Kamala HarrisREUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

Former US Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed on Friday that she is actively considering a return to the presidential race in 2028, CNN reported.

“Listen, I might, I might. I’m thinking about it. I’m thinking about it," Harris told Rev. Al Sharpton when asked directly about her plans for another White House campaign. Harris served as the Democratic presidential nominee in the 2024 election but lost to President Donald Trump.

Her remarks marked her most open public comments to date regarding her political future. They arrive as speculation continues to build following the release of her campaign memoir in late 2025 and the launch of her book tour.

Harris is also scheduled to participate in Democratic Party events across four Southern states this month.

In August, Harris told the BBC in an interview previewed Saturday that she “possibly" could run in 2028.

“I’ve not decided yet what I will do in the future, beyond what I am doing right now," Harris said at the time. However, she emphasized her continued commitment to public life, “I have lived my entire career a life of service, and it’s in my bones, and there are many ways to serve."

Harris previously announced that she will not seek the governorship of California in 2026, ending months of speculation about her political future in her home state while leaving the door open for a potential presidential campaign in 2028. Harris indicated at the time she would reveal "more details in the months ahead" concerning her future plans.

On Friday, Harris received an enthusiastic reception at the progressive gathering in New York. Attendees interrupted her speech at one point with loud chants of “run again."

“I am thinking about (running again) but let me also say this. I served for four years being a heartbeat away from the presidency of the United States," Harris said. “I spent countless hours in my West Wing office, footsteps away from the Oval Office. I spent countless hours in the Oval Office, in the Situation Room. I know what the job is. And I know what it requires."

Since departing the White House, Harris has remained a vocal critic of President Donald Trump.

During her conversation with Sharpton on Friday, she sharply criticized Trump’s foreign policy decisions, describing the war with Iran as a “choice." She also argued that Trump’s growing tensions with allies, especially NATO countries, “is harmful to the people of America, not to mention people in allied nations around the world."

Harris added that the effects of Trump’s foreign policy “keeps me up at night."

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters on Friday, ahead of meetings that will take place on Saturday between American and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Asked whether Saturday’s meeting will be “one-and-done" or if he is open to further talks, the President replied, "I have to see what happens tomorrow. They've been talking for 47 years with other Presidents - and we're not doing much talking."

Trump was also asked what a good deal would look like from his perspective.

“No nuclear weapon, number one. I think it has already been regime change - we never had that as a criteria. No nuclear weapon - that is 99% of it," he said.

Trump also commented on the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked since the start of the recent hostilities, and expressed confidence that it will reopen “fairly soon", noting that other countries are helping out in that regard.

The Iranian negotiating delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, arrived in Islamabad earlier on Friday for peace talks with the United States, Iranian media reported.

The report stated that negotiations would begin if Washington accepted Tehran’s “preconditions."

Ghalibaf had earlier put forward two measures which he said "must be fulfilled before negotiations begin": a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's blocked assets.

He claimed in a post on social media that both had been "mutually agreed upon between the parties" but had "yet to be implemented".

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance, who will head the US delegation to the talks in Islamabad, warned Iran not to "play" Washington.

"If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand," Vance told reporters before taking off for Islamabad from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

He warned, however, that "if they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive".

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Israel's border with LebanonAyal Margolin/Flash 90

Lebanon's presidency confirmed on Friday that a telephone conversation was held between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington and the US ambassador to Lebanon.

In a statement, the Lebanese presidency also stated that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in Lebanon and the potential start of negotiations between the two countries.

"During the call, it was agreed to hold the first meeting next Tuesday at the State Department to discuss declaring a ceasefire and the start date for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US auspices," the statement said, as quoted by Reuters.

Israeli Ambassador to the US, Dr. Yechiel Leiter, clarified, "In the ambassadors' conversation today, Israel agreed to a follow-up meeting on Tuesday to promote a peace agreement with Lebanon, but it did not agree to discuss a ceasefire with the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which continues to attack Israel and constitutes the main obstacle to peace."

Media outlets had reported earlier that Leiter would be holding a telephone conversation with Lebanon's Ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh-Moawad, in order to finalize the terms of the talks between the two countries that will officially begin next week.

The Qatari channel Al Araby quoted a Lebanese source as saying that the Lebanese Ambassador would request a ceasefire as a gesture of goodwill in order to start the negotiations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday that he has instructed the cabinet to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.

According to the Prime Minister, the decision follows repeated requests from Lebanon for direct talks.

Netanyahu noted that the negotiations would focus on disarming Hezbollah and on establishing peace relations between the two countries. He further stated that Israel appreciates the Lebanese Prime Minister's call to demilitarize Beirut.

Netanyahu later released a statement reassuring the residents of northern Israel following his announcement that Israel would negotiate directly with the Lebanese government.

Netanyahu opened his statement by telling the residents of the north that he is proud of them for continuing to stand strong.

He then clarified, "There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security."

On Friday, CNN reported that US President Donald Trump urged Netanyahu during a recent conversation to reduce the scope of Israeli strikes in Lebanon and move toward negotiations.

The report, citing a US official and an additional source, said that the discussion took place on April 8. Trump is said to have called on Netanyahu to scale back military activity in Lebanese territory and to pursue talks with Lebanon’s official authorities regarding the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

It remains unclear whether Netanyahu accepted the request or simply acknowledged it.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

An Iranian negotiating delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, on Friday arrived in Islamabad for peace talks with the United States, Iranian media reported.

The report stated that negotiations would begin if Washington accepted Tehran’s “preconditions."

Ghalibaf had earlier put forward two measures which he said "must be fulfilled before negotiations begin": a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's blocked assets.

He claimed in a post on social media that both had been "mutually agreed upon between the parties" but had "yet to be implemented".

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance, who will head the US delegation to the talks in Islamabad, warned Iran not to "play" Washington.

"If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand," Vance told reporters before taking off for Islamabad from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

He warned, however, that "if they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive".

Despite the claims by Iranian officials that a ceasefire in Lebanon is part of the ceasefire between the US and Iran, the US and Israel have clarified that Lebanon is not included in the Iran ceasefire.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at AK Party headquarters in AnkaraREUTERS/Umit Bektas

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan again lashed out at Israel on Friday, this time criticizing the recently approved Death Penalty for Terrorists Bill.

Erdogan claimed that the legislation is "essentially no different from Hitler’s policies against Jews," as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

“What is being done is discrimination, it is racism, it means implementing in Israel a worse version of the apartheid regime that was overthrown in South Africa in 1994," the Turkish President charged.

He further asserted that imposing the death penalty only for Palestinian Arabs amounts to "apartheid' and turns law into an "instrument of racist fascism."

Erdogan has been one of Israel’s most vocal critics in recent years and has expressed support for the Hamas terrorist organization, even though Turkey and Israel were close to reconciliation just before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.

In March of last year, Erdogan blasted Israel and described it as a "terror state" after it launched surprise strikes on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip.

Several months later, the Turkish President claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government represents the most significant threat to Middle East security.

In April of 2024, he met then-Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul. Haniyeh was later eliminated by Israel.

Erdogan said after the meeting that Palestinian Arab unity was “vital" and added, “The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity."

Weeks later, Erdogan boasted of the fact that more than 1,000 members of Hamas were being treated in hospitals across Turkey and also took issue with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ reference to Hamas as a terrorist organization.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Police in MunichiStock

Unidentified assailants hurled incendiary devices into an Israeli restaurant in the Bavarian capital on Thursday night in what authorities suspect was an antisemitic attack, JNS reported.

No injuries were reported in the attack. However, three incendiary devices were thrown through the restaurant's windows, causing damage worth several thousand euros, according to German news agency dpa. Police said the exact type of devices used remains under investigation.

"The Munich Police Headquarters is proceeding on the assumption of an antisemitic motive," Munich Mayor Dominik Krause stated. "This is intolerable. I am currently following the Munich police investigation very closely. My great hope is that the perpetrators will soon be apprehended and that the city will unite even more closely in the fight against antisemitism."

The Central Council of Jews in Germany wrote in a social media post that now was a "good moment to display solidarity."

Gady Gronich, CEO and chief of staff to the president of the Munich-based Conference of European Rabbis, stated that "this attack is not an isolated incident, but part of a dangerous trend we have been seeing since Oct. 7, 2023: growing hatred against Jews - open, aggressive, and uninhibited."

"What’s needed is a clear line: zero tolerance against antisemitism, with harsh punishments that do not lead to repeat incidents, and no room for those who sow hate in our society," Gronich said.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Illustration of IDF strikes in LebanonIDF Spokesperson's Unit

The IDF on Friday revealed the details behind the largest strike in Lebanon since the start of Operation Roaring Lion.

According to a statement from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, the IDF on Wednesday completed a large-scale wave of strikes targeting command centers and military infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization across three areas simultaneously: Beirut, Beqaa, and southern Lebanon, following Hezbollah terrorists' attempts to expand their activity from Beirut northward into additional areas.

The large-scale wave of strikes was based on precise and high-quality intelligence, while using high-quality capabilities that allowed striking multiple areas simultaneously within a single minute.

Following an initial IDF intelligence assessment, it can be determined that the IDF has eliminated more than 180 Hezbollah terrorists. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit stressed that the count is ongoing at this time.

As part of the strikes, approximately 100 targets were struck in three areas simultaneously: More than 45 Hezbollah main command centers, approximately 40 military structures used by Hezbollah commanders to advance terror attacks, and multiple terror infrastructure used by the top military terrorists of the organization.

In Beirut, the IDF struck approximately 35 military infrastructure sites of the Hezbollah terror organization, including an emergency command center used by Hezbollah's intelligence unit, a command center used by the Radwan Force, and a command center used by Hezbollah's missile unit.

In southern Lebanon, approximately 40 additional infrastructure sites were struck, including a unit and a weapons storage facility. Simultaneously, in the Beqaa Valley, headquarters of the Radwan Force and the intelligence unit were struck, along with additional infrastructure.

The IDF noted that, from these command centers, Hezbollah terrorists operated to advance and plan terror attacks against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians in recent times, particularly during the current operation.

“This constitutes a significant and deep blow to the operational and command capabilities of the Hezbollah terror organization," the IDF said.

It further noted that most of the infrastructure sites struck were located in the heart of the civilian population, a cynical use of Lebanese civilians as a human shield by the Hezbollah terror organization.

Prior to the strikes, steps were taken to minimize harm to uninvolved civilians as much as possible, including using precise ammunition and aerial surveillance, the statement stressed.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Ambassador Yechiel LeiterRon Adar / SOPA Images via Reuters Connect

Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, will hold a telephone conversation on Friday with Lebanon's Ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh-Moawad, in order to finalize the terms of the talks between the two countries that will officially begin next week.

According to a report in ynet, an American official is also expected to participate in the conversation, and according to one of the Arab reports, it may be the US Ambassador to Beirut.

The Qatari channel Al Araby quoted a Lebanese source as saying that the Lebanese Ambassador will request a ceasefire as a gesture of goodwill in order to start the negotiations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday that he has instructed the cabinet to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.

According to the Prime Minister, the decision follows repeated requests from Lebanon for direct talks.

Netanyahu noted that the negotiations would focus on disarming Hezbollah and on establishing peace relations between the two countries. He further stated that Israel appreciates the Lebanese Prime Minister's call to demilitarize Beirut.

Netanyahu later released a statement reassuring the residents of northern Israel following his announcement that Israel would negotiate directly with the Lebanese government.

Netanyahu opened his statement by telling the residents of the north that he is proud of them for continuing to stand strong.

He then clarified, "There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security."

On Friday, CNN reported that US President Donald Trump urged Netanyahu during a recent conversation to reduce the scope of Israeli strikes in Lebanon and move toward negotiations.

The report, citing a US official and an additional source, said that the discussion took place on April 8. Trump is said to have called on Netanyahu to scale back military activity in Lebanese territory and to pursue talks with Lebanon’s official authorities regarding the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

It remains unclear whether Netanyahu accepted the request or simply acknowledged it.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Donald TrumpWhite House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

US President Donald Trump told The New York Post on Friday that US warships are being reloaded with “the best ammunition" to resume strikes on Iran if peace talks in Pakistan fail.

Trump spoke shortly after Vice President JD Vance boarded Air Force Two en route to Islamabad, where he will be joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to negotiate a final peace after a two-week ceasefire was announced on Tuesday.

“We’re going to find out in about 24 hours. We’re going to know soon," Trump told The Post in a phone interview when asked if he thought the talks would be successful.

“We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made - even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart," he said.

“But we’re loading up the ships. We’re loading up the ships with the best weapons ever made, even at a higher level than we used to do a complete decimation.

“And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively," he stated.

Iran is expected to be represented in the Pakistani capital by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who insisted in pre-war talks that Iran had an inalienable right to enrich uranium, and the speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

“You’re dealing against people that we don’t know whether or not they tell the truth," Trump told The Post.

“To our face, they’re getting rid of all nuclear weapons, everything’s gone. And then they go out to the press and say, ‘No, we’d like to enrich.’ So we’ll find out."

Trump later referred to Iran in two posts on his Truth Social platform, writing at first, "The Iranians are better at handling the Fake News Media, and ‘Public Relations,’ than they are at fighting!"

In a second post, he wrote, "The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!"

The talks are expected to focus on US demands that Iran hand over an estimated 1,000 pounds of deeply buried enriched uranium and continue the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. Trump has made clear that Iran reopening the Strait for free passage of ships is a critical component of any ceasefire deal.

Other key points will be ending Iran’s support for regional proxies, the status of the country’s ballistic missile program and Tehran’s request for the lifting of US sanctions.

(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Benjamin NetanyahuGPO

US President Donald Trump reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a recent conversation to reduce the scope of Israeli strikes in Lebanon and move toward negotiations.

According to a report by CNN, citing a US official and an additional source, the discussion took place on April 8. Trump is said to have called on Netanyahu to scale back military activity in Lebanese territory and to pursue talks with Lebanon’s official authorities regarding the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

It remains unclear whether Netanyahu accepted the request or simply acknowledged it.

An Israeli official quoted in the report stated that a ceasefire is not currently under consideration, adding that any diplomatic efforts would proceed “under fire."

Meanwhile, the IDF has continued its operations in Lebanon, including strikes carried out on Thursday. Residents in the southern suburbs of Beirut were warned to evacuate due to anticipated military activity.

Several European countries have voiced criticism over Israel’s latest operations against Hezbollah, which reports claim have resulted in civilian casualties and injuries.

In addition, there are indications from Iran that it may reconsider its understandings with the US if Israeli strikes in Lebanon continue.

ArchiveiStock

Golsa "Goldie" Ghamari, a Canadian of Iranian descent who opposes the Islamic regime in Tehran, is exposing what she describes as strict policing by Canadian authorities regarding discourse on social media.

In a post on X, Ghamari, a former member of the Ontario provincial parliament for the Conservative Party, said officers from the Ottawa Police contacted her and recommended she delete posts she had published. In those posts, she wrote that mosques in Iran, “occupied" by the Islamic regime, are centers of terrorism and should be bombed.

According to Ghamari, she was told that such statements could constitute a violation of Canada’s criminal code and could lead to criminal charges being filed against her.

Following the conversation with police officers, Ghamari said she deleted the posts in question and, alongside her statement, shared a video showing an imam in a mosque in Iran wearing military clothing and carrying an anti-aircraft launcher.

Scene of the incidentMagen David Adom

Two brothers drowned on Friday at Tzanz Beach in Netanya, with one pulled from the water unconscious and the second still missing as search efforts continue.

The diving unit of ZAKA was dispatched to the scene to assist in locating the missing teenager.

Teams from Magen David Adom provided emergency treatment to the brother who was retrieved from the sea and evacuated him to Laniado Hospital in Netanya while performing resuscitation efforts.

Senior MDA medic Yosef Friedman said responders arrived at the beach in an off-road ambulance and found the victim on the shore after being pulled from the water, unconscious and without vital signs. “We began advanced resuscitation efforts and continued CPR during evacuation to the hospital," he said.

The circumstances of the incident are under review, while search operations for the missing brother are ongoing.

In a separate incident reported in recent weeks, a 48-year-old man drowned in the Jordan River after attempting to rescue his 9-year-old son who had been swept away by strong currents. Emergency teams later pronounced the father dead, while the child was evacuated in mild condition to Ziv Hospital in Safed.

Hamas gains strength in GazaAbed Rahim Khatib/Flash90

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem says that linking the issue of disarming Hamas and other Palestinian organizations to US President Donald Trump’s plan for post-war arrangements in Gaza is contrary to the plan.

Qassem described this demand as “a clear bias toward the Israeli position and an attempt to cover up the ‘crimes’ against the Palestinians carried out using Israeli weapons."

According to him, the Palestinian weapons are “legitimate" and are intended to protect the Palestinian people, and constitute a right enshrined in the laws and decisions of international institutions.

From Hamas’s perspective, Qassem said, the priority is to implement the first stage of the ceasefire agreement in full, including all of its clauses, some of which have not yet been carried out. He noted that Israel is still imposing restrictions at border crossings, the Rafah crossing remains closed, humanitarian aid is not entering in the agreed quantities, and threats of a renewed military campaign continue.

The Hamas spokesperson emphasized that before discussions on disarming Hamas begin-an issue included in the second phase of the ceasefire agreement-all clauses of the first phase must be implemented, including the entry of a national committee to manage Gaza’s affairs.

“Once the humanitarian aspects are implemented, the crossings are resolved, and the national committee (for governing Gaza) is established, it will be possible to move on to discussing issues related to the second phase, including the issue of weapons or proposals for the deployment of international forces within approaches aimed at implementing comprehensive plans to de-escalate the Strip," Qassem said.

A 'Key Challah'Courtesy Shimrit

The moment Pesach ends, the Jewish home undergoes a rapid change . we move from the "bread of poverty" found in the Haggadah-the bread of miracles-back to the world of chametz. This transition is more than just a change in diet; it symbolizes our return to the world of _hishtadlu_t (personal effort) and the practical need to earn a living.

But this moment also holds a new beginning. Just as we are meticulously careful with our customs during Pesach, we should start the period immediately after the Chag with that same dedication. That same seriousness and loyalty to tradition shouldn't be left behind; it should stay with us throughout the year, for as it is said: "A Jewish custom is Torah".

On the first Shabbat after Pesach, as families prepare for the day of rest, many observe an ancient custom, a well-known tradition: baking "Schlissel Challah" (Key Challah). Whether the dough is shaped like a key or a real key is wrapped and hidden inside the loaf before baking, the message is sharp and clear: remember where our bread really comes from.

When the Manna Ceased

The origin of this custom is found in the Book of Joshua. When the Jewish people entered the Land of Israel, the Manna-which had miraculously fed them in the desert-stopped falling immediately after that first Pesach. From that moment on, they had to begin the work of plowing, sowing, and reaping.

The "Schlissel" represents this change. It is our way of saying that even though we go out to work and put in our hishtadlut, the "gates" of livelihood remain in the hands of the Almighty. We do our part during the week, but He is the One who opens the door for us.

"A Jewish Custom is like Torah"

While some may see these traditions as "stories of the past," the Ohev Yisrael of Apt taught that "a Jewish custom is Torah". He explained that during Pesach, there is a unique spiritual "opening" in the heavens that we don't feel during the rest of the year.

The great lesson here is not to leave this level of care only for the days of Pesach. If we are careful about every small detail during the Chag, it is a call to start the following months with that same reverence for all Jewish customs.

The Key Challah we bake for the first Shabbat after Pesach is a way to keep this connection alive. It reminds us that the spiritual growth from the Seder night should stay with us when we return to the office or the shop on Monday morning.

The Hint Within the Challah

Chassidic works offer a beautiful hint connecting the Challah to G-d's attribute of Mercy. In Gematria, the word Challah (חלה) equals 43.

This is the exact numerical value of the "filling" of G-d's Name in a specific structure that symbolizes mercy:

• Yod (י-ו-ד): 20

• Heh (ה-א): 6

• Vav (ו-ו): 12

• Heh (ה-א): 5

• Total: 43

This reminds us that the food on our table isn't just the result of hard work; it comes from _Siyata D’Shmaya (_Heavenly assistance).

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, the Schlissel Challah is meant to focus our perspective. After a week of Matzah-the bread of humility-returning to regular bread represents a return to action.

But it isn't just a return to routine; it’s a fresh start: beginning the time after the Chag with the same devotion to tradition that guided us through the holiday. This custom ensures we don't mistakenly think that "my power and the might of my hand" brought us success. It is a simple, quiet way to say: we do our work, but we ask the Master of the World to open the door for a year of health, success, and abundance.

עגלה עם סוסiStock

It should have been the most joyous day since G-d had given us the Torah some ten months earlier.

After months of preparing to build the Mishkan and its many accoutrements, after the euphoria of collecting the gold, silver, copper, wool, linen, goat-hair, ram-skins, acacia wood, olive oil, spices, and many precious stones, and dedicating them all to the service of G-d, after the excitement of actually constructing the Mishkan and seeing it and its appurtenances taking form -

- after all this, there was a seven-day dress rehearsal.

From the 23rd of Adar onwards, Aaron and his sons had stayed at the Ohel Mo’ed while every day for seven days, Moshe erected the Mishkan, performed the entire Mishkan service, and then took the Mishkan down again.

Parashat Shemini opens on the 1st of Nissan:

“It was on the eighth day that Moshe called Aaron and his sons and the Elders of Israel…" (Leviticus 9:1). This was the climax of the inauguration of the Mishkan, and the beginning of its regular functioning.

It should have been the most joyous day since G-d had given us the Torah…but tragedy struck in the midst of the ecstatic celebrations:

“Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, took each one his fire-pan, placed fire in them, and placed incense on it; and they offered before Hashem alien fire that He had not commanded them. And fire went forth from before Hashem and consumed them, and they died before Hashem" (Leviticus 10:1-2).

There are many different explanations as to what this “alien fire" was and why they died. Later, looking back on this sorry episode, the Torah recalls the time “when they came near before Hashem and they died" (Leviticus 16:1), which is why the general trend is that their enthusiasm for G-d’s Service and their burning desire to come closer to G-d and to achieve greater holiness was commendable, but they overstepped the boundaries of the acceptable.

Maybe they entered the Holy of Holies, which is forbidden to all except the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur (Vayikra Rabbah 20:8 and Sifra Sh’mini, Introduction part 34).

Maybe their intentions were improperly directed not towards the perfect Unity of Hashem (His attribute of Mercy), but instead towards His attribute of Justice, which was why they were judged harshly and punished (Ramban, commentary to Leviticus 10:2).

Maybe it was because they remembered the earlier charge, “The sons of Aaron the Kohen shall put fire on the Altar" (Leviticus 1:7), which they interpreted to mean: Even though fire comes down from Heaven, nevertheless it is a mitzvah to bring their own fire (Yoma 53a). And even though their interpretation was correct, they were punished for announcing this decision in front of their rabbi, Moshe, instead of deferring to him (Vayikra Rabbah 20:6).

Maybe it was “because they entered the Ohel Mo’ed drunk with wine" (Vayikra Rabbah 12:1 and 5, Esther Rabbah 5:1).

Maybe it was because they were boastful, bragging that “our father’s brother is a king, our mother’s brother is a prince, our father is Kohen Gadol, and we are both Deputy Kohen Gadol; which woman can be worthy of [marrying] us?!" And therefore they never married and many women who yearned to marry them therefore also remained unmarried. Centuries later, King David would allude to this lyrically by writing, “Fire consumed His young men, and His virgins had no marriage-song" (Psalms 78:63) (Vayikra Rabbah 20:10).

But this tragedy was not to interfere with the national celebration:

“Moshe called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uziel, and said to them: Approach, lift your brethren from the midst of the Sanctuary to outside the camp" (Leviticus 10:4), “like a man who says to his friend, Remove this dead body from in front of the mourner! How long can this mourner continue grieving?!" (Vayikra Rabbah 20:4).

The Midrash implies that they removed the bodies so as to let Aaron and his family recover from their grief sooner.

Rashi (commentary to Leviticus 10:4), however, paraphrases and changes this Midrash: “Like a man who says to his friend, Remove this dead body from in front of the bride, so as not to disturb the celebration", implying that it was so as not to impinge on the nation’s celebration.

Maybe Rashi refers here to the Talmudic dictum that “if a dead body and a bride are both being escorted and the two processions approach each other, the funeral procession makes way for the bridal procession because honouring the living takes precedence over honouring the dead" (Semachot 11:6), which is the halakhah in practice (Rambam, Laws of Mourning 14:8 and Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 360:1).

In the event, Mishael and Elzaphan (who were Levites and not Kohanim, which was why they were allowed to carry dead bodies) were charged to remove their cousins’ bodies.

The Ba’al ha-Turim (Rabbi Ya’akov ben Asher, Germany and Spain, c.1275-1343) notes that the word קִ֠רְב֞וּ (approach) in the phrase “Approach, lift your brethren…" (Leviticus 10:4) has two cantillation marks over it, תְּ֠לִישָׁא-גְדוֹלָה and גֵּרְשַׁ֞יִם.

(Though the word is written קִ֠רְב֞וּ, with the תְּ֠לִישָׁא-גְדוֹלָה before the גֵּרְשַׁ֞יִם, there is a Masoretic note saying: הקורא יטעים הגרש קודם התלישה, the reader chants the geresh before the telishah.)

The Ba’al ha-Turim explains: “There are two cantillation marks, indicating that they did not approach them into the Heichal (Inner Sanctum); rather, they cast iron hooks in and pulled them out".

This is a reference to the Sifra (Sh’mini 1:35), which records two different opinions of where exactly they died:

“Rabbi Eliezer says, They died outside [of the Holy of Holies], in a place where Levites are permitted to enter… But in that case, why does it say ‘they died before Hashem’? - An angel smote them, and he pushed them out. Rabbi Akiva says, They died inside [the Holy of Holies], as it says ‘they died before Hashem’. But in that case, why does it say ‘they approached and lifted them by their Tunics’ (Leviticus 10:5)? - To indicate that they cast iron hooks in and pulled them out".

So according to the Ba’al ha-Turim, the double cantillation suggests that Mishael and Elzaphan kept a certain distance from their task, only fulfilling it with a tool.

Both the תְּ֠לִישָׁא-גְדוֹלָה and the גֵּרְשַׁ֞יִם are “separative notes" (they indicate a slight pause in the sentence, approximately similar to a comma in English). They both indicate a form of removal: telisha connotes tearing off, and gershayyim connotes expulsion. Maybe the Ba’al ha-Turim relies on the names and functions of these two cantillation marks: קִרְבוּ - approach, tear them away and expel them from where they are now, but nevertheless keep a certain distance from the bodies.

This double-cantillation of תְּ֠לִישָׁא-גְדוֹלָה and גֵּרְשַׁ֞יִם on a single word is extremely rare: it occurs only one other time in the Torah - the word זֶ֠֞ה (this one): “זֶ֠֞ה - This one [Noah] will bring us respite from our work and from the travail of our hands" (Genesis 5:29).

