Friday, February 27, 2026

What You Need to Know:

Israel’s leaders are watching US President Trump and his interactions with the Iranian regime very closely. Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the issue at the February 23 Knesset (Parliament) “40 Signature” debate. The prime minister stressed, “We are vigilant and prepared for every scenario.” He also warned that “Israel will reply with ‘unimaginable’ force if Iran launches an attack on Israel.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu hosted India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a two-day state visit. Modi first came to Israel in 2017, when ties between the nations were “elevated to a strategic partnership.” This visit is expected to deepen and broaden those ties. J.P. Singh, India’s current ambassador to Israel, expects that “this visit will give us a road map and a vision for our future relationship.”

President Isaac Herzog visited Ethiopia this week, meeting with its president and prime minister as well as the Jewish community there. Ties between the two nations date back to the days of King Solomon, who received a state visit of his own from the Ethiopian Queen Makeda. Relations were cordial until the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when ties were severed until 1992. Israel has worked hard to open and maintain diplomatic channels in African nations, many of whom are Muslim-majority with some decidedly anti-Israel.

Dig Deeper:

PM Netanyahu to Knesset: Israel will Use ‘Unimaginable’ Force if Attacked    

Modi Visit Set to Open ‘New Phase’ in Israel-India Ties  

Herzog’s Visit to Ethiopia Strengthens Ties  

What You Need to Know:

Iran: Israelis are asking when missiles will start flying again from Iran or whether there will be a preemptive strike by either the US or Israel. PM Netanyahu told the Knesset that “Israel is facing complex and challenging days. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. We are keeping our eyes open.”

Jerusalem: The month of Ramadan, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, began the evening of February 17. In the past, this has been a period of heightened incitement to violence, especially in the area of Temple Mount, which is claimed as a holy site by both Muslims and Jews. Extensive preparations have been made with police officers and other security personnel stationed in the Old City as well as points where eastern and western Jerusalem meet.  

Judea and Samaria also present security challenges during Ramadan, as thousands of Palestinians seek to pray in Jerusalem. Until now, Muslim worshippers have been able to enter the Temple Mount, but the IDF’s Central Command has contingency plans in place if a war with Iran breaks out. In that case, “all gates to the Temple Mount would be closed in accordance with Home Front Command directives.” Five major arrest raids of known terror operatives have taken place in the last week, in an effort to maintain calm in the area.

Dig Deeper:

PM Netanyahu Delivers a Rare, Brief Speech on Iran  

During Ramadan, Judea and Samaria Remain Calm ‘For Now’

Israel Police Preparations in Jerusalem for Ramadan 2026  

What You Need to Know:

When asked why Israelis criticize the UN, Jerusalem Post reporter Liat Collins writes, “Israel is never far from the UN spotlight as the ‘bad guys’.” By mandate the UN must “discuss Israel’s perceived faults and wrongdoings every three months in the Security Council [and] three times a year in the Human Rights Council.” Yet despite the Iranian regime’s murderous response to protests and demonstrations, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres “extended his warmest congratulations on the occasion of Iran’s National Day [the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution].” For obvious reasons, this communication was not posted on any of the UN’s social media, but Iranian news sources carried the story. To add insult to injury, Iran now occupies a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council’s advisory committee.

Israel has been accused of many things at the United Nations with regard to Gaza. Recently, Israel’s mission to the UN organized a fact-finding trip which began at the death camp of Auschwitz, visited Hamas massacre sites and concluded by watching aid trucks enter the Gaza Strip. Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said: “We came here to show the reality. While at the UN Israel is accused of starving Gaza, hundreds of trucks enter the Strip every day.” Among the group were UN ambassadors from Paraguay, Romania, Zambia and 23 other nations.

Dig Deeper:

UN Ambassadors Visit Gaza Border Communities  

Israel-Bashing at the United Nations (Opinion)  

What You Need to Know:

Israel is a nation at war, and uniformed soldiers are very visible in public spaces. Not just men but women carry weapons, as Israel is among a small group of nations in the world that allow women in direct combat positions. Recently, a young woman in olive green with an assault rifle slung over her shoulder sat down in front of me on the bus. As I watched, an older woman struck up a conversation with the young soldier and soon was handing her bakery treats across the aisle. Israelis love the young men and women who, fresh out of high school, spend two to three years defending the nation. This is the IDF: “Defense is our mission. Security is our goal.”

