Friday, May 22, 2026

What You Need to Know:

Prime Minister Netanyahu: Last week, PM Netanyahu attempted to keep the Haredi (religious) parties in the coalition by moving the draft bill forward. When that failed, the coalition government submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset (Parliament). In its preliminary reading, the bill passed by a large majority. Passage of the coalition’s bill to dissolve the Knesset, rather than a similar bill submitted by the opposition, will give the government more control over the process and allow them to determine the new election date. Due to timing constraints with the 3-month summer recess and High Holy Days in September, elections will only be moved slightly forward from the current date of October 27.

The prime minister continues to maintain a close relationship with US President Trump and is watching closely the developments of the US–Iran talks in order to safeguard Israel’s security interests.

Foreign Minister Sa’ar: International diplomacy has been challenging since the rise in anti-Israel rhetoric among some global leaders. But Israel does have some firm friends, including the US, Germany and the Czech Republic. This week, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar held an economic forum for 200 Israeli and Czech business people. Sa’ar stated: “The forum reflects our intention to strengthen the strategic partnership between our governments … My foreign policy is: invest in friendly countries, and the Czech Republic is one of Israel’s greatest friends.”

Dig Deeper:

PM Netanyahu’s Remarks at the Opening of Special Cabinet Meeting on May 17 

Coalition’s Bill to Dissolve the Knesset Passes Preliminary Reading  

FM Sa’ar Holds Business Forum on Visit to Czech Republic  

What You Need to Know:

Iran: US President Trump once again called off a planned resumption of attacks on the premise that negotiations will succeed. Yet Iran’s most recent proposal differs very little from the one President Trump rejected last week. It has been an ongoing pattern of threatening military assaults and abruptly calling them off. Israel is keeping a close eye on the situation. Quoting Israeli officials, Ynetnews reported that “the Iranians are euphoric and view themselves as the big winners …Their agenda is to humiliate Trump and show that they defeated the world’s greatest power.” Israel is preparing for a high possibility of renewed fighting.

Hezbollah/Lebanon: Maj. (res.) Itamar Sapir became the 8th casualty in Lebanon since the current ceasefire began on April 16. Sapir died when a Hezbollah terrorist fired at IDF troops from inside a church. Hezbollah is conducting a war of attrition, aiming to inflict casualties on IDF troops and undermine the sense of security among civilians. Hezbollah’s use of FPV (First Person Viewed) explosive drones has been especially deadly. For its part, the IDF has hit more than 1,100 Hezbollah targets and eliminated over 350 operatives.

Hamas/Gaza:  As President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza appears stalled for lack of funding as well as Hamas’s refusal to disarm, Israel is quietly settling accounts by eliminating the remaining leaders who actively participated in the October 7 massacre. The elimination of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who helped plan October 7 and was currently rearming Hamas operatives for attacks on IDF soldiers, is one example. Israel’s message: no immunity.

Dig Deeper:

Iran’s New Proposal: Reparations, US Troop Withdrawal, End to Lebanon War

Israel Braces for Renewed War with Iran—Now More than 50-50  

Hezbollah Waging a War of Attrition against IDF in Lebanon  

No Shield for Hamas Leaders under Israel’s New Policy   

What You Need to Know:

Unique Burden: The life of a soldier has changed with the advent of technology. While a soldier in WWII saw only about 40 days of actual combat during the entire six years, Israeli soldiers accumulate “battle days” throughout their adult lives. JNS reported: “Israeli soldiers run a marathon composed entirely of sprints … they engage in high-intensity combat across vast stretches of their lives.” Another factor that sets the Israeli soldier apart is the fact that the frontline and the home front are inextricably linked. For the reservists, transitions between military and civilian life happen frequently and can cause burnout. Yet, morale and motivation remain remarkably high.

Future Soldiers: The IDF has a special six-week program for young Jewish men and women from the Diaspora (outside Israel) which gives them the opportunity to experience army life and strengthen their ties to the Land. Lt. “R,” company commander, explains that the goal of the program is that participants will “understand the foundation of the state, their connection to it, and … experience, for the first time, the feeling of holding a weapon and what it means to defend their country.” Some go on to enlist in the IDF while others return to their home country as advocates. Ariel Schejtman from Mexico City told JNS: “This course has taught me so many important things such as the values a soldier needs to have, how to defend myself, the history of the IDF and Israel, and things that are very important not just in the army, but in life, like resilience.”

Dig Deeper:

The Unique Burden of the Israeli Soldier  

IDF Program Gives Diaspora Youth a Taste of Military Life  

Inside a Brigade Commander’s War  

What You Need to Know:

Widows and Orphans: Dan Elbaum, an American Jew and the executive director of IDF Widows and Orphans–USA, was recently asked a simple question: “Why don’t you live in Israel?” In a thoughtful blog, he addresses the increasingly fragile connection between American Jews—especially the younger generation—and Israelis. The one who posed the question was Yael Maori, whose husband, Lt. Col. Dan Maori, was killed in Lebanon on October 24, 2024. Dan Elbaum wrote: “For Yael, Israel is not an idea. It is home. It is the place where her husband lived, served, and died. It is where she now wakes up each morning to raise two young boys while carrying a grief that most American Jews will thankfully never fully understand.” More than 360 Israelis have been widowed since October 7, and over 900 children have lost a parent in combat or through a terror attack.

