Netanyahu on coming cease-fire: ‘I promised victory and we will achieve victory’

In pre-recorded statement, almost a year and two months after Hezbollah in the north joined the surprise attack by Hamas in the south, the prime minister addresses a cease-fire in Lebanon; ‘This is not the same Hezbollah, we set it back decades’

By: Itamar Eichner – Y Net News; ynetnews.com

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a pre-recorded statement Tuesday evening following a meeting of his political-security cabinet and ahead of the cease-fire in the north which is expected to take effect Wednesday morning according to the plan – almost a year and two months after Hezbollah joined the fighting against Israel, after the surprise attack by Hamas in the south.

“I promised you victory, and we will achieve victory. We will complete the elimination of Hamas, we will return all our hostages, we will ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel, and we will return the residents of the north safely to their homes,” said the prime minister at the beginning of his statement that was recorded before the debate on approving the cease-fire in the cabinet. “The war will not end until we achieve all our goals, until we return the residents of the north safely home. It will happen, just as it happened in the south. My friends, the residents of the north, I am proud of you, your ability to endure, I am fully committed to your future.”

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjugx9q71e

Outcry Against Casting an Israeli Jew to Play Mary in Netflix Film

Anti-Israel activists who falsely claim that Jesus was “Palestinian” are crying foul.

By: Rabbi Shraga Simmons – Aish; aish.com

To ensure authenticity in the new Netflix film “Mary,” director D.J. Caruso cast Israeli actors Noa Cohen and Ido Tako as Jesus’ Jewish parents.

Yet in the latest example of moral inversion, anti-Israel activists who falsely claim that Jesus was “Palestinian” are crying foul.

Revising History

Palestinian propogandists are determined to rewrite history and prove that the Jewish people have no right to their ancestral homeland. They claim that that Jesus – born as a Jew in the territory called Judea – is actually a “Palestinian, the son of Palestinians.”

Arab member of the Israeli Knesset, Sami Abou Shahadeh, promoted the myth, saying: “The entire world knows that Jesus is Palestinian.”

Their goal: craft an anti-Israel narrative in the media and in the minds of unsuspecting social justice activists.

This egregious form of cultural appropriation ignores the basic facts of history: The Holy Land was not called “Palestine” until more than a century after Jesus’ lifetime, and Islam itself only came into existence six centuries later. As such, Jesus could never have been “Palestinian.”

cont’d…

https://aish.com/outcry-against-casting-an-israeli-jew-to-play-mary-in-netflix-film/?src=ac: Outcry Against Casting an Israeli Jew to Play Mary in Netflix Film

Netanyahu Says He and Trump See ‘Eye to Eye’ on Iranian Threat: ‘Maximum Pressure Is Coming’

By: Chris Mitchell – The Christian Broadcasting Network; cbn.com

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has already spoken with President-elect Donald Trump three times since his election victory last Tuesday. Those conversations may determine what takes place next in the Middle East.

Netanyahu insists he and the incoming president are on the same page about the threat Iran poses to the world. 

“These were very good and important conversations – talks designed to further tighten the strong alliance between Israel and the USA. We see eye to eye on the Iranian threat, on all its components, and the danger posed by it,” the prime minister stated.

In the meantime, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his foreign ministry are hinting they may be trying to accelerate their nuclear weapons development.

Esmail Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, declared, “Our official stance in rejecting weapons of mass destruction and the peaceful nature of our nuclear program is absolutely clear. Meanwhile, as emphasized in the supreme leader’s recent speech, we will get equipped with whatever is necessary to defend Iran.”

Baghei also denied Iran is trying to assassinate Trump. However, U.S. officials say they thwarted just such a plot.

cont’d…

https://cbn.com/news/israel/netanyahu-says-he-and-trump-see-eye-eye-iranian-threat-maximum-pressure-coming

Freed Hostage Slams UN and International Red Cross: “Not a single humanitarian agency saw me or treated me”

“Yet thus said Hashem: Captives shall be taken from a warrior And spoil shall be retrieved from a tyrant; For I will contend with your adversaries, And I will deliver your children.” (Isaiah 49:22)

By: Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz – Israel 365 News; israel365news.com

In a scathing indictment, a former hostage of Hamas in Gaza has delivered a damning critique of the international community’s failure to intervene on her behalf. Mia Schem, a 22-year-old dual Israeli-French citizen, was held captive for over 50 days by the Palestinian militant group.

