Friday, January 2, 2026

What You Need to Know:

PM Netanyahu traveled to the United States on December 28 for his sixth meeting with US President Trump of 2025 and his first visit to southern Florida. Before meeting with President Trump, the prime minister met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also spoke by phone with US Vice President Vance.

Meeting President Trump was the primary purpose for the trip, with Gaza and Iran the leading issues. Although the US president wants to move forward with the reconstruction of Gaza, he supported Israel’s position, stating that Hamas must disarm and the Gaza Strip be demilitarized. Other items on which the two leaders agreed were concern over Iran with its renewed missile production and the reactivation of its nuclear program; Syria, where President Trump hopes to see a security agreement signed; and Hezbollah’s continued refusal to disarm. The two areas where the leaders do not see eye to eye are Turkey, and Israel’s recent approval of new communities in Judea and Samaria. President Trump is encouraging Turkish participation in the rebuilding of Gaza, something Israel adamantly opposes, and is also considering selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. President Trump also acknowledged there are differences regarding Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, but didn’t go into detail.

Before leaving Florida, the prime minister met with local, state and national Jewish leaders, focusing on resilience and unity.

Dig Deeper:

Sixth Meeting Was the Best, According to Israeli Official  

Deciphering the Multi-layered Trump and Netanyahu Meeting   

Remarks by PM Netanyahu after Meeting with President Trump   

What You Need to Know:

Iran: In a recent interview, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said “his country is at war with the West.” Claiming to have recovered its military strength, the president warned Israel and the US of dire consequences in the event of another strike. It appears that the Revolutionary Guard Corps is developing chemical and biological warheads for its long-range ballistic missiles. As far as their nuclear program is concerned, Israeli intelligence “assessments indicate Iran is attempting to rebuild elements of its nuclear program.”

Hezbollah: The situation on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon remains tense. According to updated data, Hezbollah has violated the ceasefire 2,024 times, while the Lebanese Army has enforced violations only 593 times. Hezbollah has consistently refused to lay down its weapons, and the December 31 deadline for their disarmament which was imposed by President Trump has now passed. According to i24NEWS, “President Trump gave Prime Minister Netanyahu approval to act against Hezbollah. He clarified that he would not intervene ‘if the Lebanese army fails to disarm Hezbollah and Israel believes this is what must be done.’”

Judea and Samaria: Defense Minister Israel Katz recently visited IDF division headquarters in Samaria and received a briefing from senior officers. Katz said that, although IDF operations in northern Samaria have reduced terrorism significantly, troops should “prepare for the possibility of a large-scale terrorist infiltration in Judea and Samaria.”

Dig Deeper:

Iranian President Says: Full-fledged War with US, Israel and Europe

Report: Iran Developing Unconventional Warheads for Ballistic Missiles

Hezbollah Chief Rejects Israeli–American Plan to Disarm Group  

DM Katz Tells IDF to Be Ready for Oct 7 Style Attacks in Judea & Samaria

What You Need to Know:

When Israel became the first nation to formally recognize the state of Somaliland on December 26, the announcement set off a diplomatic firestorm. An emergency UN Security Council meeting was set for the following Monday to discuss the move. Arab states have condemned Israel’s diplomatic action, with Saudi Arabia saying that “relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel have entered their lowest phase following Israel’s recognition of Somaliland.” A fully-functioning democracy since 1991, Somaliland has been denied the right to exist as a legitimate government by international bodies.

Israel’s Permanent Mission to the UN recently analyzed activities of different UN committees and found that approximately US $100 million is spent each year targeting Israel. “Dozens of debates and at least 100 reports are produced annually on Israel and the Palestinians, many of them repetitive, politically driven, and one-sided.” For example, the Human Rights Council spends US $4 million each year in its commission of inquiry, which attempts to delegitimize the Jewish state with charges of genocide and economic warfare.

Fourteen countries, including France, Britain, Canada, Germany and Japan, have condemned Israel’s recent approval of new Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Foreign Minister Sa’ar promptly responded by saying, “Foreign governments will not restrict the right of Jews to live in the Land of Israel.”

Dig Deeper:

Israeli Envoy Stands Firm on Somaliland Recognition   

UN Holds Emergency Meeting on Israel’s Recognition of Somaliland  

UN Spends $100 Million Yearly to Target Israel 

Foreign Governments Will Not Restrict the Right of Jews to Live in their Homeland   

What You Need to Know:

The IDF’s Personnel Directorate released data showing that 151 soldiers died in 2025. The majority (91) were killed in operational activity or in terrorist attacks, 17 in civilian traffic accidents and 15 died of illness. Sadly, there is a suspicion of suicide in 21 of the deaths. “The suicide figure matches last year’s total of 21 cases, compared with 14 in 2022 and a single-digit number in 2020.” The military said that although the war has ended, they are preparing for “even more complex years ahead regarding the risk of suicide.”

