Friday, September 11, 2026

What You Need to Know:

Israel’s October 27 election took formal shape this week as all 38 political parties submitted their candidate slates, with the race still seemingly deadlocked between blocs supporting and opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Though eleventh-hour mergers were expected, the roster of candidates looks much as it did before this week’s registration deadline. However, some parties made notable shakeups: the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Shas party added an IDF reservist to its list in an apparent bid to soften its image on military service, while the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism ousted two longtime lawmakers after failing to pass a broad Haredi draft exemption.  

Meanwhile, Netanyahu visited an Israeli military outpost on Mount Hermon overlooking Syria this week, declaring that Israel is “very close” to defeating Iran’s regime and vowing that “we will not allow any terror army to establish itself on our border.” He described Israel as maintaining “absolute control unlike anything seen before” across the northern front.

A separate controversy also emerged this week, after the left-leaning newspaper Haaretz reported that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed had warned Netanyahu about an imminent Hamas attack shortly before October 7. Netanyahu firmly denies the claim, calling it a “malicious fabrication.” He added that reviews by his office, the National Security Council and the military found no record of any such conversation with bin Zayed and said that he has instructed his lawyers to pursue a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz. The UAE has declined to confirm or deny the alleged conversation.

Dig Deeper:

Israel’s Election Takes Shape as 38 Parties Submit Slates

Netanyahu Claims Israel is “Very Close” to Defeating Iran’s Regime during Visit to Syria

Netanyahu to Sue “Haaretz” over Claim UAE Warned Him Prior to Oct. 7

What You Need to Know:

Gaza: The IDF and Shin Bet (internal security organization) destroyed three weapons caches belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, along with a rocket launch pit this week after identifying that Hamas operatives had been using the stored weapons to reassert control over Gaza. The strikes came days after an explosive device detonated against an IDF engineering vehicle along the “Yellow Line,” a ceasefire violation that prompted a separate retaliatory strike. The IDF said it will keep degrading terror capabilities “while thwarting any attempt to rebuild.” 

Judea/Samaria: A terrorist seriously wounded an Israeli man in a stabbing attack on a farm in central Samaria. IDF soldiers tracked down and killed the terrorist within the hour. Alongside this attack, Israeli forces have ramped up counterterrorism operations across the region, dismantling a 10-member Hamas cell and a rocket, arresting five terrorists planning an attack, and detaining more than 10 additional suspects, all in a sweep concentrated around Nablus (biblical Shechem) and northern Samaria. 

Lebanon: The IDF struck Hezbollah weapons facilities and operatives in southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border security zone, after the terror group launched explosive drones at Israeli troops in the area, attacks the IDF called a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire. Defense Minister Katz reaffirmed that Israel will not withdraw from the security zone “until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon.” 

Israelis/Jews Abroad: Israel’s National Security Council warned of heightened terror threats to Israelis and Jews abroad amid the upcoming High Holidays, citing Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and jihadist groups.

Dig Deeper:

IDF Destroys Hamas, Islamic Jihad Weapons Depots in Gaza

Israeli Seriously Wounded in Terror Stabbing at Samaria Farm

IDF Strikes Hezbollah Targets in Southern Lebanon

Israel Warns of Heightened Terror Threat to Israelis, Jews Abroad ahead of
Holiday Period

What You Need to Know:

Ahead of the High Holidays, the IDF also launched a surprise nationwide readiness drill dubbed “Breaking Dawn 2.0,” testing command decision-making and rapid deployment across every front. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the military is facing a “tense and volatile period” and stressed that “the baseline posture of the entire IDF is readiness for a surprise attack.” A separate large-scale exercise also began in the Eilat region and Jordan Valley, simulating surprise enemy attacks by air, sea and land. Zamir noted that Israel has “fundamentally changed” its security doctrine since October 7, moving toward removing threats “before they materialize,” while emphasizing the military’s highest obligation to care for the mandatory, career and reserve personnel who serve as “the foundation of our strength and the secret to our power.” 

Two IDF soldiers were lightly injured this week when a Hezbollah terrorist attacked them at close range in southern Lebanon. Despite their injuries, the soldiers managed to eliminate the terrorist before being evacuated to a hospital. In response, the IDF struck a range of Hezbollah military targets, including weapons depots and command infrastructure, part of a broader pattern of ongoing clashes, following overnight strikes in southern Lebanon that came after a separate Hezbollah drone attack on Israeli troops that caused no injuries.

Dig Deeper:

“Breaking Dawn 2.0”: IDF Launches Surprise Country-wide Drill

Two IDF Soldiers Injured by Hezbollah Terrorist in Southern Lebanon, Military Strikes in Response

What You Need to Know:

New data released this week reveal the deep toll that years of war, uncertainty and disrupted family life are taking on Israel’s younger generation. A study from Reichman University’s Maytiv Center found that Israeli teens are increasingly turning to risky behaviors—including alcohol, gambling, e-cigarettes and pornography—to cope with distress, with usage in several categories climbing well above pre-COVID levels. Researchers point to a clear cause: repeated sirens, evacuations, sheltering in place and having parents called away for reserve duty have eroded parental supervision and left many children searching for an escape. Anxiety symptoms among Israeli teens are now 48% higher than in 2019, and screen time has climbed to over nine hours a day as children use their devices “both as a window to the world and a refuge from it,” lead researcher Prof. Anat Shoshani said. 

