Friday, March 20, 2026

What You Need to Know:

In a press statement this week, Prime Minister Netanyahu called for determination to win the war. “The determination of the leaders, the determination of the commanders and the determination of the people. We are determined to win, and we will achieve these goals.” He also sent words of encouragement to the Iranian people. “We are undermining this regime in the hope of giving the Iranian people an opportunity to remove it…If we persist, we will give them the chance to take their destiny into their own hands.”

Foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, has been very actively defending Israel on the world stage. Recently, he criticized a joint statement by the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom regarding the current fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The statement called for talks that would result in a political solution and appealed to “all parties to act in accordance with international humanitarian law.” Sa’ar asked the leaders if their citizens would be willing to live under conditions where Hezbollah has fired “some 2,000 missiles, rockets and drones at Israeli citizens since March 2, 2026.”

The members of the Knesset (parliament) opposition originally rallied behind the government when war broke out on February 28. However, this week, they introduced a “no confidence motion” against the government. While opposition leader Yair Lapid said he supported the goals of the war with Iran and would continue to support them abroad, he disagreed with legislation that coalition members introduced concerning internal matters.

Dig Deeper:

Statement by Prime Minister (March 17)   

Israel’s Foreign Minister Opposes Calls for Talks in Face of Hezbollah Aggression  

Lapid Introduces No-confidence Vote against Government   

What You Need to Know:

Iran When speaking to CNN this week, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Deffrin estimated that strikes against military targets in Iran will continue “at least through the Jewish holiday of Passover, about three weeks from now.” He added that Israel has “deeper plans for even three weeks beyond that.” The current campaign has proven far more extensive than the 12-day-war in June 2025. During an interview with Times of Israel, officials said the IDF has an opportunity “to not only remove the ‘existential Iranian threat’ to Israel but also Iran’s ‘strategic threat’ on the Jewish state ‘for the foreseeable future’.”

Judea/Samaria: Israel’s biblical heartland has seen more than its share of terror attacks in recent decades. Since the start of Operation Roaring Lion on February 28, the IDF has “ramped up operations to ensure that would-be terrorists living under the Palestinian Authority don’t take advantage of the situation to launch a new front.” The IDF has apprehended more than 200 Palestinian terrorists this month and is also taking defensive measures to keep roads, bus stops and commercial centers protected.

Gaza: The Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened for the first time since February 28, 2026. Speaking to Times of Israel, authorities said Israel continues to “maintain the necessary security restrictions in light of the security situation and threats in the area.”

Dig Deeper:

IDF Chief of Staff: Significant Achievements in Iran  

Ramping up Security in Judea and Samaria  

Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt Re-opens

Iran Intensifies Efforts to Target Jews and Israelis around the World

What You Need to Know:

Although there are rumors in the foreign press of a much larger call-up of reserve troops to support a ground operation against Hezbollah, at this point, the IDF is engaging in “limited, targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.” Massive airstrikes were carried out before ground troops moved in with the goals of “dismantling terrorist infrastructure and eliminating Hezbollah operatives.”

Although Iran and its terror proxy Hezbollah are claiming most of the news coverage these days, it is crucial to remember the IDF soldiers still serving in Gaza. A key Hamas anti-tank corps commander was killed this week as he attempted to attack IDF troops. The IDF told a Jerusalem Post reporter that Hamas’s anti-tank corps is “responsible for the planning and carrying out of terrorist plots against Israeli soldiers and the State of Israel.”

Over the past three years, approximately 270,000 young Israelis have completed their mandatory service. In an article written for Ynetnews, Ram Rothberg, a 34-year veteran of the IDF, speaks about the changes that take place in the lives of young recruits during their service. “They become more mature. More focused. Capable of making decision under pressure, managing teams and carrying real responsibility.” Rothberg also highlights some of the struggles facing these young men and women when they take off their uniform. Founder of two nonprofits for discharged IDF and national service veterans, Rothberg calls this generation one of Israel’s most strategic assets, who will “lead companies, launch startups and drive Israel’s economy in the future.”

Dig Deeper:

IDF Estimates Fighting in Lebanon Will Last Weeks   

IDF Troops Push Deeper into Lebanon, Destroy Hezbollah Terror Assets   

Israel Must Help its Soldiers Build a Future after the Uniform 

What You Need to Know:

The woman behind me in the supermarket line this week told me, “The air is heavy.” And I knew what she meant. Everyone in Israel lives with the uncertainty of when the next alert will sound. Yet despite the constant pressure, 81% of Israelis surveyed are in favor of the war. The reason for their support is simple. They don’t view Iran and its terror proxies as a distant threat but instead believe the regime’s call for their annihilation. Although things in the Jewish state may appear “normal,” many families are still camping out in public bomb shelters. Northern communities and cities along the coast have been bearing the brunt of missile fire or aerial incursion by drone. While cafes and parks seem crowded, you can be sure each person has the early warning app installed on their smartphone and has determined the location of the nearest reinforced room or public shelter. There is a longing for carefree days and “light air” among Israelis, along with prayers that this “new normal” will end soon.

