๐️Lonny's War Update- October 712, 2023 - September 17, 2025 ๐️
๐️Day 712 that 48 of our hostages are still in Hamas captivity๐️
Cops disperse protesters calling for hostage deal outside Netanyahu’s Jerusalem home
Police disperse demonstrators from a street near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Jerusalem, after they were encamped for some 24 hours protesting for a hostage-ceasefire deal.
The demonstrators, among them families of hostages, had been planning to spend a second night outside Netanyahu’s home in protest of the IDF’s recently launched ground offensive to take over Gaza City.
Footage from Jerusalem shows Border Police officers removing protesters one-by-one from the pavement.
“You guys will sleep well tonight — you won’t hear Ariel, you won’t hear David,” says one of the protesters as he is dragged away by cops, referring to Ariel and David Cunio, brothers held captive for nearly two years since being abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
Earlier Tuesday, protesters arrived at Netanyahu’s heavily-guarded home and held a press conference from the street. Police covered fences surrounding the residence with tarps, a move which hostage families claimed was aimed at stifling protest.
Speaking through a megaphone, Maccabit Meir, the aunt of twin hostages Gali and Ziv Berman, railed against the operation in Gaza City.
“Who are you bringing all these buildings down on?” she said, addressing Netanyahu. “It could be that you’re bringing them down on Gali and Zivie, and on all the souls that remain there — alive and dead.”
Hannah Cohen, the aunt of slain Hamas hostage Inbar Haiman, demanded that the government reach a comprehensive deal to return all the captives, including her niece.
She called her niece the “embodiment of the partial deal — when all the women got out and Inbar was left behind.”
“We will no longer allow this and no longer agree to leaving even one hostage behind,” Cohen asserted.
- Gal Hirsch: 'We are in a state of failure. The responsibility to do everything to return the hostages is on us'The government's coordinator for hostages and missing persons, Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, said at the annual International Conference on Counter-Terrorism at Reichman University that "48 hostages are held by the enemy in the Gaza Strip. I reiterate with a bowed head to the families of the hostages, we are still in a state of failure. The responsibility to do everything in our power to return them is on us." According to him, "This is what we are doing with all resources and all the time. Hamas and its leadership are the ones sabotaging the negotiations. With sorrow, I see distrust in this simple truth; whoever looks for support for my words should listen to our American friends from this administration and the previous administration." link
Gal Hirsh's statement is pitiful. He was appointed to his position as the government coordinator for Hostages and Missing persons as a purely political appointment. He lacked and still lacks any qualifications for the position and is little more than another yes man for Netanyahu, which is the reason he was appointed. His statement that 'we are doing everything in our power to return them (the hostages)' and the following statement that 'Hamas and its leadership are the ones sabotaging the negotiations' are both outright lies. If the first statement about doing everything possible to return the hostages had an iota of truth to it, all of the hostages would be home a long time already. There were serious deals on the table that would have brought home all of the hostages. It was Netanyahu who either breached the deals in the middle or made sure to prevent the conclusion of any deal on the table by presenting impossible demands. As multiple US administration sources have stated, 90% of the failures to reach deals was because of Netanyahu, with about 10% on Hamas.
The next statement that Hirsch made about 'listen to our American Friends' from both administrations should be a statement made in disgrace and with a bowed head. He, the government coordinator for hostages and missing persons is stating what we all know to be true but wish it wasn't, that the American administrations are doing and have done more for the hostages than our own government. They have even met more often with hostage families than with anyone from our government and the difference in the number of occurrences of these meetings is huge. The hostage families have to be for months on end to meet with Netanyahu or Dermer who is in charge of the negotiations and all they hear is crickets, no answer, no response, no meetings. DISGRACEFUL! IDF chief says Gaza City op focused on ‘moral commitment’ of freeing hostages, destroying Hamas
As the military carries out a new offensive against Hamas in Gaza City, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, in a video statement, reiterates that the return of the hostages “is a war aim and a national and moral commitment,” amid concerns by the families of those held captive by the terror group.
