Friday, January 9, 2026

What You Need to Know:

During the government’s weekly meeting, PM Netanyahu reported on his talks with US President Trump, saying, “There was a great sense of understanding and identification throughout the visit.” The two leaders discussed a wide range of subjects, focusing primarily on Gaza and Iran. The prime minister said the meetings strengthened his personal connection with the American president as well as between the two nations.

At an earlier “small, sensitive cabinet meeting with Israel’s security officials,” PM Netanyahu presented specific understandings and agreements with the US. One of the key challenges facing these leaders with regard to Iran’s terror proxy Hezbollah is the realization that it is no longer a decision of “whether to act, but when: whether to wait for further developments in Iran, Hezbollah’s strategic ally, or to exploit the current window of opportunity.”

PM Netanyahu’s popularity is growing rapidly in an unexpected place: Iran. In an interview with KAN Reshet Bet, Israeli public radio, an Iranian resident of Tehran said Israel’s prime minister is the most popular person in the Islamic Republic these days. He went on to say that Iranians do not trust America or its president but they very much respect the Israeli leader. A main reason given was that during Operation Rising Lion, the 12-day-war last summer, Israeli air strikes only targeted the regime and did not harm civilians.

Dig Deeper:

PM Netanyahu Addresses Weekly Meeting of the Government

Israel’s Security Cabinet – Israel Prepares for Action on Multiple Fronts   

PM Netanyahu Is the Most Popular Person in Iran

What You Need to Know:

Syria/Lebanon: Although it is not a full-fledged security agreement, this week Israel, Syria and the United States took a step toward “security cooperation” as a mechanism was put in place to allow “intelligence sharing military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement and commercial opportunities under US guidance.” Until now, Israelis have been skeptical of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as a potential peace partner. On the other section of Israel’s northern border, Lebanese government forces claim to have control of the area south of the Litani River, but without the mention of Hezbollah, which has remained very active up until this point.

Judea and Samaria: Israel’s eastern border with Syria and Jordan stretches nearly 500 kilometers (310 mi.). At the moment, construction of a security barrier is taking place along an 80-kilometer (50-mi.) stretch in the Jordan Valley. According to Defense Minister Katz, “The new barrier will significantly reduce weapons smuggling to terrorists in Judea and Samaria.” When completed, the barrier will stretch from the Golan Heights to Eilat.

Global: The recent arrest by the US of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was important in the matter of Israel’s security. As Herb Keinon wrote in the Jerusalem Post, “It marks the dismantling of yet another supporting pillar in the global network Iran painstakingly constructed to finance, shield and sustain its war against Israel.” An additional bonus is that the US, rather than Israel, is taking all the “heat.”

Dig Deeper:

Israel – Syria – US Agree on Security Cooperation Mechanism  

Three Minefields Detonated as Part of Border Security   

Analysis: Why Maduro’s Arrest Matters for Israel

Lebanese Army Claims Control South of Litani River

What You Need to Know:

On January 7, the UN Human Rights Council issued a report entitled, “Israel’s Discriminatory Administration of the Occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” which accuses Israel of racial discrimination against the Palestinians living in those areas. Israel’s mission to the UN at Geneva argued that the report contains “absurd and distorted accusations which ignore fundamental facts that lie at the basis of the conflict.” The UN is currently facing a number of budget cuts, which makes it almost inconceivable that the Human Rights Council uses its funds to focus on Israel while allowing true human rights violations in other nations to go unmentioned.

Israel is also being criticized because it suspended operations of 38 humanitarian organizations working in Gaza. The back story, which is not mentioned at the UN or other platforms hostile to Israel, is that these organizations refused to complete a registration which included a list of its employees. Why is that important to Israel? It has been well documented that many humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, employ terrorists. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee posted a message on X in support of Israel’s decision.

Following the United Kingdom’s recognition of the “State of Palestine” last September, on January 5, full embassy status was granted to the former Palestinian Mission in London. Alistair Harrison, a diplomatic representative from the UK, said the upgrade is “the beginning of a step change in our bilateral relationship.”

Dig Deeper:

UN Report Accuses Israel of Systematic Racial Segregation  

Israel Suspends Operations of Multiple Humanitarian Organizations

Palestinian Embassy Opens in London

What You Need to Know:

In response to a key lesson learned in Gaza, IDF Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, is revamping IDF ground forces by bringing back an armored tank brigade that was disbanded over 20 years ago. The recent war revealed neglect in armored units as the military preferred not to commit to ground operations. The revamped brigade will be staffed with reservists. Another significant change in the armored corps will be an increased use of all-female crews in active combat zones, based on their performance on October 7 and in the following ground operations in Gaza.

