(Ed note: There will be no peace for now in the Middle East. Iran will not back down, and Israel will defend itself. This book by Dr Bill Salus is a must read especially at this time.) (CLICK HERE)
Protect Your Wealth With Biblical Assets with ALPHAOMEGA GOLD - CLICK BANNER for your FREE CONSULTATION
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
NUCLER SHOWDOWN IN IRAN
(Ed note: There will be no peace for now in the Middle East. Iran will not back down, and Israel will defend itself. This book by Dr Bill Salus is a must read especially at this time.) (CLICK HERE)
Massive Missile Threat: Iran Prepares 2,000 Rockets to Overwhelm Israel’s Air Defenses.
 |
Senior officials and analysts assess that the summer war between Iran and Israel solved nothing, with Tehran now planning a massive 2,000-missile attack and Jerusalem viewing preemption as an option to counter Iran’s surging nuclear program.
Following a destructive 12-day war this summer that ultimately settled nothing, senior officials and security analysts now view another large-scale war between Israel and Iran as an inevitability, not a possibility. The New York Times reports that both nations are actively preparing for a sequel, with Tehran rapidly increasing its missile production and Jerusalem focused on what it considers the enduring threat of Iran's nuclear program.
Iran’s new strategic gamble is sheer volume. According to Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group, Tehran is aiming for around-the-clock production to launch a single wave of roughly 2,000 missiles to overwhelm Israel's sophisticated air defenses. During the June war, Iran launched approximately 550 ballistic missiles and 1,000–1,100 drones. While most were intercepted, these salvos still resulted in 28 deaths and sent 3,238 people to hospitals in Israel. On the Iranian side, casualties were also high, with the government acknowledging 900–1,060 deaths, while an independent monitor placed the toll nearer 1,190.
The strategic picture remains highly unstable, centered on Iran's nuclear material. Before the summer war, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium had surged, and it remains a red line for both the US and Israel. The IAEA reported in mid-May that Iran held 408.6 kg of 60% enriched uranium and over 9,200 kg total enriched uranium, quantities far exceeding any credible civilian need. Independent analysis suggests this material is sufficient for roughly ten nuclear devices if further enriched. Post-June, Tehran has restricted international inspectors and pushed its work deeper underground, exacerbating uncertainty and risk. (Read More)
Iran’s new strategic gamble is sheer volume. According to Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group, Tehran is aiming for around-the-clock production to launch a single wave of roughly 2,000 missiles to overwhelm Israel's sophisticated air defenses. During the June war, Iran launched approximately 550 ballistic missiles and 1,000–1,100 drones. While most were intercepted, these salvos still resulted in 28 deaths and sent 3,238 people to hospitals in Israel. On the Iranian side, casualties were also high, with the government acknowledging 900–1,060 deaths, while an independent monitor placed the toll nearer 1,190.
The strategic picture remains highly unstable, centered on Iran's nuclear material. Before the summer war, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium had surged, and it remains a red line for both the US and Israel. The IAEA reported in mid-May that Iran held 408.6 kg of 60% enriched uranium and over 9,200 kg total enriched uranium, quantities far exceeding any credible civilian need. Independent analysis suggests this material is sufficient for roughly ten nuclear devices if further enriched. Post-June, Tehran has restricted international inspectors and pushed its work deeper underground, exacerbating uncertainty and risk. (Read More)
Senior official: Israel should move to topple Iranian regime before Trump’s term ends - KAN
A senior Israeli official suggests the need to act before Trump's presidency concludes, as tensions rise over Iran's nuclear and missile programs.
Israel should seek to overthrow the Iranian regime before the end of US President Donald Trump's administration, a senior official told Israeli public broadcaster KAN News on Monday. Trump's second term as US president is due to end in January 2029.
Iran has been seeking to reproduce its stockpile of advanced missiles, and Israel is closely monitoring Tehran's efforts, a senior security source told KAN. The New York Times, on Sunday, cited regional officials and analysts who view another outbreak of war between Israel and Iran as "only a matter of time."
Iran's new Pickaxe Mountain enrichment site, located approximately one kilometer south of the Natanz enrichment facility, is underway, and inspectors have not been permitted to access it, the NYT noted.
However, inspectors of the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA visited Iranian nuclear sites last week, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, according to state media, a week after the IAEA urged Iran to "seriously improve" cooperation. (Read More)
However, inspectors of the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA visited Iranian nuclear sites last week, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, according to state media, a week after the IAEA urged Iran to "seriously improve" cooperation. (Read More)
Going ‘amazingly,’ Trump says of ‘working with Israel on getting along with Syria’
The U.S. president met in the Oval Office with the Syrian president, a first for a head of state from the country.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday in the first time that a Syrian head of state has visited the White House. Trump spoke to reporters about the Oval Office meeting with the Syrian leader later in the day during a swearing-in ceremony for the new U.S. ambassador to India.
“He’s a very strong leader. He comes from a very tough place. Tough guy. I like him,” Trump said. “I get along with the president, the new president in Syria, and we’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful, because that’s part of the Middle East.