Maybe the Ba’al ha-Turim is also making an oblique reference to Noah: he, too, kept a certain distance from his task, fulfilling it only half-heartedly. Ideally he should have saved all of humanity by warning them of impending destruction and inspiring them to repent of their evil; instead he saved only himself and his immediate family, but failed to save the rest of humanity.

Both Noah performing the task G-d had given him, and Mishael and Elzaphan performing the task G-d had given them, had to tear themselves apart from their environments - Noah in order to maintain his righteousness among the evil that was prevalent in his generations, and Mishael and Elzaphan in order to bury their cousins in the midst of the national celebration without dampening the general joy.

The tragic deaths of Nadav and Avihu in Parashat Shemini warn of the terrible danger of humans following their own decrees instead of G-d’s, even when they have the holiest and most exalted of intentions.

The Haftarah, abstracted from 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17, recounts a similar time of national rejoicing marred by the death of someone who, with the best of intentions, erred.

The recently-crowned King David, having defeated the Philistines, decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, the City of David.

The Philistines had captured the Ark towards the end of the era of the Judges, even before King Saul had been anointed and crowned King of Israel (1 Samuel 4). Swiftly realising that the Ark was wreaking havoc on them, the Philistines returned it to the Jews, who kept it in Ba’aleh Yehudah (also called Kiryat Ye’arim), in the house of Avinadav on a hill-top (1 Samuel 8).

King David had the Ark transported on a new cart from Avinadav’s house in an ecstatic procession, celebrating with music, giving his sons Uzzah and Ahio the honour of driving the cart.

But when the oxen drawing the cart stumbled, Uzzah stretched out his hand to steady the Ark; “and Hashem’s anger flared up against Uzzah and G-d smote him there for his impetuousness, and there he died with the Ark of G-d" (2 Samuel 6:7).

Why did Uzzah deserve to die?

According to Rabbi Dr Joseph Hertz (Chief Rabbi of the British Empire 1913-1946), Uzzah was guilty of irreverence to G-d’s Majesty, so He smote him for this act of undue familiarity.

Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook ztz"l explained that Uzzah’s mistake was to ignore the cause of the problem. The oxen slipped and stumbled - so why not try to steady them? The problem was with the oxen, not with the Ark, so why lay his hands on the Ark?!

This Shabbat, we begin reading Pirkei Avot (Chapters of the Fathers, sometimes rendered Ethics of the Fathers), one chapter every Shabbat until Shavuot (and many congregations continue until Rosh Hashanah, reading this entire Tractate four times over).

The second Mishnah of the first chapter of Pirkei Avot records the aphorism of Shimon the Righteous: “The world stands on three things: on the Torah, on worship of G-d, and on acts of lovingkindness".

In 1964, Rabbi Irving Bunim [1] wrote a three-volume commentary to Pirkei Avot under the title Ethics from Sinai. Commenting on this second Mishnah, Rabbi Bunim cited Uzzah’s death and Rabbi Kook’s explanation, and commented:

“This turn of thought is most suggestive. Indeed, too many of our leaders have attempted to solve the problems of Judaism by thoughtlessly laying hands on the sacred in Israel without first realistically ascertaining the true causes of the problems. Some groups have sanctioned driving to the Synagogue on the Sabbath, mixed pews, and a shortened service, in an attempt to bring the people to the Synagogue. Has it helped? Have our people turned out en masse to services now that these conveniences have been instituted? There was nothing wrong with the Ark; the trouble was with the oxen. The issue is not one of more or less convenience, but rather that for so many of our people genuine prayer has become a lost art. The need to commune with G-d is buried under layers of trivial distracting activities subsumed under the constitutional right of ‘the pursuit of happiness’. Uzzah laid hands on the Ark when the trouble all along was with the bearers and carriers of the Ark. This is the tragic though sometimes good-intentioned fallacy of our times".

For sure, enthusiasm and spontaneity, individualism and creativity, have their place in Judaism, in worship of G-d. But both Parashat Shemini and the Haftarah teach us how tragic the results can be when individuals - even the greatest of individuals - invent their own new paths ignoring G-d’s decrees.

Endnote

[1] Irving Bunim was born in Volozhyn (today in Minsk, then in the Russian Empire) in 1901, and emigrated to the USA with his family when he was 9. Recognised as one of the greatest lay leaders of American Jewry, he never received Semicha (Rabbinic ordination). I nevertheless call him Rabbi because I have been studying Ethics from Sinai and absorbing his lessons for as long as I have been able to read, and I am mindful of the dictum, “Anyone who learns so much as a single chapter, or a single halakhah, or a single verse, or a single saying, or even a single letter from his fellow, must accord him respect; and we indeed find that David, King of Israel, learned only two things from Ahitophel, and called him his Rabbi" (Pirkei Avot 6:3).

The IDF on Friday identified that the Hezbollah terrorist organization launched rockets from a school compound in the Tir Zibneh area in southern Lebanon.

In newly released IDF footage, the heat signature of the launcher is clearly visible as it is transferred in real time within the school grounds, constituting the use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes in violation of international law.

Following the identification, and in accordance with international law, the IDF struck the premises in order to remove the threat to the State of Israel.

The IDF says it "views with severity the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s cynical use of civilian infrastructure for military activity and will continue to operate against the organization’s military infrastructure in accordance with international law to defend the State of Israel."

Pedro SanchezMoncloa Palace/Fernando Calvo/Pool via Reuters

Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar decided on Friday, in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that Spain will not be permitted to participate in the CMCC, the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, established under President Trump’s peace plan.

In its announcement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry explained the decision was made against the backdrop of "the anti-Israel obsession of Prime Minister Sánchez’s government and its serious harm to Israeli (and also American) interests, including during the war against Iran."

Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar stated: “The Sánchez government’s anti-Israel bias is so egregious that it has lost all capability to serve as a constructive actor in implementing President Trump’s peace plan and in the CMCC operating under that plan."

Spain has been notified accordingly.

The United States was briefed in advance on this decision.

This afternoon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented: "Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us. Spain has defamed our heroes, the soldiers of the IDF, the soldiers of the most moral army in the world."

"Therefore, I have instructed today to remove Spain's representatives from the coordination center in Kiryat Gat, after Spain has chosen repeatedly to stand against Israel. Those who attack the State of Israel instead of terrorist regimes will not be our partners regarding the future of the region."

"I am not willing to tolerate this hypocrisy and hostility. I do not intend to allow any country to wage a diplomatic war against us without paying an immediate price."

In recent weeks, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has emerged as one of the most vocal European critics of Israel’s policies and of the joint US-Israel military campaign against Iran. Sánchez has repeatedly described the campaign as illegal and warned that it risks further destabilizing the Middle East, while calling for diplomacy instead of military action.

His government has taken concrete steps reflecting this position, including refusing to allow the United States to use Spanish military bases for operations connected to strikes on Iran and limiting cooperation related to the conflict. Reports also indicate that Spain restricted access to its airspace for aircraft involved in such missions.

Sánchez has also sharply criticized Israel’s military activity in the region, including its operations in Lebanon, claiming they could lead to widespread destruction similar to that seen in Gaza. At the same time, Spanish officials have rejected Israeli accusations that Madrid is siding with Iran, insisting their policy is based on opposition to military escalation and support for international law.

Jewish StarLeo Pearlman

Most weeks, this column is simple. A Shabbat Shalom to a few individuals who have stood up to be counted, who have shown courage, who have made a difference.

But not this week, this week, that feels too small. Because this week, the story is bigger than individuals. This week, my Shabbat Shalom is to a people.

To the Jews of the United Kingdom, the Jews of Israel and to Jews everywhere.

There are approximately 16 million Jews in the world, less than 0.2% of humanity and yet, for over two thousand years, wherever Jews have lived, one pattern has repeated itself with almost eerie consistency.

Jews contribute, Jews build, Jews help shape the societies around them and then, eventually, Jews are blamed for whatever that society ends up suffering from.

This is not new.

In medieval Europe, Jews were barred from most professions, pushed into moneylending and then condemned as financial manipulators.

In the United States, shut out of established industries, Jewish immigrants helped build an entirely new one on the West Coast, the modern entertainment industry, only to be accused, almost immediately, of controlling the very system they had to create in order to survive.

In 19th century Europe, Jews helped drive industrial, scientific and cultural progress, only to be accused of dominating it.

In 20th century Germany, Jews were among the most integrated, productive citizens in society: doctors, lawyers, artists, scientists and were repaid with annihilation.

Contribution has never protected us. In fact, more often than not, it has been used as evidence against us.

The pattern is not subtle. It is structural.

Once you see it, you cannot unsee it. You begin to recognise it not just in history books but in headlines, in public discourse, in the stories we are being told, right now.

There are only 16 million Jews in the world and yet Jewish names appear again and again at the forefront of medicine, science, economics, literature, entertainment and technology.

A wildly disproportionate number of Nobel Prizes, 22% of all those awarded, a representation 110 times our population share. Foundational ideas that underpin modern democracy. Breakthroughs in medicine, innovation and technology that have saved, extended and transformed human life.

Not because of power, not because of control, but because Jewish culture does not just encourage contribution, it demands it. To question, to argue, to improve, to take responsibility not only for ourselves, but for the world around us.

That responsibility has never been limited to ourselves. Jews have shown up, again and again, for causes that were not exclusively our own.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with the African American community during the Civil Rights Movement. Helping lead the fight for workers’ rights in Britain, shaping the labour movement that underpins so much of modern social justice. Standing with the LGBTQ+ community in its fight for dignity, equality and recognition.

A tiny people, repeatedly choosing to engage not only with their own survival, but with the moral direction of the societies they are part of.

Let me be very clear about something, this is not unrestrained self-congratulation, nor is it a claim of moral perfection.

Jews are not a monolith. We are as diverse, culturally, politically, geographically, as any other people. Within our communities, as within all communities, there is good, there is bad, and there is everything in between.

Israel, too, is certainly not beyond criticism. Its government deserves and indeed demands scrutiny from the internal and external, just like any other. It is a young, democratic, Western nation, remarkable in its achievements, yes, but also imperfect in the way that all democracies are.

It has made mistakes, it will make more and that is not unique.

What is unique is something else entirely. No other people in history has been so consistently targeted for eradication across such different eras, ideologies and geographies.

From the Inquisition, to the pogroms of Tsarist and Communist Russia, to Nazi Germany’s industrialised genocide. The Jew has been cast, again and again, as something that must be removed.

In our own time, that pattern has not disappeared, it has simply evolved, metastasised, as it always does. The language is different, the framing more sophisticated, but the instinct, to single out, to isolate, to hold to a different standard, remains.

Look at the global stage.

-At the United Nations, Israel is condemned more frequently than any other nation on earth, combined.

-In international discourse, Israel is not simply criticised, it is uniquely scrutinised, uniquely judged, uniquely delegitimised.

-Movements like BDS do not call for reform, they call for isolation, for dismantling, for absolute destruction.

So no, this is not a claim that Jews are better. It is a recognition that Jews and the Jewish state, have been treated differently. Held to standards no other people or nation has ever been expected to meet. Judged, time and again, not against reality, but against something closer to impossibility.

Which is why what happened this week in London matters. Not as an isolated incident, but as the latest chapter in a very old story.

Shabbat Shalom to the Jewish community of London, for drawing a line that should never have needed to be drawn.

Kanye West is not simply a controversial artist. He is a man who has openly praised Hitler, platformed Nazi ideology, encouraged young people to wear swastikas and chant “Heil Hitler."

This is not culture, it is racist, it is antisemitic, it is provocation and it directly leads to the endangerment and demonisation of Jews.

Kanye West attempted the normalisation of an ideology that murdered millions and sought the destruction of Western civilisation itself. Six million Jews were murdered, but the Nazi project did not end with us. It led to the deaths of approximately 450,000 British citizens, brought devastation to an entire continent, threatened the very foundations of democracy.

So when Jews stand up and say no, we are not acting narrowly in self-defence, we are acting in defence of something far broader.

Yet, when the Wireless Festival that Kanye West was set to perform at was cancelled, when his visa was revoked, as ever, the blame shifts. Not to the antisemite, his enablers or the institutions and organisations that believed this could be quietly ignored, but to the Jews.

For speaking, for objecting, for refusing to accept what history has already taught us never to tolerate.

Beyond London, the same story repeats, just on a larger stage. We are told that Israel controls American foreign policy. That Jewish influence dictates global decisions. That Netanyahu “maneuvered" and “cajoled" the United States into war.

It is the same accusation, recycled across centuries: The Jew as hidden power, as puppet master, as the force behind events too complex, or too uncomfortable, to confront honestly.

But strip away the rhetoric, and the reality is stark. Israel has spent decades facing a regime in Iran that openly calls for its destruction. A regime that funds and arms proxies on every border: Hezbollah, Hamas, The Houthis. A regime whose reach extends even here, where British authorities have thwarted multiple terror plots linked to the IRGC.

So ask the question plainly.

-Would the people of Gaza be better off without Hamas?

-Would Lebanon be freer without Hezbollah?

-Would the Iranian people, who have risked everything to rise up and who were met once again with mass slaughter, be better served by a different future?

But most importantly in the context of this particular conflict:

-Would Britain and the US be safer without those plotting violence on our streets?

Israel acts first and foremost to defend itself, but the consequences of that defence reach far beyond its borders.

Just as they always have.

Still, the same inversion, the same accusation, the same refusal to acknowledge what is actually happening.

A tiny people, showing up, building, contributing, defending and being told, once again, that they are the problem.

But here is the truth that history makes unavoidable: Jews have never survived by waiting for permission to act and they have never defined themselves by how the world responds. We contribute because we must, stand because we must, speak because we know what happens when we don’t.

Shabbat Shalom, to a people who know this pattern better than anyone. Who have seen what happens when hatred is dismissed, excused, or repackaged as something more palatable.

Who are told, once again, that they are overreacting, right up until the moment history proves that they weren’t.

To a people who, despite all of it, still choose to stand, still choose to speak, still choose to act, regardless of the target.

Not because it is easy, but because we know, better than most, what happens when no one does.

Miriam Peretz and her granddaughter Hallel MiriamFacebook

Israel Prize laureate Miriam Peretz shared with excitement that her granddaughter, Hallel Miriam-the daughter of the late Eliraz Peretz-has become engaged to Oz Vach, an officer in the Golani Brigade and the son of Brigadier General Yehuda Vach.

Miriam’s two sons, Uriel Peretz and Eliraz Peretz, chose combat paths, led soldiers, and became role models for their subordinates. In 1998, Uriel fell in Lebanon. Years later, in 2010, Eliraz-an admired officer and commander-was killed in battle in Gaza.

Miriam Peretz does not speak of “coping" in the simple sense. She speaks of choice: the daily choice to rise in the morning, to choose light, to choose people, to choose faith.

In her lectures, she describes how grief does not disappear-it changes. How memory is not only pain, but also a driving force. She emphasizes that the question is not “Why did this happen to me?" but “What do I do with what has happened to me?"

In 2018, Miriam Peretz was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement.

wizzairצילום: איסטוק

Following the announcement of a ceasefire between the US, Israel, and Iran, international airlines have begun announcing their return to Tel Aviv.

United Arab Emirates-based Etihad Airways has announced that it will resume flights to Israel beginning April 15th. At the initial stage, the company will operate two daily flights as part of a gradual return to service.

At the same time, low-cost giant Wizz Air announced that flights to and from Tel Aviv will begin on April 25th.

According to the company's announcement, the move will be carried out in a phased manner and in accordance with international safety guidelines. It was also stated that the company continues to closely monitor developments on the ground and will act in accordance with the assessment of the situation.

British Airways was the first to announce its return to Israel, but only beginning July 1st.

At the same time, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency extended its recommendation not to fly to Israel and other countries in the Middle East until April 24.

However, the Lufthansa Group, which includes SWISS International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings, has taken a more cautious approach, extending its flight suspension until May 31.

United Airlines announced it is canceling flights until at least September 7, a step also taken by Air Canada, the only airline operating a direct route to Toronto.

IDF strikes Hezbollah missile launchersIDF Spokesperson

As part of efforts to degrade and undermine the firing capabilities of Hezbollah, the IDF has struck and dismantled more than 200 rocket launchers, including approximately 1,300 launch tubes.

This week, Ali Kamel Abar al-Hassan, the artillery officer in the Nasser Unit of Hezbollah, was struck and eliminated.

In addition, more than 250 Hezbollah artillery operatives have been struck and eliminated, including 15 commanders responsible for artillery systems in various sectors.

The IDF declared that it "will continue operating with determination against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and will not allow harm to the citizens of the State of Israel, particularly residents of the north."

AOC And Zohran MamdaniReuters/Laura Brett/ZUMA Press Wire

In the increasingly polarized arena of American politics, moments arise that demand not equivocation but moral clarity. The recent posture adopted by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez regarding funding for Israel’s defensive missile shield is one such moment-one that lays bare a troubling convergence of ideological rigidity, political opportunism, and a profound ethical inconsistency that cannot be ignored.

At issue is not merely a policy disagreement over foreign aid, nor a nuanced debate about military appropriations. Rather, it is a stark and disquieting contradiction: the refusal to support a defensive system explicitly designed to protect civilian lives from indiscriminate missile attacks. The Iron Dome is not an offensive weapon. It does not project power, conquer territory, or escalate conflict. It intercepts rockets aimed at homes, schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Its sole function is preservation-of life, of stability, of the most basic human right to exist free from the constant threat of annihilation.

And yet, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has positioned herself in opposition to continued support for this system, despite having previously acknowledged its critical role in safeguarding innocent civilians. This reversal is not merely puzzling; it is deeply revealing.

One might reasonably ask: what has changed? The threats facing Israeli civilians have not diminished. If anything, the volatility of the region has intensified, with hostile actors continuing to launch rockets with alarming frequency. The humanitarian imperative-to shield noncombatants from harm-remains as urgent as ever.

What appears to have shifted, however, is the political calculus. The re-emergence of a more strident anti-Israel stance suggests a recalibration aimed not at addressing the realities on the ground, but at appeasing a vocal ideological faction within her political orbit. The very groups that once criticized her for insufficient hostility toward Israel now seem to exert a gravitational pull on her rhetoric and positions.

This raises an uncomfortable but unavoidable conclusion: that principle has been subordinated to politics. When the preservation of human life becomes contingent upon ideological alignment, something fundamental has gone awry.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this position is its implicit hierarchy of human worth. To oppose a defensive system that protects civilians is, by definition, to accept-if not endorse-the increased vulnerability of those civilians to lethal attack. There is no neutral ground here. The absence of defense is not an abstraction; it is a measurable increase in risk, injury, and death.

It is often asserted that concern for human rights must be universal, not selective. Yet the position articulated by Ocasio-Cortez appears to diverge sharply from this principle. The lives protected by Iron Dome-Jewish and Arab alike-are rendered secondary to a broader ideological narrative that prioritizes opposition to the existence of the Jewish state over the immediate safety of its people.

This is not a matter of policy nuance; it is a question of moral coherence. One cannot simultaneously profess concern for civilian welfare while opposing the very mechanisms that prevent civilian casualties.

This episode does not exist in isolation. It forms part of a broader pattern in which Ocasio-Cortez has adopted increasingly adversarial positions toward Israel. When such criticism consistently manifests in ways that undermine defensive measures or questions the legitimacy of a nation’s right to protect its citizens, it begins to transcend critique and enter the realm of animus.

The rhetoric emanating from certain political quarters has, at times, blurred the line between opposition to policies and hostility toward the very existence of the state itself. In such an environment, the refusal to support defensive systems takes on a symbolic weight that extends far beyond budgetary considerations.

It signals, whether intentionally or not, a willingness to tolerate the consequences of vulnerability-consequences that are borne not by policymakers, but by ordinary men, women, and children.

It is also worth noting that the Iron Dome is not merely an Israeli initiative; it is a joint venture that reflects longstanding strategic cooperation between the United States and Israel. The system has provided invaluable data and technological insights that inform broader defense strategies, including those relevant to American national security.

To dismiss funding for such a program as unnecessary or unjustified is to overlook not only its humanitarian benefits but also its strategic value. The partnership embodies a reciprocal relationship in which both nations derive tangible advantages.

The implications of Ocasio-Cortez’s stance extend beyond her individual position. As a prominent and influential figure within her party, her rhetoric carries the potential to shape broader discourse and influence policy trajectories. When such influence is exercised in a manner that normalizes opposition to defensive measures, it risks shifting the parameters of acceptable debate in ways that diminish the primacy of human life.

Already, there are indications that other political figures are adopting similar postures, signaling a potential realignment that prioritizes ideological purity over pragmatic and humanitarian considerations. This trend, if left unchecked, could have far-reaching consequences for both domestic and foreign policy.

Ultimately, the issue at hand is one of leadership. Public officials are entrusted not only with the power to shape policy but also with the responsibility to uphold ethical standards that transcend partisan interests. This responsibility is especially acute when decisions bear directly on matters of life and death.

In this instance, Ocasio-Cortez has chosen a path that raises serious questions about her commitment to those standards. By opposing support for a system that saves lives, she has aligned herself with a position that is difficult to reconcile with the principles of compassion, equity, and justice that she frequently invokes.

The controversy surrounding Iron Dome funding is more than a policy dispute; it is a revealing moment that exposes the dangers of ideological absolutism. When rigid adherence to a particular worldview eclipses the imperative to protect human life, the result is not principled dissent but moral failure.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s position serves as a cautionary example of how political ambition and ideological alignment can distort judgment, leading to conclusions that defy both logic and humanity. In the end, the measure of any policy-or any leader-must be its impact on people.

And in this case, the impact is clear: to weaken a shield that stands between civilians and destruction is to accept a world in which those civilians are left exposed. That is not a position of justice. It is a profound abdication of it.

Fern Sidman, a former NY correspondent for Arutz Sheva, is the current editor-in-chief of The Jewish Voice, a New York based publication. Her writings can be accesse

Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezalel SmotrichYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Walla political commentator Yehuda Shlezinger published a column on Friday analyzing what he describes as a substantial change in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly reflected in his management of the war.

According to Shlezinger, Netanyahu’s positions and conduct have significantly evolved since October 7. He points to lengthy discussions held by the Prime Minister with cabinet member Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as one of the factors influencing this shift.

Shlezinger wrote that individuals who have worked closely with Netanyahu over the past two and a half years describe him as “the greatest one to have awakened in the Middle East." “Since October 7," they reportedly say, “Netanyahu has come to his senses. He has changed many things - the people around him, the weight he gives to advice, his methods of operation, the centralization of his work, and even his lifestyle and diet. While walking and exercise have declined, vegetables have returned to his menu in a significant way."

One of the key lessons Netanyahu is said to have learned from the October 7 massacre is not to automatically accept the positions of the security establishment. Shlezinger noted that ahead of the first strike on Iran, termed Operation Rising Lion, Netanyahu was presented with several scenarios by senior military officials, including generals and the Chief of Staff. Rather than approving them outright, he reportedly sent them back for further consideration and additional alternatives.

In other cases, and contrary to previous practice, Netanyahu now insists on hearing not only the opinion of the Chief of Staff but also those of more junior officers. His management of relations with the US, Shlezinger wrote, is also more centralized, with Netanyahu personally overseeing the matter alongside Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, rather than leaving it solely in the hands of diplomats or relevant ministries.

Regarding the war with Iran, Shlezinger wrote: “One can debate whether all the objectives of the war in Iran were achieved, whether it will bring long-term or short-term quiet, but it is impossible to ignore the fact that arch-murderers such as Haniyeh, Nasrallah, Khamenei, Sinwar and others have been eliminated, the Syrian army built over decades was destroyed within two weeks, Hezbollah has been severely struck, and Iran, which threatened to destroy Israel, now speaks in terms of survival."

“Israel, which was once seen as the punching bag of the region, afraid to move even a tent in the north, has - with the help of a key alliance with its ‘big brother’ in America - become the neighborhood bully," he added.

Shlezinger identified Netanyahu’s growing closeness with Smotrich as one of the contributors to this transformation. “This change occurred because the State of Israel itself has changed. It has awakened. Before we changed the Middle East, we changed ourselves. Benjamin Netanyahu has gone from being the Prime Minister of the Bar-Ilan speech to the Prime Minister of Smotrich in Kedumim. The long hours the two spent together during the recent war, and Smotrich’s influence, are a subject for another column - but he can certainly be marked as one of the factors pulling the government’s ship in its current direction."

IDF soldiers in GazaIDF Spokesperson

The IDF struck and eliminated two terrorists who were planning imminent terror attacks against IDF troops operating in the area.

In the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF eliminated Mahmoud Barim, a terrorist in the Kata’ib al-Mujahideen organization, who monitored IDF troop activity and possessed a large quantity of weapons.

In the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF eliminated Ahmed Mohammed Saleh, a Hamas Nukhba terrorist, who had carried out and advanced numerous terror attacks against IDF troops. During the strike, additional Hamas terrorists were struck.

According to the IDF, the terrorists posed an immediate threat to IDF troops and were eliminated in precise strikes.

The IDF stressed that before the strikes, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance.

The military added that "IDF troops in the Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat."

זיהוי בשטח וחיסול מהירדובר צה"ל

The IDF today (Friday) published documentation of a combined operation that led to the elimination of a terrorist cell that attempted to harm Israeli forces.

Earlier this week, IDF troops identified a terrorist cell in proximity to troops operating in the area. One of the terrorists was observed taking cover in vegetation. Following the identification, the terrorist was eliminated in an Israeli Air Force strike, directed by the ground troops.

During the strike, a vehicle carrying additional members of the terrorist cell attempting to flee the area was identified and struck.

The Israeli Air Force continues to provide support to the ground troops during operational activity, and struck a weapons storage facility and additional Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites with the guidance of the troops.

Over the past week, more than 40 terrorists were eliminated and more than 50 Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites were dismantled with the guidance of the 91st Division.

Aid trucks to GazaAli Qariqa/Flash90

The Southern District Prosecutor’s Office today (Friday) filed a serious indictment with the Be’er Sheva District Court against Nasser Mustafa, a 34-year-old resident of Rahat, for a series of security and financial offenses committed during the Swords of Iron war.

According to the indictment, between April and June 2025, Mustafa conspired with a reserve IDF officer holding the rank of major, and later with his commander-a career lieutenant colonel, in order to smuggle goods from Israel into the Gaza Strip.

The details indicate that the three operated in a systematic and sophisticated manner, exploiting IDF activity in the area. Their method was based on locating Gazan aid trucks that had become stuck on operational routes, and presenting a false pretense of repairing or evacuating the vehicles. During these operations, cigarettes were hidden in the trucks, which then continued into Gaza and were collected by Gazans.

