Is the End of Hezbollah Near?
The government of Lebanon has accepted the United States proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group, according to a report Sunday, while Hezbollah has sent its official response to the peace plan.
Late Sunday night, Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) reported that Beirut has accepted, with some caveats, the framework for a truce submitted by the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, and that the Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah has already penned a response, which is being forwarded to the United States.
The report stated that while Lebanon has accepted the general outline of the ceasefire proposal, Beirut has asked for clarifications regarding some provisions and is pushing for alterations to others.
Hezbollah would be required to demilitarize – not only south of the Litani River, near the Israeli frontier, but also north of it. This provision, the report said, is considered non-negotiable by the U.S., due in part to Israeli insistence on the disarming of the Iran-backed proxy group.
In addition, the draft submitted to Lebanon calls for the establishment of a supervisory committee to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire, to ensure adherence to the deal and monitory violations, and to ensure the fulfillment of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
Amir Tsarfati on Telegram posted: A report in the New York Times: Iran’s leader Khamenei sent a message to Hezbollah at the end of the week through his advisor Ali Larijani that Tehran calls for agreeing to a ceasefire based on resolution 1701 and a withdrawal beyond the Litany, and will continue to support Hezbollah and help it recover from the severe blows it has suffered.
For this proposal to stick, Hezbollah must demilitarize and meaningful enforcement (not through the UN) must be in place so that Hezbollah does not reestablish itself or rebuild its military capabilities. Israel is too close to victory to accept anything less.
Source:
Report: Lebanon accepts US ceasefire deal disarming Hezbollah, by David Rosenberg/World Israel News
Significant Damage to Iran’s Nuclear Research
Israel’s strike on Iran last month destroyed an active nuclear weapons and research facility in Parchin, Axios reported, quoting three US officials, one current Israeli official, and one former Israeli official.
The site was previously reported to be inactive, Axios added. However, it is now clear that the strike “significantly damaged” Iran’s efforts to resume nuclear weapons research.
According to US and Israeli officials, the Taleghan 2 building was being used for nuclear research that could also be presented as important for civilian purposes.
Just to be clear, Iran never reported this site as part of its nuclear program so that means Israel technically kept its word to the Biden administration and didn’t attack any Iranian nuclear site. We cannot fathom that Israel did not have knowledge of the Taleghan 2 site to begin with. The strike against it proves that Israel has had significant knowledge of the inner structure of the Iranian system even though this site was kept top secret among a select few in the Iranian government. Bravo!
Let’s Not Forget About Judicial Reforms
MK Benny Gantz slammed Deputy Prime Minister Yair Levin in an X/Twitter post on Saturday evening after Levin made an earlier statement supporting the judicial reform movement.
According to Israeli media reports, Levin made a statement calling for the return of the judicial reform movement while condemning the firing of two flares at the prime minister’s residence in Caesarea on Saturday.
Levin stated, “The time has come to provide full support for the restoration of the judicial and law enforcement systems. It’s time for all coalition members, all factions, and all Knesset members to announce their unequivocal support for the moves I led that were stopped and any other move needed to change the situation. The time has come to give full backing to rehabilitate the justice system and law enforcement systems and to put an end to anarchy, rampage, insubordination, and attempts to harm the prime Minister.”
Of course, we differ with MK Ganz position that the judicial reforms did not lead to October 7 and we are certain that even once the war ends he will find another excuse to attack the judicial reforms process. MK Levin is on point with his steadfast commitment that judicial reforms need to return to where they left off before October 7. If not now, when?
Israelis Respond to Trump’s Nominations
Israelis expressed satisfaction and “relief” on Wednesday as US President-elect Donald Trump’s foreign policy team began taking shape.
Trump has nominated former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as US Ambassador to Israel, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as Ambassador to the United Nations, Florida Congressman Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor, and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been nominated for Secretary of State.
“These appointments sound like a lot of good news, and this is a huge relief,” Elena, a 43-year-old financial manager in Tel Aviv, told The Press Service of Israel.
Sderot carpenter Shmuel Mimoun told TPS-IL, “We are very, very glad that Trump has been elected, and we hope very much that this will change the picture of victory in Gaza and the picture of victory in Lebanon, and the Jewish people will live in pride and freedom in the Promised land.”
All of President Trump’s selections are well-known strong friends of Israel. The posts they have been nominated for are extremely important in order to continue to build and maintain a strong US-Israel alliance and a sovereign and safe Israel. We look forward to their congressional approval and ultimate tenure in the forthcoming new administration.
The Push for Sovereignty in 2025
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads the National Religious Party, stated at a press conference that he hopes the incoming Trump administration will recognize Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria in 2025 and put an end to U.S. demands for a Palestinian state.
“The year 2025 will be, with God’s help, the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich said. “I instructed the Settlement Administration at the Security Ministry and the Civil Administration to begin professional and comprehensive staff work and prepare in practice the necessary infrastructure for the application of sovereignty.”
Smotrich expressed his belief that Trump can lead the way to a truly new Middle East.
“Following this past year, we are the strongest in the Middle East,” Smotrich said. “We will apply sovereignty together with our American friends. We’ll extend the agreements and alliances with neighboring countries, and we’ll create a true new Middle East.”