”Trump said that he expects a forthcoming announcement that Syria will join the international coalition to defeat ISIS.“You can expect an announcement on Syria. We want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful, and I think this leader can do it. I really do,” Trump said.
“We have to make Syria work. Syria is a big part of the Middle East, and I will tell you, I think it is working really well,” he said. “We’re working also with Israel on, you know, getting along with Syria, getting along with everybody, and that’s working amazingly.” (Ed note: Why do the politicians always lean on Israel to change and not the other guy?) (Read More)
Syria’s Sharaa rules out joining Abraham Accords, suggests Trump could make negotiations happen
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told Fox News that one of the issues preventing talks is Israel's "occupation" of the Golan Heights.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a Monday interview with Fox News that Syria would not at this time enter into talks to join the Abraham Accords, but that perhaps US President Donald Trump’s administration would help in making such negotiations possible. Sharaa cited Israel’s “occupation” of the Golan Heights as a reason Syria would not enter such talks.
“I believe that this situation in Syria is different from the situation of the countries who went on with the Abrahamic agreement,” Sharaa told Fox’s Gillian Turner. “Syria has borders with Israel, and Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967. We are not going to enter into a negotiation directly right now.”
Sharaa’s answer came after Gillian noted that “Trump would like Syria to join the Abraham Accords.” She then asked whether Sharaa agreed with the accords’ “foundational principle,” which is that Israel had “the right to exist as a sovereign Jewish state.” (Ed note: It is about the Golan Heights. What's that old saying, "The truth will out?" (Read More)
‘Lion’s Roar’: IDF launches three-day drill in Judea, Samaria and Jordan Valley
The Israel Defense Forces on Monday kicked off a three-day exercise in the Judea, Samaria and Jordan Valley area, called “Lion’s Roar.” “The IDF has begun a large-scale, multi-organizational, and multi-branch military exercise to enhance operational readiness for a variety of scenarios across Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley,” according to the military.
The exercise involves forces of the IDF’s Central Command, as well as “special units,” the Israeli Air Force, the IDF Technology and Logistics Directorate and other military branches and security forces, according to the statement.
The exercise was “pre-planned as part of the IDF’s 2025 annual training program, the statement noted. According to the Binyamin Regional Council, the largest regional council in Judea and Samaria, the exercise “will involve the movement of many army vehicles throughout the area, significant activity in various communities and the mobilization of emergency response teams.” (Read More)
Smotrich: There is dialogue with US, letting terrorists go is a moral folly
Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich spoke on Monday about the US pressure to allow the terrorists who are trapped in the Israeli-controlled area of Rafah to go free. "We make the security decisions, while holding dialogue with and in consideration of the Americans. It's hypocrisy to oppose that. In my opinion, it would be a moral folly to let the terrorists go so that they meet our soldiers later on the other side of the Yellow Line," Smotrich told Channel 12.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor. The Prime Minister's Office International Media Spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian noted that the two discussed disarming Hamas, demilitarising the Gaza Strip, and the need to ensure that Hamas would never serve any position in Gaza
In relation to the 200 Hamas terrorists "trapped" in tunnels in Rafah, Bedrosian said that "any decision regarding those terrorists will be made in cooperation with the Trump administration. During a debate in the Knesset, MK Avi Maoz confronted the prime minister, claiming: “Your spokesperson published a statement in your name saying that every decision regarding the trapped terrorists will be made in coordination with the American administration.”
Netanyahu, turning to Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who was seated beside him, responded in surprise: “What? Who published that?” Immediately after Maoz stepped down from the podium, Netanyahu was seen speaking on his cellphone. (Source)
IDF strikes Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, says 3 operatives killed in past 24 hours
The Israel Defense Forces carried out a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley area on Monday, targeting what it said were sites used by Hezbollah for rocket launches and the production and storage of strategic weapons, bringing the number of Hezbollah operatives killed in the past 24 hours up to three.
The military confirmed that it had carried out the strikes following reports in Lebanese media of a wave of Israeli air attacks across southern Lebanon. It was the latest round of Israeli attacks against Hezbollah targets in recent days, after the IDF warned last week that it would step up the scale of its operations if the Iran-backed terror group is not fully disarmed by the Lebanese military.
In southern Lebanon, the IDF said it had struck a site used by Hezbollah to launch rockets, after renewed activity by the terror group was detected there in recent months. In the Nabatieh area, the military said it struck several more Hezbollah targets, and in the Beqaa Valley, it said it targeted infrastructure at a site used by the terror group to store and manufacture strategic weapons. The site in the Beqaa Valley has been struck by the IDF several times in the past.
...An AFP journalist saw a bombed-out car on the road linking the cities of Sidon and Tyre, with traffic piling up as rescuers worked to retrieve the remains. (Read More)
UAE unlikely to join Gaza stabilization force, official says
The United Arab Emirates will “probably” not join President Donald Trump’s International Stabilization Force for the Gaza Strip, a senior Emirati official stated on Monday. “The UAE does not yet see a clear framework for the stability force, and under such circumstances will probably not participate in such a force,” Emirati presidential adviser on diplomatic affairs Anwar Gargash told the Emirates Policy Center’s Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate forum.