The indictment further states that the defendant was responsible for purchasing the goods, usually in the Hebron area, and coordinating with contacts inside Gaza to receive them. One of the reservists assisted in locating the trucks, while the other conducted security assessments to prevent the smuggling operations from being exposed.

At least six separate smuggling incidents are described in the indictment. In one case, the defendant received approximately NIS 250,000, and in another about NIS 300,000. Altogether, according to the charges, hundreds of thousands of shekels flowed to those involved and were divided among them. In some cases, no payment was received, including instances where the goods did not reach their destination.

Additionally, it is alleged that in one of the smuggling operations, advanced iPhone devices were also brought into Gaza without the knowledge of the defendant’s partners.

The prosecution emphasizes that the defendant was aware of the fact that the smuggled goods could reach Hamas or generate profits for the organization through “taxation," thereby strengthening its economy during the war.

The defendant is also accused of transferring some of the funds to his partners, with suspicion of bribing the reservists in exchange for their assistance.

Mustafa is charged with aiding the enemy during wartime, prohibited dealings in property for terrorist purposes, obtaining something by fraud under aggravated circumstances, and bribery.

Gaza kiteAbed Rahim Khatib/Flash90

The security situation in the Gaza Strip, about two and a half years after the outbreak of the war, indicates a high level of adaptability by the Hamas terrorist organization, which continues its efforts to rebuild and strengthen despite the damage it has sustained.

According to information published by Mako, Hamas is exploiting the humanitarian space and the civilian population to gather intelligence and bolster its military and economic capabilities.

One of Hamas’s new and concerning tactics for collecting intelligence on IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip involves increased use of kites carrying small cameras.

The kites are flown by children in front of IDF forces, with the aim of preventing strikes against the operators and making it difficult for the army to respond without creating an international incident involving harm to uninvolved civilians.

According to estimates, around 20,000 armed operatives are currently active in the Gaza Strip, alongside a gradual restoration of terrorist command-and-control capabilities.

The report also indicates that Hamas maintains control over approximately 50% of the territory of the Strip, mainly beyond the “yellow line." At the same time, the IDF has not yet eliminated all “encircled operatives" in Rafah, some of whom continue to emerge and attempt to attack forces.

According to the report, in recent weeks, Hamas has carried out several attempts to approach military positions using deceptive tactics. In one case, an unarmed operative who entered a position was killed, and two phones were found in his possession.

IDF sources note that one of the main factors behind Hamas’s rebuilding is the continued smuggling of weapons and equipment, including via humanitarian aid convoys. In addition, there has been increased use of drones for smuggling and intelligence-gathering purposes, despite efforts to thwart such activities.

Khawaja Muhammad AsifREUTERS

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee responded to Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, after Asif lashed out at Israel, calling it “evil and a curse for humanity" and accusing it of committing genocide in Lebanon.

"I see 1st hand Israel seeks to avoid civilian deaths, but I see WHY Israel fights. Hamas massacred Israeli civilians; Hezbollah fires 1000's of rockets into Israeli homes; Iran threatens w/ 1000's of missiles & nuclear weapon[s]. Want peace? Stop Iran & its puppet proxies," Huckabee wrote on X in response to Asif.

Asif had written on X that "Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon."

He continued: "Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran, and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews burn in hell."

Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, also slammed Asif's comments and stated: “The Ayatollahs chanted ‘Death to Israel’ - and now a so-called ‘mediator’ is echoing the same language. You are not a mediator Mr. Asif, you are the problem. Even if it is to your dismay, Israel is here to stay. That’s not for negotiation."

arrest (illustration)Police spokesperson

The State Attorney’s Office filed an indictment with the Jerusalem District Court against Moshe Lachovitz, 21, from Jerusalem, for maintaining contact with an Iranian foreign agent and carrying out a series of missions on his behalf in exchange for payment.

According to the indictment, in May 2025, Lachovitz made contact with a person who identified himself as “Michael," after searching for work in a Telegram group. During their conversations, he was asked to send a copy of his ID, open a digital wallet to receive payments, and download designated photography applications-including an app that allows recording even when the phone screen is off.

Later, at the agent’s request, he purchased an additional phone that served as a “burner phone." The two agreed to use identification codes at the start of each conversation, with an emphasis on maintaining complete discretion.

At an early stage, Lachovitz began carrying out documentation missions. Among other things, he photographed Liberty Bell Park in Jerusalem, traveled to Ra’anana and documented a travel route provided to him in advance, walked around Jerusalem streets while filming himself, documented in the Mamilla Mall, and performed additional tasks such as purchasing various items-a hat, chocolate, and a can of paint-while fully documenting the process.

It also emerges that the agent asked him to purchase covert recording equipment, including a hat with a hidden camera, glasses, and a disguised pen, but these purchases were not carried out.

During this period, and even after he realized that the contact was an Iranian agent, Lachovitz continued the connection and carried out additional missions-including documentation in the Morasha Junction area-even during Operation “Am KeLavi."

In return for his actions, Lachovitz received cumulative payments totaling thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency. Some of the payments are detailed in the indictment-hundreds of dollars per task, amounting to approximately $3,000 or more in total.

It was also revealed that Lachovitz drove a vehicle without a driver’s license, including when he traveled to Ra’anana to carry out one of the missions.

At a certain stage, he decided to sever contact with the agent, partly after the agent made antisemitic remarks. The defendant shared details of the contact with his sister, handed over the burner phone to her, and deleted its contents. However, the agent later attempted to renew contact with him and even reached out to his sister.

The prosecution attributes to Lachovitz offenses, including contact with a foreign agent, passing information to the enemy, and additional charges, and has requested that the court order his detention until the conclusion of the legal proceedings against him.

Chief of Staff ZamirIDF Spokesperson

The Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, arrived yesterday (Thursday) for a field tour on the outskirts of the town of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon.

In his remarks to commanders and fighters in the field, the Chief of Staff presented a picture of a decision that is gradually taking shape, while emphasizing that the IDF is not taking its foot off the pedal.

In his opening remarks, the Chief of Staff clarified the operational situation, distinguishing between the different sectors “The IDF is in a state of war; we are not in a ceasefire on the northern front. We continue to operate here on this front -this is our primary operational focus. In Iran, we are in a ceasefire, but we can return to operating there at any moment, and with great intensity."

"In Lebanon, we are continuing to deepen our achievements and expand our operations. The area where you are operating is extremely important-this is Lebanon, this is against Hezbollah. Here we are active, employing many means and many of our capabilities. The achievements of this war so far are historic," he stated. "Iran before this war is not the same Iran-it is much weaker. The blow Iran has sustained also affects Hezbollah, because Hezbollah understands that it is now isolated. It is isolated within Lebanon, cut off from its strategic backing-from those who fund it and supply it with munitions-and therefore this is a very significant achievement."

"While our troops operate along the forward defensive area, earlier this we delivered a General Staff-level command strike in Beirut and in Beqaa, and I tell you-the terror organization is being effected deeply. They have left Dahieh and moved to other locations, to northern Beirut and various other neighborhoods, from where they are conducting terror," Zamir said. "Hezbollah encounters our fighter jets, both at the border and deep within Lebanon. It encounters our ground forces-we are removing the direct threat to our communities. This is a highly significant event, a very important achievement."

"We are present on all fronts-as we are in Gaza, as we are in Syria-so too here in Lebanon. We are forward-positioned, creating a defensive area with our forces, our armored vehicles, and our troops between the enemy and the communities. This is our role; this is the mission," he continued. "I believe this mission is very clear. Great appreciation for the people-the very best in the world-with tremendous spirit, followed by the highest-level capabilities. I do not recall in the history of the IDF combined formations-infantry, armor, and engineering-with such strong capabilities. So, great appreciation-take care of yourselves and carry out your missions. Good luck."

Eliaz CohenCourtesy

Ed. Note: The article's title is a paraphrase of the verse about High Priest Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu who brought a strange fire to the Tabernacle, one not commanded by God, and died. This article first appeared on Arutz Sheva's Hebrew site and was translated by Rochel Sylvetsky.

Let us begin with what needs no explaining, except that in times like these it is important to emphasize the self-evident once again:

I am a proud “settler". I love every inch of this land with every fiber of my being. My father and mentor, Hillel Cohen OBM, was one of the founders of “Garin Shechem" (a pioneering group who worked to establish a Jewish presence in the Shechem area after the Six Day War), before Gush Emunim was founded. I am a second generation pioneering “settler" in Judea and Samaria, proud to be raising the fourth generation in Gush Etzion, the Judea-located Etzion Bloc.

I am a law-abiding and proud Zionist, love the State of Israel and its institutions (even the ones I criticize harshly), love its army, the IDF, in which my father and my grandfathers served, in which I and my brothers (who still volunteer for reserve duty) served, and in which all my children serve, with emphasis on our three reservist-fighter-sons who have served countless days since October 7. I am a fourth generation Zionist, continue the activities initiated by my great grandfather, Rabbi Aharon Shvelb, the first founder of an industry in Petach Tikva, and by my grandfathers, one of whom was a Haganah commander and the other a member of the Etzel Underground.

I am a proud Religious Zionist, retainer of the magnificent heritage I inherited from the previous generations of my family, in addition to that which I received from my rabbis, ZT"L, especially Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neria, Rabbi Chaim Druckman and Rabbi Chanan Porat whose soul was intertwined with mine. We embrace and hold on to this complex, deep mix of identities and loyalty together.

And I am a proud Jew and a proud human being, happy to belong to this unique nation of mine, the apex of whose glorious future has yet to be reached, and to the family of man, every man created in the image of God.

And all these identities, borne by me with trembling and joy, are threatened by a dangerous and strange, aberrant fire whose flames have burned on over the past few years, a fire coming from a small part of the farms and hills of Judea and Samaria.

What was crystal clear to every generation of previous settlement pioneers has been shattered. The boundaries have been crossed openly by this small group, boastfully, haughtily and arrogantly. I am talking about fundamental ethical, moral boundaries, halakhic boundaries, legal boundaries of law and order.

And this strange, aberrant fire is not aimed only at any “Mustafa or Mahmoud", as Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook ZT"l warned us to be careful not to do, to be careful not to ignite in every struggle over the land, but is directed against Jews who oppose the alleged lawbreakers among the hilltop and homested dwellers, and it is directed against the security forces themselves.

Many years ago, on a tour conducted for the leadership of our sector, on the hills of Binyamin and the Shomron, I had the opportunity to ask one of the rabbis there, whose views were known, how he allows and even encourages the youth he mentors to take part in what was then called “pricetag" activities. Did we not learn the prohibition of stealing from a gentile, brought by the Rambam and all the other halakhic sources? I asked. The rabbi looked and me and at the entire group with a searing glance, while a thin smile hovered on his lips, and said unflinchingly: “I learned it from kal vachomer (a Talmudic method of reasoning, similar to a fortiori, ed.): Since we are allowed to attack them physically, we can certainly vandalize their possessions."

We were shocked, but realized something we had kept at bay until that moment: In a few, luckily a very few, of the hilltop homesteads, the Torah studied is diametrically opposed to what our rabbis taught us, and seems to be a bigoted form of Judaism that ignores thousands of years of Beit Midrash study - our Talmudic Sages, Tanaim, Amoraim, Savoraim, Geonim, Rishonim and Achronim, both the early and late commentators. Theirs is a Torah that goes back to the days of the Judges when, the biblical verses tell us: “In those days, there was no ruler in the Land of Israel - each man did as he wished." As if today as well, there is no state, no government, no army and no security forces.

They allegedly cause actual damage to property and even physical and psychological damage to civilian Arabs. And there may well be young people who are tempted to join these so-called “new pioneers" - as if they were today’s Hasmoneans and Trumpeldors.

The logos of the pre-state underground Etzel and Lehi are printed on their t-shirts alongside more lethal words such as “death to Arabs," or “let us expel the Arabs" and so on. Most of the time they wear masks, although the IDF officer in charge of the area forbids them to do so, some are as young as 14-15 years old, careening on Rangers or going on foot, in groups, raiding Bedouin encampments or the outskirts of Palestinian Arab villages. These are delinquents, allegedly from the area, who vandalize property, ruin crops, damage livestock and more - who throw rocks and engage in violence towards civilians, violence which has resulted in loss of lives.

Hundreds of Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria have formed the “Pro-'settlement', Anti-violence" organization, which opposes this lawless behavior, so foreign to Judaism, and are working closely with the IDF and security forces. They hear how this destructive activity negatively affects the central mission of guarding us, all of us, whether in Judea and Samaria or the entire country, from Palestinian Arab terror. Security forces are forced to spend precious time trying to prevent the violence and friction initiated by these young people instead of concentrating on their vital mission.

The majority of residents, however, remain silent in the face of this lawless behavior.

We know these young people are reacting to years of brutal and barbaric Arab terrorism [1], but we cannot let them take the law into their own hands and victimize others.

Without referring to the harm they are doing to the image of the normative Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria, and even to the Jewish state as a whole, I wish to posit, first and foremost, that we must focus on stressing what was once self-evident and has been trampled underfoot due to an extremist ideology that has no place among us. These things that were once considered utterly unacceptable, totally out of the pale.

Most of the “silent majority," its educators, social workers, heads of local authorities and rabbis, would like to transfer the responsibility for dealing with these lawbreakers to government institutions and the security forces.

But if anything results from the words I have put to paper here in an attempt to calm my seething heart, it will be due to the following call with which I turn to all of us: every parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt and uncle, educator, neighbor, yeshiva, seminary and high school head, social welfare professional, council head, community rabbi. Each and every one of us must ask themselves: Do I know any young people who are drawn or in danger of being drawn into this “strange, aberrant fire"? Am I able to talk to them, to try to divert their flaming pioneering energies to a better, positive place? Am I inadvertently allowing this anarchic lawlessness to continue?

It is incumbent upon us to encourage the local and state government authorities to act, but we must begin the process with those in the our own close circles. We must not abandon the Torah, community building and the future of Jewish-Israeli life to destructive elements. We must strengthen the responsible, law-abiding hilltop youth and homesteaders, strengthen the security forces who guard us night and day. And we must fight those who are trying to drag us all into an unholy fire.

Eliaz Cohen is a noted Israeli poet, one of the leaders of the"pro-settlement, anti-violence" movement and a member of Kibbutz Kfar Etzion.

[1] In 2024, there were more than 6,300 Palestinian Arab terror attacks against Jews in Judea and Samaria, leading to 27 murdered Israelis and more than 300 wounded. In 2025, there were 5,051 terror attacks by Palestinian Arabs, during which 24 Israelis were murdered and 400 wounded, including 458 attacks with Molotov cocktails, 655 attempts to blind drivers with laser pointers, 286 explosive charges and 19 terrorist shooting assaults. The UN claims there were 1400 acts of Jewish violence in 2024 and 1700 in 2025, but most were proven to be in self-defense.

Chikli in Binyaminno credit

Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, held a tour of agricultural outposts in the Binyamin region yesterday (Thursday) as a guest of the Binyamin Regional Council. During the visit, he met with residents and heard about the challenges on the ground in recent times.

The tour was accompanied by Deputy Council Head Hanna Itach and teams from the Hilltop Youth Department and the Land Department, who presented to the minister the council’s activities with the youth, alongside the day-to-day challenges in the field and the responses developed in recent years.

During the tour, the minister visited the “Tel Talpiyot" farm and the “Tzur Levavi" farm, where he spoke directly with residents and heard about the situation on the ground in light of recent events in the area. He later also took part in a ceremony marking the establishment of the new community of “Ma’oz Tzur."

Chikli called for abandoning the approach based on the division into Areas A, B, and C, and said that practical action on the ground is what matters: “What wins is sheep and agriculture-not declarations and talk."

The minister also noted that the farms are a significant factor in changing the reality on the ground and emphasized the importance of focusing on strategic, controlling points to strengthen security and Israeli presence.

At the same time, Chikli warned against acts of violence and called to avoid them despite the provocations and violence from the other side. According to him, such incidents harm the settlement enterprise and serve as a tool in the hands of the enemy.

“The farm enterprise is the spearhead of Zionism today-it is creating a revolution on the ground and must be continued with full force," he said, adding that it represents a continuation of the path of leaders such as Yigal Allon and Yitzhak Tabenkin.

weatherMiriam Alster/FLASH90

The weather in the coming days will be changeable, with rain in the north and a drop in temperatures at the beginning of the week, followed by significant warming and even hotter and drier conditions than usual.

Forecaster Lior Sudri notes that today (Friday) is expected to be partly cloudy to cloudy in northern Israel, where intermittent rain will fall and strong winds will blow. Fog is expected in the mountains. In central Israel, skies will be partly cloudy to mostly clear, with a chance of light drizzle, while the south will see fair weather.

In the Mediterranean Sea coastline, southwesterly to westerly winds will blow at 20-40 km/h, with gusts reaching up to 50 km/h.

On Saturday, partly cloudy to cloudy conditions will continue, with isolated rain in the north. In the center, brief light rain is possible, while the south will remain clear. Temperatures will be below the seasonal average.

On Sunday, it will remain partly cloudy and cooler than usual, with isolated rain in the north during the morning hours and possibly in the center as well.

On Monday, a change will occur, with fair weather and a rise in temperatures to near seasonal averages.

On Tuesday, a further noticeable warming is expected, along with a drop in humidity. The weather will be hotter and drier than usual for the season, and strong easterly winds will begin blowing in northern Israel.

President Trump, Mojtaba KhameneiReuters/Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto, White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written message that the Islamic republic did not want war with the United States and Israel, but would protect its rights as a nation, state television reported, according to France 24.

Whether it is really Khamenei or the IGRC trying to create the impression that he is in charge, is unknown at present. However, it is the message that must command our attention.

At a time when Israel and the United States are confronting the Islamic Republic directly, clarity matters more than ever. The regime in Tehran is not a misunderstood regional actor seeking calm. It is not a victim of circumstances. And it is certainly not a government pursuing peace.

It is a regime that wants to be at war.

For years, the Islamic Republic has tried to hide behind slogans, diplomatic theater, and carefully engineered narratives designed to confuse the international community. Its latest message “No to War," flaunted in the West, is one of its most cynical yet. It is not a call for peace. It is propaganda issued by a regime that has spent more than four decades exporting terror, suppressing its own people, and threatening Israel’s existence.

That lie is collapsing in full view of the world.

Iran has been actively launching missiles at Israeli population centers. Ballistic missiles aimed at residential neighborhoods, civilian infrastructure, and major cities are not abstract “escalation." They are acts of war. A missile hitting a building in Haifa is not “indirect conflict." It is the deliberate targeting of human life. Four people were killed in Haifa in an Iranian missile strike several days ago, reinforcing what should already be obvious: Israel is not facing rhetoric. It is facing an enemy trying to murder civilians.

This is the reality that much of the world still refuses to name clearly.

Even after significant damage to parts of its military and production infrastructure, the regime continued to fire what it could at Israel. That fact alone reveals the nature of the Islamic Republic. It is a revolutionary regime determined to inflict damage for as long as it retains the capacity to do so. The language of “No to War" is not restraint. It is deception.

And like so much else in the Islamic Republic’s political vocabulary, it is meant for foreign consumption.

The regime understands that narratives matter. It knows that if it can frame itself as cornered, threatened, or unfairly targeted, it may still win sympathy from parts of the international press and policy establishment. It wants the world to forget who armed Hezbollah, empowered the Houthis, financed militias across Iraq and Syria, and built an entire architecture of terror around Israel’s borders. It wants observers to ignore the years of missile proliferation, proxy warfare, and genocidal rhetoric and instead focus only on the consequences now arriving at its doorstep.

But the current war did not emerge in a vacuum. It is the direct result of a regime that has invested enormous national wealth into weapons, terror networks, ideological warfare, and military confrontation rather than the wellbeing of its own people. Iran’s rulers built this crisis. And now, even under pressure, they are proving again that they would rather endanger the Iranian people than abandon their obsession with destruction.

That is why the internal Iranian dimension of this war must not be overlooked.

The same regime firing missiles at Israel is the one that has terrorized its own population for decades. It is the same regime that crushed the 2019 protests with bloodshed, that tried to silence the “Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising with bullets and prison cells, and that continues to rely on executions, torture, and fear to survive. Human rights groups and international monitors have repeatedly documented Iran’s heavy use of executions and arbitrary detention, especially against dissidents and protesters.

This is not incidental. The regime’s violence abroad and its repression at home are not separate issues; they are expressions of the same political system. A government that brutalizes Iranian women, students, workers, journalists, and protesters is entirely capable of launching missiles at Israeli civilians while calling itself a force for peace.

In fact, it depends on that contradiction.

For many Iranians, this is not merely a geopolitical confrontation; it is a moment of profound moral and national clarity. They know the Islamic Republic does not represent Iran, and they know its wars are not the wars of the Iranian people. More than that, many understand that as long as this regime remains in power, neither Iran nor the wider region will ever be free from the cycle of repression, violence, and manufactured crisis it has sustained for decades. They know that every missile launched outward, every proxy armed abroad, and every act of aggression committed in the regime’s name has been financed by a population forced to endure inflation, corruption, fear, isolation, and stolen generations.

This is why the regime’s attempt to weaponize anti-war language is so offensive. The Iranian people understand that this is not a war against Iran, but a confrontation with the Islamic Republic the regime that has held their country hostage for more than 46 years. Many Iranians recognize that actions aimed at dismantling the regime’s military and repressive machinery are not directed against the nation, but against the very system that has oppressed, isolated, and endangered it for decades. For that reason, many view Israel’s and America’s actions with gratitude and hope. Their fear is not that the regime is being confronted too forcefully, but that the world may once again stop before the job is done, leaving the same rulers in place to continue their executions, repression, regional aggression, and destruction. The Iranian people’s desire for peace must never be confused with tolerance for the regime that has denied them peace, freedom, and dignity for nearly half a century**.**

Inside Iran and throughout the diaspora, there is a growing recognition that the country cannot survive indefinitely under a regime that has turned militarism, ideological extremism, and internal repression into the foundations of state power. And as that realization grows, so too does the demand for a credible national alternative and for unity among those who seek a democratic future for Iran.

That demand is no longer abstract. It is urgent.

The regime is weaker than it wants the world to believe, but it is also more dangerous than many are willing to admit. Authoritarian systems often become most reckless when they are cornered. And the Islamic Republic today is cornered: militarily pressured, economically strained, diplomatically exposed, and deeply unpopular at home.

None of that has made it humane. None of it has made it peaceful. Instead, it has made it more desperate and, therefore, more willing to kill.

That is why Israel’s position in this moment deserves moral clarity, not equivocation.

Israel is not confronting a hypothetical threat. It is defending its people against an ideological regime that has spent decades promising destruction and is now acting on that promise more openly than ever. No sovereign nation can be expected to absorb missile fire on its cities and simply pretend it is witnessing another phase of “regional tension." This is war, and Israel has every right, indeed, every obligation to defend its civilians and dismantle the machinery aimed at them.

The same is true for the United States.

The Trump administration has framed its current objective as preventing the regime from sustaining its missile threat, rebuilding military capacity, and preserving the infrastructure that underpins its war-making ability. The White House has repeatedly described the campaign as focused on destroying Iran’s missile, naval, and military-industrial capabilities while preventing the regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Whatever one’s politics, one fact should be obvious: regimes like the Islamic Republic do not moderate because they are indulged. They do not become peaceful because they are granted more time, more diplomatic ambiguity, or more room to manipulate perception. They stop only when they are confronted with real consequences.

That is the lesson of this moment.

For too long, the Islamic Republic benefited from a global reluctance to call things by their proper names. Terror was called “influence." Missile expansion was called “leverage." Proxy warfare was called “regional strategy." Domestic repression was treated as an internal matter. Even now, while Israeli civilians rushed to shelters and Iranians continue to suffer under a violent regime, too many still search for softer language.

There should be none.

The Islamic Republic is not a force for stability. It is not a misunderstood actor seeking dignity or balance. It is a revolutionary regime built on violence - violence against Israelis, violence against its neighbors, and violence against its own people.

Its slogan may be “No to War." But its missiles, its prisons, and its record say otherwise.

And the world should finally believe what the victims have known all along.

Negar Karamati is a journalist and former Persian language news editor, and an anchor who works in the legal field. She writes on Iran‘s political and social issues, including women's rights and Iran's religious minorities, particularly the Baha’i.

TehranReuters

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Thursday that holding talks to end the war with the US is contingent on the US adhering to its ceasefire commitments, CNN reported.

Those commitments, claimed Baghaei, include a ceasefire in Lebanon, which the US and Israel insist was not part of the deal.

Baghaei condemned Israel’s recent large-scale strikes in Lebanon, which the IDF said targeted more than 100 Hezbollah command centers and military sites.

“Halting the war in Lebanon is an inseparable part of the proposed ceasefire understanding put forward by Pakistan, and as the prime minister of that country explicitly announced, the United States has committed to stopping the war on all fronts, including Lebanon," Baghaei said, as quoted by CNN.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced earlier on Thursday that he has instructed the cabinet to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.

According to the Prime Minister, the decision follows repeated requests from Lebanon for direct talks.

Netanyahu noted that the negotiations would focus on disarming Hezbollah and on establishing peace relations between the two countries. He further stated that Israel appreciates the Lebanese Prime Minister's call to demilitarize Beirut.

Netanyahu later released a statement reassuring the residents of northern Israel following his announcement that Israel would negotiate directly with the Lebanese government.

Netanyahu opened his statement by telling the residents of the north that he is proud of them for continuing to stand strong.

He then clarified, "There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security."

According to the Prime Minister, "Our great achievements, both in Iran and against the Axis of Evil, have brought about a historic shift in Israel’s standing in the region. They have also led to a change in our ties with countries we did not have relations with in the past."

The direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will be led, on behalf of Israel, by Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, the US side will be led by the Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, and Lebanon will be represented by its Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh-Moawad, who is a close affiliate with President Joseph Aoun.

Israeli officials clarified that the negotiations will be conducted under fire, and that IDF troops would continue to operate in Lebanon.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Yechiel LeiterREUTERS

Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, on Thursday blasted Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, after he lashed out at Israel, calling it “evil and a curse for humanity" and accusing it of committing genocide in Lebanon.

“The Ayatollahs chanted ‘Death to Israel’ - and now a so-called ‘mediator’ is echoing the same language," Leiter wrote on social media, referring to the fact that Pakistan is mediating talks between the US and Iran.

“You are not a mediator Mr. Asif, you are the problem. Even if it is to your dismay, Israel is here to stay. That’s not for negotiation," added the Ambassador.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar had earlier responded strongly to the remarks by the Pakistani Minister, stating that "Israel views these blatant antisemitic blood libels very gravely from a government claiming to 'mediate peace.'"

Sa'ar noted that "calling the Jewish state 'cancerous' is effectively calling for its annihilation."

"Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction," Sa'ar vowed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office commented: "Pakistan Defense Minister’s call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous. This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace."

