Friday, July 4, 2025

What You Need to Know:

It has been over a week since the last missile barrage from Iran but the skies above Israel have not been completely quiet. While the Houthis in Yemen continue to fire missiles at Israel on a seemingly daily basis, the IDF has intercepted all but one which fell in early May. However, Israeli patience may be wearing thin as Defense Minister Katz announced on July 1, “Yemen will be treated like Tehran. After striking the head of the snake in Tehran, we will also strike the Houthis in Yemen. Whoever raises a hand against Israel — that hand will be cut off.” Hamas has not been completely silent either as two rockets were fired from Gaza on July 2. They were successfully intercepted but the rockets were meant to send a defiant message as they were launched three days after the government announced it was safe for Israelis to return to their homes along the Gazan border. Meanwhile, Israel is not taking the Iranian ceasefire for granted either and remains vigilant. 

The biblical heartland of Israel, known to much of the world as the “West Bank,” is home to approximately 500,000 Jews and over 2 million Arabs. While relations with neighboring Arab communities can be cordial, the area also contains hotbeds of terror activities like Nablus (biblical Shechem) and Hebron, where Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah as a burial site. This past week, the IDF uncovered a sizeable Hamas terror network in Hebron where senior Hamas operatives were recruiting and training men to carry out attacks against Israelis. Sixty terrorists, organized into 10 cells, were arrested in the raid.

Dig Deeper:

IDF Intercepts Houthi Missile from Yemen

Rockets Fired from Gaza

IDF Arrests Iranian Terror Cell in Syria

IDF Chief Praises Netanyahu’s Leadership in War with Iran

Extensive Hamas Terror Network Uncovered in Hebron

What You Need to Know:

The Israeli prime minister will meet with US president next week in Washington, DC. In addition to his meeting with President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with a number of US officials, including Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. President Trump has been very vocal about his desire to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza in order to move ahead with the Abraham Accords and regional peace. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been equally vocal about achieving Israel’s goal of removing Hamas entirely from Gaza so they will not have a chance to recover, rearm and attack Israel’s southern communities again. The Prime Minister will undoubtedly encounter intense pressure from the Trump administration, admittedly Israel’s strongest ally, to end the war before Hamas has been truly defeated. 

Another issue facing Israel’s leaders is an internal one. It is very complex and we cannot do it justice in a short summary but it is cause for prayer because it is dividing Israelis. The question revolves around whether or not ultra-orthodox men should be required to serve in the military or complete national service duty. At the time Israel became a state, they were given an exemption to study Torah since most Jewish scholars living in Europe had been killed in the Holocaust. There are ultra-orthodox who opt to serve in the army, even in combat units, but many others feel strongly that study of Torah is equally important as the physical defense of the Land. Through their studies, they are ensuring that the spiritual foundations of Judaism, which have come down from the Patriarchs, remain intact. Members of the Knesset have been working on a draft bill that would change the current exemption and several of the ultra-orthodox parties who are part of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition are threatening to collapse the government over the impending draft bill.

Dig Deeper:

PM Netanyahu to Visit Washington DC 

Protests Resume after Two-Week Hiatus

Orthodox Parties Threaten to Bring Down the Government

Netanyahu: There Will Be No More Hamas!

What You Need to Know:

Sadly, Israel’s emergency responders and medical personnel get lots of opportunities to put their training into practice. We’ve chosen two groups to highlight this week, of the many organizations who serve the nation during times of crisis as well as times of peace. They are by no means the only first responders in this tiny nation which has experienced so much trauma in the 77 years since it was established. 

The Home Front Command is the division of the IDF which has many roles in the area of civilian preparedness and defense. Training Magen David Adom, Israel’s national ambulance service, firefighters and members of other rescue organizations that are charged with assisting the civilian population in times of disaster or crisis is one of their duties. During the 12 days of Operation Rising Lion, members of this organization served tirelessly. Their mobile app, which everyone had installed, gave early warning of incoming rocket fire which allowed additional time to get to a protected space. In addition to alerts and sirens, the app, which is available in Hebrew, English and Russian, provides life-saving guidelines. The role of the Home Front Command also includes conducting search and rescue operations, in this case in buildings that had sustained direct hits from Iranian missiles. 

The other group of emergency responders we are highlighting this week are doctors and nurses. Transferring operations to protected areas, often below ground, meant additional challenges. Emergency dormitories were set up for the approximately 3,000 children of healthcare workers who were working non-stop for many hours and therefore unable to care for their children. Emergency care for the wounded was top priority as hospitals rescheduled non-life threatening procedures. Medical personnel who were abroad when the war began received priority once rescue flights began operating and approximately 650 of them came home to help.  

Dig Deeper:

When Emergency Struck, the Home Front Command Was There

Thousands Wounded, Evacuated during Operation Rising Lion

What You Need to Know:

Humanitarian aid in Gaza has been fraught with challenges. It is becoming a well-documented fact that Hamas, through its connections with UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinians), has controlled the flow of aid, charging high prices for goods that were to be free in order to fund itself. When the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), an initiative that bypassed UNRWA began distributing humanitarian relief, Hamas responded violently. On the evening of June 11, a bus carrying 24 Palestinians working for GHF was ambushed with 10 fatalities and others missing. 

