Friday, July 31, 2026

What You Need to Know:

PM Netanyahu made a whirlwind trip to the United States this past week to represent Israel at the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham. After the funeral, the prime minister met with President Trump, where the discussions centered on Iran. PM Netanyahu also met with Vice President Vance on Tuesday. Wednesday saw a number of high-level meetings with four US senators, Jewish leaders from AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and members of the evangelical community. While there was widespread speculation in the media that the relationship between the US president and Israeli prime minister were strained, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, dismissed those reports. When speaking on “The Record with Greta Van Susteren,” Huckabee said, ““There is not this frosty relationship. It is not a rift.”  

Yair Lapid, head of the Opposition in the 25th Knesset (Parliament), was also in Washington DC this week. In addition to attending Senator Graham’s funeral on Tuesday, Lapid met with a number of senior Democrats the following day. In the face of waning political support for Israel among the Democrats, Lapid urged them “not to give up on Israel.” Lapid also heads Yesh Atid (“There is a Future”), a centrist, secular and Zionist party that will be running in the upcoming elections on October 27, 2023.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir holds the highest rank in the IDF and therefore is responsible for overall army command, strategic defense planning, and acts as the main link to the political leadership. In his position, he has the heavy responsibility to oversee the defense of the State of Israel during such a critical time.

Dig Deeper:

Huckabee: No Rift between Pres. Trump – PM Netanyahu   

Prime Minister has Multiple Meetings in Washington DC

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir: IDF Must Grow, Expand and Become Stronger

What You Need to Know:

Judea/Samaria: Last Friday’s terror attack on a group of Jewish hikers in Samaria left two Israelis dead and six wounded. Tensions have escalated in the area as 70 suspects have been detained for questioning on the Friday attack. Head of IDF Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth stated, “We are carrying out counter-terrorism operations to prevent the area from spiraling into further violence.” In addition, Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered “the Israel Defense Forces to prepare for a major operation in another Palestinian refugee camp.”

Lebanon/Hezbollah: Iran continues to insist that an “absolute, unconditional end to the fighting in Lebanon” must be part of any deal with the US. For its part, Israel is equally emphatic as IDF Chief of Staff Zamir said that the IDF will not leave the security zone in southern Lebanon until the nation’s “long-term security is ensured.” Zamir went on to say that the IDF is prepared to expand operations in Lebanon if necessary.

Gaza/Hamas: On Sunday, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved the entry of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) into Rafah in the Gaza Strip. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar commented: “This is an international plan. It may not succeed, but we should not be the ones to undermine it.” However, residents of Israel’s border communities are worried by the move, as expressed by the head of the Eshkol Regional Council: “There must be no progress to the next stages in the process of rehabilitating the Gaza Strip as long as Hamas has not been disarmed and has not lost its military and governing capabilities.”

Dig Deeper:

IDF Ordered to Prepare for Major Op in Judea and Samaria    

Khamenei Says Defense of Hezbollah Remains Iran’s Strategic Mandate   

Border Communities: Disarm Hamas before Foreign Forces Enter

What You Need to Know:

The Bedouins who live in Israel and make up approximately 3% of Israel’s total population are Arabic-speaking, Muslim and live primarily in the Negev region. They are not required by law to serve in the IDF, but many do, offering their extensive experience in the wilderness as trackers. Eleven of them serve in the northern Israel sectors of Mount Hermon and Mount Dov, clearing routes of explosive devices in advance of troop movements. Their commander selected them based not only on their tracking abilities but also their combat experience. With their discoveries of explosive devices, wired for detonation, the trackers are responsible for saving many lives. Their commander told Ynetnews: “There is an enormous advantage to someone who … lives in the sector and knows every stone. There is no replacement for a tracker walking in front, not high-tech, not AI, nothing.”

Not much is known about the five submarines in Israel’s navy. Lt. Col. “R.,” the 34-year-old commander of the INS Dolphin, recently gave Ynetnews a glimpse into the lives of the men who serve deep under the surface. Cut off from any communication with their families for weeks at a time, the submarine can be assigned to any one of seven operational theaters. Their missions can include intelligence gathering and defensive or attack missions. Once underway, communications with headquarters are limited to nonexistent, and the commander is often required to make operational decisions based on these principles: the safety of the submarine, secrecy and completion of the mission. “R” acknowledged the importance of Israel’s submarine fleet as he said, “The Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Arabian Sea have all become focal points of geopolitical interest in recent years.”

Dig Deeper:

Bedouin IDF Trackers Hunt Hezbollah   

Lt. Col. R Commands a Billion-shekel Submarine on Missions near Enemy Shores 

What You Need to Know:

One of the most emotional and divisive issues that the people of Israel and her politicians are facing today is whether or not haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men should be exempt from required military service to study Torah (Gen.–Deut.) full-time. In response to the arrests of those who ignore their draft notices, there have been demonstrations, sometimes violent, by the harediim (plural) that have closed major highways and disrupted the lives of all Israelis. Mordechai Traiman, a student at Derech Chaim Heder Yeshiva (religious school) and the Jerusalem College of Technology, has written a thoughtful opinion piece in which he points out that many harediim do serve in the military and only a small percentage of their community are involved in the demonstrations. However, there are legitimate issues that cannot be solved with political slogans or judicial decrees. Traimin urges constructive debate with an eye to building trust between the ultra-Orthodox community with its deeply-held religious values, ensuring that their young men will be able to keep a Torah-observant lifestyle while serving in the IDF.