Riot at American collegeV. Sharpe

In his latest work, psychiatrist and historian Kenneth Levin identifies a disturbing paradox: as antisemitism in America transitions from a fringe threat to a mainstream institutional force, the organizations tasked with Jewish defense appear to be dismantling their own barricades. Levin’s The Canary on the Couch is a clinical autopsy of this failure, exploring the "communal blindness" that prevents Jewish leadership from recognizing-and confronting-the enmity surfacing in our schools, universities, and political spheres.

Why do so many in the Jewish community overlook the growing hostility in the media and the halls of power? Levin suggests that despite the clear rise in systemic threats, there is a startling and egregious failure to recognize how deeply this hatred has permeated mainstream American life. This lack of awareness persists even as the danger becomes more visible across every segment of society.

The Pathology of Self-Blame and Control

Levin’s central thesis is that "self-defeating responses" to external threats are a common psychological byproduct of being a besieged population. He argues that many Jews seek to feel "in control" of a hostile situation by believing that if they simply "fix" or "reform" their own community, the hostility will cease. Psychologically, those who justify the insults of their attackers usually do so because they want to feel a sense of agency in a situation where they actually have none. They believe that if they change themselves, the attacks will stop.

However, as Levin illustrates through a sweeping historical lens, this belief is a complete delusion; changing the victim never actually satiates the attacker.

Levin draws a chilling historical parallel to the Deutsch-Israelitischer Gemeindebund (DIGB) in pre-Hitler Germany. Led primarily by Reform Jews, the DIGB distributed essays advising Jews to mitigate antisemitism by avoiding “haughtiness, pretension, [and] superiority." They were even instructed to conduct commerce with such honesty that any deception would be deemed “sacrilegious," and to view their suffering as “Providence"-a divine signal to focus on self-improvement rather than the external threat.

The irony of these strategies is that they validate the very hostility they seek to disarm. By treating the disease of antisemitism as a consequence of Jewish behavior-rather than a “lethal obsession"-groups like the DIGB inadvertently confirmed the claims of their detractors. This pathological shift transforms an entrenched threat into a moral failing, leading the besieged to believe that social acceptance can be bought through self-erasure.

The Institutional Double Standard and the Left

Perhaps Levin’s most biting critique is directed at the "major cadres of communal leadership," specifically the ADL and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (CPA). He documents a persistent double standard: while these organizations are aggressive in confronting far-right extremism, they remain "alarmingly lacking" in their response to animosity from the progressive Left and Islamist circles. This trend is exacerbated by a sociopolitical climate where Jewish success is conflated with "white privilege," leading to the dismissal of Jewish grievances as insignificant.

Levin observes that some within the Jewish community have embraced the "white privilege" indictment as a way to find favor within the modern establishment. He notes that Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, feels compelled to atone and urges other Jews to do the same. Furthermore, the entrenchment of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives has popularized a version of intersectionality that characterizes Israel as a “colonialist entity" and targets American Jews for their perceived complicity. Levin argues that many leaders embrace criticisms of Israel out of a vain and desperate psychological hope that if the Jewish state "reforms," anti-Jewish hostility in America will fade.

Levin highlights the 2020 decision by over 600 Jewish organizations-including the ADL and JCPA-to sign a full-page New York Times advertisement backing the Black Lives Matter movement. This occurred despite clear evidence that prominent leaders within the movement were pushing anti-Israel and anti-Jewish agendas. In a "bizarre reversal," Levin observes these leaders shielding hostile groups from criticism while turning against fellow Jews who attempted to call out the hatred. Even the catastrophic massacre of October 7, 2023, failed to break this cycle; Levin contends that the ADL’s reflexive priority remained targeting the Far Right even as a tidal wave of antisemitism surged from academia and the progressive Left.

The Betrayal of the Campus and Hillel

Levin identifies American academia as the country’s primary engine for antisemitism, fueling intense hostility toward Israel and Jewish students among both faculty and staff. He argues that campus-focused organizations like Hillel have often proven unwilling to confront this environment. Rather than robustly defending students, Hillel leadership has frequently sought to accommodate the hostile climate, withholding support from students who wish to aggressively counter the hatred, this to avoid institutional friction.

By "giving a pass" to these movements, Levin argues these leaders continue to whitewash the very sources of hatred that have successfully infiltrated mainstream American life, leaving the community defenseless against its most pervasive modern threats. He argues that many Jewish leaders clearly recognize these attacks as vicious libels, yet choose to capitulate to the demands of their detractors. This is a desperate psychological ploy to appear "virtuous" in a futile attempt to pacify those who are actively inciting hatred against them.

Conclusion: The Fate of Jewish Well-Being

Ultimately, Levin’s "canary" is not just the Jewish community itself, but the psychological health of its leadership. It remains uncertain whether the surge of antisemitism in the United States will intensify enough to compel those previously reluctant to shift their political priorities to finally address the dangers facing American Jews. It is equally unclear whether any such response, should it come, will be swift enough to "defang the threats."

The resolution of this uncertainty will be the primary factor in determining the future security of the Jewish community in America. For those seeking to understand why traditional advocacy has failed, The Canary on the Couch provides a necessary, if disquieting, diagnostic tool. Disregarding Levin's analysis would be a significant strategic error. To overlook his insights is to ignore the reality that the more a community internalizes the critiques of a hostile Establishment, the more it dismantles its own defenses in a futile bid for acceptance.

The Canary on the Couch (Boston: Academic Studies Press, 2025), Kenneth Levin.

The Canary on the Couch book coverCourtesy

Dr. Alex Grobman is the senior resident scholar at the John C. Danforth Society, a member of the Council of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, and on the advisory board of the National Christian Leadership Conference of Israel (NCLCI). He holds an MA and PhD in contemporary Jewish history from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson in Arizona, October 2024REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

US President Donald Trump posted a lengthy message on Truth Social on Thursday, sharply criticizing several prominent conservative figures who had once backed him but now oppose his stance regarding Iran.

The president specifically named Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones, all of whom have voiced strong disapproval of Trump's approach to the Islamic Republic.

"They think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon - Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs," Trump charged.

Kelly and Carlson, both former Fox News hosts, have publicly condemned Trump's recent remarks on Iran. Kelly urged the president to "f***ing shut up about that sh*t" following his threat earlier this week that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran failed to reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Carlson described Trump's message as "vile on every level."

All four individuals had been vocal advocates for Trump during the 2024 campaign. At the Republican National Convention, Carlson stated that after the assassination attempt against him, Trump "was the leader of a nation." Kelly, speaking at a rally in Pittsburgh, encouraged voters to support Trump, saying she preferred "a president who understands how to be strong and how to fight" and urged others to "vote Trump and get 10 friends to vote Trump too."

In his post, Trump suggested that Carlson, Kelly and the others "should see a good psychiatrist."

Owens reacted to Trump's message by questioning his mental sharpness, writing on social media, "It may be time to put Grandpa up in a home."

She has previously expressed embarrassment over her support for him during the election, telling Piers Morgan Uncensored: "I don't regret voting for Donald Trump above [former Vice President] Kamala [Harris]. I think he was the better candidate - certainly a better candidate above [former President] Joe Biden. But what I will say is that he's been a chronic disappointment, and I feel embarrassed that I told people to go vote for him."

Trump further targeted Alex Jones, referring to him as "Bankrupt" and criticizing him for "his horrendous attack on the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, ridiculously claiming it was a hoax."

Jones, who once hosted Trump on InfoWars in 2015, responded in a video on social media and said, "I’m just so sad that whatever’s happened to him has totally changed the man he once was. He did so much good." Jones added that he feels "sorry for him and pray that God touches his heart and soul and free him from the demonic influences that he’s under."

Despite claiming indifference to their opinions, Trump's post stretched nearly 500 words. He insisted the critics are "not ‘MAGA,’ they’re losers, just trying to latch on to MAGA."

Kamal KharaziOriental Image via Reuters Connect

A former Iranian foreign minister, Kamal Kharazi, has died from wounds suffered in US-Israel strikes on April 1, Iranian media reported on Thursday.

Kharazi, 81, had been serving as the head of the Strategic Council for International Relations, which is part of the foreign ministry.

The veteran diplomat, "who was wounded in a terrorist attack carried out by the American-Zionist enemy a few days ago, died a martyr tonight", the Mehr and ISNA news agencies claimed.

His wife was killed in the attack on their home in Tehran, media reported.

Kharazi was Iran's envoy at the United Nations in New York and then became Foreign Minister from 1997 to 2005, under then-President Mohammad Khatami.

Donald TrumpWhite House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran should not charge fees to tankers going through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded since the start of the Iran war.

"There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait," Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.

"They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now," he added.

Media reports have suggested Iran might want to charge a toll for ships passing through. Western leaders have pushed back on the idea of paying any such fees.

On Wednesday, an Iranian official was quoted by the Financial Times as saying that Iran would demand toll payments in cryptocurrency to retain control over Hormuz during a two-week ceasefire with the US.

In a separate post on Thursday, without elaborating, Trump said "you'll see Oil start flowing, with or without the help of Iran."

Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, after having previously threatened to destroy Iran's entire civilization.

Ship traffic through the strait stood at well below 10% of normal volumes on Thursday despite the fragile ceasefire as Tehran asserted its control by warning ships to keep to its territorial waters while doing so, according to the Reuters news agency.

כיפת ברזלצילום: Edi Israel/Flash90

There are moments in history when the headlines seem less like news and more like a page torn from our wise and holy Sages. The shifting tone of the international community, the rising chorus of criticism, the sense that Israel-small in size, but immense in significance-stands increasingly alone. For many, this is alarming. For those who have learned the words of our Sages, it is something else entirely: familiar.

Chazal (our Sages) taught that in the period preceding the Geulah, the nations of the world would align themselves against Israel. Not necessarily out of a unified ideology, but through a convergence of interests, pressures, and narratives. The Midrashim and statements in Chazal describe a time when, when Israel will stand isolated, surrounded not only physically, but diplomatically and morally. To the modern ear, this sounds strikingly contemporary.

And yet, these teachings were never meant to instill fear alone. They were meant to provide clarity.

Because the same Chazal who warned of a world turning against us, also promised something far greater: that salvation would come not through alliances, not through shifting political winds, but directly from the Ribbono Shel Olam. When all external supports fall away, what remains is the essential truth-that the destiny of Am Yisrael is not dependent on the approval of the nations.

This is not a call to ignore the realities of geopolitics. Israel must act wisely, responsibly, and with strength. But beneath the strategy lies something deeper: a recognition that history is not random, and certainly not detached from the promises made to our People.

The prophet Zechariah speaks of a time when “all the nations of the earth will gather against Jerusalem." It is a stark image. But the verse does not end there. It continues with divine intervention, with Jerusalem not abandoned, but defended. The gathering of nations is not the conclusion-it is the prelude.

Similarly, the Gemara in Sanhedrin describes turbulent times before the coming of Mashiach: confusion, upheaval, and a sense that the world has lost its moral compass. These are not merely descriptions of chaos; they are signposts, guiding us to understand where we stand in the unfolding story.

It is easy to become disheartened when long-standing allies waver, when international institutions adopt a tone that feels less like fairness, and more like fixation. But perhaps this, too, is part of the process Chazal described-a gradual stripping away of illusions. The idea that our security depends on the goodwill of others is comforting, but it is not enduring.

There is a deeper comfort, though it requires a different kind of strength: the knowledge that we are not alone, even when it appears that we are.

Throughout our history, moments of isolation have often preceded moments of profound transformation. When the Jewish people stood at the edge of the sea, there were no allies, no diplomatic solutions-only a path forward that required faith. When we returned to our Land after centuries of exile, it was not because the world suddenly embraced us, but because something deeper was at work.

So too today. The challenges we face on the world stage may intensify. The rhetoric may sharpen. The sense of standing apart may grow. But if we view these developments through the lens of Chazal, they are not signs of abandonment-they are stages in a process that ultimately leads to Redemption.

This perspective does not eliminate the difficulty. It does not make the headlines easier to read, or the criticism easier to hear. But it does transform the narrative. Instead of asking, “Why is the world turning against us?" we begin to ask, “What are we being called to recognize?"

Perhaps we are being reminded of who we are, and of the unique role we play in history. Perhaps we are being guided, gently or otherwise, to shift our reliance from the temporary, to the eternal.

And perhaps, just perhaps, we are witnessing the early chapters of a story that Chazal began telling long ago-a story that does not end with isolation, but with Redemption.

As the world turns, so too, does history. And if we listen carefully, we may hear in its turning not only the noise of conflict, but the quiet promise that has accompanied us from the beginning: that Am Yisrael does not stand alone, and never has.

ארון הקודש שערי תשובהצילום: קובי פינקלר

In the wake of tragedy, the human instinct is often to recoil, to step back from the very source of pain and confusion. But Judaism demands something far more difficult: not retreat, but resolve; not distance, but deeper devotion.

This tension lies at the heart of the Haftorah for Parashat Shemini (II Samuel 6:1-7:17, according to Ashkenazi custom) which recounts one of the most bewildering episodes in the life of King David.

Having consolidated his rule over Israel, David seeks to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, transforming the city into the nation’s spiritual center. It is a moment of joy and anticipation. The people gather, music fills the air and the procession moves forward with great fanfare. But suddenly, celebration turns to catastrophe.

As the Ark is transported on a cart, the oxen stumble, and a man named Uzzah reaches out to steady it. In an instant, he is struck dead by the hand of G-d.

The reaction is immediate and deeply human. David is shaken to his core. The verse (6:8) tells us that “David was distressed," and instead of taking the Ark to Jerusalem, he diverts it to the home of Oved-Edom, where it remains for three months.

What are we to make of this shocking episode? Why would an act that appears to stem from reverence - Uzzah’s attempt to prevent the Ark from falling - be met with such severity?

The answer, as several commentators note, lies not only in the act, but in what it represented. By placing the Ark on a cart, rather than carrying it on the shoulders of the Levites as prescribed in the Torah, David deviated from the proper protocol (see Rashi on verse 6:3).

As for Uzzah, the great 19th-century commentator Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibush Wisser, 1809-1879) offers a crucial insight. Placing the Ark on a wagon reflected a diminished perception of its sanctity, as if it required physical assistance.

Uzzah’s reflexive gesture, though well-intentioned, thus revealed a deeper misunderstanding. The Ark of G-d does not require human support; it is we who are sustained by it.

As the Talmud (Sotah 35a) teaches, “The Ark carries its carriers." The Divine presence is not something fragile that requires our protection; rather, it is we who are upheld by it.

This lesson resonates powerfully with the events of Parashat Shemini itself. There, Nadav and Avihu, Aaron’s sons, bring an unauthorized fire before G-d and are consumed in an instant. Their intentions may have been lofty, but they transgressed the boundaries set by the Almighty.

In both cases, we confront a sobering truth: closeness to G-d is not achieved through spontaneity alone, but through disciplined obedience. Passion must be guided by law.

And yet, the Haftorah does not end in despair.

After a period of reflection, David regains his composure. This time, he resolves to do things properly. The Ark is transported not on a cart, but by the Levites, in accordance with the Torah’s commandments. The procession resumes, and once again, Jerusalem becomes the focal point of celebration.

David’s joy is now unrestrained. He dances before the Ark with all his might, casting aside royal dignity in favor of devotion. When his wife Michal rebukes him, David responds that he will continue to dance before G-d even more.

True spirituality is not about appearances. It is about sincerity, humility and submission to the will of G-d.

The Haftorah then shifts to David’s desire to build a Temple, but the prophet Nathan delivers a surprising message: it will not be David who builds the House of the Lord, but his son. Instead, G-d promises to establish David’s dynasty forever.

Here, the narrative moves from human initiative to Divine providence. David may yearn to construct a physical edifice, but G-d reminds him that the true “house" is not one of stone, but of legacy.

In our own time, we are often tempted to measure success in tangible terms - buildings, institutions, achievements. But the Haftorah of Shemini urges us to think more deeply. What matters is not what we build, but what we become.

Are we, like David in his initial attempt, relying on our own assumptions? Or are we willing to pause and align ourselves with the Divine will?

The journey of the Ark to Jerusalem was not a straight path. It was marked by missteps, loss and recalibration. But in the end, it reached its destination through adherence to the sacred order that G-d had ordained.

That is the challenge the Haftorah places before us.

Holiness is not a matter of impulse, but of instruction. Reverence requires restraint. And while we aspire to draw closer to G-d, we must do so on His terms, not our own.

The Ark does not need us to hold it up.

It is we who must learn how to carry it.

Khawaja Muhammad AsifREUTERS

Pakistani Minister of Defense Khawaja Asif launched a harsh attack against Israel on Thursday amid the Pakistani-mediated ceasefire and negotiations between the United States and Iran, and the Israeli campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Asif wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that "Israel is evil and a curse for humanity, while peace talks are underway in Islamabad, genocide is being committed in Lebanon."

He continued: "Innocent citizens are being killed by Israel, first Gaza, then Iran, and now Lebanon, bloodletting continues unabated. I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews burn in hell."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar responded strongly to the remarks by the Pakistani Minister, stating that "Israel views these blatant antisemitic blood libels very gravely from a government claiming to 'mediate peace.'"

Sa'ar noted that "calling the Jewish state 'cancerous' is effectively calling for its annihilation."

"Israel will defend itself against terrorists who vow its destruction," Sa'ar vowed.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office commented: "Pakistan Defense Minister’s call for Israel’s annihilation is outrageous. This is not a statement that can be tolerated from any government, especially not from one that claims to be a neutral arbiter for peace."

IDF forces in LebanonIDF spokesperson

Every framework for ending a conflict rests on an assumption about what ending actually means. For most of the international community, an end to the fighting in Lebanon would mean a return to some version of the arrangements that preceded the current escalation, a renegotiated ceasefire, a redeployment of Lebanese Armed Forces, perhaps a strengthened UNIFIL mandate with marginally more robust enforcement language.

This is the diplomatic community's definition of success, and it has been tried, in various formulations, since 1978. It has failed every time for the same reason: it treats the absence of active combat as equivalent to the resolution of the underlying conflict, when in fact it is merely the interval between rounds.

There is a different way to think about how conflicts of this kind actually end. They do not end through negotiated arrangements that leave the adversary's fundamental orientation intact. They end when the adversary accepts, as a practical and psychological reality, that the existence and security requirements of the opposing state are permanent facts of the regional landscape rather than temporary impositions to be reversed through the next round of violence.

Applied to Lebanon, this logic yields a conclusion that the current Israeli government appears to be reaching by necessity even if it has not yet articulated it with full clarity. A buffer zone is not a strategy. It is a geography. What transforms geography into strategy is the political will to hold it indefinitely, and the clarity to explain why anything less produces the same result as what came before.

Hezbollah's decision to escalate in March 2026 was not an intelligence failure. It was the predictable consequence of a deterrence architecture built on foundations that the organization had spent years quietly undermining. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war, was premised on the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River and the deployment of the Lebanese state as the sole legitimate armed actor in that territory.

Neither condition was ever meaningfully enforced. UNIFIL documented violations. Reports accumulated. The Security Council met. Hezbollah rearmed at a pace that transformed its military capacity from a militia into something closer to a combined-arms force with precision munitions, anti-tank systems, and a drone program sophisticated enough to complicate Israeli air operations. The agreement failed not because its provisions were poorly drafted, but because no party to it was prepared to absorb the cost of enforcement, and Hezbollah understood this with absolute clarity.

The lesson the organization drew from 1701 was the same lesson it drew from every prior arrangement: that Israeli restraint, international supervision, and Lebanese state dysfunction together constituted a permissive environment in which reconstitution was not merely possible but essentially guaranteed.

Every ceasefire was an operational pause. Every withdrawal was a forward position abandoned.

An adversary that does not accept the permanence of the opposing state does not experience a ceasefire as a settlement. It experiences it as a reloading interval.

The argument for a permanent Israeli security zone in southern Lebanon is therefore not primarily territorial. It is psychological and doctrinal. Territory held consistently, governed clearly, and defended without apology, communicates something that rotating peacekeepers and diplomatic communiques cannot: that the strategic equation has changed in ways that are not subject to revision at the next round of negotiations.

The zone must be deep enough to deny Hezbollah the ability to mass forces within rocket and anti-tank range of Israeli communities, and it must be held with the explicit understanding that its evacuation is conditional not on the passage of time or the satisfaction of diplomatic benchmarks, but on the verified transformation of the adversary's fundamental relationship to Israeli sovereignty.

This brings the analysis to the question of Syrian neutrality, which certain regional diplomats have identified as a potential stabilizing variable. The proposition is theoretically appealing and operationally impossible. Syrian territory, particularly in the borderlands connecting the Bekaa Valley to the Damascus corridor, remains the primary logistics infrastructure through which Iran supplies, funds, and directs the network of which Hezbollah is the most capable node. As long as those networks remain physically intact and politically protected by whatever governing arrangement emerges in Damascus, Syrian neutrality is a declaration without content.

Iran does not need Syrian belligerence to sustain Hezbollah. It needs Syrian passivity, and Syrian passivity regarding Iranian logistics has been the consistent condition of the borderlands for decades regardless of who nominally controls the territory.

None of this promises that the path forward is easy or that its costs are low. It argues instead that the alternative has already been tried at enormous cost and has produced the situation Israel confronts today. Agreements that leave the adversary's will intact, its networks functioning, and its orientation toward Israel's elimination unchanged are not solutions. They are postponements.

Southern Lebanon has already paid the price of several postponements. The question now is whether Israel is prepared to impose the conditions under which the other side's definition of the possible is permanently altered. Everything short of that is a buffer with an expiration date.

Amine Ayoub, a fellow at the Middle East Forum, is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco. Follow him on X: @amineayoubx

A fabulistISTOCK

The era of the fabulists is upon us, those who possess an astonishing ability to assert alternate realities and spin fictional tales of accomplishment and conquest. It is hard to decipher what is happening around us. Is the ceasefire real? The Straits of Hormuz are still not fully navigable despite President Trump’s assertion that it is the condition precedent for a cease fire. Can a cease fire last?

Iran’s claims of victory recall - and how appropriate for this time of year? - the 3300 year old Merneptah Stele, in which Egypt’s Pharaoh, humiliated by the pain inflicted upon him by the G-d of Israel whose people were liberated from Egyptian bondage, recorded for posterity that “Israel is laid waste-its seed is no more." Actually, it was Merneptah whose seed was no more.

It seems clear that everyone is lying.

Trump’s words generally bear a purely incidental relationship to reality. Iran was able to call his bluff because the more outlandish his threats, the less likely he is to carry them out. His increasingly bellicose texts revealed frustration that the Iranians were not bowing to his bullying. But the American interest in this war - certainly legitimate but never identical to Israel’s interests - peaked with the low-risk bombing of multiple Iranian facilities that surely has hampered Iran’s pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, although not ended it.

Iran, the evil, Jew-hating tyranny - an embarrassment to Islam - is devastated perhaps for years to come, despite its claims of victory. Its economy is shot, its proxies are scrambling to survive, it has antagonized its neighbors in the Persian Gulf, its weapons production facilities have been wrecked, and its reputation is in tatters. Despite the trillions of dollars it spent over many decades producing its deadly weapons, Iran can neither protect nor feed its own people. It survives on bluster and ruthlessness, its leaders hiding underground even as their henchmen continue to murder their own citizens.

Israel’s leaders paint the rosiest scenario and avow that the war will continue until all objectives are achieved. Indeed, despite the hatred-fueled denunciations of PM Netanyahu by Israel's opposition parties, much has been achieved. The threats of Hamas and Hezbollah have not been neutralized but they have been severely diminished, which is not to say that they cannot be reconstituted. Yair Lapid’s wild assertions that Israel’s strategic position in the world is “catastrophic" is classic fabulism. Even by the standards of election year rhetoric, it is beyond hallucinatory. But our enemies do persist and will not disappear anytime soon.

Two dangers loom.

The first danger is the world’s (including the US) temptation to declare the Hamas and Hezbollah problems solved, Gaza to be rehabilitated even with Hamas present, Lebanon rebuilt with Hezbollah still active, and Israel to withdraw precipitously from Gaza and south Lebanon. One can already hear voices - across the world and on Israel’s delusional left - declaring that “now is the time to create a Palestinian state." We would do well to adopt the Trump mantra of this week that “to the victor go the spoils" as well as to recall the follies of the past: “land for peace" cost us land conquered through the loss of Jewish lives and brought us not peace but a recurrence of aggression from the same places we surrendered.

The fabulists will try to tell us that “this time it will be different." We should reject that as a non-starter, even at the risk of offending Witkoff, Kushner, and Qatar, as we should also reject a maintenance of the status quo. The lands we conquered should be settled with Jews. Our maps should be adjusted to reflect the new reality, otherwise we will just be repeating the same mistakes of the past.

Nations that allow their territory to be used as launching pads for attacks on Israel should lose that land in perpetuity. That is effective deterrence. No more, “sorry, we won’t do it again, at least not right away." This will be Netanyahu’s real test, one that no amount of spin will allow him to dissemble and explain away. It is also the smart political move - in Israel, if not in DC or Paris.

The other danger is the US and the world community allowing Iran to retain effective control over the Straits of Hormuz, which seems in part to have happened already. The infusion of cash will buoy the Iranian economy and allow the Iranians to continue to sow trouble across the globe. The problem is that combatting this is not a primary interest of the US or Israel. Neither country uses Gulf oil. Sure, diminished access to the Straits will affect the world’s oil supply and ravage many economies if adjustments are not made. For example, the global price of oil is fixed and uniform and supply shortages in one place affect the price of oil everywhere. But why should that be, any more than there should be a fixed price for bananas or computer chips across the globe?

It is hard to see how Trump will risk American lives in order to reopen the Straits of Hormuz to oil tankers that do not benefit America. Nor should he; hence the empty bluster that led to Trump caving into a cease fire. The unspoken mystery here is where are the Gulf countries - the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, et al, countries that have literally spent hundreds of billions of dollars buying American arms? Why didn’t they bomb Iran, especially after Iran wantonly bombed them?

Despite the protestations of Jew haters in America that the US went to war for Israel, notwithstanding that the bulk of the heavy fighting and weakening of Iran was done by Israel, in retrospect it would seem that the US did the bulk of its fighting for the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Chew on that, Tucker Carlson, one of today’s leading fabulists. They should be using their own military to open the Straits!

Other fabulists have been strangely silent in recent weeks. Those are the faux moralists who are quick to condemn Israel for alleged violations of the hoax known as international law, which seems to be a set of legal principles designed to ensure that the good guys can never win a war. (When I heard the other day that the Americans had a ready set of targets fully “vetted by lawyers," I knew that a ceasefire was imminent and victory a pipedream.) I remember when Israel was condemned decades ago for using cluster bombs in Lebanon. Yet, when Iran used them extensively against us in the last few weeks, crickets. Where are the international courts and human rights activists?