Mental Health Struggles: Although Israelis are known for their resilience and hopeful outlook, the prolonged stress of the longest war in the nation’s modern history has taken a toll in the area of mental health. Clalit Health Services, Israel’s largest healthcare provider, reports that “the demand for mental health treatment in Israel has risen by approximately 240% over the past two years.” Nearly 300 new mental health professionals have been added to the Clalit system since the war began. Hospitals and their staff have also been affected as they have been forced to consider how to provide uninterrupted care to their patients in areas protected from missile and drone attacks.

Dig Deeper:

Why Don’t You Live in Israel?  

War’s Hidden Toll: Mental Health Treatment in Israel Surges 240%

My Children Are Teaching Me about Resilience   

What You Need to Know:

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued public warrants on November 21, 2024, for the arrest of two prominent Israelis—PM Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant—for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza. Now it appears possible that a secret, sealed warrant for the arrest of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been filed by the ICC prosecutor. His crime? According to the Middle East Eye: forced displacement, persecution and apartheid as crimes against humanity. If approved by the ICC, it would be the first warrant ever for the crime of apartheid. The prosecutor is reportedly considering other warrants for Israelis, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior military officers, including IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.

An Unlikely Ally: Yahia Kassem, a reporter for the Arabic-language publication Alhurra, has become an unlikely ally for the State of Israel in its military operations in southern Lebanon. A self-professed “seeker of truth,” Kassem accompanied IDF troops to see for himself. The reporter saw Hezbollah facilities embedded in civilian structures, which presented a threat to the safety of Israeli communities along the border. Kassem wrote, “When the IDF enters southern Lebanon and says, ‘I’m entering because of Hezbollah,’ in the Arab world it is perceived as propaganda, as something untrue. I came and showed that it is true, that the IDF entered because there is a specific threat.” Kassem’s reporting conflicts with other Arab media outlets who are unwilling to expose the truth about Hezbollah and Iran.

Dig Deeper:

ICC Seeks Secret Warrant against FM Smotrich  

Arab Journalist Sparks Outrage as He ‘Seeks Truth” in Southern Lebanon   

What You Need to Know:

Global: Each week we select two or three antisemitic incidents to include in the update. By no means does this imply these are the only countries where antisemitism exists. The problem is global. In its 2025 annual report, the J7 Large Communities’ Task Force against Antisemitism states: “The data presented here is troubling. Across all seven countries, there has been a clear rise in antisemitic incidents, particularly violent ones.”

United Kingdom: While government officials say there is “no place for antisemitism” in British society, Jewish students in London are experiencing antisemitic harassment on a daily basis. A new report, published anonymously to protect the identities of the students, reveals details of the abuse. Jewish students are routinely singled out and receive disturbing and threatening messages from fellow students. School administrators have offered little or no response in support of the Jewish students. “Parents against Antisemitism said in a statement: ‘We urgently need political leadership and clear safeguards to address the antisemitism crisis in schools so Jewish students can feel safe again.’”

United States: US Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who is Jewish, has reported a sharp increase in antisemitic threats since October 7. Jewish lawmakers are being targeted “every day, all the time, on podcasts, online, in the media, in the halls of Congress.” Rep. Brad Sherman described the increase as “like you turned up the volume from two to 10.” Moskowitz, who has a police officer stationed outside his home because of threats of violence, called for people to speak out when they encounter antisemitism. “We need good people to not be quiet.”

Dig Deeper:

J7 Annual Report on Antisemitism 2025

Jewish Students Terrorized by ‘Routine’ Antisemitic Abuse in London Schools

Jewish US Lawmakers Warn Antisemitic Threats have Surged since Oct 7   

What You Need to Know:

Jerusalem reveals ancient secrets: The Western Wall Heritage Foundation has been uncovering the secrets of ancient Jerusalem as archaeologists work beneath the plaza in front of the Western Wall. During the 2020 Coronavirus lockdown, when the plaza and Western Wall tunnels were closed to the public, 52 concrete pillars were poured beneath the plaza, which is now suspended in the air. Visitors are oblivious to the exciting discoveries taking place beneath them. For example, a four-room house from the First Temple period revealed “pottery handles that had been used for jars in which taxes were sent to the king in Jerusalem.” One of them included its place of origin as Sokho, which corresponds to Tel Sokho near Beit Shemesh. The sheer number of discoveries that are tied to the Jewish presence in these excavations absolutely refute those who would rewrite history.

Treatment for spinal cord injuries: Scientists at Tel Aviv University are exploring a method to remove the excess glutamate that occurs as the brain responds to the trauma of spinal cord injury. This natural product of the brain, in excessive amounts, can damage or kill nerve cells and worsen the injury. Treatment is administered by injection and could be given by first responders. Dr. Angela Ruban, one of the co-leaders, told JNS, “If we are able to confirm our results in humans, the new approach will represent a true paradigmatic shift, from supportive care alone to treatment that actually reduces and maybe even completely prevents the extent of the damage.”

Dig Deeper:

Beneath the Western Wall, a Hidden Jerusalem is Revealed  

Israeli Study Points to Potential Breakthrough in Spinal Cord Injury Care    

Somaliland’s First Ambassador to Israel Presents Credentials to Herzog