Friday, July 24, 2026

What You Need to Know:

PM Netanyahu is expected to travel to the United States next week to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a stalwart friend and supporter of the State of Israel. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani threatened to arrest the Israeli prime minister upon his arrival based on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) warrant charging war crimes committed in Gaza. However, Mamdani quickly backed down, acknowledging that he lacked the necessary authority, as neither Israel nor the United States fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC. Here in Israel, PM Netanyahu addressed the nation on Tisha B’Av (Fast of the Ninth of Av), which marks the day both Temples were destroyed as well as other national disasters. The prime minister called for a deepening of national unity to ensure Israel’s security.

President Herzog: On the day before the fast of the Ninth of Av, President Herzog asked the nation to remember the “price of polarization, division and hatred.” He spoke specifically about the upcoming October 27 elections, saying he had been warned by the head of the Central Elections Committee and head of the Shin Bet (Israeli internal security organization) that there are “various threats to the integrity of the elections, both external and internal.” He called on “the people of Israel, in a clear voice: remember that elections are not a civil war. Disagreement and criticism are the lifeblood of our democracy, but our belonging to this place, and our responsibility for our shared future here—for our children, for our grandchildren—come before all else and are the highest priority.”

Dig Deeper:

In Tisha B’Av Message, PM Netanyahu Calls for National Unity

PM Netanyahu Calls ICC Arrest Threat ‘Bogus’  

President Herzog Calls for Unity ahead of Elections 

What You Need to Know:

Iran: As the US intensifies operations with the addition of its B-1 heavy bombers to the nightly strikes against Iranian targets, Britain announced the evacuation of its diplomatic staff, and Israel continues on high alert against escalation, possibly as soon as this weekend.

Lebanon/Hezbollah: This week the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) entered the southern Lebanon town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in the start of a pilot program. The US-brokered plan would see the LAF confiscate Hezbollah weapons, ultimately disarming the terror group and removing the need for Israeli troops south of the Litani River in Lebanon. Israel will remain in southern Lebanon until the security of its northern communities can be guaranteed.

Judea and Samaria: Palestinians would like to erase any Jewish presence from the biblical heartland. Consequently, Israeli security forces are continually on alert. This week, forces raided a terror stronghold near Bethlehem and seized “firearms, ammunition and other military equipment.” And in an incident of terror arson, approximately 100 families were evacuated from the Jewish community of Havat Gilad when a massive fire swept through their farming community, destroying homes and other structures.

Turkey/Hamas: A recent report alleged that Turkey has developed a long-range plan that would see Hamas and the Palestinian Authority reconciled to establish a Palestinian state. At present, Turkey supports Hamas by allowing senior officials to work from Turkish territory and seeks “to strengthen Hamas’s influence in Jerusalem and the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] through a network of local organizations.” Under US President Trump’s 20-point Peace Plan, Hamas is to be disarmed, something they are refusing to consider.

Dig Deeper:

Iran: Unusual Series of Threats and Preparations for Escalation 

IDF Engineers Recount Dramatic Litani River Crossing in Lebanon  

Israeli Force Seize Weapons; Arrest Six Palestinians in Judea/Samaria Raids  

Massive Blaze Destroys Homes, Businesses in Samaria: Arson Suspected  

Chikli Urges Closure of Turkish Consulate in Jerusalem over Alleged Hamas Ties  

What You Need to Know:

For nearly two weeks, it has remained quiet in Israel while Iranian missiles and drones were launched at neighboring countries. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir spoke on July 19, telling the nation that “we are closely monitoring developments in Iran and maintaining a high level of readiness.”

The horrific events of October 7 revealed a need for the IDF to make some operational changes, leading to a new cooperation between intelligence headquarters and combat forces. More intelligence officers will be assigned to battalions and more technology introduced that will enable individual units to see the whole picture. The army’s overall goal is “to eliminate the systemic arrogance that led clear and accurate warning signs from lower-level personnel in the field … to be ignored, or even met with ridicule, by analysts at headquarters” and to avoid, at all costs, a repeat of the surprise that took place on October 7, 2023.

A growing number of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) women are choosing to serve in the IDF, many of them in combat roles. Although the IDF has segregated haredi units, entering military training and life presents a number of challenges for the young women who have grown up in a very different environment. In response, Rabbanit Hila Naor, director of Ma’aminot BeMadim (“Believers in Uniform”), “provides religious, halachic and practical guidance” to help bridge that gap. Naor said the women are “focused on the significance of what they’re doing and on helping defend the country.”

Dig Deeper:

Military Intelligence Moves to the Battlefield; How the IDF Is Changing

IDF Chief: Israel Ready to Immediately Resume Combat  

Faith under Fire; More Religious Israeli Women Answering Call to Combat 

What You Need to Know:

Twelve families and 15 students from an agricultural yeshiva (religious school) have established a new community on top of Mount Ebal. Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, said, “This is a great moment for every Zionist who loves this land—to see a new community being born in the State of Israel.” They are truly pioneers, with water delivered by truck, rugged roads and living in the heat of summer without air conditioning. Noam Ozeri, one the founders, told JNS, “We [the Jewish people] waited and prayed for this moment for 2,000 years, throughout the generations.” Although the world calls these Jewish pioneers “illegal occupiers of Palestinian land,” the name, Mount Ebal, is found in Scripture as the location where Joshua built an altar (Josh 8:30) and also the mountain from which curses for disobedience were pronounced (Deut. 27:13). The new community hopes to expand to 600 people in the future.