Even worse, isn’t it odd that we have heard nothing in the last six weeks about the civilian-to-combatant casualty ratio? By my rough count, Iran killed only Israeli civilians, and not a single fighter. Where are these phony numbers crunchers now? I was a good student in algebra, but I do not even need a calculator to determine that is a ratio of 100% civilians, 0% combatants, the worst in all of recorded history, and yet… crickets. It is a good reminder that we should stop playing that foolish, macabre game, dismiss the algebra aficionados with the contempt and disdain they deserve, and just win wars.

The coming months present Israelis with great opportunities. A resumption of hostilities with Iran involving American forces is increasingly unlikely. It is more likely that Trump will claim that Iran has surrendered and agreed to his demands even if such has not occurred. What we can do is ensure that Iran’s proxies do not survive, and that Iran is unable to hide behind proxies in the future.

Proxy attacks on Israel should result in devastating attacks on Iran’s infrastructure. They should be held accountable for the belligerence of their agents as if they did it themselves. We are quite capable of defanging Hamas and Hezbollah - and if successful, Netanyahu will deserve all the accolades he will receive from fair-minded Israelis. If he does not succeed, well, then the last three years will be just the longest and deadliest of all the cycles of violence over which Netanyahu has presided during his long tenure, and that will be to his discredit.

Nevertheless, we should bear in mind one of the verities of Jewish history. Ultimate victory over all our foes is not ours, and true peace will await the coming of Messiah.

On the banks of the Red Sea, Moshe told our ancestors 3338 years ago (Shemot 14:13) to “stand firm and see G-d’s salvation that He will do for you today, for as you have seen Egypt today, you shall not see them, ever again." But in fact, we have seen Egypt, many times since, from biblical times to the modern era. We have even fought them repeatedly. What then does the Torah mean?

One of the more recent biblical commentators, Umberto Cassuto, explained that we would never again see Egypt as invincible and intimidating, and all-powerful, an empire so indestructible that we cowered before it and were too paralyzed even to confront them.

That, too, is an outcome of this war that - even now - affords us courage and confidence. The bogeyman of Iran - with its countdown to Israel’s destruction clock in the heart of Tehran, with its furious and revolting rhetoric of hate against Jews, with its goal of Israel’s extermination the very reason for its existence - that Iran has been humiliated and degraded, its leadership dead or discredited, struggling to remain in existence.

That is a divine blessing for which we should give thanks - and that harsh reality should confound even the greatest fabulists among them.

Rav Steven Pruzanskyת a rabbi and attorney in the United States, now resides in Israel where he teaches Torah in Modiin, serves as Senior Research Associate at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP.ngo), the Israel Region VP of the Coalition for Jewish Values, and is author of the two volume Chumash commentary “The Jewish Ethic of Personal Responsibility" (Gefen Publishing).

Argentina's President Milei in the KnessetYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Minister Brig. Gen. (res.) Miri Regev, who is responsible for the 78th Independence Day events, announced on Thursday that she has chosen Argentine President Javier Milei, from among the candidates recommended by the public advisory committee, to light a torch at Mount Herzl on Independence Day.

Milei, who has led Argentina for the past two and a half years, has expressed his support for Israel through a series of leadership steps, including recognizing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah, and Hamas as terrorist organizations, efforts toward the release of hostages, the decision to rename "Palestine Street" to "Bibas Family Street," after the mother and two young boys murdered by Palestinian Arab terrorists in captivity, and his active struggle in international forums against antisemitism and in support of Israel’s right to defend itself.

Regev stated: "In these very complex years we are in the midst of, the State of Israel has found in Buenos Aires a true friend and a devoted partner on this path. President Javier Milei is among the most prominent leaders of the free world and one of Israel’s closest friends, a true friend and a genuine Zionist, an example of partnership, loyalty, and appreciation for the Jewish people and one of the greatest friends of the Jewish people. His selection expresses the immense gratitude that all citizens of Israel feel for his leadership and our great pride in the warm and close ties between Israel and Argentina."

As recently published, the Israeli government approved Regev’s recommendation that the torch-lighting ceremony for Israel’s 78th Independence Day will this year be held under the theme "Strengths of Renewal."

The torches will be lit by men and women whose actions help strengthen national resilience, cultivate regions that have suffered severe damage since October 7, and enable progress along the paths of recovery, rebuilding, and healing that are so greatly needed.

Torah scrollISTOCK

Edited by B. Silberstein

This week’s Parasha, Shemini, describes the tragic punishment of two exceedingly righteous individuals, an event that shocked the entire nation. The death of Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, calls upon us to reflect deeply on the nature of Divine service and the demands of authentic religious observance.

The Torah’s Uncompromising Standard of Justice

The Torah is uncompromisingly honest and does not conceal the failings of its most revered personalities. It records Aharon’s role in the episode of the Golden Calf and reveals Moshe’s error at the Waters of Contention. Moshe paid dearly for his mistake, as he was denied entry into the Land with his people. No special dispensation was granted, and even his intense prayers for a reprieve were of no avail.

Hashem governs the world with absolute justice and holds every individual accountable. Indeed, the greater the person, the more exacting the standard to which he is held.

The Enigma of Nadav and Avihu

The sin of Aharon’s sons is not immediately apparent. It occurred at the climactic moment of the dedication of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Aharon and his sons adhered precisely to Hashem’s commands in preparing the inaugural offerings.

Hashem’s glory then appeared, as a divine fire emerged and consumed the sacrifices. This revelation of Divine favor profoundly affected the entire nation, who saw it and “sang a glad song and fell upon their faces" (VaYikra 9:24).

Suddenly, the unexpected occurred. Nadav and Avihu, acting on their own initiative, brought an incense offering that Hashem had not commanded. The response was immediate and devastating. A fire from Hashem consumed them. At the height of national exaltation, tragedy struck at the heart of the people.

What was the nature of their sin? What rendered their actions so egregious?

There is no indication that they were motivated by a desire to sin or to rebel. On the contrary, they were overtaken by the intensity of the moment and sought to enhance the Divine service.

The Danger of Subjective Religious Expression

Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik explained that their offering was sinful for one fundamental reason: it was not commanded by Hashem. It emerged from their subjective religious experience, internal to man himself.

This teaches a critical principle. Unauthorized forms of worship, particularly in the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple), constitute a severe violation of Divine service. Religious emotion, regardless of its sincerity, is not a reliable guide in determining what _Hashem_regards as authentic worship.

Man naturally seeks closeness to the Creator and aspires to spiritual elevation. However, this desire must be governed by the intellect. When religious emotion overwhelms the mind, it produces distortion rather than truth.

This idea is reflected in the popular expression, “Let conscience be your guide." This notion assumes that the human conscience is inherently aligned with objective morality. Yet history demonstrates that some of the gravest evils were perpetrated by individuals who acted with a clear conscience.

Of course, conscience is indeed a creation of Hashem and serves an important function. However, it is not the arbiter of truth. Only the intellect, guided by a proper understanding of Torah, can apprehend what is correct.

To act based on instinctive feelings of right and wrong, or even powerful religious inspiration, is to undermine the principle of Divine Revelation. Man is not equipped with innate knowledge of how to serve Hashem.

Authentic Worship and the Limits of Human Intuition

Furthermore, subjective feelings are not indicators of correctness. A sense of guilt does not necessarily imply wrongdoing, and so too a feeling of righteousness does not guarantee that one’s actions are proper. Emotional conviction, no matter how intense, cannot act as a substitute for objective truth.

We can now understand the gravity of the sin of Nadav and Avihu. They experienced profound religious inspiration, which led them to bring an offering of their own initiative.

In doing so, they violated a fundamental principle: that the forms of Divine service are determined solely by Hashem. It is only through Revelation that we know how He is to be served.

It is not man’s role to originate religious expressions, but to understand, fulfill, and conform to the revealed Will of Hashem.

We must cultivate a genuine desire to serve Hashem, together with a firm commitment to seek out the truth and adhere to it.

May we merit to do so.

Shabbat Shalom.

Mojtaba KhameneiReuters/Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto

Iranian Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei published a series of posts on X marking forty days since the death of his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, referring to the event as the "martyrdom of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution."

Opening with a Quranic verse, “Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear victory (Quran 48:1)," Khamenei described the passage of forty days since what he called a "dreadful crime" carried out by "enemies of Islam & Iran."

Khamenei stated that, unlike past historical events, the followers of the late leader "rose up to confront falsehood" and remained steadfast. He added that over the past forty days, supporters of the late leader have acted "like balls of fire on the heads of the Pharaohs."

Referring to what he termed the "Third Sacred Defense," Khamenei declared that "the heroic nation of Iran" is "the definite victor in this battlefield."

Addressing Iran’s southern neighbors, Khamenei said they were "witnessing a miracle" and called on them to "stand on the right side" and reject what he described as "false promises of the devils," apparently referring to Israel and the United States. He further stated that Iran was awaiting "an appropriate response" from those countries, adding that relations would depend on their willingness to "renounce the Arrogant Powers."

Khamenei also warned that Iran would not allow "criminal aggressors" to go unpunished, stating that the country would demand "full reparations for all damages caused," as well as compensation for those killed and wounded.

He doubled down on Iran's insistence not to give up control over the Strait of Hormuz, stating that Iran would take the management of the Strait "to a new phase," while emphasizing that Iran has not sought war but would not "relinquish" what he described as its legitimate rights.

Khamenei concluded by stating that Iran would continue to pursue what he described as justice for the death of his father and other casualties, adding that the nation remains committed to the path of the "Resistance Front" and to standing "against the Front of Disbelief and Arrogance."

The posts, however, contradict various reports, citing US and Israeli intelligence, that indicated that Mojtaba Khamenei is in Qom, a city 87 miles south of Tehran and that he is in a serious, "semi-comatose" state or "critical condition" and unable to make decisions. He has not appeared in public, and it has been suggested that videos of him on social media are AI generated and that the IRGC is ruling the country.

Benjamin NetanyahuChaim Goldberg/Flash90

The right-wing coalition is stabilizing at a majority of 64 seats, according to a poll published this evening (Thursday) on i24NEWS. According to the survey data, the Likud party rises to 32 seats, allowing Netanyahu to confidently lead the bloc.

The coalition partners maintain their strength and contribute to the bloc’s stability: Shas receives 10 seats, United Torah Judaism 9 seats, and Otzma Yehudit another 9 seats. Religious Zionism receives 4 seats.

Yesh Atid, led by Yair Lapid, receives only 2.7%, and Blue and White, led by Benny Gantz, receives 1.8%-both remain below the electoral threshold and outside the Knesset. The “Reservists" party (1.2%) and Balad (2.3%) also fail to clear the threshold.

In the opposition bloc, the “Yashar" party led by Gadi Eisenkot reaches 14 seats, becoming the second largest, followed by “Bennett 2026" with 11 seats. Yisrael Beytenu and the Democrats each receive 10 seats.

In contrast, a Kan News poll shows Likud weakening to just 25 seats, with Netanyahu’s bloc standing at 51 seats-far from the majority needed to form a government. Meanwhile, the anti-Netanyahu bloc reaches 69 seats, or 59 without the Arab parties.

Naftali Bennett’s party receives 19 seats, Eisenkot’s “Yashar!" 14, and the Democrats 11. Yesh Atid receives 6 seats, while Religious Zionism, Blue and White, the “Reservists" party led by Yoaz Hendel, and Balad do not pass the threshold.

A Channel 13 News poll presents yet another different picture: Likud stands at just 22 seats, while “Bennett 2026" reaches 21 seats and “Yashar!" 12.

Otzma Yehudit and Shas each receive 10 seats, the Democrats and Yisrael Beytenu 8, and United Torah Judaism 7. Yesh Atid receives 6 seats, Hadash-Ta’al 6, and Ra’am 5, while Religious Zionism rises to 5 seats.

According to this poll, the right-wing bloc reaches 54 seats. In a scenario of a joint run by the Arab parties, Likud and Bennett each receive 20 seats, the Joint Arab List 16, “Yashar!" 11, the Democrats 7, and Religious Zionism 6.

Amichai ChikliArutz Sheva

The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, today (Thursday), released a special report that examines American public sentiment regarding the war against Iran. The report analyzes its potential impact on the US political system, anti-Israel discourse, and the safety of Jewish communities.

While support for the campaign remains high among the Republican public, an anti-war discourse identified with isolationist currents on the American right, primarily "America First" and "America Only", is intensifying. This discourse does not stop at opposing military involvement; it frequently devolves into narratives such as: "Israel First", "Dying for Israel" and accusations of Israeli or Jewish "control" over US foreign policy.

According to the report (which covers the period up to April 1, 2026), online discourse reflects a sharp polarization: Establishment Leadership, Republican leaders, political officials, and mainstream conservative commentators frame the campaign as an essential necessity to curb the Iranian threat, ensure regional deterrence, and protect US allies. However, prominent figures in the populist and anti-establishment sphere frame the war as a violation of the "no more wars" promise, claiming it fails to serve American interests.

The report highlights a significant surge in anti-war messaging on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter). These messages are often accompanied by antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories against Israel including thousands of mentions of terms like "Neocon", “America First" and "Dying for Israel" which attempt to link the war to domestic US political conspiracies.

According to the report, it also appears that while the majority of Republicans currently support action against Iran, this support is not unlimited. As the campaign lengthens, expands, or leads to significant economic costs, the rifts within the Republican camp may deepen, and voices opposing American involvement may grow stronger.

The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism emphasized that these trends may have direct implications not only for Israel-US relations, but also for the level of risk faced by Jewish and Israeli communities in the United States.

The ministry stated that past experience shows that when anti-Israel narratives are combined with accusations of "dual loyalty," "Jewish control," or "wars for Israel," the path to an increase in antisemitic incidents is particularly short.

Amichai Chikli, Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, said: "The picture emerging from the report is concerning: alongside significant American support for the war against the Iranian terror regime, a discourse is expanding in the U.S. that attempts to present Israel as acting manipulatively, as if it dragged the U.S. into war. This is a dangerous discourse that often devolves from political and diplomatic criticism into conspiratorial rhetoric with a sharp antisemitic aroma. Our role is to identify these trends in time, alert people to them, and act together with our partners to understand deep-seated trends and know how to prepare and respond to them."

Avi Cohen-Scali, Director General of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, added: "The report emphasizes how much the perceptual arena in the U.S. affects reality on the ground. We identify an increasingly tightening connection between internal political debate in the U.S. and the dissemination of anti-Israel and antisemitic messages online. The National Command Center of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism continues to monitor developments, analyze the discourse in real-time, and provide updated assessments to relevant parties in Israel and around the world."

The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism noted that heading into this coming November and the U.S. midterm elections, the issue is expected to continue shaping the political discourse on the American Right. They emphasize the need for continued close monitoring of the evolution of narratives, their impact on public opinion, and the potential implications for Israel and American Jewry.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on Thursday reassuring the residents of northern Israel following his announcement that Israel would negotiate directly with the Lebanese government.

Netanyahu opened his statement by telling the residents of the north that he is proud of them for continuing to stand strong.

He then clarified: "There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security."

According to the Prime Minister, "Our great achievements, both in Iran and against the Axis of Evil, have brought about a historic shift in Israel’s standing in the region. They have also led to a change in our ties with countries we did not have relations with in the past."

He then explained what led to the decision to open negotiations: "Following repeated requests from the Lebanese government to open peace negotiations with us, last night I instructed the Cabinet to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon to achieve two goals: First, the disarmament of Hezbollah. Second, a historic, sustainable peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon."

Netanyahu concluded: "Israel is stronger than ever; Iran is weaker than ever. I have already brought four peace agreements with Arab nations, and I intend to bring more - true peace, peace through strength."

The Prime Minister announced on Thursday that he has instructed the cabinet to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible, following repeated requests from Lebanon for direct talks.

Netanyahu noted that the negotiations would focus on disarming Hezbollah and on establishing peace relations between the two countries. He further stated that Israel appreciates the Lebanese Prime Minister's call to demilitarize Beirut.

The direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will be led, on behalf of Israel, by Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, the US side will be led by the Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, and Lebanon will be represented by its Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh-Moawad, who is a close affiliate with President Joseph Aoun.

Israeli officials clarified that the negotiations will be conducted under fire, and that IDF forces would continue to operate in Lebanon.

Zamir in LebanonIDF Spokesperson

The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, conducted a tour today (Thursday) in southern Lebanon and held a situation assessment. He later approved plans for the continuation of operations with the command leadership.

Participating in the visit were the Commander of the Northern Command, MG Rafi Milo; the Head of the Technology and Logistics Directorate, MG Rami Abudraham; the Commander of the 98th Division, BG Guy Levy; the Commander of the Givati Brigade, COL N.; and additional commanders.

The Chief of the General Staff expressed his appreciation to the 98th Division and the Givati Brigade for their professionalism and determination in operating on the battlefield.

Following his visit, the Chief of the General Staff also met and spoke with the Head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council, Asaf Langleben.

Chief of Staff Zamir stated: “The IDF is at war. We continue to fight against the Hezbollah terrorist organization with great intensity. Yesterday, we entered into a ceasefire in Iran, we are prepared to resume fighting with great determination if required."

"The primary arena of our fighting is here in Lebanon. We continue to deepen the ground operations and continue to strike Hezbollah. This is a very powerful operation; our troops are operating along the front lines and at depth," he said. "The IDF’s achievements in the war against Iran are unprecedented and historic. Iran before this war is not the same Iran; it is far weaker. We have struck across Iran’s entire chain. The blow Iran sustained is one that affects Hezbollah. Hezbollah is isolated within Lebanon and cut off from its strategic artery in Iran. The Lebanese government understands more than ever the magnitude of the problem posed by the presence of a radical, fanatical terrorist organization on its soil."

"While you are operating and advancing at the front, yesterday we delivered a heavy and powerful blow to Hezbollah. They left Dahieh and moved to other locations from which they managed the fight. The objective defined for you is the removal of the direct threat to the residents of the north, which you are carrying out on the ground.

As you advance and fight the enemy, when you look back we see the lights of the communities (of northern Israel), this is the purpose of your mission. We are situated across all fronts and serve as the buffer between the communities and the enemy. Our mission is clear - to continue deepening the damage and to continue weakening Hezbollah. I see the steadfast spirit you demonstrate. You are wearing Hezbollah down.

“In every arena, we are required to operate from a position of clear advantage and decisively defeat the enemy." There is an opportunity here, we will continue to act to restore long-term security to the residents of the north," Zamir concluded.

Missile interceptions. ArchiveAyal Margolin/Flash90

Sirens sounded at 1:15 on Friday morning in Tel Aviv and its surrounding cities after the Hezbollah terrorist organization launched at least two missiles from Lebanon. One missile was intercepted, and a second fell in an open area. No injuries were reported.

Earlier on Thursday evening, sirens sounded in Haifa, the Bay Area, the upper Galilee, and along the Israel-Lebanon border due to four launches from Lebanon. One missile was reportedly intercepted, and the others apparently fell in open areas.

MDA reported that no reports of injuries were received following the launches. The incident occurred after a day of escalation, during which over 50 rockets were launched towards northern communities.

Earlier in the evening, the IDF warned that, in accordance with the situational assessment, and following the launches from Lebanese territory since this morning, additional areas across the State of Israel may come under fire.

The IDF emphasizes that, at this stage, the public should remain vigilant, alert, and act responsibly, while continuing to follow the Home Front Command’s instructions.

The IDF added that should there be any changes in the situational assessment, the public will be updated accordingly.

The military noted that it is prepared to operate both defensively and offensively.

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he instructed the cabinet to hold direct negotiations with the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and reach a peace agreement.

That being said, the Prime Minister stressed that “there is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We continue to strike Hezbollah with force, and we will not stop until we restore your security."

According to him, the goals of the negotiations are clear: “the disarmament of Hezbollah" and “a sustainable historic peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon."

Before the announcement of the negotiations, Netanyahu praised the recent strikes in Lebanon, emphasizing: "Our message is clear: We will strike anyone who acts against Israeli civilians will be targeted. We will continue to strike Hezbollah wherever necessary until full security is restored for residents of the north."

US Vice President JD Vance, who will head the talks, spoke to reporters during a visit to Budapest, explaining, "I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn’t. We never made that promise. We never indicated that was going to be the case. What we said is that the ceasefire would be focused on Iran and the ceasefire would be focused on America’s allies."

"If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart, in a conflict where they were getting hammered, over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice. We think that would be dumb, but that’s their choice."

On Wednesday night, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stressed that the US-Iran ceasefire agreement does not include Lebanon, and that all parties are aware of this.

Rom BraslavskyOren Ben Hakoon/Flash90

Captivity survivor Rom Braslavski posted an emotional story this evening (Thursday) on his Instagram account, speaking out against a “wave of hate" on social media that has been targeting him in recent days.

Braslavski expressed shock at attempts to associate him with political camps. “Notice that in recent days, the right and the left in Israel have decided that I’ve taken a side-and they’ve labeled me and labeled me as a ‘Kaplanist,’" he wrote.

“I’m not a Kaplanist and not a ‘Bibist.’ I’m a 100% disabled IDF veteran who survived Hamas captivity, and I have a message to deliver to the whole world. In my opinion, this is completely absurd."

He quoted fellow captivity survivor Eli Sharabi: “Neither right nor left-only straight," and emphasized that attempts to paint him in political colors are harming his efforts to make his voice heard.

Braslavski described the emotional toll of the online harassment: “I ask all those who love me to protect me on social media from this boundless wave of hatred that is crushing me and my work and is destroying my mental well-being. Please stop."

According to him, a significant portion of the attacks comes from the political right: “Unfortunately, most of the attacks come from the right. You have no humanity to behave like this toward a disabled IDF veteran. This is outright bullying, and no one should let this pass as normal."

In closing, Rom called on his followers and the general public not to remain silent: “I ask everyone who sees this-stand up for me and stop this madness. Don’t stay silent. This is the State of Israel, not North Korea."

He also added: “Everything I post immediately receives negative responses. It’s simply unbelievable… I don’t deserve this kind of treatment from people."

Inauguration of Maoz TzurShahar Cohen

In a festive ceremony attended by senior officials, a new community in western Binyamin was inaugurated on Thursday.

Among those present were Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Amana Chairman Ze’ev (Zambish) Hever, Settlement Division (WZO) Chairman Yishai Merling, Israel’s Ambassador to Panama Ezra Cohen, and additional Members of Knesset.

Defense Minister Israel Katz sent a recorded message, stating: “The establishment of a new community is a true day of celebration-not only for you, the pioneering families, but for all Israelis and all Zionists, for everyone whose love of the Land of Israel and the People of Israel runs deep. Every time I meet the residents of Judea and Samaria, I am reminded that building communities is the clearest expression of the beauty of the Land of Israel. Here, the concept of developing the land takes on a deeply tangible meaning."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said: “We are in Binyamin-thirty communities in Binyamin alone have been advanced since this government took office. What is remarkable is that they do not remain on paper or in cabinet decisions; through full partnership, they become roads, temporary housing, permanent homes, families, and children. When you stand here, you understand how this ultimately contributes to the security of Modi’in, Rosh HaAyin, and Kfar Saba."

“We have a strong military arm with significant achievements, alongside a decisive political phase in Judea and Samaria that rejects the idea of dividing the land and establishing a terror state in the heart of the country. There will be a political component that completes the outcome in Gaza, one that expands our borders. There will be a political component in Lebanon that will extend our borders to the Litani River within defensible lines. There will also be a political dimension in Syria, at Mount Hermon and at least within the buffer zone. There is both a military and a political effort, and both reflect courage, faith, and love of the land."

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said: “What we are doing here today must be clearly stated: much of the world is not with us. Yet we have come, representing a broad cross-section of the government and the Knesset, to declare to the world-this is our land. We are not here as guests, nor are we here temporarily. When we are told to ‘go back to where you came from,’ we answer: we have returned to where we came from. The message from here is clear-we are here to stay for generations."

Amana Secretary-General Ze’ev (Zambish) Hever said: “It is a great privilege to stand here and witness this significant achievement-a dream of many years realized. We are strengthening the communities along Route 443, closing the gap between Modi’in and Beit Horon, and in the coming months, with G-d’s help, we will connect to the Talmonim and Dolev bloc."

Settlement Division Chairman Yishai Merling said: “Our mission now is to provide the tools to transform this caravan neighborhood into a thriving community of hundreds of families. I thank the Government of Israel for taking this historic step, and our partners-especially Binyamin Regional Council Governor Yisrael Ganz-for their leadership and dedication."

Israel’s Ambassador to Panama, Ezra Cohen, said: “Especially in these challenging times, as the people of Israel continue to demonstrate extraordinary resilience, it is an honor to take part in the inauguration of Ma’oz Tzur. This moment reflects a powerful spirit of building, faith, and commitment to the future. Panama stands with Israel and deeply respects its determination to move forward, even in complex circumstances."

The community is situated in a strategic, elevated position overlooking Route 443, one of the main arteries connecting Jerusalem to central Israel. Officials emphasized its security and strategic significance, noting that its establishment is part of a broader effort to strengthen communities as a key component of national security in response to regional threats.

The site already includes full infrastructure, roads, water, and electricity-and the first families have begun moving in, as part of a wider initiative to strengthen the local presence and establish facts on the ground. Of the first 11 families, eight are reservist families, with wives and children settling in while the husbands serve on the front lines.

Binyamin Regional Council Governor Yisrael Ganz said at the ceremony: “We are standing here today in a new community, not an idea, not a plan, but a reality, with roads, electricity, water, and families. Our enemies build terror, while we build life. They seek to attack, and we strengthen our presence. This is a decisive moment. The families arriving now are the pioneers of this generation."

He added, “Anyone who believes the threat is distant should look at the surrounding area. If we are not here, agents of Iran and terrorist organizations will be. It is either us or them-and we are here to prevail."

Lahav 433Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90

A superintendent (Deputy Commissioner-rank) officer in the Lahav 433 unit was questioned today (Thursday) under caution by the Department of Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) on suspicion of sexual harassment and committing an indecent act against a female officer subordinate to him.

At the conclusion of the questioning, it was decided to bar the officer from all police facilities for a period of one week, while the investigation continues.

The case began with a complaint filed by the female officer, in which she detailed a pattern of harassment by the senior officer.

According to the suspicions, the officer did not limit himself to sexually explicit remarks, but also made indecent propositions to the officer during an official meeting in which they both participated. The officer claimed in her complaint that he also attempted to touch her against her will.

The officer submitted a written and detailed testimony to her direct commander, who promptly reported the case to the Internal Investigations Department. This is an officer whose name has previously come up in connection with another investigation within Lahav, and who also gave an open testimony at the department’s offices a few months ago.

The current case joins a series of other incidents that have shaken the unit in recent times, including the investigation of the unit’s commander, Deputy Commissioner Meni Binyamin, and suspicions of leaking information to criminal organizations.