The United States has circulated a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council that would give Washington and its regional partners a broad mandate to govern Gaza and provide security for at least two years. The ISF would work to demilitarize Gaza, as envisioned in the U.S. peace plan, including through “the destruction and prevention of rebuilding of military, terror and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups,” the draft states.
The Gaza “enforcement force” is to operate under a “unified command acceptable to the Board of Peace,” which Trump previously suggested could be headed by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and will work “in close consultation and cooperation” with Egypt and Israel. The U.S.-led international coalition is widely expected to include troops supplied by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, as well as the United Arab Emirates. (Ed note: In other words, the UAE will not force Hamas to disarm either.) (Read More)
Monday, November 10, 2025
Hamas says terrorists holed up in Rafah will not surrender
"The enemy must know that the concept of surrender and handing oneself over does not exist in the dictionary of the Izzedin al-Qassam Brigades," the group said.
Hamas terrorists holed up in the Israeli-held Rafah area of Gaza will not surrender to Israel, the group's armed wing said on Sunday, urging mediators to find a solution to a crisis that threatens the month-old ceasefire.
Sources close to mediation efforts told Reuters on Thursday that terrorists could surrender their arms in exchange for passage to other areas of the enclave under a proposal aimed at resolving the stalemate. Turkey is working to ensure the safe passage of some 200 civilians trapped in tunnels in Gaza, after having facilitated the return of a deceased Israeli soldier killed there more than a decade ago, a senior Turkish official said.
Turkey, the senior official said, "successfully facilitated the return of Hadar Goldin's remains to Israel after 11 years" after "intensive efforts (reflecting) Hamas' clear commitment to the ceasefire." "At the same time, we are working to ensure the safe passage of some 200 Gazan civilians currently trapped in the tunnels," the official told Reuters. (Read More)
US likely to pressure Israel to ease stance on terrorists in Rafah tunnels, official tells 'Post'
Senior Israeli officials estimate that US pressure will push Israel to show flexibility regarding the issue of the terrorists in the Rafah tunnels, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post.
“Outwardly, everyone declares that Israel will not allow those 100–200 terrorists to leave the tunnels, even if they lay down their arms,” the official said. “But behind closed doors, everyone admits: if there is significant American pressure on this issue, Israel will have no choice but to compromise.”
US officials also made it clear in recent days that they want to resolve the issue of Hamas terrorists in the tunnels, saying that they "think [the terrorists] should get free passage, after Goldin's release." US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are expected to arrive in Israel on Monday to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials. (Read More)
Kushner meets with Netanyahu amid Hamas terrorist 'safe passage' dilemma
Kushner arrived in Israel on Sunday for talks with Netanyahu regarding the Gaza war, and envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive and join the talks as well.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently meeting in his Jerusalem office with the Special Envoy and son-in-law of US President Trump, Jared Kushner. Kushner arrived in Israel on Sunday for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on implementing the US plan to end the Gaza war, a source familiar with the matter said. Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive and join the talks as well.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Witkoff and Kushner just last month to discuss developments and updates in the region. Senior Israeli officials estimate that US pressure will push Israel to show flexibility regarding the issue of the terrorists in the Rafah tunnels, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
“Outwardly, everyone declares that Israel will not allow those 100–200 terrorists to leave the tunnels, even if they lay down their arms,” the official said. “But behind closed doors, everyone admits: if there is significant American pressure on this issue, Israel will have no choice but to compromise.” (Ed note: Anyone remember back in 2005 when then President George Bush and PM Ariel Sharon threw the Jews out of a place called Gaza? PM Sharon Sharon got a stroke, and the city of New Orleans got Hurricane Katrina.) (Read More)
US sidelining Israel on decision-making at Gaza ceasefire HQ, official says
Israel is playing a secondary role to the US at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat, where the Gaza ceasefire is being monitored by at least a dozen nations, an Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Friday. The compound in southern Israel is intended as a hub for the International Stabilization Force (ISF) set to take the reins of Gaza as part of US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive ceasefire plan, which the US is seeking to enshrine into international law via a UN Security Council vote.
According to the official who spoke with The Times of Israel, the US has been the prime decision-maker at the CMCC, including on issues pertaining to the delivery of aid to Gaza, where Israel has accused Hamas of looting aid convoys and placed restrictions on the shipments. Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Defense Ministry agency that oversaw aid delivery to the devastated enclave throughout the war, has been relegated to more of a contractor role at the CMCC, the official added, confirming details of a Friday Washington Post report.
...Along with Israel and the US, countries that have sent troops to the compound include Jordan, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Australia, France, Spain and the United Arab Emirates. Despite the presence of the foreign soldiers, the CMCC’s composition, role, chain of command, legal status and other issues are not yet locked down. (Ed note: With the exception of the US, all the above countries hate the state of Israel, and have proved it many times with their rhetoric.) (Read More)
EU condemns Israeli strikes on Hezbollah, urges respect for ceasefire
The European Union on Saturday condemned Israel’s recent strikes in southern Lebanon and called on Jerusalem to uphold the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. “The EU calls on Israel to cease all actions that violate resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement reached a year ago in November 2024,” said EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni.
