Wednesday, April 1, 2026

What You Need to Know:

In an interview with Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy, PM Netanyahu said, “We’re beyond the halfway point in terms of mission success.” The Israeli premier’s statement is in seeming contrast to US President Trump’s insistence that the US is negotiating terms of a ceasefire with Iran. Netanyahu has always seen Iran as a global threat, frequently reminding the news media that the central objective of the war has always been to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Recently, Iran attempted a strike near the US base at Diego Garcia, a distance of approximately 2,500 miles (4,400 km.), which means that most of Europe is currently within the Iranian regime’s range. “The question is whether the West will wake up,” Netanyahu said.

After a full day of debates—and just two days before the deadline—the Knesset passed the 2026 state budget. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “This is the first time since 1999 that a government has passed a budget in an election year and during a war.” This is also the largest budget ever passed. As such, it drew criticism from members of the opposition. If it had not passed, by law, the Knesset would have been dissolved and early elections held. Elections are scheduled for October 2026.

Dig Deeper:

PM Netanyahu Says Israel Over Halfway to War Goals in Iran  

Knesset Approves 2026 Budget, Avoiding Early Elections 

What You Need to Know:

The enemy takes particular pleasure in attacking Israel during times of biblical significance. The 1973 Yom Kippur War and October 7 massacre on Simchat Torah stand as evidence. As we approach the eight days of Passover, we take comfort that Israel’s security comes from the Keeper of Israel who does not slumber or sleep (Ps. 121:4).

Iran: Last week saw increased activity as the IAF worked in conjunction with the US Air Force to eliminate military targets in the possible event of a negotiated ceasefire. A statement by the IDF indicated that they “…will continue to deepen the damage to the regime’s military industries in order to deny the production capabilities it has built over the years.”

Hezbollah/Lebanon: Israeli ground forces have been operating against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon to “expand the existing security zone” in order to protect the northern border communities from the threat of invasion and anti-tank missile fire. The IDF found hundreds of weapons inside a school, “including anti-tank rockets, mortar shells, grenades, launchers, small arms, mines, explosives and mine mechanisms.” To date, nine soldiers have been killed in the fighting in southern Lebanon.

Judea/Samaria: The battle in Israel’s biblical heartland is often one of intelligence gathering needed to identify terrorist groups. This week, a terror network led by a Hamas member living in Turkey was uncovered and the suspects living in western Samaria were arrested.

Dig Deeper:

Israel Strikes Iranian Nuclear Development Facilities  

IDF Unleashes Wave of Airstrikes on Tehran’s Infrastructure  

Hundreds of Weapons Found in School in Southern Lebanon 

Israel Foils Hamas Terror Network Run from Turkey  

What You Need to Know:

Members of the IDF’s counterterror unit, known by its Hebrew acronym LOTAR, are a versatile bunch. While they specialize in urban warfare, they are also at home in the rugged terrain of south Lebanon, where they are deployed deep into enemy territory, operating as a fast-moving demolition crew. Lt. Col. N., who serves as part of this unit, told Ynetnews, “The forces are operating at a very high pace. Within just a few hours, they complete scans and demolitions of numerous targets. That’s our expertise.” Members of the unit have also been called to the sites of missile impacts in central Israel. “Their ability to access complex locations using specialized methods has led them to some of the most difficult scenes during the war so far.” They were among the first to arrive in Beit Shemesh, descending through collapsed floors to rescue civilians trapped in the rubble. And, as if all this were not enough, LOTAR also conducts training courses for other elite units!

A tank crew from the 401st Armored Brigade were recently hit by a Hezbollah anti-tank missile. Following the hit, they acted quickly to clear the thick smoke within the tank and escape the burning shell. One of the soldiers was evacuated to Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center, “his head and body covered in burns and shrapnel.” Yet just four weeks later, he had rejoined his unit, telling Ynetnews, “I enlisted to be a combat soldier and I want to be here.” Another member of the crew shared, “We’re all excited and also a bit nervous, but we want to go in and do the job. Our mission is to bring quiet to the north.”

Dig Deeper:

Special Forces Operating Deep within Lebanon 

“I Want to Be Here” - Wounded Soldiers Return to Battlefield

What You Need to Know:

The year, Pesach (Passover) begins after sunset on Wednesday, April 1. The traditional seder (Passover meal), where multiple generations of families gather together, looks different this year. Family members from abroad who planned to join the festivities have seen flights canceled. Israelis living on the northern border have been enduring near constant sirens as Hezbollah launch missiles and drones from Lebanon. The much-loved Passover song, Vehi Sheamda (והיא שעמדה), whose lyrics, in part, are translated: “in every generation they try to destroy us,” takes on special significance.

In an opinion piece for Ynetnews, Nachman Hoffman writes, “Every year at the seder, we repeat the same line: ‘In every generation, a person is obligated to see themselves as if they personally left Egypt.’ We say it. We nod. We pour another cup of wine. This year, I do not need to imagine it. I am sitting in Israel as the war with Iran continues. What I am witnessing, in the skies above and in the spirit of the people here, feels like something far beyond routine conflict. It feels like a modern-day miracle.”