“In the past day, after extensive discussions with the political echelon, the IDF has significantly deepened the operation in the city of Gaza. We are operating in the depths of the territory, combining ground forces, precise fire, and quality intelligence. Our aim is to deepen the blows to Hamas until its defeat,” he says.
“All our operations are carried out according to an orderly plan, with the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas before our eyes,” Zamir says.
He says that Hamas has taken heavy blows from Israel: “We have defeated the main part of its military power, and now we are deepening the achievements that will allow us to bring the end of the war closer.”
“I want to emphasize: the return of our hostages is a war aim and a national and moral commitment,” Zamir says.
Ahead of the operation, Zamir was reported to have objected to the capture of Gaza City, which was ultimately ordered by Israel’s political leadership.
In his statement, Zamir says, “The IDF is the people’s army, that is its source of strength. The IDF serves the people and acts for its sake.”
“As commander of the army, it is my duty to present before every operation all the possible security implications. All the risks and opportunities were presented to the political echelon clearly and professionally. This is my duty, and under this I lead the operation, together with an excellent and experienced echelon of commanders in order to meet all the objectives responsibly and securely,” he says.
Regarding accusations of war crimes in Gaza, Zamir says, “The IDF operates according to international law, we are doing our utmost to prevent harm to civilians.”
“In this campaign, we are acting in order to defeat a terror organization that declares from every platform that its goal is to eliminate the existence of the State of Israel,” he adds.
Number of Palestinian to flee Gaza City up to 400,000, IDF estimates
Some 400,000 Palestinians have so far evacuated Gaza City to other areas of the Strip, according to a fresh IDF estimate.
Around 1 million Palestinians were estimated to be residing in Gaza City before the IDF began to prepare for a major offensive against Hamas in the area.
Ahead of the offensive, the IDF ordered Palestinians in all areas of Gaza City to evacuate immediately to an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Strip’s south. In recent days, the pace of evacuations has picked risen to tens of thousands of people a day, according to the army’ whose estimates generally run higher than those provided by the United Nations.
Due to the increasing numbers of evacuees jamming the Rashid coastal road, the military announced this morning that it would be opening a second evacuation route, on Salah a-Din — the main north-south highway in Gaza — from noon until noon on Friday. link This Gaza City offensive is so wrong from so many different angles. We well know the dangers it is creating for the hostages who are being held above and below ground in Gaza City. The dangers from the aerial bombings and from execution by their terrorist guards who have explicit orders to kill them if the army gets close. Both of these situations have killed and injured many of the hostages throughout the war. The dangers to the soldiers have also been well known and experienced throughout the war: ambushes, snipers, IEDs. The operation, just like every other part of this war will bring many more casualties and maiming of Gazan non combatants and is again forcing hundreds of thousands of them to again for refugees from their homes. Many of the people being forcibly evacuated from Gaza City have already been evacuated many times, some as many as twenty times. They have been left with nothing and another evacuation is costly and they have nothing. Hamas, on the one hand is threatening them with being shot if they leave. The IDF, on the other is bombing the hell out of the city and will leave very little standing, just like in the rest of Gaza. As if the humanitarian problem that we caused wasn't bad enough, our pig headed government wants to make it even worse. And along with the humanitarian crisis and the death and destruction we will leave in our wake, the international impact to Israel is worse every day. We have reached the point that Netanyahu is finally acknowledging in his dubious way that Israel is now isolated. He presents it almost as a positive in that we now have to learn to be totally self sufficient because the world is against us. Of course, when he tells us why the world is against us, it is a skewed and distorted vision of reality. In his words, it is all because of antisemitism and as he put it, the large Muslim immigration into Europe that has turned Europe against Israel. No, he doesn't take any responsibility for our isolation due to the world's worst humanitarian crisis in Gaza that is of our doing, of the genocidal nature of the death and destruction of almost all of Gaza, the ethnic cleansing through 'voluntary emigration', the extremists in his government, the daily terror attacks by settler terrorists against Palestinians in the West Bank, the attack on Qatar who is one of our negotiation partners to get our hostages home, the total disregard of the statements and advice of all world leaders besides Trump. Why would Netanyahu take any responsibility for any of this? It's all negative and he never takes responsibility for something that is negative. When something positive pops up, he is the first one in front of the cameras to take credit.