“At the same time, we urge all Lebanese actors, and especially Hezbollah, to refrain from any measures or responses that could further inflame the situation. Focus by all parties must be on preserving the ceasefire and the progress achieved so far,” he added. The IDF on Saturday struck and eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist in the area of Baraashit in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit explained that the terrorist was involved in attempts to rehabilitate Hezbollah military infrastructure in the area, and his actions constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.Earlier on Saturday, IDF soldiers from Division 210 struck in the area of Chebaa in southern Lebanon, eliminating two terrorists from the "Lebanese Resistance Brigades" terrorist organization, which operates under the direction of Hezbollah. (Ed note: Has anyone else ever noticed that the Arab can beat on Israel all day long, and it is quite okay, BUT, if Israel takes the initiative and strikes back, it is the most terrible thing in the world.) (Read More)
Saudi crown prince prepares sweeping Middle East peace plan for Trump
Mohammed bin Salman's White House visit will unveil ambitious regional strategy targeting Palestinian statehood, Iran relations, and preventing Israel-Tehran escalation.
Saudi Arabia plans a regional initiative to be presented during the Saudi crown prince's expected visit to the US, the Lebanese French-language newspaper L'Orient Le Jour reported over the weekend. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is scheduled to arrive at the White House on November 18 to meet with US President Donald Trump.
According to diplomatic sources, bin Salman plans to present the Trump administration with a series of proposals addressing open regional issues, including the Palestinian issue, where Riyadh insists on the need for recognition of a "Palestinian state." The sources also said bin Salman plans to propose reviving negotiations between Iran and the US, which have remained frozen since the 12-day war in June, during which the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities despite international efforts to renew dialogue.
The newspaper also reported that the crown prince and his team are developing a new strategy aimed at "reorganizing the Middle East." According to the sources, the plan includes strengthening relations with Tehran and preventing further military escalation between Iran and Israel. Additionally, Saudi Arabia is trying to persuade Iran to reach compromises in the Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq arenas, a move that sources say could reduce the likelihood of further regional escalation. (Source)
Israel receives remains of fallen soldier Hadar Goldin after 11 years
Israel on Sunday received the remains of fallen soldier Lt. Hadar Goldin, whose body was held by Hamas in Gaza for more than 11 years, the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem announced. The evening news riveted a nation and brought to an end the family’s long struggle to see their loved one returned home for burial. Goldin, then 23, was killed and abducted by the terrorist group in Rafah, the Gaza Strip, during a ceasefire during the 2014 war (“Operation Protective Edge”).
Four more bodies are still being held in Gaza, those of three Israelis—Meny Godard, Sgt. Ran Gvili and Dror Or—and a Thai national, Sudthisak Rinthalak, who was working in agriculture in Israel at the time of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.
“The Israeli government shares in the deep sorrow of the Goldin family and of all the families of the fallen hostages,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. (Ed note: What can be said and how does one deal with a people who stack dead bodies for negotiating chips?) ( Read More)
Katz to Erdogan: 'Genocide' charges more fitting for Turkey's 'massacres' of Kurds
Israel’s defense minister rebuked Turkey’s move to charge Netanyahu and IDF leaders with “genocide,” calling the warrants “ridiculous.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz denounced Turkey's issuing of arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other members of Israel’s senior political and military leadership on charges of “genocide,” stating that the charges would be better applied to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a Sunday post on X/Twitter.
"Take those ridiculous arrest warrants and get the hell out of here," Katz wrote, in both Turkish and Hebrew-language posts. The warrants are "more fitting for the massacres you've committed against the Kurds," Katz accused in the message, which he addressed to Erdogan.
Erdogan will "only be able to see Gaza through binoculars," Katz added, rejecting the proposal that Turkish military forces could form part of the Gaza peacekeeping force. "Israel is strong and unafraid," Katz affirmed, while sharing an AI-generated image of Erdogan looking at Gaza through binoculars with the Israeli flag over the lenses. (Read More)
Tenders for record number of West Bank settlement housing units published in 2025
The number of housing units in West Bank settlements for which tenders have been published this year has reached an all-time yearly high, with tenders for 5,667 units issued so far in 2025. The previous record was set in 2018 when tenders were published for the construction of 3,808 housing units. According to the Peace Now settlement watchdog, the planned housing units will accommodate approximately 25,000 residents once built.
Tenders are published for construction companies to bid on contracts for the construction of housing units and other projects in the West Bank after the planning and approval has been completed. This means that barring some form of political intervention, the construction has already been approved and will go ahead once the tenders are awarded, which can typically take one to two years. The large majority of tenders approved in 2025 were for construction in two West Bank settlement cities: Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, and Ariel in the northern West Bank.
