a US State Department official says in a statement to querying reporters that Washington is closely monitoring “calls from Southern Lebanon, where people are demanding their government assert sovereignty and stop Hezbollah from firing and storing weapons in their communities.”

“We applaud those communities and support the Government of Lebanon’s receptiveness to their requests,” the official continued. “We urge the Government of Lebanon to formulate a plan for disarmament in all Lebanese territory, as laid out in the Trilateral Framework.”

Times Of Israel 

Day 1,071 — Friday, September 11

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on Thursday against individuals and businesses supporting or linked to the Iranian-backed terrorist groups Hezbollah and Kata’ib Hezbollah.

“Operation Economic Outcast is targeting those who continue to stand with the failing Iranian regime,” Scott Bessent, the U.S. treasury secretary, stated. “Whether they finance terror, launder money or help Iran evade sanctions, we will find them, cut them off from the U.S. financial system and dismantle the networks keeping the regime afloat.”

Treasury sanctioned four members of Kata’ib Hezbollah, including senior commander Ali Hasan Farhan Al-Lami. The other three are Hussein Ahmed Hussein Al-Dhuhaibawi, Mohamed Ameen Fadhil Ali Al-Shaikhli and Karrar Mohammed Qasim Al-Hraishawi.

The department also sanctioned three people and two businesses tied to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a militia umbrella organization heavily influenced by Iran. Kata’ib Hezbollah is the PMF’s most influential faction, according to Treasury, and is a major beneficiary of the more than $2.6 billion in annual funding that the Iraqi government allocates to the force.

The sanctions come months after the U.S. Department of Justice announced the May 16 arrest of a senior Kata’ib Hezbollah commander accused of attempting to arrange the bombing of a New York synagogue and additional Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Ariz. Treasury also said Kata’ib Hezbollah and other Iranian-aligned Iraqi militias have carried out hundreds of attacks against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and elsewhere in the region since February.

The department separately sanctioned five people and two businesses for supporting Hezbollah through a cash-smuggling network that Treasury said transferred hundreds of millions of dollars from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force to the Lebanese terror group between May and September 2025. Hezbollah uses the funds to purchase weapons, manufacture equipment and pay its members, according to Treasury.

“The United States is taking action through Operation Economic Outcast to target Kata’ib Hezbollah, Hezbollah and the financial networks fueling Iran’s regional and global destabilization,” Tommy Pigott, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, stated. “We stand with Iraq and Lebanon against Tehran’s terrorist proxies.”

jns

Day 1,070 — Thursday, September 10

Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, was motivated to launch a U.N. Task Force on Combating Antisemitism due to growing concern about Jew-hatred worldwide and a disconnect between governments expressing concern publicly and following that up with action.

“Nobody will make a commitment, but we see the gap between the declaration and the action,” Danon told JNS after he launched the task force during an event in Turtle Bay on Wednesday. “That’s exactly what we were trying to do—to close that gap.”

The Jewish state has been working on the initiative for several months and wanted other countries to help shape the panel’s eventual recommendations. “It’s a team effort,” Danon told JNS.

Representatives of dozens of countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina and Slovakia, attended the task force launch and its first meeting, according to the Israeli mission to the global body. JNS also attended.

Danon shared a video collage of antisemitic attacks and news reports documenting anti-Jewish hatred around the world. Attendees faced each other at a round table, with the phrase “no to hate” displayed in front of each participant.

“The words ‘Never Again’ were not meant to be a slogan,” he told journalists during a U.N. Security Council stakeout announcing the panel. “They were meant to be a commitment.”

The Israeli envoy said that there has been a 136% increase in Jew-hatred across the seven countries with the largest Jewish populations outside Israel since before Oct. 7.

“Today, we issue a warning,” he said. “This has become an international problem. This demands an international response.”

At the meeting, Danon said that antisemitism has taken increasingly visible forms across the world, including online, on college campuses and within international institutions.

The United Nations must confront Jew-hatred not only in the international arena but “right here within the walls” of the organization, he said.

The coalition of U.N. member states is intended to identify emerging threats, develop policies and tools to combat them and coordinate diplomatic action, according to Danon.

“That’s why we coordinate government efforts, provide guidance and learn from each other,” he said at the meeting.

The task force will develop and issue concrete recommendations and “measurable” results rather than symbolic statements, according to the Israeli envoy. He added that the panel will address Jew-hatred within the United Nations and that rising antisemitism is “not only outside in the street but also inside.”

At the task force meeting, Katharina von Schnurbein, European Union coordinator on combating antisemitism, told attendees that “it is fully unacceptable that Jews in many regions of the world look across their shoulder in public or even hide their identity.”

“There can be no excuse for antisemitism,” she said. “It cannot be tolerated anytime or any place.”

Mark Goldfeder, an Orthodox rabbi and director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, called on governments and international institutions to move beyond decrying Jew-hatred and to focus on enforcement.

“Condemnation can be filed away, but the subpoena can’t,” he told attendees. “The difference between the two is the burden of proof.”
“Count your prosecutions, not just your statements,” Goldfeder said.
Goldfeder told JNS that “the honest answer to ‘why now’ is that we have run out of road on words.”

“Every government in that room has condemned antisemitism, most of them more than once, and last year 20 Jews were murdered anyway, the most in more than 30 years,” he said. “So a task force is only worth launching if it exists for the step after the condemnation, and as the ambassador explained, he wants action.”

Jeff Bartos, U.S. representative to the United Nations for management and reform, described antisemitism as a global “pandemic” and criticized what he said is longstanding U.N. institutional bias against Israel.

The U.N. has a choice,” Bartos told attendees. “It’s time for choosing.”
Confronting antisemitism is necessary for the long-term viability of the global body, Bartos said.

Danon said that words alone would not address the problem of Jew-hatred.

“Words, declarations and statements are not enough to fight the rising antisemitism on the streets, in synagogues, in universities and even here at the United Nations,” he said. “It’s time for action.”

jns

Day 1,070 — Thursday, September 10

US President Donald Trump discussed the ongoing conflict with Iran at a rally in Texas on Wednesday night, warning the Islamic Republic against carrying out nuclear activity at the heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain facility.

“We notice there’s a little activity at Pickaxe. I would advise Iran not to get cute, because we will have to hit them very hard,” he said.

Noting that the war against Iran is necessary in order to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, Trump continued, “For 51 years, people have been trying to, and other Presidents have been trying to talk them out of it, but they don’t understand talk, these people. They only understand one thing, and that’s they’re getting plenty of it.”

Trump recently similarly warned that the United States could soon strike Pickaxe Mountain.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters at the Oval Office last week, before adding, “We may hit Pickaxe very soon…if there was anything going on with Pickaxe.”

At the same rally on Wednesday night, Trump joked that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz should be renamed in his honor.

Trump said he expects oil prices to fall once the United States prevails in the conflict, declaring that they “will be going down as soon as we win the war with Iran, which is taking place right now.”

Earlier Wednesday, Trump had told reporters that he expects the conflict to conclude following the US midterm elections in November.

“I think the war will end immediately after the election,” he said, arguing that Iran “can’t hold out any longer.”

Trump also accused Tehran of attempting to prolong the conflict in order to influence the elections. “They’re desperate to try and affect the election so that we could get a nice, weak group of people in there and leave them alone and let them have their nuclear weapon.”

arutz sheva

Day 1,069 — Wednesday, September 9

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar declared “countermeasures” against the United Kingdom following Tuesday’s announcement by his British counterpart, Ed Miliband, that the United Kingdom would ban products from Judea and Samaria.

“The accusations made today by the Foreign Secretary of the Labour government in the British Parliament were outrageous lies,” said Sa’ar.

“A boycott of goods from Judea and Samaria is a despicable practice that harms hard-working, law-abiding citizens. The Labour Government has decided to employ this practice of boycotts and BDS only against the Jewish state,” he continued.

The measures Sa’ar imposed include closing the British Consulate in Jerusalem; removing British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center, an organization established to coordinate stabilization and relief efforts in the aftermath of the Gaza war and headquartered in Israel; terminating British training of Palestinian Authority forces in Judea and Samaria; and denying entry to Israel to 12 British elected representatives and other British nationals involved in antisemitic or anti-Israel activity. (Among them is former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.)

U.K. Foreign Secretary Miliband told the British Parliament on Tuesday that “the government believes the unlawfulness of the occupation should be reflected in the economic relationship we choose to have with the occupied territories.” The ban is set to come into effect within six months.

Describing the British move as “morally distorted,” Sa’ar called Labour’s actions “blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state and in its electoral process … [a] completely unacceptable attempt by a foreign government to exert external influence in the midst of an election campaign.”

Israel’s national election is set to take place on Oct. 27.

The United Kingdom on Tuesday also joined 11 other countries in announcing that they would sanction, or consider sanctioning, goods from Judea and Samaria in response to what they said were Israeli government actions undermining the “two-state solution.”

Sa’ar accused Miliband and the Labour government of imposing sanctions for “domestic political reasons,” noting his counterpart made the move ahead of the Labour Party Conference (Sept. 27-30).

Israel’s foreign minister also addressed the pretexts cited by Miliband for the sanctions, namely that they were in protest against Israel’s announcement that it would market tenders for 1,400 housing units in Israel’s strategic E1 corridor.

“Contrary to the false claims of the Labour government, no new decisions have been made regarding development in E1. … The tender process has been underway for many months,” said Sa’ar.

“The claims regarding the severing of potential Palestinian territorial contiguity are also baseless. The decision of the government of Israel, taken more than a year ago, stipulated that two roads would be built: the first, Road 80, which will serve as a major transportation route from the Bethlehem area to the Ramallah area; the second, known as the ‘Fabric of Life’ Road, between a-Za’im and al-Ezariya.”

Sa’ar added that the Israeli public overwhelmingly supports the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and just as overwhelmingly opposes the creation of a Palestinian state in its heartland. “This is something that the Labour government is attempting, through measures that are doomed to fail, to force upon Israel. It will not work,” he said.

“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an age-old conflict. Unfortunately, the Palestinians have always rejected proposals to resolve it and have never abandoned terrorism and incitement. This conflict will not be resolved through declarations from London or Paris, and a one-sided, anti-Israel approach only pushes the possibility of reaching a solution further away rather than bringing it closer,” he said.

It is “particularly astonishing” that the Labour government hasn’t considered imposing sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, which continues to fuel terrorism through its “pay-for-slay” program, which financially rewards terror acts, Sa’ar added.

He noted the Labour government’s decision is the latest in an “increasingly escalating series of unilateral measures against Israel” since it took office in July 2024.

Among those actions are the recognition of a non-existent “State of Palestine,” the renewal of funding for UNRWA, some of whose employees took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, and sanctions imposed on Israeli ministers.

“These measures by the Labour Government in Britain, along with biased and one-sided anti-Israel rhetoric, have already contributed significantly to the unprecedented rise in antisemitic attacks, including violent attacks against British Jews,” he said.

Sa’ar’s statement was bolstered by the U.K.’s shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat, who protested Labour’s move, which he said risked “encouraging sectarianism and antisemitism at home.”

Sa’ar posted to X that he spoke with Tugendhat and U.K. opposition leader Kemi Badenoch Tuesday evening, thanking them for their firm opposition to the Labour government’s actions and welcoming their friendship with Israel.

“We know that we have many friends in the U.K., but unfortunately we are faced with the ongoing hostility of the current Labour government. I also thanked Kemi for her warm wishes ahead of the Jewish New Year,” said Sa’ar.

Israeli coalition members also expressed their dissatisfaction with Labour.

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister, called for the British ambassador to be “expelled” immediately, adding: “We will not be a doormat trampled by an antisemitic government, in a country conquered by radical Islam, trying to save itself from economic and social decline by attacking Jews and the State of Israel.”

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, in a Spanish-language post, called for Israel to recognize “that the Malvinas Islands are Argentine territory under occupation, which the British are violently stealing from the Argentine people,” a reference to the decades-long British-Argentine dispute over the Falklands.

The British decision also brought condemnation from U.K. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and the Board of Deputies of British Jews, a representative body of the community.

In an X post on Tuesday, Mirvis wrote: “This is truly a dark day for British Jews. Today our Government has chosen to ignore the deep concerns expressed by so many of us. The measures announced amount to little more than political flag-bearing for mendacious anti-Israel rhetoric and those who harbour a dangerous obsession with the Jewish State. These measures will succeed only in bolstering the very extremism they seek to target.”

The Board of Deputies said it “felt a deep sense of anguish about this breakdown in relations” and warned that the Labour government’s decision risked “perverse consequences which go against the U.K.’s stated objectives.”

However, the organization also appeared to blame Israel, saying “intolerable settler violence” and “provocative measures” undermine Israel’s international reputation. It claimed that both governments appeared to be pursuing party interests over national interests.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, questioned by the press about the U.K.’s decision, said the United States would not make any move similar to London’s, but that Washington didn’t want to see any “destabilizing moves” in Judea and Samaria that could jeopardize progress with the 20-point plan announced by U.S. President Donald Trump to bring about a long-term resolution to the war Hamas launched with the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

JNS

Day 1,069 — Wednesday, September 9

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) has gone on for decades. It’s an effort to put the squeeze on Israel and cause real economic pain. It’s gone from a rallying cry on college campuses to governments around the world. And, while political pressure is growing, the Jewish state’s economy tells a different story.

At a grocery store in the U.K. recently, protesters moved down the aisles, removing Israeli products. One protester explained, “Today, we went into this ASDA supermarket, and we took the Israeli goods and the Coca-Cola products from the shelves.”

From Europe to the United States, the campaign against Israel is increasingly becoming an economic one. Several countries have moved to restrict trade specifically with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he won’t continue the New York-Israel Economic Council created under former Mayor Eric Adams. Mamdani publicly supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.

Mamdani said at one rally, “We want to let them know that there are three letters that we have as an answer to what is happening in Palestine: And it’s B-D-S!”

The political debate isn’t limited to New York. The Democrats’ nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, is targeting American financial support for Israel.

He commented, “The question about whether Israel has a right to exist is actually quite secondary to whether or not they have a right to our tax dollars.”

Dr. Charles Asher Small is executive director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy. He sees the campaign against Israel as part of a much larger information battle.

He told CBN News, “The demonization of Jews, the demonization now of Israel, has a deep pedigree.”

Small notes that as this persecution spreads across media, culture, and Western universities, he’s most concerned about what’s happening on college campuses.

“Qatar is a small country in the Middle East of only 300,000 people, and they give more money to American universities than any other country in the world,” he explained. “And revolutionaries know, if you want to change the society, you start at the universities. You start with young people who go to school to learn to be citizens.”

The anti-Israel movement took hold on college campuses and made its way into politics. Now the question is: will it reach the boardroom and threaten the international investment that has boosted the Israeli start-up economy?

Venture capitalist Michael Fertik contends that it’s already happening.

He told us, “For reasons of political bent, propaganda, antisemitism, or otherwise, or just a mistake, there are people who want to put the brakes on anything to do with Israel. And that could be academic research or collaboration; that could be investment.”

And there’s another side to that equation. Gabe Groisman works with Israeli companies entering the American market. He points out those companies don’t just sell to America; they also start U.S. operations and hire American workers.

“You can’t help but understand the economic diplomacy aspect of Israeli companies opening entities in the U.S. to serve the U.S. market: what that does, how many people, how many Americans that employs, how many dollars it actually brings to the pockets of Americans, how the products and services that they’re creating help improve American lives?

Groisman believes it’s a relationship that runs both ways. He made a recent visit to Tel Aviv, where each company he met with was developing technology for the U.S. market.  

Fertik says that when business leaders look past the politics, the economic case for Israel is hard to ignore.

“I think that among people who care about business first, the information war is being won by the people sympathetic to Israel, because the business case for Israel is inarguable,” he remarked.

He’s also putting his own money behind that conclusion.

“We at Verdict have been deploying Verdict Fund One, and we expect to deploy approximately 15 percent – 15 percent of the fund – into Israeli startups,” he revealed.

This represents a ten-fold increase in his financial commitment to the Israeli economy, which continues to persevere.

“Well, I’m very excited to see that, in spite of all the naysayers, wherever they may come from, Israel seems to go from strength to strength,” Fertik declared.

Even after years of war and disruption, the Bank of Israel forecasts 4 percent growth this year and 5.5 percent in 2027.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee sees that resilience when he walks the streets of Jerusalem.

“The GDP has grown in Israel in the midst of wars. The stock market, since October the 7th, is up 100 percent,” Huckabee observed.

He added, “It’s a very vibrant economy, and if one just goes to a high point of lookout in Jerusalem and looks out, you will see 300 cranes building things around Jerusalem. Now, if your country is dying and falling apart, the cranes aren’t gonna be there building anything. You’ll see big wrecking balls tearing stuff down.”

Israel has faced economic boycotts before. Still, despite efforts to isolate Israel, the economy continues to grow. A nation under pressure, yet still innovating. And for those of us who see through a biblical lens, demonstrating remarkable resilience.

CBN Israel

Day 1,068 — Tuesday, September 8

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told Fox News Digital that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is “sowing chaos” ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the U.N. General Assembly later this month.