Each year on the 7th of Adar (February 24, 2026), a special ceremony takes place at Mount Herzl, Israel’s national cemetery—remembrance of fallen soldiers whose burial sites are unknown. President Herzog said: “There is almost no other country in the world that sanctifies the value of bringing the fallen to burial like the State of Israel. This is a Jewish obligation that is ingrained in our heritage … a sacred Israeli obligation, an unwritten but clear order, not to leave a soldier behind, especially after he’s fallen.” The IDF continually strives to fulfill this obligation, not forgetting those who fell in 1948 and still remain missing.

Dig Deeper:

Mission and Values of the IDF  

Israel Honors Missing Fallen Soldiers at Annual Mt Herzl Ceremony  

What You Need to Know:

Super market shelves remain stocked with essentials like bottled water, but the underlying question on everyone’s mind is: When will the war with Iran begin? Although on the highest level of alert, instructions from the Home Front Command (responsible for preparing the civilians for conflict or disaster and assisting during times of crisis) are “business as usual” with schools open and transportation functioning normally. Yet, just below the surface, Israelis know things can change in an instant. And that knowledge has an effect after a prolonged period of uncertainty.

Travel plans are another factor, as there are no concrete guarantees that, once you leave Ben Gurion Airport, you will be able to return on the date for which you hold a ticket. And what about Pesach (Passover)? Many Jews who live outside the State of Israel return for the week-long holiday, choosing to observe it in the Land of their forefathers. With the holiday set to begin on the evening of April 1, just a little over a month away, who knows what the state of affairs will be in the Middle East at that time?

The much-touted resilience of the Jewish people is real. Their strength is drawn from community and the shared foundational belief that life is important. However, that being said, it is hard to wait—but that’s exactly what Israelis are doing.

Dig Deeper:

Israel Is Awaiting Potential Iranian Attack  

Israel’s Courage between Normal Life and Looming War   

What You Need to Know:

Researchers at the Reichman University in Herzliya, Israel, have released an international study that suggests that “perceiving Jews as a ‘powerful’ group fuels antisemitism on both the political right and left.” Researchers examined how “perception of Jews as strong affects the sense of threat from both ends of the political spectrum.” On the right, they are seen as a threat to “group dominance.” We would expect the political left to “defend the weak or condemn inhuman acts,” like the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. Yet the liberals tend to portray Jews as privileged and powerful, the opposite of weak and downtrodden. The authors of the study suggest that in order to effectively combat antisemitism, the perceived threat to the audience must be exposed as inaccurate and false.

In spite of Australian Prime Minister Albanese’s initial resistance, a Royal Commission was opened this week to look into the Bondi Beach attack. The most powerful type of inquiry in Australia, the Royal Commission can compel people to give evidence. The commission will “consider the events of the shooting as well as antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia, and is expected to report its findings by December this year.”

Dig Deeper:

Study Finds View of Jews as ‘Powerful’ Fuels Antisemitism

Australia Begins Inquiry into Antisemitism Following Bondi Attacks

What You Need to Know:

In a country that takes volunteering to a whole new level, the Farkash family sets the bar even higher. Seven siblings, along with one husband, all serve as volunteer medics in Jerusalem. Three of the four oldest—Avraham, Shlomi and Meir—began what became the family tradition of volunteering with Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical service. Others followed, and now even 17-year-old Elisha serves with his older siblings. Leah and her husband Elazar are both volunteers, but take separate shifts to care for their young children. Leah shared in a Ynet article: “There is nothing more moving and amazing than saving lives—especially when it happens alongside your brothers and sisters, who share the same desire to spread goodness.”

Israeli giant Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, well known for the development of the Iron Dome, is also making a name for itself in outer space. Traditionally satellites were propelled by liquid fuel, which required heavy payloads to launch them into space and maintain their orbits. Rafael is taking the industry into a new era with its ion engine based on advanced electric propulsion. The Israeli engine is five to 10 times more efficient than conventional engines, and with Rafael’s 100% success rate, it has become “a preferred supplier for international agencies, including the European Space Agency and the French space agency.”

Dig Deeper:

A Family of Volunteer Medics 

The Israeli Secret behind Hundreds of Satellites in Space