This operation in Gaza City is superfluous and the only one it serves is Netanyahu. It is truly amazing how many people have to suffer, die, get maimed, and how much destruction must occur for Netanyahu to continue his war for political survival. The damage he is single handedly committing in this war is so monumental that it will go down in the history books as nothing less than Nero's fiddling when Rome burned. He is burning down Israel through Gaza and none of it means anything to him as long as he can keep his coalition together.Pope speaks out in support of Gazans ‘being forcibly displaced from their lands’ again
Pope Leo XVI is expressing solidarity with the population of Gaza, saying civilians are “once again” being forced out and are living in “unacceptable conditions.”
“I express my deep solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza who continue to live in fear and survive in unacceptable conditions, being forcibly displaced once again from their lands,” the 70-year-old pope says after his general audience.
“I renew my appeal for a ceasefire, for the release of hostages, for a negotiated diplomatic solution, and for the full respect of international humanitarian law,” Leo adds. “I invite everyone to join my heartfelt prayer that soon a dawn of peace and justice will rise.”
Gaza City strikes said to bring down internet, phone service
The Palestinian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, based in the West Bank, says Israeli strikes on the main network lines in northern Gaza have collapsed internet and telephone services, cutting Gazans off from the outside world.
Multiple attempts by the Associated Press to reach people in Gaza City fail to go through.
Earlier, Hamas-controlled authorities in the Strip said at least 16 people were killed in overnight strikes, at least half of which were in Gaza City.
The tally does not differentiate between civilians and fighters, but included several women and children, health officials said.
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
*6:50pm yesterday - Jerrusalem and Central areas - Ballistic missile from Yemen- successfully intercepted- no reports of injuries or damage
*Rocket fired from West Bank village lands in Palestinian town; second one discovered nearby
Israeli forces say a crude rocket launched from Ni'ma in the West Bank landed in Beit Ur al-Tahta; Terror groups are persistently trying to develop rocket capabilities in the West Bank, a threat that could endanger central Israel
Syrian forces said to have withdrawn heavy weapons from south, near Israel border, Druze areas
Syria has begun withdrawing heavy weapons from the country’s south as it works to reach an understanding with Israel, officials tell AFP.
The comments came after Syria said that it was working with the United States to reach mutual “security understandings” with Israel, which has demanded the demilitarization of the country’s south.
The announcement was part of a US- and Jordan-backed roadmap for restoring stability in the south following sectarian violence that drew Israeli intervention, and a Syrian military official told AFP that heavy weapons had been withdrawn from the area.
“Syrian forces have withdrawn their heavy weapons from southern Syria,” the military official tells AFP on condition of anonymity, adding the process began around two months ago, after the violence.
A diplomatic source in Damascus tells AFP, also on condition of anonymity, that the withdrawal covered the country’s south up to about 10 kilometers (six miles) outside the capital.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said in August that his country was engaged in talks to establish a demilitarized zone in southern Syria.
