Friday, November 21, 2025

What You Need to Know:

Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to stand firm in the face of the refusal by Hamas to lay down their weapons and pressure from some world governments that would see the establishment of a Palestinian state. At the beginning of this week’s cabinet meeting, the prime minister clarified his unflinching opposition to a Palestinian state and his determination that Hamas will be disarmed—“either the easy way or the hard way.” He is facing increased isolation on the world stage as NYC’s mayor-elect and several other leaders have vowed to enforce the International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest should he travel to their locations.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has served in this position since 2022. Responsible for a wide range of financial matters, FM Smotrich’s ministry determines Israel’s economic policy, which includes setting wages, overseeing labor agreements in the public sector and supervising the activity of government companies. He leads the National Religious Party and has often been labeled an extremist for his far-right, nationalistic views. He presented the 2026 budget to members of the coalition government in early November. It passed the first hurdle—approval by government—and now faces three separate readings in the entire Knesset (Parliament). These discussions, set to begin on December 4, are expected to last hours with defense spending being one of the items up for debate. By law, if the state budget is not approved by the end of March, which is the end of the fiscal year, the Knesset is dissolved and early elections held.

Dig Deeper:

PM Netanyahu Addresses the Cabinet Meeting November 16

2026 Budget to Be Brought for Government Approval on December 4

What You Need to Know:

Lebanon/Hezbollah: Next week will mark the one-year anniversary of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. However, relations have been anything but peaceful and quiet as Hezbollah operatives continue to violate the terms of the November 27, 2024 agreement. The situation remains volatile as Israel monitors Hezbollah’s actions and responds accordingly. In addition to drone strikes against terrorist operatives, the IDF has been dismantling structures being rebuilt by Hezbollah and confiscating weapons caches. This week, the IDF struck a compound in southern Lebanon that the army said was being used by Hamas for “training and exercises to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel.”

Judea/Samaria: The Shin Bet (internal Israeli security), IDF and police recently broke up a major Hamas terror organization in the Bethlehem area, a mere 9 kilometers (5.52 mi.) from Jerusalem. Approximately 40 Hamas operatives were arrested, and weapons, including M16 rifles, seized. In a joint statement, security agencies said, “The dismantling of this infrastructure prevented major terror attacks and potential loss of civilian and military lives.”

Egyptian border: Security challenges along Israel’s 208-kilometer (129-m.i) border with Egypt are increasing. Drones, some days as many as 20, carrying contraband drugs and weapons, attempt to enter the country. Currently the IDF estimates a success rate of 50% and is working to address the issue.

Dig Deeper:

IDF Strikes Hamas Terror Training Compound in Lebanon’s South   

Hezbollah Terrorist Killed by IDF Drone in Southern Lebanon

Hamas Terror Structure Uncovered in Bethlehem, 40 Arrested

Israel Pulls Out All Stops to Set Back Infiltrations on Border with Egypt

What You Need to Know:

As Russia and China abstained, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to adopt the US resolution on a 20-point plan for the future of Gaza. The resolution empowers the creation of an international stabilization force (ISF), which may be tasked with demilitarizing Hamas if the terrorist group fails to lay down its arms willingly—something Hamas has vociferously rejected. The transitional government will fall under the auspices of a Board of Peace, led by the US. At the last moment, troubling language was added to point 19 which “calls for the redevelopment of Gaza, the reform of the Palestinian Authority and a ‘credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood’” (emphasis added).

The adoption of the resolution concerns Israel on several points, perhaps the most troubling being the language referring to Palestinian statehood. PM Netanyahu has often stated that “there will be no Palestinian state,” and recent polls indicate that 75–85% of Israelis agree. Israel has also stated emphatically that it will not accept Turkish troops as part of the ISF. Although PM Netanyahu spoke in favor of the UN resolution, Israel has not relinquished its goal of disarming Hamas, and it is unclear whether or not that will happen as a result of President Trump’s peace plan.

Dig Deeper:

UN Security Council Unanimously Approves Trump Gaza Plan   

Israeli Concern Over Trump Plan with “Path to Palestinian State”

PM Netanyahu’s Statement on UN Security Council Gaza Resolution

Majority of Israelis Oppose Palestinian State

What You Need to Know:

There is perhaps no other nation that has asked so much of its soldiers—from each generation since the rebirth of the modern State of Israel. Surrounded by Iran’s terror proxies, men and women of the IDF must be ready on a moment’s notice to literally defend their homes and precious loved ones. For a glimpse of what that feels like, we’d encourage you to read the article found in this week’s Dig Deeper: “For These IDF Soldiers, Defending Home is Personal.”

