Friday, August 28, 2026

What You Need to Know:

PM Netanyahu: The Knesset (Parliament) is still on its summer recess, but the issues facing Israel have not disappeared. In his remarks before a recent Security Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed his commitment to stand firm in the face of world pressures. One of those issues involves Hamas and the future of the Gaza Strip. The prime minister said: “Israel does not accept the 15-point [peace plan] document. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed. And when I say the disarming of Hamas, it means heavy weaponry, lighter weaponry, all weaponry. And we are talking about genuine disarmament, not fictitious disarmament. Right now, we are talking with the Americans about this issue. They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some of which are unacceptable, and we know how to stand firm against these things.”

Elections: Many of Israel’s leading politicians have come from military careers, among them former IDF chiefs of staff and top commanders. On Tuesday, Ofer Winter, a former brigadier general, announced the formation of a new right-wing political party. A strong personality, it appears that he is seeking to lead the country. In an article on i24News, Winter was described as a “former soldier [who] fuses both a persona many in Israel find compelling with what seems to be an intuitive understanding of what some Israelis want.” When he announced the new party, Winter called for decisiveness: “Decisiveness that would both respond to Israeli anxieties and . . . bring the enemy to bear.”

Dig Deeper:

Remarks by the Prime Minister at the Start of the Cabinet Meeting

Ofer Winter Shakes Up the Right with a Pitch to Post-October 7 Israel

What You Need to Know:

Turkey: While the Iranian ayatollahs, with their anti-Israel rhetoric, desire to acquire nuclear weapons and stated goal of annihilating the Jewish state remain Israel’s number one security threat, Turkey could rank a close second. Tukey is a powerhouse, ranking 9th in global military strength in comparison to Israel’s number 15 slot, and the ambition of Turkey’s current prime minister is to rebuild the Ottoman Empire—which included Jerusalem.

Hamas/Gaza: Despite the pronouncements of the Board of Peace regarding the situation in Gaza, Hamas continues refusing to disarm, and the IDF has continued with its targeted elimination of terrorist commanders who took part in October 7 and remain a threat to Israeli security. This week, the IDF dismantled five weapons storage sites and a launch site. In a visit to the Gaza Strip, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said, “We will not allow terrorist infrastructure to become entrenched.”

Judea/Samaria has been in the news this past week with accusations, in some cases with video footage included, of violence perpetrated by Jewish residents. We urge caution when reading media reports, even those from Israeli press in some cases, as this area has been a flashpoint for Israel’s enemies and needs much discernment, wisdom and prayer.

Hezbollah/Lebanon: The IDF continues operations to destroy Hezbollah’s weapons depots, command centers, observation posts and launch sites in southern Lebanon. This infrastructure was built with over more than two decades, funded by Iran. Troops have encountered Shi’ite villages that were built as “military fortresses designed to provide protection from IDF airstrikes.”

Dig Deeper:

Opinion: Turkey Is no Iran but Israel Can’t Afford to Ignore Warning Signals   

IDF Chief in Gaza: We will not return to October 6  

Hamas Weapons Facilities in Gaza Mosques and Humanitarian Sites Dismantled   

IDF Accelerates Destruction of Hezbollah Infrastructure in Southern Lebanon

What You Need to Know:

One of the challenges the IDF has recently faced is how to integrate the haredim (ultra-Orthodox) in a way that allows them to keep a Torah-observant lifestyle during their military service. However, there is no doubt that the leaders of the IDF also value the Torah (Gen.–Deut.) for the troops at large. In a recent visit to a yeshiva (religious school), IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told students: “I do not doubt that part of the strength of our spirit is the connection to our Torah. The Torah intensifies and strengthens the spirit. The IDF's strength is the multiplication of physical and spiritual strength; just one is not enough.”

It’s no secret that Israelis love their soldiers. And why not? The men and women in uniform are the first wall of defense from those who seek the harm of the Jewish people. Sadly, many have been wounded in the past three years, some of them with life-threatening injuries. The Jewish community in the Diaspora (outside of Israel) recently had a chance to bless a group of wounded soldiers who came to South Africa as part of “a recovery program combining support from local Jewish communities with a demanding trek through the Drakensberg mountain range,” as reported by the Jewish News Syndicate. One of the South African organizers told JNS: “It was an absolute honor to host these very special people. Our community is immensely supportive and forever grateful to those who risk their lives for Israel and the Jewish people.”

Dig Deeper:

IDF Chief of Staff Tells Yeshiva Students: Torah Strengthens the IDF’s Spirit

Wounded Israeli Soldiers Find Support Challenge on South Africa Trek  

What You Need to Know:

Celebration of the Jewish High Holy Days will begin in a little less than two weeks, and a recent survey shows many households are feeling the economic pressure from nearly three years of war. Families of the reservists are especially affected as their wage-earners have been called to military service. Bridges for Peace joins other Christian organizations in reaching out to help Israelis in need. In order to help, we invite you to visit our website’s Project Page and donate to one of the programs.