We could not be more eager to see his vision become a reality. Setting in motion facts on the ground to further this vision is certainly strengthening the call for Sovereignty and we applaud his foresight!
Golan Asks Stefanik to Hear the Women of Israel
Minister for Social Equality and Women Empowerment May Golan on Wednesday wrote a letter to Rep. Elise Stefanik, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for the post of US Ambassador to the UN.
“Tragically, the women of Israel who experienced the horrors of October 7th found no expression for their voices in UN institutions. Instead of supporting them and unequivocally condemning the rape, slaughter, burning, and abduction of Israeli and Jewish women, the UN has acted to silence them, giving legitimacy to those who deny these atrocities-the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust!” continued Golan.
“Precisely because of this challenging year, you enter this challenging position with courage, facing numerous adversarial forces, but with justice and morality as your guides. I have no doubt that the State of Israel will find in you a true friend and a devoted ally,” the Minister wrote, concluding with, “Continue to shine the light of women in the face of darkness and opposition.”
Under the incoming administration, May’s calls for recognition should fall on ears that are ready to listen and act.
N.Y. Times Changes “Occupation” Language After AFSI Protests
The New York Times has quietly corrected a false statement about “Israeli occupation” that it used repeatedly earlier this year. The change follows a protest by Americans For A Safe Israel (AFSI).
The controversy began this past summer, when multiple Times reporters began using a new, identical phrase when referring to the Judea-Samaria territories, claiming that “three million Palestinians live under Israeli military occupation” there.
The same phrase appeared in no less than six news articles in eight days in August and September.
In early September, AFSI published a report exposing the truth: that 98% of those Arabs actually live under the rule of the Palestinian Authority, not Israel; and that the Times was falsely inflating the Arab population from 2.7-million—which the Times itself had previously reported—to 3 million.
In the weeks since AFSI’s report, the Times has reversed course. Between September 13 and November 5, the Times published five news articles and one video report about those territories. Not one of those reports claimed that “three million Palestinians live under Israeli military occupation.” In addition, the video report revised the Arab population downward to the original figure of 2.7-million.
AFSI national chairman Moshe Phillips said:
“It seems clear that editors at the Times last summer instructed their reporters to make a false statement about Israel—but once they were exposed, the editors quietly stopped using that falsehood. The fight against anti-Israel media bias may be long and difficult, but this episode demonstrates that persistence can force biased editors and reporters to correct their misstatements.”
Amsterdam Pogrom was Planned and Ignored. Violence Continues and Spreads
At least ten Israeli soccer fans were injured when a mob of rioters shouting “Free Palestine” attacked them in Amsterdam last Wednesday night, prompting authorities to advise Israelis in the Dutch capital not to leave their hotels.
Israel dispatched two planes to the Netherlands to evacuate its citizens. Around 3,000 Israelis traveled to Amsterdam to attend a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax. The Israeli army deployed a rescue mission including rescue and medical teams to Amsterdam in coordination with the Dutch government.
Antisemitic disturbances in Amsterdam have continued nearly a week after the Maccabi Tel Aviv – Ajax soccer match, with rioters beating passerby, attacking police officers, and burning trams and vehicles in the city overnight Monday.
The violence could spread to Paris where police announced on Sunday the mobilization of 4,000 officers and 1,600 employees at the stadium for the soccer match between the France and Israel national teams, in order to ensure security inside and around the Stade de France, as well as on public transportation
‘F–the Jews’ – Antisemitic Amsterdam riots continue, by World Israel News Staff, November 12, 2024
Betar’s Action Makes a Clear Statement
In what it called “a bold and highly successful operation,” Betar USA launched a large cyber campaign, taking control of “several notorious websites that have been linked to antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric.”
“The operation, which was executed overnight, targeted platforms promoting hate against the Jewish people and the state of Israel, marking a crucial step in defending Jewish communities and Zionist values,” the organization stated.
“Betar USA is sending a clear message that we will not be silent in the face of hatred, incitement, and aggression,” added Ross Glick, CEO of Betar. “We are taking action now to ensure that our voices are heard, and that Zionism and Jewish pride remain unshaken. We will continue to confront antisemitism head-on, wherever it exists.”
World Betar stated, “its full support for Betar USA’s righteous and strategic actions, which have successfully reclaimed platforms previously used for hate and transformed them into powerful tools for advocacy and Zionist messaging.”
Knesset Puts Its Shoulder to the Wheel
The Knesset cracked down on Palestinian terror on Thursday morning, giving final approval to legislation authorizing the government to deport relatives of terrorists and a second bill that allows for the detention of minors who commit terror attacks.
The first law, passed by a vote of 61-41, allows the Interior Minister to expel relatives of terrorists if they knew of and supported their attack.
The law “is a significant and aggressive tool to create a formidable balance of deterrence and will reduce terrorism,” said MK Almog Cohen of the Otzma Yehudit party, one of the sponsors of the legislation.
The Choosing Life Forum for terror victims and their families praised the law’s passage, calling it “an important step and a cornerstone in the package of deterrence laws.”
Source:
Knesset Legislation Cracks Down on Terror, by Noah Michaeli/TPS, November 7, 2024