Speaking at a press conference outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, Schem recounted her harrowing experience. “Not a single humanitarian agency saw me or treated me,” she said, lamenting the absence of organizations like the Red Cross and the United Nations. “Where was the U.N. demanding that they have access to us?”

Schem’s ordeal began during a music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, where she was abducted by Palestinian terrorists and shot in the arm. She was then taken to Gaza, where she was held in the home of a Palestinian family, enduring sexual harassment and taunts from a child. “There are no innocents in Gaza, not even one,” she said in a later interview.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon, who also spoke at the press conference, described the U.N.’s “complete moral failure” as “unforgivable.” He criticized the international body for failing to take concrete action to secure the release of the hostages, stating that “it’s been over a year and the United Nations hasn’t lifted a finger to free the hostages.”

cont’d…

https://israel365news.com/397706/freed-hostage-slams-un-and-international-red-cross-not-a-single-humanitarian-agency-saw-me-or-treated-me

‘Pogrom’ in Amsterdam: Netanyahu Sends Planes to Save Jews

US congressmen demand action, as Israelis are told to remain in their hotel rooms, avoid wearing Jewish symbols and get home.

By: Israel Today Staff; israeltoday.co.il

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated at about 4:30 a.m. local time that he was dispatching two rescue planes to Amsterdam following a “very violent incident against Israeli citizens.”

“The harsh pictures of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be overlooked,” Netanyahu’s office stated. “Prime Minister Netanyahu views the horrifying incident with utmost gravity and demands that the Dutch government and security forces take vigorous and swift action against the rioters, and ensure the safety of our citizens.”

The Israeli National Security Council stated in Hebrew that Israelis in Amsterdam should remain in their hotel rooms and avoid the street, refrain from wearing visible Jewish or Israeli symbols and notify Dutch police and the Israeli mission about any threat or attack. The council also advised Israelis to return to home, with more planes expected.

Earlier in the day, Maccabi Tel Aviv lost 5-0 to Ajax Amsterdam in a Europa League soccer game. Various reports indicate that Israeli fans were attacked—with some reports of injuries—after leaving the game. Some reports indicated that up to dozens of people were arrested. (JNS sought comment from the Amsterdam police.)

https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/pogrom-in-amsterdam-netanyahu-sends-planes-to-save-jews/: ‘Pogrom’ in Amsterdam: Netanyahu Sends Planes to Save Jews

Netanyahu fires Gallant as Defense Minister

PM dismisses Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing ‘significant gaps’ and lack of trust, appoints Israel Katz in his place.

By: 7 Israel National News; israelnationalnews.com

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday evening.

Netanyahu explained that this is the result of a crisis of trust and significant differences between the two in the management of the war.

“As the Prime Minister of Israel, my chief obligation is to preserve the security of Israel and to achieve our total victory. In the midst of war, more than ever, complete trust is required between the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister,” Netanyahu began.

“Unfortunately, even though such trust was present during the first months of the military campaign, and we had a very productive cooperation, during the past several months this trust between myself and the Defense Minister has begun to crack,” he stated.

Netanyahu continued, “Defense Minister Gallant and I had substantial disagreements on the management of the military campaign, disagreements which were accompanied by public statements and actions that contravened the decisions of the Government and the Security Cabinet.”

“I have made multiple attempts to resolve these disagreements, but they became increasingly wider. They were also brought to the knowledge of the public in an inappropriate manner, and what is even worse, they have reached the knowledge of the enemy; our enemies have taken great delight in these disagreements and have derived much benefit from them,” he added.

cont’d…

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398672

Indigenous Leaders Declare Jewish People as “First Nations” at Western Wall

He is ever mindful of His covenant, the promise He gave for a thousand generations… (Psalm 105:8)

By: Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz – Israel 365 News; israel365news.com

In a powerful display of solidarity, approximately 60 Indigenous representatives from across the globe converged on Jerusalem’s Western Wall Plaza on Monday to demonstrate their support for Israel and the Jewish people’s indigenous rights to the land.

The colorful procession, organized by the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem (IEJ), made its way from Jaffa Gate through the Old City’s ancient streets. Participants wore their traditional attire, including beaded headbands, feathered headdresses, and embroidered shawls, creating a striking contrast against Jerusalem’s historic limestone walls while carrying Israeli flags.

