Friday, September 25, 2026

What You Need to Know:

As world leaders gathered in New York this week, Israel’s leadership found itself navigating an unusually isolated diplomatic landscape. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the UN General Assembly, once a marathon of meetings with US presidents, Arab leaders and Palestinian officials dating back to 1998, was reduced this year to roughly six hours on the ground, with no meeting set with President Donald Trump. Heightened security concerns, expected protests and an outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant have all reshaped what was once a robust diplomatic tradition. 

Meanwhile, American and Iranian officials held hours of indirect talks on the sidelines of the UN, with unnamed mediators shuttling between US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and the Iranian delegation. President Trump said the talks went “very well,” even as he repeated a warning that Iran faces “potential greatness, or obliteration” if no deal is reached. Iran, for its part, communicated conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including lifting the US naval blockade and unfreezing its frozen assets. Another round of talks is expected soon. 

Amid the pressures of the international spotlight, ICC proceedings and high-stakes nuclear diplomacy, Israel’s leaders carry an immense weight, both for Israel’s security and for the broader stability of the region.

Dig Deeper:

US and Iranian Negotiators Hold Talks at UN that Trump Says “Went Very Well”

Once Packed with World Leaders, Netanyahu’s UN Trip Shrinks to Six Hours and No Trump Meeting

What You Need to Know:

Israel is entering Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) amid heightened security alert levels. Following the fatal terror attack this week, which we will look at in another section, the IDF has reinforced its forces in Judea and Samaria, positioned an additional division headquarters and expanded raids across the region, including thwarting a Hamas-linked plot even during Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) itself. The military is also working to counter a drone threat in the area. 

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz delivered a blunt message this week to Hamas and its regional backers: abducting even a single Israeli, soldier or civilian, would prompt Israel to empty Gaza City, with consequences as severe as those already dealt to Rafah and Beit Hanoun. He described the threat as the only language Israel’s jihadist enemies understand. 

Amid these tensions, there are also signs of diplomatic momentum. The international Board of Peace expressed confidence that its 15-point roadmap for Gaza’s transition can succeed with continued support from partners, including the UAE and the EU, a marked shift from a year ago, when war still raged and hostages remained in captivity. 

To the north, a different uncertainty looms: the decades-old UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, is set to wind down by year’s end, raising urgent questions about who will monitor the volatile Israel–Lebanon border and press for Hezbollah’s disarmament as diplomatic talks continue in Paris. 

Dig Deeper:

Israel Enters Sukkot on High Alert as West Bank Attacks Fuel Fears of Wider Escalation

Katz: Gaza City to Be “Evacuated” if Hamas Kidnaps Israeli Soldier or Civilian

IDF Strike Eliminates Hamas Finance Chief in Gaza  

Explainer: What Happens when UNIFIL Leaves Lebanon?

What You Need to Know:

Even as Israel marks nearly three years of war, its soldiers continue training, defending borders and thwarting attacks on multiple fronts. Last week, the IDF’s 80th “Edom” Division conducted a large-scale exercise in Eilat, simulating an October 7-style infiltration by air, sea and land. They worked alongside police, Magen David Adom (Israel’s ambulance service) and fire and rescue services to apply the lessons of October 7 and close coordination gaps. 

The readiness comes at a cost. Israel’s Knesset (Parliament) Finance Committee is set to approve roughly US $4.9 billion for IDF rearmament, funding weapons and reservist mobilization after three years of war and two campaigns against Iran. The transfer reflects the ongoing, urgent needs of a military still replenishing what it has expended defending the country, with billions more in additional requests still pending. 

On the northern border, two Israeli soldiers suffered light wounds after an explosive device planted by Hezbollah detonated near their engineering vehicle in southern Lebanon’s security zone. The IDF responded by striking Hezbollah infrastructure and vowed to keep operating “with determination” against the group’s attempts to harm its troops. 

Checkpoints have become popular targets as well. On Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) eve, soldiers near Jenin killed a terrorist attempting to ram them with a vehicle and arrested a second suspect, with no injuries reported. Just days later, a similar attack occurred at a Judean checkpoint when a terrorist struck a joint police-military patrol vehicle. IDF troops stationed nearby killed the attacker, and the wounded soldier was evacuated to the hospital in serious condition.

Dig Deeper:

IDF Conducts Large-scale Eilat Exercise Simulating Oct. 7-style Infiltration

Israel to Approve $4.9B for IDF Rearmament Less than 5 Weeks before Election

Two Israeli Troops Hurt by IED amid Effort to Destroy Hezbollah Terror Assets in Lebanon

IDF Kills Terrorist, Thwarts Attempted Car-ramming Attack against Soldiers at West Bank Checkpoint

Seriously Wounded West Bank Ramming Victim Identified as Israeli Ambassador’s Son

What You Need to Know:

On the eve of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Netanel Shukrun, a father of six from the Samaria community of Alei Zahav, was shot and killed by a terrorist. Shukrun had gone with his 16-year-old son, Yoav, to immerse in a spring near Neve Tzuf ahead of the holy day. As they sat in their car afterward, a terrorist opened fire. In his final seconds, Shukrun shouted a warning that let his son escape and hide until soldiers arrived. 

