The amount of terror attacks committed during this year’s Islamic festival of Ramadan was down 80% compared to last year.

Typically, Israel has seen an increase in terror attacks during the month-long holiday. In 2024, there were 54 attacks, compared to just three this year.

In a joint statement released by the Israel Defense Forces and security organization Shin Bet, credit was attributed to the increase of anti-terror operations in Judea and Samaria.

The announcement outlined: “During the month of Ramadan, the IDF, Shin Bet, and Border Police operated throughout the Central Command area to thwart terrorism while strengthening defensive efforts.

“As part of these operations, 401 wanted individuals were arrested, 13 terrorists were eliminated, and 105 weapons were confiscated.

“During last year’s Ramadan, 27 significant terrorist attacks originated from Judea and Samaria—22 in the Samaria region and five in the Judea region.

“Security forces continue to work to prevent terrorism throughout Judea and Samaria in order to maintain the security of Israeli citizens,” said Police Commissioner Dani Levi.

Source:
Significant Decrease in 2025 Ramadan Terror Attacks, by Crystal Jones/TPS, April 2, 2025

Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich conducted a tour of Judea and Samaria on Tuesday, closely monitoring ongoing efforts to address unauthorized Arab construction while advancing the development of Jewish communities.

During the tour, Minister Katz stated: “Judea and Samaria constitute the historical heartland of Israel. The recent Swords of Iron War has further underscored the strategic importance of ensuring the security of Jewish communities in these areas, which serve as a safeguard for the nation. The State of Israel will remain steadfast in protecting its citizens and will not permit Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to employ unauthorized construction as a means to undermine Jewish communities.”

Finance Minister Smotrich echoed these sentiments, declaring: “Since 1967, there has not been such a significant revolt in Judea and Samaria. The Israeli government is committed to fostering the development of Jewish communities and will not permit the unchecked expansion of unauthorized Arab construction, which has proliferated in recent decades.”

In conclusion, Smotrich affirmed: “The Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria are entitled to the same security as all Israeli citizens. This region, the cradle of our national heritage and the land of the Bible, is an inseparable part of our identity. We are here to stay.”

We pray they will not only stop illegal land takeovers but will also reverse damage that has already been done in the biblical heartland.

Source:
‘Will not neglect safety of Jewish residents, PA will not control areas in Samaria, by Israel National News, April 1, 2025

Fifteen mayors of Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria have signed on to an initiative calling for a permanent Jewish presence at Joseph’s Tomb in the Samaria city of Shechem.

The initiative, led by Rabbi David Ben-Natan, has also received support from Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan and Zvi Sukkot, a former lawmaker for the Religious Zionism Party.

The local leaders are demanding that Jerusalem restore Jewish rule over Joseph’s Tomb, return the Od Yosef Chai Yeshivah to its initial location in the tomb’s compound and allow the general public to visit and pray.

Israel Ganz, who heads the Binyamin Regional Council and the Yesha Council umbrella group, said: “The return of the yeshivah to Joseph’s Tomb is not only a religious matter, but a step of historical justice.

Justice, justice you shall pursue! (Deuteronomy 16:20)

Source:
Judea and Samaria leaders urge government to restore Jewish presence at Joseph’s Tomb, by JNS Staff, March 31, 2025

Arab media reported overnight Monday that dozens were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younes, in southern Gaza. According to the Qatari Al-Jazeera network, Hamas is feeling increasingly threatened.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday told the cabinet: “Regarding Hamas in Gaza – the military pressure is working. It is working because it is simultaneous: on the one hand, it is pounding Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, and on the other, it is creating the conditions for releasing our hostages. This is exactly what we are doing.

“Last night, the Security Cabinet convened and decided to increase the pressure, which was already increased, in order to further pound Hamas and create the optimal conditions for releasing our hostages.”

“We are committed to returning the hostages and we are working to return them. As of today, the combination of military and diplomatic pressure is the only thing that has returned the hostages and not any of the empty claims and slogans that I hear in the studios from the self-professed experts.”

Source:
Increased Military Pressure in Gaza Is Working, Hamas Begging ‘International Community’ for Help, by David Israel/Jewish Press, March 31, 2025

The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Sunday morning approved a bill proposed by MK Avichay Buaron, which stipulates that funds paid by the Palestinian Authority to terrorists or their families will be considered proof of endorsement of terrorist acts and will be deducted from the tax revenues that Israel transfers to the Authority.

The new law stipulates that payments made in memory of terrorists or to their families will be regarded as an action constituting “endorsement” of terrorist acts, thereby obligating the Palestinian Authority to compensate the State of Israel for damages caused by acts of terror.

The Lavi organization, which took part in drafting the bill, stated, “The Palestinian Authority incentivizes harm to Jews, and it’s time for the State of Israel to demand compensation for the severe damages to life and property. This is a necessary and important step toward justice and political accountability.”

If only monetary damages were enough to compensate for the terrible losses cased by terrorists. It is a step in the right direction.

Source:
The price of terror: Palestinian Authority to pay Israel for attacks, by Hezki Baruch/Israel National News, March 31, 2025

Leading US-based anti-Israel activist groups, including Columbia University’s Apartheid Divest and Within Our Lifetime and heads like Mahmoud Khalil, had prior knowledge of the October 7 massacre, a lawsuit filed last week by families of the Hamas-led attack’s victims alleged. The lawsuit is seeking damages from activists aiding and abetting Gaza’s terrorist organizations.