Most of Israel’s fruit orchards and half its vineyards are located in the north, on land that is situated very close to the border with Lebanon, and therefore near Hezbollah, Iran’s terror proxy. Farmers have spent hours in shelters and endured hundreds of missile launches. But it is springtime now, and that means time to plant the fields. Despite the danger, these brave farmers have gone to their fields and orchards to plant and repair damage that Hezbollah’s missiles caused. According to Danielle Abraham of the Volcani Institute, Israel’s largest agricultural research organization, “Farmers are trying to replant an estimated 550,000 fruit trees and 32,000 grapevines before the current season ends.”

Dig Deeper:

Israelis Learn to Live with War as the New Normal   

Northern Farmers Regrow Destroyed Fields

When Hospital became a Battlefield, these Women Kept Life Moving Forward

What You Need to Know:

Despite the fact that the Lebanese government has been unable to force Hezbollah to disarm in accordance with the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked the international community “to intensify support for the [Lebanese] Government and people of Lebanon,” announcing that “The war must stop.” His call for a “diplomatic solution in line with the UN Charter” totally ignores the facts on the ground, namely that Hezbollah, an armed terror organization, determined to forcibly remove the Jewish people from their ancestral homeland.

The latest report from Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, accuses Israel of displacing 36,000 Palestinians as the result of the expansion of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria (West Bank). The report claims that Israel’s actions “represented the mass expulsion of Palestinians on a scale previously unseen, amounting to unlawful transfer that is prohibited under international humanitarian law.” The Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva replied that the UN’s human rights office “does not function as an impartial and neutral human rights office, but as the epicenter of vile anti-Israel activism.”

Israeli officials accuse European leaders of ignoring the dangers the Iranian regime poses to the West and allowing Israel and the United States to do the “dirty work” for them. An Israeli official told Ynetnews, “Not only has Europe failed to mobilize to help keep shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz open, it has also not helped defend Persian Gulf states from Iranian attacks. This is without a doubt Europe’s ugliest hour.”

Dig Deeper:

In Beirut, Guterres Demands End to Middle East War  

UN Raises Concerns of Ethnic Cleansing of Palestinians  

Senior Israeli Officials Condemn Europe’s Weakness toward Iran

What You Need to Know:

Violent Antisemitism: Two brothers holding dual Moroccan and Italian citizenship were arrested in France last week “on suspicion of planning antisemitic terrorist attacks.” Based on information obtained by French police, it appeared that the brothers planned a violent attack, one in which they expected to die as martyrs. Another potentially deadly event in West Bloomfield, Michigan was thwarted thanks to Temple Israel’s security team and a series of errors the terrorist made. At the time of the attack, there were 106 preschoolers and 50 staff members at the premises. Thankfully, none were injured or killed.

Antisemitism on Campus: Recently, 1,000 students in the United Kingdom and Ireland were surveyed, with the results revealing that “antisemitism has become normalized on British campuses.” Terrorist groups are glorified, Jewish students are targeted and studies are disrupted. The survey included testimonies from Jewish students, “who report strained friendships, social boycott, harassment, intimidation and even physical assault.” At San Jose State University in California, threats calling for “the eradication of Jews” along with other antisemitic phrases were discovered on the walls of campus buildings. University police are investigating.

Positive Note: Two hope-filled measures were introduced to the New York City Council, with indications that they will pass. One calls for the creation of a “protest-free ‘buffer zone’ around houses of worship,” while the other “creates a hotline for reporting antisemitic and other hate crimes.” Taken together, these measures will provide a means of protection for the targets of antisemitism.

Dig Deeper:

Two Brothers Arrested in France for Antisemitic Terror Plan  

Report: Jew Hatred Normalized on UK Campuses   

NYC Protest-free Buffer Zone Bill will be Passed into Law this Week 

What You Need to Know:

Volunteering to help someone in need comes as naturally as breathing to Israelis. As the current war with Iran nears its third week, almost 60,000 sirens have sounded, calling citizens to enter protected space. Miraculously, there have been few direct impacts to residential areas. However, on the second day of the war, the Ramat Lehi neighborhood in Beit Shemesh suffered a devastating blow. Nine people died and many homes were damaged. In the days that followed, volunteers from around the country have come to show solidarity with the community as they “help empty homes, clear shattered glass from floors, seal windows and just spend time with residents whose lives have been put on hold.” Following in the footsteps of our founder, G. Douglas Young, who drove an ambulance during the Six Day War, Bridges for Peace volunteers have also joined in these volunteering efforts, traveling to Beit Shemesh and other areas multiple times to support Israelis in need.

The modern State of Israel has endured an almost constant state of war or other emergency conditions during its short life, a test of any nation’s economy. Israel has risen above those circumstances in the past and is doing so yet again during Operation Roaring Lion. Israel’s crown economic jewel, her high-tech sector, is once again demonstrating that it “continues to operate, innovate and lead even under fire.” A recent Ynetnews article attributes this ability to “a flexible organizational culture…and employees and managers who demonstrate deep commitment to their mission—even during challenging times.”

Dig Deeper:

Volunteers & Residents Help Put Life Back Together in Beit Shemesh  

Innovations under Sirens, How Israeli Hi Tech Keeps the Economy Moving