In August, the highly controversial E1 project for Maale Adumim was finally approved in the planning process, and the same month tenders were published for the construction of some 3,400 units in the project which are slated to be built on land to the west of the West Bank city. (Ed note: Located in the biblical land of Judea and Samaria, Maale Adumim appears as a landmark for the border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. See Joshua 15:7.) (Read More)
Tensions rise as Iran and Israel prepare for possible renewed conflict
President Donald Trump insists that US strikes this summer “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, but regional experts dispute that claim and warn that another Israel-Iran war may be looming, the New York Times reports. The 2015 nuclear deal has expired, sanctions are back in force, and Iran is blocking inspectors from new facilities. Israel believes Iran still holds enough enriched uranium for up to 11 nuclear bombs, while Tehran claims its stockpile was destroyed.
Iran is reportedly building a new underground site, dubbed Pickaxe Mountain, without international oversight. Analysts say this uncertainty could trigger another Israeli strike, as Israel views Iran’s nuclear progress as an existential threat. Tehran, meanwhile, is said to be preparing for massive retaliation involving firing two thousand missiles a day at Israel, and not 500 in twelve days.
Across the region, Iran is increasingly isolated as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE deepen cooperation with Washington and Trump, seeking stability while avoiding direct confrontation with Tehran and its network of proxies. (Ed note: Pickaxe Mountain is an underground nuclear facility in Iran located in the Zagros mountain range, approximately one mile south of the Natanz nuclear facility.) Read More)
Regev: Transportation Ministry implementing ‘de facto sovereignty’ in Judea and Samaria
"If you walk around there, you'll see the number of roads, bypass roads and lighting that we are installing and constructing," said Transportation Minister Miri Regev.
Israel’s Ministry of Transport and Road Safety is implementing a plan for “de facto sovereignty” in Judea and Samaria, Transportation Minister Miri Regev revealed in an interview with Channel 12 News on Friday. “If you walk around there, you’ll see the number of roads, bypass roads and lighting that we are installing and constructing,” she said. However, Regev stressed, Jerusalem should formally declare full legal sovereignty over the territories captured during the 1967 Six-Day War.
“I believe that in the end, there will be [sovereignty],” the senior minister told Channel 12. Even the U.S. administration understands that there is no other way,” she added. “Unfortunately, it’s not time yet, but there will be sovereignty.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has led an unprecedented drive to expand control of Judea and Samaria, approving some 50,00 housing units and over 50 new Jewish communities since late 2022.
Previously, in an Oct. 15 interview with Time magazine, President Donald Trump also expressed his opposition to Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, saying “I gave my word to the Arab countries. Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.” On Feb. 21, 2024, the Knesset voted 99-11 to reject unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria. All coalition lawmakers and most Knesset members from Zionist opposition parties voted against “international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians.” (Read More)
Sunday, November 9, 2025
Smotrich to Arutz Sheva: Mamdani or not, all Jews belong in Israel
In an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich emphasized the Zionist foundation of the new tax reform for new olim, while calling on Jews worldwide to make aliyah. Speaking to Arutz Sheva at the launch of the reform, Smotrich said, "The State of Israel opens its gates, its hands, its heart to its brothers and sisters in the diaspora and for Israelis who have left. We want them to return."
The minister unveiled a comprehensive tax reform that grants a full income tax exemption to new immigrants for two years, followed by a reduced rate over the next three years. "A huge reform that will give full tax exemption to immigrants. Full exemption for two years, and a discount for another three years," he said. "This is an incentive to bring the money from abroad to the State of Israel. It is a correct move Zionistically; I am convinced that it will sustain itself and will be correct economically. But again, it is mainly a Zionist move."
Smotrich declared that "2026 will be a year of aliyah," urging Diaspora Jews to return home amid rising global antisemitism. "Unfortunately, there is so much antisemitism and severe consequences for Jews in the Diaspora, in the United States, in France, in London. We are calling on everyone to come home." (Ed note: Smotrich, about Mamdani: "Okay, the man isn't someone who loves Israel and Jews." I say: "Smotrich, ya just gotta love that guy.") (Read More)
Before talks with Trump, Saudi Arabia doubles down on terms for Israel ties - analysis
With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu staunchly opposed to Palestinian statehood, Saudi Arabia sees no immediate prospect to satisfy Trump’s demand that it normalize ties with Israel.
US President Donald Trump has been talking up the prospects of Saudi Arabia agreeing to normalize ties with Israel, but it is unlikely to happen when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits the White House this month. The establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia after decades of enmity could shake up the political and security landscape in the Middle East, potentially strengthening US influence in the region.
Trump said last month he hoped Saudi Arabia would "very soon" join other Muslim countries that signed the 2020 Abraham Accords normalizing ties with Israel. But Riyadh has signaled to Washington through diplomatic channels that its position has not changed: it will sign up only if there is agreement on a roadmap to Palestinian statehood, two Gulf sources told Reuters.
The intention is to avoid diplomatic missteps and ensure alignment of the Saudi and US positions before any public statements are made, they said. One said the aim was to avoid any confusion at or after the White House talks on November 18. (Read More)
EU calls on Israel to respect ceasefire as IDF steps up strikes in southern Lebanon
The two operatives of the Lebanese Resistance Companies were involved in smuggling weapons for Hezbollah, according to the military. In a separate strike on a car, in southern Lebanon’s Baraashit, the IDF said it killed a Hezbollah operative who was involved in attempts to restore the terror group’s military infrastructure in the area.