Traveling comes naturally to Israelis, from backpacking in the Andes to exploring the jungles of Thailand or visiting the cosmopolitan cities of the world. And yet, a recent report by Israel’s Foreign Ministry shows that the world is becoming more dangerous for Israeli tourists. Eli Yifrah, deputy director general for consular affairs, said, “Over the past year, we have seen a phenomenon on a scale we had not encountered before: Israelis contacting us after experiencing antisemitic incidents during stays abroad.” The foreign ministry warns that “people are increasingly targeted over visible Israeli identity.” 

Dig Deeper:

Pioneer Families Put Down Roots in New Samaria Community of Ebal 

The Report Every Israeli Should Read before Traveling Abroad  

What You Need to Know:

Since it was established in 1949, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) has done everything possible to perpetuate itself. In the normal course of life, refugees are absorbed into the countries to which they have fled. Not so with the Palestinians. From 957,000 officially registered in 1950, the number has grown to 5.9 million—descendants of the original refugees. The Human Rights Watch recently called on world governments to “disregard the statement from the US President Donald Trump-chaired Board of Peace that ‘UNRWA has no place in the new Gaza.’” Instead, the author argued that UNRWA “remains the backbone of humanitarian aid in Gaza,” ignoring the fact that many UNRWA employees also function as Hamas terrorists, holding the Gazan population captive. Israel has repeatedly provided documented information on the abuses and misuse of UNRWA funds. Rather than investigate, the UN renewed the mandate of UNRWA in December 2025, and continues to demand that Israel “comply with international obligations and stop ongoing attacks on UNRWA.” Meanwhile, the official number of registered Palestinian refugees continues to increase and be used as political pawns.

The area known as Judea and Samaria, the biblical heartland of Israel, has been a center of contention in the world for decades. While proposed Jewish communities face intense scrutiny, the Palestinian Authority erects structures on Israeli state land in an effort to “create facts on the ground in preparation for the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state.” The European Union provides funds for this illegal Palestinian construction while imposing sanctions on Jewish businesses.

Dig Deeper:

UNRWA Is Irreplaceable in Gaza  

More Than 100 UNRWA Employees Linked to Hamas   

EU Behind Illegal Palestinian Building in Judea and Samaria

What You Need to Know:

Italy: In a move eerily resembling the yellow Stars of David Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust, a recent social media initiative in Milan urged people to “identify and report Jews and Israeli tourists.” The form, dubbed the “New Yellow Badge,” has been removed from the internet by Italy’s commissioner for combatting antisemitism and condemned by Italian Senate President Ignazio LaRussa. Describing the form as a “map of Jews in Zionist tourism which violated basic civil rights and reflected deep antisemitism,” LaRussa added, “We must not remain indifferent to such serious incidents, which awaken the demons of the past.” Still, Italy saw a 400% increase in the number of documented antisemitic incidents in 2025 since 2022. Members of Italy’s Jewish community have expressed grave concern over this latest evidence of antisemitism.

France: The Vél d’Hiv roundup, which took place over two days in the summer of 1942, resulted in the deportation of 13,000 French Jews—including over 4,000 children—to Nazi death camps. A memorial plaque was smashed just before the annual observation of the roundup. Authorities condemned the act and vowed “not to yield an inch,” though antisemitic incidents are rising sharply in France.

Lithuania: Although now Lithuania is a strong supporter of Israel in the European Union, fragments of the nation’s antisemitic history remain. A group of visiting Israeli rabbis were spat upon in Vilnius, and a video of the attack was posted online to encourage others to target Jews. Nearly 95% of Lithuania’s Jewish population was murdered during the Holocaust.

Dig Deeper:  

New Yellow Badge: Italy’s Online Campaign to Identify Jews, Israelis   

Rescuers Plaque Vandalized before Paris Holocaust Ceremony   

Israeli Rabbis Spat on in Lithuanian Capital 

What You Need to Know:

Over the past 43 years, close to 300,000 volunteers from 60 countries have answered the IDF’s call for help. Performing essential noncombat tasks on six bases, Sar-El volunteers prepare 35,000 meals a day, maintain medical supplies and clean equipment that has come in from the field, making it ready for reissue. The work is rewarding, as 125,000 participants have returned five or more times! In addition to helping free IDF soldiers for combat, volunteers have the opportunity to attend educational lectures which give them greater understanding of Israeli society and current events. Sar-El CEO Keren Dahan told JNS, “The IDF needs people even more than after Oct. 7.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and George Deek, an Israeli Christian Arab diplomat, represent opposite ends of the spectrum. Mamdani’s is a message of hate while Deek expresses the hope his family has found as citizens of Israel. During Israel’s War of Independence, George Deek’s grandfather listened to Arab propaganda and fled to Lebanon. When he recognized he had been lied to, he took his family back to Israel and became the first Arab employee of the Israel Electric Corporation. If his grandfather had remained in Lebanon, today George Deek would be a Palestinian refugee. However, in a family of “firsts,” he became Israel’s first Christian Arab ambassador (Azerbaijan 2019–2025). Today he has a new diplomatic post—the official envoy to the Christian world. He believes we are witnessing a collision of civilizations which will ultimately require the West to make the choice between “a culture of blame, of victimhood, or a culture of responsibility.”

Dig Deeper:

Behind the Front Lines, Sar-El Volunteers Help Keep the IDF Running  

The Answer to Mamdani’s Jew-hatred Is more George Deeks (Opinion)