Shalom WasserteilHaim Twito

“And it was on the eighth day" - a phrase that carries profound weight. Commentators note its unusual prominence, even pointing out that the opening of the portion of Shemini is read multiple times in the liturgical cycle, underscoring its importance. The question arises: what makes this day so significant?

At its core, the eighth day marks a historic turning point - the moment when the Divine Presence, dwelled among the people of Israel, fulfilling the verse, “And I will dwell among them." Yet this same day is also marked by tragedy, with the deaths of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, who brought unauthorized fire before God. The result is a powerful duality: a day of immense joy and deep awe. The sages describe it as a moment comparable to the creation of heaven and earth - a renewal of divine closeness in the world.

This tension between celebration and reverence is captured in the tradition: “Rejoice with trembling." The Talmud teaches that this day brought joy before God like the day of creation itself. Linguistically, too, the Torah draws a parallel - the phrase “And it was" appears both here and in the creation narrative. Though often associated with sorrow, here it signals a higher joy: the fulfillment of divine purpose, as the Tabernacle becomes the vessel for God’s presence, mirroring the role of creation itself.

The eighth day also represents a moment of transition in leadership and religious authority. Moses formally transfers the duties of divine service to Aaron, his sons, and the elders of Israel. This public appointment ensures legitimacy and prevents any perception of self-appointment. At the same time, a deeper structural shift occurs: the role of sacrificial service passes from the firstborn to the tribe of Levi. After the sin of the Golden Calf, the firstborn are disqualified, and the Levites - who remained faithful - are chosen in their place. Still, the sanctity of the firstborn endures through commandments like redemption.

Another layer of meaning lies in the idea of “eight" itself, often seen as transcending the natural order represented by seven. The sages teach that this day was crowned with ten unique distinctions, marking numerous “firsts" - from the inauguration of the priesthood to the first divine fire descending upon the altar, and the establishment of the Tabernacle as the central place of worship.

The rituals of the day also carry echoes of earlier biblical events. Among the offerings is a goat brought as a sin-offering, interpreted by tradition as atonement for the sale of Joseph - a sin whose consequences ripple across generations. This connection reinforces the idea that even at moments of spiritual elevation, there is a need for reflection and rectification.

Ultimately, the eighth day stands as a moment of culmination and renewal. With the completion of the Tabernacle, Moses and Aaron bless the people, expressing the hope that God’s presence will rest upon their work. The imagery of the Song of Songs captures this beautifully, likening the day to a wedding - a union between God and Israel, marked by joy, beauty, and sacred closeness. It is a day when divine fire descends, not only upon the altar, but into the heart of a people entering a new chapter of their spiritual history.

The author is the CEO of Tzifha International Real Estate.

Master Sgt. Niv Simon BuhbotPolice spokesperson

The police announced this evening (Thursday) that Master Sgt. Niv Simon Buhbot, a Border Police (Yasam) soldier in the Sahar Unit of the Southern District, was killed in a fatal road accident on Highway 25.

Buhbot, only 25 at the time of his death, was a resident of Sderot. He is survived by his wife, parents, and two sisters. The police said they share in the family’s grief and will continue to support them during this difficult time.

According to details of the incident, Buhbot’s vehicle apparently collided with a safety barrier near Abu Talul in the Negev. Fire and rescue teams operated at the scene to extricate those trapped in the wrecked vehicle.

MDA paramedics who arrived at the scene found Buhbut with severe multi-system trauma and were forced to pronounce him dead at the scene.

In addition, MDA teams provided medical treatment and evacuated two other injured individuals from the scene to Soroka Medical Center. One of them, a man about 30 years old, was in critical condition, unconscious, with multi-system injuries; the other, 26, was in moderate condition with injuries to his limbs.

MDA paramedic Eitan Zimmerman and emergency medical technician Badr Al-Amour said: “When we arrived at the scene, we saw a vehicle with severe front-end damage. The driver was trapped, unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing. We performed medical checks and had to pronounce him dead at the scene. At the same time, additional MDA teams provided medical treatment to two men who were critically and moderately injured and then evacuated them to the hospital while continuing medical care."

Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that he has instructed the cabinet to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.

According to the Prime Minister, the decision follows repeated requests from Lebanon for direct talks.

Netanyahu noted that the negotiations would focus on disarming Hezbollah and on establishing peace relations between the two countries. He further stated that Israel appreciates the Lebanese Prime Minister's call to demilitarize Beirut.

The direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will be led, on behalf of Israel, by Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, the US side will be led by the Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, and Lebanon will be represented by its Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh-Moawad, who is a close affiliate with President Joseph Aoun.

Israeli officials clarified that the negotiations will be conducted under fire, and that IDF forces would continue to operate in Lebanon.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed residents of the north, saying: “There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We continue to strike Hezbollah with force, and we will not stop until we restore your security."

According to him, the goals of the negotiations are clear: “the disarmament of Hezbollah" and “a sustainable historic peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon."

The announcement comes minutes after NBC News cited an American official who said that President Donald Trump asked Netanyahu to reduce strikes on Lebanon.

According to the report, the request is intended to ensure the success of the ongoing negotiations with Iran.

The American official added that despite formal statements claiming Lebanon is not part of the agreement with Iran, Israel agreed to be a “helpful partner."

At the same time, the Iranian IRGC news agency Fars quoted a source as saying that the issue of Lebanon and a ceasefire there is a prerequisite for any new negotiation process on the part of Iran.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that “the only solution to the current situation in Lebanon is achieving a ceasefire with Israel. The proposal for a ceasefire with Israel and the start of direct negotiations with it has begun to receive positive feedback."

Lebanese troops on the Israeli borderKobi Richter/TPS

The IDF Arabic Language Spokesman Avichay Adraee published statistics and evidence on Thursday that refute the claims by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

According to the data, since the beginning of the current operation, the terror organization has launched approximately 3,000 mortars and missiles from the area between the Litani River and the border with Israel.

The data indicate that the launches were conducted from villages including Bint Jbil, Yatar, Qlailah, Baraashit, and Majdal Zoun.

According to the IDF Spokesperson, these statistics totally contradict the LAF's official statement published on January 8th, 2026, which stated that the army had completed the disarmament of Hezbollah in the area in question.

The IDF did not hold back on criticizing the Lebanese officials: "Today, it has become clear that this announcement was nothing but an absolute lie. These facts represent the greatest evidence of the catastrophic failure of the operation to disarm Hezbollah and to cleanse the area of its terrorist infrastructure."

It also revealed that not only did the LAF fail to remove the existing weapons, but it also allowed the terrorist organization to reinforce its forces in the south.

According to the statement, Hezbollah terrorists were allowed to cross the river freely via bridges and main crossings that they used either to head south or to transport means of combat from northern Lebanon to its south.

הנתונים שפרסם דובר צה"לצילום: דובר צה"ל

Israel KatzYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a statement today (Thursday) summarizing Operation “Eternal Darkness," and for the first time revealed the structured operational plan being led by the security establishment in southern Lebanon.

According to Katz, the latest operation has left the Hezbollah terrorist organization in a state of “shock and confusion" due to the depth of the incursion and the extent of the damage inflicted on its infrastructure.

Based on figures provided by the Defense Minister, more than 200 operatives were eliminated yesterday alone, bringing the total number of Hezbollah fatalities since the start of the campaign to over 1,400.

“Operation ‘Eternal Darkness’ was a very powerful blow to Hezbollah, leaving it stunned and confused by the depth of the penetration and the scale of the strike," Katz said, adding that “over 200 operatives were eliminated yesterday, bringing the total in this campaign to more than 1,400-more than twice the number in the Second Lebanon War."

He added that the terrorist organization and its patrons in Tehran are now pushing for a ceasefire out of fear of total collapse: “The Hezbollah terrorist organization is pleading for a ceasefire, and its Iranian patrons are also exerting pressure and issuing threats-out of serious concern that Israel will crush Hezbollah."

The Defense Minister detailed the IDF’s operational principles in Lebanon, based on creating security and control zones, stating that “the IDF is prepared and ready to act with force if Iran fires toward Israel."

He further noted that the separation of arenas constitutes an achievement that enables Israel to act against Hezbollah according to an organized plan.

Katz explained that the plan is based on four lines: “The border line-including the destruction of houses in Lebanese frontline villages; the defensive line inside Lebanon, which has been expanded from five to fifteen points; the anti-tank line, whose deployment has been completed through the ground maneuver and is currently being expanded to additional points; and the Litani line, where the IDF will maintain control as part of its control of the Litani area-preventing further infiltration by operatives and the return of residents to the south."

In closing, he said: “At the same time, the IDF will carry out aerial strikes, in accordance with the Iran model and with great intensity, against operatives and launchers in the Litani area and in launch zones across Lebanon outside the Litani region. We promised to bring security to the residents of the north-and that is exactly what we will do."

Touvel's funeralMichael Giladi/Flash90

Crowds accompanied Touvel Yosef Lifshiz, of blessed memory, a fighter in Battalion 13 of the Golani Brigade, who fell in battle in southern Lebanon, to his final resting place today (Thursday). His funeral began at 15:00 in the military section of the city cemetery.

Among those attending the funeral were former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer from the Religious Zionism party.

Lt. Col. Naor Amihai, deputy commander of the Golani Brigade, described the sense of shock and pain following his death. In his remarks, he addressed the family and the soldier’s friends, expressing the depth of the loss. “We stand here with broken hearts, stunned and in pain, struggling to accept the loss," Amihai said. He added, “Toval, you were a top-tier fighter, someone you could trust with your eyes closed."

The mayor of Beit She’an, Noam Jumaa, eulogized him with great sorrow: “Touvel-true to his name-was a person of kindness, dedication, and courage. A frontline machine gunner in the Golani Brigade, an instructor in Yahalom (a leadership program for at-risk youth), and above all, a family man who always volunteered, saw others, and was there for anyone in need. Despite receiving a different assignment, he chose, out of a sense of mission and pride, to follow in the path of his father and older brother and enlist in Golani-out of faith, values, and love of the land."

Construction in Judea and SamariaAbir Sultan /Flash90

Israel's Security Cabinet has covertly approved the establishment of 34 new communities in Judea and Samaria, i24NEWS reported on Thursday.

According to the report, the sweeping move was kept highly confidential to evade American pressure during the campaign against Iran.

According to the details, this would be the largest number of communities approved at once, with 69 communities having been approved in several different decisions so far. With the approval of the new plan, the total number is expected to increase to 103.

The locations of the approved communities are distant; some are deep in areas A and B, where the IDF seldom operates, and their defense would require significant security preparations.

Among the approved communities is Noa, south of Ganim and Kadim, near Qabatiya, an Emek Dotan, which will connect Sa-Nur, Homesh, and Shavei Shomron.

Sources who spoke with i24NEWS said that the IDF Chief of Staff, who was present at the cabinet session, did not outright oppose the move on the diplomatic level, but did express professional reservations due to personnel limitations.

The military requested that the decision's implementation be gradual and spread out over time to allow for the defense preparations, but this position was not accepted, and the decision passed.

The main reason the decision was kept under wraps was the desire to avoid heavy diplomatic pressure from the US administration, especially amid the conflict in Iran.

It was further reported that, as part of the decision, the cabinet approved the establishment of energy, water, and electric infrastructure even before the completion of land regulation procedures. This is a significant policy change designed to accelerate the establishment of the settlements and ensure their immediate survival in the area.

Missile impact in Bnei BrakFire and Rescue Spokesperson

The Tel Aviv District Police Prosecution Unit has filed an indictment against a 27-year-old resident of Samaria, who broke into a house in Bnei Brak during the evening hours, during a barrage of missiles from Iran.

According to the indictment, while the family rushed to enter a protected space and lock its door, the defendant took advantage of the situation, infiltrated the apartment, and sat down to eat dinner at the dining room table.

After finishing his meal, he entered the kitchen to take some "seconds," but at that point, the father left the protected space and saw him. A fight broke out between the two, after which the burglar managed to flee the apartment.

A volunteer police officer who resides next door heard the apartment owner shouting, "Thief, thief!" and began to chase the suspect, and managed to catch him.

In his interrogation, the defendant confessed to his actions and explained that his hunger led him to break into the home. "I have been homeless for a year," he claimed. I was hungry during the holiday. I saw food on the table through the blinds, and I decided to go in and eat."

The prosecution is demanding that the defendant be kept in custody until the end of the legal proceedings against him. At the same time, the police have requested that the defendant be sent for a psychiatric evaluation.

Ari SpitzArutz Sheva

Minister Miri Regev, who oversees the state events for Israel's 78th Independence Day, notified IDF soldier Ari Spitz that she has selected him from among the recommendations of the public advisory committee to light a torch on Mount Herzl on Independence Day.

Ari was sedated and on a ventilator for a month and a half after he was injured in an explosion in northern Gaza's Zaytun neighborhood. Immediately after awakening from his coma, he learned that he had lost an arm and his two legs, and began a long rehabilitation that took over 200 days.

"Ari, one of the most severely wounded soldiers in the war in Gaza, demonstrates inspiring resilience. Despite the heavy price he paid, Ari's spirit never fell. He managed to harness the power within himself to rebuild his daily routine and lend strength to many others. Through Ari, we salute all IDF soldiers, including the wounded in body and soul, who paid a heavy price to restore peace and security to the residents of Israel."

As recently reported, the Government of Israel approved the recommendation of Transportation Minister Miri Regev that this year’s torch-lighting ceremony for the country’s 78th Israeli Independence Day will be held under the theme “Power of Renewal."

The torches will be lit by women and men whose actions help strengthen national resilience, nurture regions that have been severely affected since October 7, and lead the way forward along the paths of recovery, rebuilding, and healing that are so greatly needed.

Gideon Sa'arצילום: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar exchanged sharp remarks amid Israel's continued operations against the Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon.

Kallas stated that "Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the war, but Israel’s right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction." She added that "Israeli strikes killed hundreds last night, making it hard to argue that such heavy-handed actions fall within self-defence."

She further warned that "Israeli actions are putting the US-Iran ceasefire under severe strain," adding that "the Iran truce should extend to Lebanon." Kallas also said that "Hezbollah must disarm" and that "the EU supports Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah."

In response, Sa'ar addressed Kallas directly, writing: "Dear High Rep., these are the facts:" He stated that "since Hezbollah began its attacks unprovoked on March 2nd, it has indiscriminately fired roughly 6,500 missiles, rockets and drones at Israeli communities and citizens."

Sa'ar said that "the IDF action yesterday in Lebanon was a precise strike, based on intelligence, aimed at dozens of terror targets: Hezbollah command centers manned by terrorists, weapons depots and launch sites." He added that "the vast majority of the casualties were Hezbollah terrorists" and asserted that "no other military in the world is able to strike so precisely with minimal civilian casualties."

"Dear High Rep., this action was far more precise than in any other war you’re familiar with," Sa'ar continued.

Addressing Kallas’s call to extend the ceasefire, Sa'ar said: "Your call to extend the ceasefire to Lebanon is exactly the Iranian terror regime’s position." He added that "it makes Lebanon not just de-facto under Iranian occupation. It makes Lebanon de-jure Iranian territory," and stated that "the US already made it clear that Lebanon is not part of the deal."

Sa'ar also challenged Kallas’s assertion regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament, writing: "You claimed that Hezbollah ‘agreed to disarm’. When did that happen???" He added: "The opposite is true. Time and again Hezbollah declared they won’t."

He further stated that "despite its commitment to do so in the November 2024 ceasefire - the Lebanese government hadn’t done that, as we can all clearly see today," adding that "ridiculously enough, Hezbollah ministers still serve in the Lebanese government."

Kiryat Shmonah (illustrative)Police spokesperson

The Hezbollah terror group has continued raining missiles on northern Israel, and specifically the Galilee Panhandle, throughout Wednesday night and Thursday.

Most of the missiles were intercepted, while others fell in open areas. No unusual reports were received.

A senior Houthi rebel figure in Yemen, Hizam al-Assad, threatened that “the Israeli-American escalation in Lebanon will not go unanswered."

Another senior Houthi official, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, wrote in Hebrew on Wednesday: “Any foolish act by the Israeli enemy entity in a new aggression against our people in Lebanon will be met with a response from Yemen of unprecedented force. We will not remain silent and will not abandon our brothers in Hezbollah, no matter the challenges and risks."

Meanwhile, senior figures in Iran’s terror regime are threatening to halt negotiations with the US and end the ceasefire if Israel continues its strikes in Lebanon.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told ITV: “An Iranian delegation will travel to peace talks in Islamabad only if Israel halts its attacks on Lebanon. Any peace in the region must include Lebanon, and the coming hours will be critical. Iran was on the verge of responding last night, but refrained in order to allow room for diplomacy."

At the same time, the Home Front Command is expected in the coming hours to announce an expansion of permitted gatherings in central Israel to 5,000 people. The directive will apply, among other areas, to the Tel Aviv region and the lowland areas, following instructions from Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the recent strikes in Lebanon, emphasizing: "Our message is clear: We will strike anyone who acts against Israeli civilians will be targeted. We will continue to strike Hezbollah wherever necessary until full security is restored for residents of the north."

US Vice President JD Vance, who will head the talks, spoke to reporters during a visit to Budapest, explaining, "I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon, and it just didn’t. We never made that promise. We never indicated that was going to be the case. What we said is that the ceasefire would be focused on Iran and the ceasefire would be focused on America’s allies."

"If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart, in a conflict where they were getting hammered, over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice. We think that would be dumb, but that’s their choice."

On Wednesday night, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stressed that the US-Iran ceasefire agreement does not include Lebanon, and that all parties are aware of this.

The eliminated terroristIDF Spokesperson

The IDF confirmed on Thursday that, acting on intelligence, it struck and eliminated Maher Qassem Hamdan, the Commander of the Lebanese Resistance Brigades terrorist organization in the Chebaa area in southern Lebanon.

Hamdan was responsible for terrorist recruitment, weapons supply, and funding the Lebanese Resistance Brigades in Chebaa.

The Lebanese Resistance Brigades terror organization is funded by the Hezbollah terror organization and is connected to it directly. The terrorists of the terrorist organization take part in executing terror activities against IDF troops and Israeli civilians.

Hamadan was eliminated with an additional seven terrorists who were fleeing the Cheba area, where they were operating, to the Sidon area.

The Western WallWestern Wall Heritage Foundation

After roughly 40 days of strict crowd limits, the Western Wall plaza reopened to full capacity this morning (Thursday), following updated defense policies and revised Home Front Command guidelines.

Previously, access to the site had been restricted to groups of up to 50 worshippers at a time.

With the easing of restrictions, thousands arrived at the plaza early in the day, marking a return after weeks of limited entry. Many gathered to offer prayers of gratitude, as well as prayers for the safety of Israeli forces, the recovery of those injured, and for peace and stability across the country.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation announced that the tefillin station at the entrance to the men's section, along with the Western Wall Tunnel sites, have also reopened to visitors. Tickets for individuals and groups can now be booked on the foundation’s website or by phone.

The foundation stated that it was “moving to witness people from across Israeli society returning in large numbers to the Western Wall plaza, the spiritual heart of the Jewish people, after such an extended period of restrictions." It also invited the public to visit the site once again for prayer and tours of the tunnels.

Kibbutz Nir Oz terrorist eliminatedIDF spokesperson

The IDF and ISA eliminated a terrorist who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 Massacre and planned a terror attack against IDF troops, a joint statement announced.

Earlier this week, on Sunday, the IDF and ISA struck and eliminated Abd al-Rahman Ammar Hassan Khudari, a terrorist in the Islamic Jihad terror organization, who planned a terror attack against IDF troops operating in northern Gaza.

Khudari as among the terrorists who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz during the brutal October 7th massacre.

In addition to Khudri’s elimination, the IDF struck three additional terrorists who were affiliated with the Hamas terrorist organization.

"IDF troops and ISA forces in the Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat," the statement warned.

Evyatar AzarzarCourtesy of the family

The Israel Police announced today (Thursday) a breakthrough in the investigation of the death of 18-year-old Evyatar Azarzar from Bnei Brak, who was found dead in an open field in December 2019.

The court issued a gag order on all details of the investigation and on the new information that led to the breakthrough.

In December 2019, Azarzar went missing after he was last seen in the Ramat Gan area. After about three weeks of intensive searches, which included an emotional video by his father, head of the Da'at Chochma yeshiva in Jerusalem, a volunteer from ZAKA's jeep unit located the young man's body inside a pit in an open area field the Morasha Junction.

According to the initial findings of the investigation from that time, Azarzar was shot in the upper part of his body and his body lay at the site for several days before it was found.

A motorcycle was also found at the scene, and investigators' main assessment was that it was due to a criminal dispute.

Melania TrumpNoam Revkin Fenton\Flash 90

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday night announced the first conviction under an Act aiming to protect against nonconsensual AI-generated images, cyberstalking, and threats of violence.

In her remarks, made prior to discussion of the recent ceasefire between the US and Iran, Leavitt said, "I have a quick update from the First Lady of the United States. Yesterday marked the very first conviction under the Take It Down Act, landmark legislation that First Lady Melania Trump played an instrumental role in getting passed that protects victims from nonconsensual, AI-generated, sexually explicit images, cyber-stalking, and threats of violence."

"This is a huge achievement for the First Lady, and I know the President is very proud of his wife's efforts in getting this critical legislation passed to protect America's youth.

"We thank the First Lady for her efforts, and we hope that others will report on this historic conviction yesterday."

The groundbreaking case saw James Strahler II, 37, of Columbus, Ohio, plead guilty in a US District Court to cybercrimes that included both real and AI-generated sexually explicit images and threats of violence to numerous victims.

Strahler had installed more than 24 AI platforms and more than 100 AI web-based models on his phone. The defendant used telephone calls, voicemails, text messages and web postings to engage in a campaign of harassment against his victims.

Specifically, Strahler pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and publication of digital forgeries.

“We believe Strahler is the first person in the United States to be convicted under the Take It Down Act," said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “We will not tolerate the abhorrent practice of posting and publicizing AI-generated intimate images of real individuals without consent. And we are committed to using every tool at our disposal to hold accountable offenders like Strahler, who seek to intimidate and harass others by creating and circulating this disturbing content."

From December 2024 until June 2025, Strahler sent harassing messages to at least six adult female victims. These messages included nude images of the victims, both real and AI-generated. He also posted online AI-generated obscenities he created of children. He generated these files using the faces of minor boys from his community.

In total, Strahler created more than 700 images of both real victims and animated persons and posted them to a website dedicated to child sexual abuse. An additional 2,400 images and videos on his phone were flagged as depicting nudity, morphed child sexual abuse material or violence.

Strahler’s criminal conduct was first reported to the Hilliard Police Department and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office before being referred to the FBI. He was arrested on federal charges in June 2025. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Benjamin NetanyahuChaim Goldberg/Flash90

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday morning responded to Israel's attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and the elimination of the Ali Yusuf Harshi, nephew to Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem.

"We continue to strike Hezbollah with power, precision, and determination," Netanyahu stated. "In Beirut, we eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary of Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem and one of his closest associates."

"At the same time, overnight the IDF struck a series of terror infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon, including crossings used to transfer thousands of weapons, rockets, and launchers, as well as weapons depots, launchers, and Hezbollah command centers."

He continued: "Our message is clear: We will strike anyone who acts against Israeli civilians will be targeted. We will continue to strike Hezbollah wherever necessary until full security is restored for residents of the north."

Meanwhile, Iran has insisted that it will not send a delegation to Pakistan to take part in negotiations with the US, unless Israel ceases its strikes on Lebanon.

US Vice President JD Vance, who will head the talks, spoke to reporters during a visit to Budapest, explaining, "I think the Iranians thought that the cease-fire included Lebanon, and it just didn’t. We never made that promise. We never indicated that was going to be the case. What we said is that the cease-fire would be focused on Iran and the cease-fire would be focused on America’s allies."

"If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart, in a conflict where they were getting hammered, over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the cease-fire, that’s ultimately their choice. We think that would be dumb, but that’s their choice."

On Wednesday night, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stressed that the US-Iran ceasefire agreement does not include Lebanon, and that all parties are aware of this.

Police car (illustrative)Police spokesperson

Jerusalem District police have launched an investigation into the death of a 75-year-old woman whose body was found Wednesday night in a storage unit near the city's Sacher Park.

A 70-year-old suspect has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the incident. The suspect will be brought before a judge on Wednesday, and police will request to extend his detention.

Initial findings indicate that both the victim and the suspect are Jewish, and a nationalist motive has been ruled out.

Zamir in southern LebanonIDF Spokesperson's Unit

Mitchell Bard is a foreign-policy analyst and an authority on U.S.-Israel relations. He has written and edited 22 books, including The Arab Lobby, Death to the Infidels: Radical Islam’s War Against the Jews; After Anatevka: Tevye in Palestine; and Forgotten Victims: The Abandonment of Americans in Hitler’s Camps.

(JNS) Israel’s critics, and even many of its friends, consistently fail to grasp the brutal reality of Israel’s security dilemmas: They rarely present good options, only variations of bad ones. Lebanon exemplifies this predicament.

Israel cannot tolerate a heavily armed Hezbollah threatening its northern population, yet every available strategy-containment, escalation or occupation-carries serious costs. The current path, a potential reoccupation of Southern Lebanon, risks dragging Israel back into a protracted quagmire reminiscent of the Second Lebanon War that many Israelis still view as their Vietnam.

For years, Netanyahu-led governments watched as Iran armed Hezbollah with an estimated 150,000 missiles (this in defiance of the 2006 UNSC Resolution 1701 touted by then Froeign Minister Tzipi Livni which called for disarmament, ed.). Occasionally, Israel interdicted weapons shipments or destroyed caches and manufacturing sites. Despite these efforts, the Sword of Damocles still hung over Israel as Netanyahu pursued deterrence and containment.

That strategy appeared to work-until it didn’t. Hezbollah was not deterred; it was preparing. We now know it had planned a Hamas-style invasion from the north. If that attack had been coordinated with Oct. 7, Israel might have faced an even greater catastrophe. The last-minute rush of forces to the northern border may have averted disaster, but it did not eliminate the threat.

The sword fell when Hezbollah entered the war. For nearly a year, Israel endured rocket attacks, forcing most border residents to flee before ground troops entered Lebanon. Israel’s campaign delivered tactical successes: eliminating senior commanders, degrading missile capabilities and disrupting infrastructure. Netanyahu called these achievements decisive and claimed that they had weakened Hezbollah enough for displaced Israelis to return. But reality proved more stubborn.

Israel was pushed into a ceasefire in November 2024 by the incoming president before finishing its objectives, a fact underscored when the Israel Defense Forces began operations in Southern Lebanon. While Israeli propaganda touted dozens of daily strikes, announcing the elimination of terrorists and the destruction of infrastructure, a contradiction remained: If Hezbollah was truly degraded, why did Israel continue to uncover large reserves of weapons and infrastructure?