Already here: Israel’s isolation and the risks ahead
Analysis: From visa waivers to mango exports, research grants to Eurovision, Israel faces mounting isolation in Europe despite US backing; critics accuse Netanyahu of deflecting blame as experts warn recognition of Palestinian state could deepen crisis
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement about Israel entering “diplomatic isolation” has already become a reality. But the isolation he refers to is not confined to the diplomatic arena. It is spreading like wildfire into many other fields: the economy, culture, science, academia, sports, tourism and beyond.In the coming years, even after the war in Gaza ends, many around the world are likely to try to erase or cancel the brand name “Israel.” This will happen not only because of opposition to Israel’s actions in Gaza, but also because of a growing reluctance to be associated with a “toxic brand” that, in recent months, Israel has become. The fear is also driven by public opinion in many places, where Israel is increasingly rejected as part of the enlightened Western world.For now, Israelis enjoy visa exemptions in many countries. But deteriorating ties could prompt some nations to cancel existing visa-waiver agreements, citing the need to ensure that applicants are not involved in “genocide” or other “crimes.”South American countries, popular destinations for discharged IDF soldiers, may restrict entry to Israelis in general and to former soldiers in particular. Already, some troops have had their names and military service records exposed on social media — sometimes by the pro-Palestinian group Hind Rajab Foundation, which seeks to “hunt soldiers” — forcing them to leave countries quietly for fear of arrest.Research funding that once flowed to Israeli scholars and institutions is also likely to shrink. Israeli scientists already report growing difficulties in maintaining partnerships with foreign universities. A silent boycott, in which emails go unanswered or invitations to conferences are withheld, is becoming more common and may intensify.In culture, Israel is already deeply affected by boycotts: a petition signed by 4,000 filmmakers calls for refusing any cooperation with Israel, and Israeli bands are no longer being invited to international festivals — only a partial list of what is taking place.Tourism has collapsed entirely. Once an attractive destination for Europeans and others, Israel has disappeared from the global tourism map. The longer the war continues, the more Israel is erased from the minds of potential visitors.Three areas are among the most painful for Israel: the economy, what Netanyahu has described as adapting to an economy with “autarkic features” and to be “Athens and super-Sparta”; sports; and culture.Israeli exports — not only defense exports — are expected to suffer, with consumer boycotts driving Israeli products off supermarket shelves worldwide. In parts of Europe, Israeli mangoes have already been removed, hitting growers hard. Some countries may also stop exporting raw materials to Israel, as Turkey has ualready done. All of this will be felt deeply in Israelis’ pockets.In sports, there are already efforts to block Israeli teams from competing in international tournaments. Unprecedented protests in Spain against the participation of an Israeli privately owned cycling team, Israel-Premier Tech, could prove only a preview. The peak could be Israel’s expulsion from the Olympic Games, as happened to Russia.At the Eurovision Song Contest, Israel’s participation has become a central question. The European Broadcasting Union is unlikely to forgo countries such as the Netherlands and Ireland, which have threatened to boycott the competition if Israel takes part. It is expected to propose compromises Israel may be unable to accept, such as the idea — reported Sunday by Ynet — of appearing under a neutral flag to resolve the crisis.For now, Israel takes comfort in U.S. support, though that too could shift — and in any case is unlikely to be enough. “The U.S. is with us, and so are many other countries, but we currently face a focused problem in Western Europe,” Netanyahu said in a Foreign Ministry address. “We are acting and will continue to act to lift this siege. Just as we succeeded with the military siege, we will succeed with the diplomatic one.”But Netanyahu’s statements did not include any acknowledgment of his government’s responsibility for the current crisis, instead blaming “Muslims in Europe” and the antisemitism he said they encouraged. Emmanuel Nahshon, a former head of Israel’s public diplomacy division who resigned in protest of government policy, called it a “clear ruse.” He said Netanyahu was “selling us a rationalization of his failure as a kind of fate, asking us to accompany him on a journey to the hell he is preparing for Israel and its citizens.”Strategic consultant Avi Benayahu warned that Netanyahu’s “actions, failures and delusional statements are dragging Israel into an abyss it has never known. He endangers peace with Egypt and Jordan, the Abraham Accords, Israel’s ties with the free world, the Israeli economy and hope itself. Our beloved state of Israel is turning into a country in mourning, divided at home and shunned abroad. His speech reflects a spacecraft that has broken away from its base.”Alon Liel, a former director general of the Foreign Ministry, said Israel’s greatest fear is a Western consensus in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state — a move Israel would be forced to respond to. Such a response, he said, could include recalling ambassadors or shutting small embassies, or annexation moves that could damage relations with the United Arab Emirates and possibly end the Abraham Accords. Netanyahu, he argued, will have to choose between harming the accords or worsening ties with Europe.