According to it, some groups, whom Hamas members reportedly saw as operatives, reactivated just before the massacre, and others issued protest and propaganda materials as the event unfolded in southern Israel.

After months of dormancy, Columbia SJP allegedly reactivated its Instagram account “three minutes before Hamas began its attack on October 7,” announcing a meeting and stating that supporters should “stay tuned.”

Eighty-three SJP chapters, including Columbia’s, signed and disseminated a statement in support of Hamas at midnight at the end of the day of the attack, leading the suit to insinuate that the content must have been drafted, reviewed, and signed by dozens of organizations “before and/or during the events of October 7 themselves.”

Source:
Anti-Israel groups aided Hamas on campus, knew of attack beforehand, Oct. 7 victims say in lawsuit, by Michael Starr/Jerusalem Post, March 24, 2025

The Judiciary Basic Law, which regulates the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee, has passed its second and third readings in the Knesset and will now be added to Israel’s law books.

The proposal approved today is a crucial step in restoring the balance between the branches of government and returning decision-making power to the people of Israel.

Here are the significant changes to the composition and decision-making rules of the Judicial Selection Committee:

• Restoring balance between the government authorities – The most fundamental principle of a democratic system is that no authority should appoint itself.

• A fair and balanced judicial selection process – The new committee structure guarantees that judicial appointments require agreement between the coalition and the opposition.

• Removing Bar Association representatives from the committee – Given their inherent conflicts of interest, it was always necessary to exclude them.

• Improving the judicial system – This reform maintains a balance between judges who rise through the system and external candidates who will bring diverse legal perspectives.

We pray that this hastens an end to the juristocracy currently upsetting the balance of power and ignoring the will of the majority in Israel.

Source:
MK Rothman: These are the changes to the Judicial Selection Committee, by Israel National News, March 27, 2025

Demonstrations that erupted by Gazans in Beit Lahia against Hamas have entered their third day. Hundreds of Palestinian Arabs are voicing strong opposition to Hamas calling for an end to the ongoing war with Israel.

Amir Tsarfati commented on Telegram:

I don’t trust the Gazans. These are the same people who looted, murdered, raped, and kidnapped our people. However, if these protests from within will hasten the collapse of Hamas, that’s a good thing.

My only question is: Are these protests genuine, or are they staged by Hamas to demonstrate that Gazans must stay and elect new leaders—all in an effort to stop the war and prevent their displacement? After all, who can guarantee that these “civilians” aren’t the very same individuals who were wearing uniforms just two weeks ago?

They’re being paid by Qatar and/or Egypt to do this, creating the impression that not all of Gaza supports Hamas. This is a tactic to prevent their removal from the region. Many Hamas operatives are wearing civilian clothes and participating in these staged protests.

In an Arutz Sheva interview, Oded Eilam, former head of the Counter-Terrorism Division in the Mossad was asked if the protests are real or fake. He said, “You can say that it’s both. On the one hand, there is an authentic element, mainly because of the military pressure that Israel is again applying. The Gazans have gotten used to a time of relative quiet, especially during Ramadan, which leads to a certain feeling of well-being with tables full of good things. However, the end of the humanitarian aid, even if there isn’t a total shortage, since a lot of supplies are in Hamas’s storehouses, there has been an increase in food prices and a feeling of distress on the Gazan street.”

Trust with the Gazan and PA Arabs does not exist and we should be cautious about praising these protests. As Eilam stressed, let’s not jump to conclusions and think that suddenly the Gazan and PA Arabs are truly turning against Hamas and/or Fatah.

Source:
Are the protests in Gaza genuine? Former Mossad agent explains, by Shimon Cohen/Israel National News, March 27, 2025

A Palestinian Authority terrorist was arrested Tuesday after attempting to murder an Israeli Police officer near the Jerusalem suburb of Ma’ale Adumim, along the Jerusalem-Ma’ale Adumim Highway, in the second such terrorist attack in two days.

The terrorist vehicle subsequently reached another police checkpoint, where the driver again tried to escape. He was shot by the police, according to Ma’ale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrach.

No other injuries were immediately reported.

Source:
Israeli Security Personnel Targeted in Ma’ale Adumim Terror Ramming Attack, by Hana Levi Julian/Jewish Press, March 25, 2025

The Security Cabinet on Saturday night approved the proposal of the Minister in the Ministry of Defense, Bezalel Smotrich, to authorize the splitting of 13 communities in Judea and Samaria from their adjacent communities and to work toward recognizing them as independent communities.

The move, led by Minister Smotrich as part of the work of the Settlement Administration under his responsibility, is taking place against the backdrop of the approval of tens of thousands of housing units in Judea and Samaria and constitutes another significant step in the process of normalization and regulation of the settlement enterprise.

Until now, these communities were formally considered part of their “parent” communities, sometimes for decades, which caused numerous difficulties in their day-to-day management. Recognizing each of them as an independent community in practice is an important step that will greatly assist in their advancement and development.

Minister Smotrich said, “We continue, with God’s help, to lead a revolution of normalization and regulation in the settlement enterprise. Instead of hiding and apologizing – we raise the flag, build, and settle. This is another important step toward de facto sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”

Source:
13 Judea and Samaria communities to be recognized, by Israel National News, March 23, 2025