Friday, May 1, 2026

What You Need to Know:

PM Netanyahu: The prime minister has had to tackle several issues this week, including: preparation for the possible collapse of the US–Iran talks and the resumption of military action; the 60-ship flotilla that sailed from Sicily with the intent of breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza and the announcement of a health condition. Also, the next elections aren’t scheduled until October 27, 2026, but the campaigning has begun in earnest. The other candidates have criticized how PM Netanyahu has handled the war and for delaying to make public the fact that he had successfully been treated for early stage prostate cancer at the beginning of the war with Iran.

President Herzog: Israel’s president was in Kazakhstan this week for talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and other senior officials. Relations between Israel and the Muslim-majority country are strong with the talks focusing on “expanding cooperation in economic, scientific and technological fields.” Kazakhstan joined the Abraham Accords last November.

FM Gideon Sa’ar: In the past few months, there has been much speculation in Israel regarding annexation of Judea/Samaria, known to the world as the “West Bank.” This week, Foreign Minister Sa’ar told American Friends of Likud privately that Israel “will not advance moves to apply sovereignty ... It is against the path of President Trump’s plan, and doing that will no doubt alienate Israel from a lot of friends.” This statement is likely to anger certain members of Israel’s government.

Dig Deeper:

Bennett Reveals ‘Israeli Renaissance’ Plan, Says Alliance will Replace Netanyahu

Netanyahu Treated for Early Stage Prostate Cancer  

Herzog in Kazakhstan for Talks on Expanding Cooperation

FM Sa’ar Acknowledges ‘No Annexation of Judea/Samaria [West Bank]’

What You Need to Know:

Iran: With negotiations apparently stalled, President Trump warns that the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz may last months. He has also reportedly received briefings on several possible military plans for strikes against Iran. Meanwhile, both IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and PM Benjamin Netanyahu agree: the war is not over. Zamir told a military conference this week, “We continue to remain prepared and vigilant for any scenario in all sectors.”

Hezbollah/Lebanon: Although representatives of the Lebanese government held talks with Israel in the last few weeks, Hezbollah continues to distance itself from these efforts. Naim Qassem, the terror group’s leader, provided a written statement which declared: “We will not give up our weapons and defense. These direct negotiations and their outcomes are as if they do not exist for us, and they do not concern us in the slightest.” Hezbollah has repeatedly violated the April 17 ceasefire agreement, launching rockets and drones at IDF forces and northern communities in Israel. In response, the IDF has begun dismantling Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites and in the process has discovered “hundreds of weapons.”

Judea/Samaria: Maintaining security in Israel’s biblical heartland involves forces from the IDF, Israel Border Police and the Shin Bet (intelligence). JNS reported that “Israeli security forces conducted a large-scale counter-terrorism operation in several Samaria villages on Monday, detaining suspects and confiscating weapons.” A variety of weapons were seized, including improvised submachine guns, automatic rifles, pipe bombs and ammunition.

Dig Deeper:

Chief of Staff: War of Redemption Is not over 

Hezbollah Will not Disarm—Ready for Epic Battle   

IDF Neutralizes Explosive Device near Jewish Community in Samaria   

What You Need to Know:

In a recent visit to the 36th Division in southern Lebanon, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told the troops: “We are in a historic war, and there is a generation of heroism here. Heroic brigade and battalion commanders—there has been no equal since the generation of 1948.” The fighting has been intense in Lebanon, with 10 soldiers killed and 300 injured since the ground offensive began on March 16, 2026.

For the last two months, the wars with Iran and Hezbollah have been in the headlines. But there are still IDF troops in Gaza, and they have not been idle. The Northern Brigade of the IDF’s Gaza Division has been working with the Yahalom combat engineering unit to dismantle almost nine miles (14.5 km) of terror tunnels in the northern Gaza Strip. Within the tunnels, they discovered a large weapons cache as well as living quarters.

The Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, provides another layer of protection for the Jewish state. Mossad chief David Barnea saluted those receiving citations, saying: “We worked shoulder to shoulder with the IDF, both in defense and offense, and had an impact through our relative advantages and genuine partnership: in striking targets in Tehran, thwarting senior figures, achieving air superiority and defending the Israeli home front.”

Dig Deeper:

IDF Chief of Staff: Current Generation of Soldiers Best Since 1948 

IDF Troops Dismantle 9 Miles of Terror Tunnels in Gaza  

Mossad: Israel Obtained Intel from Enemy’s ‘Most Guarded Secrets’  

What You Need to Know:

For communities that experienced the devastation and trauma of October 7, rebuilding burned out houses isn’t the only restoration needed. Emotional support is critical. Hila Halevi, director of the Eshkol Therapy Institute, told JNS: “The demand for mental health services has surged by hundreds of percent since October 7. People need therapy in order to be stronger tomorrow.” Therapy not only provides relief from trauma; it equips people with skills to live with the ongoing stress of not knowing when the fragile peace will end. Residents are determined to rebuild their communities with a high quality of life, strengthening one of Israel’s longest borders.

There is a new initiative in Israel that provides a four-legged companion for grieving families. Created by the Therapeutic Riding and Canine Institute (TRCI), the program is called “A Dog for the Journey.” After a period of training, dogs are specifically matched with families based on lifestyle and need. Alex Ben-Melech, project manager, told JNS: “Some [families] want a dog to go running with; others want a dog to lie down at night and rest its head on their leg. It’s about filling that silence.”

