Friday, December 5, 2025

What You Need to Know:

On November 30, in a surprising move, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s legal team filed a presidential request for pardon from allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The request does not admit guilt, something the prime minister has consistently refused to do, calling the ongoing trial “absurd” and a “witch hunt” by his political opponents. Since the trial began five years ago, PM Netanyahu has been forced to take significant amounts of time away from leading the country to attend to the legal situation, especially difficult during the past two years of war. We will not attempt to explain the complexities of this matter, but suffice it to say that the prosecution has had difficulty proving their allegations and one of the four cases was dropped entirely. The Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department will now prepare an assessment of the request for pardon and forward it President Herzog for a final decision. The process is expected to take weeks, possibly up to two months, to complete.

Another thorny and complex issue confronting Israel’s coalition government at this time is the ultra-Orthodox exemption from military draft. In June 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that “ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) young men are obligated to enlist—just like their secular, traditional, and national religious counterparts.” However, the current bill up for consideration would exempt “tens of thousands of Haredi men from mandatory military service” and has drawn heated debate in the Knesset (parliament).

Dig Deeper:

Netanyahu Cites War, Public Service and National Healing in Push for Pardon 

Ultra-orthodox Parties Confident Draft-Exemption Will Pass despite Tensions

A Year since Supreme Court’s Conscription Ruling

What You Need to Know:

During the early years of statehood, Syrian forces on the Golan Heights above often fired on Jewish communities along the Sea of Galilee. After the 1967 Six Day War, Israel took possession of the Golan Height, which meant safety for these communities. Yet following the fall of the Assad regime last year, Israel expanded its security buffer zone into Syria itself. Although there is an uneasy peace between the current Syrian government and Israel, IDF troops on the border remain on high alert.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted a field tour in the Negev region this week. He stressed that security and communities are interconnected and urged strengthening those connections to build strong defensives. He discussed an increase in forces, including the establishment of a new division to defend Israel’s border with Jordan. He also addressed the increasing threat from drones, stating that responses are improving and will continue to be enhanced.

With Palestinian towns and villages interspersed among Jewish ones, the area of Judea and Samaria presents different security challenges. The Shomron Regional Council has recently proposed the establishment of a new city that would enhance the security of the existing communities in Samaria as well provide a buffer to cities in central Israel itself. The new city would be built on lands owned by the State of Israel with a target population of 130,000 residents.

Dig Deeper:

Israel’s UN Envoy Rejects Call to Withdraw from Golan Heights  

IDF Chief of Staff Tours the Negev Region

Officials Push for New City in Samaria to Enhance Security

What You Need to Know:

Israel’s treatment at the United Nations continues to be biased and one-sided, with unsubstantiated, unverified accusations presented. In an interview with Reuters, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres strongly criticized Israel’s conduct during the two-year war in Gaza and just came short of accusing the nation of war crimes. Then, a UN forum held on December 1 focused on the “dangers and complexities of reporting from the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” Nasser Abu Bakr, Chairman of Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate claimed that more than 255 journalists had been killed and more than 500 wounded in Gaza. Both the Reuters interview and the forum were completely one-sided and unbalanced, leaving out any mention of Hamas’s use of human shields or “journalists” who took part in the October 7 massacre.

Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor-elect has threatened publicly to have Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu arrested under the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2024. Undeterred, the prime minister said he will “of course” visit New York. It may actually be an empty threat as neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC and legal experts doubt Mamdani has the authority to carry out his threat. Nevertheless, it is a sad sign of the times that Mamdani would even make such a statement to begin with.

Dig Deeper:

Journalism Is a Battleground in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory

UN Chief Calls Israel’s Conduct throughout Gaza War Fundamentally Wrong

Netanyahu Vows to Visit New York despite Mamdani’s Arrest Threat  

What You Need to Know:

The IDF is an army of the people with many heroes. Some have returned from the battlefield with life-changing wounds while others fought to keep hope alive as they were held captive in the tunnels under Gaza. Here are two accounts among the thousands that could be told.

During a raid in southern Syria last week, one IDF reservist suffered a life-threatening wound as a bullet pierced his protective vest and punctured the chamber of his heart. After a complex surgical procedure to stop the bleeding, doctors decided to leave the bullet in place for the time being. It may possibly be removed at a later date. One week after the raid, two other soldiers injured in the raid remain hospitalized in the intensive care unit, their conditions stable. Soldiers serving in Gaza continue to face unexpected pockets of resistance, with five injured in the last week alone.