As the world debates and discusses plans for “the day after” in Gaza, Israel’s troops remain on “battlefield alert.” As the troops work to identify and blow up booby-trapped houses, they also face terrorist operatives who approach and cross the yellow line that separates IDF-controlled territory from that which remains under the control of Hamas. Gaza remains a potentially dangerous and volatile area for the IDF.

This week, military representatives from 130 countries came to learn lessons from Israel’s soldiers. One area of particular interest was the use of “virtual reality electronic glasses the IDF now uses to simulate and explore various battle zones.” Satellite images combined with clandestine intelligence and “boots on the ground” facts from soldiers give details of the battle field, providing an additional edge as the IDF battles to defend the citizens of Israel.

Dig Deeper:

For These IDF Soldiers, Defending Home is Personal  

IDF Strikes Gaza Terrorists after Ceasefire Violations   

IDF Shows Gaza War Lessons to Foreign Militaries

What You Need to Know:

Students and teachers in Israel’s northern communities are struggling to return to “normal” after the upheaval and evacuation from their homes when rockets rained down from Lebanon, making it unsafe to remain. Now the war is over, and they are back home. Yet, as one teacher said, “No one came back at one hundred percent.” Some of the children continued learning during their extended period of evacuation while others were not as fortunate. Another teacher says, “The children have gone back years in their learning.” Kiryat Shmona’s deputy mayor proclaimed: “There is no teacher in Israel, and maybe in the world, who faces students with academic, social, pedagogical and emotional gaps this wide. Even our best teachers are collapsing under this challenge.”

Blaring horns signal that the underlying tension among Israeli drivers is reaching a breaking point. With nerves already worn thin after two years at war and now facing the uncertainty of the “day after” in Gaza, it doesn’t take much to provoke road rage. When you add the construction of new lite rail lines with roads torn up to make way for tracks, finding a new way to work or the store becomes just one more unsurmountable obstacle in daily life.  

Dig Deeper:

Northern Students Returning Home Face Collapsing School System

Daytime and Nighttime Road Work to Complete Shazar Tunnel 

Road Works on Shmuel Beit Street

What You Need to Know:

Canada is home to the fourth largest Jewish community in the world, numbering approximately 400,000, and, until recently, was considered one of the best places for Jews to live. But that is changing. B’nai Brith Canada reported “6,210 antisemitic incidents in 2024, or an average of about 17 incidents of harassment, vandalism and violence per day.” The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) “found 82% of Canadian Jews believed the country had gotten less safe since October 7.” Another survey, this one by the Jewish Medical Association of Ontario, found that 31% of Jewish doctors “were strongly considering or considering leaving the country due to rising levels of antisemitism in hospitals and academia.”

Proponents of antisemitism have been working hard to make Wikipedia, often the first online source people check, a place that spreads lies about the Jewish state. Wikipedia contains seven million entries and is growing rapidly as approximately 15,000 are added each month. The site’s guidelines “demand that content be ‘neutral’ and present both sides of contentious arguments.” Sadly, this is anything but true when it comes to Israel and the Jewish people. A recent report by the Anti-Defamation League found “clear evidence that at least 30 editors circumvent Wikipedia’s policies in concert to introduce antisemitic narratives, anti-Israel bias and misleading information.”

Dig Deeper:

Canada Sees Rising Antisemitism Even After Gaza Ceasefire  

Wikipedia’s Antisemitism

What You Need to Know:

Last week we asked you to pray for rain, and we can happily announce that those prayers were answered! Beginning late in the day Thursday, the rain increased and fell most of the day Friday, tapering off by Saturday evening. The winter storm affected the entire nation as even Mizpe Rimon in the Negev Desert marked slight precipitation. The nation rejoiced with the first rainfall, though much more is needed to break the drought. The water level in the Sea of Galilee is currently perilously close to the Lower Red Line, beyond which point the ecological stability of the lake is in danger. Currently the Sea of Galilee is 4.55 meters (14.93 ft.) below the Upper Red Line, or “full” mark.

The nation of Israel is well known for its humanitarian efforts and outreaches to other countries. Save a Child’s Heart (SACH), founded in 1995, has treated and saved the lives of over 8,000 children from 75 nations. This week, President Herzog visited Zambia and helped pay tribute to the work of SACH in that country. Not only has the organization brought 136 Zambian children to Israel for treatment, but they also offer training for Zambian physicians, helping to build a “world-class Zambian cardiac team.” Israel’s president lauded the work of SACH as it reflects the Jewish principle of tikkun olam, healing the world.

Dig Deeper:

Weather Forecast: Heavy Rains, Thunderstorms to Continue Across Israel

Saving Young Hearts in Zambia