“If 10 states recognize a Palestinian state, it will leave Italy, Germany and Japan in an unusual position,” Liel said. “There will be attempts to admit Palestine to the UN through a Security Council vote, and there is a limit to how many times Trump can veto it. If Palestine is admitted, Israel’s position will become even more complicated, as it will be seen as the occupier of a UN member state. For countries that recognize Palestine, it will also be easier to impose sanctions on Israel.”Liel detailed the consequences of isolation: “Each country that announces it will not participate in Eurovision is a half-knockout. They can bar Israel from arms expos and sports events.” Link"It is either Start-Up Nation or Sparta Nation": this is how we will feel Netanyahu’s new vision in the pocket
The words of the prime minister about the need of Israel to turn into an autarkic economy and "super-Sparta" struck economists and business people with astonishment • experts with whom N12 spoke dismantle the reality behind the slogans • the challenges: absolute dependence on import of basic food products and raw materials • the meaning to the consumer: a jump of tens of percent in prices and a sharp decline in the supply of products • the real danger: collapse in the income of the state – and bankruptcy that will endanger the security
"It is inconceivable that the prime minister puts this as a goal," says Prof. Itai Ater about the Sparta speech that Netanyahu delivered yesterday. This astonishment summarizes the reaction of many, among them economists, business people and politicians. It is not about a professional or ideological dispute but really about a shock.
The vision of the prime minister about turning Israel into a "super-Sparta" as he said collides with an Israeli reality that stands in absolute contradiction to the idea of self-reliance: a state that imports more than 90% of its grains and its fish, that depends on the world for basic commodities and production materials – and that succeeded to turn into a technological power thanks to the open global economy.
The danger according to the researchers is real: a true bankruptcy. "It is either Start-Up Nation or Sparta-Nation. It does not work together," defines it the president of the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce Shahar Turjeman.
What at all is the reality that Netanyahu described?
The term autarky refers to a situation where a state suffices only with self-production and disconnects every trade relation with the world. "It is a situation where a state does not conduct any connection to foreign states," explains Prof. Beni Bental, professor emeritus of economics from the University of Haifa and adviser to the Aharon Institute at Reichman University. According to Bental, such a situation probably does not exist anywhere. The thing closest to this description is North Korea, "but even it conducts trade relations with Russia and with China."
The second part in the vision of Netanyahu is the turning of Israel into "super-Sparta" – a term that refers to the ancient Greek city-state that dedicated all its resources to war and conquests. According to Bental, "Sparta invested all its resources in conquest efforts and turned into a symbol for a society that invests all its resources in military means." It is, according to him, a very problematic vision that represents a society that gave up every other thing for the sake of the military goal.
Can Israel be an autarkic economy?
Even if one avoids moral judgment of the Spartan vision of Netanyahu, the experts claim that the realization of the idea of the autarkic economy in Israel is simply impossible. The dependence of the State of Israel on import is extreme. An analysis performed by Prof. Ayal Kimhi from the Shoresh Institute and the Hebrew University on the basis of data from the Ministry of Agriculture, found that more than half of the food supply of Israel originates from import from abroad. Regarding meat, indeed 93% of it is produced in the country, but as Turjeman formulated it, "the chicken is raised in the country – but the food that the chicken eats comes from outside the country."
Ater adds that the big majority of the produce that Israelis consume comes from outside the country – not only food but also cars and raw materials for production. Adv. Miki Barnea, the managing partner of the firm Barnea Jaffa Lande, emphasizes the problematic nature: "Israel has no resources, no strategic depth, no industry of different kinds and therefore the dependence on external supply is absolute."