After over a decade in development and testing, the “Iron Beam” was delivered to IDF forces on December 28. It has successfully intercepted “rockets, mortar shells and drones,” and will now take its place in Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems. The laser system will make a tremendous difference in Israel’s ability to defend itself from aerial threats.

While the IDF maintains one of the highest moral codes of conduct in the world, it has never claimed to be perfect. Recently, a unit from the paratroopers entered an Arab village and vandalized property. The unauthorized incident was quickly investigated and all participants disciplined with commanders involved removed from command and combat roles. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir called the incident “severe and contrary to IDF values.”

Dig Deeper:

First Combat-Ready Laser Interception System Received by IDF  

IDF Summary for 2025  

21 Soldiers Died by Suicide this Year

What You Need to Know:

It is typical in many countries for news publications to name a “citizen of the year.” This year, Ynetnews departed from that convention and decided to recognize a group of citizens for the honor. It should come as no surprise that Ynet’s “person of the year is the reservist. The one who did not wait for a call on October 7. The one who packed up and left without asking questions, who boarded a plane back from a long-awaited trip, who left behind a baby or a pregnant partner and came to defend home. The reservist who reported for a first round, then a second, third and fourth, a fifth and a sixth, because it had to be done. Because abandoning friends was never an option, even when exhaustion set in.”

Reservists come from every part of this tiny country—“men and women, immigrants and native-born Israelis, religious and secular.” They and their partners, the ones left at home to shoulder extra responsibilities while their spouses defend the country, are the heroes of Israel. Their recognition as “citizen of the year” is very fitting.

On another note, a few minutes after midnight, the first Israeli baby of 2026 arrived at Hadassah’s Mount Scopus Medical Center in Jerusalem. The baby boy joins Israel’s population of 10,178,000, with approximately 7.771 million or 76.3% of them Jewish.   

Dig Deeper:

Israel’s Reservists Really Are the People of the Year   

While Reservists Fight at the Front, Partners Quietly Carry Burden at Home

First Israeli Baby of 2026 Born to Samaria Couple   

What You Need to Know:

As 2025 drew to a close, many were considering the exponential growth and increased violence of global antisemitism. Fiamma Nirenstein, a senior research fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, described it this way: “Antisemitism has become an algorithm: a ready-made instrument to mobilize crowds, sell headlines, build careers and legitimize violence.” She went on to write that antisemitic acts “expose the moral collapse of societies that have normalized hatred.” Yet there are unexpected rays of hope. Consider Rawan Osman, a Syrian-born activist who is an outspoken advocate for Israel. In her words, “I will not live in a world where Hamas can get away with what they’ve done on October 7.” With more than 130,000 followers on X and over 125,000 on Instagram, Osman hopes to reach an audience of young Arabs with the message, “Our enemy is not Israel.”

A 15-year-old Russian was brutally attacked after he posted an Israeli flag on his social media account. Although a criminal investigation was opened, Moscow’s former chief rabbi “recently urged Jews to leave Russia and consider immigrating to Israel, citing a growing hostile climate and rising antisemitic attacks targeting the local Jewish community.”

On December 26, the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto was the scene of an anti-Israel demonstration. Organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, protestors harassed shoppers and called for an intifada. No arrests were made. 

Dig Deeper:

2025—the Year Antisemitism became an Algorithm of Hate  

Russian Teen Assaulted After Posting Israeli Flag on Social Media  

Protestors at Toronto Mall Demand Intifada  

Syrian-born Activist Says Israel Is Fighting for Civilization  

What You Need to Know:

The past few days have seen an abundance of rain, in some areas totaling more than 100 millimeters (4 in.). Kedumim, a community in northern Samaria, received 118.9 millimeters (4.68 in.) during the three-day storm, including 54.1 millimeters (2.13 in.) on Monday alone. The recent downpours are a welcome sign that last year’s drought has ended. Since the beginning of the season, the desert community of Beersheva has received 173 millimeters (6.8 in.) or about 90% of its annual average.

Originally from Haifa, Einat Levi has spent the past 15 years living in Morocco. After two years as an economic advisor in the Israeli embassy in Rabat, she struck out on her own, establishing “a nonprofit organization aimed at strengthening Moroccan–Israeli ties.” Levin recently received an award that recognized her “contributions to cross-cultural relations and her commitment to fostering deeper mutual understanding between communities and nations.”

Although the overall immigration figures to Israel are down for 2025, aliyah from Western countries more than doubled when compared with the same period in 2024. A total of 9,256 Jews arrived in their ancestral home during the first 11 months of 2025. France saw an increase of 45%, while there was an increase of 19% from Germany and 16% from the United Kingdom. Immigration from the United States and Canada rose slightly.

Dig Deeper:

After the Storm, Where Did the Rain Hit Hardest?  

Morocco Honors Israeli Researcher   

Western Aliyah Rises Even as Overall Immigration Falls