Friday, February 13, 2026

What You Need to Know:

PM Netanyahu left Israel on Tuesday for his seventh in-person meeting with US President Donald Trump in the past year. Before his departure, the prime minister said, “On this trip we will discuss a range of issues: Gaza, the region, but of course first and foremost the negotiations with Iran. I will present to the president our views regarding the principles of the negotiations, principles that in my view are important not only for Israel, but for anyone in the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East.” According to Ynetnews, “The Americans have decided that there will be no statements at the start of the meeting and no press conference afterward…this is a working meeting only.”

President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal are currently in Australia, where they have a full itinerary, which includes meeting with the prime minister and “visit Jewish communities across Australia to express solidarity and offer strength to the community in the aftermath of the attack [at Bondi Beach].” In his role as president, Herzog represents Israel abroad. One of his goals for the trip is to get relations with Australia “back on track, upgrade them, and improve them.” Addressing Jewish students at Moriah College, he encouraged them to face antisemitism head on, “Stand up, look them in the eye, don’t be afraid.”

Dig Deeper:

High Stakes Meeting between PM Netanyahu and Pres. Trump

President Herzog: Anti-Israel Protestors don’t Represent Australia’s Silent Majority

What You Need to Know:

Iran: The US and Iran are continuing the limited negotiations that began last Friday regarding Iran’s nuclear program. Jerusalem would like to see Iran’s ballistic missile program added to the scope of the negotiations, as it is a more immediate threat to Israel’s security. However, Iran adamantly opposes the idea. President Trump reported that during his February 11 meeting with PM Netanyahu, “…I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated.”

Meanwhile, militant Iranian rhetoric continues to threaten the cities of central Israel with a rain of missiles should there be an attack, either US-led or with the combined forces of Israel and the United States.

Gaza: Blatant violations by Hamas of the October 10, 2025 ceasefire continue. This week, four terrorists emerged from a tunnel shaft near Rafah and fired on IDF troops working in the area. After positive identification by the soldiers, the terrorists were killed.

Lebanon/Hezbollah: The Lebanese government, which was been tasked with disarming Hezbollah under the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, has announced it “will decide next week how to extend its authority…in areas north of the Litani River.” The problem is that Hezbollah still continues to be an active threat to Israel’s security south of the Litani River, as illustrated by Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah operatives.

Dig Deeper:

President Trump to Continue Negotiations with Iran

Billboard in Tehran Threatens to Rain Missiles on Central Israel

IDF Slays Four Terrorists in Exchange of Fire in Gaza’s Rafah Area  

Hezbollah Operative Killed by IDF in Southern Lebanon  

What You Need to Know:

In a move that has sparked negative reactions from eight Arab countries in the region as well as from the European Union, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved measures that will significantly change the status quo in Judea and Samaria. In a joint statement, foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan accuse Israel of “illegal decisions and steps aimed at imposing illegitimate Israeli sovereignty, entrenching settlements and creating a new legal and administrative reality in the West Bank.” Although Israel defeated Jordan nearly 50 years ago and reclaimed her biblical inheritance west of the Jordan River, the Israeli government(s) have consistently chosen not formally annex the territory. Those opposing Israel’s recent actions claim the new measures amount to “de facto annexation,” which allow the expansion of Jewish communities in the area and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.

During a video address to the 17th Al Jazeera Forum in Qatar, UN representative Francesca Albanese accused Israel of “the planning and making of a genocide, and the genocide is not over.” As the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Albanese has a decided anti-Israel bias that is reflected in her reports. In this address, she referred to Israel as “humanity’s common enemy.” Last summer, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Albanese “unfit for service as a special rapporteur” and announced US sanctions against her.

Dig Deeper:

Arab States Condemn Israeli Cabinet Moves as ‘Unprecedented Escalation’  

UN Representative Calls Israel a “Common Enemy of Humanity”

What You Need to Know:

For most young Israelis, both men and women, military service is a given. Young men serve two years and eight months and young women two years. After their mandatory service is complete, the men enter the reserves, where life-long relationships are formed. The connection Israelis feel was demonstrated when former hostage Nimrod Cohen, who was taken from a burning tank, announced his plans to complete his military service. Cohen recently stated, “I didn’t really do my service, the way I see it. I served for 10 months until I was kidnapped. Operationally, I managed to be there for something like two months. The rest of the time I…didn’t really do what I define as significant service.” This is the caliber of young Israelis serving in the IDF today.

