Friday, July 10, 2026

What You Need to Know:

PM Netanyahu is the longest serving prime minister in Israel’s history, with more than 18 years at the helm, divided over three separate periods of time (1996–1999; 2009–2021; 2022–present). He has never made a secret of his determination to fight for the security and safety of the State of Israel and its citizens. His relationship with President Trump, the leader of Israel’s closest ally, has been in the news the past few weeks, as the United States negotiated with Iran, the regime which still threatens to annihilate the Jewish state. Many in Israel question whether his relationship with President Trump is too dependent and puts the security of this tiny nation in jeopardy, while others see it as the surest path to protecting the nation. Time will tell how this delicate partnership shapes Israel’s security in the months ahead.

Elections: There are still three and a half months before Israelis go to the polls to elect the next government. MK (member of Knesset/Parliament) Pnina Tamano-Shata, chair of the Blue and White party, was drawn to the party when she heard its former chair, Benny Gantz, call for “the need for unity in Israeli society. No right or no left … Israel before everything else.” She added, it is “a rare event to meet a politician who puts the interest of the nation ahead of political considerations.” Although current polls don’t show her party leading, they do show that half of Israelis prefer a broad national unity government, which is exactly the platform she supports.

Dig Deeper:

Netanyahu Dismisses Talk of Trump Rift  

A Blue and White Call for Unity  

Poll Shows Half of Israelis Prefer Broad National Unity Government 

What You Need to Know:

Iran: Before leaving the NATO summit Wednesday evening, Pres. Trump basically tore up the Memorandum of Understanding of June 17 and declared the ceasefire over. On Thursday night, the US struck 90 Iranian targets. Iran responded with strikes on US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. Due to the conflict between the US and Iran, Israel has raised the security threat level.

Hezbollah/Lebanon: In an encouraging move, Shiite troops and officers of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) who are unwilling to confront Hezbollah are being moved to the sidelines. This demonstrates a growing willingness on the part of the Lebanese government to confront and disarm Hezbollah, the Iranian terror puppet that has controlled much of Lebanon until now. Israel has made it clear that the IDF will remain in southern Lebanon despite remarks by US President Trump on July 8, saying that he believed Israel would withdraw its troops. The IDF is continuing to target Hezbollah operatives and military structure to remove threats to northern Israeli communities.

Hamas/Gaza: In an announcement that appeared to indicate willingness to cooperate with US President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan, Hamas dissolved the emergency committee that had been governing the Gaza Strip. Although Hamas seemed to accept the technocratic committee set to govern the Strip, they have so far refused to disarm. They have also demanded that their personnel be integrated into the new government.

Judea/Samaria: The IDF arrested 20 wanted terror suspects in Israel’s biblical heartland in counterterrorism raids in Jenin, Tulkarem and Hebron.

Dig Deeper:

US Strikes Iran after Trump Says Ceasefire ‘A Waste of Time’  

Lebanon Sidelining Shiite Troops Who Won’t Confront Hezbollah  

Don’t Believe Hamas Will Relinquish Power in Gaza, Palestinians Tell ‘Post’  

IDF Arrests 20 Wanted Palestinians in Overnight Raids in Judea/Samaria 

What You Need to Know:

The aftermath of October 7, 2023, has changed Israel, including how the IDF fights its enemies. Before October 7, the nation relied on barrier fences which left only a narrow corridor of protection for its border communities. The most significant change is the establishment of buffer zones, giving the nation strategic depth. Defense Minister Israel Katz “described a mindset shift, moving from passive defense that waits for an event to active defense designed to prevent the extreme scenario from materializing in the first place.”

The current 36-month mandatory service timeframe for men is set to be reduced to 30 months in January 2027. Already struggling with manpower shortages, the IDF is considering several options. One would be to require the soldier completing mandatory service to immediately enter the reserves. A second option would be to call the reservists back, many for the third round of 100 days since the war started.

The ground troops of the IDF and pilots of the IAF are often the focus of our attention. Yet Israel has a coastline border of 273 kilometers (170 mi.) defended by Heil HaYam HaIsraeli (חיל הים הישראלי), or the Israeli Sea Corps. In addition to defending that coastland from terrorism or infiltrations, the navy secures shipping lanes, thus ensuring freedom of trade. Recently, PM Netanyahu visited the Haifa Naval Base and congratulated Vice Adm. Eyal Harel, telling him, “I am impressed with what you have done and what you plan to do with the rest of the security forces.”

Dig Deeper:

October 7 Changed How Israel Fights Its Enemies  

Soldiers to Enter Reserve Duty Immediately after Mandatory Service   

PM Netanyahu Visits Haifa Naval Base

What You Need to Know:

Several hundred participants attended a conference in Jerusalem called “Navigating Today’s Realities.” Speakers examined “how Israel’s prolonged wartime reality is reshaping marriage, dating and family life. How do marriages survive prolonged uncertainty, repeated reserve duty and trauma?” These are challenges that previous generations of Israelis rarely faced. IDF Rabbi Binyamin Zimmerman spoke of “the burden carried by reservists’ wives and mothers throughout the war … During war, the lioness holds up the family. She is a hero.” One message that was repeated throughout the day: “Resilience is not the absence of hardship but the ability to move through hardship together.” The closing speaker urged participants to take the lessons learned in the conference back to their communities, as the uncertainties of wartime have not ended.