This week there have been many accusations against the IDF regarding Palestinians being shot as they assemble for food at the GHF distribution points. One account claimed that IDF soldiers deliberately targeted unarmed civilians. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz responded to these claims as “blood libel, malicious falsehoods designed to defame the IDF, the most moral military in the world.” 

Another area for prayer—Israel has participated in negotiations for a ceasefire/hostage release deal with Hamas for months. Hamas has refused to compromise on their demand that Israel end the war completely, leaving Hamas in control with their military wing partially intact and able to rearm. This directly contradicts Israel’s stated goal of removing the security threat to Israel’s southern residents.  

Dig Deeper:

Hamas Accused of Targeting Gaza Aid Workers

Netanyahu Says Accusation against IDF is Blood Libel

Israel at a Crossroads in Gaza

What You Need to Know:

Although it was miraculous that, out of approximately 550 missiles launched at Israel, only 36 were direct hits. Suffering impacts were large residential apartment buildings in Bat Yam, Be’erSheva, Rishon LeZion, Haifa and Ramat Gan. Twenty-eight people lost their lives, including a Ukrainian family of five who were killed on the second day of the war. Thousands of Israelis found themselves homeless and have been living in government-provided housing at hotels and other temporary locations. As Israelis begin to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, many will need additional help to get back on their feet. 

Another vulnerable segment of the global Jewish population are those living in hostile nations such as Iran. A recent article in Ynet describes it this way, “Jews in Iran live under constant surveillance, widespread suspicion, and a persistent atmosphere of fear.”

Dig Deeper:

28 Victims of Iranian Missile Attacks

Several Jewish Leaders in Iran Released, Others Still Detained

What You Need to Know:

It isn’t a secret that antisemitism has been increasing to levels not seen since before World War II. In some countries, the battle against antisemitism is being waged more seriously than in others. Here are three “news bytes” from last week: 

Last weekend the Glastonbury Festival, with roughly 200,000 in attendance, was the site of blatant antisemitism and, as the Jerusalem Post reported, “What was supposed to be a celebration of music transformed into a stage for glorified hate.” Led by Bob Vylan, a two-member rap group, thousands in the audience waved Palestinian flags and chanted, “Death, death to the IDF.” BBC, the main sponsor, continued their live broadcast into millions of homes, only later offering an apology.  

Milan, Italy also experienced antisemitism this past week when posters with the message “Israeli not welcome” were anonymously “plastered on storefronts, walls and metro station entrances.” On a positive note, Ignazio La Russa, president of Italy’s Senate, called the incident “deeply disturbing.” He went on to say it “requires a clear and unequivocal condemnation along with sending a message of solidarity to Israelis and Jews.” 

Harvard, a US Ivy-league university which has received more than $794 million in funding from the US government, risks losing future funds unless it takes steps to remedy antisemitic harassment of Jewish and Israeli students attending the university. A report completed by the Task Force to Combat Antisemitism cited that a majority of Jewish Harvard students experienced negative bias or discrimination and a quarter of them felt physically unsafe. It is a positive step that American universities and colleges are being faced with loss of funding if they remain indifferent to the antisemitism that has lately infected their campuses.

Dig Deeper:

Uncovering Antisemitism in Malmo, Sweden

History of Jew-Hatred Repeating Across UK

ADL Report: Antisemitic Threats Rise during Israel-Iran Escalation

Antisemitic Posters Spark Outrage in Milan

Harvard Found Guilty of anti-Jewish Bias

What You Need to Know:

When Israel closed its airspace to commercial flights on June 13, the travel plans of many people were disrupted. Israelis rushed to get home, many of them reaching Cyprus only to find they could go no further. Help came in unusual ways. The billionaire owner of the Rodon Hotel, who chose to remain anonymous, offered free accommodation to stranded Israelis. Travelers without a place to stay or financial means to pay were given priority. Bookings were handled through two Israeli brothers who knew the hotel owner personally. They told World Israel News, the man “really loves Israel, as soon as he heard about the war and realized that there were thousands of Israelis in Cyprus who had to spend quite a bit of money on their stay, he decided to help immediately. Not with words, but with deeds.” There have also been many reports in the Hebrew news of Cypriot citizens who rose to the occasion and did what they could to help the stranded Israelis. 

Another reason for praise was the number of new babies who were born. In recognition of their entry into the world during the war, Sha’are Zedek, a Jerusalem hospital, presented each new baby with a onsie that read, “My Mother Is a Lioness,” after “Operation Rising Lion.” The Soroka hospital in Beersheva which sustained significant damage from a missile announced that 100 babies were born in the hospital’s protected facilities during the 12-day war. Dr. Eyal Sheiner, head of the maternity ward told Ynetnews, “Each birth is a victory. A message: We’re here. We’re not going anywhere.” Rebekah Pearlman, speaking about the challenges of giving birth in makeshift bomb shelters, told the Jerusalem Post, ““Giving birth behind a curtain is nobody’s ideal birth and nobody’s dream. But to be there hearing Jewish babies being born while sirens are going off is really a beautiful sign of resilience.”

Dig Deeper:

https://worldisraelnews.com/luxury-cyprus-hotel-offers-free-rooms-to-stranded-israelis/

https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/pregnancy-and-birth/article-858389#google_vignette