On the walls of public buildings, Tel Aviv graffiti artists are telling “the story of a city and a country that was traumatized by October 7, but remains resilient and full of color and life.” In a way, they are pages of a book that passersby read, remember and are encouraged. A graffiti image of Superman includes these words: “Don’t panic—the IDF will protect you.” By definition, graffiti is done without the consent of authorities and many times is removed. But these colorful messages of hope have been allowed to remain.

Dig Deeper:

The Haredi Draft Debate Is Becoming a Political Weapon    

Tel Aviv Graffiti Reflects Israeli Society since October 7   

What You Need to Know:

Without public debate or an alternate candidate, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gave Volker Turk an unprecedented second term as the UN’s High Commissioner of Human Rights. The move was met with stiff opposition from the US and Israel. Hillel Neuer of the UN Watch said that in Turk’s first term, “He issued dozens of statements against Israel while soft-pedaling or ignoring the world’s worst dictatorships.” Throughout the Gaza war, Turk blindly accepted as verified fact the claims of Hamas. In one speech, he accused Israel of hindering humanitarian aid, starving Palestinian civilians in Gaza and killing journalists, UN staff and NGO workers.  

In a speech ahead of a debate on the Middle East held by the UN Security Council, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon spoke bluntly, calling on the Security Council to recognize that Hamas and its refusal to disarm is the primary obstacle to moving forward with the 20-point peace plan for Gaza. Danon criticized the UN’s refusal to name the group explicitly in a recent statement about “interference with humanitarian operations in Gaza.” Danon further stated, “The Security Council cannot bring itself to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.”

The UN isn’t the sole source of distorted information about Israel. WAFA, the official news agency of the Palestinian Authority, regularly misrepresents facts or omits certain key bits of Israel-related information. Not only does WAFA tell just half the story, it denies Israel’s existence when it describes locations within the Jewish state as being “inside the territories of 1948.”

Dig Deeper:

Guterres Cements Infamous Legacy with Second Term for UN Rights Chief    

Israeli Envoy Urges UN to Designate Hamas, Says Terror Group Blocking Gaza Plan 

Palestinian Authority Regularly Misrepresents Events in Israel  

What You Need to Know:

Australia: Recently the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) filed its testimony before the Royal Commission into Antisemitism stating that Jewish life in Australia has fundamentally changed. As a result, many Jews are considering leaving the country where they no longer feel safe. Significant and visible security, paid for by the hosting organization, are now required at Jewish events. Many venues refuse to host these events altogether, a clear indication that antisemitism in Australia affects not only individuals but organizations. Lawfare, or the “strategic use of legal, regulatory and administrative processes to intimidate opponents, disrupt organizations, impose costs, consume resources or achieve political objectives,” is a relatively new phenomenon, but it is increasingly being used as a weapon against the Jewish community. Actual violence or threats of violence have not disappeared from the scene. The AJA concluded with the statement that “It is a sad indictment on Australia that many feel safer moving to a country currently fighting a multi-front war.”

Canada: In response to shooting incidents near two Jewish bakeries in Toronto, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a strongly worded statement of condemnation. He said that “Canada’s government is absolute in our commitment to combatting the scourge of antisemitism. Law enforcement has my full support as they conduct a thorough investigation and hold those responsible to account.” The Toronto area has seen a sharp increase in violent antisemitism since October 7, 2023.

Writing for the Jerusalem Post, Aaron Herman urges Jewish communities to move beyond “reacting to antisemitism and begin investing in resilient communities capable of confronting it together. Because while hate may be organized, hope can be organized as well.”

Dig Deeper:  

Security Threats and Lawfare Alter Jewish Life in Australia  

PM Carney Vows to Combat Antisemitism after Attacks on Jewish Bakeries    

Building Strong Jewish Communities Is Key to Fighting Antisemitism  

What You Need to Know:

Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, met with Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, his counterpart from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this week. Ties between the two nations are strengthening as Israel has received support from the DRC at the UN, where the DRC is a member of the UN Security Council, and the International Criminal Court (ICC). Kayikwamba Wagner was quoted as saying that the DRC “attaches great importance to its relations with the State of Israel. Our two nations share significant potential for cooperation.” Israel recently sent a sizeable contribution to support the DRC as it deals with the Ebola epidemic in the northern part of the country.

Looking forward to the day when Israel and Iran will soon restore the historic, biblical connection between their respective countries, Sylvan Adams, current president of the World Jewish Congress, met with Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi in Paris. Adams stated, “We discussed our hope for the freedom and liberation of the long-suffering Iranian people.” Pahlavi affirmed, “We have always had the support of Jews around the world and Israelis for Iranian freedom, and we appreciate that very, very much.” Adams presented two mezuzahs to the crown prince, which are “intended for the future Embassy of Israel in Tehran and the other for the future Embassy of Iran in Jerusalem.”

Israeli teenager Yotam Budnik brought home a gold medal from the International Mathematical Olympiad, the world’s most prestigious mathematics competition for high school students. Other members of the Israeli team were awarded a silver medal and four bronze medals to make their performance “an incredible achievement.”

Dig Deeper:

Israel Sends Three Tons of Medical Aid to Congo amid Ebola Epidemic   

World Jewish Leader Meets Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi   

Israeli Student Wins Math Olympiad Gold in China