Danon made the remark after Mamdani called on New Yorkers in July to protest when Netanyahu arrives to speak at the general debate at U.N. headquarters on Sept. 24.

“No one can ignore Mayor Mamdani, you know, instead of actually welcoming all world leaders and making sure that the city will function properly, he is doing exactly the opposite,” Danon said.

“He is inciting, he is sowing chaos into the city. So this year, unfortunately, it will be harder for every New Yorker or every visitor because the mayor is actually calling for people to go out, to demonstrate and it will not deter us. The prime minister will come, will speak and will represent our nation,” the ambassador added.

Mamdani’s office, when asked by Fox News Digital if he had any plans to meet with Netanyahu while he is in town, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“I don’t think the prime minister wants to meet with him,” Danon said.

Mamdani previously called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and “architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.” The Democratic socialist also acknowledged that he can’t have Netanyahu arrested despite promising to do so during his mayoral campaign.

When asked by a reporter in July about “What do you think that these people who are frustrated with Netanyahu should do when he arrives in New York City for the United Nations meeting,” Mamdani said, “One of the bedrocks of our city is protest.”

“It is something that has been a part of what makes our city so special, that New Yorkers can express themselves whether they are in support or in opposition no matter on whatever topic,” the Democratic socialist mayor said during the press conference on July 22. “And I’ve always said that when we respect our Constitution, we also respect our First Amendment. And here in New York City it will always be a place where you can exercise that.”

Netanyahu told Fox News “Hannity” around a week later that, “I’m going to New York,” and, “I’m going to speak the truth in front of this hate-spewing elected official who’s pitting one group of New Yorkers against the others.”

Danon told Fox News Digital that “we have been involved in a war, a difficult one, a long one, and I think now we have a lot of opportunities ahead of us.”

“So the prime minister would also speak about what we achieved, but also about the opportunities,” he said.

Danon also said Israel has to “finish the job” in Gaza.

“Hamas is still there. They are supposed to disarm, according to the president’s plan. I hope it will take place. I hope that it will happen sooner than later because if it will not happen, we will have to do the job ourselves. But we cannot leave a terrorist organization in Gaza. There will be no future for the people of Gaza or for us if Hamas will stay in power,” he continued.

“I think we can be very proud of our achievements. Israel is being criticized, but we walk very proud at the U.N. because we know that what we did, fighting evil, fighting Iran, fighting Hezbollah, fighting Hamas, it wasn’t only our fight. We fought for the Western societies, for the Western democracies,” Danon also said.

fox news 

Day 1,068 — Tuesday, September 8

Florida Congressman Randy Fine (R-FL) warned Britain on Monday that companies complying with reported British sanctions targeting Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria could be barred from doing business with state and local governments in Florida.

“As the British government considers forcing British companies to boycott portions of Israel, it should be aware that a Florida law that I passed as a member of the Legislature would ban any British company forced to comply from doing business with any state or local government in Florida,” Fine wrote on social media.

He added that the legislation “would also end any British business participating in that boycott from doing any business in Florida if it needed any official interaction with state or local government to operate (permits, tax collection).”

Fine stated that the potential consequences for Britain would be substantial. “Florida is one of Britain’s largest trading partners. They should understand that their vanity project in support of Muslim terror could cost them billions of dollars,” he wrote.

“And for those who doubt the power of this policy,” continued Fine, “it was this same law that broke Airbnb’s misguided effort to boycott portions of Israel in 2019. They realized that this law would have bankrupted their company.”

“Florida has made it clear. Any company – or nation – that boycotts Israel is boycotted by Florida,” he concluded.

Fine was responding to a report in The New York Times that Britain is preparing to announce expanded economic measures against Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. The reported measures could include prohibiting trade in goods produced in the communities and imposing sanctions on companies involved in construction there.

Three officials cited by the newspaper said Britain is also considering sanctions against companies that assist construction in Jewish communities. Such steps would broaden previous British sanctions related to Judea and Samaria, which have largely targeted individuals.

The reported plans come after Britain condemned Israel’s plans for construction in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim. Israel recently issued a tender covering seven residential compounds in E1 with 1,234 housing units, following approval last year of approximately 3,400 units in the area.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has called on Israel to withdraw the tender, describing the project as “an unacceptable and destructive act” and arguing that construction in E1 would undermine the possibility of establishing a future Palestinian state.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said last week that Israel would respond to British measures.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called Monday for action against Britain before the expected sanctions are announced Tuesday, including the expulsion of Britain’s ambassador.

“The British ambassador should be expelled this evening. We will not be a doormat for an antisemitic government in a country that has been conquered by radical Islam and is trying to save itself from economic and social decline by attacking Jews and the State of Israel. The British Mandate in the Land of Israel is over,” Smotrich said.

arutz sheva

Day 1,068 — Tuesday, September 8

The Pacific nation of Naoero (formerly known as Nauru) opened an embassy in Jerusalem on Monday, becoming the ninth country to locate its diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital.

“Israel’s relations with the nations of the South Pacific are advancing tremendously,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said at the event. “Today two ancient peoples stand together in Jerusalem, proud of our identity, our heritage and our friendship.”

Linking the Pacific nation’s reclaimed indigenous name to Jewish history, Sa’ar added that “we, too, are the indigenous people of this land” and that “Jews are called Jews because we are from Judea.”

“Our support for Israel has been unwavering,” said Naoero’s Foreign Minister Lionel Aingimea. “Naoero is historically one of Israel’s most reliable and consistent diplomatic allies at the United Nations.”

He continued: “We see opening an embassy here in Jerusalem not only as strengthening our ties with Israel, but also as a message to the world of where we stand. Our motto is God first, and Israel always has a special place in our hearts.”

Aingimea noted that the “easy decision” to establish the mission in Jerusalem came after discussions with Sa’ar in Fiji and received full endorsement from Naoero’s Cabinet.

The island nation is one of the smallest countries in the world, with a population of about 12,000 people.

Nine countries now have embassies in Israel’s capital: the United States, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Naoero, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Somaliland.

All the other nations that have diplomatic relations with Israel maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv or its suburbs.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem during his first term set the stage for other countries to follow suit.

The leaders of Argentina and Colombia have pledged to relocate their embassies to Jerusalem.

jns

Day 1,067 — Monday, September 7

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a fresh warning to Iran on Sunday, saying Tehran would face a devastating response if it attacks Israel as he vowed to complete the mission of toppling the Iranian regime.

“That regime in Iran, its end is near,” Netanyahu said at a government Rosh Hashanah toast in Jerusalem, according to a translation from Hebrew. “It is weak. It is fighting for its life. It is faltering. There is another mission to complete, and we are determined to achieve it.

“This will permanently change the face of the Middle East and the history of our people. We know we are determined to do it, and we know we are capable of doing it.”

Israel is “stronger than ever,” he hailed, claiming the military campaign, carried out with U.S. support, has removed the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missiles.

“We are determined to defend ourselves,” Netanyahu continued. “We are determined to strike our enemies. They are not attacking us. Iran is refraining from doing so, and it knows why.

“Of course, it could make the mistake of attacking us. If it does, it will suffer a blow beyond anything it can even imagine.”

Netanyahu’s remarks came as he praised Israeli forces and security services for ongoing operations in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, and told his enemies: “Do not mess with us.”

fox news 

Day 1,067 — Monday, September 7

The Israel Defense Forces launched an unannounced nationwide readiness drill early on Sunday morning to test its preparedness for a sudden, large-scale multi-front conflict ahead of the upcoming High Holidays, according to an army statement.

Under the direction of the IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the General Staff surprise exercise—dubbed “Breaking Dawn 2.0″—evaluates the military headquarters, command decision-making and rapid deployment capabilities across multiple operational sectors.

As part of the drill, senior commanders throughout regional commands, branches and directorates were summoned, while standby forces mobilized and reserve readiness underwent review. Zamir observed operations from both the military’s underground Supreme Command Post and positions in the field.

The IDF noted that the public may observe increased movement of ground security forces and aircraft nationwide during the drill, emphasizing that the maneuvers do not stem from an active security emergency.

Conducted under the Operations Directorate’s scheduled training program, the exercise tests updated operational plans and incorporates tactical lessons learned from combat across various fronts following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre.

IDF Comptroller officers in both active-duty and reserve service are actively inspecting units and headquarters throughout the country to review compliance and operational readiness.

The military is facing a “tense and volatile period” on all war fronts, Zamir said on Sunday during a situational assessment held as part of the exercise.

“We are preparing for the upcoming holiday period,” Zamir said, referring to Rosh Hashanah, which will be celebrated on Sept. 12–13. He noted that the military continues to draw lessons from the war, adding that “the baseline posture of the entire IDF is readiness for a surprise attack.”

The nationwide exercise tests readiness across every branch and echelon, from the General Staff to tactical field units, and ensures operational orders remain up to date, the chief of staff said. The assessment also evaluated how commands handle an emerging multi-front scenario under diverse operational conditions.

Hanan Gefen, a former commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ Unit 8200 signals intelligence unit, told JNS that there is a need for closer coordination not only among military forces but also with police, first responders and emergency services that would be called upon during a major terrorist attack.

He said areas such as Eilat and other parts of southern Israel that were not directly exposed on Oct. 7 must also be incorporated into such coordination efforts, particularly given their long and remote borders and relatively sparse population centers.

Gefen said that the Oct. 7 attack exposed a total collapse of Israel’s defense systems. For two or three days, he said, defensive efforts did not come through the traditional command-and-control structure but instead relied on local initiatives, including those led by civilians who played a critical role.

“Even today, we cannot appreciate or understand the full extent of these local initiatives. This is the major lesson learned,” he said.

Gefen emphasized that Sunday’s drill sends a broader message to Israel’s enemies, including Hezbollah, against which Israel is operating covertly on the ground and dismantling strategic strongholds; Hamas, whose head of internal security was recently captured; and Iran, a major state sponsor of terrorism.

“These messages hit very hard. The main overall message, though, is that Israel is acting thoroughly and regrouping,” he said.

Nitzan Nuriel, former director of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau in the Prime Minister’s Office, told JNS that any military exercise that is publicized is intended to send a message, demonstrate power and showcase capabilities.

“It’s not only about us, it’s about our neighbors. In every exercise we publish, there are messages to our allies and enemies,” he said.

To Israel’s allies, Nuriel said, the message is that over the past three years, Israel has achieved significant military accomplishments, and it continues to improve its capabilities, making it a powerful partner.

“To our enemies, the message is: Yes, we have been fighting for three years, but we know what we are fighting for. We are not tired, and we feel capable of taking care of our security if needed,” he said.

“I believe that the Syrian regime may be eyeing more options in case talks between us do not move forward. Hezbollah and many other players, even Turkey, need to receive those messages from us,” Nuriel said.

In addition to the nationwide readiness check, the military announced on Sunday that it will launch a large-scale exercise in the Eilat region and the Jordan Valley.

The drill, led by the 80th “Edom” Division, begins on Monday and will run for several days. Starting Sunday, residents may notice heavy movement of security forces, aircraft and naval vessels, according to the IDF.

Soldiers will rehearse scenarios including a surprise attack and infiltrations of Israeli territory by air, sea and land. The exercise will test the defense of border communities, including the resort city of Eilat, along with force readiness and air and naval integration.

Troops will also drill operational coordination with the Israeli Air Force and Israeli Navy, as well as the Israel Police and the Magen David Adom emergency response organization.

Zamir said on Sept. 3 that Israel “fundamentally changed” its security doctrine during the three-year war that followed the “failure” of the Oct. 7 attacks.

There is no more “ignoring and no containment; there is the removal of threats before they materialize. We are engaged in a continuous process of learning, drawing lessons and implementing them,” Zamir said at a recognition event for IDF troops and security forces, organized by the State Employees’ Union, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, which did not specify the location of the conference.

“For more than a thousand days, the State of Israel has been engaged in a prolonged, unprecedented and multi-front campaign for our existence and our homeland,” the military chief was quoted as saying.

Zamir stressed that over the course of the war, Israel’s security forces “have removed real existential threats that had been built up against us for years. We have proven that the IDF’s long arm is powerful, determined and capable of reaching anywhere to strike those who seek to harm us.”

He went on to say that the military must be expanded with the necessary manpower and equipped with advanced capabilities to meet its evolving missions, while at the same time, the state’s “highest obligation” is to care for those who serve in the IDF.

These include mandatory service personnel, career service personnel, reservists and IDF employees, “who are the foundation of our strength and the secret to our power,” Zamir said.

“This is a generation of courageous and fearless troops whose achievements will be recorded in the annals of Jewish history,” he continued.

Upon receiving an award of appreciation, the military chief stated, “I stand here solely as the commander of hundreds of thousands of troops and officers—both in mandatory service and the reserves—who carry the security of the state on their shoulders every day, hour by hour.”

This award “belongs to the reservists who left behind their homes, families and careers and reported for duty out of a profound sense of mission; it belongs to the families who provide them with unwavering support, and to the fallen and wounded who have paid the highest price. I am merely the representative of an entire military that operates with dedication, determination and humility, and I accept this recognition in their name and because of them.”

jns

Day 1,067 — Monday, September 7

Lebanese MP Fouad Makhzoumi said Lebanon could establish peace with Israel and join the Abraham Accords if Hezbollah is fully disarmed and armed groups are prevented from dragging the country into future conflicts.

“I don’t see any reason why we cannot sign peace with Israel,” Makhzoumi said in an interview with Middle East 24, adding that Lebanon could “achieve” membership in the Abraham Accords.

Makhzoumi said normalization with Israel would benefit Lebanon but maintained that diplomatic relations and trade could move forward only once “our side, as Lebanese, disarms the militias.”

He said Lebanon must ensure armed groups are no longer able to use the country as a base for attacks or involve it in conflicts based on their own ideological objectives.

Makhzoumi said the country needs to disarm Hezbollah and “make sure that there is no opportunity for somebody to take me to a war under ideological reasons.”

In addition to addressing armed groups, Makhzoumi said Lebanon would need to establish a strong banking system that complies with international regulations and “have peace with Israel.”

The Lebanese lawmaker has previously called on the country’s military to demonstrate its willingness to confront Hezbollah’s weapons trafficking.
He urged the military to establish a checkpoint in Beirut’s Dahieh neighborhood as part of those efforts.

Makhzoumi’s comments come as regional and US officials have held broader discussions about possible changes in regional alliances and greater economic cooperation. Recent investments from the UAE have also been part of developments surrounding economic cooperation in the region.

world israel news

Day 1,066 — Sunday, September 6

Iran‘s Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned the U.S. strikes on three Iranian oil tankers as a “war crime,” warning Washington and its allies they would bear responsibility for any further escalation.

The statement came hours after U.S. Central Command said American forces struck the tankers in response to what it said was an Iranian missile attack targeting two U.S. Navy warships patrolling regional waters.

In its statement, the ministry accused the United States of carrying out a broader campaign of military and economic pressure against Iran and claimed the strikes violated Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter.

The ministry also said Iran would continue defending its sovereignty and national interests against what it characterized as U.S. aggression.

Iranian state media aired what it said was audio of the U.S. Navy warning one of the Iranian oil tankers to evacuate before it was struck, according to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.

Reporting from the Gulf region on “Fox Report,” Yingst said the reported communication instructed those aboard to evacuate part of the vessel before the attack.

Yingst said the reported warning suggested the U.S. military sought to avoid civilian casualties while still delivering what he described as “a very clear message of force” to Iran.

“It’s an indication that the U.S. military wants to send a very clear message of force to the Iranians, but they’re not looking to kill civilians in the process,” Yingst said.

The United States has not publicly confirmed the reported communication.

Fox News 

Day 1,065 — Saturday, September 5

The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned on Friday a Turkish investment bank and two subsidiaries for allegedly helping Iran move tens of millions of dollars internationally on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.

The department designated Istanbul-based Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi Anonim Sirketi, or Golden Global Bank, accusing it of providing Iran with critical correspondent banking access and facilitating transactions for the IRGC-QF, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign-operations arm.

Treasury said Golden Global Bank was established to help Iran’s so-called rahbar network transfer oil revenue from China to Turkey, where it could be converted into cash and gold through rahbar money exchangers.

Scott Bessent, the U.S. treasury secretary, stated that “financial institutions continue to find out the hard way that we are serious about Operation Economic Outcast,” the Trump administration’s campaign aimed at cutting off the networks and financial channels Iran uses to smuggle oil, evade sanctions and fund terrorist proxies.

“While we hope no more banks will need to be sanctioned, that ultimately depends on how quickly the international community comes to its senses and ceases support of the murderous Iranian regime,” he said. “We know who you are, we know where you are and we will continue to take action together with our allies and partners until we have buried the head of the Iranian snake.”

According to Treasury, Golden Global knowingly provided correspondent banking services to Iranian financial institutions, allowing transactions through accounts controlled by the IRGC-QF and its proxies. Those included accounts linked to Turkish businessman Sitki Ayan and his companies, which the department sanctioned in 2022 for facilitating hundreds of millions of dollars in Iranian oil sales for the IRGC-QF.

Treasury also sanctioned two Turkey-based subsidiaries controlled by Golden Global Bank: Golden Global Varlik Kiralama Anonim Sirketi and Golden Global Portfoy Yonetimi Anonim Sirketi.