That strain is showing up in the classroom too. Israel posted its worst-ever scores on the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s (OECD’s) international Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exam this week, dropping to 33rd among developed nations in reading, math and science. Education Minister Yoav Kisch attributed the decline to wartime conditions during testing, noting that many students sat for the exam while their towns were evacuated, their teachers and parents were away on reserve duty, and sirens interrupted their nights. As one parents’ association put it, the results are “not surprising,” a sobering reminder that Israel’s children have carried more than their share of this war’s weight.

Dig Deeper:

War, Screens and Risky Behavior

Israel Plummets to Worst-ever OECD Education Scores in Math, Reading, Science

What You Need to Know:

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced this week that the United Kingdom will ban imports from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and will sanction individuals and businesses that finance or facilitate settlement activity, citing the “unlawfulness of the occupation” and accusing some settlers of “ethnic cleansing.” Eleven other countries, including Canada, France and several EU nations, joined a statement backing similar restrictions, while Spain and Ireland have already imposed full trade bans.

British Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat criticized the decision and said it risks “encouraging sectarianism and antisemitism at home.” He warned that the sanctions could harm relations with Israel and in turn harm the UK, as Israel shares counterterror intelligence with Britain. President Isaac Herzog called the decision a “grave miscalculation” that amounts to meddling in Israel’s upcoming elections. UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis warned the sanctions could be “counterproductive,” disproportionately harming British Jews given their close ties to Israel, while US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the move “discrimination against the Jewish people.” 

In good news, six ambassadors to the UN—from Ethiopia, the Gambia, Zambia, Fiji, Mongolia and Panama—traveled to Israel this week on a “listening diplomacy” tour, visiting sites of the October 7 massacre and meeting with a survivor. Gambia’s ambassador, Prof. Muhammadou Kah, said, “I return more convinced than ever that dialogue matters.” Fiji’s envoy, Laitia Tamata, remarked on how thoroughly Hamas has “successfully played the victim” on the world stage.

Dig Deeper:

UK Bans Judea and Samaria Products, Prompting Calls for Reprisals

UK, France, Canada Announce Ban on Trade with Israeli Settlements in West Bank

Ambassadors to UN in Geneva Tour Oct. 7 Sites in Israel

What You Need to Know:

In the United States, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon called the nation’s rise in antisemitism a “national crisis,” citing Justice Department lawsuits over antisemitic incidents against Harvard and UCLA, agreements with Columbia, Northwestern, Cornell and Brown, and more than 100 ongoing investigations at colleges nationwide, along with legal action against an Oakland, California café accused of refusing service to Jewish customers. “As long as I hold this position, fighting antisemitism will be one of my top priorities,” Dillon said, an encouraging sign of someone in a power position taking the fight seriously. 

Antisemitism took center stage at a major concert this week when rapper Macklemore, opening for Ed Sheeran in New Jersey, USA, used his set to shout “Free Palestine,” accuse Israel of genocide and perform while images from Gaza and pro-Palestinian encampments played on the stadium screens. The Israeli–American Council has launched a petition urging Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the rest of the tour, arguing that “freedom of expression does not mean freedom from responsibility.” 

Yet Budapest offered a hopeful contrast when city authorities, working alongside Rabbi Shlomó Köves and the local Jewish community, blocked an attempt to stage a pro-Palestinian protest at the entrance of the city’s Cholent Festival, a beloved Jewish cultural celebration. “We are not hiding, we are not afraid and we are not concerned,” Kövessaid. “Hungary is still, and we’re sure it will continue to be so, the safest country for the Jews in Europe.”

Dig Deeper:  

US Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Says Antisemitism in America Is “National Crisis”

Israeli–US Org Calls for Ed Sheeran to Remove Macklemore as Opener after Shouting “Free Palestine”

Budapest Blocks Anti-Israel Attempt to Mar Jewish Festival

What You Need to Know:

More than 20,000 new immigrants from over 100 countries made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) over the past Hebrew year, according to figures released by the Aliyah and Integration Ministry ahead of Rosh HaShanah (Jewish New Year), which begins Friday. Russia, France and the United States sent the largest numbers, but officials point to a striking trend: interest from Western nations is surging, with aliyah applications up 31.5% in France, 68% in Britain and nearly 90% in Australia year over year. More than a third of the new immigrants are young adults between 18 and 35, and 414 are doctors. “The choice to make aliyah and build a future here is a powerful Zionist and national statement,” Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer said.

Israel’s international standing grew this week too, as the Pacific island nation of Nauru inaugurated its first embassy in Israel, choosing to locate it in Jerusalem, Israel’s true and undivided capital. “We see opening an embassy here . . . also as a message to the world of where we stand,” Nauruan Foreign Minister Lionel Aingimea said. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Colombia is expected to open its own Jerusalem embassy in October, with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Argentina having also pledged to relocate theirs.

The skies over Israel are reopening. Delta and United are resuming direct flights to Tel Aviv this week after summer suspensions caused by the Iran war, joining El Al, Arkia and Israir on the route, a hopeful sign of Israel’s renewed connection to the world.

Dig Deeper:

More Than 20,000 Make Aliyah to Israel as Western Applications Surge

Pacific Island Nation Nauru Opens its First Israeli Embassy, in Jerusalem

Delta and United Returning to Israel