Friday, September 4, 2026

What You Need to Know:

As Israel prepares to celebrate the fall feasts this month, it’s keeping an eye on Iran. Although the Islamist regime and the United States engaged in back-and-forth strikes this week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that during the upcoming Jewish holidays, “there is a possibility that [Iran] will attack us. We are prepared for that defensively.” Katz noted that Iran is currently striking US targets across the Middle East—everywhere except for Israel. But if that changes, he warned that the Jewish state “will respond with great force.”

Israel’s first election since the October 7, 2023 attack is now less than two months away, and polls show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party losing ground. Likud is currently polling at 22 of the Knesset’s (Parliament’s) 120 seats, compared to 32 seats last term. The outgoing coalition of Likud and its allies leans heavily right, though a new “third bloc” of parties is emerging as a contender to the current coalition and the opposition bloc. 

With issues such as the military’s manpower shortage after three years of war and the ongoing fight over ultra-Orthodox conscription surging to the forefront of the national debate, a centrist party is emerging. Yashar, under former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, is currently polling at 26 seats and pulling ahead of Likud. 

With several smaller factions clustered near the electoral threshold, the coalition talks after the October 27 vote may end up shaping the outcome as much as the vote itself.

Dig Deeper:

Israel Says It’s Ready to ‘Decisively’ Strike Iran if Attacked during Upcoming Holidays

Israel Election 2026: The Parties, Blocs and Battles that Will Shape Israel’s Future – Explainer

What You Need to Know:

Gaza: The IDF and Shin Bet (Israeli internal security agency) reported that they captured Hamas’s head of internal security in a joint operation in the Gaza Strip. PM Netanyahu said the captured terrorist was “one of the most senior Hamas leaders” and said he was responsible for hiding and transporting Israeli hostages and working to restore Hamas’s capabilities. 

Defense Minister Katz stated that Israel has “built a strong and unprecedented security zone in Gaza to protect residents and IDF soldiers” and that Israel will not leave Gaza until it is demilitarized, Hamas is disarmed and all terror tunnels are destroyed. “Even after that,” Katz added, “the IDF will remain in Gaza along defensive lines and ensure the security of the western Negev communities.” 

In an air strike over the weekend, the IDF killed a Hamas commander who had participated in October 7 and other attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. The IDF struck other Hamas operatives and commanders as well, including one who was hiding near a hospital, which the IDF criticized as using humanitarian infrastructure essentially as human shields. 

Judea/Samaria: IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir raised the alert level in Israel’s biblical heartland amid rising tensions and the upcoming Jewish holidays, putting troops in the area on increased readiness. IDF and Shin Bet forces continue working to root out and thwart terrorism in Judea and Samaria, eliminating terrorists and a senior Hamas operative over the weekend. 

Hezbollah/Lebanon: Hezbollah terrorists launched an attack drone against Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, prompting a retaliatory strike on Hezbollah infrastructure.

Dig Deeper:

IDF, Shin Bet Capture Hamas's Head of Internal Security During Joint Operation in Gaza Strip

Israeli Forces Slay Three Terrorists in Jenin Area, including Hamas Commander

IDF Kills Hamas Terrorists in Gaza, Including Oct. 7 Perpetrator and Another Hiding in Hospital

IDF Says it Hit Hezbollah after Group Launched 2 Drones at Troops in Lebanon

What You Need to Know:

Though no Israeli soldiers were harmed in the drone attack from Hezbollah in southern Lebanon this week, it still reflects an ongoing pattern of attacks against IDF troops from the Iran-backed terrorist group. The IDF stated after the attack that it “will continue to act with determination against Hezbollah’s repeated attempts to harm IDF soldiers.” 

The IDF follows a code of ethics that places a high value on human life, regardless of ethnicity or religion. When operating in Gaza and other fronts, the IDF goes out of its way to avoid civilian casualties, often by warning civilians of imminent strikes and issuing evacuation instructions. Despite these values and the IDF’s well-documented efforts to protect civilian life, two IDF veterans at a US university speaking about their experiences in Gaza were disrupted by pro-Palestinian protestors. They stormed into the room at California Polytechnic State University screaming anti-Israel and anti-IDF slogans, including, “The IDF kills kids” and “genocide.”

Beit Halochem USA is the US branch of the American branch of Zahal Disabled Veterans Organization (ZVDO), an Israeli nonprofit that has been working to rehabilitate and support wounded soldiers since Israel’s 1948 War of Independence. Beit Halochem recently rebranded itself as Warriors of Israel and said that over 26,000 soldiers have been wounded since October 7, 2023, facing physical injuries, PTSD and other effects. According to a press release from Warriors of Israel, the Defense Ministry “estimates that more than 90,000 wounded warriors will require lifelong rehabilitation and support.” The organization offers physical rehabilitation, mental health care and several other programs to support wounded soldiers and their families.

Dig Deeper:

The Spirit of the IDF 

Masked Pro-Palestinian Protesters Disrupt Cal Poly Talk by Wounded IDF Veterans

Warriors of Israel Rebrands as over 90,000 Wounded Israeli Veterans Need Lifelong Care, Community

What You Need to Know:

Among Israel’s 2.6 million students who headed back to school this week were students in communities that have been hard-hit in three years of war and are still trying to bounce back from October 7 and fighting with Iran and Hezbollah. 

In Metula, Israel’s northernmost town, a school opened its doors this week for the first time in three years. Hanadiv Elementary School had been shuttered since Hezbollah began firing on the border community the day after October 7. This week, it welcomed back several dozen children, a fraction of its prewar enrollment, but a powerful sign of life returning to a town nearly emptied by war. About two-thirds of Metula’s residents have moved home since the ceasefire, even as scarred fields, damaged homes and a destroyed recreation center still mark the landscape.  