Iran relies on multinational shadow-banking networks to move money abroad and access U.S. dollar correspondent banking relationships, Treasury said. The networks help Iran launder funds, procure weapons and finance regional terrorist proxy groups.

jns

Day 1,065 — Saturday, September 5

Israel will not withdraw from Southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout the country and the danger posed by attacks from the Land of the Cedars is neutralized, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu and I are leading a clear and uncompromising policy, implemented every day by the IDF: Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon and the threats to the residents of the Galilee are removed,” Katz said.

“The capture of Ali al-Taher is an important step toward achieving this goal,” he added.

Katz said the IDF’s capture of the Ali al-Taher Ridge in southeastern Lebanon marked the completion of a phase in consolidating Israel’s hold on the security zone.

The decision to advance toward the ridge was made after intelligence indicated the presence of Hezbollah command-and-control tunnels there, according to the defense minister.

The tunnels served as a command center for attacks on IDF troops and the Galilee, while the ridge constituted Hezbollah’s last commanding position protecting the Nabatieh area, giving it strategic importance, Katz said.

The IDF operated in difficult terrain during both offensive and defensive operations on the ridge.

“I closely followed the activity on the ridge, including maintaining contact with the forces in the field, and I was deeply impressed by their commitment to the mission,” Katz said.

He noted that to protect Israeli troops, a strict information blackout had been imposed on details of the operation.

“In a complex and systematic operation, the mission was completed and the tunnels were cleared of terrorists,” Katz said. “I salute the determination of the IDF command and the courage of the fighters.”
The IDF said earlier on Friday that troops from the 36th Division had operated in recent weeks to clear and neutralize two underground routes in the Ali al-Taher Ridge area.

The troops established operational control of the ridge both above and below ground and cleared the area of Hezbollah terrorists. Some were killed, while others fled, according to the military.

The operation to neutralize the underground infrastructure is continuing. Once it is completed, the IDF will adjust its defensive posture based on its assessment of the situation.

The underground network contained command centers, weapons-storage rooms, generator rooms, living quarters, showers and a kitchen, enabling Hezbollah terrorists to conduct operations and remain underground for extended periods.

The IDF described it as a strategic underground network built over two decades with Iranian funding and planning.

The IDF said its operations over recent weeks had neutralized the enemy’s ability to launch attacks from the underground routes.

Katz said the IDF would now complete the neutralization of the tunnels and deploy tactically to maintain control of the ridge and prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing itself there.

The military said it would continue operating in the security zone and would respond to any attempt by Hezbollah to attack Israeli troops, while remaining committed to the ceasefire agreement.

world israel news 

Day 1,064 — Friday, September 4

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Tel Aviv that overthrowing Iran’s government has become a central Israeli objective and is within reach as Tehran faces growing economic and military pressure.

Netanyahu made the remarks during a toast ahead of Rosh Hashanah, which begins next week. Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and members of the IDF General Staff Forum attended the gathering at the Kirya.

“This regime is currently crumbling. It is weaker than ever. Overthrowing the regime is the central mission still before us, but it is near. It is not impossible, and it is within reach,” Netanyahu said.

The prime minister also said Israel has the ability to eliminate the threat posed by Iran and bring down its government.

“I am convinced of our ability to remove the threat once and for all and overthrow the Iranian regime that is fighting for its life. I say to our enemies – don’t mess with us. We have the power, the determination and the internal unity to overcome you.”

Netanyahu’s comments come as Iran confronts severe economic difficulties. The Iranian rial has fallen to more than 2 million per US dollar, while sharply rising inflation has driven up the prices of food and other essential goods.

The US has imposed sanctions, frozen assets, and taken additional financial measures designed to limit Tehran’s ability to participate in international trade and obtain foreign currency.

Iran has also faced military pressure from both Israel and the US. Strikes carried out by the two countries have damaged Iranian military infrastructure, including missile-related facilities and other military assets.

world israel news 

Day 1,064 — Friday, September 4

At a time when official relations between Jerusalem and Pretoria remain deeply strained, a royal delegation from South Africa came to Israel for a weeklong visit that ended on Thursday with a very different message: one of love, dialogue and “building bridges” between the two peoples.

The 12-member delegation was composed of Queen Sinokuhle Matiwane of the AmaMpondomise Kingdom; eight princesses, including Princess Lerato Mabalane of Baphiring ba Mabalane in North West Province and Princess Esihle Ntola of the AmaNtshangase Kingdom; and two princes, including Prince Litha Dalindyebo of the AbaThembu Kingdom in the Eastern Cape.

Princess Fundiswa Zote, who also represented the AbaThembu Kingdom, said before departing that although King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo had come to Israel in December 2025, this visit by a group of mostly female traditional leaders representing various South African kingdoms was “awesome,” even during what she referred to as “this hard, hard, hard period” in the country.

“It’s been exciting; it’s been awesome,” she told JNS on Thursday. “We are truly grateful. We’re thankful for the relationship. We’re thankful for the friendship and we hope that this extends beyond, beyond, beyond.”

Zote said the trip had focused on “showing our women what Israel is all about” and involved high-level meetings and visits around the country. Highlights included Christian holy sites—her favorite was Magdala on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee—as well as the City of David and the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem.

She said one of her people’s main concerns was water, a problem they were addressing with the help of Israel and particularly Innovation: Africa, an Israeli-founded nonprofit that uses Israeli solar and water technology to provide clean drinking water and electricity to African communities.

“There’s no water in our communities and we’ve been speaking to Innovation: Africa to see how we can work together and collaborate and use some of the Israeli technology to bring water to our people,” she said.

Zote concluded the interview by saying, “May God bless the city of Jerusalem. May God keep her. May God bless Israel and keep Israel in perfect peace. We love you.”

jns

Day 1,063 — Thursday, September 3

Let’s call it what it was: masked settlers ambushing an NBC News crew and local Palestinians in the West Bank village of Jalud is an indefensible, unacceptable criminal act. This wasn’t a “clash.” It was an assault on journalists doing their jobs and people going about their daily lives.

Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the attack, calling it a “criminal act of violence” committed by “a handful of rioters” who “harm Israel’s standing in the world.” Israeli security forces have confiscated three vehicles and opened an investigation — as Netanyahu called upon them to arrest those involved and deal with them to the full extent of the law. Sadly, this is not the first time, and Israel must show zero tolerance for such behavior by a lawless fringe — with arrests, prosecutions and prison sentences.

But there’s another important story here, and it’s about the press itself. For over two years, Hamas and Gaza dominated nearly every broadcast, every U.N. session, every campus protest. That unparalleled coverage eclipsed the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where the number of people in dire need of help is estimated at over 33 million (!) with close to 12 million people displaced from their homes.

However, even as the war in Gaza came to an end, global newsrooms didn’t move on. They moved over. Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank, became the new venue of choice, the fresh well of footage and outrage needed to keep the anti-Israel narrative running at full volume. The war may be winding down. The narrative apparatus built around it is more active than ever.

Acts of violence, such as the one in Jalud, are real and deserve coverage — but so does an enormous amount of violence elsewhere that never gets a fraction of this attention. Attacks on religious minorities across Africa, Asia and the Middle East routinely go unreported by the very same networks now camped out on the West Bank. Meanwhile, an isolated incident involving Israel — even one carried out by a small band of extremists the Israeli government itself condemns — has dominated the media for days.

The lesson audiences absorb, whether intended or not, is that violence only matters when Jews or Israel are on one side of it. That selective spotlight doesn’t stay contained to foreign policy debates. It filters into U.N. resolutions, into government statements, into placards at protests and finally into open hostility toward Jews who have nothing to do with those acts at all.

The pipeline runs from social media to the newsroom to the street with disturbing speed, and it demands the media’s accountability.

Lost in all of this is scale. The extremists carrying out these attacks are a minority of the minority, the very fringe among more than 500,000 Jewish residents living peacefully in Judea and Samaria, the biblical heartland of the Jewish State. The “unsettlers” was how U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee recently described them in an X post, “The ‘unsettlers’ betray the State of Israel, Judea/Samaria residents, civil law & the Torah.”

The overwhelming majority of Jews living on the West Bank are ordinary families: teachers, farmers, students, commuters who live under the daily threat of stabbings, shootings, and car-rammings that rarely make headlines anywhere. For example, only last week, a 16-year-old Palestinian jumped from behind and stabbed, moderately injuring a 24-year-old Israeli who stopped to shop near the village of Auja in the Jordan Valley. Where was this victim or his family interviewed? What coverage was given to the hateful education that propels a 16-year-old to viciously attack another person with a knife?!

The media’s insistence on treating a fringe group as representative of that entire population — while ignoring the terror those same families face — isn’t just lazy. It’s a distortion that criminalizes an entire community and propels hatred and acts of violence on a global scale.

Antisemitism doesn’t erupt in a vacuum. It needs a story, a grievance, a reason for outrage and there is no easier vehicle to manufacture one than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Under the political charade, the ugliness under the cloak is clear: Israel is the Jew among the nations, and what is disguised as “political reporting” is really a biased attack on that Jew, the one and only Jewish state in the world.

When newsrooms chase Judea and Samaria the way they chased Gaza, amplifying the fringe, ignoring real terror and ignoring the peaceful majority, they aren’t just shaping coverage, they’re feeding the oldest hatred with the newest headlines.

No Jews, no news has ever been truer, or more dangerous.

fox news

Day 1,063 — Thursday, September 3

Kuwaiti air defenses are confronting hostile missile and drone attacks from Iran, the Kuwait Armed Forces confirmed in a post on X/Twitter on Thursday morning.

“Everyone is requested to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities,” the post added.

The Iranian attack on Kuwait targeted US military bases in the country, Iranian state media IRIB reported.

Local sources told IRIB that a US base in Kuwait had been struck, claiming that smoke was rising from the site. Neither the US nor Kuwait have confirmed such reports.

The Kuwait Armed Forces said in their post on X, “If explosion sounds are heard, they are the result of air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks.”

jerusalem post

Day 1,062 — Wednesday, September 2

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it completed a wave of strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran early on Wednesday.

According to CENTCOM, the strikes were carried out in retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the recent attack on US troops stationed in the region.

“US forces struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine laying capabilities, and communications sites,” CENTCOM said in a post on X/Twitter.

“The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members.”

Iranian state media reported that several explosions were heard in the cities of Bandar Abbas, Ahvaz, and Sirik.

Following the strikes, electrical power to several parts of the Hormozgan province was lost, Iranian state media IRIB reported. Power has been restored to Qeshm county in Hormozgan, the area’s governor announced on Wednesday morning.

IRIB claimed that a US airstrike on Sirik hit a wedding, killing four and injuring 63. The US did not immediately respond to the allegations.

Air defenses were also reportedly activated in eastern Tehran, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency said.

The US military attacked two Iranian government tankers during Tuesday’s strikes on Iran, US officials told Axios.

This is the first time that the US has struck an Iranian tanker under a new “tanker for tanker” policy rather than to stop a ship violating the naval blockade. The policy, which Axios said was approved by US President Donald Trump, aims to deter Iranian attacks on tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump later confirmed the strikes in a post to Truth Social, echoing CENTCOM’s reasoning for the strikes.

“The United States is, as we speak, striking Iranian Targets near the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote. “The strikes are large and powerful, and in retaliation for the Iranians’ failed attempt at adding sea mines to the Strait, which currently has no mines (They have been completely removed or detonated!), and the Iranians shooting eight missiles, all successfully knocked down, at our Military Base in Jordan.”

Trump threatened Iran that, should it respond to the “very justified attack,” it will be hit “again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!”

jerusalem post

Day 1,062 — Wednesday, September 2

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected reports that he is trying to force Iran to resume talks with the US.

“I’m not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported. I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement. I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He added, “They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?”

The post followed the launch of US strikes against IRGC targets in Iran. Initial reports said Qeshm Island and Chabahar were among the areas targeted, with explosions reported at both locations.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces successfully completed the wave of strikes against Iranian military targets.

“US forces struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine laying capabilities, and communications sites,” it said.

“The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members,” added CENTCOM.

Trump said earlier that the American strikes were carried out in response to Iranian activity in the Strait of Hormuz and an earlier missile attack against a US military base in Jordan, warning Iran of more powerful strikes if it retaliated.

arutz sheva 

Day 1,061 — Tuesday, September 1

President Donald Trump declared Iran a “Failed Nation” on Monday and called for its leaders to face prosecution over the killing of anti-government protesters, issuing the broadside as direct fighting between the US and Iran resumed after a roughly month-long lull.

In a Truth Social post Monday morning, Trump described Iran as being militarily shattered and economically devastated after six months of war, while accusing its government of killing over 100,000 protesters.

“Iran is officially a Failed Nation,” the president wrote. “IT IS DEAD! They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency, they are not paying their soldiers or police, Inflation is at 300%, and their leadership is in total disarray and incapable of properly representing the country.”

“The only thing they have is FAKE NEWS from the USA, a willingness to kill their protesters (now over 100,000 people dead. They must be tried for war crimes against humanity!), and a good line of ‘BULLS***.’”

The post was published Monday morning, hours after Iran fired ballistic missiles at US military facilities in Jordan in retaliation for an American strike on Iranian military equipment on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak after Ame
rican officials said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel were preparing to use them to deploy naval mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran subsequently launched missiles at two American bases in Jordan, with nearly all of the incoming missiles intercepted and no significant damage initially reported.

Trump separately warned Monday that the US would retaliate against the Iranian attack, saying Washington was “going to hit them hard,” while suggesting the latest exchange did not necessarily signal a return to the most intense phase of the war. He also ruled out using nuclear weapons against Iran, saying Tehran had already been defeated militarily.

Iran’s economy has also deteriorated sharply during the war.

The rial fell to a record low of roughly 2 million to the US dollar in late August, compared with about 1.53 million in early March, as sanctions, damage to infrastructure and restrictions on Iranian trade intensified pressure on the economy.

Trump’s claim of 300% inflation is substantially higher than available estimates of Iran’s annual inflation rate. Recent reporting put annual inflation at approximately 66%, while projections indicated inflation could average around 70% during 2026.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the country’s foreign trade has fallen by approximately 35% amid sanctions and the US blockade.
Trump has repeatedly claimed in recent weeks that Iran has been unable to pay portions of its military and security forces.

Reports from inside Iran have also described labor protests and demonstrations over unpaid wages amid worsening shortages and declining purchasing power.

world israel news

Day 1,061 — Tuesday, September 1

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday of “lying shamelessly” about Israel’s role in the Ceuta crisis, which broke out on July 30 when tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco flooded into the North African Spanish enclave.

“In an interview with Cadena SER today, he lied again, astonishingly accusing Israel of disseminating misleading information regarding the events in Ceuta,” Sa’ar wrote. “This is a brazen lie. Continuing to spread defamatory lies will not distract from Sánchez’s disgraceful failure to manage his country’s affairs.”

Sánchez, speaking to host Aimar Bretos on Cadena SER’s “Hoy por Hoy,” said the causes of the crisis remain under investigation but blamed “rumors and disinformation” spread through social media accounts “linked both to Russia and to Israel, and to an international far-right” movement that he said exploits migration to attack Spain and Europe.

The crisis erupted on July 30 and 31, when tens of thousands of migrants crossed or attempted to cross into Ceuta from neighboring Morocco. Spanish officials have put the number at roughly 70,000, with most subsequently returning to Morocco. About 5,000 migrants, including 1,200 minors, remained in Ceuta as of Monday, according to Sánchez.

Sánchez said there is no evidence that Moroccan authorities were involved in the mass crossing and credited Rabat with cooperating with Madrid during the crisis. He attributed the surge in part to false claims circulating online after a Spanish Supreme Court ruling concerning the return of migrants who enter Ceuta by sea.

The episode has fueled conspiracy theories in Spain, including claims that Israel benefited from or helped engineer the crisis. Spanish actor Javier Bardem shared social-media posts alleging that Israel and Western far-right groups benefited from a weakened Spain.

The speculation intensified after Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, criticized Spain’s handling of the crisis on July 30, writing that Madrid should explain why it maintains “colonial enclaves” in Africa before continuing to lecture Israel. Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente responded, “Well, it’s all starting to become quite clear,” in an apparent reference to the suggestion of Israeli involvement.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry subsequently distanced itself from Danon’s remarks. Dana Erlich, Israel’s ambassador to Spain, wrote on July 31 that Israel was “closely monitoring the situation in Ceuta” and that “the comment made by Israel’s Ambassador to the UN on the issue does not represent the position of the State of Israel.”

jns

Day 1,060 — Monday, August 31

U.S. forces struck Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island on Sunday after intelligence indicated Tehran was preparing to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported.

The plan to launch rockets with sea mines was designed to redeploy the explosives in the strait after U.S. forces demined the area, he said on “The Big Weekend Show.”

President Donald Trump had said Aug. 25 that the U.S. Navy had informed him that all mines had been removed from the strait’s waters.

Trump also warned Iran that any vessel caught laying new ones would be “immediately and systematically destroyed.”

The developments came as U.S. forces in Jordan faced missile attacks Sunday in retaliation for the strikes on Larak Island.

