Friday, August 21, 2026

What You Need to Know:

Is it time for Prime Minister Netanyahu to pass the baton to a new generation of leaders? Shmuel Legesse, an “Ethiopian-Israeli American Jew, a Modern Orthodox educator, a student of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and a committed democratic thinker who does not believe that any individual should dominate Israeli politics indefinitely,” attempts to answer that question. He has written a thoughtful opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post entitled “The ‘Anyone but Netanyahu’ Coalition Is not Ready to Lead.” It is in our “Dig Deeper” section and is well worth reading.

While Legesse acknowledges the prime minister’s strengths—“he is politically intelligent, resilient and experienced in American politics and diplomacy”—he also notes that Netanyahu has not prepared a “credible generation of successors.” As a follower of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (זייל), he notes that Moses not only led Israel out of Egypt, but he also mentored Joshua.

In Legesse’s words, “Israel does not need an election organized around love or hatred of Netanyahu. It needs an election about national survival, democratic responsibility, and the future strength of the Jewish state. Netanyahu should neither be worshiped nor demonized. His achievements should be recognized, his failures investigated, and his supporters respected.”

Approximately two months remain until October 27, when Israelis will go to the polls. At this point it would be foolish to predict an outcome. Legesse concludes: “Israel cannot give its enemies the gift of prolonged division. Its leaders must build a Joshua generation and a national coalition strong enough to defend the country, renew its democracy, and unite its people.”

Dig Deeper:

Opinion: The ‘Anyone but Netanyahu’ Coalition Is not Ready to Lead    

Israel Heads to the Polls, Inside the most Consequential Election in its History  

What You Need to Know:

Iran remains the “head of the viper,” and Israel continues to monitor the situation closely. Although there have not been any direct attacks on Israel since early June, no one believes this conflict has truly ended.

Hamas/Gaza: On Sunday, US special envoy Jared Kushner met with Hamas leaders in Egypt and then with PM Netanyahu on Monday. The first meeting calls into question the disarming AND dismantling of the terror organization that carried out the October 7 attacks. In the second, Kushner assured Israeli leaders that their security concerns are being addressed and they would retain the right to act against imminent threats. The IDF carried out strikes against two Hamas commanders this week.

Syria/Turkey: Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in early December 2024, Israel and Syria have been tentatively exploring a new relationship. However, Turkish attempts to increase its presence in Syria have raised security concerns in Israel. In response, Israel struck a Syrian air base this week. PM Netanyahu said: “Syria was on the verge of breaching [the status quo] by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo. [Israel] will not tolerate threats to its security.” Although Turkey has denied its intent to deploy troops, it has been providing training to the Syrian army along with other military and diplomatic support.

Hezbollah launched a suicide drone attack on Saturday, leaving three soldiers seriously wounded as their unit was operating in Lebanon’s Ali Taher Ridge area. In response, targeted eliminations of Hezbollah commanders are continuing as the IDF works to remove all threats against its troops and Israeli civilians.

Dig Deeper:

Israel Sees Signs Iran’s Hard-Line Leadership Is Preparing for an Offensive Move     

Kushner: Gaza Demilitarization Could Begin within 30 Days   

Jared Kushner’s Meeting with Hamas Leaders: ‘A Slap in Israel’s Face’

Israel Confirms Striking Syrian Airbase, saying Turkey Planning to Deploy There   

What You Need to Know:

After nearly three years of a multi-front war, thousands of soldiers are still serving in dangerous places. The following is an excerpt from a Ynetnews article which gives an account of a Golani officer who has already been in Lebanon for 22 days with his platoon, “with no immediate end in sight.” He wrote: “It is very difficult. The battalion has been maneuvering continuously for more than four months and the soldiers are exhausted.” He wrote of harsh physical conditions and psychological strain: “We care about returning home safely. We care about protecting this gift called the State of Israel, which from inside can feel so obvious, but when you look back at it from deep inside Lebanon you understand how much of a miracle it is, and how easily it could disappear. So especially now, remember us, the soldiers at the front. Because from here, from Lebanon, it is completely clear that we have no other country.’”

Wednesday, August 19, was World Humanitarian Day. You may be asking, “What does that have to do with the IDF?” For the past 70 years, the IDF has been sending men, women and equipment to scenes of natural disasters with one purpose: to save lives. The foundation was laid in 1953, when, with limited equipment but great resourcefulness, the IDF provided medical treatment residents of Greek islands in the aftermath of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake. In the years following, the IDF has been there, offering hope and saving lives. The “people’s army” of Israel has often been maligned on social media, but a quick glimpse at the list of their humanitarian relief operations tells a different story.

Dig Deeper:

How IDF Tanks Slipped by Hezbollah to Take Beaufort Fortress    

IDF Marks Seven Decades of Global Humanitarian Relief Efforts

What You Need to Know:

For the last 20 years, Sderot has endured rockets and missiles from Gaza, and on October 7, it was one of the hardest hit as Hamas terrorists infiltrated the city. Seventy-two people lost their lives, with one of the hardest fought battles at the police station where 11 officers died. Most of the town’s children show some signs of PTSD. Yet surprisingly, newcomers are arriving and have boosted the city’s population by nearly 20%. Speaking to JNS, Nir Kalfa, a lifelong resident called, his city “a beacon of resilience, strength and hope. Despite all the challenges we’ve faced, we didn’t give up and we’re still here.”

Located in the Naftali Mountains of northern Israel, Kibbutz Yiftah sits across the border from a former Hezbollah stronghold. Evacuated shortly after the Gaza War began, most of the residents returned a year ago. Though 10 families decided to relocate, homes are being built for 22 new families. Anat Zisovich-Charrit told Ynetnews: “Come what may, we are not leaving this place again. We will not go through another evacuation. We will not leave our home again for anyone.”