Israel’s defense requires dedication and diversity from its soldiers. And assignments aren’t always combat-related. For example, reservists of the Alexandroni Brigade, who previously fought Hezbollah, are now in Gaza searching for tunnels and fortifying the Yellow Line (demarcation point for areas under IDF control). Here they must be alert, as Hamas operatives are constantly watching for weak spots or distracted soldiers. The brigade is digging a deep trench meant “to disrupt, and ultimately prevent, vehicle crossings that Hamas might use to launch an assault.” This is the caliber of older Israelis serving in the IDF today.

Dig Deeper:

Former Hostage Announces Return to IDF  

IDF: From Battles in Lebanon to Building Barrier Fence in Gaza

What You Need to Know:

We are very familiar with the cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beersheva and Haifa, but not all Israelis are city-dwellers. Today, we’ll take a look at 32 communities that make up the Eshkol Regional Council. Founded in 1951, Eshkol is one of the largest of Israel’s 54 regional councils, a form of local government which provides “essential municipal services, education, infrastructure and urban planning for rural areas.”

Located in the Western Negev, the Eshkol Regional Council shares a 60 kilometer (37 mi.) border with Gaza, along with a portion of the international border with Egypt at its southern tip. Approximately 16,000 residents live primarily in agricultural kibbutzim (community where ownership of property is shared) and moshavim (community where each family owns its property). Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest hit on October 7, with 101 civilians and 31 security personnel killed with an additional 32 hostages taken by Hamas, is part of this council.

The Eshkol Regional Council has an interesting history, as many of today’s kibbutzim were part of the 11 Point Plan, an initiative designed to ensure the inclusion of the Negev in a future state. In 1946, between October 5 and 6, 11 communities, complete with a water line, were established as evidence of Israel’s ability to populate the area. One of the eleven, Kibbutz Kissufim, is seeking to double its population after the devastating events of October 7, 2023.

Dig Deeper:

The Western Negev’s Eshkol Regional Council

Dairy Herd Returned to Eshkol Kibbutz 

Resilience in Rebuilding—Kibbutz Seeks to Double Population

What You Need to Know:

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition states: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

A recent survey has shown there is a significant difference in how antisemitism is perceived by Jews and the general public in America. Whether or not they themselves have experienced it directly, “Nearly half of American Jews believe that antisemitism is a ‘very serious problem,’ compared to only 28% of the general public.” More than half (54%) of the Orthodox Jews surveyed experienced an antisemitic incident last year, while only 26% of secular Jews reported attacks. The younger Jewish population was more likely to be the target of antisemitism than older Jews. The survey reported that “some 91% of American Jews feel less safe than they did a year ago,” noting an increase in violent antisemitism.

Once again, British media giant, BBC, has published an article reflecting an antisemitic bias. When describing a reception for Jewish Holocaust survivors at Buckingham Palace, the word Holocaust appeared in lower case throughout the article. When contacted, the journalist initially defended the spelling, saying, “Historically, there have been other examples of holocausts elsewhere.” Although the article was eventually corrected, such anti-Jewish, antisemitic charges against the BBC continue to surface regularly.

Dig Deeper:

Large Gap between Jews and the General Public when it comes to Antisemitism  

BBC Retracts Claim of ‘Other Holocausts’ after Complaint

What You Need to Know:

The aliyah (immigration) process is not an easy one, beginning with the decision to pull up roots in a familiar country and establish a new life in a faraway place. This week, a first-of-its-kind event drew hundreds of new immigrants to Tel Aviv to meet “dozens of organizations, nonprofits and municipal and government representatives.” For many of the attendees, it was more than informational event but rather “a moment to pause amid the race of adjustment, to lift their heads from forms, phone calls and confusion, and to see that others are standing in exactly the same place.”

“In the Middle East, a place name is never just a name—it is a claim,” according to the Wall Street Journal. And that statement has never been truer than when the name “West Bank,” is used to describe the land west of the Jordan River. In an article for Israel National News, Dr. Alex Grobman traces the history of the area’s names. He concludes: “Words are not neutral. “West Bank” launders history and law into a generic geographic euphemism. If we want clarity, we should speak clearly: Judea, Samaria and Gaza.” A grassroots movement is underway to restore its rightful name as the US Congress and a number of states are advancing legislation that would call it what it is: Judea and Samaria.

Dig Deeper:

When the Heart Says, “Come Home,” You Have to Listen  

Judea and Samaria: Call it what it is, not the “West Bank”