“We really wanted to show our support for the Jews as indigenous people of this land,” Sheree Trotter, co-director of IEJ, told The Times of Israel. Trotter, a Maori scholar and activist who co-founded the Holocaust and Antisemitism Foundation in New Zealand, established the IEJ in February alongside former New Zealand parliamentarian Hon. Alfred Ngaro.

The march culminated at the Western Wall, where participants sang traditional Jewish songs like “Hava Nagila” and “Jerusalem of Gold.” IDF soldiers and local worshippers eagerly approached the delegation for photographs, creating a spontaneous celebration of cultural unity.

cont’d…

https://israel365news.com/397538/indigenous-leaders-declare-jewish-people-as-first-nations-at-western-wall

Hezbollah on the Brink? Battalion Commander Surrenders to IDF, Gives up Valuable Intel on Military Sites

Soldiers continue to find massive underground weapon stockpiles meters from the border

The IDF announced Tuesday that Israeli soldiers captured a battalion-level commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in a raid two weeks ago, in the first incident of its kind since the start of the war in Lebanon or Gaza.

The officer named Hassan Akil Jawad was the commander of the Ayta al-Sha’ab district and is the first commander of his rank to be captured alive by Israeli forces.

The fact that Jawad and several of his soldiers surrendered to IDF troops makes the incident even more significant and gives credence to recent media reports of the cratering morale among Hezbollah’s troops that may also have led to the recent breakthrough in the ceasefire talks.

Jawad was captured during a raid of Golani Brigade troops, who had received intelligence leading them to a shaft inside a military headquarters, where they found the commander and several soldiers who surrendered to them.

They were arrested and interrogated by field investigators of Unit 504 and then taken to the unit’s detention facility for further interrogation in Israel.

cont’d…

https://allisrael.com/hezbollah-on-the-brink-battalion-commander-surrenders-to-idf-gives-up-valuable-intel-on-military-sites

Israel’s Precision Strike Leaves Iran Defenseless

In a long-planned operation, the Israeli Air Force destroyed critical air defense systems and ballistic missile production facilities in Iran.

By: Yossi Aloni – Israel Today; israeltoday.co.il

For three hours, the Israeli Air Force dominated Iranian airspace, leaving Iran exposed, helpless and unable to defend itself. The Israeli operation had been meticulously planned over a period of years. Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked the targets in several waves: first, the Iranian S-300 batteries and the infrastructure of the S-400 system that was to be deployed in the future were destroyed. These are sophisticated air defense systems that Russia had sold to Iran.

Israel has destroyed the ballistic missile production facilities, the Iranian counterpart to the Israeli “Rafael” factories. This is a strategic strike that deprives Iran of the ability to produce new missiles. It is now left with only its existing missile stocks.

If you add to that the strike against the air defense systems, which leaves Tehran defenseless, then everyone understands the message: If Iran attacks, it risks an even stronger strike without being able to defend itself. “We will destroy anything we want. They are completely exposed,” says an Israeli source familiar with the details.

cont’d…

https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/israels-precision-strike-leaves-iran-defenseless/

Hamas Leader and Oct. 7 Mastermind Yahya Sinwar Killed by IDF Troops in Gaza

IDF confirms terror chief was shot dead in Rafah firefight Wednesday; troops spotted body Thursday and Sinwar’s identity was formally confirmed after tests; no hostages at location

By: Times of Israel Staff and Agencies – timesofisrael.com

Israel on Thursday night announced that IDF troops had killed Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar in Gaza.

Sinwar, architect of the October 7 Hamas invasion and slaughter in southern Israel, was shot dead along with two other terrorists in a firefight in Rafah, in southern Gaza, on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency announced.

He was not being directly targeted, and troops only realized that one of the three dead terrorists was apparently Sinwar when they inspected the scene of the firefight on Thursday morning.

Confirmation that the body was indeed Sinwar was finalized on the basis of DNA and other testing. Part of Sinwar’s finger was removed for expedited testing as the location was booby-trapped. His body was extracted and brought to Israel later Thursday.

In a joint statement, the IDF and Shin Bet said Israel’s military activities gradually constricted Sinwar’s area of operations, ultimately leading to his death.

cont’d…

https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-likelihood-hamas-leader-oct-7-mastermind-yahya-sinwar-killed-by-troops-in-gaza/: Hamas Leader and Oct. 7 Mastermind Yahya Sinwar Killed by IDF Troops in Gaza