Progress in destroying missiles should show as fewer launches, yet Hezbollah’s have risen. Similarly, Israeli Air Force sorties should fall as Hezbollah’s capacity drops, but they have increased. No wonder Netanyahu leaves the time frame for defeating Hezbollah vague.

The ceasefire exposed a deeper illusion-that Hezbollah could be disarmed through diplomatic or Lebanese state action. In practice, this was never credible. Hezbollah dominates Lebanon’s political system and deeply penetrates its military. It has no intention of surrendering its weapons, and the Lebanese government has neither the will nor the capacity to force the issue without risking civil war; hence, the government’s deadline at the end of last year for establishing a monopoly on weapons passed without results.

Before the ceasefire, we knew Hezbollah had withdrawn most of its forces and weaponry north of the Litani River, where U.N. Resolution 1701 required them to be confined. Israel did not attack, allowing them to rebuild. Iran quickly replenished Hezbollah’s resources with massive financial support. As a result, Hezbollah remains resilient, lethal and capable of renewing attacks that force Israeli civilians back under fire.

Its decision to attack Israel after Iran’s leadership was assassinated gave Netanyahu the pretext to resume fighting with the intention of permanently ending the threat it posed. Israel’s vaunted air-defense system, however, can’t stop many of the missiles and anti-tank weapons Hezbollah uses to terrorize the population, and the northern communities are again under fire just as some were beginning to recover from the earlier bombardments.

In an unusually candid admission, a senior IDF officer acknowledged that fully disarming Hezbollah would require conquering all of Lebanon, an objective Israel is not pursuing. As a result, the army cannot entirely halt Hezbollah rocket fire since most launches originate north of the Litani River. Although the IDF later sought to walk back the remarks by reaffirming its long-term goal of disarmament, Hezbollah seized on the statement as evidence of Israeli limitations.

Now Israel faces a familiar, painful dilemma: Reoccupying Southern Lebanon might push Hezbollah north of the Litani River, but it cannot remove the group’s long-range capabilities or prevent its rebuilding. Worse still, such actions risk repeating the dynamics that once empowered Hezbollah: civilian displacement, mounting resentment and a prolonged Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil, all of which invite condemnation and erode both domestic and international support.

The displacement of up to 1 million Lebanese has a double-edged impact: It alienates potential Christian allies while enabling Hezbollah to blend into Shi’ite communities-a dynamic that, as Middle East analyst and author Seth Frantzman notes, “has the effect of cementing the group in power."

We’ve seen this movie before when Israel set up a much smaller security zone in Lebanon after the last war. With most of Hezbollah’s fire aimed at the IDF, it suffers more casualties, generating domestic discontent.

Also, unlike the situation in the 'West Bank', this would be a true occupation, as Israeli forces will be on sovereign Lebanese territory. This will trigger the predictable global condemnation-human-rights NGOs producing reports about violations of international law, U.N. resolutions calling for an end to the occupation and worldwide protests against Israeli “aggression."

And yet, the alternative remains elusive.

Israel cannot simply absorb ongoing attacks from a heavily armed, ideologically committed enemy, nor can it rely on international guarantees, which have repeatedly failed. Time alone will not diminish the threat. This forms the heart of Israel’s security dilemma: Every option is imperfect, every course entails risks, and even inaction has consequences.

The question critics rarely confront is fundamental-if not this, then what?

Troops of the 162nd Division are continuing targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon.

As part of the activity, troops from the 401st Brigade located a shaft leading to underground infrastructure from which a terrorist emerged and was eliminated in close-quarters combat. The troops entered the shaft and located a cache of weapons, including explosives, rockets, an RPG launcher, and grenades.

In additional activity, they dismantled several Hezbollah terrorist organization staging positions in which additional weapons were located.

Troops of the 215th Fire Brigade struck and eliminated more than 70 terrorists, including a terrorist cell that had planned to carry out mortar fire toward our troops. In another incident, the troops identified two terrorists entering a structure used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

The Israeli Air Force struck the structure, directed by the troops, and eliminated the terrorists. In addition, the troops dismantled anti-tank launch positions, observation posts, and command centers belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

In parallel, troops from the Nahal Brigade located a large quantity of weapons and dismantled dozens of terrorist infrastructures, including anti-tank positions aimed at the troops operating in the area.

Arresting Ami GaidarovIsrael Police

As part of a joint operation by Lahav 433’s International Crime Unit and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), Ami Gaidarov, a 22-year-old resident of Haifa, was arrested in March on suspicion of committing security offenses involving contact with Iranian intelligence elements and assisting the enemy during wartime by carrying out security-related missions under their direction.

The investigation revealed that Gaidarov had been in contact with an Iranian operative since August 2025, during which he carried out numerous tasks in exchange for large sums of money. Under the direction of his handler, he also agreed to manufacture explosives intended for an attack targeting a senior figure. According to i24NEWS, the senior figure in question was former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

To maintain communication with his handlers, he purchased dedicated cellphones. He also rented an apartment in Haifa where he produced the explosives, documenting his activities in videos and photos that were sent as proof of completing the tasks.

During his contact with the Iranian operative, Gaidarov involved several friends and enlisted their help in acquiring raw materials needed to manufacture explosives. As a result, several additional Israeli citizens from northern Israel were arrested for questioning, including Sergei Libman and Eduard Shovtyuk. The investigation found that they assisted in purchasing materials, concealing the explosives, and even conducted a test of the explosives' effectiveness, each according to their role.

It was also revealed that during Operation Roaring Lion, Gaidarov was instructed by his handler to provide the Iranians with photos of the Haifa port and missile impact sites in northern Israel. He was also asked to locate a property overlooking the port area for the purpose of installing a fixed surveillance camera.

In exchange for his activities, he received more than 70,000 NIS, most of which was transferred via digital currencies. A prosecutor’s statement was filed in the case on Thursday, and indictments against him and others are expected to be submitted in the coming days.

Gerrer hasidimYonatan Sindel/Flash90

The Gur hasidic movement announced Thursday that studies would be held on the day immediately following Passover, instead of resuming one day later, as is customary in haredi schools.

The reopening follows nearly one-and-a-half months of war with Iran, during which schools were closed and studies were held remotely.

Public schools and Religious Public schools resumed school on Thursday; the haredi schools, other than Gur, will resume only on Friday.

The move follows instructions from the Gerrer Rebbe, and under it, all elementary schools reopened for three hours of study on Thursday. Beginning on Friday, the sect's schools are expected to return to full regular activity.

The directive was delivered Wednesday night by the Gerrer Rebbe’s aide, Rabbi Itche Meir Gutman, who conveyed the instructions to educational institutions throughout Israel.

Herzi Halevi, illustrationSocial Media

The Iranian hacker group Handala claimed on Thursday morning that it had obtained and published files belonging to former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.

According to the group, it breached systems connected to Halevi and released images from his personal gallery, including photos with pilots, during military training, and alongside his wife. In a statement, the hackers said they had been monitoring Halevi’s systems for years, gaining access to what they called a previously unimaginable level of sensitive material.

Handala further alleged it possesses more than 19,000 photos and videos related to Halevi, claiming these are materials “senior generals never imagined would be exposed." The group also stated it has access to information involving other high-ranking Israeli military officials, though it said additional details have yet to be revealed.

The claims follow previous cyber incidents attributed to the group. In December, Handala said it had hacked the phone of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, releasing contact lists, images, and message screenshots. Around the same time, it also claimed to have breached the phone of the prime minister’s chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, and published materials allegedly taken from his device.

Mount of Olives cemeteryYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

In recent years, a troubling number of Jewish people have opted for cremation instead of traditional burial. The statistics are staggering - increasing each decade steadily and reaching unprecedented levels among secular Jews in America, Canada, and Europe. What makes this trend so tragic is not only its scale but also the profound misunderstanding surrounding it. Most who choose cremation are unaware of what they are truly doing - not only to their bodies but to their souls, heritage, and eternal destiny.

We live in a world filled with uncertainty, where war, destruction, and the fragility of life make death impossible to ignore. In such a world, it is natural for people to seek comfort, simplicity, or control as they face the end. But cremation is not a neutral or harmless choice. From the standpoint of Judaism, it is a painful break from the sanctity of the human body and from the eternal significance of life after death. A practice once unthinkable for a Jew is now often accepted casually, without serious thought about the spiritual, scientific, and moral harm it causes.

For thousands of years, Jews honored the body through burial, preserving a grave as a place of memory, continuity, and reverence, so that children and future generations could remember those who came before them. That is why Ethics of Our Fathers teaches, “Who is wise? He who sees what is born of his actions." True wisdom means looking beyond the moment and understanding that our choices affect the future.

Cremation is not a gentle act. Scientifically, it is a process of complete molecular disintegration. The furnace that consumes the body operates at about 1,800°F (980°C). At that temperature, all living tissue and organic molecules - including proteins, fats, DNA, and bone - are destroyed. The flame is not merely warmth; it is a violent region in space where molecules are torn apart, a process physicists describe as oxidation at the molecular level. The yellow glow of the flame - the part children often draw when sketching a candle - is not gas but floating particles of carbon glowing in intense incandescence as they die.

When a human body enters a cremator, the vast store of chemical energy that supported its life for decades is suddenly released in a violent burst of heat. The energy that, over the years, had powered heartbeat, thought, and breath, is abruptly freed and disperses into the atmosphere in moments. The body does not rest; it is not slowly transformed as in burial, where organic matter returns to the soil in harmony with natural cycles. In cremation, the change is catastrophic - the complete opposite of everything that life’s biochemical order signified.

The remains given to a family in an urn are not ashes in the typical sense; they are crushed bone fragments turned into powder. Most of the body has already left - into the air as gases: carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water vapor, sulfur dioxide, trace metals, and minerals. In just hours, 98% of what was once a human body has dispersed into the sky. Within weeks, these molecules spread through the hemisphere; within months, they circle the globe. The carbon that once made up a person’s heart might end up in a leaf on another continent, in a fish, or in the mouth of an animal.

From a purely physical perspective, cremation destroys the pattern - the organization - that was “you." You become molecularly fragmented, your body’s structure obliterated. Unlike burial, where the body as an extension of that particular person reenters the soil and decomposes, retaining its identity as part of creation’s sacred cycle, cremation forcibly tears that structure apart, scattering identity to the wind.

It is the difference between a melody gently fading into silence and an instrument smashed to pieces mid-song.

In Jewish thought, this act of scientific violence points to something much deeper - a spiritual wound. The Torah states, “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19). Burial is not just a tradition; it is a sacred command, symbolizing the gentle return of the body to the earth in holiness. The Midrash teaches that the body and soul are companions, joined in life to serve God together, and even in death, they part only with reverence and love.

Burial honors that final moment. It allows the soul to ascend while still faintly connected to its earthly companion, and it ensures the body rests with dignity in the ground. There, memory, prayer, and the merit of mitzvot continue to unite them, as if love itself refuses to break the bond.

Cremation violently breaks this relationship. Chassidic and Kabbalistic texts explain that, after death, the soul does not immediately leave. For days, sometimes longer, it stays near the body, still connected to its familiar home. This is why Jewish law insists that burial happen promptly: it gives the soul closure and helps it transition peacefully to the next world. When, instead, the body is burned, the soul suffers unimaginable pain. The bond it has with its vessel is torn away in flames. According to our holy sages, this act interrupts the soul’s ascent and causes deep spiritual unrest.

Furthermore, Judaism’s hope in resurrection - techiyat ha-meitim - is embedded in nearly every prayer and belief. The Prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of Dry Bones is not just poetic imagery but a promise: God will one day restore life to the dead, just as seeds buried in soil rot only to sprout again. Burial demonstrates our unwavering faith in that resurrection. Cremation, however, signifies its rejection. It proclaims that the body is finished forever, with particles scattered beyond recovery. To deny the possibility of being raised again is to reject a fundamental part of Jewish faith.

For this reason, our ancestors maintained burial practices for thousands of years despite persecution, exile, and poverty. The Mount of Olives cemetery, overlooking the Temple Mount, was sanctified so that souls might be “first to rise" when redemption comes. To cremate oneself is not merely a personal choice - it is to sever oneself from this unbroken chain of hope, the collective faith of a nation that has endured for millennia precisely because it believed that even death is not the end.

Throughout Jewish law, great importance is placed on respecting the human body. The Talmud teaches that leaving a body unburied or treating it disrespectfully is a serious sin (Sanhedrin 46b). The body is not just a shell to be thrown away but a sacred tool that serves a divine purpose. Every limb and organ performed mitzvot; each cell carried out a holy task. Burning it is to dishonor a vessel that once contained the Divine image itself.

When we carry out a proper burial, we recognize its holiness. We wash the body carefully, dress it in simple white shrouds, and gently place it in the earth - as if tucking it into bed after a long day of service. The Hebrew word kever (grave) comes from the same root as hakaravah (offering). The act of burial is a final offering - of body to earth, of life back to God.

Cremation ridicules this sacred process. It turns what should be an act of reverence into an act of destruction. The flames that consume the body do not “purify"; they erase. The human form that once housed the Divine presence is reduced to dust, and the spiritual energy that animated it is forced into chaotic dispersion. Even the urn, sitting on a mantelpiece, cannot represent peace for the body longs to complete its return to the soil. It remains unsettled, disconnected from its source, unable to fulfill the command of “to dust you shall return."

Our Torah and our Sages were not naive mystics; they understood both the sanctity of the body and the wisdom embedded in creation. The Torah’s command of burial is not only a spiritual directive but also one that resonates with the natural order of the world. In nature, return is gentle: the body is laid to rest in the earth, and through this sacred process, it is gradually absorbed back into its source. Jewish teachings explain that burial and the body’s return to the soil bring a measure of purification and forgiveness to the soul, as the physical vessel completes its mission peacefully and with dignity.

Cremation, by contrast, disrupts that sacred process. It separates the body from its natural return, releasing it into fire and smoke instead of allowing it to reunite with the earth in holiness. From both practical and environmental perspectives, burial-especially traditional Jewish burial that avoids chemicals and honors the body with simplicity-is the more life-affirming choice. It returns the person to creation as the Creator intended.

Ultimately, cremation is a double tragedy: a scientific breakdown of structure and a spiritual disconnection from eternity. It violates both the natural order and the principles of Torah. The cremation furnace is not a place of dignity but of rupture - molecular, moral, and metaphysical. It tears apart what was meant to remain whole, scatters what was meant to be gathered, and ends what was meant to continue.

When a body returns to the earth through burial, it completes its final mitzvah. It teaches humility-that we come from dust and return to dust, not as waste, but as sacred matter entrusted back to the Creator. It teaches hope that decay is not destruction but transformation, preparing the soul for renewal. And it teaches respect that even when breath has ceased, holiness endures.

Cremation promises release, but only through destruction. Burial offers a deeper truth: that what is entrusted to God is never truly lost, only returned in holiness. The Jewish soul belongs not to smoke and scattering but to the quiet dignity of the earth, where body and spirit await their proper peace. In the end, fire consumes; the earth receives. Fire disperses what it touches, but the earth remembers, preserves, and holds fast to what is sacred.

Please feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Yoav KischChaim Goldberg/Flash90

Education Minister Yoav Kisch has directed all relevant bodies in the Ministry to prepare for the Israel Prize ceremony to take place as scheduled during the upcoming Independence Day events.

As part of this, Kisch instructed the Ministry to prepare for the possible arrival of US President Donald Trump in Israel and his participation in the ceremony.

At the same time, and in light of regional developments and the possibility that negotiations with Iran will fail and the potential security implications of such a scenario, Kisch instructed that preparations be made for a scenario in which the ceremony cannot be held in its planned format.

As part of this, he ordered the advancement of a pre-recorded version of the ceremony as a backup, to ensure it can still be broadcast to the public if circumstances change.

In a statement, Kisch stressed, “The Israel Prize is a central national symbol and the highlight of Israel’s Independence Day events. We will not allow the security situation to harm the holding of the ceremony, and therefore I have instructed all relevant bodies to prepare for every possible scenario, including the possibility of the US President’s arrival. I am confident that this year as well, a dignified and moving ceremony will be held, properly reflecting the nation’s appreciation for the Israel Prize laureates, who embody in their actions the strength and resilience of the State of Israel."

Naim QassemReuters

The IDF on Wednesday struck in the Beirut area and eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.

Harshi was a close associate and personal advisor to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem and played a central role in managing and securing his office.

Overnight, the IDF struck two key crossings used by Hezbollah terrorists and commanders for movement from north to south of the Litani River in Lebanon to transfer thousands of weapons, rockets, and launchers.

Furthermore, approximately 10 weapons storage facilities, launchers, and command centers used by the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon were struck.

IDF eliminates Muhammad Washah, Hamas terrorist disguised as journalistIDF spokesperson

IDF troops in the Southern Command on Wednesday struck and eliminated Muhammad Samir Muhammad Washah, a key terrorist in Hamas’ rocket and weapons production headquarters, who had been planning terrorist attacks against IDF soldiers operating in the area.

Throughout the war, Washah was involved in the production of drones, rockets, and additional weaponry, and also took part in the transfer of weapons through the Gaza Strip.

As previously revealed by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, Washah operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist, exploiting this identity in order to advance terrorist activities against IDF forces and the State of Israel.

"Washah contributed to Hamas’ force build-up efforts, was actively involved in planning attacks against IDF troops, and posed a concrete threat to forces in the area," the IDF stressed. "Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence."

"IDF troops in the Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat."

Muhammad WashahIDF spokesperson

Yoav KischMichael Giladi/Flash90

Education Minister Yoav Kisch on Thursday visited the "Haviv" school in Rishon Lezion, as in-person studies resumed across most of Israel following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire with Iran.

In a statement to the media, the minister announced that he has instructed the advancement of a government decision to extend the "summer school" in-school day camp program during the upcoming summer vacation.

As part of the move, the program will be extended by approximately three additional weeks and significantly expanded to include all elementary school students through 6th grade, instead of the current program which includes students through the end of third grade.

In addition, a new dedicated program for middle schools, to be dubbed "Summer Preparatory Program," will be launched for the first time. It will provide educational support and focus on closing gaps that accumulated during the war period, operating in a flexible format tailored to the unique needs of schools and local authorities.

The initiative is intended to ensure educational, emotional, and social continuity for Israeli students throughout the summer months, in light of Operation "Roaring Lion" and its impact on students, parents, and educational staff.

The expected budget for the program is approximately 750 million shekels.

Kisch explained, "In light of the gaps that accumulated during the war, I have instructed the Ministry to extend summer activities by three weeks, expand the framework to all elementary students through 6th grade, and launch the ‘Summer Preparatory Program’ for middle schools (grades 7-9), which will help close gaps and provide a stable and supportive framework for students."

CNNiStock

U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at CNN for quoting an official statement from Iran's Supreme National Security Council that claimed Iran won the war. The president said the statement was fake and threatened the network with a criminal investigation.

According to the Supreme National Security Council statement, which was published on CNN after being quoted in the country's state media, Iran "achieved a great victory and forced the U.S. to accept its 10-point plan."

The statement further said the U.S. had agreed in principle to lift all sanctions on Iran, withdraw forces from all American bases in the region, accept Iran's right to enrich uranium and accept its control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump condemned the publication, and posted an especially aggressive statement: "No one can believe that Fake News CNN put out a knowingly false and dangerous statement pretending it came from the upper levels of the Iranian Government. It didn’t! It was totally made up and posted, as a headline, for purpose of, perhaps, inflaming a very delicate situation. It was a new, trouble making site from Nigeria, and CNN just got caught cheating - A very dangerous thing to do!"

"The alleged Statement put out by CNN World News is a FRAUD, as CNN well knows. The false Statement was linked to a Fake News site (from Nigeria) and, of course, immediately picked up by CNN, and blared out as a “legitimate" headline. The Official Statement by Iran was just released, and posted on TRUTH, below. Authorities are looking to determine whether or not a crime was committed on the issuance of the Fake CNN World Statement, or was it a sick rogue player? CNN is being ordered to immediately withdraw this Statement with full apologies for their, as usual, terrible “reporting." Results of the investigation will be announced in the near future."

IRGC situation roomIDF spokesperson

See Erfan Fard's interview on CBS here.

Tehran is not seeking peace; it is buying time-and time, for this regime, is survival.

The current ceasefire is not a breakthrough. It is a calculated pause, designed to preserve the Islamic Republic’s most valuable assets: its network of proxy forces, its leverage against Israel, and its internal architecture of repression. Within the regime’s strategic doctrine, these are not bargaining chips. They are pillars of endurance. In moments of pressure, they are shielded-not surrendered.

The recent war has revealed more than battlefield realities; it has exposed a shifting regional order. U.S.-aligned Gulf states are quietly reaching a conclusion once considered unthinkable: that the Iranian threat cannot be indefinitely managed from Washington and will ultimately have to be confronted within the region itself.

Tehran operates within a different strategic horizon. It is not simply a state actor, but part of a broader axis shaped by Moscow and Beijing, and its long-term objectives remain unchanged. War has not redirected the regime’s course. It has clarified it.

Despite speculation, there has been no meaningful transformation inside the system. The visible institutions of governance remain intact, but they do not define power. Real authority continues to reside within a hardened nexus of clerical leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Even under pressure, the regime has not fractured. It has adjusted, absorbed shock, and reconfigured itself for continuity.

The IRGC remains the regime’s central instrument-military, intelligence, economic, and ideological-capable of sustaining control even in degraded conditions. Yet beneath this surface resilience lies an unresolved question: who ultimately commands, and for how long can competing factions coexist before conflict turns inward?

The war has also underscored a deeper structural truth: for the Islamic Republic, conflict is not an aberration-it is a governing principle. War justifies repression. It silences dissent. It manufactures unity where legitimacy no longer exists. Even after significant losses, the regime retains what it needs most: the capacity to instill fear at home and project instability abroad. For a system built not on consent but on coercion, this is enough to persist.

And yet, the decisive front is not external. It is internal.

Iranian society has moved beyond the ideological foundations of the Islamic Republic. Decades of unrest, culminating in the violence of early 2026, have exposed a widening and irreversible gap between state and society. The regime may still control the streets, but it no longer commands belief. What is emerging is not simply opposition, but an alternative imagination of Iran’s future-one that includes transition, national choice, and the possibility of a post-regime order defined by the will of the people rather than the dictates of ideology.

Iranians for regime changeErfan Fard

The critical shift is this: the permanence of the regime is no longer assumed.

Expatriate Iranian protestsErfan Fard

Against this backdrop, Western strategy appears increasingly misaligned with reality. Pressure has been applied, but without a coherent political endgame. Tactical successes have not translated into strategic clarity. The reliance on unpredictability as a tool of coercion has produced volatility, not leverage. Without a defined objective-whether containment, transformation, or replacement-policy drifts, and time begins to favor the very system it seeks to constrain. The assumption that Tehran can be negotiated into moderation reflects a persistent misunderstanding: the regime negotiates to survive, not to change.

At the same time, Tehran has moved swiftly to dominate the narrative space. Through state media and international networks, it projects resilience and claims victory. But these narratives are increasingly detached from reality. Inside Iran, lived experience contradicts official messaging. Outside, exaggerated claims of success erode credibility. Still, in a prolonged confrontation, perception remains a battleground-and Tehran continues to fight on it.

The ceasefire, as it stands, is not a resolution. It is an interval.

It postpones escalation without addressing cause. It creates the illusion of stability while preserving the conditions for future conflict. For Tehran, this is sufficient. The regime does not seek decisive victory. It seeks continuity. It seeks to endure long enough for its adversaries to lose focus, lose cohesion, or lose will.

This is the regime’s most consistent strategy: outlast, outmaneuver, and outwait.

The Islamic Republic today is weakened, but not neutralized; isolated, but not contained; challenged, but still operational. Its fate will not be decided by a single strike, a single negotiation, or a single ceasefire. It will be determined by the convergence of three forces: internal fracture within the regime, sustained pressure from an increasingly disillusioned society, and the willingness of external actors to move beyond ambiguity toward a defined and enforceable strategy.

Until that convergence occurs, one reality remains unchanged:

A regime that survives on crisis will continue to manufacture it-
and a ceasefire built on illusion will remain exactly that: temporary, fragile, and deceptive.

Erfan Fard is a counterterrorism analyst and Middle East studies researcher based in Washington, with a particular focus on Iran, Islamic Terrorism, and ethnic conflicts in the region. His father, mother, and two brothers live in Iran. His latest book is The Black Shabbat , published in the US. You can follow him at erfanfard.com and on X @EQFARD or www.ErfanFard.com.

Eliya Cohenצילום: עצמי

Former hostage survivor Eliya Cohen is expected to undergo foot surgery on Thursday, aimed at enabling him to stand under the wedding canopy and break the glass at his wedding in about four months.

Jewish weddings include breaking a glass cup at the end of the ceremony, signifying that the joy is not complete so long as the Holy Temple is not yet rebuilt.

Cohen's surgery aims to improve his condition and allow him to participate in the wedding ceremony while standing.

In a moving video, Cohen addressed the public and asked for prayers for the success of the operation. He also expressed hope that the surgery will go smoothly and allow him to fulfill his wish of standing on his wedding day.

In his appeal he added, "Please pray that the surgery will be successful and that I will be able to stand under the chuppah (wedding canopy -ed.) and break the glass. Eliya, the son of Sigalit."

Soldier Itamar Berkovitch blesses the crowdAvramaika Eisenstein

Deep beneath Rambam Medical Center, on its fortified third basement level, a unique and emotional Mimouna celebration brought together patients, families, and staff in a rare moment of joy amid challenging circumstances.

Mimouna, a tradition rooted in Moroccan Jewish heritage and widely embraced across Israel, marks the end of Passover and the return to leavened foods. Often called the “Holiday of Faith," it is celebrated with symbolic dishes and gatherings that emphasize community and renewal.

At the hospital’s underground complex, currently housing nearly 1,000 patients, festive tables were set with traditional treats, including freshly made mofletta pancakes, dried fruits, and sweets. The celebration drew a diverse crowd, from elderly patients and new mothers to soldiers recovering from injuries sustained in Lebanon, all sharing in the uplifting atmosphere.

One of the most poignant moments came when wounded soldier Itamar Berkovitch addressed the crowd and offered a blessing. His appearance prompted an emotional response, with attendees rising to their feet in applause and cheering for him.

The event was organized by Chabad emissaries Rabbi Shmuel and Hana Turkov, in collaboration with the hospital administration.

Over the past week, IDF soldiers of the Paratroopers Brigade, operating under the 98th Division, have expanded their targeted ground operations into additional areas of southern Lebanon.

The brigade’s troops have established operational control of the area and continue to strike Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites in order to reinforce the forward defensive area and remove threats to the residents of northern Israel.

As part of the soldiers’ activities, the troops eliminated dozens of Hezbollah terrorists and located a range of weapons, including firearms, magazines, and explosive devices that had been concealed and for use against IDF soldiers.