How will this affect the Israeli consumer?
Moving to an autarkic economy that relies on self-production and self-growing only will create immediate effects for the Israeli consumer: higher prices and more limited supply of products that also will be of too low quality. According to Ater, Israel will simply be forced to produce things it is not good at. "Instead of buying things that someone else does better and specialized in them – we will do it," he explains, "and we do it less well and more expensive." LinkAlona Saar in a sharp attack: "A government that hates human beings"
Against the background of the reports about a ground entry into Gaza and the speech of Netanyahu about "diplomatic isolation," the actress and daughter of Gideon Saar attacked the government in which her father serves as foreign minister • "The ship is sinking. We arrived exactly to where we were going. Do not worry, there is even lower to reach and there also we will arrive"The actress Alona Saar, daughter of the foreign minister on behalf of Likud Gideon Saar, attacked today (Tuesday) sharply the government in her Instagram account. Saar shared a news report about the speech of Prime Minister Netanyahu in which he said: "We are entering diplomatic isolation. We will need to be super-Sparta" and she wrote: "The ship is sinking. We arrived exactly to where we were going. Do not worry, there is even lower to reach and there also we will arrive. A government that hates human beings."
She continued, and the star of "The Commander" referred to the reports about the beginning of the ground operation in the city of Gaza: "And again they exploit the sense of loyalty of soldiers to the state and to their teams in order to send them to fight. But for whom? For whom? What will we achieve now that we did not achieve in two years of fighting? In order to conquer more territory, that they will boycott us also from there? Territory that we will need to clear of corpses of young soldiers and starved hostages and Gazan children in order to settle in it? We do not want to bury anymore, we want to live. Waiting for you at home. To all the soldiers and the hostages."In continuation to the headline she shared in which Emmanuel Nahshon, former head of the public diplomacy division, was quoted as saying: "Netanyahu sells us rationalization of the failure as a kind of 'decree of fate' and asks that we accompany him on the journey to hell that he is planning for the State of Israel," she wrote: "In a toxic relationship as in a toxic relationship, they will make you think that there is no other choice."
This is not the first time in which Saar criticizes the government in which her father is a member. In the month of October 2024, a few days after her father, who served as chairman of the "National Right" faction, returned to Likud and went back from supporting the hostage deal that was emerging then, she called on the public to go out and demonstrate for the hostages. A month later she wrote about the decision of Netanyahu to dismiss the then defense minister Yoav Gallant: "If it is possible to replace a defense minister during a war, then it is possible (and desirable) to replace the entire government, to establish an investigation committee and to bring back the hostages." Link
- CBS data: 10,148,000 residents in Israel, 79,000 Israelis emigrated in 5784
On the eve of Rosh Hashanah 5786, Israel's population is estimated at 10,148,000 people. This is according to data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics. The data shows that about 7,758,000 of Israel's residents are Jews and others (78.5% of the total Israeli population) and about 2,130,000 are Arabs (21.5% of the total Israeli population). In addition, about 260,000 foreign citizens reside in the country, meaning the number of Israeli citizens stands at about 9,888,000 people. The CBS noted that in the ending Hebrew year, about 25,000 new immigrants arrived in the country. Additionally, about 21,000 Israelis who had previously emigrated abroad returned to the country, but on the other hand, about 79,000 Israelis emigrated abroad. link This is a dry report of statistics about our population changes but there are a few very important points in these raw statistics. Number 1 that a lot of people ignore or choose to ignore, especially politicians is that over 21% of the Israeli citizenry population is Arab Citizens of the State of Israel. This doesn't refer at all to the 5 million Palestinians under occupation in the West Bank and Gaza who are not citizens of Israel. Any politician who talks about only putting together a coalition government with only the Zionist parties (they mean Jewish) is reckless and racist. To deliberately claim to want to put together a government and choose to ignore 21% of the population is unethical and immoral. Yes, there is an Arab party that would like to dismantle the State of Israel as a Jewish State but most of the Arab parties consider themselves Israelis and want to improve the situation in the country for everyone, of course starting with their population