The IDF said the operatives’ actions were a violation of the ceasefire deal. Lebanese reports said the IDF had carried out another drone strike on a car in the southern Lebanon town of Bint Jbeil that wounded seven people. There was no immediate comment from the IDF on that incident. The EU on Saturday condemned Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and asked it to respect a ceasefire with the Hezbollah terror group.
Israel conducted large-scale strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, targeting the Iran-backed organization and accusing the group of rearming. “The EU calls on Israel to cease all actions that violate resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement reached a year ago in November 2024,” the EU’s foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni stated. (Read More)
IDF foils weapons smuggling attempt via drone at Egyptian border
The IDF foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons into Israel through the Egyptian border on Friday night, the military said on Saturday. Military surveillance identified that a drone had crossed into Israeli territory in the area. After intercepting it, law enforcement retrieved three rifles. The weapons were then transferred to security forces for further processing.
Friday’s weapons smuggling attempt followed IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir's and Defense Minister Israel Katz's announcement days earlier that they have “declared war” on any attempts by Hamas or other adversaries to attack Israel with drones or to use them to smuggle arms across the Egypt-Israel border for criminal purposes.
Zamir led a meeting on the issue and instructed the IDF to make additional efforts in intercepting drone smuggling attempts from Egypt. He said that this was “not merely a criminal threat but a security threat with potential for terrorism.” Late last month, the IDF intercepted another drone used to smuggle rifles across the Egyptian border. (Read More)
The linguistics behind ‘from the river to the sea’
JNS) Anyone who has watched the news, scrolled through social media or spent time on an American college campus since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, knows the chant: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” To the Western ear, the English slogan is lyrical and emotive. But the version chanted in Arabic is a far different sentence with a far different intent.
In Arabic, the line is closer to “Palestine will be Arab.” The two chants are not synonymous. Palestine will be Arab does not mean equality or pluralism. It means replacement. A “free” Palestine in many English-language accounts becomes, in Arabic usage, a Palestine that is Arabized—a polity from which Jews are excluded. That is not anti-colonial rhetoric. It is a call for recolonization.
This inversion is invisible to many campus activists and far-left politicians who repeat the English refrain. It is not invisible to those who understand the region’s layered history. The land critics call “Palestine” was never part of the Arabian Peninsula. Its original peoples were Canaanite, Israelite, Phoenician, Aramaean—the ancient fabric of the Levant. Arabs arrived later, by conquest.
The first great wave of Arab imperialism and colonialism, beginning in the seventh century, reshaped the Near East far more thoroughly than many European empires ever did. It erased languages, customs and faiths that had flourished for millennia; Arabized Egypt and Syria, Persia and North Africa; and replaced local polities with a single political-religious order.
...The chant isn’t new. Its Arabic ancestor—Min al-ma ila al-ma, Filastin Arabiyya—means “From the water to the water: Palestine will be Arab.” In other words, it means no Jews from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. (Ed note: A somewhat long, but very interesting article.) (Read More)
Iran's severe water crisis prompts Pezeshkian to raise possibility of evacuating Tehran
As Iran is experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades, President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the capital of Tehran might have to be evacuated if there were no rains in the next two months. “If it doesn’t rain, we will have to start restricting water supplies in Tehran next month. If the drought continues, we will run out of water and be forced to evacuate the city,” the leader was quoted as saying.
Pezeshkian described the situation as “extremely critical,” citing reports that Tehran’s dam reservoirs have fallen to their lowest level in 60 years. According to the director of the Tehran Water Company, the largest water reservoir serving the capital currently holds 14 million cubic meters, compared to 86 million at the same time last year.
Latyan Dam, another key reservoir, is only about nine percent full. “Latyan’s water storage is just nine million cubic meters,” Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Javanbakht said recently, calling the situation “critical.” On Saturday, Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said "we are forced to cut off the water supply for citizens on some evenings so that the reservoirs can refill." The ongoing crisis is giving rise to increasing speculation that further shortages could trigger nationwide protests and social unrest. (Source)
Saturday, November 8, 2025
US replaces Israel in overseeing humanitarian aid into Gaza - report
The United States has replaced Israel in overseeing humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, according to a Friday Washington Post report. The Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), set up in Kiryat Gat by the US, is now taking charge of aid importation. Israel will take a secondary role in deciding what enters Gaza, the Washington Post reported, citing several officials familiar with the transition.
US forces are taking part in overseeing and coordinating aid transfer into the Gaza Strip together with Israel as part of US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan, an Israeli security official confirmed to Reuters on Saturday.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has also stepped up monitoring aid distribution and the ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization, the report added. The Washington Post also cited a US official who stated that Israel is still part of the negotiations and "part of the conversation" on aid distribution, but that "decisions will be taken by the wider body." (Read More)
Security Cabinet discussion: IDF Chief opposes deporting Rafah terrorists
The Security Cabinet convened on Thursday evening to review developments across multiple combat zones, including the escalation on the northern border and ongoing operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. One item on the agenda was how to deal with the “trapped” terrorists in Rafah.