On Wednesday, the IDF conducted a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting Hezbollah command centers and military sites in Beirut, Beqaa, and southern Lebanon, in the largest strike carried out against Hezbollah infrastructure since the start of Operation Roaring Lion.

The large-scale strike included 100 targets attacked simultaneously throughout Lebanon. It was based on precise IDF intelligence and was planned meticulously over weeks by the IDF Operations Directorate, the Intelligence Directorate, the Israeli Air Force, and the Northern Command, in order to deepen the damage inflicted on the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

Nir DvoriArutz Sheva

Senior Channel 12 News military analyst Nir Dvori argued that Israel halted the war against Iran too early, warning that the decision could have long-term consequences.

"Israel stopped the war about two weeks too soon. We needed to deliver a very significant blow before ending the fighting, and we didn’t reach that [point]. Israel could have taken advantage of the opportunity before stopping, but that didn’t happen. The current halt is not good for Israel strategically, both in the Iranian arena and the Lebanese arena," Dvori said.

In his view, "for this reason, negotiations with Iran are beginning from an inferior position for both the United States and Israel. The Iranians, for their part, seized the opportunity due to their difficult situation."

"Iran is now relieved of pressure, allowing it during this period to repair launchers, tunnels, rebuild, conceal, and reorganize. If fighting resumes, this gives them a certain advantage."

Dvori also noted that "it appears that [US President Donald] Trump went for this move too early, without a strong final blow. It is also still unclear what this means for the Iranian people and [any] uprising against the regime."

Regarding the Lebanese front, he stressed that fighting against Hezbollah must not be halted until the terror group is defeated.

"Hezbollah will emerge strengthened from such a decision, mainly because its connection with Iran has not been severed, contrary to what Israel sought to achieve," he warned. "The IDF holds territory in Lebanon, and that has significance, but we must know how to use it properly."

"Israel must fight to prevent a halt in the fighting in Lebanon. Remaining in an 'enforcement' mode alone, as at the end of the previous round, is no longer sufficient. In this round, we received proof of that.

"Hezbollah must be defeated; otherwise, residents of the north will not return home or agree to live near the border. Against an enemy willing to kill itself, a different approach is required. We must destroy it, not merely weaken it - otherwise we sentence ourselves to additional rounds and all the costs that come with them."

Tehran: iStock

It was clear. To “win", all the Islamic Republic of Iran has to do was survive. It did that.

Those who hoped for an Iran without the Islamic dictatorship, without uranium enrichment and without ballistic missiles capable of striking Rome and Paris will have to wait and see.

Two weeks is the time Donald Trump, under internal and global pressure, has given himself to negotiate with the Islamic Republic.

Going from threats of “annihilation" to negotiating in Islamabad with the mullahs is not exactly ideal.

The killed the Supreme Leader father and turned the son into a ghost.

They eliminated dozens of key figures of the regime, at will, wherever, whoever, whenever they wanted.

They destroyed the Iranian Navy.

They degraded their missile stockpiles.

They took control of Iranian airspace more effectively than even Ryanair with its low-cost flights.

The United States and Israel should have stopped only after regime change had been achieved.

But that is the good news. Then there is the less good news:

-Iran is supposed to reopen maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. But various reports indicate that Iran, and even Oman on the other side of the strait, may be allowed to collect transit tolls.

-The nuclear issue remains one of the biggest question marks. According to Trump, the solution is to bury enriched uranium and prevent Iran from accessing it.

-The missile threat has not been eliminated, but greatly reduced. Fears of hundreds of missiles per day have given way to sporadic launches. The possibility that it is impossible to completely prevent missile fire from Iran is one reason for reaching an agreement.

-If it secures an agreement that includes lifting sanctions, the Iranian regime will consolidate itself for generations.

-Another major question is how Trump will act if Iran refuses to accept U.S. demands. Washington does not appear eager to return to fighting.

Compassionate Western voices denounced an “escalation," as if 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent in the hands of the Revolutionary Guards were not a threat to the entire planet. And even if the Strait of Hormuz had not been freed, for them-the party of expensive gasoline-it was trivial compared to “international law."

Egyptian Sawiris is worried:

“I don’t understand this ceasefire agreement. Does it not include the Gulf countries? Has America withdrawn and left the Gulf countries and Lebanon to their fate? An ambiguous, strange, unclear agreement that can only be interpreted as a victory for the Iranian regime, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz, which was an open international passage before the war and is now recognized as dependent on Iran! It’s true: those who cover themselves with America remain naked..."

Nor do I consider 'opening the Strait of Hormuz' a war objective, given that Hormuz was open until America and Israel tried to sweep away Allah’s regents on earth (ayatollah means “sign of Allah").

A month and a half ago, Iran controlled 4% of the world’s oil. Now they effectively control 20%.

Since the beginning of hostilities, the Lincoln aircraft has retreated over a thousand kilometers, realizing that in the era of drone warfare an aircraft carrier is just a large target. There were more American casualties in Panama and Grenada: was this just a "drôle de guerre"?

The Islamic dictatorship chose to rot standing rather than fall to its knees. For now, it seems to have succeeded. But the rot does not stop. It advances.

Tehran has gained time, control over oil and Western-Islamic narratives of “resilience." It has lost allies and proxies, nuclear momentum and internal legitimacy.

Washington has discovered the dramatic limits of air war without boots on the ground-a taboo after Iraq and Afghanistan. And “Titanic Europe" has once again revealed its strategic cowardice.

Despite all the damage inflicted by the U.S. and Israel, the regime seems unbroken and functional.

There has been no mass uprising, thanks to brutal repression following January’s bloodbath: 657 executions in 2026, not counting tens of thousands massacred-7 hangings a day. Not bad in wartime.

Closing the Strait of Hormuz required minimal military effort but exerted maximum leverage on the global economy while boosting oil revenues (how fragile “happy globalization" is). The war is unpopular in the U.S. Trump’s social media posts sound increasingly chaotic.

The “free world" preferred to display hostility toward Trump and Netanyahu, while Islam is rejected in Iran but advances in a soft Europe, especially apathetic France. The paradox: this resistance to Islamic totalitarianism is not supported by Western public opinion. The rebellious Iranians remain forgotten.

"Drôle de guerre" is the name of the prelude before the fall of the Maginot Line and Nazi occupation of France, followed by what historian Marc Bloch named the “Strange Defeat".

Emmanuel Macron refused overflight to U.S. planes carrying weapons to Israel. These acts of appeasement allowed Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, detained in Tehran, to return to Paris. Pacifism and surrender pay…

Official France, with its deference to political Islam, has lost its taste for freedom.

Another example?

Spain, under socialist Sánchez, blocked U.S. base usage and had already secured permission from Iran to pass through Hormuz.

I don’t know who will win the war. But I am sure that Europe lost it.

Giulio Meotti is an Italian journalist with Il Foglio and writes a twice-weekly column for Arutz Sheva. He is a fellow at the Middle East Forum and the author, in English, of the book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter and of "J'Accuse: the Vatican Against Israel" published by Mantua Books, in addition to books in Italian. His writing has appeared in publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Gatestone, Frontpage and Commentary.

Persian Gulf, Strait of HormuziStock

Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz remain high as uncertainty grows over whether Iran will fully reopen the vital shipping lane. Aides warn that Tehran is unlikely to restore normal traffic without major concessions, a step Donald Trump is not expected to take, raising fears of renewed confrontation.

Diplomatic sources say the resulting stalemate could quickly unravel fragile de-escalation efforts. Without an agreement, officials believe the impasse over the strait may trigger a return to active hostilities, given its central role in global energy flows.

On Wednesday, Iran informed mediators it would signficantly restrict maritime traffic through the strait, allowing only about a dozen vessels to pass daily while imposing tolls on transit. The move effectively places one of the world’s most critical oil routes under tight Iranian control.

In parallel, Iran’s navy issued a stark warning to ships waiting nearby, stating that all vessels must obtain prior permission before crossing. According to a recording reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Iranian forces warned that any ship attempting to pass without authorization “will be destroyed," underscoring the heightened risk in the region.

Synagogue (illustrative)iStock

Iranian state media claimed on Tuesday that a synagogue in Tehran was “completely destroyed" by a US-Israeli strike.

The claim was impossible to verify. Footage of the alleged attack on the Rafi-Niya Synagogue posted online showed open Hebrew prayer books scattered among the rubble of a building.

The synagogue was damaged when a nearby residential building in Tehran was attacked, according to Iranian news agencies. The Rafi-Niya Synagogue is located near Palestine Square, an epicenter of the Iranian regime’s anti-Israel propaganda.

The United States and Israel bombed sites in Tehran for more than a month before Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire to discuss negotiations for long-term peace in the Middle East. Israel emphasized that it does not target religious sites.

Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, the only Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, condemned the attack in a video published by Iran’s official IRIB News outlet.

“The Zionist regime showed no mercy towards this community during the Jewish holidays and attacked one of our ancient and holy synagogues," Najafabadi said. “Unfortunately, during this attack, the synagogue building was completely destroyed, and Torah scrolls remain under the rubble."

About 8,000 Jews live in Iran and worship in dozens of synagogues. The war has exacerbated their delicate position, as they are technically granted freedom of religion but face peril if they demonstrate any connection to Israel or dissent against their government. Hundreds of Iranian Jews who have applied for refugee status because of religious persecution are trapped in the country after the United States halted refugee admissions.

The alleged attack comes one day after the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted footage of an undetonated missile on a street, writing that an “Iranian regime missile struck next to a mosque in Israel."

“A regime that targets civilians and sacred spaces of all religions has no red lines," the ministry wrote in a post on X. “Nothing is off limits for them."

On Tuesday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement about the alleged damage to the Rafi-Niya synagogue. “Iran is firing missiles at civilians, Israel is striking terror infrastructure," it said. “Missiles on civilians versus precision strikes on terror targets. That’s the difference."

ExplosioniStock

Those who operate within the cesspool of the Middle East, have long internalized that never has a so-called “ceasefire" been worth the paper it is written on. As repeatedly asserted via (among countless others) truth-telling, analytical assessments, such as this one:

APPEASEMENT NEVER WORKS…."THERE is NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN"!

Now, whichever way Trump and Netanyahu weave this fairy tale, that is, as a triumph for America and Israel - as per all of the destruction heaped upon the Hitlerite regime, as well as its cat’s paws - they absolutely know that heaps of ashes can be rebuilt. Time and again, this nihilist regime has done so, only to re-emerge stronger than ever.

Exactly when this insane brokering took place, this writer (and countless others across Israel) sat in “safe-rooms" to escape the expected fall-out of the piercing sirens wailing overhead, with explosions rocketing throughout our airspace. The question becomes: who are the crazies, that is, those mandated with protecting America and Israel, or the nihilist-driven, Islamic regimes!?! You decide.

Now that the psychological state of affairs of all concerned is dutifully exposed, there’s more:

Within nihilistic-driven regimes, it is forbidden to conduct deals with America, “the big Satan", as well as with Israel, “the little Satan." Internalize these terms: Taqiyya (Dissimulation), Muruna (Flexibility), and Hudna (Temporay Truce). These aare iinviolate, Koranic-mandated dictates.

Islamists can’t be trusted

The Fall/Collapse of Western Civilization: How Close to the Precipice Are We? {Videos Via Evidentiary Trails}

The decision makers, Ivy league educated, Trump and “Bibi", alumni of UPenn/Wharton and MIT, respectively, seem to believe they are playing 3-D chess - meanwhile, utilizing Pakistan, a stone-cold, pathological enemy of western civilization to broker a so-called “ceasefire!" Credo quia absurdum to the nth degree!

Even a broken clock can be right once. Knesset Opposition Leader Yair Lapid is a man so far to the left that when this writer agrees with him it should be noted. Of course, his pronouncement is politically motivated, but regardless, it is on target.

“There has never been such a diplomatic disaster in all our history," he wrote on X. “Israel wasn’t even at the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security."

...“the military carried out everything it was asked to do [and] the public showed remarkable resilience," but PM Netanyahu “failed diplomatically, failed strategically and did not meet any of the goals he himself set."

“It will take us years to repair the diplomatic and strategic damage that Netanyahu caused due to arrogance, negligence and a lack of strategic planning."

Do not believe, even for a nanosecond, that the two most powerful military forces in the world, America and Israel, brought the Hitlerite Iranian regime to its knees. To the contrary. Netanyahu and Trump stopped short of all-out victory.

They didn’t have the stones to bury Iran’s most vicious killers. And the ruling Islamic barbarians, despite the rubble at their feet, couldn’t care less about the will or welfare of their beleaguered citizens - those seeking freedom from 47 years of brutal tyranny. Tragically, they exposed Trump’s bluster, lending him the climb-down of all climb-downs, thereby, endangering the free world.

Israelis and Americans will pay the disastrous coinage; reaping the bloody blow-back. Whirlwind.

PRAY.

Adina Kutnickiis an investigative journalist, living in Israel since 2008. Her work concentrates on militant Islamic jihad and its western knock-on effects. She is the co-author of BANNED: How Facebook Enables Militant Islamic Jihad, She blogs at: Adina Kutnicki, A Zionist & Conservative Blog (www.adinakutnicki.com).

A version of this article appeared in the Conservative Firing Line.

Long IslandiStock

After nearly two decades of legal sparring, a town on Long Island has been ordered to pay a local Chabad center $19 million, settling claims that officials unlawfully blocked the construction of a synagogue on its rabbi’s property.

Rabbi Aaron Konikov and Lubavitch of Old Westbury sued the Village of Old Westbury in 2008, after the village passed a law in 2001 governing places of worship as Konikov sought to build a synagogue on his property.

Local officials enacted the law two years after Konikov planned a ceremony to announce a new building on the land where he already operates a synagogue. They decreed that houses of worship could be built only on plots of 12 acres or more. Konikov owns a 9-acre plot.

In October, US District Judge Gary Brown ruled that the 2001 ordinance “unconstitutionally discriminates against the free exercise of religion and is therefore facially invalid."

Old Westbury agreed to pay the plaintiffs in the suit $19 million as part of a consent decree, which was signed by Brown on March 18, Newsday reported this week.

“This consent decree may not be modified, changed or amended except in writing signed by each of the parties approved by the court," Brown wrote. “Each party participated fully in the negotiation and drafting of the terms of this decree, and any ambiguity shall not be construed against any party."

Kornikov’s lawyer, Eric Robinson, welcomed the resolution of the lawsuit in an emailed statement to JTA on Tuesday.

“Rabbi Konikov struggled for 34 years to reach this point. He is grateful for the Constitution and the involvement of the Court," Robinson wrote. “Rabbi Konikov and everyone working with him look forward to working cooperatively with the Village, and to building and developing facilities where the community can worship, learn, and grow for decades."

Konikov will soon be switching into construction mode for his long hoped-for synagogue, for which preliminary plans show a 20,875-square-foot building and an adjacent parking lot.

The $19 million payment will be made by the village’s insurance providers, and Lubavitch of Old Westbury has until Jan. 15, 2027, to apply for a special-use permit from the village to build a synagogue, according to Newsday.

The ruling marks a notable victory for emissaries of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, who have often been met with legal challenges when establishing centers. Last July, the Village of Atlantic Beach in New York agreed to pay Chabad of the Beaches $950,000 to settle a legal battle over the construction of a new community center.

Donald TrumpArie Leib Abrams/Flash90

US President Donald Trump issued a forceful statement regarding the ceasefire with Iran, emphasizing that American military forces will remain deployed in and around the region until a “real agreement" is fully upheld.

In a post published on Truth Social, Trump stated that all US ships, aircraft, and military personnel - along with additional ammunition and weaponry - will stay in position to ensure what he described as the “lethal prosecution and destruction" of hostile forces, which he characterized as already significantly weakened.

The President underscored that continued compliance with the agreement is expected, adding that failure to do so would trigger a severe military response.

“If for any reason it is not [complied with], which is highly unlikely, then the ‘Shootin’ Starts,’ bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before," Trump wrote.

He further reiterated longstanding US demands that Iran not develop nuclear weapons and that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz remain open and secure.

“It was agreed, a long time ago… NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS and, the Strait of Hormuz WILL BE OPEN & SAFE," he stated.

Trump also described the US military as prepared for further action if necessary, noting that forces are currently “loading up and resting," while expressing confidence in America’s strength.

“AMERICA IS BACK!" he concluded.

Rabbi Eliezer Simcha WeiszCourtesy

We have just come out of the kedushah of Shevi’i shel Pesach, the last day of Pesach_._

But this year felt different.

As we entered the Chag (festival) on Tuesday night, it was not with quiet menuchah, but with the piercing sound of sirens, the distant thunder of missiles, and the hurried rush to protected spaces. Families sat at their Yom Tov tables with hearts carrying not only gratitude, but also pachad-a sense of uncertainty, of vulnerability. The tefillot felt slower, deeper, more real.

And now, as we step out of the Chag, the world speaks about a ceasefire-and at its center, the reopening of one of the most vital waterways on earth: the Straits of Hormuz.

Is it complete? Will it last? Is it the yeshuah (salvation) we are hoping for?

We don’t know.

But for a ma’amin, a person of faith, there are no questions.
And for one who does not believe, there are no answers.

At this very time, thousands of years ago, our ancestors stood at the edge of the Red Sea, Yam Suf-trapped, surrounded, with nowhere to turn. Behind them was Mitzrayim (Egypt) in full force. Before them, a sea that could not be crossed.

And on that very night-the night of Shevi’i shel Pesach-everything changed.

The waters split.

What had always been a barrier became a path. What looked like the end became the beginning. And Klal Yisrael moved forward-not because they understood, but because they trusted.

And the Egyptians? The Torah tells us that Hashem hardened their hearts. They rushed forward into those same waters, unable to see that what appeared to be a path would become their downfall.

When it was over, when the waves crashed back and the danger passed, the Torah tells us: Vaya’aminu baHashem u’vMoshe avdo-they believed in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant.

A moment of clarity.
A moment of emunah.

And now, once again, we find ourselves living through a time when the waters of the world stand at the center of events.

Then, it was the Yam Suf.
Today, it is the Straits of Hormuz.

Then, the waters became the undoing of a mighty empire.
Today, the waters have become a kli-a channel through which a dangerous power is being weakened and held back.

Then, Hashem led the enemy forward into a path that would undo them.

And now, we watch developments that are not always easy to understand-as if a deeper hashgachah (Providence) is quietly guiding events exactly where they need to go.

There is, of course, a difference.

At the Yam Suf, the miracle was open-galui, impossible to miss. Moshe Rabbeinu lifted his staff, and the Yad Hashem was clear for all to see.

Today, the world speaks a different language-of strength, strategy, and politics. Nations act. Leaders decide.

But a ma’amin knows.

That behind everything, there is only one true power, koach.

Every missile that does not land.
Every life that is spared.
Every turn that brings protection-

It is all from the Ribbono Shel Olam.

Our hishtadlut (effort) matters-but it is only a kli.
The outcome is His.

And perhaps this is the nisayon of our time.

At the sea, it was impossible not to see.
Today, it is all too easy to miss.

Ein ba’al hanes makir b’niso.
A person living through a miracle does not always recognize it.

But in these great days, yamim gedolim, it is hard not to pause and think, to feel that we are living through moments that will one day be remembered-moments in which, quietly but clearly, the Yad Hashem is present.

We are in Chodesh Nisan-the month of miracles, nissim.
The month when teva bends.
The month when geulah begins.

We have seen fear-and we have seen protection.
We have seen danger-and we have seen yeshuah.

And perhaps, just perhaps, we are beginning to hear again the echo of that ancient song, Shirah-soft at first, but slowly growing, rising from within the very fabric of our lives.

May it be the Will of Hashem that these are not passing moments, but the beginning of something much greater.

That from the Son of the Sea, Shirat HaYam, we will soon be zocheh to the ultimate New Song, Shirah Chadashah-with the coming of Moshiach, bimheirah b’yameinu.

And may we all be zocheh to a gezunteh zomer-a healthy, peaceful, and joyful summer, filled with brachah, hatzlachah, and all the good we wish for ourselves and for all of Klal Yisrael.

NATOiStock

Amid growing tensions between the United States and its European allies, the administration of US President Donald Trump is weighing a move that could reshape NATO from within - not by leaving the alliance, but by redefining America’s commitment to it.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the White House is considering a plan to redeploy US forces away from NATO member states that did not support the American-Israeli effort during the recent war with Iran, and instead reinforce countries viewed as more cooperative and aligned with Washington’s strategic goals.

Despite Trump’s past threats to withdraw from NATO, officials stress that the current plan is far more limited. A full withdrawal is not legally feasible without congressional approval, following legislation passed to prevent a unilateral exit by a sitting president.

Instead, the administration is focusing on troop repositioning, a tool largely within executive authority. This approach allows Washington to recalibrate its level of commitment across the alliance without formally breaking from it.

Reports suggest that Eastern European countries such as Poland and Romania could see increased US military presence, while Western European nations, including Germany, France, and Italy, may face reductions due to what officials describe as insufficient cooperation during the conflict.

The criticism from the administration has been unusually direct. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that “it is quite sad that NATO turned its back on the United States over the past six weeks, especially when the US is the one funding its defense."

The plan, still in early stages, is one of several options under discussion as the White House seeks to increase pressure on NATO partners. Beyond its military implications, it carries a dual political message: externally, to European allies being urged to align more closely with Washington; and domestically, to American voters long critical of what they see as an unequal burden-sharing arrangement.

European officials are reportedly watching developments closely, concerned that such steps could widen existing fractures within one of the central pillars of Western security.

Shehbaz Sharif and Donald TrumpREUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain, White House

There is a particular kind of defeat that announces itself not with a surrender ceremony but with a press release. It arrives dressed as diplomacy, wrapped in the language of de-escalation, and it leaves behind a strategic vacuum that adversaries spend the next decade filling. Israel has watched this pattern unfold before, and it is watching it again now.

The United States is at risk of manufacturing precisely this kind of defeat in its confrontation with Iran, not because American military power is insufficient, but because American strategic communication has become its own worst enemy. For Israel, the consequences of getting this wrong are not abstract. They are existential.

The pattern has been visible since the earliest phases of the current pressure campaign. Washington issued what amounted to day-specific ultimatums, threatening consequences tied to particular operational milestones rather than to durable strategic outcomes. The logic behind labeling specific moments as "Bridge Day" or "Power Plant Day" was presumably to signal resolve by demonstrating a willingness to name consequences in advance. The actual effect was the opposite.

By attaching American credibility to discrete tactical events rather than to a coherent framework of victory, the administration invited Tehran to treat each threshold as a negotiating point rather than a red line. When the consequences did not materialize on schedule, or materialized in attenuated form, hardliners in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps drew precisely the conclusion they were hoping to draw: that American patience, like American attention, is a finite and diminishing resource.

Israel has long understood something that Washington periodically forgets. The Iranian regime does not evaluate American resolve through a single confrontation. It evaluates it across decades, building an institutional memory of every retreat, every reframing, every deadline quietly allowed to expire. The IRGC's strategists have studied the American withdrawal from Lebanon after the 1983 barracks bombing, the chaos that followed the 2003 invasion, and the negotiating process that produced the JCPOA, in which Iran traded temporary constraints on its nuclear program for the survival of the revolutionary project itself.

Inconsistent messaging in the current confrontation confirms what Iranian hardliners already believe: that Washington's stated positions are opening bids, not commitments. Israel cannot afford for them to be proven right again.

The Strait of Hormuz is where this strategic ambiguity carries consequences that extend far beyond the Persian Gulf. For Israel, the strait is not merely an energy chokepoint. It is the measure of how seriously the United States is prepared to enforce the kind of regional order that keeps Iranian power from expanding into every space American pressure leaves vacant.

A framework that leaves the IRGC with a residual capacity to threaten freedom of navigation is not a settlement. It is a deferral, and deferrals in this region have a consistent history of rewarding the party willing to wait. The threat does not disappear. It reconstitutes itself, refined by the lessons of the current confrontation and emboldened by the precedent that American ultimatums carry expiration dates.

What is missing, and what Israel's own experience of deterrence theory makes painfully legible, is a victory doctrine.

Without a clear public articulation of what a positive outcome actually requires Iran to concede, military pressure becomes untethered from political purpose. Strikes accumulate. Statements multiply. But the regime's survival calculus remains intact because no one in Tehran has been compelled to answer the foundational question: what would you have to surrender for this to stop? Israel learned this lesson in its own wars. Military superiority without defined political endpoints produces ceasefires, not outcomes.

A credible American victory doctrine for this confrontation would begin with a proposition that Israel would recognize immediately as strategically sound: the absolute freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is non-negotiable, and any Iranian military posture that threatens it will be dismantled, not managed. The same goes for the enriched uraniium in Iran's possession which must be rendered unusable.

Success means not a return to a tolerable status quo, but the permanent degradation of Iran's capacity to hold the strait hostage. Precision in language is not a rhetorical nicety in this context. It is a force multiplier. When an adversary cannot identify a pathway to American restraint short of genuine concession, the psychological weight of continued pressure compounds enormously. When it detects ambiguity, it calculates that endurance is cheaper than capitulation, and it endures.

Israel cannot fight this confrontation for America, and it should not be expected to. But Israel lives with the consequences of how America fights it. Strategic drift narrows the space in which a clear American position can be articulated without looking like rationalization after the fact. The administration must decide, with precision and without ambiguity, what it is actually trying to achieve. The ceasefire must make that position totally clear to Iran.

Without that clarity, the United States risks winning every tactical engagement while losing the only contest that matters. Israel has seen that film before, and it does not end well for anyone in its neighborhood.

Amine Ayoub, a fellow at the Middle East Forum, is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco. Follow him on X: @amineayoubx

לינץ' בבקעת הירדןללא

An Arab mob attacked a settlement point in the Jordan Valley this evening (Wednesday). During the incident, one of the residents was seriously wounded after a rock struck his head.

The injured man received initial treatment at the scene from Magen David Adom teams and Israel Defense Forces units that were dispatched to the area. According to reports, the attack included stone-throwing at residents. One of the rocks hit the resident in the head, causing a severe injury.

Security and rescue forces are operating at the scene and providing medical care. At this stage, no further details have been released about his condition beyond being classified as seriously injured.

The Honenu organization called on the IDF and police to act quickly to apprehend all the attackers, emphasizing the need for an immediate response.

The Yesha Council responded: “The severe attack in the northern Jordan Valley, in which Arabs brutally assaulted a Jew with a rock in an attempt to murder him, is further evidence of the ongoing terror threat targeting the pioneering farm communities. This is murderous terrorism fueled by systematic incitement within the Palestinian Authority, incitement that receives backing and support from Iran.

“We strengthen the injured man and his family, and thank the fighter who acted decisively and prevented another murder at the last moment. The State of Israel must act with a firm hand not only against the terrorists on the ground, but also against the axis of incitement and terror of the Palestinian Authority."