Yingst said American forces stationed in Jordan had multiple air-defense systems to counter such threats, including Patriot and THAAD missile-defense systems deployed in the region.

“At this point, there are no significant impacts, and nearly all of the incoming missiles have been intercepted,” Yingst said.

“These are serious attacks,” he added.

On Sunday evening, the IRGC threatened retaliation following a US strike on Iranian military targets on Larak Island that reportedly killed two people and wounded two others.

A US official confirmed to Axios that American forces carried out the strike to prevent Iranian forces from deploying sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The operation marked the first known US strike inside Iran since late July, when President Donald Trump paused a two-week US military campaign in the strategic waterway.

“Earlier today US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” a US official told Axios.

The official added that US forces are “monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce” through the strait.

Tasnim, an Iranian news agency affiliated with the IRGC, reported that the attack was carried out by a drone and that two people were killed and two others wounded.

In a statement quoted by Iran’s IRNA news agency, the IRGC vowed retaliation, saying, “The terrorist enemy’s aggression on Larak Island will be met with punishment for the aggressor.”

The IRGC further accused the United States and Israel of attempting to reassert their influence in the region.

“The American-Zionist adversary, once more acting out of frustration over its domestic challenges and waning influence in the region, aims to resurrect its malevolent presence and sway public perception. “In an act of aggression, it attacked Larak Island, resulting in the martyrdom and injury of several citizens.”

The US strike comes amid heightened tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for international commercial shipping and energy supplies.

Last week, Trump said that the US Navy had cleared all mines from the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz.

“I have just been informed by the United States Navy that all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He added, “Through Space Force, we are watching every square inch of the Strait, as we are, also, with Pickaxe Mountain and the already destroyed three other Nuclear sites. There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect.”

Later, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that Tehran considers itself to still be at war and warned that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until several conditions are met.

“We are still in a state of war, and the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed,” Gharibabadi said, in comments quoted by Iranian media, while stressing that reopening the strategic waterway would require an end to the conflict on all fronts, the lifting of the blockade and a resolution of the situation in Yemen.

“The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will only happen in exchange for ending the war on all fronts, lifting the blockade, and resolving the situation in Yemen.”

He also linked the reopening of the strait to commitments made by Washington under the memorandum of understanding signed by the sides in June.

“We told Pakistan’s Army Chief that reopening the Strait of Hormuz depends on America fulfilling its commitments under the memorandum of understanding.”

Gharibabadi further warned that Iran could take military action before being attacked.

“Why should we always wait for America to attack? We can take preemptive action.”

arutz sheva 

Day 1,060 — Monday, August 31

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) removed a link from its annual back-to-school guide after the linked curriculum blamed US support for Israel for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and recommended Osama bin Laden’s “Letter to America” as a student resource.

CAIR released its “Back to school resource guide” for K-12 students Monday, but the link was removed a day later.

The 16-page guide directed readers to a “Muslim Studies Curriculum,” a collaborative project between CAIR-NJ and Teaching While Muslim.

The curriculum described the nearly 3,000 deaths on 9/11 as the work of a “group self-identifying as Al Quaeda hailing from the mountains of Afghanistan.”

It attributed the attack in part to US “support of Israel,” American involvement in the Persian Gulf War and the “vast presence” of US forces across the Middle East.

Among its recommended resources was bin Laden’s “Letter to America,” which contains antisemitic claims about Jewish control over US politics, media and the economy.

The curriculum also presented bin Laden as among the Afghan “rebels” fighting the Soviet Union during the 1980s.

The material focused heavily on the consequences of 9/11 for Muslims, including increased hate crimes and discrimination.

CAIR said lessons about the attacks can be “a particularly dangerous time for Muslim students,” who “often experience a surge in bullying during school lessons about 9/11.”

The curriculum also described the post-9/11 period as producing an “aggressive shift in US domestic and foreign policy” and an “erosion of civil liberties of many Americans.”

Nicholas Haros Jr., whose mother, Frances, was killed on 9/11, criticized the curriculum.

“Israel had nothing to do with 9/11,” Haros said. “The further we get from 9/11, this new generation of kids will learn to blame our country. These kids are going to be poisoned – and that’s the intent.”

When contacted by The New York Post, CAIR did not deny removing the link and referred the newspaper to a note explaining changes to an earlier document.

world israel news 

Day 1,059 — Sunday, August 30

Ejecting representatives of the U.K. or of other countries from the U.S.-led International Gaza Support Center in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat would undermine efforts to improve Gaza’s future, the British embassy in Israel tweeted on Friday.

Reports emerged over the past week that Israel was planning to evict British personnel from the multinational hub, which is meant to oversee post-war Gaza stabilization efforts. The Israeli plans come in response to the British government’s intention to impose “robust” sanctions targeting Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, in connection with Israel’s planned development of the E1 area in Ma’aleh Adumim, east of Jerusalem.

“The U.K. is committed to the implementation of the 20-Point Plan in Gaza and playing our part in improving the situation on the ground, at the request of the United States and the Board of Peace,” the embassy added, referring to the original Trump administration’s peace plan for Gaza, advanced alongside the hostage-terrorist swap agreement that took effect from January to March 2025.

On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that the Jewish state was evicting the Dutch from the IGSC (previously known as the Civil-Military Coordination Center).

Israel is responding to “a series of anti-Israel measures taken by the Dutch government,” specifically a Dutch law set to take effect next month that will ban trade of products made in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, Sa’ar said.

The Netherlands is joining other European nations, including Belgium, Ireland and Spain, in restricting trade with Jewish communities in those areas.

Israel long ago annexed eastern Jerusalem and extended Israeli law to the Golan Heights after liberating them in a defensive war in 1967.

Sa’ar gave Dutch representatives at the center a week to depart Israel, and the expulsion from the center took effect immediately, he said.

The Times of London reported on Tuesday that Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, wants to take a stronger position on Israel than his predecessor, Keir Starmer, according to a government source who was not identified by name.

The source expected that a trade ban, as well as sanctions on individuals, will be implemented.

More than 140 Labour MPs, comprising roughly a third of the party, wrote an open letter to U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper in June calling to expand the sanctions regime on Israel in response to Jerusalem’s decision to approve construction in E1, connecting the capital to the developed part of Ma’ale Adumim.

“We believe ending trade with settlements is a vital next step and urge you to initiate proceedings to put such a ban into place as soon as possible,” the letter read.

Other Labour Party legislators, however, expressed opposition to the letter.

Labour Friends of Israel released a statement on July 30 warning the British government against taking “any further untargeted steps” beyond sanctioning “violent extremist settlers and organisations.”

It warned that a sweeping trade ban on Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria would affect all Israeli businesses operating in the area, “adversely affecting Israelis living within the state’s borders” and thus de facto becoming a boycott of all of Israel.

It moreover said that the measure could weaken Israel’s opposition parties ahead of the Oct. 27 general election, while also harming the Palestinian Authority economy, which is “inextricably linked” to the Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.

jns

Day 1,058 — Saturday, August 29

During their White House meeting last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he presented President Trump with three options for dealing with Iran: a good agreement, military action, or tightening the economic siege.

Speaking in Jerusalem, Netanyahu praised the Trump administration’s latest economic pressure plan against Tehran, calling it a “very powerful move.”

“What President Trump did yesterday was to tighten the siege on Iran, not only by tightening the siege on Iran itself, but by tightening the siege on those who aid this regime, this terrible dictatorship. This is a very important step,” he said.

Netanyahu also cautioned that Israel’s struggle against Iran and its regional allies is far from finished. “We still have challenges ahead of us. The Iran challenge is not yet over. We need to bring to an end also the challenge in Gaza, in Lebanon, and also other arenas, and we are determined to do so.”

The prime minister delivered the remarks before leaders from Judea and Samaria, where he boasted of the dramatic expansion of Jewish communities in Israel’s biblical heartland, despite ongoing opposition from critics.

“I know that we are not only ensuring our existence in the present, we are ensuring the existence of the people of Israel in the future. One hundred sixty farms, 104 settlements that we established and regularized. And it is not easy. It is never easy.”

Netanyahu added, “We do not give up. We have a vision. This is our land, and it will remain ours.”

cbn israel

Day 1,057 — Friday, August 28

The Foreign Ministry on Thursday sharply criticized a joint statement by 15 countries and the European Union condemning Israel’s entry into a UNRWA training center in Kalandia and the seizure of the agency’s facilities in eastern Jerusalem two days earlier.

The countries called on Israel to “honor its commitments” and immediately stop what they described as interference with UNRWA’s operations.

The statement, signed by the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Spain, Japan, and other countries, reaffirmed their support for UNRWA and argued that Israel’s entry into the facilities was illegal. They said UN facilities are protected under international law and called on Israel to allow UNRWA to carry out its work without obstruction.

In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said: “Your facts are wrong. You support an organization that is a breeding ground for terrorism, and you prefer to attack Israel with baseless accusations instead of acting for the benefit of Arab children in Kafr Akab. This is a disgrace.”

The ministry also claimed that, according to a report by the USAID Office of Inspector General, which US President Donald Trump referenced on Thursday, more than 100 UNRWA employees participated in the October 7 Hamas attack.

“UNRWA employees served as terror operatives, and UNRWA facilities were systematically used for terror purposes,” the ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry said this was the reason UNRWA operations in Israel were banned, adding that “all Israeli actions were carried out in accordance with Israeli law and international law.”

The ministry further claimed that UNRWA never had property rights over the compound and that the organization had been using the site unlawfully. According to the ministry, the compound is planned to become a school and community center for children in the Kafr Akab neighborhood.

The dispute comes two days after police forces raided a UNRWA training compound in Kafr Akab , following an announcement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “in accordance with my directive and following the law we passed, the evacuation of the UNRWA compound in Kafr Akab in Jerusalem begins today.”

Netanyahu later clarified: “The State of Israel will not allow an organization whose employees were involved in terrorism and the October 7 massacre to operate in its territory and will act against it using all available tools.”

According to statements from both sides, the compound targeted in the raid was a “training compound.” UNRWA said the site housed refugees and hosted workshops and classes. Following the raid, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the Jerusalem Municipality had already begun work at the site to convert it into an educational center.

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee previously approved legislation aimed at ending UNRWA’s operations in Israel. The laws stipulate, among other measures, that UNRWA will not be permitted to operate a representative office, provide services, or conduct activities within Israel’s sovereign territory.

The legislation also calls for revoking the organization’s diplomatic status and canceling diplomatic visas for UNRWA personnel.

jpost

Day 1,057 — Friday, August 28

US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday that American forces have completed the clearance of Iranian-laid sea mines from internationally recognized shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, describing the operation as a major milestone.

In an operational update, Cooper said thousands of US servicemembers are simultaneously enforcing a naval blockade against Iran while helping maintain the flow of commercial shipping through the strategically important waterway.

“We have successfully cleared sea mines in the Strait’s international shipping lanes that were laid months ago by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Cooper said. “Internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait are free of Iranian sea mines thanks to the incredible work of the US military.”

According to Cooper, the mine-clearing operation involved Navy divers, Navy SEALs and air assets from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. He described the mission as difficult and dangerous but said the forces involved had successfully completed their task.

“The circumstances were challenging and dangerous to say the least, but we got the job done,” he said. “Bottom line, today, international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building.”

Cooper explained that the cleared routes form part of the Strait’s internationally recognized traffic separation scheme, which directs vessels traveling in opposite directions through the narrow waterway.
Over recent months, US forces have helped nearly 1,500 commercial vessels pass through the Strait under coordinated protection, Cooper said. Those ships transported nearly 750 million barrels of crude oil to global markets.

At the same time, he said, Iran has been unable to export oil from its shores since the US naval blockade resumed in mid-July.

“And while American forces have supported 750 million barrels of crude oil leaving the Gulf, Iran has exported zero oil from its shores since we resumed the naval blockade in mid-July. We have been highly effective,” Cooper said.

He added that no vessels had entered or departed Iranian ports without US authorization, with exceptions made only for humanitarian reasons.

Since the blockade resumed, thousands of American servicemembers operating more than 20 warships and hundreds of aircraft have supported the mission, according to Cooper. He said US forces have turned around 75 vessels that attempted to breach the blockade and disabled three that failed to comply with orders.

Cooper praised the personnel carrying out the operation and said CENTCOM remained focused on its mission.

arutz sheva 

Day 1,056 — Thursday, August 27

Hamas and other Palestinian terror organizations must end extrajudicial executions of Palestinians suspected of collaborating with the Israeli government, Amnesty International said in a recent article published to its website. 

“Authorities and forces affiliated with Hamas in the occupied Gaza Strip must put an end to extrajudicial executions of suspected collaborators with Israel, carried out in the absence of any judicial proceedings,” the human rights organization said in a statement. 

Amnesty cited a June 2026 UN report, which it said found “249 cases of extrajudicial executions and severe physical violence in Gaza between August 2024 and early 2026.” 

Many of these cases were carried out directly by Hamas forces, Amnesty claimed. 

Despite calling out Hamas for “extrajudicial executions and unlawful killings,” Amnesty still blamed Israel for “the collapse of law and order in Gaza and the extreme state of deprivation,” saying they were a result of “Israel’s ongoing genocide.” 

“The Hamas authorities must immediately halt all unlawful killings, acts of vigilantism, and arbitrary arrests,” Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaign Erika Guevara-Rosas said.

“Restoring law and order must never serve as a cover to commit grave human rights violations, carry out reprisals or to collectively punish entire families,” she said. 

On its Telegram channel, Hamas has publicly confirmed the executions of several Gaza Palestinians, calling them “collaborators.” 

Before the October 2025 ceasefire, a Telegram channel affiliated with Hamas published several documented killings of so-called “collaborators,” along with threats to hunt down any Gaza citizen passing information to Israel. 

In its report, Amnesty said it documented nine extrajudicial executions and one unlawful killing, all of which came after the October 2025 ceasefire-hostage deal. 

Several of those killed were members of the Dughmush family from western Gaza City, with which Hamas engaged in a battle for control over Al-Sabra neighborhood, following the ceasefire declaration.

Hamas also publicly executed “eight unarmed members of the Dughmush family,” accusing them of collaborating with Israel. 

A Palestinian woman who spoke with Amnesty International on condition of anonymity, to protect her safety, said the eight family members “turned themselves in after being promised a fair trial, only to be publicly executed two hours later.” 

At the same time, the Center for Peace Communications, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering reconciliation and reducing identity-based conflicts in the region, said that Hamas has created a culture of militancy in the Gaza Strip. 

Citing several testimonials shared with Jusoor News by local Gazans, the Center for Peace Communications described a broad “proliferation of weapons beyond militant ranks.” 

It referenced a recent video published by Jusoor News, in which armed Gaza men can be seen shouting to Hamas, “We have guns just like you!” 

“Anyone who feels they or their family has been insulted grabs a gun,” an older man told Jusoor News. “The leaders don’t treat people with respect, and regular people don’t respect the leaders or each other.” 

Moumen Al-Natour, a political activist who fled Hamas’s rule in Gaza during the war, told the Center for Peace Communications that the Hamas’ ideology created a culture of violence that needs to be uprooted. 

“When I was a child, I remember my Islamic studies teacher telling us, ‘Kill a Jew and you will enter paradise,’” Al-Natour recalled. “If we do not replace these ideas with new ones, we will accomplish nothing.” 

all israel news 

Day 1,056 — Thursday, August 27

The US State Department has instructed nearly all of its diplomatic missions worldwide to urge local governments to strengthen security for Jewish communities ahead of the upcoming High Holidays, according to a diplomatic cable obtained by JNS.

The cable calls on US missions to provide host governments with basic information about the Jewish holidays as well as the anniversary of the October 7 attacks, which occurred during Simchat Torah in 2023. It also notes that other terrorist attacks have taken place on or around Jewish holidays.

“We urge your government to deploy law enforcement, counterterrorism or military forces, as appropriate, to synagogues and other locations hosting services or events,” the cable states, as quoted by JNS.

US diplomatic missions were instructed to deliver the message to the highest available levels of government in their respective countries.

The cable also calls for increased security in residential areas with Jewish populations, noting that worshippers often travel along predictable routes at predictable times while wearing identifiable religious clothing.

Host governments are further urged to provide security briefings and establish coordination channels with Jewish institutions, security organizations and businesses ahead of the holidays.

This year, the two-day observance of Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Friday, September 11, which also marks the beginning of Shabbat, and ends after sundown on Sunday, September 13.

The State Department also encouraged governments to increase patrols in crowded areas. The cable points out that religious Jews generally do not use electronic communications during nearly all of the holidays and therefore recommends establishing a system capable of delivering direct warnings about sudden threats.

There has been no official comments from the State Department on the reported cable.

arutz sheva

Day 1,055 — Wednesday, August 26

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned Israel’s evacuation and takeover of a UNRWA vocational training center in eastern Jerusalem, warning that the move would disrupt educational opportunities for young people.

“The Secretary-General is greatly alarmed at this development, as it will deprive young people of the vocational education they were receiving,” Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Dujarric emphasized that the facility, like other UNRWA properties, is protected under the UN’s legal status. The training center “and other UNRWA premises are premises of the United Nations. They are inviolable and immune from any form of interference.”