Each year, thousands of Jewish athletes come to Israel to compete in the Maccabiah Games. This year, for the first time, a group of athletes who have made aliyah (immigrated) and become Israeli citizens will have the chance to represent their countries of birth. Michael Raichman, who will compete in fencing as the sole Estonian representative, told JNS: “I have been here for a long time. I represent both Estonia and the Jewish community. If not me, no one!” Judith Gaon, a weightlifter originally from Columbia, likens it to Passover: “We always remember our roots and where we are from and where we are headed. I like to remember where we came from.” The games are giving this unique group of olim (immigrants) the opportunity to “celebrate both the countries that shaped them and the country they now call home.”

Dig Deeper:

Wartime Reality Reshapes Family Life in Israel   

Maccabiah 2026 Offers Israeli Olim a Chance to Represent their Birth Countries

What You Need to Know:

UN: Robert Singer, chairman of the Center for Jewish Impact and former CEO of the World Jewish Congress, wrote an open letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres that was published in the Jerusalem Post. In the letter, he urges Guterres to reverse its biased and one-sided approach to issues concerning Israel and the Middle East. Singer agrees that the State of Israel’s policies should be scrutinized, but they should not receive unbalanced treatment from the UN.

Turkey: In a recent interview on CNN Türk, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called Israel “a burden that humanity can no longer bear,” asking the international community to impose sanctions on the Jewish state. This isn’t the first time Fidan has criticized Israel, calling the Netanyahu government “fundamentalist” and “a problem for the whole world.” In response, FM Gideon Sa’ar posted on X that these remarks are a “textbook incitement to genocide [and] dehumanizing the Jewish people.” Although Turkey was the first Muslim-majority nation to recognize Israel in 1949, the relationship between the two nations has deteriorated badly over the past few decades.

Ireland: In a controversial move, Ireland’s Parliament just passed a bill banning Israeli imports from communities in Judea and Samaria. Although it will not have a huge economic impact, it does represent the “first comprehensive import ban specifically targeting Israeli communities” by a country in the EU. Ireland has long been critical of Israel, formally recognizing a Palestinian state in 2024, which led to the closure of the Israeli embassy in Dublin.  

Dig Deeper:

An Open Letter to UN Secretary General

Turkey Calls Israel “A Burden on Humanity” & Urges Sanctions  

Turkey and Future Threats  

Ireland Approves Bill Banning Imports from Judea & Samaria

What You Need to Know:

At the memorial service marking 130 years since the death of Theodore Herzl, PM Netanyahu said: “The forces that drove Herzl to create the magnificent enterprise of the Zionist movement still exist even after 130 years … Theodor Herzl understood that the challenge of antisemitism, which comes in waves, is solved with a Jewish state that can retaliate by force against those who ‘come to slaughter us.’”

Canada: Shouting, “Jews are baby killers committing genocide,” a man who identified himself as a Houthi attacked Joseph Bitton near a commercial property he manages in Toronto. Bitton, who was wearing a kippah (skullcap), said he “dodged all the projectiles [rocks] he was throwing at me.” Police arrested the assailant.

Spain: Recently, Barcelona has seen a marked increase in antisemitic incidents, including the vandalism of a Jewish cemetery and intimidation of Jewish community members. Last week, several French men were harassed by a mob after they left the synagogue wearing kippahs. The verbal abuse continued while the men made their way back to the hotel, fearing they were about to be physically attacked in “one of the most serious episodes of antisemitic harassment recorded in Barcelona in recent years.”

Academic boycotts: Increasingly, Israeli academics are experiencing the “silent boycott” of being rejected from participation in conferences or having their talks canceled. Often organizers simply want to avoid the hassle of anti-Israel protestors picketing in front of the conference venue. Dr. Ofek Riemer shared some of his experiences with the Jerusalem Post, stating that “hostility towards Israeli academics is especially prevalent from European institutions, while relations with American bodies are relatively stable.”

Dig Deeper:  

Antisemitism that Drove Herzl to Found Zionism Still Exists  

Jewish Man Attacked in Toronto by Self-identified Houthi  

French Jews Chased by Mob in Barcelona  

‘These boycotts are demoralizing, silencing us,’ Israel Academic Tells ‘Post’

What You Need to Know:

In Israel, the fiercest battles are fought over historically significant places: the Temple Mount, the ancient city of Hebron, and Judea and Samaria, which the world insists on calling “occupied territory.” For decades, Israeli governments have bowed to world pressure and have not allowed any new communities on land where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob pastured their flocks. This week, the Security Cabinet approved 13 new communities in southern Samaria, one of the largest building initiatives in recent years. The presence of Jewish communities is imperative, as Palestinians seek to increase their control of the area. Yisrael Gantz, a local official, told JNS, “Either there will be a strong Israeli presence here, or Ramallah will control the hills overlooking Ben-Gurion Airport and the Dan Bloc [which includes Tel Aviv].”

Though not yet numbering hundreds of thousands like those making aliyah (immigration) from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s, the number of new immigrants has been steadily climbing since October 7, 2023. Overall, Israel has welcomed 67,100 immigrants in the past three years, with roughly one-third under the age of 35. Many of these new Israelis came from France, an increase of over 200% in immigration in the last two years.

The 24th annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem will take place the first Sunday in October. This year will see over 500 senior Christian leaders from 50 countries coming to Israel to pray. Event organizer Bishop Robert Stearn said: "This is far more than a prayer event. It is a global declaration that Israel is not alone,"

Dig Deeper:

Israel Advances Plan for 13 New Communities in Binyamin Region   

The First to Recognize Christian Zionism as Israel’s Strategic Ally  

More than 70 Million Christians Expected to Join Global Prayer Event for Israel   

French Immigration Wave Continues with 128 New Arrivals in Israel