Hundreds gathered for his funeral in Alei Zahav. His widow, Meirav, told mourners: “At the very last second, he warned Yoav. Thank you, Nati, for your bravery.” Yoav, still processing what he had witnessed, said through tears: “Thank you for shouting to me when the terrorist came in. I don’t remember what you said, and I escaped. Thank you for saving my life.” Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan told Yoav, “You are a true hero; Dad is proud of you for listening to him.” 

Shukrun was remembered as a modest, devoted husband and father, the kind of man, his community said, who was “an inseparable part” of Alei Zahav. His attacker, a Hamas operative, was captured after being wounded by IDF fire.

Dig Deeper:

Terror Victim Netanel Shukrun Laid to Rest as His Son Thanks Him “for Saving My Life”

Family Members Eulogize Israeli Terror Victim Netanel Shukrun, Father of Six

What You Need to Know:

This week’s UN General Assembly opened with a wave of sharp criticism directed at Israel. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan branded Gaza “the most inhumane, most shameful concentration camp of our time,” prompting Israel’s delegation to walk out of his address. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani called the situation “genocide in every sense of the word,” while Jordan’s King Abdullah II accused Israel of “forced displacement” and a “war crime” in Gaza and Judea and Samaria. French President Emmanuel Macron, delivering his final UN address before leaving office, falsely claimed that Hamas “has never operated” in Judea and Samaria. 

Israel’s government responded forcefully. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office called Macron’s claim “grotesque,” pointing to near-daily Hamas-linked attacks in Judea and Samaria, including the fatal shooting of Netanel Shukrun, who also held French citizenship, just days before Macron’s speech. An unnamed French diplomat told the Times of Israel that Macron “meant to say that Hamas does not govern the West Bank.”

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa also addressed the assembly, holding open the possibility of peace with Israel while accusing it of hundreds of strikes and incursions since Bashar al-Assad’s fall, and insisting that the Golan Heights “will remain Syrian territory.”

Dig Deeper:

“Genocide,” “Concentration Camp,” “War Crime”: Israel Faces Barrage of Criticism at UN

At the UN, Sharaa Says Peace with Israel Possible, but Vows Golan Will Remain Syrian

Netanyahu Decries Macron’s “Grotesque” Claim that Hamas “Never Operated” in West Bank

What You Need to Know:

Yom Kippur and the surrounding High Holy Days, among the most sacred days of the Jewish year, have become a target. On September 20, a gunman fired on a police officer stationed outside a synagogue in Ontario, Canada, just as Yom Kippur services began. After a shootout with as many as 30 shots, the officer was left seriously wounded and the gunman, also struck in the exchange, died of his injuries the following night. Police said the roughly 25 worshippers inside were unharmed, and the local deputy police chief described the attack as a hate crime targeting the Jewish community. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both condemned the shooting. 

That same weekend, British counterterrorism police arrested two men in Manchester, saying the arrests disrupted a suspected plot against the city’s Jewish community. The news broke just before the one-year anniversary of the deadly Heaton Park Synagogue attack. The Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish security charity, called the news “utterly chilling.” 

Meanwhile, Russian-linked networks are spreading AI-generated videos falsely claiming that Jews are being paid to resettle permanently in Ukraine, twisting a record pilgrimage of tens of thousands of Jews to the city of Uman for Rosh HaShanah (Jewish New Year) into fuel for antisemitic conspiracy theories.

In Pennsylvania, a 21-year-old allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group (ISIS) was arrested before he could carry out a mass-casualty plot. Investigators say potential targets included synagogues, among other sites. Officials credited concerned citizens and community vigilance with stopping the plot.  

Dig Deeper:  

Gunman Opens Fire outside Ontario Synagogue on Yom Kippur; Police Officer Seriously Wounded

2 Arrested over Suspected Plot to Target Manchester Jewish Community

Russia Spreads AI Fakes Claiming Jews Are Being Paid to Settle in Ukraine

Pennsylvania Man Arrested over Alleged ISIS-inspired Mass Attack Plot targeting Synagogues

What You Need to Know:

Dutch Christians are showing up for Israel. In Amsterdam, thousands of Dutch supporters gathered at Dam Square on September 17, unfurling a large Israeli flag despite rain and wind. Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands Zvi Vapni personally thanked the crowd, saying that they sent “a message of truth over lies, of courage over fear.” The rally came at a tense moment, as a Dutch ban on goods from Judea and Samaria and the Golan Heights took effect this week, and Israel responded by ending Dutch involvement in an international Gaza aid coordination center. Even so, the grassroots outpouring of Christian solidarity stood as a hopeful counterpoint to strained government relations. 

Meanwhile, in Slovenia, ties with Israel continue to warm. A World Jewish Congress (WJC) delegation met with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša this week, the first such visit since Israel opened its first resident embassy in Ljubljana on September 9. WJC CEO Sara Friedman called it a moment when “simply showing up carries meaning.” The visit stood in sharp contrast to April 2024, when the previous government declined to meet Jewish leaders and an official tried to blame the global Jewish community for the war in Gaza. Janša, back in office since May, has pursued closer relations with Israel and openly challenged anti-Israel bias, a meaningful shift for a country whose small Jewish community has faced vandalism and threats in recent years. 

Two nations, one encouraging thread: choosing friendship with Israel and the Jewish people, even when it isn’t the easy or popular choice.

Dig Deeper:

Thousands of “Christian Friends” Rally in Support for Israel in Amsterdam

World Jewish Congress Visits Slovenia after Israel Opens First Embassy