The statement followed an operation by the IDF, Israel Police and Jerusalem Municipality to evacuate the UNRWA compound in Kafr Aqab, in the northern part of the capital.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir welcomed the operation, saying Israeli authorities were enforcing legislation against the agency.

“This morning, Israel Police forces are working with the relevant authorities to enforce the law and remove UNRWA from the premises. An organization whose employees were involved in terrorism and that repeatedly served as a cover for Hamas has no right to exist for even one more second, and has no place in Jerusalem or the State of Israel,” he stated.

“My policy is clear: Sovereignty is not something you talk about – it is something you exercise. The Israel Police will continue to act resolutely to enforce the law, strengthen governance and make it clear that Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel, and so it will remain. Anyone who establishes terrorist nests there will be removed,” Ben Gvir added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the evacuation, saying it followed legislation passed by the Knesset and his directive.

“In accordance with my directive and following the law we passed, the evacuation of the UNRWA compound in Kafr Aqab, Jerusalem, began today. The State of Israel will not allow an organization whose employees were complicit in terrorism and the October 7 massacre to operate within its territory, and will act against it by all means at its disposal.”

UNRWA has faced sustained Israeli criticism over ties between its employees and the Hamas terrorist organization. The criticism intensified in 2024 after Israel presented evidence that UNRWA personnel had participated in the October 7, 2023 attack.

The UN subsequently established a review group headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to examine the allegations. Its report identified “neutrality-related issues” within UNRWA, while also stating that Israel had not provided evidence supporting claims that a significant number of agency employees belonged to terrorist organizations.

In October 2024, the Knesset approved legislation prohibiting UNRWA from operating in Israel and preventing Israeli officials from maintaining contact with the agency. The legislation was later amended to prohibit the provision of electricity and water to UNRWA facilities.

Guterres has upped his criticism of Israel since the October 7 Hamas attack. Several weeks afterward, he said the attack “did not happen in a vacuum” and appeared to blame Israel, remarks that drew widespread condemnation. He subsequently claimed his comments had been misunderstood and reiterated that he had condemned Hamas.

Tensions between Israel and Guterres’s office increased further in May after the UN chief placed Israeli entities on a blacklist concerning sexual violence in conflict zones. Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, responded by announcing that Israel would freeze relations with the Secretary-General’s office.

“We are done with this UN Secretary-General. Guterres has put Israel on the same blacklist along with Hamas, ISIS and the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world. This is a moral disgrace that proves that Guterres has lost all credibility,” Danon stated at the time.

arutz sheva 

Day 1,055 — Wednesday, August 26

The U.S. Secret Service said it was aware of a video aired on Iranian state media threatening President Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump.

“The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees,” Nate Herring, a Secret Service spokesperson, told Fox News Digital.

“Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence,” Herring added.

The video depicts locations associated with the younger Trump’s whereabouts. It ends with a suggested $10 million reward for his location.

Iranian state media has aired content on multiple occasions threatening Trump and his family following the assassination of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which came at the start of the war between the United States and Iran, as well as the U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020.

“I don’t think it’s any secret, it’s been in the media, that Iran has publicly said they want to kill President Trump,” Deputy Director of the U.S. Secret Service Matt Quinn told reporters at an event last month.

The video came amid threats from the Trump administration to nations that fail to sever their economic ties with Tehran and an ongoing naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

In July, Trump secretly switched planes from Air Force One to another aircraft in Turkey via a catering truck due to a credible Iranian surface-to-air missile threat.

fox news

Day 1,054 — Tuesday, August 25

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an “economic onslaught” against Iran’s global trade partners on Monday as part of the financial “D-Day” that U.S. President Donald Trump declared last week.

Bessent said that the sanctions program, “Operation Economic Outcast,” was an “unprecedented, whole-of-government” campaign to “collapse every last option for Iran.”

“For decades, this regime has drawn strength from a calculus that regards Iranian retaliation as certain and American enforcement as negotiable,” Bessent told reporters. “That era is over.”

Iran’s economy has long been subject to primary economic sanctions aimed at hindering its ability to trade oil, fund terrorist groups around the region and finance its missile, drone and nuclear programs.

Successive administrations have declined, however, to impose secondary sanctions on many countries and companies that do business with Iran. Many of the countries that retain economic ties with Iran are close partners of the United States, including many of the Arab countries in the Persian Gulf.

The department has also generally refrained from imposing sanctions on Chinese banks and oil refineries that transact business with Iran in apparent fear of economic retaliation.

Though he declined to “name names,” Bessent suggested that those secondary sanctions would finally be imposed.

“We want to make clear here today that no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions,” Bessent said in response to a question about the potential sanctioning of Chinese entities. “We find that the best way to engage with countries is through quiet diplomacy, and we are level-setting with every country to tell them our expectations.”

“We know who they are. They know who they are,” he said. “When the hammer of U.S. Treasury actions falls upon them, they will have no one to blame but themselves.”

Bessent said that teams from the U.S. military and Treasury and State Departments were meeting with counterparts around the world to explain the new policy.

jns

Day 1,054 — Tuesday, August 25

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed this evening (Monday) that Iran has attempted to assassinate one of his children. The information was previously prohibited from being published.

In a conversation with Channel 14 News, Netanyahu said, “There is something here that is unbelievable. Iran targeted one of my children. Iran tried to murder one of my children.”

When asked whether this was intelligence information that was presented to him, Netanyahu did not elaborate and repeated his words: “Iran tried to assassinate one of my children.” According to him, security for his children is not a luxury: “It is something without which this attempt will simply succeed.”

The Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs approved on July 16th granting Netanyahu security for life, and his wife Sara will be secured for the rest of her husband’s life. The Prime Minister’s sons will be secured, even if he does not continue for another term, for five years.

The Shin Bet and the Mossad determined before the decision that Netanyahu and his family were at a high level of threat for their entire lives due to the desire of Israel’s enemies to avenge the assassinations of senior Iranian officials during the war.

Two years ago, it was revealed that the Shin Bet and the police arrested Motti Maman, a 73-year-old resident of Ashkelon, who had been recruited by intelligence officials in Iran for the purpose of assassinating Israeli figures. Among the targets were Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar.

According to the security establishment, Maman was smuggled into Iranian territory twice and received payment for carrying out missions. The background to the Israeli’s actions is an attempt to obtain “easy money” after he got into debt.

Netanyahu’s statement follows reports that Iranian state television aired a video threatening Barron Trump, the 20-year-old son of US President Donald Trump.

The video, titled “Where and How Barron Trump Should Be Killed,” claims that Barron Trump’s movements have been “fully monitored” and that the information obtained includes the location of the university he attends, the vehicles accompanying him, and the locations of the Secret Service personnel protecting him. The video also claims that a $10 million bounty has been offered for him, although that claim had not been independently verified at the time of publication.

arutz sheva

Day 1,053 — Monday, August 24

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday the U.S. is entering an “endgame” against Iran, pledging an unprecedented financial campaign to cut off the regime’s remaining economic lifelines and avert the need for more military action.

“At dawn begins an economic D-Day — the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary,” Bessent wrote in an opinion piece in the Financial Times.

He also argued that President Donald Trump was confronting a threat previous administrations had sought only to manage.

Bessent said the campaign would target countries and entities that buy or transport Iranian oil, facilitate financial transactions, host Iranian flights, maintain ship registries or enable ship-to-ship fuel transfers.

He warned that governments maintaining ties with Tehran risked sharing its economic isolation.

The Treasury chief said the aim was to sever every economic lifeline supporting the Islamic Republic until it is left in “total financial isolation.”

fox news

Day 1,053 — Monday, August 24

Israeli authorities are examining a series of kite launches from Gaza after at least four crossed into Israel over two days, prompting Defense Minister Israel Katz to order the IDF to respond forcefully to any further launches toward southern communities.

The devices crossed the Gaza border Friday and Saturday and came down in several Israeli communities, among them Nahal Oz.

Investigators have not established who was responsible, but are examining possible Hamas involvement, N12 reported.

Katz called for military action against the practice rather than allowing it to develop further.

“I instructed the IDF to act immediately and forcefully against any phenomenon of launches from Gaza toward the communities of the western Negev,” Katz said in statement.

While the IDF determined that the kites recovered so far were harmless, security officials are investigating the purpose of the launches. “No suspicious findings were identified on the kites,” the military said, adding that “at no stage was there any danger to the public.”

One focus of the investigation is the length of the strings found attached to the kites, with some stretching several kilometers.

N12 reported that officials are considering several possibilities, including that the devices were being used to gather intelligence or experiment with technology that could later be incorporated into fiber-optic drones. Such drones have recently been used on the northern front with Lebanon.

The appearance of kites from Gaza has particular significance for border communities because of their use during the 2018 protests.

What initially appeared to be a simple tactic later developed into the use of kites and balloons carrying incendiary devices that set fire to fields in southern Israel.

The latest incidents led at least one community to caution residents against handling unidentified objects because they could potentially carry explosives or incendiary materials.

Residents and regional officials urged authorities not to allow the launches to become routine.

“This is exactly how escalation begins again — we must not ignore it and contain it again,” residents warned.

The head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council similarly urged action at an early stage.

“If we want to put an end to the phenomenon when it is just beginning, we must cut it off at the initial stage and strike with force over every kite,” he said.

World Israel News

Day 1,052 — Sunday, August 23

The IDF hit the Abu al-Duhur military air base after it received intelligence that Turkey was seeking to station a radar and an air defense system manned by Turkish troops there, sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post.

Israel told the US that intelligence suggested that Turkey was set to dispatch radar, troops, and air defense systems to a base in Syria, KAN News reported on Saturday.

While the IDF did not detail when the Turkish military systems were set to arrive, officials pointed to the Abu al-Duhur base as a possible target due to its proximity to the Turkish border.

Israeli sources also told KAN News that the four IDF strikes were aimed at the base’s runway to prevent Turkish troops from landing.

“Since the diplomatic message did not get through, Israel delivered it through a targeted warning strike,” one official said.

Defense Minister Israel Katz had said earlier on Saturday that the army issued a direct warning to senior Syrian officials before the strikes on the Abu al-Duhur air base “in an attempt to prevent the move.”

“Following several discussions that Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] and I held with the IDF and the various security officials, it was agreed that before approval was given, a direct warning would be issued to the Syrian regime at the highest levels first in an attempt to prevent the move, and that is what was done,” Katz said.

“After the request went unanswered, the prime minister and I authorized the IDF to carry out the strike, which commenced successfully. [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and was forced to back down,” the defense minister said.

Jerusalem Post 

Day 1,051 — Saturday, August 22

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group that has controlled southern Lebanon for decades, “operates with little to no regard for Lebanese sovereignty, the Lebanese people or the Lebanese state,” a U.S. State Department official said on Thursday, as the Trump administration again sanctioned Hezbollah “for service to the Iranian regime.”

“The United States will not relent in targeting Iran’s financial support networks, including those enabling Hezbollah to threaten peace, undermine the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and endanger the security of our regional allies,” wrote Tommy Pigott, spokesman for the State Department.

The official said that Hezbollah, which has long been sanctioned as a foreign terrorist organization, is being re-designated “an Iranian proxy, not a stand-alone operation as implied by the previous designation.”

The action on Thursday “builds on years of U.S. designations that have repeatedly documented the operational, financial and logistical integration” between Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, which is Iran’s elite military wing specializing in unconventional warfare, foreign intelligence and management of Iran’s network of terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East.

Thursday’s determination “formally recognizes” Hezbollah’s activities “as an extension of the IRGC-QF” and “not a Lebanese resistance movement.”

Jointly, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 10 people, who it said take part in a network that helps move hundreds of millions of dollars of sanctions-evading cash transfers between the Quds Force and Hezbollah, using commercial flights between Lebanon, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

“The investigation and disruption of this network are the result of close coordination and collaboration with our Turkish partners,” Pigott wrote.

The State Department official said that Hezbollah has “twice dragged Lebanon into devastating wars, subordinating the country’s interests to Tehran’s regional agenda and leaving the Lebanese people to bear the consequences.” He called the terror group “the obstacle to Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability and economic recovery.”

The United States, Israel and Lebanon have developed a trilateral framework to help restore Lebanese sovereignty to the southern part of the country, which Hezbollah has long used to launch attacks on Israel.
As part of that pact, Israel and Lebanon are coordinating on so-called “pilot zones,” and Hezbollah, either voluntarily or by force, is to exit designated areas and relocate further north.

At the same time, the Lebanese Armed Forces will take over and Israeli forces will withdraw.

State Department officials have expressed optimism about the trajectory of ongoing talks between Israel and Lebanon to implement the agreement.

jns

Day 1,051 — Saturday, August 22

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government on Friday issued another arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid spiking tensions between the two countries over an Israeli strike in Syria.

Turkey has already issued warrants against Netanyahu and other top officials for “genocide” over Israel’s actions in the war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel firmly denies accusations of genocide.

The new warrant accuses Netanyahu of “genocide” over the interception in May of a flotilla carrying some 430 activists to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Turkey’s Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on X that his ministry had asked the interior ministry to issue Interpol red notice alerts for Netanyahu and another Israeli, named as Afek Moskovitch, as part of a larger case against 35 people.

A red notice is a request to police forces worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. Interpol reviews requests submitted by member states before deciding whether to issue red notices.

“As part of the judicial proceedings concerning the attack in international waters on the Flotilla activists (…) and in accordance with the arrest warrants issued on July 14, 2026, against Benjamin Netanyahu and Afek Moskovitch for ‘genocide,’ the ministry of justice has requested that the ministry of the interior issue red notices for their international arrest,” Gurlek stated.

Netanyahu and Moskovitch are being prosecuted for “crimes against humanity, genocide, aggravated deprivation of liberty, ‘intentional assault and battery,’ torture, destruction of property, aggravated looting, and hijacking of transport vehicles,” the ministry said.

The Turkish statement didn’t provide any additional details about Moskovitch and no additional information about him could be found.

In response, Netanyahu’s office said that Erdogan “now seeks to extend his aggression against Israel into Syria. Israel will not tolerate it.” The Israeli statement reiterated past accusations by Jerusalem against Erdogan, calling him “an antisemitic dictator who has massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians who oppose him.”

“Erdogan’s pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, will go nowhere,” the statement added.

In a separate Hebrew-language statement, the Prime Minister’s Office asserted that “Israel will continue to act forcefully against Turkey’s attempts to destabilize the region and against any threat to its security.”

times of israel

Day 1,050 — Friday, August 21

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon called on Wednesday for changes to the U.N. Security Council’s process for convening emergency meetings, which he said has become a political tool used disproportionately against the Jewish state.

“It shouldn’t be that you just send a fax or email and you have a session,” Danon told JNS, ahead of his remarks. “It should be not only one country, maybe three countries, and actually use it when it’s needed, not for political usage.”

Danon spoke to JNS in the Qatari lounge shortly before addressing the Security Council on Wednesday afternoon.

He proposed requiring the support of three council members to convene an emergency meeting, rather than allowing a single member to request one, and to establish clearer criteria for what constitutes an “emergency.”

The Security Council has held about 100 meetings about Israel over the past four years, including at least 17 “emergency” sessions, according to the envoy.

Iranian aggression, Houthi attacks on international shipping routes, Hamas’s holding of hostages and Turkey’s military entrenchment in Syria have rarely prompted emergency meetings, he told JNS.

“Today, the debate is more about procedure in the Security Council,” he said. “For a change, it’s not about us. I will focus my speech on the fact that the U.N. Council is not focusing on the right issues. They focus on Israel.”

Whenever council members want to criticize the Jewish state, they simply “call for an emergency session, but there is no emergency,” Danon said.

“The entire U.N. today—they focus their energy not in the right places,” he told JNS. “It’s more about the debate. It’s more about bashing Israel, less about concrete efforts, practical solutions and confronting the bad guys.”

He pointed to recent “emergency” meetings over Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and what he said was “so-called settler violence.” Those sessions came in addition to the council’s regular monthly discussions on Israel, he said.

“When we recognized Somaliland, we had to come to an emergency session, and they blamed us for wanting to expel the Palestinians, which is a joke,” he told JNS.

The emergency sessions, Danon added, take time away from what he sees as more pressing action against terrorist groups.

“They were not able to designate Hamas. They were not able to designate Hezbollah, the Houthis,” he told JNS. “So instead of doing those things, they are putting the time on us.”

In his formal remarks, Danon said that the council had become “very good at holding meetings but very bad at making a difference.”

“Instead of focusing its time on Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, it is repeatedly drawn into political theater,” he told the council.

“The Security Council was not created to hold fruitless meetings,” he said. “It was created to prevent wars. It is time to return to the mission for which it was established.”

jns

Day 1,050 — Friday, August 21

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan early Thursday, accusing him of dragging Turkey into “dangerous adventures in Syria” and warning the Turkish leader not to test Israel’s resolve.

“Israel will not allow any actor to threaten its security,” Katz wrote on X. “It would be better for Erdoğan to continue his detached-from-reality, fanciful rhetoric against Israel in the Turkish Grand National Assembly than to attempt to test Israel’s determination to defend itself.”