According to a Channel 12 News report, Defense Minister Israel Katz said the idea of deporting the roughly 200 terrorists from Gaza had been considered previously. Katz told the Cabinet that, after repeated ceasefire violations by Hamas and incidents in which three IDF soldiers were killed following the agreement, the deportation option was removed from the table.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz reportedly asked IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir whether he supported deportation. Zamir answered bluntly: “Absolutely not. I’m not in favor of releasing them. They should be killed. As far as I’m concerned, they should either be eliminated or surrender.” Zamir later addressed the issue of returning the bodies of hostages, stating:
“We must not proceed to the next phase of the agreement with Hamas until all the murdered hostages are returned.” Earlier this week, Zamir delivered a clear message to the political echelon regarding the Rafah terrorists: “No terrorist should be allowed to leave alive - unless Hadar Goldin is returned.” (Read More)
U.N. Security Council Unanimously Votes to Lift Sanctions on Syria’s Jihadi President Ahmed al-Sharaa
The United States introduced the resolution to lift sanctions on Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab, both members of jihadist rebel groups that fought against ousted dictator Bashar Assad during the over-decade-long civil war in the country. The HTS militia ended an extended lull in the war where Assad had appeared to cement his stranglehold on the country in November 2024, seizing control of the city of Aleppo. By December 7, Assad was on a plane to exile in Moscow.
Sharaa, the leader of HTS, was known by the nom de guerre “Abu Mohammed al-Jolani” and the time. He assumed the presidency of the country under his given name and began adopting Western fashion and attending global finance and investment conferences shortly after his ascent to the presidency, seeking funding for the reconstruction of the country. He has not abandoned his ambition to establish an Islamist state, however, and Syria adopted an Islamist constitution in March — shortly after a massacre of Alawite Shia civilians by elements associated with the new regime.
He is currently in Belém, Brazil, attending the United Nation’s climate alarmism summit COP30. The resolution to lift sanctions on Sharaa and Khattab was welcomed warmly in the Security Council. None of the 15 members of the council voted against it, and only China abstained, offering grumblings that America allegedly “did not fully heed the views of all members and forced the Council to take action even when there were huge differences among Council members in an attempt to serve its own political agenda.” (Read More)
Turkey issues arrest warrants against 37 members of Israeli senior leadership
Turkey has issued arrest warrants for 37 members of Israel's senior political and military leadership, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on charges of "genocide," the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday.
The charges stem from allegations that Israeli military operations have systematically targeted civilians and infrastructure in Gaza, blocked humanitarian aid, and prevented access for medical assistance. The investigation was opened following complaints filed with the Istanbul courts in October 2025.
Turkey has strongly criticized Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which began after Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel in October 2023, and murdered some 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250. Since the start of the war, Ankara has gradually suspended all diplomatic and trade relations with Israel.
"As of today, the State of Israel has systematically committed genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, including women and children," the office accused. "Thousands more have been injured, and many residential areas have become uninhabitable." (Ed note: Isn't it amazing that both Iran and Turkey hate Israel so much and they aren't even Arab? Both countries will make an appearance in the prophecy of Ezekiel 38/39, Turkey as Gomer, and Iran as Persia.) (Read More)
Iranian President defiant: We won’t abandon missiles or nuclear program
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared Friday that while Iran seeks peace, it will not be coerced into giving up its nuclear and missile programs, Reuters reported, citing Iranian state media. “We are willing to hold talks under international frameworks, but not if they say you can't have a (nuclear) science, or the right to defend yourself (with missiles) or else we will bomb you,” Pezeshkian said.
His remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump stated that Iran had been asking whether American sanctions could be lifted. Iran has consistently rejected negotiations over its missile program and refuses to halt uranium enrichment on its soil.
“We want to live in this world in peace and security, but not be humiliated, and it is not acceptable that they impose upon us whatever they want and we just serve them,” Pezeshkian added. “They supply arms to Israel while they tell us not to have missiles for defence, then they bomb us whenever they want. Tehran and Washington held five rounds of nuclear talks prior to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, during which the US joined the fighting by striking key Iranian nuclear sites. (Read More)
Friday, November 7, 2025
Israel's dilemma: when will it bring down the hammer on Hezbollah?
Hezbollah is accelerating efforts to rebuild its military and economic infrastructure following the heavy blows it suffered during last year’s conflict with Israel, sparking growing concern among Israeli security officials and international observers. In recent weeks, Israeli intelligence has detected an uptick in the terror group’s rearmament, including in southern Lebanon — a move that violates existing agreements between Jerusalem and Beirut. Despite repeated Israeli warnings, Lebanon’s oversight mechanisms have failed to act effectively to curb Hezbollah’s buildup.
According to Israeli defense sources, Hezbollah continues to conduct training exercises, transfer weapons, and rehabilitate its operational and financial systems — sometimes with the knowledge, and in certain cases the cooperation, of the Lebanese army. Over the past month, the IDF struck dozens of targets across southern Lebanon, including operational sites, weapons depots and rocket production facilities. The IDF said it would maintain freedom of action in Lebanon and continue counterterrorism strikes as required.