Roughly half the world’s Jewish population still lives outside of Israel. With the intent of sending a clear message to those who are considering aliyah (immigration), the Israeli government recently announced a major tax benefit for new immigrants’ first years in the Land. The tax benefit is aimed to make their move “financially easier and help them integrate quickly into the Israeli labor market.”

Dig Deeper:

Rebuilding Life on Israel’s Southern Border

Someone to Hug—Four-Legged Canine Friends Provide Comfort

Major Aliyah Push, Israel Offers New Immigrants 0% Income Tax   

What You Need to Know:

Although the proposal led by Spain to discontinue the EU–Israel Association Agreement failed, we have undoubtedly not seen then end of Spanish efforts to delegitimize Israel. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his government have adopted a “hostile, one-sided and inflammatory stance toward Israel and its soldiers.” Not only in its rhetoric but by its silence in refusing to condemn the actions of Hamas on October 7, the Spanish government is creating the atmosphere which led citizens of El Burgo to burn a 23-foot (7-m.) figure of Prime Minister Netanyahu on Easter Sunday. While Israel does have friends in Europe, actions by such countries as Spain and Ireland represent a troubling trend.  

Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria, Israel’s biblical heartland, have often been portrayed in the media as “violent settlers,” bent on harming their peaceful Palestinian neighbors. Writing for the Jerusalem Post, Naomi Linder Kahn walks the reader through recent violence that took place near the Arab village of Turmus Aiya. She writes, “Despite the IDF presence, documented [Arab] incitement and the IDF arrest of the perpetrators, some journalists misreported the event, attributing the stone-throwing to Israelis.” For details, see “How Media Shapes a False Wartime Narrative” in the Dig Deeper section.

Analysts at the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) released a study that examined “more than 1,100 official statements made by the Portuguese UN Secretary General” between January 2017 and April 2026. By sheer volume, Israel led by a wide margin with mostly negative remarks. JPPI concluded the obvious: a double standard is being applied against Israel.

Dig Deeper:

How Media Shapes a False Wartime Narrative  

Spain’s Stance on Israel Raises Concerns over Growing European Delegitimization

UN Chief Singles Out Israel for Harsher Treatment than Iran, China, Russia  

What You Need to Know:

Italy: On April 25, Italians celebrate Liberation Day, the anniversary of the date when they were freed from Nazi and fascist rule. This year in Milan, descendants of the Jewish Brigade—volunteers from Mandatory Palestine who served in the British army and fought the Nazis in northern Italy—were targeted with antisemitic and anti-Israel abuse. “Surrounded by demonstrators chanting ‘Zionists out of Milan’ they were forced to leave the city’s march under heavy police protection.”

Canada:  Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy for B’nai Brith Canada announced the results of the organization’s annual audit. There were 6,800 incidents reported in 2025—the highest number since the annual report was first issued in 1982. “Antisemitism has become so ubiquitous in our society that the word ‘Jew’ is now commonly used as a slur to disparage and malign non‑Jews,” Robertson said.

United States:  In preparation for its June 2 primary election, the state of California issued an “official voter information guide.” That in itself is routine and has taken place for decades in the United States. What was not routine was the statement submitted by gubernatorial candidate Don Grundmann and included in the booklet. Grundmann claimed that Israel engineered the 9/11 attack on New York’s Twin Towers with “3,000 murdered to create a new ‘Pearl Harbor’ to justify fighting wars for Israel.” The statement also included numerous other similar accusations. To its credit, California did print a disclaimer in bold at the top of the page.  

Dig Deeper:

Pro-Palestinian Militants Drive Jewish Brigade Participants out of Milan Liberation March

Most Jew-Hatred in Canada in 2025 in 44 Years Bnei Brith has Tracked Hate  

Antisemitic statement from California Candidate for Governor Gets Own Disclaimer

What You Need to Know:

This November, for the first time, an official Israeli Esports team will compete in an international tournament in Saudi Arabia. Teams from more than 100 countries will participate in the event. Of utmost importance to the Israel Esports Association, a grassroots group that has spent years building a national team, is the fact that they will come as representatives of Israel, with the flag flying proudly. The group has declined other invitations to countries where they were asked to compete anonymously. Chairman Ido Brosh said, “In Saudi Arabia, there was full cooperation. We are participating under the same conditions as all other countries.”

Getting an unbiased report out of Hamas-controlled Gaza has been nearly impossible over the past two-and-a-half years. Journalists hired by international wire services have been those Hamas allows to operate and report only Hamas-approved “news.” Two years ago, Jusoor News began covering the facts. With undercover journalists in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, the US-based “nongovernmental Arabic media outlet” reports a different side of the conflict. For example, recent reporting by their Gaza journalists included “eyewitness video testimony of both rape and sexual abuse of women and children by Hamas and religious officials in both mosques and charity organizations.” Three Jusoor journalists in Gaza were arrested and tortured by Hamas in the last year. One of those journalists wrote: “We are under constant threat. Yet our stories have become an integral part of the broader Arab media landscape covering Gaza.”

Dig Deeper:

Israel to Send Esports Team to Saudi Tournament for First Time 

Maverick Arabic News Outlet Exposes Hamas Abuse of Gazans