and having them reach equality with the Jewish population, which have never been equal. They are an integral part of the country's make up and their contributions are great. It is impossible to go into any hospital in Israel and not have a large percentage of the doctors and nurses speaking Arabic. We need new political leadership who sees the Arab parties as potential coalition partners with Arab Ministers. The other very important statistic that needs to be emphasized is the negative relationship between new immigrants vs. Israelis leaving the country. October 7th's government and army abandonment of the country followed by the longest war in our history with 900 soldiers killed, reservists having to serve hundreds of days of reserve duty, tens of thousands of injured, physically and psychologically (it will be years before we even know the numbers suffering from PTSD), more suicides of reserve soldiers than ever before, the impacts to the overall economy and the personal financial difficulties due to reserve duty, 100,000 people evacuated from their homes for up to two years, the loss of businesses, the damage to the families from all the reserve duty and war trauma, and a government that is filled with self interested petty politicians, we will be seeing more and more Israelis leaving the country permanently seeking a more peaceful life. Many of those leaving are going to result in a major brain drain for our future economy and impact to the idea of the "Start up" nation. High tech jobs can be plentiful around the world and they won't have to interrupt their lives with hundreds of days of reserve duty. This trend is unlikely to lighten up in the near future and has no hope of turnaround until we have an end to the war and a change of leadership and strategic directions for making our futures better.
- The Region and the World
Egypt accuses Israel of pushing region into ‘total chaos’
As Israel ramps up its operation in Gaza City, Egypt warns that the region “stands on the brink of a new phase of total chaos due to Israel’s recklessness and persistence in arrogance.”
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry blasts the international community for “its failure to act against crimes of genocide.
Operation Eyes from Above: IDF confirms 12 strikes on 3 docks in Yemen's Hodeidah port
Three days after millions woke up to warning of a Houthi missile, and after a series of drone launches into the Ramon Airport area, the Air Force is once again attacking the port of Hodeidah; Two hours earlier, an IDF spokesman warned in Arabic: ' We urge all those present at the port of Hodeidah and aboard docked vessels to evacuate immediately. Anyone who remains in the area is endangering their life.
The Israeli Air Force struck targets at the port of Hodeidah in Yemen, two hours after a public warning was issued by IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee.The IDF confirmed the attack in a statement: "A short while ago, the IDF struck a military infrastructure site belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime at the Hodeidah Port in Yemen."The statement added that the port is "used by the Houthi terrorist regime for the transfer of weapons supplied by the Iranian regime, in order to execute attacks against the State of Israel and its allies.""The strike was carried out in response to the repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel, including the launch UAVs and surface-to-surface missiles towards the State of Israel. The Houthis terrorist regime operates under the direction and funding of the Iranian regime in order to harm the State of Israel and its allies. The terrorist regime is exploiting the maritime domain to project force and to carry out terrorist activity against global shipping and trade routes," the IDF said.- Billboard in NYC’s Times Square calls on European soccer federations to boycott Israel
- The Arab emergency summit was all talk, Israel should listen
Opinion: Egypt's Sisi's blunt warning to Israelis at the Qatar summit exposes the fading hope for peace, as Arab frustration with Netanyahu's leadership stalls progress in a divided regionFrom all the statements that emerged from the Arab-Islamic emergency summit in Qatar, the most striking were those of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who chose to address the people of Israel rather than its political leadership.His message was sharp: “I speak to the people of Israel: what is happening now harms the future of peace, your security, the security of my people in the region and places obstacles before existing peace agreements (Jordan and Egypt) and future ones (other Gulf emirates, Saudi Arabia and larger, more distant Muslim nations).” Sisi is a seasoned leader, and every word of his should be taken seriously.Ultimately, the emergency summit was heavy on speeches and venting, but light on decisions. Not even an attempt was made to forge an “Arab-Muslim union” against Israel. The divisions among participants proved stronger than their shared hostility toward Jerusalem.Qatar clarified, even