On Thursday night, the IDF carried out an intensified wave of strikes in and around the coastal city of Tyre, hitting targets located deep within civilian areas. Hezbollah is known to place its weapons among homes in southern Lebanese villages, using residents as human shields. The IDF issued more than five evacuation notices to Lebanese civilians in the region during the same day. (Ed note: In the prophecy of Psalm 83:7, GEBAL is now called JBEIL, and TYRE is still TYRE. Both are still located in Lebanon, and both will matter,) (Read More)
Hezbollah warns Beirut against talks ‘with Zionist enemy’; IDF hits terror target in Tyre
In an open letter to the Lebanese government, the terror group urged Beirut to concentrate on forcing Israel to comply with the ceasefire, rather than “being drawn into political negotiations with the Zionist enemy.” The letter was issued hours before the Lebanese government was due to discuss the progress of its push to disarm the group, which was badly wounded during its war with Israel last year.
Hezbollah’s warning came as the IDF carried out its latest airstrike against the terror group Thursday, saying it was targeting violations of the ceasefire. The military confirmed a strike in the Tyre area of southern Lebanon shortly after noon, saying it targeted operatives in the terror group’s so-called construction unit. The operatives were targeted while gathered at a Hezbollah site, which the IDF said was used to “produce equipment used by the organization to restore terror infrastructure” that was destroyed in fighting last year.
In Hezbollah’s letter, which was addressed to Lebanon’s three top officials — the prime minister, the president and the parliament speaker — the group said that “the government’s hasty decision regarding the monopoly of arms” allowed Israel to exploit the situation and make the disarmament a condition for ending its “violations” of the ceasefire. It added that the issue of weapons “should be discussed within a national framework and not as a response to a foreign demand or Israeli blackmail.” (Read More)
IDF carries out wave of strikes on Hezbollah sites in south Lebanon, warns of more
Israel demands terror group be disarmed; Lebanese president condemns attacks as ‘despicable political crime,’ as Netanyahu discusses state of truce with security cabinet
The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday conducted a wave of airstrikes against infrastructure and weapon depots belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force in southern Lebanon, saying they would step up attacks unless the terror group was disarmed. Giving a preliminary toll, the Lebanese health ministry said that one person was wounded in the afternoon bombing after one person was killed in strikes earlier in the day. Israel had issued evacuation orders ahead of the strikes.
The attacks were condemned by Lebanon’s national government, but an IDF official warned they were “just a preview” of what’s to come if the Iran-backed terror group is not fully disarmed by the Lebanese military.
The airstrikes came after the IDF issued evacuation warnings for several sites in the towns of Kfar Dounine, Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Ayta al-Jabal, Taybeh, and Tayr Debba.The locations ranged from just 4 km (2.5 miles) away from the Israeli border to nearly 24 km (15 miles) north of the frontier. (Ed note: Tayr is today called Tyre.) (Read More)
Israel Katz, IDF chief launch hard-hitting campaign to block drones smuggling weapons from Egypt
For years, Israel has not experienced a serious military ground forces security threat on the Egyptian border, but even before the Israel-Hamas War, there was a huge problem with smuggling weapons and drugs across it. That problem grew more complex as many hostile parties and criminal enterprises saw that Israeli air defenses struggled to intercept drones; even if they intercepted some, enough still got through to make drone smuggling economically viable.
At the meeting led by Zamir, he instructed the military to undertake additional efforts and use resources in order to combat the Egyptian border drone issue. Zamir’s meeting focused on the IDF’s Operations Directorate and was part of a multi-organizational process aimed at constructing a comprehensive plan for tackling the growing threat. The IDF chief stated that the drone threat is “not merely a criminal threat but a security threat with terror potential,” emphasizing the military’s commitment to address the issue more robustly, while developing new operational capabilities.” (Read More)
Jordan’s cold peace and warm security with Israel
Although the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has a cold peace with Israel, the relationship between the Jordanian and Israeli security services is rather warm. A stable Jordan is key to Israel’s line of defense. Israel’s border with Jordan is its longest, about 300 miles, and being peaceful enables Israel to focus on other critical arenas, such as the border with Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.
There is, however, more to the relationship, one that is active in the shadows rather than in the open. Israel provides Jordan with water, energy and security. Then, there are the pro-Muslim Brotherhood states of Qatar, Turkey, and, especially, the Islamic Republic of Iran that sought, and still seek, to destabilize the Jordanian monarchy by supporting the strong Muslim Brotherhood cells in the kingdom.
Reuters reported on May 15, 2024, that “Jordan has foiled a suspected Iranian-led plot to smuggle weapons into the U.S.-allied kingdom, to help opponents of the ruling monarchy carry out acts of sabotage. Theweapons were sent by Iranian-backed militias in Syria to a cell of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan that has links to the military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas.” (Ed note: A very interesting and informative history lesson, however, Ammon, Moab and Esau/Edom have not yet spoken. In Psalm 83, they still represent JORDAN today. Did anyone else notice the long fence in the picture above? Does anyone still think that Israel is "living without walls, bars or gates?" See Ezekiel 38:11.) (Read More)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)