A similar story is unfolding in Kiryat Shmona (near the border with Lebanon) and the Galilee Panhandle, where classrooms reopened this week with fewer students than before the war, undersized classes and a determined push to draw evacuated families back from central Israel. The government has poured hundreds of millions of shekels into rebuilding northern schools this year alone, a sign of how important education is to restoring these war-battered communities.

Dig Deeper:

Israel’s 2.6 Million Students Return to School as Displaced Communities Come Home

‘That’s Victory’: In Battle-scarred Metula, a Reopened School Offers Hope on the Border

Back to School, but not Back to Normal: Kiryat Shmona Faces a Battle for its Students

What You Need to Know:

Last week, the Finnish minister for foreign trade and development announced that Finland will discontinue its funding for the United Nations Relief and Words Agency (UNRWA) and will instead funnel its Palestinian support into other organizations. The Israeli Foreign Ministry applauded the decision and lauded the fact that more nations are recognizing “the undeniable truth in light of the conclusive evidence of UNRWA employees’ involvement in the Oct. 7 massacre and UNRWA’s inseparable links to Hamas.” Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon called for other nations to do the same, noting UNRWA’s terror ties and incitement of violence against Israel. 

Turkey continues to position itself firmly against Israel, with President Recep Tayyip 

Erdoğan and his government using increasingly hostile rhetoric against the Jewish state. In recent days, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called Israeli PM Netanyahu a “criminal” and accused Israel of pursuing a “genocidal and occupying approach.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned Fidan’s statements as “lies and blood libels,” pointing to Turkey’s support and hosting of Hamas. Erdoğan himself has also identified his attacks on Israel, reportedly describing Zionism as a “genocidal ideology” and making statements Israel condemned as antisemitic incitement. Jerusalem has strongly rebuked the Turkish president while highlighting Ankara’s support for Hamas. 

Meanwhile, Great Britain is preparing to enact measures, including potential restrictions on trade, over continued Israeli “settlement,” or establishing of Jewish communities, in the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar responded with a warning that “if Britain acts against the State of Israel, the State of Israel will act against Britain.” 

Dig Deeper:

Israel Lauds Finland’s Decision to End UNRWA Funding, Invites other Nations to Join, Danon Says

Israeli FM Accuses Turkish Counterpart of ‘Lies and Blood Libels’ against Israel

Israel Slams Erdoğan after Genocidal, Nazi Claims

UK Кeadies ‘Сomprehensive’ Sanctions on West Bank Settlements as Sa’ar Warns of Retaliation

What You Need to Know:

In Italy, an Israeli woman canceled a family trip when a Tuscan B&B, after discovering her nationality, informed her that it supported the BDS movement and opposed Israel’s policies. In Toronto, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the Ashkenaz Jewish Music and Cultural Festival, confronting attendees and accusing them of supporting “genocide.” 

An Australian judge recently ruled in a case against an Australian man named Mohommed Farhat, who spray-painted slogans including “F** Israel” on buildings and vehicles near Sydney. The judge stated that the phrase “F** Israel” is not antisemitic “according to the ordinary understanding of that concept in the Australian community” because “disparagement of Israel is not antisemitic because the Jewish people are not equivalent to the State of Israel.” The judge also determined that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism “does not reflect the established usage and understanding of the term ‘antisemitic’ in Australia” and therefore did not apply it to his ruling. 

In contrast to the Australian judge, encouraging developments emerged from Latin America. At the sixth annual Latin American Forum Against Antisemitism in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, President Luis Abinader announced that his nation had formally adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism, the seventh Latin American country to do so. Lawmakers from across the region are also working together to confront rising antisemitism and develop coordinated strategies to protect Jewish communities. Several countries in the region are also strengthening ties with Israel and recognizing the Jewish state as a valuable partner in security and combatting terrorism.

Dig Deeper:  

Australian Judge Rejects IHRA Antisemitism Definition, Rules ‘F*** Israel’ Graffiti Not Antisemitic

Pro-Palestinian Protesters Disrupt the Ashkenaz Jewish Music and Culture Festival in Toronto

Italian B&B Sends Anti-Israel Message to Israeli Guest, Prompting Cancellation

As a Hostile World Turns Cold Shoulder, Israel Finds New Friends in Latin America

What You Need to Know:

This week brought a reason to celebrate: Israel and Greece signed their largest ever defense partnership, a roughly US $3.5 billion agreement for Israel to build Greece a complete national air defense network called “Achilles Shield.” It’s the biggest defense export deal in Israel’s history and a powerful picture of two nations choosing partnership over isolation. 

The agreement weaves together some of Israel’s most advanced systems, including David’s Sling missile defense batteries, Spyder mobile air defense systems and Barak MX multi-layer defense systems, alongside radar and command technology from Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael, into one integrated shield for the Hellenic Armed Forces. Beyond the technology itself, the deal includes knowledge and technology transfers to Greek industry, building a relationship that goes far deeper than a single sale. 

As Israel’s hard-won defense expertise becomes a source of protection and partnership for its neighbors, may this cooperation between Israel and Greece be a model, inspiring other nations to link arms with Israel rather than isolate her. In fact, just a few days after the Achilles Shield deal was signed, the German Navy said it successfully tested an Israeli short-range ballistic missile system and would move forward to acquire the system.

Dig Deeper:

Israel, Greece Ink $3.5 billion ‘Achilles Shield’ Defense Pact

Achilles Shield: Israel, Greece Sign over NIS 10b. Air Defense Deal against Turkey

German Navy Tests Israeli Ballistic Missile, Will Move Forward with Procurement