Israel’s schools will open their doors this coming Tuesday, September 1. Beginning with COVID-related school closures in the spring of 2020, and continuing with the multi-front wars and long-term evacuations after October 7, Israel’s school children as well as their teachers have faced unusual challenges. This year alone, schools in Israel were closed from February 28 until the end of Passover on April 8. Last year, students missed at least 15 days during the 12-day war with Iran in June; schools on the northern border and Gaza periphery were closed almost two months during that time period. So, it does not come as a surprise that a recent survey revealed “close to 90 percent of Israeli parents feel their children’s education was hurt by the Iran war.” According to the head of the teacher’s union, the education system is facing a shortage of teachers as the new school year begins.

Dig Deeper:

Survey Finds Heavy Financial Toll of War on Israeli Households, Reservists   

What School Looked Like in Israel Decades Ago, before Zoom and Tablets   

Nearly 90% of Israeli Parents Say Their Kids’ Education Harmed by War

What You Need to Know:

Israel often faces an uphill road when it comes to setting the record straight with regard to its standing in international bodies such as the United Nations. The State of Israel is held to a different standard than all other nations. This week, we want to share two instances which reflect a flicker of hope in the face of Israel’s battle for legitimacy, or at least the opportunity to be heard. Both involve the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 

Research conducted by GnasherJew, a pro-Israel group that monitors antisemitism, uncovered ties between Muhammad Karim, listed in the UNICEF UK directory as a marketing specialist, with an online shop selling merchandise with anti-Israel imagery. One example, as reported by the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), was a T-shirt depicting a watermelon throwing a lit firebomb at an Israeli tank. It was advertised as an “‘epic representation of resistance’ against ‘the absolute worst of humanity, the IDF and its ilk.’” UNICEF UK quickly removed Karim’s name from their directory and his UNICEF credentials from LinkedIn.

One of the most persistent accusations the State of Israel has faced during the past three years involves “the poor starving children of Gaza.” In spite of documented information provided by Israel, the global media continued to insist there was “widespread starvation.” However, a recent survey conducted independently by UNICEF corroborates Israel’s position. The survey took place between May 31 and June 15, 2026, “found low rates of acute malnutrition among children in accessible areas of Gaza,” according to JNS. Ofir Akunis, Israel’s consul general in New York, added, “The truth always prevails over lies.”

Dig Deeper:

UNICEF UK Takes Action against Anti-Israel Marketing Pro   

New Gaza Nutrition Data from UNICEF Shows Truth Always Prevails  

What You Need to Know:

Recently, an Israeli living in Athens was removed from a gathering that was advertised as an international event open to people from around the world. Rafi Rom was told that he was a “security risk” after he had introduced himself as Jewish and Israeli. Rom told JNS before he was escorted out that “he had not confronted anyone, caused a disturbance, or been told that his behavior was inappropriate.” His only crime? His nationality and ethnicity.

It begins silently, but very rarely does it end that way. A Jewish father, shopping with his children in a London supermarket, filed a complaint with police after encountering a man wearing a T-shirt with a threatening, antisemitic statement. “Khaybar Khaybar yaa Yahud” is a slogan that calls for Jews to “Remember the Battle of Khaybar” when a Jewish community was conquered by Mohammed. In a statement, the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAC) organization said: “This disgusting intimidation must be met with the full force of the law. This kind of incitement and hatred has been becoming more and more brazen to the extent that it is now casually displayed in everyday public settings.”

A sociology course entitled “Palestine” with a focus on “Israel’s ‘continued territorial expansion’ and the ‘ongoing genocide of Palestinians’” will be offered at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn. (USA). Both Students Supporting Israel (SIS) and the Anti-Defamation League are opposing the course, with SIS stating that the course “does not advance meaningful conflict resolution. It replaces education with ideology.”

Dig Deeper:  

Israeli in Athens Expelled from Event after Identity Became Known   

London Police Seek Man Seen Wearing Anti-Jewish Shirt   

Minnesota College Offers Palestine Course Covering Ongoing Genocide in Gaza

What You Need to Know:

Men and women with successful careers in high-tech, banking, defense-related industries and the military itself are among the nearly 71,000 who have participated in the Ministry of Education’s retraining programs in the last 10 years. Though they have accomplished much, each one of the five Israelis who was interviewed felt those accomplishments weren’t “enough.” They wanted to impact the next generation of leaders through sharing their experience and knowledge, especially in the fields of mathematics and science. Moni Carmeli, who “spent decades managing engineers and technological development projects,” told Ynetnews: “My goal is to empower those who want to learn. I’m here to lift them up.” Asaf Arditi said: “Teaching is the tool for influencing the next generation in the State of Israel. We are living in a period when acquiring knowledge is becoming readily available and easy, so the values-based side of teaching has taken on even greater importance for me.”

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Images captured by the IDF’s documentation soldiers who accompanied recent international aid missions in the aftermath of powerful earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia have a story to tell. Sgt. First Class “S” told Ynetnews, “We arrived in a country [Venezuela] with no official diplomatic relations with Israel, but on the ground we encountered enormous support.” In both locations, the documentation soldiers “captured the human drama, quiet diplomacy and encounters between soldiers in green uniforms and local civilians.” Sgt. “S” concluded, “The camera is not just a reporting tool. It is the lasting testimony to the IDF’s work.”

Dig Deeper:

From Hi-Tech to Teaching: Trading Lucrative Careers for Meaning   

Documenting IDF High-Risk Rescue Missions