A “lone soldier” is one who serves in the IDF without having immediate family in Israel. Last year, the army said 1,050 lone soldiers arrived from Jewish communities around the world. Many of them serve in combat units, prompting the head of the IDF’s Lone Soldiers Section to tell JNS, “We deeply value their meaningful contribution to the success of the war…and recognize the very profound challenges faced by parents living continents away from their children.”

Exemption from military service for the ultra-Orthodox community, in place since 1948, was declared unlawful in 2017. Since then, the IDF has taken steps to ensure these young men can serve while remaining Torah-observant. These efforts are beginning to pay off as the IDF received 537 ultra-Orthodox who enlisted on January 5, the largest number to do so in a single day.

Dig Deeper:

Drawing on Lessons of War, IDF Revamps Armored Force  

IDF Deeply Values Its Lone Soldiers  

Largest Haredi Draft Cycle Registered

What You Need to Know:

Israelis as a whole have not recovered from the horrific events of October 7. The body of Ran Gvili, the 24-year-old police officer who was killed as he fought Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Alumim, is still in Gaza. He alone remains of the 251 Israelis and foreign workers who were kidnapped by Hamas. Though the other hostages have been returned to their families for recovery or for burial, the gaping wound Israelis experienced that day is far from healed. Yellow ribbons are still tied to trees and one often sees impromptu graffiti proclaiming “Hersh ♥,” written in loving memory of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin who was murdered with five other Israelis as the IDF neared the area where they were being held. Those losses and the lingering grief will not disappear quickly.

Yet Israelis are also known for their resilience. Israel’s small business owners, the backbone of local economies, are beginning to recover from two years of war. Shortly after October 7, Eyal Elchanati and his wife were forced to close their successful restaurant in the Upper Galilee area. They recently reopened a smaller and simpler restaurant that can be sustained in the still-fragile economy. The Elchanatis are just one example of the 61,000 small businesses that were forced to close during the past two years. Elchanati told JNS. “I’m optimistic. Things have changed and we have no choice but to adapt and move forward.”

Dig Deeper:

PM Netanyahu: Rafah Crossing Closed until Return of Rav Gvili   

Israel’s Small Businesses Struggle, Signs of Recovery Emerge

What You Need to Know:

Interfaith bridge builder, David Nekrutman, takes a somber look at raging global antisemitism and why the eight million Jews who live outside Israel have not “packed their suitcases” to make aliyah (immigrate). When many elected officials in the West mimic “the rhetoric of those who seek your destruction, the suitcases should be packed.” While we rejoice at each new immigrant, the number of returning Jews remains a drop in the bucket. Read Nekrutman’s thought-provoking blog in the “Dig Deeper” section.

The Menachem Begin Center hosted a book launch and panel discussion which explored “how the struggle of Soviet Jewry offers a roadmap for confronting today’s surge of anti-Zionism on college campuses.” Author Izabella Tabarovsky, who grew up in Russia under state-sponsored antisemitism, called on the new generation of Jewish students fighting antisemitism on college campuses to “reclaim clarity, courage and ownership of their Jewish identity.”

New York City’s newly-elected mayor Zohran Mamdani showed his true colors when he immediately revoked the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. The mayor also removed an order that opposed the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement that seeks economic boycotts of businesses that operate in the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank).

Dig Deeper:

Global Hate Isn’t Packing Jewish Suitcases  

Jewish Defiance from Soviet Dissidence to College Campuses   

NYC Mayor Revokes IHRA Antisemitism Definition on Day 1    

What You Need to Know:

The Friends of Zion Museum has been welcoming visitors—Israelis and tourists alike—for over ten years. A Christian Zionist initiative, the museum “tells the stories of both the dream to restore the Jewish people to their historic homeland and the brave non-Jews who assisted them in realizing this dream.” As part of their 10-year celebration, the museum opened a new exhibit that allows visitors to have “a unique interactive encounter with the nation’s prime ministers, past and present.” The museum’s presence in the heart of Jerusalem stands as a visible representation of 100 million Christians around the world who support Israel.

The number of Jewish Israelis who consider Israel the safest place in the world grew from 68% in May 2024 to 76% in December 2025. They also support “government assistance to Jews abroad, including pressuring foreign governments to ensure security for Jewish communities (90%)

When Oz Lotati realized there was no way to reliably keep blood properly cooled on the battlefield, the 29-year-old combat soldier and industrial design student recognized that “a well-designed product can save lives”—and took action. “For his final design project, Lotati created a portable, rugged blood cooler specifically for soldiers and field medical teams.” The cooler can draw power from a variety of sources readily available on the battlefield, including military radio batteries or vehicle power outlets.

Dig Deeper:

Friends of Zion Museum Marks 10 Year Anniversary with New Exhibit    

Most Jewish Israelis View Country as Safer than Abroad   

Combat Refrigerator Saves Lives on the Battlefield