The warning comes two days after Israel struck Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Airbase. The increasingly heated rhetoric has put Washington in the position of trying to contain tensions between Turkey, a NATO member, and Israel, Washington’s closest security partners in the Middle East. Israel said Syria was on the verge of breaching a security understanding by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there, while Ankara rejected Israel’s account.

On Wednesday, Turkey called these allegations from Israel “untenable,” arguing that they are “intended to legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. … The imputations voiced stem from Netanyahu’s intent to pursue expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region ahead of the elections in Israel,” Turkey’s government said in a social media post.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Reuters Thursday that Washington was working on “a de-escalation process” that was already in place but still needed to be refined. Asked whether the dispute could lead to a direct Israeli-Turkish confrontation, Huckabee said, “I don’t think we’re even close to that.” He said Israel viewed Turkey as “moving further south” in Syria and perceived that as potentially threatening.

fox news

Day 1,049 — Thursday, August 20

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Thursday morning rejected his British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s demand that Israel scrap plans for construction in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumum.

Miliband became Britain’s Foreign Secretary last month after newly installed Prime Minister Andy Burnham carried out a major Cabinet reshuffle.

“I reject outright the statement of the UK Foreign Secretary and the patronising tone of his words,” Sa’ar wrote on X.

“The Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel, just as the British have the right to live in London and throughout the United Kingdom. More than a century ago, the Balfour Declaration formally recognised the historic right of the Jewish people to re-establish their national home in the Land of Israel – including in the area in question.”

Sa’ar also called out British hypocrisy, noting, “Britain itself still controls colonial territories thousands of miles from its shores. It is absurd for Britain to lecture the Jewish people about where they may live in their historic tiny homeland, when the Jewish people’s connection and right to this land is the most extensively documented of any people in human history.”

“There have been no new decisions regarding development in E1. The decision was made in 2025.

“The tender process has been underway for several months, with certain tender documents published only in recent days.”

He blasted, “The British Foreign Secretary’s statement is entirely one-sided.”

“It condemns Israel while turning a blind eye to Palestinian terrorism, incitement and the Palestinian Authority’s continued financial support for terror – the ‘pay for slay’ policy.

“The UK Government’s systematic policy of blaming only Israel while ignoring Palestinian extremism has already contributed to a massive wave of antisemitic hatred and attacks against the British Jewish community. Continuing down this path will only make the situation worse.

“The UK Government’s decision to damage the relationship between our countries is deeply unfortunate. But Israel will not be a passive victim of this policy.

“Israel will defend its rights, its interests and its people.”

arutz sheva

Day 1,049 — Thursday, August 20

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday an “economic D-Day” to financially strangle Iran.

The Iranian “navy is gone, their air force is destroyed, their military factories are now rubble, their currency is worthless and their country is hanging by a thread,” he wrote on Truth Social.

No one has given the Iranian regime a better chance to make a deal than he, Trump wrote.

“Tragically, for them, they have failed to take it. Therefore, today, I am announcing the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country,” he continued.

The president further threatened “tremendous economic consequences” for any country that lets its “financial institutions, businesses, airports or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran.”

“Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies—it all needs to stop now,” he stated. “You know who you are. This will be an economic D-Day.”

He called on all U.S. allies to “isolate and defeat the Iran threat.”

“These maniacs are on the ropes,” he said. “These historic measures will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide. Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Also on Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee warned that the possibility of a return to open conflict with Iran was very real.

The diplomat noted that Tehran has already faced U.S. military action twice and should understand that Trump is serious about using force if necessary.

“I think the Iranians should understand that President Trump is not bluffing,” he told Al Arabiya English, a Saudi state-owned broadcaster.

Huckabee was referring to two U.S. military operations carried out against Iran over the past two years. The first, “Operation Midnight Hammer,” was a one-night aerial campaign on June 22, 2025, that targeted three nuclear facilities in Iran. The second, “Operation Epic Fury,” was a heavy aerial bombardment campaign launched on Feb. 28 and lasted 40 days before a ceasefire was announced.

jns

Day 1,049 — Thursday, August 20

The Turkish government publicly denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly pursuing “expansionist and destabilizing policies” after Israel launched airstrikes on a Syrian airbase this week.

Netanyahu’s office took responsibility for the Tuesday morning strike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase the next day, saying Syria was on the verge of breaching a security agreement by allowing Turkish troops to deploy from the base, which is near Aleppo.

“Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security,” Netanyahu’s office said Tuesday night. “Syria chose to ignore these warnings. Israel will not tolerate threats to its security, and would welcome a return to the status quo.”

On Wednesday, Turkey called these allegations from Israel “untenable,” arguing that they are “intended to legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“The imputations voiced stem from Netanyahu’s intent to pursue expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region ahead of the elections in Israel,” Turkey’s government said in a social media post.

“Türkiye, like the vast majority of the international community, stands for the consolidation of lasting peace in our region. The sole path to this objective lies in Netanyahu’s abandonment of his aggressive and coercive policies and in his respect for international law,” it continued.

“Türkiye will resolutely continue to cooperate with the Syrian Government on a legitimate basis for the establishment of peace, stability, and prosperity in Syria, and will never allow the destabilization of Syria,” the statement concluded.

The strike on the Syrian airbase, which caused damage but no casualties, also drew criticism from U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, despite a senior Israeli official telling Fox News that “highly sensitive intelligence was shared with the United States in advance” of the attack.

But Turkey, which has been training Syria’s soldiers to rebuild the country’s armed forces, has routinely accused Israel of trying to destabilize the region.

Since al-Assad was deposed in December 2024, Israel has repeatedly struck targets within Syria seeking to prevent the new government from building up its military capabilities near the border.

Netanyahu reiterated in July that he wants the region south of Damascus to remain demilitarized, while also professing a desire to protect the Druze population, an ethnoreligious minority that lives in Syria.

fox news 

Day 1,048 — Wednesday, August 19

After months of relative quiet, the Syrian front came back into focus in Israel in recent days, as Jerusalem confirmed having struck an airport in northern Syria on Tuesday to prevent Turkey’s military from establishing itself there, rejecting criticism from the United States.

At the same time, the government in Damascus announced its intention to retain nuclear material left over from the Assad regime, asserting its right to pursue a civilian nuclear power program. The announcement came shortly after new video footage emerged showing Syrian military units chanting antisemitic slogans.

These recent incidents highlight Israel’s concern that the new Syrian government of former terrorist Ahmad al-Sharaa continues to pose a serious threat, particularly because its close ties to the Turkish government, despite American efforts to legitimize the government and integrate it into its regional alliance system.

Following the unusual public criticism from the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) responded late on Tuesday: “Israel will not tolerate threats to its security,” accusing Syria and Turkey of trying to breach the status quo.

“Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo. Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings,” the PMO stated, adding that Jerusalem would “welcome a return to the status quo.”

Early on Tuesday, Israeli fighters had reportedly bombed Syrian targets in the Abu al-Duhur Airbase in Idlib province, some 300 kilometers (188 miles) from the Israeli border.

Targets reportedly included the runway and several warehouses. Israeli security think tank Alma Research Center assessed that “the objective was to strike advanced equipment or weapons with potential threat capabilities. In addition, the purpose of striking the runway would be to temporarily prevent its use and, in any event, to send a message to the al-Sharaa regime – and possibly also to a third country – that their actions cannot be tolerated.”

In its analysis, Alma also noted, “reports of Turkish plans to deploy air defense systems in Syria, such as the Hisar system. Israel was previously reported to have warned Turkey against transferring advanced military capabilities to Syria that could disrupt the Israeli Air Force’s freedom of operation. It was also reported in April 2025 that Israel had struck the T4 airbase to prevent Turkey from establishing capabilities there.”

Barrack later argued that the Israeli strikes raised a significant danger of a direct confrontation with the Turkish military. Speaking to Reuters, he said Turkey “observed the aircraft heading north toward its territory and therefore could have reasonably prepared its own response.”

“Thankfully, calm heads were able to prevent the situation from deteriorating further,” Barrack said, stressing that this incident “underscores the need for a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Syria and Türkiye. That ​is something we are actively working on to establish in order to prevent future miscommunication.”

“Turkey knew full well that it was provoking Israel,” assessed Dr. David Wurmser, a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security.

“Turkey was the party responsible for what can only be seen as an escalation that it itself sought to provoke,” he argued, adding that Barrack should condemn the Turkish government instead of encouraging “Turkey’s imperial and destabilizing ambitions.”

On Sunday, footage showing troops from the new Syrian military chanting threats against Israel and the Jewish people went viral on social media.

The Foreign Ministry retweeted one news report, commenting, “Outside the historic Damascus Citadel last Saturday, Syrian soldiers chanted: ‘I am coming for you, Jew. I will make your blood flow in rivers.’ This is Syria’s new army. Same old antisemitic bloodlust.”

all israel news 

Day 1,048 — Wednesday, August 19

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Tomoko Akane, a Japanese judge who is president of the International Criminal Court, according to the US Treasury Department website.

The move is the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign against The Hague-based court, which was established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The US is not a member of the court.

Rubio said in a statement that he was imposing sanctions on Akane as well as Abdoulaye Seye, a senior trial lawyer and a Senegalese national, under a Trump executive order last year authorizing sanctions against the court.

“These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction,” Rubio said.

The ICC condemned the move, saying in a statement that the measures undermine the rule of law.

“When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” the ICC said.

Japan’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that US sanctions on the International Criminal Court and its president, Judge Tomoko Akane, were “very unfortunate.”

In a statement, the ministry said: “Japan has consistently supported the ICC … in its efforts to prosecute and punish the most serious crimes of concern to the international community and to uphold the rule of law.” It added that Japan would remain committed to strengthening the rule of law in the international community while maintaining communication with related countries.

Seye is a senior trial lawyer on the prosecution team that sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has been nominated for election as an ICC judge.

jerusalem post

Day 1,047 — Tuesday, August 18

After the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran expired on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the Islamic Republic should “put up the white flag of surrender.” 

In a phone conversation with Fox News’ Try Yingst, the president reiterated that the number one goal for his administration is preventing the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear weapons. 

“The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account shortly before the phone call with Yingst. 

Despite upcoming elections in the United States, the president said he feels no pressure to alter his current course of continued economic sanctions and a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz for Iranian traffic. 

“I have no time schedule,” President Trump told Yingst during the call. “I’m not in a hurry.” 

“Midterms have nothing to do with my thinking,” he added. 

While Hormuz remains a highly contested issue in the negotiations, President Trump issued an odd warning to Oman, which has been negotiating with Iran over the strait for the past several weeks. 

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the [expletive] out of them,” Trump was reported by Yingst as saying. 

“I don’t think they [Oman] behaved very well, but we’d handle them very easily, just like we do others,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office hours later. 

all israel news 

Day 1,047 — Tuesday, August 18

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner delivered a stark ultimatum to Hamas on Monday, warning that the terrorist group must honor its commitments to disarm in Gaza or face an Israeli military operation to “finish the job.“

Speaking exclusively to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, Kushner also detailed high-stakes diplomatic meetings in Egypt and Israel over the last 48 hours aimed at advancing President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace roadmap as fighting and disagreements between Israel and Hamas persists.

“Time will tell whether [Hamas disarmament is] going to be implemented,” he added, before stating that Washington feels it could be “very close to knowing, and we’re making a lot of progress towards trying to get to the next steps.“

“If they don’t follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they’re not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the U.S. and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way,” Kushner also told Yingst of the militant group.

The warning from Trump’s son-in-law followed the rare face-to-face meeting — only Kushner’s second known meeting with the group.

“They said all the right things, but obviously, it’s very, very hard to trust, you know, a terrorist organization that committed these terrible atrocities,” Kushner continued. “But we had a very cordial meeting, and they said all the right things, and so we’re going to give them a chance to perform. 

“It’s going to have to be based on actions and steps, and I hope it will be true.“

fox news 

Day 1,046 — Monday, August 17

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refered to Britain as an “Islamic republic” during a lengthy podcast interview with Army Radio.

Discussing Winston Churchill’s son Randolph Churchill and grandson Winston Spencer Churchill, who like the World War II-era UK prime minister were journalists, Netanyahu says the pair “came here and covered the Six Day War in a very positive way for us.”

“Try to find that now in Britain, which you could call the Islamic republic of Britain,” Netanyahu chuckles.

He then responds “yes” when the interviewer asks “if all of Europe isn’t already like that, no?” apparently referring to Muslim communities in countries there and many European governments’ increasingly critical postures toward Israel in recent years.

“The first nuclear Islamic republic will be the Islamic republic of Britain,” Netanyahu further stated. “We’re making sure there won’t be another one in Iran.”

Times of Israel 

Day 1,046 — Monday, August 17

Jewish men were permitted to bring prayer books onto the Temple Mount on Sunday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir confirmed to The Jerusalem Post, after right-wing journalist Arnon Segal shared a photo of Jewish men praying and reading from prayer books, claiming the photo was taken from the Temple Mount.

“Still no blanket permit, but an initial experiment aimed at ensuring the Middle East doesn’t lose its mind over this,” Segal claimed in his post. “History.”

“The Israel Police operates on the Temple Mount in accordance with the directives of the political echelon, the established rules governing the site, and operational assessments, with the aim of safeguarding public safety, security, and public order,” Israel Police said in response to the Post’s request for comment.

Under the longstanding status quo, Jews and Christians are permitted to visit the Temple Mount but are generally prohibited from praying there, while Muslims are permitted to worship.

In January, Israel Police began relaxing some restrictions on Jewish prayer at the site, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Jewish visitors may now enter with a single printed prayer page prepared in advance, although prayer books remain prohibited.

Times Of Israel

Day 1,046 — Monday, August 17

Hengli Group, a Chinese company that employs over 300,000 people and earns over $100 billion per year, is a primary importer of Iranian crude oil, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing industry analysts, shipping brokers, and the US Treasury.

Hengli is one of the largest companies in a network of “teapot” refineries in China that purchase sanctioned oil, according to the officials cited by WSJ.

Since 2023, Hengli has received at least five million barrels of Iranian oil from multiple ships sanctioned by the United States, the US Treasury and shipping brokers claimed.

Hengli Group, a Chinese company that employs over 300,000 people and earns over $100 billion per year, is a primary importer of Iranian crude oil, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing industry analysts, shipping brokers, and the US Treasury.

Hengli is one of the largest companies in a network of “teapot” refineries in China that purchase sanctioned oil, according to the officials cited by WSJ.

Since 2023, Hengli has received at least five million barrels of Iranian oil from multiple ships sanctioned by the United States, the US Treasury and shipping brokers claimed.

Iran has been evading US sanctions and the blockade using a system of ship-to-ship transfers in which sanctioned ships laden with Iranian oil offload their cargo onto another ship in the water before it is sent to China, the WSJ reported in May.

The ships receiving the oil are often part of Iran’s “shadow fleet,” a fleet of old, rusting tankers that obscure their owners and may switch their flags to those of countries with little shipping oversight to conceal their identities. Ships will often turn off their tracking device and may paint over identity numbers.

Jerusalem Post

Day 1,045 — Sunday, August 16

The Israel Defense Forces killed overnight Friday a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in the Ansar area in southwestern Lebanon, the military said.

The strike came in response to an attack earlier in the day on Israeli troops operating in the Security Zone in Southern Lebanon in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, the IDF said.

An IDF officer and two enlisted men were “severely injured” as a result of an explosive drone hit in Southern Lebanon, the military said later on Saturday.

The three were evacuated to a hospital and their families have been notified.

The military identified Ali Samir al-Haj Hassan as a battalion commander in the Radwan Force. Several other terrorists were killed in the IDF strike as well, the army continued.

The Israeli military addressed reports that the commander’s family members were harmed in the attack as well.

Hassan was targeted inside a military headquarters used to command Hezbollah’s operations in the area, the IDF said. “The strike was specifically directed at Hassan, who was a lawful target under international law,” the army emphasized.

“The terrorist used his family as human shields, hiding alongside them inside the military headquarters,” it added.

The Prime Minister’s Office said that the attack on the three soldiers was ordered from this headquarters, and that only later did the IDF learn that Hezbollah “deliberately” placed civilians inside it.

Lebanese media reported that Israeli strikes in the areas of Ali al-Taher Ridge, Ansar, and Nabatieh al-Fawqa killed nine people, among them women and children, according to Ynet.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday slammed Israel’s retaliation, saying on X in Arabic that it “undermines efforts to stabilize the situation in the south.”

He further stated that the responsibility for dealing with terrorist infrastructure, “if it exists,” on the Lebanese side lies with the Lebanese state.

Meanwhile, U.S Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa told reporters in Arabic that while no date for further Israeli-Lebanese negotiations has been set, “they will continue,” LBCI, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International, reported.

Asked whether Washington supports Israel’s latest round of strikes, Issa replied, “I don’t know. You know more than I do.” Israeli operations in Southern Lebanon will stop when Hezbollah lays down its weapons, he continued. “Everything will stop,” he added.

Issa spoke with reporters after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee lashed out at Hezbollah, calling it “pure evil.”

Hezbollah wounds Israeli troops, then “rounds up children” in a military compound knowing that Israel will retaliate because Iran’s proxy group “want[s] them to be in harm’s way,” he said.

He equated Hezbollah’s conduct with that of Hamas.