This year, more than 2,000 elderly or disabled residents from northern Israel who were evacuated to hotels with accessible safe rooms will celebrate community Passover seders. In addition to the special Passover celebration, volunteers “provide personal assistance, organize social activities and help maintain daily routines” for these Israelis whose lives have been disrupted.

Dig Deeper:

Israel Extends Wartime Restrictions for Civilians ahead of Passover  

We Are Living the Exodus Right Now as Passover Arrives in a Time of War 

Travel Turmoil, Many Holiday Plans Canceled

Vulnerable Northern Residents Moved to Sheltered Hotels for Passover

What You Need to Know:

The UN Human Rights Council has a permanent agenda item with the express purpose of targeting Israel. Agenda Item 7 is entitled the “Human Rights Situation in Palestine.” Comments at the March 24, 2026 went along the following lines. Cuba: “Israel has institutionalized a systematic regime of torture with a genocidal intent against the Palestinians…” Venezuela: “Israel’s policy of extermination…” Iraq: “Genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes…” Pakistan: “Settler-colonial apartheid, and genocide…” Kenya: “Colonialism, oppression, and apartheid…”

Yet the entire trajectory of the meeting changed when Jasem Aljuraid, an Arab political refugee, stood to speak. “Mr. Chair, as I speak, my mother is dying. I cannot be with her because I am a political refugee who risked everything for the truth.” He continued by “pointing to the 3,000-year history of the Jewish people in Judea,” calling Israel’s fight against terror “a gift to humanity” and demanding the UN end its “ritual of condemning” the only Jewish state. He concluded by asking, “Is it not time instead to learn from Israel how to defeat terror, defend free societies, and pursue peace?”

Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, warned Israel “against escalation and expressed concern for the humanitarian situation and mass displacement of civilians in Lebanon.” Although Cooper also condemned Hezbollah and Houthi attacks on Israel, she remained steadfast in her opinion that Israel should not expand its ground operations, whose sole purpose is to protect citizens living in northern Israel. This is just one more example of world leaders who criticize Israel when she acts in defense of her citizens.

Dig Deeper:

Arab Refugee Stuns UN Human Rights Council  

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Warns Israel against Escalating Conflict in Lebanon  

What You Need to Know:

Bridges for Peace’s founder, Dr. G. Douglas Young, was an educator and a prolific communicator. While he was still head of the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem, he addressed the presence of antisemitism in the Church and looked at it from a different angle than we normally do. “Most of our alumni come here thinking antisemitism is something the other person does, our church doesn’t have any of it. But, if you go to the Jews, they will give you the documentation to show, in their opinion, statements that have been anti-Jewish. You see, antisemitism is not what you think about the Jews, but it’s what the Jews think you think about them. That’s something different.” In a blog for the Times of Israel, (included in Dig Deeper), Michael Katz gives us a glimpse into this Jewish point of view.

By virtue of the ability of players to hide behind a computer screen and/or an alias, video games can be breeding ground for antisemitism. Recently, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) looked at the parent companies of a number of top video games, rating them according to effectiveness in addressing “antisemitism, hate and extremism. Games were placed into tiers based on a weighted evaluation of company policies and in-game safety features, such as tools that allow players to block, mute or report others, as well as safeguards against abusive usernames and harmful user-generated content.”

Dig Deeper:

Antisemitism, the World’s Most Flexible Hobby  

ADL Ranks Online Games on Efforts to Curb Jew-Hatred Extremism  

What You Need to Know:

For the second year in a row, Israel was ranked the 8th happiest country out of 147 countries surveyed for the World Happiness Report 2026. Remarkably, the reports are based on a three-year average, and in the case of the 2026 report, those years include 2023–2025. The report is based on “people’s own assessment of their happiness, as well as economic and social data using variables such as GDP, healthy life expectancy, social support, generosity, freedom to make life choices, and perceived absence of corruption.” Within Israel itself, the happiest group are those under the age of 25, who actually took third place in the world for their age group. King David put it well when he wrote, “Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!” (Ps. 144:5).

Israelis are resourceful and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, especially during emergencies, or in this case, a war. With missiles being launched at civilian targets by Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, both major hospitals in Jerusalem made plans to move their patients to protected areas underground. In an interview with Ynetnews, Prof. Ofer Merin, Director General of Shaare Zedek Medical Center, said “Our challenge is to maintain full professional standards. We have no moral justification to say that because there is a war, people will receive lower-quality care. Continuity of care is essential.”

In his last address to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land, Moses called on the people to choose life rather than death. And their descendants continue to make that choice to live!

Dig Deeper:

Israel: Happy to Be Here   

Inside the Underground Hospital, Keeping Patients Safe in Wartime