after the Israeli air force strike on its soil, that it has no intention of relinquishing its role, alongside Egypt, as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, had been ready to cut Doha out. Qatar’s ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, reads the regional map with different priorities. Instead of speaking of Muslim solidarity, he emphasized Doha’s “excellent relations with the United States.” U.S. President Donald Trump quickly responded, calling Qatar “a wonderful ally” and warning that “Israelis need to be more careful.” The implication seemed clear: if Israel is striking in Qatar, it must make sure to hit meaningful targets and not miss. The strike coincided with the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords. The original signing ceremony had been striking—a Negev summit bringing together four Arab foreign ministers with then-Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid. What remains today is an Israeli ambassador in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Morocco, while Sudan has walked away. Above all, the substance has shrunk. In a different political climate, far more progress and economic agreements might have been possible. Conversations with senior Arab officials repeatedly reveal the same point: the states that maintain ties with Israel, openly or covertly, have grown weary of Netanyahu. Without exception, they would prefer to see another Israeli prime minister, one more open to the Arab world. A leader who would pick up the phone, consult, share, clarify, ask questions and—most of all—listen, even if in the end he chose his own path. Even Saudi Arabia, the central player in the new Arab order, has not abandoned the idea of moving closer to Israel. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has time and patience. After unsatisfactory dealings with Netanyahu, he is prepared to wait and see who succeeds him. Meanwhile, even Israel’s contacts with Jordan and Egypt, its veteran peace partners, are dwindling. Ordinary Israelis no longer have a real foothold in either country, and traveling as a tourist in Petra or Alexandria is no longer a given. And yet, the summit ended without dramatic declarations. Netanyahu can afford to be satisfied, though the opposition less so. There were no calls for war, but a clear sense of despair was present. The summit offered a revealing snapshot of the participating states: most teeter on the edge of bankruptcy, some are torn between radical Islam and a younger generation demanding change, as in Iran, while others signal to Israel that a future for bilateral relations still exists. link The fact that actionable decisions were not made at this emergency conference can be seen as a positive thing. The Arab countries that have peace agreements with Israel (Jordan and Egypt), the countries that are part of the Abraham Accords and the other countries that either have unofficial contacts and relations with Israel or not at all could have all called for a cessation, either temporary or permanent of the varying contacts and agreements they have with Israel. We don't know yet what went on behind the scenes, either to hold off on historical decisions such as cancellations of agreements, or the other side to push for cancelling all agreements, but the leaders apparently chose the road of harsh statements and the decision to wait both for Trump to force an end to the war as well as new elections in Israel which will bring other leadership and not Netanyahu. It appears that the Arab leaders have all recognized that they can no longer do business with Netanyahu, that he was lost all restraint, doesn't listen to anyone buy Trump who he succeeds to twist around his little finger each time, feels that he can do anything he wants and is only driven by his internal political needs. They see what is happening in Israel as well and know that the majority of Israelis want: 1- the war to end with the return of all the hostages, 2- a State Commission of Inquiry which is almost guaranteed will find Netanyahu so deeply responsible for everything that led up to October 7 and mismanagement of the war and the hostage crisis, 3- early elections and total change of leadership (all of the polls since the beginning of the war show this) 4- a resolution to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza 5- paths forward for solving the conflict and not just 'managing it' 6- paths forward to repair the economy 7- strategic planning and action to repair Israel's position internationally 8- expansion of the Abraham Accords and normalization with major Arab Countries The Arab leaders fully understand that none of these items are within Netanyahu's capacity or ability. For them and for most of Israel, Netanyahu is on his way to the history books and not continued leadership of the country, and they are waiting to see what type of new leadership will be in his place for them to move forward with relations with Israel.
Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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