JNS

Day 1,044 — Saturday, August 15

An Iranian official fired back Friday after President Donald Trump said he may eventually declare the Strait of Hormuz “territory of the United States,” insisting Tehran will continue enforcing its blockade of the strategic waterway.

“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on X. “Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power.”

Gharibabadi then claimed the U.S. has suffered “strategic and heavy defeats” and asserted that “the Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian.”

“This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command,” he continued, adding that Tehran would maintain the blockade until the U.S. accepts what he characterized as the “reality of defeat.”

Trump said during remarks in Nassau County, New York, earlier Friday that after Iran is defeated, “pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” while touting the U.S. blockade and saying no ships pass through unless Washington allows it.

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Foreign Ministry has previously publicly identified Gharibabadi’s X account among its official government accounts.

fox news 

Day 1,044 — Saturday, August 15

Israeli Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis spoke at an event for young Jewish community leaders in New York and addressed the sharp rise in antisemitic hate crimes in New York City since Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office.

“The mayor is busy inciting against and promoting a boycott of the Jewish state. His method is the ‘well-known’ antisemitic one: ‘No matter what – blame the Jews.’ This is exactly the same method that was used a century ago by the Third Reich,” Akunis said.

He stated: “Data released by the New York Police Department points to a sharp increase in antisemitic hate crimes since he took office. This is further proof of his failure to protect the city’s Jewish community. Mamdani continues to incite and fuel his supporters to attack the State of Israel and its Prime Minister. This must stop before it is too late!”

His comments follow the release of the NYPD’s hate crime statistics for the month of July, which show that antisemitic hate crimes in New York City rose sharply in July, accounting for nearly 70% of all confirmed hate crimes reported during the month.

The NYPD recorded 33 confirmed hate crimes in July, including 23 targeting Jews, up 53.3% from the 15 anti-Jewish incidents recorded in July 2025. Muslims were the targets of five confirmed hate crimes, compared with two during the same month last year.

So far this year, the department has recorded 360 confirmed hate crimes, a 9.4% increase from the 329 reported during the same period in 2025. Of those incidents, 205 targeted Jews, 56.9% of the total, while 26 targeted Muslims. Anti-Jewish hate crimes have increased 8.5% year over year, while anti-Muslim incidents have risen 62.5%.

arutz sheva

Day 1,043 — Friday, August 14

Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to prepare a plan to transfer all civilian law-enforcement responsibilities in Judea and Samaria to the Israel Police, his office said on Friday.

Katz issued the directive following a meeting on Thursday with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the heads of the IDF’s Operations Directorate and Military Intelligence and other senior commanders.

Under the proposed plan, which is to be drawn up in coordination with the Israel Police and other relevant authorities, civilian law enforcement in Judea and Samaria would be transferred from the IDF to the police, as is the case elsewhere in Israel.

The police would establish a dedicated force to handle civilian matters and receive the necessary authority and funding, according to Katz’s office.

The IDF would continue to combat Palestinian terrorism and focus on defending Israeli communities and borders.

“It is not the IDF’s role, nor does it have the capacity, to deal with the enforcement of civilian matters in Judea and Samaria, given the welcome expected increase in the number of residents in Judea and Samaria following the decisions to establish 104 new communities and formalize the agricultural farms, on the one hand, and the growing security threats and challenges that the IDF is facing and is expected to face on the central front, on the other,” Katz said.

“The IDF’s role is to fight Palestinian terrorism, focus on defending the borders and communities against threats, deal with the borders and the territory itself, and address security threats to the communities and the State of Israel—not to chase teenagers on the hilltops. All responsibility for handling and enforcing matters relating to the communities, residents and civilian issues will be transferred to the Israel Police, which will be required to prepare accordingly.”

Katz described the move as “a significant step toward strengthening governance and enforcing law and order throughout Judea and Samaria,” while freeing the military to concentrate on its primary missions.

“The Israeli government and the IDF will delegate to the police all the powers necessary to carry out these missions,” he said.

The announcement came a day after Israeli security forces dismantled two unauthorized outposts near the Palestinian villages of Qusra and Jalud in Samaria.

Israeli forces overnight Thursday cleared Israelis from an unauthorized outpost and sheep pen next to Qusra and dismantled a second unauthorized outpost near Jalud. Both had been established in Area B, where the Palestinian Authority exercises administrative control and Israel retains security responsibility. One Israeli was detained during the operation.

The IDF had previously received reports of Israelis entering Palestinian homes and areas near the villages. The military described the activity as “illegal, obscene and unacceptable” and declared the area a closed military zone, barring anyone who was not a local resident.

The military said it “strongly condemns” such incidents and that those involved would be dealt with in cooperation with the security forces.

Yisrael Gantz, chairman of the Yesha Council, an umbrella organization representing Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, also condemned the actions.

He described the incidents as “serious and not our way,” saying, “There is no place to privately decide on establishing a hilltop in the yard of a house. There is no justification for violence against uninvolved parties or against security forces.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also issued a condemnation, saying Israeli security forces had arrived at the scene at the request of the United States. “The actions of those who attacked this family’s home are criminal,” Huckabee said, describing the incident as “a shocking act of terrorism designed to intimidate and harass this family.”

In a subsequent post, Huckabee adopted a more conciliatory tone, stressing that a small minority carried out the actions and should not be attributed to Israeli residents of Judea and Samaria as a whole.

“‘Settlers’ are not the problem in Judea/Samaria. ‘Unsettlers’ are,” the ambassador wrote on X. “Very small minority who do great damage to Palestinian families & to Israel.”

He added, “Real settlers like Ysrael Ganz, Governor of Judea/Samaria condemn the actions of the few,” Huckabee wrote, using an alternate spelling of Gantz’s name. “Let’s hope the media gives attention to this & balances their stories.”

jns

Day 1,043 — Friday, August 14

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that the United States is going to apply measures that have “never been seen” on Iran.

“Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country,” Bessent said in an interview on on Newsmax’s “Rob Schmitt Tonight” program.

“It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports,” Bessent said.

jerusalem post

Day 1,042 — Thursday, August 13

The co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) group is receiving sharp backlash for saying on Friday that the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre in Israel was mostly “inevitable.”

During an interview with The New Yorker’s David Remnick, DSA co-chair Megan Romer was questioned about democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who attended an anti-Israel, pro-Hamas rally the day after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in 2023, and was pressed on whether she would have attended if she were in her position.

“You would have gone to that rally, had you been able?” Remnick asked.

“That’s a good question. I probably would have,” Romer replied. “Yeah, yeah. I don’t live in New York City, so I wouldn’t have —”

Remnick pressed further, asking, “One day after the slaughter of 1,200 people and taking of over 200 hostages, you would have come and rallied behind Hamas?”

“I think that Oct. 7 was largely inevitable,” she replied. “If you put people in an open-air concentration camp and you deprive them of rights, of dignity, of food, of the ability to live in safety, you have to expect that they are going to not take that for that long. And that is not defending any harm of civilians or of non-combatants —”

When Remnick accused her remark of being an expression of support for the violence, she pushed back and said “I’m saying that I think it was inevitable.”

Pro-Israel groups condemned her comments.

“I agree with DSA Co-chair Megan Romer that the October 7 attacks were in many ways inevitable — but not for the libelous reasons she cited,” Zionist Organization of America National President Morton A. Klein told Fox News Digital.

“When Gazans elected Hamas – a terror organization whose charter calls for murdering every Jew and destroying Israel, October 7 was the result,” he added. “When Qatar and Iran gave arms and hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, gave sanctuary to Hamas leaders, and helped terror groups plan attacks on Israel, October 7 was the result.”

“When UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) teaches children to hate and murder Jews, employs Hamas terrorists as teachers and principals, stores weapons for Hamas, and provides communications centers for Hamas, October 7 is the result. When Israel, under pressure from the Biden administration, issued thousands of work permits to enter Israel to Hamas terrorists and scouts, October 7 was the result,” he continued.

He warned that there may be even more October 7th-style violence in the future.

“And now, when Hamas is refusing to really disarm, and is vowing to commit more and more October 7ths, we must enable Israel to ensure its safety by retaining a buffer zone in Gaza and insisting on Hamas’ disarmament prior to any other peace plan steps,” he said. “Or else another October 7 will be the result. Regarding Romer’s lies, the parties ‘imprisoning’ Gaza are Hamas, PIJ and other terror groups. By contrast, Israel facilitated tons of food, water, medical and other supplies into Gaza — while Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched 30,000 rockets at Israeli civilians.”

fox news 

Day 1,042 — Thursday, August 13

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday vowed to “resolutely” work toward a “sovereign and geographically contiguous” Palestinian state with eastern Jerusalem as its capital, Turkish state-run news channel TRT reported.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Ankara with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas, Erdoğan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to “remove Palestine from the common agenda of humanity by profiting from chaos and new conflicts in the region.”

“They will not succeed,” he added.

Erdoğan said Ankara “strongly opposes” what he denounced as provocations aimed at changes to the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Jerusalem holy sites, and accused the Jewish state of “unlawful actions” in Judea and Samaria.

The Turkish leader also called for establishing conditions for Gaza’s reconstruction and vowed to continue efforts “to support the Palestinian people and defend their rights.”

Abbas arrived in Ankara on Tuesday afternoon for a two-day visit, Ramallah’s official Wafa agency reported.

Abbas was met at the airport by Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and the P.A.’s envoy to Ankara, Nasri Abu Jaish, according to the report.

Wafa said the P.A. delegation includes PLO Executive Committee member Ziad Abu Amr; Fatah Central Committee member Maj. Gen. Majed Faraj, who also heads Ramallah’s General Intelligence Service; and Abbas advisers Majdi al-Khaldi and Mahmoud al-Habbash.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned Abbas’s visit, describing the P.A. leader as “an enemy at the head of a terror authority that encourages and funds terror against the State of Israel.”

Smotrich called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent Abbas from returning to Israel and Judea and Samaria, adding that the Palestinian Authority “must be dismantled.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday accused Erdoğan of military aggression “that knows no borders,” saying Ankara occupies roughly 36% of Cyprus, 5% of Syria and 2,000 square kilometers of Iraq, with thousands of Turkish troops stationed across the three countries.

The ministry made the comparison amid Turkish criticism of Israel, writing on X, “Turkey has the audacity to criticize Israel. But what are the facts on the ground?”

Israel, by contrast, “temporarily controls merely 0.1% of Syria,” the ministry said, describing it as “a buffer zone to protect its citizens from proven security threats.”

jns

Day 1,041 — Wednesday, August 12

Israel’s United Nations envoy told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday the facts regarding violence in Judea and Samaria contradict the “rising settler violence” narrative.

The council held a briefing on Judea and Samaria, as requested by European members Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia and the United Kingdom, collectively known as the “E5.”

The briefing was purportedly to condemn the alleged rise of violence by Jewish residents in the region, which the United Nations refers to as “settlers.”

“This May, there were 348 Palestinian terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria. Eight pipe bomb attacks, 282 stone-throwing incidents, 32 fire bomb attacks, 24 arson incidents and two serious car ramming attacks,” said Danny Danon, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, noting that the high figure was higher than even the 325 recorded attacks in April. Over 400 more attacks were stopped by Israeli security forces preemptively, Danon said.

“How many of you have condemned these terrorist attacks against Jews? None of these numbers were reported by the briefers, and none of these attacks were mentioned by any of you,” he continued. “This is the bias we are confronting today.”

Meanwhile, Danon said Israel is cracking down on attacks by Jews against Palestinians, with 354 investigations opened, 20 indictments filed and 35 residents arrested through the first quarter of this year.

“This has led to a decrease in extremist violence,” said Danon. “That is why calling it ‘settler violence’ is a provocation. It denies our connection to the land of Israel. It distracts from constant terrorist attacks against Israelis and it collectively labels entire innocent communities for the crimes of the marginal extremist minority.

He drew attention to the flow of Iranian weapons and funding into Judea and Samaria, and the Palestinian Authority’s dishonesty about its so-called pay-for-slay program, which rewards terrorists on a sliding scale based on the severity of their crimes.

“The Palestinian Authority is supposed to help us to mitigate this problem,” said Danon, while the U.S. State Department told Congress that the Palestinian Authority continues to administer the program, even as Ramallah said it was converted into a broader social welfare initiative.

Washington’s representative on Tuesday said that the United States “appreciates the Israeli government’s condemnation of, and the increased actions to counter, violence in” Judea and Samaria.

“Israel has taken specific steps, such as increasing law enforcement actions, to boosting the IDF presence and to allocating significant financial resources to counter the violence,” said Jennifer Locetta, U.S. alternative representative for special political affairs.

She doubled down on Danon’s pay-for-slay criticism, telling the council that Washington “will not accept compensation for terrorism under the guise of ‘welfare’ or through any other attempts to evade detection under a different name.”

But, Locetta took a veiled shot at Israel’s approval this week of the advancement of plans to build housing units in areas between northern Jerusalem and the P.A. cities of Ramallah and el-Bireh.

“The United States reiterates its opposition to annexation,” in the area, she said.

jns

Day 1,041 — Wednesday, August 12

A credible Iranian assassination threat led the U.S. Secret Service to use an elaborate deception to get President Trump safely out of Turkey after the NATO Summit last month.

Trump was taken to an alternate military aircraft while the White House made it appear that he was flying on Air Force One, according to a new report from The Washington Post.

The operation involved a ruse where journalists and some White House staff believed they were on the same plane as Trump. But after boarding Air Force One, Trump was secretly transferred to a smaller Air Force C-32A via an airport catering truck.

The Post said it had reviewed material related to the operation and had confirmed it through a U.S. official with inside knowledge, as well as another person who knew about the president’s travel.

The White House did not directly address the report, but issued a statement highlighting that it uses every tool at its disposal to address threats to the president. The Secret Service declined to comment.

cbn israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his lawyers to file a defamation suit against Israeli outlet Haaretz, journalist Shlomi Eldar, and additional parties, in response to a report published Tuesday alleging that Netanyahu spoke by phone with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed in September 2023, who allegedly warned him of a “formidable” attack being planned by Yahya Sinwar, one of Hamas’ former senior leaders.

“The prime minister has instructed his lawyers to file a libel suit against the leftist newspaper Haaretz, Shlomi Eldar, and additional parties who concocted a false libel against the prime minister that never happened and was never created,” read a post on the prime minister’s X account. “Contrary to what was claimed, no conversation whatsoever took place between the prime minister and the president of the UAE from the start of September until October 7.”

The post added that the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Security Council, and the Military Secretariat thoroughly examined the prime minister’s call log for that period and found no trace of the alleged conversation. “As a rule, diplomatic conversations between the prime minister and the president of the UAE take place solely at the Prime Minister’s Office, through an Emirati representative who arrives at the office with a special encrypted device. All these conversations are documented.”

Haaretz’s investigation, published Tuesday morning, alleged that Prime Minister Netanyahu had received a major warning on Oct. 7 from a regional leader but chose to ignore it, which has ignited a full-blown firestorm in Israel’s opposition. The report claims that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Netanyahu 10 days before October 7 that Hamas was preparing a major move.

The warning arrived in an unusual 45-minute phone call at the end of September 2023, a week and a half before the war erupted. Details of the conversation are based on the book “Hostages: 843 Days of Abandonment,” by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval. In the call, the UAE president cautioned that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was planning a significant event and urged Israel to prepare. The warning followed a message Sinwar had relayed to a mediator saying he was preparing an “earthquake.”

According to the exposé by Shlomi Eldar and Ruth Yuval, Netanyahu reassured bin Zayed in their conversation, assessed that Hamas had its sights on Judea and Samaria, and kept the information from major decision-makers.

Day 1,088 — Monday, September 28

British counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Iran was connected to a suspected bomb plot targeting RAF Fairford, a military base used by US bombers in operations against Iran, after five men were arrested near the installation early Sunday.

The suspects were detained after police received a report shortly before 1 am of three suspicious vehicles apparently traveling toward the Gloucestershire air base.

Armed officers intercepted the vehicles in the nearby Whelford area and initially arrested the five men on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act.

They were subsequently arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and remained in custody as counter-terrorism investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Investigators are considering several possible motives, including Iranian involvement, Russian sabotage or an Islamist plot, The Telegraph reported.

An Iran-linked operation is currently regarded by investigators as the leading possibility, according to a source familiar with the investigation citing by the report, though British authorities have not publicly attributed the suspected plot to Tehran.

“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said.

“As you would expect we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”

An Army explosive ordnance disposal team was brought in to inspect the three vehicles, prompting authorities to establish a 400-meter security cordon and evacuate approximately 85 nearby households as a precaution.

Images from the scene showed bomb-disposal equipment operating around three white vans while armed police sealed roads surrounding the area.

The operation began after a local resident reported seeing the vehicles and several men behaving suspiciously near the base during the early-morning hours. The witness said some of the men appeared to be wearing masks or balaclavas and scattered after being seen.

US President Donald Trump said American and British authorities had worked together on the case and claimed the suspects had been under surveillance before their arrests.

“They were looking to do big damage,” Trump said.

“We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.”

Trump praised the cooperation between the two countries, calling the operation “an amazing job.”