The epitome of resilience and fortitude, former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander recently stood in his IDF uniform on a stage at the Nova Festival site and announced his intention to complete the remaining two years and eight months of his basic service that were cut short by his captivity. Alexander, who was held in Gaza for a year and seven months, had this message for his captors, “[I want] to show them I survived, I’m back, and I will never break.”

Dig Deeper:

Bullet that Penetrated Heart of IDF Soldier in Syria May Stay in Place

Female Combat Recruiting Rates Hit Record High  

Former Hostage, Edan Alexander, Back in IDF Uniform

What You Need to Know:

Israelis are beginning to speak more openly about the trauma of the last two years, with men and women choose different methods of dealing with trauma. According to Ronit Shoval who heads the Eden Association, an organization specializing in treating post-trauma among women and girls, men tend to take “practical action while women seek emotional expression.” In light of this, Shoval’s organization has documented “the experiences of female reservists and combat soldiers who fought on the battlefield to defend Israel.” So far, 80 women have shared their accounts, including Maj. May Talker, the commander of a body recovery team at the Nova Festival site. She said, “Women did powerful things, not only in combat but throughout everything that happened.” Their testimonies appear in “October 7th—Her Story: Voices from the Frontline.” 

With the return of the body of Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak this week, just one hostage remains in Gaza, that of 24-year-old Sgt. First Class Ran Gvili, who was killed and his body taken hostage on October 7 while he was fighting with his team to defend one of the border communities. His mother Talik said, “The first to go and the last to return.” On the day of the attack, Ran was recuperating from a broken shoulder and wasn’t supposed to be in action. Shai Dego, a member of Ran’s unit recalled, “He wasn’t supposed to be able to lift his arm, but he fought there like a lion. They found 14 terrorist bodies at the kidnapping site.” Israel has said repeatedly it will spare no effort until all the hostages have been returned. Every last one.

Dig Deeper:

Testimony Project Helps Women in the IDF Navigate Healing

Body of Thai Citizen Returned to Israel

Ran Gvili, Heroic Account of the Last Hostage Held in Gaza

What You Need to Know:

The offices of La Stampa, one of Italy’s oldest and most prominent newspapers, were the scene of pro-Palestinian violence recently. About 100 protestors vandalized the newsroom, writing slogans against the journalists and hurling manure at the entrance to the building. While UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese condemned the violence, she “also denounced journalists as she said, ‘This should also be a warning to the press to get back to doing their job.’” Since Albanese is notoriously anti-Israel, one can only assume La Stampa journalists were attempting to be non-biased in their reporting.

Despite claims by Palestinian officials that textbook reforms have been completed, a report by IMPACT-se shows materials being used in 2025–2026 differ little from previous years. The textbooks still glorify violence, praise suicide bombers and contain “extensive anti-Israel and antisemitic incitement.” The 400-page report “analyzed 290 textbooks and 71 teachers guides across all subjects and grade levels.”

On a positive note, a conference entitled “The Other Side of the Coin: Antisemitism in Sports” was held in Bratislava last week. The first of its kind in Europe, the conference addressed the damaging effects of antisemitism in an arena once known for fairness and sportsman-like behavior. “The opening day alone attracted over 50 participants from Ukraine, Slovakia, the United States, Israel, Germany, Hungary, and beyond.”

Dig Deeper:

The Other Side of the Coin; Antisemitism in Sports

When Journalism Becomes the Engine of Antisemitism

Anti-Israel Incitement Continues in Palestinian Schools

What You Need to Know:

This week’s praise report from Israel revolves around two young Jews: 25-year-old Maayan, a young woman who made aliyah (immigrated) to serve in the IDF; and 24-year-old Alon, who was brutally held by Hamas two years in Gaza. Both stories reveal the faithfulness of God to the Jewish people and are worthy of thanksgiving and praise.

When she was 19, Maayan left her family home in England to enlist in the IDF canine unit as a lone soldier. Having experienced antisemitism in England, she is now a passionate advocate for Israel, speaking to Jewish tourists visiting the country as well as raising funds abroad for mental health treatment for war survivors. Maayan is currently studying entrepreneurship and business administration at Reichman University in Herzliya

Since he was taken captive, Alon has made a series of difficult choices. “My story started when I chose life. I had the choice at any given moment to give in, and I chose not to,” he recently told JNS. Alon was held with Eli Sharabi (53), who became a father figure to him and helped instill hope in the young man. Eli told him it was OK to cry but never to lose hope. And Alon, who was among the last living hostages released on October 13, 2025, kept the faith and returned to his family alive.

Dig Deeper:

From UK Antisemitism to Aliyah

Alon Ohel Reveals How He Survived Two Years of Torment in Gaza