Like ripples on a calm lake, the words Agam Berger wrote on a whiteboard when she was released from 482 days of Hamas captivity have become a Jewish poem that is also a prayer. She wrote six words: “I chose the path of faith, and by the path of faith I have returned.” From the words, Rabbi Zev Shandalov composed a four-stanza poem, which he presented to Agam’s family as well as to all Israelis. The last lines of each stanza echo Agam’s words, “I chose, I returned.”

Dig Deeper:

Sderot Grows in the Shadow of Gaza   

Kibbutz on Border with Lebanon Surpasses its Prewar Size   

A Piyut for Former Gaza Hostage Agam Berger  

What You Need to Know:

Israel’s announcement on Tuesday of a tender for the construction of 1,234 housing units in the E1 corridor has prompted another diplomatic firestorm in Europe. The term E1, which refers to a 12-square km. (4.63 mi.) strip of land between east Jerusalem and the Jewish community of Ma’ale Adumim, has been a sensitive topic for decades. The construction is opposed because it will prevent a contiguous Palestinian state by dividing east Jerusalem, envisioned as its capital, from the rest of its territory. European countries are considering sanctions: banning imports from Judea and Samaria, stricter labeling requirements and a blacklist of “violent settlers who would be barred from entering Europe.”  

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has accused Israel of “taking over buildings that belong to the agency” in east Jerusalem. Once again, the charges do not reflect truth. The buildings in question are privately owned and had been used, rent-free, by UNRWA before it was banned from operating in Israel due to its proven collaboration with Hamas.

Flags represent “the identity, history, values, and beliefs of a nation, state, or organization.” Israeli flags flying in southern Lebanon have lately drawn criticism as being provocative and a violation of UN Resolution 1701. The IDF, which is maintaining a buffer zone in the area until Hezbollah can be removed as a threat to the security of its northern communities, replied: “Israel is not acting against the Lebanese state or its citizens.” These flags are making a statement: Israel intends to do everything in its power to protect its citizens from another October 7.

Dig Deeper:

European Countries Weigh Sanctions against Israel  

Israel Accused of Taking over UNRWA Buildings in Jerusalem   

UNIFIL Says Israeli Flags on Lebanon Road Violate UN Resolution

What You Need to Know:

Sri Lanka: Israeli travelers know they will find a warm Jewish welcome at one of the 3,500 Chabad Houses around the world. Sri Lanka, a popular tourist destination, boasts five Chabad Houses. One has become the target of a particularly vicious campaign to intimidate them into closing down. Recently, 200 protestors threw stones and firecrackers at the building and tried to intimidate Israelis on their way to attend services and observe Shabbat (Sabbath).

In Ireland to film a documentary on antisemitism, a reporter and cameraman from Israel’s i24NEWS were assaulted as they interviewed people on a Belfast street. The Anti-Defamation League posted on X, “Two journalists were targeted in Belfast for being Israeli…the story they were documenting became their own.”

France: Several recent antisemitic encounters in France are under criminal investigation. In one case, a cafeteria owner in Lyon apparently denied service to a Jewish person. Aurore Bergé, a French official, told JNS: “No antisemitic act, racist act or act of hatred can be tolerated. Antisemitism and racism are not opinions; they are criminal offenses. I will intervene systematically to ensure that nothing is overlooked and to uphold our laws and values.”

Latin America: The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) has defined antisemitism in a way the helps recognize when legitimate criticism has crossed a line into holding Israel and the Jewish people to a different standard or denying their right to exist. Currently, six Latin American countries have formally adopted the IHRA definition. The Jewish News Syndicate reports that progress is being made to add more nations to the list.

Dig Deeper:  

Violence Erupts Outside Chabad House in Sri Lanka    

Israeli Film Crew Assaulted in Northern Ireland   

France Probes Café Owner Who Said ‘Too Many Jews’   

Surprising IHRA Adoption Coming in Latin America  

What You Need to Know:

Over the past 20 years, Israel has often been unjustly labeled an “apartheid state” by pro-Palestinian activists who insist that Arabs are treated as second-class citizens or worse. As a young man, Bafana Bi participated in anti-Israel protests and believed that lie until 2016, when he visited Israel for the first time. As a South African, Bafana knew firsthand what apartheid looks like. He did not find any evidence in Israel to support the charge of apartheid, and since then has worked diligently to promote firsthand knowledge and personal encounters between South Africans and Israelis. He told Ynetnews, “There is no hostility on the ground toward Israelis and Jews, but there is a clear government policy based on historical alliances against Israel.”

Great Neck, New York, is home to approximately 7,000 Persian Jews who fled Iran a few years before the 1979 Revolution, when the ayatollahs took over the country. The Persian Jews came from the city of Mashhad in northeast Iran. The group of families in Great Neck has remained a close-knit community, very pro-Israel but content to support Israel from the comforts of their lives in America. That changed recently, when eight families decided to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel). Jordan Karmily, a 42-year-old father of six, told JNS, “It’s a bit of an earthquake in our community, because people don’t leave.” The families are moving as a community and have settled in the same neighborhood in the community of Ra’anana. Karmily concluded, “It’s time for the Jews to come home. Those days that we waited for and prayed for have come, and we just need to open our eyes and hear the call.”

Dig Deeper:

South African Activist Who Called Israel Apartheid Now Pro-Israel    

America Is Not Where We’re Supposed to Be Says Persian Jew Who Immigrated to Israel