His account appeared to suggest that authorities possessed intelligence about the suspects before the public report that triggered the police response. British officials have not publicly detailed what intelligence, if any, existed beforehand.

RAF Fairford has assumed heightened strategic importance during the war with Iran. The Gloucestershire installation has hosted US Air Force B-1 and B-52 bombers and has been used to support American military operations against Iranian targets.

Its role previously drew explicit warnings from Tehran.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in July that bases used to support attacks against Iranian territory could be subjected to retaliation.

“Any base used for aggression against Iranian territory is a legitimate target for us,” the IRGC said at the time.

The warning prompted Britain to declare that its armed forces were prepared to defend the country against potential attacks.

Security around Fairford had already been strengthened before Sunday’s incident, with additional surveillance and protective measures introduced as US bomber activity at the installation increased.

The suspected plot has now led to further security precautions at Fairford and other British bases hosting US forces.

world israel news 

Day 1,088 — Monday, September 28

As tensions rise in Judea and Samaria, i24NEWS spoke with security experts about the growing threat posed by armed Palestinian Authority forces, and the critical threat of their weapons being turned against Israel.

Lt. Col. (Res.) Maurice Hirsch, former Director of the Military Prosecution for Judea and Samaria, told i24NEWS, “We see the Palestinian police participating and instigating terror. They are the terrorists.”

“And here they are building a state, with an army, this Palestinian state, which is sending representatives to train in Qatar, to train in Pakistan — against whom they are fighting exactly?”

Ro’i Drucker, Judea and Samaria Coordinator for Regavim, explained, “Every road in Judea and Samaria is under siege, and they are just waiting for the day they get their orders. The Palestinian Authority, for years, has been conducting a deep process of occupying the area, controlling all the roads and the main buildings in Judea and Samaria.”

“Their weapons have been trained against us since the day the Palestinian police were created, since the day they received weapons. You can remember the demonstrations at the Western Wall, right? In 1996, just days after the signing of the Oslo Accords, [late Palestinian Authority leader Yasser] Arafat commands the officers in the Palestinian Authority to “fight the Zionist enemy because they are operating in our sacred lands”.

“And from then on, from the first day that the Palestinian Authority received weapons, it turned them against us. The story does not end here, but is a question of when this event will be used against us.”

Hirsch explained, “I was here in this division for five years, 1998-2003. The first two years, were peacekeeping, the Oslo Accords, the implementation of these things.”

“What did the vision of peace bring us?” he asked. “Tens of thousands were killed, Israelis were murdered, thousands, and also on the Palestinian side, people were killed. So what, are we going to continue on the same path?”

Drucker added, “In the Oslo Accords it was about 12,000 weapons that the Palestinian Authority could hold, for the use of law enforcement. Since then the numbers grew, we know that today, the Palestinian Authority security system has about 65,000 people on salary.”

“That is, even if not all of them are officers, fighters, you can say that at least 30,000-35,000 are trained soldiers. They have several places in Judea and Samaria, in the north, the main place is the General Artillery University in Jericho. It is a complete training base, like the IDF.

“They learn how to occupy positions and how to occupy settlements. They train in the north, in the open area. They train on artillery fire, they train on sniping, invading, attacking, they train on forces that operate at night, with means of night vision, aiming at civilians.

“I don’t think that a police force needs all of this,” he emphasized.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Eitan Dangot, former Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), told i24NEWS, “The military’s readiness for their turning their weapons on us is a capability that must be thorough and long-term, including how to deal with it, to differentiate and determine priorities and decide what goals are most necessary.”

“We also defused a few myths in the light of operations we carried out recently, and there are no words to describe the destruction of terrorist enclaves, especially in northern Samaria.”

Last year, a full 150 Palestinian Authority police officers took their weapons to carry out terror attacks – a hint of what could happen in the event of a large-scale attack, with tens of thousands of hostile “police officers” operating.

“How can we have let this grow from 12,000 people to what is now estimated as 67,000 to 70,000 fighters?” Hirsch demanded.

Concluding the interview, Drucker warned, “The State of Israel is today in a problematic situation – it’s a ticking time bomb.”

arutz sheva

Day 1,087 — Sunday, September 27

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday rejected Iran’s latest proposal of a seven-day ceasefire made earlier in the week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly annual General Debate in New York, calling it unacceptable.

“I’ve rejected their deal,” the president told reporters.

“They want to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they’re losing so badly. … You don’t see that in the fake news,” he continued.

“But we’re winning tremendously; we have total control of the Hormuz Strait, massive amounts of oil coming out. … Last night we had 29 ships come out. They want a make a deal, and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal too, but that deal would not be acceptable,” said Trump.

He said the blockade is choking Iran financially, “so they outsmarted themselves. They said, ‘Let’s close it, and cause a problem for the world.’ And then I came along. And we put up the greatest blockade ever in military history. It’s a wall of steel. … And guess what? They don’t have any money now, because they wanted to close the strait and I said, that’s fine, we’re going to close it on you—but everybody else is able to use it.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday told reporters, “If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days,” according to the Associated Press.

The seven-day period would start when the Trump administration accepts the plan, Araghchi continued. “The choice now rests with the United States.”

The U.S. president on Friday night reiterated his view on Truth Social that Iran must not have nuclear weapons, followed by another post showing a map of the Strait of Hormuz in which it is renamed, “Trump Strait.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command said that as of Sept. 25, its forces have redirected 122 commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz “to ensure strict compliance” with the naval blockade reimposed on Iran on July 14.

jns

Day 1,086 — Saturday, September 26

The United Nations human rights office has expanded its controversial database of companies operating in Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, adding 61 firms to the list, Reuters reported Friday.

The database, first released in 2020, now contains 214 companies. Most are Israeli, while firms from 10 other countries are also included, among them France, Germany, China and the United States. The list was condemned by the US during the first Trump administration.

Among the companies newly included are Israeli pesticide manufacturer ADAMA, which is owned by China’s Syngenta Group, Israeli real estate investment company Alony Hetz and Spain-based Salvat Logistica. They join businesses already on the database, including travel company Expedia and home-rental platform Airbnb.

Israel rejected the latest additions. In a statement issued Friday, it said, “This is a distorted mechanism – created by a deeply flawed body with an automatic majority against Israel.”

The UN rights office said it examined companies involved in sectors including energy, food, hospitality, transportation and agriculture. Its assessments were based on confidential information submitted to the office.

Around 60 additional companies were reviewed but ultimately excluded because the UN determined they did not satisfy its criteria for involvement in activities it considers violations of the Palestinian Arab right to self-determination.

The database has also been reduced in some cases. British-registered online travel company Opodo and Spain-based online travel agency eDreams were removed after requesting reassessments. According to Reuters, the UN concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe the companies were no longer engaged in the activities that had previously led to their inclusion.

Expedia has previously defended its listings in areas it calls “disputed areas,” saying they are clearly identified, comply with international laws and sanctions, and are subject to enhanced due diligence based on UN standards.

arutz sheva

Day 1,086 — Saturday, September 26

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) called Friday for Israel to free Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences for attacks that killed Israelis, as the midterm elections approach.

“I am calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison,” Khanna wrote on X.

In a video accompanying the post, Khanna said Palestinians should choose their own leaders and argued that Barghouti could help bring about a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel.

“Palestinians must choose their own leaders. Barghouti has a unique standing among all Palestinian factions,” Khanna said. “He’s seen as non-corrupt, a strong leader, and secular. Barghouti could deliver a Palestinian state living in peace with Israel.”

An Israeli court convicted Barghouti in 2004 on five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder for attacks that killed a Greek Orthodox monk and four other people. The court sentenced him to five consecutive life terms plus additional prison time.

Khanna acknowledged the case against Barghouti but argued that Israel should free him anyway.

“Releasing Barghouti does not provide him with a pardon or moral absolution of crimes he may have committed,” Khanna said. “In fact, a number of human rights groups say he did not even receive a fair trial. But the release is needed to move peace forward, just like Arafat and Rabin worked for peace despite their pasts.”

Khanna then compared Barghouti’s release to allowing members of the Irish Republican Army to take part in politics.

“The Irish Republic Army, the IRA, did terrible things in its war against British and Protestant domination,” he said. “But when the IRA said they had a vision of equality and coexistence, letting them participate in politics was the right decision. Barghouti has said exactly that, repeatedly.”

breitbart

Day 1,085 — Friday, September 25

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani repeatedly branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal,” but faced criticism for remaining largely tight-lipped about Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

While Mamdani has labeled the Iranian government “brutal” and cited its “systematic repression of its own people,” critics railed against him for declining to use similar language about Pezeshkian, who arrived in the city on Wednesday.

“Mayor Mamdani, you said war criminals who set foot in New York should be arrested. Good news. One is in New York city this week,” said Iranian-born journalist Masih Alinejad, who was subjected to an assassination attempt near her Brooklyn home while Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei was still alive.

“If you have the courage to talk about arresting those responsible for crimes against humanity, start with the man sleeping five miles from your office,” Alinejad tweeted.

She invited Mamdani to view the FBI files about her case, in which several men attempted to kidnap her in Brooklyn.

Director of National Intelligence Walter “Jay” Clayton said in January that the Iranian regime coordinated a murder-for-hire plot against Alinejad because of her efforts to speak out against its human rights abuses, while federal authorities sentenced one U.S.-based conspirator to 15 years.

“The government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, has engaged in a campaign of assassination plots in the United States and abroad targeting those who oppose the regime,” Clayton said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Mamdani has said Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City and has called him an “architect” of “genocide.” No similar statements about Pezeshkian could be found.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment.

National security expert and ACT For America founder Brigitte Gabriel also criticized the mayor over the discrepancy.

Gabriel, who has said she survived a terror attack during the 1975 Lebanese Civil War in Lebanon, now lives in the U.S.

“[The] Iranian President on American soil — while we are still in open conflict with Iran. 18 Americans dead. Thousands of Iranians slaughtered. And he’s getting a visa, a hotel, and a UN microphone in New York,” Gabriel fumed on X.

“Where are the war crimes charges? Where’s Mamdani to arrest him while he’s in NYC?”

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters Tuesday that Mamdani should stop attacking his nation’s government and turn his attention to Pezeshkian’s administration.

“Focus on the problems of the City of New York and stop with promoting anti-Semitism, stop supporting Hamas, and stop engaging with the Iranian regime,” Danon said.

Those comments came weeks after Mamdani’s international affairs liaison sought to arrange a meeting with Iranian U.N. Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton told Fox News the disparity in Mamdani’s rhetoric is stark.

“Is Zohran Mamdani threatening to arrest butchers from Iran who have killed tens of thousands of their own people, or genuine war criminals from other countries?” Cotton, R-Ark., asked.

“No. The one person he cites is the leader of the Jewish State of Israel.”

While Mamdani met with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, he said afterward the two leaders will continue to have radically different views on Israel and the conflict in Iran.

fox news

Day 1,085 — Friday, September 25

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the genocide claim against Israel was “the lie of the century, while adding that the Iranian regime’s toppling was “only a matter of time,” during his Thursday address to the United Nations General Assembly.

One of the main topics in Netanyahu’s speech was the different fronts that the country is fighting, with the prime minister explaining that Israel is also fighting on the information front against countries that push for antisemitic narratives and spread lies “such as the genocide claim.”

“What genocidal regime gives millions of polio vaccines to the enemy population? What genocidal regime enables the distribution of two million tons of food to Gaza, a ton per person?” Netanyahu asked the assembly, adding that a majority of the fighting was done in the social media sphere.

Netanyahu also said that there were several countries in the region actively financing information campaigns against Israel, with Qatar being the first one to hold these sorts of policies and Turkey being the last one.

“Years ago, Qatar started financing universities and the toxic media outlet Al Jazeera. They did the same in Europe, by the way. And their goal was clear. Brainwash young minds to hate Israel, America, and the West. This is the same Qatar that holds the Hamas butchers of October 7,” he said.

“Now the last country to become an antisemitic spreader of lies is Turkey. [Turkish President Recep Tayip] Erdogan is a tyrant who also hosts the Hamas terror chiefs,” he added.

Netanyahu also explained that the Turkish leader has “murdered thousands of Kurdish civilians, denies the Armenian genocide, has jailed thousands of journalists, and in fact, he holds the world record for this, and illegally occupies northern Cyprus and regularly trespasses into Greece, a NATO member.”

He said that it was no surprise that now Erdogan was “attempting to trespass into Syria, and that’s not surprising. Because he called for Israel’s destruction almost every single day. He says he is going to be the ruler of Jerusalem. No sir, you won’t.”

In another moment of his speech, Netanyahu recounted the recent rise in West Bank violence, saying that the settler population can’t be represented by 150 youngsters who “throw rocks and burn down olive trees.”

“I can’t stand for vigilantes, and that’s why we are looking for them with the Shin Bet,” he continued, adding that there is no comparison between settler violence and the terror attack perpetrated by Palestinians against Israeli civilians in [Judea and Samaria].

“Three days ago, an Israeli-French citizen was shot by a Hamas terrorist in a lake in Judea and Samaria. Two days ago, a reservist was run over by a terrorist while in Judea and Samaria,” he recounted, then explaining that the victim of the car ramming was Neria Leiter, an American citizen who serves as an IDF reservist and is the son of Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter.

“In a recent post, before he was attacked, Neria wrote this: We have no country; it is a privilege to defend it. To Neira, and to all the heroes of Israel, I pledge: Your sacrifice won’t be in vain. We will continue to fight and to win, because we have no other choice,” Netanyahu said.

jerusalem post

Day 1,084 — Thursday, September 24

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron after the French leader told the United Nations General Assembly that Hamas had “never been active” in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank — remarks that came just days after a French-Israeli father of six was murdered in a shooting attack carried out by a reported Hamas operative.

Speaking before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Macron criticized Israeli actions in Judea and Samaria, asking, “In the name of what?” before adding that “Hamas has never been active in the West Bank.” Hamas does not govern the territory, which is administered in part by the Palestinian Authority, but the terrorist organization has maintained cells and operatives there for years.

Netanyahu responded with unusually forceful language.

“The grotesque absurdity of Emmanuel Macron’s statement is staggering,” Netanyahu’s office said.

The prime minister pointed directly to the murder of Netanel Shukrun, a French citizen and father of six who was shot Sunday near the Ein Raya spring outside Neve Tzuf as he visited the site with his 16-year-old son ahead of Yom Kippur. Israeli reports identified the suspected gunman, Qadri Samara, as a Hamas operative. Shukrun reportedly warned his son to flee moments before he was fatally shot.

“On Sunday, the eve of Yom Kippur, just two days ago, Netanel Shukrun — a FRENCH CITIZEN and father of six — was murdered in his car by a Hamas terrorist in Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu’s office said. “With his final breath, he told his son to run.”

Netanyahu added that Hamas terrorists have repeatedly carried out attacks in Judea and Samaria, declaring, “Ignorance is NO EXCUSE for erasing their blood.”

The murder was not the only recent evidence of Hamas activity in the territory. On August 28, Israeli forces carried out a rare airstrike near Jenin that killed Qais Bitawi, whom the Shin Bet identified as the head of Hamas activity in the Jenin refugee camp. Hamas itself acknowledged Bitawi as one of its operatives. Israeli security officials said he had been involved in planning and carrying out attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces.

worthy news

Day 1,084 — Thursday, September 24

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter is abruptly returning to Israel ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) after learning that his son, IDF reservist Neria Leiter, was critically wounded in a Palestinian terrorist attack.

The ambassador revealed on social media that doctors are “fighting to save the life” of his son after a car ramming at the Maccabim (Bell) checkpoint in Samaria earlier in the day.

“I am grateful to the IDF, to the medical team at Shaare Zedek who are now fighting to save the life of Neria Dov ben Chana [Leiter], and for the prayers of the people of Israel,” he wrote.

“I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that when the people of Israel unite, miracles happen,” Leiter underscored. “Neria needs a miracle.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Leiter family at the hospital before departing for New York to speak at the UNGA on Thursday.

Video footage of the attack showed a white vehicle accelerating rapidly, directly striking Neria Leiter, who was thrown several feet. The terrorist was shot dead shortly after by IDF forces, identified as Mahmoud Mohammad Sliman, who lived in the nearby Arab village Beit Ur al-Tahta.

Neria Leiter arrived at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center trauma unit in Jerusalem, receiving hours-long emergency brain surgery. Doctor Alon Schwartz, in a statement, detailed that the most severe injury was to Leiter’s head, adding that while his condition has been stabilized by multiple medical teams, his life is “still in danger.”

The Ambassador’s eldest son, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, was killed in combat in Gaza on November 10th 2023, one month after the October 7th Hamas massacre that ignited the war.

“Neria continued to serve in the reserves after losing his older brother, Moshe Yedidya Leiter, of blessed memory. Since October 7th, he has served hundreds of days in the reserves on multiple fronts,” the ambassador highlighted on Wednesday. “Palestinian terrorism seeks to uproot the people of Israel from their land. They choose death – we choose life.”

Following the death of his eldest son in 2023, Leiter recounted telling the Prime Minister: “Bibi, my son’s blood was not shed in vain. Finish this job. Don’t let any pressure in the world stop you. Because the only consolation of this loss is banishing evil.”